The echo of his last words — "Where am I going!?" — vanished into the immensity of the void.
A sepulchral silence covered everything. There was no ground, no sky, no time… only an absolute black abyss, as if the universe had exhaled for the last time. From his own perspective, the once Demon King, Azrael Noctem Cael'Zar, felt something begin to beat strongly in his chest, like an infernal drum resonating against nothingness.
—I can't see anything… —he muttered, or perhaps thought; in that space, the voice had no form.
He felt a great blink as his eyelids slowly opened. First, a faint light; then, blurry shapes. Finally, clarity. The ceiling was white, decorated with fine moldings and… a crystal lamp?
—What is this…? A chandelier? Am I in… some kind of luxurious house?
He tried to move his body, but something held him back. Not just sudden or physical paralysis… it was different. Organic. Fragile. Looking down, his gaze found two tiny hands: soft, chubby. His legs were just as small.
He saw on the sides wooden railings enclosing him, resembling some kind of wooden crib barrier that kept him from falling.
—What…? What the hell…? I'm in a crib!
The revelation struck him with the force of a celestial spear. He was trapped in the body of a baby.
—No! This cannot be happening! I am the Demon King! The scourge of the heavens!
Suddenly, from his perspective, a giant figure approached. It was a woman in a maid's uniform. Her large breasts pressed against her work attire, with prominent curves, long brown hair tied back elegantly, and a seductive beauty mark by her lips. Her presence was warm, almost maternal, and that enraged him even more.
The woman lifted him effortlessly, as if she weren't holding a millennial demon, but an ordinary human infant.
—Wait, cursed woman! Put me down! Do you even know who I am!? —shouted the former Demon King within his mind, powerless, thrashing inside his limited body.
—It seems young master Reinhard has awakened —the maid said sweetly—. Here you are, Lady Ramona.
He was handed over to another figure: a woman of noble beauty, in a yellow silk dress, eyes black as midnight and hair as dark as the depths of a beautiful well. Her expression was radiant.
—Oh, my baby… every time I see him, he looks more like his father —she said tenderly, holding him with sincere affection.
—This woman thinks I'm her son!? This is blasphemy! I am Azrael Noctem Cael'Zar! I will burn you alive with my infernal flames…! —But his curse was cut short.
Reality struck again: he had no power. No control. Not even teeth.
—Damn voice! You made me reincarnate as a human baby!
The now-called Reinhard Ashfield, barely a month old, wore a soft fine cloth garment. His hair was golden like the sunrise, his eyes blue like a cloudless sky. A lock fell playfully over his forehead, and his small nose gave him a regal air, even in that tiny form.
The door opened with a faint creak. A man entered the room, elegant, in an immaculate white suit, with golden blond hair like Reinhard's and bright bluish eyes, much like his newborn son.
—Where is daddy's treasure? —he exclaimed with enthusiasm.
Without hesitation, he lifted him clumsily but with genuine love.
—How are you, Reinhard! My dear Reinhard Ashfield. I'm so glad to see you again —he expressed, taking him from his mother's arms.
—Stop, human! You're shaking me like a cursed doll… I'm getting dizzy… —he whimpered internally.
—Hey, darling —Ramona intervened with a nervous smile—, I think Reinhard is feeling unwell… you should calm down a little.
Both parents sat down, gazing in awe at their child as he wriggled softly, confused, dizzy… and furious within.
The love in their eyes was genuine, profound. A gift. A home.
But within that baby slept a dark soul, a soul that had commanded armies, devoured worlds, slaughtered without mercy. A soul that did not know what to do with that love. He did not understand it. He did not want it.
—Of all the races and creatures I could have reincarnated into, it had to be a damned human —resented Reinhard Ashfield in the depths of his being.
The Demon King had died in the past, and in this future he had been reborn as a human child.
Time had passed since then, though Reinhard Ashfield still couldn't fully accept reality. His mind, once brimming with power and ambition, now floated trapped inside the shell of a mere human baby. A sea of rage, frustration, and disorientation invaded every corner of his consciousness. None of this made sense.
