-5F-
Bartender:
“Word on the street is,
the stairwell leading down
from the 2nd to the 1st floor’s been sealed.
You’ll have to go directly to the basement from the 2nd floor.
It sounds like
demons’ physical attack and defence are influenced by LV,
so it’ll likely be easier to advance
after you’ve properly raised your LV.”
-4F-
It was a wide room,
with many chairs lined up to
face a markedly raised spot.
It looked like a terrificly simple stage.
Could there have been some sort of seminar here?
That moment, suddenly,
I heard a singing voice come out of nowhere.
The bright, resounding voice of a man
sung a gloomy melody.
Just what...?
[Choose]
・Who is that? I’ll look for the vocalist.
・I’ll listen in for a bit...
・A demon’s trap? I’ll interrupt the song.
If ‘Who is that? I’ll look for the vocalist.’ is chosen:
Who in the world could have been singing
in a place like that?
I looked for the owner of that voice, but
from the beginning, no one had been in the room.
There didn’t seem to be neither any hidden speaker
nor any place to hide in.
As I did this and that,
I didn’t even notice the song stop.
What was left was only silence...
Could it have been a demon’s mischief?
I decided to leave the room behind me.
If ‘I’ll listen in for a bit...’ is chosen:
I sat down in one of the seats.
The song was filled with a passion
for someone who wasn’t there.
As I listened,
I felt it pierce and permeate my chest –
like my chest was getting tighter.
Nonetheless, it was a magnificant voice.
One could probably call the vocalist considerably skilled.
When the song eventually stopped,
without thinking,
I stood up and applaused.
And then...
From here and there across that ostensibly empty room,
I heard the sound of clapping.
Before I knew it, I was in the middle of an ovation.
From somewhere...
I felt the unseen vocalist
respond in kind, giving a bow...
It was that sort of a mysterious sensation.
Then, the room was once again cloaked in stillness.
No matter how much I waited after that,
I couldn’t hear the song.
Though the puzzle remained,
filled with a sense of satisfaction over hearing a good song,
I decided to leave the room behind me.
If ‘A demon’s trap?’ I’ll interrupt the song.’ is chosen:
There shouldn’t have been any human
singing in a place like that.
It had to be a demon’s trap,
so I needed to not listen to the song.
I tried to block my ears, but
the singing voice subsequently grew louder.
So, I punted off the chair next to me.
One by one, I kicked over the chairs,
raising up a racket to hamper the song.
It seemed it didn’t like that,
as the voice suddenly snapped and died off.
No matter how much I waited after that,
I couldn’t hear the song.
I looked for the owner of that voice, but
from the beginning, no one had been in the room.
There didn’t seem to be neither any hidden speaker
nor any place to hide in.
Could it have been a demon’s mischief?
I decided to leave the room behind me.
-2F-
A sweet scent softly tickled my sense of smell.
Somehow, the middle of the room had the form of a garden,
with one face teeming with blooming roses.
Further,
they were all black.
Lilith:
“...Oh?”
(Protagonist Name):
“Woah, Lilith!?”
She was there in a bed of roses.
(Protagonist Name):
“Just where is this...?
What are you doing?”
Lilith:
“This is the demons’ rose garden.
I’m...
I’m picking roses for Lord Satan.”
(Protagonist Name):
“You’re what...?”
[Choose]
・Then, I’ll help you.
・Satan likes flowers...?
・That guy has no need for anything like a flower!
If ‘Then, I’ll help you.’ is chosen:
(Protagonist Name):
“Then, I’ll help you.”
Lilith:
“Really? Then, please and thank you.”
Together with Lilith, we circled the rose garden
picking roses.
(Protagonist Name):
“...ouch!”
Lilith:
“Ah–... are you ok?”
I had carelessly pricked my finger
with a rose’s thorn.
Then, Lilith brought my finger to her mouth...
(Protagonist Name):
“Ah...”
I felt Lilith’s lips touch my bloodstained finger,
spreading a warmth upon the tip...
Even a demon could hold this kind of warmth?
(Protagonist Name):
“Um, thanks...”
Lilith smiled and laughed.
Somehow, I felt my cheeks heat up.
That manner
was exactly how (Heroine Name) used to be.
Yet, she was a demon now...
I felt myself grow sad and irritated.
