Powerless

They shattered her bracelet. The only thing I had left of my mother—gone, under their feet, like it was nothing. I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just stood there, letting the world laugh at me.

And then… the world changed.

A crimson sky bled open. A voice called from the dark. Chains rattled in the silence as a colossal figure emerged—trapped, yet looking like he’d been waiting just for me.

“So… you’re the Devil King?”

Kaminari Hayamoto squinted up at the massive red-furred beast towering above him. The creature was chained to the earth by divine metal, each breath shaking the realm around them.

The beast’s voice thundered through the empty space.
“You dare question me, mortal?”

Kaminari tilted his head. “Who locked you here? And what's happening to the earth?”

"A god… a god locked me here," the beast growled, his voice echoing with ancient bitterness. "If you consider the celestial shifts… The end of the universe draws dangerously near."

Kaminari narrowed his eyes slightly.

"So, a god imprisoned you here, and now the universe is falling apart… Is there something you're not telling me?"

The Devil King paused, unimpressed.

"You truly are a fool beyond saving." he muttered. "I’ve literally told you everything important."

"I am a fool," Kaminari muttered, staring down at his trembling hands. "After everything I’ve suffered... I’m still here."

The beast said nothing for a long moment. His crimson eyes narrowed, piercing through the silence.

Then, in a cold, low voice, he replied—

"You believe you're the only one in this world who’s tasted sorrow?"

"I don’t know!" Kaminari snapped, his voice cracking as his hands trembled with rage. "My problems are mine! Mine alone!"

He took a shaky breath, eyes burning.

"I’m not here to compare pain—I’m drowning in mine!" His fists clenched tighter. "Do you even know what each day feels like? What happened today? No, you don’t! So listen!"

Few hours ago, Back in the real world.

The sun filtered through the school window. The smell of chalk dust and boredom filled the air. 

"Years ago," The history teacher began, his tone dry but firm, "people started awakening something strange—something the government later named aura. It’s triggered by intense emotions... fear, rage, sorrow."

Kaminari sat by the window, eyes glazed, head in his palm.

Common, huh? Then why hasn’t anything awakened in me? I have enough sorrow and rage to blow up the moon. Kaminari thought, glaring out the window.

Later That Day

Arata stepped into the corridor with Renji right behind him, their presence like a shadow swallowing the light. They cornered Kaminari near the lockers, eyes gleaming with that same cruel intent.

“Do our homework,” Arata demanded, his voice sharp and unapologetic.

Kaminari stiffened. “N-No… I won’t do it. I… I refuse.”

Arata’s smirk twisted into a sneer. “Wrong answer.”

Without warning, they seized Kaminari’s wrist—ripping off the delicate bracelet he wore. His breath caught in his throat.

“No! That’s my mother’s—!”

Renji raised his hand, fire aura flickering between his fingers.

Ksshhh!

A blaze erupted—consuming the bracelet in a flash of searing heat.

Kaminari froze.

His world shattered.

The last memory of his mother… gone in seconds.

The hallway wasn’t silent. It should’ve been. But instead—it was laughter. Cruel. Loud. The watching students snickered like they were enjoying a show.

“Don’t oppose us,” Renji muttered, his eyes cold.

Arata leaned in. “Your face pisses me off.”

Thud!

His foot crashed into Kaminari’s solar plexus. The air shot from Kaminari’s lungs. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his stomach in agony.

“HELP ME!! PLEASE!” he screamed, voice cracking with desperation.

Nobody moved.

Nobody helped.

That evening, Kaminari sat alone by the riverbank, the sky painted in hues of fading blue. His reflection rippled weakly in the water—just like his hope.

“Why am I so weak…?” he whispered to no one. “Why does no one care?”

He threw a stone.
“I need power... Stronger than anyone. Just give me a damn miracle! If I get a power, I swear to protect the weak, I SWEAR TO STAND FOR THE RIGHTEOUSNESS! For that...”
He frustatedly looks up in the sky in rage and shouts
"I NEED POWER!"

A gust of wind brushed against Kaminari’s face. The world stood still. No answer came.

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head.
“Right. What was I expecting? A miracle?”

As he walked home, his thoughts grew heavier.

I guess this is it. Life just keeps going. I'll wake up tomorrow, go back to school, get bullied again... forever stuck in the same loop.

