The thing extended its hand toward Ran with a twisted anticipation, but Ran, battered and broken, knew better than anyone who he was dealing with.
"First, tell me, who are you?"
The thing let out a low, menacing laugh, bowing before him with mock politeness, as if presenting itself like some grotesque noble.
"I am the Sin Archdemon, ruler of the Void Domain, the embodiment of gluttony, Gormund Mawriel."
Ran, barely conscious, struggled to lift his head. The excruciating pain of having torn off his own arms still echoed through his shattered nerves, and now, they only existed as phantom weights. He stared at Gormund, unable to summon fear. Only confusion remained in his mind.
"What are the conditions for the contract?"
"It's quite simple, really. You see, I've spent my life searching for the purest form of soul to consume. Demons like me require nourishment tied to their sin. I am a glutton, so my hunger is for souls."
"Does killing and devouring them consume their souls?"
"Fufufu... I do it purely for amusement. That does not consume their soul."
The demon said with malice in his voice.
Ran narrowed his eyes in disgust. Was tormenting and devouring souls nothing more than a twisted game to him?
"But I also do it in search of someone with incredible mental fortitude. You see... I cannot devour just anyone's soul. I must form a contract with the soul's owner first. I seek someone worthy to offer such a gift. And you, boy, are more than worthy. Hahahaha!!!"
"What's so funny?"
Ran rasped, struggling to make sense of it all.
Gormund's laugh cut through the air, unnerving in its depth.
"Now, now, don't be so angry. So tell me, do you wish to make a contract with me? I'll fulfill my promise and even bestow some of my powers upon you."
Ran's mind raced. He tried to assess the situation. Could he really trust this demon? He glanced at the twisted smile that spread across Gormund's face and wondered if he had any choice left at all.
"What if I refuse?" Ran asked, his voice hoarse.
"Then I will kill you instantly."
Gormund replied, the words dripping with a casual, unsettling certainty. Ran studied the demon's face for a long moment, his mind swirling with a storm of thoughts. He scratched his head, trying to keep his composure.
"How can I be sure you won't kill me right after the contract?"
"In the blood oath, the contractor is forbidden from killing the one they've contracted with. The contract binds us both; you must wait for your own death."
Gormund explained, his tone eerily calm. Ran remained silent, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. He was trapped, there was no escaping it. His only hope was this gamble, a gamble that he might let him live after forming the contract.
"You are free to doubt but understand this: if you refuse, you will die here, and your chance to fix your mana drain will vanish forever."
"So you're saying I have no choice but to gamble with my soul?"
Ran asked, his voice steady despite the panic clawing at his chest.
"Yes! You must be quite intelligent."
Gormund mocked, his voice dripping with scorn. Ran knew he was utterly powerless. And yet, if this contract could buy him more time to live, to fix the pain gnawing at his insides, then perhaps it was worth the risk. He had no choice.
"Just... don't kill me outright. You can do whatever you want once I'm dead by other means."
Gormund's laugh echoed again, this time more sinister.
"Oh, I swear, I won't do anything to you. Now, brace yourself. It will hurt a little."
Ran closed his eyes, dreading the inevitable, wondering how a contract could be forged while his eyes were shut, before he felt the searing pain of the demon's hand piercing his chest.
CRUSH!!!
"AUGHHHHH!!!!"
Ran screamed, his body convulsing from the sheer agony.
"Now, now, don't scream too much. Just a little longer."
Ran could barely comprehend the pain. The demon's hand tore into his chest, ripping out his ribcage with grotesque ease before crushing his heart under its grip.
"AUGHHH!!! What the fuck are you doing?!"
Ran cried, his vision blurring with pain, his mind struggling to stay intact.
"I don't like people who nag too much. Just wait a little longer."
A vein bulged in the demon's forehead as he twisted Ran's body, but only Ran could understand the true extent of pain he was suffering.
Gormund replaced his heart with something grotesque, a pulsating mass that defied the laws of nature. It throbbed, pumping as if alive, feeding on Ran's broken body.
His consciousness began to fade as the last threads of his life ebbed away. Through the haze, he saw the demon's eyes on him, and heard a final, mocking statement.
"Now you have become my apostle. The heart inside you is a part of mine. It will cure your disease, and the sigil on this new heart will ensure your soul belongs to me when you die. Live a fulfilling life, boy, before I come for you."
THUD!!!
_______
Ran awoke, the searing pain still fresh in his body, but it was no longer as overwhelming. It was almost dusk now. He was fortunate to be alive; at this hour, demons and beasts roamed the land in search of food, and Ran, along with countless others, would be a prime feast.
He rose slowly, looking around the area. The stench of blood, gore, and rotting flesh thickened the air.
The remnants of the slaughter were all around him: intestines, brain matter, kidneys, fingers, limbs everything scattered across the ground like the aftermath of a depraved feast.
Gormund had certainly made a hellish mess before leaving.
Ran remembered the words that still echoed in his mind.
[Now you have become my apostle. The heart inside you is a part of mine. It will cure your disease, and the sigil on this new heart will ensure your soul belongs to me when you die. Live a fulfilling life, boy, before I come for you.]
Ran felt a twisted mixture of anger and relief. He had traded his soul for just a little more time. In the end, it was the demon who had won, not him.
The heart inside him pulsed in time with his own. Both of his hands were back and functioning normally. Maybe the demon fixed it before going away.
The news would spread soon enough. The Bloodrune family would be involved, and they would know that he had been a part of that mercenary group. His disappearance would be written off as part of the massacre.
With a heavy heart, Ran turned his back on the carnage. He had to disappear. Perhaps he would seek solace in some quiet, rural life, far away from the horrors he had become a part of. His soul, after all, was already marked for consumption by a demon of gluttony.
Fate would dictate what was left of his future. Would it be endless suffering, or would there be a fleeting hope of a life he'd always wanted? Only time would tell.