Paradise Lost: The Forsaken Sin [Seven Deadly Sins RP/IC/PG-16/Co-Host Wanted]

[Mr. Hyde]

OOC

 

The Holy Capitol Building had a buzzing in the air.  Lowly scholars ran back and forth, towers of books in their hands, as they rushed from hallway to doorway.  Many had beads of sweat dripping down their faces, as groups gathered around maps, pointing to locations that no man dared traverse.  After all, the world was a dangerous place, and the only haven from it all was Eden.  The thick walls, and the blessing of the divine sheltered this place from all sorts of evil from outside.  However, that notion was starting to waver at the fact that he had gone missing.  

 

In a room, farther in the back of the Capitol, a man looked on in annoyance.  He rose up from his rather comfy looking chair, and walked straight out of his chambers.  With his doors slamming outwards, the congregation of scholars almost seemed to jump out of their skins simultaneously.  

 

"What's the status on Pride.  Have we discerned his general location yet?"

 

One brave scholar spoke up.

 

"We may have calculated his trajectory, but it's only a faint guess.  It has been a month, but we believe we have his general location." 

 

The priest gave off a sigh of relief, before smiling.  

 

"Send a message to my Knights.  Gather them."

 

The collective group of scholars looked at each other, dumbfounded.  The same scholar that had spoken up before, did so once more.

 

"Gather...who sir?"

 

 

 

The cold whispering of the jail beneath the Capitol gave off a strange feeling.  In the deepest cell, in the deepest part of the prison, was an open cell.  No guard dare venture too close.  The lady that resided there often enjoyed her privacy, and her solitude.  However, there was an empty food tray that lay in front of it, waiting to be refilled.  In the cell, the grinding of fine meat against sharp teeth could be heard, as if an insatiable, wild animal was ripping apart its prey.  This was Alura Crimson, the Snake Sin of Envy.  Here, she was treated like a Queen, instead of the monster the rest of Eden might see her as.  She took a chug of the beverage that was sent with the meat, and wiped away the froth from her mouth.  Inside her cell, if one dare look, was likened to one of the Holy Palace's finest rooms.  Her bed was enormous, to account for her rather large frame, and she had plenty of things to keep her busy.  A large punching bag hung from the ceiling, almost beaten senseless.  

 

"Geez."  She whined, taking another huge bite out of her steak.  "I gotta get out of this dump...my legs are falling asleep."

 

"And here I was, thinking I had to convince you."  A familiar voice made Alura's eyes shine like diamonds.  She looked to her open cell door to see the man that had practically raised her since she was a child.  The man she had taken the position of in the Holy Order, only to be immediately promoted to Sin.  Her mouth hung wide open with delight, as she ran up to him.  The man jumped back a bit, eager to see the girl, but also intimidated that a seven foot tall woman was charging him.  However, he stood his ground, and opened up his arms.  Alura crashed into him with an embrace, picking the man off his feet who, in turn, gave off a hearty laugh as he returned the gesture.  

 

"Sebastian!"  She rang off with delight, her face more red than usual.  "I missed you!  I really missed you!"  The girl exclaimed.  Sebastian Crimson could only pat the girls head with a smile.  

 

"Are you inebriated, Alura?  You seem a bit more excited than usual." He questioned.  Alura put the man down and growled.

 

"N-n-no!  It takes more than one ale to get me drunk!  You know that!"  Alura said, as she pouted, folding her arms across her chest.  "I just got a little excited is all.  Don't let it get to your head old man."  Sebastian laughed at that.  "So, what were you going to convince me to do this time?"  She asked with a hint of curiosity.  

 

"Morningstar is missing."  He said, deadly serious.  "He's been missing for a month.  The Holy Order has grown suspicious that he's gone rogue."  Alura looked a bit shocked.  It didn't seem like the guy to just off an run.  He must've had a reason.  "The High Chancellor has asked me to escort you to the Capitol."  

 

"I could've done that myself!"  Alura said with a roar.  "It's only upstairs...are the others gonna be there too?"  Sebastian looked towards Alura with a shrug.

 

"Who knows with any of you."  He said, with a light smile.  "Shall we be off then?"

 

"Right!"  Alura said, with a fist that accidentally punched through the ceiling.  

 

 

A boy roamed on top of the wall of Eden, scouting for a target who was well known to be up here.  He was a Holy Order Knight, and here he was just on a messaging mission.  He was young, and inexperienced, but what was the difference between him and this Sin?  Upon finding her, the boy approached cautiously, and bent a knee.  

 

"Corra Ridley, Goat Sin of Lust, good day!"  He said, with vigor.  "We have an urgent mission from the Holy Order, and we ask that you come right away!"  He stood up and placed a fist over his chest.  "If there are any urgent tasks you may need to do, like grocery shopping, allow me to do it for you so that you can make your way post-haste!"  This was humiliating.  His brow twitched at frustration at how delicately he had to handle the situation with such a frail looking girl.  However, he didn't want any punishment for not gathering his respective Sin.  

 

 

The man smiled to himself, as he walked into one of the lowest bars he could find.  The Sin of Wrath was here, of all places, when he could instead be honing his abilities.  Were the Sins, themselves, this truly pathetic to be drinking alone instead of spreading the word of the Holy Order?!  It made him so mad that he purposefully rammed into one of the patrons of the bar, just to rile them up enough to provoke a response from him.  Without hesitation, the patron grabbed a bottle and went to break it over the man's head, only to be thrown outside in an instant with such swift movement.  At the stools, he spotted him, and approached cautiously from behind.  

 

"Rock.  Rock Dinovaldo?"  He asked with a raised eyebrow.  "I have special orders from the Capitol to bring you in for a mission briefing."  He crossed his arms with a slight chuckle.  "Unconscious or not.  Your choice I suppose."

 

 

He had orders from the High Chancellor to be here, but why did he still feel like he was intruding?  The knight pressed on, despite his conflicting emotions about the issue.  He was newer to the Holy Order of Knights, and had yet to encounter any of these so called 'Sins', but now he was tasked with finding one.  However, his task was easier than most, as he just had to find her in her study.  Still...this was there residence...was it okay to barge in even with the highest decree?  Opening the room to the study, he nervously peeped in.  

 

"Uhm...excuse me.  Pardon my intrusion."  He said, slipping in.  "I have a message for Lavinia, the Fox sin of Greed.  Would that happen to be you?"  Of course it was...who else would be in their house?  "Well..anyway...a message from the High Chancellor!"  The boy pulled out a scroll from underneath his armor, and spread it out wide.  "Orders to appear before the High Chancellor in the Capitol!  We have the right to use force..."  He stuttered at the sight of the word, and decided to go off script.  "But I'd prefer not to..."  He said, rubbing the back of his head.  He hadn't noticed before, but this girl definitely wasn't human.  There was a strange beauty about her that couldn't be seen in the common folk of Eden.  

 

 

Alchemist trash.  That was all she could think of, as she barged into the study with an incredibly angry gaze on her face.  She marched up to the main desk with a slam of her hands, only to bark orders at the man that sat before her.  

 

"Hey, scum of the Earth!  We got orders to escort you to the Capitol!  Please say you're not interested so I can give you a walloping!"  She said, as she taunted Alistar with the large mace in her hand.  She was a Holy Knight that didn't shy away from getting straight to the point, and she was confident in her abilities.  Hopefully, she could test them out on the Pig Sin of Gluttony himself.  

 

 

Her target stay at the university.  The Bear Sin of Sloth really acted like his Sin's namesake, and tended to drift and lay wherever he could.  Incidentally, she had heard reports of a giant monster carrying a sleeping boy around.  She made her way with haste, running into the university where all the students and scholars looked her way, and pointed directly to where the thing was.  She nodded, and followed there directions, only to wind up face to face with the Sleeping Sinner.  She was nervous, as the Golem that held him looked rather intimidating.  

 

"Elysium!  You have been summoned to the capitol!"  Would the boy even hear her?  He looked to be in a deep sleep, but hopefully he was still conscious of the world around him.  "I would rather not have to drag you there..."  Especially with that large statue made of ice staring her way...something about it made her want to turn tail and run.  "Well...can you get there or not?"  

[King K. Azo]

Today was an important training day for Rock. He had spent most of the day honing his body in the art of combat, but now, he was training for his ultimate challenge, the one wall he needed to defeat if he was to consider himself a true man. A pile of empty mugs was piled next to the man as he chugged yet another drink. To most of the bar, this was normal, and so they weren't too disturbed by it. 

However, the sight of a Holy Knight was enough for them to clear the area around Rock. They didn't want to find out first hand if the rumors of the power of the Holy Knights and the Sins were true. 
 
"Rock. Rock Dinovaldo?"  The knight asked with a raised eyebrow.  "I have special orders from the Capitol to bring you in for a mission briefing."  He crossed his arms with a slight chuckle.  "Unconscious or not.  Your choice I suppose."
 
Rock looked at the one that addressed him, looking him up and down, obviously analyzing him. Finally, he spoke. "Ya think a scrawny guy like you can carry me if I was unconscious?" His tone wasn't condescending, nor did it seem malicious, instead being a genuine question. The man's eyebrow twitched a bit, before turning back into a cooler expression.
 
