Chapter 67: Vergil's Domain of the Soul
"This has become a sanctuary…" Viviane murmured, observing the distorted form of Vergil's soul, as if the space around him was an extension of his very essence.
The transformation she had orchestrated was profound and unsettling.
Instead of a mere confrontation, she had triggered exponential growth, forcing Vergil to confront his wounds and failures—not once or twice, but thousands of times.
Each repetition, each failure, was a step toward something greater—but at the cost of his sanity.
Now, his reality manifested as a closed-off dimension, a macabre Buddhist sanctuary consecrated to the demon he had become. The three pairs of horns on the roof symbolized the wives he loved, a haunting reminder of his lost humanity.
The thick, murky water covering the floor, a mossy blue hue, seemed to absorb the light, making the atmosphere oppressive and mystical at the same time.
'His humanity is completely gone... And a Buddhist sanctuary in... his ancestors... curious... very curious,' thought Viviane. She had anticipated something like this but couldn't reveal it without certainty.
"You dare play with my soul," Vergil declared, his voice echoing like thunder, a simple gesture but charged with indescribable power.
The impact of his words brought Viviane to her knees; the forces he invoked were overwhelming. Even a sorceress as ancient as her, with over two millennia of experience, could barely stay conscious.
"V-Vergil…" she stammered, fear beginning to seep into her voice. He had become something far beyond what she could have predicted.
'I have no real control here… Since this is his soul, he can do whatever he wishes... Outside, things would be different...' she thought.
It was simple: she had invaded a Domain, a place where Vergil—and only Vergil—could manipulate and dominate. Now, having merely guided him to this point, she had lost all control, for his soul had fully taken shape.
"How many years have I been trapped here?" Vergil asked, each word laced with overwhelming fury. Time seemed like an irrelevant concept in his mind, diluted by the endless repetition of his struggles.
The pain of his memories was fresh, but now it was accompanied by an immeasurable void.
"Answer me, inferior being," he commanded, his heart pulsing with an intensity that reverberated through the dimension. The demonic energy around him increased exponentially, as if it were about to explode.
Viviane still couldn't see his true form—or rather, it was as if a thick mist concealed the truth. The entrance to the temple was obscured, but the rising pressure emanating from Vergil was palpable, crushing, and she felt it in every fiber of her being.
"If I have not allowed you to see me, then know your place," Vergil spoke, his voice resounding like a condemnation. The force of his demonic energy intensified, pressing Viviane into the ground, making her feel every pore of her essence being drained.
The sanctuary trembled around them, the ancient structure seeming to protest under the weight of the power Vergil was releasing.
Viviane struggled to stay upright, pain burning through her body, but there was an ancient drive within her that wouldn't allow her to surrender. "Vergil, you don't need to do this! I'm not your enemy!" Her voice was weak but determined. "I brought you here so you could understand yourself! So you could free your true nature!"
"Free my true nature?" Vergil laughed, a dark laugh that echoed through the temple walls. "You don't know what my true nature is! You have no idea what I'm capable of when pushed to the limit!" The light in his eyes intensified, and Viviane could feel the tension in the air, like a storm about to break.
"Answer the question, Viviane," Vergil's voice rose, steady and commanding.
The energy around him began to stabilize, and the atmosphere shifted, reflecting his growing determination.
"Here... one hundred years..." Viviane murmured, her voice trembling slightly. "Out there... it's been six months." The revelation shattered Vergil's composure.
The entire dimension quaked under the weight of the force Vergil unleashed. He rose, finally revealing his face. His features were sharper, defined by an intensity that hadn't been there before. The look he gave Viviane was a mix of raw determination and a simmering fury, as though he had become the embodiment of a storm.
He was taller, stronger, a true manifestation of what he'd become. His body, sculpted like that of a warrior, reflected the countless battles he had fought. Scars adorned his skin in intricate patterns, each one a story of pain, survival, and the relentless pursuit of his true essence.
"Do you like what you see?" Vergil asked, his voice dripping with provocation, but there was something more beneath it—a desire to assert his newfound power. He was no longer the boy lost in doubt. He stood now as a colossus, a force to be reckoned with.
"Ah... No point in dwelling on it." Vergil added casually as he released the crushing pressure from Viviane's body.
Viviane staggered to her feet, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and—respect? She wasn't entirely sure what she felt. "Y-you've really transformed," she stammered, not just in awe of his physical power but the aura that now radiated from him. "I knew you had potential, but this... this is beyond what I expected."
