Chapter 773: Deal
Realizing it was being trapped, the Sin of Gluttony unleashed a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the Citadel of War, a sound so filled with agony and rage that it made the very ground tremble. The scream was an expression of its fury at being subdued, a monstrous wail that sent shockwaves through the air, causing the remaining structures of the Citadel to shudder and crack. The eyes covering its body rolled madly, bulging as it writhed against the newly fused chains, but no amount of struggling could free it from Orion’s iron grip.
For a moment, Orion stood tall, his hand still outstretched, his face set in a grim expression of victory. But the exertion had taken its toll. His vision blurred, and his legs buckled beneath him. With a heavy exhale, Orion dropped to his knees, his body trembling from the sheer amount of energy he had just expended. The weight of what he had accomplished bore down on him, and he could feel the exhaustion seeping into his bones, threatening to overwhelm him.
He stayed on his knees for a moment, breathing heavily, the world around him spinning slightly as he fought to regain his composure. The sweat on his brow dripped down his face, mixing with the grime and blood of the battlefield. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, trying to steady himself. His heart pounded in his chest, but he refused to let it keep him down. He couldn’t afford to show weakness, not now.
With a determined grunt, Orion pushed himself back to his feet, shaky but resolute. He stood tall once more, his eyes fixed on the now-ensnared Sin of Gluttony, which continued to thrash in its chains, howling in fury and despair. Orion had subdued the beast, but he knew the battle was far from over. The Citadel of War was still a place of chaos, and the forces of Hell would not be easily tamed.
But for now, he had won. He had bent a quasi-god to his will and prevented a catastrophe. And even though his body screamed with exhaustion, Orion’s spirit remained unbroken. He would continue to fight, to dominate, and to ensure that his throne world remained unchallenged.
"W-What do you want," The mass of flesh finally spoke.
"To proceed to the next floor immediately. I would prefer I don’t have to kill you otherwise I’d be leaving this already disgusting world to rot. And I’d rather not create another utopia as that takes too much time. Way too much time."
"I-I cannot do that."
"Hey," Orion’s blood-red aura almost seemed to turn into sickles that curled over the mass of flesh, the ruler of this world, the king of all gluttonous actions, sending fear running through its body. "That wasn’t a request. That was an order. Now send me to the next floor."
As the Sin of Gluttony’s words faltered, Orion’s eyes narrowed with dangerous intensity. His blood-red aura, already a menacing presence, began to pulse with an even greater ferocity. The very air around him grew thick and oppressive, charged with a malevolent energy that seemed to resonate with the darkest corners of the Citadel of War. The aura expanded outward, tendrils of crimson energy unfurling like the sharp, curved blades of sickles, encircling the Sin of Gluttony with deadly intent.
The once-vast landscape of battle and blood was now completely dominated by Orion’s overwhelming presence. The rivers of blood that coursed through the jagged black stone appeared to bubble and boil in response, their surface reflecting the crimson glow of his aura. The stormy skies above darkened further as if the very heavens were recoiling from the force of his power. The entire Citadel trembled under the weight of his wrath, its foundations shaking as though the ground itself feared the fury of its master.
The Sin of Gluttony, a grotesque mass of rotting flesh and countless, writhing eyes, instinctively recoiled at the sight of Orion’s aura engulfing the surroundings. Its eyes darted around in panic, the once-resonating sense of power it had drawn from the frenzied beings now completely overshadowed by the sheer dominance of the one who stood before it. Fear gripped the Sin’s core, sending waves of terror through its colossal form. It thrashed against the chains that bound it, desperate to retreat, to escape the terrifying force that threatened to consume it whole.
But as the Sin of Gluttony tried to pull away, it was violently reminded of its predicament. The chains, fused with its very flesh by Orion’s [Royal Flesh Manipulation], held firm, their abyssal links tightening with every futile attempt to break free. The creature’s grotesque body convulsed, its writhing eyes filled with a mix of horror and helplessness as it realized that it was utterly trapped, chained, and powerless before the one who had subdued it.
Orion’s aura closed in on the Sin, the sickle-like tendrils of energy curling around its massive, quivering form. The ruler of gluttony, a being of insatiable hunger and monstrous power, now found itself dwarfed by the sheer intensity of Orion’s will. The aura seemed to press in on all sides, leaving the creature no room to escape, no chance to resist. It was as if the very essence of Orion’s dominance was choking the life out of the Sin, squeezing every last ounce of defiance from its body.