"Do you treat the rest of the Holy Knights as children? Of course I can carry your body back!  Don't be ridiculous."  He placed a hand on his katana, and smirked.  "Unless you want me to prove it to you...Sinner." Rock stood up, eyeing the guy, taking a swig of the drink in his hand before responding.
 
"If you can do that, than take me unconscious. I'm training my body for the next time I see Alura. She ain't drinking ol' Rock under the table again, not as badly as she did last time!" He said with a hearty laugh, chugging the drink in hand. He then turned to the bartender. "Oy, another drink! I got someone to carry me, so I'll drink 'til I black out!"
 
"You don't have time for you to get drunk." The man said. His tone was getting more and more impatient with each passing moment. "This is urgent business!"
 
"Is it, 'Dear god, it's a monster' urgent or is it 'The Holy Knights are weak, so they need help' urgent?" Rock asked as he motioned to the bartender, who placed down five drinks on the table. "Depending on the answer, I'll get these drinks to go," The man smacked his face, having it slowly descend the entire length of it afterwards. 
 
"It's, 'You'll be executed for Conspiracy to overthrow the Holy Order if you do not come right away' urgent."  He groaned.
 
"Oh sheet, that does sound urgent," Rock said, a playful tone in his voice. "But not that important. We got time," He said as he picked up his drinks. "I'll get my armor and get there... before sundown... maybe," He said as he chugged more.
 
"The hard way it is." the man said, as he drew his katana, the blade not leaving its sheath as it was swung it at Rock's head with a blinding speed.
 
Rock leaned back to chug his drink, the katana swinging through the air, shattering the cup. "I think it's called the 'fun way'," Rock commented as he stood back up, the shards of the cup hitting the ground and shattering even more, while the contents of the cup was spilled all over Rock's face. "Aaaaaah... now look at that...," Rock muttered as he looked at the mess. "Are ya gonna pay for that cup?" He asked as he grabbed another one.
 
"I'll put it on the Holy Orders tab." The man thought for a moment, before motioning for the barkeep. "I'd like to start a tab."  He then realized that this was a waste of time, and continued to swing his sword at Rock again. "WE DON'T HAVE TIME!  COME WITH ME AT ONCE OR FACE THE WRATH OF A HOLY KNIGHT!"
 
"You got guts, I like that," Rock was grinning widely as ducked under the swing, moving to the side of the Knight. "Just don't get those guts all over the floor. The Wrath of a Holy Knight ain't nothing compared to the Wrath of a Sin,"
 
"Maybe once I bring you in without anything beneath the shoulders," The man said, unsheathing the katana as it passed by his hand, "they'll see my Wrath is comparable to yours!" He said, slicing towards Rock.
 
"Oh, you wanna take my place, huh?" Rock asked as he moved again, this time his back being to the door, taking a stance, his fists up in front of his body as he bounced on his toes. "Well, then, come and get it, kiddo,"
 
"It sure beats dealing with low level missions, such as this one!" The Knight roared, as he went flying towards Rock with both his katana and sheath in hand.
 
"See you guys later!" Rock called out to the rest of the bar as he moved back, going out the door and to the side to dodge the knight's attack. "You've got more passion than other Knights I've met. I should know the name of someone gunnin' for my spot," he addressed the knight. The Knight smiled before answering.
 
"I guess a dead man deserves that much. My name's Adrian! Adrian Steel!"  The two of them had moved out into the open.  Now there was more room for him to go wild.  The thought made his weapons rattle with intensity, as he kept swinging with precision at Rock, trying to get a read on where he would dodge next.
 
"Adrian, huh? Well, nice to meet you," Rock said as he leaned back away from the first sword swing. "You're not bad with dat sword, you know that?" He commented as he ducked under another swipe. "You could have killed people with a wild swing, but your precision is top notch!" After the third swing, Rock pressed forward, keeping low to the ground as he prepared a punch. "The Holy Knights got a good eye recruitin' you," He commented once more as he popped up, going for a massive uppercut.
 
Adrian dodged to the side, using his sheath to block the punch, but was knocked up into the air by the sheer force of the punch, feeling the wind around him as he  Sparks flew out as the metal grated against the Sinner's skin, but the man had a very durable build, and his strength was immense.  However, this was Adrian mission, and he would not be dissuaded.  He jumped into the air to grab the sheath, and used his momentum to fling it back towards him, flying back to the ground with another sharp cut of his katana.
 
Rock grinned as he watched the man fly back down to him, katana ready to cut the Sin. Most people gave up after the first punch. This guy was gonan be fun! He moved to the side, leaping up and landing on the roof of a nearby building.  He bounced on his toes, taunting by moving his hand in a 'bring it on' motion. "You gotta be better than that to be a Sin," he commented before he started to leap from building to building.
 
Adrian grimaced as he landed on the floor, but suddenly vanished, only to reappear a fair distance behind Rock.
 
"I can do better than that." The man said, as he held one balled fist in the palm of his other hand.  His katana was now sheathed, but a blue orb had appeared around his fist. "Witness my Magic Ability, and be amaze-"  Adrian stopped to notice that they were both standing on the street near the Capitol.  The blue orb faded, as he grinned.  "Well...I guess I won't have to get to serious.  We're already here."
 
Rock laughed a bit as he rolled his shoulder. "Sadly not. Looks like you escorted me here though. Too bad, I was finally getting warmed up. Thanks for the escort, kiddo. Find me when you get stronger. I look forward to the rematch," he waved as he headed to the Capitol. Time to find what what this was about.

[scooterulez]

 

In the upper part of the left wing above the infirmary is a room that was as comparable to the castle library, hundreds of books all ranging from ancient myths and legends to cookbooks, all of which have been read, at least twice. The floor was littered with torn pages, complete papers covered in notes, and a few broken pair of glasses here and there that were never picked up. And within this massive, yet small space lived the head doctor, but also the Sin of Gluttony, Alistar Nash. He was in deep focus in an experiment that was a personal project of his and he was on the verge of his hopeful breakthrough. “Hmm. . . if I just add a little of this. . . Wow! Completely clear. . . now to taste it. . .” Alistar took a sip of his drink and immediately slammed it back on the desk spitting out whatever fluids were still in his mouth. “Oh! Gross! What a horrible taste! Why must you be so confoundingly difficult you damn medical abomination!” His project was to purify ale so that he didn’t have to deal with the nasty negative side effects that come with it, his first task was to remove, or alter the flavoring to his pleasure, which hasn’t been very successful. He grabbed a notebook and wrote:

 

Log #2056: The 25th attempt to removing the unpleasant taste from RatTail Ale has proven faulty as it just enhanced the flavor instead. I thought that mixing a powdered version of this chalky substance I found yesterday would prove successful, for it does a superb job in cleansing the color to a clear transparent color, but sadly the taste has yet to be nullified in the drink itself. There may be other uses for this chalk substance, and it may do a better job in other ales.

 

Alistar grabbed the glass and dumped the contents out a window while watching it fall to the ground below. The cool air filled his lungs as he took a deep breath as he took in the view of Eden from his study. It feels like only yesterday when he was back in the clinic he worked in, but now that place has been torn down by the Order a few years ago, now he, the last alchemist in Eden, was alone in his tower under the watch of the Order with only a fleeting memory of his past haunting his mind.

 

“I guess I should get on with my checkups today.” He sat back down in his chair, and as he began to put his notes away, a busty woman wielding a giant mace came into his study with an angry look upon her countenance. Before Alistar could speak, she slammed her hands on his desk, which made him jump out of panic as she declared and threaten with her mace, "Hey, scum of the Earth!  We got orders to escort you to the Capitol!  Please say you're not interested so I can give you a walloping!"

 

“Oh, y-yes. I would assume that it is important if the capital would send for me. H-However, I also would prefer to not get hurt, thank you, I bruise easily. I just need to put some papers and books away, it will take a minute.” Alistar started to put his notes in their corresponding folders and books on their shelves as he continued to talk. “Also, I dislike that word, ‘scum’, it makes it feel like you have it out for me, though I recall I haven’t done anything to you personally. . . unless I did do something by accident. In fact, I have seen you a couple of times just out and about, and I think even in the infirmary at least once. I think you came in for a-” He took a look at the knight as she looked quite annoyed by his rambling and tighten her grip on her mace as a way to say 'Shut up or else'. After a few minutes of silence, he grabbed his satchel and then casually asked the knight, “You wouldn't mind if I checked on the infirmary before we go? Just need to make sure they’ll be fine without me being there.”

 

"Eh?  You think I care about your patients?  Well, I ain't got any patience for 'em!  My mission was to deliver the message, not help you with your damn job!"

 

“Oh no, it will only take a second.” Alistar placed his hand on the floor and the entire floor went transparent as both can see the entire infirmary. He only took a few glances at a few spots then got back as he proceeded to the door, with the floor still transparent.

 

"Good lord! If you were going to do it anyway, why'd ya ask me!?" She said with a frustrating tone in her voice.

