I blinked repeatedly, head turning to look at my surroundings in panic. It was an office room, completely silent except for the sound of… typing?
'How…?' I was just…' I clutched my side, expecting a sharp pain, but nothing came. 'Where am I? How did I…?'
The last thing I saw before appearing here was heavy rain. I was moving, only for two beacons of light to blind me completely. Then, something hit me, and everything hurt.
It hurt so bad I wanted to cry, to scream, but I couldn't. Instead, my mind tore itself apart, begging— No. DEMANDING I was never hurt again.
Is that a choice you wish to take?
"Who goes there?!" I got up, not even realizing I was seated until the office chair behind me hit the ground with a thud. "Who are you?! What do you want from me?!"
Not wanting to be hurt… Is that a choice you wish to take?
What type of question even was that? Who was even speaking right now? Was I kidnapped? Were there cameras around the room? Was I being filmed?!
I swallowed my questions by biting my lower lip, only now noticing how dry my throat felt.
Silence settled in the room. And my mind went back to the question.
'Not being hurt, and if that was a wish I wanted to make…' I shivered and clutched my side. Phantom pain striking all over my torso.
"Of course I don't want to!" I screamed, maybe out of desperation, out of confusion, or just to comply with the voice that seemed to be everywhere at once. "I don't want anything to be able to reach and hurt me like that!"
Once more, silence… At least, until I heard something more.
The sound of fingers on a keyboard— No. It sounded strange. A typewriter?
With the sound of typing filling my ears, I decided to search the room.
Just like I had first seen, it was a dimly lit office. Yet it was like something ripped off from a movie.
Not a single electric device on sight. And old, rugged tapestries adorned the old wooden walls.
Even the floor was made with planks, and the desk was a beautifully crafted and polished piece of dark wood, with a candle lighting up the space near the chair.
All in all, the room looked old, but definitely not abandoned. More like… rustic?
"How did I even get here…?" I groaned, feeling a sharp pain in my head.
Again, all I remembered was the sound of rain and a light so bright that it was blinding. Why couldn't I see through it? It was so damn annoying…
I cursed. Did I need glasses? I always felt like the further away things were, the harder it was to look at them. "Couldn't just have perfect eyesight. Now, could you?" I laughed self-deprecatingly.
Being able to perfectly see… That is the choice you make.
I raised an eyebrow at the voice. "Great, so now you're just putting words in my mouth…"
As the typing sound started once again, I slouched into the office chair that wasn't on the floor.
'…Isn't this chair oddly misplaced here? I'm pretty sure these don't fit the aesthetic of the rest of the room.' I was trying to distract myself because, in my panic, I noticed something awful.
There wasn't a single door in this office. I was somehow trapped inside here.
"What am I even supposed to do? Wait until the oxygen runs out?" I kicked one of the desk's legs in frustration. Regretting it almost immediately. "Fuck! What is even the point?! It's not like I could tear the wall down!"
Being stronger… is that a choice you take?
I was starting to get pissed off at this thing.
"Sure. Whatever… may as well play along if I'll die of oxygen deprivation eventually." I sighed, resting my head on the desk in resignation.
And, as the typewriter started for the third time since I've arrived here. I tried to calm down, tapping my fingers against the desk while taking deep breaths.
'Alright… I'm just in an unknown location. In a room without exits, and a disembodied voice that may or may not have kidnapped me…' Maybe I was just going insane, and all of this was a very weird, very lucid dream.
The typing stopped after a while, but the voice didn't speak up again, even as I waited for a minute, then ten minutes, then half an hour.
And I only knew that because I kept counting the damn seconds. Because, of course, there isn't a clock here.
"How…" I paused, staring at the ceiling, as if the voice were somehow situated there. "How many 'choices' do I have left?"
…
You still have two choices to make.
"And what happens once I make those choices?" I questioned with a frown. Was I let go? Get killed? Maybe given a cookie?
…
No answer.
"It was worth a shot." With a sigh, I started twirling around in the completely not misplaced office chair.
So, now what?
On one hand, I didn't know what would happen once I made these other two "choices". For all I know, I'll just die, or disappear, or all of this would finish, and I would wake up realizing this was a fever dream.
On the other hand, there was no food here. No bathroom, no fridge, no internet. Hell, no damn communication device! Nothing!
And by looking down at my hands. "Yup… all there." I still had a physical body. I was wearing sandals, long sweatpants, and a t-shirt.
So, it's either risk death or die anyway from starvation.
I blinked. "Could one of my choices be to get out of here?"
…
"Well, fuck you too, I guess."
I took a deep breath and started thinking.
'Fuck it. Two choices. And I'll have to think for both situations of having to stay here forever, or somehow getting out at the same time.'
Then, if there's no food, bathroom, or any real space to rest…
"I want a place of my own, where I could have food, a bathroom, and a bed. Anything of the like." I spoke while looking upwards at the ceiling. I didn't really know if that was necessary, but I did it anyway. "Is that… allowed?"
