Chapter 5- Awakening

Chapter 5

Awakening

With such a tremendous rumor spreading even to outside the territory, security would've been expected to be even stricter than before. The carriage came to a halt just outside of the capital's giant steel gates. The limestone walls were about as high as a the average castle's and spanned in both directions for as far as the eye could see. Edith, Nuro, Libitina, Lucy and Ashe were inspected by the kingdom's guards, who were clad in silver armour with a cross on their chestplates.

"A five tailed fox? You don't see that everyday. It is an honor to make your acquaintance. You all are legible to pass."

"…"

Since he was a fox...most mortals hailed him as some sort of messenger of the Gods. He was sick of it. They entered into the kingdom and into the bustling town. It resembled the Aznozian Empire's greatly, with most homes built from wood or stone, the paving of the streets were beautifully made with polished cobblestone. Shops such as inns, restaurants, equipment stores and clothing stores were plentiful, especially around the center, where the roads were split into four around a perfect round recreational ground with a giant statue of Lord Amaterasu in the middle. Past that was the castle grounds. It looked very much like a Victorian-era castle from back in his world.

They left the carriage and stepped into the recreational grounds. The atmosphere here was filled with life and gave them all a sense of peacefulness. Looking around, they saw multiple species wandering about such as cat beastmen, lizardmen, humans and elves. None of them seemed to take note of their presences, which meant his suspicions of the Theocracy being against non-humans was quelled.

"So they don't discriminate." Libitina said, "Surprising, for people who worship that foul Creation God." She glanced over to the statue and spat onto the floor, "Tch...fucking Amaterasu and his clan of barbarians…Makes me sick to my stomach to see him revered so greatly." She turned to Edith with an irritable face, "Doesn't this put you on edge as well, Edith? They were the ones who called for you and your sister's capture."

"I'm used to it." He replied, "After living in this world for oh so long, you become used to seeing such terrible deities being actively revered."

"I am aware of that, but doesn't it make you feel awful? Don't you want to destroy It all? I'd much rather do that than just sit around waiting for a so-called Demon Lord and Hero to pop up outta nowhere."

"Once we can confirm the existence of both, I will permit you to do as you please, dear Libitina."

"That's what I wanted to hear." She approached the boy and lightly punched his shoulder, "So, where should we start?"

"Hrm…" He scanned around. Shutting his eyes and focusing his mana, he called upon the magic of 'Search' to locate any abnormalities in the city. Seconds later, he found one, and a status board opened up in front of him.

NAME: Julieaus Gardolf

AGE: 16

LEVEL:31/200

RACE: Human

WEAPON: Heavenly Sword Zulfiqar

CLASS: Hero

AFFLICTION: Mixed

HEALTH: 7580

MANA: 4000

STRENGTH: 1028

STAMINA: 983

ABILITIES: Advanced Elemental Magic 3, Telekinesis 1 Green Magics 3, Summoning, White Magics 5, Black Magics 2.

EXTRA SKILLS: Blessing of Creation, Blessing of Afterlife.

TITLES: Servant of the Divine

...As expected, Edith remained far from impressed by such a pathetic Hero. Even Lucy was stunned to see that she, a twelve year old girl, was even more grandeur than someone who was supposedly endowed by the Divine.

"He's kinda...you know...pathetic for a Hero, isn't he?" Nuro pointed out, pretty much everyone agreed.

"Yeah, but he's still a threat if remained unchecked." He turned to the others, eyeing them strictly, "Let's split up. Libitina, you're with me."

"Yes Edith, let us go."

***

Constantly scanning the area for any abnormalities, Edith and Libitina strutted through the streets, observing each passing citizen closely as if they were all enemies or targets. Nothing but a ghastly feeling at the pit of their stomachs showed up in his sights. Nobody else could feel it, but the atmosphere was slowly but surely heating up-literally. And it was all concentrated in the specific area they stood in, which was a normal bustling street filled with shops, passers-by and vendors.

