Its face was a black slate with two gleaming red dots for eyes. It had the same body build as Gray, and wore the exact same clothing he was wearing while fighting the goblin earlier.

***

The scene shifted, this time they were home. Gray's mother was crying, his father was trying to comfort her but nothing seemed to be working.

Gray was confused and scared, so he kept quiet. The once warm feeling slowly became colder, no light came through the windows even though it was midday.

***

"Dad, what's wrong with her?" cried Gray as he stared at his mother sprawled on the floor, foam coming out of her mouth.

Pills lay scattered all over the floor next to her, a glass of water spilled on the ground.

"Stop crying, I'm trying to think," shouted Gray's father, shock, confusion, sadness, and disappointment all mixed into his voice as his hands shook in front of him.

"Will she be okay dad?" asked Gray, his crying only becoming worse.

"I don't know, I said stop crying," shouted Gray's father, this time slapping him so hard across the face that blood started dripping out of his nose.

Gray stood there in shock, his father had never hit him before. His little eyes just stared up at his father, as if asking what had just happened.

"I'm sorry bud, I didn't mean to do that. It's just that..." whatever his father said after that became inaudible to him as ambulance sirens rang in his ears.

The colors around him began losing their contrast, everything looked dull, nearly black and white.

***

"You fucking junkie!" shouted Gray's father, slamming his mother into the kitchen table.

Gray peeked from the door, hoping not to be seen. "I don't know what I ever saw you in you," snarled his father, picking up the bottle of alcohol he had placed on the counter before walking towards the door.

"And you," said his father, kicking Gray to the ground.

"You should've never been born,"

The room felt cold and the darkness seemed to wrap itself around Gray. Everything was black and white, everything except the small puddle of blood that collected around Gray's mother's mouth.

Its red color shone brilliantly, and for some reason, a certain warmth seemed to radiate from it.

"So this is where it all started. Your thirst for blood, for pain," said the figure, bending over to dip its index finger in the puddle of blood.

"Who are you?" asked Gray, finally remembering that he was about to die.

"I am your only hope of living," replied the figure.

"What do you mean?" asked Gray, prompting the figure to show Gray a glimpse of what was happening in the real world.

The goblin's sword was slowly approaching Gray's neck, certain death seemed inevitable.

"Me? Die? I can't yet, I haven't had my fill of fun, I haven't killed that fucking bastard yet. I can't go now, the world has just become interesting," complained Gray, standing up in defiance.

"That's where I come in. But everything has a price," said the figure, its black slate of a face right next to Gray's.

"Pfft, what do you want? My soul? Take it, I don't need it anyway," said Gray

"What good is a single human soul? No, what I want is something like an investment," replied the figure.

"Investment? I didn't know demons liked money," laughed Gray, the absurdity of the circumstances causing him to find the whole thing funny.

"Not money, souls. I will take your right arm as payment, as well a billion living souls," replied the figure, the echo which was its voice sounded as if it were laughing.

"Fuck off. Where will I get a billion souls from? It's clear that you're just messing around here, send me back, I'll kill the thing myself," replied Gray, his eyes stone cold as he stared at the demon with an unamused look.

"Why so serious? And anyway what will you be able to do in the state you are currently in. You're bleeding to death, your right arm was cut off and your blood has been corrupted. And even if you were still in top shape, a goblin warrior isn't something a human like you can handle," said the demon mockingly, laughing at Gray's situation.

"Look, just kill a billion living creatures with that right hand of mine, be they human or otherwise and our debt will be repaid. "

"What happens if I can't repay you?" asked Gray

"We'll be using your body and powers as collateral, you see your ability to create weapons out of blood is quite interesting. The fact that you were able to create one of the replica's of the demon swords using nothing but this is what amazes me the most," replied the demon

"Not to mention your ability to steal the power of others. I'm sure one of the minor demons here wouldn't mind inhabiting your body and finishing your task."

"Anyway, you have nothing to lose. You already planned on killing at least this many from the begin didn't you?" added the demon, persuading Gray to take the deal.

"Hmm, you're right, I was going to do this much anyway," replied Gray a smile forming on his face.

"Then I take it we have a deal?" asked the demon.

"One more thing, a billion souls for just one is kind of a rip off however way we look at it. Why don't you add in all information you have on rune inscriptions, as well as anything important I might need for my survival. After all, won't it be to your benefit if I become stronger?" asked Gray, literally trying to negotiate with the devil.

"What a funny human," laughed the demon, like what Gray was asking was the funniest thing in the world.

"You are nothing but a replica holder. The only reason I'm even helping you is because I quite like your character, but apart from that you are nothing but a weak worthless body bag."