Extra Demon: Sacred Academy of Light

"Heh?" He opened his eyes wide as he looked down. A small green snake was slithering across the ground. The snake had a light and dark green color in certain areas, and it was heading toward him... Staring at the small light green snake left me speechless. In this place, from what little I had seen, there were only black or gray creatures, but to see a much lighter-colored snake...

and such a small one. Before I realized it, a faint sound came from my shoulder...

Hiss... Hiss... Hiss...

Turning my gaze, I saw another small snake on my shoulder. Its head was raised, and its eyes were staring directly at me. Feeling movement on my legs, I looked down to see yet another snake slowly coiling itself around me, hissing... I tried to speak, but no sound came out of my mouth.

With each passing second, more and more light green snakes started emerging from everywhere, crawling all over my body.

Helpless, I watched in horror as I was slowly devoured, covered entirely in snakes...

"What do you think you're doing, Envy?" A loud voice echoed from the darkness beyond my sight. The very world itself resonated, and like shattering glass, thin layers of crystal began to fall around me. The world seemed to regain its sense, the air hit my face again, and my movements were no longer erratic. My eyes flew open as air rushed into my lungs...

Cough... Cough... Cough...

Coughing violently, I clutched my chest, gasping for air, struggling to understand what had just happened...

"Hmmm... you smell delicious. Tell me, can you spare an arm?" Hearing a terrifying voice, I turned my head. In front of me, crouching, was a little girl with white hair and eyes, wearing a small black dress. Her mouth was slightly open, and a bit of drool was escaping from the corners. Frowning, I asked, "Who are you?" It was the first time I'd seen this girl...

but before anything else, I quickly stood up, took a few steps back, and assumed a defensive stance. Recalling the chilling experience with the snakes, my body shuddered slightly. The feeling of being slowly devoured while unable to do anything... it was the most horrifying thing I had experienced so far.

"Oh..." The girl also stood up and opened her eyes. She looked around and smiled: "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." She crossed her arms and moved a little. "I'm supposed to protect you while she's dealing with a jealous viper." She nodded her head, and her eyes lit up with excitement. She took a few small steps toward me and said, "My name is Merlin!

Nice to meet you!" She extended her small hand with a warm smile... After hesitating for a moment, I extended mine as well... for now, the feeling of danger had disappeared: "Nice to meet you, my name is Arthur." I introduced myself with a nod.

Merlin smiled, releasing the handshake, and stared at me intently... "Hmm..." I saw her slightly move her lips as if savoring something delicious, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Her gaze was the same as Violet's. Remembering both girls, I tried to find them, but for some reason, I couldn't see anything.

It was as if I had fallen from one broken dream into another, but this time with Merlin, who... staring at her for a few moments... had no presence. It was as if she were a target, not a living being—a hollow presence without purpose or emotion. Adjusting my voice, I asked, "Do you know what just happened to me a moment ago?" I inquired respectfully.

Although I didn't know who this girl in front of me was, the feeling was very similar to when I was near Lilith...

"Eh..." Merlin seemed to snap out of her daydream with my question and waved her hand nonchalantly. "Envy was about to consume your soul," she said indifferently. A moment later, she clenched her tiny fist, "That damn snake... she wanted it all for herself!" she pouted, her cheeks puffing up.

"Wait..." My mind went blank for a few seconds, "E-envy?" I asked again to confirm... Merlin tilted her head slightly. "Diane Envy," she nodded. "You were lucky Lilith arrived just in time," she said with a smile.

"Damn it..." Mentally cursing, I wanted to slap myself. What the hell is wrong with me? Everywhere I go, there's a 99% chance of dying... "Now... where are we?" I asked, watching as Merlin seemed to have no intention of doing anything...

"We're in a sealed space, outside the real world. It's a good place to wait while Lilith takes care of the viper. We just have to wait a little while..." she said as she sat down on the ground...

It was strange, but every time she spoke, the inside of her mouth was an endless white space, or at least that's the feeling it gave me... Watching and listening to her as she began to move her head while humming some sort of song, I stayed silent. "Her eyes are closed..." It was as if she were completely focused on something, I thought to myself.

After a few moments, the space around us shattered into a thousand pieces... From it, elegant footsteps echoed, announcing the presence of the beautiful figure of Lilith. She had a soft smile, glanced around, and her red eyes landed on Merlin. "Impressive, I thought you wouldn't be able to control yourself," she said as she walked past her. Read the latest on empire

Merlin opened her eyes, "You underestimate me, I've been in this state for millennia. Over time, you get used to it," she replied with a hint of impatience. Glancing around, she added, "I have to go. If I stay in this place any longer, I feel like I'll go insane." Merlin vanished...

Lilith shook her head. "In the end, you've only changed a little," she pursed her lips, and her eyes finally settled on me...

"Well, that was unexpected, I apologize for that," she lowered her head slightly.

"What just happened? Why did the Sin of Envy nearly kill me?" I asked two questions, feeling utterly confused as to why a being of the same caliber as Lilith was interested in my soul...

"Well..." Lilith murmured to herself. "Let's just say you're like a grand dessert to all of us," she said. "By 'us,' you mean the Seven Deadly Sins?" That's what I understood.

"Yes," Lilith nodded. "Why?" I asked.

"For being a pariah," she said bluntly. "But not just any pariah—for being the first to have reason, a stable soul, and... for us not being able to peer into the deepest parts of your soul. Basically, you have a soul as large as that of a greater demon, but much easier to hunt." She shrugged, "You're in danger in Hell, to put it simply..." She smiled as she pulled out a crystal potion. "Drink this.

Envy marked you," she pointed to my neck. "Here, take this to see for yourself," she handed me a small mirror...

Looking into the mirror, I saw my neck. There was a coiled snake... "It's like a tattoo..." I muttered under my breath. "What does this mark do?" I asked as I took the potion in my hands.

"It constantly consumes a small part of your soul, and it also serves to track your location at any given moment." Lilith frowned... "Don't worry about it; I already dealt with Envy," she smiled and, out of nowhere, produced a chunk of greenish flesh... "Although I can't kill her, I ripped off a piece of her flesh. You can eat it if you want."

"..."