Chapter 1

My life has been nothing short of turbulent. Up until this very moment, so many things have happened.

"Rex... I'll settle things with you one day. Wait for me with your neck clean."

"Waste of breath. No matter how many times you try, you'll never beat me. Well, if you ever get lonely, you can always come crawling back."

"Shut up."

Behind my eyelids, it seems like my life is flashing before my eyes. That smug, grinning bastard was laughing at me like he always did.

That was my farewell with Rex—my irreplaceable best friend, my one and only childhood companion, and my greatest rival in life.

When I set out to become an adventurer, I parted ways with the friend I'd spent my whole life with. Because Rex was stronger than me.

If I had stayed with him as an adventurer, I would’ve ended up relying on him completely. To call myself Rex’s best friend with pride, I wanted to prove I could stand on my own as a proper adventurer.

The monsters around here were weak. I wasn’t as good as Rex, but my swordsmanship wasn’t half bad either. After years of adventuring, I’d never once suffered a serious injury. Honestly, I think I did pretty well for myself.

"Hey, bro. Mom’s been complaining—said you should come home once in a while."

Natal’s voice echoed in my ear.

That lawless little sister of mine, lazing around on my bed in my own house, ransacking my savings and stealing my money. For all her attitude, she was secretly clingy, always dropping by to nag me about visiting home.

.

.

Ah, damn it.

I wish I could pat her head one last time. With all the strength left in my right arm, I reached out toward Natal’s phantom floating in the void.

Pathetic. Just as my fingers should’ve touched her, Natal gave me a lonely smile and vanished into thin air. I knew she was just an illusion, but would it have killed her to let me pat her head one last time?

What a pain of a little sister.

"Hey, look. That guy’s still alive."

"Ah, yeah. But he’s done for. Staring into empty space, mumbling to himself..."

"Finishing him off’s a waste of time."

Eventually, the strength left my hand, and my vision began to blur.

I heard my father’s voice—even though he’d been dead for years. My mother’s voice, waiting for me to come home.

Rex’s mocking laughter rang in my ears. Natal’s annoyed voice echoed back at me.

Ah. This is it. This moment right here—this is my end.

How pathetic. I always thought the Demon King’s Army was just some fairy tale.

Who would’ve guessed the Demon King had already revived in this world I thought was at peace? That he was quietly, steadily rebuilding his forces?

That day, I found a cave that wasn’t on any map. Thinking there might be something rare inside, I sneaked in alone.

That was my mistake. I should’ve turned back, returned to town, and formed an investigation party. Instead, inside that cave—now a Demon Army outpost—I was surrounded by demons and cut down without a fight.

Unlucky. To stumble upon an unknown enemy the world didn’t even know existed.

No, I should’ve been suspicious the moment I found an uncharted cave. Why had no one ever reported its existence?

Simple. Every adventurer who found it must’ve been killed like me, never making it back with the info. This outcome wasn’t impossible to foresee.

But idiot that I am, I overlooked the possibility of an unseen threat.

"Hey, bro. When are you coming back next? You’ll make it for the harvest festival, right?"

"Tch. Would’ve been easier if you’d just swallowed your pride and come with me. But I guess that’s just like you."

Ah. The regret burns.

I’ll never return to the home where Natal and Mom are waiting. I’ll never get my revenge on Rex, never see the look on his face when I finally beat him.

I’m going to die.

"Oh, he stopped moving. Finally kicked it, huh?"

"Then take the corpse to the Dark Sorcerer King’s lab. It’s a valuable human specimen—handle it carefully."

"Yeah, yeah."

As my vision darkened and my consciousness faded, I was hoisted up by a rough-skinned demon. Carried off to some unknown place, I drew my last quiet breath.

.

.

.

But reality, that bastard, was far more ruthless.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t even granted the mercy of a peaceful death.

"Humans are weak to fear. Weak to emotional outbursts. And so, there is no more effective strategy than this."

