Chapter 5: Gula, Part 1: This World is… Hell
Within the whole world, I think that the hardest feeling to bear is『Hunger』.
The Demon World is absurdly vast, by I doubt there exists a longing that surpasses this thirst.
Thus, after being given life as a Demon, when I was selected under Gula, I thought it to be a natural matter of course.
The months and years passed by favorably, and as I lived thinking of nothing but how to sate my hunger, the class I was burdened with had changed to『Demon Lord』 when I wasn’t looking.
If you ask whether anything changed once I became a Demon Lord, nothing changed at all. The only thing I am capable of is eating, and I was more than satisfied with that alone.
Perhaps a change to speak of was that I became one of the strong, and therefore, the extent of what I could eat had increased.
It was survival of the fittest in the truest sense of the word. Because we were a bit stronger, we ate, and as a result, our classes advanced.
It didn’t take long for the target of that desire to shift from what the other Demons called ‘Food’, to inorganic matter, and finally those of the same race.
The fact that other Demons taste good is a sort of common sense among those that carry Gula. Eating them takes up too much effort, so there are few that actually do it is all… meaning as long as you take care of that single point, there is no need for hesitation.
I lived a long time.
I was born as a Demon, became a Demon Lord, became the Great Demon King’s subordinate, and ate all the opposing Demon Lords.
The stronger the targets were, the better they tasted on my tongue.
Within Demons, there are about five ranks.
Meaning, starting from『Rankless』, it goes to
『Pawn』
『Knight』
『General』
『Lord』
These five.
Rankless have the least taste, and Lords are a delicacy.
Additionally, their taste changes based on the attribute they carry. If you asked me what the supreme food was, I would definitely say『Demons』.
To Gluttony, that is cursed with unlimited hunger, no matter how much food you have, it is never enough.
Born as pure predators, Gluttonies are never loved by their race. Because of their nature that rashly excels in attack power, if they act too indiscriminately, there’s always the fear that their surroundings will work to eliminate them.
Order was needed, so the quickest solution was to put them under the protections of someone of a high rank.
And that was the Great Demon Lord. That’s all.
Without any real difficult reasons, and without any particular circumstances. For such simple reasons, I became a Demon who followed the Great Demon Lord, and I got retainers, and land, and… the right to devour Demons that opposed us.
Even more time passed.
My power as a Demon continued to rise, and my hunger along with it.
My tongue matured, and normal food would no longer sate my hunger in the slightest.
The Great Demon Lord changed generations thrice, and one who hadn’t even existed when I was born, Kanon of Ruin, took over.
She was a deep crimson Demon, a beautiful personification of the flames of purgatory.
I still remember the audience I had with her when she took office.
The magic I felt from her body blazed up in a manner fitting of Ira, and the surrounding air seemed to burn with tremendous heat at the might that filled it. I felt that I was going to prostrate myself at any moment against that might.
I thought of how beautiful and strong a Devil she was.
And within her, was overflowing charisma.
If it’s with this Great Demon King, then I’ll be able to satisfy my hunger to levels I’ve never felt before.
I’ll be able to taste flavors I’ve never learned of.
And at the same time, I thought.
If I could ever get a taste of her… the sensation would be good enough to send me to heaven.
My parents, and my friends, and my retainers, I even ate other Gluttonies.
I ate Sloth, and Greed, and Lust, and Wrath, and Gluttony, and Pride, and Envy.
In tears, in anger, in laughter, in gratitude, they were eaten.
There is no ranking among food, and thus, everything in this world has equal value.
Whether disgusting, or delicious, even if I knew it would never fill my stomach, I ate.
This world is… hell.
It expands. It contracts. It changes. War starts. War Ends. Things fall. Things revive. Everything is perpetually in a state of change, and what prospers must decay. But within all of that, the only thing that didn’t change at all was my hunger.
Only hunger remained constant.
Along with the endless euphoria I experienced upon sating it.
So me raising a revolt against the Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude was likely not a matter of food supplies or anything. It was probably just a matter of time.
Because I’m a Demon. A Demon of Gluttony.