Ball of Nothing

AN: Extract from Chapter 137: Baal's Faction (4). Enjoy!

It was also the first time a new sin was recorded and a new Demon Lord crowned. His name is Beelzebub, the Lord of Flies. His record? Seventy-six pancakes, five pies with three slices and fourteen kilograms of roasted meat. However, this is a story for another time.

-End of Flashback-

Zero talked a little about the time before he came to study under Hua Tuo and Coux thought that the idea of hosting an eating competition would be a brilliant marketing strategy. Belles and Begonia was slowly becoming popular with the word of mouth. However, the news wasn't spreading fast enough. The trader needed it to create waves and not just ripples.

Everything was in place. There was a long list of participants from all kinds of backgrounds to create the credibility that Coux required for the word to reach other domains. She had also worked Lovina hard to have all two hundred pancakes delivered. The hunters back home also worked hard and hunted some enormous beasts that added up to a few hundred kilograms of seasoned meat thanks to Cleo's special spices. Coux didn't question what kind of beasts they were, it shouldn't matter much in a place like Hell that lacked variety. Finally, Amaraline, Coux and Qin Yun worked hard to bake thirty pies. Surely the contestants wouldn't manage to finish everything. They'd still have plenty of spares to sell after the competition has concluded, or so she thought.

The half-succubus wasn't expecting a scrawny demon to end up rivalling Zero's appetite. It didn't matter what they brought out or how much there was. Mouth after mouth, the ravenous demon never stopped chewing. Coux was starting to get worried when the demon called Beelzebub cleared yet another plate of pie. She wondered if his jaws ever got tired of chewing but that was wishful thinking.

There were talks going around among the spectators as another contestant forfeited. Beelzebub was notorious for eating up anything from dead bodies to buildings. They called him the Lord of Flies because of how he ate from the garbage. The demon was simply too poor to afford any food and nobody would hire him due to the rumours of his background.

It wasn't very common. However, once in a very long time there will be demons who mate other demons. These demons weren't very highly respected and were in fact rather feared. They called them reapers because of how they didn't discriminate against who they killed or ate. In fact, these crazy demons can sometimes become a disaster powerful enough for Demon Lords to personally hunt them down and stop the carnage. Rumours have it that once they lose their minds, these cannibalistic demons can eat miasma and turn into a mindless monster that threatens even those living within protected domains.

Coux frowned. No matter how she looked at it, Beelzebub didn't look like any of the monsters in those stories. If anything, the scrawny participant looked like a child of Zero's age who was badly starved. His clothes weren't the cleanest and the torn parts weren't mended. The fact that Beelzebub had a sweet tooth like Zero only made Coux like the participant more. Nobody else enjoyed their food more than him even if Beelzebub was about to clean their entire stock for sale.

Thankfully, there were only two more participants aside from the thin teen. Amaraline served up another platter of pancakes and immediately, one of them raised their hand to drop out of the new round, looking very green. Beelzebub only asked if he could have some honey with the pancakes and Qin Yun obliged. The other contestant stared at the stack of five fluffy pancakes with tears in his eyes. His stomach was bulging out and looked very stuffed. Where was all the food going to in that skinny demon? Nobody could understand.

The wave of murmur from behind the cafe became louder and Coux turned to look at the new guests who arrived. Everyone parted and made way for them, treating them with great importance and respect. Unfamiliar with the things in Hell, Coux was slow to recognise them but Qin Yun quickly bowed when she saw them.

"Lord Mammon and Lord Lucifer, greetings."

The two Demon Lords nodded in return and looked at the two remaining contestants.

"Is that him? The rumoured Lord of Flies?" Mammon asked and Coux bowed.

Beelzebub looked frightened in the presence of two most prominent figures in the abyss. Was he in trouble again? He didn't remember violating any rules. The competition clearly stated that the food was free to eat and only participants who didn't make it past the fifth round had to pay for what they consumed. Beelzebub cleared that a long time ago. Why was everyone looking at him?

Feeling uncomfortable, the other remaining participant raised his hand to forfeit the competition. That automatically made Beelzebub the winner. Instead of feeling happy, Beelzebub felt dismayed. He had won too easily. What happened to the unlimited supply of food? Was this everything they had to offer? He could still eat more!

"What's your name?" Lucifer asked and Beelzebub felt his tongue freeze. the Prince of Hell was too intimidating!

Coux quickly answered on his behalf, not wanting to anger the busy Demon Lords. Still, the half-succubus couldn't understand why two Demon Lords would visit her cafe. They weren't here to watch or participate. In fact, they came so unannounced that the business owners had no time to react.

"Beelzebub," Mammon mused. "Never heard of that. Which clan are you from?"

The Lord of Flies looked down at the empty plate. "I have no clan. When I opened my eyes, I was consumed by insatiable hunger and devoured everything from trees to soil in the wilderness. The name Beelzebub was the only thing I remember."

The Demon Lords exchanged looks and Lucifer walked up to the teenager.

"Do you have a tattoo-like birthmark stigma somewhere on your body?" he asked lowly, not wanting anyone else to hear it.

Beelzebub's eyes widened and he slowly nodded. Lucifer couldn't see it because he was blind but Mammon did.

"Miss Van Doux, can we borrow a private room in your establishment? There are some matters that we need to discuss with Sir Beelzebub in private."

