Beelzebub has never strived for anything or have an ambition because they and everyone else believe all the complex matters fall on Lucifer. They're all intelligent beings, but they primarily follow their whims. The worst example being the vengeful Satan. Beelzebub only bites and swallows - a never-ending desire to consume everything in excess which is similar to Mammon the Avaricious.
"What's up with you? Why do you love to put everything in your mouth?"
The Empress clicks her tongue after the bulky beast makes a feast out of her escorts. A single snap of their jaws crushes the destroyer in their mouth, splitting it in half. They treat it as bread as Beelzebub grabs the split ship and chomps on them enthusiastically.
"Why do you follow those humans who played God?"
Beelzebub speaks while shards of metal hulls from random ships only keep falling from their mouth and sinking below the waters.
"..." The Empress frowns
"Why do humans cook? Why do humans eat? Do you know, half-baked dessert?"
"It's a natural instinct for humans to seek because starvation is a slow and painful death. Of course, humans evolved and gained a food palate" The Arbiter sighs while answering
"I am gluttony. My existence is never sated, so I only keep wanting and wanting much like Mammon. It is me much like how humans don't question why they seek food when their stomach grumbles"
"So you're a simple-minded being?" The Empress grins
"Take it as you wish. I have no desire to conquer the world or create elaborate schemes. I only wish to taste, chew, and swallow"
When it comes to complicated matters, Beelzebub leaves the thinking to Lucifer while they spend most of their time following their desires. Beelzebub tosses the bisected top half of a Siren in the air and lets it fall into their gaping mouth.
"You cooperate because they kept you fed. You're like a dog then" The Empress mocks them
"We all know we have our own desires and wishes. Humans quarrel over the most ridiculous things because they don't know what they want. One primary example is that we agree both humans and Sirens are either insects to be crushed or food"
It will take time to elaborate on why the seven deadly sins of humanity value cooperation and coordination than humanity themselves.
"Siren, to stop us, all of humanity must cease to exist. That means the death of all humans in all timelines" Beelzebub tosses more bisected Sirens in their mouth
Due to their size, the humanoid Sirens are like peeled nuts on their palm, so even eating a large number of them doesn't sate their appetite. Their stomach is much like a black hole, all food ceases to exist, but they can select to preserve their food for other uses.
"You're strange. Unlike Mammon, you're more honest and straightforward" The Empress giggles
"Belphegor is rather straightforward as well. They don't lie about why they refuse to put in effort" Beelzebub licks the corners of their mouth
"What does your hunger truly want? You're not just a vacuum cleaner who sucks in everything as their sole function"
"Humans always hunger for something much like how they lust over violence and wealth. I want to feed on humanity's ever-growing desire because without moderation, they become sins. Intense emotions spice my meal, you know"
"Then why cooperate with your kind? Lucifer wants to destroy all of humanity in a slow and painful manner"
"..."
"Parasitism will leave you hungry after hollowing out your food. Symbiosis should be the logical option. Take the bees and flowers as an example. Bees collect nectar and pollen on flowers and in turn, the flowers propagate. Thanks to mutualism, both parties can be satisfied in the long term"
"..."
As Beelzebub doesn't like to complicate their thoughts, they suddenly fall silent. They subconsciously find reason in the Arbiter's words and take an interest to a degree.
"Why should I spare effort for food? I feed on one and the next because there's no point in showing concern over food. The cycle repeats" Beelzebub grunts
"It's true for fungus and worms, but what then? The cycle is a short-lived one causing irreversible damage. It will feed you, but for how long? Once all humans are dead, you're doomed to starve for eternity"
"..."
Beelzebub doesn't fear anything save for the mere thought of starvation. They are the embodiment of excess and indulgence, so they couldn't comprehend the need for moderation and mutualism for their appetite.
Was Lucifer manipulating my hunger?
...
...
...
In a strange dream, Tirpitz finds herself standing on lightless waters with a blood red sky reflecting on the water's surface. The surface is so still that a single step creates a stretching ripple.
