Gluttony. Voracity. Ravenous. Insatiate...
I had a dream.
I was alone sitting by a polished wooden table. The table was full of all kinds of meals. Besides me was a set of utensils and a clean empty plate right in front of me. The aroma fills the air, triggering the hunger in my stomach and the itchiness in my throat.
So much...
Thick beef steak from the Sakura Empire, foie gras, posh pie, imperia caviar, and several other meals litter at my line of sight. They're all just placed there waiting to be eaten there by me.
The flavor...
This beef was known to be the most expensive kind in the Sakura Empire. I planted my fork on it and the mere squeeze made it ooze a bit of fatty oil. It was full of carefully prepared meat.
This might not be enough...
A slab of steak in a single steak may not be enough to sate my appetite. I might as well maul the cow. Flavor was important in a food palette, but my appetite couldn't be satisfied with quantity alone. My stomach demanded quantity...but to combine those two for my satisfaction may be difficult.
...
I carefully cut a small piece out of curiosity and some steam escaped from it. The raw and spice-filled scent reached my nostrils. This meat has been marinated and dipped to further increase its flavor.
More...more...give me more...
I took large bites and tore off a piece of meat with excitement. It was chewy and the juices spread all over my mouth. The quality of this meat was incredible and I couldn't stop chewing for a whole minute as I drained its juices with every bite.
[Food is great, but desires make the best meals. I know because I couldn't get enough of it and everyone loves it! They kill themselves and each other for it!]
The chef was someone "I" know. It was Asmodeus the Desireful. Their tendency was similar to ours - always wanting something and never satisfied. They stood beside me in a white chef's attire but he had three chef hats for each of his three draconic heads. The left had a silky horse mane, the middle had a glittering lion's mane, and the right had ram horns made out of precious jewels.
[You tasted it, my brethren! You tasted duality when you took a gentle bite off Emden. It was delicious, isn't it? It was raw and pure]
All of their three heads grinned at me as saliva spilled from their gaping jaws. Mammon loved to hoard, Asmodeus loved to be amused, and "I" loved to feast. The others were the same. Lucifer loved to be superior, Belphegor loved to ignore, Abaddon loved to compare, and Satan loved to lash out.
It was true...
The meal in front of me now had some decorations or accessories resembling some kansens. There were two roses in my steak. A red and white rose to represent Emden's twin personalities. It was delicious as I felt white chocolate and dark chocolate melt in my mouth. The white one had bitterness stuffed in the middle since her pure and sweet self was a surface. Only the black one was assertive and bold about it.
"My name...my name..."
My head twisted in pain when I initially saw my hands as a pair of black clawed hands then it transformed into a pair of humanoid hands with white gloves.
[Beelzebub. Beel, you haven't eaten everything...have you?]
Asmodeus frowned at me, visibly dumbfounded and upset about something. My thoughts are in complete chaos right now since two perspectives wrestled in my head.
[You're not the type to leave scrapes, Beel. You eat everything, even the crumbs. Hell, you even swallow the plate and the table!]
"That's right. I'm...I'm...nngh..."
[You need to feed, Beel. You're starving]
As I grit my teeth in resistance with these lingering thoughts, he slid a large bowl filled with square chocolates in front of me. I hadn't taken a bite, but my keen sense of smell already caught the scent of caramel, chocolate fudge, berries, white cream.
[You can always pick off the most flavorful desires thanks to your nose and tongue. Why don't you have a small bite off a sweet and loving friend?]
There were golden leaves in my chocolate. The bowl even had the design of a golden wreath around it and blue rose at the center. It was Asmodeus suggestion as they pointed me to my next meal.
Just a bite...
Just...a bite...
Just...a...bite
...A...bite...
I took one piece and a single bite in my mouth spread the white filling in my tongue. Like a beast, I licked the corners of my teeth to scrape off the bits of chocolate. It was sickly sweet that I swallowed the whole piece. I kept reaching for another...and another. I filled my mouth with more and more of these chocolates.
[That's the Beel that I know!]
Asmodeus' three head all burst out in cheerful laughter and clapped to further motivate me. They were relieved and cheerful as I never hesitated to feed on the flavor of a friend. It was filled with love - caring, supportive, and affectionate. It was the sweetest flavor humans can offer and one I tend to binge once I tasted them.
...
...
The day is bright, and Iron Blood is resuming to their normal lives after the nation gradually recovers from casualties and lost resources from the voracious beast. However, Tirpitz's mind seems to wander off, blankly staring at her surroundings. Everything feels slower than usual as her senses are still within that dream.
"Asmodeus. Was it from Beelzebub's memories? It felt like I was that thing from time to time..."
Tirpitz briefly recalls the drastic change in her senses within that dream. The intense hunger and discomfort caused by it is unbearable.