 

"Just wanted to ask just in case, besides, everything looks fine." He reached for the doorknob and made a polite pointing gesture out into the hallway. "After you, my lady."

 

[Otaku-sama]

 

Elysium floated above the scene before him, like a god surveying their domain from their lofty perch above the clouds. Below was a desolate scene, wasteland stretching for all eternity in every direction, illuminated by a sickly sun that cast stark shadows upon the black sand. A young man, clad in tattered scholar robes, scrambled across the endless dunes, away from an approaching titan. Despite the scholar desperate scrambling, he only moved forward at a crawl, as if he was being pulled back by an invisible chain. 

 

The approaching colossus was only a silhouette, with its massive back to the sun and the dimming red sky. It walked upon the hoofs of a goat, with a pair of wings and horns accenting its outline. In its left hand, was a massive, spiked mace, which glowed like the inner depths of the earth. Its eyes glowed a sinister shade of red, issuing great clouds of glowing smoke that left a trail behind it. As the looming demon approached, its shadow rapidly caught up to the scrambling man below, who turned to face it once the shadow enveloped him. He opened his mouth to scream out in terror, but only a weak whimper came out, as if the demon sucked his breath from his chest.

 

Elysium recognized this creature from previous visits: Dispater, one of the many Barons of Hell. This particular dreamer was one of the few students of demonology, given clearance by the Holy Order to access the caged-off section of the main library at the university, sectioned off for the good of the student body. Within these ancient manuscripts held tales of blood sacrifice, rituals of defilement, and lengthy, picturesque descriptions of various beings from beyond the veil. It is no surprise that this student’s mind has snapped a trifle, resulting in constant visions of terror that struck him when he dozed off during the day.

 

Elysium often probed deeply into the dreams of these students, hoping that one of them would eventually find information about Levistus, the frozen demon prince who Professor Drakkar said that might be his ancestor. This dream, however, yielded nothing but a mundane nightmare. Being chased by shadows is one of the most common that he sees, even among students of the most mundane subjects. As the demon titan finally reach its quarry, Elysium let out sigh as it began to torment the dreamer at his feet with a deep, reverberating roar.

 

Then, Elysium heard a voice from beyond the veil of sleep. This was highly unusual, as most students of the university chose to give him and his companion a wide berth, as if simply looking at him would invite disaster. The only ones brave enough to approach was Professor Drakkar and his students, and even his students still had reservations when they were asked to summon Elysium to some place.

 

"Elysium!  You have been summoned to the capitol! I would rather not have to drag you there..."

 

The voice was not the mewling, apologetic voices of the students nor the deep, rumbling baritone of Professor Drakkar. This voice was clear, bold and full of confidence, a type of voice taught to the Holy Knights so that they could shout the populace into submission without needing to draw blood. Normally, the Holy Order would send the professor to fetch him whenever they needed to use him, so one of the Holy Knights coming to fetch him was rather unusual.

 

Elysium decided that he would not yield any further information from this dream. While this particular scholar was not studying Levistus, he may decide to in the future, so relieving him of this little nightmare would pay dividends. With a quick gesture, a massive glowing sword materialized above Dispater, breaking the gloom and bathing the wasteland with warm light. The demon barely had time to acknowledge its presence before the sword plunged its point into its back. Dispater roared once more before collapsing into a pile of glowing embers. Elysium made another quick gesture and the wasteland was transformed into an idyllic meadow, with the sky clearing into a warm summer day. 

 

The scholar peeked out from behind his arms, only to see that his tormentor had disappeared and that the endless wasteland had transformed into his childhood home. He slowly withdrew his arms and climbed to his feet. He looked to the sky, hoping that he would see whatever force freed him from his nightmare, but only saw a deep blue sky and and fluffy white clouds.

 

----

 

"Well...can you get there or not?"

 

The Holy Knight had drawn a bit of a crowd, as some of the students decided to stop and watch her as she confronted the Sin. Some of them muttered to each other nervously, wondering if the golem would retaliate as it was rumored it would. The golem, carrying the sleeping Elysium on its back, turned its massive bulk to face the knight. The knight instinctively lowered the point of her halberd at the golem, but her face gave away her nervousness. While the other Sins were well known amongst the Holy Knights, walking among the commoners like wolves among sheep, but few knew anything about the Bear Sin, who slept within his masonry den within the university. 

 

“...What does the Order want this time…?”

 

The knight was initially taken aback by the voice inside her head, as if were one of her own thoughts, but steeled her expression again.

 

“It is not my position to say. My duty is to have you come to the capitol, willing or not. I am fully authorized to use violence and I will use it!” 

 

Elysium was not surprised, but still disappointed, about her aggressive tone. This would not be the first time the Order compelled him to action through threats of violence, but this time, the circumstances and his whims demanded his action. He would not have it, not today. Focusing onto her vital energy, Elysium sapped her wakefulness from her. The knight started to notice that her eyes were getting heavy.

 

“Y...you! What are you...doing to me…?”

 

The knight started to lean onto her weapon, trying to steady herself as her wakefulness left her body until she collapsed onto the ground unconscious. The students made fearful cries, some of the running away. One brave student slowly crept over to the knight and checked her vitals.

 

“...She is very much alive, simply asleep...She will awaken soon...When she does, let her know that I have already gone to the capitol…”

 

The student jumped up, but then looked towards the still sleeping Elysium and nodded with a fearful expression as the golem began a slow march towards the capitol.

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

Practice magic, write down spells and meditate. Lavinia's daily routine outside work was rather simple and monotonous, all her time revolves around magecraft and not much else. Today too, was a day she planned to spend cooped up in her chambers, writing down a detailed record of the spells she 'pillaged' from her last mission, adding to her ever-increasing grimoire. The elven girl hunkered down on her desk after a relatively light breakfast of berries, a massive, leather-bound book spread over the oak table. She held another, smaller book in her hand, while a quill pen floated beside her, already dipped in black ink.

 

Lavinia flipped through the pages of the smaller book, an old number with faded pages and a cover damaged beyond repair. As one might guess, it is an ancient tome she looted during a mission with the Holy Order. "This one's... A bust too." She remarked, her expression turning sour as she angrily flipped through the rest of the book. Despite its rarity and antiquity, there are no spells to be copied that she has not learned, nor are there techniques worth stealing. "sheet!" With no prior warning, the girl suddenly raised her voice and threw the decrepit spellbook across the room, flying full-force towards the wall only to be stopped at the last second, its trajectory suddenly stopping before it could hit the wall, only to then neatly and tidily float back to its owner's lap.

 

Seeing what happened, she simply sighed and shifted her attention to the sheathed sword on her desk. It seems such occurrences are nothing new to her. 

 

"...Did you interfere again, Kingsblade?"

 

"..."

 

"It's a sacred text written by my forefathers? Tch! Don't give me that nonsense! These texts have been copied endless times at the academy!" 

 

She crossed her arms and huffed her chest in anger.

 

"..."

 

"So what if it's the original? There's nothing interesting---"

 

"..."

 

"About you... If you knew all along, you could've told me something before I threw it." 

 

Before the elf got a chance to study the book further, an unfamiliar voice intruded upon the... 'tranquil' scene. A young knight, seemingly no older than 20, suddenly barged in her room without as much of a knock.

 

"Uhm...excuse me.  Pardon my intrusion. I have a message for Lavinia, the Fox sin of Greed.  Would that happen to be you?"

 

She stayed silent and unmoving, her back still turned against the boy. From his point of view, his target appeared frozen in time, completely stiff.

 

"Orders to appear before the High Chancellor in the Capitol!  We have the right to use force... But I'd prefer not to..."

 

The boy stuttered before completing his line. A rather cute, if not pitiful, trait, she remarked in her head. Having listened to his words to completion, Lavinia then turned her chair around to face the boy. Her expression, contrast to the angry one she had before, is remarkably stoic and calm, her ruby red eyes emanating an icy cold stare, as if seeing through the boy's timidity and lack of experience.

 

"Miss... Lavinia? Did you hear... What I said...?" An audible gulp was heard as soon as he completed his sentence. His body seemed tense, rigid. Bewitched by the elf's otherworldly charms while also suffocating from the immense pressure and aura she exuded. 

 

"Brats these days don't know how to knock, huh..." Her voice was heard across the room, but it did not came from the figure seated before the boy. Instead, from above him. The knight's nervousness and fear turned into that of surprise. He suddenly dropped the scroll and reached for his sword as he assumed a defensive stance. Turning his head upwards, what he saw before him was another Lavinia, floating gracefully above his head with magical energy swirling around her feet.

 

"What the--- Two of you?!" Shocked by what he saw, he once again shifted his attention to the mage that was seated before him, only to see the figure dissipate into smoke before his eyes, while the one above him floated back down to stand in front of him. Using the same magic that kept herself aloft a few seconds ago, Lavinia had the scroll float in front of her, reading its contents while completely ignoring the boy.

 

"As usual, that shady bastard doesn't wanna tell us anything." She sighed as she continued to read the scroll. 

