บท 30: Seal of Avarice

Sorin still had so much he doesn't know about demons even if this was his second chance. Lucifer was cruel enough to let him discover things himself, only leaving him hints for him to decipher.

The fact that Adrien's seal was parallel to him was a surprise, a pleasant one at that.

His smile was wide, expectant as he turned to Adrien "You're just like me, Adrien."

『To think that you two are together, what a twist of fate.』

Lucifer hummed in delight, an amused glint in her eyes. She stepped closer to Adrien, gently reaching out towards the child's cheeks as if she was hesitant to touch him.

"Lucifer?" Sorin called out her name, the demoness looked like she was lost in thought.

『...My apologies, I'm just glad there are still remnants of my brother left.』

Adrien blinked at the woman's words, not quite understanding what she meant.

『Mamyun is long gone. This is the only trace of him left in this world.』

Lucifer whispered as she fondly brushed a stray piece of hair away from Adrien's face. Her expression was fond and she looked almost regretful.

The Avatar of Avarice, Mamyun.

Sorin had only read about the demon in ancient texts back at the temple's private library. A powerful demon that was the embodiment of human sins. He vanished after the holy war, leaving only traces of his existence.

"I...I don't understand." Adrien muttered, looking away from Lucifer.

As cruel as it may sound, Sorin needed that seal to be broken. He needed Adrien's help to destroy the Sanctum and rescue Neve.

The demons that Adrien could control and summon with the broken seal can easily distract those mages at the Sanctum. Sorin planned to not leave a trace of that wretched place after he was done with Neve.

『Simply enough, its power, stronger than any human could possess. 』

Lucifer's voice was gentle and persuasive but tinged with concern. Adrien was young, too young to be involved in such a dangerous battle.

"...How?" The child asked, Sorin could trace a hint of desperation from Adrien's voice.

『Breaking the seal can be quite difficult.』

Lucifer placed a hand under her chin as if she was considering her words before she moved her gaze toward Sorin.

『In Sorin's case... my seal was broken after his death.』

Sorin's eyebrows twitched at her words as memories of his weakness flashed back in his mind. He glared at her, smile tight at the corners of his lips "Lucifer." he warned.

The demoness grinned but simply shrugged off Sorin's warning. It was evident that Adrien couldn't really understand the extent of Lucifer's words. After all, Sorin was alive right now.

『I was merely jesting~ I can break the seal, although, it might hurt.』

Adrien's eyes widened "You can?" he asked, voice wavering at the woman's words.

『I am the monarch of demons, I can break the seal, dear child.』

Lucifer smiled gently, golden eyes shining with pride.

『What do you think, dear saint?』

Sorin never realized how fast his heart was racing, the seal broken could mean so many things. In his past life, Adrien's use of the seal had led to an entire kingdom being massacred... if he had learned to harness it earlier-

How strong could Adrien be?

Before Sorin could open his mouth Adrien spoke out, his voice burned with determination "Please, break it, please."

Sorin smiled, it felt as if the course of history shifted right at his very palms.

***

It was suffocating.

Adrien felt as if his entire body was in flames. The heat was smoldering- almost like his flesh was being melted from his bones. His vision blurred with tears, he could barely see Sorin's panicked expression looking down at him.

The Saint had his arms wrapped around Adrien's body, the child was convulsing and twitching with pain. It didn't take long before his screams echoed inside the room, sounds that were so agonizing and raw, they burned through his throat.

Sorin gritted his teeth as he held onto the suffering child "You can do this." he whispered to Adrien, voice trembling with panic.

Adrien's small frame trembled as he clung to Sorin's clothes. The Saint could feel the thick amount of demonic energy coming from the child. The seal was broken and every inch of Adrien's body was surrounded by miasma.

Sorin placed a hand on Adrien's forehead to comfort him as the child's body arched in anguish. He couldn't imagine how this seal was broken in his past life, where Adrien was alone, with no one to help him.

What suffering could this child have endured?

The Seal of Mamyun was a heavy burden to bear, it was indeed powerful but without the seal's original maker, Adrien couldn't harness it by himself. Lucifer's eyes were filled with fascination, her eyes not once leaving Adrien's writhing form.

The child's screams continued on for hours.