Back in the hidden depths of New Lumingard, a most malevolent group of people gathered once more in the shadows of their bastion. This time, however, only four members had answered the call, leaving the recently deceased Greed aside, that is. Wrath stood impassively in the center of the room, waiting for the rest to arrive.
To his right was Pride, donning her wolf mask and continuously tapping the floor with her shoe. At the limits of her patience, she clicked her tongue and spoke up. “It’s been like an hour—no one else will come today, Wrath.” She began, her tone coated with annoyance. “Let’s just get this over with, ugh!” Pride complained, shaking her head in frustration.
While Wrath ignored Pride, seemingly deep in thought, another man chuckled just a few steps behind her. She glanced at him—the member that wore the mask of a cat—and though her face was hidden, one could picture her brows furrowing in anger. “What’s so funny, Sloth?” Pride asked with clear irritation in her voice, as the man chuckled once more.
“I just don’t see the need to rush. We should take it easy and keep waiting for our friends.” Sloth replied, his soft, melodic voice grating on Pride’s nerves.
“Friends…?” She echoed, shaking her head as if she’d just heard some of the most absurd things ever. “Unbelievable…” She muttered, her exasperation steadily growing. It was then that another voice chimed in—the last and farthest member of the few that had reunited.
“I agree with Pride, though…” Said a timid voice, coming from behind a serpent mask. Pride extended a hand toward them—it was hard to tell whether they were ‘he’ or ‘she’—and replied.
“See, Envy values their time too.” The proud girl scoffed, while Sloth shook his head and shrugged.
Just then, Wrath finally left his trance, and clearing up his throat he addressed the group. “I thank you for your patience, and for coming on such short notice.” He began, as the rest listened intently. “Let’s forgo our usual greeting for today, as we’re two people short.” He added with an ominous tone, his raspy voice heightening the effect.
At his words, Pride tilted her head and interjected. “Two? Didn’t you already fill Greed’s seat?” She asked with palpable suspicion in her voice, while the rest remained silent but curious.
“Yes, I did.” Wrath answered straightforwardly, his falcon mask hiding a frustrated expression.
The rest picked up on the implication quickly, a wary feeling spreading among them. “Who has fallen…? And why—how?” Pride questioned in disbelief, shocked by the unexpected notion. They had been operating fine for a long time, proliferating and hidden in plain view. But all of a sudden, they had lost not just one but two of their members.
“Coincidentally, it was Greed again.” Wrath answered, his tone full with irritation.
“Already?!” Pride exclaimed in disbelief, though her demeanor quickly changed into visible anger. “Did you invite some random fool just to fill the seat?! was that it?!” She demanded an explanation, furious at the prospect of any old nobody joining their ranks.
“No.” Wrath didn’t hesitate to answer, quelling some of Pride’s growing anger. “Even though he was newly initiated, he showed such incredible potential.” He added, earning a soft, curious ‘hmm’ from Envy. “I wish we could simply blame it as him being a novice—but no, we have a more serious problem on our hands.” Wrath declared, causing the rest shift in place.
“Remember the wanderer that was involved in the prior Greed’s death? He was the one who took down the new seat of Greed.” Wrath explained, and while Envy and Sloth seemed slightly surprised, Pride simply scoffed.
“Hah! Is he gunning for us or something? Can’t be a coincidence.” She retorted, crossing her arms.
Wrath sighed at her words before speaking up. “It did seem like a coincidence at first—but it no longer matters. He’s intent on defeating us now.” He stated with a tense, serious tone, his words carrying a hint of agitation. Envy cowered a bit, while Sloth mulled over the matter in silence.
The one to break the eerie atmosphere was Pride, whose body trembled in anger. “He’s gonna regret biting more than he can chew, then! I'll deal with him personally!” Pride declared, her words reverberating through the room. Her presence expanded and the walls shivered, while the few torches that lighted the room flickered, as if they too were unsettled by her resolve.
“No.” Wrath suddenly commanded, his voice booming and overpowering. Even Pride, who embodied her sin well, took a step back. “He’s far too powerful—you cannot even begin to imagine it!” Wrath continued, his tone perturbed by the fresh memory of Ascalon’s might, his fists tightly clenched. He could still feel it on his throat—the unshakable grip of the knight.
“He radiates light, as if blessed by divine intervention.” He finally revealed, causing the three others to gasp in both amazement and doubt. Pride stepped forward, her arm sweeping to the side as if to disparage Wrath’s claim.
