Esper… More than likely a stage one.

Ciel made his judgment, he then seamlessly joined those within the audience that had continued on their way. The night was basked under a plethora of neon lights, each emitted by signs, building ornaments, and the official pop up holographic ads.

The entire area had transformed, now unrecognizable from that of the day. The more one entered the Rich Valley Area, the more casinos they would encounter. Upon the day, these buildings appeared normal and devoid of anything special, however now with the night’s embrace they had transformed into eye-catching beacons.

When Ciel passed one of these casino’s he would see the same things. Heavy police supervision, countless drunks, and even the occasional Mist Powder addict sprawled on the ground without a care in the world.

After a few more minutes of walking, Ciel finally arrived at his target. In front of him was a two story weathered building with two rectangular side windows and a heavy alloy door. Unlike its surrounding buildings, it allowed itself to be more comfortable with the darkness of the night as it lacked any light sources beyond a single white beam placed just above the door and the dim light which was emitted from beyond the glass windows.

This building was none other than the shop; Meat Harvest.

Still open huh…

Ciel expected this much. After all, the average closing time for businesses within the outskirts was no earlier than 10PM. Ciel tapped his left pocket, confirming that the small kitchen knife he brought from his hotel room was still present.

He then walked calmly towards the door and entered. The familiar beep along with a robotic voice welcomed him as it had done so prior. Furthermore, the counter was empty.

Ciel had thought as much. He approached the counter and without pressing the button, he jumped over it. Following through the same corner which Simon had exited before, Ciel was first immediately met by a staircase leading to the second floor.

Without hesitation he began his way up, however it was as he did so that a faint sound began reaching his ears.

Hmm…

For a moment, he slowed his pace then lowered his body as he gripped the knife within his pocket.

STEP

STEP

STEP

After a few more steps, he finally identified the sound. It was humming. A melodious, cheerful hum.

Ciel arrived at the second floor. The stairs had begun near the end of the shop, as such they curved and followed the wall towards the top right side of the building. This led to a narrow horizontal hallway which had a single dim orange light illuminating it.

That sole light source however, could not stop flickering.

Close to Ciel was a wooden door, appearing somewhat new. He paid it little more than a glance before stealthily making his way past it. To the end of the hallway was another door, this one of steel with a squared display window.

The pleasant humming grew louder the closer Ciel got until finally he reached the door and peered through the window.

The room inside was seemingly coated by an alloy layer, one which still retained its shine, as if new. On its roof and side walls were long vertical lights which emitted a calm white luster. Surrounding the corners were netted ventilation sources.

These sources brought in cold air, chilling the room. Hanging from symmetrically placed hooks, large pieces of meat swayed slightly as the broad figure of Simon walked across. He was still humming as he did nothing in particular.

As if in a trance, he walked around inspecting the hanged meat again and again with an expression of total infatuation.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ciel silently watched Simon, searching for any obvious defects within the butcher’s body, however he found none. Having concluded such, Ciel retracted the knife he possessed then opened the door. The moment the alloy door was flung, Simon was taken out of his trance, his eyes widened in surprise as his humming halted abruptly.

Ciel took two confident steps forward then stood straight whilst raising his right arm, which was grasping the knife, and saying with a cold expression.

“Mr. Simon, could I trouble you with your murder?”

Simon’s shocked expression slowly faded away, replacing it with a joyous smile.

“Ah, young man! How wonderful! Have you returned for seconds already? Or…”

Simon lowered his broad shoulders slightly, as if ducking. He then gave a few glances to each corner of the room. It was almost like he was afraid that someone would overhear his words to come. And indeed, once he felt it safe enough, he whispered.

“Or could it be that my meal has awakened you to the glory of my lord?”

Ciel had expected Simon to have reacted far more viciously upon hearing his proclamation. However, instead the butcher had asked a question which Ciel failed to understand.

Am I missing something? What lord? Was the intended effect of the corruption simply to have this ‘lord’ notice me? Or perhaps for me to notice them?

Considering that the altercation had yet to explode into a bloodshed, Ciel chose to inquire further.

“Surely this ‘lord’ you mention is not referring to the God; Luminous?”

Simon’s pleasant demeanor immediately shattered, his expression morphing into a nasty scowl.

“The god Luminous is a false god, a betrayer of man! Why should we grovel and devout ourselves to him when he has given us nothing but the eternal flames?!”

Ciel shrugged.

“Watch it, that is blasphemy. ‘HE’ might choose to strike you down should you continue.”

In truth Ciel did not care with his actions being merely a probing attempt to gain any useful information on what exactly corrupted this cheerful butcher.

Of course, even before his shattered state, Ciel had been no zealot. He believed in the orthodox church’s rhetoric once, however when the day that the fallen arrived, no god came down to save them. Ciel could not say for sure if this had been due to the lord’s indifference or as a sign of his verdict.

Humanity had failed to please him for the second time, rejecting to them the salvation he had once granted them.

Ciel did not care which was the correct answer since he had already decided to save humanity. He would do so whether God wished it to occur or not. Such was the magnitude of his goal, one which currently lacked passion but retained its purpose.

Simon snorted in disdain.

“Let him try then! However, I am blessed by the Lord, ‘HE’ shall protect me!”

Is the corruption sourced from an aberration which wishes to play god?

As Ciel pondered, Simon suddenly gained a great elation. He expressed this joy by staring intently at the room’s roof whilst chanting:

“Praise you!”

“Praise you!”

Again and again.

“Enough.”

Seeing the butcher begin to lose his clarity and enter a state of pure zealousness, Ciel judged that he would no longer be able to gain any more insights. If nothing else however, he was certain that the corruption layered upon Simon was heavy and plentiful.

This will be a perfect first meal for her.

Thinking such, with a cold indifferent demeanor he dashed forth, colliding with the large butcher not long after.

“Huh…?”

Somewhat belatedly Simon was taken out of his trance-like state of being engulfed within his piousness by a sudden burning sensation. Beyond that he also felt something moving inside his guts before the feeling dissipated.

Then without delay that sensation reappeared again, this time in a different part of his belly. It was only now that his eyes narrowed down that he realized he had been stabbed more than a dozen times.

His body turned weak, then he staggered back a few steps. He reached down for his stomach, pressing his hand down on his crimson dyed apron. The lacerations peppered around his stomach were gushing out streams of blood, their source appearing bottomless.

Simon’s deep black eyes widened as he raised his blood stained right hand to his face.

“H-How… pretty…”

His voice carried a pleasant melody as his lips curled into a smile before he lost all strength in his legs and fell backwards, swaying a piece of hanged meat as he did.

THUD

Seeing this Ciel remained motionless a few meters away, his right hand grasping a knife bathed in scarlet blood. Despite the success of his attack, he remained still.

Is that it?

He knew that the large butcher was not a monster, however with the severity in which Rin had reacted towards the lingering corruption found in his meal, along with the level which Ciel himself judged it to be after interacting with the cheerful butcher, he had expected to find a man which when pushed into a corner would reveal uncanny abilities or experience a transformation into something which bordered between aberration and human.

It was as he thought this that suddenly the cold wind circulating inside the room began to pick up pace. That however was just an illusion— no, rather, everything but it was an illusion.

As if released from a curse, or perhaps a blessing, the bright room suddenly dimmed and the alloy surroundings began to shake violently…

Ciel’s eyes narrowed as his grip tightened upon the knife’s handle.