Raphael had successfully used the Feysac Embassy to buy himself another two days.
At dusk on the third day, Raphael took advantage of his final target's outing and killed him inside his carriage.
The final target was named Aiden, an iron merchant. His death was swift and clean, and the coachman noticed nothing. The carriage was still speeding along.
Raphael watched Aiden's corpse in silence, preparing to devour the soul that was about to leave his body.
Aiden had previously eaten the food Raphael had cooked. His soul now bore the equivalent of the suffering of the previous twelve souls. With agony written across his face, he struggled out of his body, ready to depart for the Netherworld.
The instant Aiden's spirit body appeared, Raphael reached out and seized him.
In that moment, the memories of all thirteen victims' murders seemed to awaken at once, and terror spread across the spirit body's face.
Raphael gave a cruel smile, opened his mouth, and bit off a great mouthful of the spirit body.
The spirit body, which held thirteen corrupted souls, felt slightly cold in his mouth. After swallowing, Raphael felt his own spirit body swell abruptly. There was some pain, but also a strange pleasure that reminded him of eating ice cream as a child.
Raphael's family had been of modest means. Most of the time, he had eaten hard ice pops and rarely had the chance to enjoy ice cream.
So whenever he ate ice cream, it had been more than a simple frozen treat-it had been the feeling of having a wish fulfilled.
After Raphael took a bite out of the corrupted spirit body, he immediately shrank. Driven by fear and pain, he writhed like a mouse caught in someone's grip, struggling to escape.
But Raphael's gaping mouth approached