"Hm…"
The man ruffled the parchment in his hands before continuing. "Such an action can only be called greed?"
Curiously enough, while he had disputed Cyril's claim, he listed the statement out as a question instead of an answer.
"I was eventually tortured and killed for my actions. Does that stand for something?"
"It does not. Even if it did, it is insignificant in the face of the lives you have ruined."
Looking at the paper, the man began listing out Cyril's various specific sins. The sounds of his past misdeeds echoed throughout the giant courtroom. It wasn't a list of every person he had sinned against, but instead a list of the sins he had committed whether he was aware of them or not. But even that list seemed to be lengthy, so it was only a while later that the list ended.
"Cyril Surrey, you stand as the accused. What do you have to say for yourself in your defence?"
"…" Cyril stood strong, his back straight as he looked at the man high above him from the podium.
He said nothing. But no words were needed, that alone was enough.
"But those sins are not important."
Cyril raised an eyebrow at the man's words. To him, it didn't seem like something a judge of the afterlife should be saying.
"The most sinful part are not the actions that you have committed, but the fact that you cannot remember even the names of those you have wronged."
His words were concise, but true. While Cyril could vividly remember many of their faces, he had long forgotten their names. Whether that was worse or not wasn't something for him to decide.
"…I understand."
"…?" Placing the paper down on the table, the man tilted his head curiously towards Cyril.
"I know what you're leading up to, and I can accept it. I'm willing to accept my punishment."
"…"
It was clear that he didn't expect Cyril's words, evident by the surprise on his face. Perhaps he was too accustomed to other sinners defending themselves instead of admitting their guilt.
"What you've said is true, I don't remember their names at all. I can't even remember their voices. You were correct. I was living for myself all those years, but more than that, I was living well beyond what could be considered modest. I was greedy." He lowered his head. "My actions were sinful."
A moment of silence came over the court as the judge observed Cyril curiously. Though Cyril couldn't see it with his head down, the man's eyes were shining slightly.
His face remained passive as he picked the paper back up, though he still didn't give it a glance.
"But… while your actions were due to the result of your excessive greed, your horrible past shows good reason for that greed to exist. Your lifetime of greed has led to a mountain of sins, but does that mean you are irredeemable?"
Cyril raised his head at those words. He furrowed his brows in confusion as he looked at the winged man.
"You have spoken out not to defend yourself, but merely in your mistaken beliefs. You have shown that you are willing to not only acknowledge your sins, but also accept your punishment."
The middle-aged man felt strange at the judge's words. At first he was accusing him, but now he seemed to be defending him?
"You are an odd case. Usually, I would say that you cannot escape your sins solely because you accept punishment, but you… you are aware of the suffering your actions have caused, even though you have still committed them." The man looked Cyril straight in the eye. "Tell me, do you not repent? Are you not willing to repent on your sins, and on the suffering you have caused? It is not too late. If you do so now, you may even get a lightened sentence."
"Hm…" The man crossed his arms in response, his face contemplative as he thought. "I don't think the question should be whether or not I'm willing to repent, but whether or not I deserve to."
In reply to Cyril's words, the winged man's face moved for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. His eyes and brows raised in a look of surprise. Cyril seemed to even notice a bit of approval in there.
"…Very good. Very good, Cyril Surrey. Most sinners I have seen believe repentance is the goal. They believe that repentance will allow them to escape their sins. Others are truly willing to repent on their sins, feeling honest guilt for their actions in life. But only very few are capable of understanding that not everybody, even if willing and capable to, should be repenting. They do not realize that repentance in itself is an opportunity or chance. Not everybody should be allowed forgiveness."
A chill ran down Cyril's back at the man's words. They were odd words that didn't fit in any of his understanding of modern religions. They seemed to be the exact opposite, as from what Cyril understood, everybody was indeed supposed to deserve a second chance if they were willing to repent.
"Unfortunately, these proceedings do not follow my own thoughts. Rather, they follow the One above." The man sighed as he subtly looked towards the ceiling of the gargantuan room. His gaze seemed profound, as if he wasn't staring at the ceiling but at something much, much higher above. "Cyril Surrey, you are interesting for not only a mortal, but a human. You have earned the right to know my name. You may refer to me as Lucifer."
"L-Lucifer?!" The sudden revelation caused the man's eyes to tremble.
It was a name that he was familiar with, the fallen angel in Christianity and Catholicism from his earth. He was a being who held the ambition of being treated as God's equal, causing him to be cast down from Heaven. He was a part of the divine, and represented the mortal sin of pride.
But whether or not the fallen angel noticed Cyril's shock, he didn't seem to acknowledge it.
Instead, he leaned forward slightly. Resting his chin on his folded hands, he continued to speak.
"However, catching my interest is one thing. Your punishment and deeds in life are another matter. You are willing to accept punishment, but do you know what that entails?"
"I… from what I know, I suppose it would be eternal damnation?"
"So you do know what it entails. But do you really know what it means?"
But before Cyril could respond, Lucifer continued talking. His demeanor changed slightly as he spoke. It was a slight change, but because of his emotionless expression it was extremely noticeable.
"What if I told you I would lock you in a room filled a torment made for you? What if I stretched your limbs out from your body, slowly and excruciatingly? What if I peeled your skin off for eternity? What if I caused you to be permanently decrepit and poor in a world of the wealthy?"
Lucifer's words were stated matter-of-factly, but their contents were frightening.
"It is easy to accept, but do you believe it is simple to do?" His words brought with them a coldness that could chill one down to their bones. "Do you understand what eternal torment entails?"