Demon Lord's Reincarnation

After Ren had finished off the final knight he touched his neck and was rather surprised to see some blood flowing out. Ren's body that was now harder than most materials on this planet was actually cut. It would seem that even at his current level he could still be killed if he let his guard down too much.

Upon learning that fact that he was still vulnerable in this lower world made Ren feel truly excited. He wasn't scared of any enemies, since he was already an enemy to the strongest being in existence, but what he feared most of all was boredom. He knew that at the end he would need to face the ORIGIN, but before that, he wanted to feel the thrill of edging between life and death. So now that he knew there was a chance for him to die in these lower worlds, he found it quite interesting.

'I guess there's still some fun to be had here, while I wait for Valdel and the others to grow strong enough to follow me to the world of deities.'

Ren wiped away the blood on his hands and once again sat down to watch the battle between his followers and the heroes.

...

The heroes who had seen the massacre of the knights in the corner of their eyes were greatly shaken. Ren didn't need to use any form of spiritual energy as all he used was his pure physical strength and even that was fearsome. They could no longer imagine just how powerful Ren was.

On the other hand, they could not even defeat Ren's subordinates and they even outnumbered them. It was obvious that they truly had no chance since the beginning. Still, their hearts were clear as they continued to fight without fear.

The raging Helk was the first to fall and was followed by the sleepy Zol. The two weren't killed and had simply fainted. They had fought with all their might but unfortunately, their opponents were a bad match-up for them.

As things were becoming dire for the heroes a powerful burst of mana came crushing down the battlefield separating the two sides. When Artemisia saw who the person that arrived was, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"So little one, you finally stopped being a frightened little child."

"I told you already to stop calling me little one." The one who appeared before the remaining heroes was Xia. She looked at the enemies before her, then stared at Ren who was watching the battle from a distance.

When she saw Ren looking at her she visibly trembled in fear. Still, despite that, she looked at him head-on without adverting her gaze.

Ren smiled that vicious smile of his as he looked at Xia as if wanting to eat her. He had actually made a mistake in assessing the girl's situation. He was sure that fear had taken over her and when he saw that she hasn't shown herself on any battlefield after their meeting, Ren felt that she was nothing more than a disappointment. She was the most powerful of the seven heroes but she was also one of the most cowardly. Yet now that she was standing before him he needed to reevaluate his assessment of her.

Ren saw that even now she was still afraid of him, more so than before. Yet here she was standing before him still trembling in fear, but the resolve in her eyes burns brighter than any of the heroes or the knights he had just killed. Ren then spoke his voice wasn't loud but it echoed in everyone's ears.

"You're incredible! Out of all the heroes here, I respect you the most. Even though these heroes never retreated before me, I still respect you more. Unlike them, you had witnessed the true horror of my existence. Unlike them, you actually saw the truth of my very existence and those that came before me. You understand the true extent of my power that even ancient demons fear. Yet here you are standing before me, afraid, and shivering, yet full of resolve. You have shown true courage and for that I applaud you. Still, I wonder what gave you the courage to come here, despite understanding the truth?"

Upon hearing Ren's question Xia was silent for a while. She sighed before giving an answer.

"... I always thought that what I seek was a good opponent, one that could give me a thrill like no other. Yet the moment I found such an opponent I choked and fainted on the spot. It was then I finally realized that I was a hypocrite and a narcissist. What I was truly doing was just having fun beating up those weaker than myself... I just wanted to feel powerful, to feel good about myself. So what I have isn't true courage, even now I'm shivering in fear by just being in your presence... But... What I found when I was cowering at the back and letting my comrades go alone to face you, that there was something I feared more than you. It was the fear of living on with regrets in my heart. If I fled by myself, I would always wonder if it was possible to win if we all joined forces to face you. I would always wonder what would happen if I had joined the battle instead of fleeing. So instead of regretting all that, and continue to live in shame, I found the strength to join this battle. I found that my courage was with my comrades all along. So now even in the face of the end, my heart will never waver."

Hearing Xia's answer Ren started laughing maniacally and appeared in front of Xia. When the heroes saw Ren suddenly moving and appearing before them, they all went to defend Xia pointing their weapons at Ren. Ren wasn't bothered by their actions as his canines were showing through his smiling face. He spoke in a very excited voice.

"I am Ren, the current reincarnation of the Strongest Mortal Soul. State your name warrior."

When the heroes heard Ren's introduction they were confused as this was the first time they heard the term Strongest Mortal Soul. Yet even though they did not understand what the title represented they knew it must be something incredible.

"... I am Xia..."

Ren nodded his head and looked at the other heroes and his own companions. When Silika and the others saw that look on Ren's face they could already guess what was going to happen next.

"How about instead of fighting each other, all of you just come at me?"