Chapter 1: The Demon King's Successor

Astoria was a world of wonder and magic, where diverse races and creatures lived in harmony. But that was before the Demon King Velios came. He was a cruel and ruthless tyrant, who led his army of demons to conquer and destroy everything in his path. For hundreds of years, he ruled over Astoria with an iron fist, crushing any resistance and imposing his dark will. The land was filled with blood and tears, as the people suffered under his oppression. The once-glorious kingdoms of Astoria were reduced to rubble and ashes, and the survivors lived in fear and misery.

Among the races of Astoria, humans were the most numerous and widespread. They had built many civilizations and empires throughout history, but they also faced many wars and conflicts. Humans were adaptable and resilient, but they also had a tendency to be greedy and ambitious. They had a complex relationship with magic, which they used for both good and evil purposes.

Other races of Astoria included elves, dwarves, and beastfolk. Elves were graceful and elegant beings, who lived in harmony with nature and wielded powerful magic. They resided in the forests and mountains, where they built their hidden cities and sanctuaries. Elves valued wisdom and beauty, but they also had a sense of pride and aloofness. They often looked down on other races, especially humans, whom they considered to be barbaric and destructive.

Dwarves were sturdy and industrious beings, who lived underground and excelled at crafting and engineering. They dug deep into the earth, where they built their massive fortresses and mines. Dwarves valued strength and honor, but they also had a love for gold and gems. They often clashed with other races, especially elves, whom they considered to be arrogant and wasteful.

Beastfolk were diverse and exotic beings, who had animal-like features and abilities. They lived in various habitats, such as deserts, jungles, or oceans, where they adapted to their environments. Beastfolk valued freedom and diversity, but they also had a sense of loyalty and kinship. They often avoided other races, especially humans, whom they considered to be intrusive and oppressive.

These races had coexisted in Astoria for ages, sometimes peacefully, sometimes not. But they all shared a common enemy: the Demon King Velios. He was the greatest threat to their existence, and the only hope to defeat him was the prophecy of the four heroes.

As the darkness of Velios' reign spread across Astoria, the people began to lose hope and faith. They prayed for a miracle, a savior, a hero. And their prayers were answered. From different worlds, four individuals were summoned to Astoria by a mysterious force. They were the chosen ones, the legendary heroes, the bringers of light.

Each hero had a unique class and skill, reflecting their personality and background. The Archer was a swift and agile fighter, who used a bow and arrow to strike from afar. The Swordsman was a strong and brave warrior, who used a sword and shield to fight in close combat. The Sorcerer was a smart and cunning mage, who used a staff and spells to manipulate magic. The Shielder was a loyal and steadfast protector, who used a shield and hammer to defend and support.

Together, they formed an alliance of heroes, united by a common goal: to defeat Velios and free Astoria. They gathered followers and allies from different races and kingdoms, forming a resistance army against the Demon King. They fought many battles and faced many dangers, overcoming countless obstacles and challenges. They reached the gates of Velios' fortress, where they confronted him in an epic showdown.

But Velios was not an easy foe to defeat. He was powerful and cunning, wielding dark magic and commanding legions of demons. He had also prepared a trap for the heroes, using a forbidden spell that cursed them with immortality. He hoped to break their spirits by making them suffer endlessly, without ever dying or escaping.

But the heroes did not give up. They used their immortality as an advantage, continuing to fight Velios with relentless determination. They realized that they had become more than heroes; they had become legends. They vowed to never stop fighting until they defeated Velios and restored peace to Astoria.

***-

I opened my eyes and found myself in a dark and empty space. Where the hell am I? I tried to move, but I felt weird. It was like my body couldn't decide what to tell my brain. I could feel the air around me, even though there was nothing to breathe. I could feel my feet touching something, even though there was nothing to stand on. I could see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, but none of it made sense.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I shouted, hoping for an answer. But there was only silence.

