Past Life Returner

Kasaila didn’t leave anyone alive in the village. She killed everyone, including the soldiers of the Demon King and the treacherous Greenwood natives. When they rose again as undead under the influence of Osiris, she killed them once more.

Once the darkness that enveloped her body finally vanished, her true form was revealed. The blood that had dyed her nails crimson seeped back into her body. Her ears were pointed, but she was different from the ordinary elves. With skin devoid of color like a vampire’s, her eyes bore a cruel, murderous gaze that contrasted sharply with the calm expression on her face.

She was now intending to move on.

“You. Are you Osiris? I was on my way to meet you.”

She muttered to herself, but her words were actually directed toward the hidden presence watching her from the distance. She didn’t need to turn around or raise her voice as it could hear her from afar.

[Please do not compare me to low-class beings like Osiris! I, Doom Lu-neah, am the sixth Demon King! (๑`ȏ´๑) I am on a different level from him.]

“Hmm… Well, Lunea. Your title seems more fitting for Osiris than you. Are you sure you are a Demon King? Why have I never seen or heard about you before?”

[You are so mean! My infamy is notorious in the world of spirits! But I will let it slide this time since you called my name correctly.]

“What if you don’t?”

[Why are you asking that? You already know what will happen. I have no choice but to show you why I am called ‘Doom,’ and the power of my almighty master. Then, you would get injured or lose stuff even if you are Ms. Black. Do you really want that? I don’t think so.]

Upon closer inspection, Kasaila found that the entity sending the message was a small spirit. The tiny creature, who had just barely avoided destruction, was fluttering its wings.

“Did Doom Man send you? Why didn’t he come himself?” she asked.

[Doom Man… Ah. Don’t even mention that filthy and disgusting guy. Just hearing his name makes my teeth chatter with rage. I am sorry for the late greeting. I am Doom Lu-neah! You must be the Great Black.]

Kasaila responded, “You approached me, knowing who I am? You must be really brazen.”

[A lot has changed since the last time you were active.]

“But you weren’t even there then, were you?”

[Are you going to keep underestimating me? You will get hurt doing that. Hehe.]

Kasaila thought an annoying creature had appeared. She wanted to kill it right away, but it was prepared to escape at any moment. Moreover, she had a more important purpose than killing this fly-like being.

She asked, “So why did you come to find me?”

[There is a famous saying that the enemy of an enemy is a friend. I think we can be friends!]

“I have seen many cases where that was not true, Lunea.”

[Well, there is nothing I can do if that's what you believe. When you face death, you will probably regret this moment. Just wait here. I will call Doom Man as you wish. Oh, right! I will say my last farewell since we will never see each other again. Have a nice death!]

[‘What an idiot. She doesn’t even understand that I am trying to save her… She doesn’t know how strong Doom Man is, dumbass.’ Oopsy! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I am still not used to this, so I made a mistake. Please forget about it!]

Kasaila laughed, but her narrowed eyes showed how annoyed she was.

She finally asked, “Is Doom Man that strong?”

[Don’t even mention it. He is incredibly powerful. You would barely be able to confront him after you bring out your true form, but you don’t like that, do you? Also, I only said you could barely manage to fight him, not defeat him. I am confident that Doom Man will kill you. You are going to die~~٩(๑^o^๑)۶ ]

Kasaila remarked, “It seems you know a lot even though you haven’t been here long.”

[Ugh, you are underestimating me again.]

“Are you sure Doom Man is not afraid of me?”

[What do you mean?]

“I wonder if he sent you in order to avoid me.”

[You tend to overestimate yourself just as you underestimate me. If you don’t fix that habit, you are really going to be in huge trouble. Tsk tsk. Let me make it clear. Doom Man doesn’t even know you exist. You are out of his radar. Well, you might get his attention if you kill Osiris. But that is only under the assumption that… You. Will. Kill. Osiris. For. Sure.]

“...”

[Listen. You would have to bring out your true form to kill Osiris. He has both volume one and two of the Book of Death. He usually keeps them hidden under the protection of a separate space.]

“But that doesn’t mean Osiris has become the Undead Emperor yet. You must not know what that is.”

