Why is the Demon King like this?

In summer, the huge sun releases light and heat, and there is a slight smell of burning in the air. The light above the city and on the asphalt roads is slightly distorted, and the tall traffic lights look slightly curved from a distance.

The windows of skyscrapers reflected sunlight, turning the entire city into an oven; thermometers on the streets showed temperatures approaching 40°C.

The occasional breeze that brushed against my face carried an astonishing temperature, like a lion's tongue with its barbs still attached, leaving an unbearable burning sensation on my skin.

This is unusual weather in Tokyo. As a representative of the subtropical maritime monsoon climate, the average annual temperature here is only 15.6 degrees Celsius, and the highest recorded temperature to date is only 39.5 degrees Celsius.

The TV commentators were exaggerating the special nature of this day, as if a fateful moment was about to arrive, immersing people in this sense of adolescent angst, followed by a faint feeling of shame.

The commentators were flanked by idol groups who had all come to the show together. They wore fluffy light yellow skirts that revealed their cute arms and long legs. Even though they were sitting in an air-conditioned studio, they were all exaggerating their agreement.

Another girl with twin ponytails was so sad she was about to cry; she must have been playing the role of a naive and foolish character.

But it was on this very day, such a hot and unusual day, that things really happened.

In what they consider a pivotal moment in Tokyo's history over the past two decades, it's only natural (and perhaps welcome) that some unexpected events occur that idols and television commentators can't comprehend.

"Those staying at home, please take precautions against heatstroke. Those working in the office, please continue working with peace of mind. If someone is found to have heatstroke, please refer to the following measures..."

The next segment began playing on the television, the annual summer heat prevention special. The medical doctor, as a special guest, took the stage amidst cheers and began to speak eloquently.

Beyond the television is a sizable, well-furnished living room.

The TV was mounted on the wall, with a low table underneath. On the table were a jumble of different types of game controllers, a game console covered in wires, a cell phone with a protective case made of a short-haired, blue-haired anime girl, and a flat electronic clock.

The time is displayed on the dial.

"16:02:13"

On the other wall, the air conditioner flashed a regular red light, but no cold air came out. Sometime later, the outdoor unit had stopped working, and several streaks of water seeping from the condenser pipes slid down the painted wall.

The enclosed room was now like an oven, bathed in sunlight, and every breath felt like a fire in one's throat.

In this stuffy room, a tall young man lay on a mat on the floor, looking like a corpse, his face extremely pale and his brows unconsciously furrowed.

His appearance can be described as quite handsome and pleasing to the eye. Beneath his slightly curly, tousled hair are deep-set features rarely seen in Japanese people, with thick eyebrows and thin, distinct lips. Unfortunately, due to heatstroke, his eye sockets have deepened and his lips have turned pale, which has ruined the overall beauty of his face.

He wore a white T-shirt with the Chinese characters "World's Second" printed on it, and a pair of large red NBA All-Star style basketball shorts.

Another noteworthy point is that the young man's muscles, exposed outside his clothes, were still twitching from time to time, indicating that he was still alive. Just then, a medical doctor on TV explained the situation of severe heatstroke. If there was no mistake, the young man was now the best teaching tool for him.

"bite--"

At that moment, the phone screen on the low table lit up, and a Line message from Rena Kobayashi popped up:

"Senior, why didn't you come to work today? ヾ(｡｀Д´｡)ﾉ彡"

"I'm going to have to cover for my senior's shift now!"

"Moses Moses~?๑╹◡╹)ﾉ"

The young man's pale face flickered slightly at the sound of the phone ringing, and his furrowed brows almost instantly tightened.

After all, replying to phone messages is a modern instinct.

"Well--"

His eyelids trembled, his chest heaved, and then his shallow breathing became rapid and intense.

His shriveled lips trembled, uttering indistinct syllables.

Finally, the young man's eyes snapped open, filled with intense emotion, his eyebrows sharply raised. He abruptly sat up and roared:

"Brave!!!"

His body instinctively wanted to continue fighting the hero for another three hundred rounds with his sword, but his weak body could no longer support his movements, so the back of his head slammed back heavily onto the cool mat.

With a loud "bang".

In an instant, all the pain in the boy's body became clear, and his head felt like it was being twisted together.

Fatigue and pain caused his muscles to twitch repeatedly, and the intense tinnitus accompanied by nausea made him curl up into a ball.

Did I not die, but was captured and tortured by humans?

Fragmented memories flooded his mind, including not only the swordplay of conquering the world and the chest pierced by a hero before his death, but also many unfamiliar memories.

Ok? !

The two memories intertwined, causing him to clutch his hair and groan in pain.

He forced himself to start chanting the incantation in an attempt to alleviate his symptoms, but to his even greater surprise, the incantation failed to activate any magic at all.

"What happened?"

