The air was heavy with tension as a deep baritone voice resonated through the dimly lit chamber, drawing everyone's attention to the round table at its center. Camilla knelt upon the cold stone floor, beads of sweat trickling down her anxious face. She longed to lift her gaze, but the overwhelming presence of those who surrounded her forbade such an act.

"Care to tell us, Camilla, why you chose to defy your assigned orders?" The question hung in the air, its weight matched only by the intensity of the scrutiny bearing down upon her.

"I beg your pardon, Zemo," Camilla replied, her voice quivering with a mixture of fear and remorse. "We were unable to discern even the faintest trace of the entity that was said to have possessed the young boy. Because of this, we deemed it prudent to eliminate the him immediately."

Laughter, at first jovial, suddenly took a menacing turn. "Hahaha! Yet, you were bested by this mere boy, without even the need to invoke his entity!" The voice that had joined the conversation belonged to someone who, despite their youthful tone, exuded an air of dominance. Rising abruptly from their seat, the figure approached Camilla, seizing her cheeks in a grip that was both chilling and forceful.

Camilla's eyes widened in terror as she beheld the young boy before her. His dark green hair mirrored the eerie shade of his forest-green eyes, an unsettling aura emanating from his very being. A disturbing smile graced his youthful features as he whispered sadistic words, incongruous with his tender age. "Perhaps I should consider removing your feet, just as they did to poor Josh?"

In contrast to the boy, a man with tousled dark brown hair, piercing light brown eyes, and a sharply chiseled countenance approached Loki with an air of unwavering confidence. Fixing his gaze upon Loki, he calmly uttered, "That’s enough, Loki."

"Aww... why, Harisu?" Loki's expression shifted to a pout, betraying his reluctance to let go.

"The sound of her squealing is unbearable," Harisu exclaimed as he rose from his seat, approaching Loki, who had been gripping Camilla's cheeks. "But we can still utilize her. Her speed remains an asset."

Loki shot an annoyed glance at Harisu upon hearing those words. With his grip reluctantly releasing Camilla, muttered, "This is the last time that I will spare her."

"Do not fret. The next time such a situation arises, I shall personally destroy her existence."

With those ominous words, Harisu and Loki returned to their seats, instructing Camilla to provide a detailed account of what had transpired.

Loki ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Argh! If only those two hadn't exceeded their orders, none of this would have occurred. Now, Yūgen Garden is entangled in this mess!"

Camilla flinched at Loki's words.

"Loki, I told you to cease that," Harisu reprimanded.

"Tsk. I understand, Harisu," Loki replied, irritated. "No need to repeat yourself. Besides, why are there only three of us here? Zemo, care to explain?" Loki directed his inquiry to a man named Zemo, who possessed ashy grey eyes, a grey undercut hairstyle, and sharp, regal features.

Zemo gazed at Loki, his eyes briefly closing before he responded, "Nine is currently on a mission, as are Aurora together with Ember. As for M, you know his tendencies. There's no chance he'd join us willingly. General Astrid's whereabouts remain unknown."

"Ugh, they sent Aurora and Ember together on a mission? I'm relieved I didn't accompany them."

"Zemo, what's our plan now? With Yūgen Garden involved, confronting them directly poses a considerable risk, especially with Seimi around and General Astrid missing."

Ignoring Loki's comment, Zemo addressed Harisu's question, "Indeed, considering Yūgen Garden's involvement and the potential challenges they present, it's unwise to engage them head-on. We should adopt a strategic approach. Firstly, we must gather information on General Astrid's location and develop a plan to locate her. She's our best hope against Seimi. Furthermore, we should assess Yūgen Garden's strengths and weaknesses to identify potential vulnerabilities. This new addition, Noctis Duskvale, remains an enigma. He's already dispatched a battle priest and effortlessly disarmed another. His true capabilities are a mystery, which makes him dangerous."

The two heroes nodded in agreement, acknowledging Zemo's wisdom. With those nods, the meeting concluded.

Zemo departed first, accompanied by Deborah, who followed him silently. Loki was the next to leave, skipping away with a visible excitement. Lastly, Harisu exited the room.

As Camilla prepared to leave, she expressed gratitude, but Harisu responded with a cold, dismissive look. "Do not thank me. I saved you solely because you and Josh remain useful. If M were here, you'd be dead without hesitation."

Camilla couldn't raise her head with the words of Harisu for she knew that this was her last chance to redeem herself.

Her face and eyes now aflame with anger. "If only Akaku hadn't intervened... I swear I will be the one to kill you!" She swore to herself as blood dripped from her clenched fist.

————

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Yo, Noctis,” a voice greeted me as I opened my eyes. The speaker smiled warmly and continued in a carefree manner, “How are you feeling?”

“S-Seimi… my grandfather, he’s de—” I stuttered, my voice cracking as a tear trickled down my cheek. I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence.

“I couldn’t comprehend what had come over me next. The next thing I knew, I witnessed the man who had taken my grandfather’s life clutching his injured arm—the very arm that I had torn apart.”

“Hm? Perhaps your entity is responsible, just like what happened last time,” he suggested.

“No! It wasn’t Leviathan. I’m certain because I’ve committed the same act before— my sin, the reason Leviathan resides within me.”

“I understand,” he said, a subtle smile forming on his lips. “Rest for now. I won’t press you for details about your past. I know you’re not ready yet, and I’m not the kind of person who would force someone to reveal their history. I’m still a sensitive and considerate person, you know? Take your time to recover, and when you feel better, come find me, alright?” He spoke with a cheerful tone.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Get some rest. Bye for now!” Seimi waved and left, closing the door behind him.

