[Dear Beelzebub, Father Andrei, this is my third month away from Jerusalem.]

Please forgive my abrupt departure. By the time you read this letter, I will already be on the train home.

[It's not because I've been away from home for too long and miss my hometown, but because a few days ago, my friend Weeks, whom I hadn't contacted in a long time, sent me a letter inviting me to come back for his new experimental subject and to bring back some local specialties, which he really misses.]

Okay, to be honest, taking in Weeks was a mistake. He thinks too highly of himself, and I don't know what's going on in his head. He's always thinking about doing human experiments that I can't stand. Beelzebub already caused enough trouble, and this guy just keeps making things worse. He's really annoying me.

[I initially intended to refuse, but as a friend, you know... my sense of responsibility made me very conflicted. I'm not the kind of heartless person who would abandon a friend. Although his character is indeed terrible, and he's an outsider, this man has a sweet tongue and knows how to please girls, so I ultimately agreed.]

【By the way, Lord of the Flies, you must remember Mr. Dante I mentioned to you not long ago. It was because I ran into him again that I had something to write this letter. It's been a long time since I last met this highly respected teacher, so this is truly a pleasant surprise.】

He said he had been to hell, that it was bustling and had several times more inhabitants than the entire world. I asked for some other details, but it was a bit of an exaggeration. I'll tell you when I get back to Jerusalem. Hmm... never mind, I'd better tell Father Andrej first, since he'd be more interested.

[You surely remember Satan, that mischievous devil, the fool who pulled your hair. But Mr. Dante says he's become very gentlemanly now, and I heard he's even started a family, which is truly enviable. It's just that his children don't seem to be very obedient, always looking for ways to cause him trouble.]

[Oh, right, I just remembered, isn't Weeks from an organization called Eoubs? I ran into a group of people there when I was passing through South America on the 3rd of last month; they seemed to have come from there.]

[I must say, their behavior was incredibly rude... and I really don't understand why they use serial numbers to refer to other people, like D01, C05, B03, etc. It's really baffling. The five people I encountered this time all referred to themselves as C04. I guess—maybe it's just a custom of outsiders. I don't really understand it.]

Oh, back to the point about being vulgar. They started yelling and arguing as soon as they saw me, even threatening me with weapons to get off the carriage. Who can stand such unreasonable demands? Then, you know, I spent some time beating them senseless. Father Andrew was right; girls have to be a little tough outside, otherwise people will always think I'm easy to bully.

What happened next was pretty boring. They kept throwing all sorts of random things at me, like exploding plastic shards and iron pipes that shot out lightning balls, but they didn't hurt at all. Okay—it hurt a little, but I wasn't afraid.

[What does EDS mean? If you, Lord Fly, receive this letter first, remember to go to New Town and ask Weeks what it means. I've been trying to figure it out for ages.]

[I brought Father Andre as a gift a sandglass, a gift from a witch. I secretly used it twice; it can rewind lost time. This is perfect for that old man, who keeps throwing himself into reincarnation. I'm genuinely worried that one day he won't wake up or will get lost.]

As for Beelzebub, I haven't found anything that fits you yet. Money... you're never short of cash, even though I took most of your treasury (evil grin), I haven't seen you buy anything. Power? You're a king in Jerusalem now, you have everything others want and don't want, so gifts... maybe next time? I don't think you'll blame me for being biased.

[The letter should arrive about five days before my return, or maybe sooner—in any case, I, Lilith, am about to arrive home. Please, both of you, clean Jerusalem thoroughly. Please, no more corpses or anything like that, as they are truly unclean and gruesome. Thank you.]

——

21:12.

East Israel, the Lord of the Flies' castle.

"Is it now fashionable for Eoubs to not feed their operatives?"

Beelzebub watched as He Yu recklessly stuffed food into his mouth, unsure of what expression to make.

Indeed, no one can resist such temptation. Everything here is bloody, yet radiant, exuding an irresistible allure.

As Lilith said to herself before leaving Jerusalem: There are some things that are expensive and useless, but people still have to buy them.

As a reckless person, there's definitely a reason why she can so succinctly point out the true nature of the world.

The man stared at him with an unbearable gaze, as if he could bankrupt him. He Yu downed a glass of wine, fruity in flavor, which was quite good: "You definitely don't have a boss who has offended the higher-ups. If you did, you'd understand."

Beelzebub paused for a moment, seemingly understanding the meaning behind his words, and said, "The world is made worse by the existence of such organizations."

He thought of some self-important bastard, who seemed to be some kind of D operative, and had dozens of lives on his hands.

The first thing that idiot said when he arrived at the castle was: "I'm pretty sure I won't die. You can't imagine what's waiting outside. It doesn't matter if you don't know now. The fact that this ruined city, created by a forbidden object, still exists shows how merciful we are. You're welcome to rebel. We'll make sure you all die a horrible death."

This was his last speech.

Two hours later, he died on the blood sacrifice altar. Beelzebub felt that the man had died too easily, but time was of the essence, and there was no other way. The audience was waiting to unleash their anger.

"I agree with you." He Yu gave him a look that said, "You're absolutely right, kid," and left the table satisfied. Then he patted his pockets and found that he was out of cigarettes.

"Give me a pack of cigarettes, don't tell me you don't have any."

"You think this is your home?" Beelzebub instinctively reached for it, then realized what he'd done and turned away, saying expressionlessly.

"Is there a problem?" He Yu asked blankly after hearing what he said.

The Lord of the Flies nodded, indicating that such shameless words were not something a human could say.

"Alright, let's get down to business." He shrugged, put his leg on the table, and casually began, "Where should we start?"