The Author's POV

Throughout his life and experiences, the Demon King found himself asking three questions.

'Why does the world reject my existence?'

'What is the meaning of my life?'

'Who am I?'

He was born a demon.

A race that needed to conquer planets in order to survive. They didn't really have a choice. In order to survive, demons needed demonic energy, and that could only be created through the conversion of the mana in the air.

That said.

There were only two things that the Demon King remembered about his childhood.

His name.

Jezebeth.

...And the fact that his race was universally hunted down by all the other races in the universe.

Everyone tended to call them a race that held no emotions, but this was far from the truth.

Demons were no different from the other races. It was true that they were a lot wilder than some of the other races, but that didn't mean that they were evil and had no emotions.

Evil was a subjective word.

There were always two sides to the same coin, and everyone seemed to have failed to realize this.

From a young age, Jezebeth never remembered staying in a single place at once.

Destruction.

Death.

Carnage.

Those were the only things he saw as he ran from planet to planet, trying to avoid being hunted down by the hands of the alliance.

Despite that, his scenery never changed.

He would always see death wherever he went.

But it wasn't the death of the inhabitants of the planet they were moving into. No, it was the death of his own race as they were mercilessly slaughtered down by the other races.

'Parasites.'

'God's mistake.'

'Why were you ever created? What purpose do you serve to this world?'

Wherever he went, he would repeatedly hear the same words being thrown at him.

Listening to the same insults over and over again, at one point he started to question himself.

'Why does the world reject my existence?'

That was when the first question arose.

Why did the world seem to reject his very existence to the core? What wrong did he ever commit?

...He had only been trying to survive.

Weren't the other races doing the same?

Weren't they also killing livestock in order to feed themselves? What was so wrong with what they were doing?

This happened back when he was still young.

...Skip a few years.

Nothing changed.

As he aimlessly ran from planet to planet in order to ensure his survival, the scenery that he saw since young never changed.

Destruction.

Death.

Carnage.

It was always the same scene. At some point, he had gotten used to the scene. But it was also when he got used to the scene that stopped and looked around himself for once.

It was from that moment that he realized something.

He was alone.

All of his family, friends, and demons that he had known throughout his years had long been killed, leaving him alone.

The only momento he had of his parents was a small black box that rested on his neck. He didn't know what it was exactly, but his parents told him to never let go of it and to put his demon core inside of it.

He was still young, and thus he obediently accepted their suggestion. He didn't know much, but supposedly, the box was very durable, and it could help him survive.

At least that was what his parents told him.

But.

As he grasped the silver box hanging on his neck and took a good long hard look at it Jezebeth felt nothing.

The box used to remind him of his times with his parents...

But it no longer did.

It was from that point that the second question arose.

'What is the meaning of my life?'

Was he just born to be hunted? Was this his meaning to life? Ever since young all he had been doing is running away. Running away from the alliance that was seeking to eradicate him.

He didn't remember anything else.

Was this all his life really amounted to?

...More time passed.

Throughout the years, Jezebeth kept asking himself the same two questions.

'Why does the world reject my existence?'

'What is the meaning of my life?'

Before he knew it, many years had passed and he suddenly found himself blankly staring at the sky.

Levitating in the sky like creatures of justice, and with light spreading out from behind them, a dozen or so figures stared at him from above.

Slowly descending down toward his direction was a woman wearing a silver armor that shone brightly and gently wrapped around her figure.

She was one of the members of the alliance that was created in order to exterminate the demons.

"...Your race does not belong in this universe."

Her crisp and melodious voice rang throughout the world.

Hearing her words, something within him snapped. 'Your race does not belong in this universe?' He had heard the same phrase over and over again.

He was sick of hearing it.

Why?

...Just why?

"Cough...Cough..."

Coughing black blood down his body, Jezebeth laughed in deprecation. His blood-red eyes gazed upwards, towards the dark clouds covering the sky. Hanging down his neck was a simple silver necklace; attached to its end was a black box.

It was his family momento.

"You...you're...nothing but a bunch of hypocrites..."

He managed to utter after struggling to find his words.

"What did you say?"

"Cough..."

"Y-ou speak as though we have committed some...cough...grave sin against you all, but what is so grave with us trying to s...survive?"

Knowing that his death was already set, Jezebeth no longer held back.

"What gives you the right to come here and judge us like you are some sort of god?"

