“Why can’t I become strong? Why do I alone have to face such tragedy…?”

The blackened soul once called Alfranz wailed like a child. Most humans who came here looked like that. Noisy and annoying though it was, watching them had its own appeal.

[This isn’t your real stage, you see.]

The crying soul turned around. It stared at me with eyes now completely empty and black. Suddenly a voice filled with rage burst out.

“Then what am I? Why do I exist here?”

[You know it too. A perfect play needs a perfect stage.]

“A perfect stage? A perfect play…?”

[Among them, your role is like scenery decorating the stage. Something that doesn’t matter once it’s served its purpose.]

I pointed to a toy stage with dolls on it. I’d created countless stages, but this one was rather special among them. 

Against the stage backdrop stood a tall Mage Tower, and inside it two dolls embraced and kissed. And on the floor, something scorched had disappeared, leaving only traces.

The blackened soul recognized those two people at a glance. A small brown-haired doll and a taller silver-haired doll. From him rose hatred that surpassed even rage.

“You bastard Haliven…!”

His soul burned, giving off an even fouler smell. I enjoyed this moment most. How far could humans fall? Watching them flounder in despair was endlessly amusing.

“Why? Who decided! That bastard Haliven is happy now while I’ve become more miserable. I’m the one who paid the price, so why should he be happy!”

[If you’d used your opportunity differently, perhaps someday a complete stage for you might have been created.]

The blackened soul screamed in disbelief. Though now just an empty-eyed, blackened ashen body, it expressed despair with its entire being.

“This… isn’t what you promised! I clearly… I said I wanted that bastard Haliven to lose all his magic and die miserably. So why…!”

[So I did exactly what you said. I placed restrictions on the mages’ hearts to stop their magic. Haliven did face a miserable death, if briefly. Right?]

“No, I wanted misfortune worse than that! How many mages did I k*ll with my own hands? In the end I even sold my soul directly. And you think I did all that to see just this?”

Humans truly didn’t know moderation. When begging for their wishes to be granted, they’d later regret it and blame me. It was always like this.

[Why are you so noisy? Your despair tastes terrible.]

Interest faded in an instant. My smile stopped. The air grew heavy immediately. The blackened soul trembled.

“N-no! I was wrong about everything. I’ll be quiet now! Please, let me live. If you give me just one more chance…!”

I’d already given enough chances. He just didn’t realize he’d let them pass. I crushed the blackened soul with my finger.

“Ahhhhh…! Guhk!”

A scream filled with agony rang out. A moment later, a round bead formed at my fingertip. A bead turned completely black from burning inside. A listless voice came out naturally.

[Ugly and filthy. Nothing more to see.]

I gripped the created bead and squeezed hard. The screaming bead soon shattered into pieces. I stared blankly at the ash on my hand, then blew on it with my mouth. The powder scattered in the air along with black smoke.

[Nothing fun besides this?]

Suddenly I recalled a soul I’d met before. That human made the foolish wish for their son to become an unprecedentedly powerful mage. Without even knowing what they truly wanted.

[But I don’t need to tell them that.]

Those who traded with me and became servants of the devil suffer the agony of their flesh burning and give off an unbearable stench. The more they’re exposed to my power, the more their souls crumble.

At the time, the soul who finally achieved their wish stared at the stage with an empty face. On it stood a doll burned completely black and a child doll.

The child who had been crying miserably until just before now only gazed at the charred corpse with a hollow face, seemingly forgetting their tears. I looked at that soul and laughed.

[You’ve finally achieved your wish. So are you happy? Or despairing?]

Even after time passed, no answer came. They didn’t wail in despair or lose their mind to grief. Just fell into quiet silence.

[What? Why no words?]

All over the soul’s body, which must have originally been white, mottled black spots appeared. What captured the soul’s gaze was the child doll on the toy stage.

It stared at it with eyes now disappeared and completely empty. Though a new reaction, this kind had no fun to watch. Boredom naturally circled.

[I’m getting more and more disappointed. What I wanted wasn’t a real doll.]

Just when my remaining patience was about to snap. A faint laugh blew in like wind.

“Haha… hahahaha…. Hah….”

The soul was laughing while sobbing. Interest stirred. I quietly watched the small soul on my palm.

“When you achieve what you wanted, you should naturally feel good, right? But why does my heart hurt so much? Huuuk, uuk. Ahh, ahhh, ahhhhhh…!”

With a tearing scream, the soul began biting its own body with its teeth. The more it suffered and struggled, the more I enjoyed it. A smile formed at the satisfying despair.

