Inner Devil

A heavy, restless anxiety churned within me throughout the walk to a room the size of a ballroom, yet circular in its design. A rectangular black table, easily over five meters long, sat precisely in the center. Matching chairs were spaced generously around it, numbering more than ten. The floor was covered in a powerful-looking, expensive, deep red carpet. Torches flickered around the room, adding to the illumination. Amidst the silence, only the crackling of the flames stood out against the breathing of the seven members who waited with a cold stillness for their Overlord. Not a word was spoken, the profound silence enveloping the entire chamber.

"This room's as quiet as a graveyard," the man in the iron helmet grumbled irritably, seeing the lack of discussion before their Overlord's eventual arrival. "I didn't turn you lot into the Seven Deadly Sins to sit here silently doing nothing!"

"Now, now, Your Imperial Majesty, no need to get angry," a woman in a figure-hugging black dress purred, showcasing an hourglass figure. Her pale face was accentuated by sharp, black eyeliner that matched her eyes and the raven black of her long hair that cascaded down her back. Her lips were painted with a glossy, seductive black lipstick that was sure to entice any male. She stood up and sauntered, swaying her rounded hips towards the tall man, her gaze a sweet, unwavering beam directed at him, completely ignoring her fellow Sin members. "We haven't started talking yet out of respect, waiting for your arrival... ugh!"

The Demon Emperor seized her slender neck with telekinetic force, lifting the black-clad woman until her toes dangled above the floor. A sharp pain shot from one point, spreading throughout her body. Her pale face flushed crimson as she gasped for air, her arms and legs trembling uncontrollably.

"Keep it in check, Luxuria!" Glowing red eyes intensified the pressure on the woman, causing her lips painted in black lipstick to quiver. Hearing this, she vanished and reappeared in her original seat, while Cerberus, sitting beside her, let out a mocking laugh.

"I told you it wasn't worth the risk. The Sin of Lust is always like this," a young man stroked his beard before slapping the hand of 'Gula', a bald, obese man representing the Sin of Gluttony, who was reaching out to steal his glass of sweet drink. "You just stole Asche's sweet drink too, didn't you? Hey! Asche, why don't you do something about this bad habit!?"

"If it makes Gula eat less, it might be worth the risk. But since I don't see that happening, I'd rather let it go. No point in wasting effort without reason," Asche, a small man with ash-grey hair and a vacant gaze, slouched at a forty-five-degree angle, almost lying down.

"Sit up straight! His Imperial Majesty is here. Straighten your back, and don't make that lazy face!" Keela, the Sin of Wrath, snapped like a second mother. Her aging face was beginning to show wrinkles, but she was dressed in a black shirt paired with a knee-length floral skirt with white flowers on a jet-black background. "Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty. You look as handsome as ever today."

"Instead of spending time thinking of plans to strengthen the demon race, you waste it on flattering words?" The Demon Emperor's fist clenched, slamming down on the table with a resounding crash that shook the room. A glowing blue crack appeared before mending itself as if it had never been. The man in the dark, armored helmet sat on a large, intricately carved chair at the head of the table. "The Scarlet Moon Festival will occur in no more than three days. We need to arrange guard duty to cover the entire area. I must dissect and extract my daughter's heart."

"The most ruthless of all is indeed you, Your Majesty," Luxuria purred, still sending suggestive glances without any regard for those around her.

"You slut," Keela muttered, crossing her arms, an unexpected surge of anger bubbling within her.

"Yes, I am! You old hag, saggy breasts! How else would I have Superia sitting next to me!?" She pointed to a woman wearing a mask that covered half her face, revealing only small, delicate pink lips. The visible half of her face was fair and smooth, like that of a blossoming teenager. This only enraged the middle-aged woman, she became agitated as if boiling water in a furiously steaming kettle.

"You bitch!" She drew her wand, but not as quickly as Luxuria, who had already telekinetically summoned her twin wands from their leather holsters and pointed one at the center of Keela's forehead, her eyes wide.

No one dared to initiate a fight out of respect for their Overlord.

"Your body is no longer strong like a teen, don't you dare try me, you decrepit old woman. No wonder you can't control your temper at your age, putting you at a disadvantage against me," the model-like woman said, tilting her chin up at the shorter, older woman. "Last warning. The life-severing curse will slice through you before you even realize it."

Fear gripped the older woman as a dark aura enveloped the younger one, forcing her to reluctantly return her wand to its holster, muttering irritably under her breath.