While it sounded like a request it was not. Coux quickly announced Beelzebub as the winner of the competition and had Qin Yun to usher them upstairs. Amaraline quickly sprang into action and started the sales talk, urging the stunned crowd into action. Whatever remaining pancakes, meat and pies sold out rapidly. Without spare time to wonder what the two Demon Lords wanted with their winner, the ladies worked hard.

Qin Yun served some tea and left the three demons to continue with their conversation. Once Qin Yun left, Mammon turned to Beelzebub.

When the Demon Lord lifted his left sleeve and revealed a red stigma that covered his entire left forearm, Beelzebub's eyes widened. He had something similar on his back as well.

"Can you show us your stigma?" Mammon asked. Not many demons knew that all Demon Lords were born with stigmas. Every stigma was different. Some like Lilith preferred to flaunt her stigma while others, like Mammon, preferred to keep it a secret.

Lucifer couldn't see the stigma so he dragged Mammon along to confirm if a new Demon Lord has been found. They felt a new presence coming from Baal's domain and tracked it down. The powers were still rather dormant but as time passed, it became stronger. If nothing was done, Baal and the new Demon Lord would start having power clashes because of the domain effects.

"What's the stigma's mark?" Lucifer asked and the banker hummed.

Beelzebub's stigma was rather huge but it was uncomplicated. Covering the teen's entire back, it looked like a spade shape with ancient language indicating that Beelzebub was a child of fate.

"His power is gluttony. Whatever he eats becomes his power. The stigma isn't completed which means his powers are still dormant."

Lucifer smiled. They finally found it. "Your name was Beelzebub?"

The teen nodded and answered hesitantly. Why would the Prince of Hell and Lord Mammon talk to him? What's so special about the stigma?

Mammon started answering the questions Beelzebub had in his head over tea. Initially, Beelzebub thought that it was a prank of some sort. How could someone like him become the new Lord of Hell? He didn't have any special powers or particularly powerful abilities apart from being able to eat anything.

"From today onwards, you will be known as Beelzebub the Lord of Gluttony. As a fellow Demon Lord, I expect you to do your part in keeping up with the balance of the abyss plane. It has gotten more unstable in recent centuries. The power of six Demon Lords is no longer sufficient to support the plane which explains why you were born."

Everything sounded like a tall tale to Beelzebub who was still stunned from the information overload. The Demon Lords started informing him about the arrangements they made for him without his knowledge or consent. He was to attend the prestigious Morning Star Academy while learning the duties of a Demon Lord.

"In return, all your meals will be taken care of," Lucifer said.

The Lord of Gluttony blinked. "All my meals?"

Lucifer nodded seriously. Mammon didn't seem like he was joking either. "You will have meals daily."

This was probably the first good news in Beelzebub's miserable hundred and sixty-odd years of life. "Do you really mean it? Every meal? Three square meals a day without cutting corners or dishing out less than one portion per meal?"

Mammon didn't say anything but Lucifer nodded. "I give you my word. Mammon here will assist you until your domain is up and running on its feet. Of course, there's no such thing as a free meal, we'll have you do some work for us."

Hearing that made Beelzebub feel less uneasy. If it was a business deal, he had lesser reasons to decline. He might be a dirty beggar on the streets but he still had his pride. Beelzebub had never stolen from anyone and only scavenged for his food.

The moment Beelzebub agreed, he thought he was going to start signing some kind of contract with the two Demon Lords. Instead, he was dragged downstairs and stopped just before the crowd on the steps with Lucifer behind him on his left with a hand on his shoulder and Mammon in front of him facing the crowd who were still buying food from the cafe.

"Let it be known that the Lord of Flies will be recognised as a new Demon Lord over the domain of Gluttony. An official announcement will be issued at a later date."

Beelzebub wasn't expecting any reaction from that announcement but almost at the same time all the demons, be it standing or sitting, knelt on the floor and bowed their heads in unison. The new Demon Lord was extremely startled by the treatment and didn't know what he should be doing.

"Long Live the Lord of Gluttony!"

Coux, Amaraline and Qin Yun stood at a side with a smile and bowed without kneeling. As guests of Lord Baal, they had a somewhat higher status than the ordinary demons. With the Lord of Gluttony's recognition and win, Coux decided to offer the hungry teen a special arrangement. Without Beelzebub, their establishment might not be as successful.

Amaraline quickly packed some lemon meringue and passed it to Beelzebub just in time before he left with Mammon and Lucifer.

"Some prize for the winner of the competition. It's a new product not yet released, we hope you like it!" the fortune-teller smiled and Beelzebub accepted the small box with gratitude.

"Is it alright for me to come back?" he asked.

Amaraline was slightly surprised that the newly crowned Demon Lord would ask such a thing.

"Of course! My Lord, you'd always be welcomed. Anyone who enjoys our food will not be turned away."

Happy, Beelzebub left. Mammon made a few calls in the carriage and Beelzebub wondered what his life would be like from now on. Fate worked in a strange way. From poverty straight to royalty... What were the chances?

Still, the words echoed in his mind when he saw the demons kneeling before him. Lord of Gluttony... it sounded a lot better than his previous title. From now on, he wanted to be known as Beelzebub the Lord of Gluttony instead Beelzebub the Lord of Flies.