Chapter Text
The purer the human, the blander they taste.
This was a well known fact amongst demons, and wasn’t something that was going to change for as long as they existed.
Those who sinned however, came in many flavours.
A human who sinned tainted and marinated the blank slate which was their soul- concocting a very delicious outcome based on the sin.
The worse the sin, the better they tasted. Especially when it came to crimes such as cheating, murder, stealing from orphans, and many more unnameable acts.
Petty crimes such as lying did not bare the same effect unless they were multiple and massive with extreme consequences.
This is why demons always tried very hard to influence humans to sin.
Or at least, gain the souls of those who willingly did.
Such is the position Uzi was currently in.
Just like other demons, she wished to feast on the souls the worst mankind had to offer. Those who have committed unforgivable acts and successfully earned a special spot in Hell just for them no matter if they intended to or not.
Humans who had no self awareness that their actions had consequences were hilarious. Especially if they were so utterly confident how absolutely nothing would eventually bite them in the arse when they were still alive.
Arrogant or prideful, Uzi wasn’t sure. What she did know was they were beyond pathetic to believe such a thing.
But it’s not like she was going to stop them. She was a demon, and who was she to stop her prey from preparing themselves to get devoured?
She certainly wasn’t going to throw away any opportunities.
Plus, she lacked any to choose from in the first place.
You see, as much as demons loved to feast on souls of sinners, that wasn’t the only reason why they did. A demon's power was determined by the amount and type of souls they consumed in their lifetime. The latter playing a much more important role than the former as consuming more souls merely showed how common you were summoned in the mortal realm, and how vast is your influence. The type of soul however affected the amount of raw power you had and dictated the type of abilities a demon could and was capable of learning in order to climb the demon ranks.
Uzi being a rather young demon herself, of course shared the same dream amongst many others. She wanted to consume hundreds and thousands of tainted souls, savouring each and every one as she grew in power and became the most feared and powerful demon to exist!
She would be Uzi The Unrivalled, and gain the respect she deserved from everyone!
No longer would she be belittled by her peers, no longer would she be deemed a failure of a demon, and no longer would she remain the hundred years old joke of Hell!
And all she needed to do was stop receiving souls as innocent as lambs.
Which was, unfortunately a very difficult thing to do.
A common way for demons to gain souls is by making deals with humans. This is usually done via human sacrifice. Who started it? Who cares. The important thing is that it allowed more demons to collect and consume more souls with ease.
While there were other ways to make deals, (like pretending to be a human) Uzi learned the hard way how it was impossible for her to act like one.
(It wasn’t her fault she was a demon who reveled in Wrath and couldn’t for the life of her to try and remain civil!)
And after the few times her identity was accidentally revealed to the public, the punishments she received in Hell simply weren’t worth it.
So here she was, relying on human sacrifices for souls.
Thing is, as much as demons would love to devour only tainted souls, they couldn’t choose the type of soul they received as payment.
The type of souls they typically received ranged from pure to completely corrupted. It didn’t help that the people who conducted these rituals were the corrupted themselves. And for some reason, they were under the impression that demons preferred pure souls over corrupted ones, so that didn’t help matters.
On the occasion a tainted soul was offered, the demon in question would be beyond delighted and become the envy of others.
Demons who have amassed a large amount of loyal followers however, have the luxury to choose their sacrifices. And wasn’t that heavenly?
It was something Uzi could currently only dream of as she slowly, but surely spread her name.
She was tired of feasting on the souls of children and infants. She got so fed up of them at some point she started offering them to the angels! The angels!
And now they think she and them were buddies or something. Smiling at her whenever one of them saw her, asking how she’s been or if there were more souls she wanted to give them to bring to Heaven…
It was ridiculous! These angels should be fearing Uzi, not being friendly with her! They weren’t even the slightest bit intimidated when she declared how she would be the greatest and most powerful demon in the world! All they did was smile at her and nod as if she was a small child! How unacceptable! Utterly unacceptable!
Couldn’t they understand how she was simply sick and tired of consuming bland, and unappetizing souls which did nothing to help increase her power? Of course not. They were angels, so they just had to see the best in her and assume she gave innocent souls away because of her big and caring, heart.