"No. I'm getting myself confused again. These memories are too vivid that I mistake them as my own..."
A few seconds of silence later and Tirpitz rubs her eyes, assuring herself and setting aside unnecessary thoughts.
What's this sweet scent-"
Tirpitz takes a mild whiff in the air and her senses catches a sugary and creamy scent with extra flavors of squeezed berries. When she's about to turn around, a pair of smooth and petite hands presses her eyes from behind.
"Guess who?" A playful voice giggles
"Raspberry chocolate with extra milk flavor? No, perhaps cherry or blueberry" Tirpitz gently touches the fingers on her face
"No! It's me, you chocolate blockhead!"
Victorious quickly removes her hands and rushes to stand in front of Tirpitz. She puts her hands on her hips and angrily puffs her cheeks. Due to her lively and occasionally gentle behavior, Tirpitz can only compare her anger to a squirrel squeaking.
"What are you doing here?" Tirpitz tilts her head
"I came here to visit you, silly! Bismarck banned me from coming because you were recovering. I rushed as soon as she lifted my ban"
"You're the only one banned?"
"I-I may have barged into the ICU because I was too worried" Victorious averts her gaze
"You were worried"
"Of course, I was worried! They immediately told me you were mauled by the hungry Leviathan and you weren't moving anymore"
"..."
Tirpitz furrows her eyebrows, imagining the moment where her body collapsed on the ground. Her rigging has been partially wrecked and the kansen herself was on the brink of death. That near-death gamble just to ensure Bismarck's struggle succeeds.
"The big hungry monster is gone, and Iron Blood can take it easy again" Victorious proudly puffs her chest
"How about your side? You seem energetic despite everything"
"We encountered Belphegor the other day. Wales tried to fight it, but she nearly died of a heart attack. Ark Royal's life force was nearly sucked completely when she dragged away the destroyers being pulled by Belphegor's power" Victorious groans
"The Sirens themselves must be busy..." Tirpitz turns her gaze to the side
"According to our Intel, Hermit clashed against Asmodeus. The outcome was the Sirens retreating"
"Asmodeus"
Tirpitz instinctively grits her teeth upon hearing that name. Her thoughts display the three-headed beast in a chef's attire encouraging her to indulge in her hunger.
"By the way, I've noticed you seem different since I last saw you. You look a little pale. Have you been eating properly recently?"
Victorious stretches out her hands and gently presses her palms on both of Tirpitz's cheeks. As a concerned friend, she pulls Tirpitz's face a bit closer to examine it.
"...!"
At that distance, the thick and stickly aroma of sugar and cocoa is stronger. Tirpitz swallows her breath when her instincts urge to actually bite off the soft and warm hands. Her sudden starvation imagines it as marshmallow by a campfire and dipped in chocolate fudge.
"Not just pale, you look kind of...dead. Are you really okay, Tirpitz?"
Victorious examines the pair of icy blue eyes that often stares far. Only she can notice the slightest change in Tirpitz such as her eyes somewhat darker shade of blue and the lack of clarity in her gaze. It's not the same bright one that would stare at her with sincerity.
"You look like a hungry zombie..." Victorious wryly laughs as she pulls away her hands
"Sorry. You smell kind of sweet..."
"I don't use strong perfumes. Ever since you liked a gentle smell, I use an ocean smell"
"Salty?"
"Not the sea! Fresh breeze, fresh breeze!" Victorious weakly hits Tirpitz's shoulders
"..." Tirpitz swallows her breath again
"Tirpitz?"
Shortly after Victorious stops hitting her shoulders, Tirpitz grabs her hands. She gently rubs Victorious's palm with her thumbs while her hands support Victorious's hands. Her heart races as she's drawn more to easy "food" in front of her.
"...?!"
At first, Tirpitz's still aware of the sunbathed surroundings and Victorious standing in front of her. Tirpitz's vision snaps to complete black in an instant. Only a few seconds has passed, but she widens her eyes when she regains her senses. Victorious's left hand is already between her teeth and she's holding her friend from behind.
"Huh?" Tirpitz loosens her bite
Fortunately enough, she only sinks her teeth enough for a playful bite. A little more force and she would have tear through the skin. She doesn't want to imagine what would happen if she tasted actual blood when her appetite is open to anything she can sink her teeth into.
"I don't mind if you're being assertive, but it's morning and we're in public!" Victorious gives her a light chop to the head
"You taste sweet. A sugar-coated surface and fragile like jelly. You're like a walking dessert"
"Please tell me you're not actually planning to eat me..."
"I-I...I...won't eat...my friend..."
Tirpitz's voice trembles because she restrains her appetite, and the result is her rational mind numbing.
