Thousand years ago, a horde of demons and monsters appeared in the human world, an army of shadows. These creatures call themselves Menschen des Schattens, led by an Archon named Astaroth, Archon of the Shadows. Craving human flesh, they begin to massacre and deliver destruction on humans. Many Lives were taken. Many archons joined and declared war to stop them. An Archon named Aither the Archon of Light created the Radiants and gave rise to the Seraphim, Cherubim, and the Seven original Archangels. On the other hand, Schwarz, Astaroth's right-hand man responded to Aither by bringing the Seven Deadly Sins into existence. Named after the sins of mankind they were; Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. The war was endless. The people of present times called it "The Great Cataclysm".

The Schattens are gaining the upper hand in the war and the Radiants are losing thousands of lives. Schwarz, the second in command, grew progressively arrogant and selfish, and he rebelled against his master, believing that he no longer needed his master to win the war. Schwarz commanded the Seven Sins to end their master's life so that he will reign as the new Sovereign of the Schattens.

During a battle, Astaroth led his legion for a battle.

Pride the fastest of the Seven Sins, sprints and easily slips through the legion of the Archon. Astaroth was caught off guard. With his sharp claws, Pride pierced his heart and ripped it away from his body. Astaroth's legion instantly turns its back away from the battle to protect its master. Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth, on the other hand, charge and slaughters his legion without breaking a sweat, crushing their heads, and ripping their body apart, piece by piece. There was blood everywhere.

Without their source of power, the legion grew weaker until they crumbled into dust. As the conflict begins to rest, Wrath appears out of nowhere in front of the weakened Archon.

Wrath draws his sword right into the neck of the Archon and quickly slashes him. But Astaroth evades it and grabs Pride with him. Astaroth snaps and cuts Pride's arm and hurls it towards Wrath violently, obstructing his sight. Wrath deflects it away, but only until he returns his attention to the Archon. Astaroth was furiously standing with intense ominous presence of mana that defines him as an Archon, he stands with his spear ready to behead Wrath. Astaroth swings his spear full force to Wrath. Wrath blocks it with his greatsword, but it's not enough. The blade was shattered into bits. The Archon grabs Wrath in his neck and throws him to the other Seven Deadly Sins.

He glares at them with his godly purple eyes "Such inferior creatures," the literal heartless Archon mocks the Seven Deadly Sins as he collapses into the ground. Although he was reaching the end of his life, he left a message for the Seven Deadly Sins and Schwarz that they will never forget.

"You betrayed the god who bestowed authority on you. What is given will be taken."

The dying Archon's heart released a massive surge of energy, and as a result, the Seven Sins are driven away by strong power.

.....

.....

.....

Present time...

"Cloud wake up, you'll be late for school!"

Laying in his bed, he looks at the time and he's near late for his first class. "Huh?... oh, no--" Cloud immediately got up to take a shower. After He gets dressed and prepared for school. He was about to leave but his mother said to him "Bye Cloud, make sure that the sun is still up when you go home."

"Yes, mother."

"Be safe, okay? I love you." his mother replied.

He leaves and heads to his school. It's been months since the last school year, so he finds his classroom and went looking for his friends whom he also met last year; Miguel, and Rennji. Cloud sees Miguel at the back row of the seats and he right away sits beside him.

Miguel saw him too and greets him immediately. "Yow! How was your vacation?" he asked.

"It's fine, I explored the whole house ten times and played video games with Rennji. How about you?" Cloud replied.

"Not bad. I took my time to travel around the world," Miguel replied.

Then one of their peers jumps in with high energy. "YEAH! I WISH I CAN GO TO SOME OTHER PLACES!" he yelled to Miguel.

"Oh hell, Rennji!" Cloud and Miguel said to Rennji.

Rennji and Cloud are often together since their houses are close by, unlike Miguel. They talked a lot specifically with Miguel since he was away during vacation, hopping country to another while the two stayed here in Korea. Their talks were shortly interrupted by the school bell ringing as the classes is about to start.

As time passes by, during the afternoon class someone knocks on the door.

