The moment death felt close.
The world turned black.
Then, I closed and opened my eyes to see a familiar face.
Han Ju-hee.
No, that's not right.
“…Gula.”
Gula, the Goddess of Greed.
Her expression, which I hadn't seen in a long time, was stern.
It seemed something was displeasing her.
Her lips parted.
“It seems you have finally faced your first destiny.”
“…Destiny?”
Destiny, huh.
“Did you not meet an Apostle of Greed like yourself?”
“Ah…”
Viktor Vadim, the Apostle of Greed.
Was meeting him a predetermined fate?
Perhaps it was.
Weren't we two the most exceptional beings among the countless devotees blessed by Gula?
“That child surpassed my expectations.”
“What expectations?”
“The way he sublimated the Divine Authority I bestowed upon him, in his own unique way.”
“Ah, that.”
What was it called?
Blood Eater… I think?
“It was certainly remarkable, that much is true.”
It was so remarkable that even I, who am stingy with praise, had no choice but to admit it.
Greed that craves and devours everything, and blood imbued with will.
The combination of these two powers created truly absurd results.
A beast that moves according to its master's will, yet thinks autonomously.
Wasn't I helplessly overwhelmed by that formidable combination?
What's even more surprising is that his ability isn't being utilized at 100% yet.
Which means there's still room for development.
If left unchecked, how strong will he become?
As I was marveling at that terrifying power, Gula's scolding echoed loudly in my ears.
“This is no time for marveling, is it?!”
“Well…”
It was powerful, what was I supposed to do?
She leaned forward, thrusting her face close, and poked my chest hard with her index finger as she asked.
“What in the world are you doing?!”
“…Haven't I grown strong in my own way?”
Compared to when I last visited, I feel like I've grown strong enough to be a world apart.
At my half-hearted excuse, the chill in her eyes grew even colder.
“Yes. You have certainly grown. But why hasn't the Divine Authority within you grown?”
“That’s…”
“Indeed. Because you neglected my Divine Authority.”
She was right.
My growth was achieved by largely excluding the Divine Authority of Gluttony.
All I used was this body and my past experiences.
But it couldn't be helped.
I'm not as dark-hearted as Viktor Vadim, and if I had gone around recklessly scattering the power of the Seven Deadly Sins, I would have been Francis's target for subjugation before him.
As if she had read my thoughts, Gula laughed disdainfully.
“You, too, are ultimately bound by the name of the Seven Deadly Sins.”
“Bound… by a name?”
Her words sounded profound.
“The Seven Deadly Sins are known as emotions that incite sin. You know this, do you not?”
“…Right.”
“But tell me.”
Her face crumpled.
On her beautiful face, lines of resentment and regret were etched.
“Is it a sin to harbor such emotions?”
“Uh…”
That's not... right, is it?
“And is the power born from those emotions evil?”
“……!”
Right.
Why had I forgotten?
“Power itself isn't… evil.”
Hearing my answer, the corners of her lips curled into a crooked smile.
“Yes. It seems you've finally realized.”
She continued.
“Originally, only one Apostle is permitted per god.”
“……”
“Being as astute as you are, you must have understood why I called your meeting with that child ‘destiny’.”
Only one Apostle is granted to each god.
However, currently, Greed has two Apostles.
Which means.
“So, one of us must die.”
“Precisely.”
That's why it's destiny.
Sooner or later.
They must meet and kill the other to monopolize the god's grace entirely.
I recalled the situation in reality before arriving here.
I was on the verge of death from the charging beast.
So, calling me then meant…
“Do you want me to become the Apostle?”
“Of course not.”
She let out a cold laugh.
“I am quite fond of you. But it's not as if I dislike that child either. While you are utterly perverse, that child is very respectful towards me. You could say he has a certain charm, wouldn't you? Hehe.”
She chuckled for a moment, then continued.
“In short, I would gladly accept whoever becomes the Apostle.”
“If that's the case, you could have just let me die. Why call me here to give me advice?”
When I spoke with a childish petulance, Gula found my reaction cute and tickled my chin.
“Didn't I tell you? It's a slight favoritism. The power difference between you and that child is clear anyway. It's not so easy that mere advice like this will allow you to overcome it.”
“……”
“I merely hope you don't die too easily. Even if you die, you shouldn't leave any regrets, should you?”
It didn't particularly seem like a lie.
But the problem is, it doesn't feel entirely truthful either.
“Now, go forth. Go and face death with dignity.”
I pushed away her hand, which was treating me like a child, and stood up.
Face death with dignity, she says.
“I have no intention of dying.”
“Hoo… do you think you can win?”
“It's not a matter of 'can I' or 'can't I'.”
“Then what?”
“I will win, no matter what.”
I lightly flicked her forehead, which was furrowed in curiosity.
Thwack!
The atmosphere instantly froze.
The furious goddess's wrathful command descended.
