***

Since the age of antiquity, the Devil had existed in many forms among numerous religions. Transcribed in holy passages and scripts, Devils are depicted as the eternal adversary of anything that is good, the desecration of virtues, and the indulgence in vices and profanity.

The Devil's origin, however, is shrouded in a thick fog of mystery. Historical religious passages claim that the devil was once a beautiful Angel who defied God and fell from grace. Biblical scholars had mythologically named the first Devil as the son of the morning or Morning Star, Lucifer.

Although it is doctrinally believed that the name of the devil are numerous - Prince of Darkness, Lord of Flies, The King of Greed, Serpent of Eden, and so on and so forth, it is uncertain whether the devil exists in a singular form or myriad of unique entities.

What separates a devil from a demon though, is the presence of a nefarious rationale in its actions in contrast to the use of sheer brutality and raw vehemence. Prevalent in occultism, folklore, witchcraft and mythology, a devil often engages in diabolical deals, offering eternal youth, knowledge, wealth, fame and power in exchange for one's soul.

***

Mephisto was currently sauntering the high streets of Vilesief in the night. His silhouette from afar which was covered slightly by the thick fog resembled that of a calculating maniac, machinating some kind of dark plot. Summer had just recently retreated, admitting the cool air of autumn.

The city was reminiscent of England during the Victorian period, the carriageways were largely made of cubed granites which were less hazardous than cobblestones to both pedestrians and horses. The pavements and adjoining streets of noble districts were laid with stone setts and paving blocks which were enjoyed mostly by aristocrats. The styles of the structures have defining features similar to that of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture made mainly of marble, brick, or brownstone.

The notorious slums and alleyways located in the west of Vilesief were a completely different story though. Dubbed as the 'terra incognita' for the respectable citizens, it was a poverty-stricken place feared by even its local residents. And such a frightening and dismal place was Mephisto's present destination.

As Mephisto crossed the Black Coal River which was a distance away west of Imperial Swan boulevard where his Manor was located, the burbling atmosphere had dulled tremendously as the area lighting has also drastically thinned.

'Perfect..' he thought with a devious smile on his face.

The place has been littered with a motley rabble of people who belonged to the lowest rung of social caste. A wretched bunch left to fend for themselves. Hideously overcrowded and unsanitary was Mephisto's overall impression of the place.

A short distance from him, he could see a group of filthy children of different ages and gender, huddled up in a corner, sharing each others' warmth. He could also feel pernicious gazes from every direction yet he never paid it no heed.

As he went deeper into the slums, a skinny boy with rags for clothes suddenly bumped into him, "I-i'm sorry, my Lord-!", he yelled out and tried to run away from Mephisto but-

"Hold it" Mephisto struck the boy with his cane as he stumbled on the ground. Right after, he grabbed the boy by the hair and lifted him up in the air.

Flashing a wide grin, he then seized the boy's right hand out of his pocket, revealing a golden pocket watch. "Nice tricks right there, you little twat". 'whoosh' He mercilessly flung the boy away with considerable force, breaking a few nearby wooden crates as a result.

"ugghh!" a groaning sound could be heard from where the boy landed. Despite his badly beaten body, his eyes burned with a dangerous light as he glared at Mephisto.

"Commendable spirit but as you are already aware, any form of resistance would just end up in vain." He mocked with his deep nonchalant voice as it reverberated throughout the glum alleyways. Turning on his heels, he marched once more, however-

"What is a respectable person from the high society doing here.. are you lost, good sir?" a gruff voice directed at Mephisto sounded, his tone laced with intense hostility.

He could now see several figures blocking his path, an array of crude weapons in their hands. From among the crowd, a sturdy built middle-aged man with a messy beard stepped forward wearing a menacing expression. He exuded a fearsome pressure as if he had bathed in the blood of his foes on the regular. As the man turned his head to look at the boy sprawled on the ground, his expression visibly darkened.

"Seeing that one of us has obviously suffered severe injuries from your attack just now, you can't just walk away as if nothing happened, right?" the bearded man smirked, eyeing Mephisto down with greed in his eyes.

"..sigh. You see, gentle folks, I presently don't have time to spare to the likes of you, so just obediently move aside and let's do ourselves a favor, how about it, eh?" Mephisto said with an exasperated look on his face.

"ha ha ha! It seems that our good friend here does not understand his current situation. Did the sumptuous meals in your florid parlors damaged your brain?" he chuckled as he berated Mephisto while playing with the dull knife in his hand.

"It doesn't matter if you're an aristocrat, the Pope, or even the Monarch. Here, even the devil needs to tread carefully" he added in a somber tone.

"The devil, huh. Have you ever seen one..?" Instead, Mephisto just questioned back calmly while adjusting his golden monocle. On the other hand, the grunts only stood still in confusion to his query.

"..."

