The Heroic Tale of the Villainous Prince artist launches new manga
Hare Tori and Hirosaki's dark fantasy manga has launched on HERO'S Web, with Krom trying to avert a massacre one year early.
Hare Tori and manga artist Hirosaki have launched a new series on HERO'S Web titled The Tale of the Rebirth of the Weakest Demon Lord and His Return by Death. The manga's Japanese title is Saijaku Maō no Shinimodori Saiseitan (最弱魔王の死に戻り再生譚). 1
A demon lord gets a second chance
The story follows Krom, a demon lord considered weaker than the seven generals who serve him. When the Seven Heroes invade the demon territory, they kill the generals and Krom's devoted servant Shia. Krom then dies by suicide, only to wake up one year before the massacre. 1
The new series launched on Hero's Inc.'s HERO'S Web manga site on 7 October. The official episode page describes it as a dark fantasy battle story about changing fate through repeated death, while Anime News Network identifies Hirosaki as the artist and Hare Tori as the writer. 12
Hirosaki previously drew the manga adaptation of The Heroic Tale of the Villainous Prince, the work referenced in the English headline. That earlier series ended in March 2025 after three collected volumes; Yen Press is publishing it in English. 2
What to know
The launch is currently a Japanese digital release on HERO'S Web. The official episode page lists the first chapter as free, but no English release was announced in the source material. Readers looking for an English edition should not assume Yen Press' existing relationship with Hirosaki's earlier work extends to this new manga.
Our opinion
The premise gives The Tale of the Rebirth of the Weakest Demon Lord and His Return by Death a sharper hook than a standard reincarnation story: Krom's death is both the tragedy and the mechanism he uses to fight back. The official artwork leans into that darker mood, and the one-year countdown gives the series an immediate goal rather than an open-ended power fantasy. The important caveat is availability — this is a Japanese web launch for now, not an English licensing announcement.