 

Though still taken aback by the illusion magic he saw, the young knight let a sigh of relief upon seeing that his target is much... Less scary than he first thought, in more ways than one. Deciding to not waste any more time, he grabbed the floating scroll and rolled it up. Naturally, the elf was more than pissed. 

 

"With all due respect, miss, the details will be given once we make it there. So let's make haste and--- Woah!" He said, bending downward and extending his hand to the diminutive figure before him, only to suddenly trip forwards and fall flat on his face. "Ow... What the heck waS THAT?!" Before he could look up to see what had happened, he found his head trapped beneath Lavinia's shoes. 

 

"There we go. Much better. This fits a bad-mannered brat like you more." She pressed her heels harder against the young knight's head, completely unaware of the implications. "What was it you said? Make haste? Do you know who you're talking to, brat?" She paused for a bit, before waving her right hand and muttering something in a language lost to people from Eden. "<Come hither, o Kingsblade.>" As if by command, the sheathed sword on the girl's desk floated into her open palm. 

 

"M-Miss Lavinia...?" The squire asked cautiously, keeping his tone low to not anger her further. 

 

"I've decided. You'll take me there." She said, before once again muttering an unknown language. "<Mother earth, be calm.>" The vine that wrapped around the knight's legs returned to its original form, once again becoming wooden floorboard. At the same time, the Elf used her magic to help him back to his feet. 

 

"R-right, of course, it is my duty to accompany you, miss." 

"Accompany? I said, you will take me there." 

 

"I beg your pardon?" 

 

A gust of wind suddenly blew out of nowhere, with enough force to spin him on his feet, causing the knight to turn around. Before he could parse what is happening, he found Lavinia perched on his shoulders.

 

"Now go. Make haste, right? Don't waste my time now." 

 

"R-right... Of course."

 

The fox sin of greed definitely did not fit the knight's image of her. A small, young woman with short temper and a foul mouth was very far away from what he imagined one with such a title to be. He did not expect one of the knights to be so ill-mannered, and he most certainly did not expect to give her a piggyback ride all the way to the capitol. 

 

"State your name, boy. It'll be difficult for me to keep calling you 'boy'."

 

"It is Medraut, miss. Medraut of the Third Seat, Twelfth Division."

 

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that. I'll call you... Cu. Means 'hound' in my language. You seem like a dog after all. " 

 

"You can't be serious...."

[Yui]

---

In the time since becoming a Sin, Corra had been spending a lot of time up here. The wall. The thing she'd tried to pass for so long, and the one thing standing between her and the rest of the world. She'd been trying to spend plenty of time within the boundaries of Eden's walls, of course, but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't slipped past the wall just a little bit on a few occasions since becoming the Goat's Sin of Lust.
 
Why was it a goat anyway? The Lion's Sin of Pride made sense, and so did things like the Fox's Sin of Greed, but why was lust's animal a goat? Was it because they loved eating? Mmmm, that sounds more like a gluttony thing, doesn't it? Maybe I'll ask sometime, if I get the chance.
 
"Corra Ridley, Goat Sin of Lust, good day!" Fortunately, it seemed the chance had come to her, rather than her having to go out and find it. "We have an urgent mission from the Holy Order, and we ask that you come right away! If there are any urgent tasks you may need to do, like grocery shopping, allow me to do it for you so that you can make your way post-haste!"
 
"Good day to you, too!" Corra exclaimed, turning to face the knight that had approached her with a smile on her face. "Do you know what kind of mission I'm getting? I've never had an urgent mission since becoming a Sin, so I'm a little bit nervous. But also excited!"
 
The knight scratched his head with a puzzled expression. "No...they don't tell us anything besides our own missions. However, I'm questioning their thought process with asking for a young girl to go to the Capitol."
 
"Ahaha, you don't have to worry about me. I can get there just fine!" Corra started toward the inner edge of the wall, fully intending to simply blink from place to place until she was safely on the ground, but stopped before taking off. She looked at the knight again. "By the way, why is the sin of lust's animal a goat?"
 
The Kight grew visibly distressed watching the girl get so close to the edge of the wall. However, the question piqued his interest as well. "You think they'd be the Sin of Gluttony, right? Maybe it's because they don't have a preference to what they eat, instead eating everything." He said, with his fist under his chin.
 
"That's exactly what I was thinking! Just before you got here I thought, 'I should ask about that because the goat seems more like a gluttony animal since they just eat everything.' What kind of animal would you suggest for Lust?"
 
"Some sort of Vermin I suppose." He said with a slight red tint to his face. "They consummate constantly. Perhaps a Rabbit."
 
"Maybe a rabbit," Corra agreed, with a thoughtful nod. "I'll ask the guys at the capitol about it. Thanks for letting me know about the urgent mission! Take care!" With that, Corra seemed to just vanish before the knight's eyes, before reappearing almost immediately on a nearby rooftop. Then again, onto a lower rooftop. Then one more time, onto the streets below, before hurrying on foot toward the capitol. If it was a mission where they rounded up all the Sins instead of just Corra - it was a mission purely for her for all she knew - then it was probably super important. Just wondering about what it might have been got her excited!
 
And maybe it would take her outside of Eden finally!

---

[Mr. Hyde]

 

 

All of the knights started to shuffle into the capitol, with their escorts in tow.  However, once Elysium arrived alone, the others seemed to get tense.  They all marched down the aisle with grace, opening the doors that led to the High Chancellor's chambers, and motioned for the Sins to join them.  Sitting in the same place as he had when he'd sent out the message, the High Chancellor sat with his hands folded on top of his desk with an especially wide smile upon his face.  His eyes traced the Sins, until they landed upon Alistar, where they twitched uncontrollably.  The heretic dared enter his chambers so lightly.  He smacked some sense into himself once he saw his Knights bow before him.  

 

"High Chancellor Damian, our mission is complete."  Bright said with his head tilted towards the floor.  

 

"Rise your head, dear child.  The mission is yet complete."  Damian said with his hand raised in the air.  That's when he heard a loud crashing throughout the building, as it started to shake violently.  The Knights rose from their kneeling position, and drew their weapons.  Was it an attack on the Holy Order?

 

"This place is going to come down!"  Adrian shouted, almost being drown out by the sound of marble crashing against marble.  However, the rumbling ceased after a short moment.  The room was quiet, until the doors of the chamber came crashing down behind them, revealing Alura.  She held Sebastian under her arm, who looked quite queasy.  

 

 

"Sorry everyone!  I didn't have time for an elevator!"  She let out a boisterous laugh.  "Did I miss anything yet?"  Damian's eyebrows twitched violently at the display, only to sigh.  Sebastian rose up a bit with a finger raised.

 

"I tried to stop her, but you know how she is."

 

"No.  We were just going to go over-"

 

 

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!"  A cry could be heard from outside the doors, along with some slight wheezing.  The Knight who had been sent to grab Elysium finally crashed into the room as well, running into Alura's elbow by mistake, and falling flat on her back.  She was quick to recover, only sniffling a bit with tears starting to well up in her eyes.  The other Knights let out a sigh of relief.  

 

"We thought Elysium had killed you..."  The boy in the mask said, with his hand placed on his chest.  "Thank goodness you're alright, Lullaby."  

 

"I would've been here sooner, but that," She pointed to Elysium and his little pet that carried him, "That thing made me fall asleep!"  She stomped up to the sleeping boy, poking and prodding him with haste.  "You know, I wasn't gonna be mean about it, but you just had to go and use your magic huh?  Next time, you won't be so lucky!"  Damian cleared his throat, prompting Lullaby to scurry into position, in line with the other Knights.  

 

"As you might not have heard by now," Damian started, "The Lion Sin of Pride has been missing from Eden for a period of over a month."  He pushed his body forward with a dim look in his eyes.  "The reason we have you labeled as Sins is not because you're any better than our Royal Echelon, it's so that we may keep an eye on your whereabouts.  You're also assets for the protection of Eden, and it's citizens.  However, if you show any signs of hostility towards the City, or the Holy Order in any way, you will be disposed of, just like the monsters who attack us on a regular basis."  He leaned back.  "That being said, we have doubts that the Sin of Pride will stay loyal to our Order, and therefore have labeled him a rogue."  

 

"Pride's gone, huh?"  Alura said, with a fist on her hip, still cradling Sebastian.  "What makes you think we can find him?"

 

"We've calculated where he might have gone, due to his last sighting and trajectory.  You are the only ones I'm willing to send out to recover him.  As I'm sure you're all aware, Alabaster Morningstar is the strongest Sin...sad to say the Holy Knights we have now wouldn't be so much as a match for him.  But you have fought alongside him before..."  He wanted to recant his words, as they had a new addition among the Sins, but he continued, "You know him personally, so slaying him will be simple."  He sunk back further into his chair.  "Some of you might die, but I'm sure Eden can afford that loss." 

 

"WHY YOU-"  Alura said, stomping a foot into the ground, only to be met with Bright standing in between her and the High Chancellor.  It was like lightning in which he appeared before her, like a bulwark.  Alura stopped in her tracks, and finally placed Sebastian down.  "You got guts kid."  She said rather sternly.  "If I was drunk though, you'd be squished !"  She laughed again, before shooting another sharp look towards the High Chancellor.