—What kind of cruel joke is this? —he thought as his tiny eyes gazed at the room illuminated by magical lamps.
And as if the universe itself mocked him, there were his new "parents":
A human noble with a charismatic gaze, a wide smile, and a confident voice; and a mother with a warm smile, evident sweetness, and an aura of tenderness that sickened Reinhard like venom.
—Tsk… So this is how my new life begins? Surrounded by human affection —he grumbled inwardly.
They treated him with care, rocked him, sang to him, and looked after him with devotion. And he… hated it.
—And how the hell am I supposed to get my revenge on humans if I can't even move? Do I really have to wait years until…?
A spasm interrupted his thoughts. Something wet. Thick. Sticky.
—No… don't tell me…
A shiver ran down his tiny body. He felt… filthy.
And then, between the desperate cry of an ancient, powerful soul and the helplessness of a newborn body, Reinhard let out a piercing wail.
But from the outside, it was nothing more than the typical cry of a fussy baby.
The door opened instantly.
—Oh, calm down, little Reinhard —said a gentle female voice as she carefully picked him up—. Did you dirty your diaper again?
It was Lili, the household's alluring maid, a young woman with wavy brown hair, hazel eyes, and a beauty mark by her lip that gave her a coquettish charm.
—This has to be a damn nightmare! —Reinhard roared inside as she cleaned him with care—. I refuse! I'm the Demon King, damn it! And they have to wipe me as if I were some crippled fool!
Lili, unaware of the inner storm brewing within the baby in her arms, dressed him in soft clothes, scented and decorated with elegant embroidery.
—At least they keep me spotless —Reinhard grumbled, resigned—. That's something, I guess.
Just then, the door opened again. An elegant figure with calm steps entered the room.
It was his mother: Ramona Ashfield. Black hair, dark eyes, and a serene presence.
—Thank you, Lili. What would we do without you —she said in a melodious voice as she took her son into her arms—. Come on, little Reinhard. Time for some fresh air.
Still irritated, Reinhard was carried through the grand mansion's halls, where kind-faced servants bowed respectfully as Ramona proudly walked with her baby in her arms.
—Where is this woman taking me now? —Reinhard wondered suspiciously.
They arrived at a door adorned with silver carvings, where a soft breeze slipped through the edges. When sunlight bathed his face, Reinhard felt something unexpected: peace. A subtle peace… but real.
Before him stretched a colossal garden. Emerald grass, well-trimmed trees, vibrant flowers, and a crystalline fountain adorned the place.
—Hmm… a courtyard, not bad. But my castle was better —he muttered arrogantly in his mind.
The butlers placed him in a cradle under a giant tree. The leaves danced with the wind while he looked up at the sky, feeling for the first time since his reincarnation the breath of pure, genuine air.
Farther away, his mother drank tea with elegance, seated on a crystal chair before a brilliantly adorned table of sweets and finely embroidered napkins.
—Humans… so old-fashioned. So predictable —Reinhard thought as he stared at his tiny hands—. Who would've thought that I, Azrael Noctem Cael'Zar, the most feared Demon King… would end up like this?
Weeks had passed since his rebirth. And little by little, he began to accept an irrefutable truth: he had been reborn as Reinhard Ashfield, son of the noble Homen Ashfield and the lady Ramona Ashfield.
And as much as he despised them, he had to admit he couldn't survive without them.
Reluctantly, he recognized that his current parents weren't as detestable as the humans of his era. Was it because they cared for him? Because they treated him with love? Or simply because he still needed them to grow?
It didn't matter. Just as in his past life as Demon King, he had never had parents, never even knew if he had been born or if he simply existed because of what he was back then.
That was irrelevant. What truly mattered was the purpose burning deep in his soul: total vengeance against humanity.
But now… now he was nothing more than an infant. He had to grow, learn, adapt, become one of them… to destroy them from within.
—And why did that voice bring me back? Why as a human? —he thought, frowning—. What cursed destiny is this? No matter, I, Reinhard Ashfield, will overcome it, no matter what.
As the tree leaves swayed above his head, Reinhard closed his eyes. The path to his great vengeance seemed long. But the King had awakened.