'I'll take my revenge! I shall surely get revenge!'
He descended down the dark, subterranean stairway. Beyond the skeletons numbering in the thousands, he walked toward the gargantuan mummy they kneeled before; their worship was unending, even after death.
He placed Ellie down over the ancient text etched into the floor and looked upon the mummified devil.
"Devil-! I have sought you out as you've desired! I have come to this place as you've desired! I have come here to fall into depravity as you've desired! What do you seek? My flesh? Soul? Speak to me!"
There was no response from the devil. Instead, the words etched into the earth began to glow red as the blood flowing out of Ellie's body began to seep into their grooves. And then… the devil moved.
[Kyyyaaaaack!]
The unrotten corpse stirred. No, it was 'reborn'. Its stiffened bones were forced into action, causing an eerie, grinding sound to echo throughout the cavern. Flesh began to form and grow over the lion's skull that served as its head, and the twin deer antlers upon its head grew longer and sharper. The various carapaces and scales covering its body hardened and tightened, while the fur along its bestial arms and bovine legs gleamed as it flowed along its newly-formed musculature. Its snake-headed tail swung around before slithering around on the floor. Finally, the devil let out a thundering roar before moving to stand over Thoma. He opened his mouth and spoke in a gravelly voice while looking down at the monk he towered over.
[… You have beckoned me, and so here I am.] After being fully revived, the devil took a deep breath and then continued to speak. [What is your wish?]
"Did you really just ask 'What is your wish?'…!" Thoma asked with yearning.
Despite this grotesque creature being so near, he wasn't repulsed by the ancient devil's jarring and unnatural movements. Perhaps the chaotic and sudden nature of its transformation had left him no time to fully process what was going on, but for now, Thoma's attention was wholly fixated on one thing. With trembling eyes he shouted.
"Ellie… save sister Ellie! If you save her, I'll do anything! I'll even offer you my soul! I'll become your slave! So… please!"
The devil knelt down to look at Ellie before narrowing his feline eyes.
[I cannot grant that wish.] Thoma's face froze in shock. [This woman is already dead. Even gods cannot raise the dead. That is the law of this world, part of its fundamental order, and an immutable rule.]
"You're a devil!" Thoma screamed. "Don't you dare speak of laws, orders, and rules as if they mean anything to you! Save her! Save her now-!"
The devil held out his hand in response to Thoma's protests.
[I cannot save her. However, as she was a being with a soul… she can be reborn.]
The devil's large, beast-like hand gently nudged Ellie's head. Soon, light fluttered out of her body, collecting into a ball and floating upwards. It looked just like the souls Thoma could see with his power, except manifested into reality.
"El… lie?"
For a single moment, Thoma could see Ellie smiling down at him from above. He reached out toward her, in vain; her soul scattered and disappeared. He looked back at the devil with a dumb look on his face.
"What… have you done?"
[I have given her another chance at a new life. She shall be reborn.]
'He gave her a new life? Being reborn? Does that mean…?'
"Re…incarnation?" Thoma muttered.
[… What is your next wish?]
Rather than replying, the devil prodded Thoma to continue.
[What do you wish to do with a fallen heart such as yours?]
Thoma fell silent at the devil's words. All the events he had experienced up until now came rushing into his mind. The faces of the many people he had trusted who betrayed him, Salem's evil deeds, even his current self which had fallen into endless despair.
"I-I wish to destroy this world!" he shouted, his expression that of a madman. "I wish to destroy this world! Completely obliterate-!"
[Is that truly your heart's desire?]
His wish was abruptly cut short at the devil's question.
[I asked if that was truly your heart's desire, fallen one.]
Thoma looked down at Ellie.
"Do you know what my wish is?"
"I wish all the people in the world were happy."
"Even if it wasn't a world where everyone was happy, I wish the world was a little better than now. A world that is a bit more comfortable, a bit more peaceful, a bit more free, with less hunger, and with less worries…!"
"It's my wish to see that world come to pass."
He recalled Ellie's smile. Thoma rubbed his face with trembling hands. His eyes no longer shook. There was no more hesitation. With an expression that put aside all of the complicated emotions dwelling within him, he looked back at the devil.
He did not speak. However, the devil answered, as though he had read Thoma's mind.
[I will allow your wish, one walking along the fallen path, to come to pass!]