“You, you insolent…!”
Oops.
Time to make a quick escape.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
On the path from the mental world back to reality.
On that path, which felt incredibly short if I thought of it as short, and eternally long if I thought of it as long, I pondered.
Greed (è²ªæ ¾).
It literally means the act of excessively pursuing desire.
There's an old saying:
‘Excessive desire inevitably brings misfortune.’
So, is greed a bad thing?
Until a moment ago, I mistakenly thought so, but it wasn't true.
Everyone has it.
A lifelong wish that's hard to harbor, and even harder to achieve.
Francis and the Saintess are the same.
They wish for humanity's eternal peace.
Considering that there has never been a single period of peace in the history of humankind, wouldn't that also be considered excessive desire, or greed?
Thus, greed is not a bad thing.
Rather, only desires that lead in the wrong direction and those that do not exist.
On the contrary, greed should be seen as a lubricant that makes human life more progressive.
The moment I realized this, the Gluttony dormant within my belly spontaneously emerged and conveyed its will.
Asking if I'd only just realized it.
“Yes. I know now.”
So what?
What do you want?
Are you, a mere energy, going to oppress your master?
The fellow naturally bowed its head.
It's sulking, it's really sulking.
Still, be happy.
Because I won't suppress or bind you anymore.
Gluttony responded in kind.
At the same time, my consciousness, having passed through a long, dark tunnel, arrived.
Grrr…!
Roar!
Rrrrumble!
Into the harsh reality where death lurked right before me.
But now, it looked different.
Not death.
“Hmph… why do they look so delicious?”
But mere prey.
Just before red, sharp fangs touched my skin.
The energy of Gluttony, having emerged from my belly, tore through their bodies.
It didn't desire blood.
What it devoured was solely the energy of Greed infused within their blood.
Slurp!
Gulp…!
Crunch, crunch!
Burp
The energy of Gluttony, its belly even fuller, pressed heavily on my shoulders.
Shouldn't you go on a diet…?
The beasts, having lost their energy of Greed, remained sturdy.
Because their forms were, after all, made of the True Ancestor's power.
But it didn't matter.
Destroying the True Ancestor's abilities, which I hadn't fully absorbed yet, was easier than pie.
Go, Gluttony.
“Smash them.”
I no longer deny it.
Because desire is never a bad thing.
And our Gluttony, born from such desire, isn't a bad kid either.
Only those who use it for evil are truly evil.
Yes.
Like Viktor Vadim over there.
The ravenous Gluttony tore into the beasts with its sharp fangs.
Crunch!
Their will was violently ripped away.
The beasts, stripped of their power, collapsed one after another.
Splatter!
Thud!
A pool of blood rose to my ankles.
“Mmm…!”
A savory taste filled my mouth.
A sense of satisfaction, quite different from eating food.
“This is delicious.”
I licked my lips, savoring the taste.
It tastes good, but it's exactly like that.
Like dining at a super luxurious restaurant.
The portions are too small.
So.
“Give me more.”
All of it, if possible.
As if in response, the energy of Gluttony swelled.
An astonishing event unfolded before his eyes.
The opponent's aura had changed.
The utterly pure energy transformed into a rough, murky one.
It was an energy Viktor Vadim was certainly familiar with.
It had to be.
Because it was fundamentally the same as his own energy.
“H-how did you get that energy…?”
Gula, the Goddess of Greed.
The grace bestowed upon those chosen by her.
There was only one possible explanation.
“Surely, you….”
The opponent before him had to be an Apostle chosen by Greed, just like himself.
But even that was hard to believe.
He had certainly heard that meeting another Apostle was destiny, but could it really be such a coincidence?
Or perhaps he was chosen right before death?
His surprise lasted only a moment.
Viktor Vadim smiled, realizing it wasn't a bad thing for him at all.
It didn't matter either way.
It only meant more benefits to gain by killing his opponent.
“Die.”
He had become a little more accustomed to handling his abilities.
Now, he could create dozens of beasts in an instant.
He completed his legion, imbued with a different will than before.
‘Tear apart and kill the rival of destiny!’
The goddess's sole Apostle.
For this purpose, Greed summoned even greater power, imbuing it into the beasts' red bodies.
Grrr…!
Stripes of Greed appeared on their red skin.
Finally, a colossal tiger, now complete, charged towards Kim Dojin to fulfill its master's will.
ROOOOAR-!
A roar that shook the entire ancient castle.
Claws, hard enough to easily shatter even Sword Aura, slashed three lines through the air.
That was the end of it.
Splatter!
Even the beast, imbued with even greater power than before, dissolved into a handful of blood before him.
A thick, rich taste lingered in my mouth.
Kim Dojin, licking his lips as if not to miss a single drop of the essence, extended his hand.
“Bring me the next course.”
“……”
An inexplicable tension began to gently constrict Viktor Vadim's throat.