Humanity has fallen.
Cities are in flames. Countries have ceased to exist. Those who are still alive are hiding like rats.
The gates of hell have been opened and all kinds of horrors have crawled out onto the earth.
The gods have forgotten us and the heavens have forsaken us. We are left alone to be devoured by the devils. The princes of hell are marching with their armies in search of souls to feed on and they are fighting for the territory of the old earth.
No one will help us. No one will answer our call. We must survive on our own. But I can change that. I have the power to defeat the devils. I will devour them all and take over their powers.
I will build my own happiness, even if I have to become the Demon King.
BZZ. BZZZZ. BZZZZ.
The sound of the alarm clock woke me from my nightmare. I hate this contraption, but today it brought me relief. Thank you, my alarm clock, I promise I will never throw you against the wall again. I thought with a hopeless smile on my face.
Another fucking day. Another day of my wasted life. In 21 years of my life, I have never felt happiness. Every day was a torment. My childhood was full of violence and fear. I did not experience my parents' love, I was their failure. Although I am not ugly or stupid, I have never experienced love. For some reason, people avoid me. As if I were cursed. I tried my luck at studying. But I couldn't afford the tuition fees. And here I am. Hei Kanta. 21-year-old virgin. Living in the cheapest and most run-down apartment available in all of Tokyo. Another miserable day at my hated job. I'm a janitor at the university where I once studied. And that's only because the rector took pity on me knowing my situation. Once I've saved up enough money, I'll go back to university and change my fate... or so I thought.
"Hey, hey, hey! You missed a spot." said a student not much younger than me.
The floor I had been cleaning was perfectly clean. What the hell is he on about?
"Hahahah. Here, bum." He said with a crooked smile, pouring a can of Coke under my feet. "Wipe it off, loser."
Chisaki Kei. One of those who makes my job harder. Because of this bastard, my life is even more frustrating. Everyone turns a blind eye to his behavior. Only because he was lucky enough to be born into a rich family that supports the university financially.
"You could be a little less of a jerk, Chisaki. Everyone knows that if it weren't for your father, the only thing you'd be good for is being a rag for that mop that a 'loser' like me wipes the floor with." I said calmly, smiling warmly. I'll probably lose my job because of this, but fuck it. I've had enough. I'll earn some money another way.
Loud bursts of laughter erupted in the hallway. Even his friends Sasaki and Kento couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Shut the fuck up!" Chisaki shouted. 'Everyone shut the fuck up or you'll be sorry.' 'And you, scum, will be sorry,' he hissed through his teeth, looking at me as if I were his worst enemy. 'I will destroy you,' he added as he walked away.
Well, I fucked up. All I need now is daddy's little boy complaining to the principal. Well, at least there's one less piece of trash in the hallway... for now.
"I'm sorry..." whispered the beautiful, tall student with eyes the color of space. Her long dark hair rippled in the wind, and her gaze fled from mine. "I think you are very brave. And Chisaki... finally someone stood up to him. My name is Sarana. Hotaru Sarana. Please call me Hotaru.
I stared at her for a long time. It was one of those moments when butterflies are raging in your stomach. Her face, her behavior, her gestures, her voice. They were perfect. Too perfect.
- Thank you. Well... he could really use a lesson. Call me Kai. - I replied, slightly overwhelmed by her beauty.
"Well, Kai. I have to go to class, I hope we meet again." She said, patting me lightly on the shoulder. 'Take care, bye for now!' She said as she walked away towards the classroom.
Damn it... I thought. I was doomed.
The next few days passed very quickly. I started to pay a little more attention to what I was wearing and how I looked. My work became more enjoyable. Short conversations with Hotaru made my daily routine more pleasant. What's more, I even started looking forward to each new day, something that had never happened to me before.
I started to eat better and even went to the gym. I had always been quite athletic, but recently my body started to look really good. That's how the next few weeks went by for me. Everything was beautiful until that fateful day.
"Hotaru..." I whispered. I... I never felt this way about any other woman. About anyone else. The prospect of meeting you every day is what gets me out of bed in the morning. I... want more. I would like to get to know you better. I would like you to get to know me better. I have two tickets for tomorrow's premiere at the theater. Won't you come with me? I said it. The hardest words I have ever spoken came out of my mouth. Now it's time for the harsh reality. Time to wake up, I thought.
"Kai..." She said with feeling. 'I thought you'd never ask.' She laughed, slightly flushed. "Of course I'll go with you. Thank you."
Oh, shit. What now?
I smiled nervously. We talked a little more about nonsense and went our separate ways. Had my fate finally changed? I couldn't believe it... it was too good to be true.
I couldn't sleep that night. All I could think about was Hotaru. I prepared as best as I could and I looked really good that day. I went to the agreed place at the agreed time. I was supposed to pick her up from her house.
"Hmm... I would never have thought that someone like Hotaru grew up in such a neighborhood... Well. It doesn't bother me, in fact, I admire her even more." I thought as I walked through the dark alleys of Tokyo. I was at Hotaru's address, but there was only a rundown warehouse here. Could I be wrong? Did I take a wrong turn?
"Hey hey. You missed the spot," said a familiar voice.
I can't believe it... this can't be happening, I thought.
"Come on, Mr. Janitor. You didn't really think a chick like that would fall for a loser like you, did you?" said Chisaki, laughing mockingly along with his friends, who were applauding him.
Hotaru was standing next to them. But I no longer saw a warm smile on her face or a sparkle in her eye. Instead, I saw a look of disgust on her face as she looked at me. That look was meant for me.
"No..." I said quietly.
"But yes, yes. I told you I would destroy you, scum," Chisaki replied, grabbing Hotaru and kissing her in front of me. "Well, scum. Know your place," said Hotaru, her voice like silk but sharper than a knife.
I didn't care anymore. I didn't feel their fists on my body. Or their spit on my face. I know they beat me badly. But I didn't feel anything anymore. I remembered a dream that sometimes haunted me at night. About hellish creatures roaming the earth. About humanity hiding like rats. About me, about the face of a demon devouring other devils.
This hell... this hell is better than this rotten world.
Is it a coincidence? Is it destiny? Is it my salvation?
A moment after Chisaki and his gang left me alone, I heard a hellish roar. The sky turned crimson and blood began to fall from above. The entire horizon was covered in red and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur.
"This... this is impossible," I thought.
"This is fucking impossible," I said with a smile.
"Well, maybe I'm lucky after all."