Multiverse: A Journey Beginning with the Supreme Sovereign

Thus, they could keep the possible existence of "Holy Annihilation" in their own hands.

Though Saigō's proposal was cruel, it was undoubtedly the best solution available.

It would achieve their goal with the smallest possible sacrifice.

Nangong Nayue was not an indecisive woman. On the contrary, she was highly decisive, and that was one of her greatest strengths.

While remaining kindhearted, she would never allow morality or kindness to bind her. That was also what Saigō admired most about her.

"I only have one question right now!"

Nangong Nayue sat properly in her chair and set the parasol in her hand aside. Her seemingly childish face held mature deliberation, creating a rather contradictory impression.

"What question?"

Saigō asked, slightly puzzled.

"Why are you helping me? Aren't you a demon? As a demon, shouldn't you naturally want to see the day this world is swallowed by darkness?"

"...And yet, you chose to help me fulfill my wish and contract. From the very beginning, that made me suspicious. I wondered whether you had some kind of scheme behind this."

"Answer my question. Don't give me some strange excuse—you know I won't believe it!"

Nangong Nayue's expression was stern as her sapphire-clear eyes fixed tightly on Saigō.

Though her speech was still somewhat unclear and carried a childish lilt, at this moment she seemed extraordinarily mature.

"Ha ha ha ha!! So that's the question. Then little Natsuki, you must have misunderstood something."

Saigō remained unhurried and composed. It was precisely this calmness that made Nangong Nayue unable to read him, and it always placed immense pressure on her.

Saigō picked up a book from a nearby table. It was the very copy of On the Genealogy of Morality that Nangong Nayue had read earlier.

"You've read this book before, so you know what it is about."

"...Then you should understand why demons like us are called evil, and why demons are treated as symbols of 'malice' in so many legends."

"That is because demons stand in the position of the strong compared to humans. Therefore, in the eyes of demons, weak humans are denied by us."

"...And in the eyes of humans, powerful demons are naturally defined as 'evil'!"

Saigō did not mind explaining his universal values—or rather, the values of demons—to Nangong Nayue.

The Witch of the Void's heart stirred, and she blurted out, "...You kept holding that book because you were actually encouraging me to read it."

"...You knew I would be curious about the book you were reading, so you used that opportunity to convey your own values—or rather, the values of you demons?"

As she realized this, Nangong Nayue's heart shook, and a chill rose within her.

This demon truly was terrifying. From the very beginning, he had calculated everything into his plans. With the slightest misstep, one would become like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, unable even to escape.

Saigō merely smiled. He neither confirmed nor denied it, and did not answer Nangong Nayue's question. Some things were better left for the other person to guess.

"There was one mistake in what you said earlier, little Natsuki. That is, neither I nor the 'Great Lord' who created me is actually interested in destroying a world."

"...For beings like us, long lifespans make victory and defeat largely meaningless."

"Whether you fulfill the contract and cause our 'goal' to fail, or fail to fulfill it and let us destroy this world ourselves—achieving success."

"...Either outcome brings us pleasure."

"Humans can defeat demons for a time, but they cannot defeat demons forever. So failure is not something we cannot accept."

"...The reason humans always define demons as evil is merely because we are stronger and occupy the position of power."

Saigō rose leisurely and slowly walked over to Nangong Nayue. His five fingers gently stroked the witch's delicate, rosy cheek as he smiled.

"...That is why I am helping you. I did not come to destroy this world. I came only to find pleasure."

"You should know of those three True Vampires who have lived for thousands of years. Their way of thinking differs from humans, and so do their choices."

"...Long life makes them seek the meaning of life. But for us demons, the meaning of life is pleasure!"

"The 'Great Lord' does not think highly of your chances of completing the contract. So if I help you fulfill it and cause the 'Great Lord' to fail, both the 'Great Lord' and I will find pleasure in it."

Saigō continued to spin lies for Nangong Nayue. He had not truly lived for thousands upon thousands of years, nor did he possess such a twisted mentality.

