Chapter 101: The Birth of the Great Demon King and Her Light-Speed Fall
Just then, the Deepwater Phantasm, irritated by the tremors shaking its dreamscape prison, let out a guttural roar. A maelstrom of black energy erupted from its form as a destructive shockwave, one it had been brewing for some time, surged toward Star like a midnight torrent. The sheer force of it was terrifying.
Star's eyes flew wide in alarm. She instinctively tried to raise her Flame Lance to block, but in such a desperate scramble, how could she possibly be fast enough?
Seeing "Big Sister Star" about to be overwhelmed in her own dream, March 7th decided it was time to make her grand entrance and "save the day." (Or, more accurately, steal the show.)
The trash can, emblazoned with March 7th's own abstract self-portrait, suddenly erupted in a soft, pinkish-blue glow.
As the light faded, March 7th's charming and beautiful maiden form was revealed. She gallantly drew the longbow of ice she had manifested, a crystalline arrow of pure frost instantly nocking itself.
'Time for some special effects,' she thought, mentally adding a dazzling entrance shimmer and a heroic soundtrack to her appearance.
"Watch this!" she declared, her voice echoing with manufactured grandeur. "Come and taste this maiden's power!"
Whoosh—
The ice arrow shot from the string, striking the black energy torrent with unerring accuracy.
There was no devastating explosion. Instead, an absolute, bone-deep chill spread in an instant. The abyssal torrent, along with the massive Deepwater Phantasm itself, was flash-frozen into a gigantic, crystal-clear black ice mountain.
Then, with a sharp crack, the entire sculpture shattered into countless glittering particles that rained down like diamonds under the dream's purplish-red sky.
The entire sequence was smooth, clean, and filled with the elegant power of a beautiful warrior maiden. This should have been Star's moment of glory, but now, the spotlight was fixed squarely on March 7th.
Her spiritual body floated proudly in mid-air, hands planted firmly on her hips. A smug grin spread across her face as she looked down at the bewildered Star, eagerly anticipating a look of frustration or, at the very least, dumbfounded awe.
However, Star's next words instantly froze the smile on March 7th's face.
Star's eyes were wide with pure, unadulterated horror. She pointed a trembling finger at March 7th's normal, non-trash-can form and screamed.
"It's… it's the Great Demon King March! Oh no, oh no! She's chased me into my dream! Run, Iansan, run!"
As she shouted, she very naturally scrambled onto the trash can beside her—the one bearing Iansan's abstract portrait—and began urging it to make a swift getaway. Perhaps, in her subconscious, Star truly believed that Iansan's physique allowed her to run faster than a motorcycle.
The Iansan-trash-can cooperatively began to emit a series of "rumbling" engine noises, carrying Star away in a flash as they attempted to flee the scene.
March 7th: "…"
She felt a surge of hot blood rush straight to her head. What the hell?! Great Demon King?! Me?! March 7th?! The youthful, cute, and beautiful maiden March 7th?!
In this idiot Star's dream, her subconscious perceived her as a Great Demon King that was hunting her down?! And she was trying to escape on a trash can?!
'Am I really uglier than that abyssal monster?!'
This was an absolute, unforgivable disgrace! It was a trampling of a beautiful maiden's dignity! The tiny sliver of guilt she'd felt for the prank was now utterly incinerated by a raging inferno of anger, leaving not a single speck of ash behind.
"Star—! You stop right there!" March 7th's spiritual body erupted with a mental shockwave even more potent than the one she'd used to freeze the monster. She waved her hand fiercely in the direction of Star's frantic escape.
Star, who was desperately flooring it on the "Trash Can Brand Motorcycle," suddenly felt an irresistible, enormous suction force take hold.
She and her "mount," the Iansan-can, were instantly lifted off the ground. They shrank rapidly, like two tiny insects being squeezed by an invisible giant's hand. Then, with a sound like a wet splat, they were sucked directly into the palm of the now-gargantuan March 7th.
Looking down at the miniature, model-sized Star sitting panic-stricken on her trash can, the giant March 7th offered a grin that, to Star, was the stuff of nightmares. She leaned her colossal face closer, her voice booming like thunder in Star's ears.
"Star—! What did you just call me?! The Great Demon King?! Hmmm?!"
Star looked up at the mountain-sized face of March 7th looming over her and, being a very sensible person in the face of certain doom, instantly cowered.
She clasped her hands together, squeezed her eyes shut, and began apologizing at a mile a minute. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Big Sister March, I was wrong! You're not the Great Demon King! You're not scary at all!"
"You are the cutest, gentlest, and kindest beautiful maiden in the entire universe! My brain must have been corroded by abyssal energy just now! Please spare me!"
The string of apologies flowed so smoothly it was almost heartbreakingly practiced. As for what she was apologizing for, or why she needed to apologize, Star probably hadn't even thought it through. It was purely a conditioned reflex, a survival strategy deployed when facing the oppressive aura of the "Great Demon King."
However, just as Star was apologizing with her eyes clamped shut, a thought struck her mind like a bolt of lightning.
'Wait a minute! Why would the March 7th in my dream get angry about being called a Demon King? This feeling… it isn't right.'
In that moment, Star felt as if she had grasped the truth.
Her eyes snapped open. She stared suspiciously at the huge March 7th before her, at those pinkish-blue eyes that seemed especially bright, burning with a mix of anger and grievance.
She asked tentatively, a hint of dawning certainty in her voice, "…March? Are… are you messing around with your Sheep Talisman ability again?! You're not the March 7th in my dream at all! You're the real March 7th, aren't you?!"
March 7th's giant spiritual projection visibly stiffened.
The terrifying "grimace" on her face froze solid. A flicker of panic—the unmistakable look of being caught red-handed—flashed in her eyes, and she even made a subconscious move to hide her hands behind her back.
That panic and guilt, when displayed on a body the size of a skyscraper, were as obvious as a searchlight in the dead of night.
"I… I…" March 7th was speechless, her giant projection looking utterly flustered.
"Ha! It really is you!" Star immediately seized this like a lifeline. She instantly switched from a cowering victim to a triumphant accuser, jumping up and down in March 7th's palm.
"March 7th! You're finished! You actually dared to abuse your ability to sneak into my dream! This is an invasion of privacy! It's psychological harassment!"
"When I wake up, I'm going to tell Uncle Welt! And Aunt Himeko! And Pom-Pom! Let them be the judge!"
"No, no, no! Don't tell on me!" March 7th's giant projection panicked, her voice taking on a pleading, wheedling tone.
Unilaterally intruding into someone else's dream and getting caught—this was indeed a bit indefensible. The thought of Welt's serious expression as he pushed up his glasses, or Himeko's knowing, meaningful smile… March 7th immediately wilted.
Her giant projection rapidly shrank, returning to its normal size in a puff of deflated ego.
"Uh… Star, dear…" March 7th's spiritual body rubbed her hands together, a very ingratiating, almost fawning smile plastered on her face—an expression rarely seen on the proud maiden. "We're good sisters… let's not be so serious! I… I was just doing an experiment! A proper scientific study! To develop the potential functions of the Sheep Talisman and explore the possibility of communication between souls and dreams!"
Her brain was working at light speed, desperately trying to make her excuses sound even remotely plausible. "This is an important topic related to our future teamwork and… uh… mental attack defense!"
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