We can all be heroes… But, in some way, we can also become villains.
«Demon King… Demon King initializing… 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 10… 20… 50… 70… 80… 86… 99… 100… error, error, system failed… correcting error… Demon King awakening.»
Kael opened his eyes slowly, as if the world welcomed him with a light that was too heavy. His eyelashes trembled several times before his vision cleared completely, revealing a ceiling he did not recognize and a strange sensation running through his entire body.
The first thing he felt was that the ground beneath him was not familiar at all. The second… that his body was not either.
With a sudden impulse, he looked at his hands. They were covered by black gloves, fitted and elegant, as if they had been made to his measure and yet he did not remember ever having seen them. He tried to stand up, but upon rising he noticed that his torso was longer, his legs stronger, his arms slightly thinner but tense, as if prepared for battle.
That was not his body.
At least, not the one he remembered.
He examined himself more closely, touching his own chest, bringing his fingers to his face, to his sharp jaw, to the shape of his neck. The skin was colder, firmer. And when he stood up, he felt that his height had increased by a few centimeters.
His breathing quickened.
—W… what…? —he murmured, with a deeper voice than before.
He looked around and the world opened before him like a place taken from a dark and majestic dream.
He found himself in an immense, endless corridor, carpeted with a red carpet that extended as far as the eye could see.
The walls were adorned with black columns and gothic details, and the torches embedded in the wall gave an orange light that danced like living flames.
It was an imposing, almost intimidating setting.
As he advanced, an uncomfortable sensation accompanied him. Around him there was a dense silence, but within that silence… something was trying to speak to him. A robotic, metallic voice, like a digital buzz that struck against his ears.
Kael clenched his teeth and covered his ears tightly.
—Stop… stop!
But the voice did not quiet down.
Until, suddenly, in front of him appeared a floating blue screen, emitting a small buzz.
«Demonic system activated.»
The screen blinked for a few milliseconds, as if it were updating, and then changed to another interface.
«Hello… Lord Demon King Kael.»
Kael jumped backward. His eyes opened as if someone had shouted right in his face. Whatever he was seeing was completely impossible… or was it not?
—What is… this?
He extended his arm cautiously, trembling. When his fingers touched the surface of the screen, it reacted with a soft glow, returning a sharp reflection of his face.
A face that was not his.
It was thinner, with sharp features, with a naturally serious expression and eyes of a deep red that seemed to glow even without light. The black hair fell in a disheveled way, with a rebellious style he had never worn. And his attire… was that of a dark lord.
A long black tunic, adorned with vertical lines of a red as dark as his eyes. The collar was raised, the lapels were wide and on his left arm he wore a circular emblem, a symbol whose meaning he did not know but that weighed with authority.
Under the tunic he wore a dark shirt, with visible laces at the neck. And hanging from his chest, a leather necklace with a small metallic crucifix.
He looked… intimidating.
He looked powerful.
He looked like someone who was not him.
Before he could fully process it, a female voice sounded behind him.
—Lord Demon King, it is already time.
Kael's heart stopped. Or so it seemed to him.
A woman approached with firm, sure steps, like someone accustomed to announcing important orders.
—M-moment? —asked Kael, turning barely, with a broken voice.
—Yes, my lord. It is time for you to go out and present yourself as the new Demon King.
Those words pierced his chest like an icy spear.
New Demon King?
Him?
He screamed internally with his soul.
(¡No, no, no! This must be a mistake! If they discover that I am not the real one, they are going to kill me!)
—W-wait… I need… a little more time to prepare myself —he said, trying to sound authoritative, but his voice trembled as much as his legs.
The woman paused.
—Prepare?
—Y-yes… just one more moment.
She observed him in silence. He did not know if she was examining him, if she suspected something, or if she was simply following orders. Finally, she nodded.
—All right, my Lord King. You have two minutes. I will return soon.
Her steps moved away down the corridor, disappearing little by little.
Kael dropped to his knees, grabbing his hair with frustration, fear and confusion.
—What… what am I supposed to do now?
Then, the screen appeared again in front of him.
«Demon King Kael, please press the button on the screen.»
Kael held his breath. It was a bad idea. Surely a terrible idea. But he had no other option. His trembling fingers touched the black button. As soon as he did, a sharp pain pierced his head, as if thousands of needles tried to perforate his skull.
Memories.
Images.
Sensations.
Screams.
Battles.
Orders.
Darkness.
A life that was not his poured into him.
The true owner of the body was called the same as him: Kael. But that Kael had died. Or something worse.
The boy's teeth ground as he was forced to absorb each memory, each fragment, each foreign emotion.
He fell to the ground, pressing his hands against the red floor, drowning in a pain that seemed eternal.
And then the robotic voice returned, resonating directly in his mind.
«New Demon King accepted by the system.
Rank: Larva — the lowest rank of all ranks.
Skill rank: F.
Initial skill: Primordial Instinct.
Alert: it is advised to raise the skill rank and the demonic system rank.
The other privileges are still locked. Rank increase is required to unlock them.»
Kael raised his head, cold sweating, lips stained by the blood that began to come out of his nose. His hands trembled, his legs too. He tried to stand up, staggering.
Larva rank.
The lowest rank.
The weakest Demon King in history.
Perfect.
Just what he needed to die before even completing a day here.
In the distance, he heard the woman's steps returning. This time, the energy she emanated was different. Heavier. More dangerous. He could feel her anger from meters away. And a look… that would be capable of killing anyone without hesitation.
Kael swallowed saliva.
Time had run out for him.
And his life… perhaps also.