His sole purpose was to maintain his contract with Nangong Nayue while obtaining things that interested him.

For example, "Holy Annihilation." For example, the "Fourth True Ancestor"!

Saigō was saying things even he did not believe, yet Nangong Nayue believed him.

With the other three True Vampires serving as examples, Nangong Nayue felt that perhaps the true thoughts of demons like Saigō really were like this—twisted and utterly different from those of humans.

Hesitation only bred disorder. At this moment, Nangong Nayue felt that she could only trust Saigō, and that she had to trust him.

This was the only way to fulfill the contract and wish.

"Come with me to the Prison Barrier!"

Nangong Nayue's expression was resolute. Once she had made a decision, she was absolutely a woman of action.

"What for?"

Saigō asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Putting the other prisoners aside, if Aya's true wish really was what you said it was back then, I will release her."

"...I will not apologize to her, because our positions were different back then. But I will ask for her help."

"Aya knows more witches. If I am to achieve my goal, I need more people—and this will also fulfill Aya's wish."

"...As you said, since this is the only way, then I will establish a 'Witch's Kingdom'!"

Nangong Nayue, ever swift and decisive, made up her mind at once.

Saigō looked at the witch before him with appreciation and smiled. "...The empire of those three True Vampires is called the 'Night Empire.'"

"...The Witch's Kingdom should be called 'Witch's Night.' I think that name suits it perfectly."

Sendou Aya's wish was to save all witches. No name could be more fitting for this nation.

"Whatever you like. It's only a name, anyway."

Nangong Nayue said indifferently.

Feast of Blazing Light

Inside the cell holding Sendou Aya in the Prison Barrier.

"What a rare visitor, Natsuki... What made you think to come visit me?"

It was still that simple room. Aside from a desk, chair, and bed, there were no unnecessary furnishings.

Sendou Aya wore a dark Twelve Layered Robe embroidered with patterns, kneeling quietly on a cushion.

A trace of mockery lingered in her magnificent fiery eyes as she looked at Nangong Nayue, who sat before her with a stern expression on her youthful face.

Then, the witch glanced at Saigō without drawing attention to it, her eyes carrying a faint grievance.

He had clearly promised that she would remain in the Prison Barrier for no more than half a year, but who could have expected Saigō to make her stay here for three full years?

Sendou Aya believed Saigō had deceived her, but her soul was now in his hands. Even if she had been tricked, she could only swallow her bitterness in silence.

"Aya..."

A complicated emotion flashed through the azure eyes of Nangong Nayue, dressed in a black Lolita-style gown.

However, she quickly reined in her emotions and said with a straight face, "...Aya, I know you may still resent me for capturing you and sending you to the Prison Barrier."

"...But I will not apologize for that, because we stood on opposing sides at the time. What I did was only natural."

It was not that Nangong Nayue refused to admit her mistakes. She genuinely believed that her decision three years ago had not been wrong.

Sendou Aya neither confirmed nor denied this. After learning how important String God Island was to Nangong Nayue, she had come to see the matter more openly and understood that the two of them had simply failed to communicate properly.

Yet although she had long since stopped resenting Nangong Nayue in her heart, Sendou Aya's expression remained mocking. "...Since you did not come to apologize to me, what have you come to see me for?"

Nangong Nayue took a deep breath and lowered her head slightly. "...I came to ask for your help, Aya!"

Nangong Nayue's words startled Sendou Aya. She glanced at Saigō before swiftly withdrawing her gaze.

Nangong Nayue continued, "...Of course, I was the one who threw you into the Prison Barrier, and now I am also the one asking for your help."

"...I am not shameless enough to expect that for free. I am asking for your help now, so if you have any demands, you can state them directly."

"Even if you demand that I kneel and apologize, I am willing."

Nangong Nayue was strong-willed and proud, but that did not mean she was stubborn enough to refuse to admit her mistakes.

If she truly had been wrong, she would willingly admit it and accept any punishment. That was another of her admirable qualities.