[Hey, again! That is one of the basics! I know everything!]

“I think I have a chance to win without bringing out my true form, so why do you think differently?” Kasaila asked.

[Unfortunately, you know nothing about what Osiris has. If you attack him, then you will only expose your identity and be chased after. Then, you will encounter Doom Man. I, Lunea, will snitch on him.]

[Why do you not realize that every scenario will conclude with your death? Are you that stupid? If I have to deal with an idiot, then it’s not worth talking to you…]

“What does he have?”

[All of Doom Man’s priests have it, except for the two. Isn’t that funny? The one who actually created the item is your Old One. If you don’t believe me, Lu-neah, try it and see for yourself.]

“Why are you telling me all this?”

[Look. I haven’t fully recovered yet. Who do you think did this to me? He is receiving the favor of the Master, has become strong enough to confront Doom Entegasto, and is on the verge of reviving undead factions and bringing all of them under his command as soon as he takes the last volume of the Book of Death. Also, the human corps is freaking strong. Can’t you tell how cunning Doom Man would be right now?”

Kasaila murmured, “Doom Man confronted Doom Entegasto…”

[Against someone you guys are scared of and chickened out on… Ah, I should have reworded it better. You were having a strategic retreat, not running away.]

Kasaila frowned for the first time.

[Hey, why? What’s wrong? It has been a while. Let’s forget about it. Right now is more important. Hehe. Anyway, Doom Man did confront Doom Entegasto.]

Doom Lunea… This small Demon King was correct. While it was likely that not all the stories it told the Great Black were true, at least the ones from the old battlefield were true. The fear at that time was so intense that it permeated the entire soul, and the outcome was brutal.

Kasaila’s almost lost her temper and told Lunea to shut the fuck up. However, she felt the undeniable presence of her true self stirring vigorously inside her. Though dormant, it awakened in response to the weight of past humiliation.

***

[ (๑´╹‸╹`๑)... Really… I am so scared that I can’t say a single word. If you can’t control yourself like that, then how can I trust you to work together? If you show such a precarious state again, then I will have no choice but to call Doom Man. Keep that in mind.]

“I apologize for underestimating you. It was dangerous. I almost killed you.”

Kasaila had barely managed to suppress the urge of her true form bursting out.

“So, tell me. What kind of work do you want to do with me?”

[You are the one who hid the last bloodline of the Great Red, right?]

Kasaila did not answer that question.

[Don’t pretend you don’t know. Doom Man is still looking for it. Fine. You don’t have to tell me anything, but you must hide it well so that Doom Man can never find it. Even I, Lunea, don’t want the Great Red to wake up right now.]

[Also, Doom Man won’t blink an eye even if you kill his loved ones. He is a very vicious man. If you think he would get scared and stop, then you are wrong. You perhaps don’t know anything at all… That is why you need the help of me, Doom Lu-neah!]

Kasaila said coldly, “You guys have such an extreme hostility towards each other. Thanks for the information. When the time comes to kill you, I will let you go without pain.”

[There is nothing to be happy about. There is no difference between us and you guys.]

“My thoughts are a bit different. Wouldn’t the things that remain become even more valuable if Doom Man, who holds precious possessions, were to lose them as well?”

[Sigh. What have you been hearing? It seems you haven’t grasped the true nature and how wicked he is. Do you think he will simply search for the treasure you have hidden? Absolutely not. He will discover not only the final volume of the Book of Death and the treasure you have concealed, but also the ancient relics from the War of New Devil. He will even demolish any magic towers he encounters. Right now, he is getting stronger every minute.]

[If that is the end, then I wouldn’t have come to see you. I told you, right? Doom Man’s human corps is as greedy as Doom Man himself. Don’t turn a blind eye to it as if it is just a matter of the Greenwood Continent. You may not know it, but you are starting a disaster.]

“This is getting boring. Why don’t you get to the point?” Kasaila asked.

[I, Lu-neah, will make a plan! If you don’t believe me, then I will lure Doom Man to a place you choose. Any way is fine as long as you make sure you are well prepared.]

“Keep going.”

