MC POV
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As I passed through the portal, I returned to the sky above the Forbidden Land. I saw the blonde-haired woman murmuring with a slightly confused tone.
"This is another world? It looks like a forsaken land to me."
"This is merely one region of this Realm. This place is often used as a battlefield for the strongest beings here, which is why it looks like this." (Arthur)
"Interesting. I can't wait to look around."
I gave her a brief explanation as she glanced around, her expression showing faint curiosity.
"Right, we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet. I'm Arthur Twilight. You can call me Arthur." (Arthur)
"My name is Abernyu." (Abernyu)
Abernyu. She was from the franchise The Misfit of Demon King Academy. A god responsible for the order of destruction itself— And she is one of my favorite characters. I felt relieved that I had successfully invited her to become a member of my family.
After the brief introductions, I explained the basics of this world.
"This world is called Trinia. It is divided into two Realms: the God Realm and the Demon Realm. Right now, we are in the Demon Realm—more precisely, in its central region known as the Forbidden Land." (Arthur)
"Are there only gods and demons here? Are there no humans in this world?" (Abernyu)
"This world is still young… perhaps a human realm will exist in the future." (Arthur)
I answered briefly and continued.
"…The Demon Realm is currently undergoing reform. In the past, it was filled with chaos. To prevent that chaos from happening again, seven pillars were established as the core of the Demon Realm." (Arthur)
"Seven pillars?" (Abernyu)
"Yes. The Seven Kings—rulers who maintain order in this realm. I am one of them." (Arthur)
"Are they as strong as you?" (Abernyu)
She sounded intrigued. I shook my head and answered honestly.
"Of course not. Among them, perhaps only two could be considered your equals. And if you exclude me… there may be only one person in this world you cannot defeat. But we can discuss that another time." (Arthur)
She looked visibly surprised.
Ignoring her reaction, I continued calmly.
"…Each King commands a group of subordinates. That's why I recruited you—to become a member of my family. I plan to gather more members, and I hope you will lead them." (Arthur)
"You want me to be a leader?" (Abernyu)
I nodded lightly.
"Yes. I think it's fitting. After all, you're the first member of my family." (Arthur)
Not to mention, Abernyu was overwhelmingly powerful, and her strength would only continue to grow after becoming my apostle. She was more than qualified.
"For now, let's create a castle for us to live in." (Arthur)
I made sure to deploy a spherical barrier in the sky as a precaution.
"You're going to build a castle here?" (Abernyu)
Abernyu asked while looking at the surrounding sky.
"Yes. I want to build a castle with you as its core, and I'd like you to manage it. Is that alright?" (Arthur)
She shook her head gently.
"I don't mind." (Abernyu)
"Thank you." (Arthur)
I already had a clear image of the castle in my mind, though I made a few modifications here and there. Then I snapped my right fingers.
Snap!
WHOOSH!!
A massive floating fortress appeared right before us.
"Impressive. What is this place called?" (Abernyu)
"Delsgade. All we need now is for the throne to absorb some of your destruction energy. That way, you'll become the core of Delsgade." (Arthur)
After that, we teleported into the throne room. I made this throne room look more or less similar to the throne room from Overlord. Standing before the throne, I gestured for her to step forward.
Abernyu gave a small nod when she looked at me, then she approached and released a bit of destruction energy toward the throne
BOOM!
The throne that had absorbed the destruction energy began to emit a black light similar to Abernyu's 'destruction' light… a black light that could erase everything illuminated by it. Fortunately, I had made this place literally indestructible.
The air trembled for several moments before everything settled down.
"It feels like this place has become my domain… My power grows stronger when Delsgade is nearby…" (Abernyu)
She murmured softly, clenching her hand several times. Sigh…Good thing I set up a barrier.
I nodded in satisfaction.
Delsgade was now Abernyu's territory. She would gain a significant boost when fighting near it. And unlike Anos, she wasn't bound to this place—she could still use her power normally elsewhere, just without the buff.
Once everything was done, I walked to the throne and sat down.
Comfortable enough. From now on, this would be our home.
"You can choose any room you like as your private quarters. I'll stay here to summon people from other worlds." (Arthur)
Hearing that, Abernyu shook her head and stepped closer to my side.
"I'll choose a room later. I'll stay here and watch— I'm interested in what kind of people will appear. Besides, you are my king, so think of me as your guardian." (Abernyu)
"Alright. Do as you like." (Arthur)
I shrugged casually.
Now then… who should I recruit next?
For a fighter, that woman known as the 'Incarnation of Talent' would be perfect. Moreover, she is also one of my favorite characters.
