World's First Demon Lord 85 Interlude: A Meditation On Darkness In Storytelling

There was a storm going on outside.

The clouds were black and endless, blocking out the sun completely. The rain poured heavily, beating down on the buildings and people below, forcing them to rush inside. Cars splashed along flooded roads. At least, on the roads that were still working.

I looked out the window, safe in my office as thunder boomed overhead. I can never get any work done on stormy days. Back in my old world, storms were the best time to collect magical energy. If one were to get struck by lightning while gathering energy, one would gain a large amount of energy.

Here, in this world, I didn't need to do that. In fact, I was pretty sure that if someone did, they'd probably overload their core and destroy their magical cultivation. If they didn't somehow become a Demon instead.

Not me of course. At this point, I could probably take an entire lighting storm of magic. It might leave me feeling a little bloated, but I could do it.

Maybe I should.

Eh, some other day. I turned away from the window to look at my desk. It was loaded with all sorts of papers and such; documents that needed my signature. Apparently, the head of company we were acquiring did not like how they were now becoming a part of the Congo family. His form of resistance was to do everything told, but in the most inconvenient way possible.

Petty, but amusing. Not that paperwork was anything difficult for me, with magic. With a wave of my hand, a pen started working through all the documents, signing without my input. As my pen worked for me, I took out my tablet and started looking through some documents Ms. Kang had sent over.

Hmmm...

It looked like she was doing quite well with the castle. The permits and everything had been bought and everything, and she had already signed on a few architects to design it. I was to choose the final candidates, of course, and as such she had sent me the resume of all potentials.

Furthermore, it looked like Ms. Kang was looking ahead, realizing that it was very likely that we would need some place for the castle to float above. I had told her that I wanted the castle to be visible; what was the point of a castle that no one else could see? If they couldn't witness my power with their own eyes?

"I assume then, that this will be making some sort of appearance in one of the storylines?" Ms. Kang had asked at the time. I had agreed back then, but now I wasn't so sure.

I looked away from the documents, and opened up the viewer app. I watched as the storylines all progressed. I frowned as I watched them. It wasn't as if I hadn't found them entertaining; if anything, they had been a lot more exciting than normal lately.

For example, Ms. Kang's surprise cameo in the thriller storyline had me howling at the screen when I saw it. When she had come back, she had assured me that it was a simple coincidence. That she had been just as surprised as I had been when she saw Sakura.

"I didn't expect Jason to be that competent," she had admitted, shaking her head. "Or for Sakura to be that careless. She really should have known better."

I grinned at the memory. I enjoyed at how unbalanced Ms. Kang's priorities were. On the one hand, there was the superhero and gamer storylines, which she did an adequate job with. Their storylines were entertaining, and very much to my tastes. Ai was a brilliant addition, if I do say so myself. I loved the dark traps and mind games she was playing with the boys. And if they ended up dead? Great! I could use Ai for the other storylines too!

But because the superhero storyline was all Ai, with only the bare minimum of support from Ms. Kang, it was also very sloppy. The whole shopkeeper/Jonny Xiu bit was quite interesting, and I was interested in where this whole Medina thing was going, but it did seem to come a little suddenly. Not to mention the fact that the goat-man had barely any set up. Ai's dreams, while entertaining, were a bit of a crutch. And it seemed that Ai didn't really understand the protagonists, or who they were, and thus wasn't able to bring out their hidden traumas. Instead, she created new ones, which while interesting, did end up making it a lot...darker...than I initially imagined.

On the other hand was Ms. Kang's baby, the thriller storyline, where she spared no expense. Every detail was meticulously planned, even if she didn't say so. She said that the reason she had gone there personally was to make sure the security measures were strict enough to prevent another bear-man incident, but I knew the truth. Why else would there be a monster escape the same day she was at the facility?

Not to mention, the monster that happened to escape, just so happened to be a monster with illusion powers? That had trapped Sakura in a recurring dream that forced her to grow and train her powers?

If that wasn't planned, then it would seem like there was some sort of God above looking out for the thriller storyline, determined to make Sakura suffer for her growth.

I shook my head, smiling. Ms. Kang, your love of thrillers is showing. It was clear that this storyline was her one weakness (among her many physical ones).

The more I learned about her, the more intrigued I became. She was just too fun to watch.

I wonder what she thought about the current storylines.

I waved a hand, and she suddenly appeared beside me. Her face didn't betray even a hint of disorientation. She simply took it in her stride that I had teleported her from wherever she had been, and bowed.

"I was just speaking with your friend and fellow billionaire," Ms. Kang said the name of a man I hated.

"He may have some questions when I get back."

