60 Protect Devin

Devin and Ivar looked at Ava with doubt in their eyes. When she said that they will help Devin despite being in different kingdoms, the two couldn't help but feel incredulous hearing her remark.

"How will I know that we can trust you?"

Ava cocked her head to the side, her eyes not leaving the two immortal men, her lips still smirking.

"I am here to serve you... am I not?"

Ivar scoffed.

"Whatever. Since you are in a house full of angels and two mortals, you do well to follow our master. I would accompany you at most times. Do you understand?"

Hearing this, Ava looked at her new master and blinked her eyes slowly.

"What say you, Master Devin?"

The Soul Eater looked at Ivar then back at Ava. He gave her a nod, giving Ivar permission to accompany Ava anywhere she goes and that she is to follow most of the angels present.

Having their master's answer, Ava gave a slight bow, then raised her head to speak.

"I have to explain in detail how the Intervigilium works," the demoness said then she snapped her fingers, making a human appear in the room. Upon seeing this, both of the eyes of the immortal men doubled in size.

"You—where did you get this human?"

The mortal man looked panicked as he looked at Ivar and Devin, asking for rescue.

"You gotta help me she—"

The human was suddenly silenced when Ava placed her index finger on the man's forehead. The man's eyes were closed, as he plopped on the web-like floor of the Intervigilium. He furrowed his eyebrows as he slept, making the gray web of the Intervigilium change to purple.

"How are you feeling," Ava asked Devin and Ivar looked at him as he arched his brow, curious of what's happening. Devin kept silent as he observed what is happening.

The Soul Eater started feeling lighter. He felt his body being energized by the second. He felt a relaxing chill on his body, as if he is being refreshed. It is a whole different feeling from when he directly eats souls.

Feeling foreign at the feeling and at the same time amused, Devin looked at Ava in front of them.

"What is happening?"

Ava crossed both of her arms in front of her chest then spoke to answer.

"The soul of this human is being slowly transferred to you for your consumption."

Ivar scoffed as he looked at his master.

"Isn't this forcing the human to die? It will worsen Devin's curse!"

Hearing this, Ava shook her head to disagree.

"No, he is safe," she said, making Ivar look at her with doubt in his eyes. "Master already explained to our Soul Eater that this won't worsen his curse. Our ways are completely different from yours, but this, however, won't help lift his curse. Only stabilize it, for it not to get worse."

When Ivar heard this, he pointed at the human sleeping on the Intervigilium's floor.

"And what is happening to him?"

Ava snapped her fingers to reveal a mirror in front of them.

In the mirror showed the human, running away. When the mirror adjusted, he saw that he was being chased by a lot of women bathed in blood.

It was as if they were watching a horror film!

"In the Intervigilium, the humans are in a state of coma and they are in their own dreams. These dreams are a reflection of what distresses them."

With that answer, Devin furrowed his brows.

"These women who looked like ghosts distress him?"

Ava snapped her fingers again to hide the mirror showing the man's dream.

"He killed those women and until now, he got away with it until I captured him for your consumption. Knowing that you uphold your 'principles', it is better to get humans that need to be punished for your consumption, is it not?"

When the two immortals heard this, they both looked at each other then back at Ava in front of them.

She has a point. It was like the years wherein Devin hunted the criminals down and led them to accidents for him to drink their blood, but not eat their souls since Ivar and Devin led them to their accidents. If he ate their souls, it would worsen his curse since they forced them to their deaths through a planned incident.

"So this method... is like messing with their heads to make their souls vulnerable. Slowly then, the souls become his meal," Ivar commented, making Ava nod.

"Correct. Since we made this for the Soul Eater, it will help him and it won't interfere with the curse given to him. It is better this way," she added, making Ivar look at Devin worriedly.

"Are you sure about this?"

Devin sighed, understanding his personal servant's worry.

"If I eat souls by force, it lessens my life span. If I eat depressive souls, I feel their depression and see their memories. If I eat dying souls, seeing their fleeting moments burden me. If I don't eat... I would go on a rampage. What choice do I have?"

Hearing this, Ivar kept quiet as his lips turned into a tight line. He realized that Devin has a point, and this method suggested to him works wonders on the Soul Eater to sustain his life.

It would mean that they would have to rely on this until they look for a possible solution for the curse.

'But when would that be,' Ivar wondered as he clicked his tongue in annoyance. 'Do we really have to resort to this method of our enemy kingdom?'

Devin sighed, making the two look at him.

"You have to work with Ivar to make this happen. How long will it take before I eat his soul completely," he said and asked, making Ava answer.

"I will follow your orders in searching souls with Ivar. As to how long you take their soul, it depends on how the humans deal with their dreams even though it shows what breaks their heart. There are some humans that are emotionally strong, too. But of course, no matter how strong they are, it doesn't mean that they are invulnerable with what shakes their walls."

Knowing this, Ivar sighed as he shook his head. He somehow disapproves of their master agreeing to this, but seeing as they are left with no choice, he had to see this through and agree with Devin.

This is indeed for Devin, however, getting help from a being of their kingdom's sworn enemy, Ivar can't help but feel doubts.

'No matter what happens, I'll protect Devin if this goes wrong!'