…
Is that a choice you make?
I took a deep sigh of relief and nodded. "Yes. That's a choice I make."
The typewriter started again. And in the meantime, I wondered about my third choice.
If these were even worth anything, I have probably made myself a small piece of heaven. After all, I'll have all the commodities I wanted without having to work for it, and I couldn't really be harmed like that again if my first choice was true.
Then… what is left?
I thought about it for a good while. So much so that the typing sound had stopped, and I was left with the sound of my own voice.
Either that, or absolutely silent.
Yet, it was not that hard to come up with something I lacked. Something any social creature needed to not go mad.
"A companion." I decided.
It was nice to have food, space, and whatever I needed, but I will eventually get bored. Maybe even go insane or pick up like a thousand hobbies.
So, a companion, a person, would be ideal, but I wasn't against an animal like a dog or a cat.
Hell, and I'll even settle for something like an immortal hamster. Just so it doesn't die a horrible death because it got scared of its own shadow.
…
What do you search for in a companion?
I blinked and stared in confusion, because on all the other 'choices", I wasn't allowed to specify that much.
'Unless I just worded like shit.' I sighed. 'Well, why let the chance go to waste, I guess?'
"A person. Uh… with some sort of hobby? Maybe a passion?" I felt weird just saying it out loud. It felt like I was customizing my probable future friend. "I don't know, man… someone who is interesting, who doesn't just go with the flow."
Suddenly, I found the correct words.
"Someone strong." I nodded. "And yes, that is a choice I make. You don't have to repeat it each time."
…
The typing started, just like all the other times. However, this time it got louder with each second that passed.
First, it was tolerable, but little by little, I felt my ears starting to ring and buzz, and then it was like the typewriter was stuck inside of my head.
I screamed, but my voice could not pierce through the sound. And I only knew because my throat started to hurt.
-Rizevim Lucifer-
Rizevim wasn't a man of rash decisions. Truly, he wasn't.
Usually, he liked to plan things out. After all, what was most satisfactory in a long life such as his than seeing a thorough plan come to fruition
So, when one of his messengers, a low-class devil that he had put to good use to be his eyes and ears around the parts of the underworld where he wasn't particularly welcomed, stepped into his office…
Well, let's say he expected nothing but good news, of course!
"My Lord." The black-haired devil that he had as an information gatherer bowed the knee. "He has awoken. The only remaining member of the Malleus Sub-House. The one with the eyes."
But maybe destiny had other plans for Rizevim's day.
"I see." He nodded with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I would be correct in assuming that those eyes of his have eaten through both poison and curse?"
Rizevim didn't wait for an answer, since it was more than clear. The Eyes of Mystery are nothing to scoff at. For even in a completely inexperienced wielder, they have managed to cleanse the strongest poison made by scientist Lucifuge, and the Sleeping Curse.
'No, cleanse is not the appropriate word.' He chuckled, an amused glint entering his eyes. 'Devour and consume. That would be more fitting.'
"Inform our dear 'Emperor' that he still has favors to give back. At once," He dismissed the bowed down devil, turning around with crossed arms behind his back and a proper, true smile as he looked at the simulated night sky above 'his territory'.
Rizevim Lucifer wasn't a rash man. Yet…
"Sometimes, the exhilaration of a ruse being thrown our way is simply exquisite, is it not?" He chuckled, spreading his arms as the fake moonlight illuminated his form.
And ruses… require rash decisions.
-Diehauser Belial-
It was always a miserable day for Diehauser when he had to do a task for that old bastard. Bringing him information was, for good or for worse, the most pleasant task, and not particularly hard, considering the Bael house had roots on every tree.
However, there were a few times in which he was pleased to do some of the work. Specifically, when it involved Cursed Spirits.
The disgusting creatures were far and wide, born out of the most vile emotions and feelings of every living, conscious being. Not even spirits, gods, or dragons were able to avoid their ugliest emotions being turned into Cursed Spirits.
That was, unless they had control over Cursed Energy themselves. Sadly, it did not get along well with magic. Often getting in the way of each other, clashing, and one winning out in the end.
If someone killed a Cursed Spirit with magic alone without proper exorcising, it would be reborn once again. Sometimes weaker, sometimes stronger, but it was always back.
However, if one were to use Cursed Energy, the spirit would be completely exorcised.
Sadly, the only ones who could manage to work with both were spirits and Yokai. And, among the supernatural races, Diehauser found great amusement in Humans being the ones most compatible with Cursed Energy besides Yokai themselves.
Only because of hearing the old fools cursing and seething at being dependent on creatures they considered "lesser".
Of course, there were some… exceptions to Cursed Spirit's "immortality".
One of which, being his own bloodline power; Worthless. The ability to nullify any ability with enough and proper understanding of it.
Which was why Diehauser was wrapping his head around this information at this very moment. After all, if his Worthless was needed by Rizevim, it was more often than not because a particularly strong Cursed Spirit was attacking or lurking among the territory of the Old Satans.
