Blue Beard and a guy named Uryu Ryunosuke

In the darkness as thick as blood, only a lone candle flickered. The dim light reflected off the handsome face of Uryu Ryunosuke.

Scarlet blood completely stained those fingers too delicate for a man. In front of the man, who sat beside a long table, sat three raw flesh runs that reflected a bright red.

They were intestines. There were intestines on the long table.

Ryunosuke looked resolutely at the intestines in front of him and then picked up a tuning fork with his left hand and tapped it on the table. Ding. The tuning fork emitted a clear sound.

Before the tuning fork's sound disappeared completely, he quickly tapped everywhere on the intestines with his right hand.

At that moment -

Ahhh...

Haaa...

An anguished sound suddenly came out from the darkness.

Ryunosuke listened carefully to the sound emitted and nodded satisfactorily after comparing it with the rest of the tuning fork's echo.

"Alright, so here's 'mi'."

As soon as he spoke, he marked a spot on the intestines with a pin. Many similar notes had already been made on the intestines quivering incessantly.

The intestines seemed to be alive. More correctly, it seemed that the owner of the intestines was still alive.

On the crucifix at the top of the long table, was tied a girl who was sobbing incessantly with pain. There was a horizontal cut made on her abdomen. The contents removed were being caressed in Ryunosuke's hands.

Even Bluebeard praised Ryunosuke for his idea of making a pipe organ out of a living human to make wailing music. Bluebeard put some healing and rejuvenation spells on her body to make the girl chosen as the material not die from massive blood loss or infections. He especially made some adjustments to prevent the pain from clouding her brain.

Ryunosuke had always been frustrated with the fact that the human body would cease its vital activities as soon as it encountered slightly extreme stimulation.

But now, with the help of thaumaturgy, all these previous obstacles were easily solved. Now, Ryunosuke can flap his wings of perception freely, improvising at will.

"Alright, now once more. 'Do re mi-"

Ryunosuke hummed as he pressed the gut-organ. But the sound of agony that accompanied his movements was far out of harmony with his own intonation.

"... Hm?"

The blood-smeared tuner furrowed his eyebrows, tilted his head, and once again pressed on the place he just tuned with the tuning fork. However, the sound made by the girl on the crucifix was completely different from the marked note.

Upon careful reflection, he figured that even if the stimulation occurs in the same place, it does not guarantee that the groan made is the same. This human instrument fails in the design of its original conception.

"Huh... what a failure."

Ryunosuke sighed sadly and scratched his head.

After the human canopy he tried so hard to design yesterday, this human instrument also failed. If this frustration continued any further, even Ryunosuke would lose his confidence.

But just then, Ryunosuke suddenly remembered what Bluebeard told him in consolation after his failure to make the canopy yesterday:

"No matter what, the idea is the most important thing. Even if the ending doesn't turn out as satisfying as you imagined, it's already important to challenge it."

Ryunosuke was inspired by the words of the elated enthusiast. For a young man who was never understood by anyone, who created art alone, these words' encouragement held great meaning.

Hard work is necessary. Ryunosuke once again raised his spirits. It will not work to fear failure. Failure is the mother of success; a long journey begins from the ground beneath his feet.

After all, he has to think progressively. It is too early to discard the making of this human instrument. If he can find the root of the problem, he might find some kind of solution.

And, sounds aside, the pained expression on the girl's face as he feasted on the intestines removed from her body was also extraordinarily attractive. It would be a waste to dismiss such a precious expression.

The air, filled with the stench of blood, suddenly felt heavy. The density of prana floating in the air became even thicker. All this signaled that the owner of this thaumaturgical workshop has returned.

"Ah, welcome back, Lord."

Gradually appearing in the candlelight, Bluebeard, the Servant Caster, did not give Ryunosuke so much as a glance. The emotionless face

It seems that something unpleasant happened when he was outside. Although Ryunosuke was a little worried, he couldn't wait to report the fruits of his investigation to him.

"Sir, I am very sorry. As you said, the instrument didn't work. But I-"

"- is not enough."

"How?"

Ryunosuke hadn't worked out what the phrase suddenly uttered by Bluebeard meant. Caster pushed aside the stunned Ryunosuke, stretched a hand out from inside the black cloak, and placed it like an eagle's claw on the girl tied on the crucifix, screaming suffocatingly.

"It's definitely not enough! Up to this point!"

"Ah, yes. I figured that too... Huh?"

Ryunosuke's sentence stopped mid-sentence. Caster's spider-like fingers gradually increased the strength in them; the girl's head was crushed into pieces in his hand as if it was a fruit.

