[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]

Well...

It's good to say that Gele really was the kindest person I've ever met, almost rivaling my little sister in that aspect, too.

Sucks to say that Lia doesn't really know that much about cooking, but that was fine.

Though, while me and my fellow orphans were eating our breakfast, I couldn't help but feel strange stares from everyone all around me.

I almost couldn't really tell if those stares were of disgust, anger, and alienation. It felt very confusing so I merely shrugged the stares as if they meant absolutely nothing to me.

But later enough, I was called by Gele, and had to go face-to-face with her for a reason I wouldn't know yet.

"Gamma."

Her stern expression, along with that tone of hers kind of made me flinch. It was obvious she was worried for me.

"Yes?"

"Why were you soaked in sweat when I found you in your room? Was something wrong, or did you have a terrible nightmare that frightened you?"

And here I thought she would be worried all about me changing personalities. But you know, something about her from the previous screens gave me a feeling of what seems to be a Red Flag.

For a moment, I looked down to reconsider my options... literally as screens appeared right in front of my sight.

{ A. Tell her that you have been inside a horrible nightmare (Lie) }

{ B. Tell her you wanted to protect her and later marry her }

{ C. Tell her that she has nothing to worry about (Lie) }

Option A would just do absolutely nothing but possibly make her suspicious of me, and Option B is... almost makes me want to frown.

Option C, however just makes me feel more like a suspicious person.

Having no other choice I stared her deep to her eyes with burning resolve and determination.

"Big Sister Gele. I have a confession to make." I began to speak, and she leaned forward to carefully listen to me as she was becoming curious. "I have been in a horrible nightmare including you in it. You were... dying. And I couldn't do anything to help you. I cannot properly describe how you looked, but I still recognized you in that dream..."

A look of surprise and disbelief washes over Gele's face.

"That nightmare alone was a premonition, I'm sure of it! That's why when you found me sweating on the floor, that was me trying my best to train." I stated, forcing my self to not be too overdramatic.

And yes, my body is aching due to that.

"And Gele... I do wish to marry you once I'm of age."

{ Gele will remember that }

Wow, that was quite sudden for me. I almost wished I could feel more embarrassed right now...

Yet Gele seemed to not mind it, as she began processing what I spoke, and unexpectedly, she seemed to reluctantly smile after letting out a chuckle

"Even so..." Gele gently mumbled, though I couldn't hear the rest of what she was speaking under her mouth. "... Then I suppose I do need an assistant."

Confused, I tilted my head sideways.

Assistant?

Then, Gele smiled toothily, closing her eyes and leaning her head towards an open palm.

"Gamma, I don't need you to just be strong. I also need you to be smarter, like me!" She stated, reaching out to me with her other hand and patting my head. "That's why, I'm going to be teaching you what I know... alright?"

I nodded my head, knowing that because I made her a promise, I had to uphold it. Even if it looked very embarrassing, that promise is and will be one.

After all, I'm a man (... child?) of my own word.

"Alright, let's begin our lessons."

Was all I heard before darkness consumed my vision, and several screens began to appear one by one.

{ Having spoken those words truthfully and honesty, Gele became very worried and aware of her future, even while she doubted your words. To try preventing this, she began to personally become your mentor while willingly limiting her philosophical work all around the New Opiros Empire }

{ Only after a week later were the time when your bullies began to notice that you were getting taught by Gele and seem to begin "winning her heart" by your interactions and desperately wanted to be taught by her. They were soon forced out after being found out plotting to break her inventions and paint you as the initiator of her problem. }

{ Due to that, their hatred against you increased }

Right... I'll have to remember that...

{ And so... 11 months passed }

{ Gele was away for official business hours ago, leaving you alone under the shade of a tree, sitting on it's massive roots. Although constant invasive thoughts about you wanting to go after Gele surfaced, you steeled yourself into training as hard as possible to be able to protect her. }

Then, my eyes were forced open as a wave of exhaustion slammed on my entire body, a feeling I have been too familiar for a long while.

Sweat covering my body, aching pain on my joints, and a wooden sword beside me.

Calm, slow breaths were only needed here. I should relax in no time as the gentle breeze coming from the east washed over me, allowing me to think more clearly.

After a while, I stood up and walked away from the tree, and into the countryside village where I... this sinulated body of mine had been living for such a long time.

It was then I noticed that the village seemed to be very... empty.

A feeling of dread begins to shower over me, and due to that alone I raised my meager wooden sword, treading the dry path towards the orphanage.

Did something happen while I was training? I mean, the tree I had rested upon and this village takes only 15 minutes of walking just to get to either locations.

But once I was in front of the door on the orphanage, my instincts flared as I immediately hopped to the side as a sword stuck out from the door, almost impaling my head had I not dodged it.

Then, I swiftly turned around and parried a hard wooden stick aimed to my head, preventing myself from getting knocked out unconscious.

The person who tried to knock me unconscious was none other than a villager with an expression full of animosity.

The villager retreated afterwards in fear, and the door behind me opened, revealing a red haired man with green eyes, staring at me with disgust.

"So you have possessed this boy's body, Demon King Nighcisa..." A man spoke after pointing his sword at me, and then, the villagers began to come out from hiding.

There was also a hooded man staring at me in the distance behind those villagers. Yet just looking at me made me feel very, very threatened.

That man was... dangerous.

Who was he?

