Chapter 7 : Ring of Gluttony.

Sabnock Sabro ( When he was a kid )

The parchment trembled in his hands.

The runes… ancient, wild, and glowing like the embers of a long-dead flame.

They whispered of a king not yet born. A savior. A destroyer. A ruler.

"He shall unite all beings under his command"

A young boy with wild yellow hair and pride burning in his chest—Sabro—sat amidst a mountain of ancient tomes, eyes wide with hunger.

"And heh...? Heal all demonkind... and don the golden ring of"

His voice trailed off as the words struck deep.

The golden ring... The one said to awaken the will of kings.

The Ring of Solomon.

A soft voice echoed from behind the shelves.

"Reading about the Demon King again, Sabro-sama?"

It was a young demon girl, her eyes curious, her tone gentle.

She stepped forward, watching the boy who knelt like a disciple before destiny.

Sabro didn't turn.

He was still lost in the glow of the scroll, his eyes darting between lines like he could memorize fate.

She stepped closer, kneeling beside him.

"If I may ask why does Sabro-sama want to be the Demon King so much?"

He blinked.

Just for a moment, the pride cracked. Just for a second... the boy inside him spoke.

"I"

He looked down at the scroll again.

The light of the prophecy reflected in his eyes—like a fire waiting to rise.

"I want to be the one who unites them all, who changes what it means to be king"

The girl smiled faintly.

---

The Guardian Beast soared through the skies, its wings slicing the clouds with a thunderous beat. Riding upon its back, Iruma and Sabnock Sabro sat in silence, the wind roaring in their ears, the finish line drawing closer by the second.

With a final powerful flap, the beast landed with a ground-shaking thud at the end of the course.

Dust settled. Kalego's eyes turned.

Iruma and Sabro... had arrived first.

Waiting at the finish line, Professor Kalego's eyes twitched behind his glasses as he watched the massive Guardian Beast fold its wings neatly, letting the two boys slide off its back as casually as if they'd just stepped off a bus.

"What… in the name of all that is demonic…Guardian beast" Kalego muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching with visible irritation.

"Did they really…?"

Iruma dusted off his cloak and landed with ease, giving a simple nod toward Kalego.

Sabro crossed his arms smugly. "First place. As expected. For us both rival."

Iruma said while slightly smirking , "So we are now rival?"

"Yes we are"

Kalego's brow twitched again. His shadow trembled ominously behind him.

"You two…" he began coldly, voice calm yet filled with suppressed rage.

 "Were explicitly told that Cutthroat Valley was off-limits."

"We got through it," Iruma replied smoothly, his tone nonchalant with that calm confidence inherited from his other soul.

"That's not the issue!" Kalego snapped. "You directly disobeyed my instructions, put yourselves at risk, and bonded with a highly dangerous beast. What are you, tamers now?!"

The teacher waved his hand dramatically, and with a dark shimmer of magic, two demonic hangers appeared in the air—each glowing with cursed inscriptions.

He shoved one toward Iruma. The words on it, glowing in red demon script, read:

"I WILL NOT DISOBEY."

And the other, practically vibrating with restrained power, was slammed into Sabro's hand:

"I WILL NOT SMASH THINGS."

Both boys groaned as they sat cross-legged on the grass, hangers resting awkwardly on their heads. Just like the original punishment chair pose—only now it glowed a bit more painfully.

Sabro grumbled, "This is beneath me…"

Iruma chuckled softly, "Let's just take it, Sabro. It's better than a written apology." 

Kalego crossed his arms with a scowl. "You'll remain like that until the rest of your class finishes. Use this time to reflect on your idiocy."

Three minutes later, a burst of colorful sound and swirling wind swept through the finish line.

"Iruma-samaaaa~!!" a voice called out.

Descending with a brilliant whirl of fire and grace was Asmodeus Alice, carrying Clara Valac on his back like a chaotic backpack. She waved her arms excitedly, legs kicking in the air as if she were still mid-flight.

They landed beside the boys, Asmodeus immediately stepping forward with his usual composure—though his eyes lit up the moment he saw Iruma.

