The Madam laughed, covering her mouth with her fan. “My, my... You flatter me, as always.” Her face was as flawless as polished diamond, and her waist was as snatched as a supermodel’s.
The Demon Lord felt nearly blinded by the Madam’s grace and beauty. What are they doing in that sauna, genetic splicing?!
“Good morning, Madam!” Aku said.
“Madam. Morning,” said Tron.
“G-Good morning...” Kondo finally joined.
The Demon Lord mulled this over. He knew the effects of the Hot Springs Resort better than anyone, but the Madam’s transformation went far beyond his expectations. Of course, the Madam’s determination and dedication to her self-improvement was what had brought about her new image, allowing her mortal self to defeat the curse of an Ancient Devil. In different times, bards would have written songs about her feat.
So, the Demon Lord afforded his sincerest praise to her endless drive and dignity. “Your transformation always surprises me in the most unexpected ways.”
“Don’t tease me when you’ve decided to show yourself like that.” The Madam laughed, convinced that she had finally gotten to see the Demon Lord’s true form.
A collective sigh seemed to leave the crowd. The Madam’s metamorphosis with the aid of the Fallen Angel seemed too romantic to be real—like a fairy tale.
What is this sentimental feeling in the air...? I need to set up that area and bail! As if to shake off the expectant eyes of the villagers, the Demon Lord gestured to the Madam. “I shall prepare a jewel worthy of your dedication.”
“A jewel...?” she repeated.
The Demon Lord led her behind the casino, the crowd following. From there, they could only see the steep mountain range that blocked off the sea from Holylight. The sight of those towering slopes that seemed an impenetrable wall to all humans reminded the villagers that Holylight was practically a prison enclosed by mountains.
Unburdened by the dampened mood of the crowd, the Demon Lord casually began the Area Modification process. “Perhaps we’ll call this Rabbit Beach, or something... Area Modification: Shoreline Beach.” With a grin, he flourished with his right hand.
In an instant, the mountains burst into black dust, an expansive shoreline right out of Waikiki overwriting their existence. Palm trees, white lounge chairs, and beach umbrellas lined the sparkling sands. What’s more, the expanse of the crystal blue sea stretched over the horizon, taking away the breath of all who beheld it.
“This place was always full of people fishing...” Kondo reminisced, excited to visit the stunning area for the first time in this world.
“Mm-hmm. Let us look forward to the delicacies that will line our table,” the Demon Lord said. As he and Kondo had mentioned, this had once been an area where passionate anglers congregated to show off their fishing skills and catches. As with everything else in the game, Akira had programmed a variety of fishing rods and all manner of bait and lures. When fishing became quite a popular aspect of the game, he added spearfishing, net fishing, diving... One dedicated Player had even decoded the complex programming to calculate the tides and currents of the fictional beach. Seafood from this beach could either be used for healing or sold off, so Players who worked as Supporters for their party had also frequented it, making it quite a unique location among the usually dog-eat-dog world of the Games.
While the villagers could only stare at the beach with their mouths agape, the Demon Lord relished his cigarette as he puffed a cloud of smoke. “This place never gets old. Perhaps this is what ‘masterpiece’ means.” Something about a beach stretching outside a casino created a luxurious, tropical feel. Another burst of shock rolled through the crowd as they gazed out to sea—where flying fish and a pod of dolphins broke the surface. They could only describe what they witnessed as a miracle.
Gradually, the initial shock faded from the villagers as they came alive with excitement—the beach had been programmed to excite its visitors and make them happier, to mirror Akira’s experience with the place. While the Demon Lord regularly performed Area Modifications, the crowd was naturally overcome with emotion.
“Wow! Look at that, is that the ocean?!”
“The mountains...disappeared.”
“Look at that water! The waves!”
“See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me!”
“Woo-hoo!”
Finally, some of the villagers broke off and began running toward the water, which was a natural reaction, considering that most people in Holylight had never seen the ocean before, not to mention the added effect of the Area.
The Demon Lord laughed heartily. “This Area will be our pathway to other kingdoms... Area Modification: Marina.”
The mountains that towered next to the beach disappeared into black particles, a massive set of docks taking their place—a marina that could accommodate anything from gigantic yachts to small fishing boats. Back in the game, plenty of anglers had rented boats and taken to the open seas to try their luck.
“M-Master Demon Lord... This is incredible! So incredible!” Aku practically jumped for joy while the divine beast restlessly scurried between Aku’s shoulder and head.
Even Tron seemed shocked as she stared at the Demon Lord’s profile. She had borne witness to powerful high-rank and grand devils throughout her life, and she had even been forced to survive in a treacherous region filled with dangerous monsters...yet, she had never seen anything capable of turning mountains into sea.
“Demon Lord does Demon Lord things,” she said.
“What is that supposed to mean...?” the Demon Lord muttered as he prepared to set up another seaside Area. Again, what was a mere chore to the Demon Lord would generate another burst of shock and awe in the crowd. “This tower will be the jewel that lights the sea... Area Modification: Lighthouse.” Dramatically, the Demon Lord snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, a strip of earth rose from the sea to form a peninsula, a giant lighthouse materializing at its end. If that wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, the lighthouse began emitting beams of various colors at regular intervals—this drew sighs from the crowd. The lighthouse had been programmed to calm those who saw it. After all, it was meant to be a ray of hope in the ruthless sea, built with the desire that all who sailed would return home safe. Yet another one of Akira’s useless designs had proven useful again.
“It’s such a gentle ray of light...!” A single tear dropped from the Madam’s eye. To her, the lighthouse seemed to glow with compassion for humanity. And the Demon Lord had dedicated this jewel to her.
Some sobs broke out in the crowd as they remembered the hardships they’d been through, and knew that those days were in the past.