The devil's body melted, and the dark, viscous liquid that cascaded down gradually engulfed Thoma's body.
[My name is Artarrk.]
The dark liquid continued to stick to him while Artarrk spoke, his voice seemingly emanating from nowhere.
[I am the creator of all things, and as the father and mother of life itself, I shall grant you the power to achieve your wish!]
Once the liquid covered him entirely, it began to harden and take a new shape. The dark liquid covered not only Thoma, but the rest of the skeletons within the cave as well. Black lumps wriggled out from the liquid, slowly forming into crows. They shook off their wet feathers and began to fly around the cavern, crying out.
[You who have inherited my name! Your power shall sway this world!]
The liquid around Thoma that had become armor. His arms and legs were covered with metal boots and gauntlets which began to sprout bestial fur. From his chest and back, various scales and carpaces sprouted and formed. A metal helm shaped like a lion's skull covered his face, on his shoulders and neck were a lion's mane, and deer antlers sprouted from both sides of his head. Dark smoke rose from the liquid to form a black, formless cape at Thoma's back. Finally, a pitch black tail with the head of a snake grew out from his lower back.
Thoma slowly rose. He could see a blue vapor pouring out through his helmet. Looking around the room, he saw skeletal soldiers kneeling before him. Their eyes now held a glimmer of life.
[Fallen ones!]
The dead raised their heads.
[You that are marked with resentment!]
With their mouths open, the soldiers without vocal cords let out a piercing cry.
[The apocalyptic army of God! Arise!]
They drew their weapons and began to move.
[Be enraged!]
They loudly struck the ground as they knelt again. Hundreds and thousands of the undead lowered their heads before Thoma's feet and greeted their new master. The formless cape made of dark smoke began to flutter.
When he raised his hand, cracks formed on the ground. Crimson blood bubbled up out of the ground before a white spear made of bone shot up. He grabbed it and struck the ground, the sound of which reverberated throughout the cavern.
[I am a fallen one, one that has been contaminated, and sullied…]
Thoma's eyes gleamed with a golden light as he spoke.
[The Fallen Monarch!]
***
"Um… can't you open this door for me?"
A woman who appeared to be a traveler had arrived at the capital of the Holy Kingdom, Lania. Countless travelers had sought out Lania to find rest, only to discover that the outer gates of the city were sealed. Currently, the Pope had left to join up with the Golden Army that had been recently deployed. Something like crime control could be easily handled by the remaining soldiers. There were enough of them that they were even confident in repelling an attack from the demons, but currently, they had forbidden entry to anyone just in case. Due to this, wandering travelers were constantly making a ruckus at the gates.
"Huh? Nope. Can't do!"
The woman pointed to the travelers entering through a door in response.
"B-but why are those people entering?"
"Hah? Isn't it obvious? They paid a fee!"
"A f-fee…?"
"Why don't you pay too?"
The soldier's lips curled up underneath his helmet as he spoke.
"T-then is this enough?"
When she tried to hand him a single coin, the soldier burst out in laughter.
"You're crazy! Who's going to take that kind of change? Ey, get out of here! If not…" The soldier's eyes looked the woman up and down. "Pay with your body."
The woman shook her head and walked away. She wanted to enter the capital, but not badly enough to sell herself to some guard. It dawned on her that she had no choice but to stay somewhere nearby.
Her eyes turned to a hill off in the distance.
'Isn't there an abbey deep in the forest that way? If I ask there, they might listen…!'
After the woman left, the soldier licked his lips.
"Che, thought I might be able to enjoy myself."
"Haha! I know, right? She had a good body."
As the soldiers were talking about lewd things, the woman came running back. She ran straight into the soldier's embrace.
"Oof! What's wrong? It couldn't be that you came back to feel my touch? Hah! Fine! This brother will treat you well!"
"… Please open the gate!" she wailed.
"What?"
The woman was trembling. She was shouting out of desperation as her body quaked with fear, as though she had seen something she wasn't meant to have seen.
"Open the gates! I beg of you! Please! Open up! Hurry!"
The woman tightened her embrace and tried to make her way toward the entrance while holding onto him. Sensing something was off, the soldier took a few tentative steps back away.
"W-what's up? Why's this bitch acting like this? Is she hysterical?"