Episode 9 - Ruthless
“So he goes by Sebastian now?” I said then, chuckling darkly as I turned in a chair at my desk. “That’s very odd. And you’re saying here’s here, in London?”
The man in the floor sobbed, still on his hands and knees as he nodded.
“Hmm…” I answered, kicking up my legs as a wide smile spread across my face, “that’s curious. What’s an old, talented demon like him doing around here? Curious, isn’t it? He must’ve found a great mark, indeed.”
The man who sat at the foot of my desk just remained there, entire body shaking as he kept his gaze glued to the ground.
“So, how long has he been here?” I said then, glancing down at the man.
“About… t—two years, sir.”
“Two years?” I echoed. “That’s an oddly long time, don’t you think?”
“He’s with a girl…” the man whispered, making me still. “A tiny girl.”
I lowered my legs and sat up straighter, looking at the man now. “A girl? What girl?”
“I think her name’s Yumi, sir…” the man said shakily. “He’s been with her for a long period of time.”
“What does she look like?” I demanded.
“Short… black hair… blue eyes, wears an eye patch.”
I set my finger on my chin. “The seal of the contract’s on her eye? How odd. That’s a very obvious place, indeed. She’s bound to that contract by heart… whatever Sebastian’s giving her must be of great value.”
I then gazed down. “How old is she?”
“Eight… eighteen.”
“Wow, she signed at a very young age,” I remarked then, leaning back in my chair. “Which is also odd… At such a young age, she’s bound to change her mind with the contract, but if the seal is on her eye, she probably will not.”
He just kept shaking. “Sebastian is playing… her butler.”
I immediately glanced down. “What?”
“A… butler, sir… you know… the main servant of a rich household who do cleaning and such?”
“I know what a butler is,” I remarked angrily. “What I don’t understand is why Sebastian would pick such a weak and lowly position for a human. A human soul, nonetheless. Let alone a child. He’s a high ranked demon and he’s going about playing butler all day? That’s very peculiar, indeed.”
I narrowed my eyes then. “But… he’s done this before. A long time ago… with that boy. What was his name?”
“I… I think you mean the Phantomhive boy?” the man said. “Ciel Phantomhive? He signed with Sebastian at twelve.”
“Yes, I know,” I answered, thinking harder. “That’s suspicious. Sebastian signed with Ciel at a young age, and he signed with this Yumi girl at a young age. Ciel had an eye patch, too… same with this other girl which means the mark for both of them was on the same eye. He’s playing butler for both of them. These children are young and highly intelligent… I think there’s a connection.”
“There’s more than a connection, sir…” the man said then, gazing up hazily. “This Yumi girl… she’s the current lead of the Phantomhive family.”
A tumble of shock burst through me, and I stared at him in surprise.
“Going after… the same family…?” I said then, watching him. “Well, that’s something I wouldn’t expect him to do.”
The man lowered his head, still shaking.
“My, my,” a smile spread across my face as I stood, stepping over to him, “you found some great sources for me, haven’t you? You’ve become very helpful to a demon like me.”
I knelt down then, watching the man hazily as he closed his eyes tightly, breath shaking.
“Mmm…” I said quietly, eyes glowing a dark red, “you know… I had a great time with you. I appreciate you signing that contract with me even when all you wanted was a twisted revenge on your ex-wife. Spur of the moment thing, but us demons will take anything for a good meal and some entertainment.”
He remained still, shuttering.
“Yes, the human mind has many desires, indeed,” I said then, watching him shake as my pupils slit. “But I killed your ex-wife, and you found my sources. So now the contract has finished, and I shall have my meal.”
I tipped his chin up, feeling him whimper as his shaky eyes locked on mine.
I just smiled, lightly running my fingertips along the pentagram carved into his collarbone.