He vented all his frustration at once.

wanted to let the people that had been hunting his race

was all a futile

doing this for the sake of our people. Like you've said,

"Yo—"

descended down towards the ground. In

his

died, he caught sight of

the end, I will die without knowing

Or so he thought.

had happened, but just when he thought he had died, his

"This..."

'I'm alive?'

around and gazing around him, his eyes soon paused on a floating metallic scrap beside

the reason

box

at this point, but as Jezebeth grasped onto the box, unknowingly, a tear traced down the side

he had long lost started to once

"...W...why?"

no sound came out of his mouth as he was in

But Jezebeth didn't care.

me? What is the purpose

no sound came out, he continued to question his very own

He couldn't

does the world reject

is the meaning of my

then

ball of light the size of a small rock quickly headed his way. Before Jezebeth could have enough time to react and make out what was happening, the

"Ahhhhh!"

out

pain shot up his body like a raging fire. He cringed. It exploded in his head with a blinding whiteness. It made him dizzy. It made him reel. The pain was reminiscent of having his whole body burned into bits before being regenerated and burned again. Not

completely forgot about the other areas that were hurting as he clutched his

"Ahhhhh!"

as different images and information

for a split second, but to Jezebeth it felt

"Haa...Haa..."

in space. His chest heaved up and down unevenly, but the pain

his body. He couldn't quite explain what it

while for him to calm down. Once he did, he slowly began to open his eyes, and his

"The akashic records..."

muttered in a soft

of it was hazy, but in that information, he was able to learn of the existence of a higher

The Akashic records.

overlooked the

learned of something else. The bright white light that had just hit him was called

mind and realizing a lot of new things, another question emerged in Jezebeth's

'...Who am I?'

third question came

last time, however, he had finally found hope. A way

about his very

none other than through breaking

from that point on that Jezebeth became the

*

his eyes again, what met Jezebeth's sight were two deep blue eyes. They were a familiar

had not seen in a

he was standing, the edges of

'It's been a while...

was a time when he once thought that no one would ever understand him. A time when he thought that he was alone

But he was wrong.

was in fact someone else out there that had the same lost look

other than the

Or so he thought.

Demon King's forehead started to crease. He had finally noticed something. Opening

"You're not him."

echoed

demeanor remained impassive

"...Not him?"

"Yes..."

The Demon King nodded.

area around him started

but the look in your

eyes a little. He once again carefully scrutinized Ren from his option,

eyes. They feel more alive.

lost look that was similar to

It was gone.

person standing opposite him was not the person from his memories. He may look the same,

started to

***

Demon King's gaze directed my way, I didn't

His pressure was enormous.

to make anyone cower with

to me, it didn't

looks like you've still

King

been for my now enhanced senses, I

ambiguous, but I perfectly understood what

the future

exactly are you

I slowly asked.

reason for the Demon King's appearance? Since a dungeon was a pocket dimension inside of the demon realm, I understood how he was able to show

tell that the figure in front of me was just a clone. He was here, yet

am I

raised his head. He eventually shook

was looking for an old friend, but

disappointed. Even then, there was something about his

least internally. Outwardly, I

"...An old friend?"

I repeated slowly.

The Demon King nodded.

"You heard correctly."

raised his hand and opened

"...A pity."

He once again mumbled.

Rumble— Rumble—

energy sprung out from the Demon King's body, merging toward

distorted, and the black sphere disappeared from

soon reappeared right

Click—!

sphere split into

Booom—! Booom—!

the air and

my eyes still locked on the Demon King, I waved

"Angelica, leave now."

realize what was going on,

I had no choice.

I couldn't

just that single exchange I had with the Demon King, I

get distracted in the middle

away, a familiar face appeared in front of me. It all happened so fast. Without even giving me the chance to react, I felt something press against my abdomen

air and the castle I was previously in

"Puchi!"

red trail of

my eyes, I twisted my body and unsheathed my sword, and swung it

Clang—!

air dispersing the ashen gray clouds in the

eyes again, I found the Demon King holding onto my sword

left shocked

didn't show it as my face refused to

Crack. Crack. Crack.

I didn't

was about to

energy combined with the Demon King's was simply

I suddenly heard a faint

not as polished

voice grew even more

the time I was able to process his words, something pressed against my back,

BANG—!

the ground, my

didn't even have the time

familiar iron taste clung to the back of my throat, but I held it

Tok. Tok.

crunchy and regular sound of footsteps

my head, I stared at the Demon King

"Khhh..."

placed my hand on my knee and

brief moment of time, neither one of us

"Disappointing."

the silence was inevitably broken

his head, he