Mental Rebirth: The World's Savior Was Not Me, but My Childhood Friend and Stalker

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in an unfamiliar place, lying in a bed. The comfort was exquisite, surpassing any bed I’d experienced in this world, whether in hotels or Rubure’s home. The bed was soft, sinking gently while offering the right support, like lying on a cloud. The duvet was as smooth as down feathers, light and enveloping me like an angel’s embrace.

I wanted to lie there forever… Such was the heavenly comfort of this bed. I turned over, hugging the duvet. It smelled nice. In such paradise, anyone would be tempted to fall back asleep…

“Awoke, have you? You seem tired, but sleeping again isn’t good for you.”

A familiar female voice spoke. I remembered hearing it before… I sat up quickly and turned toward the voice. There she was, the Demon Lord. I had confronted her before the crowd, embarrassed myself, and then…

“Good morning, Savior. Slept well? This bed is usually mine. I take pride in its comfort. You must have had pleasant dreams.”

The Demon Lord’s bed… I was filled with a mix of awe and a bit of happiness.

But wait, if this is her usual bed, then this place is…

“Ah, that expression… You’ve realized. Welcome, Savior, to the Demon Lord’s castle.”

I was in the heart of the Demon Lord’s territory, far beyond the port town, in an unexplored land by humans.

“Don’t be so tense. I don’t intend to kill or threaten you. Isn’t it evident by the fact that I invited you into my bedroom, let you use my bed, and now stand before you in casual attire?”

Indeed, there was a point to her actions. Kidnapping me and not just laying me in a bed but in her bedroom, with such hospitality, was excessively polite.

Sensing my calmness, the Demon Lord snapped her fingers, and a maid entered with some items. The Demon Lord took the things and inspected them.

“Curious about this? It’s a projection device. It records events in front of it and can play them back anytime.”

It was like a video camera. The Demon Lord directed the maid to set it up before me, then handed me a piece of paper.

“I have understood your strength well enough. Let me assert this: you are no match for me. A fight would mean your instant death. You wouldn’t want that, would you? If you listen to me, I can guarantee your life.”

I nodded vigorously. The Demon Lord was offering me a way to survive.

Seemingly pleased with my response, she sat down beside me. It was inappropriate, but my heart raced with excitement… in the right way.

“Just read what’s written on that paper while appearing before the device. It’s simple, right?”

The paper read:

“I, Yuusha, bravely challenged the Demon Lord as the Savior of humanity but was defeated by her overwhelming power. I am now in the Demon Lord’s castle. Realizing I could never match her, I pledge eternal submission and loyalty to the Demon Lord. I’m sorry to all of humanity.”

It was a complete surrender, discarding any dignity I might have had as the Savior. Not that I had any, to begin with.

“I’m tired of humanity repeatedly sending assassins in the guise of Saviors. Time to completely break their spirit. I thought of crushing someone with some reputation as a Savior, and then you appeared. The death of my general was a loss, but a necessary sacrifice. Your expression doesn’t matter; we’ll edit it to look like a forced, despairing smile. Then, we’ll broadcast it to all humanity. Ah, I’m looking forward to it.”

If this footage were made public, Touko would likely storm into the Demon Lord’s castle alone in a rage. But it’s not just about Touko. What would happen to me after complying with their demands? And what about humanity? After filming such a video, would I just be discarded? I could easily imagine such scenarios.

Touko would rage and storm into the Demon Lord’s castle alone if I were to release such a video publicly. Not just Touko, what about me after complying with the demands? And what about humanity’s future? After recording such a video, wouldn’t I just become disposable…? I could easily imagine such scenarios.

“Worrying unnecessarily, I see. Rest assured, I’ll grant you permanent residency in this castle after recording this. You’re free to use all the facilities here. How about I assign you a personal maid? You should also have permission to voice your opinions to me, signifying our equal standing. No one here will dare to belittle you, human or not. Perhaps, should I even give you the key to my private chamber?”

It was an offer too good to be true. Not only was I offered to live in this magnificent castle, but I was also provided with aftercare. No… more importantly, wasn’t this the slow life I had longed for? Living leisurely in this opulent castle, finding new hobbies, and starting a new life…

“If you find it hard to stay as a human, I can transform you into a demon with my magic. Sufle, is the species transformation spell still feasible?” “Yes, no problem. King, how about recording the entire process of transformation? The sight of the Savior of humanity falling into demonhood will surely bring despair to humanity.” “What… how can you come up with such a terrifying idea! I’m horrified by your creativity!!… Well, anyway! Savior, as scary as her idea may sound, becoming a demon would allow you to start a family. Not a bad idea, right? Being human has its inconveniences.”

