Despite being assigned an important mission by the great god of life himself, the seven of the sins did not exclude much enthusiasm regarding the matter. Only packed up accordingly and reported to Nicholos's room early in the morning.
By now Nicholos had gathered the necessary information regarding the matter they were required to investigate.
It seemed this time, even the seven mortal guardians have been called upon.
While he did not have much of an impression of them, Nicholos knew they were a bunch of powerful supernatural beings among the mortal creatures.
It might not pose an excessive hindrance to having them assisting them.
As for the overall situation, according to what Zohar had informed him, the main disturbances have been found in the capital of the kingdom of Royale. But from what he'd gathered, the matter does not seem so simple.
The reports of murders and missing persons have piled up, and even the capitals of several other kingdoms seemed to have been plagued with similar events.
Most bizarre of it all was that no, bodies or clues could be found, except for the thick evil in the air. By evil Nicholos knew everyone was speaking of sins. Fear of offending them, keeping the others from outright uttering the words.
In every crime scene, the soldiers had stumbled upon apparently heavy suffocation of sin had been found, which directly pointed to the seven of them. And given their nasty history, Nicholos was quite surprised the matter had even fallen into their hands to solve.
Seeing as everything was pointing towards them, the master of pride had no other option than to involve the seven of the sins to the matter thoroughly, if not they might just be labeled as the culprits of the matter.
While adding another symbol of evil to their identity was not a big matter, it was troublesome if it would cause harm to their relatively free lives, so investigating it is.
Thinking up to this Nicholos stood up from his bed where he had been sitting up to now, and walked to the windows staring outside towards the rest of the capital. From this point of view, nothing seemed to have changed.
The building, the lives, the trees, everything seemed the same as it had been months ago, but concealed under those were secrets, harmful secrets.
The others have not arrived yet, and within that period Nicholos couldn't help but remember a crucial juncture in their lives.
It was several thousand years after being born. The mortal world had changed vastly, building been built, humans having worn extravagant clothes, and kingdoms were being conquered.
By that time the seven of the sins had experienced multiple lives, the things they'd witnessed were many, and life had slowly become monotonous.
As new ears began, they had learned to adapt, the cycle repeating over and over again, the things they'd originally known no longer useful in the evolving world.
But amidst this they'd learned to be together, nothing had managed to tear them apart, not the righteous virtues or the all-powerful gods, and while all this they'd grown to be arrogant beyond measure.
Immense power was held under their hands and the intoxication of it had caused a calamity like non-other to appear on the world.
When kings after kings started to gain territory, different supernatural beings fighting for their rights, the sins had fueled their desires and sinful thoughts, until the enjoyment and the power from it had overpowered their sanity.
~~<<>>~~<<>>~~<<>>~~
The Past.
"What do you think of the plan I've made? This time those giant barbarians will have no other choice than to submit to my will." A self-satisfied youthful voice spoke, eyes gleaming and hands trembling in excitements.
In front of him was a detailed map indicating the lands surrounding his small kingdom. Bluestone had been its name and the king had been a greedy, naive, prideful one. Just newly appointed after the sudden death of his parents caused by the leaders of the surrounding lands they initially thought to concur.
Bur unable to take their overbearingness anymore they'd fought back taking along the lives of the former King's and Queen's lives. And the eighteen-year-old prince who had only indulged in pleasure and wasteful ways had taken over the throne.
This time of victims was the most pitiful, yet with the boredom, he had been feeling Nicholos had promptly disguised himself as one of the advisers who had been conveniently silenced at the time by him.
Getting close to the young king he'd murmured ideas into his ear, which most suited to his attitude and like and the king had taken pleasure in the flavorful methods had trusted everything Nicholos had proposed.
While on the surface the Bluestone Kingdom seemed to be on the winning side, it's true condition was worse than anyone could imagine. Treasury empty, with only a few shillings, lack of food for the soldiers, beggars increasing day by day as the war drove families to the street.
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Yet the king was unaware of it all, all because of one prideful adviser a mouthful of tasteful ideas, and a load of lies.
