Little Pink Starfish

Long ago.

When planning the creation of the walking hell, Geahrzimen, the Demon God faced a question.

Is sacrifice truly noble?

Countless demons had volunteered to sacrifice themselves in order to create the golem Geahrzimen. It was an unthinkable act for demons. These demons, gathered around the Demon God, sought to offer their very existence for the sake of conquering the human world. Yet, the Demon God could not admire them.

“Why is sacrifice considered noble?”

That puzzled him.

Generally, sacrifice is praised as a virtuous act. In the world created by the Savior Who Is One and All, it is a universally accepted notion. But glorifying those who give up their lives for a purpose is ultimately nothing more than the trivial comfort offered by those who benefit from such sacrifices.

“I do not desire your sacrifice.”

Thus spoke the Demon God.

“My army does not require your deaths. I wish for you all to remain by my side, alive. However, if I am unworthy of your trust…”

If your very existence, or our cause, is unworthy of your trust…

“Then you may do as you please.”

That was the utmost freedom the Demon God could offer.

And so Geahrzimen was born—a golem formed from the blood and flesh of countless demons. When the Demon God first beheld it, he felt a faint sense of pity.

“You were dead from the moment you were born.”

A life born from death is ultimately nothing more than death tethered to a fragile lifeline.

And yet, it was beautiful. Even though Geahrzimen had been born by tearing through the deaths of countless demons, she seemed unbearably beautiful.

“All life requires countless deaths to begin.”

He had certainly said this.

“In order to bear one life, the host consumes countless others. There comes a moment when one must sacrifice even their own life to give birth to another. Such is life. The deaths that make up your body are nothing special. You are free to betray our desires at any time. The demons who formed your body died fully aware of that. After all, betrayal is a thoroughly demonic emotion.”

Seeing you alive and breathing… it’s so beautiful that…

“…it all feels meaningless.”

---

The Demon God stepped onto the mansion’s garden.

As if the blood rain had never poured down, not even a hint of dampness remained on the grass. The Demon God was briefly surprised, then smiled wryly. To think something like this would startle him—he had become far too human. With that thought, he hastened his steps.

“So…”

He glanced sideways.

“You’ve been living as a human all this time?”

“Of course.”

Geahrzimen answered cheerfully, walking beside him.

“I’m even self-employed now. I run a guesthouse. It’s in a very scenic location. I’ve even received a few awards! Impressive, right?”

“…Impressive.”

The Demon God chuckled softly.

Much had changed since he last saw Geahrzimen. The newly self-aware golem who once writhed in unbearable disgust at her own existence was gone. After the Gates had closed and much time had passed, Geahrzimen had learned to bluff, distinguish beauty from ugliness, and act decisively to protect what she valued.

“I told you that you were free to betray me…”

The Demon God began.

“…so I believed you had indeed betrayed me. Some of my subordinates thought you had died, but I never believed it. I figured you had faked your corpse and slipped away.”

“Exactly right.”

Geahrzimen winked.

“When I arrived in the human world, it seemed far too pleasant to ruin. My mission was to transform it into a hellish environment for demons to inhabit, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Look, Mother.”

How lovely is this grass.

How refreshing is this breeze.

“Melting such beautiful grass with lava, or tainting this fresh air with the stench of sulfur… doesn’t it feel too cruel?”

“I don’t think so.”

The Demon God shook his head.

“Beauty and ugliness are mere constructs of perception. They are inherently political, and thus never absolute. If you find grass beautiful, I find lava beautiful too. If you find the breeze refreshing, I find the scent of sulfur fragrant.”

“That’s just nonsense.”

“Isn’t finding something beautiful nonsense too?”

Isn’t the hierarchy that says the human world is beautiful while hell is ugly rather arbitrary?

The Demon God murmured.

“You seem to have changed a lot, and yet… not at all.”

“What part seemed changed?”

“For one, your tone has lost its grandeur.”

“You too.”

“That’s true. When I first met you, you were very sharp.”

Geahrzimen chuckled.

