Infinity in the Void – Freedom in the Abyss

1666, London, England.

She walked through the crowd of people, bound in heavy chains tightly, only giving her enough space to walk very small steps.

What did I do to deserve this? All because I took pity on a cat?

She was extremely thin, having nothing to eat for a whole week after her capture. Her brunette hair was a mess, giving into her form to be mistaken as a witch.

People, from both sides of the streets, threw trash and whatever they could find at her. But the pain was nothing to her, even if blood began to bleed from her head.

Am I going to die before stepping onto the gallow?

Her hazy brown eyes have gone blur, almost losing her vision. Even more terrible was her hearing, she could barely make out what the people were shouting about.

She cared for nothing, she has experienced the depth of despair. Sinking in a little more wouldn't do much, would it?

Guards flanked her on both sides, if she stepped out of line only by a little bit, she would be pushed back. The guards ruffed her up a bit, but not too bad compared to the crowd.

She could vaguely see the priest standing next to the gallow. He splashed "holy water" into her eyes, she squirmed in irritation. It was foul play, even the guards beside her gave the priest a disapproving look.

"Your soul is filled with evil, may the fire of God burn so your soul can be pure in the next life."

All of his pleasantries went on deaf ears, she wordlessly walked up to the gallow. She saw her noose, the thing that would take her life...

But there was something else besides the noose, a grayish crystal that only she seemed to notice. She remembered what it was from all the talks around the city, the greatest fear of the church and the bane of all that was holy. An object that grants immeasurable power to those who obtain the jewel, is called Demon's Heart.

With steady steps, she walked over to the crystal underneath the noose. She looked down, her legs were between the crystal.

If my innocence is a pipe dream... then I will gladly accept the hands of evil as they said...

She stepped on the Demon's Heart. 

Time seemed to stop as she entered a dreamlike world, one of a hellish landscape and unimaginable nightmares. Red bright sky shed light around where she was. This place looks like the ruin of a once grand castle, with broken red brimstone pillars laid untouched for years, decorations laid everywhere like trash, and the red carpet leading up to a broken throne of stone.

Sitting on the throne is a person, a beautiful man in fact. She blushed a bit from seeing such a fine man... no, angel. 

Three pairs of wings blacken with sin and evil. Long gold hair has grown down to his hips. His outfit is something that looks like regal clothing for a king, but something else has torn it apart into a mess of its former self.

His crimson-red eyes stared at her, seeing her just as another piece of trash.

He smirked, "Hmph, so my host is a ragged peasant?"

He stood up from his throne, approaching her. He stood tall, looking down at her.

"I am Lucifer the Morningstar, King of Devils and former Angel of Freedom."

Strangely, he put his hand on her head. He roughed her hair up with warmth and a gentle touch.

"What is your name?"

She almost choked on her words, but she got it out eventually, "S...Seri... a.."

"Seria huh, good. So tell me, what is your wish?"

What do I say... what is my wish?

She looked down, her body was still wrapped in heavy chains. With how deep in despair she is now, she has no wish...

Might as well wish for the obvious...

"I wa..nt Freedom..."

Lucifer chuckled, "Well, you asked the right man the right wish. Good luck out there, my Contractor..."

Back on the gallow, the hateful shouting of the people stopped as something happened right before their eyes.

The chains went red hot, melting off her body like water. A satanic circle formed under her feet as space warped around her.

She whispered, "Satanic Authority... River of Heresy..."

Red blood water flowed out of the circle, flooding the entire gallow and spreading towards the crowd. There was confusion at first. Then fear. Then complete terror.

The water burns those who get even the slightest touch. The priest raised his cross with a shaking hand, to no effect, obviously, he too got eaten away by the blood of sinners and believers alike.

An arrow went through Seria's head, but she only stared at the archer who made the shot with crimson red eyes.

She raised her right hand, and a satanic symbol formed, with the lightest of whispers, she chanted, "Soul Rush..."

A beam of red satanic magic shot from the circle, and following it are screams of the damned. The spell at the archer up, adds another to countless souls in the satanic ritual.

Her wounded and malnutrition body began to heal, becoming fuller and regaining a beauty she never thought she had. With a small torch of flame on her fingertip, she burned away some hair on her bang to reveal her new crimson-red eyes.

So this is what having magic feels like.

No, my Contractor. This is not simply... magic, this is something more... ancient. For simplicity's sake, you can just call it Ancient Magic.

I see. Thank you, Luci.

What did you just call me?

I... I... is that not okay?

Lucifer took a second to answer.

Haha! You are a bold one, Contractor! I am Freedom itself, everything is fine with me!!

=0=0=

Away from the destruction she caused, Seria hid under a bridge, away from the scrying eyes of the guards. She knew she could take them on easily, but in doing so might cause a war to break out between her and the country itself, or France might take the chance.

Having a little breathing room, Seria sat down, letting her bare feet soak in the murky water. She does not care if she gets a disease by doing so, her immunity was beyond normal human, before and after forming a bond with Lucifer.

"Phew! That was close!", she laughed.

