The Bookkeeper

The Lord of Heavens decided that he had had enough of playing around. He wanted to get rid of Saneko once and for all. With a wave of his hand, he created an exact replica of the world they were in.

Everything that was in the original world was now in the new one, from the smallest particles of the human world to the endless higher realities of each layer. The endless layers Hyper-World itself were recreated. The world was an exact copy, but with one difference - Saneko was no longer there.

Pikku felt a cold sweat forming on her forehead as she realized that Saneko was no longer by her side. She looked around frantically, but all she could see was the endless expanse of the replicated world that the Lord of Heavens had created. She was no longer in space.

Pikku's mind raced with a million questions. Where had Saneko gone? Was she okay? How was she going to survive in this strange, new world without her mentor and friend? She tried to calm herself down and focus on her magic, but her thoughts were too scattered to concentrate.

As the Lord of Heavens appeared before Pikku, she let out a terrified scream. His body seemed to shift and twist in impossible ways, and his eyes held a cold, calculating gaze that sent shivers down her spine.

But despite her fear, Pikku refused to give in. She knew that Saneko was out there somewhere.

Summoning all her courage, Pikku stood up straight and faced the Lord of Heavens. "Where is Saneko?" she demanded, her voice trembling slightly.

Before she could ask any more questions, the Lord of Heavens reached out a hand and touched her forehead. A wave of energy washed over her, and she felt herself falling into darkness.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a different place entirely. The world around her was a twisted, nightmarish version of the one she had known, and she was surrounded by strange, twisted creatures that she couldn't begin to describe.

Pikku looked around in confusion and horror, trying to make sense of what was happening. But even as she struggled to understand.

The Lord of Heavens' replica world suddenly shattered like fragile glass, a blinding light engulfed the entire area. The shattered pieces of the world flew in all directions. Pikku was surrounded by the shattered remains, completely disoriented and confused.

She slowly got up. As her vision cleared, she saw Saneko standing calmly in the center of the space, completely unaffected by the sudden change. Pikku let out a sigh of relief and ran towards Saneko.

"Pikku," Saneko said softly. "I want you to know that no matter what happens to me, I will always come back. You don't have to be afraid."

Pikku looked at Saneko, her eyes wide with wonder. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

Saneko smiled. "It's part of being the Demon King," she said. "I can regenerate no matter how I am killed."

Pikku nodded slowly, her fear beginning to subside.

The Lord of Heavens' voice echoed through the empty space, declaring that he would erase Saneko from every alternate reality. However, to his surprise, nothing happened. Saneko stood unscathed, unaffected by the Lord of Heavens' attempt to erase her from existence.

Saneko simply smiled and turned to Pikku. "You see, Pikku, my true self exists beyond life and death. No matter how many ways he tries to kill me, I will always come back."

Saneko reached up her hand and spoke with a confident tone. "It's my turn now," she said.

With as snap of her fingers, Saneko began to remove the Lord of Heavens from every alternate reality. His body flickered and vanished, disappearing from the fabric of existence. Saneko seemed to effortlessly manipulate the very essence of reality itself.

As the last remnants of the Lord of Heavens' existence disappeared, Saneko turned towards Pikku with a soft smile. "It's over now," she said. "We can go back."

Saneko led the way as they walked towards a brilliant light, a gateway through space and time back to the original universe's Hyper-World. As they stepped through the light, Pikku couldn't help but feel grateful for Saneko's presence.

Pikku looked back at the shimmering portal, now closed behind them, and let out a deep sigh.

Saneko turned to Pikku and said, "Pikku, the concept of evil still exists within the Hyper-World, but it has been removed from 99% of the layers."

Pikku looked at Saneko with a puzzled expression and asked, "Saneko, if the layers are infinite, how can we have completed 99% of them?"

Saneko turned to face Pikku and said, "Some layers are more real than others. Remember, the lower layers are like stories, while the higher layers are the reality that shapes them. The reader, who exists outside of the book, has a greater understanding of the story as a whole."

Pikku listened to Saneko's words, absorbing the information. She couldn't help but wonder which layer was the most real, despite Saneko's previous response. So she asked again, "But Saneko, which layer is the most real?"

Saneko turned to Pikku with a small smile on her face. "The most real layer is the last one we need to complete."

Pikku's eyes widened in surprise as she asked Saneko, "Wait, are you saying that there's only one more layer of the Hyper-World which has evil in it?"

