Chapter 127: The Being Behind the events
They obeyed.
Because it was no longer Noah speaking.
It was the concept of Soul itself—embodied, alive—that commanded them.
And how could mere souls disobey the will of their ruler?
They couldn’t.
So they died.
A pitiful end, maybe even for some innocent souls among them. But Noah didn’t have the time or luxury to sort through them one by one. No judgment. Just a decree.
And the moment that decree was spoken—
They vanished.
All of them.
"ARGHHHHH—!"
Belzebuth’s scream shattered the silence. The air trembled; ice cracked and collapsed around him, echoing with agony.
Noah stood, unmoved. His eyes were like winter.
Zara appeared beside him. Her gaze sharp, her face tight with anger.
"Why did you do that?" she asked coldly. "Do you think I’m some weak girl who needs protection?"
Noah gave her a sheepish smile. "No, my dear hybrid. But my power... it’s not stable yet. I didn’t want to risk hurting you by accident."
He paused.
"But we’ll talk about that later."
He turned, walking toward Belzebuth, who lay broken on the frozen floor. His body was a patchwork of chaos. Incomplete. His eyes stared blankly at the sky.
Noah studied him.
The truth was obvious now—Belzebuth’s talent was either incomplete... or never truly SSS-rank.
Because no true SSS talent came with such a fatal flaw.
Yes, Belzebuth could devour powers. But he couldn’t assimilate them. They remained foreign—loose pieces stitched onto a body that never accepted them.
That’s why his transformation was so erratic. So... monstrous.
"So greedy," Noah muttered, crouching beside him. "You couldn’t even digest what you consumed."
Ice burst from the floor, chaining Belzebuth in place.
The Demon Lord turned his head slowly. His red eyes still burned with hatred.
"You... you dare...?"
Noah ignored him and looked at Zara.
"He’s your father. And you control emotions. Make him return to his senses. Then we’ll talk."
He turned toward Isac and Albert, still standing like statues. Ice surged again, binding them—but this time, it went deeper. Freezing their blood, their minds, just enough to keep them alive. Just enough to prevent any tricks Belzebuth might still have left.
He wouldn’t risk it—not with Sophie.
Zara nodded, stepping forward. Her eyes locked on her father.
But as she drew near...
She felt nothing.
No rage. No sorrow. No regret.
Just... peace.
Not because Belzebuth was broken.
But because—for the first time—she understood something.
Something simple. Something obvious to others... but new to her.
She had chased him her whole life.
Because she was lonely.
And that’s the danger of loneliness. It makes you desperate. It blinds you. You run to anything that feels like warmth—even if it burns you.
People say, "Don’t be hasty." And they’re right.
It’s like a starving man at a marketplace—he buys the first thing he sees. And most of the time? It poisons him.
So don’t be hasty. Don’t be eager to escape loneliness.
Because loneliness, after all, is where you grow the most.
That realization settled deep within her. Quiet. Final.
And in that moment...
Zara became truly a HeartWaver.
She breathed in.
Then out.
The air trembled with the emotions she released. No sadness. No pain. Only light.
Love. Joy. Peace. Contentment.
The atmosphere shimmered. You could almost see illusions of pink flowers blooming around the room.
And when these feelings flooded the space—like poison to a beast—they struck Belzebuth.
He jerked.
Because a creature like him couldn’t feel these things. His body rejected them like infection.
And then—
"Where... am I?"
His voice was weaker. Clearer.
He turned and saw Zara standing before him.
"Oh. You’re that bitch’s daughter."
Zara smiled softly. "Maybe."
Noah crouched beside Belzebuth again, eye to eye.
"Let’s not waste time."
He leaned closer.
"Do you know your situation right now? If not, let me paint it for you."
His tone dropped to ice.
"We’ll ask questions. You’ll answer. Don’t lie and don’t stall."
"Or you’ll regret it."
Belzebuth laughed—broken, bitter. "What’s left for me to lose?"
"If I’m dying, I’m taking that bitch with me."
His voice trembled with pain. Speaking was hard. His body was wrecked.
Noah frowned. "Who?"
Belzebuth’s gaze flicked to Zara. "Her mother, of course."
Silence.
Then he grinned. "You still think I killed her? Fool."
"What I killed was a human clone. That woman can’t be killed easily. Her talent... it’s revolting."
Zara’s breath caught.
"Who is my mother? Where is she?"
Belzebuth paused, then answered.
"She’s a vampire. Pure-blood. Her control over blood is... obscene. She could manipulate your bloodline—and through it, even your soul."
Zara froze. My mother... a vampire? How?
"How can I be human if she was a vampire?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"How?" Belzebuth sneered. "She hijacked a human woman’s body. Parasited it with her bloodline. Made sure you only inherited the human traits. Not her blood."
He laughed—a disgusting sound.
"You see now?"
He smirked. "She wanted to extract your talent. Rip it from you and claim it for herself. You were just a harvest. So why would she give you her bloodline?"
"She couldn’t take it from me. I’m SS-rank. Her clone wasn’t strong enough for that."
He chuckled again. "So yeah. You were born to be drained and discarded."
Zara didn’t respond. Her mind swirled with thoughts too heavy to process.
But Noah’s thoughts were elsewhere.
"Wait... vampires exist?"
Belzebuth looked at him like he was stupid. "Ignorance is a sin. You’re powerful—but blind. Pathetic."
Noah scowled. Why didn’t Laeh tell me this? How could he miss something so important?
The thought rattled him.
But he forced himself to stay in the moment.
More important right now—what Belzebuth said about bloodline and soul.
"How does blood control give access to talents?"
Belzebuth shrugged. "Ask her. Even her clan feared her. But understand this—talent resides in the soul. And bloodline is the foundation. The root of one’s being."
Noah’s eyes widened.
Talent lives in the soul...
Bloodline is the origin of the being...
It was like a door opening in his mind.
He stared at Belzebuth.
"Why tell me this? Aren’t you afraid I’ll take your talent? Your bloodline?"
Belzebuth grinned with madness. The sight, twisted and raw, was almost tragic.
"That’s what I want."
"Take it. This incomplete, cursed thing."
"And kill me. I don’t care anymore."
His pride had truly shattered.
Noah frowned. "What scared you this much? Was it your father?"
Belzebuth didn’t answer.
Noah didn’t press.
Instead, he turned to Zara.
"I want to try it. What he said."
If he could take talent directly—from soul to soul—without the System...
It would be legendary.
He hesitated.
"But I don’t know what’ll happen. He might die. Or break even more."
His voice softened slightly, almost unsure. He didn’t want Zara to think he was toying with her father’s life on a whim.
But Zara nodded, calm and steady.
She no longer cared.
Belzebuth never saw her as a daughter.
Why should she feel pity?
And her mind was filled now with thoughts of her mother.
"Do what you must."
Noah exhaled, a hint of relief in his breath.
"Thank you, Zara. I’ll do my best... not to kill him by accident."
He turned to Belzebuth.
"Ready?"
—End of Chapter 127—