Chapter 2: A Deranged Gamble

Before me stood a distorted figure with a listless grin it's face. It exuded an inconceivable aura that couldn't be expressed in a singular emotion. Was this fear? Awe? Hope? Despair? Joy? I didn't know; I didn't know a thing. However, I sprung up to action regardless of the being's nature and grabbed him by the collar.

"Take me back to Asiah!"

"W-Woah! You can move here?!" The being lunged back in surprise, his amused expression quickly breaking down into shock.

"...?"

"Hey hey, relax! I don't know who you think you are but grabbing me by the collar after I welcomed you into The Divine Chamber is completely unacceptable! Don't you humans know any manners? Most people, not even fixers, are given the divine privilege of even seeing me! Bow down peasant!!!!!"

"...!"

I immediately let go of the being and bowed my head down in reverence. Well maybe not reverence; guilt or remorse may be a better term for it. "S-Sorry...but I really need to head back to my world. If I don't then Asiah will die."

"I know about all that, so don't go doing that weird human thing where you beg for impossible favors."

With a snap of a finger, a display screen appeared before me, showing a frozen frame of the incident. The Monster was only a few feet away from Asiah as it readied its tendrils for attack. The mere sight of such a Monster brought me to a cold sweat, and my body began shaking once again.

"Please..." I bowed my head even further, not out of any guilt, but out of desperation. "Please give me one more chance! I don't care if I'm not strong, I just need enough power to save one person!"

"you didn't listen to me at all, did you…"

The distorted figure seemed more annoyed than anything. My existence as a human was so beneath him that my begging likely wouldn't amount to much.

"Derrick...was it?" The distorted figure asked.

"That's my name, yeah."

"I don't resurrect the dead. It cheapens the value of the story and doesn't really do much in the way for a character's development. It's toooooootally boring~ Quite frankly, I have no reason to revive you anyways. You're just some ordinary high school kid with no talent or ambition who ended up in an unfortunate situation. Did you honestly think that I would do you some cosmic favor just because you begged? You humans are totally off base here!"

Just as I thought. It was over.

"But...that doesn't tell the full story, you see. The very fact that you can talk and move freely within The Divine Chamber tells me that you aren't normal. The Mang density in here is far too much for an ordinary person's brain to process, so they end up frozen. Something tells me that you aren't the ordinary loser I pegged you as."

"Then there is clearly something abnormal about me, no?"

"Perhaps, but that hasn't been proven yet. There is only one way that someone could move in here. They'd either have to be a king chosen by fate itself, or a Devil worse than any other human in history."

A cold sweat covered my body at the sudden reveal, or rather, the accusation. While there was a chance that I had the potential to change the world for the better as a king, there was also no reason to assume that I couldn't become a Devil in the future. Such a thought could only bring about terror.

"How about it then, let's make a deal." A twisted smile emerged on my face

"Ho…? And what exactly would you be willing to bet?" The distorted figure's expression had taken a slight shift from mild irritation to intrigue. This was the only way to negotiate with a being such a this. Force wasn't an option, thus, I had to entertain him.

"Observe my fate directly and see if that hypothesis of yours is true. You have the power to do something that absurd, don't you? If you can see something worthwhile, be it king or Devil, then you'll revive me."

The distorted figure place his hand on his face and let out a small chuckle. "You've got guts kid, I'll admit it, but what if you lose?"

"You can send me to whatever afterlife you'd like. You know what? You can use me however you'd like!"

When presented with an entity such as this, my soul was the only thing worth wagering.

"Mmmm…alright. But let me add one condition to that. Your soul simply ain't valuable enough. How about I steal your fate? I wouldn't mind taking over a human body and doing some fun things in the human world~"

To steal one's fate.

It was an outcome that could largely be considered worse than death.

With a sudden thrusting motion, he pierce my chest with a hand blade. It went clean through my mid-section, yet I didn't feel an ounce of pain. No...it felt almost blissful?

Derrick's mind was in a suspended state. He couldn't think of anything, process any information, or understand the passage of time. For him, merely a moment had passed. The distorted figure, however, was experiences of the existence known as "Derrick Foster" was flooding into the distorted figures mind. His birth, his childhood, his failed attempt at fixer life, and mundane school life. He saw every aspect of who Derrick Foster was as a character of the story.

Boring. So it was just a flook after all...

So far, the distorted figure had yet to find anything remotely note-worthy or interesting within Derrick Foster's fate. He was, as he suspected, just a typical highschooler.