"To persevere even as nothing but consciousness. I never thought you'd retain this much personality"
An enormous and stocky creature far bigger than any of Iron Blood's rigging - that is Beelzebub, the abomination born from humanity's gluttony. They sit on all fours with their tail curled right by their side.
"..."
In their shared thoughts, Beelzebub emerges when a mass of viscera, torn skin, and protruding bones rise up to form a body that can interact with a kansen. There's barely the image of a deep-sea dragon in their form with all the convulted mass making their being. Viscera half-heartedly molds into a quadrupedal being, clumping and squeezing the mixture of intestines and tentacles. A glowing pulsing tumor on their chest and back appears translucent and highlighting the red veins stretching all over their messy body.
"Beelzebub?" Tirpitz barely recognizes the mutated Leviathan
"Do I look different to you?"
Mucus and pus secrete from some areas of their body, and it only lessens when Beelzebub stretches the torn and flayed skin beneath, wearing then some sort of ragged clothing. It manages to cover some exposed areas, but the lack of fat still makes the lump of flesh visible behind the skin. Their six eyes slip out of the pulsing viscera and erratically stares at different directions.
"Eugh..."
Beelzebub gags and instead of tongue, what appears to be human arms ranging from intact to skinless ones stretches out of their mouth and desperately wriggling and grabbing at nothing. A straight line on their back lightly parts open to allow spinous process to sprout. Their tail stretches into separated sections of a spine with horrifically stretched and fused humans inserted in each section. None of them have any skin left and some have their bones exposed.
"What did you to me? Ever since I woke up, I can't stop feeling hungry. I even thought of chopping Victorious and cooking her" Tirpitz clenches her fists
"Ahahaha! Friends tastes the sweetest, especially if you betray them yourself"
Beelzebub has no actual words coming out of their mouth, only growls and bellows. They communicate telepathically even if they're capable of physically speaking. It just happens, Beelzebub is annoyed at being weakened and tricked by Tirpitz.
"What did you do, brat? What was your deal with the Sovetsky Soyuz? How were you able to do something behind Bismarck's back?!" Beelzebub opens their mouth
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't fool me, brat! You did something! Otherwise, you wouldn't throw your life away!"
Beelzebub's tail whips the surface water and in the burst of anger, their surroundings change. There are silhouettes endlessly falling around the two. Some are bisected that their intestines are wrapped around their spine while the others have missing limbs.
"You are but a human! A sitting duck doomed to be left to rot and die like a starved dog! How was someone insignificant make my meal far away!"
In the subconscious mind, Beelzebub's irritation and impatience causes a second mouth in their abdomen to gasp for air. Their body mass is similar to a human muscle - tender and durable. The eerily glowing tumor on their back, glows in shorter intervals as if they're imitating a rapid heartbeat. Beelzebub has never felt so annoyed at a host they deemed insignificant and to be assimilated once they achieve their goal. Someone who was supposed to be helpless and powerless of their own deaths now turned out to be a nuisance delaying full control on the body.
"...!"
Beelzebub gains another set of lower jaw, but the outer lower jaw splits in half. Their tongue are countless heads sewn together by bloody red tendrils poking through orifices. Tendrils also sprout on their back, each one possessing a single mouth with no eyes. The mouth on their stomach sighs, rolling down an elongated tongue of forcibly fused humans with some hands and legs wriggling in desperation.
"You're like a gutted animal molded like clay. Being a messy flesh suits a hungry bastard like you"
Tirpitz can barely describe Beelzebub as a beast with flayed skin. Among the others, Beelzebub tends to mutate due to feasting living beings - kansens and Sirens alike which results in being compared to both a cancer and parasite.
"You have no self-control like Mammon. All you do is eat and eat without thinking how long your food supply will last" Tirpitz stands firm
Blood constantly drips from Beelzebub and the throbbing veins around their body and gasping tongues made out of humans is making Tirpitz avoid staring at Beelzebub directly.
