CHAPTER 10 - Training
(POV - Daniel)
Ugh… Damn it…
Tears kept streaming from my eyes uncontrollably. I begged for them to stop. Please, please, please… Let me be happy.
Why does this happen to me? Why does life insist on filling me with pain?
In the midst of all this darkness, I only find comfort in my grandma and my friends. The rest is an overwhelming void.
It's true, I'm physically attractive, but what's the point? Why should I consider it a positive thing? My appearance only complicates my relationships, making it impossible to know if someone loves me for who I am or for how I look.
Despite the economic hardships I faced in my life, I never hated it. Why? Because my grandma always did her best to provide for me. But that didn't stop the pain from the mockery and bullying at school. The beatings. The humiliations… Being treated like trash whose only quality was his looks.
Aside from my grandma and my friends, I hated living.
I don't know if I can call it depression, but sadness consumes me. I don't know if I'm depressed.
My mother, the person I always wanted to meet, hates me… I thought my grandma's death would be the most painful thing I'd ever face, but what happened with my mother came dangerously close to that level of pain.
The last time I felt this low, I tried to end my life.
… Now I have my grandma and new friends. God has entrusted me with a mission… I should be happy… I was happy, but… My mother… Because of my mother, I'm sad again.
I… I…
"I wish to die."
I want to leave this world and join my father.
I long to abandon this world, but… at the same time, I don't want to.
I want to save the people of this world. I want to protect all the alternate worlds. I want to be a hero…! But that would mean facing my mother. My own mother.
The woman who gave me life. The woman my father loved. The woman I so desperately wanted to meet. The woman I missed so much. The woman I needed most in my life… I… have to eliminate her if I want to save this world.
I wish words were enough to change her mind, but I didn't sense any love in her. She didn't care that I was her son. There were no hugs. I saw no tears of sadness… I felt none of that from her.
To her, I'm just a nuisance.
"Just a nuisance standing in the way of the Demon King's plans. That's all I am to her… That's it…"
Mother… I… I know I have to end you, but… I don't want to.
I…! I… I want to believe words are more powerful than violence, but… All the alternate worlds are in danger. Risking the existence of all those worlds just because I tried to use words instead of force isn't worth it.
Mother, I'm sorry, but God has given me a mission, and I must fulfill it.
I love you… But I can't afford to love you.
"I can't go to the Demon King and negotiate an alliance."
It would be too naïve to think that would work, and if I try and fail, I'll likely end up dead, and this world will collapse, along with the other worlds.
I have to take the safe path. Avoid taking risks.
It's the safest option, but also the most painful for me. Not only will I have to fight and eliminate my mother, but I'll also have to face hundreds of demons, train relentlessly, endure immense pain… I'll sacrifice my being for the fate of all the worlds.
God, did you choose me for this? Because I'm capable of sacrificing myself for the well-being of others? You took advantage of my nature.
"Train, triumph, and possibly end up dead. That's my destiny."
And I accept it.
I don't want to keep living anyway, and instead of taking my own life, I'll use my existence to try to save this world.
Mother, my tears may betray me, but this crybaby has a shot at defeating the Demon King.
… It's better not to think about her… Sadness clouds my mind, and I can't think clearly.
I need to hide my true feelings and pretend I'm fine… I don't want others to pity me.
Not again.
"Ugh… I hate my life."
Grandma… I need a hug.
•
•
(POV - Restro)
"I don't even enjoy it anymore, but I keep doing it… I'm a mess," I said to myself, looking at the poor woman who fell victim to my lust.
A trembling human woman, terrified, as my essence drips from her once-pure, now-ruined private parts.
She's crying, her expression reflecting only the pain she feels right now. The pain of being violated by a monster like me.
"I only feel satisfaction and happiness seeing you like this."
And I hate feeling this way.
From the depths of my being, the story of the man I once was emerges. I'm Restro, a name left behind in oblivion, buried under layers of shadows and regrets. My existence faded long ago when the wounds in my heart became so deep that the only escape I found was to embrace the darkness and become a demon.
There was a time when I was human, with dreams and hopes like anyone else. But life had other plans for me. I was born into a home filled with discord, where my mother's venomous words pierced my skin like sharp thorns. She constantly compared me to my younger brother, highlighting my flaws and calling me a useless failure. No matter how hard I tried, I was never enough in her ruthless eyes.
I was consumed by the desire to prove to my mother that I was worth something, that I wasn't the failure she insisted on pointing out. But little by little, the weight of her humiliations became overwhelming. I felt my soul darken, filling with bitterness, as my spirit slowly broke.
It was in my most vulnerable moment that the devil crossed my path, offering me an escape, a chance to break free from the torment and find a better life. Desperate and blinded by the promise of redemption, I made a deal with him, unaware of the consequences my decision would bring.
The devil's deception soon became clear. A malevolent phantom, a sinister entity, took over my body and controlled my every move. Its presence was suffocating, its influence inescapable. Powerless, I watched as that evil force headed toward my mother, committing horrific acts in my name. It killed the woman who gave me life, while I, trapped within my own being, witnessed her bloody end.
Horror and guilt flooded me to my core. There were no words to describe the emotional torment consuming me. I became a monster, a serial killer and rapist, driven by the twisted desires of the evil spirit dwelling within me.
Remorse became my constant companion, a reminder of the sweet and kind person I once was. My soul wept tears of regret for the lives destroyed, for the innocence lost, and for the darkness that had swallowed my being.
But despite my remorse, I realized there was no turning back. I had crossed a line I couldn't erase, and the mark of evil had stained my being forever. I had become a demon, an embodiment of evil that couldn't be redeemed.
I accepted my fate with resignation, knowing there was no salvation for me. My existence wove itself into a web of regrets and penance, where my purpose became an eternal reminder of the atrocities I committed.
