As the Jin Of Covet began to tremble within his hands, a strange thought then occurred to him.
'How did Bob know I was supposed to rub it?'
When he asked him earlier about what it did, he didn't even remember, and yet somehow he just recalled how to use it? Did it happen when he saw it again... or did he know about it the whole time?
'My intuition would've alerted me otherwise, was he telling the truth then? Or is what's about to happen next going to benefit me regardless?'
He wasn't sure, he didn't like this. As his trust in Bob began to waver on the other hand, the dark spirit himself was struggling to contain his glee.
Giving him a quick glance, he called out his name in concern,
"Bob?"
But his mind was far too occupied with dark thoughts to even notice.
'I'M GOING TO CONQUER YOUR COUNTRY AND TAX ONLY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY 10 TIMES MORE THAN THE AVERAGE!! I'LL SINK YOUR HOUSEHOLD INCOME DOWN TO THE DEEEPEST BOTTOMS OF YOUR HOME WORLD, AND CRASH THE ECONOMY OF YOUR MOTHERLAND INTO SMITHEREENS!! ALL THOSE HOURS OF ABUSE, ALL THOSE DAYS OF CONSTANT INSULTS AND SHAME!!! YOU SHALL RUTH THE DAY YOU MESSED WITH ME!!'
"Bob!"
'I'LL TAX YOU INTO OBLIVION!!'
The trembling in the lamp suddenly halted, making Epsilon quickly turn his attention back to it in confusion. Shortly after, at the tip of the ancient lamps spout, a small flame, weak and feeble, ignited by itself.
Then with sudden hunger, what was once only a small ember suddenly grew into a towering pyre that engulfed them all. Simultaneously, an invisible force crashed into him, as he and Ki Song were sent flying back.
With a harsh thud, the two collided against the ground as they were knocked off the platform completely, leaving the Jin Of Covet behind to float on its own, with Bob who was unaffected still watching, now in the depths of the inferno.
"Bob!?"
He didn't even react to his name being called, instead, his eyes were locked onto the lamps flames. It was like he was lost in a trance.
"Song?"
She seemed slightly wary, but okay.
When he thought that the situation couldn't get any worse, the flames continued to grow as a blast of hot air rammed into them, threatening the blow them off their feet and throw them across the hallway. He thought he would be burned alive in them, but before his fear could come true, they suddenly froze. And then, they receded, shrinking and shrinking before taking the form of a large and towering humanoid.
The lower half of its body was still made of flames, with them gradually funnelling into the lamps spout, while the upper half separated by a red sash, having become somewhat reminiscent of a human being.
Its skin was an apricot red colour, akin to the very flames that it was made out of, with muscles that seemed decently toned. Despite its human appearance though, its face was anything but it.
Three eyes burned, two gleaming with cunning and fury, and a third, centred on its brow, pulsing with ancient power. Circling around its head like a crown were three coal black horns, with hair made of flames trailing behind them, extending down to its back.
The pupils of all three of its eyes stared in Epsilons direction, letting the two make eye contact for just a brief moment. But that was more than enough to plunge him into an even deeper state of fear.
His heart hammered so violently that it felt as though it might tear through his chest, every breath shallow and trembling. The world around him seemed to narrow into a tunnel of cold, suffocating dread, where even the sound of his own pulse was deafening.
He's experienced this kind of terror before. It was a moment that he couldn't forget.
'It's like them! It's just like them!'
He didn't need to be able to see it's soul to understand what it was.
For he understood at a glance, that the entity before him was a god.
It then changed its attention to the already terror stricken Ki Song, before finally resting its gaze on Bob.
"Ah... So you finally woke up."
Epsilon wanted to say something, but he simply couldn't. Legs trembling, he collapsed to his knees. Completely powerless to stop what happened next.
'Move! Move! Do something! Anything!'
This powerlessness, he hated it.
With no hesitation or fear, Bob demanded from the flaming demon with utmost arrogance.
"Jin Of Covet! Head my command and grant me my last wish!"
Those words. They were enough to make him completely forgot about his fear as it was instead completely replaced by a swelling anger.
'That lying bastard!'
It had finally occurred to him, that he had been tricked.
Them sharing the treasure was never written within their contract. It only extended up until he thoroughly explored the castle to Bob's satisfaction, which had ended shortly after he rubbed the lamp. Now that it was gone, Bob had no obligation to do anything for him anymore.
'I accepted the contract out of desperation because of Gracia, so I didn't even notice it until it was too late.. he's the one who made the contract too, so that bastard left it out on purpose! Why didn't my intuition tell me anything??'
Even if he noticed it afterwards, changing the contracts conditions halfway through would've been impossible without Bob's agreement too. In this case, he could simply say no, and Epsilon would've been forced to bring him here anyway.. or die alternatively.
Was that why he only offered him the contract after he lost against the Chimera Mass? And then later when Gracia was about to die?
'Maybe he even lied about her life being in danger just to make me panic more.'
Had he calculated everything up till now?
'But without me, he'll die.. unless!?'
Finally, Bob uttered his wish.
"I wish for my body and soul to go back to the way it was before I died! I wish to fully comeback to life!!"
Silently, the Jin Of Covet took a long hard look at him, with nothing occurring between the two.
Eventually, Bobs excitement toppled, being reduced to sheer confusion
"Erm.."
The situation was frankly awkward.
The noble Jin folded it's arms, looking at Bob with contempt. But when he opened his mouth, the illusion shattered, because instead of a thunderous, wise proclamation, he blurted out,
"I wish for omnipotent power, I wish for Immortality!!! Yap Yap, yap, yadaaa yadaaa, its always the same old same old with you humans. It's been thousands of years and even after being reborn, you're still asking for the same old crap. Grow up already."
Without a doubt, it was the unmistakable tone of an angsty teenager.
"Everybody always asks, Jin! I wish for-, but nobody ever asks, Jin! How are you today??"
Puzzled, Bob asked once more,
"I wish for you to bring me back to life?!"
Completely ignoring him, the flaming deity took another look down Epsilons way, although this time he did not feel as terror stricken as before. Rather, he just felt uncomfortable.
"How odd. I smell Nephilim.. but also fey? Are you one of Seras's? There's also the faint trace of a... Oh, my. You're quite the unique blend."
Suddenly perking it's head up, it looked around the hallway in confusion before starring at Ki Song.
"Hang on, I smell weaver. And from you.. and... all of you? what exactly is going on here?"
As if the situation wasn't strange already, it's ramblings made things all the more confusing. For Epsilon more than for everybody else.
"The doom.. that's right! The doom war! How did it end? Who won?"