That was the case, at least until now.

Past a certain point in the future, Derrick's fate became blank. It wasn't the case that his fate merely ended at that given point, it was literally gone; blotted out of view like ink on paper. It was as though the fate of Derrick Foster never existed to begin with.

What...? The ability to conceal one's fate...even from an attendant such as myself?

Considerable portions of his fate had been concealed, constricted, and made inaccessible.

If that's the case, then...

The distorted figure ripped his hand out of Derrick's chest, returning him to his normal state. As Derrick's consciousness returned, he found the distorted figure laughing manically as he placed his hand on his face.

"Hah! Hahah! No...no way...of all people, it's really you?"

"What are you talking about?" I said with a perplexed expression.

"Man, that's just hilarious! I admit it, you win this time, Derrick Foster! I never imagined it would be someone like you!"

"What exactly about me is so funny to you?"

"Woah~ Spoilers dude! I can't go revealing all the fun right now, so how about you show some gratitude and take your gift back to Earth with piety."

What's with his enigmatic tone? Well, regardless of all that, this was a perfect opportunity to obtain a favor from his. With this, I'll get back to the real world.

"All you need to do is take my hand, and the world will be yours."

Without a moment's hesitation, he reached out to the distorted figure and grabbed his hand with a firmness I've never used before. A searing pain erupted from my forehead, as though something were carving a deep scar into my skin, and light erupted from our surroundings.

"That is the sign of that pact. Now it's official." The distorted figure said. "From now on, I'll lend you as much help as you need, until the promised day arrives. I've also given you a special gift to make up for that lacking talent. Don't go dying all willy-nilly though~ I don't have that much power ya know?"

"Wait, what is all this? Promised Day? The sudden attitude shift? What does any of this mean?"

"I'm sorry, but I won't tell you that for now. Or rather, I cant. However, I promise that If you never let go of that dream again, we will come to see the same sky."

Amidst my confusion, sparks flew out, engulfing me in an otherworldly light.

"Oh, and before I let you go, just remember, my name is ████, do be sure to remember it."

Derrick Foster was promptly swallowed by the sparks of light as he disappeared in the same moment.

████ looked towards the Victorian-era ceiling with a wistful expression. "You better remember my name, Derrick Foster; because you'll be the worst Devil this world has ever seen."

____

The Monster hunched over Asiah's barely conscious body as it groaned and howled with a primal malice. It had no intelligence or reason. Rather, it's body moved solely on it's desire for destruction.

It raised it's worm-like tendrils and slammed them into the ground. It was a force capable of eviscerating any normal organism. Yet in an instant, I intercepted the attack with my right arm, blowing the beast back at least 15 meters. My body was fast, inhumanly fast. The sparks of the exposed wiring in the tunnel seemed almost frozen, and my body felt lighter than the wind. The very air itself sparked and cackled with energy with every movement. This must have been the "gift" that ████ granted me back in that place.

This feeling...it was strange to say the least. This creature that paralyzed me with fear just a moment ago, that tore me to piece without a second though...I can't help but be shocked at the difference in power because regular humans and Fixers. Even devils seemed like insects to them.

Once again, the Monster roared. It's irritation and aggression had only grown exponentially with my last counter attack. It raved and contorted like an insect as it's tendrils attacked me at unpredictable angles. The attacks meant nothing, as I had already seen them coming in advance, and thus, I dashed directly at the Monster itself, killing it with one swing. After a moment of blood-curling screeches, the Monster stopped moving and dissolved into black smoke.

I...I did it! I beat that thing with my own two hands!

It felt unreal, like a dream become reality. I could hardly contain my excitement from this sudden change of fate, but more than ever, I was relieved that Asiah was safe.

I rushed to her side and removed the rubble from around her. Her leg was crushed, but at least her pulse was stabilizing.

"GAH!"

Suddenly, a wave of pain enveloped my body.

"AAHH!"

Every muscle and nerve felt like they were constricting and relaxing at the same time. The scar on my forehead also seared with a scorching pain I had never known before. Was this the effects of using too much energy?

With each passing breath, my consciousness faded more and more, until I had completely lost my vision. Just moments before I passed out, the faint sounds of a rescue team could be heard in the distance. For some reason, I was afraid that this triumphant moment would end; that it would all be a daydream at the end of it all. But regardless of whether this was reality or fiction, I swear that I'll never let go of my dream again. For my own sake, I'll make sure that my dream becomes a reality.