[Let me tell you again. You alone cannot confront Doom Man. At the very least, you need one more thing or person like you. If you want to be more certain, are you close to the Queen of Elsland?]

“Why are you asking that?”

[The Queen of Elsland is gathering your kin. It will be helpful. That queen is quite selfish, so it is hard to tell if she will listen or not, but that depends on you.]

[This is an incredible chance! You have the opportunity to turn the tide of the war in your favor this time. It would be foolish to let it slip away when it is right in front of you.]

“It seems like everyone wants me to get rid of their political enemy, and it is getting more uncomfortable.”

[Don’t take it that way. It’s good for you and me, Doom Lu-neah. There is no harm for either of us. I have more ambition than you think. Hehehe.]

“I am not talking about you. Doom Entegasto…”

Even though a long time had passed, Kasaila felt a shiver again as she heard the name of Doom Entegasto. She was shocked that Doom Entegasto had lost its power to be challenged by lower lords.

Considering Doom Man’s rapid ascent in power, it was highly unlikely that Doom Entegasto would remain passive and observe. After all, Doom Entegasto was capable of ripping the formidable Undead Emperor, his own powerful subordinate, apart.

Kasaila thought, ‘I don’t particularly like moving under Doom Entegasto’s plans, but it is not a terrible suggestion. Saint Jayden should not wake up yet.’

If she was cautious, being mindful of the possibility of a trap, then it seemed worthwhile to give it a try.

[It’s not a big deal if you misunderstand, but just letting you know that Doom Entegasto has nothing to do with this.]

“Fine, fine. But there is one thing I am worried about.”

[What is it?]

“I wonder if you can successfully evade the attention of the most powerful Demon King.”

[That is none of your business. I hope you focus on taking care of yourself… Look. What are your thoughts now?]

Suddenly, Kasaila realized why she had mistaken the tiny Demon King for Osiris. The scent of death emanating from the small Lunea wasn’t solely due to Osiris’s influence in the vicinity. From the very beginning, Lunea had exuded a smell of death, the overpowering odor of Doom Entegasto. Somehow, Doom Entegasto had managed to block the other Demon King’s attention toward Lunea.

“There is one final thing that concerns me.”

[Go on, tell me.]

“We will need more help. If you and your tribe provide us support when we launch an attack on Doom Man, then wouldn’t it be more advantageous? Especially if you genuinely desire Doom Man’s demise.”

[You only see one side of the situation and not the other. I, Lu-neah, am risking my life at this very moment. If I am caught by our master or Doom Man, then I will disappear forever. I will die! Also, there is one more important task to fulfill.]

“What is it?”

[I can only tell you that it is the most crucial thing in killing Doom Man. It is not just you who sheds blood, so stop talking about help or whatever. Now, what? Will you work with me or nah?]

“You really are conscious of Doom Man. Alright. I accept your suggestion.”

Kasaila continued, “Ahem. I, the Great Black, Kasaila, accepts your agreement, Doom Lunea. Until the death of Doom Man.”

[I, Doom Lu-neah, will also fulfill the agreement with the Great Black, Kasaila. Until the death of Doom Man.]

[From now on, we are on the same side. Just to let you know, I will send Doom Man your way if I notice any intention of betrayal from you. When that happens, you will desperately realize why I, Lu-neah, was warning you this much!]

“You are afraid of Doom Man, but good at scheming to kill him. Well, I don’t mind that.”

[We should get rid of him since I am scared. I, Lu-neah, won’t run away like someone.]

Kasaila answered with a stiffened face, “Tell… Entegasto that I will come and take Jayden’s heart again one day.”

[What the heck? Why are you mentioning Doom Entegasto out of nowhere? Half of the Great Red’s Heart is with Doom Man.]

[Has your determination to eliminate Doom Man grown stronger now? If you locate and retrieve the heart, returning it to the Great Red, you may earn forgiveness. Even without seeking revenge, accomplishing that alone would be a significant achievement. I genuinely hope for the arrival of that day.]

[So, in conclusion! What is the most important thing for that day to come? We have to be afraid of Doom Man. It would be a complete failure if we perish midway.]

“...”

[Doom Man is very very strong and scary 〻( `ω´)〻 ]