"Lord of the Flies?"
"What is that thing?"
Denji followed Arata toward the church entrance, his head filled with question marks.
"Beelzebub, the Gluttony Devil—one of the Seven Deadly Sins," Arata said slowly. Even with the explanation, Denji looked just as confused. Power, also a fiend, was equally clueless about the Seven Deadly Sins. Arata, however, knew exactly what they were.
The Seven Deadly Sins devils were different from the others. They were "Devils from the Heavens." Every devil Arata had fought until now had come from Hell, fueled by the collective fear of humanity, growing stronger as fear spread. Devils from the heavens, however, didn't rely on human fear. They possessed unique, distinct powers, and their methods of gaining strength varied. The Seven Deadly Sins were Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust. Arata was about to face the Gluttony Devil.
Based on its name and the recent string of "Apple" cases, it was clear that Gluttony's method of growth was simple: consumption. The more it ate, the stronger it became. Arata knew his top priority was to find it quickly; if he let it continue to feed and grow, he would eventually face an apocalyptic horror.
"Master?" Denji nudged him, snapping Arata out of his trance.
"Wait for me. I need to make a call."
Arata walked to a quiet corner and called Natsume Noriyuki. Natsume was technically just a captain of a corpse-disposal unit, but his intelligence network was impeccable, and his recent behavior had been bizarre—forming a mysterious partnership with the unfathomably powerful Moer family and having odd connections to Asuka Saito. Arata had long suspected Natsume was more than he appeared, but he hadn't had the time to investigate. Now, he needed information on recent abnormalities in Osaka and anything related to churches.
Natsume hung up the moment he heard the request and called back in less than five minutes, delivering everything Arata needed. There was a recent spike in missing person cases in Osaka and surrounding cities, likely linked to a new ring of human traffickers. As for churches, other than the Church of Light being closed, every other church in the city was perfectly normal, packed with daily worshipers.
"Got it. Thanks, Natsume."
"Why the sudden interest in this? You're in Tokyo, aren't you? Don't tell me you got reassigned to Osaka?"
Arata didn't say a word; he simply hung up, cutting Natsume off before he could ask any more questions.
Based on the intel, the disappearances were clearly linked to the Gluttony Devil's feeding. The church situation, however, was puzzling. They had already checked the Church of Light, and Ryoko had confirmed the Gluttony Devil was hiding there. If Natsume was right and the other churches were normal, then where was the devil hiding?
Click. Arata snapped his fingers.
"Ryoko never went to church before, but suddenly she started going. She met a priest there who gave her an apple. That means the Gluttony Devil is posing as a priest!"
If they tried to raid every church in Osaka, they'd get nowhere and likely tip off the devil, causing it to flee. Arata decided to play it cool. They would wait for the corpse-hauling truck to return to the Church of Light tonight. He would ambush the vehicle and use it to find the devil's true lair—a surprise strike that would catch the Gluttony Devil off guard.
"Master, are we still going to the church to find that 'Lord of the Flies' thing?" Denji asked.
"No. We're going to the Osaka Tsutenkaku Tower first."
"Huh? I thought we were in a hurry to kill the devil!"
"Just listen to whatever Arata says; don't talk back!" Power scolded him, seizing the chance to show off her authority.
"Power's right. There's a reason for everything your Master does." Arata high-fived Power as she approached.
"What about the corpses here?"
"Leave them hanging. And don't tell a soul."
Arata led the two out of the church, sealing the door with a mirror-based barrier behind them. They hailed a taxi for Naniwa Ward, Osaka, arriving at the base of the 103-meter-tall Tsutenkaku Tower—often called the "Eiffel Tower of Osaka." Famous for once housing the world's first circular elevator and Japan's largest clock, the tower offered breathtaking views of the Osaka skyline.
"Three tickets, please."
"That'll be 1800 Yen."
"Here's 2000. Keep the change as a tip."
"Sir, we don't accept tips."
"Then throw it away."
The ticket seller stared in confusion at Arata's bizarre behavior. Arata took the three tickets and led Denji and Power onto the elevator to the top floor. It being a weekday, there was no line.
When they reached the topmost observation deck and stepped onto the exclusive glass-bottom walkway, the view was dizzying—rows of Osaka skyscrapers lay beneath them like toys, and the people below were smaller than ants.
"WOAH!! This is so high! I never knew a place like this existed!" Denji gazed out at the cityscape, his wonder boundless. He was like a child, dancing and running from side to side to catch every angle. Power gripped the railing, hoisting herself up to look into the distance.
"Once the Great Me becomes Prime Minister, I shall build a tower even taller than this! And it must be finished at whip-crack speed by exploiting human labor!"
It was a mercy that Power would never be Prime Minister; she would undoubtedly be a tyrant.
"Master, let's take a picture together!"
"Alright." Arata was the only one with a phone. "Power, get over here."
The three stood together, Arata in the center. Power draped one arm around Arata, flashing a middle finger at the lens with her other hand, while Denji struck a pose with his fingers in a V-sign. With the sky and the sprawling city as their backdrop, their memory was frozen in a single shot.
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