Gast Venom

"You are the same as me... evil."

- Gast Venom

Gast Venom, born Zenon and infamously regarded as the Demon of Asmodean, was the de facto leader of the Venom Mercenaries and a descendant of Sateriasis Venomania. Following his sister's death, Zenon fled to Asmodean and became a soldier, earning a new name and title. Exiled after allegedly murdering his superior, Gast became a mercenary and sought the vessels of sin to revive his dead sibling.

Early Life
"Gast Venom is a descendant of Sateriasis Venomania—this is a famous story now but, at that time, Gast tried to hide it from everyone."

- Yvette in a letter to Yukina Freezis

Born in the Kingdom of Elphegort on July 31, EC 461, Zenon suffered harsh discrimination from Levin believers and later learned it was because of his lineage to Duke Venomania. At the age of six, he discovered his mother had hanged herself and, without a father, took their family heirloom, a katana, and left with his sister, Sarah. Recognizing the power he had when wielding the sword, Zenon killed others and stole their food for the poor and starving siblings to survive.

In EC 473, Sarah died and, devastated, the twelve-year-old Gast fled from Elphegort that same night. As he neared the border to Asmodean, the boy spotted an old woman traveling along the road. Tired and hungry, Zenon attacked the woman thinking she may have had some bread. With a smile, the woman retaliated by spawning fire and the boy was quickly rendered unconscious.

Deprived of his family heirloom, Zenon was discovered by the Asmodean Emperor and taken to his palace. When he awoke, the purple-haired child found himself bandaged and lying in a luxurious bed with three maids and the Emperor. Confused, Zenon realized his sword was gone and couldn't remember the details of what happened.

Life Anew
"Long time no see, Zenon... or are you called “Gast” now?"

- Abyss I.R.

After his injuries were cured, Zenon decided he would work for who he believed was a bandit leader, and was surprised to learn it was the Asmodean Emperor. Tossing aside his former name, the child accepted the name the Emperor gave him: Gast. The young boy joined the Asmodean military. Purposefully omitting the mention of his birthplace and lineage to his superior, General Shalgham, he became part of Golden Dragon Unit.

While there, Gast learned about Mariam Futapie and was surprised such a young girl had achieved the rank of general, believing she also had a strange power. After learning about the Emperor's policy of meritocracy, Gast used Mariam's precedent to pave his own success. Over time, he gained a reputation for his swordplay, learned to read, and earned several war merits fighting against the Kingdom of Lucifenia after war broke out.

Due to his success on the battlefield, the Emperor bestowed the title of "Venom" to Gast. Hesitant to worry the Emperor who helped him and not being a follower of Levin, Gast accepted the surname in spite of its derivation from the ancestor he hated. With food and popularity growing more numerous and more extravagant, Gast began thinking about how Sarah may not have died had they gone to Asmodean earlier.

Daughter of Fog
"I left the army. General Shalgham knew everything, the fact that I'm a descendent of Venomania."

- Gast to his sister's "spirit"

After four years of service to the Emperor, Gast and Golden Dragon Unit were tasked with engaging Lucifenia and supporting the army at the Babul Desert along with Silver Sparrow Unit. Departing from Lasaland, the unit went through Mystica in the South and began to pass through the Misty Mountains. During the trek, the unit received a message that there was an apparent rebellion in Silver Sparrow Unit and Gast and his comrades stationed themselves in the old Magic Kingdom ruins to await new orders.

On their first day at the outpost, an altar was discovered at the center of the ruins and General Shalgham prohibited anyone from going near it. Later that night, after drinking, Gast went near the altar and saw Sarah, grown since she died. Excited, Sarah rushed over to him, happy he came to visit, and embraced him. Slowly, the shocked Gast returned the hug.

As his sister curiously asked why he still remained at the ruins, he said it was because no message has come from the front lines, much to her glee. Whilst in utter disbelief his dead sister was alive, he visited her every day. Whenever he asked why she was alive, she would tell him she was a "ghost" who could visit from the Hellish Yard due to the fog each night; although thinking her explanation was ridiculous, he continued to visit her.