Well jokes on them. Uzi didn’t have one.
One day, they would gravely regret underestimating her all this time, and severely misjudging her character. And when that day came, she too would smile at them and nod as they screamed profanities.
Uzi thinks she’s done a decent job of spreading her name for the past decades. Every once in a while she would be summoned to commit acts of revenge for her summoner’s, which typically meant a brutal and painful death for the targets.
Despite the disappointing payments, Uzi still enjoyed doing her job. She is a demon who reveled in Wrath after all. It was fun carrying out whatever desires her summoner’s had in mind even if it was just petty revenge.
Speaking of revenge, Uzi wondered if she was about to commit another one as she felt herself being summoned.
It was akin to a tugging sensation which always focused onto her entire body. A little tingle which eventually grew if the ritual was done right. And if all her past experiences were to be trusted, then that meant she’ll be able to devour a new soul tonight.
'Oh please let it be one full of corruption.' was her only wish.
…
Dark alters, candles being the only source of light, a big red circle with a star in the middle which was more than likely drawn with blood…
Yup, this was a summoning alright.
And a real traditional one too.
When was the last time she saw this many people dressed in blood red hooded cloaks, bowing their heads towards her as nothing but silence overwhelmed the atmosphere? By her rough estimations, there had to be at least a hundred people here! And they didn’t seem to carry the aura amateurs had either.
Maybe she was actually summoned by experienced people this time?
A demon could hope.
Suddenly, one of the taller wearing cloak users stepped forward, and bowed even lower towards Uzi.
“Oh Great One from Beyond This World, Demon Who Hails from Below, we humble and powerless mortals summon thee in exchange for a sacrifice we have exclusively prepared.”
Uzi’s violet eyes studied the figures while her lips curved into her most sinister smirk. Based on the two moon symbols painted in the background, this group more than likely belonged to a famous electronics company rumoured to have shady origins and devious deals. How perfect! Having a questionable company be secretly a cult tended to attract all sorts of horrible people. Maybe she’d actually be able to score a decent meal this time.
A few figures from the front row moved to the side, exposing the alter where a lone figure wearing a matching red cloak was limply laying.
“Tonight we offer thee one of our very own, and ask for but a bit of thee’s strength to aid us.”
The immense amount of negative aura that saturated the room was intoxicating. She had never been surrounded by this many depraved and corrupt souls in her lifetime. And to think, one of them was being offered to her!
How wonderful! It was finally happening. Tonight, she, Uzi The Unrivalled was going to receive her first tainted soul!
She swallowed back the drool that threatened to escape her mouth, and looked away from the alter. She needed to focus! This was basically her big break, and she needed to maintain the image of the Big, Bad and Powerful Demon to not tarnish her reputation!
Overwhelmed by her senses and extreme lack of patience, Uzi did not hesitate when she replied, “What did you have in mind?”
…
As expected, their request was for her to eliminate the CEO of a rival company who was beginning to catch up to theirs. A little more ambitious than what she was used to, but hey there was a first time for everything.
The job was extremely easy as well. Perhaps it was because Uzi couldn’t wait to return to feast on her reward, but crushing the target’s head with the power of her thighs alone as they begged for mercy was a sweet sound she’s sure to remember no matter how much time passed.
She had no idea what the police would think once the body was found. What she did know was it was a petty that demons were not allowed to claim souls which weren’t offered to them, or else Uzi would have two awful souls to feast on.
When she returned, Uzi was deeply thanked by the group before leaving behind their sacrifice. In the candle lit room of somewhere, the two finally remained there alone.
Uzi had expected to spot the soul trembling at the corner of the room, regret all over their face as they had no choice but to face their fate. However, that did not happen. Instead, Uzi senses were flooded with a pure and…angelic aura..?
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait-
Uzi moved closer to the body, her apprehension increasing with each step as she prayed this wasn’t what she thought it was.
Once she arrived, she pulled away the hood of the cloak obscuring the sacrifice’s face. She was welcomed with the sight of deathly pale skin, and short silver hair. Its eyes were closed, yet Uzi knew in an instant how it wasn’t dead.
Was this sacrifice… alive?
And why was it radiating Holy Light?