I sighed and scratched my head. This was not how I expected my day to end. My name is Ren Hoshikawa, and I'm a 15-year-old high school student in my second year. I love guns and explosions, and I'm a member of the shooting club at school. I also like video games, manga, anime, and other geeky stuff. I'm not very popular or smart, but I'm not a loser either. I have a few friends who share my hobbies, and we have fun together.

I was on my way home from school, when suddenly a hole appeared in the ground in front of me. Before I could react, I fell into it and landed here. Wherever here is. It's like I'm in a void, with nothing around me. Is this some kind of prank? Or maybe a dream? Or maybe...

"Could this be... an isekai?" I wondered aloud.

Isekai is a genre of fiction where the protagonist is transported to another world, usually a fantasy one with magic and monsters. It's very popular these days, especially in manga and anime. There are many variations and tropes, but the basic premise is the same: the protagonist gets summoned or reincarnated into another world, where they have to survive and adapt to their new environment. Sometimes they get special powers or abilities, sometimes they meet allies or enemies, sometimes they have a mission or a destiny to fulfill.

I've read and watched many isekai stories, and I always thought they were cool and exciting. But now that I'm in one myself, I'm not so sure.

"Whoever summoned me here better have a good reason," I growled. "Or else I'll punch them in the face!"

I don't care if it's a god or a goddess, a king or a queen, a hero or a villain, a man or a woman. If they dragged me here without my consent, they're going to pay. My fists are rated E for everyone!

"Hey! Why would you punch someone who's asking for your help?" A voice suddenly said.

I looked around, startled. Who said that? Where did it come from?

"Hello? Who are you? Where are you?" I asked.

"Look above you," the voice said again.

I looked up, and immediately regretted it. What I saw was the most horrifying thing I've ever seen in my life. It was a monster, a nightmare, an abomination. It had multiple bat wings, tentacles, rotating rings filled with infinite eyes and flames. It was huge, bigger than a building, and it was staring right at me.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, as loud as I could.

The monster seemed surprised by my reaction. It blinked its many eyes, and tilted its head.

"What's wrong? Why are you screaming?" It asked, in a calm and polite tone.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed again, ignoring his question.

"Oh, I see. You're scared of my true form. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. Let me change into something more... human," the monster said.

Before I could say anything, the monster began to transform. Its wings, tentacles, rings, eyes, and flames disappeared, and its body shrank and reshaped into a human-like figure. In a matter of seconds, the monster was gone, and in its place stood a man.

He looked like an Englishman, wearing a stylish fedora hat, a tailored suit, and carrying a polished cane. He had black hair, pale skin, and a thin mustache. He smiled at me, showing his pearly white teeth. He looked like a gentleman, but there were subtle yet unmistakable signs that revealed his true nature. His teeth appeared sharper than normal, his ears slightly elongated and pointed, and his eyes possessed a demonic glint, hinting at the otherworldly power that lies beneath his facade.

"Is this better?" He asked me.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He frowned and tilted his head again.

"Is something wrong? Do you not like my human form?" He asked me.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He sighed and shook his head.

"You're a tough one to please. Well then, let me introduce myself. My name is Velios, the Demon King of Anarchy. And you are my guest," he said.

He cleared his throat and bowed slightly.

"DEMON KING?" I repeated, finally stopping my screaming. Terror filling my mind.

"Yes, Demon King. Is there a problem?" He asked.

I clenched my fists and punched him in the face as hard as I could.

"NO DEMON WILL HAVE MY SOUL!" I shouted.

He stumbled back and touched his nose. He looked at his hand and saw blood.

"Ow! That hurt! Why did you do that?" He asked me.

I didn't answer. I just kept punching him, over and over again.

"HOLY SMITE! HOLY SMITE! HOLY SMITE!" I yelled, as I hit him with my fists.

We entered a banter, with him trying to convince me that he was not trying to take my soul, and me not believing him. This went on for a while, until he had enough. He switched back to his true form, the monstrous one with wings, tentacles, rings, eyes, and flames. He towered over me, and glared at me with his many eyes.

"Quit it!" He roared, in a voice that shook the void.