"If you fear Headmaster Conner will lead an army of mages to attack for a single girl, you should dissect her today and then use the void spell to make her heart..."

"A heart extracted before that day is useless. I did gain my daughter's power, but it's not enough to make me evolve into a 'Demon God'," the helmeted man snapped, cutting Cerberus off, whose face was visibly ashamed. "If I don't become a Demon God, I can't claim Caronia as my own. That sorcerer Conner is still a thorn in my side."

"If someone's blocking your way, you just blow their head off!" Chaos, the Sin of Envy, shouted, startling the remaining Seven Deadly Sins. He was then ganged up on and beaten before returning to his seat.

"You are the chosen ones to guard and protect me. On that day, you must divide your forces into seven parts, firmly defending the tower and the dungeon entrance. Do not let anyone interrupt me under any circumstances!" the Demon Emperor commanded, and the Seven Deadly Sins listened intently, accepting his orders.

Once the helmeted man was confident in the abilities of the Seven Deadly Sins, created to protect him as the apex of dark demon magic, he rose and concluded the meeting before excusing himself from the chamber. Moonlight streamed through the windows, touching the young man's figure and casting a dark shadow that connected to a vast, endless darkness. His reflection in a clear mirror revealed his crimson eyes beneath the iron helmet before he walked away. In a heartbeat, a dark shadow followed the Demon Emperor undisguisedly. Yet, only he and emptiness remained at this moment.

The Demon Emperor's private chamber was located on the top floor of the Cula Tower, a room filled with books on shelves made of red stone that subtly absorbed moisture. A white table that contrasted with the dark walls stood in the center, with neatly arranged writing implements such as quill pens, ink, and stacks of pale-colored paper. In the center of the table was a priceless photograph. Light from the ceiling illuminated the room, revealing the person in the picture. He removed his helmet and placed it down before picking up the photograph. Seeing the face of his wife, 'Sola', caused his heart to clench and shatter into pieces.

"To be the Demon Emperor and yet shed tears for a human! How utterly shameful!" a voice echoed from within the young man's body. His eyes widened, and he gasped.

"You demon again! Always interrupting!" he snapped at his own stomach, but then a black spirit emerged from his body, its red eyes glowing brightly and its grin filled with countless sharp teeth. Virgo wasn't startled at the slightest and wiped away his tears.

"Didn't I tell you that tears are worthless for a Demon Emperor like you!" the dark spirit reprimanded the young man.

"Ever since I sold my body, you've become even more demanding," Virgo said, slumping into a chair, his gaze fixed on Sola in her wedding dress. But the dark spirit floated, obstructing his view, causing an indescribable frustration.

"In millions of years, there will only be a handful of vessels like you capable of allowing me to evolve from a normal demon to a Demon General, then a Demon King, and finally the Demon Emperor like today, all through slaughtering mages and devouring their hearts," the demon spirit spoke to the Emperor in a deep voice, its grin widening. "I am overjoyed that I will become a Demon God soon, after tasting your daughter's heart. I will stand at an even higher peak."

A greater bitterness welled up in his heart. Seeing his own daughter with the radiant eyes of her mother caused his stone-hard heart to crumble. In three days, he would have to kill his own flesh and blood for a strength that would be amplified to such a level that even if all the mages in the world gathered, they could not defeat him.

"On the night of the Scarlet Moon Festival, mages and demons will gain immense power. The more they bathe in the moonlight, the more the latent power within them will surge and overflow. Those whose bodies cannot handle it will explode into dust. As for you, Virgo, my favorite vessel with a strong body from another world, you can certainly withstand your latent power and fully utilize it," the dark spirit said excitedly. "Once I evolve into a god, you and I will rule the world of Caronia together."

"I want to go back to my wife..."

"I will do as you wish after all the plans are completed. She will become the Demon Empress, standing beside your throne."

"Let's hope it's as you say. Because our contract states that I can renounce being a vessel at any time. Right now, I need power. You want to rule the entire world. But I ask you only one thing: Sola must not become a demon."

"You're willing to sell the entire world for the power to protect one woman?" The demon spirit chuckled wickedly, as if a plan was forming in its head. "I don't know if you're foolish or brilliant. But if the whole world thinks you're clever, then so be it."

Virgo stared at the dark demon spirit, his brow furrowed, his eyes filled with determination.

"Our goals are remarkably similar, difficult to achieve alone. By working together, I am willing to sell myself as a strong vessel, and you are the driver, providing me with power. Having gone through so much, a single girl's heart will not be allowed to stop me."

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To Be Continue Ep.29