Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

[Title: ...So what do we do now?] Content: We sealed one Archdemon fragment for now But What are we supposed to do now? -: You have to seal the next fragment yeah -: There are still mountains of fragments left to seal? -: Lots to do, exciting right? lololololol You must be thrilled to death right? lolololololol -[Author]: No damn it I knew this game's story was consistently shit But now that we're at the end and the story outline is starting to take concrete shape It's starting to be specifically shit I mean In the end this game's final goal is that Stopping these Archdemon bastards from reviving To do that we've been grinding and growing and shitting and eating shit and building forces and building bases doing all this fucking bullshit But is this right? Even when we seal them It doesn't feel like a seal We don't know when it'll be undone and resources just keep getting used up How is this a seal? It's just a debuff on ourselves Looking at this, even the ending [We worked our asses off so we're not fucked right now without lube but we'll eventually get fucked someday.] It'll probably be this bullshit Is this right -: No no;;; (Ah damn my mouth is itching) -: That's not it yeah;; (Sigh damn I can't say in this atmosphere that this game's ultimate goal is to fuck over the player) -: What is this bastard suddenly saying (I agree completely, you have exactly the same thoughts as me) -[Author]: No you fucking bastards come at me you shits Don't you really think this is fucked up? Setting aside everything being fucked and miserable and gloomy At least at the end there should be some feeling that we solved something If the ending is just slapping on a seal like an illegal building that could collapse anytime How is that different from when we started the game??? No It's actually more fucked than when we started the game? All the people who were going to die have already died All the people who were going to get fucked have already gotten fucked If the Archdemon seals try to come undone again later, what happens then? The player forces will already be half-baked and all dead by then? Doesn't this just make the light forces idiots? Why bother exhaustingly maintaining good alignment to protect the world? Just go evil alignment and live eating demon shit? -: The pioneers are already doing that though? -: You know what? This game from start to finish Not even once Have the justice forces ever had an advantage -: From the beginning Gods < these bastards don't even exist But demons < only these bastards are actively working in this world -: Hero trait = If it's hard enough to die, just die. No one to rely on. -: Villain trait = If it's hard enough to die, just believe in demons or black magic. One coin minimum plus they'll even reverse your life. -: The structure itself is just like that yeah Dark forces trend upward even while sitting around picking their noses Light forces naturally trend downward even while desperately struggling yeah A c c e p t i t T h e w o r l d i s l i k e t h a t -: What if actually this world's justice is darkness? Darkness should have devoured the continent long ago But light < these reactionary bastards keep interfering? -: That's right for real No matter how you look at it, the owner of this game's world is the dark forces (E/N: The side of light uses their trap card - Risir!) -: If you think of it that way, the ending is quite pleasant too yeah Because we stirred up serious shit -: How is the protagonist a troublemaker And the true ending's final achievement is stirring up trouble lol -[Author]: Sigh... this is shit... -[Author]: I'll go collect the next fragment for now -: Kyah lolololololol I believed in you -: You gotta do what you gotta do... *** "..." "..." An awkward atmosphere was flowing through the place. Frozen Breath Palag. Star of the Garden Lunadien. It had started when the two archmages, each wandering the grounds of Gus's Mansion, encountered each other. They were quite surprised. Who would have thought meeting without Risir as a connecting link would be such an awkward thing! "Ahem." The first to summon courage and take action was Palag. "Lady Lunadien." He bowed politely toward that rose-like splendid elf. "Lord Palag." And so the conversation began. "This may seem out of nowhere, but the current master of the Gray Magic Tower is temporarily away due to a council summons." "Risir!?" "...I know he's a person with no shortage of ability to shoulder the duties of a tower master, but surprisingly, Risir's current position within the magic tower is-" "Haha!!! I know that too! The atmosphere was rather stiff so I tried making a little joke." That rose-like splendid elf's intention worked properly. Palag's somewhat stiff expression began to run wild freely. With the emotion called bewilderment. But that was only for a