I felt a surge of fear, and lost my bravado. I nodded quickly, and stopped punching him. I'm not proud to say it but just looking at that form just made me wet my pants in fear and crapped my pants. He was just so terrifying that describing how he looks would barely fit my imagination or anyone.

He looked at me suspiciously, and narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to behave?" He asked me.

I nodded again, and gulped.

He sighed, and switched back to his human form. He adjusted his hat, suit, and cane, and looked at me calmly.

"Good. Now that you've calmed down, let me explain why I summoned you here," he said.

He cleared his throat and bowed slightly.

"As I said before, my name is Velios, the Demon King of Anarchy. And you are my guest. And my successor," he said.

I blinked. Did he just say... successor?

"Successor?" I repeated.

"Yes, successor. You are going to be the new Demon King," he said.

I shook my head and waved my hands. "No way! No way! No way! No way! No way! No way! No way!" I yelled.

He frowned and tilted his head again. "Why not? Don't you want to be the Demon King?" He asked me.

"NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" I yelled.

He groaned and rubbed his temples. "Will you stop yelling and let me finish?" He asked me.

I nodded reluctantly, and shut up. He smiled and nodded back.

"Thank you. Now listen carefully. I summoned you here because I want to retire. I'm tired of being the Demon King. I'm tired of fighting the heroes. I'm tired of ruling this world. I want to pass on my title and power to someone else. Someone like you," he said.

He pointed his cane at me, and smiled.

"You are my chosen successor. You will be the new Demon King," he said.

I shook my head again, and opened my mouth to protest. But before I could say anything, he continued talking.

"I know what you're thinking. Why me? Why would you choose a random kid from another world to be the Demon King? Well, there's a reason for that. You see, this world is in chaos because of the actions of three out of four heroes, who are abusing their power and destroying everything in their way. They are the real enemies of this world, not me," he said.

He paused for a moment, and looked at me seriously.

"Do you know who those heroes are?" He asked me.

I shook my head again, and shrugged.

He sighed again, and leaned closer to me.

"Those heroes are... from your world," he said.

I wasn't surprised by his revelation. I had a feeling that the heroes were from my world. It made sense, in a twisted way.

Velios noticed my lack of reaction, and asked me why.

"Why are you not surprised? Aren't you shocked to learn that the heroes are from your world?" He asked me.

I shrugged and shook my head.

"Not really. I was kind of expecting it. It's a common trope in some isekai stories. The protagonist and the antagonist are from the same world, but they end up on opposite sides in another world. It adds drama and conflict to the plot," I said.

He blinked and tilted his head.

"A common trope? In isekai stories? What are you talking about?" He asked me.

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Never mind. It's not important. What's important is, what do you expect from me? You said you want me to be your successor, but what does that mean?" I asked him.

He smiled and nodded.

"Ah, yes. That's the main point. You see, I want you to fight the heroes for me. In exchange, you will become the new Demon King," he said.

I frowned and crossed my arms.

"Fight the heroes for you? Why can't you do it yourself? Aren't you the Demon King of Anarchy? Aren't you supposed to be powerful and cunning?" I asked him.

He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I am powerful and cunning, but I'm also tired and bored. I've been fighting the heroes for centuries, and it's always the same thing. They attack me, I defend myself, we exchange insults and threats, we clash our powers, we cause collateral damage, we retreat and heal, we repeat. It's a never-ending cycle of violence and destruction. And I've had enough of it," he said.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Wow, you sound like a whiny baby. Are you saying that you can't handle the heroes? Are you saying that they're too strong for you?" I asked him.

He glared at me and snorted.

"Of course not. They're not too strong for me. They're too crazy for me. They're insane, reckless, ruthless, and sadistic. They don't care about anything or anyone but themselves. They don't care about this world or its people. They don't care about the consequences of their actions. They only care about killing me and having fun," he said.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"They're so crazy that I have to do damage control after every battle. I have to fix what they break, heal what they hurt, restore what they destroy. If I don't, this world will collapse under their madness. And I can't let that happen. This is my world, after all," he said.

He looked at me with a mix of anger and frustration.

