I Picked Up the Demon Lord (chapter)

is chapter 1 of the Beelzebub manga.

Summary
"Long, long ago, in a certain place, there was a very, very handsome, cool, popular, well-respected by everyone, well-respected, kind-hearted young man."

As this narration is told, a brown-haired teenager is seen standing among a group of teenagers in a field next to an airport, all of whom had been beaten and are now lying on the ground. One of them, revealing his name to be (Tatsumi) Oga, tells him to die, to which Tatsumi snaps his legs. Appearing cruel to everyone, he commands that everyone bow to him (dogeza). The teenagers oblige.

The narrator, revealed to be Tatsumi himself, is interrupted by a white-haired teenager. Tatsumi gives a “Huh?”. The white-haired teenager tells him not to “Huh?” at him and argues that Tatsumi isn’t really kind-hearted and popular. The two of them are inside a bedroom. Tatsumi, revealing his name to be (Takayuki) Furuichi, calls him an idiot and insults his mother. Takayuki tells him not to. Tatsumi challenges Takayuki on whether he really thinks he is the kind of person that would force people bow on his command. Takayuki agrees, to which Tatsumi begins strangling him. Takayuki gives in, wanting to hear the rest of his story.

Back to the narration, the teenagers try to apologize to Tatsumi, apparently a legendary Ishi High student whom had never lost a fight, for trying to murder him once while he was sleeping. In a friendly tone, Tatsumi comments on how he would have died if he were someone else, to which one of the teenagers claims he would’ve liked to see that. Claiming to do laundry in his narration, Tatsumi grabs one of the teenagers by his legs and “washes” him at a nearby river, really drowning him. The rest of the teenagers claim of him being a devil. He sees a large old man floating downstream, to which Takayuki tells him to stop narrating.

Takayuki questions Tatsumi on where he plans on taking the story with this large old man floating downstream. Tatsumi claims he really did see him. Takayuki denies this at first, but comes to believe Tatsumi is serious. He tries to imagine a plausible case: a homeless man living under a bridge who was washed into the river.

Once again narrating, Tatsumi claims to have pulled him onshore, then suddenly splitting into two to reveal a naked baby boy inside. Takayuki angrily interrupts him, denying the splitting in a loud voice. Tatsumi calmly claims the man remarked that the baby is cute, to which Takayuki demands he stops telling the story, and, breaking the fourth wall, tells him that the readers won’t care about it. Takayuki regrets having invited him over to his house for consultation and tries to leave him to catch a date. Tatsumi tries to have him listen, but Takayuki claims he should bring the baby in before talking any further. To his shock, Tatsumi reveals the baby he found. Takayuki becomes irate at him for having kept the baby on standby out of his sight, to which Tatsumi claims it would have scared him if he just showed him. A bit of time passes, indicated by a “now loading” bar with a small piece of poop prompting the reader to wait. Tatsumi tries to resume the story, but Takayuki is turned off. Meanwhile, a gothic-dressed woman is flying over the city on a large bird.

Continuing his story, he recalls being surprised at the sight of the baby. In the form of a Dragon Quest game menu, Tatsumi contemplates his options for handling him: “Fight”, “Run”, “Threaten”, “Sob” or “Kill”. Trying to confront him like an adult, he makes a tough face and asks if he is lost. Without a response from him, Tatsumi contemplates what had happened. He imagines a classier, politer version of himself asking the baby if he is lost, offering to help him with a “s’il vous plait”. Trying to imitate his imaginary face, he tries confronting the baby again and asks him to come over. However, he keeps his crude eyes and voice and the baby still doesn’t respond. After many more times trying to confront the baby, Tatsumi claimed he made an evil face to catch his attention, threatening to turn him into a wax doll. Surprisingly, the baby responds in amusement. Since then, Tatsumi claims the baby had stayed attached to him. The baby makes a warcry as he claims this.

Suddenly, the gothic-dressed woman from earlier flies into the room through the window. Pitying Tatsumi for thinking the baby will be attached to him, she tells him to die. Takayuki is scared, but Tatsumi is crossed, claiming the woman seems to be acting so high and mighty in another person’s house. Takayuki feels strange hearing him say this, as they’re in his own house and not Tatsumi’s. Ignoring Tatsumi, the woman, revealing herself as Hilda, steps down the window and tries to woo the baby back, but the baby embraces Tatsumi in fear. Tatsumi makes an evil smirk, claiming the baby hates her. Hilda tries to pull the baby away from him, but the baby holds tight to Tatsumi while he starts laughing at her. Takayuki tries to convince Tatsumi to let go, since Hilda came to welcome the baby. Suddenly, the baby sends off an electric shock, terrifying Tatsumi and Takayuki.

