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The world took everything away from me. Everything, without hesitation and mercy. 

I learned of that cruelty for the first time when I was looking up at the sky with no clouds in sight. 

My friend fell ill, so I took the job he had in a neighboring village, and a landslide happened on the way.

More than half of my body was crushed by rocks, and once I looked up at the sky with even the pain numbed, the sky was clear to the point that it couldn’t be any clearer. 

— “Aah, so I am going to die. I don’t want to die.” 

I lost the leeway to even feel fear towards death once my body accepted it. 

That’s why that was the only dry opinion I could think of. 

The reason why my fading consciousness hung on regardless was most likely because my soul was shedding tears, not wanting to accept death. 

If my life had ended there, I would have simply led a slightly unfortunate life, so it might have been better to accept death there. 

But the world didn’t allow that. 

I woke up. 

I was surprised by the impossibility of this scenario, and the moment I saw my body, I couldn’t understand what had happened to myself. 

My body was that of my friend. 

I had moved into the body of my friend that came to search for me. He disregarded his own safety after hearing that a landslide happened. 

The feeling of being in an unknown body and the price for forcefully tearing my soul from my former body induced me to vomit. 

It is only after I had those things seep into me that I realized that this was all a product of my own power. 

I began living my life as my friend, and did my best to learn about my own talent. 

Even if this body is that of my friend and I have to return it to him, my body is already in an irreversible state. 

That’s why I was desperately searching for a way to at least move to a different body.

What was fortunate is that I had an abnormally high understanding about this talent. 

It didn’t take long for me to learn how to control my own soul even when I learned it by myself. 

I found the body of someone that was killed by ruffians not long after I learned this. 

A clean body killed in just one stab. 

There’s no better conditions than this one. 

I tried to move into that body and succeeded. 

At that moment, what I was the happiest about wasn’t that I succeeded in moving to that body, but the fact that my friend woke up. 

My friend was confused, but once I told him what happened, he laughed and was happy about it. 

— “That’s a relief. I thought you died because of me. I would rather lend you this body of mine as many times as you want than live while shouldering your death.” 

I was grateful towards my friend, and my friend was also grateful towards me. 

It may be hard to return to a perfect everyday life, but I can live together with my friend again. 

I was fulfilled with just that alone. 

But the world didn’t allow that. 

It once again took away what I had gotten back. 

— “The dead should not come back to life. You have touched upon the forbidden of this world.” 

My friend and I told the villagers what happened. 

But their hearts were all trapped in the past. 

The dead coming back to life is the very same as the tales of the resurrection magic that the world repudiates. 

The eyes they directed at me were not those you would direct towards a person. 

I was captured, oppressed, and executed. 

I was baffled by the gazes of disgust when I experienced my second death. 

Even though I simply returned after accepting my death once, I was being treated as something inhuman to this degree. 

My blood-related parents were also there within those gazes.

It might have been fine to be grateful that I could realize here that there’s things more important than a blood connection.

I had returned to the body of my friend after being killed. 

I had already learned a way to move to a specific body when I was planning on how to return the body to my friend.

I had to tag along with the bad taste of the villagers right before dying because I told them the situation, but I now have no need to feel bad when attacking the villagers thanks to that. 

— “You shouldn’t be in this village anymore. That’s why I will also leave this village with you.” 

My friend said this once I returned the body to my friend again. 

I agreed that we shouldn’t be in that village, but I felt bad about dragging my friend along. 

My friend was the only one who believed in me in that situation where even my family had pushed me away. 

It is most likely because he understood my circumstances correctly due to him being the first body I took. 

But that reality was my sole saving. 

However, my friend mistook this as having power. That maybe the others would be able to understand me as long as they see things just like him. 

That what’s needed is time and an opportunity. 

My friend told the situation to his own family the day before leaving the village. 

The result was that his own family deserted him, and he ended up being executed by the villagers just like me.

I was worried about my friend who wasn’t showing up at the rendezvous point, so I searched for him, but he was already dead by the time I found him. 

For the sake of not increasing the number of fools who are led astray by the criminals that have touched upon the forbidden…my life was taken away, my place to be was taken away, and at the end, even my most beloved friend, who was willing to stay by my side until the end, was taken away from me, too. 

It is only after suffering this much that I finally understood…

—This world is trying to take everything away from me. That’s why I must steal it back. 

It wasn’t hard to murder all the villagers as someone who can steal the body of others. 

I simply stole away the bodies of a few people, and killed them after telling them who I was, and they ended up beginning to kill each other. 

I was laughing mockingly as I watched the last villagers killing each other…while being baffled that everything was taken away from me by a bunch of idiots like this. 

I restored the body of my friend, moved into it, and decided to take that name of his as an alias to not forget my feelings towards him. 

I wanted to at least keep the promise of leaving the village together with him after all. 

I am sure this world will continue trying to steal from me. 

Then, I will continue stealing it back. 

I will grasp the power…the technique…for the sake of this. 

“—Ah.” 

Why am I reminiscing about this? 

What’s the point of doing this at such a late juncture? 

I can’t feel my body and even the shape of my soul. 

No, it is natural to not be able to feel the shape of my soul. 

My soul has broken completely after all. 

My soul that had been drained from the constant possessing recovered completely once I became a Demon Lord.

I would revive in a perfect state no matter what I did. 

That’s why I purposely broke that soul and reshaped it forcefully. 

The result was that all of that was reproduced and the restoration is not happening. 

I have gone past the point of no return and the only thing left is the result. 

The reason why I still have the capability to think like this is most likely because the fragments of my soul are present even when crumbled. 

“Looks like you grew too dependent on the power of the resurrection magic and got too reckless.” 

I heard this voice despite my hearing and sight not working anymore, and I can also recognize that appearance faintly. 