 

"The Holy Order shall make arrangements for your travelling equipment to be paid for in full.  We can spare you some Travelling Llamas, upon request.  But if they die, you shall pay for them in full.  You're dismissed."  High Chancellor Damian spun the back of his chair to face them.

 

"Wait a minute...we haven't even decided if we were gonna take the mission yet."  Alura snarled.  

 

"Oh..."  Damian cooed, turning the chair a bit, "It was never an option.."  The Royal Knights in the Chambers turned to the Sins, with their faces callous and grim.  "I'm very aware of the skills of the Sins...but you can't take all of Eden at once...not without Pride at least."  Alura growled, her primal nature getting the best of her, until Sebastian stroked her arm.  

 

"I'm sure you'll find him."  He said with a grin.  Alura nodded, before walking out of the chambers.  The other Knights would escort the rest out as well, standing outside the open chamber acting as a door of sorts.  As they funneled out back into Eden, Alura couldn't help but look at the smallest girl.  

 

"Hey, you look familiar...but you look a little too young to be a sin."  She placed her large hand around the girls head, as she bent down.  A large smile curled on her face.  "You're comin' with me!  Hey, we're gonna get food for the road!  the resta' you split in to pairs and find some travel gear...we're in it for the long haul."  Alura barked towards the others, splitting up as she headed for the market.  

[King K. Azo]

Rock sighed as he walked into the room where they'd be meeting. His head was starting to buzz. All that alcohol was coming to haunt him. This wouldn't be a problem if they weren't just summoned straight out of the blue. 

It seemed he was the first one there, seeing as none of the other sins were there. He bet the others came quietly, not giving their Knight that much of a hard time. It all was fine until Dreamer Boy came without his knight. Everyone got tense after that. Rock shook his head. The knight was probably just sleeping or something. Why they gotta worry so much?

 

They finally entered the High jabroni's chamber, where the knights bowed to him. Rock stayed standing, arms folded as he waited. He just wasn't ready to deal with these people today. The room started to shake, making Rock grin. Now the party had arrived!

 

"This place is going to come down!"  Adrian shouted, making Rock shake his head.

"Calm the hell down, kid," Rock muttered.

 

"Sorry everyone!  I didn't have time for an elevator!"  Alura had entered, letting out a boisterous laugh.  "Did I miss anything yet?"  

 

"Just a gathering of bastards," Rock quipped. A few other things happened, but that didn't interest him. What did interest him though...

 

"As you might not have heard by now," jabroni started, "The Lion Sin of Pride has been missing from Eden for a period of over a month." Rock's eyebrow raised. Was this going to be...? Where they going to have to...?  "The reason we have you labeled as Sins is not because you're any better than our Royal Echelon, it's so that we may keep an eye on your whereabouts. You're also assets for the protection of Eden, and it's citizens.  However, if you show any signs of hostility towards the City, or the Holy Order in any way, you will be disposed of, just like the monsters who attack us on a regular basis."  He leaned back.  "That being said, we have doubts that the Sin of Pride will stay loyal to our Order, and therefore have labeled him a rogue."

 

OH funk YES.

 

"Pride's gone, huh?"  Alura said, with a fist on her hip, still cradling Sebastian.  "What makes you think we can find him?"

 

"We've calculated where he might have gone, due to his last sighting and trajectory.  You are the only ones I'm willing to send out to recover him.  As I'm sure you're all aware, Alabaster Morningstar is the strongest Sin...sad to say the Holy Knights we have now wouldn't be so much as a match for him.  But you have fought alongside him before..."  He wanted to recant his words, as they had a new addition among the Sins, but he continued, "You know him personally, so slaying him will be simple."  He sunk back further into his chair.  "Some of you might die, but I'm sure Eden can afford that loss." 

 

Wow, that was blunt as hell. Alura didn't seem to like it, but Rock didn't mind. This is what he lived for.

 

"The Holy Order shall make arrangements for your travelling equipment to be paid for in full.  We can spare you some Travelling Llamas, upon request.  But if they die, you shall pay for them in full.  You're dismissed."  High Chancellor Damian spun the back of his chair to face them.

 

"Wait a minute...we haven't even decided if we were gonna take the mission yet."  Alura snarled, making Rock raise his eyebrow higher. Was she going to refuse this perfect mission?  

 

"Oh..."  Damian cooed, turning the chair a bit, "It was never an option.."  The Royal Knights in the Chambers turned to the Sins, with their faces callous and grim.  "I'm very aware of the skills of the Sins...but you can't take all of Eden at once...not without Pride at least."  

 

"Wow...," Rock began to laugh, "Wadda jabroni. 'Ey, Shorty, ain't this guy such an jabroni?" He turned to Lavinia, pointing to Damian. "Like, seriously, all he had to do was sweet talk us a bit and we'd of headed out but, nah, gotta show he hates us," He shook his head. "He's even willing to risk all the collateral damage that they hate me making just to show us how much they hate us," He laughed a bit more, before they were herded out of the room, and left to their own devices. Rock stroked his chin, thinking of what they should do... right before Alura kidnapped the newest member, running away. Well, there was only one thing to do then.

 

 

"Oy, Mumbo Boy," Rock said, grabbing Alistar's arm. "We're gonna grab my armor, right? And then... and then you... you're gonna help me carry all the booze we can. We gotta stock up for the trip, and to celebrate the fact we got this kickass mission!" He laughed heartily before turning to Lavinia. "And if she wishes, Shortie can come join us to," He looked over to the giant ice golem. "I'd invite Dreamer Boy, but he doesn't do parties. Or booze,"

 

Whatever the answers were, Rock would drag off Alistar, headed to his home to grab his armor. Now the real fun could start!

[scooterulez]

The walk to the meeting place was short and silent as his escort didn't talk nor gave heed to Alistar's presence, which was fine, to say the least as the weather outside was perfect for some tranquil thinking. For it was uncommon for all the Sins to be gathered at once for such a meeting, as it was also rare for Alistar to get summoned for he normally stayed in his study or the infirmary to take care of the army and his fellow Sins, Rock is the one he saw the most of. The last time he was summoned was not a pleasant one, as it should be forgotten, but it keeps to the back of his mind to just haunt him in his dreams.

 

As they approached the entrance of the Hugh Chancellor's chamber, he saw that only Rock has arrived making him second, and soon his comrades one after the other, with the exception of Alura and Alabaster. Alistar felt inclined to thank his escort for the company, even if no words were spoken, as they were welcomed inside. “Looks like they're ready for us. Thank you for walk Miss. . . I actually never did get your name did I? I would like to thank you properly if you don't mind.”

 

"What's it to you, heretic?"

 

“Well. . . I. . . Nevermind.” It didn’t seem like she was willing to give up anything about her to him, so Alistar proceeded forward, but continued with determination to at least get something positive out of her. “However, I do thank you again for the walk here. It was quite a nice day outside wasn't it?” At that moment, she turned around with a scary, yet stern anger in her voice, staring down Alistar as he backed up away from her up onto the nearest wall.

 

“You think I'm in the mood for small talk?!  We rock paper scissored to see who was gonna get stuck grabbing you, and I lost.  I ain't in the mood to give you my name, or talk about how nice it is today, so shut your mouth and keep moving!”

 

A twinge of fear fell upon Alistar as the knight yelled at him that he grasped his left arm as it began to twitch in excitement. “Y-Yes! I am so sorry! I won't intrude again!” Alistar scurried past her and caught up with his fellow Sins as they were led into the chambers. As they entered the room, Alistar's eyes locked onto the High Chancellor as he thought back to his court hearings years ago; This man, Damian, was one who opposed to having Alistar live and the choice option give at the hearing but was clearly outvoted by the high scholars who saw potential in Alistar. Alistar doesn’t remember if he was High Chancellor at the time, but someone of great importance nonetheless. His thoughts soon dispersed as Damian's eyes met his and he quickly averted from his gaze for Alistar saw nothing but hate from that man, trusting this man would be unwise.

 

The meeting began with a bang as Alura came crashing through the closed doors and carrying an older gentleman under her arm. Soon after, a younger knight came rushing in, running into Alura, then joined her fellow knights who looked quite relieved thinking that she wasn’t dead as she explained her troubles with getting Elysium. Nevertheless, after everything calmed down, Damian began to explain the purpose of the meeting, Alabaster Morningstar, the Lion Sin of Pride is missing. Alistar thought it was unusual that he hadn’t been around, he thought Alabaster was on a solo mission, as he would do on a usual basis if memory served him right. Some of his Sins spoke about their thoughts on the mission but were drowned out by Damian’s threats as there was no say in the matter if you are deemed a sinner of the state.

 

After the meeting, Alistar got thinking about what was talked about as they walked out of the chambers. It felt off that Alabaster would get up and leave without notice, even if this news came from one that controlled the very existence of the Sins. Nevertheless, whether it be from the High Chancellor or Pride’s unknown reasons for leaving, everything about this mission felt. . . off. Alistar looked amongst his comrades and went over to Lavinia to talk about his assumptions, but was a strong grip came onto his arm as he smelt the stench of ale radiating from Rock.