Later, Hilda apologizes for what had happened and introduces herself as Demon maid Hildegarda. Tatsumi and Takayuki think of contrasting perceptions of a Demon. Takayuki thinks of one as a powerful being, while Tatsumi thinks of one as a dimwitted weakling. Hilda introduces the baby as Kaiser de Emperana Beelzebub IV, the Demon Lord. Once again, Tatsumi and Takayuki think of contrasting perceptions of a Demon Lord. Takayuki thinks of one as an almighty entity, while Tatsumi thinks of one as an ugly, worn-out figure. Tatsumi and Takayuki are trying to reason the existence of Demons at hand. Takayuki tries to have Hilda end the strange topic of Demons, but Hilda refuses and points out that Tatsumi had been chosen as the Demon Lord’s parent.

Hilda tells the two of her master, the Great Demon Lord. In a flashback set to Hell, the Great Demon Lord declares to his minions that he will begin to destroy the Humans tomorrow. One of his minions points out a wedding he has to attend with the Dragon Lord. The Great Demon Lord declares the day after tomorrow to be his day of destruction, but his minion points out a Chupacabra searching bus tour on his schedule that day. Troubled by his crammed schedule, the Great Demon Lord decides to send Beelzebub to do the destruction. He calls for Hilda to look after him and destroy the world.

After Hilda concludes her story, Tatsumi and Takayuki try to take in what she just told them. Eventually, Takayuki places his hand on Tatsumi’s shoulder and wishes him good luck. Tatsumi becomes angry, yelling at Takayuki for abandoning responsibility of taking care of Beelzebub and refusing to take responsibility for Beelzebub himself. Hilda, confirming his lack of will to raise him, expresses her happiness and demands they die. She pulls a sword out of her umbrella and causes a large explosion in Takayuki’s room, blowing the wall off his house. Tatsumi and Takayuki run away. Takayuki demands Tatsumi pay him back for the damage in the house and seems to be laughing controllably. Tatsumi is carrying Beelzebub, claiming to a shocked Takayuki that he won’t let go of him. Hilda jumps on top of a utility pole and demands they give up. Tatsumi runs off, telling her to stay there, while Takayuki claims he can see her panties. A nearby bystander stares at them from directly below her. Provoked, Hilda sends her bird, Ak-Baba, after the two. Tatsumi kicks Ak-Baba in the head and runs off with Takayuki.

The two end up near an overhead power line, in the sight of a group of teenagers able to identify Tatsumi. Hildegarda points her sword next to Tatsumi’s head and makes a small cut on his cheek, grateful that Beelzebub won’t become stuck up on a contract. Blood drips from his cut onto Beelzebub’s face. The nearby teenagers are excited to find someone about to murder Tatsumi and rush over to back Hilda up to become legends around town. However, Beelzebub starts to cry deeply, sending a massive electric shock on everyone around him, including the teenagers, whom are sent flying back. Hilda tries to approach Beelzebub and calm him down, but the electric current is too powerful for her and she is sent flying back. Tatsumi is lying on the ground with Beelzebub on top of him, presumed dead by Takayuki. Takayuki asks Hilda what they can do. Hopeless, she claims only the Great Demon Lord can stop his crying. Suddenly, Tatsumi calmly sits next to him and puts a hand on Beelzebub’s head, telling him to stop crying and that he’ll be made fun of if he continues. He stops instantly to everyone’s amazement. Tatsumi walks away, thinking he is cool. Beelzebub tries to follow him, but Tatsumi tells him to stop. The teenagers point out a steel tower about to fall on Beelzebub. Tatsumi rushes back to him in time to shield him, not knowing what he’s doing. Seeing the tower fall on him, he manages to summon enough power to create a crater in the ground and cause the steel tower to disappear. Everyone is shocked at what had just happened. Beelzebub is safe, but Tatsumi passes out.

Tatsumi wakes up in bed at home, thinking everything that had just happened was a dream. Hilda greets him, kneeling next to him with Beelzebub on his lap and revealing the fact that everything he experienced was not a dream. Tatsumi is shocked at Hilda’s presence in his home, to which Hilda calmly declares Beelzebub to be raised by Tatsumi and whom will grow up to be a great, human-destroying Demon Lord.

VOMIC adaptation
A VOMIC adaptation of the chapter was aired throughout August 2009, starring a different cast from the one used in the anime series.

Characters in order of appearance

 * 1) Tatsumi Oga (flashback)
 * 2) Takayuki Furuichi
 * 3) Alaindelon (flashback)
 * 4) Beelzebub (flashback)
 * 5) Hildegarda
 * 6) Ak-Baba
 * 7) Great Demon Lord (flashback)