Leaning back on the stone-cold wall, Seria has a lot on her mind right now. Now only knee-deep in despair, she can actually work her brain now.

Hey Luci, are you... really the Devil himself?

That is an interesting question. I am Lucifer the Morningstar, the King of Devils. But factually, I am not Lucifer, two-thirds of me is not really the Lucifer. 

Then... what are you?

You could say I am an amalgamation of the King of Devil, Lucifer, the Lucifer in stories and the Bible, and the concept of Freedom.

I might be a bit rude here but... how?

You see, there was a guy, who just walked into my castle, before that he wrecked the whole realm into a mess more than it already is. I was a bit arrogant, being the Prince of Pride and all of that gizmo. Basically, I got my ass kicked, hard, and die.

So... how is this guy that kicked your ass?

Well, he didn't speak all that much. But I did get his name, it was... Remus.

Seria has no idea who Remus is. Lucifer noticed it.

Do you know Rome?

Rome? The city or...

Yes, the city, Rome. He had an older brother, Romulus, who founded the most bloodthirsty empire in the world, it got so big it collapsed and now there is only half of it remaining. Well, back to Remus, in history he died while arguing with Romulus, but apparently, he didn't die, he just faked his own death and went on a crusade.

A crusade? I thought that was something only the church could invoke.

Well, it was a crusade against the divine. Every single god, demon, and any kind of magical creature at the time, he destroyed them all.

Why do you know this? You were... dead?

Heh, I thought I was dead. But then I found out there was another afterlife to the afterlife, most divine and demonic beings stay there for a while.

So is that like... double Hell?

Yeah! You could say that. It's super chill there, some awkward moments with Michael and the gang but we eventually get past our differences. Dying wasn't that bad, to be honest.

Seria could feel Lucifer shrug. She smiled as she got her feet out of the water.

"Welp, it's time for us to dip out now!"

A spell came into her mind.

"Journey, let us pass the land without misfortune. Enact, Mist Steps."

Seria fades out of existence to another realm of infinite color. A kaleidoscope of different paths in time, and different alternative realities, all mesh together into a mess of unimaginable possibilities impossible to decipher.

"W-Where is this?!", she exclaimed, looking around in confusion.

Lucifer answered.

The Inbetween, specifically Low. This is a kind of fast travel that can get you to other places easily. A step here is ten kilometers on the surface, good if you want to travel from cities.

"But how can I tell where I'm at? I can return and end up in the middle of the ocean!"

Focus, Contractor. Look around you, you can feel the presence of the people coming and going, buildings and bridges. Just close your eyes and walk, it will help this place less confusing.

She did as Lucifer told her, closing her eyes and focusing more on sensing her surroundings. She can feel lands, water, animals, and of it. With careful steps, she travels through space.

And Seria ended up at a place she would last expected to be in. The Royal Palace.

"Uhh...", she stood before the throne.

"Who dares to enter the Throne of His Majesty!", a guard called her out.

Seria's eyes moved to the holy man in the room, and a strange feeling rose in her. The Archbishop of England, the one who demanded the Witch Hunt across England, and indirectly responsible for her execution.

But all sinners are the same.

"Satanic Authority - Judgement.", she whispered.

In an instant, the Archbishop was consumed by a spiral of white holy flame and crimson demonic flame. It healed and broke him, killing and burning away his very being but saving and holding him together at the same time.

Her brunette hair dyed blond, her crimson gaze bore into the Archbishop. She watches with glee and a wide smile, the one who corrupted the Land of Dragon, the religion that brought her to these very steps, in her delusions, she thinks of herself as the savior of Britain...

But to the royal family who just witnessed this act, the court of the Dragon King gazes upon her atrocity.

To them, Seria was nothing more than a demon... a Witch.

The king unsheathed his sword, a blade made of fragments of itself, held together by a forgotten magic. The Broken Sword of Selection, Caliburn.

"I, King Francis Pendragon, the first of his name. I shall slay you in the name of the Lord!", he declared and rushed in with his sword raised.

Seria gave him a blank stare as the blade cut through her... King Francis noticed something wrong instantly, the blade did go through her... but there was no resistance as if he just cut through the air.

Before he could cover his mistake, Seria kicked him on his left side, cracking a few ribs, and rupturing his stomach and guts.

Seria felt like she was betrayed, by her king, the person who swore to serve and protect each and every citizen of Britain... she was too a citizen...

Well, not anymore... the influence of the Devil had found its way into her very soul. Her eyes dart around the room... no one here was her ally, no one here saw her as innocent... even before she did anything...

This royal thing... it's all just bullshit.

Letting out a deep breath, Seria straighten her back and spoke out loud for all to hear, "My name is Seria Sarco, if you don't denounce the Catholic faith... if you don't stop this fuck absurd witch hunt... then I swear on my name, I will burn this nation down to the ground, erase its history, it's everything..."

A noble tried to rebuke her claim, but meeting with her crimson glare shot him down instantly. By instinct, he knew as a human... the being in front of him was beyond mankind.

"You have a week.", she said with her eyes locked with the terrified queen.

And she was gone...