Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 35

Chapter 35:

Soul Dive

I STOOD UPON a grassy plain, a gentle breeze drifting by. The sun had just begun to set over the horizon. Everything was clear and vibrant. I would have been thrilled to stay here for eternity. A deep darkness encroached, though, the sun’s rays glinting dully off the blades of grass around me. Roxy’s world was about to be enclosed in darkness.

“You’re here, aren’t you, Snow?”

My question was taken by the wind, traveling far and wide. The world around me warped as if in response, and Snow appeared. Now, however, she was an adult. This was who she really was. The sacred mark on her face glowed red, telling me that there was nothing she could do about Roxy’s mental state on her own.

“I finally have the chance to speak with you, Fate,” she said.

“Is there really no way for you to free Roxy?” I asked.

“It is impossible. You know this.”

Snow pointed to her face, and the sacred mark glowed brighter. She was fighting against her Divine Revelation, but it still had her under its control.

That means there’s only one way…

“You have to kill me,” Snow said.

“Stop it. I’m sick of this. I don’t want to fight the people I care about. I don’t want to kill them.”

“It’s okay, Fate. I died once already. Besides, I must atone for my sins. You know why, now that you know who you truly are, yes? You remember.”

“Snow…”

Snow, please don’t do this. Don’t speak to me like my father did.

“Why do you all want to die?!” I shouted. “Is that what happens to everyone when they come back to life?!”

Snow smiled. “Devour me, Fate,” she said.

I did not want to do it again. Not like I had with my father. Why? Mason… Micuria… My mother… Why do they all do this?

But I already knew the answer. They all felt like I had, back when I’d fought the Heavenly Calamity to protect Roxy. Yet, I still couldn’t accept this reasoning. Snow’s voice felt so very distant, even though I was so close to her now.

“There are things that must be done,” said Snow, looking at the horizon. “And they must be done before the sun sets on this world.”

“Is this really the only way? Is this really our only choice?”

“Roxy will never return otherwise. You must do this while we still can.”

Snow walked up to me until we stood face-to-face. I thought back to the promise we’d made when I was young. The memory had been swiped from me by my other half. Back then, my mother was gone, and I was so very lonely. Perhaps I had felt Snow’s holy beastfolk power instinctually and felt a sort of kinship with her.

“Snow…” I said, reaching out to touch her cheek.

It was war. She was alive.

“We’re out of time. You must hurry,” said Snow.

She was right. If I devoured her now, I could force Snow and Roxy to separate. And if I didn’t do it soon, Roxy’s mental state would collapse. Then there was Greed, who was fighting Libra entirely on his own. However, I couldn’t save everyone. If I devoured Snow, she would be locked in my Gluttony for eternity, like my father. I knew that wasn’t what Roxy wanted.

Is this really our only choice?

I put a hand to Snow’s slender neck. All that was left was to squeeze. Snow closed her eyes.

Then I heard a voice from somewhere.

Is this really what you want?

It was a voice that held great weight, and it sounded exactly like my own. It was my own. It was the voice of my other half, now clearer thanks to Micuria opening a path between us.

I’ll take that sacred mark for you.

What was he talking about? This was completely out of character for the other Fate. I knew there had to be more to it than that. I didn’t trust him. But when I said as much, he merely chuckled.

I need power, enough power to break my shackles—to break you. I need a sacred mark if I am to exercise the powers of the holy beastfolk. So, I will take hers, and you get to release her. It’s not a bad deal.

“If you receive a sacred mark, will you try to take over?”

It’s what I’ve always tried to do. I want you to experience the suffering that I endure, locked in the depths of Gluttony.

“And you think I’m going to agree to that?”

If not agreeing means losing what’s important to you, then yes, you will.

I should have expected as much from my other half. If he received Snow’s sacred mark, he would come at me full force to wrestle away control. I’d finally come to terms with my Gluttony only to have my other half to deal with.

I’m ready. Touch the sacred mark.

I remembered my father saying to be careful of the other me. He had probably expected that something like this might occur. But what other choice did I have?

I gently touched the sacred mark on Snow’s face. It glowed brilliantly for a moment. Snow’s eyes opened wide in surprise before she looked at me pleadingly. The sacred mark shattered and dissolved, turning into particles that flowed into the back of my right hand like water.

