It all started with a handsome and intelligent man who tragically died after being hit by a truck while trying to save a little girl from the accident involving the truck.
Yes, his death was truly tragic.
After his death, a miracle occurred. The man was reborn into a completely new world, but this time, he was no longer a human; instead, he became a small kind of demon.
"Died by being hit by a truck and now reborn. Sigh... My life has become so cliché."
The man didn't seem confused; instead, he felt happy and somewhat excited to face this second life.
In short, the man, now a teenage demon who took the name Belial, managed to survive with the help of the abilities granted to him after his rebirth in this world.
'Absorption.'
It was a innate ability possessed by Belial upon arriving in this new world. With this ability, he could absorb anything at will. However, not by literally swallowing, but by utilizing a power akin to a black hole that emerged from his hands.
The way to use this ability was quite simple. By uttering 'Absorption,' the power would activate and begin to absorb whatever Belial desired.
As time went on, Belial continued to absorb and devour every demon that tried to kill him in this new world.
"This world is like hell."
He was right; this world was indeed a Hell, or as the intelligent demons here often referred to it, Gehenna.
There was no blue sky like on Earth; the sky in Gehenna was blood-red, the land was barren without plants, and here, there were only fauna, although these fauna took the form of grotesque and terrifying monsters, ready to prey on anyone they encountered.
Centuries have passed, and after absorbing nearly millions of demons and monsters, including the 10 Demon Kings of Gehenna, Belial became the strongest, feared, and respected by the cunning demons.
However, Belial didn't stop there. He felt challenged to face higher levels by confronting the 'Rulers of Gehenna,' who were considered gods by the demons there. Even the 10 Demon Kings were reluctant to fight them.
Although Belial knew the immense power and terror of a Ruler, he still decided to challenge them. Utilizing all the abilities he had absorbed from various demons over thousands of years, Belial finally managed to defeat the Rulers of Gehenna.
However, the battle was not over; the remaining opponent was the ultimate enemy, the ruler of the Rulers and the creator of Hell itself, the 'Absolute Ruler and Creator of Hell: Demon God Jainko.'
Belial combined the Power of Destruction, Power of Acceleration, Power of Mind, Power of Sky, Power of Healing, Power of Magic, Power of Death, Power of Darkness, Power of Void, Power of Time, and the abilities he had absorbed from the Rulers. With all his powers, Belial began the fight against Demon God Jainko.
The battle became an epic clash between the strongest forces in Gehenna, where power and destruction collided in a series of spectacular attacks and defenses. Belial utilized all his abilities to the fullest, striving to defeat Demon God Jainko and end his rule over Hell.
In the fierce and grueling battle, Belial and Demon God Jainko faced off, showcasing earth-shattering powers in Gehenna. Both sides showed no mercy, utilizing every power they possessed in their quest for the ultimate victory.
(NB: This story is fictional and not related to real-world beliefs or mythologies.)
Belial, with unwavering determination, managed to defeat Demon God Jainko in that epic battle. However, the victory came at a great cost. As the final attack was unleashed, Belial sacrificed his own life to deliver a deadly blow that destroyed Demon God Jainko and ended his wicked rule.
As Belial's soul departed from his fallen body, silence fell over the battlefield. The witnessing demons were stunned and mourned the great sacrifice made by Belial. He had shown extraordinary bravery and unwavering resolve, risking his life to defeat their greatest enemy.
However, just before his demise, Belial wisely utilized one of the abilities he had absorbed from a previous Ruler, the Soul Manipulation of the Ruler of Soul: Arima. With this power, he managed to preserve his soul, almost separate from his body.
Finally, through a mysterious soul transference, Belial was reborn once again in a world full of swords and magic.
In the dense forest, a thin young man lay with a stab wound in his back, his clothes stained with blood. From his appearance, it seemed that he was around 15 years old.
Suddenly, the young man opened his eyes harshly and rose from the ground. In a weakened state, he gazed at the sky obscured by leaves and shouted angrily:
"Ah, you damn cheater!"
The young man was Belial, who had obtained a new body. He felt frustrated with Demon God Jainko due to the tremendous difficulty in defeating him. Belial had even sacrificed himself just to confront Jainko, whom he considered to be playing unfairly.
"His power is unfair!"
Though his complexion was pale and resembled that of a living corpse, pain and frustration radiated from his face. Belial refused to accept this defeat.
He realized that Jainko was a Demon God, yet Belial intentionally chose to fight him. Now, he was angry with the outcome of his foolish actions.
However, Belial acknowledged that the battle ended in a draw, with both Demon God Jainko and the Demon King of Gluttony Belial dying in the confrontation.
"Ah... It's fine, as long as he's dead too," Belial tried to calm himself, though his frustration still lingered. "But still, I'm irritated that I couldn't 'devour' that cheating Demon God!"
Belial indeed couldn't absorb Demon God Jainko, as in the final moments of the battle, he hurriedly used a different ability instead of his Absorption ability.
And even if Belial had used his Absorption ability before employing the Ruler of Soul ability, it still wouldn't have been possible to absorb Demon God Jainko, as Belial himself died first in that fierce battle.
Belial felt annoyed and angry with himself for his fear of death in the final moments of the fight. However, he also felt grateful for being able to come back to life in this world.
"But... What is this world? Is this an alternate Earth?"
His guess was correct; this world was an alternate Earth, but not a modern Earth as he knew it. Instead, it was Earth in the medieval era, with the addition of sword and magic elements. This world resembled the fantasy worlds often encountered in mainstream isekai stories. However, Belial had no knowledge of this and could only speculate.
"I need to gather information about this world quickly. But before that, I have to recover this nearly dead body."
Although his current body was technically dead, Belial could heal any severe injuries he sustained thanks to his Power of Healing ability. In combination with his Power of Time ability, which allowed him to manipulate time, Belial managed to revive his body by healing the wounds and restoring the body to its original state. However, due to a lack of energy, Belial could only use a small portion of his Power of Healing and Power of Time abilities.
If his body had more magical energy at the moment, he might be able to restore it to a perfect condition, rather than in a dying state like now.
Still, Belial remained grateful for what he had now.
"May you rest peacefully in the afterlife, unknown young man," Belial clasped his hands tightly and sincerely prayed, expressing gratitude to the previous owner of this body.
The Demon King of Gluttony, once again... maybe.