◆ Emergence and the Devouring Serpent of Death
MR. JULIUS pointed his blade at Mephisto, his eyes fixed on a quietly weeping Minne. He spared her that glance for only a moment before turning back to the demon as though he’d lost all interest in the princess.
“What’s your goal?” Mr. Julius asked. “Pleasure? This was a half-baked attempt if you wanted to take over the human realm.”
“I thought you weren’t interested?” Mephisto replied on his knees beside Samael. His long, glossy, dark hair was splayed on the golden sands. His tone was hoarse from the agony.
It seemed demons had the capacity to feel pain, and his sliced-off wing couldn’t regenerate.
“You’re right. I’m not interested,” Mr. Julius replied dryly. “But I can’t imagine this debacle ending just because I killed you here. I want to put a quick end to this meaningless battle against you demons. Why were you mingling with humans for years and playing around? What do you want?”
“Meaning? There is none,” Mephisto replied, still croaking from the pain. Yet his tone sounded frivolous. “I’m simply having fun. Humans are my toys. When you live for so long, you start to get bored, you see. Angels are annoying and noisy. The underworld, where only sinners fall, is filled with gloom and dread. Demons continue to hate angels without changing the status quo. Monsters are cute, but that’s it. The mortal realm is far more interesting.”
“Chloe’s sister claimed she’d use your power to turn this realm into a paradise where there’s no life or death,” Mr. Julius said.
“All humans have that desire. They simply don’t understand that there’s nothing more boring than a never-changing eternity. Don’t you agree, Julius? For a man like you, who constantly pursues death, such a world should make you cower in fear.”
“I saw my mother’s memories from when she fell through the Otherworldly Gate,” I interjected. “You demons lost to the angels. Perhaps that’s why you fled here instead of staying in the Otherworld.”
I didn’t want these two to continue their conversation for much longer. For whatever reason, my heart was hammering with dread. I furrowed my brows as I got the niggling feeling the demon was audaciously marching into a sensitive and tender area deep within Mr. Julius’s heart.
“What an adorable act of provocation, Chloe,” Mephisto replied. “You’re like a baby kitten hissing at me. Your words are meaningless, adorable, and vapid. Both this world and the Otherworld were created by a foolish and arrogant God. It’s far more beneficial to destroy this world as we please instead of rebelling against God…apparently. I follow the orders of Lord Samael, but I’m not very interested in that person, you see.”
“Who are you referring to?” I asked.
“Julius, you’ve seen that person before, haven’t you? The demon that’s horrific and brutal, far worse than anything else we know, completely different from the graceful Lord Samael. That demon’s mere existence is abominable.”
Mephisto gave a look of genuine disdain as his voice filled with repulsion. He must be talking about a demon. Salim Ivan’s journal listed a total of three. The first is Samael, the Serpent of Death. Next is Baal, the King of Wisdom. And there was one last mysterious demon of Blood and Conflagration. We’ve all seen Samael; has Mr. Julius seen one of the other two demons?
“Why don’t we end the small talk, Mephisto?” a low voice whispered, ending the discussion.
Salim raised his arm and stroked Minne’s face endearingly, wiping her tears away. The princess’s shoulders were trembling, and she knitted her brows with a pained expression, but she accepted his touch. She surely knew that the Salim she loved was no longer with us, but as long as his body was by her side, she couldn’t help but hold affection for him.
“Thank you for shedding your tears for me, Minne,” Salim said. “You truly love me, don’t you?”
“Salim! I… I…” Minne stuttered. “I was never allowed to step outside of my dark room because the sun’s rays were too harsh on my skin. And yet, you visited me every day. I loved you.”
“I know, Minne. I visited your room and used magic to create images of animals, grassy plains, and the ocean. I remember gazing up at the starry night with you.”
Samael was likely seeing Salim’s memories. Minne widened her eyes as large beads of tears started to form, and she nodded frantically.
