On the continent's coastline, looking out at the vast blue sea, a strange tower-like structure could be seen standing at the distant horizon.
At that moment, massive shadows swept across the coast. Looking up, one would see a group of flying behemoths—dragons, each of them capable of bringing about natural disasters.
Dragons were proud creatures. Throughout history, in wars between humans and Demon Kings, they never took sides, nor would anyone dare to provoke them.
The only ones capable of making dragons retreat were likely the lofty gods who overlooked all beings.
However, at this moment, the disaster-class dragons flying toward the strange structure looked nothing like their usual majestic selves. Instead, they resembled tamed horses—no, donkeys; each carrying large cargo containers loaded with special minerals mined from a distant mountain on the continent.
What a humiliating—no, disgraceful sight for dragons.
Disaster-class dragons, mighty enough to challenge even the gods, had now become nothing more than beasts of burden? The entire continent's various races would surely mock them for this. Even the gods would laugh until their stomachs hurt.
And yet, no race dared to laugh.
Not even the gods.
Because this world no longer had gods.
If there were any left, they were nothing more than corpses, perhaps even used as building materials for that strange tower.
Of course, that didn't mean all gods had been slaughtered. Most of them had been expelled from this world, exiled from their homeland, forced into wandering.
"Ahh~"
A sigh escaped from one of the dragons. The memory of the gods, teary-eyed and pitiful as they were driven away, still lingered in its mind, filling it with a strange melancholy.
Staring at the structure ahead, the dragon's gaze grew complex.
All they had to do was transport minerals. They weren't being tortured, nor were they forced to work every day—only once every ten or fifteen days.
Soon, the strange structure on the horizon came into full view.
It was built on an island, where a castle stood tall—the Demon King's Castle.
Yes, this was the Demon King's Castle, the seat of power for the ruler of the world, the one who had banished the gods.
But don't think that just because the Demon King ruled the world, his demon army could act lawlessly. The Demon King never showed favoritism. Anyone who annoyed him or disrupted his plans was mercilessly punished.
Ironically, this had led to an era of relative peace. The various races—humans, demons, and others coexisted more harmoniously than ever before.
In some ways, the world was better off under the Demon King's rule than in the past, when countless nations and races were constantly at war.
In the blink of an eye, the dragons reached the landing site, unloading their cargo.
"Ahh~"
From the side of a nearby building, a figure lazily walked out, yawning.
He had long, jet-black hair that draped over his shoulders, eyes red as blood, and sharp, well-defined features. A mysterious red mark, the same color as his eyes, adorned the right side of his face, like a cursed seal.
Two black horns protruded from his head, one of which was broken.
Legend had it that the god who broke his horn was subjected to unspeakable torture. Their agonized screams had echoed across the world, sending shivers down every spine.
He wore a fusion of a black mage's robe and a knight's armor, with a dark cloak draped over his back.
This man was the ruler of the island and the supreme master of the world.
The one who had driven the gods away.
The Demon King.
Or rather... the Demon God.
His face was pale, almost sickly, as if he suffered from chronic sleep deprivation. He looked so frail that a dragon's breath could seemingly blow him away like dust.
And yet, beneath that fragile exterior lay unimaginable power.
With just a flick of his hand, he could wipe the entire island—an island the size of a mid-tier human nation—off the map.
The dragons, sensing his presence, instinctively held their breath, terrified of making even the slightest movement that might provoke him.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed against the ground.
They seemed casual, but with every step he took, the dragons felt as if their hearts were being pounded like war drums.
He approached one of the dragons.
The proud beast lowered its head so far it nearly touched the ground, cold sweat trickling down its scaly face.
The Demon King casually waved his hand, lifting a chunk of the transported mineral into his palm.
A surge of black flames engulfed the mineral, and in the blink of an eye, it was reduced to a grain-sized crystal.
The dragon trembled.
That mineral was as hard as dragon scales.
Yet, it had been incinerated in an instant.
If those flames touched its body... it would be erased just as effortlessly.
The next second, the Demon King snapped his fingers.
The dragon flinched, instinctively shutting its eyes.
...
Nothing happened.
Cautiously, it reopened its eyes—only to realize that its companions were gone.