“You rich nobles,” I said then, watching his eyes close, “were raised by weak and filthy parents. Who spoiled you and turned you into these weak and feeble humans… can never get the way you want, do you? So you’ll do anything to get back what you claim is yours. No matter the price.” I chuckled darkly. “But that’s what us demons feed off of. We can take any soul we want living or dead, but we need entertainment every once and a while… so, why not sign a contract with these weak humans?”
I leaned in further, feeling his body shake heavily.
“You wanted your wife to suffer so badly, you were willing to kill her,” I said in a dark tone, chuckling coldly, “and in return, you were willing to give up your life in the process. But as time went on, you regretted your decision, but you kept up with the contract because you knew once you backed out, your soul would be mine.”
He parted his lashes. “I don’t… want to die.”
I just smiled. “Don’t worry. Your death will be a noble cause. And you knew it the moment you summoned me, didn’t you?”
“You demons…” he said shakily, “are so cold.”
I chuckled. “We are demons, aren’t we?” I then leaned forward, nails slicing into his chin as he whimpered. “Now, it is time for you to die, because I have been starving for the longest time.”
He gazed up hazily. “Is it going to hurt…? Extracting my soul?”
“Oh, definitely,” I answered, eyes glowing a darker red, “I promise you that.”
“Can you try to be gentle?” he said quietly. “I won’t want to be in so much pain before I die.”
I just tipped my head to the side. “No, I won’t.”
His eyes grew in fear.
I just slid my tongue along my bottom lip. “The taste of the soul is so much fresher with the excruciating pain from extraction. It’s better this way, I promise you.”
He breathed shakily. “Please… tell me one thing.”
My eyes locked on his.
“Why are you so interested in the other demon…?” he asked me, irises beating in fear. “I’m going to die, anyway, I just want to know.”
A smile split my face. “The Phantomhive family you spoke of. One of Sebastian’s victims, Ciel, had the most delicious, sweet and savory soul imaginable. It was perfect, ripe for the picking. I was incredibly jealous when Sebastian signed with him before I could. It was enraging.”
The man’s eyes glimmered with fear.
“I wanted that soul…” I said in a dark tone. “I wanted it then, and I want it now. But he stole it from me. Now,” I said, lashes lowering, “Sebastian is one of the oldest demons out there. He has experience with souls and their scent compared with their taste. He measures every life expectancy, trauma, and personality changes that could be acquired along with taking in the scent of their gorgeous blood. He only picks the best souls. The tastiest ones.
“You, on the other hand,” I said then, chuckling, “are a simple soul. Filled with greed and selfish haste. All rich men have this simple, cruel soul, which satisfies a demon’s hunger… but Ciel’s soul was another sect of deliciousness. He was rich and selfish, but broken and traumatized, heartless and careless, but also caring and careful at the same time. He measured everything he did with complete caution and used Sebastian as his leverage in order to complete the tasks he wanted. Everything he did was for a reason, for a noble cause, for a beautiful cause, even if it meant murdering everyone around him.
“Ciel Phantomhive has the most delicious soul in the entirety of the planet, something that Sebastian can sniff out in a matter of seconds. Demons like him are usually the ones who claim the tastiest ones before lowly ones like I can.”
“But why know about his current victim?” he wondered shakily. “Ciel is dead now.”
I just chuckled, shaking my head. “Oh, don’t you understand? Sebastian is playing butler again… which means that the current soul he has under his fingertips is ripe for the picking, as well. Ciel’s soul’s incredibly rare. It only appears in the most dire situations, and I don’t think I’ll ever find one like it. But—even if this Yumi girl doesn’t have the exact texture and sweetness—I want it. I want Yumi’s soul.”
I then gazed down at him. “And, you, my dear… are just a small little appetizer compared to her.” I smiled dangerously as my eyes glowed a dark red. “One must quench his thirst before moving onto a full meal, correct?”
His breath shook. “How bad will it hurt…?”
My teeth showed through my grin, and I felt them malform and shift into sharpened spikes. “GREATLY.”
A/N
Thoughts on the antagonist?