Two weeks since their last meeting, several soldiers collapsed due to an unknown illness. In response, General Shalgham opened a war council with Gast among the attendees. Overall, the council agreed they should leave immediately and the general decided to wait one more day before leaving. Once the meeting adjourned, Shalgham added that they would destroy the altar the next night.

As the general explained to the soldiers that he blamed the inexplicable illness on the pagan altar, Gast became increasingly outraged by Shalgham's religious fanaticism. Composing himself, Gast addressed the general and reasoned that, since they were leaving anyway, there was no need to destroy it. In retaliation, Shalgham said it was the duty of Levin believers to destroy it, regardless.

Once Gast noted that was not everyone's personal philosophy, the general told the "demon's descendant" to shut up. Shocked and in utter silence, the perplexed Gast finally spoke calmly that he didn't know what he meant. General Shalgham retorted that the high-ranking military members all knew he was a descendant of Venomania and he would have been banished long ago had he not been the Emperor's subordinate. Furious, he left whilst the general continued to yell and ignored the other soldiers' comforting words.

Feeling betrayed and disillusioned about Asmodean as well, the soldier visited his beloved sister again that night. After he announced to her that he deserted, he explained what Shalgham knew. When Sarah asked what he would do, he said he considered fleeing to another country like Mariam had. As a faint buzzing noise slowly grew louder, Gast said they could go together.

After a brief silence, Sarah said she couldn't because she was a ghost and Gast yelled for her to stop that, feeling her warm face and saying she couldn't be one. Insisting she couldn't leave the altar, Gast said he would then visit her often before remembering Shalgham's wishes. Asking Sarah about the altar being destroyed, she affirmed they couldn't meet anymore.

While distracted by the roaring buzzing, Gast suddenly realized that he wouldn't be able to see his sister anymore. Reminded of his old sword, the buzzing quickly turned into a voice and Gast told Sarah he wouldn't let that happen. As she asked how, he said he would defend the altar and kill Shalgham if he must. In response to his impulsive words, Sarah explained that the general was too strong and Gast considered the notion, wishing he only had that sword.

That moment, he noticed that Sarah had was holding the sword and demanded she handed it over. Once she protested, he forcibly took the sword from her. He returned to the altar the next night and awaited the Asmodean army's approach. Instead, he saw a different figure appear from the fog, recognizing that she was the old woman from years ago. Gast demanded to know why she was there, and she mused that it was natural for the sword to be accompanied by its owner.

Retaliating that it was his sword, she corrected that she was the one gave the sword to his ancestors. Confused, the former soldier refused to hand over the sword. Speaking to herself, the old woman conjured a spark in her hand and Gast instinctively lashed out at her. To his shock, the sword did not pierce her neck and she laughed. Her sparks turning into flames, she promised to once again not burn his "beautiful" face before consuming him in the fire, and rendering him unconscious.

Exile
"When I heard Gast was saved from government execution, I was relieved."

- Yvette in a letter to Yukina Freezis

Discovered by the army the next day, Gast was returned to Lasaland. Six months later, once his injuries were healed, he was put on trial for the murder of General Shalgham. When Gast was told the corpse was discovered the next day, he denied killing him. Because they lacked conclusive evidence, the Emperor exiled Gast. After his banishment, he became a mercenary and visited the altar many times but Sarah never appeared and he eventually gave up.

A year since his exile, Gast was hired by Elluka Clockworker, a Staff Officer of the Beelzenian Empire, to act as her escort. During their tenure together, he learned about the Seven Deadly Sins and that his family heirloom, the Venom Sword, was one of the vessels of sin. Around EC 480, the two encountered King Arth on the battlefield and dueled him. The mercenary survived the encounter. Later on, Gast discovered Elluka had defected to Lucifenia and battled her as well.

Around that time, Gast ended up facing Leonhart Avadonia and dueled him. During their intense battle, Gast got the upper hand and attempted to finish him off with a strike to the neck but Leonhart countered the strike and defeated him. At the knight's mercy, Gast was spared. During this period, he also encountered Mariam, and, finally meeting her, they became acquainted. At some point, he told Mariam about Sarah's death and his desire to fight as a mercenary because it was all he knew.