"You want anything?" Edith, lightening the mood, asked Libitina. She swiftly shook her head in a glare,

"I refuse to be served by such doleful, pathetic humans."

"Alright then."

He just continued on with his day. Despite the sensation in the air, he was still unable to find out just where it was coming from.

'What is going on right now?' The Demon Lord was near confirmed, for nothing else in the mortal world could shake him as much as this had. If Ashe were there...then maybe she could've helped out.

Then all of a sudden…

"!"

The entire city erupted in an earthquake so violent it felt like the world was splitting in two. The buildings around collapsed in the seams, bits and pieces of the castle even breaking apart and shattering upon impact, the statue of Amarterasu having its arms fall to the ground. Everyone in the kingdom was filled with anticipation, screaming and yelling as they desperately fled for safety-all except for Edith and Libitina, who stood their ground-the girl with her weapon drawn and Edith using his Marionette abilities to form unbreakable black strings at his fingertips. Their eyes darted around in desperation for a source, but still only found nothingness.

"Shit, what's happening?!" Edith shouted out. In the distance, a gigantic fiery beam of light shot down from the heavens, marking a specific spot in the kingdom. It created a crater the size of a small lake to form before dissipating and heating the air like an oven.

"There!" Libitina voiced loudly, "Let us go!"

"No, wait." Edith held onto her shoulder and she obeyed, "If we go, we'll attract too much unwanted attention. Let's wait and observe instead." He calmly stated. Libitina saw his reasoning and nodded,

"I understand." She sheathed her sword, "Just give the order and I'll attack."

"Good girl."

He walked forward, once again activating his search ability. This time he saw exactly what he had hoped for.

In the crater, which was completely surrounded by charred debris as well as the Hero and his knights, was a short girl with bloodied short hair as black as coal with a pure black rose-a symbol of Edith's faction, taking residence at the front right side of her head, eyes as fiery red as the sun and ghostly pale skin. Her body was covered in blood, half of her face appearing like it was burned off. Her lips were leaking red as the same substance poured down from both of her eyes. She wore a gothic black dress with detached black sleeves. Part of her breasts, specifically in between them up until just below them both was exposed. Her long frilly outfit reached down to her knees in length. Little artificial red roses lined both the upper parts of her sleeve.

No one could see her status plate due to her ability-which was the same as Edith's, 'Identify Protection,' but the aura emitting from her spirit gave away her identity. She was the Demon Lord, the one the Hero was sworn to eliminate.

"Edith, we have to come to her assistance! We cannot let the Hero destroy her!"

"No." Edith prevented Libitina from doing anything rash, "What will happen next is something that cannot be avoided."

"W-what the hell are you saying?!" Libitina threw daggers into Edith's direction, her body filled with rage as she yelled at her master, "I am under no jurisdiction to obey your commands! Regardless of what you say, I am going to save her!" Just as she was about to flee, Edith threw out his fingers and shot out dozens upon dozens of strings toward the girl. They caught her, wrapped around Libitina's entire upper body and restricted all her movements. He yanked her over-and she fell face first onto the boiling hot grounds with a thud.

"Ack-!" Trickles of blood poured down her head while he lifted her into the air and stared her intimidatingly straight in the eyes. His red hot gaze made all the colour drain from Libitina's face.

"My dear Libitina, am I not the one who performed the Sacrificial Summoning to revive you?"

"Nnrng…"

"You will wait with me while that girl suffers at the hands of the imperials of this nation. You will wait until her powers awaken, and only then will you act as you please. If you disobey me, I have no problems with killing you right here and now and replacing you with another Fallen Hero."

"...Yes." She detested how powerless she was against this monstrosity of a mortal being, "My apologies, master Edith..."

"That's a good girl." He gently lowered her to the ground. She obediently yet begrudgingly went to his side and stayed there, watching through his mind's eye as the Demon Lord, as defenseless as she was, was aggressively snatched by the knights and hauled away into the castle/cathedral's indoors. Who knows what kind of torments awaited the little girl?

