Little Pink Starfish

[You are a kind of error.]

The Demon God recalled the words once spoken by the Savior Who Is One and All.

[You were born with a nature that was never meant to exist in this world, and thus, all of this happened.]

An error.

The Demon God could extract a strange sense of persuasion from the Creator’s statement about her own existence. Indeed. There was probably no better concept to describe herself than “error.” A being like herself could not have been intended in the process of creation, and the demons were likely never meant to be unified as a single race. To hear such a confirmation directly from the Creator of this world was almost something she wanted to thank him for.

[You have sinned.]

Yes, I have sinned.

[You will be made to look back at the world you destroyed.]

Stop. That’s enough. I’m sick of it.

[That is not allowed.]

The Savior Who Is One and All smiled.

Using none other than the Demon God’s own appearance…

[You will form a contract with Matteo Bernstein’s daughter.]

Such absurd words.

But if there was anyone in this world who could make the absurd happen, it would only be the Savior Who Is One and All. The Demon God knew that all too well. In fact, she knew it too well, which was the problem. For someone like him, the actions of demons trying to conquer a small planet were trivial enough to be ignored.

He was too vast a being.

She thought consuming a planet would be allowed.

Thinking that, the Demon God rested her chin on her hand.

‘In any case…’

Let it be done as spoken, the scriptures said the Savior Who Is One and All declared. Everything had indeed come to pass according to his words.

The Demon God stretched. Warm sunlight poured through the office window. After forming a contract with Vanessa Bernstein, her body had declined to resemble that of an ordinary human. Lack of sunlight harmed her nutritional system, and missing sleep quickly fatigued her body. The demonic energy within her had dwindled to almost nothing. She had been a low-ranking demon to begin with, but now even the little power she had left was completely exhausted.

[It is a measure to protect you.]

The Savior Who Is One and All had said.

[And also to protect me. You will now become a Constellation who refuses to declare their holy name.]

The Demon God thought his explanation was reasonable. Had she maintained her low-ranking demon identity or entered into the contract with Vanessa as a standard Constellation-human agreement, she would likely have been killed by now.

Even if it was the Savior Who Is One and All’s decision, there were countless beings who wouldn’t stand idly by if they knew she remained in the human world.

‘Constellations, humans, even beasts that cannot speak…’

They are all my enemies.

‘I don’t think their resentment is unfair.’

Hostility naturally breeds resentment.

Thinking so, the Demon God let out a small laugh.

She leaned against the window sill and took a sip of coffee. Officially, the Demon God was working as Vanessa Bernstein’s manager. Vanessa Bernstein was so clueless about worldly affairs that it had ended with the Demon God from Hell guiding her through human society.

Living together, managing her every move, arranging her schedule to preserve her beauty and stamina.

‘But the one tied to strings isn’t her. It’s me.’

The Demon God knew this well.

‘How long must I continue living like this?’

She gazed out at the human world through the window. The contract was entirely in Vanessa Bernstein’s control. And Vanessa Bernstein would not release her until her dying breath. Since she had just turned thirty, that meant waiting over fifty more years.

‘What used to be but a moment as a demon…’

…now felt endlessly tedious.

‘Trapped in this uselessly beautiful world.’

The human world’s scenery was grotesquely beautiful. Their villa, where Vanessa and the Demon God stayed, was nestled in a densely wooded countryside. When schedules got busy, they flew in a private jet, leaving behind cities stained with asphalt. The lush greenery and the towering skyscrapers alike seemed equally beautiful to the Demon God.

‘That’s why I wanted it.’

This world.

She had tried to claim the human world.

‘…And failed completely.’

The Demon God smiled faintly, gripping her mug.

The steam from the warm coffee brushed her face.

“Already up?”

Suddenly, a cheerful voice called out.

The Demon God turned to see Vanessa Bernstein walking toward the sofa in casual clothes.

“It’s barely dawn. Are you having trouble sleeping?”

She tossed out the question and blinked as she leaned back on the sofa. Staring at his contractor, the Demon God chuckled and moved toward her.

“I’m simply not used to sleeping.”

The Demon God sat across from her.