"Iruma-sama! You… were first?!"

Before Iruma could answer, Sabro huffed from his spot. "Yeah. He was."

Asmodeus's eyes sparkled like a thousand tiny suns. "That's amazing! To come in first even through such a perilous course! As expected of my Iruma-sama!"

He then turned to Kalego, frowning slightly. "But Sensei, why are they being punished? They won, didn't they?"

Kalego shot him a glare. "They disobeyed instructions and took the banned route. Winning or not, rules were broken."

Clara, now off Alice's back, skipped around the group, humming cheerfully. Then she crouched behind Sabro and began pelting him with small pebbles.

Thwip. Thwip.

Sabro flinched. "Oi. Stop that."

Clara giggled, tossing another pebble with precise mischief. "Bweeeeh~ You look like a puppy."

Then clara jumping like dog around them.

Iruma raised an eyebrow but didn't intervene, merely watching with mild amusement.

Kalego, despite himself, felt a smirk threaten to form on his lips.

Hmph. "At least they're entertaining," he thought as he turned away.

---

One by one, the students of the Misfit Class arrived at the finish line, some dragging their feet, others stumbling with exhaustion. But despite the rough race, there was a strange energy in the air—the kind that follows when something extraordinary has happened.

As the crowd settled, Asmodeus Alice stepped beside Iruma, his sharp eyes immediately noticing something.

"Iruma-sama," he said with concern, "your hand… what happened?"

Iruma blinked, glancing at the bandaged cut on his palm. "Ah... I, uh…"

A flash of memory hit him—his grandfather Sullivan's serious voice:

"Iruma-kun, remember, you must never tell anyone you're human."

Iruma paused for a second, then quickly shifted. "It was during the fight with the Guardian Beast. Got a little too close."

Sabro, standing nearby, nodded firmly. "He did what needed to be done. Showed true resolve."

Professor Kalego crossed his arms with an exasperated sigh. "You two were reckless, disobedient, and nearly got yourselves killed. If you weren't already punished, I'd double it."

Before anyone could respond, Kalego snapped his fingers.

"Enough. Now comes your official ranking."

From the sky, a strange flying owl with glowing red eyes swooped down, carrying an ornate pouch around its neck. The bird landed gracefully, its wings folding in with eerie precision. This was no ordinary bird—it was a Magical Rank Appraisal Familiar, a creature that determined a student's rank based on their magical energy and control.

Kalego gestured to the owl. "Each of you will place your hand into the pouch. The bird will read your magical signature and assign your rank accordingly. Let's begin."

The students lined up, one by one:

Asmodeus Alice – Daleth [Rank 4] Alice smirked confidently. "Hmm… Perhaps Iruma-sama will receive even higher."

Clara Valac – Gimel [Rank 3] "YAYYY! I got… a thingy!" she cheered, twirling in place.

Sabnock Sabro – Daleth [Rank 4]"Naturally. My strength speaks for itself."

Allocer Schneider – Gimel [Rank 3]Calm, analytical, unimpressed.

Andro M. Jazz – Gimel [Rank 3]Smirked, flipping his bangs.

Lied Shax – Aleph [Rank 1]"Aww, man."

Kamui Caim – Aleph [Rank 1]Winks "Low key, but deadly."

Crocell Kerori – Bet [Rank 2]"Hmph, acceptable."

Elizabetta Ix – Aleph [Rank 1]"Oh well, still fabulous."

Agares Picero – Aleph [Rank 1]"... Wake me up when it's over."

Gaap Goemon – Aleph [Rank 1]"Rank doesn't matter if the heart is pure!"

Purson Soi – Bet [Rank 2] Silently nods.

Now… it was Iruma's turn.

He stepped forward slowly, already knowing what the outcome would be. No magic. No demonic power. Nothing to rank.

Iruma took a breath and reached into the owl's pouch.

The moment his hand touched the interior—

"SCREEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

The owl screeched violently, its feathers bristling, wings flaring wide as if it had touched something alien—something unreadable. It burst into the air with a shocked flap, spinning in panic before flying off, shrieking into the distance.