"I wonder why?" He scoffed. Because, of course, an organization like theirs would have a surplus of Cursed Energy chasing their members down like flies to the garbage. "Let's just get this over with…"
Determined to get this over with as fast as possible, he had previously made some made-up appointment of a "private nature". So, with a smidge of satisfaction, he used the main magic circle from his house to teleport away.
As he arrived at the new location, Diehauser couldn't help but notice that something felt… off.
The room had four other devils of at least High-Class reserves, and of course, Rizevim himself, dressed in a fine, unblemished white coat and with that smile of his that never reached his eyes.
Of course, the extra manpower was because Rizevim won't just deal with "rabble" himself. But then again, the equipment strapped to the devil's hips wasn't what he was used to.
Ofudas, chains, and even vials with strange liquid. Besides the last one, the first two were tools he was used to seeing in a sealment, not an exorcism.
"Ah, little Emperor. Punctual as always." The voice of the white-haired devil was already like nails on a chalkboard.
"Lord Rizevim," Diehauser nodded along in greeting before directing a pointed stare at the much older devil. "I believe you required my assistance? On a matter related to Cursed Spirits?"
"Indeed! Or, at least, it's something related to it." The secrecy in Rizevim's tone did not give him any confidence. On the contrary, it made his skin crawl somewhat. "Now, please, follow along, Emperor. Matters are best handled quickly and efficiently."
"On that, we can agree, Lord Rizevim." Clenching his fist, Diehauser resisted the urge to spit the venom he held deep within for the only son of Lucifer. "Let us make haste."
He looked in caution as Rizevim clapped, and as if they were puppets, his little squad got ready at once. In barely a minute, all of the entourage was more than ready for the subsequent teleportation.
He blinked, eyes narrowing in confusion as he took in his new surroundings.
For Diehauser, getting used to the feeling of many energies was around. Light, Holy, Demonic, and many more. Otherwise, his bloodline trait was not that effective.
And he wasn't the highest-ranked 'Player' in competitive Rating Games by being lazy and slothful, that was for sure.
So, the moment they had made the jump, he already knew where they were.
'The spiritual power in the air… Yokai Territory.' Now that threw him in for a loop. Just what was Rizevim scheming this time? 'It's so vile, too… Cursed Energy just proliferating in the air?'
For a moment, he thought that there was a wild Cursed Spirit or Yokai that had been getting on Rizevim's nerves.
That was when the group he was accompanying parted, and his eyes widened as he took in the sight.
A young man with snow-like hair and eyes of the most perfect, mesmerizing blue that Diehauser has ever seen in his life.
'Probably into his early adulthood but… That's strange. He is a… devil?'
And he was bound by chains, charged to the brim with spiritual energy and tied directly to a small, closed shrine. Which, if he was correct in assuming, was actively feeding power into the chains so as to make them stronger.
The young man also felt… weak. Or at least, his reserves were nothing to write home about. Yet, he also looked tired and famished. Even the clothing he wore was ragged, with blood soaking the white, torn sleeves of his kimono.
"Rizevim," Diehauser stated just as the older devil's smile widened a tad at the sight. "What is the meaning of this? You said this matter concerned a Cursed Spirit."
Yet, the son of Lucifer only chuckled darkly at his frustration-filled words. Either amused or uninterested in them. With arms behind his back, Rizevim offered a non-conflict smile.
"Ah, patience, little Emperor. As much as I despise it so, sometimes being virtuous is necessary in life, don't you think?" The amusement-riddled words only served to unsettle him further.
And that's when Rizevim turned to the kneeling, younger devil. With a smile that was far wider and creepier than anything he had shown Diehauser before.
"Now, isn't this a beautiful family reunion?" The words struck a realization inside his mind. And it was only then that he cursed internally for not realizing the similarities between the chained devil and Rizevim himself. "It's a pleasure to know you, nephew of mine."
His fists tightened at the anger, the fear, the confusion tainting the eyes of the young man. And for some reason…
A pool of dread settled on his stomach, and uneasiness whispered into his ears.
-?-
Just how did everything turn from bad to awful like this?
Surprisingly enough. After giving my last answer to the… god? Thing? Disembodied voice? I woke up.
But… I wasn't me anymore. Or I didn't think so, at least. I was neither on my bed nor in my home, and my entire body felt… weird.
"Where am I?" My eyes widened as I touched my throat. Even my voice was different than what I remembered, with a higher pitch.
Just looking at the room felt strange. A fancy bed, with comfortable cushions and pillows. A taken-care-of room, with not a mote of dust inside.
No, that… that wasn't right.
I felt my breath halt as all of a sudden, I saw… everywhere. Every small fiber of the bedsheets, the fine ridges of carved wood, and the previously invisible chips of time that had barely weathered the structure.
And, as if correcting my earlier statement, I saw the smallest smidge of dirt on the carpet spread at the feet of the bed.
