Sitting by a stream was a beautiful woman with silver hair.

This woman took the figure of an angel, wings having sprouted from her back and a golden halo hovering above her head.

This woman's skin was pure white, and her own face was truly that of an angel.

However, just a single blemish tainted this woman.

Her left hand was pitch black, flowing as if it were made from tar, and it had the claws and veins of a demon.

She looked on with a tired expression, letting out a sigh.

"The origin of suffering..... eh?"

This woman was the Determined, the Queen of Evil.

Resting her chin on both of her hands, she lightly smiled as she watched the stream flow ever so naturally.

"The information was a lot, wasn't it? And it seems to just keep on rolling in. I'm getting more and more sick of it by the day."

"Is that so? I thought that you wouldn't care much."

Ever since the day in which Claire had been granted the title as the origin of suffering, something changed within her.

It begun with the memories of the Hosts of Sin.

Claire was imbued with not only the power which they once had, but also with their memories.

At that moment, as if she were watching 7 different movies in the span of a second, Claire witnessed all of the suffering which the demons had experienced it in their lives.

In these memories however, Claire witnessed the pain in such a way that she experienced it herself.

The suffering of the 7 beings who had suffered more than any monsters on this earth was now her own burden to carry.

However, it did not end there.

From that day on, a constant inflow of memories begun planting themselves within the mind of Claire.

While these new memories did not force themselves upon Claire in the same way that the memories of those 7 did, it was almost as if they snuck up on her and simply came into her mind as a memory.

If the memories of the 7 hosts played like a movie, then these memories were more like suddenly remembering something which you had forgotten for your entire life.

However, it was not just one thing which Claire suddenly 'remembered'.

It was everything.

All memories of suffering in existence unlocked themselves within the memories of Claire.

Suffering of the past.

Suffering of the present.

Suffering of the future, on the timeline which Claire currently existed within.

And the suffering of timelines which could come to be, should Claire determine them to be so.

An infinite amount of suffering continuously implanted itself within the memories of Claire, and she became aware of everything around her.

Far too aware.

However, Claire cut off her emotions towards these memories, as she had not experienced them in the same manner as those of the 7 hosts.

"It doesn't matter. After all..... I am merely trying to find the one path..... where that man's suffering is maximized."

Clenching her angelic fist, the girl smiled sinisterly to herself.

"I'll make up for all the suffering I create later. For now..... his demise is my only goal."

"You really have become something horrible, you know that? Hahaha....."

"Does it matter? I'll pay them back later, so it shouldn't make a difference, right?"

"What would you say if that man asked for forgiveness and offered to pay you back for all the suffering he caused you?"

At this smug statement of the demonic voice which responded to the beautiful voice of the angel, the girl merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Nah. He wouldn't be telling the truth anyways. After all, he likes to smooth talk every woman he comes across. No matter what world he is in, he will always be a monster in the guise of a hero."

Nodding to herself with a light frown, the girl tapped her cheek with her demonic hand while in thought.

"I have something to tell you. Will you listen?"

"Something to tell me? Go on."

"It's about..... who I am. And who you are. Well..... you know that we are the Determined, and that we are now the Origin of Suffering and the Queen of Evil. That much is obvious. However..... I'm going to tell you the reason why there are two of us, and yet one. We are the same person..... yet we are not. And there is a reason for that."

The girl sat up straight, breathing in with a light smile as she closed her eyes.

"Is that so? You've finally decided to tell me?"

"Don't act like I've been hiding it from you all this time because of some evil plot of mine that I waited for you to become demented enough to agree on. It's a bit different from that, but as for the reason I'm telling you now..... well... you know that anything could happen in the battle between the Indeterminant."

The Indeterminant.

The one and only existence in the world who held the power to counteract the Determined.

With the ability to distort reality, setting it on a completely unknown and undetermined path, all the planning in the world on the part of the Determined- the one who could set reality in stone- could be disrupted in an instant.

Claire knew this.

And it was for this reason, that she had decided on her course of action.

To ensure that no matter what happened, that the man who she hated more than anyone would be left in pain.

'He will either be defeated..... or he will be left alone in this world without a woman left to console him.'

It was then that Clarice spoke up.

She spoke to Claire, telling her a long story.

She spoke long enough to the point where the sun had made it's way across the sky, explaining everything to Claire.

Who Clarice was.

Who Claire was.

And who they were to each other.

----

At the moment of death, her organs spread out in front of her on that sidewalk, Clarice felt a flurry of emotions.

However, the first among them was anger.

Just moments before, she was a scared child.

The next, she was angry.

She witnessed the mocking expression and the flippant words of the man who ran her over, and at this she was filled with anger.

However, everything was black.

[Transporting to new world]

[Note: Multiple entities of same parameters have been detected. Error.]

[Merging entities]

[Merge unsuccessful. Forcefully attaching entities]

[Entities have been attached. Process for merging commencing.]

[Estimated required duration: 10 years]

Waking up as if it were a dream, Clarice had been placed in a situation similar to the death she had just witnessed.