The whole class froze.

"What… the hell was that?" Sabro muttered.

Clara clapped. "WHOA! Iruma, did you break the bird?!"

Kalego pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unbelievable. Now how am I supposed to assign him a rank?"

Just then, a faint golden glow pulsed on Iruma's hand.

The entire class turned to look.

A golden ring had formed around Iruma's middle finger, glowing with strange symbols etched deep into its surface.

Iruma stared at it, confused.

Kalego narrowed his eyes. "That ring…what is this?."

Alice stepped forward, stunned. "Iruma-sama… is that…?"

It shimmered with an unfamiliar scream —demonic magic.

As the students lined up and Iruma stepped forward to place his hand into the owl's testing pouch, there was a brief silence.

Then—

A piercing scream exploded from the owl.

Every student clutched their ears in pain.

Lied collapsed to the ground, groaning.

Jazz dropped to his knees, clutching his head.

Elizabetta winced, falling into Kerori's arms.

Kamui rolled, eyes shut tight. Even Asmodeus flinched.

"What's going on?" Iruma called out, concerned. "Guys?!"

He turned to Alice.

"Azz?"

Alice stepped back, face pale, trembling.

"I-Iruma-sama... behind you..."

Iruma slowly turned.

A writhing silhouette of pure black energy spiraled behind him, taking the vague shape of a demon—or worse, a beast from the void. It clawed at the air, screeching in a high-pitched frequency that cracked stone and echoed across the arena.

It was coming from his ring.

Iruma's eyes narrowed. Calm, calculating.

He reached for the sword slung across his back.

Kusanagi.

He drew it in one fluid motion and slashed through the shadow.

But it did nothing.

The blade cut clean air. The monster reformed in the same breath. It wasn't physical.

Then the scream grew worse.

Kalego appeared in a blink, face twisted in irritation and worry. "That's enough. Iruma—stay still. Let me see that."

He reached out and placed a hand on Iruma's shoulder.

The world stopped.

Kalego's eyes widened.

His body shook, as if pierced by invisible blades.

Visions flooded him—blinding, fast-forward flashes of something catastrophic.

He saw two... three... six path of future... a world split in half.

He gasped, recoiling. "...Tch."

Kalego's hand glowed. "Then I have no choice."

He raised his arm, preparing to sever Iruma's hand at the wrist. It was the only way he knew to stop cursed artifacts from consuming their hosts.

But Iruma's instincts surged. He sensed it. Sword in hand, eyes burning with three tomoe—he brought the blade to block.

A sudden flash of pressure halted everything.

"That's enough, Kalego."

A warm voice.

A playful tone.

Lord Sullivan appeared in a burst of smoke and magic.

His presence brought instant relief. The pressure faded. The black energy began to quiver.

Sullivan stepped forward with a cheerful hum, placing a palm gently on Iruma's ring.

"Come now, you hungry little thing. Let's feed you properly."

He poured magic into it.

A flood.

The ring drank it greedily, its form distorting and glowing red-hot. Then, slowly, the energy vanished, sucked into the ring's core, until it looked like nothing more than an ordinary accessory again.

All the students finally relaxed. They slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Kalego wiped his face with a sleeve, grumbling. "Tch. Reckless. Dangerous."

Iruma, still holding his sword, lowered it with a quiet sigh and turned to Kalego with a smirk.

"Sensei… That wasn't very nice, you know."

Kalego's brow twitched. "You—"

Before he could scold further, Sullivan clapped his hands cheerfully. "Well now, that was exciting! Maybe we should get you a second ring to stabilize the first. Oooh, or maybe a scarf enchanted with time magic?"

"Please stop, old man."

"Heh~ He called me old again~ So adorable!"

Kalego's brow vein practically exploded.

"ENOUGH!" the teacher barked. "We will now announce Iruma's rank."

And then—let's projected the rank.

ALEPH. [Rank 1]

Iruma blinked.

So did the class.

Kalego sighed smirk. "Despite that show of chaos, your official rank remains at the beginner level. Aleph."

Then sullivan said to everyone that this ring name is Ring of Gluttony.