***

Edith and Libitina split up after Ashe, Nuro and Lucy rejoined, all shocked and spooked by the fiery beam that lit up the world. He was curious-curious enough to cast his invisibility spell and follow the poor little girl into the castle, where she was taken to the empty, blood stained stone dungeon and kicked to the cold, hard ground.

Around her were three knights, along with the so-called Hero, all of them shot daggers at the already damned girl, their eyes automatically wrought with contempt and all for no good reason-just under the presumption that she truly was their enemy.

She didn't even try to struggle. She just accepted her fate with a wholly empty heart. Her fiery red eyes resembled that of a dead fish's as she was forced to sit in the foul smelling cell, which already held the bodies of three deceased humanoid creatures. Judging by the ears and tails, they must've been beastmen when they were alive. 'Disgusting,' Edith thought, 'so they do discriminate...'

Her arms and legs were chained together. She was forced to wear a slaver's rags, which consisted of just a simple badly torn and worn out cloth covering her body up to the middle of her thighs. Her real clothing had already been scorched to pieces.

"You scum...You had some nerve to appear in this kingdom!" The Hero shouted out in a fit of rage, "Hmph! Well your reign of terror...is over." He smugly grinned at her as he locked her cage and turned the opposite direction, "Don't even think about escaping. These metal bars are magic resistant, so regardless of what you do, you shall never break free."

"Ho…" Edith ensured to keep his voice down. He was impressed, not really by the bars since he, due to his godly abilities, could've broken through it like it was nothing, but by the Hero's vengeful nature. Frankly, he found it to be even more vile than his own. And that's saying something. 'You talk big for a cockroach.'

He watched as he left the dungeon. His footsteps echoed through the dimly lit underground tunnels.

"…"

'Now...what do we have here…' Inside the cell…

He figured that the feeble little girl within hadn't yet awakened to her true powers, which was a hindrance. To free her at that moment would've held him back from achieving more power...So he decided to just leave her to suffer at the hands of these foolish humans until she finally found it fitting to kill them all.

'Should I speak to her?' He wondered. Her agonizing face, her blood soaked clothing...surely she must've felt something, right?

"Hey." He walked closer and spoke out. The little girl rendered his voice audible and sluggishly searched around.

"...Who's there…?" She said, in a pitifully low tone.

"You're the Demon Lord. You can do anything you want. Awaken to your powers, do not let these foolish, pathetic humans have their way with you."

"Demon Lord?" She once again questioned, "So many people have called me that today…" She crouched down and held her legs to her chest, moving into a fetal position, "...Just yesterday I was with my mother helping out in her shop...and today I was arrested under accusations of being a Demon Lord after the Heavens burned me...why does everything bad happen to me? My body hurts so much...Why...why is this happening to me…?" She silently wept into her knees. Her shoulders shook with every sob. But Edith saw nothing of it. He only saw the latent power she had welling up inside her tiny body.

"Accept it. They've already killed you parents, your siblings, your friends, and all the family you had in this kingdom under the pretenses they're working with the Demons. Are you just going to sit here and weep as these savages burn you at the stake, or are you going to awaken to your true powers and burn this nation to the ground?"

"…"

She didn't seem to react to any of this. So he said it again,

"Listen to me. Do you not know the position you are in? Awaken to your power, accept that you're the one and only Demon Lord, the being who will eradicate the foul cretins of humanity!" Edith aggressively grabbed hold of the metal bars and went as closely as possible to the little grieving girl just inches away from his reach, "Get up! Accept it all! Show these filthy degenerates what you're made of!"

"…"

Once again, she didn't utter a single word in response. She was low spirited, downcast, had a desolate look in her pitiful red eyes as blood trickled down her chin. She was the most disturbing thing he'd ever witnessed. And he abhorred it. Not a lot was able to get Edith this ticked off, but he was genuinely furious. He wanted to bash the girl's head in to set her straight. Though he knew he cannot interfere with whatever fate had in store for her, in order to pave the way for his gruesome scheme.

