Rebirth

"It was Jessica's last wish for you to be with us... Her forever." She said, her voice slightly stuttering at the end as she corrected herself.

Lucian narrowed his eyes upon noticing this. "And how exactly do you plan to do this?" he asked, his gaze idly scanning the otaku ESK room he had awoken in before returning his gaze to... "What do I call you?" he asked, realizing that he had yet to catch her name.

"Kaiaos. My name is Kaiaos," she said simply before continuing, "And I plan to give you my blessing. With it, you will never be able to die, unless, of course, I somehow manage to die," she said, a slight smirk appearing on her smooth red lips as if she found the very idea of her dying laughable.

Lucian tilted his head at her words. "And what about Jessica? I mean, you did say she wanted me to be with her forever, right?" he asked to clarify.

Lucian had a feeling, a feeling he really did not want to come to terms with. No, not even a feeling. He knew, the woman before him was his girlfriend, or at least part of her.

"You are looking at her." Kaiaos said, her voice for the first time since he had met her containing true emotions. No matter how small they might be.

Lucian took a light breath, already expecting this outcome from the moment Kaiaos had said that she and Jessica were one and the same. But it still felt odd. To know that he had been with, loved, and been loved by someone, something that was just a small part of another being. 

"I see." Lucian said, the tone of voice calm, yet the underlying emotions in his voice could not be hidden from Kaiaos. 

"You should know, we... I am sorry for the way I had to bring you here." Kaiaos said, her voice a hesitant mix of emotions as she continued.

"But I will never be sorry for bringing you back. For as long as I have existed, I have never felt this way, and for as long as I exist, I never intend to let you escape." Kaiaos said, the mad obsessive glint Lucian had grown used to seeing in Jessica appearing in Kaiaos's eyes as her gaze met his.

Lucian gulped, not out of fear, but of lust. He would be lying if he said he was not turned on by the goddess's words. But he also could not help but also be slightly worried, at least with Jessica he had the upper hand, strength wise...

So, he asked, "Just your blessing?" But quickly realized how his words sounded, "I mean, no grand adventure, no demons kings to kill, no strength to acquire... Nothing?" He asked, sounding quite disappointed.

The way she worded it sounded like she would give him immortality and trap him in this room with her for all of eternity. Which he was not completely against... But he was also not afraid to say that he was slightly terrified of never having the upper hand in the relationship.

Even if she did not tell him explicitly what she was, he did not need to know. He could already tell she was at least a god, and probably a powerful one. 

Though Kaiaos did not seem taken aback by Lucian's words in the slightest as she said, "Hmm~? Of course not. I plan to send you to a fantasy world." She said, a knowing smile adorning her face.

"Huh...? You do?" Lucian reaffirmed, doubting what he was hearing. He was sure the obsessive girl of the past would never allow him to do something like that, but then again. She was way more than just the Jessica he knew. 

"Of course, you want to do this right?" She said, her voice calm, yet her tone carried an undertone of sweetness that was odd considering the casualness she had been showing thus far. 

Lucian nodded at Kaiaos's affirmation, glad he would not have to stay here forever, wherever here was. Though he could not help but doubt her words, feeling there was more to it than she let on. 

But who was he to look a gift horse in the mouth. He may have been close to Jessica, and this Kaiaos may even have Jessica's obsession for him. But that does not mean he will pry into a god's personal matters.

"I see. Can I ask where I will be sent. Or even what I will gain from the blessing?" He asked. 

A small, amused smile began to form on Kaiaos's Divinely beautiful face, one that Lucian hated to admit that even surpassed his beloved fiancée's as she spoke. "Now why would I ruin the fun?" She said, amused. 

Though her expression seemed to change slightly as her gaze met his, almost softening if Lucian was reading it right. "But I am not completely heartless. I will tell you one thing, and that is, get stronger if you ever want to see me again." She said, and before Lucian could even make a reply to that odd statement, his vision went dark, and his consciousness once again faded. 

...

"Everyone get back to the stairs right now!" A loud and gruff voice yelled out in panic. 

The man's yell was followed by a large eruption as the gigantic monster that had been the cause of the disruption began to take form, its large reptilian body bursting forth as it tried to attack the nearest person to it, a girl wearing a set of priestess robes. 

"Move it." Meld, the man who had shouted from before said as he cleared the way and held up his two hands, preparing to cast a spell. "Don't wait for me. I am not letting any of you die down here!" He once again shouted. 

As the monster's gigantic slitted red eyes came into view, Meld began to chant, "Oh god, grant protection to your children-" 

BOOOOM! 

A loud thunderous boom sounded out as the monster Meld was about to cast a protection spell against was just blown to smithereens, its blood and guts splattering everywhere from the force of the collision. The platform the party of heroes in training and their knight protecters stood on shacking violently from the collision. 

Meld's words halted, the large blue magic circle that was forming at the palms of his hands dispersing at the sight before him. 

Meld gulped, his stomach churning from the pure amount of gore around him, the only thing stopping him from getting sick being his exposure to sights like this. And it seems he was not alone in that feeling, as the hero's, being newly summoned and also newly exposed to gore, seemed to not be able to hold back their vomit.

"That dam goddess. I still had questions you know." A being spoke, his voice smooth and deep as he brushed off the copious amounts of blood and guts covering his naked body. 

"What in the-" One of the knights next to Meld spoke. 

"D-Demon!" Another of the knights yelled as he took in the form of the being that stood in the giant crater of the blown-up monster. 

"Quite you two!" Meld commanded; his gaze fiercely locked onto the strange being that had just appeared as he inspected its form. 

He was tall, abnormally tall, his lithe frame giving him an almost ethereal quality. And his unruly, ever-shifting void-black hair cascaded down to his mid-back, framing his face with a mysterious darkness that seemed to absorb and reflect light in unpredictable ways.

His eyes, the most mesmerizing of all, were a swirling pool of red, they almost seemed as if a portal to a chaotic and enigmatic realm. They were otherworldly, shifting and turning like a maelstrom, hinting at the profound powers dwelling within him.

And his skin, even with the blood that dyed it red, was an eerie and almost porcelain white. It was smooth and flawless, giving him an otherworldly and timeless appearance. Abstract dark markings adorned his body, intricate and glowing.

"A higher demon..." Meld said, as he continued to watch as the creature completely ignored them, as if they were not even there. 

"Meld, do you know what that thing is?" Another voice spoke up, this one a young, serious one. But even through his seriousness, Meld could still sense his fear. 

Meld never taking his gaze off of the being replied to Kouki, "One of the older demons. Probably from their home world." He said, his tone one of utter seriousness. 

Kouki gulped, he had not even faced a demon yet, much less one of the more powerful ones that could kill a monster that they were having trouble with in just one hit. 

"Come on Kaori, we have to go!" Hajime yelled as he looked into the mesmerizing eyes of the being before them, a cold chill involuntarily running through his entire being as he looked into those swirling curious orbs. 

Kaori sat sprawled out on the floor, her white priestess robe dyed red with blood as she stared on blankly at the creature Infront of her. Though her daze was cut short as she felt the tug and yell from Hajime from next to her as he pulled her up and away back to the safety of her group. 

"Are you okay Kaori!?" Shizuku yelled in concern as she approached and inspected her friends form, only stopping when she was sure she was fine. 

Kaori nodded but did not reply as she turned her head back to the creature in the crater. 

'Arifureta...?' Lucian thought in a mixture of confusion and amusement.