"Gluttony was a brainless moron but was the strongest of us if he was filled. Even I stood no chance against him. When he gave us the first order to kill a human he said it would fill our unknown appetite. All the years I had been alive, there was always a hunger inside of me that I could not fill no matter what mayhem I caused.
We always thought our eldest brother had our best in mind and him telling us to kill a human was not out of the realm of possibility so I never thought anything of it. And he was right. Oh, was he right." Wrath started as he recalled the events that led to their downfall. The princes listened on with keen interest.
"The humans were a long researched topic among the demons. None of the higher ranks ever bothered coming into contact with them or killing them because they frankly just were not worth the time. The lowers sometimes killed one here and there but they were quickly snuffed out. We did not want any interspecies contact between the two.
But with one suggestion from gluttony the mindset changed. We were not the highest ranking of the demons by any stretch but we were high enough that as a group we could fight and kill just about anyone except a few who didn't bother with us. As usual there were some rivalries between the demons, like us and the precepts and etc. but that was of little importance until much later.
'Go and kill one. See how great it feels' Gluttony said in our ears. Those few words were enough to push us into it. Lust was the first to go. She had her way with a group of humans, as she usually did when she was bored but instead of pushing them on under her control, she slaughtered the men in the bathhouse. She butchered them.
It was unbeknownst to the rest of the group until later when she returned. She had a look of pure bliss on her face upon returning. Gluttony denied ever putting that in her head when she mentioned him but we all knew. He had a talent of suggestion that generally tended to work on all of us. It never worked on the other clans but on us it did like a charm.
I was the next to fall to the temptation. It had been some time since the last time I was that satisfied and it was mouth watering. There is no reason to mention how I went about accomplishing my mission but just know I did kill a few people." He continued going through the story.
"A few? It is said you killed thousands the first time." Hoizon said without skipping a beat as he listened to the story. We looked at him blankly as he called out the demon.
"Fine. It may have been slightly more than a few. But considering how many there were around then, a few thousand was nothing more than a drop in the ocean of humans. It was just as satisfying as I imagined. The way their necks snapped in my hands and the feeling of flesh tearing in my hands.
There was nothing else I could imagine being better. The humans were in a panic by the time we all went out for the first time. The more we killed the better it felt. We were puppets on Gluttony's strings now that I look back. All the time we spent satisfying our primal desires was power coming to Gluttony.
After the first few bodies, we were powerless to stop killing them. It was especially amusing when they tried to fight back. They knew we were superior just from the few points of contact we had.
Once we each got into the millions, I started to suspect something was wrong. It shouldn't still be feeling as good as it did. The more I killed, the more I wanted to. Our eldest was a beast by that time. When he said to do something, we had no choice but to follow orders. For the most part, we all had grown quite powerful. I was noticeably weaker than the rest, though, as I had no reason to ever get angry or make the humans feel my wrath. They were pebbles compared to us.
Lust was especially strong as well. She had a nasty little habit of bedding the humans before offing them. She was only weaker than Gluttony but they often looked after the rest of us as the eldest siblings.
I mentioned I had wonders about what was going on as we killed more. These troublesome thoughts only increased as we killed more. The others got stronger, as I mentioned, but I did not. I couldn't unless we got into conflict with another group of demons at least on par with us in strength.
Nothing good would have come from me questioning gluttony as weak as I was. I had to find a way to start a problem with another group. While the others spent their time in the human world, I took a stroll through the demon realm to find some opposition.
After roaming for a time, a group caught my attention shortly before the others were due back and I along with them. The five precepts were another group who were at the very least as strong as us. While there were less of them, they were monsters of battle. But they would have to do. I was positive they could be used to increase my power.
But they were not so easy to rile up like my siblings were. They would have to start the conflict. But how could I make that happen was the question. Then it hit me.
The others reported their kill counts to gluttony as usual while I made up a number and place I did it. There was no option but to go and double my count the next time. The precepts would have to wait. My number was small compared to the others due to power difference by that time so I could just be waved off by gluttony.
After we went hunting the next time, I took a detour back to the demon realm to find the precepts. As the official gate keepers of the underworld, I was sure they would take the chance to put gluttony in his place if I reported his deeds.
I walked up to one of the 5, a behemoth of a demon with long tendrils who seemed to be the jokester of the gang, "I have a report to make." I began.
"Well, look who we have here, boys: Wrath, the one and only. What could someone like you need to report to us. I'm sure the others along with you could carry out whatever you all deemed necessary on your own. What could you need us for, little boy?" He began. I later learned his precept was "abstain from taking life".