[Your son will now become an unprecedentedly powerful mage. Imagine that sight. Aren’t you happy?]

“No, this isn’t it. What my child wanted wasn’t… wasn’t something like that… Ahh, how foolish I am!”

The voice’s owner sobbed, immersed in grief. For this foolish soul, I whispered in a voice sweet like a devil’s.

[I’m not an omnipotent god. The stages I create have countless restrictions. The most important among them is that the dolls’ wishes must ultimately connect as one.]

I pointed my finger at the child doll on the toy stage. That child still just sat there blankly.

[So that child ultimately wanted it too.]

“Such words can’t excuse what I did. To a child who deserved only love… what on earth did I…!”

The soul shed tears. From the droplets that fell on my palm, pure white light burst out. Suddenly displeasure spread. Tears aren’t permitted for corrupted souls…. Something was wrong.

Then the glowing soul split in two. A soul completely blackened and turned to ash, and a beautifully shining pure white soul. The newly born soul was small and light, seemingly ready to fly away with any breeze. But its voice alone was clearer than anyone’s.

“I’ll set everything right even now. I’ll protect my child from the despair that is you.”

What was this? I’d seen countless souls, but this was the first soul to regain its light by its own power. The pure white soul looked at me and spoke uprightly.

“Please create a new stage for my child.”

[Why should I do that?]

“My child didn’t properly meet the conditions. Neither the price for the wish nor the medium was normal. I know that on such an unstable covenant, a new promise can be overlaid.”

The corners of my mouth rose naturally. Situations beyond prediction created another kind of enjoyment. Despair was usually predictable and boring. At that time, I looked forward to what new things this soul before me would bring to my boredom.

[You’re right. But you no longer have a price to pay me, do you? Your soul has already become mine.]

“If there’s something I can do, I’ll do anything. If you just promise… it’s fine if I never find peace or am extinguished right here and now.”

[Then I’ll place a soul restriction that binds even extinction. How about it?]

A soul restriction that binds even extinction. Those were words that shouldn’t even be spoken. Souls are like handfuls of glass, easily broken by small shocks. But if this restriction was imposed, they could never escape from me.

“…I’ll accept your proposal.”

[Now you’ll live an eternity more agonizing than death. Still okay with that?]

“I know that much. Until now, I’ve never even given my child proper love. So just this once, I want to properly fulfill my role as a mother.”

[Humans are truly foolish. But that’s what makes them fun.]

It was exactly what I’d wanted. That soul was too precious to just play with once and discard. I wanted to bind it beneath my feet with nowhere to escape and make it taste eternal despair.

[But I can’t promise a new stage will be created. I’m not the one who chooses the stage. The dolls are.]

For that, there needed to be characters essential to the stage. Someone wicked who bitterly resented that child and longed for death, and also a Nullification mage who could neutralize my power.

[Everything must connect inevitably. I won’t intervene in any way.]

“That’s fine too. If there’s just one thread-like possibility, my child will continue the rest.”

My mood soured at the unwavering soul. Something didn’t sit right. What made this foolish human who repeated mistakes so upright?

“Aren’t you too confident? Even if it’s an unstable covenant, breaking a promise with me requires an equivalent price.”

Hoping the soul would waver, I spoke even more chillingly.

[For example… that child’s death.]

“If they can just escape the despair that is you…. If my child can regain the lost love….”

The pure white soul drew out its words. Deep pain seeped from that hesitation.

“I can bear whatever it is.”

The soul didn’t break easily. It was different from before when it swayed this way and that at my every word. Displeasing, but this too had its own fun.

[I’ll specially indulge this foolish contract. But don’t feel relieved. I’m a god who feeds on human despair.]

At my words, the pure white soul smiled brightly. For a moment, I couldn’t say anything at that sight. Like I’d been captivated by that insignificant human.

The pure white soul fell into the profound despair I created. I planned to keep it by my side and slowly break it down. When it writhed in agony and its mind shattered, I’d just erase all memories and play with it again.

[Interesting. I won’t be bored for a while.]

A smile formed on my lips as I recalled past memories. It was one of the few pleasant memories in my boring daily life.

Now it was time for the curtain to rise. I turned my gaze to the two dolls still kissing on the stage.

[And so, the story of these two people ended happily.]

The lights on the toy stage went out and the red curtain slowly closed. Finally, just as the curtain was about to fall completely, suppressed laughter burst out.

[…is what you thought I’d say, right? Hahaha!]

I laughed for a long time. Until the stage ended and the dolls became invisible. That laughter echoed into the world beyond.