My eyes snapped open.
Blinding light poured into my vision, forcing me to squint. For a moment, I thought I was back in the throne room, staring at the holy sword buried in my chest… feeling the burning pain of divine power tearing through my scales and flesh.
But the pain was gone.
Instead, a gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying with it the scent of grass, morning dew, and distant flowers. I could hear birds chirping somewhere above me.
Slowly, I raised my hand in front of my face.
"...What is this?"
My hand was small. Frail. No thick Dragonewt scales. No claws. Just pale skin and thin fingers. I turned my hand around, feeling how light and weak it was. I sat up, looking down at myself – a loose white linen shirt, thin arms, and scrawny legs hidden under cheap trousers.
I wasn't in my grand obsidian throne room anymore. Instead, I was lying on the edge of a dirt path surrounded by tall grass swaying under the morning sun. The sky above was clear and bright, with not a single cloud in sight.
"This… this isn't a dream."
I clenched my hand into a fist, feeling the softness of human flesh. My chest tightened. I tried to summon my mana, my draconic aura, anything – but nothing answered my call. I felt emptiness where once my power overflowed. It was like trying to breathe underwater.
I reached for my horns out of instinct – but there were none.
I reached behind for my tail – but there was nothing.
I felt panic rising within me. Me… the Demon King… no, the Dragonewt King, who ruled the demon lands with an iron fist and blazing breath… now reduced to a powerless human boy lying on the roadside.
"...Hah."
I let out a bitter laugh. The sound was lighter than I expected. It didn't echo with the deep, commanding resonance I once had.
"Is this… your idea of a joke, fate?"
I could almost hear the gods laughing at me from their heavenly thrones. They always hated us Dragonewts – feared our ancient power, envied our unbreakable pride. Perhaps, to them, this was the greatest punishment imaginable. To strip away everything that made me who I was, and toss me into the world as a powerless human.
I clenched the grass under my fingers, feeling its dampness seep into my skin.
"…No."
I took a deep breath, calming the chaos in my chest. Yes, this was humiliating. Yes, this was terrifying. But… was it truly the end?
I looked at my hands again. Weak, yes. Powerless, yes. But I was alive. And this time… I wasn't burdened by the title of Demon King. I wasn't trapped in the endless cycle of conquest, betrayal, and war.
This was… a second chance.
I didn't ask for it. I didn't think I needed it. But now that I had it, what was I supposed to do?
Companions… so that's how you became stronger…
I remembered what I muttered before my death. The hero's party – they had something I never did. Bonds. Friendship. Trust.
As the Dragonewt King, I never had anyone by my side. All who approached me did so out of fear, ambition, or obedience. No one ever looked at me as an equal.
Was this what the gods wanted me to learn?
To walk among humans… as one of them… to understand the bonds I once dismissed as weakness?
"Hah… how troublesome."
I looked up at the sky again, squinting against the golden light. For the first time in centuries, I felt my lips curl into a genuine smile.
"Fine. Let's see what this life has to offer."
I stood up, my legs shaky and weak, but firm enough to carry me forward. I didn't know where I was, or who this body belonged to. I didn't know if demons, dragonewts, or heroes still roamed this land.
But for now… I was human.
And for the first time, I felt a flicker of excitement.