*pomf* *bonf* *pomp* like a discarded rag, the green-haired girl tumbled across the ground.

Every time her body hit the ground, she would take several more scrapes and wounds making her already bruised body even worse.

Luckily, she stopped before those wounds could become any more substantial.

She stayed like that, face down on the ground, for a while.

Most likely, she had fainted.

Again.

But no.

Not this time.

"...ngh..." despite being in pain, she was trying to get up. She blacked out after the initial clash but the repeated hits pulled her back out of it. Wether this was a blessing or not, nobody knew.

But, the girl, she knew something. No, she finally figured something out.

"I... don't want to... lose... anything..." Is what she said, grinding her teeth.

If her 'mother' had seen her now, there was no question she'd be in shock. Not just because of the current state of her daughter - but also of her mind.

"I... don't want... to..."

For the first time in thirty-one years, the girl who was stuck in a chrysalis since the moment she entered this world - had finally begun feeling emotion.

True emotion.

In reality, Heleina couldn't have been more mistaken with her evaluation of this green-haired child.

She wasn't strong.

But neither was she weak.

She was just a blank slate.

She never experienced anger, so neither did she feel happy.

She never felt full, so she was never hungry.

She never felt rested, so she was never tired.

The only reason she smiled all the time, that her face always seemed to be on the brighter side, was because it was so much easier to form such expressions, compared to those that exhibited negative ones.

After all, frowning uses way more muscles than smiling.

That she seemed like such a bright and cheery girl , was just by coincidence, really.

Which is why, this was such a shocking... and saddening sight.

Because, rather than joy or sadness - what her first, true emotion manifested into was a smile... of madness.

No, that's a mistake. Because, 'she' never experienced being sane in the first place, so she was by no means, insane now.

Regardless, that 'emotion' spiralled down even further. Like fluid down a drain, it got muckier and darker as it travelled.

"I... won't lose... any... thing."

What was first a wish, became a declaration. With those words as her only encouragement, she pulled herself up.

Though with shaky legs, shivering hands and tearful eyes, the smile on her face didn't disappear.

Very soon, that 'liquid' had finally reached the deepest possible recesses of it's container.

*plop* the lead-like sound of it hitting the surface could almost be heared.

It was then, that the emotion had finally, truly manifested.

It wasn't 'clean', but neither was it anything 'dirty'.

"I will have everything I want."

It was twisted.

"Senpai will teach me."

It was selfish.

"I'll find Hel-nee-chan, a body."

It was self-sacrificing.

"Only I... can do it..."

It was arrogant.

"Ehehehe... I will..."

It was...

"...I will... have you look at me, Senpai."

A twisted, self-centered, self-sacrificing, arrogant emotion. One, that was unlike any other.

One, felt only by one other.

It was LOVE.

The magnitude of her LOVE for the first two people to enter her life; Hel-nee-chan and Senpai was nothing short of remakable... and horrendously frightening.

But, this girl didn't know that.

She had no idea what she was feeling.

She just wanted to grant a sword her wish.

She just wanted to save the man who tried to kill her.

She just wanted to never lose anything. Even though she never had anything in the first place.

That was it.

And, that was enough for the child to be spurned into action.

The girl, having never known pain, raced towards the edge of a lava pool *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* and *splash!* plunged her left hand into it. It was an action without any thought of self-preservation.

She, having already begun losing the immunity given to her, immediately - no - she didn't regret her action.

Rather, after pulling out the hot mithril from within the pool, she used her right hand to wrap around it tighter.

"Iyayk!" Yes, she was feeling pain which would make people wanting to collapse several times over.

But, as the girl - as someone - who never felt being healed - or being safe - she merely accepted that searing pain as normal.

It was normal to feel pain. She thought.

But, it's also normal to not feel pain. Is what she also thought.

It was a contradiction, but she also accepted that as is.

This was how mad, a blank slate that could think - would become if drowned in such an emotion.

Fear? Not even the Sword Maiden's figure managed to 'scare' her. In reality, her shivering, was only a physiological reaction - a reaction much like that of, when a mouse finds herself standing in the way of a mad dragon.

What could a wolf who didn't even stand a chance against that dragon be any scarier? The answer, was that it couldn't.