"I will wait for you at the stake." Edith muttered, "No matter how much you have to suffer, no matter how many times the burning kills you, I will revive you again and again until you accept it, Demon Lord Persefoni."

He waited and waited for the guards to return while maintaining a watchful eye on Persefoni, who didn't move from the spot. When they arrived, they yanked the girl to her feet and dragged her along with them, damaging her precious skin with even more bruises.

"You scum...how do you like it now, eh?!" One of the knights blurted out. He took her arms and threw them away before kicking her face in. She yelped, fell to the ground with broken teeth and a broken nose, then whimpered tearfully,

"Nnn...I am...I am not a Demon Lord…! I-I haven't-"

"Don't try to lie your way out of your crimes!" Another knight screamed, "We're lucky you have yet to fully develop into the monstrosity all humans fear. I mean just look at you...that pathetic little body you've got…" He crouched down and grabbed her by the neck, "…I may as well take you in as my slave…" And passed his disgusting tongue along the nape of her neck, creating a silent groan of terror from her mouth,

"Ahh...nnnn...St-stop…"

"Not every day you find a Demon Lord so weak she can't even defend herself. Bwhahahahaha!"

"That's enough." The one leading them all, the Hero, Julieaus, stepped in, "Put her down. We are to bring her to the town square, where her fate will be decided."

"Hmph." He threw her to the ground. She squirmed in pain and curled up into a ball, anticipating more abuses to be thrown at her by the three men, "Have it your way."

That was the cruelty of humans that Edith and Libitina were so familiar with.

***

In chains, she was taken to town square, where she stood on a raised platform with the Hero speaking to the citizens of the nation. There were hundreds-no, thousands of men, women and children all with their faces painted with hurtful snarls. Some had pitch forks, some had their swords drawn ready to strike the poor little girl down. She just stared at them all in tears and fright. Behind her stood Edith, and a stake which resembled ones used in witch burnings back in his world. She was to be tied to that thing and lit on fire like the filthy witch...or demon, that everyone saw her to be.

Libitina, Ashe, Nuro and Lucy were part of the crowd. Only Ashe and the Fallen Hero knew where he was, as they were the only ones connected to his spirit.

"People of the Theocracy, behold! The Demon Lord!" He shuffled sideways to reveal Persefoni, who couldn't move an inch due to the heavy metal balls tied to her feet.

The entire crowd went crazy in uproar after the reveal. Some throwing stones her direction, others cursing her with slurs and terrible names, and others throwing their gardening tools at her and foods. She couldn't process it all. Everything was just moving all too quickly. She felt like she was in a different world. Just the other day she was with her mother buying groceries from the markets and attending her middle school, and then all of a sudden everything changed. Had she done something to anger Lord Amaterasu? Lord Osiris?

She'd never know. Because everyone, including that voice she heard shouting at her in the dungeon, thought of her as some sort of Demon Lord who would wreck havoc upon humanity if left alive. No one, not even her parents whom were already dead, pitied her at that moment. She wanted to call out for her mother and father and siblings. But they were deceased, murdered by the church and Hero in an act of abhorrence.

The stones were flung across the town square and knocked her painfully

on the middle of her forehead. She reeled back in agony and tried moving her hands to block the rest to no avail. Another one struck her on her chest, then her stomach. She collapsed onto her knees and started crying out for mercy for them to cease, only to be met with screams and cries of fury and desperation.

In tears, she attempted to plead with them,

"Please, I-I'm not a Demon Lord! St-sto-ACK-!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, DEMON!"

"LIES, LIES, LIES! ALL DEMONS MUST PERISH! THEY DON'T BELONG HERE!"

No matter what she said, they wouldn't listen. So there she was, being stoned, then when this period was over, she was to be tied to the stake and lit ablaze to symbolise the extermination of the demonic entity within their holy nation.

Libitina took it all the hardest as she watched this young girl, who was aged twelve, become the target of all human mercilessness.