"Cloud can you open the door, and who is it?" said his teacher.

Cloud stands up to open the door, and when he opened it, he was speechless... and loses the ability to speak. Wow, she's lovely. Who is this girl? A short-haired girl with a slender but not too skinny face with spectacles big enough to cover her sparkling eyes. Gladly they're not big enough to cover her contagious smile.

She waves at Cloud and introduces herself "Hi, I'm ******," with a follow-up question "Is there a student named Cloud here by any chance?" She asks, seeming as if she can't control her joy at finally seeing the person she's looking for.

Miguel slaps the dozing off Cloud out of nowhere. "Oi Cloud! wake up!", he also said.

"Ouch! You bastard, that hurt!! " Cloud said to Miguel.

"I told you man, not to stay up late last night." Rennji said to Cloud. During the vacation, their nights are occupied with video games all morning 'til night. "Did you even sleep last night?" he asks because he did not play with Cloud last night.

"No obviously. It's not afternoon yet?" Cloud confusedly asked.

Rennji points at the teacher. "Dude! the teacher is not even starting to speak", He replied. "Don't fall asleep, dude,"

"Alright when I fall asleep again, don't hesitate to slap me." Cloud jokingly said to his friends.

"With pleasure, hehe" Rennji happily said as he caresses his hands ready to whoop Cloud's face anytime.

"You want me to slap your head this time?" Miguel jokes.

Cloud spaced out again after his morning class while his friends were eating lunch and talking about the new girls at the campus, he's contemplating and remembering an old friend once told him before...

When I get back, you better not have a girlfriend!

He had a friend since he was a kid and they both grew up together, but this friend of his left Korea when she was 8 years old.

"Who was that girl, I didn't hear her name," He mutters.

Rennji looks at Cloud silent and not paying attention to them at all. He snaps his fingers at him "Yow! Cloud, do you have a crush?" He asks.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Hmm? No, I don't have one."

Rennji is not buying it. "Really? I mean who wants to date you anyways," he roasts to Cloud.

Cloud slaps him with his notebook straight to his face. "Fuck you! I'm attractive, girls just don't see it!"

"Every girl just doesn't see it, huh?" Miguel also said.

"You too, Miguel, fuck you,"

The school bell rings, marking the end of lunchtime. As they walk, Rennji prowls behind Cloud, looking for the perfect time to slap him back for revenge. "That hurt you bastard," he said as he waits for his payback.

But he avoids him and runs ahead escaping to Rennji. "Nice try," he said as he laughs at him.

Their afternoon class is the literal definition of BORING. The three sit in the back row because they don't want to listen, but not Cloud; he listens to the teacher at the front even if he doesn't understand what the teacher is talking about. But the two gaze out the window, wishing to go out sooner and feel freedom, despite the fact that it is the first day of school after a long vacation. During their class, someone knocks at the door interrupting what the teacher is explaining on the board. The door opens and a girl leans inside looking for someone.

"Yes? Can I help you, miss?" the teacher asks.

Rennji turns his head to the door and caught his attention. He nudges Cloud "Dude..."

"Yes? What?" Cloud looks at Rennji.

Rennji points at the girl outside the door. Cloud turns at the door looking at the girl, and he was completely silenced by her unique simple beauty. A not so tall short-haired girl that you could see that she's is purely kind with those wide smiles, those big round glasses that could cover her dazzling brown eyes. He was in love at first sight. Cloud's attention totally went to the girl. "My gosh... She's beautiful" he said.

"Who is that?" Rennji asked.

Cloud shrugs, "Who knows? She is somewhat familiar though," Cloud also taps at Miguel and the three gazes at her, but Cloud's eyes shine like a million stars at how he's literally charmed by the girl. "She looks like... She looks like my old friend back when I was a kid," Cloud said.

"Good afternoon, do you have a student named Cloud?" The girl politely asks the teacher.

"Sheeesh broo!!" Rennji is freaking out more than Cloud and he continuously hits him for the hype "She is looking for you!"

Cloud stands and approached the girl to ask. "That's me, what do you need?" He said as he scratches his head in shyness.

