Myths Reawakened

Scalding torrents splashed in all directions, sealing the Thousand-Eyed Demon’s thoughts in the magma. There was no escape, only an inevitable withering.

Below the lava, the Thousand-Eyed Demon screamed in agony, watching the Bat Demon’s rapid growth with his own eyes. Under the burning pain of his soul, his jealousy and hatred reached their peak.

Originally, he had planned to preserve his entire soul and return to hell with most of his thoughts intact, so he had been making preparations and delaying the detonation of his thoughts. Not anymore. He could abandon his thoughts and even give up his soul. Today, he would sacrifice everything to drag the Bat Demon to hell.

His scattered thoughts converged rapidly around his soul. Sensing the immediate danger, Wayne hastily beat his wings and dove into the lava sea below. The viscous molten currents gathered around him, hardening into tough rock.

The angel piloting Renata also sensed the disturbance below. Gritting their teeth, the angel voluntarily left the physical form they had descended into and sent Renata to Atori and Gunther’s side. The angel’s thoughts contacted the outside world through the spatial rifts, locating Saint Paul’s Cathedral with their gaze piercing through the passage to cast the three clergy members to the other side.

Without Renata’s holy spirit constitution, the angel’s thoughts were drawn by heaven’s call and rapidly dispersed. They desperately resisted the pull, standing guard before the seal without backing away, using their last strength to prevent the gates of hell from opening.

Boom!

A black beam shot toward the sky, piercing through the gates. A black hemisphere slowly expanded in the molten sea, slowly at first, until the space collapsed completely, and the molten territory shattered like a mirror. It suddenly expanded a thousandfold and even ten thousandfold in an instant.

Buzz—

Terrifying energy swirls swept and spread along with the shockwaves, the resulting energy torrents crushing everything in their path with overwhelming sonic explosions. The shattered space twisted like the surface of water, rippling outwards.

Time stopped for a moment!

As soon as the passage of time returned to normal, the red molten sea surged upward, pulverized under the terrifying energy waves. Solidified red land rolled and churned as massive chunks of earth and stones were hurled high into the air.

The black beam shooting toward the gates of hell expanded to its limit, piercing through the phantom of the angel, tearing apart the locks and chains and plunging deep into the gates. The dark vortex reversed as black lightning struck down. The black swallowed the red, and deep within the distortion, a gateway slowly opened.

The angel tried to stop it, but could only watch helplessly as the gates of hell opened. A magnificent force surged from the gates, locking onto the molten territory and destroying the aftershocks of the Thousand-Eyed Demon’s self-detonation. Under the force’s pull, the entire territory fragmented and flew toward the gates.

“This is...” The angel was stunned. The consequences of the gates of hell’s opening were ten thousand times better than she had expected. No demon lord descended, not even a passing familiar. Not only that, but the gates also pulled the hellish territory back.

I’ve seen everything.

I’ve never seen something like this!

Although the process was convoluted and somewhat confusing, the result was good. The angel was thoroughly satisfied and prepared to depart at heaven’s call.

But first! The angel’s phantom turned toward the Bat Demon, hidden deep underground. The Thousand-Eyed Demon had paid the price for his ambitions, and this unknown demon would be no exception. They didn’t have enough power left to banish the Bat Demon, but it was possible to send it back to hell with this opportunity.

Before their form disappeared, the phantom cast their sacred spear downward.

“Go. This is the last of my holy power!”

With that, the angel disappeared. The spear grew massive and tore through the twisted space, descending upon the red land. It struck Wayne’s head precisely. Light blazed as the land shattered. He had dodged the Thousand-Eyed Demon’s self-destruction, but couldn’t dodge the angel’s final strike.

The gates of hell were like a black hole. Countless burning currents rose into the sky, followed by massive chunks of broken red mountains. The territory’s return to hell was irreversible. The Bat Demon beat his wings in midair, struggling against the terrible suction. The more he tried to flee, the more irresistible the gravitational pull became. The Bat Demon’s form became twisted as space itself distorted.

Wayne hurriedly called for Julia to come to his rescue. As space shattered and cracked around him, his loyal undead horse leaped through a rift to reach his side.

Thud!

The horse’s rear collided with the Bat Demon, sending it closer to the gates of hell instead.

“What are you doing, Julia?!” Wayne raged.

“Master, the space here is too unstable for me to jump out.” Although Julia found it strange that her master had changed appearance again, she had seen it often enough not to be surprised. She struggled to open a portal, trying to send Wayne away.

The gravitational pull grew stronger. Wayne flew uncontrollably toward the gates of hell. He grabbed Julia’s tail while she bit down on the portal’s edge. Under the violent pulling force, the Bat Demon’s body was peeled away from him bit by bit until only a long tail remained coiled around his leg.

Even after swallowing the molten territory entirely, the gates of hell showed no sign of stopping. The gravitational pull focused on the Bat Demon, dragging it with so much force that even the portal was getting pulled.

“Master...” Julia spoke with difficulty. She couldn’t hold on much longer.

Behind him lay hell, and ahead lay the human world. In the life-or-death moment, Wayne suppressed his greed and controlled the Bat Demon to release its tail.

With the pressure lifted, Julia galloped through the air with her four hooves, leaping into the portal with Wayne on her back. Wayne looked back at the Bat Demon reluctantly as it desperately beat its wings, trying to reach him. Unable to overcome the pull of the gates, the Bat Demon moved away faster and faster.

“My clone...”

Wayne reached out to grab it, but caught only empty air. He stared at it with wide eyes like a parent watching in grief as his child left home for a distant land.

Then, the portal closed, and his vision went dark. The Bat Demon vanished.

“I got nothing and lost a clone...”

“I achieved nothing but defending justice...”

“I’ll remember you, flat-chested angel!”

Wayne pounded his chest in frustration. When had he ever suffered such a huge loss? He swore that in thirty years, he would gather the water of the River Thames to flood heaven’s west gate, making the angel pay the price.

***

The gates of hell swallowed the Bat Demon and all of the molten territory. The black vortex contracted, and lightning dispersed, no longer generating gravitational pull. The underground space itself shattered completely, slowly disappearing.

But instead of disappearing entirely, it was transported to another location in Londan.

The Bat Demon tumbled. When it regained consciousness, a magnificent world appeared before its seven eyes. It felt like the Astral Plane. Below were fragmented lands with seven larger landmasses and dozens of island chains between them. Enticing aromas drifted to it from the lands, making it salivate and eager to dive right in.

Just then, a murmur spoke into its ear.

“Newcomer, which demon lord’s territory do you wish to enter?”

The Bat Demon looked around but couldn’t find the speaker. The voice full of magical power rang out again, rousing the desires in its heart and making it answer the question unconsciously.

“The Lord of Greed!”

“Greed...” The voice paused, then, according to the Bat Demon’s desires, cast it into the territory of the Lord of Greed...’s neighbor, the Lord of Lust.

“Newborn, give me a good show. What change will your birth bring to this world?”