"I wish something supernatural would just happen—like suddenly I start flying and aura awakens inside me or something..." he muttered aloud.

At that very moment, a small stone struck his head. Startled, Kaminari looked up, only to trip and fall into an open construction pit. For a split second, rogue aura energy surged around him—and in a flash, his body vanished from Earth, teleported into an unknown realm.

He groaned, lying on unfamiliar ground.

"...I fell in a pit… Am I dead? Maybe I wished too hard."

The world around him pulsed with an eerie red light.

(Wait... This… this isn’t Earth. ...Okay, weird glowy mist? Check. No gravity? Check. Smells like fire and regret? Double check. Isekai? This is definitely some manga-level nonsense. Am I the main character now? Where is my power?)

He stood up slowly, brushing the dust from his clothes.

A deep, weary sigh echoed through the strange air.
“After all these years… and it’s a kid who comes here.”

Kaminari froze and slowly turned around.

A massive, red-furred beast towered above him—easily over four hundred feet tall. Its long, razor-sharp canines gleamed under the crimson glow. Chained in place by divine metal bindings, the beast loomed like a living mountain. Then, it roared.

The thunderous voice echoed with unshakable dominance. Kaminari felt his knees tremble, his body on the verge of collapsing under the pressure. But just as quickly, the sensation vanished. The beast let out a long breath.

“Release me, you insignificant human child!”

Kaminari stared with a blank expression.

(Okay. Nope. This isn’t just manga anymore. This is “end-of-the-world final boss” level.)

Still stunned, Kaminari observed the towering creature. The beast remained still, its glowing eyes locked on him with burning judgment. He took a cautious step back, his heart pounding. The chains rattled faintly with the beast’s breath.

(What... is this thing? A demon? A monster?)

He blinked.

(This can't be real. A giant beast? Chained up? Talking to me...?)

Oddly, his terror faded—not because the creature was any less terrifying, but because the weight of his earlier pain, his helplessness, seemed so distant in comparison. In this surreal moment, the absurdity of it all grounded him. He exhaled slowly, confusion giving way to a strange, incredulous calm.

The beast glared with heavy authority.

“Listen carefully, human—I am the Devil King."

Present Moment

“So… you’re really the Devil King?”

The Devil King’s voice thundered through the empty space.
“You dare question me, mortal?”

Kaminari tilted his head. “Who locked you here? And what's happening to the earth?

"A god… a god locked me here," the Devil King growled, his voice echoing with ancient bitterness. "If you consider the celestial shifts… the end of the universe may be drawing near and your earth is simply one of it's victims."

Kaminari blinked slowly, processing the statement. "That’s… uh… terrifying, I guess... Is there something you're not telling me?"

The Devil King paused, unimpressed.

"You truly are a fool beyond saving." he muttered. "I’ve literally told you everything important."

"I must be stupid," Kaminari muttered, staring down at his trembling hands. "After everything I’ve suffered... I’m still here."

The Devil King said nothing for a long moment. His crimson eyes narrowed, piercing through the silence.

Then, in a cold, low voice, he replied—

"You believe you're the only one in this world who’s tasted sorrow?"

"I don’t know!" Kaminari snapped, his voice cracking as his hands trembled with rage. "My problems are mine! Mine alone!"
He took a shaky breath, eyes burning.

"I’m not here to compare pain—I’m drowning in mine!" His fists clenched tighter. "Do you even know what each day feels like?! What happened today?! No, you don’t! And don’t make me go mad again." Kaminari’s voice trembled—not with fear, but with tightly bottled rage.

The Devil King exhaled slowly, a long, thunderous breath that echoed through the darkness. 

"You don’t understand the scale of what the universe is facing," the figure rumbled, his voice as deep and ancient as the void itself. "I have lived for thousands of years—I have seen stars collapse and empires fall. I know truths that would shatter your mind."

Kaminari stared at him, his breath uneven. His heart pounded in his chest, but his gaze didn’t falter.

“So,” he whispered, steady but cold, “you’re the Devil King.”

The shadowed figure remained silent.

“You’ve killed countless,” Kaminari continued, voice low. “You’ve watched worlds burn... and you stand before me like you're above it all.”