“I knew that I wouldn’t live to see twenty, and I thought that I was fine with that,” the princess replied. “But as I started to find you so dear to me, I began to wish for a longer life. I wanted to live. My selfish, unattainable wish cornered you into such a wretched state…”
“I’m happy to learn that you wanted to live,” Salim answered. “Please, don’t cry. For your sake, I can’t die here. Will you listen to my one wish?”
Princess Minne clung to Salim’s lifeless, falling hand with both of hers and nodded numerous times.
“No, Princess Minne!” I cried. “You can’t lend an ear to a demon’s words!”
But my voice never reached her. I could’ve sworn that I heard her internally shouting for help. I thought back to Aliza’s hands—I couldn’t grab my sister’s back then, and I was repeating the same mistake now.
“Choose to live with me forever,” Salim cooed. “As long as I’m alive, so too, shall you stay alive by my side.”
“Salim… Yes! I’ll always be with you!” Minne replied.
I didn’t see myself reflected in her eyes. She couldn’t hear my voice. Several thin, snakelike entities emerged from Salim’s body and slithered toward Princess Minne. She closed her eyes, her face displaying elation. Several black serpents started to enlarge and coil themselves around her body. She completely vanished from sight without emitting a single scream. In the blink of an eye, the den of snakes slithered back to Salim like water traveling down a drainage ditch. Minne was nowhere to be seen.
Salim bent his joints awkwardly like a stiff puppet as he slowly got to his feet. He bent his body at the waist, his back pointed toward the sky while his knees and head were on the ground. His back started to split like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis. A beautiful boy arose from within Salim’s body, tossing him aside like a coat. The boy was slender and had a thin frame, wearing a black outfit embellished with frills. His silver hair and crimson eyes gave him an androgynous look that could easily mistake him for a girl. He gazed down icily at Mephisto kneeling on the ground.
“Wearing a human’s skin is no good,” the boy said. “I can’t go all-out. Mephisto, I went out of my way to lend you my power, and yet look at you, so pathetic.”
“Lord Samael, as I thought, you’re beautiful,” Mephisto replied. “Please don’t try to wear the skin of a human. It sends shivers down my spine.”
“I can no longer use the body of Salim, the one I had a contract with. In exchange, I got Minne. I understand she formed a contract with you, Mephisto, but you’ll give her to me, won’t you?”
“Most certainly.”
“Will you also return the wing that I’ve bestowed upon you?”
“Of course, Lord Samael. I’ve played around more than enough. You may do as you wish.”
Samael reached out to Mephisto. The same black serpents that had swallowed Princess Minne devoured Mephisto as well. His demise came so easily. I was supposed to get my revenge on the demon for what he’d done to my family, but he was gulped whole by Samael, like a serpent swallowing an egg. Mephisto had vanished without a trace.
The two remaining wings that Mephisto had left began to sprout on Samael’s back. Below his damp pair of wings drying under the sunlight grew two more pairs. The boy, who was as beautiful as an angel, now had a total of six obsidian wings as he outstretched them in all their glory like an ill omen.
Mr. Julius dashed toward Samael, appearing in front of the demon in an instant. He was running on top of pillowy sand, but he launched off the ground and defied gravity, swinging his blade down. Samael spread his wings and staggered a step back. His image wavered before he transformed into Minne, crouching on the ground in fear.
“That won’t stop me,” Mr. Julius said, ready to lop off her head without hesitation.
“Wait!” I called out.
My mother’s power had allowed me to revert Ms. Eliza and her loved ones back from their monster form. Maybe I can save Minne too! I can’t let it end like this!
I couldn’t save Aliza, but I wasn’t willing to lose anyone else to the demons. Mr. Julius, however, didn’t heed my call, and his blade whizzed through the air. All of a sudden, countless small cuts covered his body and blood spurted from his wounds. The collar around his neck had activated, for he’d broken the only rule I had: he couldn’t do what I didn’t like.
And still, Mr. Julius aimed for Minne.
“Stand back, Julius!” Ms. Natalia ordered sternly. She’d finally broken her silence.