As if to confirm her suspicions in the most dramatic way possible, the sacrifice decided then and there to open its eyes.
Soft, yellow eyes met violets, and then it decided to speak.
“You must be My Master!” It spoke, voice far too enthusiastic to come from a sacrifice. And was it male?
“What?”
It was a good thing nobody else was there, for Uzi was spared from having anyone else witness the unfitting surprise a demon like her had displayed.
Much less to her sacrifice of all things.
“Or should I call you something simpler like My Darkness? No- forget that! For you are anything but simple! What about My Demon? Too generic? My Mistress, maybe? Ooh, ooh, what about My Demonic Mistress? That’s much fancier and suitable for a being of your calibre. But if you prefer something else? My Lady certainly has a nice ring to it-”
“What the Hell are you talking about, and why are you alive?” Uzi cut off, completely and utterly baffled with what was happening now.
The sacrifice merely quirked an eyebrow in confusion before attacking Uzi with a beaming smile.
“Of course you are confused. How terribly rude of me to not explain the situation. I am your humbly bestowed servant, yet I have already failed you My Lady!” The sacrifice paused, before abruptly whispering to Uzi, “I’ll be sticking to that until you decide what you wish me to call you My Lady.” and had the audacity to wink.
“I am simply the sacrifice prepared and gifted especially for you My Lady. I will cater to your every whim and desire as the loyal servant I am for as long as I exist.” The sacrifice continued, much to Uzi’s shock. “As for my current status, I can change that for you whenever you wish. They just thought it would be more convenient for you to have me alive.”
“You- you- you’re supposed to be dead. They’re always dead! I have never received an alive human sacrifice before- what the Hell?” Uzi muttered to herself, but loud enough for the sacrifice to hear perfectly.
“I see. It seems my condition is not of one you expected. I apologize My Lady. Allow me to fix that.”
Uzi was too caught up in her own thoughts to pay attention to the sacrifice’s words. Instead, she devoted all her attention to herself.
‘Uzi calm down. Why are you so surprised? Getting living human sacrifices isn’t a big deal you idiot! Just because this has never happen to you before doesn’t mean you should freak out and lose your cool right in front of it! Think of what would have happened if anyone else were here… your already terrible reputation would be ruined even further! You’re lucky no other demon was here to witness that. Especially Lizzy. She’d spread that news all over Hell faster than you could kill! What a disaster that would’ve been…’ Uzi shuddered, appalled by the thought.
Putting all that aside, what should she do now? Kill the sacrifice and eat its soul? Bleh. With how it radiated pureness like a baby, it was going to be the blandest and most disappointing soul she’s ever received. How was she unable to detect its true nature earlier? It must be because she was blinded by the others. Curse them all and their overwhelmingly intense, and misleading auras! How dare they trick her like this? Because of them she was scammed! And because she was an idiot she fell for it hook, line, and sinker. What was worse how she was thinking all night on how to devour it slowly, savouring it as it screamed in pain.
She wanted a refund!
There was no way she was handing this one to the angels. It wasn’t even dead yet, so it’s not like they could coax her into it. (Nor would she succumb to their pressure) She could think of a use for it. It was the first time she was offered a soul which wasn’t one of a deceased child or infant after all. If she had to guess, this sacrifice was a teenager or adult according to its size. And male. That voice was undeniably male and way too happy with the situation. Any normal human would be quaking in their boots, yet this one… wasn’t.
If this sacrifice died, it was definitely going to Heaven.
But what if… it didn’t?
What if Uzi turned this soul from pure to corrupted…herself?
That… was a brilliant idea! Why hadn’t she thought about this sooner? This sacrifice, this living sacrifice was hers, and hers alone. That meant she could order it to do anything she wanted and absolutely no one could say a thing!
She’d tell it to commit murder, get in a relationship only to cheat, rob a bank, orphanage, police- and a million other misdeeds because why the Hell not? The possibilities were endless, and Uzi was just getting started!
What better way to get the soul of your dreams than by making it yourself?
Suddenly feeling very motivated, Uzi turned towards the sacrifice and smiled, ready to announce her plan.
Only to find it laying on the alter, throat cleanly slit allowing fresh blood to flow freely from the wound. It was looking half dead, and was that a pocket knife in its hand?
