Myths Reawakened

Perhaps it was because the Headless Knight’s chuckles were too grating, or that the obelisks were too important, the demons blocked the Death Knight, resuming their argument through thoughts. It wasn’t until two hours later that they came to an agreement.

And that was considered efficient. It would’ve usually taken two months for hell to come to any agreement, even more annoyingly inefficient than Windsor’s House of Commons.

They concluded that both sides would make compromises: the three highest-ranking demons would give away parts of their territory and sign an addendum clause in exchange for bringing their familiars to the underground catacombs. They would go after the newly appointed Death Knight and take the Book of Seals back, handing Shadow Nightmare to the Headless Knight.

The black gateway in the dome of the catacombs trembled violently, and intertwining lines cascaded down. The demons pried open the seal between hell and the human world together with their thoughts, bringing the familiars of the three demons over. They started as projections before they took concrete shapes.

At the intersection of the human world and hell, a skeleton gate trembled slightly as if it were breathing, exhaling sulfuric heat. The white pillar nearby was transcribed with the Golden Law of Angels—whoever enters, lay down your hope.

It was the gate of hell. The angels were warning whoever was passing through that beyond the gate lay hell, and it wasn’t too late to turn back yet.

The gate consisted of mismatched rib bones and served as the entrance to hell. Through the power of the underground catacombs, the alliance of demons succeeded in bypassing the seal that heaven had applied, making the rib bones open to the sides to create an uneven black passage.

The process was complex. A misstep would trigger the seal and draw the angels’ attention. Carefully, the demons brought the three figures to the human world the moment the passage opened.

Back in the underground catacombs, the black gateway on the dome contracted, as if it had run out of the last of its power. Below the mountain of remains, three figures slowly opened their eyes. Breathing in the muddled energy of the human world, they all showed an obvious look of excitement.

Even a human’s fart would smell like freedom, incomparable to the smothering sulfuric smell of hell. Everything about this world was wonderful.

The familiars were two men and one woman—well, at least that was what they appeared as. Familiars were existences approximating demons, and demons’ sex was naturally fluid.

The black figure on the left was big and burly like a small mountain, with clearly defined muscles under his scales. Even when he remained motionless, his tremendous energy radiated from him. He had a large maw and fine scales covering his entire body, as well as a thick, long tail, retaining some features of a great dragon.

He bowed to his master, his large body shrinking and transforming into a two-meter-tall bald muscleman. Dressed in a black long robe, he had a vicious face and crimson eyes. He couldn’t be more obviously demonic unless he tattooed his identity on his face.

The figure in the middle was a crow, its entirely black body glinting darkly like metal. In its black beak were rows of fangs, and its slim, long neck appeared serpentine. After bowing to its master, it transformed into a human male.

He wore a suit jacket, a dress hat, dress shoes, and gloves. With a walking stick and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, he looked handsome with a humble smile, painting the perfect picture of a noble elite.

The last figure was a combination of a human female and a spider, her long black hair running down to cover her fair, voluptuous upper body. Paired with her bloated spider body and slim legs, she looked beautiful in an insidious, macabre way.

She bowed to her master and transformed into a black-haired beauty with fair skin, dressed in an evening gown that was hollowed in the back. The classy, silky fabric draped on her softly like running water, accentuating her alluring curves. With a wave of her hand, she conjured a black sun hat with a massive brim to conceal her captivating face, her long hair in an updo.

The demons were silent for a long while. They looked intimidating and otherworldly, very much like envoys from hell. The presentation was almost flawless.

But they stood out too much. They might as well be announcing to the world that they were villains. As soon as they walked out of the catacombs, they would get intercepted by the Church of Heavenly Father’s clergy, let alone making it to Windsor.

“Change into something more unassuming.”

Five seconds later, the trio transformed into a different combination of a harbor worker, an old shoemaker, and a female factory worker.

Better!

“Go to Londan and find the new Death Knight. Give him a hellish welcome!”

“Understood,” the trio answered in unison.

The demons cackled.

***

Church of Moonlight, library base.

The church’s base had been rebuilt to restore the damaged cathedral. Church members who had been transferred here from different places busied themselves. The full moon high in the sky and the rumbling waterfall created a landscape that embodied thriving vitality.

Inside the High Reverend’s office, the closet hid the entrance into a suite, including a living room, a study, and a bedroom. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the full moon cast cool silver light on the sofa, bathtub, desk, and double bed, all places for some one-on-one action. The High Reverend had forgone pretense altogether, turning her office into a love house. She invited her young boyfriend to a housewarming party.

“What? You’re participating in the Holy Maiden selection?”

“Anointed One.”

“That still won’t do!” Filomina grabbed his weakness and chuckled. “You’re impure in every way. How are you going to become the Anointed One?”

“What are you talking about? I’ve always been pure.” Wayne disagreed. Although he had done this and that, he still fancied himself an innocent good boy who was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Filomina rolled her eyes and teased, “The Church of Nature is so open-minded. The Church of Moonlight will disqualify you in the first round.”

“It’s all because of you, High Reverend. If not for you, I would’ve remained pure.”

Who are you fooling?

Filomina rested her head on his shoulder and warned, “Pull out of the selection now. Don’t take faith lightly. If you’re impure, you are. There’s no getting around it. The moment a god descends through you, your tainted soul will turn to ashes.”

“Pray tell,” Wayne said curiously. “Do gods check their hosts’ memories?”

Filomina nibbled on his ear. She had finally found a shoulder to lean on for life; she didn’t want to be widowed at such a young age. To make Wayne give up on becoming the Anointed One, she flipped them around and straddled him, planning to take him right then and there.

Wayne pinned her back down.

“Don’t mess around. I’m going to participate in the selection. You’re not tainting my innocent body.”

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re no longer pure.”

“Hey, you sound proud of yourself!” Wayne pressed his hand against her pounding heartbeat. “Tell me, what are the procedures involved in the selection of a Holy Maiden or Anointed One? Do all churches in the Life Alliance go about it the same way?”

“It’s more or less the same. When necessary, we may even share a Holy Maiden.”

“Share a Holy Maiden?!”

“Yes, during the war of faiths, when casualties ran high, there were records of that happening...” Filomina thought for a moment. “I’ve read such records at the church’s headquarters. It was a long time ago, and the record doesn’t give an exact year. It only says that the Life Alliance had been established then, and we were facing Darkness and Death.”

“Did Darkness and Death also share one Holy Maiden?”

“I don’t know.” Filomina shook her head, getting back to the topic at hand. Because she truly cared about Wayne, she emphasized, “A goddess will not tolerate sacrilegious deeds. Do not risk your life by competing to become the Anointed One—it’s for our children’s sake.”

“Our children?!” Wayne blanched.

“Yeah.” Filomina nuzzled his shoulder. Although they hadn’t gone all the way yet, she had already come up with the names of their future children. She narrowed her eyes, saying, “Damien for a boy and Helena for a girl. What do you think?”

(。_。=゜一゜）

Wayne panicked.

“Say something!”

“I think... there’s a man named Clark in the Chosen Land, and he’s the true love of my life.”

“Huh?”