章 1: Prologue: Death and Rebirth
An ordinary life with nothing much to talk about.
Graduated from university, tentatively entered a major company as a general contractor, currently 37 years old and living alone. No girlfriend.
My elder brother whom I haven't seen for years is the one supporting our parents, so you could say that I'm a willful bachelor.
I'm not of a short stature, and my face doesn't look bad either. Yet I am unpopular.
At one time I did make efforts to find a girlfriend, but my heart broke after confessing and being turned down 3 times in a row. Well, after getting to this age, I find it too bothersome to care about.
While it's true that I'm busy with work, it's not as if not having one is particularly troubling.
I don't mean to make excuses, you know?
The reason I was thinking about this matter was,
[Senpai. Thank you for waiting!]
*Senpai = senior
PR/N: They didn't need this…They must have the burdened knowledge of knowing what this is…(A game of Yandere Simulator later…)
Walking towards me with a smiling face, was a refreshing young man. Together with the beauty who was alongside him.
It was Tamura, my junior at work, and the famous Madonna of our company, a receptionist named Sawatari-san.
What happened is that these two were going to get married, and I was asked for some counseling. Which is why I couldn't help ending up questioning my unpopularity.
The meeting place after work was to be by the edge of a pedestrian crossing, and it was there that I was leaning against a post, immersed in deep thoughts.
[Yeah. So, what did you want to ask?]
I inquired while nodding a greeting towards Sawatari-san.
[Pleased to make your acquaintance, I'm Sawatari Miho. It's our first time talking even though we see each other often. It makes me somewhat nervous.]
'I'm the one who's nervous here! In the first place, I'm not good with talking to women. Figure it out!' Is what I grumbled inside.
To begin with, no matter how you look at it, you're not supposed to consult with someone like me with no luck in love-related matters. They're insinuating something, I'm sure of it!
[Hello. I'm Mikami Satoru. It's okay if you just relax. Sawatari-san is famous in our company, so you don't need to introduce yourself. By chance, I was in the same university as Tamura, and we started getting along during the company training course. We've known each other since then.]
[What do you mean by famous! Are there weird rumours going around about me?]
[Indeed. Like how you're having an affair with chief OO, or that you've dated with △△-kun!]
*OO and △△ are substitutes for names. Imagination is the key
I couldn't stop myself from teasing. I only meant it as a light joke, but it was cute seeing Sawatari-san become teary-eyed and red in the face.
Because my jokes are quite lacking in delicacy, I'm often told I should definitely stop making them, but I spoke it out loud by mistake anyway.
As I expected, this time was a failure too huh. Yep, I really have a bad personality.
Tamura is patting Sawatari-san on the shoulder while consoling her.
Damn you, Tamura! In a situation like this I should shout, explode you Riajuu! Or something like that.
*
**Riajuu = Person living a successful/fulfilling real life (opposite of the typical otaku stereotype)
[Senpai, please leave it at that! And Miho, you're only being teased.]
That smiling Tamura smoothed things over. He was a capable junior.
Not in the least disagreeable, a pleasant guy who was hard to hate.
Tamura was still 28 years old, and even though there was a large age difference between us, somehow we got along well. Guess I have no choice, I'll just give them my honest blessings….
[I'm sorry about that, you see how my personality is like. Well, rather than standing around here, let's find a place to eat and I'll listen there.]
There's no point in being jealous…is what I thought, but while I was speaking;
[Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!]
Along with a scream came sudden chaos.
What was that? What's happening?
[Move! I'll kill ya!!!]
As I turned towards that voice, I saw a man running this way while carrying a kitchen knife and bag.
I hear another scream. That man was coming closer. In his hand a kitchen knife. Kitchen knife? It's pointed towards…
[Tamuraaaaaaaa!!]
Thud! As I shoved Tamura away,
Stab! A sudden burning pain grew in my backside.
[Don' get'm mah way!]
*
I gazed at the shrieking man as he escaped, then confirmed the safety of Tamura and Sawatari-san.
Tamura was soundlessly screaming as he rushed over to my side.
Although Sawatari-san seemed to be in a shocked trance due to the sudden incident, it looks like she wasn't hurt. That's a relief.
At any rate, my back feels like it's burning. Beyond that of a simple painful sensation, the back of my body feels as if it's on fire.
What is this? This is way too hot…spare me please.
<Confirmed. Acquiring Fire Resistance…. Success>
Perhaps…I've been stabbed?
Getting stabbed and dying, no way…
<Confirmed. Acquiring Piercing Resistance…. Success.
<Continuing, Acquiring Physical Attack Resistance…. Success>
[Senpai, blo-, blood is pouring…the bleeding won't stop!]