“What the bloody Hell did you do?!!” Uzi shrieked as she rushed by the sacrifice’s side.
“Ful-ugh- fill your re-ah-quest.” It somehow answered.
“When on earth did I tell you to kill yourself??!” She cried in dismay. When the sacrifice was about to answer, Uzi shut it right up. “Don’t talk. Can’t you see you’re bleeding? Can’t you feel that you’re bleeding? From your throat no less- oh my god I let my eyes off of you for less than five minutes and you’re already dying and I need you alive you god-damned idiot!”
Due to the severe punishments she had received in Hell, Uzi had decided to learn The Demonic Arts of Healing in order to lessen her suffering. She never thought she’d be using such abilities on a human, much less for it to work, but here she was playing God with the sacrifice she owned.
After that panicked frenzy, Uzi was able to miraculously (partially) heal her sacrifice, and it no longer looked like it was dying.
“You truly are powerful My Lady. Despite being on the verge of death, you were still able to save me!” The sacrifice praised as it lay on the bloodied alter.
“How is that the first thing you say after literally choking on your own blood?”
“A loyal servant shall never ignore its Lady’s achievements.”
“Oh great- it’s just the extra devoted type.”
“Indeed I am! I am glad I was able to give that impression towards My Lady despite the first time we’ve met!” It beamed.
The light the sacrifice radiated was so bright it was blinding. Uzi had to physically back away a little at its presence.
“Oh whatever. Just don’t randomly try kill yourself again okay?” Uzi scolded, gesturing to all the blood that flowed- everywhere. “I didn’t even give you a direct order!”
“Of course My Lady. I apologize for making assumptions and acting without your permission.”
“That’s…good. Because from now on, I’m going to ask you to do a lot of things and you better do them all!”
“I sincerely swear I will do my best at whatever you request of me.” The sacrifice said, raising a hand.
“Alright then… this is actually happening.” Uzi muttered herself, giddy with excitement. “I actually have a human to order around!”
“Indeed you do My Lady!”
“But if I’m going to use you, I’m going to need a name… calling you ‘the sacrifice’ in my head is already getting tiring.”
Uzi looked towards the sacrifice with what she hoped was an intimidating expression. Wither it actually was or not would remain unknown as the sacrifice kept smiling at her.
“You, sacrifice, what is your name?”
The sacrifice smiled, as if delighted to be asked such a mundane question.
“I don’t have one My Lady.”
“Huh? Why not?” The demon asked. “Don’t all humans name their kids?”
“Not at all My Lady. I was prepared especially for you, remember? Of course I don’t have a name.”
“Really? You don’t have anything at all that people call you by? Not even a nickname?”
“Well, I was occasionally called ‘N’.”
“'N'? Do you mean just the letter N?”
“Correct My Lady! You are so smart. Not a surprise considering who you are.”
“Why were you called just ‘N’? Did it even mean anything?”
“I believe it was a shortened term for ‘Next’, based on my memories.”
“What’s the ominous symbolism behind that?
“I’m not sure. Perhaps it was due to the fact I was the ‘Next’ one to be gifted?”
“’Next’ one to be gifted- oh that makes sense.” Looks like Uzi was going to have to give the sacrifice a name herself. That was fine. She was great at naming things! She was Uzi The Unrivalled after all!
“I will name you then.” She declared. “How about Napoo? Or Narquois? Hmm, or maybe Necation, Nefandous, Nemesism, Neomort, Nervine- definitely not, not Nesh either, Nictate, Nitency, Noctuflorous what am I thinking with even saying that one? Y’know what maybe I should go for something more literal…and more human sounding since I’m going order this guy to hang around humans…”
Uzi sighed. It looks like she was going to need to read a baby name book for boys at this rate.
“Your name shall be decided later.” She decided. “For now I shall simply call you N, my loyal servant.”
“As you desire My La- ow!” N tried to get off the alter, but ended up tumbling to the hard ground when he accidentally slipped on his own blood.
Before Uzi could react, N did first.
“I am okay, My Lady!” He assured from the ground.
“…good.” Was all Uzi could bring herself to say. She wished she could actually get that refund.