The Demon King Reborn

The Demon King's throne room was enveloped in an almost sacred silence. Anos Voldigoad, the Demon King of Tyranny, sat on his throne, calmly looking at the heroes and allies gathered before him. His presence, as imposing as ever, was a reminder of his absolute authority.

"The moment has come," he said with a firm voice, his tone devoid of doubt.

With a deliberate movement, he rose from the throne. His hand lifted and, without hesitation, he materialized his magical root, the core of his power and essence. A sphere of dark and luminous energy appeared before him, pulsing with overwhelming intensity.

Kanon, the hero, looked at him with a mixture of determination and sadness. Beside him, the Goddess Milicia and the Great Spirit Reno observed, aware of the magnitude of the sacrifice about to occur.

"Is it necessary to go this far?" Reno asked, his voice trembling with a hint of doubt.

Anos offered a small smile, one that reflected his unwavering confidence.

"Peace is not something simply granted. It is something taken, something built with power and will. If my death is the price to guarantee it, then I accept. This is not a goodbye; it is merely a breath. In two thousand years, I will return... and judge whether this world has learned from my actions."

Without further words, Anos extended his magical root forward, exposing his heart. Kanon ascended with a solemn gesture and raised his sacred sword. At the same time, Militia and Reno united their power with the hero's, launching their most powerful magic toward the Demon King. Kanon's sword pierced the magical root and Anos's heart in an instant, an explosion of energy filled the room, marking the end of his life.

As magic consumed his body, Anos closed his eyes, his expression serene.

"May this peace last until I return. And if not... I will do whatever is necessary to correct it."

His words resonated as his body faded, leaving only an echo of his presence in the room.

Darkness enveloped him, but his consciousness remained intact. There was no time, no space, only an infinite void. However, something was wrong. Anos felt that an anomaly in the magic flow had altered the destiny he had foreseen.

When he opened his eyes, he was not in his castle or his world. Instead, he lay in a humble cabin, surrounded by work tools and the aroma of freshly cut wood. Sunlight filtered through the cracks in the ceiling, bathing the place with an unknown warmth.

"Ren, are you awake?" a female voice resonated from the entrance.

Anos turned his head toward the source of the sound. A young woman, with dark hair and a kind face, looked at him from the door. Although he did not know her, there was something about her presence that felt comforting... and strange at the same time.

"Ren!" she exclaimed while running toward him. "I thought you had fallen asleep again. Your father is already in the fields. Come on, we need your help with the harvest."

"Ren?" Anos thought, raising an eyebrow. The woman was not familiar, but her eyes were full of genuine concern, something he had not seen in a long time. In his mind, fragments of a life that was not his began to take shape. It seemed he had been reborn as the only son of peasants in this world. Although the idea of living as an ordinary human was absurd, something in the woman's gaze made him pause.

"Alright, mother, I'm coming," he finally responded, his voice calm but firm.

The woman sighed with relief.

"Well, don't delay, you have to help your father."

Anos, still assimilating his surroundings, told her he would go in a moment.

Although it seemed like a waste of time, Anos decided to play along, at least for now. After his mother left, Anos examined his appearance and noticed that despite being reborn, he looked the same. Most likely, his magical root had influenced this. After verifying that he was not in his old world, Anos decided to help his father.

While working in the fields with his father Tetsuya Nishimura, he also learned that his mother's name was Aiko Kuroko.

As Anos helped his father, he extended his perception and began to notice strange things in this new world. There was a dark presence in the air, weak but unmistakable. It did not belong to the human realm.

That night, he slipped out of the house so his parents would not be alarmed and left a clone of himself while exploring the nearby forest where he had sensed a similar dark presence. When Anos arrived, he found a demon. The creature was grotesque, though still maintaining a human-like form, with disproportionate arms and crimson eyes full of hunger. It seemed to have gone years without eating, though apart from that, its power was insignificant.

The demon lunged at him, but Anos remained impassive, as if the attack were nothing more than a light breeze.

He simply raised a hand and said:

"Weak."

Quickly, a fireball traversed the demon. The creature screamed as it disintegrated into ashes, leaving no trace.

Anos watched it disappear with indifference while analyzing the information he had just obtained.

The forest returned to calm after the shortest demon fight that had occurred in this world.

Before he could continue advancing, hasty footsteps interrupted his silence.

"That was incredible!" said a young man, who seemed to be looking for the demon he had just killed, dressed in an unusual uniform. He emerged from among the trees. Although impressed, he also seemed nervous. "How did you do that? Who are you?"

Anos looked at him with disdain, but also with a touch of curiosity. He decided to speak.

"I am Anos Voldigoad, the Demon King of Tyranny."

The young man blinked, bewildered. Although Anos's aura was imposing, his mention of being a "Demon King" confused him.

"W-wait, what?" he stammered. "Demon King? What are you saying? I've never heard of anyone like you."

Anos smiled, with a mix of arrogance and amusement. He did not expect to be recognized, but he did not care either. After all, human ignorance was a common problem in any world.

"That is irrelevant. What I want to know is more about the demons. Where are the strongest of your species?" he asked, with a tone that made it clear he would not accept a vague response. Of course, Anos was deceiving the young hunter; he already knew more or less about the demons thanks to the memories he had stolen from the previous weak demon, so he simply wanted to have fun in this world.

The young man took a step back, unsure. Although he was grateful that Anos had destroyed the demon, he could not trust someone who claimed to be a "demon" himself. Moreover, Anos's attitude, so confident and cold, gave him an uncomfortable feeling that something was not right.

"S-sorry, but I can't take you to anyone in the Demon Extermination Corps. I don't know who you are, and I don't know what your intentions are." The young man stood firm, despite the fear he felt.

"But... I could send a letter for a superior to come meet you." the young man said very nervously, thinking of saving his life. He had seen how the monster easily killed the demon with a small flame of fire, so to save his miserable life, he decided to succumb to Anos's power.

Anos narrowed his eyes. Although the response did not satisfy him, he could not help but admire the boy's courage. With a slight nod of his head, he decided to let him go, at least for now.

"Very well, human. I'm in no hurry. You can continue on your way," Anos told the young man who seemed about to faint from fear.

"T-thank you," was all the young man could say, nervously retreating to disappear among the trees. Anos watched him leave with a slight smile on his face. The Demon Extermination Corps, huh... This world was full of secrets and challenges that intrigued him. Perhaps, after all, it would not be such a boring place.

With a last glance at the forest, Anos began walking back home.