With his job as Elluka's escort unfinished, Gast felt unsatisfied with what Elluka had told him and grew curious about what would occur if all the vessels of sin were collected. He then acquired an old book about his past and, unable to read the ancient foreign text, hired a specialist to translate it. While he discovered little of the vessels, he became intrigued by the 400 year old claim that "resurrection of the dead" was a power of one of them.

Determined to chase after the chance to see Sarah again, Gast accepted his ancestry and chose to seek after his own desires as the "Demon of Asmodean". Gast continued his mercenary work and at some point founded the Venom Mercenaries. After Lucifenia's war with its neighbors ended, Gast and his mercenary company continued to be soldiers for hire while he searched for the vessels of sin, gaining notoriety over time. At some point during his travels, he fathered an illegitimate child.

Personal Pursuits
"The Venom Sword... it seems to be a sword passed down from his ancestors. In fact, it's not really worth much, but I believed if I deliberately opened up at a high price, he'd dislike it, give up, and go way."

- Keel Freezis

Around EC 500, Gast discovered that the Venom Sword was in the possession of Keel Freezis and learned of the Lucifenian Resistance. He traveled to meet the merchant in his mansion along with two of his comrades, Yarera and Zusco, and told them to wait outside; the mercenary explained the weapon's value to him and attempted to buy it but was unwilling to pay Keel's high price.

After leaving their meeting room, he saw a servant watching some maids work and, recognizing one as a member of the Netsuma Clan, commented how he assumed no one from the clan was still alive. The servant noted Gast's weapon, and the mercenary explained to him it was a katana and that they were very rare. Recognizing him as a servant from the Lucifenian Royal Palace, Gast asked who the boy was and he introduced himself as Allen Avadonia.

The mercenary then inquired if he had heard of the Lucifenian Resistance. Hearing the servant was unaware of it, he instead introduced himself and advertised the Venom Mercenaries' services should the Queen and her ministers in Lucifenia have need of them. Before continuing their chat, Gast paused, sensing darkness in Allen's eyes, and asked him if he killed a man.

Their conversation was then interrupted by one of Keel's butlers, and the servant bid the mercenary farewell. He shrugged and left the room, greeted by his two comrades in the hall. Annoyed by them for disobeying his order, the mercenary told them how Keel refused to sell them the sword and that stealing it was not necessary. Gast left with the three, confident they could obtain his family heirloom another way.

Service to Lucifenia
"Gast, why exactly are you fighting?" "In order to find a place to die."

- Mariam and Gast

Sometime later, Princess Riliane recruited Gast and the Venom Mercenaries to help defend the palace. In the palace's Hall of Mirrors, the mercenary knelt before the monarch and gave his gratitude for hiring them. Riliane commented how she mistook Gast for a woman, to which he humorously told her he hoped she would not judge him by his appearance, and assured her he would live up to her trust.

As the princess left, he watched her figure closely, reminded of Sarah, when Allen warned him he would be beheaded if he didn't watch his words. Gast mentioned that she resembled someone he knew and apologized. Allen showed Gast around the palace, and later introduced him to his room and was pleased with the accommodations. Allen told him that the other mercenaries would have to live in the city to which Gast replied he didn't care.

He then stared at the boy's face and noted his resemblance to Riliane, asking if they were siblings. After the servant denied any relation to her, the mercenary asked if he could have something to eat. Mariam Futapie arrived at that moment with food in hand and Gast greeted his old friend. Surprised to see her as the head maid for the palace, he commented with disbelief how people change.

Mariam, displeased to see Gast, stated how he was still a mercenary and Gast replied it was because fighting was the only thing he did. Hearing this, she commented how he still had never gotten over his sister and the mercenary nonchalantly dismissed it. Before she left, Mariam asked why he was fighting. Gast told her that it was because he wanted to find a place to die.

