Deep in a forest clearing -
Nopheal spread his arms wide, a cheeky smile twitching on his face, sweat evident in his palms.
He was putting on a brave front, surrounded on all corners by knights in deep black.
With only his guard by his side, he attempted to bargain his way out of his current predicament.
"Magnificent Villas, beautiful women, a slave repertoire, gold, all at your feet, if you bend your will to mine own. I shall give you everything you ever desire!" he said, with the twisted and proud voice of a corrupt noble.
Then, assuming a smile that betrayed his grim circumstances -
"For after all, what are we, if not slaves to our own vices, eh? So, cast aside that foolish king and join me!! Let us wine and dine in the vanities of this world." his hands clenched into a strong fist as he prepared his finale.
"Together, we shall put that weak brother of mine in his place and CLAIM THIS WORLD FOR OURSELVES!!! WHAT SAY YOU!?"
The twisted prince concluded, breathing heavily, confident that his resounding speech had won the hearts of his pursuers with the promise of coin, pleasures, and power.
After all, how could he not? It was one spoken too often to trick people into joining him; it needed no rehearsal.
But then,
His words fell on deaf ears as the leader of his assailants, a knight in distinguished silver armor, stepped up.
"Your words mean nothing to us, Nopheal. Or should I say, failed prince?" the silver knight said, much to Nopheal's surprise.
"Y-you!" His face twitched in anger and hidden dread at the sight of the knight.
"The time for judgment has come, and you've been found guilty of many unforgivable crimes."
"Your atrocities end today; any last words before you die?" the knight directed the sharp end of his silver stainless sword at Nopheal.
"Hm-hm-hm-HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA," the prince laughed maniacally
"Do you dare play the jester with me right now?"
"You think killing me is righteous? Do you even know the price to pay for a prince's head?" he said, clawing his scattered hair, face twisted into a tense frown.
"Whatever you do, I swear I'm going to make you regret it!" he continued, voice cracked, fists wavering.
He was desperate and could only resort to empty threats.
"What a poor choice of last words." The silver knight shook his head in disappointment
"So will you do it? Or are you too cowardly that even when spoonfed, you still can't exact justice so overdue?"
The knight was addressing Nopheal's guard, who had slipped behind him
"Huh, what are you talking about-"
Before Nopheal could finish his question, a sword was plunged through his heart from behind.
"!? Ur--urk!" he coughed out blood and struggled to look behind him, only to find the broad smile of the personal guard beaming with satisfaction.
"Y...you...it was...you...urk" Nopheal struggled to speak, but blood spewing from his mouth forcefully interrupted
"DIE! YOU MONSTER! THIS IS FOR MY VILLAGE!"
The personal guard savagely removed his sword as Nopheal fell to the ground.
It was fatal.
His vision immediately blurred, and all he could see was red.
The red of his own blood.
His life briefly flashed before his eyes as he recalled the recent events that led to this moment.
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The bitterness and ire of the citizens that met his gaze on the streets to the king's castle.
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"Child trafficking, slavery, drug abuse. The list goes on." ,
"The underbelly of your domain is beyond corrupt, Nopheal, and there's word you're involved in these affairs. Directly or indirectly, you also benefit from the spoils. What do you have to say to this?"
The voice of the king condemning his misdeeds
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"Do you think me so uncouth, so...akin to these undignified commoners!?"
"I will not play this game with you, brother! What happens in my domain, stays in my domain, and I will have you interfere in our affairs no longer!"
His violent rebuttal as he left the throne room, threatening the King
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Prince Nopheal had lived a twisted life and was about to meet a twisted end.
"Haha...so...this is how I die...a 2nd time... heh... can't say...I...didn't...deserve...i..t..."
And thus, the life of the insane prince came to an end
However, this was not the end of this particular soul
As he found himself washed up on the shores of the gates of the otherworldly
The Realm of Reincarnation
"Huh...Had a feeling this was coming. But at least, now I've learned all that I can in that ridiculous way of living. In my next life, I'll do better, I'll make it my best yet!"
