Whoosh─.
The rain just wouldn’t stop pouring.
Like the blackened sky, Pina Grancia’s hair had turned black.
How should I describe the world that has changed because of my death?
“Bad Ending.”
That’s what they call a bad conclusion in games.
Due to a tiny difference, her life has plummeted endlessly.
She didn’t become the Nameless Saintess and defeated all the Demon Kings, but—
“I lost the most precious person…”
If only she had been a little stronger, she thought.
Pina lived her life drowning in regret.
“If I die, then Pina becomes like this…”
Suddenly, the words etched into the sword I was holding caught my eye.
“Faith Wish (冀雨).”
The Mind Sword created to replace her tears was now utterly useless.
“…Love is heavy. Pina.”
I nibbled at my lower lip.
Trying to change the pouring rain into shards of glass was pointless.
Her will was stronger than mine. A desire to cling to the past.
[Licht. Is it really you..? Please.. tell me it’s not a dream..]
When I tried to use telepathy, a longed-for voice echoed.
It sounded exactly like Pina Grancia.
But the sensation of hearing that voice felt different to me.
A voice mixed with crying.
How much had she cried? Her voice was hoarse.
[Licht.. I’m sorry for being weak..]
And she didn’t call me by my real name.
‘This connects with the Pina here.’
She was different from the Pina I knew.
Here, I didn’t know her real name, and she didn’t know mine.
Is this what they call a time paradox?
It seemed the mana circuits inside me were shared with this Pina as well.
[Licht. I’m not hearing things, right? Licht. Why aren’t you answering?]
Pina trembled in anxiety, constantly firing questions at me.
[Are you trying to ask me to leave this place..?]
She seemed terrified that she might just flutter away from here.
[….I won’t let you go. Since you came here, you’re mine forever.]
Feeling a sudden chill, I looked back.
Could I really return her to her original state?
[Pina, you don’t have to feel anxious. Just let’s talk a bit…]
[No. I don’t want to. You always lied to me.]
I tried to reassure Pina with my words.
[Your name is fake, and everything about not dying fighting the Demon King is all lies.]
Instead, I only amplified Pina’s anxiety.
Did I say I wouldn’t die before?
[If you come to the Imperial Palace… I’ll tie you up so you can’t run away.]
Her obsession aligned with the visions the Sage had seen about the future.
[You don’t have to be afraid. It won’t hurt…]
Was that the future where she was chained up?
A voice trembling with excitement at the thought of having me.
I could even hear the sound of her swallowing.
I had no choice but to cut off the telepathy.
“…I wonder how Pina would think if she saw me like this.”
I sighed deeply, lowering my head.
This was also my fault for recklessly acting without considering Pina’s feelings.
She was someone who hated the thought of me getting hurt.
“I need to meet her. But what should I say?”
If I had died at the hands of the Demon King, if the miracle performed by the Nameless Saintess had never happened—
Things that could have originally happened.
Then, should I keep the Demon God Pina by my side? Could I love the same person just as much?
“..What’s different from cheating then?”
I clenched my grip on the sword tightly.
Even if she was the same person, it wouldn’t be different from cheating.
I shut my eyes tight.
The reason I had pushed her away despite knowing her feelings.
‘I’m just like the past me who overlapped the Nameless Saintess and Pina.’
Even thinking the same person could be loved easily is a mistake.
But that’s not love, it’s closer to obsession.
It’s unilateral arrogance that disregards the feelings of the other person.
In the end, even the Pina from the original world line is undoubtedly waiting for me constantly.
“I have to say that I’m not the Licht you know.”
The only thing I can do for now is help Pina face reality.
Avoiding it won’t lead to any answers.
Even if it means hurting her.
“I have to say something stern looking at what you’ve done.”
As I walked towards the Imperial Palace, I felt the world had changed.
The restaurant I used to go to with her.
The confectionery we often visited after Academy classes.
Every place I had been with Pina had turned into massive ice blocks.
As if time had stopped, no one could approach.
All marked with the royal emblem of the wolf and a sign saying the shop would be relocating.
‘Empress Pina Grancia.’
I saw a name written below that was so familiar.
‘Maybe she wants to protect the memories we shared.’
Pina, preventing me from losing everything related to me.
That jealousy was like an endless glutton (餓鬼).
*
How long has it been since then?
I looked at the blackened castle and opened my mouth.
“This spot is right…”
Now, an eerie atmosphere lingered in the Imperial Palace.
The wolf statue guarding the entrance had its head removed, creating a grim vibe.
‘The Pina who transformed into a Demon God is here.’
It was my first time meeting her face to face; it felt strange.
Now that I think about it, it was raining just like when Pina and I first met at the Academy.
She told me that I looked like a puppy caught in the rain and covered me with an umbrella.
But now I felt like the Hero who had arrived at the Demon King’s Castle.