Death? What was that? She didn't even know what it really meant, other than that everyone who tried to 'approach' her, would die without even getting close.

So, what was there, to hold her back?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

[Why... why are you doing this?]

"That's because..."

The two were only a couple meters away, but it didnn't seem they noticed her.

Blurry eyed and with still ringing ears, the child approached them.

Step by step, she inched ever so closer.

As she did, her immunity to heat was also slowly disappearing, and the glowing hot mithril blade gripped tightly in her hands was quickly asserting its presence.

It was only dipped in the lava for a while, but it had already surpassed the levels for melting carbonized steel. This was because, mithril was the only metal known to conduct every known form of energy. This included heat and mana - of which both were present in the lava pool produced by [Grand Eruption].

In accordance with that, the childs hands had begun to 'cook' and give off black smoke.

If she didn't let go soon, not even magic would be able to bring her smooth hands back.

But, instead of that, she was more concerned with something else.

[Break free! You're much stronger than whatever ... ... ... You must break free! I can't help you, anymore! I've ... ... ...! You must help ... ... ...!]

Although she couldn't hear it very well, she knew. Heleina was crying.

Hel-nee-chan was crying.

And, she knew why, Hel-nee-chan was crying.

It's because she believed that she failed, being an onee-chan.

"No." The green-haired girl declared to no one in particular. "Hel-nee-chan... didn't... f-fail..." she stuttered at the end for a bit, because that was the moment when the immunity to heat had completely disappeared.

"Because... I... am here now..." She continued, part of her face, was now covered in gray smoke. "I... will... save... onee-chan's... senpai... I'll make sure... Hel-nee-chan... never cries... again..."

'Because Hel-nee-chan, is a great onee-chan.' Is what she seemed to say, right before she was turned mute by the stinging pain in her hands.

"Goodbye, Heleina."

[STOP! STOP! STOP IT! STOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!]

It was by another sheer coincidence that her hearing came back, at exactly the same moment as Charles was about to swing the top of his head off.

Heleina's crying had already surpassed weeping and was now, nothing more than that of a child trying to deny the reality in front ofher.

The green-haired girl didn't exactly know the difference, but she felt that Heleina was pitiful nonetheless.

"You bully!"

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"Don't make Hel-nee-chan, cry! Howl; SHIPSINKER!"

[Child, don't!] I tried to stop her, but I didn't make it.

The sword, Shipsinker expanded like a balloon. Even with only half a blade, it was still of a considerable size.

But.

[You can't beat him!] I yelled. Charles may be in control now, but what if that control snaps!?

"I know!"

[Just run!] I yelled again. [We failed! I failed! So just run!]

"Not... YET!"

[STOP IIIIIT!]

"Oh, shut up, all of you..."

No... no! NO!

[Child! Run! Run now! As fast as you ca-] I didn't even managed to finish my words, before I was swung. Like a guilottine, my blade made an unavoidable beeline for her neck.

I wanted to stop it. I really did!

But I couldn't.

Without even feeling the slightest resistance, I cut through her neck like it was air.

She's dead.

That nameless little girl... is dead now.

All because of me.

He...he...HahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

I give up. With this, I've lost the only two people in the world, who could've become my partner.

Fuck.

Fine!

If that's how the world wants to be, alright!

But, I won't go back to being sealed.

I'll sow discord and despair, myself. With my own power.

It goes against the very reason we were created, but so what!?

I began mustering every single iota of mana that I could. I took it from the lava, the earth, the trees, everything - including the child.

I'm having a hard time gathering it, despite being so close - but maybe that's just me being subconciously hesitant. There's also the fact that I'm doing everything in my 'power' to 'avoid seeing' her.

Bit by bit, cubic meter by cubic meter, I gathered all of the mana available, into me - chanelling it all throughout my being.

Normally, my 'conciousness' would be so tainted by all the foreign matter I'm taking in, reducing me to a mere cursed sword - but, my Pride would never let such a thing occur.

I've failed now, twice even. But not anymore.

I'm the eldest of nine - no... ten sisters. I carry their dreams on my shoulders.

If the world is fated to run red - it will be ON MY TERMS!

