The Hero And The Demon Lord— Part 2

"Who are you?" Lilith's voice was flat, sharp as a blade. "Are you the so-called goddess?"

The woman laughed with a clear voice, a sound that was not unpleasant to the ears.

"No." Even as she said this, her smile did not waver. "But I can understand why you'd think that. I am… called Hope."

Reinhardt blinked.

"That's… a name for an emotion, not a person."

Hope's smile deepened just a little.

"Yes, but I can't deny that either. …Fear is quite similar."

The moment she spoke that name, her expression shifted slightly.

Hope raised her hand and pointed to the distant starry sky. The space tore open, and from the crack, something appeared.

Reinhardt gasped.

What it was—was something that might not even deserve to be called existence. A shapeless storm made of countless writhing limbs, arms without wrists, grasping, dragging, and consuming everything around it. At its center was a gigantic eye that never blinked. It quietly observed everything as if it possessed a will of its own.

And the stars. They were drawn into that existence as if swallowed by a drain.

The more he looked, the more he felt something was crumbling. As he kept staring, he felt sanity unraveling like a thread, assaulted by such an illusion.

"That— is Fear." Hope's voice had become low and heavy. "True terror. An existence that consumes all."

The air grew heavy.

"The place you are now is the Nowhere. Outside of the world. Between end and beginning. You should have been dead by now. But right before your last breath—I pulled you up."

She giggled softly.

"The goddess who granted you power… well, she was quite upset. But it was absolutely necessary. I needed you two."

"Why us?" Reinhardt asked. "Our roles should have ended. We even sacrificed our lives."

"Fear is currently unraveling existence itself. Not just your world. Not even this place. It does not stop. It only consumes. That's why I needed not the chosen ones, but those who defied their destined fate."

Reinhardt stared at his hands, which were still faintly trembling.

Lilith, arms crossed, frowned.

"…So? You want us to defeat that? You must be joking. That's not a beast. That is—madness itself."

"Exactly. But one can resist madness. One can stand against fear. —Hope can choose."

At Hope's words, Reinhardt glanced at Lilith.

"We can't go back, Lilith. Our world… has already moved on. We're more like ghosts in that world now."

Lilith remained silent.

Reinhardt continued.

"But here… we can hold meaning once more. We can protect once again. Even if it's not our world— Isn't it better than fading away without doing anything? We won't let Fear have its way."

Lilith's red eyes caught his. They were filled with anger and bitterness.

"…It's because of your light that I died."

Reinhardt did not flinch.

"It's because you were there that I had to use light."

A brief silence. Lilith exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"…Fine. I'll do it. But don't get it twisted. This isn't for you or for that woman."

She gestured rudely at Hope with her thumb.

"I just don't like that thing."

Reinhardt smiled.

"Welcome to the team."

Hope's face lit up. Her eyes shimmered gently like stars.

"I'm glad. Then, let the journey begin."

At the same moment she spoke, the space next to Hope warped. The air rippled like a slight wave, and two figures emerged from it.

Silently, they walked forward.

The first was a man dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. His black hair was slicked back without a single strand out of place, and the knot of his tie was perfectly symmetrical. His shoes were polished to a mirror shine, and every movement of his body was precise to the smallest detail. The thin glasses perched on his nose seemed as natural as if they had been a part of him from the start.

His movements were so mechanical that they seemed eerily precise...

"I am Law."

The man said with a nod. His voice was flat, yet each word carried a weight that seemed to thicken the air. "This form is temporary, but it should suffice for now."

Without waiting for a reply, he settled into one of the empty chairs.

As the second figure approached, their outline shimmered.

Defining who they were was extremely difficult.

Just a moment ago, they had been a person with storm-cloud-like short hair. In the next moment, they had golden long hair and a completely different build and outfit. Facial features, posture, clothing, gender, age, culture—all were constantly changing. It was as if the memories of multiple people were simultaneously painting one existence.

The one thing that remained unchanged was their voice—no, their voices. A womanly voice, cheerful in some way, resonating like music.

"It feels strange." With that voice, she said, twisting and moving her fingers. "It's been a while since I've had fingers... No, maybe it's my first time? Hmm, strange."

She turned to Law and Hope, lifting one corner of her mouth in a smirk.

"Is this really the right way to do things?"

Hope nodded calmly. "It's easier to talk this way, and having a body makes it a lot more convenient."

"Hmph..." Law snorted. "It just makes things slower rather than easier."

"You're as stiff as ever, Ro." She—Identity—said with a laugh as she casually put her feet on the armrest of her chair, slouching back. "Why not relax a little?"

"Not a chance."

Hope giggled gently, covering her mouth with her hand. "Both of you, behave a little. We have guests, you know?"

Reinhardt and Lilith watched the exchange in silence, unable to hide their confusion and bewilderment as they stared at the bizarre beings appearing before them.

"Well then—" Hope said brightly, turning to face the two. "You won't be fighting Fear alone. That would be far too cruel, wouldn't it?"

She gestured towards her companions.

"They are my family."

"Family...?" Reinhardt murmured reflexively.

"Well, something like that?" Identity shrugged as she spoke. "Hope is like my cute little sister."

"She's young and emotional, but... she's useful." Law added monotonously.

"I'm not that emotional..." Hope pouted, sticking out her lips.

Identity leaned forward and ruffled Hope's hair, her hand changing size twice mid-movement.

"Yep, very emotional. That's what makes her great."

Hope struggled to suppress a smile, but the loosening of her lips couldn't be hidden.

"—Now, shall we get to the main topic?"

At that moment, Ro and Identity both extended their hands.