'But how…?' Before I could understand, a headache like I've never felt before pierced my head. I screamed, and closed my eyes as I grabbed my temple like it was trying to end my life "Ffffuuuuck…"
The pain receded barely a smidge as darkness took over. And I was glaring daggers at that damn vermilion carpet that—
How am I staring at the carpet with my eyes closed?
I tried opening my eyes again, and once again, it was like I was looking at the carpet through the world's best magnifying glass. I closed them again while cursing at the pain coursing through my entire head before closing them again.
And even while closed, I still felt like I could see… more. Always more. Hell, if I compared my vision to what it was and what it is now, I would say I was outright blind before waking up.
I heard voices coming from one of the doors in the room, which I supposed led to a hallway. I tried and failed to get up.
Surprised, I lifted an arm, which was covered in a beautifully white, pristine kimono. And slowly, I peeled the sleeve back and stared in horror at just how thin my arm was.
My arm started to shake, and I had to lie it on the bed. I touched my chest as a sudden bout of tiredness washed over my entire body.
"Haa…huff…" I was… panting?! From literally just raising my arm?
What was wrong with my body?!
And, as if my headache wasn't enough. Something hot and painful throbbed in my head, and I screamed, feeling my throat go hoarse from how much I was forcing my voice.
Memories, knowledge, and small facts of a life that I never knew. A white-haired woman who looked ill, clinging to my body and crying.
The feeling of power, as an evil-looking energy flowed through my entire body; Demonic Power, my memories provided.
An origin, and people— no. Devils. Handsome men and Beautiful women with silver tongues that didn't age a day, no matter how long it passed, with black bat-like wings protruding from their backs and powers able to control and mold their desires into reality.
Then, a scream of a woman, as I saw myself staring at a small animal, a dog? A cat? It was blurry. The only thing I knew was that when my gaze landed on it, the creature started to unravel, with its organs and blood dissipating only partially, leaving a bleeding, dead carcass with missing limbs.
Then… a man? White-haired and fair-skinned and then… darkness.
So concentrated was I in the sudden influx of memories that I didn't notice I wasn't alone anymore.
"Lord Malleus has woken up!" I turned to the door with closed eyes. A woman— No. A devil. Brown haired and dressed like a maid, with a complicated expression that betrayed her joyful tone. "Tell Lord Lucifer, quickly!"
'Lucifer…? As in, the devil?' I wondered in panic before another voice joined the first one.
"How is he of the eyes? I heard screaming…" A masculine voice this time. From an old man with salt-and-pepper hair. "My lord? Are you of mind?"
The way he spoke was strange, but I could tell that he was referring to me since his onyx eyes were staring cautiously at me.
Not knowing what else to do, and with my body way too weak to even move, I believed the best I could do was answer. Something… pulled at the back of my head. As if I knew how to properly address this person.
"I am sound, yes." I frowned at the sudden change in my mannerisms. "However… my body feels… deteriorated, and my head rocks with a headache."
With closed eyes, I saw the male servant smile with practiced serenity as he approached the bed from the side.
"But of course, my lord. It is a wonder that you even woke up in the first place. After all, the Sleeping Curse is something that has taken many, many lives before." He explained in a grave tone, while my "gaze" wandered to the maid currently staring at me with a pointed frown. Something felt… odd. "But surely, it must be because of the Lord's eyes. After all, the Magic Eyes of Mystery are known for their… lack of care when magic, curse, or divine is involved."
'The Eyes of Mystery…?' If I had to guess, he was referring to my extraordinary sight. Was there more to these eyes than just enhanced vision?
"I see…" Literally, in fact.
The maid, previously standing at the door, approached the other side of my bed cautiously. She looked nervous.
"Lord Malleus. Please, allow me to help you to your feet. After so much time, you surely must be famished." The way she spoke was confident, yet her stance was anything but. Do they think I cannot gaze at them without having my eyes open?
The guessing game I was playing with these strangers was interrupted when a loud growl made itself known.
"I suppose I could eat," I stated with grace even as I felt my cheeks get the tiniest bit hotter.
"But of course, my Lord! Let me make haste so the kitchen prepares something delicious, as it will be nutritious." The old man—I'll start calling him Sebastian—stated. "In the meantime, please let Felicia assist you with anything you may need."
And just as he came, the man was swiftly out of the door. Leaving me with a nervous and cautious yet loyal maid in tow.
I immediately slumped into the bed, letting out breaths of exhaustion and tiredness at having been literally sitting and talking.
"My lord?!" The maid half-shouted as she hurried to my side, even placing her hands on my shoulder and forehead. "You're burning up! Please don't move, I'll assist you immediately."
'This is going so suuuck, isn't it? Why in God's—' I groaned in pain, as the headache I was feeling suddenly got twice as bad.
'This feels… so strange.' I opened my mouth as Felicia spoon-fed me a very delicious stew that the kitchen managed to prepare in a short span of time.
Apparently, I couldn't even get out of bed without being carried, which I didn't particularly have a problem with, but by the reaction of Felicia, it seemed that it wouldn't be… well seen?
