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 have presented

wasn't fully aware of what had happened, Everblood had a faint feeling that Ren was the

one that was aware of his

a polite demon, he naturally

those lines made him

a truly

"kukuku, hahahaha"

-Rustle!

"hm?"

hearing a rustling sound coming from the corner of the room, Everblood turned his head towards the direction of where the sound was coming from and his eyes

a panicked face, Matthew pointed towards Everblood as he

"Y-you, who are you?"

the core away,

both of his hands in the air,

wanting to meet you since a long time ago,

Matthew pointed

How do you know

Everblood tilted his

all, we share a common acquaintance, how could

a mouthful of saliva,

perhaps

Matthew to be able to infer who the common acquaintance Everblood

he had managed to overhear Everblood speaking his name from where he was. Even if he didn't mention his name, Matthew would've figured it out from all of the clues that Everblood left behind as

Matthew,

it seems like you aren't that

Avelon's corpse beneath him, Everblood

you leave this old foggy and sign a contract

Matthew

"A contract...with you?"

tempted, "Well how about it? don't you want to take revenge

"Revenge?"

take revenge on the one that caused you to fall this low. If you work with me, I'll show

"...Revenge on Ren?"

Yes...

of

Ren not found a way to cure his parents he would've still comfortably been relaxing in the hotel room enjoying

because of what happened he had lost

his contract now gone, Matthew knew that he would soon find his body slowly

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

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

He didn't want this!

hard for just got

teeth,

"Ren..."

state

noticed that something was wrong...after

with red eyes, Matthew

"Okay, I agree..."

response, smiling widely, Everblood clapped his hands

Matthew, a lot of fun will await us

a contract, sensing something, he looked in the

-Fwua!

seems like someone

-Bang!

elderly man urgently walked into the room as

breaking. I've talked to the

towards the direction of the door,

"Dad!"

of shock appeared on Matthew's father's face as his eyes remained fixed on the

What is a demon doing on the floor!?

his father as his eyes

"Yes, I did"

wide, Matthew's

demon?! That's

out his phone and turning around, Matthew's father quickly tried to dial a number as he moved frantically around

and everybody. I have to let them know that my

-Spurt!

blood spilled on the ground as Matthew's father opened

"M-matthew!?"

-Spurt!

pulled his hand away from his father's body as blood

head, Matthew gently laid him down on the ground as he

wanted to stay with you a bit longer but I really

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

"W-why!?"

Matthew's face disappeared as his face twisted

"Why you ask?!"

you just ask

loud as he proceed to look back at his

don't even know your own wrongdoings? Do you

second, Matthew grabbed his father by the collar as he

think I

was shouting at him maniacally,

are you talking

Matthew's voice raised a

ignorance with