"What did you infect me? Are you like other parasites? You'll simply propagate and kill off other hosts? You'll kill me soon and hop to another sorry kansen"
"Perhaps. A part of me is eating you from the inside out. I'm dead thanks to you, so I'll make sure you'll die a slow and painful death. This is my payback from the afterlife!"
As much as Beelzebub despises theatrics and exaggeration, they couldn't risk letting Tirpitz discover that Beelzebub themselves take residence within the wisdom cube. Beelzebub slams their right hand. It's made entirely of severed arms with wriggling tendrils sprouting from the gap just to show how Beelzebub is a perversion of nature. The fingers of the severed hands twitch and wriggle, responding to Beelzebub's outburst.
"...?!"
Tirpitz takes a step back when she suddenly feels nauseas and blood drips from her nose.
"What's...happening? I can't...feel...my body..."
Seconds later and Tirpitz collapses to the ground. Her chest begins to tighten because her breathing becomes restricted again. Liquid fills her lungs, and a single hack causes her to vomit blood.
In the real world...
Tirpitz gasps for air even when she still feels blood in her throat and mouth. The second she opens her eyes, a serpent-like Leviathan looms over her with their back bending towards her.
"...!"
The snake of envy hisses, revealing their tongue to be mouth-less head with fangs and jagged teeth. The inside of their mouth is filled with human faces melded in the flesh. Ok their chest is another human face, but the mouth is forcibly open due to a serpentine eye occupying the gap.
"..."
Tirpitz tries to shout to alert anyone, hoping someone can hear her, but the wound on her neck renders her partially paralyzed and mute.
"Envy suits you better, but Asmodeus wanted something different. Bismarck is proud of her strength and earned the respect of many. What about you? You achieve nothing but to be chained down and waste resources. As a result, you were left to rot never fulfilling your purpose as a battleship and vanished in the shadow of your more famous sister"
"Nngh!" Tirpitz tries to utter a word
"You should be jealous because Bismarck left a mark in history and earned a reputation of being a competent leader"
Abaddon brushes aside Tirpitz's bangs while they attempt to stoke any form of bitterness and frustration. They forget it's more difficult when Tirpitz is currently more nervous and nearly panicking.
"What...do you...want...? Why can...I...hear you...?" Tirpitz manages to let out words
"I just want to see fear in someone infamous for being coldhearted. Seeing you unknowingly eating one of your own wasn't enough"
"If you think...I'd turn again Bismarck...then you're wasting your time. I already moved past that...a long time ago"
(She's adapting to my venom quickly. Beelzebub must be digesting the poison and producing an antidote)
Abaddon opens their mouth to show how the faces fused inside their mouth smiles hollowly. Their eyes frantically stare at different direction which a chameleon only does, except there are two eyes inside one eye socket and each eye has a pair of irises.
(The assimilation is at least seventy percent. This carcass can't wrestle control nor take advantage of Beelzebub's abilities. It's still not enough! We need to rid of the remaining resistance!)
"...!"
Just as Tirpitz slowly regains enough strength to push herself up, the two of them turn their heads when a long petite leg violently kicks the door.
"Hahahaha! What took you fools so long-"
The one who barged in is Saint Louis, but she spares no moment for introductions and immediately impales a small Abaddon to the heart and pins them straight to concrete wall.
"Tirpitz!" Bismarck immediately rushes inside
"She's still alive and kicking!"
Jean Bart also runs to check and shouts at Richelieu upon quick confirmation that Tirpitz is breathing and conscious.
"What have you done with Brest?!" Richelieu furiously demands
"I played with her because she's such a flawless saintess. I hate the perfection of others. If I can't take it for myself, then I destroy it! So I carved her and made her beg-!"
"You abomination!" Saint Louis twists her spear
"Why try to kill my sister? Why did you and Asmodeus sabotage the meeting?"