Later, at the Training Ground, Gast was surrounded by three soldiers, angered by the mercenaries' theft, rape, and murder in the streets, and held the Venom Mercenaries' leader responsible. Frustrated, he told the soldiers that his men's actions were not his responsibility, and hinted at "disturbing trends" that the army should be more alert about. When one of the seething soldiers drew his sword, Gast instantly slew him and laughed. With the other two soldiers terrified, he turned and left.

Lucifenian Revolution
"A mercenary's reason for fighting... is, of course, only one... and that is money. Sarah... Brother... will be with you soon..."

- Gast's dying words

With the outbreak of the Lucifenian Revolution, Gast fought alongside his fellow mercenaries against the rebels in Rolled during the first few weeks of the revolution. After three weeks of fighting since the rebellion's outbreak, Gast fought against the Masked Man and injured his left wrist. However, another revolutionary, Mark, intervened before he could finish the man off, blocking Gast's sword. The mercenary quickly retaliated and killed the former clergyman; injured, he fled soon after with his men as they retreated to the palace.

As the revolutionaries assaulted the palace, Gast entered the servant's room and looked out the window, reporting to Allen that they lost and that he came to say farewell, explaining that he had no obligation to Lucifenia and that Allen should not give him such a "sad face". The servant attempted to hire Gast with a bag of gold, pleading with him to protect Princess Riliane.

Gast told him he didn't want the money and began to ask why he was so desperate to protect Riliane when Allen revealed she was his twin sister. Gast stared into Allen's eyes, silent. The mercenary then laughed uncontrollably, glibly mocking the irony of Allen's situation for selling his soul to the "Demon of Asmodean" for "The Daughter of Evil" who caused the revolution that put the servant in his position.

Recomposing himself, Gast changed his mind and accepted Allen's job for him, paralleling himself as a knight protecting the princess and determining it was a suitable way to die. Checking his sword before sheathing it, Gast said goodbye to "The Servant of Evil" before turning around to leave. He told Allen before he left how they were alike: they were both evil.

Gast later gathered the remaining royal guards in the palace and set them up for an ambush in the Hall of Mirrors. After the revolutionaries led by Germaine Avadonia entered the hall, Gast confronted them alone, noting how they finally managed to infiltrate the palace. When the revolutionary leader addressed him by name, Gast expressed his honor for the beauty knowing it. The swordswoman then chastised him for killing Mark and, perplexed, Gast apologized, explaining that he didn't remember the names of his victims.

After Germaine pointed out he seemingly faced them alone, Gast scoffed that it was impossible, joking that they might break a few of his bones. Waving his arms to signal the royal guards, the mercenary said he'd borrow their strength; noting the royal family's protectors were the strongest knights in the country, he tauntingly asked if she thought her civilian band of locals could defeat them and laughed. The revolutionaries then charged them and the two forces engaged in battle.

Cutting down numerous revolutionaries, Gast commented on how useless the rebels were as he stepped on their bodies. He then told Germaine that, despite being a beautiful swordswoman and the daughter of an old friend, her emotions ruled her swordsmanship and caused her to hesitate. Incited, Germaine threatened him for insulting the guards. Amused, Gast pointed out how the same soldiers were currently her enemies and she replied that she only needed to kill him to break them.

He then pointed his sword at her and they continued their battle, the mercenary complimenting her for dodging his swift attacks. Baiting her into a reckless move, Gast struck Germaine and grazed her eyelid, blinding her. Confident in his victory, Gast attempted to stab her neck, but his final blow was parried and Germaine struck the mercenary's side. Gast moaned in pain before collapsing, remarking how it was beautiful and that he finally found his place to die.

Curious, he asked Germaine how she anticipated his attack before realizing that it was because she was his former adversary's daughter and that not correcting his swordplay's flaws was why he lost. When asked by the swordsman if he had seen the princess or Allen, he told her he didn't know. Queried about why he didn't escape when he had the chance, he told her it was because of the money. Telling his sister that he would be with her soon, he died.

Legacy
"Many times, I went to visit his grave. Although he hated them so much, he ultimately slept in the graveyard of Levin believers; it was pitiful."

