Heavenly Virtuous

"nice to meet you,Gen TsukishimaTsukishima Prefecture"I am Lola, the Demon Goddess. I have something to ask of you, so I have summoned you here."

　When I woke up, I heard a girl's voice.

　When I turned my eyes in that direction, a girl in a solemn dress was standing there.

"She's a beautiful girl. What do you think of her?"

"You don't have to pretend to be senile. I know everything about your life up to now. Of course, I also know what happened right before you were killed."

　Suddenly a beautiful woman appeared in front of me, so I just reacted naturally.

　Purple-silver hair and blue jewel-like eyes.

　If I had a grandchild like this, I'd buy them anything they wanted.

　First, let me ask you about something that's been bothering me.

"Well, what happened to my daughter?"

"YouConstruction・S・Ta・Your daughter has been safely protected."

"What about the colleague who killed me?"

"He died as a result of your desperate actions. I'm glad you were able to protect your daughter."

　He was shot multiple times in the stomach, but was it a successful kill?

　That bastard, you tried to rape my daughter just because she had no human rights! I'll never forgive you, even if I die!!

　Even so, I guess I'm dead after all...

"Let's get to the point, Gen-san. From now on, I would like you to be reincarnated as a demon lord in another world."

　The place, which could be described as the "blue horizon" where the stars and the sea sparkle, exudes a more mysterious atmosphere than I have ever felt before.

　Perhaps it was because he was speaking in such a place that he was able to readily accept the Goddess Lora's unexpected words.

"...Why me?"

"The world into which you would like to be reincarnated is facing an unprecedented crisis."

"...Isn't that the work of the Demon Lord? There's no point in increasing the number of Demon Lords. Or should we have the Demon Lords kill each other?"

"Currently, there is no Demon King over there. The crisis the world is facing now is the zombification of all living things around the world."

　...Huh?

"If there is a Demon King, there must be a Hero too, right? Let them do it."

"If you ask what originally happened, it all started when the three heroes brutally murdered the family of the previous Demon King! Because of that, the Demon King Zeo created and spread a new type of virus before he died!"

　A brutal murder? Are they really heroes?

"What about those heroes?"

"They're scared of the zombies and are hiding. That being said, it seems they're using their power as the hero to do whatever they want."

　I'm scared...

　He moved his head while combing his proud beard with his fingers.

"...Maybe we should just fire him as the hero."

"I actually wanted to kill them! Zeo was a kind boy who was happy as long as he could live happily with his family... but those guys not only killed Zeo's wife, they chopped off the head of a three-year-old child while laughing! They're real bastards!"

　He's really pissed. I can't help but feel angry too.

　Even so, the roles of the Demon King and the Hero have been reversed.

"...I don't have the right to choose the hero. All I can do is select the Demon King."

"Does that mean I should become a demon king and kill the hero?"

"...No, first please exterminate the zombies. Eventually you will clash with the hero, but protecting lives and ensuring the survival of the world is your top priority."

　Survival?

"What should I do after that?"

"You may do as you like. This incident has already caused the ethics of the world to collapse. If it helps the world survive, then feel free to do as you like."

　Even if you say it's up to you...

"Xuan-san was a virgin."

"...What's this all of a sudden!?"

"In your previous life, you had relationships with an incredible number of women. Therefore, it appears that you have been cursed with virginity in this life."

　That's huge! So that must be the reason why I have never experienced it even though I'm 87 years old...

"You will be freed from the curse in your next life. When you are reincarnated, you will appear as an 18-year-old, so do your best."

　What should I work hard at?

　Oh well, whatever. He's just dead.

　...You know, it's about the survival of the world.

"Well then, can you tell me more about it?"

　　　　　　　　　　　　★　

　After hearing various things from the Goddess, I decided to take on the task.

"Xuan-san, please come this way."

　What was handed to me was a wooden sword about 60 centimeters long.

"You will not be able to use the power of the Demon King for a while after your reincarnation. Until then, please use this "Purification Wooden Sword.""

"Does it have the purifying properties to kill zombies?"

"Exactly. As expected."

　What? You'll understand by watching the flow.

"The reason it's a wooden sword is to prevent blood and bodily fluids from splashing."

"Yes, not only can you get bitten, but you can also get sick if your body gets infected with the blood. It's also dangerous to be exposed to a large amount of it."

　A sharp blade would cause a splat. A heavy blunt object might cause a splat.

　I receive two more items from Lola-chan.

"Are you ready? Gen-san. No, you're calling yourself Crow."