"I want the Iris Orthodoxy to fall apart entirely. It's easier to crush humans with sheer power, but Lucifer wants humans to rot until they beg for death. Humans live smiling away their helplessness and worthlessness - it irritates me"
"So Lucifer is the leader. If we take them down, then all of you will scramble like insects" Jean Bart raises her fists
"You didn't answer my other question. What's the point of killing my sister?"
"Kill? Why would I kill when - Hahaha, so this is amusement that Asmodeus speaks of"
The amused laugh is more of a screech when the faces in their mouth simultaneously laugh as well. It's as if those victims preserved in their mouth are still alive yet dead at the same time.
"Why? Why do you torment humans? What will your kind gain from slaughtering us?" Richelieu swings her arm
"Why do you eat? Why do you drink water? Why do you reproduce?" Abaddon responds with their own questions
"Stop fooling around and answer me, monster"
"The simple is answer, cardinal. There are no complex machinations behind our actions. We don't require sustenance to survive. It's our instinct the moment we came to be. For example, I am Envy itself. As such, I find aspect of humanity irritating that I want to get rid of it. My instinct is to eliminate everything that I do not or cannot possess" Abaddon narrows their eyes
[...]
Beelzebub observes the situation with sudden curiosity while they return enough strength to Tirpitz to stand up. The wounds are still there to avoid suspicion of a kansen suddenly regenerating.
"Kansens fight the Sirens and my brethren because it's natural to defend your home. My brethren and I wreak havoc because it's how we function. Tell me, why do you squash insects at first sight? Do you stop to think if that insect's future matter in any way?"
"We aren't cattle but cockroaches to your kind"
"Your sins are what made us who we are, but we do not despise you for our nature. My kin simply find your species unsightly and unnecessary. That's all there is to it"
Abaddon's multiple eyes stare at Richelieu alone. Their kind might appear savage and bloodthirsty due to their aggression and hostility towards humans, Abaddon's current tone is stoic and somewhat polite with a voice mimicking a long-time professor. It's a reminder that they're intelligent compared to most humans.
"They function purely on their logic, so they cannot fathom empathy or conscience. Richelieu, these monsters understand human emotions, but they don't care" Bismarck frowns at Abaddon
"You wish to understand me, but whatever your reason is, it's irrelevant to us. I kill because I'm the aspect of humanity's strife and comparison. I have no other motive"
"A part of me did think that perhaps you needed a different perspective"
"Kansens are born from human emotions. We aren't just emotions, cardinal. The seven of us are the aspects of sins themselves. As I've said, we understand humanity's hopes and dreams, it's just that it's absolutely worthless to us"
The atmosphere becomes tense. Abaddon doesn't like to explain for long periods of time, but they feel the need to clarify what motivates their kind. The simplest answer is because their needs aren't volatile and have a clear understanding of their desires unlike humans. Their kind is both caused by humanity and otherworldly at the same time.
"Then is that why you are your friends look like horrible monsters?" Jean Bart grits her teeth
"Horrible as in unsightly in appearance and only invoking disgust from others. We don't have concept of image. However, Lucifer is rather sensitive about their image. My current appearance is but a representation best suited for the sin which leads to conflict and betrayal"
For a second, just a split second, Abaddon's stern glance directs towards Tirpitz. The latter is clueless as the kansen is conscious while Beelzebub is lying down while listening through Tirpitz's senses.
"Anyhow, thanks to the commotion, our next aim is clear. We only needed to be patient for both sides to reveal their next course of action. We...learn by merely observing and simulating humans"
"I heard enough, you sick fuck!"
Jean Bart pulls out a flintlock pistol, and her index finger is shaking from the intense desire to pull the trigger and shoot the serpent several times. One bullet isn't enough to put down a serpent, their heads must be destroyed.
"...…!"
Abaddon "sighs", but the faintest breath from them releases a light purple gas that quickly spreads in the room. It's known that Abaddon is both venomous and poisonous, so everyone quickly shields their nose and mouth with their hands.
