Two years later
Shin had adjusted to his new life in the facility the demons had kept hidden from the world in case of the demon king's death.
Shin wandered the facility as the General's personal guard. He learned her name during these three years. Her name was Satel.
Shin had finally found peace in this facility. Every demon in the facility had stopped looking at him with hostility and treated him better than the humans had ever done.
Shin loved walking around the facility with Satel, the person who had brought him back to life and cared for him for 3 years.
He looked back on his life almost daily, always replaying the day he was pushed into the demon king's throne room.
You know, Bjorn. If you hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't be free right now, he chuckled at the thought.
Satel looked at him with confusion on her face but brushed him off.
"Well Shin, now that you can speak again, why don't we talk about helping me out of a bind," Satel said as she sat Shin down.
"A bind, you say?" Shin replied coldly.
Satel looked at him again with confusion.
"Yeesh. No need to be cold. I helped you out, remember?" she said while pouting.
Shin was motionless. He hadn't meant to sound ungrateful. He pondered for a response and finally spoke.
"I'm sorry if I sound ungrateful. I think there is something wrong with my speech. It's as if I'm unable to convey emotions through speech," Shin answered coldly.
Satel pouted and looked away.
Huh!? This is bad. Why can't I sound like I actually give a damn? Shin thought to himself.
"Fine. I'll take your excuse. But I still need your help," Satel answered, finally looking at Shin.
"Okay," he answered.
Before Satel could speak, the whole facility went into chaos as sirens sounded and demons ran out of the facility in a panic.
The pair stood up slowly, confused about what was happening.
"Oh, so many demons. The goddess was right," a voice that sounded eerily familiar to Shin rang out.
Shin quickly went on high alert as the last demons ran out, leaving him and Satel as the only ones that remained.
A group of seven people walked into the spacious cafeteria and confronted the two. Shin's blood began to boil as rage filled his heart.
The group that walked in was the hero party, led by Bjorn, the hero of light and the holy sword saint.
Bjorn lifted his head and looked at the two. He turned his head and faced Satel, drawing his sword and pointing it at her.
"Where is Shin'en's body, you demon!?" he asked in an angry voice.
Satel responded with a half-smile as she bolted across the room.
"Oh no you don't," one of the heroes said as he seemingly teleported in a flash of lightning and appeared before Satel, blocking her path.
"Batter up!" another hero said, slamming her enormous hammer against Satel and pushing her back.
Bjorn looked at Shin, not recognizing it was him. Shin immediately caught up with Satel and caught her.
He snarled at the hero party, prepared to fight them all and kill them once and for all.
"BJORN!!! DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN FRIEND'S BODY!!!" Shin yelled at him.
Bjorn was momentarily shocked.
The mask on Shin's face seeped into his skin, revealing an older version of his face—maybe in his early twenties.
Bjorn stood there in shock, recognizing the face of Shin, who he thought was long dead and now just an empty corpse in Satel's army.
Shin grabbed Satel's sword and walked forward, ready to kill.