Chapter 53 rage
Arriving at the venue alongside Vaggie, Razan immediately spotted the one person he considered an irritating intruder who had forcefully inserted herself into their lives. The air was already thick with tension when he overheard her voice, laced with that familiar mock-offense.
— Well, how can you be so heartless as to not invite me to Loona's party?
Razan turned toward her, his eyes Golden shifting into their sharp, glowing dragon form as he fixed her with an intense, unblinking glare.
— Well, maybe the reason is that I simply don't like you, Beelzebub.
Beelzebub met his stare without flinching, a wide, playful grin spreading across her face.
— Because I'm one of the coolest beings in all of Hell! And don't forget, I'm the creator of your precious little wolf here.
That was the final spark. Razan's body surged with power as he slipped into his half-dragon transformation. A deep, rumbling pressure exploded outward from him, so intense that the entire city seemed to tremble beneath the weight of his aura. Windows rattled in their frames, the ground vibrated faintly, and distant car alarms began to wail. He stepped forward, towering and menacing, his voice low and edged with warning.
— Do you really think I fall for that "friends" talk you keep pushing with Loona? Honestly, you're the most volatile and unpredictable of all the deadly sins. Unlike the others, where at least you have some idea of what you're dealing with, no one ever knows what to expect from you. One moment you might be smiling and laughing, and the next you could be shoving someone straight into an abyss just because you think "it'll liven up the party."
Beelzebub's expression shifted in an instant. Her own power flared to life, a wild, buzzing energy that clashed against Razan's like two storms colliding. The air grew heavy with the scent of honey and ozone as she leaned in, eyes gleaming with dangerous amusement.
— You know, you're actually pretty interesting, little dragon. You clearly don't embody any of the traditional sins yourself, but if any sin were to represent you... it would be how you've twisted the purest virtue—love—into something that feels almost sinful in its intensity. Interesting, isn't it?
The standoff might have escalated further if not for the sudden intervention. Charlie and Loona rushed forward, positioning themselves directly between the two towering forces. Loona turned to Beelzebub first, her voice firm but tired.
— I already told you I don't mind you being here, but you have to stop deliberately provoking Razan. You know full well he doesn't like you very much.
Charlie, ever the peacemaker, looked desperately at Razan.
— Razan, stop! You're hurting people with this. Just look at how Vaggie, Jon, and Joe are doing right now!
Razan glanced over and saw the strain on their faces—Vaggie clutching her head slightly, Jon and Joe bracing themselves against the lingering pressure. Guilt flashed across his features. With a deep breath, he pulled his power back, his body shrinking and shifting smoothly into his normal human form. The oppressive atmosphere lifted almost instantly, the trembling ceased, and the city returned to its usual chaotic hum.
He approached Vaggie first, his voice soft and genuinely apologetic.
— I'm sorry for hurting you like that. You're Charlie's girlfriend, and she brought you here because she trusts all of us completely. The last thing I wanted was to cause you pain.
Vaggie studied him for a moment as he apologized sincerely. Then her gaze flicked to Beelzebub, who was already laughing it off and acting as if she hadn't been the one to ignite the entire confrontation. Vaggie turned back to Razan, a small understanding smile forming on her lips.
— Well, I get it. I understand completely. I'd feel exactly the same way if someone as dangerous and unpredictable as her got too close to Charlie.
Seeing the tension dissolve between them, Charlie's face lit up with relief and her trademark optimistic smile.
— Great! Now that you've both made up, we can finally get back to the planning.
Razan nodded and moved over to check on Joe and Jon, who were still recovering from the sudden burst of aura. He looked at them with clear remorse.
— Sorry about that, guys. I ended up hurting you by unleashing my power so suddenly and without warning.
Joe straightened up, waving it off respectfully.
— Sir, there's no need to worry about us. We completely understand the reason behind your anger. Having that chaos-screaming being hanging around the young miss is uncomfortable for us as well.
Jon nodded in agreement, adding his own insight.
— Yes, sir. David already explained to us what the Gluttony ring is really like under her rule. On the surface it sounds wonderful endless parties, fun, food, and excitement but it's all just a carefully crafted facade. Her entire kingdom runs on an infinite cycle of excesses. She pushes everyone around her to drink, eat, and indulge until they're sick, not out of any real generosity, but simply because unchecked excess is the very core of who she is. As the Sin of Gluttony, she knows no limits, and anyone who can't keep up with her relentless pace ends up discarded, forgotten, or outright trampled underfoot.