"Ugh!" Richelieu immediately falls to the ground
No matter how much they close the gaps on their fingers and press their palms on their faces, the slightest inhalation can cause immediately paralysis. If Abaddon wishes, their poison can cause severe hemorrhage or total organ failure within seconds.
"Don't worry. I didn't kill Brest...yet. I wanted her to suffer because death is mercy. That's you zealots preach it, no? Not to fear death because it's a peaceful rest and the ultimate form of freedom?"
Saint Louis attempts to keep her tight grip on her weapon, but her nerves give out seconds after everyone else collapses to the ground. Abaddon whips the side of her head with their tail.
"If it's a proper answer you wish, then it's because your dear little sister tricked Beelzebub with the help of Sovetsky Soyuz. Lucifer didn't like it, so what happens next should be obvious"
Abaddon removes the spear on their chest and tosses it aside like a twig. Everyone else can't respond while they're desperately gasping for air and coughing.
"You should have stabbed my mouth, you simpleton" Abaddon kicks Saint Louis's side
"We're...not...done..." Bismarck clutches her chest.
"Hmm? You're a determined one. No wonder Beelzebub - Hehehe! That's for another day"
From the head up to the bottom, Abaddon's surface is filled with black mud that quickly melts to the floor. The sentient liquid form immediately leaps past them and slithers through the floors and walls - just about any flat surface.
"They really play their part well. Lust likes to toy with humans as amusement while Envy despises humans and torments them" Jean Bart weakly chuckles
"Abaddon made it clear. Not only Lucifer is the leader, but we need to find another way to banish them from our world" Bismarck coughs lightly
"That's easier said than done. Lucifer pushed back the Sirens by themselves and said to be capable of planning"
Richelieu hasn't encountered Lucifer directly, only aware of their existence through sightings and reports. Lucifer's distinctive feature is the beating glow in their metallic chest covered by peacock feathers and golden adorning their head down to their shoulder to imitate a lion's mane and several tails with tips resembling a peacock's feather. Unlike the others with a horrifying appearance, Lucifer resembles a mythical Leviathan, lacking any deformities.
"Lucifer the Arrogant. Every Intel I receive about them only describes them as full of themselves and doesn't always kill kansens seeing as they're above crushing ants" Bismarck takes a deep breath
"Two Leviathans infiltrated our land, Baal Zebul is the new Gluttony, we can only keep them away, and now it's clear Lucifer is the leader" Richelieu massages her forehead
"The Sirens was about to kick them out somewhere and seal the exit, right? I hate to admit it, but maybe they're the only ones who can kick off these fuckers from our world if we can't kill them" Jean Bart raises her hand
[Lucifer isn't going to happy, but I suppose they didn't quickly react when the Sirens' plans aren't foolproof to begin with. We advance the same way humans invent and progress, but I'm leaving the thinking to Lucifer. A hundred or a thousand years - it doesn't really matter...no, but my food will...]
While the kansens are discussing, Beelzebub lies on shallow water and using piled skinless corpses as a bed. They growl at the mere thought their "food supply" will run out when they try to be as lax or uninterested like Belphegor. It's nearly impossible when Beelzebub is needing to constantly act to fill their endless appetite.
[I can't fill my belly in this state. My main dish is right beside me, but controlling myself is not easy as it seems. Humans themselves are insignificant, but they're such a unique meal]
Beelzebub views humans as not cockroaches but like chicken. They wouldn't care about them until they decide to put them in a plate.
[First, that brat Sovetsky Soyuz needs to be taken care of first. I need to find out what she did to keep me at bay and reverse it...before I tear her apart]
The dangling human torsos on their chin moan and tremble because Beelzebub is annoyed and frustrated for the first time. They have a clear image of Sovetsky Soyuz even if the memory is vague, and this annoys them more.
[Hmm? This boiling rage? It's Satan]
Beelzebub raises their head when a mild shock on their neck and the rest of their nerves indicates of one of their brethren contacting them. Even if Beelzebub is quietly observing Tirpitz's surroundings, they briefly turn their attention away to the distinctive boiling blood and scalding steam of the vengeful Leviathan.