 

"Oy, Mumbo Boy, We're gonna grab my armor, right? And then... and then you... you're gonna help me carry all the booze we can. We gotta stock up for the trip, and to celebrate the fact we got this kickass mission! And if she wishes, Shortie can come join us too, I'd invite Dreamer Boy, but he doesn't do parties. Or booze,"

 

"Well Rock, I have to correct you again that I don't dr-" Alistar was cut short from his sentence as Rock tugged hard as they walked away from the group blabbering about the party they were going to have and that he was going to beat him in a drinking contest. Well, there is no point in talking reason to drunk men, but I guess this is my life now. Thought Alistar as Rock dragged him away towards town, talking to Lavinia can wait until they were on the road.

---

The walk to Rock’s place was quite far from the capital, and his home was relatively small compared to his neighbors, though halfway in their walk they passed by a barren building plot that once was his mentor’s, Maro, clinic. The plot was barricaded off as another building was going to be built in its place, still, his past memories of the building filled his conscience as he stopped to reminisce of his former life. However, it was immediately interpreted as he felt a tug on his arm as Rock brought him back to reality saying something about they were almost there, but he was drowned out as Alistar was snapping out of his thoughts. He looked back as they walked away towards Rock’s home still daydreaming of his past.

 

[Otaku-sama]

Elysium silently slept as his faithful golem marched up the hill into the capitol building, carrying him cradled in its arms in a bundle of blankets. Nobles and commoners alike nervously moved out of the way of the golem’s path, some shrieking in fear and others taking cover inside the shops along the marble avenue. Elysium grinned softly, taking some morbid pleasure out of scaring off commoners. It was one of the few things in the physical world that he found enjoyable.

 

As he entered the capitol, Elysium decided to awaken, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the brightly lit courtyard. Whenever he had been summoned by the Order, they always demanded that he be awake to receive orders, citing something in their dogma about respect. It showed how little they cared to learn about their most valuable soldiers, treating them like slaves, subject to both high demands and low expectations.

 

The guards, alerted by the fact that he did not have an escort, quickly assembled around him, each pointing their weapons at Elysium, shouting demands for him to stop. As he slowly got up to a sitting position, the golem placed a protective arm over Elysium, forcing him to crane his neck to get a better view of the assembled guards.

 

“...I have been summoned by the High Chancellor...Would you stop my summons...and suffer the wrath of that man...?”

 

The guards hesitated, looking towards the approaching guard captain, who dismissed the guards and gravely gestured to Elysium to follow him. By the expression he gave, Elysium could tell he thought he had killed the knight that came to fetch him. Elysium considered the consequences for a moment before deciding that getting some respect out of these lapdogs was worth the trouble.

 

---

 

Elysium entered the chamber of the High Chancellor. Looking around, he saw that some of his fellow Sins had already arrived with their minders. The tension in the room was palpable, with all the assembled knights shifting uncomfortably in their armor, or the case of some, the lack thereof. Elysium was eager to hear what the High Chancellor would say, but quickly noticed that he was too busy staring daggers into Alistar's head. Truly, it showed where the man's priorities were. 

 

Barely a moment passed before Alura burst into the chamber in her typical boorish and destructive fashion, followed by that knight, flustered and out of breath from running from the university. The knights let out a collective sigh of relief, much to Elysium's dismay. He hoped to use the tension to his advantage.

 

"That thing made me fall asleep! You know, I wasn't gonna be mean about it, but you just had to go and use your magic huh?  Next time, you won't be so lucky!"

 

The knight, who so boldly demanded that he be carted to the capitol like a prisoner, the knight who calls him a “thing”, said that she was offering kindness and prodded him like an uncooperative beast of burden. Elysium considered responding to her, but decided against it. These knights, so full of themselves, were beyond talking to. They offered nothing by religious zeal and had no other goals or dreams but how to better lick the boot heels of the Order. He did, however, make a mental note to visit her dreams and menace her there.

 

The High Chancellor then assigned his mission, making his lack of respect towards the Sins as explicit as possible. In typical fashion, he intended to send the Sins in a suicide mission for some task, hopefully to deal with the problem and not return alive. The notable lack of any kind of support and threats of violence for refusing the mission only solidified this in Elysium’s mind.

 

The objective made it more interesting. Morningstar had disappeared and had made good what Elysium had always dreamed of doing, making a desperate dash for freedom from under the boot of the Order. While Elysium envied what Pride had managed to do right underneath everyone’s noses, he wondered what he had planned for Eden. No one can expect to escape Eden without being pursued and Morningstar was no fool. Whatever his plan, it would be deadly for those who gave chase.

 

Shortly after the adjourning of the meeting, the Sins started to divide themselves into groups, ostensibly to gather supplies for the trip, but more likely to drink themselves into a stupor based on Rock’s and Alura’s habitual binge drinking. This meant that it would come down to him and Lavinia to ensure that the group would not starve halfway to their objective.

 

“...Lavinia...We ought to go gather supplies...The others will likely return with nothing but hangovers…”

 

With that, the golem carried Elysium out of the chambers, lightly rattling the scrolls and papers on the High Chancellor’s desk with its bulk. As the golem passed Knight Lullaby, Elysium took the opportunity to inspire a foundation of a nightmare within her mind.

 

“...Be wary...This thing...will be visiting you soon…”

 

[Yui]

---

They were here. The Seven... no, Six... Five? Deadly Sins. Alabaster was missing yes, but Corra had only seen him once or twice before he went missing. Maybe he was just a shut-in? On the other hand, Alura, the Sin of Envy...
 
"Sorry everyone! I didn't have time for an elevator! Did I miss anything yet?"
 
Oh, there she was. With all seven six of the Sins assembled, Damian explained their mission here.
 
"As you might not have heard by now, the Lion Sin of Pride has been missing from Eden for a period of over a month. The reason we have you labeled as Sins is not because you're any better than our Royal Echelon, it's so that we may keep an eye on your whereabouts. You're also assets for the protection of Eden, and it's citizens. However, if you show any signs of hostility towards the City, or the Holy Order in any way, you will be disposed of, just like the monsters who attack us on a regular basis. That being said, we have doubts that the Sin of Pride will stay loyal to our Order, and therefore have labeled him a rogue."
 
Oh no. A rogue Sin? However, it seemed that the Order was able to guess where about he was by his trajectory and some other things. Wait. Does that mean... So busy was Corra processing the chance that this meant actually being able to leave Eden for once, that she didn't even notice the High Chancellor's comments about death and dying. It was his comment about traveling equipment that not only snapped Corra back to reality, but confirmed her suspicions! She was leaving Eden!
 
"The Holy Order shall make arrangements for your travelling equipment to be paid for in full. We can spare you some Travelling Llamas, upon request. But if they die, you shall pay for them in full.  You're dismissed."
 
"Wait!" Corra exclaimed, hand in the air after the exchange between Damian and Alura. "Before we go, I'd like to ask why the animal for the Sin of Lust is a goat, and propose changing it."
 
"Goats refuse to listen to order...they are obstinate and fowl creatures.  They have no desire to control their impulses, and behave on them as if there were no laws against it.  That is why they fall under the personification of Lust."
 
"Hey now, I've met plenty of well-behaved goats before! And when you put it that way being compared to one isn't that great... anyway! I'd like to propose changing the animal for lust to a rabbit!"
 
"Denied."

 

"Hmph." The Goat's Sin of Lust she was then, and the Goat's Sin she would remain. But then...
 
"Hey, you look familiar...but you look a little too young to be a sin." Did Alura not recognize her? Odd. "You're comin' with me! Hey, we're gonna get food for the road! The resta' you split in to pairs and find some travel gear...we're in it for the long haul."
 
As Corra followed behind the ogre, stoked that this was finally the time to see outside of Eden, she said as she and Alura left, "We met in jail once. You even suggested I join the Order in the first place! Did you forget or something?"

---

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

The road to the capitol was a rather long and dull one, and Lavinia spent all of it on Bright's shoulders, her arms crossed beneath her chest, holding back the urge to say "Onward, noble steed!" while pointing waywards. As she neared the capitol building, she noticed that townsfolk would avoid them, and whisper amongst themselves, it did not occur to the elf at all that what she's doing with the young knight is a rather unsavory act. To her, she was only doing what felt right; a display of her superior might and intellect. Upon arriving at the building, Lavinia once again used her magic to force Bright to kneel down, before stepping off of him, not forgetting to use his head as steps, of course. With a stride that exuded confidence, the mage entered the meeting room, where she would be greeted by the others in her group, the rest of the Sins.

 

In that room, she saw the figure of a man whose presence alone made her blood boil, the stench and aura of an absolutely despicable being; a symbol of authority that Lavinia has long resented since her forced exile of the mage order - High Chancellor Damian. It didn't help that he was a shady personality, who would withhold information from her and the other sins, like with the letter he sent earlier. Needless to say, though she seemed to put an air of indifference and confidence, she was on edge, Kingsblade ready to strike if he said or did something she disagreed with. 

