The chamber fell into heavy silence as Sai stood still upon the obsidian altar, crimson cloak pooled around him. The cultists bowed so low their foreheads touched the black stone. None dared move in the presence of his imposing form.
That said, he still only looked eighteen, butin their eyes...he was their god.
Sai's gaze lingered on the girl with fire in her eyes. She's too stubborn to break here, he thought. A part of him considered sparing her outright. But… no. Not yet. He would wait. Let the stage build. Aura was a currency, and he wasn't about to waste it. Although he had no plan on becoming a demon king or whatever the hell they had in mind, that didn't mean that he couldn't have some fun with them, letting them play in their delusions of summoning some amazing entity while he worked up a plan to escape.
The High Priest, sweating under his ornate hood, misread the silence for dissatisfaction. His voice boomed as he seized the girl by the hair, slamming her face to the ground suddenly.
"It is a grace," he shouted, "a divine honor, to be devoured by our Lord!"
The girl's eyes blazed. With a sudden twist, she bit down hard on his hand, her teeth sinking deep, nearly tearing skin off.
"You little—" He raised his hand to strike.
Sai's voice cut through the hall like a thunderclap.
"I didn't recall asking you to touch her."
The words rolled deep, unnatural, reverberating off the stone walls. His aura poured out in waves, crashing down like a tidal storm. Dozens of cultists gasped and trembled, some collapsing outright under the suffocating pressure.
Inside, Sai smiled to himself. Aura farming, check. Guess I can still play this game for a little while.
His gaze swept lazily across the room, dismissive, predatory. Prisoners, guards, cultists—all bowed further under the weight of his will.
That itch returned. The hunger.
Ever since waking here, it had been gnawing at the back of his throat. When the High Priest had dared step close to cover him, his first instinct had been to tear him open, to feed. He had restrained himself—barely. But the craving only sharpened.
His gaze darkened.
"These two," he said, voice colder than steel, his eyes fixed on the boy and girl, "take them to my chambers."
The High Priest froze. Then he realized—he hadn't prepared chambers. His mouth went dry, sweat beading down his temple.
"Or did you forget?" Sai asked softly, dangerously. His aura flared again, just enough to make the man stumble, breath hitching in his throat.
"N-no, your Eminence!" the priest stammered. "I would never dare forget. Please, sit—your throne awaits."
Sai turned. Behind him, a towering seat of obsidian gleamed, veins of violet light pulsing faintly across its surface. It looked carved from the heart of the abyss.
He strode to it and sat, cloak draping down the steps as he crossed his legs with the grace of someone who owned it. The boy cried as guards dragged him and his sister away, while the girl's glare burned holes into Sai's back. She grit her teeth, refusing to break even now.
Sai let her go. He had plans.
The High Priest hurried forward with one of the blank-eyed bandits. He pressed a blade to the man's gut, ready to spill blood onto the altar as sacrifice.
Sai stopped him with a raise of his hand.
"I didn't ask you to feed me, did I?" His voice dripped disdain.
The priest froze, knife trembling.
"Leave my presence. All of you."
"YES, YOUR EMINENCE!!"
In an instant, the entire chamber scurried out—robes dragging, voices trembling, footsteps scattering. Even the High Priest bowed so low his nose scraped the floor before backing out.
Silence fell.
Only Sai and the twelve bound bandits remained.
His throat burned. His fangs ached. He could smell their life-force, thick and ripe, pressing against his instincts.
"Aaah…" His voice cracked with strain. "I can't control myself anymore…"
His eyes glimmered faintly violet. His fangs lengthened, sharp and eager. He seized the nearest body instantly, the limp prisoner hanging helpless in his grip.
His mind split. One side—the assassin, rational, cold, yet still undeniably human. The other—the beast, demonic, ravenous. Feed. Devour. Consume.
Just as he leaned closer, warmth spread across his back.
Soft arms wrapped around him from behind. Feminine. Seductive.
A woman's voice, low and sultry, whispered into his ear.