So, I was reduced to being fed like a toddler by the maid, who I'll say barely relaxed at all in the meantime.
No, actually, I'll say it had gotten worse. Especially when I opened my eyes to take a proper look at my food, just out of curiosity. At that moment, Felicia looked like she would scream, faint, die, or all of the above without a proper order.
"That is enough, Felicia. Thank you." Sadly, my stomach felt full already with a few bites. So, no matter how tasty the meal was, I refused another bite, much to my caretaker's displeasure.
With a frown, and the small amount of time I had to think things over, I decided that it would be best to ask questions here and there, because apparently, I was of some sort of noble upbringing, of which I barely remembered…
Yet, before I could ask Felicia anything, my head snapped to the door as it was opened.
Three people entered, completely unprompted. Two men and a woman. The former two had a slightly similar build, with white, strange robes, while the woman wore a similarly white uniform, only that hers had small black accents near the waist, which now that I noticed carried a few strange pieces of scribbled paper.
Already, I felt a tenseness in the air as Felicia frowned in confusion.
The man on the left leveled a glare at the maid, while the one on the right was staring at me with a pointed stare, arms at his sides, but with twitching fingers, as if ready to strike.
Already, I felt that whoever these people were, they were bad news for sure.
"Lord Malleus. It's good to see you alive and awake." I frowned at the way the woman had avoided saying 'alive and well'. "However, someone has requested your presence. I ask that you come with us."
Immediately, the two men moved and carelessly grabbed onto my arms. My eyes widened in surprise as a hiss escaped my mouth at their rough grip. And, of course, Felicias was quick to try and intervene.
"Lord Malleus is not of proper condition; he can barely stand and has just woken up!" She protested with fury. And I was quite surprised that the nervous woman was so forward in my defense.
"Maid of Asmodeus…" The woman raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Then, I'm sure you'll be willing to explain to Lord Rizevim himself?"
"T-that's…"
A feeling of… rage nestled itself in my chest. For some reason, something at the back of my head screamed at the audacity of these people.
I felt a strange energy coursing through my body. It was that rage, but given form. The women had paused, and the two men looked in astonishment even as their grip tightened.
"...Unhand me." The venom in my tone came as a surprise, and pain rocked my body as I flexed an arm. The devil, holding onto it, gasped as my much thinner hand clasped his. "You filth."
The man screamed as I felt something snap under my grip. I opened my eyes, much to the shock of the robe-wearing woman.
I felt a force, like the air displacing itself, as the other man finally released my other limb.
My legs shook as they stood without support, but I remained on my feet as I saw it. The space, the distance separating me from the man.
His hand reached out to me in panic, but it never reached. Like it was frozen in the air.
I cursed as my eyes stung, like they had been stabbed by a hundred little needles. Forcing me to close them once more, just as the robed woman moved.
I didn't have time to even gasp as she disappeared from my vision. No, not disappeared, more like she had just moved that fast.
I turned back, but the sound of something cracking and the scream of Felicia rang in my ears.
"He truly is of both Asmodeus and Malleus blood…" The robbed woman muttered with a serious frown, a moment after she had chopped my neck.
My vision darkened as I slumped to the floor, only feeling a pair of hands grabbing my sides just as I fell.
-Rizevim Lucifer-
He stared at the kneeling young man. His eyes were closed, and his face looked sunken. His frame was quite small, considering he had breached adulthood already.
'Well, being cursed for a decade would surely do that.' Rizevim almost chuckled. Truly, the eyes of Asmodeus were certainly powerful.
"You claim… to be family." He blinked, and his grin widened when the young devil spoke. "Yet… I'm threatened, harmed, and chained in this awful place—" It seemed that he could feel the cursed energy in the air, too. Fascinating "—Not a very good sales pitch, 'uncle'."
A laugh escaped past Rizevim's lips as he crouched down to his nephew's height. "Of course, of course! Where are my manners…"
"I am Rizevim Livan Lucifer. Only son of the original Lucifer, and rightful heir to devilkind." He started, yet the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. "But we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other after a small chat, dear nephew."
Of course, after all. One such as little Malleus here could absolutely tip the scales of devilkind depending on which side the coin landed on.
If he were to join their cause to overthrow the four that stood at the top of this faction, many more devils would be willing to support them, and even those who didn't would start having doubts.
'However…If he fell on the "New Satans" hands…' Rizevim had to hold back a glare, lest the young man and those eyes of his detect his mood.
Because if such a thing were to happen, the opposite would be true. The New Satans would gain the last upper hand they needed to just erase them off the map.
That was how much having someone with the original Satan blood tipped the scales.
It wasn't like he cared much about politics, but what he did care about was freedom. The freedom for devils to actually act like the evil creatures they are supposed to be.
And this little government that has been around for centuries now was starting to get on his nerves with their rules, their morals, and especially how accommodating they were to the outside filth.