"You want me to do something for you? Of course. You only need to fulfill my wish."

Sendou Aya chuckled and hid her red lips behind her wide sleeve.

"Your wish to save all witches?"

Nangong Nayue said.

Sendou Aya froze, then shrugged. "...It seems that demon over there told you my true wish."

"...How boring. I had wanted to use my wish of 'seeing the truth of this world' to threaten you and see how you would react, Natsuki."

"But since you already know my true wish, I will not hide it any longer."

"...That is right. That is my desire. If you can fulfill it, then no matter what you ask of me, I will be willing to do it."

Nangong Nayue bit down on her pearly teeth. When those words truly came from Sendou Aya's mouth, her heart trembled.

Back then, Sendou Aya had actually intended to save her. That was why she had attempted to destroy String God Island, even at the cost of carrying the unjust deaths of six hundred thousand souls.

Yet she had failed to see Aya's true intentions and had instead thrown Sendou Aya into the Prison Barrier. By that measure, she truly had been an unqualified friend.

Nangong Nayue laughed bitterly at herself, but she knew this was not the time to dwell on such thoughts.

The Witch of the Void took a deep breath and said to Sendou Aya, "...If this is your wish, then the means of fulfilling our wishes are completely aligned."

"...We can still be allies, Aya!"

Upon hearing Nangong Nayue use the word "allies" once more, Sendou Aya's delicate body trembled almost imperceptibly. Maintaining a calm expression, she said:

"...Then tell me your plan, Natsuki."

Nangong Nayue told Sendou Aya every detail of her plan.

"You mean you want to eliminate the Artificial Island Management Corporation, establish a nation with String God Island as its foundation, and have me gather more witches to help you consolidate your rule?"

"...Then use the power of Holy Annihilation to fulfill both our wishes?"

At this point, Sendou Aya could no longer stop herself from looking at Saigō.

She was deeply astonished. She did not know what method this demon had used to make Nangong Nayue resolve herself to commit such an outrageously rebellious act.

Destroying the Artificial Island Management Corporation, taking String God Island for herself and declaring herself ruler, even using Holy Annihilation to distort the heavenly principles—this was not a choice the old Nangong Nayue would have made.

All that could be said was that the demon called Zarathustra had used a method Nangong Nayue could not refuse, forcing her to do this.

Though she was doubtful, Sendou Aya did not ask. On the contrary, Nangong Nayue's methods excited her. This was precisely the kind of approach Sendou Aya liked.

This was how witches should act!

"Yes, that is my plan. The Artificial Island Management Corporation is a conglomerate led by the Yase Family. With the enemy in the open and us in the shadows, getting rid of them will take no effort at all."

"...But there will be trouble afterward. String God Island is one of the Demon Sanctuaries. Though it is not entirely controlled by the Island Nation, it nominally still belongs to the Island Nation's territory."

"Our actions would amount to declaring independence. The Island Nation itself would be manageable, but this would be no different from betraying the Holy Realm Allied Nations."

"...The Holy Realm Allied Nations, led by the War King's Domain, would certainly send a massive army to our borders and force us to submit."

"String God Island's security forces could defend the island internally, but against the vast armies of an alliance of nations, String God Island would inevitably be destroyed."

"...Even with more witches to help us, we could not possibly be a match for the Holy Realm Allied Nations' army."

Nangong Nayue had already discussed the possible international upheaval caused by this plan with Saigō. She carefully analyzed it all for Sendou Aya.

"Then what is your plan, Natsuki?"

At this point, Sendou Aya joined Nangong Nayue in devising this plan.

"Since the three True Vampires have their own Night Empire, if we also have a True Vampire here, we will possess a strong claim. The Fourth True Ancestor is an essential part of establishing this nation."

"...And with the abilities spoken of in the legends of the Fourth True Ancestor, she can also serve as a strategic weapon against the Holy Realm Allied Nations!"

After speaking, Nangong Nayue looked at Saigō, as though she were speaking both to Sendou Aya and to him.