"Feast… devour your prey. You're no longer weak. You've been reborn as a king. Eat… leave nothing to waste."
Her breath was hot against his neck. Long golden hair cascaded over his shoulders, shimmering like strands of molten sun. She wore a white hood, though it did little to hide her flawless face. A face so beautiful it eclipsed even Lucy.
But it wasn't her beauty that snared him. It was the smell.
The smell of fresh blood.
Familiar. Nostalgic. The scent of every life he had taken before.
But now—it was delicious.
Sai's fangs ached as the limp bandit quivered in his grasp. The itch in his throat had grown unbearable, every second scraping him from the inside. His better judgment screamed at him to resist, to hold on to what scraps of humanity he still had left.
That was when her arms wrapped tighter around him. Warm. Firm. Inescapable.
"Feed," the golden-haired woman whispered, her voice like silk poured over steel. "Your body is screaming for it. You've been reborn as a king, but even kings must eat to rise."
Sai clenched his jaw. His breath came sharp, uneven. No. I'm not some mindless beast. I won't—
But then her hand cupped his cheek. Gentle, almost tender. She turned his face toward her, forcing his eyes to meet hers. There was compassion there—strangely human—but it was wrapped in the stern resolve of someone who would not accept refusal.
"If you don't feed now," she said, gaze unwavering, "you'll cripple yourself. Stunted, weak. Worse—you'll lose what little remains of you."
Her words dug deep, carving past his resistance. Still, he hesitated.
A spark of understanding flickered across her face. She leaned closer, voice softer. "They're bandits, Sai. Killers. Rapists. Men who've slaughtered innocents for sport. Their lives aren't worth your hesitation."
That cracked him.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Sai felt something unfamiliar toward another—trust. Fragile, but undeniable.
His lips parted. His fangs sank.
The taste—oh, the taste—hit his tongue like molten honey spiked with fire. Sweet and violent. Energy coursed down his throat, flooding his veins with power so intoxicating he moaned despite himself.
One bandit, two, three—he devoured them all in quick succession, unable to stop. Their screams faded, their bodies shriveled, and yet he only hungered more. The sweet fire burned hotter, made him desperate, addicted.
By the time the last fell dry in his grasp, Sai was trembling with frenzy. His breath rasped. His vision blurred. The itch was gone—but the hunger remained. Stronger. Louder.
And the closest prey was her.
With a feral snarl, he lunged. In a flash, she was beneath him, pinned to the stone floor by his hands. His teeth bared inches from her throat, eyes wild and glowing violet.
He was ready to sink them in when—
HUMM.
A shockwave rattled through his mind, knocking his frenzy back like a bell struck too hard. His body convulsed. His grip faltered. He staggered away, collapsing beside her in a trembling heap, chest heaving as he fought the lingering addiction.
For a long moment, only their breathing filled the chamber.
Finally, she sat up, brushing golden hair behind her ear. Her gaze on him was calm, almost amused despite what had just happened.
"You almost lost yourself," she said matter-of-factly. "But it's to be expected. You weren't the one meant to be here, after all."
Sai blinked, sweat dripping from his brow. "…What?"
She tilted her head, letting the hood slide back. For the first time, he saw her clearly. Perfect, yes, but not inhumanly so—there was a sharpness to her beauty that felt dangerously alive. Above her brow, faint but undeniable, floated a small golden halo.
Sai frowned as he raised a brow. "Why the hell does a demon have a halo?"
She shrugged, almost playful. "Because I'm not just any demon. I was the one they tried to summon. But you… got in the way. In that dark space between life and death, you collided with me. Now we're… fused, in a sense. But you're the greater half for some reason."
Sai narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't answer my question."
The woman smirked, her halo shimmering faintly. "Don't be too surprised. Angels fall into demons all the time. It's not as different as mortals think. We come from the same origin."
Sai let out a long, shaky laugh. "Great. So I've got a demon with a halo squatting in my soul. Just my luck."
"Not luck." Her golden eyes gleamed. "Fate."