The grotesquely grinning girl they called the Dark Sorcerer King—Jaliba—was stroking my face with delight the moment I regained consciousness.

"When these slain humans return as enhanced, modified soldiers to stand in their comrades' way... they will surely lose control, thrown into utter chaos."

"As expected of the great Dark Sorcerer King, Jaliba-sama. You understand humanity’s frailties all too well."

"I know humans better than anyone in the Demon King’s Army. Now then… speak for me, my little servant."

I tried to shake off the hand caressing my cheek, tensing my right arm—but something crunchy and unyielding blocked my movement. Seems I was bound in chains.

────When I came to, I was crucified on a cross.

"...Release me."

"Ohh!! Wonderful, you spoke! Your brain’s functioning properly!"

"Shall we proceed with the brainwashing, then?"

"Wait, wait. We gather data first. Just because he can talk doesn’t mean we know the state of his memories or personality. I’ll report these findings to His Majesty. Until I return, keep him restrained and untouched."

"Understood."

"This should secure us additional research funding. Heh heh heh..."

The girl called Jaliba stared at me with unnerving glee, her lips curled in a smile. On closer inspection, her pupils were dilated, her skin devoid of vitality.

...Like a corpse.

The Demon King’s Army was supposed to be a fairy tale, wiped out by heroes in ancient times. And among them, I vaguely recalled an enemy—the walking dead.

The undead demons who served the Demon King. Their name was definitely────

"Jaliba, was it? You… a zombie?"

"Oh? How’d you know?"

"A hunch."

"Hmph, well, no matter. Good to see your cognitive functions remain intact post-revival. Thanks for the data, human."

Every time I spoke, the undead girl responded with a mocking, condescending smirk. No matter what I said, she’d probably just laugh it off.

But I got my own intel, too. The pieces were falling into place. This Demon King’s Army… is the real deal.

After being killed by them, I’d apparently been revived as a test subject for this Jaliba’s necromantic research. Once fully analyzed, I’d be brainwashed into serving as their vanguard—forced to slaughter humans.

────Worst-case scenario. At this point, I’d have been better off staying dead. Maybe I should bite off my tongue and end it here?

But even if I did, the next poor bastard who wandered into that cave would suffer the same fate. No. My job isn’t to die quietly. It’s to wreck this bitch’s research the second I get an opening.

Like hell I’ll let them use me as a pawn and die pathetically. I’ve got my pride, too.

I’ll bide my time, wait for the perfect moment—then smash every last one of these eerie machines to scrap.

That’s the least I can do to pay them back.

"Listen well—under no circumstances is he to escape. That thing is the culmination of my finest research. Not even a hundred of your lives could match its value."

"Understood."

"Administer nutrients directly into his jugular. Do NOT miscalculate the dosage. I’ll be gone for a few days, starting tonight."

"Safe travels, my lady."

With a final glance at me, the zombie girl cheerfully left the room, leaving only me and the demon guard behind.

"......"

"......"

The guard didn’t so much as blink in my direction. Fine. A battle of endurance, then.

Luckily, she said she’d be gone for days. Meaning I’ve got time. Observe the surroundings. Wait for the perfect chance to break these chains.

Stay calm. Stay sharp. If I tip my hand too soon, my odds plummet. The key is—my goal isn’t escape, it’s destruction. They must never realize that.

────I’ve already given up on going home alive.

Who knows what modifications they’ve made to my body? If I self-destruct the moment I reach my family, dragging them down with me—that’s unthinkable.

I’m already dead. A dead man doesn’t need to return.

But at the very least—I’ll make them regret this. I’ll return their humiliation tenfold. I’ll make them rue the day they ever extended this miserable half-life of mine.

.

.

.

"...She’s gone?"

"Seems like it."

"Sweet. Slacking off, then."

Not even five minutes after Jaliba left, the guards ditched their post without a second thought.

Guess I won the waiting game.

...Could’ve at least lasted ten minutes, you lazy bastards.