Lee Soo-hyun ♥ Demon God Pina Grancia: 2̢̩̻̘̇̄͂̅̓̓̌̍̿͟1̵̝̮͙̫̈͗͑̑̈͐̆͆͋͜4̴̧̦͈̻͖͙̉̏̓͑͘͜ͅ7̶̡͍͇͔̙͂̈̀̄͌͢͟4̶̡̢̧͙̜͚̤͈̥̙̔̊͂̿̀̚8̸̧̧͈͙̘͖̰̃̎̄̒̅̐͘̚͞͞3̛̺̦̟̺̞̖̩͉̝͛̔̏͛͟6̧̩͎̖͎͉̮͈͎͔̓̊̔̅͑̈̽͞4̶̥̞̥̗̣͆̌̓̄̃̊͂̈́͢͡7̛̖͕͈̞̖̺̫̒̓̄̑̅̒͗͋͜͠ %]
As soon as I arrived at the Imperial Palace, my Status Window went haywire.
Could it be any more dangerous than this? I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
[Licht. Come in quickly.]
With a creak─ sound that sent chills down my spine, the massive door opened.
As I stepped inside, the door closed behind me just like before.
An unavoidable dead-end situation.
I ventured forward through the endless darkness.
[Licht. I’ve been waiting for you all this time.]
Then one by one, candles lit up.
The thorny black rose vines began to spread throughout the palace.
[Licht. Do you even know how hard it was without you..?]
“…..”
With each step I took, a murmuring voice echoed in my head.
[Let’s not suffer any longer. After all, you came to find me like this, didn’t you?]
With the candles lighting up, things around became increasingly visible.
Now I could see the pictures on the walls and the words written there.
‘Licht hated bitter things.’
A picture of me wearing the Black Knight helmet alongside Pina.
‘He seems to like meat. I wonder if he likes the beef stew I make..?’
Below that, there were memos with stars and red lines drawn around them, looking crucial.
‘Licht had a crush on the Nameless Saintess.’
The number of memos increased every time I moved deeper into the corridor.
‘I wanted to try the Lizardman restaurant one day.’
‘I wanted to go to the library with Licht and read books too.’
Wishes unfulfilled for this “her.”
Bucket-list-like tasks I couldn’t do since I died.
‘You told me it was fine even if I’m not strong.’
‘But, really strong was.. you.’
And finally, the giant poster that became visible at the end of the corridor.
‘…Licht wasn’t aiming for me, the princess.’
I’m sorry.
I’m really sorry. I’m sorry for being weak.
Licht. I was wrong.
If only I had been a bit stronger, I could’ve saved you.
“……..”
The words of self-blame were densely written in red.
Just then, I opened the door before me and entered.
“Welcome, Licht.”
“…Should I say it’s been a while, Pina?”
A black-haired woman sitting on a high throne.
She looked down with blood-red eyes and gave me a faint smile.
“No, let’s not say such embarrassing things between us.”
The audience chamber was filled with items related to me.
A stuffed doll that looked similar to me.
The white Saintess dress she wore when she was a Saintess.
And the Ideology Helmet stained with blood.
“Licht. How do you like my hair color? Isn’t it pretty? I matched it exactly to yours.”
Playing with her hair, Pina smiled sweetly.
With that, she slowly descended the stairs.
Step by step.
Like a child seeking praise.
“..Oh, do you dislike it? Should I change it back to white..?”
“…….”
Pina was craving my affection.
“I’m sorry. My eyes turned out like this from crying.”
Now it was her turn to apologize again.
Laughing, crying, then slowly approaching me as if shocked that it wasn’t a dream.
“When my tears dried up… blood started to come out afterward…”
Pina gently caressed my cheek like it was precious, her eyes still flowing with blood.
Is that why her golden eyes had turned red?
“What happened to your outfit, Pina?”
“This.. you’re a man who has gone through the coming-of-age ceremony, aren’t you?”
The black dress, revealing a lot of skin, was shamelessly provocative.
“I want to give you everything I couldn’t before… no matter what it is..”
While giving me a fox-like grin, Pina tapped my lips with her finger.
“Hehe, you’re feeling shy too..”
The thick scent of roses was dizzying.
Not knowing where to look, I turned my gaze elsewhere, and she drew even closer to me.
“…Pina.”
“Why, Licht..?”
Pina attempted to put the necklace she was wearing around my neck.
Unlike the black choker, it was a red collar with spikes.
“I already have someone I love.”
“……”
Facing her trying to put a sign of marriage on me, I had to say what I needed to.
“…I’m not the Licht you loved, Pina.”
The moment she heard my words, the spark in Pina’s eyes began to fade.
“…Lies.”
“…….”
“Lies.”
“Pina….”
“Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies.”
“Don’t lie to me, Licht.”
Crack─!
Pina crushed the collar she was holding.