"Is everything okay, Tirpitz?" Victorious noticed her cold sweat
"I'm sorry. I've been tired recently. My appetite tends to shift"
"Then how about I bring food when I visit? You always liked my desserts after all"
"..."
Victorious clasps her hands with the most cheerful smile she has while Tirpitz is clutching her wrist behind her back since her hunger is still directed towards Victorious.
Meanwhile...
Neumark repeatedly taps her desk filled with scattered documents and few ball pens while Bismarck carefully reads the recent test results of Tirpitz's laboratory tests. Physically speaking, she's as healthy as other kansens...on the surface that is. What makes Bismarck frown and intensely silent is the diagnosis of Tirpitz's wisdom cube.
"Beelzebub. As in the same Beelzebub who's supposedly dead?"
Bismarck tightens the grip on the document that she crumpled the side and bends the document itself. Her hand doesn't feel numb in anxiousness but in anger. It's impossible to remove the image of the beast with a broad figure and flesh erupting on its back forming its spikes.
"Traces of the energy detected in Beelzebub is also present in Beelzebub. She was nearly mauled to death by that thing, so I suppose she was infected with a bite. That might have been the reason for her increased appetite even after her full recovery" Neumark taps the pen on her head
"You suppose?" Bismarck frowns
"We faced Beelzebub but never really learned anything. However, the pieces we recovered did contain traces of the same energy found in her wisdom cube"
"Can it be treated? I fear it might worsen if we let it be"
"Unless we gain more samples, creating a vaccine, let alone a suppressant is still impossible"
"Beelzebub's main body is supposedly dead, and we couldn't find its corpse"
Bismarck lets out a deep sigh and massages the area between her eyes, still dumbfounded at how a large creature's corpse vanished mysteriously.
"The Sakura Empire almost had the same situation. Mammon didn't die but it vanished without a trace. Akagi was very unhappy about it" Neumark chuckles
"Mammon the Rapacious. It was sometimes seen with Beelzebub, appearing shortly after Beelzebub began to feed..."
Bismarck groans as her only information about Mammon is through reports. Unlike Beelzebub, Mammon is a quick one never leaving behind traces other than objects it stole.
"Richelieu seems to have difficulty with Asmodeus recently. Jean Bart clawed her face after being exposed to its miasma. They had to restrain her even now"
"Should we start with getting samples from Asmodeus?"
"It's a good start. Asmodeus amplifies desires and is not just limited to ecstasy. That's why it drives its victims insane and makes them numb to pain"
Neumark shakes her head, both intrigued and repulsed at the drug-like effect in everyone who inhales the air it releases from its body and those who stare at its eyes.
"I'll have to convince Richelieu to let us cooperate with them. Everyone thinks we're relaxed now after we got rid of Beelzebub, but I'm not sure if we were even successful" Bismarck clenches her fists
"Why is that?" Neumark raises an eyebrow
"I still feel uneasy because it ended just like that. Someone who devoured our people and even my special attack like candy suddenly fell too easily"
"You nearly died and so did Tirpitz. Being paranoid is bad for your health, Bismarck"
"Eugen said the same thing"
"Take it easy for a while. We haven't been relaxed ever since the Leviathans broke out of their prisons. We even lost some of our comrades. We can at least grieve and honor their sacrifice now..."
"That's right..."
Bismarck's thoughts drift again to the decisive battle against Beelzebub. The horrible fusion of flesh and steel towers over her, its breath reeks of blood and flesh mixed with acid. She confronted the monster by herself and nearly cost her life.
Later that night...
After gulping three whole battles of wine imported from Iris Libre, Prinz Eugen is far beyond tipsy. She's intoxicated that she's not her usual self and much more annoying for Admiral Hipper.
"You had too much again! I took my eyes off you one day and you went to chug down our new batch of wines!" Admiral Hipper angrily slams the table
"Hehehehe. You're careless, my dear big sister"
Prinz Eugen lays the side of her head flat on the table while raising her wine glass still full of wine with a strong and thick aroma. She's carelessly smiling and already suffering hiccups.
"If Friedrich der Grosse gets angry at you, you're on your own"
"So angry~ No wonder no one can stand your behavior" Prinz Eugen yawns
"Forget it! Go back to your room by yourself. This is the third time I had to drag you back this week"
Admiral Hipper immediately snaps and puffs her cheeks. In Prinz Eugen's wobbly vision, her face is already pure red, and smoke erupts from her ears much like a cartoon.
"Hehehe...whatever" Prinz Eugen waves her wine glass
"Don't complain that you'd find yourself sleeping on the floor or someone's room tomorrow!"
Since words are barely useful to someone completely intoxicated, Admiral Hipper grits her teeth. She turns away then proceeds to stomp in each step while she marches off.
"So noisy and so nagging..."
