Abyssal Sovereignty

“Are you ready?”

Within the shrine of the black demon territory, the young girl clad in her new attire stood upon the stage, while below, the shrine staff busied themselves adjusting their equipment and magic.

“Ready,” she replied, glancing towards the back where Misako and Farkonia stood.

Since Farkonia’s declaration of submission, the girl’s power had reached a level beyond imagination.

Thus, the time had come.

“Activate the magical broadcast!”

At Misako’s command, all the black demon folk below activated their long-prepared magic and devices.

In an instant, enormous magical display screens appeared throughout the Abyss, showing live footage of the stage.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Misako, the Black Demon Lord. You may have doubts, but please, hear me out.”

“The world we inhabit is not truly a world, but merely a mere fragment of it. In the distant past, our ancestors engaged in a rebellion against the world itself, and we were defeated. Whether by choice or not, our sins were committed, and thus we were cast to this place, known as the ‘Abyss’.”

Misako paused momentarily before continuing.

“But! This era of suffering is about to end. After such a long period, the transgressors are no more, and a new generation has arisen. As the new generation, you should not bear the sins of your ancestors; you deserve freedom!”

At this moment, the girl who had been waiting beside Misako stepped forward.

“Is that… Could it be!?”

“No way! Is that truly the legendary figure!?”

“It’s happening. Everything is coming back…”

As the black demons across the Abyss saw the girl through the magical screens, various reactions erupted—shock, disbelief, awe.

Unlike rational creatures, the black demons and magical beings, with their long memories, had preserved their history through statues, artworks, and their innate abilities.

Thus, when those who had once revered the girl saw her again, they instantly recognized her.

“...I will grant you freedom. I shall break the seal.”

In that moment, an immense surge of energy gathered around the girl. A tempest of pure energy surged forth with a destructive force that seemed poised to annihilate everything around her.

Had it not been for Misako and Farkonia, the shrine would likely have vanished that day.

The girl began to levitate slowly, ascending towards the sky. The energy encircling her grew ever more magnificent, forming a radiant light.

‘It’s like… the sun,’ thought Misako and Farkonia. Having seen sights beyond the Abyss, they perceived the girl’s radiance as akin to the sun.

She soared upwards, reaching the cloud layer.

In the next moment, a tremendous clash of friction and lightning erupted, with intense energy collisions between the girl and the cloud layer—or rather, the seal of the Abyss. The disturbance was so profound that it could be felt even at the furthest reaches of the Abyss.

“It’s quite stubborn.”

Seeing the seal resist, the girl concentrated all her magical power into a single point.

“Break!”

Her punch, powerful enough to shatter space itself, struck the seal directly. Instantly, the entire Abyss trembled violently. The sky, once blue with white clouds, was blasted upwards, and enormous fissures radiated from the girl’s location, spreading across the Abyss.

Crack, crack…

The seal shattered like breaking glass, the sky without the sun gradually disappearing.

“...What is that...”

“It’s so beautiful…”

At that time, outside, it was sunrise. Perhaps due to the unique nature of the Abyss, all its inhabitants saw not the surrounding cliffs but instead a sky turning pale with the dawn and an orange-red sun slowly rising, casting light upon the land.

“Farkonia…”

“Yes…”

Misako and Farkonia, who had not seen the sun for so long, were deeply moved. What was once an everyday occurrence had become a treasured sight after such a long absence.

Even light-averse black demons stood in the sunlight, basking in the unprecedented radiance.

They remained there, feeling the sun until it had fully risen.

…

“It’s been quite a while.”

The girl gazed at the sun. For her, looking directly at it posed no harm, not even a discomfort from its brightness.

Although she knew she had spent eighty thousand years in the Abyss—a truly long period—she oddly felt that time had passed swiftly.

‘But no doubt, they have been there even longer than me.’

She had arrived at the Abyss long after it had begun, but Misako and Farkonia had been there from the start.

The girl descended slowly to the ground, greeted by countless adoring gazes.

As the one who had shattered the Abyss’s seal and restored light to the realm, her power and achievements were revered to the point of deification.

“By the way, I haven’t asked your name, Sovereign Mistress of the Abyss.”

“…”

Although the title sounded a bit strange, the girl was more concerned with the first part of the question.

She had once forgotten her name due to amnesia. Though she later recalled it, she had rarely used it.

[ Then why not just discard it? ]

‘...The heart devil?’

[ Humph! You’re seeking revenge, aren’t you? Using your old name would be like announcing, ‘I’m here, I’ve returned’! ]

‘Indeed.’

[ Why don’t you use that name for me instead? I don’t have a name, and calling me ‘heart devil' or 'inner demon’ feels awkward. ]

‘Very well, I’ll call you that from now on.’

[ ...Aren’t you worried at all? ]

‘Worried? Rather, I should thank you. Thank you for awakening me, allowing me to continue on my path of revenge.’

[  Hmm, hmph! ]

‘In that case, my name should be...’

[Hmm... Ah, I’ve already thought of it. You shall be called...]

“Aris.”

The girl opened her eyes once more and spoke her name.

“Understood, Lady Aris, Sovereign Mistress of the Abyss. Everything in the Abyss belongs to you.”

Misako, Farkonia, Shirone, Haru, Veridith... the black demons, dragons, mermen, ogres, smurfs, giant serpents... all the powerful beings and races bowed before her.

Thus, the Abyss and its sovereign mistress were restored to the world.