"Nnnnn…" All she could do, because of her master-servant pact with Edith...was watch. Watch, as Persefoni, as innocent as she was, was stoned. One came flying at her mouth-hitting her straight on her lips, busting them apart and making her drool blood.

"ACCKK-" And then another one hitting her straight on her left eye. It instantly broke apart and blinded her. She felt the bones around that area snap in two, some shattering apart. Blood gushed out as the eyeball was permanently damaged. All that remained was a ball of pure red swelling up inside of her head.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH! M-MYYY EYE!! MY EYE, MY EYE, MY EYE, MY EYE, MY EYEEEEEEE!!! STOPPP!! I-IT HURTS!!! STOPPPPPPP!!!! OOF-"

Another stone jabbed her lips for a second time. All her teeth at the front of her mouth were shattered. She was knocked forward in utter weakness and numbness, then hit again on the very top of her head, which further resulted in that section of her cranium cracking open.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" She let out an ear-splitting screech of torment and cried out to the heavens, her tears rapidly and fruitlessly pouring out onto the ground. Only when the audience was satisfied, did the Hero signal them to cease.

"Stop." He confidently mouthed while holding his arm in the air, "Knights, tie her up."

"Sir!" They did as they were told. As powerless as she was, she was unable to resist them as they yanked her to her feet, lifted her in the air and pressed her broken and battered body to the wooden stake right beside the cruel hearted Edith, who watched as it all unfolded. Her arms were tied at the top while her legs at the bottom. The whole scene was exactly what Edith remembered from history lessons back on Earth.

"H...Help…" She whimpered. Though her body was too weak to struggle. She direly glanced around with her only remaining eye for anyone-absolutely anyone-to rescue her. However, her perilous situation had no escape.

The Hero once again came in front of the others and gave out a speech,

"Behold! By the grace of the Gods, I, Hero Julieaus, have captured your Demon Lord and saved humanity from her destruction!" He gestured over to the knights in a single move, "Burn her!"

"Yes, Hero Julieaus!"

Utilising fire magic, the bottom of the stake was covered in flammable objects like leaves, clothing, hay and paper, and set ablaze. The fire spread swiftly up to the wood, and soon the entire thing was ablaze.

It started off with light burns on the body, but soon her flesh started getting hotter and hotter, promptly reaching levels her normal human body cannot handle. Her blood and guts were boiling under the flames intended for her death.

Visible red hot veins were pulsating in her vision, her head felt like it was about to explode, like a boulder was pounding against her forehead. Her lips bled even more, her sense of smell was quickly vanishing, her skin began to get blisters and melt away until the insides of her flesh was visible for all to see. She shrieked out loud at the top of her lungs, crying out to the Heavens and shouting for Amaterasu, begging him to tell her what she'd done wrong. Everything about this made Libitina, Lucy and Nuro sick to the stomach.

Nuro couldn't look at it, her eyes filling with terrified tears, as she finally saw the true nature of humanity. Libitina's blood boiled. She was itching to murder the entire nation. Ashe watched solemnly, believing in her master, and Lucy was on the verge of tears from shock.

"A witch's burning." Ashe muttered, "Just like on Edith's world."

"I'll kill you...you will pay for this…" Libitina uttered.

"By the Gods...how horrible…" Lucy said. Nuro kept silent while shoving her head onto Ashe's chest for comfort. The little fox had already seen too much suffering for one day.

Edith stood in front of Persefoni and watched while she suffered. The moment her life slips away, he revives her.

"BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She continually yelled out in a painful, coarse and rocky tone.

Her veins swelled like a balloon in her body, clearly visible underneath the burned off skin. On her forehead they were bulging out, her eyes were literally melting away and her back was already completely burned off. She was on the edge of her death and everyone knew it. And finally, after minutes of unbearable screaming, it all came to a stop. Edith knew that Persefoni had finally, truly been executed.

So just like he promised, he held out his hand toward the girl and uttered a single chant,

"Reverse Death."

