Isis Remnant chose the path of thorns. She refused to compromise on what her heart truly desired, turning her back on the inner voice that whispered her search was futile.
"Huh? A castle? I mean, I could build one, sure... but what brought this on?"
"...From now on... I am going to travel the Demon Realm... just as Kuromueina once did. And once I find a place to settle... I intend to build a castle there. I want you to build it for me, Shaltier... so I can take it with me using space-time magic."
Isis first approached Shaltier, her sister in the family, to request the construction of the stronghold she would one day call home. She knew Shaltier was incredibly versatile and believed she was more than capable of the task.
While it was well within her abilities, Shaltier wore a troubled expression upon hearing the request.
"...Isis-san, wouldn't you rather just stay with Kuro-san? It’s common knowledge that she’s the strongest in the Demon Realm, and I don’t think anyone would object to having two Kings in her territory. If you stay with her, you’ll be surrounded by powerful people—individuals who might actually be strong enough to withstand your Magic Power of Death..."
"...No... I’ve already decided. I will... search for it myself... just as Kuromueina did."
"If that's how it is... I understand. So, what kind of castle do you have in mind?"
Shaltier wanted her family to take their places as the Six Kings and bring order to the Demon Realm, but she had repeatedly suggested that Isis stay by Kuromueina's side.
Isis's Magic Power of Death was far too peculiar. Shaltier’s private prediction was that, ten to one, Isis would never find subordinates of her own. Of course, if she only wanted servants, she might succeed; she could simply use force to subjugate those strong enough to endure her aura.
But that wasn't what Isis sought. What she desired most was someone who would accept her even if they lacked the power to resist her deathly mana. Shaltier understood that until Isis found such a person, she would never look elsewhere. However, in Shaltier's eyes, this was more than just difficult—it felt impossible.
"...A grand castle would be good... large enough for many people to live in. We’ll all eat together in a great dining hall. And that thing you told me about... the bath everyone shares? A hot spring? I want... one of those, too."
"...Isis-san. I don't want to be the one to say this, but if you pin too much hope on a future just to turn away from reality, you'll only end up regretting—no, that’s not something I’m in any position to say. Understood. Since we’re doing this, let’s build you the most incredible castle the world has ever seen!"
"...Yes... thank you."
"Just let me know when you’ve found a place to settle. I'll come by to visit once in a while, too."
"...I will."
Shaltier had started to warn her that placing too much expectation on a dream would only sharpen the sting of reality, but the words died in her throat.
After all, Shaltier herself was searching for an existence that her own logic claimed did not exist. In that sense, she was exactly like Isis.
Because she knew the despair Isis was likely to face, she wanted to stop her. Yet, because she had walked a similar path, she knew that no matter what she said, Isis would not be swayed. Thus, she chose to support her instead.
Ultimately, Shaltier fulfilled every one of Isis’s requests, completing the castle exactly as described. Seeing the finished structure, Isis’s eyes shone with hope—or perhaps she was simply averting her gaze from the things she didn't want to face, forcing herself to believe in the future.
She set out to travel the Demon Realm, following in Kuromueina’s ancient footsteps. It was a battle to find someone who would accept her unconditionally.
One thousand years passed. Through Shaltier's influence, the system of Peerage-class High-ranking Demons and the Six Kings became known throughout the lands. Isis, too, was widely recognized as the Death King.
By this time, the family members known as the Six Kings had each become independent from Kuromueina. They moved to various corners of the Demon Realm and began building their own factions.
Living apart from her beloved family was lonely and painful, but for Isis, who was still searching for what she lacked, it was a necessary step.
Five thousand years passed. In a Demon Realm where combat power had once been the sole metric of worth, peace had taken root through Shaltier's efforts. Regional cultures and histories began to blossom.
By now, Isis had traversed every corner of the Demon Realm. Yet, the person she sought remained undiscovered.
She visited every region. She met Demons of every race. But from those who fled in terror from her Magic Power of Death, she felt only one thing: clear, unequivocal rejection.
Unable to bear the sight of Isis being spurned wherever she went, Lilliwood—who had remained her close friend since their days living together—offered a suggestion. "Why not settle down and search from a fixed location?" Isis took the advice to heart and decided to settle in the Land of Death, a place where no other living things could survive. By then, the loneliness she carried had grown into an unmanageable weight.
How many times had she wept? How many times had she held herself as she shivered in the dark? How many times had she looked with envy at the other Six Kings, who were welcomed by so many?
"Failed again, didn't you?"
"...Why... Why was I... born with... this Magic Power of Death?"
"...I'm sorry."
"...Why are... you... apologizing?"
"Perhaps because you were crying?"
Another Isis, the voice she met in her dreams, looked up at the dark sky that seemed to grow thicker with every passing century. She spoke the words she had repeated a thousand times before.
"Won't you just give up?"
"...Perhaps... they simply... haven't been born yet."
"Is that so? I think it’s impossible. No one will ever accept us."
"...Quiet... shut up..."
Giving up, compromising—perhaps it would have been easier if she could have done that. But Isis could not abandon her wish. Ironically, her refusal to let go only served to torment her further.
Ten thousand years passed. Feelings of resignation began to fester, and Isis gradually stopped leaving her castle altogether.
She spent her days alone in her sprawling home, reading the vast collection of books she had gathered from across the realm. No one will ever accept me... the words of her other self weighed heavily on her heart.
Even so, she couldn't give up entirely. Her outings never quite dropped to zero. Under the guise of a hobby, using the collection of items mentioned in her books as an excuse, she continued to search for the impossible.
Twenty thousand years passed. The world changed drastically. Following the Demon King's invasion of the Human Realm, a Friendship Treaty was signed between the Three Worlds. The world grew larger.
It was only natural that she would harbor hope for this new, expanded world. But once again, she was not accepted.
While the other Six Kings were embraced and expanded their reach, she alone was met with rejection.
The only things she gained were titles of dread and awe: "The Most Terrifying Six King." It was the furthest thing from what she wanted.
"...Why... How come... only... me..."
"Let's just give up. We’ve tried hard enough. We traveled the Human Realm, we met the Otherworlders... but no one would take our hand. So, enough already..."
"...No... I don't want to... give up... while I'm still this lonely."
"...I see."
In a frozen wasteland where a black blizzard raged, Isis and her other self shed silent tears.
Trembling in loneliness, despairing over her fate... she continued to struggle, unable to discard the last shred of her hope.
Perhaps that was the reason. Because she did not give up everything then, one thousand years later... the miracle she had waited for finally arrived.
After vast ages had passed, Isis finally encountered the one she had searched for: Kaito Miyama.
???: "Seriously, watching Isis-san's past arc really makes me feel like, 'Kaito-san, hurry up and get here!'"
Serious-senpai: "I mean, you were actually pretty worried about her, weren't you? Come to think of it, Isis mentioned in the main story that you 'come to visit once in a while.'"
???: "Well, we are family, after all. To be honest, I didn't think she would ever find the person she was looking for, so I was in the camp of thinking she should just compromise, same as Another Isis-san. Kaito-san really is a Singularity."