The Sin of Gluttony shuddered violently, its myriad eyes rolling wildly in their sockets, filled with a fear it had never known. The realization that it was completely at the mercy of Orion’s power sank in like a death knell, and the creature’s once monumental presence seemed to shrink under the oppressive weight of his aura. It could feel the crimson energy tearing at its mind, its soul, reducing it to a state of pure, primal terror.
And yet, despite its overwhelming fear, the Sin of Gluttony knew there was no escape. The chains that bound it, both physical and metaphysical, kept it suspended in the air, a prisoner to Orion’s indomitable will. Its attempt to flee, to recoil from the terrifying force that surrounded it, was met with nothing but resistance. The Sin was trapped, helpless before the one who now commanded its fate.
Orion’s aura continued to pulse and twist around the Sin, the sickles of energy inching closer, tightening their grip on the creature. The ruler of this layer of Hell, a king of gluttony and excess, had been reduced to a quivering mass of flesh, chained and defeated, unable to do anything but cower in the face of Orion’s wrath. The very notion of defying him had been obliterated, crushed under the weight of his power.
As the Sin of Gluttony finally accepted its powerlessness, it could do nothing but wait, trembling and bound, for whatever fate Orion would decide for it. Its once-mighty voice was silenced, drowned out by the all-encompassing presence of the one who now ruled over it completely.
However, all of a sudden, the creature remembered something, causing it to fall into a deeper pit of fear and despair...
"S-Still... I apologize, but I cannot let you through," But just before Orion tore the thing to shreds, it quickly interrupted with, "WAIT WAIT WAIT! BUT I CAN SEND YOU TO THE OVERWORLD!"
"Oh? Is there something you’re more afraid of me than at this moment?"
"I-If I send you to the next level, he will make me suffer worse than anything you or your little lich can do."
"Hey!" The lich who had returned to his chibi form exclaimed, slightly offended at the "little" part.
"Oh really now?" Orion smiled, but he didn’t let on just how ecstatic he was at this information. "That is an interesting deal."
"Th-Then-"
"However!" Orion quickly interjected with a wide smile, causing the creature to shiver visibly once more. "You must send my family to the surface as well."
"A-Are you talking about those natural disasters in the underworld?"
"I guess they’ve made some ruckus."
"I-I guess I can, but-"
"But what."
The creature was silent for a moment until its body began to ripple as if it sighed throughout its entire body.
"Fine, but there are conditions. And this isn’t something negotiable and in fact, it will make your life much easier."
"I see. Then what are these conditions?"
"Your status will have to be... restricted I guess. Think of it of almost as a fresh start in comparison to your status right now."
"And why is this necessary?"
"Within the underworld, the gods have very little authority. They can’t do much unless the deciding balancing factor has been uplifted. For example, your actions in the circle of lust. You killed the balancing factor, the ruler of lust, thus the space-time contract was broken, allowing the gods into that domain."
"However...?"
"Yes, however... on the overworld, they have so much more authority as the only balancing factors, well... are the rulers of the sky, earth, and sea. And those three barely do anything but spectate the world. And since you all are basically enemies of those gods, especially you, then appearing in the overworld with so much power will send alarms off at every corner of Olympus. They will immediately come down and smite you to dust... including your soul."
"So you’re saying that by limiting my status, I limit my power output and can essentially fly under their radar, correct?"
"Indeed."
"Then I accept those conditions."
"Ummm... might I add that since you’re a demi-god, more... well... how do I put... more extreme measures will be taken for you. Nothing physically will change about your brothers and sisters, however, you... I have no clue what could happen to you. Your appearance will most likely change in order to just fly under the radar while allowing you to keep more of your strength."
"It won’t be anything like a missing leg or something, right? Just a change of hair color or appearance?"
"Ummmm... at least you will get your original physical form back eventually... maybe after a month or two... your original strength on the other hand... I’d say... I got no clue," The being nervously chuckled before Orion let out a long exasperated sigh.
"Well, that’s fine. Propose a contract so I know you aren’t going to try anything fishy," Orion ordered.
The being quickly agreed and sent a contract through the system. It took a bit for Orion to read through it, making sure there was no subtext secretly hiding a way to fuck over him and his family. And upon confirming it was safe, he signed it, causing his vision to instantly swap into a sky of rolling clouds.
"Foooo..." He let out a long breath. "How wonderful fresh air is."