I raised my hand forward and manifested a magic circle right on the floor. The magic circle glowing brightly for a brief moment.
Vwoosh!
A silver-haired woman appeared at the center of the circle.
"It worked… but why does she look like she's dying?" (Abernyu)
Hearing Abernyu's murmur, I checked the condition of the woman. She lay sprawled on the ground, her skin pale, her breathing faint.
Well, considering I summoned her right as she had decided to end her life, this wasn't surprising.
Standing beside me, Abernyu cast her magic and healed the woman's wounds.
"I only healed the external damage. For now, she'll be fine." (Abernyu)
I nodded gratefully. Abernyu truly considered the situation before acting.
"Ugh… where am I…?"
The silver-haired woman slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up. She looked around with a confused expression. Her mismatched eyes then landed on Abernyu, and finally on me. When the woman looked at me, I saw that she had heterochromia, with green on the right side and gray on the left side.
"Who are you…? Wasn't I in a dungeon before…?"
Despite her weakened body, her gaze was sharp and wary. I sighed inwardly and answered.
"You're no longer in the dungeon. I summoned you here just as you were about to die." (Arthur)
"…"
Seeing her stunned, I continued.
"You're currently in another world—one completely different from your own." (Arthur)
"…Another world?"
"That's right. As for who we are—my name is Arthur, and the woman beside me is Abernyu." (Arthur)
"Nice to meet you." (Abernyu)
Abernyu greeted her in a flat tone.
"My name is Alfia…" (Alfia)
Hearing Alfia introduce herself in a cool tone, I nodded slightly.
"…Then why did you summon me here?" (Alfia)
Alfia asked in an emotionless voice while staring at me with sharp eyes.
"I want to invite you to join my family." (Arthur)
I answered her question without beating around the bush.
"I'm dying… what's the point of inviting someone like me?" (Alfia)
She let out a cold chuckle.
"Your illness is not a problem. I can completely heal you." (Arthur)
"…What?" (Alfia)
Seeing that she couldn't fully process my words, I repeated myself slowly.
"If you agree to join my family, I will restore your body completely. I'll give you a second chance to live in this world." (Arthur)
"…Are you a god?" (Alfia)
Alfia stared at me and asked to make sure.
"No. If anything, Abernyu is the god here—though the gods you know are different from those here. And compared to the gods of your world, Abernyu is far stronger—but let's get back to the point." (Arthur)
"…"
Seeing Alfia freeze after hearing my words, I continued by asking softly.
"Alfia, do you have any regrets in your previous world?" (Arthur)
Hearing my question, Alfia came back to her senses and answered calmly.
"…None. I already died there. Whatever happens to that world now is up to those who remain. I did everything I could before dying." (Alfia)
She paused, then spoke hesitantly.
"Though… If I had one regret, it would be my sister, Meteria. I took everything from her… Perhaps she should have been the one to receive a second chance."
Seeing her depressed expression, I couldn't help but sigh.
After a moment of thought, I spoke.
"Alfia, would you be willing to have all of your roles in that world replaced by your sister?" (Arthur)
Alfia stared at me seriously.
"What are you planning, Arthur?" (Abernyu)
"…" (Alfia)
Hearing Abernyu's question, Alfia also looked at me as if waiting for an answer.
"I'm thinking of ending Alfia's existence in that world entirely and letting her sister replace her. Not just replace her—I'll give Meteria a far better ending. She'll become a hero from a storybook, living happily ever after." (Arthur)
"…Sigh… You really never do things halfway." (Abernyu)
Abernyu gave me a wry smile, while looking at me with a gentle gaze.
"Is that true? Are you serious?" (Alfia)
Alfia glanced at Abernyu, then looked at me with uncertain eyes.
"Of course it's true. Arthur is the embodiment of [The End]—he can grant an 'ending' however he wishes." (Abernyu)
I nodded in Abernyu's explanation.
"We can discuss the details later. What do you think, Alfia? Are you willing to give your role to your sister? That will be your reward for joining my family." (Arthur)
I looked at Alfia with an interested gaze.
Of course, even without replacing Alfia, I could change Meteria's ending. It's just that I never really liked Alfia's story—so it would be better to give her entire role in the narrative to Meteria instead.
"…I agree." (Alfia)
Alfia answered firmly and then continued.
"After all, my life there has already ended. If Meteria can have a better life by replacing me… then it's worth it." (Alfia)
"Very well. Since you've agreed… I'll fulfill it right now." (Arthur)
Snap!
With a snap of my fingers, I made it reality.
"Done." (Arthur)
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