"...Ugh."

Several hours had passed since the guards left.

The entire time, I’d been fruitlessly yanking at the manacles, trying to break the shackles—only to exhaust myself over and over.

A flesh-and-blood human can’t break metal. I’d held onto a sliver of hope, but all I had to show for it were angry red welts. Not even a hint of bending.

Pathetic. If I’d trained harder, maybe I could’ve snapped these chains bare-handed. Would that idiot Rex have found a way out of this?

Pointless speculation. As it stands, escape isn’t an option.

...One last try. If this fails, I’ll bite through my tongue. Swallow it and suffocate. I might not be able to wreck this place, but at least I can rob them of their precious "sample." That’ll sting, right?

Ah, what a worthless life. Sorry, Mom. This is how it ends after everything you gave me. Sorry, Dad. I won’t keep my promise to protect Natal until she’s married.

Goodbye, my life—

"Huh? Wh-where... is this?"

Just as I steeled myself to bite down—the door creaked open.

A girl I’d never seen before stepped inside.

A human girl.

Judging by her robes, a mage. Her wide, darting eyes locked onto me, and she froze.

"...Human?"

"Eek! Wh-who are—?! Wh-why are you chained up like that?!"

"Ah... hah. Right. You’re human."

Who is she? One of them?

If she’s with them, suicide now would be a mistake. They’d just patch me up, and then—

But that reaction... Could she be—

"—Found her!! Here!!"

"Eeeek?!"

The door slammed open again. The demons from earlier poured in, weapons drawn.

The mage girl paled.

Not their ally, then.

"N-no, no, nooo!!"

"Tch, this room... Hey, brat! Surrender quietly, and we won’t make it hurt."

"Liar!! You tried to kill us earlier!!"

"Shut up and comply!! Struggle, and we’ll show you hell!!"

"No, NOOO—!!"

The mage flailed in panic, backing toward me.

—This is it. The chance I’ve been waiting for.

"Hey, girl. You don’t wanna die, right?"

"Huh?!"

I kept my voice calm, cutting through her panic.

"I said—do you want to live?"

"O-of course I don’t wanna die...!"

"Then break these chains."

The demons roared. No time. If they reach us, it’s over.

I need her to free me—now.

"The... chains?"

"Hurry!! They’re coming!!"

"Wha—? AHHH?!"

Provoked by my urgency, a demon lunged with a spear. If this continues, she’ll end up like me—a lab rat for Jaliba.

I have to save her.

"B-but just breaking the chains is impossible! Your arms’ll get torn up—"

"I don’t care!! Blow them off if you have to—JUST DO IT!!"

"O-okay—EXPLOSION!!!!!!"

White-hot pain seared through my arms. The spell burned, but—

"A-ah...! Your arms...!"

No time to worry about that.

Because behind her—a demon was thrusting his spear straight for her back.

"DIE, BRAT!!"

"Eh—?"

She turned, saw death inches away—

"—HYAAGH!!"

My kick shattered the spear mid-lunge as I tore free from the cross. The girl collapsed, unharmed.

"Tch...! He got loose?!"

"The boss’ll skin us alive..."

"A-ahhh...!"

Left arm—useless. Right arm—functional.

The leg shackles must’ve been linked to the wrist chains. When they broke, my legs were freed too.

Meaning—I’m loose.

"Wh-who are you...?"

"Cover me, mage. I’ll carve you a path out."

I stepped in front of her, planting myself between her and the demons.

Every ounce of skill I’ve honed—I’ll spend it all here. My life wasn’t much, but saving her? Not a bad way to go.

"I won’t let them take you. On my pride as a swordsman."

"...Why?"

The demons hesitated, eyeing me—their "priceless specimen."

I took a step forward.

"Sorry for the dramatics. Live. Escape. Be proof I existed. Let this pathetic swordsman’s life mean something."

And then—

I lunged, fist aimed at the nearest demon’s throat.

This is it.

My final, disgraceful battle.