Lilith:
“Thanks.
It should be fine now.
... Then, I’ll be going.”
(Protagonist Name):
“Yeah.”
Lilith held her flowers
as I saw her off.
Though I stood there for a while,
I couldn’t keep standing there forever,
and so I left the rose garden.
If ‘Satan likes flowers...?’ is chosen:
(Protagonist Name):
“Satan likes flowers...?”
Lilith:
“Yup.
Lord Satan likes, among other things,
the black roses of this garden.”
(Protagonist Name):
“Hmm...”
Nonchalantly,
I continued to watch over Lilith pick roses.
The figure of that hand happily stretching towards flowers
brought back memories of what used to be (Heroine Name).
Yet, she was a demon now...
I felt myself grow kind of sad,
and kind of irritated
Moreover, that picking flowers
was for Satan’s sake was...
Was she ordered and doing it unwillingly?
Or.
As a demon, was she fostering
an adoration for Satan?
Lilith:
“It should be fine now.
... then, I’ll be going...”
(Protagonist Name):
“Yeah.”
Lilith held her flowers as I saw her off.
Though I stood there for a while,
I couldn’t keep standing there forever,
and so I left the rose garden.
If ‘That guy has no need for anything like a flower!’ is chosen:
(Protagonist Name):
“That guy has no need for anything like a flower!”
Lilith:
“But...”
(Protagonist Name):
“A rose garden like this– !”
I stomped over the nearby bed,
eliciting a cry from Lilith.
Lilith:
“How could you do that?!
Lord Satan’s roses... !”
(Protagonist Name):
“Why do you listen to anything he has to say?
Because of you’re under oath?
Or...
Because you care that much about him...”
Lilith:
“What are you talking about?
At any rate,
I have to go deliver these roses.
If you’re gonna be a hindrance, then please leave.
This is the demons’ rose garden.
It’s a forbidden place,
not one a human should be coming into in the first place.”
(Protagonist Name):
“Oh, is that so?
Understood.”
I felt myself grow kind of sad,
and kind of irritated.
One last time, I sent a kick packed with my resentment
flying towards the rose next to me,
then left the garden.
-B4F-
CRACK!!
That instant, a single strand of thunder struck.
A glaring light appeared together with a large shadow
as a looming, gargantuan figure
stared closely at me.
Its burly frame housed countless hands,
its overwhelming glare making any observer cower.
That ferocious, yet graceful and divine appearance
reminded me of a certain mythical god of destruction.
Diety:
“I am Shiva.
Human, heed my words.
Thou hast done well to come this far.
That power...
It is regrettable to leave that much in a human’s hand.
Though it is a shame,
thy fate ends here.
By godly lightning be burned!
Meet thine end!”
I heard a voice as deafening as thunder.
From heaven came a rumbling will,
rippling through the trembling atmosphere.
This was no joke!
Did he think I would just sit there and die?!
Two Fury Shiva appeared.
Shiva:
“M-Magnificent!”
Bereft of strength and kneeling one leg, the god of destruction
nonetheless began speaking with greater steadiness.
Shiva:
“To think... a human’s power could reach this far...
It seems I have looked down on thee...
I recognize thy strength of will, and grant thee power.
What dost thou desire?”
[Choose]
・I want Strength.
・I want Magic.
・I want Agility.
If ‘I want strength’ is chosen:
Shiva:
“Then, take this.”
You obtained an Incense of Strength!
You obtained an Incense of Vitality!
If ‘I want Magic’ is chosen:
Shiva:
“Then, take this.”
You obtained an Incense of Wisdom!
You obtained an Incense of Magic!
If ‘I want Agility’ is chosen:
Shiva:
“Then, take this.”
You obtained an Incense of Agility!
You obtained an Incense of Strength!
Shiva:
“Beyond this,
a harsh, grave decision
awaits thee...
However, as long as thou hast the strength of will lying in thine eyes,
thou shalt surely overcome this adversity.
If we are
to meet once more,
I shall lend thee my power.
Walk the path thou believest in.”
After speaking so, the god of destruction crumbled away.
Before long,
that body had turned to powder, disappearing into the wind.
The end time was near –
I felt that.
Just a bit more.
Wait for me, (Heroine Name)...
I strengthed the grip on my fist.