"Speak then…" The young man snapped. Showing quite the bravado even in his position. "And make it quick… My hands are getting tired here."
For a moment, Rizevim wondered where the devil had gotten his manner of speech. However, if he remembered correctly, young Malleus always had… a foul mouth. If his mother's words were to be believed.
"Everyone here, you and I. We are all devils, correct?" Rizevim asked with a simple smile. "And of course, devils should certainly act like so."
"Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Pride, Wrath, Sloth, and Envy. All of those are the traits that define us, devils." He patted the young Malleus's shoulder. "Devils are creatures of sin, after all."
"Then, won't it be just our nature to crave power above all else? The want— No. The need to stand above everyone else, and just take what we most desire so?" He laughed, getting up and spreading his arms wide. "Angels, Fallen, Humans, Spirits, and even Gods! All of them should be unable to match us, to defy us!"
''…" Malleus remained silent, yet that didn't make him falter any.
"Devils are evil, for nature itself decided so! These… politics, games of cat and mouse, and even peace. That is a weakness. All of it!" He explained eagerly with a wide grin. Rizevim was already getting pumped by his own speech. "The difference between those who can accept and embrace that fact is what really separates the true devils from the rabble that should be put to the pyre—!"
"You're crazy." Rizevim stopped, his once excited eyes now gazing coldly at the young man, who had actually opened his eyes and was staring daggers at him.
Eyes that held that beautiful blue color, but also that symbol, the one making this boy a true descendant. The one who made even one such as him shudder. Yet…
"Just take whatever you want? I can understand Greed, Lust, to some degree. Who wouldn't desire riches and partners?" The young Malleus started with a rough, slow, yet determined voice. "But to do so endlessly…? That's just plain… boring."
Rizevim's fist clenched as he stared down. Yet, the smile never left his face.
"I would prefer to die than to… deal with such boredom and… crazy ideals for the rest of my life… Or deal with you for that matter…" He was quite snarky, too. Which was no wonder, considering the young man may have skipped puberty altogether. "If that's enough… of an answer… then pick up from the ground and shove it up your ears."
The young Malleus had quite a way with words, it seemed. Truly, even now, Rizevim could discern that Pride of his.
What a sad outcome, then.
"Diehauser…" Rizevim called out while looking back. The 'emperor' had a grim, angry look on his face. Yet, he stood at attention all the same.
So, he spoke.
"Limitless, little Malleus's bloodline here has many facets to it, you know? Yet the most prevalent one is the one known as… Infinity." He started with a much too wide grin, reciting lines he had read long ago in the many books that belonged inside the Asmodeus house's library.
His small squad of soldiers already knew what he was up to, and Diehauster's face dawned in realization, too.
"What are you…" The young man inquired, yet Rizevim interrupted without a second thought.
"Basically, anything that approaches infinity slows down and never reaches the user. Fascinating, is it not?" He turned to the young man with a disappointed glint. It was a shame that such an ability, along with Asmodeus' eyes, fell into the hands of someone so… un-devil-like. "This is because the technique takes the finite amount of space between the two subjects and divides it an infinite number of times. Like dividing a number, trying to reach zero, but never accomplishing it."
As he explained, Rizevim approached the small shrine where the young man was tied. Unbothered by the repulsive energy coming out of it in waves.
This location… It wasn't chosen at random. It was Yokai territory, even if not particularly populated.
'So… if a devil from a sub-house of Lucifer, and relative to Asmodeus themselves, were to die on Yokai territory… by the hands of, say, a cursed object no less.' He mused while opening the small shrine and taking out a parchment-covered object. 'Won't that make enough of a ruckus to serve as a replacement to lift my mood after such a… disappointing outcome?'
Unraveling the parchment revealed a mummified finger with a long, black nail. Now with the cloth gone, it was easy to tell that the object was cursed to hell and back.
"Rizevim, you couldn't possibly be asking me to—' He raised a hand, and glared at Diehauser's way.
"Need I remind you, little emperor. That you owe many, many favors to me?" Rizevim chuckled while shaking his head. "Or would you prefer it so our little arrangement be null? Oh, poor little Cleria… for her death to go unresolved thanks to the selfishness of her cousin! How… devil-like of you!"
…
Diehauser's face hardened with fury, and the small clearing became much, much heavier as his Demonic Power leaked out in roaring waves.
Yet… he walked forward with trembling shoulders as he regained his composure. He took a look at Rizevim, and then at the young man, before hesitantly extending his hand.
''I'm sorry…'' It was but a mere whisper, but he caught it all the same.
Rizevim chuckled, amused at the scene of the young man gasping in shock as his little trick vanished into thin air under the guise of the emperor's trait.
Worthless, an ability that nullified others' powers as long as the user had a good understanding of how the ability itself worked.
And of course, he took this small window chance to grab the young Malleus's chin, forcing his mouth open…
…and shoving the cursed finger down.
The young man coughed, cursed, and retched, possibly at the taste of such a thing. Yet, Rizevim had already gotten bored. Turning around from the scene.