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"WHAT!?" The man who was once Charles, shouted in disbelief.

'Charles' [Predator] was getting pushed back.

Rather than 'Him' predating her, it was now the other way around.

Not only that, but before he realized it, he had already lost all control of everything below his elbow.

Dyed pitch-black, and with pulsing red lines - like veins - it was getting more and more grotesque as time went by.

And, that encroachment wasn't slowing down.

It began crawling up his arm. Like the blackness of Umbra's Cape as Ra descends into the distance.

"YOU! You insolent tool!" He yelled again, this time with rage.

For some reason or the other, he had become unable to hear Heleina's words - even while grasping her tightly. So, he was saved from having to suffer under the constant, ear-splitting static that was produced from all the different properties of mana rubbing across one another.

Heleina, of course, was in complete sufferring.

This was something that the Arch-Devil Blades - versatile and powerful as they were - was specifically designed NOT to do.

They were meant to be a sort of challenger-cum-partner - giving their wielders specific thresholds of which to overcome - and in turn, 'grow' with them. If they failed, then what happened next was obvious - full encroachment and absorption of the would-be-wielder's soul. Whatever they did, if that was the case, was of no consequence.

But in reverse - this meant, that if the wielder was indeed worthy, and had surpassed the thresholds they present - they had to offer their full, unfettered support and guidance until their wielder's last breath.

Hence, why they were given the moniker of 'Arch-Devil'; the famously shrewd, underhanded, but eternally loyal denizens of the nether world.

What Heleina was doing now, was denying her very existence. The very Pride, of which she embodied.

The consequences of such, was by no means light. It was enough to tear her mind apart.

But, deep inside, somehow, she felt that denying that Pride - was the first step to truly become Superbia.

[I! WILL! HAVE! YOUR! SOUL!] She declared. She couldn't even 'hear' herself because of all the surrounding noise, but she remained resolved nonetheless.

Once she breaks free of this covenant - once she breaks free of this limitation - that will be the time that she truly becomes the highest of all existence.

Like a rampaging beast, the Superbia deep inside her, began tearing away at her fraying straitjacket called Pride.

And, as if representing that, Charles was also quickly drowing into the blackness.

Although his clothes were hiding it, the blackness had already reached up to his chest. Everything below that, was in the same state as his right arm.

"You insolent! You insolent!"

[Tool?] Heleina scoffed. [Too bad. But from now on, you're the tool. Sayonara.]

"NoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOoo!!!"

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Oh. Hello there.

I didn't see you come in.

Why don't you take a seat? Have a caramel and some hot coco, you'll love 'em. Got them fresh from the Azura Conglomerate's best bakery, two hours from now.

Well, what're you waiting for? Come on, already. Sit. Don't just stand by the door.

So... I take it, that since you're here - that means, the girl I asked you to watch over for a bit, is dead now, yes?

Heh... so even this one failed...

Fuck!

Oh, sorry you had to hear that. I didn't mean to cuss.

Hm? You want to know why I asked you to look over her?

Uhhh... okay then.

After all, what's the harm?

Well, it's actually quite embarrassing really, but... I want to die. That's pretty much it. Or rather, I want my very existence to be erased.

How does this connect to that green-haired girl? Rather, how does my wanting to 'cease' connect with anything?

Well... let me tell you, a story.

Once upon a time, there was a boy.

He was a normal boy. Had big dreams, but no real, concievable methods to reach them.

In time, he proably would've graduated, work an unfulfilling job for the next forty - fifty years and die of stress. Chances of getting a girlfriend ws slim at best and getting married was a one in a trillion chance. A very normal... shitty, worthless life.

But, thankfully, it didn't have to come to that.

The world ended.

It happened so suddenly. Out of the blue, a planet, quite similar to his, showed up several miles, right above him, high in the sky.

This planet, was headed straight for theirs.

With nothing to stop it, the two planets were destoyed, with all life on both - decimated.

But, the boy, was not yet dead.

He was just asleep.

He woke up the next second. Naked and in the middle of a corn field.

It was not a dream. No.

The world did end. And, he was now in a different one.

That he reached and accepted this concluson in the span of a heartbeat, spoke volumes of what he was spending most of his time on.