She was on that same sidewalk, in that same plaza, crying after having lost her parents in the crowd.

'I have to get up..... I have to get out of here....'

Clarice thought this, however she realized something.

She couldn't move.

'Wha.... I can't.... move...'

And then, she heard a thought.

'Where is mama? Where is papa? Did they leave me!?'

It was herself.

She was listening to her own thoughts, however she was not the one who thought them.

'It doesn't matter where they are!!! I need to get out of here!!! Move!!!'

However, the body did not move no matter how much input Clarice made.

In the next moment, she saw it.

The vehicle which that man was driving, barreling down the road.

'I'm going to die again!!! No!!!'

However, this time, by some miracle, the vehicle didn't swerve onto the sidewalk.

Instead, it stayed in the road.

'What?'

The man was laughing and clearly drunk, with his arm around his woman, yet this time he hadn't hit the girl.

He sped on, continuing to laugh the entire time.

'He.... didn't hit me?'

It was then that Clarice tried to turn her head.

'I have to chase him..... I have to catch him..... I... I'll never forgive him!!!!'

However, her body still did not move.

'Where are they? I'm so scared....'

The other voice thought this, to which Clarice responded immediately.

'Stop being so scared!!!! Get up!!!! I have to chase that man down!!!! I have to bring him to justice!!'

Clarice shouted in her own mind, but the girl did not hear her.

'Is this..... am I.....'

It was then that Clarice realized it.

'Am I not the owner of this body?'

It was unthinkable.

She looked the exact same as before.

The girl in this body acted the same as before.

Yet.... Clarice could not control it.

She could not control this body, and there was another voice inside her head which was clearly her, yet so clearly not her.

'Have I..... been placed in this body as a spectator?'

Clarice wanted to deny it.

She wanted more than anything for it to not be true.

'No no no.... this must be.... sleep paralysis? Or a dream!? Y...yeah! This is.... this is all a dream, right? Hahaha.... ok! I just need to wake up.... but I can't move, so I can't pinch myself..... alright, I'll just wait-'

"Ah!!! There you are!!! Don't go exploring on your own like that!!! Jeez! I let you go for a second and you're over here crying your eyes out...."

"Mama!!"

A white haired woman walked around the corner, holding her arms out as she approached the child, who buried her face into the woman.

Following behind the woman was a grey haired man who had a stressed expression.

"Don't scare us like that! We were so worried that something had happened to you..."

"Papa...."

The girl looked up from hugging the mother, smiling at the father.

"I'm glad were together again....", she said with a sniffle.

'Why..... why can't I say anything? Why is.... why is it like I'm a stranger in all this? Mama.... papa.... I'm right here, you know! I'm not the one who said that!!! That wasn't me!!! I'm in here!!! It's me, your daughter, CLARICE!!!'

Clarice could do nothing more than watch as the girl walked over, hugging the father as well who patted her head with a smile.

"There there.... everything is alright. Why don't we go get some ice cream?"

"Yeah!"

The girl cheerily smiled in agreement, grabbing the hands of both her father and mother as the three walked alongside one another through the streets.

'Wait..... what are you..... what are you doing? We.... we have to go get that man.... that man.... who killed me..... he killed me!!! He has to be.... arrested!! Stop!!! STOP!!'

Clarice shouted out for nobody but herself to hear, unable to even speak.

"Come on now. It's just a little further. We'll get the ice cream and then we can go back home and rest for the afternoon before your mom can make us both dinner. Her pizza is the best in the world. Don't you think so, Claire?"

'Claire?'

"Yeah!! Her pizza is sooo good!!"

'I'm.... not Claire....'

"Aw.... don't tease me like that, dear. Any old pizzeria could make some better than mine."

'I'm.... not Claire!!'

"What are you saying? If it's home cooked it's always better. Especially if it's made by you."

The family laughed as they walked along happily, living their lives without a worry in the world.

However, they failed to realize that something had happened to their daughter.

Something which took place in another dimension, which would take their daughter from them 10 years later.

'I... am I Claire?'

Claire would live with another version of herself within her for her entire life, completely unaware of this.

'No..... I am Clarice.'

Clarice was forced to watch as Claire lived a happy life, while Clarice was shown everything which she had been denied.

'It's.... not fair.'

'It's.... all that man's fault.....'

For every good thing that happened to Claire, Clarice became all the more irritated and filled with anger.

'If only he didn't kill me..... I would get to experience this....'

And so, the anger boiled.

And it boiled, and boiled, and boiled.

10 years passed.

10 horrible years of Clarice being unable to say anything, unable to feel anything, unable to taste anything, and unable to experience anything.

The only thing which she experienced was denial.

Denial of everything that she would have had.

'I will make him suffer..... even more than I have.....'

'No..... heh heh.... not just him..... hahaha....'

'I'll make everyone suffer.....'

'Heh heh heh..... Hahaha!!!! I'll make everyone suffer!!! Everyone in this world who has anything!!! Hahahahaha!!!!'

And so, Clarice was born.

