(Chapter 1)
Awaken!!
The word echoed in my brain as I woke up.
My awareness feels mingled like a muddy stream.
All kinds of knowledge and wisdom fills my brain, and my consciousness becomes clear.
However, while I had awakened to my own self, I did not know where I was.
Because I had no memories.
"…Where is this place?"
I look around me.
Bare rocks. A dark room. A magical circle lies at my feet.
Was it some kind of cavern?
I mumbled to myself, and from nowhere in particular,
'Bingo,'
Came a voice.
It was an oddly cheery and clear voice. But I couldn't see anyone when I looked around.
Who is it?
I ask, and a casual female voice returns.
"Hello, Demon King Ashtaroth. Or maybe I should call you Ashta. Whichever you like."
The name Ashta sounded familiar. I think it had been my name once.
While thinking too hard gave me a headache, I did have a memory of being the lord of a small village somewhere.
As I thought this, the girl said, 'bingo! once again.
"That is correct. Your name is Ashta. However, that's in the past. Now you are the Demon King Ashtaroth, who was chosen by me, the transcender. Of course, you can be called whatever you like. Ashta works as a nickname for Ashtaroth, so you should go by the one you like best.
Which do you like? She asked lightheartedly. And so I said, 'Ashta.' 'Alright, Ashta it is,' she smiled.
No, I couldn't see her, so I didn't know if she actually smiled.
"Oh, would it be better if you could see me?"
She asks as if reading my mind. The answer was yes.
The essence of something was not necessarily in its shape, but I could tell that we were about to talk about something important.
In that case, we should sit face to face in full view of each other.
The girl now started to materialize after reading my thoughts.
Creating a body for this world.
At first, the empty air seemed to distort, then it overflowed with powerful energy. Space seemed to twist and tear apart.
Two hands and then a head popped out, and then the rest of what was a young girl with silver hair.
She must have been 13 to 14.
Very young. She looked more like a noble than a village daughter.
She wore plain, patternless clothes and a mantle.
Her overall impression was less cute and more a dignified beauty.
If there was such a thing as a goddess, she would be just like her.
I said as much with a whisper, and she chuckled.
"So you think I'm a goddess. Well, I have transcended everything, after all. But I am no god. I can bring people back to life, transport or reincarnate, but I can't meddle in this world. That makes me rather incomplete."
She continued.
"But I have the kind of power that would make humans as you think of me as a god. It's too much trouble to explain though, so you can call me a god if you want."
She had given her permission, and I couldn't think of any nickname for her, so I decided that she would go by that from now on.
"O Goddess, I have awakened. And I have been given all kinds of wisdom. However, I do not have a past. I have no memories. Who am I?"
"It would be possible for me to tell you, but is your past all that important?"
"It is."
"I don't see how it is. What's important to humans is the present and future, I think. Of course, you are no longer human. You are a Demon King."
"I'm a Demon King?"
"Exactly. You are a Demon King. One of 72 Demon Kings in this world. The fruitful Demon King Ashtaroth."
"So I was reborn as a Demon King."
"Exactly. I did it so you could reform this world. Well, the gods did."
"So, does that mean that I have to live as the Demon King from this day on?"
"You do. Do you not want to?"
"It is not that I don't want to. If anything, I feel strangely happy."
"I thought so. You are very promising. The other gods didn't want you for the post, because you have no special abilities. But I fell for your talents and chose you."
"Talent?"
"That you are a realist. Normally, a person who wakes up in your situation would be in quite the panic. They would be confused. They wouldn't be able to answer properly. But you have easily accepted reality, and have adapted. I think that that is a talent. And so I saved you after such an unfortunate death, and you were reborn in this world."
"Reborn…"
"Do you want to know how you died?"
"It sounds depressing, so I don't need to hear it."
"That is wise."
The Goddess chuckled.
"Now, you have been reborn as the Demon King, and there are things that a Demon King must do."
"World domination?"
"That too. I think you will be a great king. But first, the thing that you must do is rebuild your army."
"The Demon King's army."
"There are 72 Demon Kings in this world, and each of them has their own army. Cities and castles too. The other Demon Kings run these cities and gather military funds to grow their forces and fight the other Demon Kings."
"These other Demon Kings fight each other?"
"Is that strange to you?"
"Yes, it is. They are the same race."
"The people in your past life did not fight then? Humans did not fight amongst themselves for land? They weren't killing each other?"
"…"
I had no reply to that.
"It's the same here. It happens in every world. War is the endgame for every intelligent being. This world is no exception. In this world, those that are called Demon King are fighting for domination. You will become one of them and do your best."
"So I should kill all the other Demon Kings?"
"That is up to you. You can make them your subordinates or exterminate them. Of course, you could even work under them. But as the Goddess who was assigned to you, I would hope that you do better than that."
I suppose it would raise her esteem amongst the gods, if it were her Demon King who became the one Great Demon King.
I didn't intend on working hard just so she could brag, but it was also possible that I could be killed immediately. I would do my best to survive. First of all, I asked about my abilities.
"It's that thing about knowing your enemies and yourself. You have a good head. But first, your ability."
The Goddess said, and began to chant something.
It was a language that I've never heard before.
And then all of a sudden, A large boulder materialized dozens of meters away.
The Goddess said that I should destroy it.
But I was naked. How would I be able to destroy it? I asked her.
"You have the power to change the world.
If you act with the wish to destroy that boulder, then it will come true."
She said.
And so I imagined the boulder breaking and clenched my fist.
Then my right arm started to glow a bright red.
My own hand was unleashing a blazing flame.
It shot out as a mass of magic and bore into the boulder.
The elephantine boulder was split into half by the magic from my fist.
No, it crumbled into powder.
"…This is my power? The power of Demon King Ashtaroth…?"
I mumbled, and the Goddess smiled happily.
And then she gave me clothes.
A black shirt and black overcoat.
It was the kind of menacing outfit that you would expect from a Demon King.
I put them on, and she praised me for looking dignified.
And in the end, she whispered so that I couldn't hear.
"You will one day be known as the most powerful Demon King in history."