Chapter One: After Death... Rebirth

Chapter One: Death... and Rebirth

Year 2000 — Fortuna — Headquarters of the Order of the Demon Sword — The Pontiff’s Rostrum

“Legend has it that, two thousand years ago, a dimensional war broke out between the Demon Realm and the human world. At that critical moment, a swordsman from the Demon Realm named Sparda rose to protect humanity. With his strength alone, he drove the Demon King Mundus back to his own world and sealed the rift between dimensions. Two centuries ago, Sparda fell in love with a human woman, and together they had twin sons. Later, Sparda journeyed to the Isle of Union between the Holy and the Demonic to stop the birth of the Chaos Clan, never to return. At the same time, Mundus, the Demon King defeated a millennium ago, regained his strength and awakened. Driven by vengeance, he sent demons into the human world, seeking to murder Sparda’s twin descendants...”

In a tall house, a woman labored for the birth of her child.

“Hold on, you’re almost there, just a little more,” the midwife encouraged.

Moments later, the newborn’s wail filled the room.

“It’s a boy!” the attendants exclaimed with delight.

“Long live His Holiness!” “The gods bless us!” the crowd cheered.

No one noticed the confusion that did not belong in a newborn's eyes, nor the blue orb of light that merged into his tiny body.

As sunlight touched the infant’s eyes, he gazed blankly at this unfamiliar world. Everything was different. He looked down at his new body—this was his rebirth. Faces, foreign language, strange architecture, and odd clothing surrounded him.

‘Heavens! Where on earth am I now?’

———A line of confusion marking the passage of a certain divine being———

Four years later...

“Shuster, stop reading and come help me,” his mother called.

“I’m coming, Mother!”

Looking at his diligent mother, the boy smiled with happiness. His name was Shuster Redona. That was his new name, for he had already died once. Compared to the dog-eat-dog world of his previous life, this era was a paradise. Though he had never seen his father, whenever he asked, his mother would reply, “You’ll understand when you’re older. For now, you’re too young to know such things.”

Gradually, the boy grew accustomed to this life, and it was not a bad one at all. Everyone had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, though the knights of the Order of the Demon Sword who patrolled the streets gave off a peculiar feeling—a blend of kinship and estrangement. Shuster once mentioned this to his mother, who assured him it was normal; the knights of the Order were their guardians, fighting for their lives.

At that time, Shuster thought to himself, When I turn five, I’ll enter the academy as a knight apprentice! I’ll become a great knight, one admired by all!

Night fell. After finishing his daily training, Shuster went to bathe.

Why did he train so hard, you might ask? In his former life, our protagonist had a superb physique—he could deadlift 150 pounds with both hands, 100 pounds with his left hand, and 90 with his right. Why was his left stronger? Well, he was left-handed! He was a bit of a freak, after all! And as the protagonist, shouldn’t he be a bit special? That’s only natural, isn’t it, young reader?

As usual, Shuster returned home drenched in sweat. His mother teased him, “Our little strongman is back, I see!”

Shuster’s handsome little face reddened in embarrassment. Though he returned home every day after training, he still had to go to the church he so disliked, where he listened to the endlessly recited sermons that had long since grown tiresome.

Shuster’s daily routine was well established:

5:00—6:00: Running laps around the village at top speed, resting only when exhausted, then continuing. His leg muscles and stamina improved at an astonishing pace. Each time he tired, he’d mutter, “Still not enough!” His peers, curious, once asked why he trained so hard. His answer surprised them: “To protect those I want to protect.” They had all assumed he did it to become a knight.

6:00—9:00: Breakfast, rest, and then various exercises—push-ups, sit-ups (never after eating), pull-ups, and frog jumps around the village.

9:00—11:30: Weightlifting with custom barbells from the blacksmith, ranging from 50 to 100 kilograms—thanks to his family’s relative wealth! Then sword practice; unlike the other knights, Shuster chose the katana over the cumbersome greatsword, preferring agility and speed.

13:00—14:30: Weighted runs around the village, wearing all his gear.

14:30—17:30: Attendance at mandatory village services in the chapel, which Shuster despised but could not avoid.

17:30—18:30: Rushed home for dinner, his hunger keen.

After that, it was time for washing up and sleep.

———A line demarcating the aftermath of dinner———

“Hurry, go!” He was pushed aside. Gazing at the captain, covered in blood yet eyes unwavering, he clenched his teeth and dashed forward. An explosion thundered behind him, but he dared not look back, afraid he’d lose the courage to run. Bursting from the flames, he was met with ruin—everything was lost. Gritting his teeth, he made his way toward headquarters. After three turns, he encountered three figures.

“You! Are you the attackers?” His tone was questioning, but his eyes were resolute, certain of their guilt.

After a pause, the leader spoke, “You’re the reckless one, the coward who dragged down one of our own to save yourself?” The foreign accent in his halting Chinese betrayed him as a non-native.

“You—damn you bastards…” As clouds parted and moonlight revealed their faces, he cursed, “Damn Japanese ninjas, even in hell I won’t let you go!” He pulled the pin on his last grenade and charged. Halfway there, a cold sensation spread in his chest, his consciousness fading, and he vaguely heard, “Damn… another… dragged…”

“Ah!” Shuster sat up with a gasp, breathing heavily, realizing it was only a nightmare.

“Damn it, that awful memory again.” He glanced outside—it was already dawn. “Forget it, it’s the past now. What can I do about it? Die again and go back? Ha!”

Joking with himself, Shuster began a new day.

“191…192…198…199…200—whew!” Once again, Shuster’s small body had pushed beyond its limits. “Ha! I did it!”

Over the past three and a half years, Shuster had broken through his physical limits countless times, all to reach the magical threshold described in the books—though he had already achieved it. The stronger his body before age five, the greater his potential for the future.

“Next up: reflex training.” After rearranging the storeroom’s clutter, he darted about at top speed, dodging obstacles. “Target: four corners! Go!” In an instant, Shuster unleashed his fastest sprint. Years of training had honed his reflexes to a thousandth of a second, far surpassing the hundredth of his previous life.

“This time I finally did it, perfect at last,” he said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

———A long line separating the present from the past———

PS: These first few chapters serve mainly as a transition. As a newcomer, I’m still learning, so please leave your suggestions in the reviews—I’ll be deeply grateful. My writing may be average, but I promise to make up for it in the action scenes. Your support means the world to me!