"Well it's actually about one of my siblings: gluttony. As you know his power is increasing incredibly quickly. What you may not know is it's because of us. He has been sending us to the human world to kill them off and indulge his desire. I think our count is somewhere in the high millions by now maybe even a few billion." I started. This piqued the precepts' interests.
"Oh? And why come to us with this? What are you looking to gain here?" The same precept asked me suspiciously.
"Well, I would like power of course, but mainly to keep from gluttony being too powerful. We already can't stop him as it is and I fear it may not be long before no one can, including yourselves." I said mainly interested in my own power.
"Oh, I think you greatly underestimate us. Either way, I suppose we are going to have to pay this brother of yours a visit. Go on and leave so you aren't questioned when we do go. Expect to see us in the upcoming days." The precept said waving me away before going back to laughing with his consorts.
The next few days carried on as usual. Our days were somewhat different than yours, though. While a day in the human world has always been light and dark, the demon realm does not have a moon and sun in the conventional sense. The sky is red with a black sun and it tends to stay the same brightness all the time. We all just agreed on a way to keep track of time.
1 of our days is equal to about 30 of yours I suppose. So a few days was an extremely long time for gluttony to get stronger since we could all hunt multiple times before a single day passed. Just as the second day started gluttony called us all for a meeting.
"You all have done well satisfying yourselves. The killing feels great, I know. The only problem is the humans are starting to thin and hide from us. We need to give them some time to reestablish their numbers. A few months should do for them to at least procreate some. So for now, they have a no kill order. Stop any of the others from going to the human realm as well. Is that understood?" Gluttony asked sitting on his throne.
We all shook our heads before going back to figure out something else to do. With how much we had been in the human realm lately not going back left us bored. There were plenty of demons to have some fun with but with how much stronger we were then most of the others it was pointless to just bully them. All of the others with some strength were a ways away from us and getting to them would take time so unless their was a real reason we didn't bother.
As we sat in each of our domains, we felt a disturbance approaching. It immediately put the others on guard. Just from the pressure walking towards us, I could tell who it was. How this next scene played out was going to be a key factor in whether I stayed alive or not. Even being brothers and sisters, treachery was a zero-tolerance policy and would certainly lead to my death if gluttony found out.
"What can I help you with?" Gluttony said to the precepts standing in his domain from a kneel. He never even lifted his head as he talked. The pressure of their demon aura was staggering.
"We heard there's someone here who's gained a little power? Who is it? Your individual strengths are still so pathetic. We can't tell whos the strongest of you all" The precept said kneeling down next to gluttony. I could tell seeing him from the back it was the same one I talked to. The tendrils just swam around on his tar like body.
"I haven't any clue what it is you speak of." Gluttony said before he fell all the way to the ground. The aura was increasing. I could feel it from where I was. It must have been ludicrous right next to them where gluttony was.
"Now, now, why lie to us? What does that bring you?" The precept said before kicking gluttony in the face and sending him tumbling away. Lust stood up at the blow and raced to gluttony's aid. No matter what, we were sibling and none of the others would let gluttony be assaulted like that.
"Oh? Another one wants a taste, eh? Aren't you quite an interesting group. Even with your pathetic standards of strength, we can feel who is the strongest. If he had no chance, what does that mean for you, little girl?" Another precept said standing behind the other.
Standing so close, Lust could tell their difference in power clearly. It was not smart to take a fight with the group at her level.
"None of us has done anything wrong. Please just leave us alone. You saw each time we left to the human world." Lust begged as she checked on gluttony. Although their face had no expression or features, I could tell the life precept was looking directly at me. But I could not let the others know so I fell to the ground as well pretending to be held down by their aura.
"Well we heard a report from someone that one of you was amassing strength. Surely you aren't saying we came all the way out here for nothing?" A different precept said sitting down with his fingertips touching in front of him. He did not seem the patient type. But with their otherworldly strength, I could not tell which of them was the strongest from so far away.
"Just tell me who it was and we will deal with it." Lust said holding her hand on gluttony's back. Sweat started pouring out from my face at the possibility of how bad this could go. With a slight shake of my head, the precept from before answered.
"I do not think you should be commanding us, little girl. Someone told us and that's all you need to know. We can feel the difference in power, however miniscule it is, between you all and from your past. Someone is doing something to gain strength. It is best to just come out and say it." The precept said. This seemed to be going bad. As we all made our way to gluttony and lust, the precepts backed off a few steps.
This was going to come down to a fight, as I had hoped. There seemed to be no avoiding it now. As we fanned out, the precepts followed.