[Welcome… Demon Lord]
Raya stared down at his reflection in the obsidian floor.
The black stone was cracked and uneven, yet it reflected him clearly enough, and what stared back was no longer human.
Blue scales traced his skin like living armor, hard and cold, catching faint light with a dull shimmer. His frame was broader, heavier, packed with power that felt unfamiliar yet natural. Claws curved from his fingers, dark and sharp, and when he flexed his hand, the air itself seemed to recoil.
The man who once trembled at fate was gone.
In his place stood something else.
"A… Demon Lord?" Raya murmured.
A transparent interface materialized before him, glowing a muted reddish-black, it hovered silently.
A title burned at the top.
[The Forsaken One]
Fear tried to rise, but then it failed. His mind remained cold and clear, as if something deeper refused to let him break.
'A..System golden finger?'
In his previous life, he had consumed countless stories of systems, reincarnations, demons and many more fantasy stories.
Two titles floated before him.
Demon Lord and The Forsaken One
He selected the first.
[Demon Lord]
The supreme ruler of demons and monsters in the world of Noah.
Effect: All dark-aligned beings instinctively fear and respect you.
Dark arts learning speed greatly increased.
Raya exhaled slowly, then he opened the second.
[The Forsaken One]
Abandoned by the universe itself.
Despite positive karma, you were never chosen.
You suffered and died twice.
Effect: Damage from heroes is halved.
Your attacks against heroes deal double damage.
The world instinctively fears The Forsaken One.
"…So even the world is scared of me now," Raya muttered.
He scrolled further.
[Race: Demonic Dragon]
[Race Effect: Exceptional compatibility with magic and warrior arts]
Raya's eyes narrowed.
This world followed two paths of power.
Mages bent mana, twisting elements and reality itself. Warriors tempered flesh and spirit, channeling qi through weapons and bodies. Both paths were respected, but magic stood above all.
And yet…
He had never heard of anyone mastering both.
Not once.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"So I'm an exception."
Movement stirred the air.
Raya looked up…and froze.
The altar hall was no longer empty.
Rows of demons knelt before him, filling the vast chamber in perfect silence. Their heads were bowed, bodies trembling under restrained power. The pressure rolling off them was thick enough to weigh on the lungs.
"When did you all—" he stopped.
He hadn't sensed them at all.
At the very front knelt ten figures, their presence vastly different from the rest. The air around them warped subtly, as if unwilling to touch them directly.
A voice broke the silence.
"Welcome, Demon Lord the Twelfth."
Raya's gaze snapped toward the speaker.
A woman stepped forward, she was beautiful in a way that felt deliberate and unnatural.
Two elegant black horns curved from her forehead, and vast shadowed wings rested behind her like a folded night. Her reddish dark eyes shimmered with intelligence and seductive charm.
A system window appeared.
[Name: Lira]
[Race: Succubus]
[Rank: Arch-Demon]
Raya noticed something else, all ten at the front bore the same rank, 'Arch-Demons'
"My Lord," Lira said smoothly, dipping her head. "Allowing lesser demons to gaze upon you so freely stains your dignity. Please permit us to escort you to the throne room."
Raya's mind raced, he couldn't tell them the truth. That he was once a human prisoner. He just happened to be the demon lord by mistake and he is currently confused and overwhelmed.
So he did the only thing he could, he nodded.
Lira smiled faintly and stepped closer. "If you allow me, my Lord."
Before Raya could respond, light swallowed them whole.
When the light vanished, only then did the remaining Arch-Demons raise their heads and teleport away. The lesser demons collapsed where they knelt, gasping for breath.
Standing before Arch-Demons was suffocating.
Standing before a Demon Lord was unbearable.
But now… they finally had one.
For centuries, the demon race had been without a ruler. After the death of the previous Demon Lord, no successor had emerged. The Arch-Demons ruled in his absence, waiting.
Endlessly waiting, now, the wait is over.
---
Raya reappeared in a vast chamber bathed in dim crimson light.
A single throne dominated the room, it was massive, carved from dark stone and bones he didn't recognize.
As if drawn by instinct, Raya walked forward and sat.
Moments later, the nine remaining Arch-Demons appeared and knelt.
Lira stood beside the throne, posture straight, wings slightly unfurled, claiming her place without words.
"What are your orders, my Lord?" she asked.
"Huh?"
'Orders?' The question really surprised him, and he was still working on calming his thoughts.
Lately, everything has been happening at such a quick pace, especially over the last few days.
Raya steadied himself and looked at them.
"Introduce yourselves," he said calmly. "One by one."
A small girl stepped forward hesitantly.
"G-Greetings, my Lord," she said, bowing deeply. "My name is Clara. I… I oversee the Tenth Floor. I like drinking blood. At your service."
Raya blinked, If not for the dense demonic energy pouring off her, he would have mistaken her for a human child.
His system tagged her.
[Race: Werewolf]
'The blood part wasn't necessary though', Raya thought.
Another girl stepped forward, she looked remarkably similar to Clara, sharing the same facial features. Although she was a bit paler, she was still the same height. Her presence felt cold, yet she spoke in a cheerful manner.
"My name is Claire," she said cheerfully. "Clara's twin, I oversee the Ninth Floor. I enjoy eating meat. Always at your service, my Lord."
Raya stared between them, then leaned back slightly, resting his clawed hand against the arm of the throne.
A werewolf who liked blood and a vampire who liked meat.
'…Is that normal?' he wondered silently.
This demon realm was already proving far stranger than he expected.