Before the Newbie Gets Devoured (7)

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”

Gluttony, lost to rage, pummeled Severus like a madman. Black blood poured from the corners of his mouth, but he made no move to resist. Realizing that beating an empty shell wouldn't quench his fury, Gluttony ground his teeth.

“Why the hell were you late?”

—...A troublesome foe.

“Lies! You were hoping for a chance like this to seek true death!”

Gluttony had survived this crisis only thanks to Severus's Blessing. He'd snatched Gluttony from the fog and fled. But Gluttony believed Severus had arrived too late, forcing him to endure a humiliation he could have avoided.

“It was the same just recently. If you'd been there during the raid on the capital, things would have turned out differently!”

Gluttony spat out his madness in a torrent, then soon flashed a leisurely smile.

“Well, I get it. You were busy offering up sacrifices back then. How many are left?”

—Four.

“Not many remaining.”

—A promise must be kept.

“Of course I'll keep it. Contracts are absolute for demonkin, so rest easy. Once you succeed in summoning the demon, our deal ends. I'll set you free.”

Severus eyed the sneering Gluttony and thought,

'Just a little longer. Hold on just a bit more.'

Severus had lost his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soul to the demonkin. His body lived on, but he couldn't shake the hollow feeling. The demon tortured and humiliated him endlessly. Even without a soul, his mind and flesh endured. Gluttony must have feared him. Feared that someday Severus would seize control. Yet despite his trembling anxiety, he never killed him. Precisely, he couldn't. To slay Severus, who held a razor-thin edge over him, Gluttony would have to risk everything. So instead, he “half-killed” Severus—stopping his heart and turning him into an undead corpse. And to prevent him from growing stronger, he periodically shattered his mind and tormented his body.

—I do not regret it.

At first, Severus felt no regret for sacrificing his soul to save the child. He would have made the same choice again. But that mindset didn't last.

Gluttony roamed in his form, slaughtering his comrades. He massacred and defiled humans without end. Villages like the one he'd first tried to protect vanished countless times over. Severus could only watch, shedding tears of blood.

—I regret that decision.

The choice to save one human had returned as damage hundreds of times worse. Gluttony had been right. The life of one ordinary person didn't compare to a single Windsor Knight's. Weak hypocrisy only bred horrors. If he could go back, he would never make that foolish choice.

—Kill the happiest 100 girls in the world, and you can summon a demon. Summon the demon, and I'll set you free.

Severus knew the truth. Gluttony had grown stronger than him by devouring countless humans. This was just a final use before discarding the now-useless tool.

'...I was right to hold onto my ace until the end.'

Even in this state, he'd kept a trump card close to his chest. He was confident he could kill Gluttony the moment their contract broke. 100 humans versus the demons he could slay— the latter far outweighed the former. Seize control, kill Gluttony, head to the Demon King Castle. Slaughter as many demonkin as possible. At least more than the humans Gluttony had killed in the past decade. That would be enough. Enough for Severus to die satisfied.

“...How?”

As Severus sank into thought, Gluttony bolted up in shock.

“How did you know about this place?”

Severus sensed three presences too. All familiar. The silver-haired knight and her golden-haired companion. And his fellow graduate, Leo Ric Windsor.

The masters of the black letter had invaded the demonkin's lair. A space no knight had found in ten years. Severus thought it impossible in this short time.

How?

At that moment, Gluttony grabbed Severus's collar with a demonic glare.

“You bastard...!”

Severus's gaze drifted downward. A single strand of distinctly alien silver hair clung to his clothes. Just as the enraged Gluttony moved to punish him—

—Wind Shear.

Whoosh!

A gale engulfed Gluttony. It sliced the space itself, targeting only his position with perfect precision. Severus stared blankly at the whirlwind blocking his path. Then he turned at the sound of footsteps.

“Long time no see, Severus.”

Leo Ric leveled his spear, eyes gleaming with lethal intent.

Severus's judgment had been correct. Every child held potential. It was Sisilia's creed too, and condemning that choice would be wrong.

But it was also foolish. There was no need to sacrifice his soul to save the child.

'What would I have done?'

Too many options to list. He could have broken the contract with True Name Revelation. Or inflicted terror and pain beyond death on the demonkin until it returned the soul itself. If even that failed, the last resort was suicide.

But Severus hadn't chosen it. Likely felt it irresponsible. Thinking of those endlessly dying due to his error, dying for peace would seem too cowardly.

“You should have trusted your comrades back then. No need to suffer alone.”

Saving meant those in sight. Pondering every butterfly effect was arrogance beyond a mere human. Even Sisilia didn't do that.

“But it's sad, isn't it?”

Sisilia gazed down with impassive eyes.

She hated Severus. Taking 96 innocent lives justified nothing. All excuses, all cop-outs.

But—the greatest blame lay with Gluttony, of course.

“That a single Windsor Knight fell to vermin like you.”

Gluttony, limbs torn asunder, trembled with his head bowed. Drooling from overwhelming terror, he fell short of Sisilia's standards for a Seven Deadly Sin—Gluttony no less. Wasn't he supposed to be the maddest of the bunch? Aesthetically, conceptually, a total flop.

“S-sorry. I don't know what words of atonement to offer.”

“Then why did it? You knew the blade of vengeance would turn on you for messing with a Windsor Knight.”

Gluttony sweated coldly under Sisilia's icy glare.

'Because I didn't know.'

This was their second encounter. His vow to make her end like Severus vanished the instant Wind Shear hit. He'd faced a presence on another level entirely.

'I didn't know monsters like this existed.'

He'd glimpsed the former Demon King ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from afar once. Befitting a king, it made his legs shake just to look. But this human girl? Dozens—no, thousands of times more overwhelming.

“S-sorry! I-I swear, I won't defy you again. You won't even see me twice! P-please...!”

Sisilia's lips twitched upward faintly.

“Don't worry.”

“...!”

“I won't kill you here.”

Hope flickered on Gluttony's face. But it swiftly turned to despair.

“I'd never permit such leniency.”

“Sorry.”

Leo Ric's spear pierced Severus's heart in the end. His weapon was unique—even a stopped heart like Severus's meant perfect death. That was why he'd evaded Leo Ric.

“...Finally came to end you.”

—Leo Ric.

“Speak. I'll hear your last words.”

—Don't suffer.

“...”

—I'm a demon who slew countless humans.

Leo Ric had never regretted in life. Even if wrong. But for the first time, he did. He should have come sooner. Before Severus fully fell, before the wrong choice—granted him rest in death. The guilt would linger forever.

“No, it's my fault you ended up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like this. But you've borne that sin fully.”

Leo Ric withdrew his spear. Severus slumped weakly, strength draining from his body.

“A debt. Speak your final words. I'll grant anything.”

—...Then promise one thing.

As he crumbled to gray ash, Severus spoke.

—Exterminate every demonkin in this world.

“Rest easy.”

Leo Ric mustered his warmest smile.

“The Windsor Knights now are stronger than ever!”

—That's... fortunate.

Severus's body shattered to dust completely. But his final words rang clear.