Since You've Returned: Death
Death. Also known as eternal rest. A sleep from which one never wakes, a state of silence and stillness also called eternal repose. Yet within that abyss of rest, which should have lasted forever, I could feel it. It was as if something were forcibly dragging my slumbering body upright. The sensation reminded me of my late mother waking me from bed as a child… unpleasant, yet somehow tender. Drawn by that warm, irresistible touch, my consciousness, sunk to the bottom of the abyss, began to sharpen once more.
“Hah!”
With a ragged gasp, my eyes flew open. The first thing I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling—dim, stained with black dust and moss. Clearly, this was no afterlife. Puzzled, I pushed myself upright.
‘What happened? I was definitely killed by the hero’s hand…’
I had been caught completely off guard, unarmed and unarmored, and slain in an ambush. My limbs severed, my heart pierced, my body finally burned away by the Holy Sword’s flames. Yet here I was, unmistakably alive. The black horns at my temples, the pair of wings at my waist, a body without a single wound, and the Demon King’s power still coursing through me told me everything: I had resurrected whole and unharmed. Only the tattered pants covering my lower half remained.
‘I came back to life? But how… Even the Demon King should be finished once dead…’
At that moment, a single fact surfaced in my mind. I frantically looked down at my dirt-caked hands. There, on my finger, sat a small jeweled ring. Its band was gold, and at its center rested a fingernail-sized black gem—now cracked, as though struck by something. Through that broken ring, I understood how I had survived the Holy Sword’s divine power. It was a one-use revival item from the original story, obtainable by looting a mid-boss’s chamber. As the Demon King, I had simply “requisitioned” it legally right after possessing this body.
‘Honestly, I only wore it because the design appealed to me… Never thought it would save me like this.’
Setting aside my unexpected good fortune, I carefully scanned my surroundings. My eyes, which pierced darkness with ease, revealed a ruined underground graveyard. Demon corpses and coffins lay scattered about. A wave of discomfort rose in me; even as Demon King, the sight of rotting bodies was never pleasant. Yet something far worse than mere revulsion clawed at my mind—the memory of my betrayal and death at the hero’s hands. My expression twisted involuntarily.
‘Elise… That bitch. I never imagined she’d stab me in the back like that…’
I still didn’t know why she, who had always seemed amicable, had chosen to betray me. But the memory of her shredding my trust left a sickening twist in my gut and ignited a burning thirst for vengeance against the hero and the free races who repaid my goodwill with treachery.
‘I won’t let this go… I’ll collect this debt without fail…’
With that resolve, I began making my way out. There was no reason to linger here when I had sworn revenge on the trash that had done this. So much to do—my mind raced with urgency as I listed my priorities.
‘First, gather my subordinates and prepare for war. With my power and the Demon King’s army combined, the free races will be swept away in an instant…’
Emerging from the graveyard, I intended to head straight for the Demon King’s castle. But—
“…Huh?”
The sight that greeted me outside stopped me cold. The miserable ruins of a fallen city. The capital of the Demon Kingdom—Abaddon—where my castle, my home, and the place I had been slain now lay in devastation.
“What… What is this?”
The Demon King’s castle, collapsed. Roads overturned, buildings crumbled and burned. And everywhere—scattered, decaying demon corpses. Not only soldiers who had fought, but young men still clutching farming tools, elderly men cut in half at the waist, women with their outer garments stripped and hearts pierced, and beside them, the small bodies of demon children, their heads severed. The scene was nothing short of a one-sided massacre, not a battle. The sheer horror of it eclipsed even my earlier rage, leaving only thick bewilderment and instinctive revulsion.
“How… How did this happen? What the hell went on here…”
The corpses had been rotting for months at least. That meant this devastation had occurred at least that long ago. The timeline, the reality—none of it made sense. Overwhelming confusion seized me; for a moment, my thoughts ground to a halt.
Then—
“…! Huh?”
Suddenly, a clear presence. A familiar pulse of power, not far away, drew my gaze instinctively.
‘This is… Could it be?’
The presence was moving in haste. I couldn’t identify the individual, but that familiar sensation told me everything.
‘A demon… A survivor? No… No, it’s not that…’
*
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
Her breath burned in her throat, yet she forced herself onward, running with everything she had. Blood streamed from her torn soles; her injured arm screamed in agony. Still, she could not stop.
“This game of tag is getting boring.”
“Hey, slow down a bit, would you?”
“Running won’t do you any good.”
Arrogant voices rang in her ears. The mere sound made her nauseous, and despite her efforts, they grew steadily louder.
‘No… Not after coming this far—!’
A sudden, searing pain shot through her leg. Her body pitched forward and rolled across the ground.
“Kuh… Ugh…”
Agony lanced through her as she struck the rocks. She tried desperately to rise, but—
“Tch. Demons are always such a pain.”
“You were going to get caught anyway. Why make such a fuss?”
Humans in light armor, weapons drawn, surrounded her, clicking their tongues. She had no choice but to accept it: she had failed. Her pathetic struggle had ended without achieving anything.
“Kill me…”
Her voice was cold, resigned. Yet the humans’ lips curled into cruel smiles.
“Sorry, but we can’t do that.”
“You’re valuable merchandise. The captain ordered us to handle you with care, so behave.”
“But first…”
“!”
One of them sheathed his sword. A sickening grin spread across his face.
“You made us chase you all the way here. We deserve some compensation.”
“Wh-what…! D-don’t tell me—”
They licked their lips and approached. She knew instinctively what would come next.
“Martial Maiden or whatever—you’re still just a female in the end.”
“A bit dirty, but this’ll be fun for once.”
“Kuh!”
Without hesitation, their hands reached out, seizing her breasts. A wave of revulsion crashed over her. She couldn’t suppress a cry, which only spurred the men to grope her more roughly.
“Oh? Pretty nice chest.”
“Her hips are firm too—exactly my type.”
“Trained women really are different. Nothing like the whores on the street.”
They licked their lips and violated her pale body with abandon. She had endured countless battlefields, yet this torment was unbearable. The sensation of her body being defiled in real time—far worse than any physical pain—drove her to plead silently.
‘Help me… Please… Anyone…’
A hollow, meaningless cry. With that desperate, hopeless plea, she squeezed her eyes shut as their hands reached for her most intimate places.
“Alright, let’s have a proper taste.”
“Hey, I’m first. I’ve been holding back a lot lately.”
The sound of armor being shed followed. Something hot and sticky splattered across her face. The thick, foul-smelling liquid trailed down her cheek, filling her with disgust. Yet within that sensation, something oddly familiar stirred—a fishy yet strangely sweet scent. Confused, she cautiously opened her eyes.
What she saw was crimson liquid…
“…Huh?”