The dark side of Claire, who had been denied anything and everything.

Like a dog forced to watch a cooking show, unable to even smell the meat before it's eyes.

Like a child before the window of a toy store, unable to reach beyond the glass.

Like a slave before the very meals which they prepared for their master, unable to even have a taste of that which they produced.

She was filled with hatred for everyone in the world.

And thus, the Origin of Suffering, and the Queen of Chaos..... was born.

----

"I see... so that's how it is..... I suppose that does make sense."

With her hand lightly quivering, Claire placed it to her forehead, smiling bitterly with twitching eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Why the hell are you apologizing to me? Yeah, I was pissed as hell at first. Pissed me off so much that I came out of you when you were in the fishmen village, and we were split completely into two. But either way, we're still the same person."

"No..... we're not. And you know that."

The girl took her hand off her forehead, lightly placing it on the ground beside her.

"I'm not even real. You're.... the real one of us. Isn't that more or less what that means?"

"I wouldn't say that. We're the same person..... just from two different realities. And now that we've become the Determined.... we've been fused into the same one. My emotions have become a part of you, and yours have become a part of mine. They were the same at one point, and they've become the same again.... kinda."

"I'm..... sorry. I experienced.... all those good things.... while you were unable....."

"Don't apologize to me. Just help me fulfill my desire. After all..... heh..... I've given you enough memories of my own hatred to bring you around to my way of thinking. There's nothing more we need to talk about, right?"

With this statement, Clarice made her peace with Claire.

"Yeah..... I suppose so. Alright. Then.... let's go."

With a grin, the girl looked up.

"Heh.... let's get back to the Dictatorship. We have a nation to rule, right?"

"And a world to destroy."

----

Hailey stumbled back to the place which had been set up as a camp, unsure of anything.

She looked around, panting and tired.

Her own comrades had been slaughtered by a monster.

Hundreds of students had died, all sent to the monster realm on this facade of a 'remedial trip'.

And now, Hailey had come into contact with the Queen of Evil herself.

'She.... was like an angel.... was that really....'

Hailey had completely changed in appearance.

Her skin was now a dark grey, as if she were a dark elf.

Her hair was now striped black and white, and she could feel that her own body had changed.

She was far, far stronger than before.

'Go ahead and use that power to get revenge on the people in your nation that led you to this corrupt place.'

Those were the words of that being of evil.

'What..... do I do?'

Hailey looked up to the sky, wishing that her comrades were still here to tell her.

Someone.

Anyone.

She looked around at the tents which had been set up beforehand.

They were of course all now empty.

She had nobody to ask, and nobody to look to.

Sitting down in criss cross manner, she held her hands to her eyes.

"What do I do!?!?!"

She shouted this out, her voice echoing through the plains.

Of course, no response was heard.

However, it was then that that corrupted voice entered her mind.

[Hah? Didn't I tell you before? Your head must be really thick if you can't figure it out. You have power now. Go get revenge or something. Ah, tell the Indeterminant I said hi. He might not know who I am though. Tell him that I'm the Determined.... and that I'm also the Unknown enemy when you meet him. Though he seems to have quickly forgotten... I wonder what face he'll have when he finds that one out? Haha!]

'Eh?'

Hailey heard the words, but didn't understand them.

'Why..... what.....'

Shaking her head, she threw her thoughts to the side.

'I..... need to get back to the mainland..... which means I need to wait for the ship to come next week..... which means..... I need to survive.....'

Taking in a deep breath, the girl layed on her back, allowing her hair to fall into the dirt.

'But do I even deserve to live?'

She then remembered the face of her instructor.

That cheerful woman who smiled as the students were sent off.

'You knew.... didn't you?'

Grimacing, Hailey came to a decision.

'Alright, Queen of Evil. I can't beat you..... there's no way I could beat you.... not you, nor that monster under you..... but if I can't beat you.... then I'll at least show those jackasses who sent me here.....'

Sitting up with resolve, Hailey glared in the Westward direction, aiming all of her hatred back towards her home town.

'You think that us students are nothing more than disposable tools? Then I'll show you all.... just who is disposable.'

----

"Ah.... it looks like our little hero has become a dark hero. She's corrupted alright, and it's all thanks to you."

"Don't say it like that! I may have had a part in it, but at the end of the day, the people of that school were pretty evil anyways. They deserve to die first. And painfully. I mean, look at how they treated the antiheroes."

"True enough. Haha.... but I really can't wait to see that man's face when she meets him."

"I know, right? Heh heh...."

The girl with the form of an angel and the grin of a demon laughed to herself, plotting in secret as she flew through the skies towards the capital of the Dictatorship which she ruled.

This was Claire and Clarice, the girl who was one and the same person, yet from two different realities, thus warping the experiences and character of each of them before they were forced into the same body, fighting for control over it.

At some point, the two had stopped fighting for control, and had come to the same goal.

This was the Determined.

This was the woman who would lead the world to it's destruction.

This was the monster who stood at the head of all the evil of the world.

This was the origin of suffering.