Jon paused briefly before continuing.
— And sir, there's also the fact that she's nothing but pure impulse. She's exactly the type of person who'd push you off a cliff while cheerfully saying "it'll be fun," and if you fell, she'd just crank up the music louder so she wouldn't have to hear the impact.
Razan sighed heavily and dropped into a nearby chair beside them. From there he could keep an eye on Beelzebub as she chatted animatedly with Charlie and Loona. He spoke quietly, more to himself than anyone else, though Joe and Jon listened intently.
— The real problem is that she's the literal creator of Loona's entire race, so Loona naturally sees her in a different, almost familial light. And because I'm here acting as a constant barrier, Beelzebub won't push things too far. But in a way, that's even worse. She reins in her true nature around me, which creates this false impression for Loona that the being who created her kind is somehow safer or more stable than she actually is.
He leaned back, staring off into the distance as he continued.
— And honestly, she's fundamentally different from any regular sinner down here. Normal sinners were human once; evil is just a part of them, not the whole. That's why redemption is even possible they can change, grow, or learn to control themselves. But Beelzebub? She is the sin itself. She's the living, breathing concept of Gluttony given human-like form. It's not that she's evil in the traditional sense; it's more like comparing her to a tiger in the wild. A tiger doesn't kill a human because it's malicious it does it because that's simply its nature. That's what makes her so terrifying: true change or improvement isn't possible for her. Everything she is every action, every impulse is tied directly to the sin she embodies. How do you improve sin? How do you redeem it? If she ever stopped being Gluttony, she would cease to be herself entirely.
Vaggie, who had quietly approached and overheard the entire explanation, finally spoke up.
— So if she's that dangerous, why not just remove this ticking time bomb from Loona's life and Charlie's altogether?
Razan offered a tired, weary smile as he tilted his head back to gaze at the crimson Hell sky overhead.
— I can't do that. Not without taking away Loona's freedom to choose her own friends and connections. It would make her sad, maybe even resentful, and making her sad is the one thing I refuse to do. So I'm left with no choice but to stay vigilant, watch closely, and step in only if things go too far.
He turned to meet Vaggie's eyes directly.
— It's the same as you and Charlie. She's determined to open this hotel and fill it with every kind of dangerous, irredeemable soul Hell has to offer, all in the hopes of redeeming them. You know how risky that is for her personally, right? So why don't you stop her? Because it's her dream her deepest passion and you love her. So you support her, even when it's hard. The most you can do is stand by her side and protect her from all those crazies while she chases that dream. Am I right? Well, that's exactly what I'm doing here. And earlier, when I lost my temper that wasn't just blind anger. It was my warning to Beelzebub, clear as day: don't cross the line, or I'll flip this entire board over and stop playing by anyone's rules.
Vaggie absorbed his words in silence for a long moment. Then a soft, genuine smile appeared on her face.
— Loona is incredibly lucky to have someone like you in her life.
Razan chuckled lightly, the tension easing from his shoulders.
— Honestly? I'm the lucky one. Finding her in this shitty, unforgiving place called Hell feels like the best thing that's ever happened to me.
He straightened up and turned to Jon and Joe with a more commanding tone.
— Jon, Joe go check the area thoroughly. Make sure my aura release didn't injure anyone nearby. If it did, get them to a hospital immediately for treatment. I'll cover every expense, no questions asked.
Joe saluted crisply.
— Yes, sir. We'll handle it right away.
The two men hurried off to carry out their orders.
Charlie's bright voice suddenly cut through the air, pulling everyone's attention back to the festivities.
— Okay, everybody! Come over here, Razan, Vaggie! We're kicking things off with some karaoke before the real party gets started. Hurry up Beelzebub is going to sing for us!
Razan exchanged a glance with Vaggie and shrugged.
— Well, let's go then.
Vaggie allowed herself a small grin.
— Seems like they're all pretty excited about this.
Razan smiled warmly as he watched Charlie bouncing with enthusiasm.
— And Charlie when is she ever not excited?
Vaggie laughed softly, her expression fond.
— True. That's just who she is: a being made of pure, unstoppable joy.