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Countless times have passed. No, to be precise, only Luke’s time has passed. The world, excluding Luke, has continued to be destroyed and rewinded repeatedly.

Each time, Arthur changed, and Luke helped him as much as he could with the information he knew. Yet, in the end, only destruction at the hands of the Demon God awaited.

The Demon God always looked at Luke and said the same thing before vanishing.

How many lives have I already lived? Luke gave up counting once the number crossed three digits. Once a steadfast supporter of Arthur, he was now exhausted.

At this point, he felt nothing even when he saw Arthur die. They were all different people. They weren’t the real Arthur but strangers he did not know.

Sometimes Arthur did nothing at all, as if the world’s destruction was a foregone conclusion.

Sometimes Arthur left the Academy and acted alone. Of course, Luke clung to him like a leech, but ultimately, that ending wasn’t good either.

At times, Arthur massacred the people at the Academy. That was the worst for Luke. Because at that moment, he had killed Arthur with his own hands.

Now he’s tired. Why does he remember everything and suffer like this? Why can he never die and always survive until the end? Would suicide finally mean everything is over?

– Are you resentful? Then come find me.

In that instant, the words of the Demon God came to mind. Now he could understand what they meant. In this life, Luke had done nothing.

As destruction approached, under the red-stained sky, Luke faced the Demon God.

“… I came just like you said. So tell me how to end this hell.”

[Is that so… It seems I have finally been found.]

“What?”

[Just talking to myself. Even if I want to tell you how, it seems I’m too late this time, so next time, come find me directly.]

The Demon God revealed to Luke the method to reach the Demon Realm. More specifically, she told him how to contact her. If he used the method she revealed from a designated location, she would come to fetch him in person.

It was already too late to do anything in this life. The moment he spoke, the world collapsed, and everything returned. He learned for the first time that humans weren’t the only ones caught up in it. The Demon God in front of him also turned to dust and vanished.

When he regained consciousness, he was already in the dormitory he had seen over a hundred times. Luke took only his sword and left the Academy directly. The location was the place the Demon God had indicated.

There, he drew the Magic Circle as instructed by the Demon God and arranged the materials he prepared along the way according to their directions.

As the last ingredient, he needed blood. Luke shallowly cut his wrist with a knife to let the blood flow. Soon, his blood was drawn into the Magic Circle, and the space tore apart.

Emerging from the torn space was the Demon God.

[Hmm? Who are you? How do you know this method?]

“You told me.”

[Is that so? I understand the situation now. So, have you made up your mind?]

“… Yeah.”

It had been a long time since he made up his mind. To end this damned cycle of reincarnation. And for that purpose, he would use the Demons and the Demon God as much as necessary.

Hearing Luke’s response, the Demon God stepped into the torn space. Though she didn’t speak, there was an unmistakable feeling of “follow me.”

What reflected in Luke’s eyes was a certain audience room. Yet the colors had an otherworldly, artificial feel to them.

“Where is this…?”

[This is the Demon Realm. Just imagine that the Empire has been turned upside down.]

It was an audience room in a palace he had never seen before. Once, working here had been a dream, but now he’d given it all up.

“So. I came to find you as you said. How do I end this damn curse?”

[It’s simple. Just kill the God.]

He had thought about it at least once. Why were there no gods when there were Demon Gods? Demons kill humans; why doesn’t the God send angels? If there really is a God, why has he given him such trials?

All questions had been resolved. The God was merely a bystander who enjoyed the pain of the creations.

“Weren’t you able to kill him?”

[Neither I nor she can harm each other. Our attacks are blocked regardless of our will.]

“What do you expect me to do for something you can’t do?”

[What matters is that it isn’t me. You must grow strong enough to kill me.]

Grow as strong as the Demon God? Did she think that was possible for a human? If it were possible, he wouldn’t have come this far. He would have ended it all by killing Arthur and the Demon God.

[You seem to be doubting. While it may be impossible for an ordinary human, it is possible for a divine agent.]

“… I’m not some divine agent.”

[That is for me to decide. You’ve seen it, haven’t you? The humans who always stood in my way.]

He knew it all too well, having seen it countless times. Every time, someone would stand before the Demon God, and regardless of who they were, their purpose culminated at the Demon God.

“… Arthur.”

Arthur… The hosts within Arthur had all been agents of that damned bystander.

“So I’ve become your agent?”

Even if she was a Demon God, a God is still a God. She must be able to create agents.

[First, you must give up your humanity to become my agent.]

Did she mean he had to become a Demon? He could do that without issue. If she wanted it, he could do it right now.

[Do you know how a human becomes a Demon?]

“… Accept Demonic energy.”

The way a human becomes a Demon is to accept Demonic energy. Whether it’s through the help of a Demon or another Demon.

That way, even a newborn could easily give up their humanity.

[Then do you know how a human becomes a Demon Lord?]

“… What?”

A human can become a Demon Lord? That was news to him. He had seen humans become Demons but had never seen one become a Demon Lord in history.

[Karma. Also known as sins. As you commit sin, your soul escapes from humanity.]

Having experienced many things and believing he was fully prepared for whatever she might ask, Luke was taken aback by the next words of the Demon God.

[You must kill every human on the continent with your own hands to accumulate Karma.]

*

– You must kill every human on the continent with your own hands to accumulate Karma.