moment. He soon organized his feelings completely with a small chuckle. In a situation where one of the mansion's annexes had become the World Tree's pot, how significant could one elf's personality change be? "By the way, seeing you suddenly bring up the story of the Wandering Star - you must be curious about why I didn't respond to the council's summons?" Then, Lunadien grasped Palag's intention and brought up the topic directly. "Indeed, is that also because of Risir?" "Hmm. You could say yes, and you could say no." "...What does that mean?" "My not responding to the council's summons isn't just this time. In fact, wouldn't it be faster to count the times I did respond to summons?" It's because of skepticism. Before Palag could even ask for the reason, Lunadien added those words first. "Skepticism...?" "That's right, Frozen Breath. Do you know about the council's reason for existence? Not formal reasons like harmony between Stars and maintaining continental balance through that, but the substantial reason." "...Sealing the fragments-" "You're mistaken." "What?" Lunadien stared into the distance. That gaze seemed to be pursuing a secret space hidden somewhere on the continent. "As you said, numerous fragments are enshrined in the council's secret space. But I don't call that 'sealing.'" "Then-" "It is storage. Nothing more, nothing less." "Storage..." Palag chewed on those words with a serious expression. Because he seemed to understand what Lunadien was trying to say. "Of course. Even if we call it storage, it's certainly a necessary thing. If all fragments of a specific Archdemon were to gather in one place - darkness enough to cover the entire continent and more would descend." "...That's also the ultimate goal of demon followers." "Exactly so. But - do you know this? Demon followers don't make any particular effort to seize those fragments. They don't need to." "Why-" "Time. They know that what should be fair to everyone is on their side." Storage. Seal. Lunadien slowly recited those words. "The reason the council can store so many fragments simultaneously is nothing special. It's because the condition of those sealed in the fragments is not intact. To the extent that they have no choice but to rest. Then, shall we think differently? If they take sufficient rest and regain their intact state - what would happen then? All at once, too." "That would be...!" Trivial modifiers weren't needed. Darkness. Palag's thoughts were completely filled with just that. Indeed, it was a dangerous imagination that made one's vision go dark. "Of course. This is all hypothetical. They're not loving brothers or family. They're rulers who want to put everything, even other Archdemons, beneath their feet. The possibility of them all awakening at once and joining hands to plot the continent's destruction is realistically very low. However-" "That possibility isn't completely absent." "That's right. Moreover, even if a second-worst rather than worst-case scenario occurs - whether we could handle even that..." Lunadien raised her index finger. "Just one. If just one Archdemon regains its intact state and begins to move in earnest - the odds are high that even that would be overwhelming for us." "..." Eventually. Palag slowly opened his mouth. "We..." That was the part he focused on in Lunadien's words. "What do you mean by 'we'?" "..." Grin. The serious elf's expression brightened again. Palag realized that the elf he had been talking with just before was the Star of the Garden who existed in his memories. But now- "As such. I felt deep anxiety about the uncertain future implied by those countless fragments. That soon led to skepticism about the council's existence." "Did you think that no matter what the council does, it won't be able to prevent darkness from returning?" "That's right. So I thought. To focus on 'us.' It might be impossible to protect the entire continent from darkness - but if we focus on the realm for us elves, we might be able to resist that darkness." "..." Palag nodded his head. Star of the Garden Lunadien. The gap he had felt from her in the past- He realized the identity of that distance that could never be narrowed. That elf had already thoroughly distinguished between the elves' world and the outside world in preparation for future darkness. Probably, at that time she would have prioritized the life of one Illatdein citizen- Over the lives of a thousand humans? "...Huh?" Just then. Palag opened his eyes wide and turned his body. "A realm for elves-..." His gaze was focused on Risir's annex. On that new home of the World Tree. The heart of the elves that had suddenly left the elves' forest and grown in the humans' city. In this case, what would become of the 'us' that Lunadien spoke of? Palag looked at Lunadien. Lunadien also looked at Palag. Before long, the two burst into laughter