You Are My Starlight - Chapter 32

When struggling actor Liam Cross is gunned down during a bar robbery, he expects the lights to fade for good.Instead, he opens his eyes in a throne room surrounded by demons – standing inside a summoning circle meant to call forth an ancient Demon God.Only, the god never came.Just him.With no magic, no divinity, and no clue how he got there, Liam is mistaken for Azrakul, the Primordial Demon: a being of infinite power the Demon Queen desperately sought to save her crumbling empire.But when a mysterious System awakens, Liam learns the truth:He’s not a god… yet.[Designation: “Infernal Sovereign” — Activated.][Requirement: Subjugate the Realm of Demons.][Power Source: Fear. Faith. Belief.]The System doesn’t just grant strength.Instead, it feeds on the belief of others – turning fear, faith, and lies into real, tangible power.And as an actor who’s spent his whole life pretending to be something greater, Liam finally finds the role he was born to play.Now trapped among ancient monsters and scheming demon nobles, he must perform the part of a god convincingly enough to survive.Because if the demons ever discover he’s a fraud…He’ll die as the man he’s always been—or ascend as the monster he pretended to be.

I’m a high school student who became an author after debuting at Dengeki Bunko. After taking a year of hiatus from school to write my work, I transferred out to another high school to study, and met a girl called Eri Nitadori in school, a rookie voice actress cast as a character in the anime adaptation of my work.

In school, we treat our professions as a secret. However, Nitadori’s very popular in class, and I’m a loner…the only chance we get to talk to each other is when we take the Limited Express train together every Thursday, seated side by side as we head off for an anime, After Recording.

To improve her skills, she asked me questions regarding the profession. While I was answering the questions regarding the process–how did it end up like this.

This is what I last remembered before I lost consciousness, and the story of my near-death experience.

For ten thousand years, the invincible Emperor Xu Lai, descends to the Earth and takes on the role of a stay-at-home dad.Anyone who dares to bully his daughter would face his wrath!Xu Lai asked, “My dear daughter, when you look up, what do you see?”“Nighttime, the stars.”“That's not just the stars, it's the empire I've built for you. In the future, you'll rule over billions of galaxies, you'll be the Empress of the Immortal Realm!”“Dad, you're bragging again. You can't even give me a little brother or sister,” Xu Yiyi pouted.“...”

Xion Aijawa thought his life was finally coming together. That is, until he tried saving a cat stuck in a tree, fell into a pit, and... diedIn his disoriented sate of “Freshly dead” the silly Xion accepted a strange request and ended up transmigrating into the world full of dungeons and Mana.He became illegitimate child of Marquis family hated by his three siblings.According to the memory of the original owner of the body, Xion only had a month to live.So, taking the cover of the banquet, Xion ran away. Aided by a mysterious Mall System, he makes his way to the distant borderlands, hoping to put his past behind him.But fate has other plans-. Xion ends up saving Darius Rael Darkhelm, the feared Archduke of the North, notorious for his ruthless and deranged nature.The silly Xion tried to run away but...Xion's heart thumped loudly as Darius effortlessly pinned his wrists using only one hand.“I've heard you tried to run away.”Darius gently caressed Xion's pale cheek, “That must be a lie... After all, I've given you things even the royal family can't have. Isn't that right, my dear healer?”Xion gulped when Darius's thumb brushed his lower lip as a chilling smirk remained on his handsome face.“I-I think I should leave, Your Grace. I've overstayed my welcome...”The room grew cold, and struggling Xion shivered.Darius's green eyes dimmed before lighting up with a dangerous glint.Xion felt a pit growing in his stomach when he saw the deranged archduke smile. Darius never smiled. And whenever he did, it only meant trouble.“You're right,” Darius said calmly. “So, let's get married.”Xion “...!!!!”