[It's difficult to remain patient when my meal is right in front of me]
The mass of muscle-like tendrils forming their left arm twists and slithers while the mouth on their stomach grins. The victims making their tongue whimpers and moans, fearing of the creature's hunger. Those humans have long lost their individuality, but Beelzebub retains their basic mental and emotional functions to force intense emotions from them making them more delectable.
Northern Parliament...
Hours after the attack at Iris Libre, news of the incident spread quickly to the other nations. One of the first to learn is Sovetsky Soyuz who sends out informants to gather sightings of the Leviathans.
"Two Leviathans showed up in one place. It's uncommon, but they've worked in pairs. Lucifer is the only one who refused aid from their brethren"
Sovetskaya Rossiya chugs down a full glass of vodka in mere seconds, exhaling in mild relief.
"Three. A new Gluttony appeared and almost devoured Richelieu. The fact that they were nearly beaten by Bismarck means..." Sovetsky Soyuz studies the second page of the report
"...A fake one" Sovetskaya Belorussiya already guesses
"Why did Bismarck visit Iris Libre and offered assistance? Iron Blood should be focusing on recovering after defeating Beelzebub" Sovetsky Soyuz spreads out the files in front of her
"Beelzebub fell easier than we expected. No, it's suspicious that the main body was never found. They only recovered steel plating and no flesh" Sovetskaya Belorussiya voices out her suspicion too
"It would have been better if a piece of Beelzebub's flesh was recovered. I would love to experiment on how it could learn and grow by eating just about anything"
At the far corner of the room, Chkalov has her own seat, and her table is filled with stacks of folder and files which are her compiled research on the Leviathans.
"That would have been impossible. For someone who swallowed Bismarck's special move and chew through Siren forces like a free buffet" Chkalov speaks while flipping through her research
"Beelzebub wasn't defeated. We already expected this kind of scenario" Sovetskaya Belorussiya frowns
"Kursk always says to ensure the corpse of your prey" Sovetsky Soyuz chugs another glass
"Beelzebub is contained within a host if it went according to the plan. That also means the host is a reanimated body fueled by the inhabiting parasite"
"..."
The three go silent, seemingly in deep thought about the "plan" they all mutually discussed and agreed. Only those present in the meeting room are aware.
"Bismarck's sister is no different from a zombie being kept somewhat alive by a starving parasite"
"The fact that even as a zombie, Beelzebub is weakened. Gluttony's influence is restrained by the wisdom cube. I estimate, it will take a month for our hungry parasite to eat through what's left of the wisdom cube and fully takes over Tirpitz" Chkalov waves a folder labelled 'Beelzebub'
"Willingly give up one's life and continue the sacrifice even in death - that is both tragic and worthy of respect"
Sovetsky Soyuz lowers her head and closes her eyes for a moment to vividly recall the last time she speaks with Tirpitz. After the agreement, Tirpitz faintly curves a sorrow-filled smile shortly before turning away from Sovetsky Soyuz.
"Do you think Beelzebub will override the restraint we placed?" Sovetsky Soyuz regains her stoic composure
"Although we're buying time to find a way to kill a Leviathan, Beelzebub should notice the failsafe of selective amnesia" Chkalov flips through Beelzebub's file
"We should be prepared at the eventuality that Beelzebub will discover we're involved" Sovetskaya Rossiya reminds her sister
"Indeed. They will target us to find out what we've done to them" Sovetskaya Belorussiya lightly nods
"My promise still stands. Neither I nor anyone in this room will reveal the plan to everyone else not present in this room. I will make sure no sacrifice will be in vain"
The moment Tirpitz closes the door behind her without even looking back at Sovetsky Soyuz was the very last time they met. Days after that, the decisive battle against Beelzebub took place. Sovetsky Soyuz didn't stop her back then but observes because no words need to be said between them.