Silence had once again settled over the room, broken only by Amane's ragged breathing. The smoking corpses of the three creatures lay collapsed in a slick black puddle, their bodies slowly disintegrating, as if the room itself refused to acknowledge their existence.
Her gaze fell to her hands. They were shaking—not with fear, but with adrenaline. Clarity. She was still alive.
As she studied the stat table, a sudden chill ran through her. Something felt… wrong. A dull pressure throbbed in her skull. She felt… watched.
Then…
"—I've been observing you since you obtained that keyboard…"
Amane jumped, taking a step back. She spun around. Nothing.
Her eyes instinctively landed on the ornament around her neck: an ancient-looking necklace she had picked up earlier, almost unconsciously, from the bottom of the chest. A dark red gem glimmered faintly.
"Are… you the one speaking?"
"Hmph. You're quick to understand. Encouraging, even. I am… what remains of a being you've likely never heard of. I am the Demon King, Vel'krath."
"I… I've heard of you before I arrived here. But wait—so you want to kill me, is that it? Why speak to me now?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"I am only a fragment—a trace of a soul trapped in this jewel. I cannot kill anyone right now."
"So what were you trying to do?" she shouted, anger flashing in her eyes.
"My power is limited to manipulating humans, forcing them to realize their deepest desires. With your new power, I cannot touch your soul. You've just written your own survival in a world that wanted you dead. Others are content to obey… but you—"
Amane frowned. She wasn't sure whether to believe him… or crush the jewel against the wall. Using her storage ability, she gathered all the treasures and began exiting the room.
"Why help me? You're supposed to be a demon…"
"And you… you were supposed to be dead. Seems like neither of us respects the rules," Vel'krath replied.
"Stop fucking you from me" she muttered under her breath.
In a solemn tone, the demon king continued:
"Goddess with the power to change everything, I will serve you until my last breath. The demonic army is at your command."
"Wait… serve me?!" she gasped, utterly shocked.
"You may not realize it, but your power already surpasses all the beings under my control in this world."
Amane froze. Lost. Overwhelmed.
"This… this is the strongest power in the world? I just wanted to die," she thought, trying to process everything. "And now you're telling me where it comes from?"
"It is the combination of my demonic energy and the sword you wielded. They merged and granted you the divine energy that the gods themselves use."
She begins to calm down and reflect. She asks the demon king,
"Why wage war against humans and other races?"
"Perhaps I underestimated you—you are not from this world. But at least you know the essentials. This war isn't truly my choice; it comes from the gods. Only one race is meant to win. If peace were established without a victor, the gods would trigger an apocalypse, destroying everything."
"What? You mean… the gods chose us and summoned us?!" she exclaimed, shocked and anxious.
"That is precisely their pleasure. The gods of this world are different from others and yours. The necklace is breaking soon; my soul will vanish. Before my resurrection, I shall dispatch one of my most trusted subordinates to aid you in your quest. Be warned—if you overuse your power, the other gods will notice."
The necklace disintegrated into dust.
"Finally… he's gone. I nearly had a heart attack. It was… right on my neck," she whispered, exhaling a long, exhausted sigh.
Her stomach growled. Not a grain of rice. Not a mochi. Not even a single miserable onigiri.
"Ugh… I'm starving," she muttered, panic creeping back in.
"But wait…" she said to herself.
She reached out. The keyboard appeared in midair. She typed:
→ [Creation of Japanese Dishes]
A steaming bento appeared before her.
"I must be dreaming… it worked. No way—this is too much. I didn't think the skill would extend to this world," she muttered, amazed.
She checked her phone—3% battery.
→ [Automatic Charge]
Battery: 100%.
She ate happily, her spirit renewed.
Once finished, she pressed forward. The corridor widened, opening into a circular room. In the center stood three humanoid silhouettes, dressed in rags, their backs turned, motionless.
"What… is that?"
Amane approached cautiously. The silhouettes turned. She recognized their faces.
Riji. Shin. Hina.
Her comrades… who were supposed to have been devoured.
She stepped forward, her voice trembling:
"Friends… are you still alive?"
The first cried out and lunged at her. Instinctively, she cast a fireball. In an instant, they were reduced to ashes.
She closed her eyes and whispered, "Rest in peace."
Thanks to her abilities, she managed to exit without much difficulty.
"Wait for me, Yuki…"