"Is he really a grim-looking monstrosity as what the Church had depicted? Apathetic who looks down on everyone with contempt.." he further asked quizzically, subtly stroking the handle of his cane. "A serpent with a venomous tongue that entices one to sin and fall into the sewer of vice.."

With his eyes partially veiled by the perpetual darkness, Mephisto articulated his thoughts further for all to hear. "Perhaps, the devil has an identical visage as your reflection on the glass"

"Enough with your sophistry!" Unable to follow Mephisto's antics, the bearded man scowled as he motioned his lackeys to surround Mephisto.

'snap!'

With a snap of his finger, the group of hoodlums numbering in five inched closer to Mephisto with vicious faces and evident killing intent.

"I initially planned to let you walk away naked but it seems you're more suited to the murky waters in the river and be gnawed to death by the fishes" the man remarked.

One stout thug loomed closer towards Mephisto with relaxed steps, and said in surprise, "Ooh! look at this boss! he's actually quite the good-looking one!"

"Wouldn't it be much better to sell him to the sodomites, those depraved bastards would surely enjoy this man. Mr. Glincy might even owe us a huge favor!" the thug continued, grinning.

He then stretched his hand in an attempt to remove Mephisto's hat and take a closer look. But before he could accomplish his task, he heard a sinister voice as if it was spoken right beside his ear.

"First, Die! You reek~"

"ugh!" the thug felt an abrupt, damning pain all over his body as the tips of his fingers suddenly felt extremely cold.

"Second, you did not provide an acceptable answer, so I'll give you one myself"

Mephisto then lifted his hand and on top of his palm was a blood-soaked veiny organ, it has the size of a fist while violently spasming. "As for the identity of the Devil, he might just be a random stranger leisurely walking the streets"

However, the thug could only look at the plump organ with a vacant expression, too shocked for words. After a few seconds, he frantically gripped the area around his chest and found a gaping hole in it. Strands of flesh and tissues were clinging loosely around the edges of the wound.

"..t-that..mine..g-gib it..ba..k-" the thug muttered incoherently, grasping for words while weakly flapping his arms. 'thump' He then fell to the ground without much of a struggle, like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

Illuminated by the moon's shine, everyone could now see what sat on top of the mysterious man's palm. It was a heart. Still beating fiercely as if protesting from being forcibly snatched out.

What followed after was a gruesome picture, as bizarre as it was gut-wrenching. As Mephisto raised the heart with his slender fingers, he then devoured the entire thing whole as naturally as drinking water. In their eyes, the man in the gilded suit had now become the aspect of death.

'gulp!'

"I can't say it's good, but it isn't that terrible either" Mephisto remarked in contentment while licking the remaining blood on his fingers clean.

The hoodlums, who were now down by one, could only watch the series of events unfold before them in naked horror. The chattering of teeth resounded like an overture to a haunting nightmare.

"Y-you madman!! What did you doo..?!!" a terrified scream escaped the bearded man's mouth as his body involuntarily trembled due to the horrific scene in front of him. "-What are you all doing!? Get him!" he bellowed, jolting his companions back into reality.

The remaining hoodlums then rushed towards Mephisto with the resolve to die. "Laudable courage, however.."

'thud!'

Mephisto gently tapped the sole of his cane against the ground, halting the group in their tracks. "From the start, I intended to deal with this through a civil discourse as any gentlemen would, but-" he shook his head exaggeratedly from side to side, lamenting their stupidity.

"You all seemed so eager, so full of vim and vigor leaving me no choice but to accede to your wishes" Mephisto flashed a wicked smile, his perfect rows of teeth in perfect display. "Admittedly though, time is quite the luxury even for me. That's why~"

"Your hearts, relinquish them all to me.." he ordered condescendingly, eyes gleaming crimson.

Disturbingly, the ancient voice compelled them into complete obedience despite their wills opposing the command. As they slowly clawed their hearts out, their terror-stricken faces gave a deep sense of incongruity.

"No..no! my body! I cant-!!"

"P-please. Oh, God!"

"..my hands..on their own!"

"W-what..is..happening..!?"

Blood bloomed and flesh scattered, the anguished screams, the pleading cries of mercy - Everything coalesced into an idyllic yet dreadful ensemble of mayhem. And the conductor, who stood before its penitents, serenely awaited the conclusion of his play.

A few moments later, four rapidly beating hearts were clutched between Mephisto's fingertips, like slabs of meat dangling from the hooks in a butchery. He then shoved each one into his mouth unabashed, savoring its taste down to the last bit, like a true gourmet.

'buurrp~!'

A lengthy belch due to pleasure escaped his mouth, "How unbecoming of me.." he admonished himself.

He then indifferently scanned the area where five corpses littered the ground. A few meters away, the bearded man was no reduced to a trembling mess, his crotch visibly soaked in a putrid liquid. From his terrified expression, he seemed to be utterly traumatized, his mind on the verge of breaking apart due to fear.

Mephisto calmly approached the frightened man, squatted down, and said in a sincere tone, "I have an offer, would you mind listening?"