Desert of Souls.

A place where the sun never sets and the ground is so hot that if a normal human touches it, I might even set it ablaze.

Only monsters or cultivators can move freely on its surface, normal humans need to use the huge underground system that stretches under the sand, but these caverns do contain multiple insect-type spirit beasts so there aren't many people who use them.

In short, this was the perfect location for a secret base.

I ran through the dunes, leaving clear marks behind myself.

While in the air several worm-like monsters appeared from the sand, trying to eat me.

"Singing Serpent Slash."

The worms standing before me fell into nettle cut pieces.

"It's not far from here."

Using the map provided by my master, I could guess that the canyon was about a kilometer away from me.

"SSSStop right there!"

Before me, the sand exploded and a huge creature emerged.

It looked like a black centipede but at its head, the upper part of a brown-skinned man could be seen, with a black collar on his neck.

"This is private territory! Turn back before I turn you into a snack!"

I can feel it. This repulsive feeling jolting through my body, making my blood boil, while my heart beating like crazy.

It was hatred.

"Are you one of the subordinates of the Dealmaker?"

The insect started to clack with his mandible while the human portion grimaced.

"I am the guardian of the desert! I am under no one! I will kill you for this affront!"

The monster rushed at me, its insect mouth dripping with acid.

"Ninja Style: Flash Step."

I jump up in the air, right above the monster, my sword filled with energy.

"Descending Azure Cascade."

With a swing a pillar of blue energy descended, obliterating the thing into dust.

Even for an elder like me, this thing must have been a tough opponent, but this was easy with my training and knowledge.

I landed smoothly on the sand and continued running.

Soon I reached the base.

As my master said, they set up some sort of base at the bottom of the chasm.

The whole place looked like an ancient ruin of stone buildings that were almost engulfed by sand from where I stud, but my senses told me otherwise.

Hundreds of beings, none of them entirely human, were moving there.

" Found you."

*****

Darkness.

After those kids pierced my heart all I could see was darkness.

Before that, I was a great man. A rich man. A powerful man.

With the invasion of the Gigas, I managed to get my hands on their technologies to fight against them, saving countless lives, realizing my long-sought dream of becoming a hero. I was even the one who built the first Anti-Gigas suit, which the military used to protect humanity!

Yet, those brats, with their so-called magic, not only humiliated me, they even killed me.

I will never forgive them. I will never forgive them. I will kill them. I will kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill. kill...

Madness.

"Awaken."

Finally, there was light.

I was... in a small white room, sitting on a metal chair, facing a metal table.

I was wearing the remains of my armor in which I died, but I couldn't feel the wounds that were inflicted on me.

"H-Have I finally gone mad?"

"You aren't mad."

At the other side of the table, where there was no one, now sat a well-suited man, with the head of a deer skull.

"Good day. I am Dealmaker."

"I-I-..."

"Don't overwork yourself, please. You have been in hell for 30 years, it takes a toll on the mind."

Hell? I was in hell?!

"Wh-Where am I?"

"It's quite difficult to explain. Let's just say, you are between hell and another place. You see there has been a mix-up in your destiny. You weren't supposed to die."

"What?!"

"Let's see, here. " he snapped his fingers making a brown dossier appear filled with paper. he opened it and quickly went through it. " Your name is Ivan Stalen, born in 4521, inventor of the Anti-Gigas Armor, or AGA, ex-member, and leader of the Gigas Suppression Corps, GSC. 8342 gigas kills, then at age 43 killed by Lukas Ash, a magic-user who shouldn't have supposed to be there." He closed the dossier." I will be honest with you, you aren't supposed to be here. You see, you were supposed to kill all the gigas in the world, live like a king till you reach 143, and after that be remembered as a legend."

A legend. Me?

"Why?"

"I tell you why." He cleared his throat before speaking." You see gods are real. Like me and you, they have bodies, desires, and powers that could crush worlds. And currently, they are in a war with each other. This war offset the balance of the universe, causing ripple effects."

I don't understand. Gods? Ripple effect? What?

"This ripple effect is the cause of the appearance of magic. Originally the only magical thing in your world was supposed to be the gigas and your armor. Yet, mana somehow appeared, giving birth to all those problems. The kid, Lukas Ash, learned to use mana, taught it to his closest friends, and in the end killed you, by stabbing you right in the chest before burning you into ash."

As he talked, my memories returned to me, the feeling of being stabbed into the chest, the burning sensation.

"So, I decided to rectify things." Pointed at me. " I will bring you back to life."

I looked at the deer skull, my mind still disoriented.

"I will bring you back, your memories intact and I will even give you some of my own power. But I want you to do some things for me."

*****

???????:

It was a rainy day. It has been raining for three days straight, even though people should be celebrating. The last remaining nest of gigas was destroyed thanks to the effort of the GSC. The only thing left is to hunt down the remaining survivors and the world will enter a period of peace.

But this period won't come just now.

In an abandoned building, from a mirror, someone fell out. It was a middle-aged man, wearing a ragged grey suit that was tainted with some sort of black substance. His hair which was previously black now turned white.

He slowly stood up inspecting his body, his hands trembling.

"30 years. I am finally back."

'Can you hear me?"

He was taken aback by the voice he heard in his mind which belonged to the man who saved him.

"Yes. I can hear you clearly."

'Great. I am calling you because I forget to mention something. Time in hell moves faster than in the real world. You have been in hell for 30 years, but for the people here, not even 3 have passed. Consider this as a bonus.'