Aah, this man…if I remember correctly…right, he is an enemy. 

He showed up later and tried to steal everything from me -my enemy. 

“Even though…I was simply…stealing back…what’s mine…” (Raheight)

“I am aware that’s the will in your roots. But…the world that took everything away from you and the world we live in is different. In our perspective, you are simply someone who is trying to one-sidedly steal from us. It is natural to protect ourselves so that it is not stolen, right?” 

There’s only one world.

This world I am in is everything, and it continues to take everything away from me. 

That’s why I must continue stealing back from this world. 

There’s no other method aside from that in order for me as an individual to continue existing. 

“I have no intention of denying what you have done until now. I most likely would have ended up in a similar fashion to you if I had been in your place after all.” 

This man comprehends me. 

He can’t deny my actions. 

Then, why is this man my enemy and has created this result? 

“It is not wrong. Living in the world means to have the world continue taking away from you. That’s why you are intelligent for reaching the conclusion of taking it back and actually being able to put it into practice. But I am not trying to live intelligently, I am trying to live safely. I told you that before.” 

—That’s the reason why, huh. But I managed to accept it surprisingly easily. 

His way of living is different from mine to begin with. That’s all there is to it. 

“One…other thing…” (Raheight)

“I have comprehended you a whole ton, so I also know what your last words will be. You don’t have to say anything more. Just leave with peace of mind.” 

That really must be the case. 

I should thank—no, this man stole my last moments. 

There’s no doubt he is an enemy. 

Then, it doesn’t matter anymore. Putting my attention on this man is a waste of time. 

Everything is over. 

Then, what should I be thinking about now? 

That’s obvious. 

“…Ral…meet you…soon…” (Raheight)

I had forgotten my own face a long time ago, but I have been seeing his face every day lately. 

I should at the very least think of my most beloved person in my last moments as I—

◇◇

I watched how he crumbled and dispersed into dust while being relieved that this battle had ended. 

There’s a lot of people who desire the last moments of bad guys to be pathetic. 

But even if I think about wanting to bring such a harsh end, it is still hard to actually do it. 

I honestly feel chills when I think about performing the plans I have done in the past with precision. 

Finishing off an enemy while provoking them by telling them it was karma and you brought this upon yourself…feels as if it would come back to bite me one day, so I don’t want to do it. 

“Has Raheight…died?” (Ilias)

“It is pretty much the result I imagined. Raheight put quite the burden on his soul right before becoming a Demon Lord. Once he became a Demon Lord, he used even more reckless methods, ignoring the burden it would inflict. All of that load came crashing down on him once the effects of the resurrection magic were lost.” 

It didn’t click when I spoke the true name of Raheight. 

He reacted more when I called him Raheight in his last moments compared to the time when I called him by his own name. 

It is most likely because the life he lived shouldering the name of his friend had affected his personality more than the life when he lived with his real name. 

“I see… What do you mean by ‘pretty much’?” (Ilias)

“He went as far as destroying his own soul to activate the resurrection magic. I thought for sure he would just have his mind destroyed and die instantly without giving him any time to speak.” 

I have no idea about the properties of souls or resurrection magic, but Raheight still had enough strength to think in his last moments. 

I felt some meaning in that and decided to let Raheight do as he pleased. 

The result was simply that he left while remembering the only thing he clung to in the past though…

“You could say this is a comparatively good way to go for a bad guy.” (Ilias)

“I am envious as a bad guy myself.” 

There’s no doubt he will be suffering to a degree that would go beyond hell if it exists, but let’s not think too deeply about it. 

I wouldn’t be able to do anything bad if I were to think I will drop to hell after all. 

I sighed deeply and sat on the ground. 

I have lost a lot more blood than before even if it is not fatal. 

I am feeling terribly dizzy and exhausted from the blood loss.

“Shishou, are you okay?!” (Wolfe)

“I am not. I want to lay down quickly. I want to indulge in sleep for around 3 days at least without saying anything.” 

“Looks like he is okay.” (Ilias)

“I will do my best to take care of you!” (Wolfe)

I had them change my bandages and head back to the surface. 

I want to let go of my consciousness and sleep at once, but I have to make contingencies for the off-chance that Molari and Yasutet failed in convincing Ritial, or there was an Illegitimate that was actually looking for this opportunity, 

“—And that’s how it is. I am counting on you, Blue.” 

“I get it, so just rest already. I feel like I am talking to a dead person.” (Blue)

I leave the rest of what has to be done to Blue who seems to be the most energetic, and get in the carriage. 

Wolfe was already there with stuff like blankets put in place to create a simple bed. 

“I have made preparations to take care of you!” (Wolfe)

“It is perfect. But am I not taking way too much space?” 

“It is okay! Wolfe is also tired, so I will be sleeping next to you!” (Wolfe)

“That’s shrewd, but that’s even more perfect.” 

I was pushed to the middle, but I went to the corner and slept face up. 

Let’s not think about the future and just be happy about having settled scores with Raheight. 

Can’t really say everyone came out fine, but it ended up in what could be considered the best result. 

I have to praise everyone and express my gratitude once I wake up, but let’s praise myself right now. 

You did well, me. What do you want as a reward? What, you want to rest? Chicken wings and booze? What an unambitious guy, hahaha. 

“You seem to still be thinking about something…” (Ilias)

“Rather than thinking, it is more like…I am in the middle of flinging off everything.” 

Indulging in my own delusions while people are looking at me is unexpectedly embarrassing. 

My state of mind has loosened up quite a lot thanks to me thinking ridiculous stuff, so I feel like I will be able to have a good sleep. 

“—You did well. Good job.” (Ilias)

“That goes both ways.” 

What remained until the very end within my fading consciousness was the sensation of Ilias’s hand brushing my head. 

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