"Follow along, Diehauser. We are done here." He ordered with no small amount of frustration and glanced at the remaining High-Class devils. "You six will put his body somewhere… visible. Make a spectacle of it, if you will."
With an angry, silent Diehauser in tow. Rizevim made the magic circle light up. Yet, as he looked at the trembling and retching young man, he just had to give his dear Nephew a… goodbye gift.
Demonic Power coalesced into his fingers, and with a smile, he pointed them at the young man.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Nephew of mine!" He exclaimed with amusement. "Now die."
The beam of concentrated power flew from his hand and pierced the young man through the chest. Directly where his heart lay.
A scream of pain was all Rizevim heard before he teleported away, letting his servants do the rest.
"Truly… what a waste." He shook his head, even if a smile split his lips as he heard the little champion's teeth grind against each other.
-Malleus-
So that brought me to my original question…
How did the situation go from bad to awful?
Woken up, treated as some sort of nobility, only for a trio of strangely robbed people to drag me around without explaining anything. Even going as far as to knock me unconscious.
What about not being hurt again? What purpose did that serve if this 'Infinity' could be disabled or pierced through?
What about my perfect eyesight? What purpose did I have for something that I could barely use without having a migraine?
What about the power? What use did I have for being a race born out of fantasy like a devil if my body was weak and malnourished?!
What about my small piece of heaven? One that would provide me with food, bed, and all the necessities I needed? Was it that manor I woke up in before these bastards ripped me off it?!
And now, I was tied to a dreadful-feeling shrine. Forced to eat a mummified, cursed finger with a gaping, bleeding hole that the man who called himself my uncle just blasted through my chest.
'What a shitty life...' I coughed as blood dripped out of my mouth. My chest was getting colder, and I couldn't feel my limbs anymore.
There, I wondered…
What about my companion? Someone I could chat with, maybe depend on, I haven't even seen them! Haven't even talked to them—!
'What an awfully strange way to wake up…' I blinked. Was that… a voice? Deep and rough, but it was certainly the voice of a woman. What?
'Am I hallucinating…?' I couldn't help but scoff at the notion.
'Oh? You're still alive and conscious… a surprise.' The voice said again with a hint of interest. 'Haa… I still have nineteen left, but losing a finger over something this petty… such a nuisance.'
What was this woman even talking about? Why was she in my head? I couldn't even focus properly as I felt the edges of my vision darkening.
'I could always just trade vessels, but finding a host, a magic host, capable of swallowing such a curse without dying is a rarity.' She kept muttering. Like she was chatting with herself while I bled out on the ground. 'Devil brat, are you up to living?'
Living? Of course, I wanted to do that. What kind of question even was that?
'Then, how about it? You switch with me, and then you get to live.' For some reason, I felt a pressure of energy suddenly surround my chest. Awfully constricting, like the chains around my arms. 'Do we have a deal?'
I coughed again. I was sure of it; consciousness was slipping from me, and at any moment, I would just drop dead.
'…Deal.' I answered the possibly imaginary voice in my head.
And I felt chains constrict around my heart, only to settle in place right after.
'…Just that easy, huh?' And now, the woman sounded almost… disappointed? Of course, it was that easy. Did she not notice I was close to… 'Oh, you're on the verge of death. Alright then.'
The sound of laughter filled my ears as I closed my eyes and blacked out. Like I was falling into a sea of pillows.
…
And immediately, black tattoos spread across the body as its eyes opened anew. With an extra set of them even appearing below the main ones.
The Queen of Curses walked the earth once more.
-?-
'Worse than I first imagined…' She thought as the chains around this body's arms and torso burst with a single push.
Panicked voices reached her ears as she stood completely and started stretching her shoulders. It was irksome; never had she used a body that needed a steady flow of reinforcement from Cursed Energy just to not keel over and collapse.
''The Eyes of Mystery is awake!'' She raised an eyebrow at the first man who spoke. And suddenly, she was momentarily surprised as her gaze turned vividly accurate. With a single push of power, she could perfectly see the Demonic Power flowing through the Devil's body, the spiritual energy in the air, and even the cursed energy that lay stagnant and unused in this body. ''Quick! Inform Lord Rizevim of—''
With a flick of fingers, the voice of the devil was cut short as his head fell from his shoulders. A fountain of blood took its place as the body of the uninteresting man fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings were cut.
''Silence at last.'' She snorted and suddenly frowned, as a headache rocked her head, and a stinging sensation made itself known in these azure eyes. ''…Annoying.''
She turned, staring as the five other weaklings suddenly froze. This body had proven to be more interesting than she first thought. The brat's eyes felt like seeing for the first time. Even that man she had cut down… she managed to get a glimpse of her own technique, and immediately noticed the small kinks and defects that she had previously thought were perfect cuts.
As a coppery taste filled her mouth, a smile crossed her face at the taste. It was only then that she assessed the damage done to this body, looking at the gaping, dripping hole where this body's heart once was.
