Chapter 48
“My head… feels dizzy.”
As her distant consciousness returned, Flora saw something chaotically swirling before her eyes.
“Mana…”
She let out a hollow laugh at the sight—her demonic energy, which should have remained within her body, was instead spilling outward wildly, wreaking havoc around her.
“This is ridiculous.”
To think she had lost her reason and raged just because Elena had collapsed…
The title of Great Demon now felt undeserved.
And seeing how she had blown away all the mana she painstakingly gathered just to deal with a single human, she finally realized how weak she had become.
“I’ve been comforting myself with excuses like ‘I’m still young,’ clinging to the past and growing arrogant.”
If she still possessed her former strength, she wouldn’t have been forced to watch Elena fall so helplessly.
“Perhaps I really should’ve gone to the Demon Forest as soon as possible.”
But it was far too late for regrets now.
The mana she had gathered with such effort had already dispersed in a single burst of anger.
Flora lifted her hand again as she saw a man approaching her with killing intent.
“Still, even if my strength has scattered… it’s more than enough to deal with you.”
Whoever he was, he would pay the price for daring to attack those she kept by her side.
Just as Flora shattered the last vessel of her remaining power to summon her mana again—
A chilling frost burst from behind the man and began swallowing his legs.
“W-what?!”
Before his panicked scream could even finish, he was frozen solid, encased from the feet up in rapidly spreading ice.
Meowww.
A cat, previously sitting quietly atop a tree, leapt gracefully down and landed atop the frozen assassin.
The instant its paw lightly touched the icy block, it shattered like glass smashed by a massive hammer.
The ash-grey cat padded lightly over to Flora and rubbed its head against her leg, meowing in greeting.
“Strange… this power feels familiar…”
Her mind was still hazy, as if something from the past was trying to resurface but remained just out of reach.
“Flo… ra!”
Ah… Basilian.
Flora’s vacant gaze shifted toward the direction of the voice calling her name.
Basilian, barely holding on to his sanity, was staring at her with a pained expression.
“W-wait… I’ll s-save you…”
He was severely injured, staggering toward her with labored breaths.
“It’s okay… I’ll save you…”
But before he could finish speaking, Flora’s head drooped.
She had lost consciousness.
“Damn it…!”
His desperate footsteps—forced despite the pain—suddenly halted with a crack.
Just like the assassin, his legs were now encased completely in ice.
Sensing something was terribly wrong, Basilian lifted his head—
“FLORA!!”
And saw her being swallowed by a black vortex opening behind the trees.
Blood burst in his eyes as he screamed her name with all his might.
“Wake up! Flora! FLORA!”
But despite his desperate cries, Flora was pulled fully into the darkness, unconscious.
“No! No!!”
Basilian struggled violently, but the ice gripping his legs would not budge.
He cursed furiously and even struck the ice with his sword, to no avail.
Meowww.
And then, almost mockingly, came the cheerful cry of the cat.
“…A cat?”
Looking like a madman hacking at ice, Basilian froze when he saw the grey cat standing before the vortex.
“Wait—!”
The cat let out a long taunting meow, then, with a graceful motion, jumped into the black space.
And with that, the darkness vanished completely.
* * *
〈So this is “ice,” they call it. Isn’t it beautiful?〉
At Mors’ words, the large silhouette before her leaned in to inspect the ice in her hand.
Marveling at how clear and pure it was—transparent enough to see through—they spoke in awe:
〈It resembles you, Lady Mors. Pure, clear—and just looking at it brings peace.〉
〈It resembles me?〉
Pleased with the compliment, Mors let out a delighted laugh.
〈It might be troublesome, but one day I want to build a castle made entirely of ice. Do you think everyone would hate it for being too cold?〉
〈If you are there, I would gladly live anywhere.〉
〈Really? Then once humanity is wiped out, I shall build our new castle from ice.〉
The figure nodded eagerly at her joyful words.
