Ravel quickly composed herself, but the grand gesture made by August left a lasting impression on her.
This large health potion, while not comparable to her family's Phoenix Tears, was impressive due to the sheer quantity. To produce two hundred and fifty bottles in one go implied that August had many more in reserve.
As a member of the Phoenix family, who sold Phoenix Tears, she understood the value of this potion. If August possessed the method to produce it, he could create a unique and highly lucrative industry, the value of which was immeasurable.
August was unaware of what Ravel was thinking at the moment, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care. Wealth had ceased to matter to him ever since he obtained all the treasures from the Gate of Babylon. His resources were now inexhaustible, and he no longer needed to worry about money.
"August, you just mentioned that these two Devil Fruits are the Snapping Turtle Fruit and the Python Fruit, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"Can you give them to me?"
"Sure, but who are you planning to give them to?"
August handed the two Devil Fruits to Sona without hesitation. After all, she was his woman, and giving her two Devil Fruits was no big deal.
Ravel took note of this gesture. August was generous and magnanimous towards his people.
"These fruits are perfect for Tsubasa and Tomoe."
"Tsubasa and Tomoe, huh?"
Tomoe was a swordswoman, and Hebi Hebi no Mi would significantly enhance her abilities. Similarly, Tsubasa, a battlefield warrior equipped with the Twinkle Aegis, was already a tank and would benefit greatly from Kame Kame no Mi.
"Why don't you want the Moa Moa no Mi?"
"I'm saving the Moa Moa no Mi for Rias. We already have three fruits here."
"You all have such a strong bond."
"If I hadn't eaten this fruit, I definitely wouldn't let go of such a valuable Devil Fruit."
"I think it's quite nice."
As August's gaze lingered on Sona's upper body, he couldn't help but feel attracted. Despite her petite frame, she had developed into an extraordinary figure, making her the most alluring to him at the moment.
Though Sona pretended to be displeased by August's stare, she was secretly pleased. All of August's previous women had been more endowed than her, but now she was catching up. She had a hunch that this wasn't her limit and that she had room to grow further. One day, she hoped to surpass Rias, just as Rias had once outshone her.
Never underestimate a woman's concern for her figure, especially one with status and power.
"Alright, we won't disturb you any longer. Tsubaki, let's go."
With that, she picked up the two Devil Fruits and left with Tsubaki.
August was left puzzled, watching Sona suddenly decide to leave. He had planned to discuss some life philosophies with her after Ravel departed, but now she was gone?
Next, August's gaze fell on Ravel. Being stared at so intensely by a man for the first time made Ravel's cheeks flush red.
"Um, I should be going too. I need to report back to my father."
With that, she hurriedly left, leaving August speechless. When did he become so unapproachable? Everyone left, not a single one stayed behind.
After everyone had left, August opened his hand, revealing four black curses floating in his palm. These were the curses of the Sea Devil, and anyone cursed would be hated by the sea. These four curses were troublesome indeed. If something went wrong, it would cause huge problems.
With a wave of his hand, four fruits appeared on the table. August then infused the four curses into these fruits. Having a vessel for the curses was better to avoid potential trouble.
Once infused with the curses, the fruits were covered with black patterns, resembling Devil Fruits. However, these fruits were not Devil Fruits; consuming them would only result in being cursed without gaining any abilities.
To be safe, August threw these four cursed fruits into his treasury. In the future, if he found suitable candidates, he could have them consume one. The curse of the sea would surely be interesting.
With that taken care of, August let out a breath of relief. This time, his gacha draw yielded some results, though nothing that significantly enhanced his power. One particularly mysterious seed had taken root and started to sprout in his inner world, but it would take some time to fully grow.
Finally, August retrieved the system item he had obtained from the gacha draw, a fusion card. This item allowed the fusion of two objects, though it couldn't be used on living beings.
August summoned the Teigu, Murasame. This killing sword had been acquired from a previous draw, but he had never used it. Today, he had an idea. He had just extracted curses from the Devil Fruits; what if he fused one of those curses with Murasame? Would it produce some sort of mutation?
Without wasting time, he picked up Murasame and one of the cursed fruits. The fusion card could only merge objects, and curse power was a form of energy, not an object. So, this was his only option.
He placed the two items on the table and then picked up the fusion card. As a bright light enveloped them, Murasame and the cursed fruit merged into the fusion card.
Out of the white light, a brand-new Murasame emerged. Its overall appearance hadn't changed much, but the aura it exuded was entirely different to August.
[Cursed Sword Murasame: Attributes: Instant Kill, Curse Absorption, Sea Rejection. The blade is imbued with curse poison, guaranteeing an instant kill. It can absorb curses to enhance the curse poison, and anyone tainted by the curse poison will be rejected by the sea.]
The Cursed Sword Murasame had evolved beyond the realm of Teigu by integrating the sea curse. When August grasped the sword, a wave of malice and resentment surged towards him. This was a natural characteristic of Murasame. Furthermore, anyone slain by Murasame would have their curses and grudges absorbed by the sword.
These powers could be channeled by the wielder, significantly boosting their strength for a short time by bearing the brunt of the curse poison.
