"Where the hell am I?"
Yama, the Lord of Hell, stared blankly at his surroundings.
Just moments ago, he had been seated upon his throne, passing judgment upon the souls of the damned. A woman had been brought before him, condemned to Hell for her countless sins. As Yama opened the Judgment Book to read the record of her crimes, everything suddenly went dark.
The next thing he knew, he was here.
A rickety wooden shed.
Cold wind slipped through the broken planks of the walls. The smell of damp wood and rot filled the air.
Yama slowly looked down at his hands.
Small.
Thin.
Weak.
The hands of a child.
He stumbled back and nearly fell over as realization struck him.
"I'm… thirteen?"
His voice was unfamiliar. Young. Fragile.
Yama clenched his fists in disbelief.
"I'm a being even gods fear! Why am I being tortured like this? How the hell am I supposed to get back to Hell?!"
His mind raced.
If this was some illusion, he would break it.
If it was a curse, he would shatter it.
But if this was reality…
Then something had gone terribly wrong.
After thinking for a moment, Yama's expression suddenly calmed.
"I see."
He walked over to a broken drawer nearby and pulled out a rusted knife.
Without hesitation, he raised the blade to his throat.
"If I die here, I'll return to Hell."
And he slit his throat.
Blood sprayed across the floor.
The blade fell from his hand as his body collapsed.
Blood soaked his clothes and pooled beneath him, spreading across the wooden boards.
Yet despite the agony tearing through his body, Yama began laughing.
A twisted smile spread across his blood-covered face.
"Ha… hahaha…"
If anyone had seen him at that moment, they would have thought he had completely lost his mind.
But an hour passed.
Then another.
And Yama was still alive.
"What is happening…?"
He stared down at the wound on his neck.
Right before his eyes, the blood began flowing backward.
Like time itself had reversed.
The blood returned into his body, the wound slowly closing until his skin looked completely untouched.
As if nothing had happened.
Yama sat there silently for several seconds.
Then he exhaled in relief.
"I almost made a terrible mistake."
If he had truly died just now, he would not have returned to Hell.
He would have gone to the Netherworld.
And that was the last place he wanted to be.
Yama himself had personally sent countless wicked humans there. The most vile criminals, tyrants, murderers, and monsters humanity had ever produced.
He knew exactly what kind of people resided there.
Even if they couldn't truly kill him, the thought of being surrounded by them made his blood boil.
"I'd end up beating them to death myself."
He sighed.
"Right now, I don't have any of my powers… except this strange healing ability."
He clenched his fists.
"The fact that I can bleed at all is already humiliating."
The Lord of Hell.
Reduced to a body where a simple knife could cut his throat.
If the officials of Hell ever saw this scene, they would laugh for a thousand years.
And the sinners in the Netherworld would celebrate like it was a festival.
Yama was still lost in thought when suddenly—
BANG!BANG!
The shed door exploded open.
The already fragile wood shattered as a man kicked his way inside.
He wore a guard's uniform.
His expression was filled with irritation.
"Ye Ji! You piece of shit! Why haven't you cleaned the outdoor toilet yet?!"
Yama slowly looked up.
His eyes darkened.
The Lord of Hell… being spoken to like that?
"You… were talking to me?"
The guard frowned.
"You're the only person in this shed. Who else would I be talking to, you idiot?"
He sneered.
"What, did the Second Young Master beat you so badly that you lost your brain?"
The guard's voice was full of contempt.
After all, he was the trusted aide of the Ye Clan's Second Young Master. Even many members of the Ye family treated him with respect.
Yet this trash dared to talk back to him?
The so-called Young Master Ye Ji was nothing more than a disgrace.
Despised by the entire family.
Even hated by his own father.
His life was worse than that of a servant.
And yet—
He dared question him?
Yama's expression turned cold.
"How dare you speak to me like that?"
His voice rose with fury.
"I am the Lord of Hell! The God of Death! You pathetic human dare disrespect Yama?! Do you want to be sentenced to the Nether—"
THUD!
The guard's boot smashed directly into his face.
Yama crashed into the wall.
"You piece of trash!"
The guard grabbed him by the collar and punched him repeatedly.
"So now you've learned to talk back?!"
Another punch.
"You're lucky I even bring you food out of pity!"
Another kick.
"And now you think you can shout at me?!"
The beating continued mercilessly.
Yama could do nothing.
His body was far too weak.
The Lord of Hell.
Reduced to a punching bag.
If the demons of Hell could see this moment, they would laugh themselves into madness.
And the criminals of the Netherworld would probably set off fireworks.
Yama clenched his teeth.
He wanted to fight back.
But the body he occupied was frail and powerless.
Weak as a lamb.
The guard finally stopped and dusted off his hands.
"Hmph."
He glanced down at Yama with disgust.
"This brat must have gone insane."
He muttered to himself.
"I should report this to the Second Young Master. Maybe I'll get a reward."
With that, he turned and walked out of the shed.
Silence returned.
After several moments, Yama slowly pushed himself up from the floor.
His face was bruised.
Blood trickled from his lip.
He wiped his face.
And to his surprise…
There were tears.
The Lord of Hell had cried for the first time in his existence.
Not because of the pain.
But because he had realized something terrifying.
This might be his future.
Being beaten by humans who would normally tremble before him while awaiting judgment.
He wiped the tears away quickly.
And then—
A soft voice came from behind him.
"Ye Ji gege… are you okay?"
Yama froze.
A small girl stepped into the shed.
She was delicate and pretty, her eyes filled with concern.
The moment Yama saw her face, his entire body went rigid.
His eyes widened in shock.
"You…"
His voice trembled.
"You… how are you here?!"