The Reincarnated Onmyoji Who Returned From Another World ~ I Was Reincarnated Into An Onmyoji Family On The Verge Of Decline, But Thanks To My Experience As A Hero Who Fought In Another World And The Magical Power Training I've Been Doing Ever Since I Was Born, This Life Seems Like It Will Be Easy ~ - Chapter 1: Hero of Another World (Reincarnation)

A luxurious and sturdy castle had been built on top of a precipice, however, that castle now exposed its desolate appearance. In such a mighty place, the blue and red moons shone in the heavens above.

“Ah… so this is death. Is this the end?”

A woman was lying in front of me. Horns protruded from her head, and on her back were scattered the remains of wings that had been torn by the sword I held.

“Hah… this is finally the end, I guess.”

“Ah, it’s over. The end… This is the end of my story. To think you would defeat me in a one-on-one fight.”

“It couldn’t be helped, right? There wasn’t anyone who seemed like they could keep up with this battle.”

A little below us on a lower floor, my two companions who had traveled with me were fighting the executive-level people. It wouldn’t have been bad for me to also fight the executives together with them, achieve victory, and challenge the Demon Lord battle with everyone, but… those two were a bit weak. I thought that even if they had interrupted the fight between me and the Demon Lord, they would have just died uselessly.

“Hehehe… both you and I were too small for this world. The victor was humanity. We demons lost…”

“That’s right.”

“But you too are also a loser, aren’t you? You probably don’t have a long time left.”

“…That’s right. It would be nice if I could live for just a few more minutes. But well, I have no complaints. I haven’t really intended to live long in this world anyway.”

“Hmm… I see. Ah, if there is a next life, I would want to be your companion that time around.”

“I’m sure there will be one. Well then, see you in the next life.”

To my words, no response came from the Demon Lord. She had fallen asleep with a frustrated but somehow satisfied expression.

“Phew.”

While looking at that expression, I, who had been standing until then, also sat down and slowly exhaled.

“Ayato-sama! Are you safe!?”

“Are you okay? Ayato!”

While I was doing such things, a man armed in full armor and a woman dressed in a dress came running toward me.

“Ah, don’t come closer, you cheating bastards.”

“…!?”

To those two people, I spat out words filled with threat.

“Did you think I hadn’t noticed? You two are dating, aren’t you?”

“…Th-that is…”

The man and woman were my companions on this journey. The woman was a princess and was my fiancée, called as the hero who would defeat the Demon Lord. However, all this while, my fiancée had been dating our male companion.

“Hah, you don’t need to make such faces filled with fear. The foreign object was me. Two people were in love when I suddenly came from another world and became the princess’s fiancée just like that. It was me who tore apart your relationship that had existed from the beginning, and I understand that you two couldn’t easily throw away your feelings for each other. I got excited about having a cute princess as my fiancée, but that was only until then. I haven’t fallen in love or anything, and I really don’t mind. Well, you know? I’m just dissatisfied that you were doing things sneakily without saying anything while hiding it from me though… doing it all the time.”

The two people who were mutually in love, and me caught between them. It had been damn awkward, you know? I really wished they would have just left me alone.

“S-sorry… we’re truly sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I was the one caught up between your romance, right? But well, I still can’t forgive how you kept girls who approached me away, acting like a fiancée during our journey! Hah… I didn’t want to die as a virgin.”

“Die!?”

“Wh-what do you mean!?”

“I got a bit of a deep wound in the battle with the Demon Lord. I will probably die. I don’t think I have long left.”

“R-right now, let’s get you some medical treatment! We can’t let you die here!”

“I told you not to come closer, didn’t I? The dead Demon Lord’s magical power was scattered around this area. If you come closer, you’ll die. Don’t worry about me. I haven’t been fighting with the intention of surviving from the start. She was stronger than me, the Demon Lord. I couldn’t have won without being prepared to die.”

“Th-there’s no way… we still haven’t repaid you, the hero, for anything…”

“I haven’t been seeking repayment… Ah, but please, just this one last request. About the demons, please? The demons I’ve saved up until now. The demons who had been enemies… I think there are still many, but what I wish for isn’t a bloody conflict between humans and demons, but to build peace… I think I have created an opportunity for both races to get along. So… please? Take care of the demons too.”

“O-of course!”

“Ah, then that’s fine. I just wanted to say that. You two, be happy. This journey was fun in its own way. Well then… good night.”

Ah, I was at my limit. I was going to die. I, who had been talking purely on willpower up until that point, let my guard down. Along with that, sleepiness suddenly attacked me, leading me into an endlessly dark world.

“!”

“!”

Hm… so this was what it meant to die. To think I would end up dying in such a world… I wouldn’t have thought of such a thing until just a few years ago. While thinking such things, I completely let go of my consciousness.

…

………

■■■■■

“It’s almost time… hang in there!”

In the delivery room where the midwife’s encouraging voice echoed, the sweat-drenched Shizue squeezed out all the strength in her body for the final push.

“…The baby is born!”

The baby was delivered. However, silence had fallen over the place. The birth cries couldn’t be heard.

“Doctor…? Why…?”

“What…”

Shizue’s voice trembled, and Ryoma, who was beside her, quietly opened his eyes wide. The doctor, frowning, gently wrapped the baby’s small body in a towel and moved to the treatment table.

“…It’s not breathing.”

“Stop it… that’s a lie, right…?”

The baby’s chest didn’t rise and fall, and the color of life hadn’t yet dwelt in its face.

“Stimulation! Begin suction!… Confirm heartbeat!”

Amid the tense voices flying back and forth, one of the midwives gently whispered in the baby’s ear.

“Hey, can you hear me? Your mother is waiting. Open your eyes… let’s live together?”

That was the moment.

“…Beep, beep, beep.”

Faint waves of a heartbeat appeared on the electrocardiogram.

“It came back! There’s a breathing response!”

“No way…!”

Shizue screamed. At that moment, a small birth cry echoed throughout the room.

“…Waaah! Waaah!”

“…It’s alive. It’s alive…!”

The doctor gently held the baby and placed it on Shizue’s chest. Warmth was transmitted. The baby couldn’t open its eyes well yet, but it was certainly there.

…

A torrent of magical power that I hadn’t felt even when fighting the Demon Lord. Exposed to that, surprised by the light of magical power covering my vision, I inadvertently shed tears and was now…

“Waaah! Waaah! (Huh? Why have I become a baby?)”

Not understanding my current state at all, I had been greatly left behind by the rejoicing adults around me.