 

"As you might not have heard by now, the Lion Sin of Pride has been missing from Eden for a period of over a month." Lavinia raised an eyebrow at the news, seemingly surprised at the turn of events. "The reason we have you labeled as Sins is not because you're any better than our Royal Echelon, it's so that we may keep an eye on your whereabouts.  You're also assets for the protection of Eden, and it's citizens.  However, if you show any signs of hostility towards the City, or the Holy Order in any way, you will be disposed of, just like the monsters who attack us on a regular basis."  Hearing Damian's bile, Lavinia gritted her teeth, holding back her urge to unleash a storm of spells. "That being said, we have doubts that the Sin of Pride will stay loyal to our Order, and therefore have labeled him a rogue."  

 

Still... To hear Alabaster disappear was a surprise for her. The Sin of Pride, the strongest among her peers was one of the few whose strengths and skills Lavinia acknowledged. It's not even a far cry to say she respected him, to a degree. For him to disappear was something that came out of left field, but it meant the elf was in the mission without even having to hear the rest of Damien's disgusting spiel. Perhaps it was desire to see someone she respected return, or the chance to steal his abilities and store them in the Kingsblade, either way, Lavinia paid little to no attention to Damien's thorny words.

 

"Suicide mission he says... Who the hell does he think he's addressing? I'm The Great Lavinia. Nobody's dying here, you snake."

 

With court dismissed, Rock suddenly addressed her, going on a tangent about how awful Damien is, with his usual jovial tone. "Yes... Certainly, he has reason to despise us." She replied, her tone cold and disdainful, crossing her arms once again. "The more he hates us, the more I want to show him our worth. My worth." The elf gritted her teeth as she finished her words, her serious, brooding voice a stark contrast to her partner's playfulness. Before she could add anything though, she found herself escorted out of the room along with the others. 

 

Before fully leaving, the mage paused by the door, and turned around, facing Damien as her crimson-dyed eyes burning a hole through his soul. "Watch me." She boldly proclaimed, as she clenched her fist and stood her ground, a swirl of mana surrounding her. Having let out the proverbial tip of the iceberg, she followed her comrades out of the room, back to Eden.

 

 

As the group strolled through town, Lavinia stayed at the back of the pack, arms crossed with an unpleasant expression on her face, radiating an aura of "Don't talk to me." as per usual. 

 

"-if she wishes, Shortie can come join us too," He looked over to the giant ice golem. "I'd invite Dreamer Boy, but he doesn't do parties. Or booze."

 

"A party... How fitting of you, you damn Meatslab." Not taking kindly to having her 'private time' interrupted by conversation, Lavinia responded in kind with a nickname of her own. "In any case," She paused, running her fingers through her hair and closing her eyes. "Alcohol is good for calming the nerves. I shall accept your invitation, provided my schedule allows for it." That was a lie of course, her schedule is more than free enough, and she only said that to make herself seem more busy than she actually was. 

 

As Rock took off with Alistar, she found herself left with Elysium, the ogre and Corra already departing on their own earlier. 

 

“...Lavinia...We ought to go gather supplies...The others will likely return with nothing but hangovers…”

 

Elysium called out to her. As usual, his voice rather unpleasant to listen to, like a dangerous sleep-inducing spell. Still, he had a point. Venturing out of Eden would call for supplies, and the other four were most definitely not going to gather them. 

 

"How rare of you to address me directly." She paused, shifting her gaze upwards to meet this eerie-looking coworker of hers, cradled on his golem as usual. "Very well, leave it to me to help you gather supplies. Those kids can't be trusted with doing anything responsible after all." Crossing her arms once again, she would lean forward, standing on her tiptoes to push her small frame as close to Elysium as she possibly could.

 

"But. Be Fore. That. Can't you do something about your familiar? It hurts my neck having to look up to talk to you all the time."

[King K. Azo]

Rock was laughing the whole time to his house, pausing to wave and drunkenly greet everyone they passed by, all the while dragging Alistar by his arm. He only lowered his volume when they neared the outskirts of town, where everything was just a little more run down and the people seemed a little worse off. He still greeted those they passed by, but he seemed to have started to get a little more serious as they walked through the slums of the city. 

 

They eventually got to his home, a small, rundown shack of a building. “Oy, Mumbo, weeeeeeee’re heeeeere,” Rock stated in his drunken tone as he walked inside. The inside wasn’t much better. It was organized, yes, but it almost felt like the place would fall apart with the slightest gust of wind. 

 

“Oh. . . what a nice. . . home? How long have you lived here Rock? And when was this place. . . last updated?” Asked Alistar as he was taking the ‘aroma’ of what smelt like that disgusting ale from this morning. Rock cupped his chin in thought. 

 

“Leeeeet’s see… Left the school at 15… I’m 24… 24… um…,” He kept thinking before snapping his fingers. “I’ve lived here nine years… and houses can be updated? Say whaaaaaaaaaaaat?” he rubbed his head. “Well… I guess this place is a bit of a fixer upper… but I don’t think it’s very fair that I get the nice house and everyone else gotta live in well… this,” He shook his head. “Anyways, booze is in the kitchen, check all the cabinets… like… all of them,” he said as he pointed to the room on the right. “I’ll get… get my armor, right? And some bags… be right back…,” He headed to the very back, closing the door behind him.

 

Alistar looked around the room a bit more as he proceeded where he said the kitchen is, but only to see a lookalike room from the entry, only with cabinets. Upon opening the first cabinet a few empty bottles fell out and a few bugs crawling out. Disgusting. . . Opening his satchel, he put on a pair of gloves and proceeded to dig through the cabinets and grabbing all the unopened bottles. Some bottles were ranging from expensive ale to repulsive booze like RatTail, however, there was more empty than full, except for 2 cabinets that were loaded. “Well, let’s see. . . If I am correct with Alura’s habitual drinking, we shouldn’t bring all of this. So. . .” Alistar started to grab bottles and putting them back into the cabinets while stuffing empty ones in front, leaving only a dozen bottle for Rock. “Hey Rock, I found some of your booze, I only found 12 bottles.”

 

“Did you get all of them?” Rock yelled from the back, a crashing noise being heard as the man cursed a bit. “Alura’s there, after all, and I gotta drink her under da table!”

 

“There were more empty bottles than full and I grab all the full ones, and besides, I am 90 percent certain that Alura is going to bring her own stash as well so let’s just leave with what we have. I need to buy some medical supplies and grab some herbs from the pond.”

 

“You act like that’s enough for all of us, Mumbo! You’re a smart math type. Alura and I will probably drink one stash ourselves,” Rock commented as he opened his door, dressed in his full armor, and carrying a large travel pack in his hands. “But, fine, I guess I could leave some behind to make room for bedding and pans…,” 

 

“Well. . . you got a dozen bottles, and we should at least learn to save our supplies instead of drinking it all in one go.” Alistar started to grab the bottles and handing them to Rock. “I personally don’t want to go on this journey hungry, we must be thrifty, that is a strength all on its own.”

 

“I guess you have a point, Mumbo. Doesn't mean I gotta like it,” Rock muttered as he filled the bag full of the drinks. “By the way, do you mind grabbing some pans out of the cabinets? I swear those are clean at least,”

 

“Yep, I sure can,” Alistar didn’t recall any pans, probably slipped his view when searching for Rock’s booze, however, he did want to get going. Alistar touched each cabinet as they went transparent so that they can get a view inside until he saw the pans, in which he reached on the sides and grabbed them from the place. “Alright Rock, let’s get going,” declared Alistar as he began to push his way out of the house. 

 

“Right, right,” Rock muttered as he headed outside. He looked around before bellowing into the streets. “OKAY FOLKS, ROCK’S GOING ON A MISSION, SO THE HOUSE IS FREE GAME. JUST CLEAN UP YOUR MESSES BEFORE I GET BACK, ALRIGHT?” He then slung the travel pack over his back and gave Alistar a thumbs up. “Lead the way, Mumbo,”

[Mr. Hyde]

 

Damian watched with disgust, as the sins left his chambers.  Were they harboring any sort of ill will towards him, just because they were being sent to die?  The idea made him sick.  He clasped his hands together and commanded his knights.

 

"Adrian...Reagan...Bright...keep an eye on them.  If you find them lacking...deal with them."

 

The three knights bowed, and hurried off to chase after the dispersing sins.  Reagan and Adrian, both with a rather pleased look on their faces, split up to watch over their respective groups.  Bright, on the other hand, merely shrugged as he watched the other two fly. 

 

"I'm gonna have to arrest somebody today, aren't I?"   

 

 

 

"We met in jail once. You even suggested I join the Order in the first place! Did you forget or something?"

 

Alura scratched her head for sometime, as if she was trying to breach her skull to dig out the memory with her bare hands.  Was there such a pipsqueak who she would even recommend into the Holy Order?  The place was a sheet hole...had she beat her up or something?  That could be the only explanation!  But at the same time....there was no way this girl could beat her in a one on one...there was only one way to find out.  She stepped in front of the girl, and placed her fists on her hips.  