The Devil King’s eyes narrowed. The silence around them grew heavier.

“I don’t fear you,” Kaminari said. “Not anymore.”

The Devil King stepped forward, the air around him trembling. His voice turned sharp, guttural.

“You dare speak to me like that, mortal?” he hissed. “You stand in the presence of something far beyond your comprehension. You are dust.”

Kaminari clenched his fists.

“Maybe,” he said. “But even dust can rise when the world demands it.”

The Devil King froze.

Kaminari narrowed his eyes, studying him with quiet intensity. “…You haven’t rested in a long time, have you?”

A flicker of something—bitterness, pride, exhaustion—passed through the Devil King’s expression. He turned his gaze to the darkness beyond them.

“Rest is a luxury for the weak,” he said quietly. “A true ruler bears the weight of eternity—awake, aware, and alone.”

He faced Kaminari again, and for the first time, there was no smugness in his voice.

“So understand this: I do not demand your fear… I command it.”

Kaminari tilted his head again, a flicker of sarcasm slipping into his voice. “Fear? You’re chained to a wall, look half-dead, and haven’t blinked in what feels like a century. Forgive me if I’m not trembling yet.”

The Devil King’s eyes flared with indignation. “What insolence!”

“Hmm…” Kaminari murmured, tapping his chin. “So you’re a 500-year-old demonic overlord... running purely on rage and adrenaline?”

“FOOL!” the Devil King roared. “I am fueled by the suffering of the weak and the despair of mortals!”

Kaminari gave a slow nod. “Right. So… basically a storm that never sleeps.”

The Devil King clenched his massive fist, red aura flaring violently around him.

“I tire of your foolishness! Do you understand your situation?!”

“Honestly? No clue,” Kaminari shrugged.

The Devil King exhaled sharply, clearly irritated.

In a voice deep and resonant. “I know everything about you.”

The chained colossus leaned forward slightly, its glowing eyes never leaving Kaminari. Then, it began listing off Kaminari’s past—each memory delivered in eerie, unsettling detail.

Every word struck like a blow. Childhood moments. School humiliations. His deepest regrets. The bullies. The bracelet. Even the thoughts he never dared say aloud.

Kaminari’s eyes widened in disbelief. (He knows it all… even the humiliating stuff?)

“How do you know all that?” he asked, unconfidently.

“This realm bends to my will and I don't intend to harm you,” the Devil King said calmly, his massive head tilting just slightly. The chains rattled with the movement. “Now free me from these chains and I'll give you my power.”

“I fell into a pit, ended up in some demonic void, and now I’m exchanging banter with a giant furry overlord. This day couldn’t get weirder.” Said Kaminari neutrally.

“I will simplify it for your tiny mortal brain. Free me, and in return, I shall grant you strength. Enough to overcome those pathetic bullies and anyone who dares harm you again. If you refuse—then suffer the consequences NOW!”

“Okay, but before we start fighting, I am curious...” Kaminari held up a hand, “I need to know one thing.”

“Speak quickly, fool!”

“Just imagine if I win somehow… do I become the next Devil King?”

“WHAT?! No. That is not how it works.”

Kaminari’s eyes narrowed, the flicker of curiosity fading. “I see.”

“ENOUGH TALK.”

The Devil King opened his jaws wide and unleashed a beam of raw crimson energy. It tore through the air and struck the ground beside Kaminari, exploding into a deafening blast that shook the very realm.

Kaminari stumbled back a step, shielding his face as dust and heat washed over him. His chest tightened, breath catching in his throat.

("So that’s the power of a being who once ruled demons…")

The air trembled with the Devil King’s fury. “Do not test me, mortal.”

(He could’ve killed me just now… But he didn’t.)

His pulse slowed, and he lowered his arm, steadying himself.

Kaminari straightened, his gaze hardening. “Fine. I’ll free you. But that key—” he gestured to the massive object beside him, “—was clearly made for something far beyond human strength.”

“Don't worry, I will give you some of my power.”

The Devil King closed his eyes. A faint reddish gas flowed from his chest and entered Kaminari’s body. Almost instantly, Kaminari felt the change. With wide eyes, he lifted the enormous key—estimated to weigh five tons.