“But you can’t survive in the human world with a personality like that. Especially as a self-employed business owner, customer service is crucial. I’ve developed the personality of someone with five hundred snakes coiled inside.”

“Me too.”

The Demon God brushed back his hair.

“A manager can’t be dignified all the time.”

“Exactly. But you and I are different. I enjoy running my guesthouse. You don’t, do you? You’re still thinking of the days when you commanded the demons… and that’s why you never showed yourself to the demons who remain in the human world like living corpses.”

“That’s true.”

The Demon God answered without resistance.

If given the chance, he would attempt to invade the human world again.

That thought remained. But he also knew it was impossible.

While his mind split between longing and resignation, his body had already concluded:

It cannot be done. This body is fully human now. If the demons saw him like this, they would fall into despair. That’s why the Demon God simply remained quietly by Vanessa Bernstein’s side.

“For the record, I still don’t like the human world.”

He spoke to Geahrzimen.

“But I’ve lost any means to invade it. I no longer have the will or power. Even if I were given the chance, I wouldn’t try again. I’m not a demon anymore—I’m human.”

I’ll just live and die as a human who hates humans.

He sighed.

“It’s impossible for a human to hate humans.”

“Oh, really? Then what am I? Neither demon nor human?”

“No. A human who hates humans will die. Only death makes them non-human.”

“I’d be lying if I said I never thought of suicide. But my existence is still observed by the Savior Who Is One and All. As long as He watches me, I cannot die.”

“Is that the only reason you keep living?”

“What?”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Perhaps…”

The Demon God’s voice grew faint.

Geahrzimen had been speaking with a lighthearted tone, but within it lay sharpened, complex emotions. The Demon God recognized them all. She resented him, worried for him, pitied him, and was deeply grateful—like a daughter watching over her aging mother.

“You’re mistaken about one thing.”

Geahrzimen spoke after a pause.

“Of course, the Savior Who Is One and All is watching you. He orchestrated all of this. I don’t know what His purpose is—perhaps there’s no meaning at all. To the Savior Who Is One and All, nothing in this world holds any true meaning. As the Creator who exists outside and above this world, He transcends all.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

The Demon God shrugged. Geahrzimen smiled.

“Do you really think the Savior is the only one watching you?”

A hint of doubt flickered in the Demon God’s eyes.

Geahrzimen had learned through the Bearer of the Cursed Grail—that was expected. The Bearer functioned like the demons’ information network. Though its abilities were mostly lost now, only Geahrzimen, the sole traitor, could still access it.

But a question nagged at him.

‘She could have accessed the Bearer of the Cursed Grail any time…’

She could have appeared yesterday, a month ago, or a year ago.

‘Why now? Why right before I leave for Korea?’

The Demon God remembered clearly: Geahrzimen had originally been scheduled to manifest through an S-class Gate that opened in Korea.

For her to appear now meant…

“…Be honest. Why are you here?”

He asked.

“I told you—I just wanted to see you.”

“I don’t doubt that. But there’s another reason, isn’t there?”

“Yes. There is. But do I have to tell you? It’s more fun if you don’t know.”

“Geahrzimen…”

The Demon God sighed.

“You’ve really grown nasty.”

“I was always nasty, Mother. I was demonic before. Now I’m just nasty in a human way.”

Geahrzimen smiled slyly.

“Actually, Mother, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

Someone? Is that the right word? A person? A demon?

She tilted her head, debating with herself.

“…Let’s say a demon, for now.”

With that, she snapped her fingers.

“You can come out now!”

As her call echoed through the trees of the garden—

Rustle.

A presence emerged from the brush.

The Demon God turned toward the sound.

‘Wait…’

His gaze sharpened.

‘That’s…’

From the edge of his sight, a slender boy appeared.

<Hello.>

The boy greeted him with a dazed tone.

“…Ryu Eunyul?”

The Demon God spoke the name he had just seen on the laptop.

<No.>

The boy smiled.<Ryu Eunyul is my master. Like my father. My name is Kkomuli.>