In those days, everything had been dull.
If Demon Lord Beelzebub’s life as a demon were to be summed up in one adjective, there would’ve been no better choice. He’d been born under the most powerful Noble lineage in the entire underworld, the one stationed in the demon lord’s castle, and possessed the all-powerful Ultimate Zenith skill. He’d instantly eliminated all competition for the throne without expending any effort at all. From the day he’d been born, he’d been able to do anything. Everything had been gifted to him on a silver platter.
I invaded the human world because I thought it might be a little fun, but no human has reached my castle’s throne in the past century. Beelzebub had transported his castle to the human world with his magic and had since spent his time sitting upon his throne, bored out of his mind.
One day, he heard news that his army was struggling thanks to the efforts of seven particular humans. His subordinates were in complete panic, but Beelzebub had grown weary of the invasion. Everything would be over right away if he applied himself—or so he’d thought, when a lone human arrived in his throne room.
“I finally made it, demon lord.”
The demon lord’s first human visitor was a young man. He must have defeated several deployed guards on the way there.
“Hmm.” Beelzebub used his Fairy Sight to examine the man’s abilities. What is this weakling doing here?
The man was too pitiful to even consider an enemy, much less a threat. He possessed the lowest potential among most humans, a species that was feeble as it was. Beelzebub held some expectations at first, but even looking at the man was, frankly, a waste of his time.
However, despite his injured hands, the challenger hoisted his sword at the ready and took a step forward.
“I’ve devoted my entire life to come here and defeat you. Bring it on, demon lord!”
“I hate to rain on your parade when you’re so passionate about this, but you’ll lose in a matter of seconds.”
The fight began soon afterward, only to end with Beelzebub’s defeat. He suffered a deep wound from the challenger’s sword, clad in mana of light. Acute pain stabbed through him as his body was extinguished from the inside.
“Rrgh... How did I...lose to a talentless person like you?” Beelzebub asked through the pain.
His Fairy Sight’s ability to discern an enemy’s potential was absolute. The challenger’s aptitude was practically nonexistent. He was a failure, a nobody who couldn’t be compared to the demon lord on the same scale.
“Because I put in the effort! Humans can grow stronger,” the man replied. His imposing, heroic expression was filled with determination and conviction.
“Humans...” Beelzebub muttered back.
What bizarre creatures humans were. Their lives came to an end quickly, their bodies were brittle, their mana was meager, yet they still somehow exhibited impressive strength and tenacity.
I thought I had everything from the moment I was born, but this man has what I don’t. If effort is the source of his strength, then, if I’m given another chance...
✦ ✦ ✦
“So I tried the same thing you did! All for the sake of our rematch!” Beelzebub pointed his right hand at Alan and started preparing a spell. “I put in the effort! Black Magic, Number Thirty-Eight!”
Alan, powered by his mana of light, and Beelzebub floated in midair as they fought. Beelzebub’s spell caused a mass of black mana to burst through the ground and spout toward Alan like a geyser.
Dammit! Trying to cancel this out head-on would take too much out of me! Alan used his light just to protect his own body and dodged out of the way of the incoming black geyser. Beelzebub already had ample energy and control for his magic the last time, but now, he’s beyond even that!
Beelzebub had refined his magic down to the last detail; not a single iota of mana was going to waste. The same could be said for his swordsmanship. He was a far cry from his past self who’d simply relied on his natural strength and abilities. His expertly executed slashes assaulted Alan one after the other, better than he ever could with his innate abilities alone.
These past twenty-five years, he’d truly gone above and beyond to improve himself. All in order to defeat the Champion who’d once killed him, much like Alan had worked hard to defeat the demon lord the first time. As a result, he’d taken his natural physical and magical skills from the strongest in the underworld to the strongest in any world. He was now truly unparalleled in every aspect of battle. Conversely, Alan no longer surpassed him in anything. With such a gulf between them, even the advantage granted by the mana of light was like a drop in the ocean.
“Black Magic, Number Forty-Nine.” Beelzebub summoned an even vaster amount of mana than before. However, he wasn’t brute forcing his way utilizing a large quantity of mana, but delicately composing his spell like an artist putting the finishing touches on their masterpiece.
“Evil Tree, Black Yggdrasil!”
He activated a large-scale spell, parting the ground to sprout a massive black tree over thirty meters tall. Its sharp branches extended like rivulets diverging from a larger muddy stream. Thousands of them rushed at Alan like a phalanx of black spears.
There are too many to avoid! Alan was left with no other choice. With a loud battle cry, he emitted a large quantity of mana of light to intercept the jet-black spears. His plan was to defend by completely erasing the spell attacking him, but his plan wasn’t foolproof.
A cry of pain escaped Alan’s mouth as his defenses were broken through. The demon lord’s boundless mana and expert magic handling had been enhanced by his diligent training, making his spell impossible to fully block. The black branches enveloped Alan and sent him crashing into the ground, causing a shock wave to erupt around him.