Life is not going too well for me. First I get kidnapped by a goddess named Chronos after I foolishly took off my mask during a banquet that I attended with Desolai that was apparently ‘gods only’. In my foolish curiosity and fascination with gods, I ended up persuading my Master, Desolai, to take me with her. She had me wear a mask to trick gods into thinking I was one of them. However, on minute I take off my mask, I was caught red handed by goddess of time. She took me away from my master and my son.

When I woke up I found myself in a land I don’t recognize, in a country I have never heard of. Then, out of nowhere I got killed by a being run over by a cart, not the best of endings but death nevertheless. Yet, like déjà vu, I ended up being sent back into my body right before the cart hit me, and I managed to dodge it this time.

Apparently, I was cursed by the goddess so that I would come back in time every time I died. I don’t know what kind of a sick joke this supposed to be, but I don’t like it.

The city that I was inside of, city of Oran was a disaster zone. One disaster after the next; dragons, undead, and even demons for goodness sake! I wanted to get out of danger zone as soon as possible. In the process of trying to prevent disasters from occurring, I made two companions, a dragon by the name of Aida Haru and witch named Sariu Lixus. With multiple trials, tribulations, and deaths, we were able to escape the city of Oran.

While in the middle of the road, I received a vision in my dream. A guardian angel named Mrakus told me to go to the Holy City of Sana, a place where I will find a weapon to slay Chronos and be able to reunite with my Master. That was my entire reason for going towards that city.

Receiving a call from her ancestors, Aida left our group, leaving Sariu and me defenseless against the dangers of the beyond. On our rode towards the holy city, we were attacked by a pack of werewolves, but thanks to the power of the contract that I forged with Sariu, we managed to survive.

Just before we could enter the holy city, we were ambushed by three demon lords. They took Sariu hostage.

Things are not looking too bright for me…not bright at all.

Right now I wish someone could just kill me and get this over with.

As I got punched hard in the gut with a fist that seemed to be coated in steel, and then pulled by my hair as I got kneed on my face, and then thrown towards the ground. My body rolled couple of times due to the sheer force of the impact.

This crow Demon lord, he has no mercy at all.

“Be sure not to kill him, Kazan. We still need him.” A demon lord resembling a fox said to the Crow demon, who apparently is named Kazan.

“Fine, I will only make sure to hurt without permanently injuring him.” Kazan said with a smirk.

As I struggled to stand up, Kazan lifted me up by holding the top of my head with his hand. It was a painful sensation, almost as if he could rip my head with a single pull. Adding his menacing appearance of a crow, this made the situation even scarier.

“Lightning shock!” Kazan said before unleashing a torrent of electricity through his hand into my scalp. Apparently he had a precise enough control to not kill someone, but this…this is torture!

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As my body involuntarily squirmed in pain, I could only scream in desperation for the pain to end.

Apparently it did not last long, but the few seconds he applied electricity to my body felt almost endless. Smoke started coming out of my body, I felt numb all over, unable to move a single muscle as my body uncontrollably spasmed.

Then, he let go of me. My body fell on the ground, face first. My body was no longer listening to what I was telling it to do; no…it was almost as if my body was dead while consciousness was alive.

“Kazan! Don’t you think you went too far? I know you wanted to prove your point but he is a demon too, you could have gone a little easier on him!” A fox demon said with a worried voice.

“My kin are long gone, I couldn’t care less about other demons, especially those that don’t even look like demons. If it wasn’t for him having a contract with a witch, I would have easily mistaken him for a human, hornless weakling!” Kazan proceeded to kick me in the gut.

I gulped as I tasted blood.

Kazan stepped away, allowing the fox Demon Lord to step forward.

I am not sure I can tell genders of demons, this demon lord looks like a humanoid fox with horns, but from the sound of the voice I was pretty sure she was female.

My sight started to fade away as her footsteps became more and more audible.

“Now that you are in no position to run or refuse, we would like you to do something for us….” I did not hear the rest of what she was saying because I blacked out.

* * *

As I opened my eyes, hoping it was all just a dream, I found myself in the middle of the road. The horse cart that we were using was completely destroyed, the cart driver whom my friend Aida had hypnotized into servitude lay there on the ground, his head crushed, bleeding into the ground. What a horrible fate, to get tricked into being a servant and then being killed for the whim of others, I guess that makes me no better than Chronos.

Sariu was gone, the demon lords took her. Without her mana being supplied to my body, physical non-mana damage can hurt and kill me, at least according to what the crow demon said. But the life link remains, which means they have all the cards in their hands while I have an empty deck. I am at their mercy.

I am not willing to be put in such a horrendous position. I have the power, no the curse to change things. For once in my life I feel grateful that Chronos put this curse on me, because of it, nothing is set in stone.

“Here goes.” With my trembling hands I proceeded to stab myself in the stomach. Once again, my life had ended, but if there is any chance this curse can send me back further, before we encountered the demon lords, then it would be worth it.

* * *

“Now that you are in no position to run or refuse, we would like you to do something for us….”

These words, I am hearing them again. No, it can’t be.

“You shall sneak into the prison within the holy city of Sana, and you shall free a demon by the name of Arin Draco, do so and we shall free your witch friend. Refuse, and we kill both of you.”

This time I did not pass out, I managed to twist my neck to look up at the fox demon from the ground.

“If that demon is so important to you, why don’t you save him yourself?”

“If it was that easy we would have done so already, but the holy city is surrounded by a barrier that will kill a weaker demon and do a serious damage to a stronger ones. If one of us were to try to pass that barrier, it will weaken us, dealing considerable damage to us, and the entire city will be alerted if a demon passes through the barrier, making us an easy target. Demons have a distinct energy signature that makes it impossible for us to pass the barriers undetected and unharmed.”

“But I am a demon as well.”

“Yes, however you are contracted to a witch. Your energy signature is masked by hers. As such, you can safely got through the barrier of the city undetected. Do anything you can to save this demon or consider your life to be forfeit. You have seven days.”

“Aren’t you being too unreasonable?”

“We have no choice.” Fox demon’s expression now seemed more sad than cruel. “It is not by choice, no, more like we are desperate. One day, I hope you forgive us for this.” Fox demon proceeded to walk away.

Now she joined the other two demon lords.

“Do as you are told and you shall live.” Eagle type demon lord finally muttered before all three of them teleported out of sight.

It seems like my curse can’t send me back as far as I need it to. Well, it is a curse after all, if it actually helped me it would no longer be a curse.

Still, how do I do this?

How do I comply with their unreasonable demand?

Only time can tell.