The girl pulls him outside surprising Cloud.

The girl peeks into the classroom again and asks their teacher "Can I borrow Cloud for a minute, sir?" She requests the teacher.

"Yes, go ahead," responded the teacher.

When Cloud closes the door, the girl instantly hugs Cloud firmly. He was so surprised and didn't know how to react to a random stranger who suddenly hugs him out of nowhere. "I miss you so much," the girl said.

"Woah! I don't even know you", Cloud said while trying to break out.

"Are you ki-- You don't even have the faintest idea? It's me Yunika!"

Without hesitation, Cloud pulls her back and his grumpy I-don't-know-you-attitude changes and embraces her tightly like the world is about to end. "I knew you'll come back," Cloud said to her and looks like he was about to cry. Seeing her in a long time really puts joy in his heart.

"Oh? I thought you don't know me?"

"How can I recognize You? It's been 10 years and you're wearing different glasses now, you four-eyed woman,"

At the same time, finally, the school bell rang to indicate the end of the class for the day. "We're going home. Nice!" Cloud shouted.

Miguel came out of the classroom breathing the air of freedom away from school. "By the way Cloud, we have an assignment." He said to Cloud.

"Ok Noted, I'll just copy yours," Cloud said in sheer confidence.

Miguel frowns at him "Wow, the audacity,"

Cloud and Yunika left school to take a walk. Since they never saw each other in a very long time, their conversation was filled with stories and memories when they were kids, their conversation was felt like endless.

While they were walking, she dropped down a surprising question "Oh, by the way, you have a Girlfriend?"

"No, I don't have one," Cloud replied

"hmm..."

"Remember what you said? I'd better not have one,"

"Ah.. yes..."

The two just stand in silence and awkwardness. They enjoyed their conversation and lost track of time. Night has caught up to them. On a distant building rooftop, a man silently watches them from above. Covered by ominous black mist, he leaps and vanishes in thin air.

The two are strolling together, laughing about the times they spent together when they were kids. Then there, their lives flash before their eyes as a threatening tall man in black mist holding a gleaming sword. The man charges at them with the intention to take their lives. He swings his sword at them, but surprisingly Cloud has a good reflex and reaction time that he pushed himself and Yunika away from him. The two stumble and falls into intense nervousness about the supernatural man standing ahead. The man tilts his head and shows a faint of disbelief at how a mere human can dodge that attack "Oh?? You're different," he said and he attacks again with now stronger force. Yunika and Cloud, nothing they could not do but accept their end.

Then a stray dagger flies to parry the sword, sending the man a few steps back. Miguel arrived just in time. He holds two daggers and is dressed in white with accents of armor in gold. Miguel and the mysterious man start to clash their blades. Violent attacks, swings, hard punches and kicks are delivered and exchanged by Miguel and the man covered in mist. He is able to keep the man to take some distance again from them by blasting him with magic.

The man flawlessly flips backwards. He grins at Miguel "I've never imagined that I will meet an Archangel here in this place!" The man shouted with excitement to Miguel. The mist surrounding him clears, exposing a slender face a non-threatning one, a manipulator, his long hair stretching down to the ground, and a mischievous look in his eyes centers on Miguel "Let me introduce myself, Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Yes, I know you, we've attempting to kill you people for long as I can remember, I'm not an idiot"

"Oh, so you do remember me? I'm just tryna jog that memory of yours if you ever forgot what my name is,"

Miguel points his daggers to him and asks "What are you doing here? Your face has not been seen for a decade."

Envy shrugs and grins as he stops himself from laughing, he impales his sword to the ground and rests his hand on it "For a decade? Damn, to me that's just a few days."

"Answer. My. Question."

Envy points his fingers to Cloud and Yunika behind Miguel "Those two, I need them dead. Wrath told me to,"

"Wha-- What do you want from us?" Cloud is anxiously asking.

"Uhh... There's no way I'm telling you, who are you to ask questions," Envy answers.

