Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

※From Arisa’s perspective

“Welcome back.”

I turned around at Mia’s voice, and there stood Master.

“Oh? Welcome back, Master.”

This morning, Master had gone to see God Tenion with that arrogant nymph, but it seems he’s already returned.

I had come to Master’s study in the Royal Capital Residence intending to check some urgent documents, but it looks like that won’t be necessary.

“You were quick.”

“Yeah, it was just for taking measurements today.”

Hehe, taking Master’s measurements. I’m quite interested.

If I asked God Tenion through Sera, maybe he could give me the 3D data of those measurements?

A life-sized figure of Master would definitely be in demand.

Pochi flew out through the mirror gate connecting the Isolated Island Palace and the Royal Capital Residence.

“Welcome back, it is.”

Oh, Tama and Pochi are already here—wait, Pochi arrived before Tama today.

Looking around, Tama was bending her body in a question mark shape, pondering with a “nyu nyu nyu?” sound.

Whenever she acts like this, it’s usually about what’s for lunch or dinner, or coming up with ideas for new drawings. But sometimes she senses the approach of formidable enemies or ominous natural disasters, making it hard to tell.

Maybe I should investigate with some spatial magic?

“They’re here.”

Mia murmured, and at the same moment, a section of the Royal Capital appeared vividly in my mind, revealing the presence of a dangerous entity.

This must be the effect of Mia’s unique skill “Sanctuary Guard” lent by God Urion.

I connected everyone through the spatial magic “Tactical Talk.”

“It’s serious!”

At the same time, Lulu’s voice came through the tactical communication.

They were supposed to be shopping at the market with Nana and Zena-tan today.

“Reporting an emergency.”

“A demon god has appeared!”

Nana and Zena-tan were escorting them as guards.

It seems what Mia detected was indeed a demon god.

Apparently, demon gods are more mobile than the gods.

◇

“Yikes, it’s the real deal.”

At an open terrace of a café on the main street, a demon god was leisurely sipping blue tea.

None of the Purple Maidens were around.

“Arisa and the others, evacuate to the Isolated Island Palace.”

Master said, stepping toward the demon god.

“Wait, Master!”

I tried calling him through clan communication, but there was no response (……).

He seemed entirely focused on the demon god.

Through tactical talk, I asked Lady Tina and the others to evacuate the people from the Royal Capital.

Usually, Master would just teleport the people to the otherworld without such fuss, but I don’t want to burden him unnecessarily when facing a demon god of equal or greater rank.

We have to support him with what we can.

“That was fast. Have you decided to become part of me?”

“I have no such intention. I just came to ask one thing.”

The demon god set down the cup and looked at Master.

“What do you want to do by absorbing me?”

“Is that all? Although you’re an inferior version, you’re still me from a parallel world. By absorbing you, I can increase my soul vessels.”

—“Should” increase?

Is that why you want to absorb Master? Such a vague reason?

I forced down the rising anger and opened a gate to facilitate evacuation.

“As long as I increase the vessels, I’ll reach the true god I fell short of.”

“I’ve heard that before. What I want to know is, after becoming the true god, what do you want to do?”

The demon god looked caught off guard by Master’s question.

“It’s obvious. To liberate this planet from the rule of foolish gods and grant freedom to the people.”

—Freedom?

Is that why the Demon King followers call themselves “Freedom of ~”? Is it derived from the demon god’s ideology?

“I see. So you want to abolish the Seven Pillars of the gods. And after that, you aim to exterminate the ‘Outer Beings’ threatening the people living on this planet, right?”

Outer Beings—those unyielding invaders from different worlds, monsters that erode our world.