''You damn freak of nature!'' Her smile dropped at the interruption from the remaining rabble.
As the Devil's demonic power flew freely through his body to reinforce his physical state, the mages at the back channeled their magic through neatly drawn Ofuda, converting Demonic Power into Cursed Energy.
The Queen felt herself getting… annoyed.
On another instance, she would have reveled at the feeling of the shining moon on her fresh, living skin and immediately see how the world had changed from when she breathed her last. Maybe see what types of new cuisines the world has acquired in such a long time!
But with this weak, barely sustainable body, the headache currently tearing through her head, and the annoying brutes that had been doing nothing but screaming uselessly while flailing around like a fish fresh out of the water?
Let's say that her mood wasn't particularly the best.
So, as the muscular, black-haired devil pounced upon her form, the smile on her face was long gone, replaced by thinly pressed lips, as cursed energy empowered this body. The fingers on her right hand suddenly appeared to turn into black claws.
''Ggk—'' And with the sound of flesh tearing flesh, a single swipe of her hand had not only torn the man to shreds, leaving only the lower half of his body to slump on the ground, but had also rended the air so that some of the flora around the clearing had been torn from its roots with the movement alone.
''Y-you monster! What are you?!'' Another screamed as lightning cackled from a magic circle.
''You have to use cursed energy, you fool!'' Another one screamed while black fire surrounded their form. A stream of it suddenly approached her direction. ''The bastard clearly turned into a Cursed Spirit!''
She took one glance at the upcoming attacks, just as the feeling of strangeness filled her head. The blue eyes that had been stinging to the point of a migraine saw right through the arcs of lightning and fire. How the air around them was either consumed to feed the flames or ionized to make an easier path for the sparks.
And then, it was the feeling of the space between her and the attacks… stretching.
She blinked, as the attacks stopped just an inch of her skin— No, they didn't stop. It was like they were traveling ever so slowly, and the closer they got to her form, the slower they moved.
'This brat…' She blinked in surprise, and a wide smirk returned to her face. 'What an interesting concept… but an ability like this, going unused for so long…'
Now that was something that pissed her off.
And all of a sudden, the Queen didn't feel like playing around anymore. This body tore itself apart with each second she made it forcefully move, and the gaping hole in its chest wasn't fixing itself.
She had thought of jumping ship. After all, while these devils were weak, they were much stronger than her current vessel. But, with abilities like this…
Not to mention, these weaklings may not be able to handle her cursed energy even if they could use it. A human or Yokai host would be much more likely to do so.
Still, leaving this opportunity would be such a waste. And waste was something that she greatly repudiated.
''It's your lucky day, devil brat…'' She muttered in amusement as the attacks failed to reach her body, no matter how much the four devils attacked. Be it lightning made with demonic power or black fire born out of cursed energy. ''You get to live another day.''
With a wide grin, her hands came together in the form of a two-handed handsign, and the world itself seemed to hold its breath.
''Domain Expansion...''
An accursed shrine rose from bloody waters, much to the devil's dread. And she? She stood atop it, looking down upon the riffraff filth before her with nothing but anticipation of a good stretch.
''…Malevolent Shrine.''
The gate to hell opened as the sound of a drop of water echoed on still waters, breaking the vice grip that silence held on the world in that moment.
Invisible, razor-sharp cuts flew through the air, shredding not only the devils, but the surrounding nature, be it tree, animal, insect, or flower. All was torn to shreds in a second.
And just like it started, it had ended with silence.
She slumped, frowning at the feeling of her body staggering and locking up. It seemed that such an ability was way out of the capabilities of this body. So much so that she immediately had to start the process of making Positive Energy flow through this weakened body.
''Better…'' She hummed while looking around. In the place where the shrine and nature were, an artificial clearing remained. With the trees that had been in her range being no more than a pile of splinters at best… along with everything else, really. ''Getting rusty…''
''Oi, devil brat. You there?'' She called out, looking around until she found one of the torn-apart bodies of the devils, ripping a piece of white cloth from their destroyed robes.
However, her words went unanswered. It seemed that the brat was deeply asleep for now. ''…Well then.''
A grin crossed her face once more as she tied the cloth around her eyes; she had to even cover the extra pair, since these new eyes seemed adamant in seeing all and everything at all times.
''It would be a waste, wouldn't it?'' She called out with a laugh as she took chunks of meat from the deceased. A leg here, an arm there. Ohh~ She very much liked ribs from time to time.
My, what a feast it would be!
.
.
.
Author's Note: It's that time again! Kek
New fic, because I wanted to write some JJK, and a Gojo Expy with an upgraded Six Eyes was what I had in mind. Also, Sukuna's vessel because fuck it, we absolutely ball.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Also, I have 3 more chapters of this fic on my Patreo n, if you want to check it out.
Discord Link: discord .gg/ 92Yt5wxeWN
Patreo n: patreo n. com (slash) HamsterX42