"Th-this..."

Ryunosuke was not unhappy with Bluebeard's attitude towards him. He understood that just now, he was in a state of emotional turmoil and was completely unaware of Ryunosuke's existence.

"Oh, you abominable God, even now you lock up Joan's soul and are unwilling to let her go! These blasphemous sacrifices are still not enough!"

There was no light of reason in Bluebeard's eyes as he roared with spittle leaping from his mouth. Although Ryunosuke didn't know what had happened, the Joan he mentioned must be the girl in armor they saw in the crystal ball.

It's probably trauma caused by emotional problems with her ex.

Ryunosuke began to sympathize with him. Although they hadn't spent much time together, Ryunosuke knew that this strange looking demon in front of him is, in fact, extremely simple in his emotions.

"I must let you know that in this world, the so-called God is just an empty myth. Things like saving the whole world are just presumptuous lies. The prayers of the silent lamb will never pass to the Heavens!"

"Hum, yes. I understand, Lord."

Speaking alongside him, Ryunosuke had no idea what Bluebeard's words meant, nor did he intend to try to find out; he thinks it's very vulgar to meddle in other people's emotional problems.

"Just blaspheming God is not enough! We must also prove to the world the impotence of God's authority and the hypocrisy of His love! We need to prove that He can judge! No matter how much evil you've committed, you won't suffer God's punishment, will you, Ryunosuke?"

"Ah, things like God are just boring tricks for stupid people to believe. Sir, you're much cooler compared to that fake God."

"Then, let's blaspheme God even more vigorously! Let's pile the blasphemy sacrifices as high as mountains and put that scene in front of it."

After Bluebeard's statement, Ryunosuke contemplated it just a little.

"Um, that means... we're going to go beyond what we're doing in quality and quantity?"

"Yes, exactly! You're right, Ryunosuke! You understand well what I'm trying to say."

When he saw that Ryunosuke fully understood what he meant, Bluebeard immediately had a face full of smiles and patted him on the shoulder. Ryunosuke was getting used to these radical changes in temperament long ago.

Only about the change of methods he just talked about... Ryunosuke had no interest in that at all.

"Ryūnosuke, how many children are still locked up in the cells?"

"...There are still eleven of them alive. Three died when I only played with them a little."

"Very well. Start with those eleven; slaughter them as soon as possible. When we're done with them, we'll capture other children as replacements before tomorrow morning."

"That's... rather a pity."

After all, mass slaughter doesn't suit Ryunosuke's taste. At most, he enjoys the art of killing and is not a killing machine. Such arts that do not savor the feeling of killing but just pile up corpses like mountains were not much different from wars or natural disasters. It is a waste of lives. Only by slaughtering people one at a time can one experience the wonders of life.

Bluebeard sensed Ryunosuke's discontent; therefore, with a face full of angelic smiles, he spoke to Ryunosuke like someone reasoning with an unruly child.

"Hey, Ryunosuke, this is no time to be petty. Every life in the world is our property. Therefore you must have the right kind of attitude and a heart as generous as that of a king. Feel free to squander. Please remember that your wealth will never expire. Only then, you will be fit to be called my Master."

"As a king?"

Yes. Ryunosuke is very rich.

Ryunosuke is not remotely interested in things like money. For him, the only thing with spendable value is human life. At the same time, he, who got Bluebeard's help, will not be prosecuted by the law no matter how he kills people. He is free to kill whenever, wherever, and using whatever method. Only, these powers were given to him by Bluebeard.

If one can do whatever one wishes and consume in any way one likes everything in this world, it is effectively the same as owning all things. Even the Pope or the president would not be able to compare to him. Uryu Ryunosuke is currently the richest man in the world.

"But I still think we should plan a bit on how we use them."

"Ryūnosuke, you have been poisoned very deeply by the capitalist society. Living in this era, it's inevitable that you have such thoughts. But you should know that, for the nobles, wastefulness is a virtue. One who possesses wealth has a duty to display this wealth to the world. Only by doing so will you be able to show the brilliance of wealth and make it even more meaningful."

"Hum..."

Bluebeard's few words completely convinced Ryunosuke. This master of death and destruction once again received new inspiration.

Anyway, just like Bluebeard said, just concentrate on getting rid of those children tonight. Maybe I can find new ways to play in that short period. Ryunosuke felt more anxious at the thought of this.

But still -

Although he accepted Bluebeard's point, Ryunosuke couldn't forget the figure of the girl who had been used as a human instrument.

Her face that had been crushed by Bluebeard and was no longer visible - she was originally very cute.