As more and more unfamiliar memories flooded in, he almost fell into a deep sleep again, but his will was strong, and he resisted his body's protective instincts.

Um--

I've been transported to another world?

Even if he is the Demon King, it's too absurd for him to encounter something like this.

After a long while, a little more sweat seeped from the body, and the boy's confused consciousness finally cleared up a bit.

He temporarily set aside those chaotic memories and instinctively made his way to the refrigerator. Thank goodness, the journey wasn't too far.

He stubbornly stood up, holding onto the side of the refrigerator. The moment he opened the refrigerator, a blast of cold air hit him, and he let out a joyful cry as if he had been saved.

He took out a can of barley tea that was one-third full and drank it straight from the can, taking big gulps.

"Phew!" This time, I'm finally out of danger.

"Ding—" On the other side, the cell phone on the low table rang again.

"Senpai~ Are you alright? Are you playing some weird galgame again?" It was still Rena Kobayashi's message.

"I'm about to get off work, do you need me to come over? I can get you a cheap bento box~"

"If you don't reply within five minutes, I'll come over immediately after get off work!"

"That thing... it should be a cell phone? Let's go check it out first."

The inability to sense any magic made the Demon King wary, and he decided to carefully observe this new environment first.

I glanced at the barley tea in my hand and could easily read the words on the bottle.

Looking up again, I saw that the air conditioner had stopped working.

He rubbed his temples, quickly grabbed his phone, and then swiftly returned to the area covered by the refrigerator to enjoy the cool air.

Seven messages have accumulated about Rena Kobayashi, the last one being a hippopotamus with a serious expression and piercing eyes.

Why a hippopotamus?!

The Demon King automatically pictured Kobayashi Rena's face in his mind. She was a colleague he worked with at the convenience store, and coincidentally, she was also a first-year student at the same high school. She was sweet and charming, with cute dimples on her cheeks when she smiled, and had a lively personality that made her very likable.

However, in my memory, the relationship could only be described as somewhere between familiar and unfamiliar.

The young man closed his eyes and thought carefully for a while, confirming the style of his usual replies.

"Thank you for your concern, Kobayashi-chan, but I just overslept because the air conditioning was so comfortable! I'm so sorry!"

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"Next time you need me, please let me cover your shift!"

The young man gave a soft hum and casually put down his phone. Replying to this message unexpectedly gave him a sense of disconnect and shame.

"Let's put aside the details for now and first confirm the current situation..."

He carried two bottles of barley tea, one to his forehead and the other to his chest, and walked barefoot into the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror, he carefully examined his body.

His limbs were long but weak, and his body exuded an aura of weakness and worthlessness. Moreover, he was dressed in clothes that had no taste whatsoever.

"Is this the style known as 'otaku'?"

The body feels real, the memories feel real, and this luxury apartment on the thirteenth floor feels real as well.

He touched his face with his slender fingers, then his neck, his chest, and down—undoubtedly, he was a "human".

As the king of the demon race, he suddenly became a weak human... Although he was unwilling to accept it, the reality was what it was.

The Demon King Bezep Morton Ulysses traveled through countless ages and dimensions to arrive in this strange new world, where there are no goddesses, no heroes, and certainly no so-called "Demon King".

From this moment forward, he will continue to live as the human "Ao Keisuke".

Stomping hard on his aching and numb feet, Aokiji turned on the tap and splashed some water on his face to keep himself conscious. Then, leaning against the wall, he continued to process the memories of this world.

The feeling of being reborn left Keisuke with mixed emotions: the dejection and resentment of failing to achieve his goal, the guilt of not being able to die with his subordinates, the shame of living a cowardly life, and a little bit of relief.

But he also believes that avoiding one's negative emotions is even more shameful!

So he chose to accept it, with a magnanimity far beyond that of ordinary people, accepting everything, whether it was a punishment or a gift from fate, and from then on taking this life seriously.

Keisuke Ao's memories are not pleasant, and they can't compare to his unrestrained and carefree life as a demon king.

Weak personality, laziness, incompetence, and refusal to socialize... these are all his flaws, to the point that even his handsome appearance cannot help him become a normal person.

Besides their own flaws, this family was also unfortunate.

Due to his parents' busy work schedules, they were absent from most of Keisuke Ao's childhood.

To make matters worse, his parents went missing during a trip more than three months ago. The search and rescue team searched for more than a month in the mountains without success and eventually withdrew from the search, only nominally continuing to look for the two.

The already weak boy was dealt a heavy blow and never recovered, eventually becoming the host of Lord Bezep.

Aokiji wiped away the tears that inexplicably streamed down his face. His brows furrowed at first, then slowly relaxed.

"Since your memories have inevitably affected me, I will live a new life for you in your name, Ao Keisuke!"

You're trash, but I'm not!

He smiled and brushed aside his wet bangs, revealing a tired but confident face in the mirror.