Reynald Lance. It's the first name I had. The name that I received in my first life as the black general of the Azeroth Kingdom...
When I blocked the demon king's march in order to let the princess and the hero's party save, the demon king challenged me into a duel with our lives as our bet as a form of respect towards my bravery to stand alone against him and his army.
The battle against the demon king ended up in an unexpected draw with the death of both of us. I believe that it must be a very shocking and unexpected outcome as the prophecy mentioned that the one who could slay the demon king is the hero alone.
But before I let out my last breath, the demon king said something strange to me.
"I can't help but think that you're lying against me, Reynald Lance. You've defeated all of my generals and even defeated me in this day. Aren't you the one that should be the hero?" His deep voice entered my ears.
"Don't be stupid, something like being a hero wouldn't match for someone like me," I scoffed.
"Well, indeed... But unlike others who fight with malice as their reason, your heart is filled with only protecting those who you love," said the demon king.
"Isn't it the same with you? I thought that demons are beings that are filled with malice alone. But I didn't sense any of it when I crossed my swords against yours," I asked the demon king.
But without answering, the demon king only smiled in response to my words.
"Reynald Lance, I'll transfer all of my strength, knowledge, and give you my blessings. I get the feeling that maybe you, would be able to accomplish the thing that I could not. It's nice to meet you, Reynald Lance,"
"I hope you could live a happy life in your next life if you're lucky, you may meet the reincarnation of the people you met in this life," said the demon king that looked just like a friendly neighbor towards me.
All I remember after that moment is a pitch dark world. And as if the demon king's wish got came true, I got reincarnated as an undead...
As an undead, I who remember my past searches for my homeland, only to find that the Azeron kingdom completely disappeared from the world.
I spend most of my life searching for hints and traces of the princess and her descendants while protecting the world from the shadows. As an immortal undead, I traveled and waited, hoping that I would meet the reincarnation of the princess.
After getting depressed, I once again surrender my life and save the world by exploding myself together with a meteor that about to crash the earth... Only to find out that I got reincarnated once more...
At the past, the world has the thing called magic and mana that now, in modern days, considered as fantasies. The meteor that I exploded myself with somehow erased almost all of the mana that covered the world, removing the magical talents that all of us were supposed to have.
The first thing I remember when I regained the memories of my previous world is the face of the princess I always searched for before. After desperately searched for her before, I finally able to meet her reincarnation in this world, but...
"What are you looking at, nerd? Go away, you're blocking the way,"
Surprisingly, the rude words came out from a girl that has the spitting image of the princess.
Aleia Azeroth, a beloved princess loved by everyone in the world.
"Hey! I'm talking to you! Are you deaf!?" She shouted even louder than before,
"Ah... Sorry," I apologized as I move to the corner of the corridor. The path is rather wide, but she still asked me to move in such a rude manner. Am I such an eyesore to her?
"Seriously... Are you daydreaming while walking? How disgusting..." She muttered 'loudly' to make sure I heard her mockery.
Why?
Why!?
Just where did the beloved princess of the Azeroth kingdom go to!?
Where did the kind princess that will always smile and always beautiful even when she mad go to!? Why did she turn into such a mannerless girl!?
I really want to go to her parents and give them a lesson or two...
While only able to let out a heavy sigh, I continue to walk towards the teacher's room as the gorilla sensei had asked (Threatened) me to.
*Knock!* *Knock!*
"Excuse me," I said politely as I entered the room.
Wait, where is that gorilla sensei. I searched for the room for a while and finally asked another teacher.
"Excuse me, did you know where Suzuka sensei is, sensei?"
"Ah! She said she'll be waiting for you at the service club's room, Ray. And don't forget that I am still waiting for your answer about the national competition, okay?" answered the sensei.
"Ah. I see. Thank you, Arashima sensei," I thanked Arashima sensei that teaches our physics class. He is one of the teachers that keep on pestering me to join their club or attend some competitions and olympiad because of my scores.
Wait, the service club? I thought that room is just an unused room. Why the hell would she want to meet me there, anyway?
I immediately went towards the so-called service club's room as I can't wait to go home since this place called school is emitting too much social energy that an introverted person like me wouldn't able to bear.
The service club is at the corner of the building, making me walk rather a long way, and mumbled a lot of things because of it, before finally arriving in front of the dusty door of the service club's room.
*Knock!* *Knock!*
"I'm entering, sensei..." I said as I entered the service club's room.
Hm?
When I entered the room, the gorilla sensei that I searched for is nowhere to be seen. Only a single girl, a girl with an unusual white-haired girl. But as someone who knew things that most of the people in this world don't, I need to make sure something about her.
I observe her as I try to sense whether she is emitting a demonic aura or not.
Yes.
In this world, demons still existed. But since the mana that supported their existence almost disappeared, they lost their ability to maintain their physical form. Because of their loss of ability to transform, a normal human couldn't see their form.
Hm... Seems like she's just a normal high school girl, huh...
"Who are you? Why are you-"
"Don't your parents ever taught you to introduce yourself before asking other's name?" I immediately cut her words.
Women are a terrifying existence, especially those in their teens who stand at the top of the social hierarchy. Judging by her way of talk towards me and her cynical eyes, it clearly shows how she usually talks to the other kids.
Those who stand above the social hierarchy tend to look down at those that seem to be under them. If social hierarchy is a person, I would've tortured him for 99 nights before finally killing him.
Looking at her face and the smart vibe she's emitting, she must be the cold smart beauty type of girl. One of the types that I least compatible with.
"Indeed, but I believe that rule should only be applied if the opposition is also a human being," Answered the white-haired girl coldly.
See?
In just a few moments, I immediately got branded as something not or even less than a human...
"Is that so?" I answered indifferently as I about to leave the room and go home since Suzuka sensei is not around. She'll definitely smack me again tomorrow, but it'll be far better than having to be around a rude teenager.
"Are you going to stay silent again? You just got your pride mocked by me, isn't for men, their pride is something that more valuable than their lives? Or are you scared? Is that why you also stay silent when Tachibana-san mocks you?"
What the hell?
Is she a stalker or something?
"Just in case you're wondering why I know that. I just happen to saw it when I'm on my way to this room," She explained her reason as if she knew I just thought that she might be a stalker.
*Sigh*
"Staying silent again, huh..." She sighs.
"Talking back won't help anything, defeating someone's argument doesn't mean we won. Even if I break your argument and make you lose now, it will only break your pride and make you resent me. And after you hold a grudge against me, there is no knowing what thing will you do towards me,"
"W-Well that's..." She seems to be shocked at how I answered her seriously without talking haltingly as my appearance seems to give an impression of a wimpy nerd.
"OK. OK. Let's stop here, shall we," The gorilla sensei's voice suddenly appears from behind the door.
"Seriously... I'm sure that it hasn't even been 5 minutes and both of you had already started to fight with each other?"