With an expectant smile, he looked upward as a divine presence descended
The glow this presence carried demanded that he shield his eyes from the light until the intensity lessened.
With sight unabated, he could now establish a visual on the beautiful goddess of reincarnation.
The satisfied look on his face implied a 'sight for sore eyes' - this was not their first meeting.
"My dear goddess! Thank you for coming back to me once again." He ran towards the goddess excitedly
"How overjoyed I am to see you," he said, spreading his arms as if to embrace her.
"Filth," the goddess murmured
"Huh? I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that-"
"How filthy!" The goddess spared no expense this time with her comment
"HUH!? I-I don't understand. Do you mean me?"
The soul, baffled, looked behind him, then to the sides, before turning back to the goddess.
He recalled the first time the goddess approached him.
She had a cute and sweet smile on her face at the time.
Now, her face was anything but.
It was total scorn and disgust, just like the looks he got from the citizens when he was approaching the King's castle as Nopheal.
"Um...okayyy...you're clearly not in a good mood, so...I'm just going to ask for my second reincarnation and be on my way if you don't mind, please?" the soul said grinning casually.
Then, he noticed a small smile formed on the goddess's face
"Second reincarnation, you say? I'm afraid that won't be happening," she folded her hands, staring down at the soul with narrow eyes
"Thank you- wait! What??" the soul stuttered
"What do you mean that won't be happening?" he asked, confused
"Not everyone gets reincarnated you buffoon, they're binding rules to the process"
"Rules? I never heard about any rules!"
"Oh really?" she raised a brow, and proceeded with a brief reminder.
"Reached an unfortunate end, was empathetic, and lived an unjust life. Those were the conditions you met when your maiden life ended. Ringing any bells so far?"
"...no...no way...(that was my life, as a human, as Lionel...)" he recalled
"Conversely, for those who willingly commit atrocities and vices, act not for others but for themselves, causing pain and suffering to the innocent; they don't get beyond these gates to reincarnation."
"Again, does this ring any bells?" she said, this time with a frown
"(My...my reincarnated life as prince Nopheal...but...but)" he recalled his life just ended, and it was at this moment that he knew he messed up, big time.
"You were given a reincarnated life, and instead of living it the best you can, you used it as some retribution to the pain you suffered the first time. How silly. And to think I had such high hopes for you-" the goddess shook her head in disappointment.
"Wait! What the hell!! Thi-this is so unfair! I've read the books, you know? They're people who get up to 7 chances. They're people who even get a playbook to guide and correct the wrongs of their previous lives!"
The soul desperately protested to convince the goddess of his case
"I-I mean- Cats! Even those dastardly cats have 9 lives to play with, so how come I only get 1!?" he pleaded
"Correction, you got 2, and from what the council has decided - one I very much support - you don't deserve a 3rd. Goodbye Nopheal, may oblivion be a kinder end than that of a knight's blade."
"No-no no WAIT!"
The goddess ignored his further pleas and vanished.
"This can't be...!?"
Suddenly, his body started peeling off; he wasn't feeling pain, but the fear still made him scream.
"AAH! What's happening to me? Am I...am I going to fade away just like this!?"
His toes went first, and his left arm followed as his soul was deconstructing to ashes.
Then it struck him; all those he had tortured in his life as Nopheal suffered this same fate at his hands.
Was this his just desserts?
"No...NOOO!!! NO!!!"
He cried out loud in desperation, but it wasn't slowing down the process at all.
Suddenly, the area around him changed from the divinity of light to the seclusion of darkness.
In said darkness, for some reason, his expiration was halted temporarily
"Huh? ...wha...what's going on?"
The soul looked around him, seeing nothing but black.
Then, a voice from the shadows caught his attention, followed by footsteps, and a sinister figure approached.
Someone in complete contrast to the angelic figure he had met before.
"Well, well, it seems you've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" the voice spoke.
"!? Who-who are you?" the soul asked
"Hmph. Lucille Anis Canalli, but you may call me - the Devil."
It was at this moment that the soul met the devil, and their fate together began to unfold.