simultaneously. "Risir..." Palag shook his head and uttered that name for no particular reason. Because no more appropriate words came to mind. At this moment. Palag perfectly understood the change that had occurred in Lunadien. And further, even the changes that had occurred to the elves. And- "Huh?" Suddenly a question arose on Palag's face. According to Lunadien's words, her world had undergone tremendous change due to one man's existence. She no longer distinguished the world as elves versus others. Nevertheless- She did not respond to the council's summons. Her attitude toward the council had not changed. Palag carefully posed a question. "Perhaps. Is the reason you didn't respond to the council's summons because you still think we can't prevent darkness from returning?" A shadow of anxiety fell over his wrinkled expression. First that man's face came to mind, then Lunadien's actions overlapped. She now knew of that man's existence. Even so, did she still think darkness's return couldn't be prevented? "What on earth did you see there...!?" "..." Lunadien formed a complex smile. "To speak honestly, I'm still under the shadow of anxiety. Sometimes I even think - perhaps this world originally belongs to their side, to the darkness." "What do you mean...!" "If that's not the case. Why would the darkness we can witness be so vast? Why would the light we can witness be so feeble?" "..." "And so - if this world originally belongs to darkness..." Lunadien stared at the same place as Palag had before. It was Risir's annex. Lunadien carefully continued speaking. "Can his existence alone truly-...!?" Those words were suddenly cut off midway. Zap! By a wave that resonated throughout the entire area. "This is...!?" Before they knew it, the two archmages were staring in the same direction. Zap! Zap! Zap! Risir's annex. All the strangeness was originating from there. "What on earth is..." The two archmages trailed off. It was definitely a clash of tremendous forces. However, the type. It was something that even the profound knowledge of the two archmages could not define. What on earth must be done to generate such waves of power? When they came to their senses. They were drawing closer to the annex as if entranced. Zap! Zap! Zap! And, as they stood before the door unable to muster the courage to enter- "Ah, Lady Karoer— Ratsil— and—" "No, you're definitely- Clana? Even you- is the memory loss alright now!?" People gathered one by one in front of the door. They were skilled individuals who could feel those mysterious waves of power, and also people who had connections with Risir. The aftermath of the waves was so tremendous that it seemed all of Risir's acquaintances from throughout Bondaless had felt his presence and rushed over. Zap! Zap! Zap! Even as they looked at each other and shared confusion, those waves continued to repeat incessantly. Finally. One person couldn't stand it and pushed open the door. "How long are we going to stand here like this!?" It was Acting City Councilor Fienne. Zap! Zap! Zap! As she led the way through the continuous waves, the others followed behind her. Eventually. They reached a familiar place. An undisputed landmark of Bondaless. Risir's bedroom- or rather, the World Tree's Dwelling. The waves had subsided at some point. However, that tingling sensation on the skin remained vivid. Gulp. Someone swallowed their dry saliva. Using that as a signal, the door slowly began to open. And so, the scene that unfolded before their eyes- A baby spirit that had just finished eating burped cutely while lifting its upper body. Below it lay a crystal fragment that had become transparent like water. And- "Risir...?" Fienne carefully spoke his name. The 'holy-demonic swordsman'. He was walking toward somewhere in the room. He had put down the swords he had brutally gripped in both hands and held only one blade- just the Sacred Sword. Then, after stirring the air with his empty hand- He thrust the Sacred Sword in. Stab. The Sacred Sword's blade disappeared. As if it had been embedded in something. The Sacred Sword had found the trace of a crack that still remained. -... Through the gap in the crack thus created, whispers of darkness leaked out. Just how many demons tangled together were creating such noise? Risir's companions who had come to find him instinctively stepped backward. Stab! Meanwhile, a brutal hand forced its way into the crack. Riiiiip- And then violently tore it open. The expanding crack. Inside it, darkness so vast it seemed to overflow had taken position. -Shaaaaaaak!!! -Kyaaaaaaak!!! A legion of darkness. Countless fragments of darkness shrieked across the crack. "Found you." That was a scream. The darkness that had constantly watched for an opportunity to ravage the world of light began to flee from the boundary. It was the moment when the positions of darkness and light were reversed.