"Good... A body with pure demon royal blood has been arranged for you..."
"Your affinity is already etched deep in your soul. All that's left is the mark of the Demon King... That will be sorted out the moment your soul assimilates with the body."
Kurakan listed, preparing to send Gray into reincarnation.
But Gray wasn't having it. How could this guy send him to another world without a golden finger? That was reincarnation rule 101.
"Really? You're not giving me anything? No instant-kill ability, or even a broken affinity with some primordial element or something?"
Kurakan was stunned by the question. Never in his wildest dreams would he have assumed that would be the next thing asked.
He felt speechless. "Ah… actually, I can't give you skills or affinities. All those depend on you. I can't meddle with that."
Gray's expression stiffened. "But what if I have no affinity to magic or whatever force is used in that world?"
Kurakan shook his head, face solemn. "That's impossible. You're a soul from a Celestial Remnant. You people are naturally born with heaven-defying physiques and affinities."
Seeing the question brewing in Gray's eyes, Kurakan spoke quickly. "Don't ask me what that means. Just know that scenario can never happen to you."
Gray remained silent. He was just about to ask what a Celestial Remnant was all about… but instead he thought for a bit, then suggested, "Well, it won't do to just send me on my way like that. Give me weapons, items—something heaven-defying!"
Seeing the now greed-filled creature before him, Kurakan sighed. "I thought you were too hungry for vengeance, desperate to get started.
Yet here you are, delaying to extort from me… What a candidate."
But regardless, Gray was the one making the ask, so Kurakan had to show sincerity.
"Fine. I will give you the fair opportunity to choose something possibly godly..." Kurakan waved his hands, and countless brilliant orbs appeared, surrounding the void where Gray stood.
"Within these are my most prized possessions, as well as my most useless. Take your pick—you can only choose five."
Gray stared at the numerous glinting orbs. "Come on, man. I didn't sign up for a gacha!"
But regardless of his irritation, Gray still picked five, going by intuition.
"There. Show me what I got."
Kurakan, stoic on the outside, was bleeding on the inside. Lucky son of a bitch. He had to choose those… I only wanted to reincarnate a being, not let my pocket bleed.
"Fine, whatever. But he won't be getting the satisfaction of knowing his choices," Kurakan consoled himself.
Gray's soul body suddenly began levitating, the five chosen orbs swirling around his frame.
He panicked and yelled, "W-wait! Let me at least see what I got!"
But his plea fell on deaf ears, as Kurakan informed him: "Don't worry. At each juncture of power you reach, you will unlock access to one orb, from which you can choose one item each time. Well then… good luck!"
"Wai—" Gray's wail was cut off as reality spun, the void retreating from his sight, and everywhere went dark.
---
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
A rumbling noise rang out loudly, an intense rattling waking a figure from slumber.
"—t a minute!" Gray continued his scream as he jerked up from the earth.
But as quickly as he rose, he fell back, a stinging pain assailing his head.
He clutched tightly to his skull with both arms, face scrunched in agony. "Fuck… I think I've been reincarnated."
He realized quickly, but everything around him was darkness. His vision only revealed walls enclosing him, and he seemed to be standing on an elevating platform—the source of the rumbling.
He gazed upward, expecting the sky, but all he saw was a looming light. He was ascending to the surface.
"That guy is unreliable. He gave me near zero information about this world, apart from the identities of the heroes..." Gray hissed.
It was then he noticed a change in his voice. It was darker, deeper than his previous body had ever allowed.
"Arggghh!" He clutched his head again, recoiling backward in pain.
Something wasn't right.
Suddenly, he heard distant cheers and the slow rattling of the ground from the voices.
He remembered how the heroes were welcomed. Could it be… he was being welcomed by the demons?
The closer he got to the surface, the louder the cheers, the more intense the pain.
It was too much. He couldn't think straight anymore.
He sprawled across the platform, hoping to reach the surface, hoping the pain would fade.
The light grew nearer, looming closer, as the pain dug deeper.
Until it filled his vision. The raging roars of crowds assailed his ears, and the pain erupted into a violent torrent of memories.
"EVERYONE, WE HAVE WITH US A PURE-BLOODED ROYAL DEMON FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!"
ROOOAAARRRRR!
Gray's platform reached surface level, his mind absorbing the memories fast.
He glanced at his hands. The once small, fair human palms were gone. In their place was ashen dark skin, his palms black as night—and larger.
The ground seemed farther away hinting as his height.
Behind him, he felt an agile tactile limb.
A pair, in fact. He stretched them naturally giving them a flap, as if he'd always had them.
Wings. Obsidian-black, feathery wings—like those of a fallen angel.
Reality dawned as his memories settled. He was no human any longer. He was a pure-blooded royal demon.
And the excited, blood-frenzied crowd? Yes, they were cheering for him alright.
After all, he was being welcomed into a coliseum.
His hands combed through his now rough hard hair.
"Great. As though life on earth wasn't bad enough… now I reincarnate into a battle slave's body. Whatever.
At least this time, I have the opportunity to fight for my fate!"