In the heart of a frozen wasteland—a realm of permafrost feared by the denizens of the Demon Realm as the Land of Death—stood a magnificent castle. It was the second dream conceived by a lonely girl.
Isis Remnant, the Death King and mistress of that castle, had established her independence as a monarch after leaving Kuromueina’s care. Her first act had been to commission her family member, Shaltier, to construct this fortress.
She had designed it with countless rooms so that many people could live there without hardship, and she had even furnished them so they would be ready for immediate use. From the massive dining hall meant to accommodate a crowd to the expansive bathhouse... when the castle was first completed, her heart had been brimming with hope.
She had dreamed of one day laughing in a bustling castle, just as she had during her days with her family under Kuromueina. But that dream, much like the stone of the fortress itself, had eventually been claimed by the ice of that desolate land.
In one corner of the great residence, within a library overflowing with volumes, Isis was reading alone, as was her custom. It wasn't that she lacked visitors entirely; her close friend Liliwood and the family she had once lived with would come to see her from time to time.
However, Liliwood and Kuromueina were busy women, and their visits were infrequent. Recently, her beloved Kaito had begun to visit often, but even so, the hours she spent in solitude far outweighed the rest.
In the past, those solitary hours had filled her with a mounting sense of restlessness and anxiety. Now, having met Kaito and found salvation in him, the silence was no longer so agonizing. As long as she spent her time looking forward to their next meeting, even the lonely stretches that should have been painful felt tempered by warmth.
Isis felt no impatience now; she possessed the emotional leeway to accept her current circumstances.
Perhaps that was why the second dream—the one that had never progressed no matter how much she struggled for it, eventually being relegated to the back of her mind—was finally beginning to stir.
"Isis-sama, I've prepared some tea. Would you care for a cup?"
Hearing the voice, Isis looked up from her book. Standing there was Iris, who had moved into the castle just a few days prior—Isis’s very first subordinate.
"……Yes…… thank you…… I’m happy."
Isis smiled radiantly at Iris’s words and gave a light wave of her hand, causing a table and two chairs to manifest between them. Once Isis had taken her seat, Iris set down the tea and sweets with practiced grace.
"……Iris…… you should join me……"
"I suppose I shall. Thank you for the invitation."
"……Mhm!"
Ever since Iris had entered her service and moved into the castle, Isis had been in a visibly wonderful mood. The addition of just one person had made the once empty, frigid halls feel bustling and warm.
"……Iris…… is your training…… going well?"
"To be honest, I'm struggling a bit with magic formulas constructed through concepts... If it wouldn't be a bother, I would appreciate any advice you could offer."
"……Mhm…… there’s a bit of…… a trick to it……"
Iris’s presence reminded Isis of the dream she had almost let slip away. The dream she had envisioned when the foundations were first laid—a warm home filled with the voices of many people. She felt as though that dream had finally taken its first step forward.
It was still only one person. Isis knew that even this progress wasn't something she had achieved on her own, but rather a gift from Kaito and Shaltier. Even so, it was undeniably a step forward.
This place would one day become a joyful home, bustling with many more people. No—she would make it so. A new spark of hope had taken root in Isis’s heart.
As she answered Iris’s questions, Isis happened to glance toward the center of the room, where a strange sight suddenly flickered into view.
She saw a large table surrounded by six women, each distinct and full of character.
"Good grief. I highly doubt any constructive opinion could ever originate from a muscle-bound fool whose brain is clearly made of brawn," a woman in a robe remarked, shaking her head. She looked like a sorceress, and a massive coffin was propped up against the side of her chair.
"Still beats being a gloomy, petty shut-in," another woman snapped back. She possessed insect-like antennae and wings, and she carried a total of six swords—three on each hip. She glared at the robed woman with clear hostility.
"……Hah?"
"……Ah?"
"Oh my. It looks like they’re at it again. How very troublesome. We’ll never get through the meeting at this rate... I suppose we’ll have to rely on the Head to handle them. I’d be quite pleased if things were settled by the time I finish my tea." A woman wearing a white pointed hat laughed merrily, bringing a teacup to her lips.
"Don't just sit there drinking! You could at least help out, you fool..." Iris—the only one Isis recognized among the group—muttered as she rubbed her temples in exasperation.
"They really don't ever get tired of it, do they? I can't tell if they’re best friends or worst enemies." This speaker was a woman who appeared to be a spirit, wearing a blue flower—one that held deep meaning for Isis—as a hair ornament. She spoke with a slow, relaxed dialect.
"You two, I don't mind mediating the fight-ssu! But in exchange, I want the loser to buy me some clothes-ssu. You know, like a punishment game! I was just thinking I wanted a new outfit-ssu." A petite girl, the smallest of the six, chimed in playfully. She had prominent fangs, fox-like ears, and ten shimmering silver tails.
""Stay out of this, you spiteful fox!""
"Nyahahaha! You can't say that-ssu! When you talk to me like that, it only makes this spiteful fox want to meddle even more. Now then, let’s get—ah!?"
The beastman girl, who had been about to jump into the fray between the swordsman and the sorceress, suddenly perked up her ears. She turned away from the argument, wagging her ten tails with pure delight.
As if triggered by her movement, the others noticed something as well. The two rivals, the lounging spirit, the tea-drinking witch, and even the exasperated Iris all turned in unison toward the same spot.
Then, with expressions of genuine, heartfelt joy, the six of them spoke as one.
"" "" ""Welcome home, Isis-sama."" "" ""
As the words hung in the air, the vision vanished as if it had never been there at all.
"……Isis-sama? Is something wrong?"
"……Ah…… No…… it’s nothing."
"Hmm?"
Isis offered a smile to the puzzled Iris, reassuring her that nothing was amiss before reaching for her tea.
Had that been a mere hallucination? Or was it a vision of the future granted by the Fragment of the Power of a God of an Otherworld dwelling within her?
Isis couldn't say for sure, but she felt a strange, unfounded certainty. She knew that the scene she had just witnessed would one day become a reality.
Isis Remnant had lived for an eternity in cold, suffocating darkness. If Kaito—the one who had dispelled that darkness and bathed her in warm light—was her Sun, then she was the Moon that had begun to shine in the night.
The Moon had risen in the dark sky, and now, steadily but surely, the stars were beginning to follow.
In a distant place, a woman who had been training single-mindedly paused for a brief rest...
In a deep cave, a woman who had been secluded for ages stepped outside on a whim...
In a desolate wasteland, a spirit stirred within a single blue flower...
In a snowy field, a monster resembling a fox stopped in its tracks, its silver tails fluttering...
On a tiny, deserted island, a witch in a white hat who had spent ten thousand years alone looked up...
And finally, Iris, as she stepped out of the castle to head to her shift at Kaito’s home...
Perhaps it was inevitable that all of them, in their different corners of the world, looked up at the Moon at the exact same moment.
The frozen dream had been touched by the Sun, and now, it was finally beginning to move.
~Six Stars of the Death King's Executives (Mutsuraboshi)~
"Black Tyrant Star" Iris Illuminas "Northernmost Star" ??? "Enchanting Fox Star" ??? "Heavenly Blade Star" ??? "Earthbound Star" ??? "Crystal Flower Star" ???
Their full assembly remains a tale for the distant future.