"Do you know how annoying that is? Do you know how humiliating that is? To be the Demon King of Anarchy, and yet to be the one who has to maintain order and balance? To be the villain, and yet to be the one who has to save the world? To be the enemy of humanity, and yet to be the one who has to protect them?" He asked me.

I shrugged again and shook my head.

"Not really. Sounds like a personal problem to me," I said.

He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"You're so insensitive. You don't understand anything. You don't understand how hard it is to be me," he said.

He pointed his cane at me again, and smiled bitterly.

"That's why I summoned you here. That's why I want you to be my successor. That's why I want you to fight the heroes for me," he said.

I looked at him, and tried to see if he was lying. But I couldn't find any signs of deceit. He seemed sincere, in his own twisted way. He really wanted me to be his successor. He really wanted me to fight the heroes for him.

I sighed and scratched my head. This was a crazy situation. I was in a void, talking to a demon king, who wanted me to be the new demon king, and fight the heroes from my world, who were destroying his world. It was like a bad joke, or a bad dream.

But it was also an opportunity. An opportunity to go to another world. An opportunity to have an adventure. An opportunity to change my life.

I looked at him again, and asked him a question.

"Do you realize that by sending me to your world, you're also taking a huge gamble? You're introducing a new variable, a new factor, a new element. You don't know me. You don't know what I'll do, or what will happen because of me. You don't know if I'll make things better or worse," I said.

He shrugged and smiled.

"I don't care. As long as my world is in one piece, I'm fine with whatever happens. Besides, I trust you. You're my chosen successor, after all. You have my power and my blessing," he said.

He reached out his hand and touched my chest.

"You have my soul," he said.

I felt a warm and tingling sensation in my chest. I looked at his hand, and saw a faint glow.

"What did you do?" I asked him.

"I gave you a part of my soul. It's a token of our contract. It will grant you access to my world, and to my power. It will also link us together, so we can communicate across dimensions," he said.

He moved his hand away from my chest, and smiled again.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you. It will only help you," he said.

I frowned and crossed my arms.

"Help me? How?" I asked him.

He shrugged again and waved his hand.

"You'll see when you get there. You'll figure it out as you go along. You're smart and resourceful, right?" He asked me.

I nodded reluctantly, and sighed again.

"Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine," I said.

He grinned and clapped his hands.

"Great! Then we have a deal! You'll be my successor, and fight the heroes for me!" He said.

I nodded again, and raised my hand.

"Wait a minute. Before we seal the deal, I have some demands," I said.

He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head.

"Demands? What kind of demands?" He asked me.

I looked around, and asked for something.

"Do you have a notepad and a pen?" I asked him.

He looked confused, but conjured one for me with his magic. He handed it to me, and watched me curiously.

"What are you going to do with that?" He asked me.

I took the notepad and the pen, and quickly began writing something on it. I wrote down a list of things that I wanted and needed for my trip to his world. Things like clothes, food, money, weapons, gadgets, books, games, etc. Things that would make my life easier and more comfortable in another world. I'm not giving up my easy life that fast.

I finished writing, and gave him the notepad back. He took it and read it carefully. He looked puzzled by most of the items on the list, but he didn't question them.

"What is this?" He asked me.

"This is my list of demands. These are the things that I want you to provide for me when I go to your world," I said.

He looked at me and nodded slowly.

"Okay... I don't understand most of these things, but okay... If that's what you want, then fine... I'll give them to you... As long as you keep your part of the deal," he said.

I nodded back and smiled slightly.

"Deal," I said.

We shook hands to cement our deal, and I felt another surge of warmth in my chest. I looked at him, and saw him smiling warmly too. He let go of my hand, and stepped back from me. He raised his cane again, and pointed it at me.

"Well then, it's time for you to go," he said.

I felt a strange sensation in my body, like I was fading away from the void. I looked at him again, and asked him one last question.

"What's your world called?" I asked him.

He smiled again, and answered me with one word.

"Astoria," he said.

I blinked, and felt myself disappearing from the void. I heard him say one last thing to me.

"Good luck, my successor. And have a good life," he said.