"They were ready to die for me. Not because of fate. Not because of fear. But because they loved me. And I didn't know what to do with that… so I cried."
🌑 The Edge of Death
The S-rank beast advanced.
Its claws dragged through the dirt, steam rising from its breath. The other A-rank monsters pulled back — as if knowing their alpha had arrived.
His mother stood, arms spread, shielding him and his sister.
His father barely held onto his sword, blood soaking his side.
They couldn't win. Not even close.
But they didn't stop.
His mother looked back one last time.
Tears in her eyes.
A smile on her lips.
"Be strong, little one. You'll live. You'll see the world."
His father coughed blood but forced a grin.
"That's enough for me. Just live."
And his sister…
She turned her head slightly.
Her lips curled upward — cracked, bloodied.
"Sorry… I won't be there anymore."
That was when the tear came.
His first.
One drop. Then another.
Not for pain.
Not for anger.
For something far worse.
"Why?""Why would you all die… for me?"
"I don't deserve this…"
⚡ The Awakening
His breath caught in his throat.
Then came the pressure.
A deep, ancient weight—rising from the bottom of his soul.
The seal shattered.
The chains broke.
The demon… woke.
His body convulsed.
The ground cracked beneath him.
The air trembled.
Mana — dark, vast, endless — surged outward in every direction.
The S-rank beast froze.
The others screamed and scattered.
His mother gasped and collapsed. His father dropped unconscious. His sister, still awake, blinked once in shock — then fell silent.
He stood.
Small. Broken. Bleeding.
But standing.
🔥 The Demon Returns
His eyes glowed crimson.
His aura scorched the ground.
His voice — the first time he spoke since his birth in this world — came out cold and ancient.
"Move."
The S-rank beast lunged.
He didn't dodge.
He didn't blink.
He raised one hand.
Magic tore from his fingers — not light, not flame, not wind.
Raw destruction.
The beast exploded mid-charge, its limbs vaporized before it touched him.
The others didn't run.
Because they were already dead.
A wave of pressure blasted outward, turning A-rank monsters into ash, burning trees into charcoal, collapsing the forest in every direction.
He stood alone.
Power radiated off him in waves. Unstoppable. Terrifying.
But this time… not for vengeance.
Not for domination.
🌅 Closing
The smoke cleared.
The sun rose.
The beasts were gone.
The demon king — reborn in this world — had awakened.
But not to destroy.
Not to rule.
Not to hate.
For the first time in two lifetimes…He awakened to protect.