The Villain's Second Time

Chapter 0

The twilight is slowly setting.

Normally, I would leisurely enjoy the scenery with a mojito in hand, but unfortunately, my current predicament doesn’t allow me any leisure.

"The criminal, Oscar Lucifer—!"

The Demon Army Legion Commander solemnly shouts, his voice echoing loudly across the square.

That guy, until just four months ago, wouldn’t even dare meet my eyes, but he’s grown a lot.

"And Saint Maria will be executed—!"

In the blessed land where life flourishes, the Continental Plaza.

I ascended the guillotine alongside the Saint of the Holy Church.

Eternal death approaches. Even just lifting my head reveals the sharp blade that will soon fall, severing my head.

A smirk escapes. To be executed by the Demon King himself, despite rising to the second-in-command of the Demon Army—what a ridiculous farce that elicits involuntary laughter.

I was a key figure in the long war between the Demon Realm and the Continent. As a demon by birth, I naturally stood with the Demon Army.

To be honest, I simply enjoyed being evil. The freedom of villainy ensnared me.

I relished in tainting the world with madness and chaos.

I roamed the entire Continent, wreaking havoc, taking human screams as my labor songs.

I plunged the Continental Army into chaos and dismantled the Empire. I beheaded the Dragon Lord, burned the Elves’ World Tree, and massacred the arrogant humans.

For my deeds, I was rewarded with the title of Northern Duke of the Demon Realm and the nickname Joker. I thought my life would be smooth sailing from then on...

The Demon Army didn’t lose the war. After the Emperor of the Empire was assassinated, the Continental Alliance Army crumbled. The problem was the Demon King standing behind me.

Drunk on power, the Demon King sought to eliminate me to monopolize authority. However, by then, I had become a cornerstone of the Demon Army, and lacking a legitimate reason, the Demon King framed me with a trumped-up charge of treason.

We did have a big showdown... but as you can see, I lost. For about thirty minutes, we were evenly matched, but after an hour, I was clearly outmatched. That Demon King is disgustingly strong—no wonder he’s called the strongest in history.

Anyway, after becoming a prisoner, I was locked away in the worst prison in the world, in the lowest level where I was the only inmate. For a whopping 104 days, I endured the suffocating confinement... when suddenly, a human was thrown in.

Saint Maria. The most sacred and noble person on the Continent, lying beside me now.

She is the polar opposite of me. While I was a key figure in the Demon Army, she was the hope of the Continental Army. Though the Demon Army won the war, she ended up as a condemned criminal.

"I was afraid to walk the long, dark path to the afterlife alone, but I’m glad you’re here with me."

"No one else but you, Saint, could make getting beheaded sound so grand."

"You’re too kind, sir."

I met the Saint a week ago. In other words, we’ve only spent seven days together. Yet, in that short time, we’ve grown close enough to exchange lighthearted jokes—all thanks to her unconditional love.

When we first met, she vowed to embrace and love even a demon like me. I didn’t believe her.

I thought it was just empty talk. I was certain that if I acted even slightly coldly, she’d quickly tire and leave.

But no. The Saint who arrived a week before the execution showed me her sincerity and love without reserve for seven days, and I accepted her love in return. That’s why we, who were once opposites, grew close.

"Oh, it’s falling."

Now, on the brink of death, it’s meaningless.

Clang!

The blade of the guillotine sharply descends, aimed at the necks of the Saint beside me and myself, in front of the entire Continental People and the Demon Army. When it closes, my pitiful life will fall with it.

Swoosh!

The icy blade touches my neck, and a chilling sensation runs down my spine.

This is how I die.

To a demon who lived a thrilling life.

Born as the third son of the Northern Grand Duke of the Demon Realm, my end comes on the guillotine in the square.

Finally, the end.

*****

"...Huh?"

It should have ended, but...

"Oscar, are you in pain? You’re sweating."

An inexplicable eraser has wiped away my entire life.

As if to say, start anew from here, without any half-hearted regrets or blemishes.