Every Sacred Gear Tenra claimed made him stronger—sometimes by a little, sometimes by a lot. The higher the Gear's rank, the greater the surge. Stealing [Forbidden Balor View] from Gaspar had sent Tenra's spiritual energy skyrocketing, multiplying several times over in an instant.
By his own reckoning, Tenra's current reserves—if measured as devil magic—were now brushing the ceiling of low-class devil power. One more leap, and he'd break into the mid-class ranks.
It might not sound like much, but Tenra knew better. If he'd followed the usual path, training step by step, reaching this level would have taken years—maybe more than a decade. He wasn't a prodigy; everything he'd achieved so far was thanks to hard work and a mind sharper than most. But in this world, effort alone was never enough.
With the talent he'd been born with, mid-class devil would have been his lifetime ceiling. Maybe, if fate smiled, he could scrape into the high-class, but that would be the end of the road. No matter how hard he tried, he'd never break through that final barrier.
But now, all bets were off.
With [Sacred Gear Plunder], every Gear he stole pushed him forward—ignoring talent, ignoring effort, smashing through every limit in his way. The future was wide open.
That was the true terror of [Sacred Gear Plunder].
Tenra could feel the power pulsing inside him, confidence blooming on his face. As long as he kept going, he'd never lose to anyone again.
—
He didn't rush to escape. Instead, Tenra spent the next few days training—getting comfortable with his new strength and mastering the time-freezing power of [Forbidden Balor View].
His abilities had grown, but he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could just waltz out of vampire territory. The strongest vampires could go toe-to-toe with ultimate-class devils, and the True Ancestors were monsters on par with Demon Kings. With the power he had now, trying anything reckless would be suicide.
Still, things weren't hopeless. [Forbidden Balor View] was a special kind of Sacred Gear. If he used it wisely and planned carefully, escape wasn't out of reach.
—
"Wow… amazing… Lord Tenra, you're incredible!"
Gaspar and Valerie watched, wide-eyed, as stones hung frozen in midair—caught by Tenra's gaze alone.
When he released the power, the stones clattered to the floor. The eerie light faded from his eyes, replaced by a bright, almost childlike grin.
In just a few days, Tenra had mastered [Forbidden Balor View], able to freeze anything within his sight at will. Even he hadn't expected to be this good—his talent for controlling Sacred Gears was downright terrifying.
Or maybe it wasn't his own talent. Maybe it was the effect of [Sacred Gear Plunder]. Either way, it belonged to him now.
"Gaspar, how are you feeling lately?"
Tenra wasn't a saint, but he wasn't the type to discard people after using them, either. He glanced at Gaspar, voice gentle.
"I feel great, Lord Tenra!"
For Gaspar, aside from Valerie, this was the first time anyone had ever asked about his wellbeing. His answer came out earnest, eyes shining.
The truth was, he felt wonderful. After Tenra had taken his Sacred Gear, Gaspar had been weak—unconscious for a whole day. But when he woke up, he was back to his old self, full of energy. Aside from losing the Gear, nothing else had changed.
Finally free of that cursed power, Gaspar was happier than he'd ever been. The darkness that used to cling to him had lifted; he was brighter, more open, almost cheerful.
"Good. Today's worth celebrating. I'll cook something special for you both."
"Valerie, Gaspar—come help me."
"Ah… yes, Lord Tenra!"
—
After dinner, Gaspar lay sprawled in his chair, clutching his stuffed belly, a look of pure bliss on his face.
Tenra's cooking was unreal.
Valerie was just as satisfied, cheeks tinged pink, her beauty deepened by the glow of happiness.
Gaspar couldn't remember ever being this content. Herbert and the others no longer dared to bully him or Valerie. He'd finally escaped the curse of his Sacred Gear. Living like this, with Tenra and Valerie, felt like paradise.
"Valerie, Gaspar—do you want to see the world outside? The real world. The free world."
Tenra's question caught them off guard.
"The outside world…"
They exchanged glances, confusion giving way to burning desire. Not just them—every child in the castle dreamed of escape. It was an obsession, a hunger.
To see the world beyond these walls.
"Lord Tenra, we… we…"
Valerie and Gaspar stared at him, words tumbling over one another in excitement.
Tenra smiled, lips curling into a promise. "If you want to, get ready. In a few days, I'll take you both out of here—to see the world. The real world."
—
"Catch him! Don't let him get away!"
"Over here! Hurry!"
"Idiot, you're bumping into me!"
In the castle courtyard, Herbert—the chubby ringleader—and a pack of little vampires chased after a bat, shrieking with laughter.
"Catch the Bat"—their favorite game. One kid transformed into a bat and zipped around the castle while the rest gave chase. If the bat got caught, the group would pile on for a friendly beating.
It was their own invention, a way to kill time in a place with nothing else to do. They played it every day, sometimes several times. Herbert, naturally, was always on the chasing side.
Incidentally, the castle was emptier than ever. Only Tenra, Gaspar, Valerie, and this gang of little vampires remained. The humans who'd arrived with Tenra were all gone now.
Some had died from despair, others by their own hand. Few had actually been drained by vampires. The bodies were carried to the high walls and tossed out—someone outside would handle the cleanup.
Only Tenra—this anomaly—not only survived, but thrived. He'd formed a trio with Gaspar and Valerie, standing apart from the little vampires, a force to be reckoned with in the castle's strange new order.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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