“Hah! As if Gods would deem to bless anyone!” She started, her tone brimming with confidence. “There are no Gods here! Not yet, at least!” She proclaimed, while Envy and Sloth perked up with renewed energy, motivated by her defiance. Wrath sighed in resignation, basking on her arrogance.
“We’ll bring our Lords back—the fateful night cannot be stopped!” Pride declared, chuckling as she extended her arms wide.
“Yes, it cannot be stopped.” Wrath echoed, producing his hideous amulet and raising it high. “We shall make sure of it.” He added, while the rest nodded in agreement. “But still, we cannot take the wanderer lightly.” Wrath added, his excitement calming down.
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“We must not engage with him until we are prepared… so I propose the following.” Wrath fiddled with his network interface, sending the rest a new course of action. Both Envy and Pride let out thoughtful ‘hmms’ while Sloth read the information in silence. Then, Wrath spoke up again.
“I will see to it that the absent members learn of this meeting. For now, I will tell you your roles and destinations…” Wrath began explaining, his voice resonating through the room, as the shadows around them twisted and the air warped with malice.
Evil machinations were being set into motion, unbeknownst to Ascalon and his friends, who remained unaware of the darkness that lurked below their city.
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A while after leaving the store, Ascalon kept walking the streets with a pensive expression. His sole eye was focused on the girl that slept soundly in his arms, his thoughts revolving around her. “Hmmm…” He muttered as he examined her soft, bouncy hair, which hovered at mere inches from the ground.
He’d never seen someone with such long hair in his entire life—not even after coming to New Lumingard, where people had far more fashion sense and varied, distinctive personal features. He couldn’t help but be curious, especially when her frame was so tiny in comparison, further enhancing the contrast.
Still, he had zero experience dealing with young girls, so perhaps it was a normal occurrence, even if he hadn’t personally witnessed it before. He sighed as he shook his head, realizing he was dwelling on inconsequential matters. They just had to cut her hair! A simple yet efficient solution.
As those dangerous thoughts crossed his mind, he sensed a few familiar presences, and realized he had finally reached the big, white building where he had left Levi earlier. At the well-lit entrance stood Lilithra and Selorien, chatting with each other as both sipped on what appeared to be canned drinks.
Ascalon smiled with relief, both because he hadn’t gotten lost, and happy to see friends once more. The first to notice him was Selorien, who waved lazily at him, his expression gradually shifting to one of concern. Seeing the elf’s action, Lilithra turned and beamed at Ascalon, raising her hand to wave but stopping abruptly at the sight before her.
It was just as Ascalon had imagined would happen. Lilithra’s mouth opened wide in disbelief and confusion, while Selorien narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I have returned.” Ascalon casually greeted them as he strolled to their side, a gentle smile on his face. The girl on his arms whimpered in her sleep, her long, cascading hair sparkling in the hospital’s light.
“Uhm… uh?” Lilithra stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Selorien sipped on his drink, then opened his mouth to speak, but soon closed it, tilting his head. Ascalon was amused by their reactions, seeing the befuddlement on their faces. Just then, Lilithra gathered her courage and finally asked.
“Uhm! Is… is that your daughter?!” She exclaimed with both nervousness and shock, pointing an accusatory, trembling finger at the knight. Ascalon was taken by surprise by the sudden outburst, and immediately burst into laughing. “Uh? Uh?” Lilithra muttered some confused sounds, while Selorien joined Ascalon with an awkward giggle.
“Ah… I apologize…” Ascalon said as he smiled, his breath uneven after all that laughing. “No, she is not my daughter.” He answered plainly, his eye resting on the sleeping girl. At his words, however, Lilithra blushed with a mix of anger and wariness.
“Then whose daughter is it?! And why are you carrying her around?!” She interrogated the knight, inching closer with every word. Ascalon felt guilty for some reason, and quickly tried to explain himself.
“Well, I am unsure who their parents are, but, ahem, I am quite certain that she is my Goddess.” He replied with unwavering conviction, while both his friends stepped back.
“Uh… are you, like, okay Ascalon…?” Selorien asked with clear concern in his voice, his brows furrowed skeptically. Lilithra closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, as if unsure of what to make of his words. She took a few breaths in order to calm herself, and then cleared her throat before speaking up.
“What do you mean by that?” Lilithra said with a smile—though it looked quite menacing, and her eyes reflected a dangerous glare. Ascalon was slightly confused, but decided to further explain what he meant.