"Mr. Dealmaker, I-"

He felt genuine gratitude towards him. Not only he brought him back to life and gave him powers, but he even returned him not too far in the future where his killer still lived.

'Now then, please use what I gave to you as soon as possible. Good luck and I hope we will meet as soon as possible.'

Yes, what he asked me.

From his breast pocket, he took out a syringe. In a corner of the room, a black cat was sleeping deeply not noticing what just happened.

He quickly walked to it, planted the needle in the animal's neck, without waking it up, and injected it.

Seeing no notable difference in the animal he threw away the object and walked to the door breathing heavily.

"Ash. Wait for me. I'm going to kill you."

*****

What the hell man! A cat?! Really?! I said, human! HUMAN! This ball of fur doesn't even have any mana what I am supposed to do with it?!

This was the first time I was actually controlling an avatar that was inside an animal's body. It was strange for me; the composition of this body was nothing that I was used to.

My vision was at least normal, and I could move so there was that.

"Miau. Miau. Mi.aU. "

Okay, first thing first finding a human host. Someone who is knowledgeable about this world and has some money would be perfect.

With a bit of practice I walked to the nearby door, that guy left open and looked outside.

As I expected, this world truly looked like it came from the 21st century. There were cars, streets, concrete buildings, everything.

Ahhh, modern times how I missed you! Magic is amazing and all that, but I missed the internet and fast food so much! After I get a human body, one of the first things I will do is eat 10, no 20 BBQ Burgers with Coola!

I walked at the side of the street looking at the people who passed by me.

They look like Japanese people and the signs are written in something that reminded me of kanji.

As I expected, I can't understand what they say or write with a cat's brain.

Looking around I found an apartment complex with its door open. I climbed up the stairs and walked through the corridors looking for an open door.

I finally found what I was looking for on the 5th floor. The door was half-open, so I squeezed my body through it.

Oh, great.

I found a body. It was a young male, around his twenties, hanging himself from the lamp cable.

His body didn't seem to be too bad of a condition, he must have hung himself pretty recently.

I walked closer to him, and when I was about to enter his body when somebody entered the room.

"NOOO!"

It was a girl. An anime girl.

Pink, curly hair, big breasts, school uniform, the total.

What kind of world have I stepped into?!

The girl, crying with her round pink eyes, ran to the corps of the boy.

"WHY?! WHY DID YOU DO THIs?! WHY HAVEN'T YOU WAITED AS WE TOLD YOU TO!?"

The girl became a sobbing mess, her body shaking with sorrow. And the smell. She was getting mad with grief. Literally. A perfect chance for me to get a human host.

I made some of the avatar fluid gather inside of my mouth forming a small hand that had its own mouth on its palm.

"It's a shame, isn't it? So young, yet so broken."

The girl looked at me her eyes now red from crying.

"W-What?"

I waved my tail a little before continuing talking.

"It's truly regrettable. He had his whole life before himself but now he's nothing more than a corps."

"Don't you dare talk like that!"

She was enraged, making her madness flare as well as a very familiar energy.

This girl had mana and there were lots of it.

Yep, a perfect candidate for being my puppet.

"But who said that can't be changed?"

Her eyes became clear for a second, regaining some reason.

"Who are you?"

"Right, I haven't presented myself." I bowed this body's head while purring. " My name is Dealmaker and I'm a crossroads demon. Your friend summoned me 5 hours before his death. Because of his convoluted mind, he didn't notice and when he killed himself I became kinda stuck here."

" A demon? I-It can't be... They aren't real...."

She crawled a little bit away from me, her eyes fixated on this body.

"Please, don't be afraid of little me. You see, one thing happened after the other and the seal that separated this world and magic has cracked. It started with the gigas, followed by some people developing superhuman aptitudes like those at the GSC. Now we reached the point where some small creatures, like me, can manifest here. As the weakest of demons, I managed to come here, but now that my contractor is dead, before even managing to ask me anything, I can't leave."

The girl stayed silent but I could tell she was following me.

" So what I am proposing is that we make a contract in which I will bring back your friend to life."

"You can do that?!"

Her personality did a complete 180° by grabbing me, lifting me to be the same height as her eyes.

"Certainly. He didn't die as long ago, so his soul should still linger somewhere here. But to do that I will need something."

The fire in her eyes disappeared as fast as it appeared.

"You will take my soul?"

Aaah, close but no.

"I don't need your soul. I couldn't use it. What I need is the energy that resides in you. Here are the terms: You will allow me to possess you and use your body for future transactions, in exchange I will bring back your friend while also giving you some magical powers. Deal?"

She seemed hesitant, but I could see her true feelings.

"Can you really bring him back to life?"

"Cross on my heart...Well not a cross, since that would set me on fire but, you get what I mean."

"...I accept."

" Great. You have a deal."

I opened the cat's mouth, spraying the avatar fluid directly in her face, entering through her eyes, nose, or mouth.

When I was entirely inside of her, I quickly spread all over her body, making sure that it will be hard for someone to get rid of me.

When it was done she(I) let the cat fall on the ground, unconscious.

"Possession complete." I moved this body around a little getting used to its 'peculiarities.

"Not bad, it's in good shape. The breasts are a little bit too big for comfort, but otherwise, this is a great receptacle. Now then, it's time to come back to life, my friend. There is a hamburger that is waiting for me."

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To the one who challenged me:

You said I wouldn't do it, because it will ruin the story. Well, here it is, anime gender-bender! Pay Up!

(for other readers: You can also donate to me, but I probably won't post extra stuff on there, it's not my style.)

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=51077809&fan_landing=true