A light burst above their heads.

When the light settled, beautiful yet strange objects appeared in each of their hands.

In Ro's hand was a crown. Seven jewels were embedded in it, each shining a different color. It didn't have the regal grandeur of a crown Reinhardt was familiar with, but it still emanated an extraordinary power.

Ro quietly offered it to Reinhardt.

Reinhardt hesitated for only a moment—and then reached out. The instant his fingers touched the crown, warmth pulsed within him, flowing into him.

Meanwhile, in Identity's hand floated a quill that changed color and texture as it hovered in the air.

"This one is yours." She said to Lilith.

"...A quill?" Lilith furrowed her brow.

"Sharp observation." Identity laughed playfully. "With this, you can shape the possible and impossible."

She offered the quill. Lilith gazed at it skeptically before glancing sideways at Reinhardt's face.

Then, she sighed.

Slowly, she extended her hand.

At that moment—the world shattered.

The surrounding scenery crumbled like paint dissolving in water, the space warped, expanded, and unraveled.

The concept of up and down fell apart, and even time and self felt as thin as paper, tearing away.

They found themselves seeing that battlefield again. But this time, it was from a far-off vantage point. Even higher. The entire world appeared small and fragile.

And then—that world itself vanished.

Stars appeared. Countless lights spread infinitely.

The stars transformed into the branches of a gigantic tree. The branches held the worlds like morning dew, dangling from them.

Even that changed. The tree became pages, the pages became a book. That book turned into letters within another book.

A world within a world, inside a book. An infinite chain of stories. A chain of worlds.

And then a crimson sea that boiled like blood, ancient, rough and primordial. There was no light, only the screams of a ravenous void.

Swimming within that abyss was—Fear.

Now lacking even the physical body they had seen earlier, it was simply chaos itself. To consume, to unravel, to erase. It held no purpose beyond its own hunger.

It recognized them.

It wasn't out of curiosity. Yet—without a doubt, it had acknowledged their existence.

In the next moment, a vast amount of information flowed into their minds, not as words or images, but in the form of thoughts.

It was too much. There was no limit.

They saw it. And they understood.

Their world was merely one among countless others.

The word infinity felt too shallow. All possible worlds were there. Each was fragile, vulnerable, and could crumble at any moment.

And they had—responsibility.

As the knowledge of Fear poured in, something began to collapse. Body, soul, thoughts. Whatever they were in that moment was silently unraveling. Like paper touching flames. Like snow melting under sunlight.

Their outlines blurred, and their sense of self began to fray.

—This is the price. A formless space whispered from nowhere. —To know Fear is to accept collapse.

Reinhardt had lost the sensation in his limbs.

Lilith couldn't even remember how her voice sounded.

However, at that moment, a single voice pierced through the collapse.

Warm and penetrating like a hearth fire in mid-winter.

"Stand."

It was Hope.

"You are more than your former selves."

That voice deeply penetrated within them, grasping the barely remaining core and pulling it back.

The relics they still held began to shine.

In Reinhardt's hand, the crown pulsated with golden light. In sync with his heartbeat.

And now, Hope's voice resonated softly, directed only at him.

"Ogun. The Miracle of Dominion. Dominion is not just the power to command. It is the strength of resolve to bear the burden of creation. The will to accept all destinies and continue walking without breaking. You have always, Reinhardt— Even when you felt you might break, you continued to carry others."

Reinhardt gripped the crown tightly. The outline flickered for a moment—but soon began to return. His thoughts aligned. His purpose clarified, his will solidified.

He remembered the battlefield. The reason to fight.

And the crown quietly melted into his chest. As if igniting a light, its power permeated within him.

Meanwhile, Lilith floated in the same vast space. The quill in her hand trembled faintly.

Hope's voice was now directed at her.

"Thoth. The Miracle of Knowledge. To understand is to see. To truly see. Not just the world, but yourself, your heart, and the truth—everything."

"That has been your strength all along, hasn't it? Since that day you were abandoned, you have learned, adapted, and survived. It wasn't just about power. Because you knew, because you could see, and above all—because you sought to be yourself."

Lilith's expression changed. A face mixed with pain—and pride.

She hadn't risen to power by force. In the chaos of the demon race, she had carved her path simply to survive—with knowledge. She unraveled the secrets of magic, understood her enemies more than they did, and calmly defeated them. To know had always been her sword.

And now that knowledge had—chosen her.

The quill dissolved like ink, flowing into her chest. It disappeared beneath her skin, but its essence did not vanish. Her thoughts began to clarify. Shapes returned. She felt her existence being redefined once more.

The surrounding universe rippled, and then the sea of chaos vanished without a trace.

In the next moment, they were back in their original place.

A round wooden table. Five chairs. And they found themselves seated without realizing when it had happened.

Reinhardt glanced at the person next to him.

Lilith met his gaze.

Hope stood before them. Her smile remained warm and, above all, proud.

"I'm glad you both accepted it." She said, turning around.

Her body gradually turned to mist, dissolving into the air.

Identity waved languidly. Her hand changed shape once again, and she gave a light laugh.

"Don't mess this up, okay? I'm looking forward to it."

Law said nothing, merely nodding firmly once before disappearing.

And left behind was just the two of them.

Yet, there was no longer any fear.

Reinhardt stood up. There was no longer any hesitation in his eyes.At the far end of the Nowhere, they saw a city being consumed by the creature. Two figures were caught in the grasp of its hands.

"…Let's do this."

He extended his hand.

Lilith stared at it, thinking for just a moment before taking it.

And then, their figures quietly vanished.

What remained were only the empty chairs.