The Demon God's soul knelt in silence, his body scorched with golden seals, surrounded by a circle of divine radiance. Towering above him stood the gods — ethereal, ancient, and filled with judgment. Their voices echoed like thunder in the void, each suggesting a punishment harsher than the last.
"Seal him in the void for eternity."
"Shatter his soul into dust and scatter it across the cosmos."
"Let him be reborn as a worm beneath the earth."
The chamber trembled with divine proposals, but the central figure — the highest among them — raised his hand, and silence fell instantly.
"I have a better idea," said the Supreme God, his voice calm, cold, and resolute.
The others turned to him with curiosity.
"For a soul this wicked, this darkened by hatred and cruelty… there is no point in torture. He thrives on it. Instead, let him suffer in the most unbearable way a being like him could ever imagine." The Supreme God narrowed his eyes. "Bind him… to the purest soul in the world. Let him walk beside kindness, be drowned in compassion, and smothered in gentleness. That… is his punishment."
"Perfect," murmured another god.
"Brilliant," said a third. "For a soul this demonic, it is worse than hell itself."
The Demon God raised his head slowly, his eyes narrow and burning red. He didn't speak. But inside his mind, his thoughts were raging.
Are these gods retarded? Bind me to a person? Have they completely lost it? Do they not know who I am?
A smirk crept across his face, and in his mind, he let out a long, mocking laugh.
Mwahaha… idiots. This might just be the easiest punishment I've ever received.
His twisted grin turned grotesque — a mix of pride and mockery. One of the gods twitched in discomfort, clearly disturbed by the expression.
"When does the punishment end?" one of the younger gods asked.
Another replied, voice soft and veiled, "Until his soul is..." (the words were strangely blurred, barely audible, as though muffled by divine will itself).
The Demon God was too lost in his gloating to care.
"Excellent," said the Supreme God. "Then let it be done."
With a casual snap of his fingers, light burst across the void.
Before the Demon God could even blink, the divine court vanished. The brilliance faded. The cold weight of divine space disappeared—
—and he found himself floating, disoriented, above a swaying tree in a small, sunlit village.
Birds chirped. A goat bleated in the distance. A warm breeze rustled the leaves.
He looked around slowly, silent.
"...Where the hell am I?"
The breeze answered with silence. A chicken flapped nearby, completely ignoring him.
He glanced down and saw a boy with a wide smile running barefoot across the dirt path, chasing a dog.
The Demon God stared.
"...What is this joke?"
He was in Okharia, a remote village unknown even to most humans. And he was tied — invisibly — to that?
A five-year-old boy with messy brown hair and a giggle as light as the wind sprinted barefoot through the dusty path of a remote village in Okharia. His laughter echoed as he chased a scruffy dog around a bush, his tiny hands flailing in excitement.
From above, hovering lazily over a tree branch, the Demon God watched with narrowed eyes.
So this… child is the purest soul in the world? he mused, his gaze following the boy's every bounce and stumble. He doesn't look like much. Innocent? Sure. Sweet? Apparently. But difficult to manipulate? A twisted grin formed on his shadowed face. Please.
Those idiot gods actually think this is a punishment? he scoffed. They should've just released me instead of pretending to be clever. What a joke.
The boy tumbled into the grass, the dog leaping over him before licking his cheek. He giggled again, carefree, pure.
Well then, the Demon God leaned forward, his grin widening, let's go say hello to my little slave… Bwahahahaha…
Just then, a voice rang out across the fields.
"Theo! It's getting late!"
The boy perked up and turned toward the cottage down the lane. "Coming, Mom!" he chirped.
He gave the dog one last kiss on the nose and a quick pat on the head before scampering back home, his small feet kicking up little clouds of dust.
The Demon God floated after him in silence, his presence unseen, his smirk unfading.
Let's see how long you can stay this pure, little Theo...