　I've always liked crows. That's why I decided to change my name. I've always thought that if I were to change my name, I should go for Crow.

"Then take care, Lola-chan."

"Good evening, Crow."

　If I had been married, I wonder if I would have been sent off like this.

　A magic circle was formed and the beautiful goddess disappeared in an instant.

　The last thing I saw was Lola's happy smile.

　　　　　　　　　　　　★

　--This is another world.

　I wonder when was the last time I've seen such vast nature with my own eyes.

　Barren land, mountains and blue sky as far as the eye can see.

　Still, it stinkssssssssss!!

　The rotten smell is unbearable!

　It's not just people, but monsters are turning into zombies too. They must be nearby.

　Approximately six months have passed since the zombie incident, and it appears that 60% of living things in the world have already become zombies.

　Apparently normal animals without magical powers do not turn into zombies, but they are killed and eaten by zombies.

　In other words, wherever there are zombies, all living things die out.

"It seems that it's not airborne, but with this, it wouldn't be surprising if I got sick at any time."

　I'll follow Lola's advice and use magic right away.

"Life magic, Clear Air."

　Ooh! Air is circulating around my body, making me feel a little cooler. The putrid smell from before has disappeared.

"So this is magic. It really does feel like a game."

　I also heard Lola-chan explain to me about the laws and skills that exist in this world.

"A supernatural phenomenon that can occur by consuming one's own magical power?"

　I don't believe that chemistry is the only truth, but I can't help but wonder what kind of laws are at work here.

"ThinkingIndulgenceDandruff"This is not the time to be here. We need to ensure safety as soon as possible."

　Right now, I'm no different from a normal person.

　Look at the opposite side of the view you were looking at earlier.

　It's a bit far away, but I can see the town. I hope there's food and other useful items there.

"Based on the position of the sun, we have five hours left, no, we need to find a place to sleep at least in four hours."

　Even though it's a different world, it seems to be no different from a day on Earth.

　For a person with a similar appearance and size to me, it's only natural that the size, period, and air pressure of the stars wouldn't change much from my previous life... but if that's the case, it's all the more mysterious that something like magical power exists.

"...Let's go."

　I ran towards the town.

　　　　　　　　　　　　★

　Wow! I really feel younger!

　After I started running, I noticed how light my body felt.

　My bloated belly and the pain in my joints have disappeared.

　My breath doesn't even stink!

　...Since I'm using Clear Air, I can't really judge right now.

　This is no time to be complacent. There's a higher chance of zombies in the city.

　Arrive at the entrance to the town.

"This town doesn't have any outer walls. No wonder there's no way to defend against it."

　It was hard to tell from a distance, but the town was in a terrible state.

　Burnt houses, burnt corpses, and the slaughtered carcasses of livestock are infested with insects and birds. Smoke can be seen rising in the distance.

"...For now, let's go in the direction of the voice."

　After entering town, I head in the direction of the faint "Ahhh" sound I can hear.

"Hi!"

　The moment it came into view, I nearly screamed.

　I've seen grotesque zombie movies before, and in the nature of my job I often dissect bodies, but this was even more gruesome than I expected.

　They had stubborn hair remaining, skin stained dark red with blood, and some even had bones and eyeballs sticking out of their bodies.

　If I hadn't been blocking out the smell with Clear Air, I'm sure the double whammy would have made me throw up.

　Calm down, you've dissected some slushy corpses before. Are you scared because you've become younger? Have you lost all experience in your body?

　Not at all.he・woman・of・Lost・S・Ta・Compared to the time, this is such a horror!

　Still, why are there so many of you gathered here?

　There were more than a dozen zombies gathered around the one-story building, and it looked like there were even more inside.

　Surely there are no survivors?

　If so, you might be able to get some useful information from him.

　There is also a possibility of being attacked instead.

　The willingness to help one another when we're in a difficult situation is something that's rare in the world.

"Hoooo... let's go!"

　He leaves his hiding place and swings his wooden sword down at a distant zombie!

　When it hit his head... he suffered for just a moment and then disappeared.

　It made a whoosh sound and turned into smoke.

　...How surprising.

　I had heard that most zombies weren't that strong, but when the hero ran away, I thought they'd be more troublesome.

"This will work!"

　I aimed my wooden sword at the heads of the zombies surrounding the building one after another.

　It's surprising. It's probably because the wooden sword has the attribute of purification...

　Well, I guess it's better to be happy.

　Once you've wiped out the enemies on the outside, you can then take down the zombies that come out from inside.

　Be cautious of your surroundings and try to make calm decisions.

