Satan.
(Image)
He was among the first gods to emerge within the primordial chaos that future gods would call Niflhel.
Back then, there weren't nearly as many celestial beings as those Doma observed today in the amphitheater.
The universe itself barely existed, for the void of Niflhel was both everything and nothing.
The world of Valkyrie Apocalypse was born from the whim of the 88 primordial gods, who arose from this formless void.
Zeus is considered by many to be the mightiest of gods—a logical belief given his power.
Yet, he is nothing compared to one of the eighty-eight original gods born from the void of Niflhel.
Among these beings capable of creating from nothingness, there existed an uncontested elite: the Yggdrasil.
They were the four most powerful primordial gods that Niflhel had spawned from its chaos.
These entities were so mighty that a rumor claims they self-destructed due to their own power.
But that story was a lie—a fabricated explanation to conceal the true reason for their race's disappearance.
For the reality was far different…
'The first Ragnarok was not a war between humans and gods… but a clash between eleven Primordials and the rest of creation.'
Just thinking about it sent a shiver through Doma's body at the thought of Satan's true power.
The entity that cursed Beelzebub was one of the four Yggdrasil, the most powerful Primordials in all of existence.
The worst part of this story is that the eleven Primordials managed to hold the rest of creation at bay during the war.
Unfortunately, information about the Primordials is scarce in Jay's memory.
That idiot had a bad habit of skipping conversations to rush into fights, and the manga wasn't even finished.
Doma was paying dearly for those actions… and for the manga's slow publication pace.
'At least I know Beelzebub harbors a fragment of Satan's terrifying power,' he thought, mentally cursing Jay.
Beelzebub possesses a portion of Satan's power, but it's not something pleasant, like Kurama or Pochita.
Satan's power is a pure curse in the long, immortal life of the Lord of Flies.
The demon-god is incapable of feeling emotions like love or genuine friendship toward anyone due to his condition.
Satan always destroys the hearts of those close to Beelzebub, using the poor demon's own hands.
Thus, the demon of Gluttony has killed everyone who ever touched his heart, one way or another.
Friends and lovers included.
"I'm not in the mood to entertain a creature curious about rumors concerning me," Beelzebub said in an indifferent tone, though the hostile aura surrounding him spoke volumes.
If Doma didn't explain himself or leave, the demon-god would consider killing him in his quarters.
"Too bad~ I would've loved to chat more about your curse… but I'll have to get to the point."
The ice demon shrugged nonchalantly at the Philistine and Hebrew demon-god.
Beelzebub's impassive face twitched slightly at the mention of the word "curse", but he quickly regained his composure.
'This man mentioned wanting to retrieve Satan… and then spoke of the curse. Does he know something about Junior? '
Beelzebub's hostility masked a growing curiosity, but Doma couldn't guess that.
Like the ice demon, Beelzebub is a being deprived of emotions due to his curse.
Doma was born without true emotions, until Jay came along.
Unlike Doma, the Lord of Gluttony was forced to forsake emotions for millennia.
The demon-god refused to pay the price for feeling love, friendship, joy, or any positive emotion tied to those close to him.
Because Satan would destroy the heart of the target—or anything that sparked those positive feelings.
A cruel act and a pitiful situation.
"I won't waste any more of your time," Doma declared after finding a comfortable chair and settling into it.
"I want to make a deal you won't regret: your blood, marked by Satan's curse, in exchange for crucial information about the death of someone close to you," the ice demon announced in a serious tone.
The blood of a god.
Heracles went from a mere mortal, weak and without special powers, to a warrior capable of fighting Ares on equal footing.
The former mortal even surpassed him later, after benefiting from the resources of the other world.
He thus became a demigod, a bridge between gods and humans.
Early in his arrival in this world, Doma had considered getting close to Zeus—for the Ragnarok, and for his blood.
Unfortunately, Zeus didn't offer that power-up for free.
"Get out, lowly creature. I have no one close to me," Beelzebub said, raising his Hornet cane adorned with a skull.