With the added effect of the sea curse, Murasame now had not only an instant kill ability but also the curse of the sea. This dual attribute seemed somewhat redundant... after all, an instant kill meant the curse's effect of being rejected by the sea was moot if the victim was already dead.
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August examined the brand-new Murasame in his hand for a moment before putting it away.
This enhanced Murasame could absorb curses to amplify its own curse poison. In this world, August was aware of two particularly potent curses.
The first was the curse of the Juggernaut Drive, sealed by the Red Dragon Emperor and White Dragon Emperor, which was the source of their tragic fates over generations.
The second was from the legendary creature sealed in the depths of the Underworld, the Dragon Eater, Samael. This monster bore the world's most terrifying curse, left by the God of the Bible, which turned Samael into a half-dragon, half-fallen angel monstrosity.
Curses were countless across the multiverse. One day, Murasame might even evolve into the ultimate nemesis of curses.
Reflecting on the day's events, August stretched and returned to his room, collapsing into bed. He was exhausted, mostly because the mysterious seed had drained an immense amount of his demonic power. If not for his rapid demonic power recovery rate, he might have been completely depleted.
And so, time swiftly passed to the next day...
The following morning, August was still asleep, but a visitor arrived at his home.
"My lord, Azazel is here to see you."
Hilda opened the door and, seeing August still asleep, gently nudged him awake.
"Hmm? Who?"
"The Governor of the Fallen Angels, Azazel."
"Azazel? What's that rascal want? Just let me sleep a bit longer."
With that, August rolled over and went back to sleep, causing Hilda to frown. It was unusual for August to be so lethargic after sleeping for such a long time since the previous day.
"It seems he's encountered some trouble."
Azazel's voice came from the side. Hilda turned to see him standing there, unsure of when he had arrived. Her immediate reaction was to draw her umbrella sword and point it at Azazel.
August was still asleep, and Azazel's sudden appearance was both her dereliction of duty and a potential threat. If Azazel decided to attack, no one could stop an experienced Satan-class powerhouse.
"Don't be alarmed. I just followed out of curiosity. Your lord is clearly in trouble; his demonic power is continually leaking. That's quite strange."
"I will take care of My lord. He is not available now. Please leave, Azazel."
Despite facing the Governor of the Fallen Angels, Hilda showed no fear or hesitation. To her, August was above all else. With him in trouble, she wouldn't allow anyone near him.
"Calm down. I mean no harm."
"Lord Azazel, please leave."
"Ah, you're being difficult. This boy is clearly in a bad state."
Hilda didn't respond, but she didn't lower her umbrella sword either. A layer of unknown material covered the sword, turning it black.
Seeing Hilda's unwavering stance, Azazel sighed and left.
Only after ensuring Azazel had truly left and checking the surroundings did Hilda finally relax.
"Hilda, what's wrong with Lord August?"
Yolda also entered, looking worriedly at Hilda.
"Lord August is fine, but Azazel said his demonic power is continuously leaking, which is why he's still asleep."
"Continuously leaking?"
"Yes, I checked too. Something in Lord August's body is constantly absorbing his demonic power; otherwise, this wouldn't be happening."
"Something inside Lord August?"
Yolda approached, placing a hand on August to sense his demonic power. She confirmed what Hilda had said... August's demonic power was steadily draining. However, this wasn't harming him; it seemed to be designed specifically to avoid causing him damage.
"What should we do next?"
"I'm not sure."
"How about we call the princess from the House of Sitri? She's a prominent heiress from a distinguished family."
"Good idea. I'll bring Rias as well."
"I'll stay here with Lord August."
"Alright."
Hilda quickly left while Yolda stayed by August's side.
Within ten minutes, Rias and Sona arrived. Both of them had the coordinates for August's home, so getting there was easy.
"What's going on? How could his demonic power be leaking like this?"
Sona's anger was evident as she spoke. It hadn't even been a day since she last saw August in good health.
Rias, who came along, also looked worried, though she managed to remain slightly more composed than Sona.
"Lady Sona, Lord August went to bed early last night, but he hasn't woken up since. Just a while ago, Azazel, the Governor of the Fallen Angels, came by. I tried to wake Lord August, but he remained extremely drowsy. Azazel mentioned that August is in trouble and that his demonic power is continually leaking."
"Azazel?"
"Yes, he often visits Lord August."
"Alright, Sona, let's not worry about Azazel right now. The priority is August."
The three of them walked into the bedroom where August was still sleeping. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Lord August~ Lord August~"
Yolda gently called out, waking August. He groggily opened his eyes.
Seeing Sona and Rias in the room, he was taken aback.
"What are you two doing here?"
August yawned and sat up lazily.
The way he looked confirmed the others' suspicions. This was unusual behavior for him. Even on nights when he had overexerted himself, he had never appeared this fatigued.
"I heard from Hilda that you were in trouble, so I came to check on you."
Sona said directly.
"I'm in trouble? No, I'm fine."
"I didn't believe it at first, but now I do. August, haven't you noticed? Something is very wrong with you."
"I…"
August froze at Sona's words. He suddenly realized that she was right. He felt inexplicably exhausted, lacking any energy.
This was highly unusual for August. Normally, such a condition was impossible for him, but now it was undeniably happening.
He then noticed his demonic power was continuously draining, not dissipating elsewhere but being drawn into the inner world within him.
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