Saneko nodded, "Yes, that's right. After we complete that layer, we will have reached the end of the Hyper-World."

Saneko continued, "The final layer of the Hyper-World transcends all others by an inaccessible margin. It will take a tremendous amount of power to even access it, let alone confront the evil within."

Saneko held Pikku close and took a deep breath, her body starting to glow with a fierce energy. She closed her eyes and focused her mind, channeling all her power towards breaking through the final layer of the Hyper-World.

Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from Saneko's body, and the force of it was stronger than anything Pikku had ever felt before. She closed her eyes and held on tight to Saneko, feeling the rush of energy around them as they were propelled forward.

The journey was intense and seemed to go on forever, with Saneko pushing herself to the limit to break through the final layer. Pikku felt the force of the energy around them growing stronger and stronger, until it was almost unbearable.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they broke through the final layer and emerged into a new world. Pikku's eyes widened as she looked around, taking in the incredible sight before her.

The layer was filled with swirling clouds of energy and pulsing lights that seemed to dance in the air around them. And in the center of it all was a dark, foreboding presence that seemed to fill the entire space.

Suddenly, the world around them closed and they found themselves in a vast, endless library that seemed to stretch out in every direction. The shelves were filled with countless books, stretching out as far as the eye could see. The books themselves were covered in dust and cobwebs, some looking as though they hadn't been touched in centuries.

As Pikku and Saneko stood in the infinite library, they heard the voice of a woman echoing down a dark hall.

The darkness was thick and heavy, but the sound of the woman's voice grew stronger with every passing second.

A woman with long red hair stepped out of the shadows. The woman had a white robe and introduced herself as The Bookkeeper.

The Bookkeeper had an aura of great power and wisdom that emanated from her. They could tell that she was not someone to be taken lightly.

The Bookkeeper smiled at them kindly and asked them what brought them to her domain. Saneko explained that they were on a quest to complete the Hyper-World and remove all evil from it.

The Bookkeeper listened carefully and then spoke, "Ah, I see. Well, you have come to the right place. I am The Bookkeeper, the keeper of all knowledge and wisdom. The library you stand in now contains all the knowledge of every reality in existence, past, present, and future."

Pikku reached for a book on the shelf, and as she opened it, a bright light emanated from the pages. The Bookkeeper looked at her and said, "Those are the lower layers, my dear. They are the ones that have already been completed, and their contents are now written in the higher layers."

Pikku was amazed at the vastness of the library and the amount of knowledge that was contained within it. She looked around and saw countless shelves stretching up to the ceiling, all filled with books of various sizes and colors.

Pikku's eyes widened in amazement. "This is incredible!"

The Bookkeeper nodded. "Indeed it is. And I can assist you in your quest. But first, I must ask you a question. What is it that you seek?"

Saneko and Pikku exchanged a glance, and then Saneko spoke up. "As I said, we seek to remove all evil from the Hyper-World and complete it."

The Bookkeeper smiled. "An admirable goal. But do you truly understand what that means? To remove all evil from the Hyper-World would mean to remove all possibility of choice, all possibility of free will. It would mean creating a world of automatons, devoid of any true life or purpose."

Saneko looked at The Bookkeeper with a serious expression. "I'm not going to let you defend evil." Saneko said.

The Bookkeeper nodded. "It is true that evil can cause great harm and suffering. But it is also true that without it, there can be no true goodness. Goodness and evil are two sides of duality, each necessary for the other to exist. To remove one is to remove both."

The Bookkeeper then extended her palm and showed the concept of duality, representing the opposing forces of good and evil.

"Everything is one," The Bookkeper said with conviction. "The separation between good and evil is merely an illusion. In reality, they are two sides of the same coin. It's our perception that makes us see them as different entities."

Saneko also extended her palm and showed the concept of duality. She then closed her fist, and with a swift movement, she ripped it apart, showing that it didn't matter.

Saneko turned to The Bookkeeper and spoke firmly. "Good and evil are distinct, and evil needs to be removed from the final layer. We've come all this way to make sure of it."

The Bookkeeper nodded in agreement. "I understand your goal, Saneko. But you must be aware that the final layer transcends the limits of the Hyper-World. It may not be possible to remove evil entirely, and I won't let you regardless."

Saneko let out a laugh that echoed throughout the vast library. "You won't stand in my way," she said, still chuckling.