After Hayashi Maki seized the Authority, the "Gourmet" Lye Batenkaitos collapsed on the spot—dead before he could even scream.
At the same time, a clear, childlike voice rang out in Hayashi Maki's mind.
"Hm? Did you devour Lye-nii? Then you're Rui's new big brother now. Hehe… I can't wait to taste you."
Rui Arneb—the youngest of the Gluttony trio—was different from her two brothers. She had died with her mother before she was even born, leaving her without a physical body. Now she existed at the core of the Hall of Memories.
The siblings shared one Authority. Its essence was the extraction of a person's "name" and "memories" from the soul.
Everything that was "consumed" flowed into the Hall of Memories—what the Gourmets called the "Gluttony Stomach." In truth, the Hall functioned much like a cycle of reincarnation: it cleansed souls, then returned them to the flow of rebirth.
But the Gluttony siblings had hijacked that function—one of the reasons this world had become so warped.
Now that Hayashi Maki had taken Lye's Authority, he was considered "Gluttony" as well—so he could hear Rui directly.
And from the way she spoke, she clearly intended to "consume" him too.
Hayashi Maki smiled.
"Sure. I'll let you experience something you've never tasted before—something called joy."
Rui giggled. "Alright! Rui will be waiting, big brother. But Roy has learned about what happened… be careful you don't get eaten~"
"Thanks for the warning," Hayashi Maki replied calmly. "But you should be more worried about whether he gets eaten."
He didn't linger. Instead, he walked straight to the two soldiers who had lost their names and memories and ordered Rui to return what had been stolen.
"Ugh, how annoying. Who makes someone spit out what they already 'ate'?" Rui complained.
"You didn't eat it—so give it back," Hayashi Maki said flatly. "Later I'll bring you something better."
Rui grumbled, but in the end she complied.
The two victims blinked, regained awareness, and stumbled back to themselves.
Crusch's expression changed instantly—relief, gratitude, and renewed awe. Even Felix had been helpless before that condition, yet Hayashi Maki solved it with a single command.
Hayashi Maki's identity, in Crusch's eyes, grew even more unfathomable.
"Crusch-sama," Hayashi Maki said, "I'm going to pursue the white-haired one. You should be safe now—continue transporting the White Whale's head back to the capital."
"The Greed Archbishop is dangerous and unstable. I can't relax until he's dealt with."
Crusch nodded solemnly. "Go. May fortune favor your blade."
Hayashi Maki took Beatrice's hand and vanished.
With Beatrice beside him, he was untouchable. And now he'd confirmed something crucial: he could make Regulus feel pain. But that still wasn't enough.
Regulus was unpredictable. Humiliated, he might lash out at the women he kept trapped around him.
Hayashi Maki intended to reach them first—if he could, he'd save as many as possible.
Finding Regulus was easy. Hayashi Maki opened his demon panel's tracking function, and a blazing red mark flared into view.
He smiled. "Run, little white-haired freak. After everything you've done… you're going to learn what fear tastes like."
…
Regulus fled at full power, forcing his body into a strange state to move unnaturally fast—an extreme use of his Authority that placed a heavy burden on the "anchors" he depended on.
He reached a secluded estate and stormed inside, face twisted with rage.
He tried to call two of the women under his control, wearing a strained, false "gentle" smile.
They appeared—expressionless, disciplined, trembling beneath the surface.
They had learned long ago: when he returned in a bad mood, someone would pay.
They hurried to obey, hoping to survive another day.
Regulus retreated to wash up, forcing calm onto his features. After he finished, he admired himself in the mirror, then turned—ready to vent his fury.
But something felt wrong.
Silence.
No immediate response.
His irritation spiked—then the door opened.
A man stood there.
Hayashi Maki.
And beside him, one of Regulus's "wives," shaken and confused—freeing herself from Regulus's grasp the moment Hayashi Maki released her.
Regulus froze, then erupted.
"You—how dare you touch what belongs to me—!"
"Doesn't belong to you anymore," Hayashi Maki said evenly.
Regulus launched his Authority in a frenzy, trying to erase everything in his path—
—and nothing happened.
Not to Hayashi Maki. Not to Beatrice.
Regulus's eyes widened. Something had snapped. The "connection" he relied on was breaking—one by one.
He realized it at the same time Hayashi Maki raised his hand.
Floating near Hayashi Maki was the core Regulus treasured most—what anchored his Authority.
"You looking for this?" Hayashi Maki asked coolly.
Regulus's face drained of color. "No… that's impossible…!"
"You used other people as your foundation," Hayashi Maki said. "But you don't have them anymore."
Regulus attacked again—desperate and wild.
Five seconds.
That was all he could sustain before his own power buckled under the loss of support.
Then the pressure hit.
Invisible force pinned him down, crushing him to his knees.
Regulus tried to scream, to threaten, to bargain—
—but the moment was already gone.
Hayashi Maki turned to the women behind him—those who had been stolen, trapped, and stripped of everything.
"It's over," he said. "You're safe now."
Tears broke loose. Some were sobbing. Some were laughing like they couldn't believe it was real.
They huddled together, trembling—finally free.
Hayashi Maki stepped aside, focused on sealing away the Authority he had taken, purifying what needed to be purified, and ensuring Regulus could never harm anyone again.
Inside the estate, Regulus's hollow screams faded into the background as the women reclaimed the first thing he had stolen from them:
their lives.