Bellona’s Lesson

“Lycoris~ are you awake? It’s time to start today’s first lesson!”

I awoke to Bellona’s sweet voice.

I couldn’t sleep well due to the shock of the previous day, so my eyes felt heavy.

I had a strange dream, but I couldn’t remember it.

“Yes, I’m up…”

Bellona was wearing a magnificent black dress.

Her beauty was both captivating and dangerous.

Her appearance oddly overlapped with the image of the silver-haired woman, Frostia.

Miel was sitting by the window, fluttering her wings.

Her wing color seemed a bit darker than usual.

What was once a radiant blue had now turned closer to navy blue.

It was clear that staying in the Demon Realm was affecting her negatively.

I felt the fear from yesterday rushing back, but I tried to remain calm.

“Well, let’s start today’s lesson. It’s the first stage called ‘The Subject’s Choice.'”

Bellona guided me to another room in the temple.

There were several bottles of liquids and tools neatly arranged.

“Art begins with choosing the right materials. For us, those materials are men. You must develop an eye to judge which man would make the most beautiful work.”

Why men…?

“Bellona, why only men…?”

I gathered the courage to ask.

Bellona’s expression darkened for a moment, then returned to her usual elegant smile.

“Ah, that’s… Well, since you’ve decided to become my disciple, I’ll tell you. It’s a story from when I was in the Heavenly Realm. I am the Goddess of Beauty, but also the Goddess of Maidens. A male god tried to seduce me, to defile my divinity.”

Anger seeped into Bellona’s voice.

“He made a bet in front of the other gods, claiming he could conquer me. The other male gods all cheered him on. I was treated like a prize to be won.”

Bellona’s hands began to tremble.

“That night, when he sneaked into my temple… I created my first ‘work.’ And I was captivated by its beauty. If all men could make such expressions…”

A cold laugh echoed through the room.

“After that, I was condemned by the other gods and eventually exiled to the Demon Realm. But I don’t regret it. Here, I can fully express my art.”

Her story sent chills down my spine.

At the same time, I wondered about the hypocrisy of the Heavenly Realm.

Even Michel, the God of Blood and Slaughter, hid his true self, and humans only knew him as a God of Light.

Do all the gods in the Heavenly Realm wear masks?

“Anyway, let’s begin today’s lesson~”

Bellona gestured, and part of the floor began to move.

The floor split open, and a large cage rose from below.

“See, these are my materials. They are my precious collection, gathered over many long years.”

Inside the cage were about a dozen men.

They were all in good health, with strong muscles and vibrant energy.

They looked like well-managed livestock.

“This… these are humans, right? How are they here in the Demon Realm?”

Bellona smiled.

“They were brought here over 5,000 years ago, before the separation from the Human Realm. I cast an immortality spell on them. They are my inspirations, and I’ve used them sparingly, cherishing them.”

5,000 years…

Michel also said he fought with the Evil Gods 5,000 years ago.

These people have been trapped here since before that war?

The men huddled in the corner of the cage.

Their eyes were filled with fear.

Some were sobbing, others just sat blankly.

“Choose the man who you think would make the most beautiful work.”

Looking at the cage, I felt both horror and strange fascination.

Their fearful expressions held a bizarre beauty.

The Crimson Bind in my hand trembled again.

The red mist grew thicker.

The sword seemed… excited.

‘What am I thinking? This is horrific!’

Finding beauty in this?

This isn’t me.

Is this the influence of the Crimson Bind?

Or is it the Demon Realm itself changing me?

Flap flap!

Miel suddenly flew in front of me, flapping her wings wildly to disperse the mist.

She kept moving, as if trying to clear the fog.

Then she flew close to my ear and pecked my cheek with her small feet.

Thank you, Miel…

But Bellona urged me to choose, placing her hand on my shoulder.

Looking back at the cage, one man caught my eye.

He had black hair and sharp jawlines.

His eyes held not fear, but defiance and anger.

“That man… the one with black hair.”

My finger pointed to him involuntarily.

“Oh, you have a good eye. That man is one of my special materials. He was once my follower but tried to defile my divinity. Today is the perfect day to use him.”

Bellona raised her hand, and the cage opened.

An invisible force pulled the man out.

“No! Please! I didn’t mean to insult you! I’m innocent!”

The man screamed, but Bellona maintained her calm, elegant smile.

This is wrong…

This is really wrong…

But what can I do?

“The first stage is preparing the material. We must keep the blood as fresh as possible.”

Bellona laid the man on the table.

His arms and legs were magically bound.

Miel flew anxiously around me, flapping her wings.

“Well, Lycoris, shall we begin?”

Bellona handed me a silver knife.

My hand trembled, but I had to endure.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Am I really supposed to turn this man into one of those ‘works’?

But if I refuse, I’ll be in danger…

Flap!

Miel suddenly struck my hand, causing the knife to fall.

The knife clattered on the floor.

“Careful, okay? It’s okay, it’s your first time.”

Bellona smiled and picked up the knife.

“The first thing to do is to carefully make an incision. Be careful not to damage the muscles and tendons.”

Bellona took my hand and placed the knife on the man’s chest.

His scream echoed through the temple.

It was so loud it hurt my ears.

“Like this, with precise pressure, the blood flows artistically. Feel the beauty of its flow.”

As the knife cut his skin, red blood flowed out.

It was as if dancing down his body, like a red stream.

White flesh was revealed beneath.

I wanted to close my eyes but couldn’t look away.

There was something artistic in that red flow.

“Now, let’s reveal the muscle layer. This is very delicate work.”

Bellona pressed the knife deeper.

The man could no longer scream, only moan.

“I won’t kill him. The longer he lives, the more vivid the artwork becomes.”

Bellona’s words sent chills down my spine.

Yet, a strange curiosity arose within me.

Is this the ‘Aesthetics of Murder’ Bellona spoke of?

Extending the moment of death to make it eternal, an art of the process?

I recalled Michel’s swift execution of the demons.

Michel annihilated them in an instant with a golden orb.

It was a painless, quick death.

Frostia was the same.

When she froze humans, it was instantaneous.

They didn’t suffer; they simply became ice sculptures.

This is different.

This inflicts prolonged suffering.

It felt as if there were two beings inside me.

One horrified by all this, and the other… strangely captivated.

Miel approached me again, flapping her wings and striking my hair.

Ow!

Why?

Miel’s gaze was fixed on my hand.

Only then did I realize I was holding the knife, pressed against the man’s arm.

When did I…?

I was startled and dropped the knife.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, everyone starts this way. You can learn slowly.”

Bellona smiled and continued her work.

“Look at the pattern of the flowing blood. See how beautiful it is.”

Bellona’s voice whispered in my ear.

At that moment, I truly saw beauty in the blood’s flow.

The red lines, the texture of flesh and muscle, and the contorted face…

“I see… I’m starting to understand…”

The words left my mouth involuntarily.

Flap flap!

Miel flew around me intensely, trying to keep me aware.

Thanks to her, I didn’t fully succumb.

Oh…

Please, stay sane…

“Master… I need to escape and return to Master…”

That thought pained my heart.

But another thought emerged.

“Or… would Master like this side of me…?”

…

『 [Bellona’s Favorite Disciple] trait acquired.』

『 [Bellona’s Favorite Disciple]

  – You are the favorite disciple of the Goddess of Beauty, Bellona.』

『 [Art of Death] trait acquired.』

『 [Art of Death]

  – You understand the beauty of death. You gain a certain amount of demonic power whenever death is sensed nearby.』