It's snowing hard.
　Shiro snow is falling from the sky, softly landing on the ground.

　The people on the street are brushing the snow off their shoulders, running along the street, and hurrying home to their families and hot meals.

　Today is the eve of the festival.
　It is the day before Pentecost, the celebration of the birth of the Messiah.

　Wives are in the kitchen early to prepare the feast, while husbands are busy preparing gifts for their families.
　The children help the adults prepare and think about the gifts they will receive from their parents.

　Since the Emperor's birthday yesterday, Nova Lemuria has been in a festive mood.

　The Emperor of Lemuria is celebrating, and he's feeling good about it. ......
　The Emperor of Lemuria was in a festive mood as he celebrated the birthday of the Emperor of Nova Lemuria, and today he ordered the distribution of bread to the poor, which he usually complained was putting pressure on his finances, as well as soup with meat.

　Everyone was upbeat and laughing.
　Hence, ......

　No one noticed.

　A skinny girl, dirty as a rag, lying in a dirty alleyway.

　The snow fell silently on her body.
　The girl's eyes were vacant, as if she didn't have the strength to shake off the snow, and she was slowly climbing the stairs to death.

　(......Dying, is it?)

　The girl wondered absentmindedly.
　That might be good, she thought.

　For the past year, she had managed to survive by scavenging garbage and sometimes pickpocketing.
　She believed that one day someone would help her, that God would help her.

　Well, indeed, a helping hand was extended to all the vagrants except the girl.
　Thanks to a man named Hercule, a very ungodly piece of human waste, but more vain than most, many children were spared.

　But that hand was not extended to the girl.

　The hand only swept away the girl.

　Because she was a nightmare.


　Nightmare.

　It's been around ...... since ancient times, before the birth of Messianism, before the founding of the Lemurian Empire.
　It is a race that became extinct long, long ago ...... 10,000 years ago.

　They have high intelligence, amazing physical abilities, immense magical power, and a long lifespan. ......
　It is said that the Nightmare race once conquered the world with their abilities that surpassed all races.

　But they became corrupted by their power. ......
　They were rebelled against by other races, fell from their position, massacred, persecuted, and finally destroyed.

　But their blood has never died out.
　In rare cases, there are those who cause ...... ancestry.

　That was the girl.

　Nightmares have three characteristics.
　One is a devilish tail that grows out of their hips.
　The other is the evil eye in each eye.
　And a black horn sprouts from its head.

　Originally born to human parents, the girl did not have any of these features, but ......
　In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find out more about it here.

　As a result of the birth of the Nightmare, the relationship between the girl's parents suddenly went cold and they divorced.
　The girl was taken in by her mother, but ......
　The girl, who was the direct cause of the divorce, was never loved by her mother and continued to be abused.

　Eventually, the mother remarried a man with children who had predeceased his wife. ......
　She was kicked out of her home at the age of eleven by her mother, who feared that she would break off the engagement because she had a child of a demon (nightmare).

　"You're not my daughter!　You're not my daughter! You can't have Nightmare blood in your veins. Don't you ever show that side of yourself to me again!
　I should never have given birth to you. Because of him and you, they'll think I have Nightmare blood in my veins. Don't you ever speak to me again!

　The girl's parents' words were still stuck in her ears.

　In the past, ......
　Before the girl's body developed the characteristics of a demon (nightmare), she was well loved by her parents.

　The girl's birthday coincided with the eve of ......
　The girl's birthday coincided with the Vigil, and she received gifts, warm meals, and love from her parents on both the Vigil and the Vigil.

　Now, all she can get is cold, hunger and loneliness.

　(......, I'm tired.)

　No matter how long she lives, there is no one who can say a kind word to her.
　When everyone found out that the girl was a Nightmare, they threw stones and curses at her.

　Even the kind-hearted messianic priests, the bureaucrats and soldiers who were protecting the orphans under the orders of the emperor, did not treat the girl as a human being, chased her away and did not help her.

