My head spins rapidly.
Who is that kid, anyway? Do I remember seeing them in the game?
…No, I don’t.
A demon resembling a white rabbit plush toy. There’s no way I could miss such a distinctive-looking creature.
Which means they’re either an extra or an unmentioned character.
“Extras… not really.”
I can tell just from how they laugh and extend their hand that this kid isn’t an ordinary extra.
“So, who are you?”
“…”
“I’d like to introduce myself. I’m one of the Demon King’s faction, the operations strategist, Kkomkmu.”
“…What?”
“I’m the operations strategist, Kkomkmu.”
At those words, my gaze was drawn to the kid’s ears.
Could it be that they were named Kkomkmu because of their resemblance to a rabbit plush toy?
Anyway, that’s not important right now.
I glared at the kid and asked.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, I do. You’re an ordinary part-timer and one of the few S-class top villains, aren’t you?”
“…How did you find out?”
“It’s simple.”
The kid clapped their hands with a “snap!”
“All thanks to that Bag guy.”
“Bag…?”
That Orc demon I defeated before.
Why him?
“That guy, though he was reckless and evil, was still pretty strong.”
“…”
“When such a guy suddenly dies, how could we just sit by? We immediately started an investigation.”
It seems Bag’s death was quite shocking among their group.
Judging by the fact that even the usually unmoving investigators got involved.
“Then we found out.”
“…”
“That Bag’s essence had gone to someone.”
“And that someone is…”
Kkomkmu nods.
“Yes, it was you. Phew, we barely managed to track you down.”
“…”
“How on earth do you hide so well?”
I hid Bag’s essence in Kkomkmu’s nest.
That place where tentacles sprout was actually a kind of subspace.
Never would I have thought they could trace something hidden there.
It seems they detected my identity through the Bag’s mana flowing out of me.
“So, what will you do now? Seek revenge or something?”
“Revenge? Why would we do that?”
The kid extended their hand again, this time more slowly and with a sinister feeling.
“Let’s work together, Mr. Kraken.”
“…What?”
“Let’s revive the Demon King together and dye this world in amusement, shall we?”
A familiar word came out.
Amusement.
The Demon King sent his subordinates ahead to gather energy for his descent into this world to play.
They create a world suitable for play with those gathered subordinates, enjoy it thoroughly, then move on to another space when satisfied.
The problem is that the result of this amusement leaves the world desolate.
“The world is fun with the Demon King.”
“…”
“You can enjoy anything you desire. Drugs, food, alcohol, sex… Don’t you have someone in mind?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Hmm, this is just a rough guess… forgive me if I’m wrong.”
Saying that, Kkomkmu bowed politely.
He has the dignity of a strategist of an organization. He would’ve been quite admirable if he wasn’t such a twisted piece of garbage inside.
I actually considered their offer for a moment. Not for my own happiness, but to act as a spy.
However…
“It’s meaningless.”
The Demon King isn’t stupid.
During the time he stays in this world, I’ll likely be excluded from most plans. He might betray and watch his own world collapse.
So, gaining his trust and accessing important information would only be possible in the next world.
Therefore, this proposal…
“Rejected. There’s no merit in it.”
“Is that so? That’s unfortunate.”
The kid shakes their head and steps back.
An unexpectedly compliant retreat.
“Well, I did expect this.”
“…”
“That’s because you… care about the magical girl Iris, don’t you?”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend. You were mostly around wherever Iris was. What is it? A twisted love?”
It was an infuriating voice.
What do they think they know?
Despite being an expressionless doll, I had the illusion of sensing emotion.
Mockery.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that the kid was mocking me.
To erase this disgusting feeling…
“…Still, thank you.”
“Huh?”
“You saved me the trouble of looking for you.”
If I erase the source of this, it should be fine.
Rrrrr!
The kid made a puzzled sound then realized.
“Oh ho…this is impressive.”
“Were you thinking I was just chatting idly?”
Tentacles spread widely nearby and shot out from all sides, binding the kid.
These wire-like thin threads had the disadvantage of breaking if the opponent was too strong.
“You’re not that strong, are you?”
“Yes, that’s true. Though it’s embarrassing, I fight using my abilities rather than physical strength…”
“Ability?”
The kid nods and flicks their finger.
A ringing sound echoes.
“I fight using dreams. And as a bonus, I control dolls, but that’s secondary.”
“Fighting with dreams?”
A thought crossed my mind.
Noah’s dream of watching his father die. Yoo Yul’s strange and scary dream.
Could that be…
This guy’s ability.
“Those caught in my grasp will fall back into my control once more.”
The voice imbued with mana resounds.
Anxiety creeps up from deep within.
“So, how do you like it? This is my ability, Dream Walker.”
“…Pathetic, what is this? Do you have tinnitus?”
“Haha! So you think the name Kraken is cool, huh?”
After laughing heartily, the kid calmed down and said,
“Most likely, Iris and Blackheart will have nightmares. Yes, long and painful nightmares.”
“…”
“If they can’t wake up…they’ll wander in dreams until they die.”
“…”
“Of course, they’ll recover with a powerful supply of essence. Or if there’s an extraordinary healer…”
The kid paused mid-sentence, slightly annoyed.
“…Oh, Blackheart woke up quickly it seems. There must’ve been a powerful healer nearby. Lucky kid.”
“Natalia is an excellent healer.”
“That’s good to hear. This is unfortunate…”
Saying that, the kid flicked their finger again.
This time, it was a different wave.