The more I stared at him, the more dread and fear filled my heart, so I immediately forced myself to look away from him, only looking at the man staring at me and those villagers surrounding me with the intention of not letting me escape.

They held pitchforks, shovels, and even

"Cony! Is what you're saying is true? That he's been acting more strangely almost a year ago?" The red haired man asked, before a boy exited from the orphanage.

Despite having only seen him, a tinge of anger had grown from my heart, he... Cony... felt familiar. Was that teenager one of the people who bullied Gamma, the boy who I currently was given control of?

"Yes! He rarely plays with us and stuck with Gele all the time! It's almost as if he was corrupting her!" The older boy, Cody, spoke, obviously lying through his teeth. "If we get too close, he'll just beat us up smiling and we have to get healed by the local priest afterwards!"

Several other orphans exited the orphanage, saying things that sounded so... nonsensical like I was Nighcisa's servant, a fiend, and a demon.

Unaware of my hatred seeping through me, my fists clenched while my head lowered.

It's almost becoming unbearable. The stares of animosity from the villagers, the pitying expression of the red-haired man, and those mischievous smiles from the orphans older than me.

But...

... This is just a simulation, right?

I am free to do what I want without regret, even if everything feels so... real. Even if I feel guilt, sorrow, or sadness.

Yes, but... Gele...

I was brought out of my inner thoughts when a hand patted my shoulder. I looked up and saw that same red haired man trying to comfort me.

"Child, I shall free you from the Demon King's control. You shall suffer no more, for Goddess ALICE is all merciful, and will cleanse your soul after your death to be reincarnated safely."

... What?!

"... So please, stay where you are. Resist the Demon King's temptation and let me put you to rest."

I was in shock.

That only meant one thing; death. Gamma would die, and the simulation would end in such a short period of time (1.75 Hours).

And I hated it so, fucking, much.

I want this simulation to be as memorable as possible for me. So I would not feel quite empty and the simulation wouldn't be as rewarding as I expected.

Therefore...

When the sword from the red-haired man began to go down, and the joyful, happy, relieved expressions of most of the people watching me have already shown up.

As prince, I cannot accept such a dishonorable death; it would taint my pride and pierce my heart with deep regret I would remember for years.

So I did what I needed to do.

"[Lesser Haste]."

Leap forward to evade the , and strike Cony with the wooden sword which had been reinforced with mana. My sword pierced him through his eye in the blink of an eye.

Heh, pun intended.

I'm probably around Level 40, almost as powerful as my real-world self so this will be a piece of cake.

With another blink, I pulled out my wooden sword and slammed it to the older orphan's arm, breaking it.

"GYYAAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!"

The boy screamed, and I smiled quite gleefully before I immediately glared at the man who tried to kill me.

"Resist the Demon King's temptations, huh? Shut up. I've been me ever since I was born. I'm just showing my true colors since you fools failed to notice until now." I lied through my teeth, guessing the other, minor details of Gamma since the System showed me too little.

Looks of shock, surprise and fear were sent to me. And I merely sighed.

"Thanks to Gele I was able to suppress my feeling of utterly murdering all of you for a long while... Now that you've shown your true colors I have shown mine too."

I'll kill then all, knowing I might be scolded or even feared by Gele. She might see me as a villain, a demon or anything she might think of.

And once more, I apologize, Sister Gele. But my hand was forced. I was forced to end their lives. This was the only vengeance I could inflict upon them.

They betray me, I give them what they needed in equal force.

[ ~ Line • Break ~ ]

...

An entire hour had passed since then.

Weak and tired, I sat near the wall of the orphanage, staring at the many bodies piled on the ground, beaten, bruised, and bleeding.

One of my arms was missing, and it HURT really bad. It's as if many venomous ants had bitten my arm and injected irritating, heavily allergic venom to it.

Fire burned most of the village by now due to my fight against him, who was supposed to have been the son of the former hero Quetabuno, the one who supposedly slew Demon King Nighcisa years ago from whoever I heard jt.

That also meant... that bastard had fucking protagonist plot armor! What the fuck!?

I wanted to rest. I've exhausted myself from the battle.

Yet... that same hooded man walked out from the smoke. The same sense of dread and fear began to surround my entire body, but I steeled my mind, calming and relaxing myself while ignoring that dreaded feeling.

Upon closer inspection, the hooded man had pale skin and blonde hair. His eyes had no pupils, but his crimson sclerae can only be seen, though if I had stared at him long enough, there would be a semblance of regret, sorrow and pity in his eyes.

He had no eyebrows, but it seemed like laughing at the man over it would only make him end my life sooner.

"Child." He began to speak, though I couldn't help but notice a wheeze under his breath. "You're dying."

I glared at the man who seemed to look amused at me.

"Tsk... Ain't it obvious? I got betrayed by everyone for the stupidest reasons. And yet ironically... you're also dying."

Suddenly, the man frowned looking away from me, before he sighed.

"Then I suppose I could save your life for that alone... Gamma. I only know of your name because I've been listening way earlier."

The man knelt beside me, then picked me up in a bridal position. I'm not his bride or anything, this body is too young for this.

... I'm becoming sleepy, so I closed my eyes...

{ You are now the Fifth Demon King }

{ You have earned the favor of the (Former) Demon King Nighcisa }

... WHAT?!

[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]

Fun Fact: I suppose Lia and her brother Leon will have one thing in common: Sadism.