The noble families squandered resources left and right, leaving nothing for the poor. Children, women, men starved and hundreds committed suicide. Yet the king did nothing.
No peace talks, no negotiations, only continuous attacks won solely due to the rest of his family's manipulations.
While Nicholos manipulated and deceived the king of Bluestone to his bones, the rest of the sins had not been idling about. Though unlike him they had not revealed them in the open instead had stayed close to the leaders of the surrounding lands, concealing themselves as members of the wealthy, guests of the ministers as such.
All the while putting their nature into good use.
The people in the surrounding lands were driven into insanity by the over excessive powers of the sins, soldiers feeling tired to their bones, desire for sleep and rest practically screaming through their bones, but the orders were the complete opposite. They had to fight, while their bodies yearned for the exact opposite. Sloth encasing the higher officials of the land, their conduct becoming more and more sloppy.
Hunger beat at them, yet nothing was within their reach to eat, tongues practically salivating upon seeing a simple, crudely made porridge. But not enough to feed the ravenous hunger in their stomachs. Tears ran down their faces at the mere agony of it. Gluttony shrouded every soldier and common citizen in these lands.
And while Nicholos fed into the naive king's pride Lucien worked in the shadows to feed into his greed. The insatiable greed of Bluestone King was one of the things that drove his kingdom to ruin.
As for Lust, Amara solely targetted the nobles, where the conflicts between the noble families increased. Wives cheating, husbands cheating, mistresses cheating, and with the lust came envy. Damien and Amara hand in hand ruined the plans of the noble families, revealing important information only those of the families knew.
Everything fell into chaos.
But the status of the soldiers only worsened more and more. Gluttony which had been striking them reached a new height, nothing they showed into their mouths satiated the inhuman hunger.
So when they met enemy soldiers on the battlefield, it was not only life they strove hard to take, but the very flesh and blood in their bodies.
"Ahhhh..... STOP!!!"
"They've gone CRAZY!!!"
"Commander!"
"Nooooo!!!"
Miserable shrieks sounded throughout the battlefield. It was simply, horror-filled. One side wielding swords cutting down everything and everyone in their path, fear of being eaten alive driving them insane while another latching onto the closest arms biting hard as they tore flesh from their bodies filling their always empty stomachs.
Blood dripped down from their mouths and the power they gained in return was simply heady.
'More, more, they wanted more...' The chant ran rapidly through their minds as they withstood the strikes of swords, simply latching on to the arm it was wielded by.
Eating human flesh, drinking human blood, and growing stronger with it, Col simply relished in this immense power spreading his own more and more, and finally, every soldier on the battlefield was effected.
There were no enemies, or allies, only food.
Swords, battle axes, weapons forgotten, the soldiers ran rampant their greatest weapon their teeth.
With this newfound eating habit, human soldiers experienced fundamental changes in their bodies. Gluttony constantly beat at them all day long and the humans simply learned to adapt.
So the battles went on for years, everyone looking unsightly, pieces of flesh missing from their bodies. The neighboring countries all sealed off their entrances forbidding anyone from entering the cannibalistic lands.
The bluestone Kingdom and its surrounding lands were on the brink of collapse, the various leaders and higher officials though not plagued by gluttony were slaves to lust and envy.
Their depravity new no end. Be it sexuality, love, money, or power the nobles were simply intoxicated with such thoughts. Lust for women, men, power, money, envy, unquelled envy for what they did not have turned the land into a mess.
Only the depraved remained.
And as the end of it, all approached Nicholos let the confined king out on a tour of his fallen kingdom. The young man was ecstatic, thinking everything was well and good but as soon as he stepped out of the massive palace walls the young king of Bluestone felt his knees tremble, for everywhere he looked only desolation met his eyes.
Following behind him was Nichlos who had a smile on his face as he watched the man take in everything.
"W-what h-happened?" Voice so feeble he questioned now running, he hurried his horse now galloping with speed as he looked around frantically, buildings remained but the lifelessness was so obvious his heart started drumming wildly.