"Let's go. Take me to the mistress," Vergil commanded, his voice steady with purpose. He wasn't here for games or idle conversation; there was a mission, a goal driving him forward.
'My wives... Where are they?' The thought consumed him, his first reaction, his only focus, his sole desire.
His singular possession.
Viviane felt the yearning emanating from him, and with a subtle motion, she vanished into the waters of his domain, like an illusion fading beneath the shimmering surface.
Vergil, for his part, closed his eyes, feeling the cold water caress his skin, a revitalizing sensation that seemed to connect every part of him to the depths of the lake.
He allowed himself a brief moment of peace before realizing he was awakening deep within the lake's depths.
When he opened his eyes again, the darkness surrounding him was thick, but not oppressive; it was the comforting sensation of home.
Around him, the turquoise waters reflected light in mesmerizing patterns, creating a hypnotic dance across his skin.
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The environment seemed alive, pulsing as if it responded to his very presence.
He began to swim, each stroke both an exploration of this new realm and an affirmation of his new self. As he moved, the sound of the water transformed into a gentle melody, almost singing a song of his return.
Soon, a brighter light approached, and Vergil realized he was no longer alone.
Emerging from the celestial waters of the lake, Vergil felt the cool surface air on his skin, droplets dancing around him like an ethereal aura. He turned, and there was Sapphire, her expression full of irritation, as though she was about to scold him.
"Why did you take so long, you idiot?" she exclaimed, arms crossed over her chest, her bangs falling over her eyes. "I was starting to think you'd drowned or something!"
Vergil raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress a smile. "I was going through a process of... self-reflection," he said, attempting to maintain a serious tone, though the irony in the situation was evident.
"Self-reflection? Is that what you call spending six months fighting yourself, Vergil?" Sapphire shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tsk, I got six hundred and twenty-five missed calls from Katharina!"
"If you're implying I took too long, know that it's your fault. You should've prepared me better. But hey, I grew quite a lot, okay?" he defended, lifting his head with a confident air.
Sapphire rolled her eyes. "Growth, growth... Always with this 'growth' talk. Meanwhile, I'm out here handling everything, as usual! You do realize it's not all about you, right?"
"But it is," Vergil said, sounding irrational.
Sapphire paused as she realized he was now eye-level with her, staring her down.
She stopped for a moment, surprised to notice Vergil was no longer the boy she knew.
'The bastard got more... shocking,' Sapphire muttered under her breath.
"Come on, my daughter's going crazy, more than usual," Sapphire said, clearly annoyed.
'Why has this once-imposing woman turned into a big teenager who can't even talk to a man?' Vergil wondered.
"Oh, and put on your maid outfit, you'll be serving Vergil from now on. Personal maid, Viviane."
Viviane, still somewhat shocked by Vergil's transformation and the new dynamic between him and Sapphire, raised an eyebrow, looking between the two. "Wait, what? Serve? I'm a powerful sorceress, not a maid!"
"Ah, yes, that's exactly what you're going to do. Didn't I say so?" Sapphire responded, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Just to make sure you remember your place here—your 'greatness' doesn't excuse you from respecting others."
Vergil allowed himself a chuckle.
The scene was strange, but there was something amusing about seeing Viviane squirm with indignation.
"Well, I always saw her as a respectable figure, but this... this is different," he remarked, trying to keep a straight face.
"Respectable? Look, Vergil, if you think the Lady of the Lake is the definition of respect, you really need to get out more. She's a mischievous little vixen, and you'll figure that out soon enough," Sapphire said, winking at him.
Viviane grimaced. "You don't have to talk like that, Sapphire! And I am not a mischievous vixen! I'm here to help!"
"Help how? With your ridiculous spells or by serving tea?" Sapphire laughed, giving Vergil a playful slap on the arm, who continued to enjoy the interaction.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Viviane shot back, crossing her arms and glaring defiantly at Sapphire. "And who says I want to be anyone's 'personal maid'?"
"Well, you were kind of forced into it, weren't you?" Sapphire said, holding back her laughter. "Besides, it's that or death... What do you think, vixen?" she added, unleashing a wave of demonic aura that made Viviane freeze in place.
Immediately, the water from Viviane's body formed into a maid outfit, and she stood at attention, striking a soldier's pose. "Viviane, personal maid, ready for duty!"
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<Author's Note>
Hey, remember to use your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to help the work reach new heights!
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