Hikari sat alone in his personal library, the silence of the room broken only by the faint rustle of parchment.
Towering shelves lined the walls, packed tightly with ancient tomes, sealed records, and scrolls that few people in the Kingdom of Arcanora even knew existed. The air carried the distinct scent of old paper and dried ink—knowledge preserved across centuries.
Spread out before him were several unfurled scrolls, their contents heavy enough to bend even his seasoned resolve.
His eyes traced the inked words slowly.
Not because he struggled to read them.
But because every sentence carried the weight of catastrophe.
Historical Record — On the Origin of Races
The Demon Race has existed for as long as the Spirit Race.
Both primarily reside in realms separate from the Mortal Realm, which is home to Humans, Elves, and Dwarves.
While Demons and Spirits may enter the Mortal Realm, the reverse is impossible.
Hikari's fingers tightened slightly at the edges of the scroll.
The explanation followed—cold, clinical, and unforgiving.
This limitation stems from the inherent disadvantages of mortal races, particularly their shortened lifespans.
Weaker lifespans lead to weaker souls.
And weak souls cannot traverse realms freely.
His gaze drifted downward.
Humans possess an average lifespan of approximately 100 years.
Exceptionally strong individuals may reach 300 to 400 years.
Elves live roughly 150 years on average.
The strongest among them may reach 400 to 600 years.
Dwarves typically live around 120 years.
Exceptional individuals may reach 350 to 500 years.
Hikari exhaled slowly.
Even the longest-lived mortals barely brushed against the beginning of demon existence.
In contrast…
The weakest Demons live for over 500 years.
Low-ranking Demon nobility possess lifespans ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 years.
High-ranking Demon nobility exceed 5,000 years.
His eyes darkened.
The Demon King is immortal until slain by the Hero of that era.
Hikari closed his eyes briefly.
That single line had defined the fate of the world for as long as history had been recorded.
Monster Beasts and Corrupted Demonic Beasts also exist within the Mortal Realm.
Monster Beasts possess limited lifespans, ranging from 20 to 200 years depending on species.
However, Demonic Beasts enjoy extended lifespans exceeding 500 years—
—at the cost of their intelligence.
They become mindless, raging creatures driven purely by instinct and corruption.
Hikari frowned.
Weapons without thought.
Tools used freely by demons to cause chaos.
Spirits are fundamentally different.
All spirits are immortal.
Even low-level spirits are nearly impossible to permanently destroy, as they are manifestations of nature itself.
However, spirits cannot enter the Mortal Realm independently.
They require Mana Contracts to manifest.
The duration of manifestation is limited by the power of the contracted individual.
Hikari's gaze paused.
The longest recorded manifestation of a Spirit Ruler lasted twelve minutes.
This was achieved by a Hero during direct combat against the Demon King.
The Hero sustained permanent injuries as a result.
Silence stretched in the library.
Hikari stared at that line longer than the rest.
Another note followed—written in a different hand.
Personal Observation — 9th Demon War
Demons are master manipulators.
They entice mortals into forming Demon Contracts by offering unimaginable power.
They omit a crucial truth:
By accepting this power, the individual becomes subservient to the demon.
The corruption is gradual.
The mind erodes.
Eventually, the individual falls completely under demonic control.
Ensuring total subjugation.
Hikari exhaled sharply.
The pattern never changed.
Only the victims did.
With a tired motion, he unfurled another scroll.
Observations on the Birth of a Demon King — 14th Demon War
The Demon Race is arrogant, selfish, and inherently destructive.
Their desire is the conquest of the Mortal Realm and the enslavement of all races.
Hikari's jaw tightened.
The process of a Demon King's birth makes this abundantly clear.
The Seven Demon Dukes—
Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride—
Each form their own armies.
They create branch families.
These families slaughter and devour one another.
His grip tightened.
Once the weaker branches are eliminated, the main forces clash.
When nearly 80% of the Demon Race has been destroyed…
Hikari already knew the rest.
The Demon Dukes kill one another.
Absorbing the powers of the fallen.
When only one remains—
He undergoes transformation.
The Demon King is born.
The process is irreversible.
Completion occurs within minutes.
The resulting Demon King possesses the combined power of all seven Dukes.
His personality and memories belong to the final survivor.
Immediately after—
The Demon War against the Mortal Realm begins.
Hikari slammed the scroll onto the desk.
SLAM.
The sound echoed sharply through the library.
He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with one hand as a deep sigh escaped him.
"…Haah…"
"I wish this were a mistake," Hikari murmured.
But he knew better.
A century ago, he had been the Hero.
That had been when the Demon War was supposed to occur.
Yet the demons had gone silent.
Almost all their activity in the Mortal Realm had ceased.
The Royal Families knew the truth.
The demons were gathering their forces.
And yet—
"They still refuse to unite…" Hikari muttered bitterly.
Even with extinction looming, politics ruled supreme.
"Fucking idiots…"
He had lost his Hero power eighty years ago.
His body could no longer shoulder the world.
But that didn't mean he would watch it burn.
If he could no longer fight—
Then he would prepare someone who could.
Sunlight filtered through the tall window, illuminating drifting dust motes as Hikari stared outside.
The weight on his shoulders felt heavier than any blade.
He shook his head sharply.
"No use drowning in thoughts."
A faint chuckle escaped him as he stood.
"It's already time."
He carefully rolled the scrolls back into place, locking the library behind him as he left.
Kazuki had no idea—
Just how deep the abyss beneath his path truly was.