Who's that, noisy guy. Tamura? I thought I heard a strange voice, but it can't be helped if it's Tamura.
Blood? Well yeah, it's pouring out. I'm just a human you know. If I get stabbed, of course I'll bleed!
Still, I can't stand the pain…
<Confirmed. Acquiring Pain Immunity…. Success>
Uh, let's see…this is bad, the pain and shock seems to be confusing my mind.
[Ta-, Tamura…quiet down some. It-…it's not a big deal alright? Don't even worry about it…]
[Senpai, blo-, the blood…]
His face looking white as a sheet and on the verge of crying, Tamura was trying to hold me in his arms. That expression is ruining his good looks.
I tried to check on how Sawatari-san was doing, but my vision was too blurred to see properly.
As the pain in my back faded away, in it's place a violent chill began assaulting my body.
This is getting dangerous huh…. People die when they don't have enough blood.
<Confirmed. Designing a body that does not require blood…. Success>
(Wai-, you, what have you been saying all this time? I didn't quite catch that…)
I tried speaking out loud, but my voice wouldn't come out. This is bad. I really might die…
Rather, the burning and painful sensations are gradually disappearing.
It's cold. So cold I don't know what to do. Goodness…now it's the cold's turn to freeze me solid, I'm such a busy guy.
<Confirmed. Acquiring Cold Resistance…. Success
Due to Acquiring Heat and Cold Resistances, skill evolved into [Heat Fluctuation Resistance EX]>
At that moment, when my brain cells were on the edge of death, they recalled a certain important matter.
That's right! The contents of my PC harddisk!!!
[Tamuraa!!! If by any chance, in the worst case, I end up dying…I leave my PC to you. Drown it in the bath, and electrocute it to completely eliminate the data…]
*Destroy the shameful collection of manly desires!
Mustering what's left of my energy, I conveyed that matter of utmost importance.
<Confirmed. Eliminating data by electrocution…no information available, unable to comply.
Action failed.
Taking substitute measures, acquiring Electrical Resistance…. Success.
Additionally, acquiring Paralysis Resistance…. Success.>
For a moment, Tamura was blankly staring, as if unable to believe what he heard.
However, when he came to understand what I meant,
[Haha-…that's so like you Senpai…]
Saying that, he bitterly smiled. I didn't want to see a man's tearful face anyway. A forced smile is much better than that.
[I..to be honest…about Sawatari-san, I wanted to show off in front of you…]
I thought it was like that…. Really, this bastard.
[Tsk…. Geez. I forgive everything, just make sure you make her happy. I leave the PC to you…]
*Take no prisoners! Leave no bytes alive!
With the last of my strength, that was all I said.
And just like that, Mikami Satoru died.
But at that moment, Mikami Satoru's "soul" linked with a demon, of a different world within the same time and space, that had unexpectedly appeared.
A small dimensional crack that couldn't be seen with the eye. The soul attached itself to the mass of magic essence that appeared from that crack.
The magic essence became the foundation of creating a demon, and a body, based on the will of the linked Mikami Satoru, was being built.
Overcoming the astronomically unlikely probability of occurrence, Mikami Satoru was reincarnated as a demon in another world.
*Pre-reincarnation
An ordinary life with nothing much to talk about.
Graduated from university, tentatively entered a major company as a general contractor, currently 37 years old and living alone. No girlfriend.
My older brother whom I haven't seen for years is the one supporting our parents, so you could say that I'm a willful bachelor.
Thanks to that, also a virgin.
To think, I'm leaving for the other world while it was still unused…my son must be weeping as well.
Forgive me, for not being able to make you into an adult…
If we're ever reborn again, let's be super aggressive.
We'll call out to everyone and anyone, feasting without restraint…. But that'd be bad huh.
*In case you were confused about his son, think of family jewels
PR/N: He means a p*nis…
<Confirmed. Acquiring Unique Skill [Predator]…. Success>
Speaking of myself, I wasn't that far from turning 40 years old.
If being a virgin at 30 years old makes you a magician, then I was so close to becoming a sage…even a great sage wouldn't be just a dream.
Though to be honest, even I think that would be going a bit too far.
<Confirmed. Acquiring Extra Skill [Sage]…. Success.
Continuing, evolving Extra Skill [Sage] into Unique Skill [Great Sage]…. Success>
…but what's with that voice that's been talking till now. The heck is a <Unique Skill [Great Sage]>. You making fun of me?
It isn't the least bit unique!
Not even amusing, not for me!
Really, so rude…
And thinking such things, I fell asleep.
(So this is what it's like to die…it's not as lonely as I thought.)
Those words were the last thoughts of Mikami Satoru before he left this world.