The Marionette's Puppeteer (Volume 2)

Prologue

As the room filled with chatter and bustling activity, everyone seated in their chairs or their servants standing dutifully behind them suddenly froze in place.

Silence descended upon the room, broken only by the resounding cawing of ravens. All movement ceased, and a heavy, oppressive black aura permeated the space, causing some to collapse or weaken under its weight.

While most individuals remained unfazed by the pressure, a few couldn't hide their shivers, despite their best efforts to appear unaffected. Although they had anticipated this moment, they found themselves ill-prepared for its arrival.

Amidst the shadows, a black elliptical portal materialized, accompanied by a swarm of ravens. There was no visible entrance, yet the portal appeared nonetheless.

Emerging from the portal, a young girl slowly revealed herself. Her face was devoid of emotion or expression, and her lips began to move.

"I will be representing all the Demon Kings. Let us make this tedious gathering brief." she stated.

Taking her seat, a raven perched on each side of the chair's rail. Though she was the shortest in stature, her position commanded respect. As a Demon King, she stood at the pinnacle of power among the Demon Lords gathered in the room.

The silence was broken by the resounding cawing of the ravens, filling the air.

"What a pleasant sound," she murmured.

With that, the meeting resumed.

"The PseudoChristos Demon Lord of Fortuity, Vig, proposed a plan that ultimately failed and resulted in his downgrade."

"Vig's gamble was a failure."

"Kukuku, indeed. It's an honor to witness the Princess of Gambling's rare misstep."

This remark angered the individual being referred to.

"S-Shut up! I would have succeeded if that puppeteer hadn't resorted to cheap tricks."

A single glance from the young girl silenced all who spoke, their mouths snapping shut.

"It appears that my presence is no longer required here," she declared. "The little mutt, PseudoChristos, managed to survive. All of you shall assist that mutt once again to restore the balance of this world. If not, I shall sacrifice every one of you to birth a new Demon King. I must leave now. I still have to kill my father."

With that, the black aura dissipated along with the ravens, leaving the room once more in silence.

"She should not have bothered coming here if she only intended to sit for thirty seconds. Not very flashy at all."

◇◆◇

"We'll be back, please wait for us..."

Mareine whispered as she secured the door with chains she had fashioned. She turned to face her puppets, whom she regarded as "people" just like herself.

"Everyone, let's go!" she announced, though her excitement was absent. Perhaps she was forcing herself, masking her nervousness about what might transpire.

Having spent nearly a month in this world, she no longer saw it as a mere "game." After teetering on the brink of death, she had come to accept this as her new life, despite lacking memories of her past before entering this world. She had no choice but to embrace it.

And so, with mixed emotions swirling within her, she embarked on her journey toward the city.