11 years later
Realm of the gods - Hall of The Divine Council
The reincarnation goddess responsible for Naki's reincarnation as Nopheal and his eventual judgment stood in the center of a large hall decorated by pure and refined golden shine walls.
Around her were 5 tall, giant, sophisticated seats
Thrones of kings and emperors paled in comparison - no - these exquisite and majestic structures were fit only for the gods themselves
All 5 of the Council judges were present - the topic of discussion: A rogue soul.
"13 years ago, a soul was unaccounted for - a soul under your tutelage." One of the judges, characteristically distinguished by his red feiry hair and stern look, made the opening statement.
The goddess fidgets warily.
"This is the same soul that was judged to be condemned by all 5 of us, and yet - somehow, said judgment has not been passed. Instead, we're met with a concerning revelation. Isn't that right, Nagatha?"
The red-haired judge asked, passing the baton to his colleague
"Yes. During our recent campaign in the other realm, we learned Lucille is missing," the silver-haired judge called Nagatha said, a voice sharp as a whistle.
"Wha!?" the reincarnation goddess was shocked but immediately restrained herself.
Within the council, you are to speak only when spoken to, even for her.
She wasn't the only one surprised, though, as the other three members, yet to speak, also muttered among themselves.
"Your surprise is understandable, but that is not all. It was also discovered that the time he disappeared matches the time our rogue soul escaped damnation," Nagatha concluded.
"!? (It...it can't be - how's that possible?)" The reincarnation goddess grits her teeth, thinking about the odds currently not stacking in her favor
Then, the red-haired judge took over once again.
"Is it a coincidence? Or part of a larger scheme we should be wary of?" he said, then stared at the nervous goddess.
"Care to explain, Isla? Why, a soul in your care has links to Lucille's disappearance?"
"Urgh..." Isla, the reincarnation goddess, was at a loss for words
"Forgive me for this huge blunder, my lord."
she finally said, hastily going down to her knees
"I had cast this soul into nothingness, but due to the poor decorum it showed in its previous life, I couldn't stand the sight of it. So, I left without seeing the process through"
"If you will allow this of me, I shall do everything in my power to rectify this grave mistake and reclaim the rogue soul before misfortune befalls it."
The council members stayed silent for a while and then exchanged looks and nods among themselves.
These were gestures only they could understand as Isla waited anxiously for her fate.
Then, the red-haired judge spoke once more.
"A soul is never to be left unaccounted for; otherwise, we risk chaos. So you have earned your chance, Isla."
Isla's face brightened briefly as she stood up and bowed, expressing her gratitude.
"Thank you, my lord-"
"However!" the judge rudely interjected.
"You only have 5 years and no more to complete this task."
Isla was shocked upon hearing this condition.
"Failure to do so, and you shall be the one facing damnation, do I make myself clear?"
"Bu-but my lord! That is not nearly enough time to-" Isla tried to plea, but,
"Do I make myself clear, Isla?" the judge reiterated, this time with an intimidating frown.
Isla held no power here.
Going against the judge's orders is suicidal.
"I...I...I understand. It shall be done," she said, hesitantly bowing her head in submission to their demands.
"Good. You're dismissed."
The judge ordered as Isla bowed once more before teleporting out of the council.
"...wasn't that a bit too harsh, Ah-mun?" one of the other judges said softly
"I'd say it was harsh enough, Ferr. Lucille's disappearance doesn't bode well - who knows what he's planning right now."
"We can't afford to be too lenient with our approach on anything that ties to the devil, no matter what."
The judge called Ferr said nothing more, choosing to remain calm
"Regardless, 5 years is adequate time. For now, we must discuss who shall fill the void she's left."
They all agreed and began proceedings
Meanwhile, outside the council
Isla was walking through a seemingly long corridor, frustrated with how everything had turned out.
"Curses... 5 years he said! How will I even begin searching over hundreds of thousands of ever-evolving worlds for a single soul in 5 years!!?"
Then she raised her voice and screamed in anger.
"AAARRGGHHHHH!!! Why! Why did I get mixed up with that- that- that-that troublesome soul!!"
After venting, she calmed down, letting out a deep sigh
"Huhh...fine. So be it! Lord Ah-mun never goes back on his word. If I really don't get this done in 5 years, I'm finished."