Prinz Eugen lazily lifts her head and swallows the wine in one gulp with some of it spilling on the side of her lips. She licks all corners of her lips while her vision is either wobbly or filled with colors.
"Damn...out of wine. Better call it a night...or there will be more nagging~"
It's not just Prinz Eugen's vision, but even her limbs are wobbly. She pressed her hands on the table and pushes herself up. At this point, she's both dizzy and nauseas, but she can still restrain herself from vomiting.
"Why can't Hipper enjoy herself~"
Prinz Eugen points at the main door or the other exit the back. If it's distance, the second exit is a meter closer than the main door, so quickly points to the right.
"Shortcut to my room, I think?"
Prinz Eugen tilts her head while she struggles to walk straight for a few meters. By the time she reaches for the door, she feels the groaning of her stomach.
"Too much~"
The hiccups continue as she finally leaves the wine bar after two minutes of struggling to pull the door when it actually needs to be pushed...since it's an emergency exit.
"Hmm? Something white?" Prinz Eugen squints her eyes
Five minutes after walking away from the bar, Prinz Eugen spots a figure seemingly snout to collapse on the ground. It's someone in a white uniform using the wall as a support to barely walk forward.
"Nngh...it hurts...so much"
It's Tirpitz whose refusal to bite and chew on Victorious lead to her hunger worsening. Food itself can sate her hunter for a short while, but kansens like Emden keep her satisfied longer.
"I smell...wine" Tirpitz takes a whiff
The edge of Tirpitz's vision is already clouded in a black mist and everything past ten meters is already blurry. Her sense of smell creates an imaginary trail of red most forward.
"This smell? Eugen?"
It's a mixture of pure wine and dark chocolate, but Tirpitz turns away from her even when she pants in anticipation and thrill.
"Is that Tirpitz? Why is she going there?"
Prinz Eugen is about to wave her hand when she finds Tirpitz turning to a corner between large buildings.
"Hey, don't if ignore little old Eugen~"
Thinking it's a strange game of sorts, Prinz Eugen doesn't hesitate to follow her even when she sees Tirpitz earlier growling and having difficulty breathing like a rabid animal.
"You're always shy, Tirpitz. You always pay attention to Victorious, you know~"
Prinz Eugen hops, immediately following her to the space between the buildings. She quickly spots the trembling battleship leaning on the side and clawing her neck with both hands. The gloves make it impossible to quickly injure herself, so she only leaves five reddish lines on her neck.
"Tirpitz~" Prinz Eugen giggles and remains clueless
"B...eel..." Tirpitz's voice grows deep and hoarse
"Didn't hear you~" Prinz Eugen carelessly approaches
"My...my name...is Beel...Be...Beelzebub"
"Beelzebub? Hahaha! That's a stupid name - Oh~"
Prinz Eugen bursts out in laughter but as soon as she slaps Tirpitz's shoulders, she feels as if her hand struck metal with something squishy beneath it.
"What's the matter?" Prinz Eugen tilts her head
"Hungry...always...hungry..."
The right side of Tirpitz's face is encased in metal similar to the armor protecting Beelzebub. Steel tears through the skin of her face, revealing half raw or exposed sharp teeth and two eyes on the same side with barely visible compound lines.
"...Oh"
Prinz Eugen doesn't react for a few seconds due to the swiftness of Tirpitz's left hand morphing. Muscle-like tendrils tears through her skin and her hand transforms to four bone-like talons. Each tendril is tipped with a bone resembling a spine's sacrum. Tirpitz drives her hand into Prinz Eugen's stomach, but there's no visible damage, let alone signs of any blood.
"This...isn't a game...is it?"
Prinz Eugen grabs the tendril wrapping around the arm. Faint blue light travels through the muscle-like tendrils. It's not only the wine she has consumed, but the bone claws and tips is reaching through her wisdom cube. It's sapping intangible meals such as thoughts and memories.
"Eugen, I want to eat you badly. I want to taste your guts, but I...I..."
Blood drips instead of saliva from Tirpitz's mouth. Each corner of shaking body is urging her to physically feed on Prinz Eugen by tearing through her skin and sipping her blood like wine, but she immediately shuts her mouth. It's the same restraint she has with Victorious earlier. A part of her mind is consciously pulling her from preying on the life of other kansens.
"I don't...feel so good. I feel like I'm...I'm..." Prinz Eugen immediately grows limp
"You have my thanks for calming my hunger, Eugen. Mammon is right. I will never get bored to the variety of human flavors" The row of sharp teeth grins
"..." Prinz Eugen is alive but motionless
Kansens are born through wisdom cubes with human emotions to shape them. It's like the fertilizer before a plant sprouts. The current Tirpitz preys on the culminated thoughts, emotions, and memories much like plucking only a few fruits rather than cutting down the whole tree.
What have I done...?