*Marionette’s POV*

I was standing atop a skyscraper, the sun shining intensely, only resulting in making my aesthetics more magnificent, looking down at the pathetic existences known as humans beneath me.

Ahhhh. This must be how a Demon King feels like. Almighty. I love it. I want to become the Demon King already. I want to make everything beautiful. This farce of a ceremony is taking much too long. I will hasten this undertaking. I will be the one to kill all the demons.

“Such a dreary city. Yes, this will do nicely… I will make it beautiful. AHAHAHAH.”

From the roof of the skyscraper, I began to employ the use of my ability.

My ability ‘Puppet Show’ allows me to control and share the senses of up to 500 puppets.

The puppets I held within my ability started to appear, and poured down the roof in waves.

I kept two puppets together with me on the roof to partake in this beauty with me.

I will show this city the true essence of beauty.

My puppets permeated the area, making it so much more beautiful.

Humans were fleeing for their pitiful lives, praying to a god that did not exist, and beautiful red was painting the city in the name of my art.

“AHAHAHAHAH, this is ecstasy.”

I was sharing the senses of my puppets cutting and piercing into human flesh, enjoying the crimson liquid that spread throughout their killing.

The humans put up a pitiful resistance. Some were actually attempting to impede the spreading of my art, trying to destroy my puppets with some kind of tool that fired small lead projectiles. My puppets will not succumb to such crude weaponry.

“They’ve finally come out of hiding.”

I sensed the presence of 5 demons, and sent my puppets towards them.

“A golem, a goblin, twin ogres, and… a human?”

I wonder, why won’t you transform in a situation like this?

Then, I saw. A black arm. Shaitan! Oh, joyous day! Old friend! Fate surely knows how to tantalize. But, why are you so weak? This is not the Shaitan I know of.

“Why will you only transform your left arm, Shaitan?”

He pitifully fled and ran across the city, almost like… a human. What is this?!

Shaitan came to the aid of the crude golem while he was at the mercy of my children. Unforgivable!

My beautiful puppets had already slain the goblin, and the twin blue and red ogres were being swarmed by tens of them, barely holding on to their lives.

“What?”

Shaitan began to slowly move towards my approximate location.

“AHAHAHAH. Old friend! I want to meet you too! But, must fate be so cruel? To be in the ceremony together, I have no choice but to kill you.”

I don’t understand. No matter how many of my beautiful puppets I sent towards their direction, the golem and weakened shade continued to destroy waves of my creations.

“...” anger was seeping its way into me.

“HOW DARE YOU! I WILL DEFINITELY KILL YOU. DIE, DIE, DIE!”

I concocted a plan, and gathered nearly all but the two puppets on the roof with me around the skyscraper, hiding them from view. Shaitan and the golem entered the building. Then, I had all the puppets enter the building at once.

“AHAHAHAHAH!”

Hordes of my children approached them at once. There was about 300 of them flocking in. Surely, this will be enough for their demises.

Contrary to my expectations, Shaitan made it to an elevator.

“...YOU TWO, GO AND STOP THEM.” I commanded the two puppets by my side.

I shared their senses, and saw both get instantly decapitated.

“If you dare go against my art, even if it’s someone as powerful as you, old friend, I WILL NOT FORGIVE YOU!”

Some time passed, and Shaitan entered, standing on the roof of the skyscraper together with me.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? The screams, the red, the dying. Look at my creation. Isn’t it all so beautiful? AHAHAHAHAH,” I questioned Shaitan, knowing that he would share my sentiments.

However, I did not expect a response from another, much less a lowly human.

“You’re batshit crazy.” a voice replied.

I turned around to face the source of the voice, and then I knew. Shaitan had not entirely possessed this human, only the left arm.

I spread my arms wide, and said “I was not addressing you, filthy human. I was speaking to my old friend. So, what do you think, Shaitan? Who would have thought that we would both meet each other here like this.”

A voice resounded within my mind, it was the familiar sound of my old friend ‘As usual, your tastes are quite… unique. It is repugnant.’

I was hurt. If anyone would be able to understand the true nature of my art, it would have been Shaitan. A shade which had killed and eradicated the members of its own clan. I truly thought he would share my sentiments, and understand that true beauty cannot be achieved without death.

“Ahhhh. It is a pity. Well, we never really did get along with each other in Hell, anyway. I will take pleasure in killing you, but does no one understand my art? CAN NO ONE SEE ITS TRUE BEAUTY?!” I asked, already knowing that they did not comprehend such artistic tastes.

I sensed the presence of the golem and twin ogres vanish. My puppets had given them the gift of death.

Everyone should just die. They should just go gentle into that good night.

Then, we fought.

The foolish human had thought I had been defeated, not knowing that I will not die unless my body is broken into pieces. I feigned death.

I rose, stabbed him, and saw a beautiful red.

We continued our battle.

I was pushed off the roof, but I knew I would not die like this. I have yet to spread my beauty across the realms.

I sent my wires to wrap around the human’s left arm, pulling him to the edge of the roof. I was hanging off the building, the wires holding me. MY PUPPET SHOW WOULD GO ON.

Then, suddenly my wires felt nothing. The left arm disappeared. I did not understand. It had been bright, how would a shade have enough power to dematerialize?

I found myself falling. Falling to my death. Will I die like this? Without having to spread my art throughout the realms? No. I will not die. I REFUSE TO DIE HERE IN A PLACE LIKE THIS.

“AHAHAHAHAH,” I laughed while falling.

Just as I was about collide with the ground, my consciousness faded away, and my vision turned black. At the same time, my Puppet Show ended, and all of my puppets and their weapons disappeared.

...

All but one.

I had used the hidden ability of my Puppet Show, and switched my consciousness with one of my creations far away.

I rose up in my new body, that of a wooden doll. I would have to create more puppets, and I would have to make myself more beautiful yet again.

Yes, I will go on to become the Demon King.

NO ONE WILL GET IN THE WAY OF MY ART, NO ONE! NO ONE WILL STOP ME FROM MAKING EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL!

“I swear to you, Shaitan, I will be the one to end you. I will show you and this Mortal Realm my art’s true glory! AHAHAHAHAH!”

…

79 demons remain?

No, 80 demons remain.