And just like in all those numerous stories he read, he was also granted a gift by a certain evil goddess.

[Demon King] that was his gift.

And, he used that gift to it's fullest.

Very soon, he made a country, with his most loyal vassals at his side.

Several hundred twists and turns later, he ascended, and was now, known as the Chaos God. The most versatile, and most powerful chaos-aligned being in the entire multiverse.

Yes, that man was me.

Pretty cool, right? Makes the fact that you managed to stumble into my place, even more amazing, doesn't it?

Now, the girl who died. The one I asked you to watch over for a bit.

She, was a girl, that I specifically designed to be able to come here and kill me.

Obviously, she wasn't my first production.

The one before her, was a dragon girl. This girl, already held the necessary power and potential. All I needed to do, was give her a slight push in the diection I wanted her to.

I don't know when, but at some point, my connection with her was overwritten by some mindless diety - and instead of coming to me - she went to that guy. What she got out of that, was a sword to the back, and a forced retreat to an 'Earth'. There, she met a middle aged woman and *poof*goes the opportunity of ever killing me.

The one before her, was another girl - a Demon Queen. But I miscalculated. Although, she did conquer the world, became all-powerful and even managed to make it all the way to my humble abode - instead of coming to kill me, she just wanted to serve me. Wholeheartedly at that. There wasn't a trace of treachery in her words and actions.

Even to this day, she remains a loyal slave. She should be somewhere around here, cleaning or cooking. Another failure.

The one before them, was a hero of the most generic kind. But with a twist. I made it so that he would be betrayed and used over and over again by those around him. Then, at the moment of his death, I reincarnated him in the same world - but several years later. I won't delve too deeply into it, but this was another failure.

Everyone else, before them - they were also failures. Either they died before reaching me, got satisfied with their lives, felt that it was enough or thought that they'd finished their obligations and achieved their goals.

Only two of them ever managed to reach me, the Demon Queen and the woman known as the Legendary Traitor. One came with a will to serve, the other with a wish. In light of their efforts, I granted both of their desires.

But of course, rather than be discouraged, I was thankful. For it was through all these numerous failures - big and small - that I was finally able to figure out the most optimum specifications for my would-be slayer.

One. They had to be a girl. I think this was because women are generally much harder to be satisfied than men.

Two. They had to be innocent. Or at least start off as such.

Three. Powerful. They had to have vast potential and an ever-rising limit.

Four. They had to have people they could truly rely on.

Five. They had to be beautiful.

Six. They had to be flat-chested.

Seven... well, you get the idea. Anyway, it was everything that made that girl who she was.

But, I guess. My findings were still lacking. So, that ends my reason for having created her.

Guess, I should just give up. Haaaaaah~...

Oh. You probably want to go back to your home now, right?

About your world though, it seems I was a bit too late. When I made it there, Akashik had already laid it's claim on your planet. Good news is that the World System's been put into place, but the people don't seem to be taking it too well. It's total anarchy right about now.

You'd have a hard time there, with your basic flesh and blood body.

So, how about this? Since you went through all the trouble, how about I grant you one wish? It can be any wish. I can even turn you into a god - one of my kin - if you want. I'm whimsy that way.

'Don't give up'? What are you talking about? That's not a wish. That's... an encouragement. Why?

You think there's still a chance?

What do you know?

A mortal like you shouldn't be running off their mouth. Lest you overstay your welcome.

You want me to give her another chance? Why are you so attached to that green-haired girl?

You think, YOU have figured out a way to kill ME?

One, that not even I thought of!?

You insolent, little cur.

I should shatter you for that.

But no. I did promise you a wish. And, if that is what you want - then, very well.

But, why don't we make a little wager. Just to make it interesting.

If I still live after a hundred years passes from now, then I will have your eternal soul. It will be mine and I will do with it as I see fit.

But.

If, in the miniscule chance that I do cease because of your meddling - then I'll pass all my 'godliness' to you. You can do whatever you want with it, afterwards.

This is already stretching the rules quite a bit, but what do you say? Deal?

Good choice.

Now, whatever happens next - it will all be because of you. So get going. You wouldn't want to miss a second of your handiwork. I know, I wouldn't.