Darkness.
Nothing could be seen. The pain still lingered in his stomach, back, and all over his body. Blood seemed to still be flowing. His body felt like it was falling from an infinite height.
"Am I... dead?"
The last thing he remembered was being hit by a car on his way home after buying the newest Nintendo. Too excited to look left and right. A death far too embarrassing.
"I'm really dead."
That should be the case, but strangely, his consciousness slowly returned… He could move his fingers. But something warm, heavy, and extremely soft was pressing against him.
And the scent… sweet, tempting—like perfume and sin.
His eyes opened. He was shocked. A succubus.
And on top of his chest… a woman—with skin as white as milk, curved horns, and glowing yellow eyes filled with lust. Her black hair draped down to her chest, and a mischievous smile curled on her luscious lips. The succubus looked like she was licking her own cheek.
"Hmm~ you're finally awake, Prince Orzael," she whispered.
The succubus' hand caressed Orzael's face. Then her hand slid down to his chest, stroking it gently. Her eyes turned red, now heart-shaped. The succubus was almost at the peak of her lust.
"WHAT IS THIS?!" Orzael panicked, but no voice came out.
He tried to sit up, but his body still wasn't fully under his control. Everything felt foreign. Stronger muscles. Firmer skin. And… a tail? He nearly screamed when he realized something was moving from his lower back.
"What's wrong, my lord?" the succubus said again, placing a finger on Orzael's lips. "Don't you like my body? Are you not feeling well?"
Her face moved closer, their lips almost touched. Startled, Orzael pushed her off. The succubus fell to the floor. Orzael climbed out of bed and backed into a corner. He looked around.
An unfamiliar place. An unfamiliar creature. "There are no succubus on Earth… right?"
He wasn't sure. When he looked down at his own body, he was shocked because… this wasn't him. He had become something else. He immediately looked for a mirror and stood in front of it. His reflection was clear now. A man with horns, dark reddish eyes, fangs, and a tail from his lower back.
He was stunned. "Who am I?" he asked himself.
The succubus walked over and hugged him from behind. Their skin touched, but he didn't react. It was all too strange. His mind was flooded with questions about what had happened. He was certain his name was Kazuha Shirogami.
But now, he was no younger a Japanese man. He was a demon. How could this happen?
"Did I reincarnate? Or transmigrate to another world?" Kazuha wondered.
One second later, thousands of pieces of information flooded into his head. It was painful. He screamed out loud. The succubus panicked and called for the servants, but moments later, Kazuha stood back up. He now understood who he was.
[System Activated.]
[New Host Detected]
[Synchronizing with Body of Orzael, Demon Prince.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind. It only confused him more, but as someone who played games and read novels regularly, this wasn't something too strange. Kazuha wasn't shocked at all. In fact, this was something good.
"This will help me," he said.
He now knew he was the seventh son of the Demon King. Untalented in magic, weak physically, and an idiot. Frequently used by others and nearly caused a pointless war.
The Demon King, knowing this, wasted no time in sending him to the southernmost edge of the demon territory. A barren place filled with other useless demons. In short, he was exiled.
"The body of a loser," Kazuha recalled, but he refused to let it stay that way. "This is my new life. I must make the most of it. From now on, I am Orzael, and I will become the strongest demon in this world."
The succubus behind him looked confused. She saw her master talking to himself like a madman. She tilted her head. "He's gone even more insane after being cast out by the Demon Lord."
Orzael turned around. He glanced at the bed and walked toward it. He picked up his clothes and began dressing himself again. He understood the situation now. He had two sets of memories—Orzael's and Kazuha's. He would use them both.
"Can you explain the situation in this town?"
The succubus nodded. She explained that the town bordered two places: the forbidden forest and a small human kingdom. Attacks from the kingdom were rare, but attacks from the forest happened often.
Almost every week, demons died in this town. Without proper defenses, the town would fall into ruin and eventually all demons here would perish.
"…of course, you will die too."
Orzael turned to her. "Why didn't you include yourself in that?"
"Because I'm strong. I can run away if a truly unstoppable monster shows up."
"And you'd leave me here alone? Just save yourself?" Orzael stepped toward her, his gaze sharp. "Isn't that a betrayal?"
The succubus flinched. She realized she had said something she shouldn't have. She clicked her tongue in frustration. Usually, Orzael wouldn't catch something like this. Her master was acting strange, smarter.
"Forgive me, my lord. You may punish me if you wish," the succubus said.
Orzael glanced at a chair. He sat with one leg crossed, exuding arrogance and pride. One way to make others submit is to act like you're the strongest. Of course, with certain conditions. Orzael was the Demon King's son. He had the authority to act that way.
"I forgive you."
The succubus smiled. She had expected him to forgive her. "He's still the same. Foolish and easy to manipulate."
"But… you must defend this town from monster attacks for one month. Alone," Orzael said firmly.
The succubus was shocked. This was beyond what she had expected. She swallowed hard. "But my lord, that's too—"
Orzael raised his hand. "I don't want any objections. If you disobey, I will sentence you to death."
The succubus was even more stunned. This wasn't the Orzael she knew. He used to be gullible, naive, too kind. That's why his siblings didn't like him. Orzael was too human. He should've been cruel and merciless.
And now, he was starting to look like that.