———-

I eavesdropped behind closed doors as the footsteps of Seimi became faintly but then it grew louder and more pronounced. Suddenly, a triumphant voice rang out, “The King is here!”

A woman abruptly burst into the room, her scarlet eyes gleaming with pride. “Ah, I see you're awake! Come now, you must meet the others! Kahahaha!”

“Wait!” I protested.

"I shall not! The King does not wait! Kahahaha!" she declared, forcefully dragging me out of bed and leading me to an open field. There, my eyes met three intriguing figures. Two faced each other, swords drawn, while the third observed with arms folded.

“Akaku, we've arrived!” Leona, the enigmatic woman, announced to the brown-haired figure named Akaku, who stood on the sidelines.

“Thank you, Leona,” Akaku replied nonchalantly, her attention fixed on the duel before her.

Leona turned to me with a mischievous grin. “What's your name?”

'I'm Noctis."

“Perfect! The king’s name is Leona, and this is Akaku. Over there, you see Raphael with the eagle on his back and the woman with the long black ponytail is Miya. Let's enjoy their bout, and afterward, I'll introduce you! Kahahaha!”

Raphael and Miya stood ready, their gazes locked in intense concentration. At Akaku's command, “You may begin!” they lunged into action. Their swords became a blur as they exchanged lightning-fast strikes.

Raphael's strikes were precise and powerful, but Miya's agility was unmatched. She weaved and dodged with astonishing speed, delivering swift counters that kept him on his toes.

The field echoed with the rhythmic clashing of their blades as they moved with incredible swiftness. Their movements were a symphony of skill and dexterity, leaving no room for hesitation.

Determined to test Miya's reflexes, Raphael increased the pace. Miya, undaunted, responded in kind, their swords a whirlwind of action.

Their intense exchange resembled a dance of blades, a testament to their mastery of the art. Beads of sweat formed on their brows as they continued their lightning-quick spar.

With a simultaneous strike, they disengaged, chests heaving with exertion.

My eyes widened with what I just watched, my eyes couldn’t follow their movements, their swords were like a blur to me, “Amazing.”

“Kahahaha! They are both indeed strong, but I, the king, Leona, am the strongest!”

Good work,” Akaku said with a nod, satisfied with the bout, as she was approached by the two.

Raphael wiped sweat from his face. “That was a good workout, but I still couldn't get Miya to use her full speed.”

Miya, her expression bitter, replied, “There's no point in increasing my speed if you won't use your main weapon. It would be useless even if I won.”

“Kahahaha! Both of you still have a long way to go!”

“Yes, yes. I have to go now; Banzo hasn't eaten yet and is eager to hunt,” Raphael said, calling out to his eagle flying above.

“Hold on, Raphael,” Akaku interrupted. “Before that, I want to introduce you both to the new member joining us from now on. Come forward.”

I flinched as Akaku's gaze fixed on me. “Joining? What do you mean?”

“You have no choice but to join us. You killed a Battle Priest and severely injured another. They found you once; they'll find you again. Here, we can protect you and help you harness the power of your entity, to protect yourself and others.”

“But what about my school? I promised Grandpa Philip that I would finish.”

“Did Leona not inform you?” I glanced at Leona, who seemed oblivious. “Oh, that! The King here has informed your principal that you're dropping out. Kahahaha!”

“You can't make decisions for me without my permission!”

“Kahahaha! The King doesn't need permission for anything!”

Damn it! This woman never listens! I'm sorry, Grandpa Philip. I won't be able to finish my studies. I'll finish my school by my heart.

"So, do you still have any complaints?" Akaku asked, a smile playing on her lips.

I took a deep breath before responding, "No, not anymore. I'm Noctis Duskvale, my grandpa Philip calls me Nox.”

"Good. My name is Akaku Dawnford."

"You already know me, but still! The King's name is Leona Lionhart!"

“I am Raphael Khan, and this is Banzo,” he introduced, pointing to his majestic eagle.

“I'm Miya Miyauchi. Nice to meet you, Noctis.”

“Yes, it’s so not nice to meet you all. Please take care of me,” I replied

“Wow, look at this guy.” Raphael remarked while both Akaku and Miya chuckled and as for Leona, “Khahahaha!”

———-

In a hidden chamber beneath the walls of Yūgen Garden, a solitary candle cast a soft, flickering glow, enveloping the room in an eerie ambiance. Within this dimly lit space, a man stood before a mysterious mirror, his voice resonating with intrigue.

"That's the first time I've sensed your presence like that, Seimei," he said with a sly smile, addressing the ethereal entity that materialized within the mirror,

"What do you mean?" Seimei responded, curiosity coloring his words.

"No need to hide it. You know we share the same body and mind, right? So, is it true that Leviathan is his entity?"

A momentary silence filled the room, thickening the tension before Seimei finally replied, "Yes, I sensed it for the first time. But... you seem quite thrilled about it, don't you?"

Seimei observed Seimi's face light up with a mischievous grin and an unmistakable sense of excitement. "I can't help it. We've always known Leviathan as the embodiment of envy, but who could have guessed he's real?"

Silence descended upon them once again until Seimei opened his mouth, "Leviathan is one of those seven deadly sins, a high-ranking demon from hell—a creature of immense power and malevolence. That's the extent of my knowledge about him," Seimei explained, briefly sharing what he knew of Leviathan.

Since ancient times, long before Seimei's birth, tales, rumors, and legends of the seven deadly sins had circulated. Yet, he had never encountered one until now—a human harboring such a formidable entity. A subtle smile graced Seimei's otherwise composed face. "Indeed, quite fascinating."

"Yes, it is indeed fascinating. Your world, this Earth, is truly filled with captivating beings.”