Cloud is trembling in fear while Yunika seems to be able to piece by piece calm herself. Black mist engulfs Envy once again, and Miguel instantaneously dashes towards him with incredible speed and strength, Envy quickly grabs his sword on the ground and effortlessly parries Miguel's daggers with a smirk on his face.

While they were fighting the two are so strong that black mist and light energy starts to scatter all over the place. Envy is enjoying the fight, while Miguel is not having it and prioritizes finishing the fight quickly as possible. Miguel manages to cut off Envy's arm. Without any effort, he regenerates a new one. Adrenaline for the fight flows through Envy's veins, he summons malicious-menacing orbs of dark energy around him and is about to propel to Miguel. Bullet of light rays comes shooting the orbs and exploding them beside Envy damaging him in the process. A gun from someone in a distance, it turns out to be Rennji arriving. He carries a dual pistol one gold and the other black, it radiates warm light and is also dressed the same as Miguel. "You can't just have all the fun, Miguel" he said to Miguel.

"That ain't fair two against one? Really?" Envy cracks his neck "let's go then." Envy said, he stretched his arms as a darker mist wraps around him. He starts to levitate, horns began to grow, wings and tail emerged from his body as his eyes lit with fire. The clinking sound of metal was heard as an armor appeared on his body.

"Release!" Envy calls upon a blade from the ground covered in rust. Envy set his eyes on his opponents. Without saying a word, he points his blade towards the archangels and whispered, "Incinerate" Wild flames engulfed Miguel and Rennji, inflicting pain in every inch of their bodies. Envy lifted up his fingers and with just a light movement, an unseen force sends Rennji and Miguel propelling to an infrastructure. "You humans, don't even think about escaping," He said to the helpless Cloud and Yunika

Envy dashes to where Miguel and Rennji are thrown.

"Both of You disappoint me, this is not even my 'Discharge' " Envy expressed his disappointment to the archangels. He lifts his blade and mana starts to concentrate on his blade, a powerful strike that will leave a mark of defeat from a Seven Deadly Sins.

Out of nowhere, a spear pierced Envy's chest from an unknown source. When He turns his eyes on the humans, he sees Cloud having bright purple eyes and is enveloped by dark mist like him. Envy proceeds to approach Cloud, but Cloud summons a hundred portals and shoots a ton of spears blocking Envy's path. The Archangels are in surprise because they observe that he is using an unfamiliar magic. Envy destroys the blockade of the spear with ease. But Cloud rapidly dashed, and in a fraction of a second, he puts a hole in Envy's chest using his hands.

"ARGHHH!" Envy screamed in pain.

He leans close to Envy's ear and whispers "Such inferior creature, you disgust me," Cloud extends his left palm and mana starts to form into a crescent shape and whirls unstable energy. "Corrupt Magic: Crescent moon." Cloud casts as he smashes the Crescent Moon on Envy obliterating his body in half.

Bleeding to death "How? How can a human with Low Mana Concentration can bring me to the ground?" he asks as he coughs blood.

Earlier...

"What is happening?" In his trembling voice, he asks Yunika if maybe she knows something about this.

Yunika did not answer him.

Rennji, Miguel. They're on the verge of death. I can't do anything. They're not human. I don't know what I should do

Cloud closed his eyes, and the chaos around him starts to rest. He opened his eyes and saw a void of nothing and the only that exist is darkness.

"Where am I?" Cloud confusingly asked himself.

"A place where you true self resides." echoes in the void.

Cloud looks around him in panic "Whose there?!"

An entity of a man in dark mist with threatning presence in the shadows rises in front of Cloud.

"What are you?"

The entity looks at him in the eye "I am you and you are me, I am feared, I am the shadow, I am the darkness, I Astaroth, Archon of the Shadows."

"Why are you here?" Cloud asks again.

"You want the power to protect and I want a vessel that can use my power to fulfil my vengeance on those who betrayed me. I shall lend you a fragment of my power to have the awakening of your power that you never knew. Give me your hand." As their palms collided shadows and mana of the Archon begin to flow to Cloud, screaming in the overwhelming power that could break his mind, he closes his eyes and begin to turn purple.

And Both said at once...

"For we are one, we are unstoppable!"