- Yvette in her letter

After Gast's death, the remaining Venom Mercenaries disbanded and started causing chaos in the streets of Lucifenian. They were suppressed shortly afterward by the Marlon army. Gast himself was buried in a Levin cemetery in Lucifenia; his grave was visited many times afterward by Yvette, the woman who acted as Sarah's "ghost" during their childhood. While musing about trading the Venom Sword to Elluka Clockworker for his collectibles, Keel Freezis remembered Gast's same desire for the sword.

A century later, Gast's great-grandson, Gatt Coulomb became a soldier for the Asmodean armed forces, eventually achieving the rank of Lieutenant General despite the discrimination he faced for his lineage. While confronting Gatt just outside of Calgaround, Elluka noted that the man's self-righteous motive for rampaging as a member of the criminal organization Père Noël was the same as Gast's sentiments, adding the issue had actually been the mercenary's intractable personality.

Personality and Traits
"You obviously haven't let go of your sister thing."

- Mariam

Gast was a shadowy, pragmatic, but troubled warrior, bearing the weight of his sister's death on him for his entire life. Growing up in a poor, broken, and ridiculed home, Gast considered love to have been non-existent in his life. After his mother's suicide, the young Zenon felt betrayed by her and his absent father, trusting only in his sister, Sarah, as they were left to survive on their own. During his early life, he remained protective of her and worked hard to provide what little food he could steal for the both of them.

But, after his sister's sudden death, Gast became burdened with guilt over it, a feeling of remorse that increased as his life in Asmodean continued to provide him with better luxuries than their impoverished life in Elphegort. After meeting Sarah's "ghost", Gast became obsessed with seeing her, although skeptical she was an actual apparition. Once he learned that one of the vessels of sin had the power to "resurrect the dead", Gast became dedicated to collecting them in order to revive his sister. Despite this, Gast fought endlessly in order to find a suitable death, hoping his heroism would let him reunite with Sarah in the afterlife.

Because of the discrimination plaguing his childhood, Gast despised his lineage to Sateriasis Venomania and believed the Levin followers persecuting him to be illogical zealots. As a result, he valued the ideals of meritocracy, where his skills weren't judged by his blood relations. Regardless, he remained silent regarding his bloodline in order to avoid earning the ire of his superior, Shalgham, although invigorated by his fortune in Asmodean. However, Gast became disillusioned with Asmodean's policies after his argument with the General and chose to desert the army rather than serve him.

After taking interest in the vessels of sin, Gast accepted being Venomania's descendant and the "curse" coinciding with it, living for his own desires even if they were "evil". Being exiled, Gast readily embraced the life of a mercenary, loyal to no one but himself and able to continue doing the only profession he knew: fighting. Although recognized as the leader of the Venom Mercenaries, Gast did not consider himself responsible for his comrades and did nothing to regulate their behavior.

When conversing with others, Gast often brushed aside questions thrown at him by flippantly avoiding a direct answer. He had an almost maniacal amusement at the misfortune of others, laughing sadistically after striking down a soldier that had previously annoyed him and later laughing hysterically after Allen revealed he was The Daughter of Evil's twin brother.

He acted very pragmatic toward his work and was an opportunist, usually showing no loyalty to any employer and maximizing his profits; although aware of the resistance surging in Lucifenia, Gast avoided mentioning the threat to the royal palace's servant, Allen, and simply advertised his mercenaries in preparation for the job opportunity. Similarly, he chose to flee when his stake in the revolution became dire. Despite this detachment, he empathized with Allen's dedication to protect his sister and likened the servant to himself. As a result, he uncharacteristically supported the servant, and placed his life in jeopardy to protect Allen's sibling.

Skills and Abilities
"But the Venom Mercenaries were unexpectedly strong, especially the leader; Gast Venom was almost like a monster."

- Kyle Marlon

Gast was an innate swordsman, wielding a katana with great mastery. Although described as a genius swordsman, Gast's abilities in combat were augmented while wielding the Venom Sword. The mercenary was described as a monster by others, with speed and agility befitting his title as the Demon of Asmodean, swiftly slaying foes within split seconds and being a near blur in combat.