The method to become a Demon Lord was simple. Just kill all the races. He could improve his skills while personally killing them, and if a person stronger than him appeared, the Demon God would help him.

Initially hesitant about massacring innocent people, Luke nevertheless had his own plan.

According to the Demon God, the condition for time to rewind was that all humanity must die.

Naturally, Luke had asked if that wasn’t meaningless, and the Demon God replied:

– The sins you accumulate will belong to your soul. No matter how much time passes, or if it rewinds, those sins will never disappear.

Then, when he killed everyone and committed suicide, time would once again rewind. If everything would revert anyway, Luke felt more at ease thinking that way.

Even though he knew this was self-justification, the long-worn psyche had made him feel he had no choice but to think this way.

Therefore, with the help of the Demon God, Luke returned to the continent. He would start immediately. There was no need to drag things out.

But when he returned, he wasn’t alone like when he left. The moment he arrived, the invasion began. Luke appeared in the city of Dwarfs, Marquina, accompanied by the Demon God and Demons.

Starting from Marquina, his sense of guilt gradually dulled. Beastman Kingdom, the village of Elves and the World Tree, Alvheim. He no longer felt any guilt in slaughtering all races except humans.

And finally, the country of humans, the Empire. Luke emerged from the sewers of the Empire through a prepared portal and immediately invaded the Royal Palace.

For the first time in his life, he easily faced the Emperor he had never seen before. The Emperor tried to say something, but from the beginning, there was no room for negotiation.

Before the Emperor could say anything, his mouth was sealed by the Demon God.

[Kill him. The absence of a commander in an invasion means a lot.]

Though the Demon God possessed overwhelming power, she was also a strategist. That’s why, throughout many lives, the Empire could never defeat the Demon God.

Luke killed the Emperor in an instant, without pain. Then he proceeded to kill the servants within the Royal Palace one by one.

Just then, knights adorned with gold-embroidered armor rushed in to stop Luke.

The Royal Guard had appeared to oppose Luke and the Demon God.

But now, even the Royal Guard couldn’t stop Luke.

“Ugh… that damned Demon bastard!”

“…”

Before Luke, a kneeling knight spoke. Even after such a long time, even though his face was hidden behind a helmet, that voice was unforgettable. He wouldn’t forget, as it had sparked his dreams.

– Overcome the unfairness with your skills and prove it to everyone.

In the knight’s eyes, Luke appeared just as a Demon. The young man who once chased his dreams was nowhere to be found.

– Squelch.

Thus, Luke killed the knight he respected as well.

“L-Lucas…? Is that really you…?”

“… I’m sorry.”

– Squelch.

He killed his beloved mother too.

He had exterminated almost all of humanity with the help of the Demon God, leaving only two survivors. One of the two was a nameless citizen of the Empire. He had left that person alive as a trigger to prevent time from rewinding when he killed the man before him.

And now, Luke was overlooking the last person struggling. As always, the last was the one who stood in front of the Demon God, Arthur. He had long ago been defeated and was on the brink of death.

The Demon God, watching the scene, casually remarked.

[You did well.]

“… Shut up.

I didn’t do this to receive praise from a mere Demon God.

“What should I do now?”

[You’ve accumulated enough Karma, so you need to discard your current body and transfer your soul into a new one.]

“Where do I get a new body?”

Seeing is believing. Rather than explaining, the Demon God chose to show him. When she reached out her hand, a disturbing energy surged.

Soon, that energy flowed into every opening of Arthur’s body, and after suffering in agony, Arthur eventually met his demise.

His body gradually lost its color, transforming into that of a Demon. Yet it was a corpse quite different from that of a typical Demon.

[Lie beside him.]

Luke followed the Demon God’s instructions. He felt no sense of rejection. It was far too late for that now.

Lying next to Arthur’s corpse, the Demon God’s hand approached Luke.

[Transferring the soul will hurt a bit.]

After all the battles he’d fought, how much injury had he endured? He’d lost his eyes and had all his limbs severed before.

While Luke felt nothing, the accompanying pain caused a groan to escape his lips.

“Ugh… Aaaah…!”

It was like having his heart ripped out with bare hands. Such an analogy was insufficient. The pain of transferring his soul was beyond expression.

Due to the extreme pain, Luke’s consciousness faded at a certain moment. When Luke opened his eyes again, the first thing that entered his sight was the cold, lifeless body lying on the floor—his own.

[How do you feel?]

“… Not bad. Rather, it feels great.”

His new body was much better than his previous one, which could never surpass human limits no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t know whether it was because this body was that of the chosen adversary of the Gods or if it was the influence of being a Demon.

[Even if time rewinds, your body will not return to your old one. Come find me again in the next life. And kill me. Absorbing my sins will complete all preparations.]

“How do I find the God?”

[When you kill the final agent, she will come to find you herself. She cannot rewind time without killing you, now that you have become the new Demon God.]

Finally, he could point his sword at that damned God’s face. Unknowingly, Luke smiled.

“At last…?”

In elation, Luke killed the last human he had set as a trigger. Once again, the world crumbled down.

*

When all the memories ended, the three returned to their original location. It wasn’t a white space, but rather the dormitory of Luke… no, the Demon God in the Demon Realm.

The ones who glimpsed the memories soon returned to their original location.

 

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