The Author's POV

-Spurt!

"ku, ku, ku, Peekaboo"

Peeking from the side of Viscount Avelon's face, a demon with a twisted smile on his face appeared.

Black blood spilled on the ground as Viscount Avelon found himself unable to move.

Casually looking at Viscount Avelon next to him, Everblood teased.

"Am I intruding?"

"Kh-how?"

-Spurt!

Smiling widely as he looked at Viscount Avelon's shocked face, Everblood retrieved his hand back as a black orb that pulsated a black hue appeared in his hand. If one took a closer look at the black orb, as it rested in Everblood's hands, it slowly lost its hue as threads of demonic energy were steadily moving towards Everblood's body.

"Pfff...y-you"

Staring at the orb before him, Everblood licked his lips as he muttered.

"Well...with this I should be able to rank up

The orb that was in Everblood's hands was Viscount Avelon's demon core.

Aside from devil fruits, and regular training, there was another way demons could use to increase their strength.

...and that was through the consumption of demon cores.

By consuming a higher-ranked demon's core, demons could improve their bloodlines and thus raise their strength.

However, this was a taboo practice amongst the demons as it was equivalent to cannibalism.

If a demon was ever caught killing another demon for the sake of their core, they would immediately be hunted down by the other demons and regarded as traitors.

If such practice was allowed, then most demons would kill each other threatening their population as a whole.

...but Everblood didn't care.

His goals had changed.

No longer did he care for the demons, no longer did he care about what they thought of him or what their plans were...

His only goal at the moment was one person and one person only.

...unless that person tasted true despair, Everblood would stop at nothing regardless of his means to achieve his goal.

He had gone rogue.

"Kh...."

Dully looking at Everblood as he laid on the floor motionless, with the last remaining energy he could muster, Viscount Avalon opened his mouth as he tried to say something.

"phfff"

Unfortunately, the only thing that came out as soon as he opened his mouth was black blood as it spilled all over the ground.

Turning his attention away from the core in his hand, Everblood leaned his ear closer towards Viscount Avalon's mouth.

"hm? You have something to say. Last words perhaps?"

Struggling with all his might as his body rapidly shrank, Viscount Avelon muttered.

"W-hy?"

Standing up, Everblood smiled.

"Why? Well, you are after all the demon that has placed the curse on the dear parents of someone who I hold very dear to my heart, how could I not follow you when I noticed that something happened to you?"

With Viscount Avelon being the one that placed a curse on Ren's parents, Everblood naturally paid close attention to him, borderline stalked him.

...and as soon as he was alerted about the fact that something had gone wrong with Viscount Avelon, Everblood dropped everything that he was doing as he followed him around.

Although he wasn't aware of what was happening, how could he possibly let go of the opportunity before him?

Noticing Viscount Avelon's erratic aura, Everblood knew that following him would bring him a frutious opportunity.

...and he was right.

With the demon core in his hand, he was now one step away from reaching the Viscount rank.

Staring at Marquess Avelon whose life force was quickly getting drained by the second, playing with the said core in his hand, Everblood's tone became serious.

"You laid your hands on something that you should've never have touched...had you not touched them, you would've never been in this situati-"

"khhaa-!"

Cutting Everblood midsentence, Viscount Avelon's body suddenly spasmed as his eyes suddenly became white. Letting out a pained scream, Viscount Avelon's body suddenly froze as he took one last big desperate breath of air.

"kuuuu...."

He had died.

Staring at Viscount Avelon's dead body and then proceeding to look back at the core in his hand, covering his mouth as his body trembled, Everblood chuckled.

delightful opportunity that you

what had happened, Everblood had a faint feeling that Ren was the

he was the only one that was aware of his parent's curse. Who else aside from him could be responsible for

him being a polite demon, he naturally had to thank

thinking along those lines made him

truly

"kukuku, hahahaha"

-Rustle!

"hm?"

his head towards the direction

disheveled hair and a panicked face, Matthew pointed towards

"Y-you, who are you?"

putting the core

both of his hands in

you must be young Matthew, I've been wanting to meet you

Matthew

do you know

Everblood tilted his

we share a common acquaintance, how could I not

mouthful of

perhaps

able to infer who the common acquaintance

Everblood speaking his name from where he was. Even if he didn't mention his name, Matthew would've figured it

at Matthew, Everblood

it seems like you aren't

corpse beneath him, Everblood

you leave this old foggy and sign a

Matthew weakly

"A contract...with you?"

it? don't you want to take revenge on the person responsible for

"Revenge?"

caused you to fall this low. If you work with me, I'll

"...Revenge on Ren?"

Yes...

about it, none of this would've happened if

his parents he would've still comfortably been relaxing in the hotel room enjoying his

now, because of what happened he had lost

knew that he would soon

digest pills and feeding him devil fruits that contained demonic energy,

and be forced to hide like a rat. He could no longer

He didn't want this!

he worked so hard for

his teeth, Matthew

"Ren..."

Matthew's current state

someone must've noticed that something was wrong...after all,

Everblood with red eyes,

"Okay, I agree..."

Matthew's response, smiling widely, Everblood

fun will await

contract, sensing something, he looked in the direction of the door with pity as

-Fwua!

seems like

-Bang!

long after, with a large bang, an elderly man urgently walked into the room as he frantically looked for

heard the sound of glass breaking. I've talked to the hotel security and they will be here

of the

"Dad!"

face as his eyes remained fixed on the black humanoid creature that was on

on here? What is a demon doing on the floor!? Did you

his father as his eyes flashed, Matthew

"Yes, I did"

eyes wide, Matthew's father

a demon?! That's

quickly tried to dial a number as he moved frantically around

gotta call the media, the press, and everybody. I have to let

-Spurt!

was about to make a call, out of nowhere, red blood spilled on the ground as Matthew's father opened his eyes wide. Weakly turning his head to the side,

"M-matthew!?"

-Spurt!

away from his father's body as

his father's head, Matthew gently laid him

you a bit

gold-graded guild, ranked hero, looked at his son in shock as he weakly

"W-why!?"

the smile on Matthew's face disappeared as

"Why you ask?!"

just

towards the ceiling, Matthew laughed out loud as he

own wrongdoings?

a second, Matthew grabbed his father by the collar as

I wouldn't

son who was shouting at him maniacally, Bernard

are you talking

him, Matthew's voice raised

feign ignorance