Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

The War Demon

THE WHOLE CITY was enclosed within a fleshy, red liquid, as if it were trapped in the belly of a beast. 

“It has begun,” said Shin. “So then, how do you intend to stop us?”

Greed’s experience and memories flowed into me through the Crossing.

He’s going to open the Door to Distant Lands by using the people of Hausen… 

The people of Hausen were directly above the city of Grandol. The red slime of Shin was going to rise like bile to consume them. Then he would pour those murdered souls into the Door, forcing it to open. To him, they were nothing more than a sacrificial offering.

“You just stay there and keep playing with Myne,” said Shin. “Meanwhile, I’ll go and make use of the people you hold so dear.”

“Like hell!”

“Is this any different from what you do, Gluttony?” asked Shin from within the slime as it reached up toward the artificial sun. “Do you not feast on souls to grant you your strength? We’re moments away. All we need is one more push—an offering of quality souls taken from the dead.”

Eris fired a barrage of bullets at Shin, but the writhing, serous flesh just absorbed all of them.

“It’s useless. I’ve cultivated my power for this very purpose,” said Shin. “You really think an attack like that is going to stop me?! What can a woman whose only skill is seduction hope to accomplish, anyway?”

Just like Eris, I wanted to stop Shin, but Myne stood in my way.

“Your opponent is Wrath, Gluttony—lest you forget. You two just go ahead and play like the quaint little Mortal Sin bearers you are.”

Eris fired with ever greater abandon, but she could barely keep Shin at bay. She didn’t have enough firepower. She still bought me some time. I had to stop Myne as soon as possible.

“Myne!”

I dodged her next swing of the black axe and countered with my sword, but Myne had anticipated my reaction and easily evaded. She was faster now, though her black axe had grown heavier. It was then that I noticed a change to Myne’s forehead. Her horns grew larger, bathed in a dull light.

Her Wrath is rising. It’s no different from your Gluttony skill. The angrier she becomes, the more her power increases. At the same time, her heart and her feelings wither. Myne will not back down.

“You mean she’s losing herself to her Wrath?”

You already know the answer to that. She told you she lost her sense of taste, remember? That happened because of her Wrath. Long ago, she went on a rampage, and when it waned, her sense of taste was gone…and she may well have lost a lot more too.

Her huge axe moved quicker than ever. The increasing mass was supposed to slow her down, but this drawback was overcome by the power of her Wrath. The two were growing more powerful together, as if working in perfect synchrony. She had funneled her entire being into her strength, and she had the agility to put her weapon to good use. She was, at this point, simply stronger than me.

Unable to dodge her attacks, I was stuck scrambling to defend. “This is bad!” I shouted.

At this rate, I would lose the battle. With every strike, her axe grew more devastating. 

I know you don’t want to hurt her, but she’ll kill you if nothing changes. I’m going to make the blade sharp again.

“No! I came here to stop her, not to kill her.”

The black sword is easier to deflect so long as it’s blunt.

“I don’t care!”

The five copies of me that Eris had made with her Phantom Bullet were eviscerated in an instant.

That’s a glimpse of how you’ll end up if you insist on hamstringing yourself.

I wasn’t in the mood to get chopped in half.

Eris fired another Phantom Bullet at me. Even as she fought tooth and nail to stop Shin’s advance, she kept an eye on my situation.

She’s always been like that… Acts all carefree, but always keeps an eye on those around her. 

Even before my Gluttony had awakened, Eris had watched over me from the shadows. It was even possible that she was the reason Greed and I had met.

Using the confusion of the phantom copies to my advantage, I finally managed to get close enough to attack Myne. I brought the black sword down upon her right hand, apologizing in my heart for not holding anything back. I felt the jolt of impact and Myne’s grip weakened ever so slightly.

Now we take the axe.

“On it.”

But this was a trap. Myne had feigned injury to lure me into melee range. My attack was ineffective, and by the time I realized it, I was buffeted with fierce winds.

“Wha…?!”

Greed transformed into the black shield just in time; I managed to avoid a direct hit. Even behind the protection of the huge shield, I felt an agonizing crack as my left arm broke.

This was Sloth’s secret technique: Noir Destruction, an attack that converted all the built-up mass of the black axe into kinetic energy. Myne had used it during our fight against Haniel, sending the monster’s lower body flying. Now she unleashed the tech-art while in a state of pure Wrath, transformed into a demon of battle. The impact overwhelmed the bulwark of the black shield that Greed took so much pride in.

My Health Regen and Health Regen Boost skills began to repair my broken arm, but Myne wasn’t about to back down now that I was wounded. She continued to slam her axe down while I couldn’t get out of the way.

If she uses Noir Destruction even one more time, you’re dead.

If she broke my right arm, I’d be out of commission. I had no choice but to raise my own stats and unleash a secret technique of my own. When Myne attempted to use Noir Destruction again, I used the Third Level Reflection Fortress, an ability which reflected an attack back at the attacker, amplified.

“Huh?!”

Instead of reflecting her attack, Reflection Fortress clashed with Noir Destruction. Against another weapon of Mortal Sin, the technique didn’t work as it should have. It was a power struggle. The question was simple: Which was more powerful, Myne’s Noir Destruction or my Reflection Fortress?

Myne had the advantage as she was focused purely on strength.

“I’m being…overpowered.” 

I felt Myne’s Wrath growing stronger even now. The black shield was being overwhelmed, and I was in danger of receiving the brunt of Noir Destruction.

Fate, you must unleash your Gluttony!

I felt like I couldn’t do it anymore. I had already entered my half-starved state. If I went past that, if I unleashed my full Gluttony, I would repeat what had happened in Galia. If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to stop Myne with no consequences, as I would become a rampaging monster.

I had promised Aaron that I would come home. I couldn’t bring myself to unleash that power.

But I still had one more trick up my sleeve, one more ally I could call upon.

“Luna!” I shouted. “Grant me your power!”

At that moment, Noir Destruction completely overpowered my shield. The force of the attack created a crater in the ground where we stood. 

As the ancient buildings collapsed one after another, I slowly climbed to my feet amidst the spreading ruin. A blue barrier surrounded me, and spheres of fire drifted around me, enhancing my defense. Myne stared at what I had become and took a step backward.

“Myne,” I said, “It’s not just me you’re fighting.”

Once more, the war demon Myne uttered the name of her younger sister. “Luna…”