“This mammalian habit of having to meet a set amount of sleep… I still haven’t adjusted. I don’t even understand why you dream. You people live in such filthy ways.”

Even this coffee tastes like sewage water.

Muttering that, she set the mug on the table.

“Then why were you drinking it?”

Vanessa smiled, resting her head against the armrest. Her platinum blonde hair, resembling Matteo Bernstein’s, fell gracefully along her face.

“Because I didn’t sleep.”

“Such a human answer.”

Vanessa shrugged.

“You’ve gotten more used to this world than you think. Why not give up hope and just live as a human? Even your fellow demons would see you as nothing but human now. No one would believe you if you claimed you’re the Demon God.”

“I have no desire to meet my old comrades in this state.”

The Demon God replied curtly, folding her arms.

“Nor do I intend to live as a human. This is nothing but a prison to me. I’m chained to your life, and I’ve been forced to smile and converse with beings sharing the genes of those I once sought to destroy. All of this is nothing but punishment.”

Not every prisoner repents, nor is every prisoner even given the chance to repent.

Muttering that, the Demon God lifted the corner of her mouth.

“So just leave me be. I’ll remain by your side until you die.”

“That’s good, then.”

Vanessa yawned deeply,

Then rolled over to face the ceiling.

“We both hate humans anyway.”

She muttered under her breath.

“I don’t particularly like people either.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

The Demon God shrugged.

She’s a princess. If anything, a princess not locked in a tower rising toward the sky, but buried deep underground in a lair. There was some human fairytale like that. A princess trapped in a high tower, escaping by using her own hair.

It felt like that story had been written for Vanessa Bernstein. The only difference being that Vanessa was ill-suited for a happy-ever-after ending.

[She wanted you.]

The Savior Who Is One and All had said.

[The being who made her father into a hero.]

Such a twisted person, the Demon God thought.

[And the being who shattered her father completely.]

To form a contract with the monster who made her father both hero and ruin. What kind of person does that? Did she think she could control me under her father’s halo? Or did she plan to seal me herself, burning with a misguided sense of justice like her father? Either way, what a delusional flower garden in her head.

‘That’s what I thought back then…’

Resting her chin on her hand, the Demon God stared at Vanessa.

Vanessa simply lay there with an innocent expression and closed eyes. She possessed neither a concept of good nor evil. No wonder. Having lived for years in a bunker, human ethics were merely theoretical knowledge to Vanessa Bernstein. She had read about it but learned nothing through living. In truth, she was more like a beast wearing the skin of a beautiful human.

And so, when they made the contract, Vanessa had said:

“I just wanted to be with you.”

That was why she had requested the contract from the Savior Who Is One and All.

‘Even now, it’s absurd.’

The Demon God sighed.

Then she picked up the laptop lying on the coffee table. Like a prisoner bound by shackles, it was time to work. After a few months of rest, Vanessa was preparing to release a new single. And her break was about to end.

“Any interesting emails?”

Vanessa asked with a dreamy breath.

“Why don’t you try wishing for something reasonable?”

The Demon God scoffed and began checking the inbox.

As expected, only work-related emails. And Vanessa enjoyed her job quite a bit. The princess who had been trapped in a bunker also happened to sing well. What a fairytale. The Demon God shrugged. In the end, he was the only one who wasn’t having fun.

‘This world is insane.’

The Demon God thought. Constellations now stood on stage after making contracts with humans. After abandoning their dignity due to the Gate Crisis, they approached humans without hesitation. As one of the culprits who brought about this era, she felt she had no right to complain, but perhaps because of that, only she could declare this era was abnormal.

“Hmm?”

As she thought this, something in the inbox caught her eye.

“What is it?”

Vanessa asked.

The Demon God didn’t answer.

“Answer me.”

Vanessa sat up abruptly.

“There’s an email you’d like.”

The Demon God reluctantly replied.

“What is it?”

“Someone wants to hold a concert.”

“…That’s nothing new. We always get tons of those.”

“From abroad.”

“Abroad? Where?”

Vanessa’s eyes sparkled.

Well, she had never left the United States before.

The Demon God chuckled at the thought.

Then he spoke the name of the country from which the email had come.

“…It’s South Korea. In Asia.”