After my declaration, it was still echoing in my mind when the reality of my situation began to sink in.
I was in Hell—or more precisely, in the Spiritual World where demons resided. I was a Primordial Demon. And I had knowledge of a future that had not yet happened.
The question was: what was I going to do with it?
I moved away from the dark lake and searched for a place where I could think clearly. I found an elevated rock formation, a kind of promontory that offered a panoramic view of the infernal landscape. I sat on the edge, letting my legs hang over the abyss, and closed my eyes.
Alright, I thought. Let's take inventory.
First, when exactly was I? That was the crucial question. According to Noir's fragmented memories, he had existed for eons, but time in Hell was… strange. It didn't flow the same way as in the material world. Centuries could pass and feel like days, or vice versa.
What I did know was that I hadn't met Rimuru yet. Those memories didn't exist. Which meant I was at some point before Shizue's summoning in the sealed cave. That gave me time. But how much? Months? Years? Decades?
I didn't know, and that was a problem.
Second, what exactly did I know about the future? I had watched the entire Tensura anime, read several arcs of the light novel, and even dived into some spoilers on forums because my curiosity had no limits. I knew about:
Rimuru's summoning and his rise to Demon Lord
The existence of Guy Crimson, the Red Primordial and one of the oldest and most powerful beings
The other Demon Lords and their personalities
Major events like Falmuth's attack, Walpurgis, the war against the Eastern Empire
The existence of other Primordials: White (Testarossa), Yellow (Carrera), and Violet (Ultima)
But I also knew my knowledge had limits. The web novel contained information the anime didn't cover, and there were political and cultural details of the world that were never fully explored. On top of that, if I changed anything—anything at all—the butterfly effect could make my knowledge useless.
Third, what did I want to achieve?
That was the hardest question.
In my previous life, I had been… what exactly? The memories were blurry, like they were on the other side of a fogged-up glass. I remembered the feeling of being trapped. Of living in an invisible cage made of expectations and obligations. Of never truly choosing.
Here, now, I had power. Real, tangible, devastating power. I was a Primordial Demon, one of the seven most powerful beings among demons. I could destroy cities with a thought. I could live forever. I could do almost anything.
Except serve. Not again. Never again.
But if I didn't serve, what did I do? Wander through Hell for eternity? Seek power for power's sake? Try to change history?
I opened my eyes and looked toward the crimson horizon.
"I need more information," I murmured. "About this world, about the other Primordials, about the timeline."
And about my own capabilities.
I stood up and extended my hand in front of me. Magical energy responded instantly, flowing from my core—did I even have a core? Something like that—toward my fingers. Black and golden sparks danced in my palm, taking shape according to my will.
Noir's memories told me I could do far more than this. Disaster-level magic. Spatial manipulation. Unique abilities that had evolved over eons of existence.
Let's test it.
I focused my power and tried to manifest something simple: a sphere of destructive energy. The magic responded with enthusiasm—almost too much enthusiasm. The sphere grew in my hand, pulsing with barely contained power.
I threw it toward a distant rock formation.
The explosion was… excessive. The rock didn't just disintegrate—the space itself seemed to bend around the impact, creating a distortion that took several seconds to dissipate. The roar echoed for kilometers.
"Shit," I whispered, impressed despite myself.
That level of power was absurd. And that was only a fraction of what I could do.
I was about to try another technique when I felt presences approaching. Many presences. The lesser demons I had seen before, drawn by the display of power.
I turned and saw them emerging from between the rocks. There were at least a dozen of them—creatures of various forms, from twisted humanoids to beasts with far too many limbs. They approached cautiously, but not with hostile intent.
Then the closest one looked me directly in the eyes.
It froze. Its expression—if that deformed face could even have an expression—shifted from curiosity to absolute terror. It dropped to its knees so fast its bones cracked against the rock.
"P-Primordial!" it screeched, its voice filled with reverence and fear.
Like a domino effect, the other demons followed suit. One by one, they knelt, pressing their foreheads to the ground in a display of total submission.
I stared at them, surprised by the visceral reaction my mere presence had caused. I suppose it made sense—Primordials were basically gods to lesser demons. But seeing it in person was… different.
An idea began to form in my mind.
"Stand up," I ordered, and my voice carried an authority I didn't know I possessed.
The demons obeyed immediately, though none dared to look at me directly.
"Do you know this territory?" I asked.
The demon who had spoken first—a humanoid creature with curved horns and scaly skin—nodded frantically. "Y-yes, great Primordial Demon. We have wandered these lands for centuries."
"Good." A smile spread across my face. "Then you will guide me through Hell. I want to see everything. The territories, explain the hierarchies, the places of power. Everything."
The demons exchanged nervous but excited glances. Being chosen to guide a Primordial was probably the greatest honor they could receive.
"I-it will be our pleasure, great Primordial!" the leader replied, bowing deeply. "Where would you like to begin?"
I looked toward the horizon, where the crimson sky met distant mountains of black rock.
"Start by telling me about the other Primordials. Where are they? What are they doing?" I paused, carefully considering my next question. "And tell me… has any of them been summoned to the material world recently?"
If I could determine whether Guy Crimson had already ascended to Demon Lord, I would have a better idea of the timeline.
The scaly demon thought for a moment. "The Red Primordial, the great Guy Crimson, resides in the White Palace on the northern borders of the material world. He has been there since time immemorial."
So Guy was already established. That meant I was at some point after he became a Demon Lord, but before Rimuru's arrival. A period of probably thousands of years. Useful, but not enough.
"And the others?" I pressed. "The White, Yellow, and Violet Primordials…"
"They remain here, in Hell, great Primordial. We rarely see them. Each has their own domain."
Interesting. So Testarossa, Carrera, and Ultima hadn't been summoned yet. In the original story, they were called by Rimuru after he became a Demon Lord. If they were still here, I was definitely before those events.
"Show me," I ordered. "We'll start by exploring the territories. I want to understand this world."
And as I walked, followed by my improvised entourage of reverent lesser demons, my mind worked on the central problem.
I had power. I had knowledge. I had time.
What was I going to build with it?
Not a kingdom of submission, that was for sure. But maybe… maybe something else. Something I never could have imagined in my previous life.
True freedom required more than just rejecting a master. It required purpose. Direction. A goal.
And as we descended into the depths of Hell, guided by demons trembling in my presence, I began to wonder:
What would happen if a Primordial decided not to serve anyone… but to create something of his own?
The thought was dangerous. Exciting. Terrifying.
Perfect.