When dueling formidable opponents, Gast barraged them with his fast and unrelenting strikes continuously before making a feint, goading his opponent into an attack so that he could easily counter them. However, the mercenary had a habit of aiming for the neck when finishing off opponents, a pattern in his swordplay that, once discovered, allowed them the chance to easily counter him. His sharp instincts extended to people as well, seeing that Allen carried the burden of murder in his eyes.

Character Connections
Sarah: Gast's sister. Gast was very dedicated to Sarah and took desperate measures to protect her, experiencing depression and guilt at her death. After meeting her "spirit" at the altar, Gast was skeptical of her claim to be a ghost but was nonetheless overjoyed to see her, becoming protective of the altar itself. After being separated from Sarah again, Gast eventually welcomed an honorable death for being the only way to reunite with her.

Mariam Futapie: A comrade in the Asmodean military. Gast was surprised by Mariam receiving such high ranking at the age of nine, and considered joining her after her defection; after leaving the army himself, he met and fostered a friendship with the girl, confiding in her his lost relationship with Sarah. He was amused to discover she had later become a maid in the Lucifenian Royal Palace.

General Shalgham: Gast's superior. Gast found Shalgham's avid Levin faith distasteful due to the discrimination he suffered, later referring to him as a religious fanatic. He grew to hate him after the General revealed Gast's ancestry to the rest of the troops and threatened to destroy the altar, believing that killing Shalgham was necessary for protecting Sarah.

Allen Avadonia: A fellow employee of Riliane. Gast recognized a darkness in Allen and was surprised by the effort he put into protecting and serving the queen. After learning that the two were twins, he likened Allen's devotion to that of his own towards Sarah and empathized with the desperate measures they both took for their sisters, thus deciding to aid him.

Abyss I.R.: An opponent of Gast. Having underestimated her initially as an ordinary old woman, Gast was shocked by how easily she bested him. Meeting her again, he recognized the threat she posed, though he was bewildered by her presence and claims to the sword, attempting to attack her accordingly.

Germaine Avadonia: Gast's last opponent. Gast was amused by Germaine's care for the Lucifenian Royal Guard, despite them being her opponents. During their battle he did not take her seriously, toying with her as he did every other enemy, but when Germaine managed to defeat him Gast expressed respect for the Resistance leader, pleased to be killed by a worthy adversary and Leonhart's daughter.

Elluka Clockworker: Gast's employer. During his time as Elluka's guard Gast became interested in her pursuit of the Seven Deadly Sins, deciding to learn about them on his own after they parted ways.

Sateriasis Venomania: Gast's distant ancestor. Due to his actions, Gast and his sister were discriminated against by devout Levin believers. Because of this discrimination, Gast wished only to leave his ancestry behind, starting a new life in Asmodean where it wasn't known. He was disgusted, however, to find himself continually confronted by his heritage wherever he escaped to.

Lukana Octo: Gast's distant ancestor. Lukana birthed the line that would eventually lead to Gast Venom.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Gast's original name, Zenon, is a German nickname for a guest or foreigner to a community; Elphegort, Gast's native country, is inspired by Germany.
 * "Zenon" may be derived from Zeus, the Greek god of the sky and thunder who ruled over Mount Olympus; in Greek mythology, Zeus is often portrayed as a particularly lustful god, having children with countless women.
 * Gast's name is a corruption of the word "ghost" that originated in the 14th century.
 * Gast's name is partially inspired by the name of his representative Vocaloid, Gackpo, sharing the letters "Ga" at the beginning of the name.
 * Gast's soldier occupation and deisgn may be a reference to Gackpo's samurai aesthetic.

Curiosities

 * He shares the same birthday (July 31st) with his Vocaloid.
 * In Epic of Evil: The Daughter of Evil Fanbook, Gast was voted as the ninth most popular character in The Daughter of Evil series by Japanese fans.

Gallery
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