And with the power of resurrection magic, a bright green light engulfed the little girl and life was restored into her body. But it looked like she was hoping for the exact opposite.

"N...No…" Her eye bulged out of its socket as she realised what had happened. She was terrified beyond belief, she didn't want to go through it all again! HOWEVER! Edith, as uncaring and undisturbed as he was, had other plans for this pitiful, foolish little girl.

"...NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!! IT HURTS, IT HURTS TOO MUCH! LET ME DIE ALREADY! LET ME DI-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! URAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Her horrified, gruesome, ghastly screams echoed throughout town square as more and more of her flesh was melted straight off of her slender, once gorgeous frame! It got so bad that blood even started oozing out onto the fire all around herself. Then when she finally entered the restful embrace of death, Edith chanted the spell for a second time,

"Reverse Death."

Like clockwork, she was living again.

A third time, a forth, fifth, sixth, even ten revives later, she still did not submit. But at this point, there wasn't much of her body left to burn.

Chunks of her flesh was fully burnt off. Both her arms were barren of any human skin, only her bloodied and charred skeleton remained. The back of her head was void of her previously gorgeous hair, all that remained was her bare and a blood red skull. Her back was charred, everything which the human flesh covered fully

visible, and her clothing was burned off, revealing her just barely hanging on flesh at her front. Her breasts were of no more, now just overly-crisped meat sagging down. From the insides of her stomach, her large and small intestines, her liver, her pancreas, all of them were dangling out, crispy and dried.

Her legs and feet were more or less the same.

An eleventh time, Edith brought her back to life. But this time she wasn't saying anything to him. She couldn't speak. Her vocal chords were too ruptured to give voice to a single word. So all she did was hang there as she was tormented.

"Hmm." The Hero, Julieaus, was dissatisfied with her at this point, "Are you not going to scream for us, little miss Demon Lord?"

"Ack...nn...ur…" She couldn't speak. Even her mind went numb from all the pain.

"I see. I must say, I am surprised you've held out this long. You're quite resilient, aren't you?"

"Uurrgh…" She only made eerie noises in response.

"Hahahaha! I agree, I fully agree! We should speed it up! Knights, add more fire to the stake!"

"…"

'Why isn't she doing anything?' He knew for a fact that the girl up on the stake was the real Demon Lord...but none of him could comprehend why she hadn't activated her power yet. Was it a problem in acceptance? Was it just a mental block she put upon herself, like Edith's emotional numbness spell?

He had to figure it out…

He couldn't speak to her via telepathy due to the lack of a spiritual connection...so what could he do?

He approached the soon-to-be carcass of the girl and knocked on her exposed ribcage. She reacted by flinching badly, as if she were in agony with every touch.

"Accept it. And you will have power beyond your wildest dreams." He whispered to her. She seemed to have recognised his tone.

Then suddenlyyyyyy-

A voice echoed in his mind, it was her voice, the voice of the real Demon Lord,

"Power...to destroy my enemies…give it to me...great one…"

"Yes…" He telepathically replied to her via her own created channel, "...My name is Edith Myars. I am a five tailed fox known as 'Godslayer' in this world. I will aid you in any way I can to help you seek vengeance upon those who have wronged you. Including the God Amaterasu and God Osiris, and any humans you deem fit."

"My name is Persefoni, known as the 'bringer of death.' I am the Demon Lord who has taken residence inside this pitiful child. Revive me, Edith, and lend me the strength of the Godslayer."

"And what of the child?"

"This child is still conscious. However, due to the shock and constant burnings, her mind has become dormant. I doubt she'll be waking anytime soon...but I do hope for her survival after this entire ordeal has been taken care of. Her memories have told me she did not deserve such horrific treatment. She was a good little girl."

"I see…"

"I do not blame you for anything, Edith. You have done all this in order for her to accept me. So I am grateful to you, fox."

"That's good. Wouldn't want a bad first impression. Anyway, are you ready, Persefoni?"

"Yes. Do it, I will exterminate all who have wronged me in this world!"