Chapter 47
Before I could even fully confirm the identity of that opponent—
“Kyah!”
Aldred let out a tearing scream. As if struck by a strong gust of wind, he was sent flying far away and collided with a gravestone.
Crash!
The impact shattered several nearby gravestones into pieces. Aldred lay sprawled over the debris, seemingly unconscious.
Horrified, I touched my hair and the back of my neck.
Fortunately, it seemed that Aldred hadn’t swung his scythe at me while flying.
For now, I was alive.
But there was a more important problem than the fact that my neck was still intact.
“…That voice… could it be?”
I cautiously turned my head. The thought weighed heavily on my chest, almost unbearable.
It felt as if time had stopped; breathing itself seemed suffocating.
A simple act of turning my head felt like hours had passed.
Finally, the owner of that voice came into view.
He was the one who had sent Aldred flying with terrifying force.
An unforgettable sight.
It was the same image of the man who had once been my father, instantly transformed into someone unrecognizable, disappearing before my eyes.
Two imposing yet elegant horns stretched above his head.
Unfamiliar black hair and red eyes.
But there was one difference from that day: the gaze directed at me.
That gaze was warm and gentle, just like the eyes of the father I had known every day.
Unlike the way the Demon Lord had looked at me with disdain, this was deep and tender.
My breath caught in my throat.
“…Dad?”
“Crisen.”
He called me with a smile that made his cheeks round and soft.
In that moment, the Demon Lord’s appearance disappeared from my eyes. In his place stood my father, Lloyd Delight, just as he had looked while living in Neverland, with golden hair and radiant green eyes.
I was meeting my dad here?
“Dad!”
“Crisen!”
I ran straight toward him, and he ran to me.
As I reached out my arms, he lifted me up with both hands.
I had thought it would take a very long time to see him again, yet here he was, so soon. And although he had worn the Demon Lord’s form, he still retained his true self as my father.
My mind went completely blank, tears only swirling in my eyes.
Nothing else mattered now.
I was finally with my dad again.
He embraced me, and I stretched my arms to wrap around his neck.
Then—
My body was thrown with overwhelming force.
In an instant, I flew through the air and slammed into the ground.
Thud!
An excruciating pain coursed through every bone in my body, as if it were about to shatter.
“Ugh… what…?”
I groaned involuntarily.
What had just happened?
Did my dad throw me?
…Or was that not my dad?
Footsteps approached—step, step.
Even though it was just the sound of walking, it carried an oppressive weight.
When I lifted my head, I saw him. But he was no longer my father.
Seamlessly, he had returned to the fearsome gaze of the Demon Lord.
“Do not call me that.”
“….”
Dual personality? What is this?
Just a moment ago, he had welcomed me with my father’s gaze and tone.
Ignoring the searing pain that ran through my body, I rose from the floor.
Facing the Demon Lord resolutely, I asked sharply,
“What happened to my dad?”
The Demon Lord lifted his eyes, as if intrigued, and smirked.
“What happened? The brat was simply outmatched. No one can defeat the Demon Lord.”
“…My dad’s consciousness is still alive, right?”
The person I had met just moments ago was definitely Lloyd.
Even in the original game, only after the Demon Lord’s death did Lloyd’s soul leave words of longing for his daughter.
So even now, my father’s soul is alive inside that Demon Lord.
Just as I had seen him a moment ago.
“You have no idea what you’re meddling with. Soon, he’ll disappear. Your father is gone now.”
The Demon Lord sneered mockingly.
It annoyed me.
If I were as tall as the Demon Lord, I would have flicked him at least ten times.
Instead, I dashed around him in circles.
“Dad! Dad, can you hear me? I’m here! It’s your daughter, Crisen! Daaaad!”
“Shut up! Don’t call me that!”
Flames blazed in the Demon Lord’s red eyes. His voice was so loud I thought my eardrums would tear.
I yelled back just as loudly.
“What’s wrong with me calling my dad my dad!”
“You insolent girl! I’ll kill you right here!”
The Demon Lord gripped my neck with his massive hand. My legs dangled helplessly.
“Ugh… this hurts…”
My neck was completely crushed.
This wasn’t a mere adult male—this was the Demon Lord. My delicate neck couldn’t withstand his grip.
At this rate, my neck would snap.
I couldn’t even speak or breathe.
…Could I really die here so pointlessly?
My mind went fuzzy.
Only the Demon Lord’s mocking laughter echoed faintly in my ears.
“Hohoho… die. I almost made you… die! Crisen!”
“!”
Gasp!
Suddenly, I could breathe again.
“Are you okay, my daughter?”
The Demon Lord, who had just choked me, lifted me up and asked anxiously.
I gasped, trying to draw the air I thought I couldn’t survive. When I opened my eyes, his red gaze was filled with nothing but concern.
“D-Dad… huff…”
“I’m sorry. I should have saved you sooner. Did it hurt a lot? Oh, this neck… the bruise will last a while.”
“Huff… gasp.”
“Yes. Breathe slowly. If I had been even a little later, it would have been terrible. I’m sorry, my daughter…”
Tears welled up in my dad’s eyes.
Just moments ago, I had wanted to hit that face, but now I only felt relief.
Finally catching my breath, I managed to speak.
“Haah… Dad? You’ve come back, right?”
My father, tearful, nodded with a sad smile.
“Yes. The Demon Lord is trying to kill you, so how could I just stand by? I promised I would always protect our angel.”
“Dad…”
Tears formed in my eyes without me noticing.
How much had I missed his embrace? I had even thought I might never see him again.
Gasping for breath, I said,
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too, my daughter.”
Dad pulled me closer and patted my back. Just like the embraces I always had before parting from him.
It was warm and comforting, like a baby bird returning to its nest.
I clutched his collar, panicking at the thought he might vanish again.
“Dad, let’s go home quickly.”
The house was still there.
…The walls needed repairs, but everything else was mostly intact.
How wonderful it would be to go back and live together as before.
After meeting my dad again, why should we hold back?
We had to go quickly.
Dad wrapped his arms around my head. His touch was warm and comforting, yet I felt uneasy.
Because sadness lingered in his eyes.
“…I’m sorry, Crisen. I need to deal with the Demon Lord first. Only then can I truly protect you.”
“….”
I knew that. I already knew it wasn’t possible.
But I couldn’t help whining like a child.
Tears streamed uncontrollably.
We had only just met, and yet we would soon be separated again.
The tasks ahead for the two of us, our tiny family, were too harsh and difficult. We had to kill the Demon Lord, yet save my dad who was bound to him.
Seeing my tears, Dad lifted me high into the air with both hands.
“Wushy-wushy, my child. You’ve grown so much while I was away.”
A smile touched his lips, but his eyes were endlessly sad.
Like me, his heart ached, but he tried to cheer me up anyway.
So I, his daughter, decided to lift my mood a little.
“Tch. I’m not a baby! I’m almost nine years old.”
“You’ve grown up. Let’s think of it as you went abroad for a while, away from me. I’ve been traveling the demon realm.”