“My Goddess, the one I follow—one of the Gods that blessed me.” He said matter-of-factly, hoping to get his point across.
Before his friends could fully absorb his words, Ascalon recalled a detail that might help clear up their doubts, so he decided to bring it up. “Ah! She emerged from my emblem.” He added, smiling with triumph. But even then, both Lilithra and Selorien looked flabbergasted.
“Are you… are you serious?” Lilithra asked, slowly stepping closer and peeking at the girl in Ascalon’s arms. Athanya’el smiled softly in her sleep, and Lilithra suddenly gasped. “She’s so cute!” She blurted out, squealing in excitement. Her earlier shock had been completely overridden by the small Goddess’s adorable features.
Ascalon smiled gently, and then extended his arms, offering the sleeping child to Lilithra. She looked up at the knight with sparkling eyes, anticipation building up within her. “C-can I?” She asked sheepishly, and Ascalon nodded in response.
Carefully, Ascalon passed the sleeping child to Lilithra, who received it in her arms with an elated expression. Sadly, the moment she was separated from Ascalon, Athanya’el began to let out muffled complaints while thrashing around.
“Huh?” Lilithra muttered in surprise as the kid relentlessly struggled on her arms, causing her to hesitate and give her back to Ascalon.
The moment the knight picked her up again, the tiny Goddess showed a pleasant smile and returned to peacefulness. “No fair…” Lilithra pouted with clear dissatisfaction, jealousy toward Ascalon burning in her eyes.
All the while, Selorien watched over them while sipping his drink, completely amused and, at the same time, speechless. With an awkward smile, Ascalon bowed to Lilithra in a sign of apology. She simply nodded, still pouting.
“It’s fine! I’ll pamper her once she wakes up…” Lilithra declared with anticipation, a mischievous grin on her face.
Her words made Ascalon ponder for a moment, before bringing up something he had been concerned about. “Hmm… I wonder when that will happen.” He began, earning curious glances from his friends. “She has shown no signs of waking up.” Ascalon explained with worry in his voice, and Lilithra tilted her head as she replied.
“Well… you can have her checked out here.” She pointed toward the white hospital, a soft smile spreading across her face.
“Ah, you are right!” Ascalon replied, finding her proposal to be really convenient.
Afterward, they all went inside and explained the situation to the building’s staff—though omitting the part of the child manifesting from an emblem and being a Goddess. Ascalon had to carry her through every test, as she would start thrashing about the moment they separated her from him.
In the end, the doctors said she had nothing wrong—just that she wasn’t waking up. They didn’t seem particularly surprised, as they had likely seen many strange cases due to skills and the network’s influence. Still, the conclusion was that they just had to wait until Athanya’el awakened on her own.
“Oh, well… we should rest for today.” Lilithra suggested, seeing Selorien yawn.
“I second that!” He quickly chimed in, eager for a bit of sleep after the exhausting day. Ascalon nodded in agreement, but another matter lingered in his mind. Leaving aside Escarlata, who was probably skulking about, he had the siblings in mind.
“What about sir Levi?” He asked, wondering about Lyra and her brother. Though he felt their presence in the building, he hadn’t seen them after his return.
“Ah! He seems fine. Lyra said she’ll stay with him from now on, and that we should just do our thing in the meantime…” Lilithra began with a sheepish, sad tone.
“I offered to keep them company but she declined, haha…” She mentioned, while Ascalon nodded, listening intently. “I mean, I understand! They need some time, so I shouldn’t be pushy!” Lilithra beamed in high spirits, seemingly more animated. She had grown, even if only slightly, and it filled Ascalon’s chest with warmth.
“I see.” The knight replied, while Selorien leaned on him.
“Cooome ooon, guuuuys.” The elf complained, dragging his words to enhance his tired voice, trying to get them to move so he could finally rest. Ascalon and Lilithra shared a chuckle, and the group finally set out toward the hotel.
It wasn’t long before they arrived. The atmosphere inside the lodgings was as animated as the other day, with many travelers still bustling about, some recognizing them, others curious about Athanya’el’s presence. Amidst pleasantries and greetings, the group separated and went to their respective rooms, though Ascalon felt a bit conflicted at first—after all, he had a tiny child clinging to him.
As he had mulled over before, the knight wasn’t accustomed to caring for a kid, so he feared he would crush her in his sleep or something along these lines—therefore, he didn’t sleep a wink, sitting on the bed as he cradled her gently. Ah, the next day was surely going to be tiring, too.