“Ngh,” I grunted.

Pain cut through me like fire. Snow’s sacred mark carved itself into my right hand. I thought it would control me in some way, but nothing happened, even though it glowed red at the acceptance of its Divine Revelation. Then, my right hand shot up and reached for my neck. I quickly fought it off with my other arm. The other Fate was already trying to take over.

Your Gluttony is getting in the way. How unfortunate… The sacred mark wasn’t enough. There will be other chances, though, and I can’t wait to act on them…

My Gluttony was working to keep the other Fate at bay. Perhaps that was also why the sacred mark was locked. I had never imagined the Gluttony skill would one day provide me with protection, but I was glad. The long struggle had paid off.

I took a deep breath, then turned my eyes to Snow, who was still in shock.

“Why would you do something so reckless…?” she asked.

“Well, things worked out, didn’t they?”

Snow sighed. “That part of you will never change. I’m the reason Dean died… You know this now that you remember everything, don’t you?”

“Dad didn’t blame you. And his death… That was me…”

My mother died soon after I was born. My father secretly moved us to a small village in the mountains to raise me. At that time, my condition was unstable. I existed as both Gluttony and a holy beastfolk. If we’d been in a bigger town or city and something had happened, many would have been injured or even killed. We had also needed to hide from the holy beastfolk pursuing us.

“I was sent after your father,” said Snow, her eyes distant.

She’d had no choice but to fight.

“Dean defeated me,” continued Snow. “And it was you who took care of my wounds, Fate.”

It had been a place deep in the mountains, some ways from our village. I’d been playing by myself when I felt like I heard a voice and wandered off in search of it. It must have been my other half that’d felt the presence, now that I thought about it.

Back then, my other personality and I were on good terms. My father saw him as a potential threat, but he was like a brother to me. When the other Fate found Snow, he quickly saw to her wounds. I was so happy meeting another of my kin besides my father. I think my other half had always been lonely in that sense, so he took care of her in secret, afraid he would lose his new friend. I helped him as best I could.

Things didn’t stay quiet for long. When Snow was well enough to move, my father found her, and another battle between fellow holy beastfolk broke out. Unable to stop it from happening, I broke down in tears. And as the fight raged on around me, my other half was affected by the energies at play and awakened to his holy beastfolk power.

“I awakened something truly terrifying,” said Snow.

I was incredibly strong with my two halves plus the Gluttony. In my rage, I killed Snow and moved on to attack my father.

“Your father sacrificed his life in order to lock your other half in the depths of your Gluttony.”

And then, I was alone. My father had always been by my side, but he was gone now. The majority of my memories from that time disappeared along with my other half, so I misremembered my father’s death.

“Do you recall what the other Fate asked of me?” said Snow.

“Yeah. It was always so perplexing, but I finally understand.”

He had wanted to be together. It was only now that I understood the depth of his request. That was the reason he had appeared. Even now, Snow still meant the world to him. That was why he’d accepted her sacred mark—the fact that he could potentially take over was only secondary to him.

Snow looked out at the horizon as the sunlight began to shine on the world again. It was warm and gentle.

“Roxy is waking,” she said.

“Snow! Your body!”

“With my sacred mark gone, I cannot give her strength as I once did. But there is one thing I can do.”

Just as with her sacred mark earlier, now Snow herself was dissolving into particles of light.

“But you can’t…” I said. “That would simply mean that you…die.”

Snow gave a bright, encouraging smile. “I will become one with Roxy’s heart. Don’t worry. Roxy will remain the same. She will be able to access the powers of the Valkyrie on her own now.”

“Thank you, Snow.”

“I should be thanking you. Rest easy. I will live on through Roxy.”

She said this not just for the benefit of the me who was physically before her but also for the me who had accepted her sacred mark.

Snow’s entire body was now particles of light that were spread out across the grassy plains. The vivid greenery absorbed Snow’s energy, and flowers began to bloom. Warmth flowed through Roxy’s inner world as the sun continued to climb through a cloudless sky, and a gentle, calming wind blew.

Roxy’s world had returned, meaning she was waking up. It was time for me to go back. The battle with Libra awaited.