And so were all the minerals.
"Ma... Demon King!"
The dragon mustered up its courage.
"Hm?"
The Demon King stopped and turned his gaze upon the creature. His crimson eyes were devoid of emotion, like he was looking at a different world.
That soulless stare made the dragon's scales crawl.
"What... what crime did my companions commit?"
Though trembling inside, the dragon forced itself to ask.
It didn't understand why its companions had been taken.
If there was no valid reason, then, even if it meant certain death, it would bare its fangs against the Demon King.
"...Oh. My bad, my bad. I wasn't paying attention and accidentally took them too."
Scratching his head apologetically, the Demon King snapped his fingers again.
The missing dragons reappeared.
But the minerals were gone.
"Ah, right. From today onward, don't bother me for the next hundred years. Also, keep an eye on this world for me. If it turns into a mess, I'll be very... upset."
His voice was friendly.
Too friendly.
Yet, coming from his emotionless face, it sent chills down the dragon's spine.
"Understood!"
The dragons bowed deeply before flapping their wings and hastily retreating.
"...Heh heh heh..."
As their silhouettes disappeared into the sky, the Demon King, now standing beneath the strange tower—let out a mad chuckle.
A terrifying surge of magic erupted from him.
Boom!
The sky darkened.
Thick storm clouds formed above the island, crackling with lightning. This was merely the result of his excess magic leaking out.
"This is the hundredth time, isn't it?"
His face twisted as he muttered to himself.
"I refuse to believe I won't find it."
His real name was Kiryū Yazuki.
Originally, he had been an ordinary high school freshman. Without warning, he was summoned to another world. But for some inexplicable reason, he wasn't chosen as a Hero. Instead, he was reincarnated as a demon—a completely insignificant, ordinary demon.
Although he had always loved isekai light novels and fantasized about being summoned to another world in a typical chuunibyou fashion, when it actually happened, he was anything but happy.
Because the other world was boring. Boring to death!
No video games, no manga, no anime, no novels, nothing from the two-dimensional world he loved. It was utterly unbearable.
For him, life without those things was worse than death.
So, he quietly worked in the shadows, slowly growing stronger. Before he knew it, he had climbed to the position of Demon King, defeated the Heroes who came to challenge him, and eventually slew the deceitful gods, becoming the ruler of the world.
After that, he focused on a single goal—finding a way to return home.
Through relentless research and the development of numerous mystical techniques, he finally succeeded in breaking free from that world.
However, things didn't go as planned.
Instead of returning home, he ended up in another isekai.
Well, it was both expected and unexpected.
But why did the same events unfold once again? Why was he once again forced onto the path of the Demon King?
It was then that he understood—he had been cursed by the gods of the first world.
Marked with the brand of the Demon King, he could never reincarnate as a human again.
Still, this curse had its advantages. The moment he reincarnated, he was always alone, free of any attachments. He had no family ties to worry about. After all, being a non-human species meant familial bonds were practically nonexistent.
Over time, the nature of the curse evolved. Darkness and evil naturally gravitated toward him, as if they were part of his very existence.
So, no matter which world he ended up in, he was always born on the side of darkness.
And so, his search continued.
Now, this was the 100th time.
Honestly, the fact that he hadn't gone insane by now was probably thanks to his otaku nature.
Perhaps it was this obsession that kept him going, refusing to stop.
…Wait. Wasn't this the 101st time?
His memories were starting to blur.
Before his first isekai reincarnation, had he already transmigrated once? Had he lived in a anime world before?
Did that really happen? Or was his memory just messed up?
He didn't understand.
Whatever. Thinking about it too much was pointless.
He should focus on the present.
Speaking of which…
How many volumes of Love Metronome were out? Was it complete? Wait, what was the plot of Love Metronome again?
Damn, he had forgotten.
Also, how many games had been released in the Chronicles of the Realm RPG series?What about the anime adaptations…?
Oh, right.
Would he get expelled from school?
What was the name of his school again? Chi… something… Sothu High?
And wasn't there a violent female teacher with a personality like an old man?
Who was she again…?
…Never mind.
He should focus on this interdimensional transfer first. If he died here, everything would be over.