Demon Lord's Reincarnation

John was still in a state of shock by what he learned as he was about to eat his meal. Yet the moment he tasted the Honey Garlic Salmon all of his complicated thoughts were washed away. The taste of this Salmon was incredible, it was beyond description. 

After he was done eating his meal, John thanked the owner and left the Lonely Cat. He was walking through the street still a little bit shocked by the fact that he had an encounter with a child of the Emperor. 

'That means the technique she showed me was indeed the Emperor's sword. What did she call it back then?... Hmmm, oh right, the formless sword.' 

The authenticity of the advice given by Kiara was higher now that John knew who she truly was. He was also rather interested in the movement technique she uses to disappear and reappear without a sound. It wasn't teleportation since there was no mana fluctuation, but it wasn't purely speed either.

As he was deep in thought while walking on the sidewalk he noticed a peculiar shop in the busy street. It seems like no one has noticed the shop. It was a shabby shop that had a sign with a sword and an ax cross. John came closer to the shop, and once he was near enough he faintly felt an overpowering presence inside. It was a brief feeling, so fleeting that he thought it was just his imagination. 

John became truly intrigued by the mysterious shop. As he was about to open the door, he finally realized something even more shocking. The sound of the people on the street was gone. He could still see the people passing by the street, but it felt like he was no longer in the same area as them.

It was at that moment John hesitated a bit. He wasn't sure what was behind this door, it could be something that wishes to harm him, it could be a trap of sorts. As he continued to hold onto the doorknob at the corner of his heart, there was a tinge of excitement. 

'Why the f*ck am I hesitating for? Isn't this what I wanted, an adventure to the unknown? I'm sure the legendary Emperor never hesitated like this. He with that vicious smile on his face would challenge everything and anything. If it was him he would have walked forward no matter what.'

After encouraging himself, John tightened his grip on the doorknob. He had unconsciously used more strength than he was supposed to, once he realized that he panicked a bit, but then he noticed something. He was rather surprised that despite the strength he put into gripping the doorknob it didn't even crack. His physical strength was enough for him to be able to crush rocks into dust with his hands, yet this doorknob that look like it was nothing special was unaffected by his strength. John smiled as he discarded the fears he had and entered the shop. 

...

Upon entering the weapon shop the first thing John noticed was the place was bigger than what it looked outside. Even though there weren't any candles or lightbulbs, the entire shop was well lit. Lastly, in just a glance he saw that this shop was filled with weapons of all kinds, even weapons he wasn't sure existed were in this shop. 

"Hey Kid, welcome to the Fate Shop." 

John suddenly heard a voice coming from within the shop. A few seconds later a child that seem to be around twelve years old came out.

"You're calling me a kid, even though you look to be younger than me." 

"Hmph, I guess the spell I placed on the shop is failing, since I can't understand why it chose an amateur like you as a destined one." The child responded while shrugging his shoulders. 

"Destined one?" 

"Well whatever, since you're already here then I guess despite your low level you are still technically a patron."

The child decided to ignore John's question, who was now feeling a little bit irritated. Still, despite that, his instincts were telling him that this child wasn't someone he should mess with. 

"The rule of this place is simple, you can take one weapon of your choosing. If you try to take more than one then you'll be cursed into working in this store for all eternity. Also, despite me saying you can take any weapon, that will depend on your capabilities. The weapons in here aren't your typical weapons. In this place, you can find all sorts of weapons ranging from mythical weapons to demonic weapons. Most of the weapons here have sentience and are very arrogant, so the truth is you're not the one choosing the weapon, but the weapons are the ones choosing their master. If you're not capable enough you might not get any weapon." 

After hearing the child's absurd speech, John was stunned. Even though it was a rather unbelievable claim, somewhere in him John knew that the child was telling the truth. 

"Then is there a weapon her that's as strong as the Emperor's sword Snertal?" 

"Snertal? Oh, the current weapon Ren is using. That one is now a mythical weapon infused with the spirit of an ancient dragon. The dragon in question isn't that strong before, but now after staying with Ren for a few years, it's no longer comparable to any normal dragon. If you went to any other place that weapon would've been the best that shop has to offer, it might've even been the best one a world has to offer. Yet in here that kind of weapon is numbingly ordinary." 

John was surprised by the claim of the child as he spoke of the legendary sword Snertal as if it was a simple iron sword you can buy in any weapon shop. Yet what surprised him, even more, was when John heard how casual the child spoke of Ren's name he couldn't help but remember the pub owner he met. 

"Are you perhaps acquainted with the Emperor?" Hearing John's question the child's lips curved upward.

"He and I are more than just acquainted, you can call us friends, comrades in arms, or a confidant take your pick." 

"... Just who are you?" 

"Hmph, now you ask that question. Well, I guess introducing myself isn't really such a big deal. The name's Alphonso De Velarie. Do not let my appearance fool you, I am in fact much much older than I look." 

It was at that moment John wanted to smack his head. John had forgotten that even the elves who look to be younger than he could actually be hundreds of years old. There are so many races in this world, that it was presumptuous of him to judge a person by the same standards as humans. John knew that he made a mistake so he quickly bowed his head.

"I'm sorry if I had offended you." 

Alphonso was momentarily shocked by the kid's reaction but then a smile surfaced on his face. This kid was pretty straightforward and he rather liked that kind of personality as it was similar to his mentor and friend the Strongest Mortal Soul. 

"It's alright, just go now and pick whatever weapon you want."