Yet, I continue to live, or rather, exist in a damned state. I'm no longer the man I once was, nor the monster I became. I'm Restro, a demon trapped between two worlds, perpetually tormented by my past actions and condemned to carry the darkness deep within me.
In every dark corner I sink into, I feel the weight of my sin crushing my soul, reminding me that regret is no longer enough. My destiny is to remain a demon, wandering through eternity with the burden of my sins, until the last vestige of my humanity fades completely.
I continue with a trembling pen, feeling the need to express what remains of my agonizing conscience. My existence, framed by shadows and regrets, forces me to keep sharing the dark recesses of my story.
In my eternal solitude, I wonder if there was ever a real chance for escape, if redemption was just a fleeting illusion snatched away from me. I torment myself with the thought that, at some point, I could have stopped the whirlwind of violence and suffering I left in my wake. But now, all that has vanished into the mists of an irretrievable past.
My mind remains a constant battlefield, where fragments of humanity clash with the demons within me. My regret is genuine, and sadness consumes me as I think of the lives I destroyed and the pain I sowed mercilessly. But what can I do now? What's the point of regret when redemption is unattainable?
I'm a tormented being, trapped between guilt and powerlessness, unable to escape my own perverse nature. Every glimpse of compassion is smothered by the reality of my past actions, like a weak flame extinguished in a world shrouded in darkness.
Is it possible to find anything beyond resignation in this state of damnation? Is there any purpose in this bleak existence? These are unanswered questions, inquiries lost in the vastness of the darkness consuming me.
Sometimes, in fleeting moments of clarity, I think of those I harmed. I wonder if there's any way to amend the irreparable, to restore the peace I stole from them. But my thoughts quickly fade, leaving me with the certainty that I can offer them nothing but a powerless lament.
So, I resign myself to my fate as a hopeless demon. I accept my corrupt nature and face the eternity I'm condemned to. Perhaps one day, in some remote corner of the universe, I'll find the atonement my soul desperately craves. But until then, I'll bear my penance in silence, knowing I'm a monster whose regret will never be enough to undo the evil I caused.
Deep within me, the echo of a broken man will remain, one who longed to be loved and valued but whose path veered into darkness. And as the days fade into the darkness of eternity, Restro, the demon who was once a man, will remain in his perpetual torment, captive to his own demons and condemned to bear the scars of his tragic story until the end of time.
"A true monster."
"Hey, hey, did you really get all reflective again? It's always the same. You rape a woman and stand there for 30 minutes in front of her, thinking. By the way, nice creampie, though my lovely, perfect husband did it better."
"Whatever. Let's go, Nadia."
"Yeah, yeah."
Nadia killed the human woman with a fireball.
"Now we can go."
… Nadia… I was forced to become a monster, but she… She became a monster by choice. Why? For pure pleasure.
At least I'm not the most evil demon here. Nadia surpasses me by far.
Being capable of even killing her own son if ordered… That woman has no goodness in her soul.
•
•
(POV - Daniel)
After crying for an hour in the bathroom, I change clothes and step out.
"Hey, Daniel, are you really okay? You look bad."
Sonia approaches me… She's worried about me, and that makes me feel really good… and bad.
… But I'll never forget her betrayal.
"Yeah, a little, but I'm fine… Thanks, Sonia," I say with a small smile, pretending to be okay.
But the reality is different. I'm completely broken.
I walk away from her and am about to leave the house. I need fresh air.
"If anyone asks for me, tell them I just went for a walk."
"Yeah, okay."
I leave and head to the castle.
"The first demon I defeated was overconfident and didn't attack me seriously, and the second I attacked while he was distracted. Fighting Restro made me realize demons are really strong. I pierced his chest with my sword, but it didn't seem to affect him; even the light spell seemed to have no effect… I need to learn to fight better, master my spells perfectly… And if I see my mother again, I have to… I have to kill her."
… But… Will I be able to?
I don't know.
"Sniff, sniff."
Is someone crying?
I look to my left.
No…
"This world is so messed up."
Even this kingdom, with such a kind king, allows this.
A small enslaved boy being whipped.
Disgusting.
"Muslar asio. Vels."
I run toward the man whipping him and stand beside him.
I grab his wrist to stop him from hitting the boy.
"Who the hell—?! D-Daniel?!"
I look at the poor boy, his wounds bleeding.
A little boy, about… 8 years old.
… This world disgusts me.
"Don't worry, kid, everything will be okay."
Because I'll help you.
Yes, because that's the only thing I'm good for: helping others.
But… no one can help me.
•
•
(Delsmo Country)
Monderfol is seated on his throne, with Daniel's mother and Restro kneeling before him.
He simply nods as he listens to the information, showing no concern or fear about Daniel's existence. Why? Because he already knew this would happen.
"So it's true, there really is an adventurer like that. What surprises me most is that he's your son."
"I'm sorry, I don't know why he's here."
"History repeats itself, huh? It was obvious this world's God would send them, but this time it was too soon. Did I make a mistake? Well, it doesn't matter too much," Monderfol thought.
Monderfol stands.
"Give all the demons a message: 'Don't fight him; we'll stop searching for the rocks for now.'"
"Stop searching for them? But Daniel knows where they are; we need to capture him to make him tell us."
"No, he doesn't know where they are."
"But the fairy told me he knew. She wasn't lying."
"Daniel told her he knew where the rocks were so she'd tell you. Basically, she wasn't lying, which is why you felt she was telling the truth."
"How are you so sure?"
"It's a hunch. Gather all the demons, tell them to return to the country and meet with me."
"I'll do it."
They leave, leaving Monderfol alone, who simply smiles with a soft chuckle.
"Daniel, huh? The warrior destined to die by my hands. One less worry, two remain."