〈Come here, –.〉
Entranced by her gentle voice, the silhouette approached, burying their face into her lap and enjoying the touch of her hand stroking their head.
It was a peaceful, blissful memory from days long past.
* * *
“Ugh… my head…”
Groaning at the piercing ache ringing in her skull, Flora slowly opened her eyes.
A blue ceiling she had never seen before greeted her.
“Where ish dis place?”
She clearly remembered rampaging in the garden, exhausting all her gathered power—and yet she was now in an unfamiliar location.
“Guess I pushed myself too hard… even dreaming about the past…”
The peaceful days of her time as a Demon Lord must have made her nostalgic, for her dream had stirred long-buried memories.
“Ugh… this pathetic body…”
She tried to lift herself, groaning—
—but her entire body protested with throbbing pain, as if she’d been beaten black and blue.
She wiggled her hands and feet, but it was the same everywhere. Not a single spot was uninjured.
“Uuuuugh… I lose my temper and turn into a mushy idiot again… Ugh, but seriously, where even am I?”
Forcing herself upright, Flora examined her surroundings.
Ice here, ice there—
Everything in the room was made of ice, except for the soft white blanket under which she had been lying on an ice bed.
“Achoo!”
The moment she realized she was in an ice room, a chilling cold assaulted her, making her shiver violently.
Then, suddenly—thump. Something was draped over her shoulders.
“Hmm?”
A thick, plush pink blanket had fallen over her.
“What’s this…?”
Clutching the blanket tightly, she looked around—
—and something leapt into her lap.
“Kitty!”
The same ash-grey cat from Lucifer Castle meowed cheerfully, greeting her.
“How’d yoo get here? Yoo know where this ish?”
Meow.
The cat replied briefly, then hopped down to the floor.
Right then, its body wriggled like slime—stretching, expanding—
In place of the cat now stood a beautiful woman, pale-skinned with long grey hair and deep black eyes.
“It has been a long time, my master.”
Flora recognized her immediately.
No—not just recognized. She knew her well.
As Flora stared wide-eyed in disbelief, the woman—Janet—smiled and knelt before her.
“Your loyal servant, Janet, greets her master.”
She took Flora’s hand and gently kissed the back of it.
“Y-you… are really Janet?”
“Yes. Your Janet.”
“How’d yoo recognize me as Morsh?”
“What servant would fail to recognize her master? Any who could not would be unworthy of the title.”
Hearing that proud answer, Flora blinked blankly, then couldn’t help but smile, pleased.
“Good. Very good.”
“Right?”
Janet looked up at her, then rested her head against Flora’s knee.
“If I’m good, please praise me.”
“Fine, fine. Good girl.”
Though countless years had passed, Flora naturally began stroking Janet’s head, just as she always had.
“So that’s why I dreamt of the past…”
Meeting the demon she herself created must have stirred the memories.
Janet—the very first demon created by the Great Demon Mors—had always been the most devoted to her.
“I have slain the human who dared attack you. I wanted to kill the small human and big human too, but since you seemed fond of them, I stayed my hand.”
“Well done. I’d be mad if yoo killed them.”
“Yes. No one understands your heart better than I do.”
Hearing the smugness in her voice, Flora let out a soft laugh.
Janet purred even louder like a cat, delighted, making Flora’s strokes even more affectionate.
“How’ve yoo been living?”
“Though the cursed humans—those so-called ‘heroes’—killed you, I always believed you would resurrect one day and return. So I settled in the north and waited for your return.”
“The Demon Forest in the north… yoo made that?”
“Yes. I burned part of Lucifer’s wretched territory, froze all remaining life, and released the beasts we once commanded. They multiplied well and helped torment humans splendidly.”
“O-oh… I shee.”
No wonder the beasts had been so rampant—it seemed Janet had… overindulged them.
“I was quietly resting while awaiting you. Then, not long ago, I sensed your aura and awakened. I am ashamed I realized so late.”