Then she picked up the pace going forward.
"I have to get to the world room, I should be able to figure something out! You've got this, Isla."
With renewed motivation, she carried on
Back to Naki's World
In Ampha - Naki's hometown
A carriage with magical crests was riding up the hill to his parent's cottage
The mother in the kitchen caught wind of the horses approaching.
"Ah! That must be the trainer dear hired. Here's hoping this time they can help my son."
She took off her mittens and walked to the door, anticipating the trainer's arrival
Upstairs - In Naki's room
13-year-old Naki was on the bed, reading a thick blue book with a strange magical crest and mysterious glyphs on the cover.
He wore deep black leather fingerless gloves - the suppression gloves he received from Tessa many years ago.
"[After the devil's sigil appearance incident, I was no longer a subconscious to the baby - I became one, fully in control of myself. It felt as if that signified the true start of my life as Naki]"
"[Since then, there's been this...strange swell of energy within me. Energy of great power that demanded release, and the throbbing pain of the sigil on my right hand wouldn't let me do otherwise]"
Naki stared at his right hand, the one with the sigil
"[So for a while I offered that release. But, it was too great, too...catastrophic at times to contain]"
"[Despite grandma Tessa's suppression gloves, I am banned from using my magic until I have mastered complete control of it]"
He returned his focus to the book he was reading
"[In this world of magic and cruel judgment, if you are unable to fit in, you are condemned. For my situation as the devil child, this is doubly so]"
"[Until I can master my power, any hopes of achieving my goals are severely limited]"
"[So I borrow books from grandma's collection in the hopes of finding a way to control this might]"
He recalled his past and all that he's learned growing up as Naki
Then, there was a knock on his door, as his mother spoke from the other side
"Hey dear, your new trainer has arrived!!" her voice muffled by the walls between them
"(Not another one) ...Mom, I don't need a trainer!"
"Now, now I will have none of that!"
The mother countered promptly and opened the door without his consent, stepping in.
"We talked about this, remember? You get playtime, and we hire trainers for you."
"Urgh...but how many is it now? Four, five?" Naki asked
"Hey, I don't appreciate that attitude! ...seven. This is the 7th trainer."
After the light shun, the mother corrected, much to her embarrassment as it proved her son's case
"See! it's not like one more is going to make any difference," Naki protested
"Well, we have to keep trying, dear! It's for your own good, you know this."
The mother said, in denial.
After all, the hope of a mother can be quite stubborn
"Uhhh, you always say that..." Naki responded, annoyed as he closed the magic book he was reading
He is fully aware when his mother starts getting forceful, there was no talking his way out.
"I know, but this time, I promise it'll work out. This time, the trainer is Sir Zickler!"
Naki was shocked by the mention of the name.
"Sir Zickler?? (hohoo, now that's impressive Dad)" a wide smile cut across his face in excitement
A short while later,
Naki and his mother were walking down the stairs to meet the new trainer in the living room.
"(Sir Zickler is one of the most revered instructors in the Kingdom of Magic, Listeria. He's far beyond the reach of any of the prior trainers I've had)" Naki thought
Then he recalled all the misfortune his previous trainers suffered trying to train him.
One of them shat their pants upon seeing his power up close for the very first time, running away in disgrace - screaming 'HELP ME!'
2 fainted during a joint tutor session from the sheer pressure his energy exuded
3 of them went insane after their first encounter with him.
Every trainer was humiliated and quit with ruined reputations.
Knowing all this, Zickler still accepted the challenge.
He came alone, brimming with confidence.
This made Naki, for the first time in ages, get excited for what's to come
"(Hehe Perhaps this one can finally help me control this power!)" he thought.
Then, they met their guest
"Here he is, Sir."
The mother said, then gave Naki a nudge, terrified by the stern gaze they were receiving from Zickler.
It was the look of someone who did not appreciate his time being wasted
"Go on, boy, introduce yourself," she whispered, eager to get things moving along.
Naki stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Welcome, sir, my name is Naki. I look forward to learning all that I can from you."
Naki introduced himself, cutting a wide grin that looked both menacing and excited, as was telling by the warmth and burning sensation he was getting from his devil's sigil.