　In the bustle of the city, children could be heard begging for sweets and stuffed animals.

　It's a happiness that the girl once enjoyed, and now she can't get it even if she tried.

　(...... birthday, wasn't it ...... today)

　( birthday, wasn't it? Today.) Memories of the good old days flashed through the girl's mind like a running lantern.
　At the same time, the fear of cold, hunger, loneliness, and death that strikes the girl now is emphasized.

　A drop of tears falls from the girl's eyes.

　The girl closes her eyes. 　
　She is too tired to even open her eyes.

　Let's go to sleep.
　Then she'd never wake up again, never feel cold, hungry, lonely, or afraid.

　I just wanted to be at ease.

　Giving up on life, the girl relaxed her whole body.
　Then, strangely enough, she felt at ease.

　(Can Nightmare go to ...... heaven?

　Probably not.
　Probably to hell.

　It's only natural for a Nightmare.

　But hell is okay.


　At least you won't be alone. ......

　That's what the girl thought: ......
　That's when the girl tried to let go of her consciousness.

　"Hey, are you okay?　Little shit?

　A man's voice was heard.
　The girl opens her eyes.

　In front of her stood a man with long ears (elf).
　He had a remarkably well-shaped face. Beautiful black hair and eyes as blue as the sea.
　He wore a thick, luxurious-looking fur coat.

　"Hey, can you hear me?

　The girl did not respond to the man's words.
　The girl did not respond to the man's words, partly because she was not strong enough. ......

　She knew that there was no point.
　She had been called out to many times before.

　And I was hoping that God would finally help me.
　But as soon as he realized that he was a Nightmare, he ran away.

　This man will also run away when he finds out that he is a Nightmare.
　Perhaps he might even violate her.

　So the girl does not answer the man's question.
　Because there's no point.
　She's going to die anyway.

　"Hmm ...... has a strange tail. It also has black horns. Maybe it's a nightmare?　I'm sure you'll be able to find something to help you.

　The man muttered inaudibly and walked behind the girl.
　He reached into the tattered, I don't know if you can call it clothes, piece of cloth the girl was wearing and pulled out her entire tail.

　"Well, that's what the literature says. But it's more like a ...... triangle, more like a heart. The tail. Does it vary from individual to individual?

　The young man returns to the front of the girl, grabs her by the hair, and looks into her eyes.

　"Is this the evil eye?　At first glance, it seems to be the same. ......

　The young man looks at the girl with great interest.
　Then he reached out his hand to the girl.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea. I don't know if it's a nightmare or what, but ...... it doesn't feel good when a kid I can help dies in my country because of my carelessness. ......

　Then the young man asks the girl.

　"Do you want to live?　Or do you want to die?　If you want to live, reach out your hand. Or shake your head. If you can't do that, look at me. If you want to die, just shut your eyes. I'll at least give you a grave later.

　Do you want to live?　Do you want to die?

　I've tried so hard to live.
　But it's been hard. I'd rather be dead.

　It's easier to die.

　The girl tries to shut her eyes. ......

　"Yes, I want to live. ......

　She reached for the young man.
　As soon as the young man took the girl's hand, she fainted.

　"Okay, okay. I'll help you.





　Later, the girl said.

　"God didn't help me. But you, only you, saved me. So I'll give my life and all my body to you. I'll do anything for you. I'll go wherever you go, to the desert, the sea, hell. Even if the world and God become your enemies, I will never betray you. Because you are God, the world, and everything to me.


　This girl was one of the fifteen pillars of the Herculean Empire, and was later called the right-hand man of the Herculean Empire.
　She was the only general, along with Darios Leopard, who was able to follow Emperor Hercule in military thinking.
　She was one of the most trusted vassals of Emperor Hercule, and one of the most favored women in the opposite s*x.
　And the woman whose life has been most dramatized in later generations.


　She is Nia in "The Fiend".