　The problem is inside the building.

　There are a lot of blind spots, and they seem to be more active in the dark.

　Judging from the buildings, there's no electricity in this world, so I don't think the sunlight is bad.

"So, what on earth is here...?"

　Feeling a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, I stepped into the building.

　Carefully explore inside, keeping an eye on an escape route.

　There were many cages inside the building, and several corpses that had not turned into zombies.

"Is this a slave trading shop?"

　Among the dead were many women and children. The structure of the building did not feel like a prison, and all the bodies were wearing collars.

"Zombies started appearing, but they couldn't get out of their cages... they just starved to death."

　Some of them probably went mad and died.

　Aim at the zombies in scattered locations and eliminate them.

　It takes several minutes to move just ten meters.

　I was told that zombies react to sound.

　In other words, there are places where zombies gather that make noise.

　After walking a little further, I came across a cage with about twenty zombies clinging to it.

　There's something in the cage.

　Mixed in with the roars of the zombies was the sound of several faint rustling sounds.

　While keeping an eye on my surroundings, I peer into the cage through the gap between the zombies.

　......A withered human-faced plant?

"What is that?"

　--Without thinking, I spoke in a normal tone.

　The zombies all look at me.

　Scary!!

"Ahhhh!"

　I mean, it's moving faster than I thought it would!

　Once it recognized me, its movements went from a wobbling walk to almost a jog!

　He swings his wooden sword around in a frenzy.

　Since you're inside a building, you have to be careful with your belongings!

　Seriously, that's gross!

　I really want to scream, but if I shout too loudly, even more people will gather, so I have to hold back!

"Haa, haa, haa, at last, they've been wiped out..."

　By the way, what's that in the cage?

　Come to think of it, Lola said that you can research most things using the "Appraisal" skill.

　Skills…Is magic also classified as a type of skill?

　There are countless and diverse skills, such as martial arts and constant activation skills.

"Is it okay to say most skills out loud? Umm, "Appraisal"! Is that okay?"

　A few seconds after using "Appraisal", information starts pouring into my head.

"My name is Momo...Plant FamilyDryadA 16-year-old girl?! ...…She's extremely dried up, but to think she's still alive…」

　The fact that it was examined through an "appraisal" is proof that it is alive.

"...I'll help you."

　Lola-chan gave us three days' worth of food. Even if we split it between the two of us, if we save it, it should last us two days.

　I don't want young people to die, but...to be honest, it's hard to be alone in a world full of zombies like this.

　I miss people so much that I can't stand it! I want someone to talk to, even if it means cutting into my precious food supplies!

　Up until now in my life, I'd only ever seen other people as a nuisance.

"there were!"

　Using the "Appraisal" skill, I managed to find the key to the cage.

　He opens the cage, goes inside, and immediately locks it from the inside.

"...At least we managed to secure a place to sleep. It's not very comfortable though..."

　Inside a cage with bars stretching all the way to the ceiling. As long as you don't get too close to the bars, you'll be safe. The girl in front of you - Momo-chan - is proof of that.

　Just to be sure, I also tried to "identify" the zombies, but the information that they were indeed zombies came in, so there's no way that Momo-chan is a zombie.

　An attempt is made to "identify" the severely decomposed corpse in the cage next door, but no information is obtained.

　I manipulate the bracelet on my left arm, making food and a water bottle appear.

　The bracelet, which looks like a fusion of jewelry and a wristwatch, is called a "ring box" and is an item that Lola gave me.

　By the way, it does not function as a clock.

　This ring box is, so to speak, an item box.

　It has the ability to store anything that is recognized as an item. It has infinite capacity. Right now, the only things inside are food, three water bottles made from beasts, and a dungeon core.

　Although it is called food, it is mostly just a high-calorie cookie imitation.

"Is this okay?"

　We try to bring the mouth of the water bottle close to Momo-chan's mouth, but will she be able to drink in this condition?

　There was a slight reaction, so I put water in my mouth.

"Ah! ... Ah, ah, ah, ah."

　This reaction.....cute!!

　I remember when I used to feed my daughter milk.

　A few minutes after I started giving it water, its body, which had resembled a withered plant, began to swell.

　Gradually the body changes from brown to green, and then from green to white, and what appeared to be roots and vines turn into delicate limbs typical of a woman.

　--I am moved by the supernatural phenomenon that occurs before my eyes.

　When the whole water bottle was empty, I stopped giving him water and decided to step back a little and see how he was doing.

　...I feel immoral.

　Before my eyes was a beautiful, naked girl.