Tuk... tuk...
The sound of footsteps echoed in the great hall. A man draped in a long black cloak walked slowly, his aura chilling. He stopped in front of a massive door, waiting calmly as it opened.
Behind it, a magnificent throne awaited him — a seat for the Demon King. However, beneath the grandeur, there was a silence and tension that was oppressive.
Viktor Pier Beelzebub stepped forward calmly, ascended to his throne, and took his seat. His cold gaze swept across the room, looking at those kneeling before him.
The demons present bowed their heads, their voices echoing in unison.
"Oh, my King, welcome to the Demon Kingdom!"
"From this day until the end of our lives, we swear to be faithful to King Viktor Pier Beelzebub!"
The blank, expressionless gazes they wore spoke painful words.
"Liars," he said in a low tone.
One of the servants stepped forward, trying to convince him.
"My King, we all—"
However, Viktor cut him off.
"Your loyalty is only!—"
BOOM!
A massive explosion shattered the palace door. Thick smoke filled the room. From behind the fog, the silhouette of a person emerged, dragging the battered body of a demon soldier.
"Ugh... Ah, I really shouldn't have to break it..." muttered the young man as he released his grip on the powerless demon soldier.
As he stepped out of the smoke, he immediately spoke without looking at who was in front of him.
"Lilith Crimson! I have come to—"
But his words halted. His face immediately froze.
"You... are not Lilith?" he said with a shocked expression.
Viktor's sharp gaze was directed at him, slowly rising from his throne and taking slow steps toward the man.
"Who are you, human?" His voice was firm and authoritative, Viktor's presence commanding the room.
The young man appeared nervous, as if unsure of what to answer.
"I... well, umm... what was my name again?" He scratched his head, his face confused and accompanied by cold sweat.
"Ah, I'm nobody! See you!"
Without a second thought, he ran quickly towards the balcony and jumped down.
"Teleport!" he shouted, gripping a compass hanging around his neck. The compass shone brightly, and in an instant, he vanished.
Viktor walked to the balcony, staring in the direction where the young man had disappeared.
"Who is he...?"
---
The Capital of the Arcadian Empire
The capital was always bustling, full of life. It was the center of human civilization, the place where Heroes were called to defeat the Demon King — a hub of activity on the continent.
However, far from the crowds, in a narrow and dark alley, a flash of light appeared.
"Ouch... that hurt." The young man groaned as he stood up, rubbing his backside.
From the shadows, several men emerged, seemingly local thugs.
"Oi, look who has come. Hey, kid, what are you doing here?" one of them asked in a threatening tone.
The young man merely stared at them with a blank expression. Casually, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of coins, then handed it over.
"This is for you. Find a better job with this money."
He turned to leave.
However, one of the thugs grabbed his shoulder.
"Oi, if you have that much money, hand it all over, kid!"
The young man looked at him with a lazy expression.
"Given an inch, they want a mile..." he muttered.
He pulled back his coins and added,
"Then give me back my money and hand over all of yours."
The thugs laughed — until a few minutes later, they found themselves thrown into the street, only in their underwear.
"Run! Damn it, he's not an ordinary human!"
The half-naked thugs scattered in a frenzy. Meanwhile, the young man from earlier emerged from the other side of the alley with a pile of money and new clothes.
---
Arthur Retirt
My name is Arthur Retirt. Well, it's just a pseudonym, but since it has stuck, I'll let it be.
Like in an isekai story, I almost died in my original world. Then, somehow, a god brought me to this world as a Hero to save it.
How did I almost die? Why was I chosen? And what am I supposed to do after all this ends? It doesn't matter anymore.
Because that damned god.
He made me defeat the Demon King — only to then transfer me to another world, facing another Demon King.
At first, I thought there were many worlds that needed saving.
But after looking into it, I realized...
This world is always reset!
---
The White Room
At that moment, I successfully snuck into the gap between resets and met the creator of this chaos.
In the limitless white room, a man was lounging on a sofa, munching on his dry chips.
He glanced at me for a moment.
"Oh? You made it here. What's up?"
I clenched my fist, ready to punch the bastard.
"Oi, damn it! Why do you keep resetting this world?! Are you crazy?!"
He simply chewed his chips nonchalantly.
"Letting the world run continuously makes it too complicated to manage. I'm lazy. So, I reset it at certain points. Anyway, it's easier to oversee the war between humans and demons."
I stared at this idiot in disbelief.
"WHAT?!"
He continued casually.
"If I let the world keep going, humans will eventually go to war with other races, then against fellow humans, and then start ruining this planet due to their greed. In the end, this world will be destroyed. So, it's easier if I just repeat it from the start."
I grew more angry.
"Oi, damn it! Take me home!"
I quickly jumped towards him, my fist eager to hit him, but every time I tried, he always moved me elsewhere.
He sighed, looking at me flatly.
"No, out of all the candidates I've seen, you're the most suited for this boring job."
I jumped at him again, my fist ready to smash into his face.
But before my punch could land —
I returned to the world.
With a new reset.
---
My Conclusion
This world is always reset.
The war between humans and demons is not due to fate, but because it has been set up.
Every time I win, the world resets back to the starting point; of course, new civilizations are rebuilt, but they always change in the same direction and end in the same way.
So, the only way to end this all is to make humans and demons reconcile.
And in my opinion, the best way is to unite the symbols of power of both races.
In some resets, the Demon King is a woman. So, if I marry the Demon King, war could be avoided.
But...
This time, the Demon King is a man.
I let out a long sigh.
"Oh, I have an idea!" I shouted.
The people around me looked at me as if I were crazy. Even a little child seemed worried.
But I just smiled.
If this war is set up, then I just need to change the rules of the game.