The sound spread, all the rides stopped, and darkness descended.
All the electricity in the amusement park ceased except for one place.
A large current flowed towards the grand central hall, creating a huge light.
-How long do you plan to keep me locked up?! Eternal Halloween for the dolls!
A giant pumpkin-headed doll shook the amusement park.
How big was the kid? They were about the size of a roller coaster.
I muttered their name.
“…Pumpkin.”
“Oh, you knew about this guy?”
“…You!”
Crack!
Huge tentacles grabbed the kid’s limbs and tore them in half.
Cotton burst out like entrails, and Kkomkmu’s body scattered on the floor.
Yet, their characteristic annoying tone continued.
“Angry at failing to stop me? Please don’t be. Even if you kill me here, I would’ve resurrected in another doll’s body and carried out the plan.”
“…”
“Are you venting your anger on me while Iris is wandering in dreams?”
“Grrr…”
I crushed the remaining pieces and left.
The kid was about to start. The amusement in this nightmare-like amusement park.
Even from afar, the unpleasant voice lingered in my ears.
“Now, let me show you. The sight of you being ravaged by the nightmares I created. It’s my ultimate amusement.”
“What is that thing!?”
Lee Tae-hwa.
No, Stella soared high into the sky and shot star arrows.
Bang bang bang!
Arrows piercing the pumpkin doll’s torso.
But it didn’t stop.
Of course not.
It was just a simple doll without life or pain.
The monster doll began repairing itself, with cloaked dolls appearing from somewhere and sacrificing themselves to mend the damaged areas.
Half-hearted attacks are useless.
Ultimately, it means we need a single devastating blow to destroy that torso…
“Sister! Where’s Noah…no, Iris!?”
“I’m contacting her! More importantly, Blackheart…”
“Damn…”
The person who could do this, Iris, hasn’t arrived yet, and the barely found Blackheart fell asleep again.
Natalia, with a serious expression, took a deep breath.
“Stars, please bestow your blessing upon this child.”
Mana draining away proportionally to the unfolding massive starlight. As it gently covers like the warmth of spring, Blackheart opens his eyes.
“I…had another strange dream…”
“You woke up…phew…”
“Sister! Are you okay!?”
“I’m fine…just…a little tired. I’ll be okay after a short rest…first, let’s deal with that guy…”
“…Got it.”
Stella reloaded with starlight.
Blackheart also seemed to understand the situation and hastily drew his sword.
“Can we two handle it…”
“I feel bad…”
“Huh?”
“Shouldn’t we be afraid of guys like him? Sister, I want to stay strong and cool.”
At that, Stella chuckled.
“You’re right. We can’t rely on Iris forever.”
“Yes, let’s defeat that monster-”
At that moment, a man’s voice was heard.
“Haha, what a joke. Weaklings like you talking nonsense…go away. You’re not strong enough yet.”
Recognizing the voice, Blackheart turned his head.
There stood…
“…Kraken!?”
Kraken, who left such painful memories, stood there.
Stella asked.
“Did you do this!?”
“No, I don’t like chaos.”
“…”
“And think about it. Have I ever harmed innocent people?”
“That’s…true.”
Noah had mentioned this before.
Strangely, the guy just left civilians alone.
Because of this, Stella wondered if he might be a decent person, but soon realized.
“Where’s Iris? Iris, come quickly. My light of life, my flame of existence, my sin, my soul. Iris.”
“Just a crazy guy, isn’t he?
“Why are you looking for her? If you’re planning to fight again-”
“We need to defeat that monster together.”
“…What?”
“That monster is strong. Even she probably can’t guarantee victory.”
Kraken tightened his grip on his hand.
“I can’t forgive that sight. The only one who should win against Iris is me.”
“…”
“Therefore, I propose this, blue-haired magical girl. If you tell me her location, I’ll gladly become your sword and shield to destroy the enemy.”
“…”
“I won’t lie.”
Stella hesitated.
It’s frustrating, but it’s true. Right now, with just the three of us…no, Natalia is exhausted, so effectively less than two.
With this power, defeating that mighty monster is almost impossible.
And we can’t go look for Iris either.
“Hurry up! Hurry up and get out of here!”
Since the evacuation of civilians isn’t completely finished yet.
“Indeed…we can only tie its hands briefly with our forces.”
“You’re quick to assess the situation.”
“…Will you really help us?”
“She can’t beat that guy alone either. If she does, she’ll suffer severe injuries.”
“Will you help or not!”
“I’ll help anytime. For the day I personally defeat her.”
“…Alright. Though I don’t like it…”
Stella sighed deeply and said.
“The last contact was near the carousel. And the carousel is…”
“Near that monster.”
“I know.”
“…Thanks, please make the effort.”
“Huh? Eh…”
Saying that, Kraken quickly disappeared.
“Hey sis, why are you like that?”
“No…it’s probably just my mood…”
“?”
Maybe I misheard it.
There’s no way Kraken would say something like ‘Please, please stay safe’ in a prince-rescuing-princess tone.
Could…could this guy also like Iris?
There’s no way.
Even if it’s unrequited love, he’s quite pitiful.
Since Noah already has someone boyfriend-like.
Seriously, when are they going to date!? He’s that amazing.
…Sigh, thinking about this now doesn’t matter.
“…Alright! Sword up, Blackheart! We’ll hold out somehow until Iris and Kraken come back! Got it?”
“Yes! I’ll definitely hold out and show you!”
While my nose is bleeding now.
