No matter what time or era we live in, the world is cruel. The powerless will always be at the bottom of the food chain and will always be prey to the strong. Powerlessness will bring one's doom in a world where survival of the fittest rules.
We lived in a village far from civilization; as demons, we have no right to live in a city built by humans, it appears. But we're not bothered by it; peace and simplicity have always been everyone's dream in the village.
Are we perhaps being hated, you ask? No. No, not at all. We are not hated, but rather feared by humans. It's a fairly typical story. Because we, demon beings, possessed immerse magical power and mana, it was only natural for humans with superior intellect to fear us. I mean, even a single one of us demons can wipe out an entire village if we so desire. Who would want to live in the same place as us monsters? We accepted that fact and moved on with no remorse.
As a result, we isolated our race in a distant land for decades in order to achieve peace. "If we can solve everything without bloodshed, then let's go with it," I reasoned at the time. And, as the clan's leader, my decision was respected.
I was, however, naive. I underestimated humans. I... underestimated their avarice!
Everything changed one night, on the eve of a festival honoring the Maou-sama (Demon Lord). On a calm and cheerful night... Fire arrows were raining down on us, on our village. No one could explain what was happening that time because they were unprepared and surprised. As the fire engulfed the entire village, everyone panicked. And out of the darkness emerged an army of soldiers in overwhelming numbers.
My first priority as village chief is to keep my people safe... But, in my presence, women, children, and the elderly were slaughtered indiscriminately. As demons, our lifespan is much longer than that of humans. And because a hundred-year-old brat like me is still young in my race, I lack experience. That time, pathetically, I... I did nothing but stand by and watch my subjects perish. No one of us is prepared to fight because we were caught off guard.
I witnessed the most heinous scene in my entire life.
My eyes became blurry as my tears fell, and I couldn't take it any longer. My rage outweighed all of my logic... My mind has gone blank, and all I see is darkness...
Well... I don't care any longer!
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
As my heart filled with anguish, I screamed in despair, and my body became hotter and hotter until it reached its limit. I can feel my body as if it were submerged in a sea of flames... And as a result, I said something I shouldn't have. I stated...
"{EXPLOSION!}"
...and then there was a loud *BANG* sound from that single word. I lost consciousness as I fell to my knees.
As my strength returns to me... I blinked my eyes open. The entire village, my people, the human army, they are all... GONE!
The village in the middle of the forest, as well as the forest itself, turned into a nothing Plain! There was no one left but the mist of the cold wind and smoke.
EVERYONE WAS KILLED BY ME!
That incident was dubbed the Misty Plain Disaster. And the former village was dubbed the Plain of Mist at the time.
That name was chosen to serve as a reminder to everyone on this continent of what had occurred. But fate had never been on our side as demons. That fight... It was dubbed the holy crusade against us demons, and the humans who assisted in the raid were dubbed heroes.
That's how things work in this world. Regardless of how we live, but as demons... We have no right to live the ostensibly better life.
For me, time came to a halt at that point. Decades have passed, and I have not moved from where I am. After fifty years, the grass grew, the flowers bloomed, and a single tree accompanied my grief for another century. I've never moved like that tree. But it wasn't like that; I was empty, helpless, and pitiful... I am absolutely nothing. As a result, I developed a new personality within myself. To hide my flaws and become the ideal version of myself.
But after many, many years have passed. One work of fate appeared in front of me. Destiny's teasing work. A human I had hated my entire life appeared in front of my eyes, essentially saying, "Come and murder me!"
He has this strange companion with an uncertain existence. Her appearance is human-like, but she is not. That's not something I care about.
They appeared in the Plain, and I made my appearance. I misted the entire plain and laughed like a villain with the personality I created. All in order to conceal my true self.
However, that human has seen through me. He claimed that I am similar to him. Fought with me, and defeated me, a demon. It was completely one-sided, and I was completely overwhelmed...
I lost, and I must die as a result. It's not that I dislike it. If I die, all of my people will be able to see me in another world. In that world, they can punch me, blame me, and even curse me. I'll be able to let go of this guilt for good. That's what I was thinking, but he stretched his hands and said.
"I don't care about your past, nor will I mind it in the future; we all have our own circumstances, and yours are no better than mine; but if you have the determination to change even the regrets of your past, then you are just like me. Take my hand and live in the present! This way, neither your past nor the future will ever haunt you for it!"
And for the first time in my long life, I felt as if I had been saved. Everything that had haunted me for hundreds of years seemed to vanish in an instant. That's when I made my decision. I will devote my life to serving this person, observing and learning from him. I'll give it my all to get even a little closer to the man he is. For me, this is my ideal self. My lord.
I told him I didn't have a name because demons aren't allowed to have names. We can only be identified by our skin color. Noir is the name of my color.
"Is that right? Hmm, it might be difficult for me if you don't have a name, and Noir is a bit, you know?"
That's what he said, and for the first time in a long time, I felt as if someone cared about me.
"Oh, yes, Benjirou!"
"Vi...nce?"
"Yep, your timid approach led me to believe you love piece, and since Benjirou means one(not really), it's ideal, no?"
(But little did he know in the mind of Guren "Timid my ass! he attacked us without saying anything first! But it's not cool to think a name for so long. So let's go with that.)
With a warm smile, he said brightly. My name is 'Benjirou.' Benjirou... From now on, I will be known as Benjirou!
"My lord, yes!"
And with a nod, I agreed to that name. I'll live with it and cherish it. My name, which belonged only to me!
My heart was so filled with joy from the name that I didn't notice this girl named Lady Andrea, whose existence is erratic, smirking beside me. What exactly is she implying? She was grinning at me, which was a little creepy. She was far too different from who she was in the previous chapter. She exudes a stench of rottenness. A terrifying aura that should not be unleashed in this world! So this is why even My Lord is wary of her! What a terrifying woman she is.
(Note: isn't it just Andrea who is turning into a Fujoshi?! Mangas in Guren's collection are really doing their homework!)
Is she planning something dangerous with that grin? It's terrifying to see a woman make such an expression!
However, with these two, my life has been restarted, and I will now devote myself to serving my Lord!
For someone like me, whose time had already stopped, a new journey had opened up, and all I can do now is follow this flow of time where I restarted.
I used to believe that all humans are the same, but his presence has taught me otherwise. From now on, I will be aware of my adversary and concerned about my friends. Never be naive again. Never be unsure again. I will be a sword in the service of my lord's conquest!
Humans... You will not do anything heinous in my presence again. This time, I'll be the one to go after you all! Evils.
With my lord's request, I embarked on a journey to discover this world.
...And please no gay shit. I'm a normal demon!
...To be continued...
Chapter Quiz:
If you were Benjirou, can you still forgive human race for what they've done?
A. I will never! Ever!
B. I will. Not all of them are evil.
C. I will never! Eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth!
D. I will. Past is past!