(Maou no Himitsu - The Demon Lord's Secret)

Kurosawa Akira stood at the edge of the bustling city, the orange hues of the setting sun casting long shadows across the streets. He was a quiet, unassuming young man, known to his peers as a shy student who barely interacted with others. What none of them knew, however, was that Akira carried within him an unimaginable secret—he was the Demon Lord, ruler of the Underworld, reborn into the mortal realm.Akira lived alone in a small, modest apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo. His neighbors, unaware of his true nature, greeted him kindly in the hallways, but no one ever got too close. He preferred it that way. It made it easier to hide what he really was. For years, Akira had lived among humans, watching them, learning their ways, but never allowing himself to be truly part of their world.As he walked home from school, he thought about the other students in his class. There was Tanaka Yumi, the energetic and bubbly girl who sat behind him, always trying to engage him in conversation. She had a natural talent for getting people to open up, but Akira had built walls too high for even her to climb. Then there was Nakamura Kaito, the class clown, always teasing Akira about his quiet demeanor, never suspecting that beneath his calm exterior lay the power to level entire cities.Akira sighed softly as he entered his apartment, locking the door behind him. He tossed his bag onto the floor and glanced in the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, a young man with dark hair and sharp features, his eyes a deep, unnatural crimson—remnants of his demonic heritage. He let out a breath, his appearance shifting as his eyes returned to their normal, human brown. Maintaining his disguise was second nature now, but it never stopped feeling like a burden.He turned to the small shrine in the corner of the room, where a black crystal floated above a pedestal. It pulsed with a dim, malevolent energy, a constant reminder of who he truly was. The crystal was a fragment of his original power, a link to his past life as the Demon Lord. If he wanted, he could reclaim that power in an instant, but Akira had long since vowed not to use it unless absolutely necessary."Not today," he muttered to himself, turning away from the crystal. He had no need for power here. The world of humans was peaceful compared to the chaos of the Underworld, and he intended to keep it that way.