“What the hell did I just do…?” Kaminari gasped. (If I get all his powers, I might become invincible… Just like I imagined!) He looked at the Devil King with narrowed eyes. “I want a deal. I want all of your powers in return for freeing you from the chains.”

“DON’T BE STUPID! Even a Devil can’t handle my powers completely. You, a small fry—how can you handle it? Silently open the chain!”

Kaminari smirked playfully. “Is that so?” The Devil King began to sweat. “Then rot here until your big fry comes.”

“YOU SMALL FRY! I am the Devil King—not someone who’ll be the victim of you!”

“I’m not opening it then.”

“Tch!” The Devil King paused, calculating. (If I miss this chance, then for 2 thousand years no one will come here. Let me accept his contract—also there's no way he can survive 2 thousand years. It’s still a profit for me.) “...Okay. I will get sealed inside you and neither will I control your body.”

“Oh? You understood?” Kaminari arched an eyebrow. “How can I believe you won’t betray me?”

“Listen, small fry. Do you truly believe you can survive in this world as weak as you are? You were beaten, humiliated, and thrown away like trash. But with my power… no one would ever dare lay a hand on you again.”

“Tch… tempting,” Kaminari admitted. “But I’m not stupid. What if you betray me the moment I free you?”

“Fool! If I wished to betray you, I wouldn’t need deception—I’d simply take your body by force! But I cannot. I am bound by an eternal law: A contract of aura, once made, can never be broken. You hold all the power here!”

“So you’re saying… if I make this contract, I control you?”

The Devil King nodded.

“Hmm…” Kaminari murmured. (I learned about this in history books—how people use contracts in agencies.)

“Hey!” the Devil King suddenly growled. “Shhh! Don’t talk. I feel a presence approaching. Free me from this chain! Judging from his aura, he’s terribly powerful.”

“But I still don’t believe you,” Kaminari frowned. “What if this ‘presence’ is a made-up story? I still think you’ll betray me.”

“Fool.” The Devil King’s terrible red eyes glowed in the darkness, radiating pure terror. “If I could betray you… I would have already.”

(Hmph. That’s true. He probably has the power to kill me in an instant, considering he shot that beam through his mouth… I think he isn’t a threat—since he didn’t kill me.)

“There are still doubts in your heart. I can sense them.” Said the Devil King.

(If I do this… will I still be myself? What if he takes over my body the moment he’s sealed inside me? And what if the contract doesn’t work? There are risks... What should I do…?)

“Should I take the risk?” Kaminari wondered, the question echoing in the corners of his mind like a whisper he couldn’t silence.

“The man is coming closer,” the Devil King warned. “I can feel it. He’s not normal. He has a tremendous amount of aura.”

He remembers his dad’s face—smiling with kindness and empathy, his voice echoing: “Don’t let the world crush you.”

Memories came flooding back—horrific scenes of being beaten, the pain, the mocking laughter of his classmates.

(As long as that incident never returns…)

“Fine,” Kaminari said firmly. “I propose a contract—you get sealed inside me without touching my body unless I allow it. In return, I’ll open your chains and free you.”

“Accepted! Now free me—fast!”

Kaminari gritted his teeth and turned the massive key. The divine chains snapped. The Devil King roared—then dissolved into reddish gas, surging toward Kaminari’s chest.

The moment he entered, the air changed.

A chilling wind swept through the realm. Kaminari felt it first—a presence so cold, so suffocating, it made his breath hitch.

Footsteps echoed softly, steadily drawing closer. From the shadows emerged a figure draped in a heavy, black cloak. His face was hidden, masked entirely in darkness, an unsettling void beneath his hood. Kaminari couldn’t see a single feature—only two eyes gleaming faintly, coldly assessing him from within the shadows.

Fear coiled around Kaminari’s chest, suffocating him as the stranger came to a halt mere steps away. Silence hung in the air, thick and heavy, until the hooded figure finally appeared.

Who…? Who is this? Kaminari thought, eyes wide with disbelief.

It wasn’t just fear. It was the presence itself—toxic, overwhelming, and unnatural. Like reality bending in protest just from the figure's existence.

“So… you’re the one who released him?”

The words came like a whisper from death itself. The figure’s presence was suffocating, unnatural—like the realm had taken shape. And in that moment—Kaminari realized… this was only the beginning.

—To be continued