(Geri POV)
I'm so full.
Like, dangerously full.
I've been eating non-stop for twelve hours, and somehow… I haven't even made it through half the buffet she prepared.
Why am I doing this, again?
Oh right. She said that, since I absorb souls like Dad, my body needed to adapt. "You need to be able to contain all that power without bursting like an overstuffed piñata," she said, casually dumping another mountain of infernal pastries onto the table.
And, weirdly, she had a point.
At first, the food made me feel bloated and sluggish, but then… something shifted. That full, heavy feeling started to fade. My body began to absorb the food—demonic energy and all—faster and faster.
By hour eight, I was eating entire meals in seconds.
By hour ten, I had a second stomach. Not literally—I think.
After devouring what had to be the weight of a small building in food, I finally leaned back, wiping my mouth. The last platter vanished into my mouth with a satisfied gulp.
Across the table, Bee—Lady Beelzebub, the ruler of Gluttony—just… stared at me.
Her eyes sparkled with surprise. "Wow… I didn't expect someone to eat so much and still look so fulfilled."
I smiled weakly, still chewing on what might have been a flaming caramel chimera steak.
"Thank you. The meals you made were absolutely delicious. If you ever got married… you'd make a great wife."
She blinked. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she turned away, trying to hide the growing blush on her face.
"R-Really?"
"Of course! Any guy would be lucky to have you."
For a moment, the air turned soft and warm. Her wings fluttered, and she looked back at me with a warm smile. She stepped close and gently kissed my cheek.
"Thank you," she said, her voice now a bit shy. "And… congratulations. Your training is complete. You successfully ate everything I created."
"Really?" I tilted my head. "No final test? No ambush of cake demons?"
She giggled. "Oh, I already tested you. You see, every bite of that food was infused with demonic energy—enough to drive someone insane or blow up their stomach like a soul bomb. But you absorbed it. More importantly, it helped regulate the souls inside you. Your control is far better now… which means the next time you enter your combat form, you won't go berserk."
That gave me pause.
She wasn't kidding. I did feel more stable. Like the chaotic energy in me had settled… like I had room to grow without falling apart.
"Thank you, Lord Beelzebub."
She waved a hand. "Oh please, just call me Bee! And hey, before you go—don't forget! I'm throwing a party in three weeks. You have to come!"
"Of course. I wouldn't miss it."
Bee beamed at me like a sunlit dessert, then pulled out a glowing yellow stamp—from, uh… between her breasts.
She winked and gestured for my arm. I held it out without a word.
She pressed the stamp onto my skin. Her sigil lit up bright gold, warm and sweet like honey.
Her blessing settled into me like the perfect final bite of a feast.
"Thanks again, Bee."
"Don't mention it!" She grinned and opened a golden portal behind me.
"Just so you know," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "the next guy… is kind of an asshole."
"…I'll keep that in mind."
She gave me a little wave and floated up, spinning midair like a gleeful sugar sprite.
I stepped through the portal—but as it closed behind she said something.
"I'd make a good wife, huh? How bold of you… Well, next time we meet… you're mine."
---
[Greed Ring]
As I stepped out of the portal, the air changed immediately.
Gone was the warm, sugary realm of Gluttony. Now everything smelled like cheap cologne, gasoline, and money. The sky above was dark and choked with green smoke. Before me stood an enormous circus tent—gold-trimmed, tacky, and absolutely screaming with greed.
Music blared from inside. Bells rang. Coins clinked. Laughter echoed… but it was the kind of laughter that made your skin crawl.
I cautiously stepped in.
Inside, the tent was a full-blown carnival—performers juggling flaming chainsaws, imps diving through hoops of acid, and cursed slot machines roaring in every corner.
Then I heard it.
THUD.
THUD.
Something massive landed behind me.
I turned fast, fists half-raised—and stopped.
Standing behind me was a… colossal demon. Easily twelve feet tall, bloated with muscle and fat, wearing a glittering green coat that looked like it cost more than a small nation. His belly jiggled with every breath, and his grin stretched too wide to be natural.
Mammon.
The Ruler of Greed.
"WELCOME, ya little SHIT!" he bellowed, voice like a thousand game shows screaming at once. "Ya made it! Been waitin' on ya!"
I blinked, deadpan.
Man... I already know this is gonna suck.