Under a sky so clear it looked freshly scrubbed, the edge of the forest steamed with blistering summer heat.
Soaked in sweat, the boy—Rowen—stood amidst the trees, swinging an axe with relentless force, chopping at a tree trunk so thick it would normally take two grown men to encircle it.
Each strike of the blade sent woodchips flying, and sweat poured down his face like rain, soaking through his shirt.
His expression twisted from the sheer exertion—though to be fair, some of that twistedness came from more than just the physical strain…
"Why?! Why did I become a demon only to end up doing manual labor?!" Rowen's voice was full of raw, tragic indignation, his emotions a chaotic mess.
That's right. He was a demon.
Not long ago, he'd been just an ordinary human—until he accidentally died.
But unlike your typical reincarnation story, he wasn't reborn as a hero or a champion of justice. Instead, some masked weirdo calling himself the "Duke of Hell" took one look at him and decided—without any discussion—that Rowen had "demonic potential." And boom—demon.
He didn't even get the cool powers right away. His appearance hadn't changed much either. The only thing he got was a special ability, something granted by the laws of Hell itself—a talent called See Through the Future. Which, admittedly, was nothing to scoff at.
Still, no, he definitely had complaints.
Like, for instance… the Duke of Hell muttering something cryptic about "See you in Hell later," then tossing him into this world without any further explanation.
Also worth mentioning—"Rowen" wasn't even his real name. It was a Name bestowed upon him by Hell's rules when he became a demon. Full name: Rowen Ferdinando.
As for the supposedly overpowered ability See Through the Future—well, even the Duke of Hell didn't seem to use it flawlessly, so Rowen's version was naturally flawed too.
The result? Even though he saw that there was something in this region that would benefit him, after trekking all the way out here…
…he'd spent the past week doing nothing but chopping wood. Not even a hint of unlocking his demon powers.
…
After observing things for a while, Rowen had figured out that he'd landed in Japan during the late Meiji era—just before the Taisho period.
Thankfully, his demonic lineage came with some cross-world perks, like automatic language comprehension, so communication wasn't a problem. However…
That so-called "beneficial future" was still nowhere in sight. He had no idea how much longer he'd be stuck doing lumberjack work. The uncertainty weighed heavily on him as he swung the axe again and again.
Even the constant buzzing of bugs in the forest, something he used to tune out, grated on his nerves now.
CRACK! Another heavy blow. Woodchips scattered again.
Panting, Rowen yanked the axe free. Just as he was about to throw himself back into the mindless work to vent his frustration, a rustling sound came from the bushes nearby.
"—Mr. Rowen!" called out a clear, childish voice.
He turned instinctively and saw a little girl in a pink kimono with long black hair peeking out from the undergrowth. She was carrying a small cloth bundle and running toward him with short, hurried steps.
Nezuko.
Nezuko Kamado.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over her innocent face.
Nine-year-old Nezuko Kamado—the eldest daughter of the Kamado family—looked up at him with a bright, childlike smile. "It's already lunchtime! Come eat!"
Even with his nerves frayed, the appearance of this adorable little girl made Rowen smile despite himself. "Thanks, Nezuko… Sorry to keep bothering you to bring food every day."
"You're the one working so hard, Mr. Rowen!" Nezuko shook her head vigorously, her jet-black hair swaying with the motion. "You're a guest, and yet you're helping Father chop wood and make charcoal. We don't even know how to thank you!"
She crouched down and carefully unwrapped the cloth bundle, revealing a simple bento box.
Inside were coarse brown rice balls mixed with wheat bran, two slices of pickled radish, and a few stalks of homegrown bok choy. It was a meager, almost heartbreaking meal—though at least the rice balls were still warm.
Rowen didn't complain. He quietly accepted the box and asked, "Nezuko, did you eat already?"
"I-I did! On the way here!" she blurted out.
"That sounds like something a poor mom would say to her kid, you know…"
"It's true! Really! You have to believe me!" Nezuko insisted, tilting her small face upward in panic.
Rowen couldn't help but chuckle as he ruffled her hair. "You're a terrible liar."
"I… I'm sorry I lied." Her head drooped like she'd done something terribly wrong, her voice barely audible. "But Mr. Rowen still has to work…"
"Don't say stuff like that." Sure, the food was bad and the work was endless—there was plenty to gripe about. But looking at this girl's home situation, Rowen just crouched down and met her eyes with a weary smile. "You're still growing, aren't you?"
"But…"
"It's fine. I won't tell your parents." With that, he tore one of the rice balls in half and held it out to her.
Nezuko immediately took a step back, the clatter of her wooden sandals kicking up dry leaves. "It's not like that, I just…"
Before she could finish, her stomach let out a loud grumble, turning her pale cheeks bright red in an instant.
"Ahaha! You really are something…" Rowen laughed. "Don't worry. I set a few traps nearby—if nothing went wrong, they should've caught something by now… probably… hopefully…"
Truthfully, he had no idea if the survival techniques he'd learned from the internet actually worked.
But Nezuko hesitated under his gaze, then finally took the rice ball with a shy little smile. "Thank you… Mr. Rowen, you even know how to set traps? That's amazing! You really are a hunter!"
"Eh… I get by…" Rowen scratched his head, feeling slightly guilty under the little girl's admiring gaze. His thoughts drifted back to the day he first arrived at the Kamado household.
He'd crossed mountains and rivers, following Hell's guidance to his destined location.
What he found wasn't opportunity or fortune—it was the poverty-stricken Kamado family.
A chronically ill father who had just relapsed and was bedridden again, a pregnant mother, and five hungry kids… Not a single working adult in the house. To be blunt, it was a house full of burdens.
Born into a family like that—it was a hell of a start.
But despite their struggles, they'd taken him in. A man who claimed to be a lost hunter and looked like he was about to pass out from hunger on the roadside. They'd fed him. Let him stay the night.
Sure, that first night was awful. He barely slept, eaten alive by mosquitoes and woken repeatedly by crying kids. He'd sworn then and there that once he got enough free meals and a place to crash, he'd pay them back someday—but he was leaving first thing in the morning.
But at dawn, when he saw the heavily pregnant Mrs. Kamado and the hungry, wide-eyed kids waving goodbye—and even handing him some food to take—he realized this family was just too… good. And somehow, he couldn't bring himself to leave.
What could he do? It's hard to complain with a full mouth, hard to walk away when you're sleeping under someone's roof.
He'd just accepted their kindness. And this family was so pitiful that leaving them behind would've made him feel like absolute scum.
At first, he figured he'd help chop a little wood, make a bit of charcoal, and slip away once things stabilized. But somehow, he'd been here for over a week—and even now, Tanjuro Kamado's condition wasn't getting any better.
(Don't tell me… the future Hell showed me was actually just about handing me a ready-made family to take care of?! Am I supposed to be a stand-in dad for this bunch of kids?! That's… that's way too much!)
The future he was promised—one that was supposed to benefit him—now seemed dark and uncertain. Just thinking about it made Rowen shiver like he'd plunged into an icy lake.