Page 16 of Dark Souls Academy: The Sacrifice

We only got our true demon-name after age a hundred, so no one at the school except for staff followed that rule. That was why we called them by what they fed on.

But I recently found out that Nati Demons never get true demon-names, which was why I called them all Nomad. It pissedthem off, and it gave me power over them. Not literally, but they tended to talk more.

I smirked down at him.

“Fuck you, half-demon brat.” His snout made talking difficult, but he managed.

I chuckled, picked up the small blade next to him on the tray, and slammed the pointy end into his leg. “Now, now. Don’t be rude. I haven’t used your Nati status against you, have I? And we both know who the weaker of the two of us is. I could taunt you forever. I mean, the jokes practically write themselves.”

“I won’t answer your questions.” He lifted his head stubbornly. His lip slightly quivered.

Sighing, as if he was a child, I patted his chest lightly. “Silly goose, you’re so wrong.” I knew the cheerfully calm aura that held me while Iplayedwith him wasn’t right, but I still reveled in it.

I grabbed the only other thing on the table, a bottle filled with red liquid. “You see, this is a little concoction that’s going to eat away your flesh very slowly. You might heal, if I let you, but it’ll be a mess.”

“I’m a Nati, I embrace the ugly. We are the faces of demons. The ugly helps fear grow.” His words were so prideful.

I guess that was how the Nati Demons felt better about being so powerless. He wasn’t wrong though. When humans from Earth summoned demons, they called a Nati Demon. The demons lacked the power to stop the summoning magic from pulling them away. I didn’t know how it worked because I never tried summoning a demon, but without a Dimidium or Potens Demon’s true name, they couldn’t be called. So, Hell had to create a balance.

“You’ve been around Lucifer and the sins for years.” His eyes widened at hearing about the sins. Not everyone knew theyexisted. I barely found out myself. “Do they often feed on the damned souls?”

His surprised expression didn’t lessen. These weren’t the typical questions that I asked, but he still didn’t speak. “Okay.”

I opened the bottle and covered my nose at the rancid smell. Not wanting to risk getting splashed, I used my wind abilities. I called for a malevolent air and asked it to take some of the liquid over to the prisoner. The energy was almost excited. It took the lead and lifted a handful of liquid.

The energy slithered like a snake, rubbing on the prisoner’s lower belly. The scream that came from that gentle touch had my eyes widening. It was my first time using this potion. Trigger made it for me when we started questioning prisoners.

“Ready to talk?” I asked cheerily.

He just growled, so I nodded at my magic as if it was a person. My magic had grown so much, I wouldn’t be surprised if it could take human form. My air element eagerly obliged. Letting the liquid rain on him. Now, those screams almost blew out my ear drums.

“The question isn’t even about where Lucifer is or his plans. What harm could come from me knowing this? The pain isn’t worth it.” My tone softened, attempting to convey sympathy, but it was futile.

He clenched his mouth shut, cursing me in the process. Images of all the people who had been hurt or killed flashed in my mind. Blood-smeared faces, pain, and devastation spurred me on. The frustration of not being able to save everyone was a heavy burden, but the weight lessened each time I tortured an enemy.

I asked the energy to get more. Over and over, the Nati Demon refused to speak. His legs and arms were practically dissolved. The hideous design all over his circular body steamed. There was no relief for him.

His small cries made me smile. When did I start loving this part of my day? Ark had come and gone to let me know that I was missing classes but since most of them were with my mates, I didn’t care. I was close to making the Headmaster let me take classes online or record them. I had too much to do.

I covered my nose again. The smell was so bad my eyes watered. He needed to talk already. That was why I smiled at his cries. He was going to cave.

“It’s a simple question.” My voice echoed around the room. My magic went back inside of me, snuggling into my skin, letting me know how much it appreciated being used.

I waited. I even responded to a message from Kain that had me smiling. Anything that took more off my plate was welcomed, but I didn’t focus on any of that. The sizzling demon on the table commanded all my attention.

My eyes made sure to watch for his tells. When he gave in, I needed to make sure he wasn’t playing me. His emotions wouldn’t lie.

Steam rose and his burning flesh hissed. The potion was downright vial, preventing him from passing out from the pain. “Okay! They order the guards to round up the souls a few times a week with artifacts that can capture them.” He was panting and wincing as he spoke.

“How many a week would you say?” His eyes narrowed at me as black blood dripped onto the floor with a loud splat.

“I usually count about 20 or so a week.” I nodded at his words, doing the math, but I didn’t really need to. That was extreme for only seven people. They definitely fed on souls, but was it necessary?

“Where do they eat? This isn’t common knowledge, so they wouldn’t do it in front of everyone.”

He shook his head, crying, whimpering. The numbness inside of me, and the actions that got him here made me harden against his sounds.

I hit his stomach with the bottle, making him scream. “They eat in the sex room because he makes the Succubi suck them off while eating.”

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