Chapter 1 – The Villain Awakens
The throne was cold beneath him.
Rale blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the sight before his eyes.
Rows of demons—horned, winged, armored—knelt in unison. Torches crackled, casting crimson light across the grand chamber.
A tall succubus in black armor bowed deeply.
"All hail, Lord Rale—the Arch Demon King, ruler of shadows!"
"Wait… huh? Arch… Demon King?" Rale muttered. His voice echoed deeper, darker than he remembered.
Suddenly, glowing text appeared in the air:
> System Notice: You are Rale, the Arch Demon Villain.
Fate: To be slain by the Hero of Light in 5 years.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
He pressed a hand to his chest. His body felt strong, overflowing with power. Magic pulsed in his veins like fire.
"So I reincarnated… into the villain? Not the hero? The damn final boss?"
He slumped back in the throne, laughing bitterly.
"Well… better than working myself to death again."
The succubus raised her head, her crimson eyes gleaming.
"My lord, shall we prepare for war against the humans?"
Rale smirked.
War? Hard work?
Hell no.
"No… not war. From now on… I'll live my life however I want. I worked myself to death last time—this time, I'll enjoy everything. Power, love… and maybe even a harem."
The demons glanced at each other in confusion.
But Rale only leaned back, his grin widening.
"Yeah… if I'm the villain, then I'll be the happiest villain this world has ever seen."