"I'll deal with it," I said, waving her complaint away and handing her my tablet.

"What do you think of the storylines so far?" I asked her.

Ms. Kang raised a single eyebrow, and looked down at the tablet. She watched the storylines move along.

"They've gone largely the way I expected," she said. "Some of them have veered a little off the tracks, due to my incompetence. However, I think they are all still quite interesting."

I looked out the window, watching lightning flash overhead.

"They are interesting," I admitted. "But don't you think they've gotten a little...dark?"

I noticed Ms. Kang look up at me, uncomprehending. I kept watching the lightning.

"Monsters have appeared and started attacking people in Tokyo," she said flatly. "The Chinese Government is after one girl, who is also being attacked by monsters. And two college students have just found out that they need to stop a Demon Lord from destroying the world."

"In stories, maybe these things can be taken lightly," Ms. Kang continued. "But in real life? These are traumatic events."

"Humans can take much more than that," I scoffed. "Wars, famine, plague. It takes a lot to take scar people mentally."

Ms. Kang seemed to struggle for words.

"Speak," I allowed. "I'm interested in your opinion."

"I don't think it takes much to traumatize someone," she said. "Only the right time and right place."

I frowned and turned to her, confused. The right time and right place?

"Children are more easily traumatized," she explained. "Because of their age. But also because of how and where they grew up."

"Just because someone has lived with trauma their entire life, has been able to function with it, and isn't showing any outward signs, doesn't mean they aren't carrying a burden."

She looked at me meaningfully as she said that, but I ignored it. Instead, I looked back out the window, at the lightning.

How many times had I gotten struck by lightning?

How many times had I wished for it? Dreamed of it? Wanted it?

Lightning flashed, and for a moment, I remembered the first time I had been struck. The sheer, uncontrollable pain. The horrifying terror. The overwhelming sense of doom, completely encasing my every being.

The mixed elation and disappointment afterwards.

Why had I been disappointe-

...

Maybe there was a reason I enjoyed Irade's storyline so much.

"How is the castle coming along?" I asked. Suddenly, I didn't really want to think about the storylines and my past anymore.

"I have sent over the relevant information," said Ms. Kang, putting my tablet back on my table. "We still need a location for-"

"America," I said without thinking. "Their government is corrupt enough for us to take advantage of. And they have all the space in the world."

Ms. Kang bowed.

"I'll make the necessary preparations," she said. I nodded, and turned back to the window. Ms. Kang simply stood there, watching me.

I looked out the window once more, as thunder boomed above.

"Am I really the only one who remembers?" I asked no one.

I knew the answer of course. After all, there was no other mage in this world. I was the only one.

I sighed and turned around, watching as my pen signed documents. I frowned, remembering a certain event in the past couple of days that had annoyed me greatly.

And I came to a realization.

Thunder clapped above, and for a moment, the lights flickered. I stared, wide-eyed at the moving pen as it did its work.

Of course. Of course.

How could I have not seen it?

"Ms. Kang," I said suddenly. "You will stand by my side until the end, won't you?"

She blinked, surprised by the sudden question.

"Of course," she answered immediately. Her tone was nonchalant, as if it were the obvious answer.

But I knew the truth she was hiding. I knew she was lying.

She was only using me for her own ends. To get her thriller storyline.

But that was okay. I was only using her for my purposes too.

But there would come a day where she would have to choose. After all, stories end. And she would have to choose how to end her precious thriller storyline.

I smiled at her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Good," I said. "I because I want you there when this all ends. I want you to see what I have in mind."

I think I know exactly what Ms. Kang had in mind for her ending.

But it didn't matter. As long as she stayed beside me, I would be able to do what I wanted.

After all, she was mine. My assistant. My property.

There was nothing she could hide from me, not even if she wanted to.

She looked up at me, and for a moment, we stared at each other, in complete silence. We both knew what the other was thinking, but pretended we didn't.

That was fine.

We didn't need to play our hands just yet.

It would be boring to just spill all the beans when all the mysteries weren't even set up yet, after all.

I told Ms. Kang that I would be making preparations, and that I would not be available for the next few weeks. Then, I sent her back to her meeting.

Moments later, I found myself on top of my building, in the soaking rain. I knelt down, and sat cross-legged. I took a deep breath. Slowly, the seals on my body started to glow.

For a moment, I looked up at the clouds. An overwhelming feeling of nostalgia ripped through me, aching and longing for a time and place that never was.

If all went according to plan, I would be rid of these feelings. I would finally take my rightful place, not as Demon Lord.

But as a God.

When the first bolt of lightning finally struck me, I was already laughing maniacally.

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