"Sir Nicholos, what is going on?" The feeble king questioned turning around, but now it was not only Sir Nicholos that was present with his horse. No, there were six more of them, all sitting atop horses their gait proud and seven of them portraying smiles.
As if what is around the was the fragrant springs instead of deathly desolation.
"Don't stop now, carry on, it is only a few hundred miles more." Nicholos urged a sadistic smile on his face and for the first time, the ignorant king realized how deceiving everything had been.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!! What did you do?!! What did you..." He cried utter despair finding its way to his eyes.
"Nicholos brother, he is being a nuisance. Let's just grab him and teleport him to the location." Amara proposed but was opposed by Lilith.
"No, let him ride the horse. The horse is one of the finest, it won't die. As for the little king, I have plans for him. You all may leave." With that, the mistress of sloth urged her horse on trotting towards the almost hysterical king before grabbing the reins of his horse at dragging him along.
After traveling for a few hours she got bored and did not want to do it anymore, so she stopped before turning to the man. Placing her hands on the terrified man she used one of the tricks she'd learned from Nicholos. Commanding minds.
Although it was not as potent as when Nicholos used it, it was sufficient enough for one single command.
"You will carry on and not stop till you reach the battlefield. No matter how difficult it is." And then she bathed him with the powers of sloth before teleporting away, joining the rest of her family.
Nicholos watched his younger sister appear again a manic look in her eyes and laughed inwardly wondering what kind of torment she'd delivered to the already tormented man.
But while imagining it was wonderful what was right in front of him was even more wonderful.
"Col, you've really done it this time," Nicholos murmured looking at the scene in front of him in fascination.
The humans who struggled to live every day were now fighting with inhuman strength and speed. Blood dripping from their mouths, sharp teeth protruding out of their gums they fought, the brutality so beautiful it was simply sensational.
His glutton of a brother had created a new species, one that depended on blood. And he'd named them Vampires, the blood-drinking savages.
~~<<>>~~
Days later another figure joined them, clothes in tatter, hair in disarray, limping, face bloodless and haggard, and his eyes very much sleep deprived.
As soon as he appeared Lilith lifted her influence on him, the sloth and sleepiness which had been plaguing him all the way here finally lifting, yet the genuine weariness he felt did not disappear.
And after seeing what was happening in front of him the young King of the kingdom of Bluestone simply swished for death.
"Ahhhh... Nooo...." He cried anguishedly running around hysterically unable to fathom what is happening in front of him.
The people were eating and drinking each other.
Retching in disgust he stumbled back wanting to run away but the maddened soldiers did not let him have the opportunity.
Dragging him back as several mouths latched onto his skin.
It was simply a nightmare.
"WHY?!!! Why did you do this?" The man cried amidst his pain, the question directing to Nicholos, the advisor once he trusted with everything.
In this last moment of his, he wanted to know the reason. He knew this was all their doing, they had freaky demonic powers, it had to be them.
But what he hears next left him wishing he did not ever ask an answer for such a question, for Nicholos answer was so brutal.
"Why? Because we were bored and it was fun." He simply shrugged watching in glee with the rest of his family as he got ripped into shreds by the inhuman beings.
It was all for this moment of rush and even then the seven of the sins were only a little satisfied.
~~<<>>~~<<>>~~<<>>~~
The Present.
Thinking of the past Nicholos shook his head. With the things they'd done in the past, everyone doubting them for this matter would not be much of a surprise.
Those had been one of their most monstrous moments and the punishment they'd faced was equally damaging.
The gods had not cared for the obliteration of a simple mass of land in the mortal world, but what caught their ire was the creation of a new species.
The gods had raged and then they found out they could not entirely remove the species from earth because they were simply an extension from humans.
And so the seven of them had been separated for a thousand years, all in various locations. The time both memory and nightmare to all of them.
Suddenly the door to his room slammed open, a fussy Col came stumbling in with his suitcases. Following behind him were the rest of the troublemakers. And in an instant the melancholy he was feeling vanished replaced with laughter and exasperation.
At this moment it was really difficult to compare the seven of them with the evil beings of the past.