Fairy Tale: With Sin Of Pride

The sky had grown dim.

A layer of snow blanketed the ground.

The air was sharp with an icy chill.

A young girl, dressed in nothing but thin rags, huddled in a corner, shivering.

"The coin that kind man gave me... it's gone again."

"Brittany, you're so useless."

Her eyes filled with envy as she glanced at the warm, glowing houses nearby.

With trembling hands, she pulled out her last box of matches from her pocket.

Strike!

A flame flickered to life, offering a brief touch of warmth.

But soon, even that small comfort faded away.

Driven by her hunger for warmth, Brittany struck another match.

The burnt-out matchsticks piled up at her feet. There was only one left in the box.

With blue-tinged, trembling fingers, she lit the final match.

In the unsteady glow of the flame, the sound of steady footsteps reached her ears.

Brittany lifted her dull eyes and peered through the fire toward the source of the sound.

Out of the darkness, an old man with snow-white hair slowly approached.

His face was full of kindness, and he extended a hand to her.

"My dear child, do you have a wish?"

"Grandma..." Brittany murmured softly, her gaze growing hazy.

"I wish... I wish to go to a place where there's no hunger or cold."

"Good child, then sign this contract."

The kindly grandmother smiled, pulling out a parchment and holding it in front of the girl.

Under the flickering oil lamp, the old woman's shadow seemed slightly distorted.

"Sign it, and once you do, you'll be free from all pain and hunger. Grandma will take you to a world without suffering."

Her voice was light, carrying a strange, irresistible allure.

The girl, her vision blurred, shakily lifted a finger toward the parchment.

"Well, well, I was wondering who'd be shameless enough to torment a poor child... turns out it's a devil."

A calm voice broke the moment.

The smile faded from the grandmother's face as she slowly turned to look behind her.

Rod, wrapped in a fur cloak, leaned against the wall, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he looked at the strange duo.

"Sir."

Brittany's dazed expression cleared as she recognized Rod, a spark of joy lighting her face.

Instinctively, she began to introduce them.

"This is my grandma, she..."

Her voice trailed off, a sudden realization hitting her. Her grandmother... hadn't she died years ago?

"She's dead, isn't she?"

Rod's lips curled into a smirk as his gaze shifted toward the expressionless old woman.

"So, are you going to show your true form, or should I make you?"

The old woman's face twisted into a snarl, her expression turning venomous as she glared at Rod.

"Human, I don't recall offending you."

"You didn't. I just don't like seeing children bullied."

Rod shrugged casually.

"This has nothing to do with you. Leave now, and I'll pretend you were never here."

The grandmother's voice dripped with cold malice, an unspoken threat behind her words.

"Are you threatening me?"

The smile on Rod's face slowly vanished as a wild, oppressive aura began to rise around him.

"No threat. Just a friendly warning."

The devil's tone softened slightly.

"This child has nothing to do with you. Why make an enemy of me for a stranger? As long as you step aside, you can be a friend of the devils."

"Sounds tempting."

Rod raised an eyebrow, a playful gleam in his eyes as he looked at the devil hiding beneath a human skin.

"But do you really think you're in any position to bargain with me?"

"Leave now, and I'll pretend you never showed up. Refuse, and you'll stay here permanently."

The devil's voice dropped, growing low and menacing.

"Then you and this girl will become part of my collection!"

Whoosh!

Massive bat wings burst from the devil's back, tearing through the human skin with sharp claws.

A demon, all blood and flesh, skinless and with flames licking from its head, crawled out of the remains.

Its head sported two massive horns, and the tip of its tail flickered with a fiery glow.

As its bat wings stretched wide, a shadow engulfed the entire alleyway. The demon's fierce gaze locked onto Rod.

"Wait! Changed your mind? Then get lost!"

"I'm just trying to clarify something. If I don't leave, you're planning to fight me to the death, and only one of us walks away?"

Rod's tone was oddly calm as he posed the question.

Though devils were notorious for their strange abilities, they weren't as powerful as demons. Devils thrived more on trickery than brute strength.

And, of course, their best-known skill? Running away.

If a devil truly wanted to escape, Rod knew he wouldn't be able to stop it.

The devil's eyes flickered with a sly glint.

"Exactly! The girl's soul is mine. If you don't leave, only one of us will make it out alive!"

"If you're scared, now's the time to run."

Devils weren't like those brainless demons. They used their wits, avoiding unnecessary fights whenever possible.

And, honestly, this human's strength was hard to gauge. What if he turned out to be a tougher opponent than expected?

Scaring him off would be ideal.

"That's all I needed to hear. Let's begin."

Rod's lips curled into a grin, his radiant smile sending a chill down the devil's spine.

Something felt wrong, but the devil couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"Steal."

With the trap set, Rod wasted no more time with idle chatter.

With a flick of his finger, the power of Plunder erupted.

The devil, realizing it had been played, grew furious.

It tried to unleash its anger, only to feel its strength rapidly fading.

It was as though invisible hands were violently draining its power.

"Words, minds, temptation, space, distortion, illusions, misfortune…"

"Your abilities are certainly... complex."

Rod stretched lazily, watching the devil's expression turn from rage to horror.

Swish!

In an instant, like a predator, Rod appeared before the devil.

He slammed a fist into it.

The devil barely had time to raise its hand to defend itself before being sent flying, crashing like a lifeless corpse into a wooden post.

Step. Step. Step.

Under the lamplight, Rod's shadow stretched long as he casually approached, his every step radiating overwhelming pressure.

"You said only one of us could leave, right? No running away now..."

"Devil."

Rod grinned, his pearly white teeth making the devil shudder uncontrollably.

Which one of them was the real devil?

"Damn human, you're such a fool! I'm a devil! Deceit and lies are my very nature! You really thought I'd keep my word?"

The devil scrambled to its feet, mocking Rod with a sneer.

With a swift flap of its wings, it soared into the sky.

This human was too dangerous. If the fight dragged on, it would surely die.

Better to escape now.

The devil picked a random direction and flew with all the speed it could muster.

"You idiot human, once my strength recovers, I'll come back for you!"

The devil cast a hateful glance back at the castle as it sped away.

"Strange... why is my body suddenly feeling so heavy?"

The devil's speed began to slow, and soon, its entire body grew stiff.

"Wait, something's wrong! I... I can't move!"

In full-blown panic, the devil glanced down.

A creeping gray-white hue was spreading from its feet upward.

Within moments, the stone-like color had reached its wings.

As its wings completely petrified, the devil plunged from the sky in utter despair.

Crash!

With a crisp sound, the stone body shattered into pieces.

"Why throw your life away?"

Rod stood where he was, watching the shattered remains of the devil, shaking his head in pity.

Lying and breaking promises in front of him? Did the fool think his Commandment of Truth was for show?

Hopeless. He's done for.

Not even a body left to bury.

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