The demon-god lost all interest after Doma's words about an imaginary "someone close."
But an unexpected name suddenly rang out from his interlocutor's mouth:
"Hades."
The cane froze mid-air at the mention of the name.
His empty, lifeless eyes trembled slightly, overwhelmed by a wave of complex emotions at the mere mention of the King of the Underworld.
Hades, the older brother of Poseidon and Zeus.
He was the one who pulled Beelzebub out of a toxic cycle of suicide attempts after the murder of his beloved.
Even if Beelzebub no longer has true friends, Hades still represents a faint glimmer in the darkness of his life.
"You want my blood? It's yours. But you'd better not be lying… or I'll find you." The demon's voice remained indifferent, but a subtle feeling lurked within it.
A murderous intent.
Before, when the Lord of Flies threatened someone, it was a casual gesture—almost trivial.
Like eating… or going to sleep.
But this time, things were different.
The mere mention of Hades was enough to awaken a genuine thirst for murder, something the Lord of Gluttony hadn't felt in ages.
'This cursed blood is meaningless outside of scientific research… but Hades, he's different,'the demon-god analyzed, grabbing a blood bag from the refrigerator and tossing it to Doma.
'He didn't just study a powerful demon like Hajun… but himself,'Doma thought, observing the blood bag in his hand.
"Can I know now? And I hope this information is verifiable," the demon asked, narrowing his eyes and tightening his grip on his cane.
"Here. You'll find all the information there. And if I'm wrong… then you can come for me," Doma replied before leaving.
Beelzebub glanced briefly at Doma's note before turning his attention away from it and the ice demon.
The transaction was complete.
Doma knew he could never become friends with Beelzebub, even if he sympathized with his loneliness.
He didn't want to be killed by Satan and had no intention of trying to please such a dangerous entity.
If the future ever allowed for a friendship, he'd accept it.
But if not… the current situation suited him just fine.
He left the pseudo-laboratory that the demon used as a room and headed back to Thrud's place.
Why her place? Doma remembered he had no safe haven in this world, and the valkyrie was too honest to attack during the process of absorbing divine blood.
"Thrud? You're not here? I'm coming in~"
After knocking several times with no response, Doma entered.
Thrud's residence was simple and showed nothing unusual, despite the property's unique appearance.
He strolled in casually, as if it were his own home, and settled on the bed, eyeing the blood bag that supposedly contained Satan's power.
"I'd have preferred to drink it when Satan himself was controlling Beelzebub's body… but—"
Doma couldn't afford to be picky or overly demanding with his divine elixir.
The ice demon wanted the best quality and a safe place to consume it, but none of the locations he'd considered were available.
Drinking it near Zeus was, of course, out of the question due to the nature of his plan.
So, he opened the container and drank the demon-god's blood.
'Weird… aside from the exceptionally good taste—'
His foolish thoughts stopped as his vision blurred.
A forgotten sense of unease, absent since his anti-wisteria training, gripped his heart.
Before losing consciousness, Doma caught sight of a small loli entering the room, looking annoyed and muttering about items Thrud had borrowed and not returned.
After picking up a pink teddy bear, she noticed Doma motionless on the bed.
"No way… Did she really kidnap a guy to have a boyfriend?!" Hlökk exclaimed in a shocked tone.
(Image)
Unfortunately, Doma couldn't open his mouth to clear up this grave misunderstanding.
The demon lost consciousness, struggling against the drastic changes his being was undergoing with every passing moment.
"Destroy… destroy all their hearts…" whispered a voice in the gray world of the blood demon art: the paradise of vanity.
A grotesque creature tried to flood the abyssal void in Doma's heart with destructive, negative emotions, but he devoured them greedily, showing no sign of satisfaction.
(Image)
The creature despaired as Doma's heart craved more.
If Muzan's cells pushed Doma to obey, Beelzebub's blood, infused with Satan's power, refused to make him a puppet.
He craved destruction!