Turning into a demon and living a different world slow life… Hmm, alright. After all, I had already died once. Looking at these two before me, demons don’t seem much different from humans.

But… there was one thing that concerned me.

“If I accept those conditions… what will happen to humanity afterward?” “Hmm? We’ll continue the invasion and eventually conquer them. Their fate will be death or slavery. Ah, are you worried about your companions? Sorry, even at your request, I can’t spare them. Especially that black-haired girl in strange attire. She must be killed. Absolutely.”

That was about Touko. The Demon Lord had her in her sights, aware of Touko’s strength. Therefore, she wouldn’t overlook her. To ensure she wouldn’t become humanity’s hope, she intended to eliminate her decisively.

“If that’s the case, I can’t accept your offer, Demon Lord.” “Ah, so you choose not to submit to preserve humanity’s hope?” “It’s not about being grandiose. Touko would undoubtedly be enraged if she saw the recorded video. But at the same time, she would be terribly saddened. I might have accepted your filming offer if you had agreed to spare Touko. But if it means making Touko suffer and even taking her life, that choice was never an option.”

Touko and I had a complicated relationship as childhood friends. I wanted to keep my distance, but she was still a childhood friend. Even in this world, she rushed to my aid and worked hard to save my life. I couldn’t just let her suffer meaninglessly, let alone choose a path that leads to her death.

It wasn’t about romantic feelings. It was simply a matter of courtesy towards her relentless efforts. Treating her efforts disdainfully was the lowest of the low, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, let alone enjoy a slow life.

“Sacrifice your life for others? Remember the events at the port town earlier? Everyone called you a liar, a fake. Are you going to sacrifice your life for such people?”

A pang of pain shot through me. The Demon Lord’s finger was slightly piercing my chest, blood flowing. Was this a sign that she would kill me? I felt the reality of my impending death through the pain. I didn’t want to die. I wanted to live, desperately clawing for life.

“Ah, yes, that’s right! Go ahead and kill me! But remember this! Someday Touko will defeat you!!”

My voice trembled, helplessly dependent on others, a pathetic final retort. But it was hopeless. There was no way to survive. I was in the Demon Lord’s castle, with no one to rescue me. Accepting death was terrifying, more challenging than I had ever imagined.

“Ha ha… Interesting. That’s how it should be. I would have obliterated you without a trace if you had groveled, smiling obsequiously, stretching your sniveling face, swearing loyalty to me… But now, I see you’re strong. Among all the Saviors I’ve seen, you’re the strongest. You’re different from the petty thugs I’ve seen before.”

The Demon Lord was convinced. This Savior was different. With tears and snot running down his face, fully aware of his weakness, yet still recognizing his imminent death.

And yet, he chose not to submit, understanding the reality and future implications. His spirit embodied the true hero, the proof of the Savior this world sought. A different dimension from the previous scoundrels.

The Demon Lord, satisfied, instructed a maid named Sufle to put restraints on me. Confused, I found myself unable to move.

“If you won’t listen to me, no more guest treatment. I’ll have you trained until you break and swear fealty to me. When that time comes, you’ll accept my offer, won’t you, Savior?”

I was carried away by the maid, Sufle. Her slender body concealed incredible strength. Was this the difference between humans and demons? As I pondered this, I was thrown into a cell. Well, it was more like a private room with bars and fully furnished.

After removing my restraints and locking the cage, the maid who carried me left. The room could pass as a luxurious guest room if not for the cage. This treatment… perhaps the Demon Lord’s offer was genuine.

“Then I’m concerned about that ‘training’ part…”

I lay down on the bed, inferior to the one in the Demon Lord’s room but still far better than the one at the inn in Luftla. Would I be whipped, electrocuted, or fitted with some mind-control device?

I could see outside from the window. With effort, I could possibly escape, but it seemed pointless. This was inside a castle, in unknown territory. Even if I managed to get out, I had no way to return. But as long as I’m alive, there’s hope. With that thought, I fell asleep.