 

"Yeah.  I forgot!  BAHAHAHAHA!"  She then tapped her cheek, in a provocative manner.  "So why don't you jog my memory a bit?  Go on and hit me with everything you got, right here."  They had wandered to a rather deserted street on their way to the market.  It was the perfect place to figuratively let loose...not that Alura would retaliate.  Well..she didn't think she'd have to at least.  "Come on!  Hit me!  Hit me!"  She was practically begging for it at this point, like a child in need of discipline.  

 

 

 

Adrian looked on the two Sins as they entered Rock's house.  This mission would be a lost cause with that man in the group...if only Damian had sent the knights instead.  
 

"Wait..."  Adrian said aloud, "If I can prove to High Chancellor Damian that we Holy Knights are superior, he will surely grant us the opportunity to become those of the Round!  Expendable members of course, but members nonetheless!  And then we could find and defeat Pride ourselves!  BRILLIANT!"  He yelled in the street, prompting those around him to give him weird stares as they idled by.  As Rock and Alistar headed into the street, Adrian met them with a gaze of madness.  "Rock...Pride of Wrath...you made a mockery of me earlier.  I shall not forgive you."  He said, as he placed a hand on his sword.  "I challenge you to two on one combat...so I may see for myself if you are truly worthy of going on this mission." 

 

 

 

Unlike Adrian, Reagan watched both Lavinia and Elysium from a fair distance away, deciding to curse at them under her breath instead of outright butting heads with them.  But if they stirred trouble, she would surely act with swiftness.  

 

"bastards..."  She sneered at them.  

[Otaku-sama]

"How rare of you to address me directly." 

 

Elysium sat up within his bundle, eyes still closed, and considered Lavinia’s pointed remark before replying. Indeed, it was strange for him to address one of his fellow Sins directly, as he would rather address them through their dreams, where he could more easily sway them. Stranger still was it for him to appear before both the Sins and the Order in the flesh, where normal business was mainly conducted through a chain of messengers, distorting the message enough for Elysium to evade performing his duties as intended.

 

“...It is rare indeed, Lavinia...Rarer still is it for a Sin to escape bondage from the Order...Strange times demand strange actions...Do they not...?”

 

Finishing his response in his characteristic fashion, he scanned the area, noticing that one of the knights had began to follow them, as well as all the Sins save Lavinia had already started their quest for hard drink and the many physical indulgences Eden had to offer. He could not blame them for this. After all, the wilderness beyond the city walls was anything but comfortable. Nonetheless, he was disappointed in the wisdom of his companions. The irony that the Sin of Sloth was required to perform the necessary preparations for survival was not lost on him, nor would it be lost on the other Sins once the alcohol has passed.

 

"Very well, leave it to me to help you gather supplies. Those kids can't be trusted with doing anything responsible after all."

 

“Good...It is good that at least one of us is able to interact with the commoners...They clearly do not enjoy the presence of my good friend Frosty…” Elysium responded as the avenue they walked along cleared itself of shoppers, save for the despondent merchants who suddenly lost their customers.

 

"But. Before. That. Can't you do something about your familiar? It hurts my neck having to look up to talk to you all the time."

 

Elysium and his golem both craned their necks (or what could be considered a neck) towards the ground at Lavinia, with Elysium hardly holding back a smug grin. Lavinia was clearly the fiercest of the Sins, but that roiling ferocity and indignant anger was contained within the smallest body. While Elysium knew to respect the power of his comrade, he was not above such slight mockery.

 

“...Very well...I suppose we will need your neck in full condition for the trials ahead…”

 

Elysium cracked his eyes open to get a better view of the street before him. Much to his relief, the sun had begun its descent beneath the horizon, plunging the lane into light shadow. The shadows were broken by the light of lanterns upon their iron posts, the merchants’ brass oil lamps burning exotic oils, and the hearthfires that peeked out of the gaps of shutters on the many households along the cobblestone pathway. The bakers began to prepare for the evening customers, filling the air with the intoxicating aroma of melted cheese and fresh bread. The merchants, refusing to let the sudden appearance of an ice monster stop their business, started up their clarion calls again, offering spices, jewels and other luxuries at the most affordable of prices. While Elysium hated wakefulness, even he had to admit that Eden in the evening was quite lovely. He knew he would miss scenes like this when he embarked on his journey.

 

Elysium and his golem approached the stall of what appeared to be a wheelwright, who displayed wooden wheels and metal fittings of various sizes and styles alongside what appeared to be a covered wagon. The shopkeeper was startled by the patronage of the ice golem, but his expression changed from shock to irritation as the golem lowered Elysium to the ground for a closer inspection of the wagon.

 

“You’d better not break anything! You may be a hotshot Sin, but I’ve got the backing of the law and the Holy Order behind that!” warned the balding, middle aged craftsman, wagging his finger as his bushy mustache bristled as if to accentuate his warning. 

 

Elysium ignored these warnings, rubbing his hands along the wooden siding and sizing up the interior. It certainly was no royal litter, but it had plenty of space for supplies, equipment, and more importantly, bedding. It certainly would make for an acceptable sleeping place for him until this trouble was all finished.

 

“...We will be taking this…”

 

“Yeah? You Sins get paid? That wagon took six months to make and I’d better get my due.”

 

“...My assets are in the hands of Professor Drakkar at the University. You may seek appropriate payment from him…”

 

Without another word, Elysium was lifted into the back of the wagon by the golem, which then began dragging the wagon down the street. The shopkeeper puffed up his chest, as if to shout in protest, but then deflated as he checked himself. He knew it would be more trouble to get in the way of a Sin that was set on taking something and settled on collecting the next day. Elysium lifted a small gap underneath the canvas covering of wagon, now only a foot higher than Lavinia. Elysium poked his head out briefly address Lavinia before moving back inside.

 

“...Better…?”

 

Elysium closed his eyes and scanned his surroundings in his mind’s eye again. Among the slowly returning crowd of shoppers was that knight again. It was that knight that apparently could not decide between becoming a member of the Holy Order or a woman of the night and decided to be the worst of both.

 

“...Check yourself...We are being watched...More closely this time…”

 

[King K. Azo]

Rock grinned to himself as he watched some kids running into his house. He did take everything that could be dangerous to them with him... maybe. Anyways, they had a warmer place to stay while he was gone, and that was fine by him. He turned to follow Mumbo, when the one from earlier appeared in front of them, looking battle hungry. Good, because Rock was battle starved.  

 

"Rock...Pride of Wrath...you made a mockery of me earlier.  I shall not forgive you."  He said, as he placed a hand on his sword.  "I challenge you to two on one combat...so I may see for myself if you are truly worthy of going on this mission." 

 

"Heheh, you want this mission so badly um...," Rock paused, thinking to himself. What was his name again? Adrian? No, that wasn't it... Air Head? Arada Mada? No... "Tab... Tab, Tab, Tab, Tabby, Tab," Rock had pinned it down by mumbling it to himself. "Alright Tab, if it's a two on one you got, that's what you'll get!" He then turn and slapped Alistar heartily on the back. "Well, you heard him, Mumbo. He can't beat me on his own and he needs your help. Get over there so we can start this two on one," 

 

He then launched himself back, away from the two of them and slipped into his stance, hunching over slightly as he placed his left foot forward as he held his fists up in front of him, bouncing energetically and swaying his upper body some. "Come at me from whatever direction you'd like!"

[scooterulez]

"Rock… Pride of Wrath… you made a mockery of me earlier.  I shall not forgive you. I challenge you to two on one combat… so I may see for myself if you are truly worthy of going on this mission."

 

As if the universe plans a mockery on Alistar’s wellbeing, from almost having an episode with his nameless escort, being dragged to the lowest neighborhoods in Eden and then to this knight that stood before them to redeem himself of wanting to go on this death mission. It was best for them to not get into a brawl, at least for Alistar’s sanity. “Look, good sir, I understand that you wish to journey forth on this mission of ours, however, we must decline your-”

 

"Alright Tab, if it's a two on one you got, that's what you'll get!"

 

What?! A slap on his back caught Alistar off guard as it knocked the wind out of him and made him lose balance for a second.

 

"Well, you heard him, Mumbo. He can't beat me on his own and he needs your help. Get over there so we can start this two on one," Rock launched himself away from Alistar as he yelled back. "Come at me from whatever direction you'd like!"

 

Alistar rubbed the bridge of his nose lifting up his glasses as he gave Rock look of disappointment and annoyance. However, his arm began to tremble as he quickly took a deep breath to gain some composure back; these little tremors were happening too much today, best to leave as soon as possible. “First off Rock, I am pretty sure he wants to take both of us on, not me and him against you. Second, we are not going to fight in this neighborhood of yours without destroying it in the process. And third, we shouldn’t delay this mission any longer than it should just for a knight to prove himself in a mission he wasn’t asked to do.” He walked over to Rock as he mumbled to himself, thinking that the day might get worse from here on out if they don’t get out of Eden soon. Turning back to the knight, “Well, I’m sorry sir knight, but we best be on our way, we have a long journey ahead of us and we are still needing to get supplies. Maybe another time.” Alistar gripped Rock’s shoulder as he started to pull him away towards his herb spot nearby.

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

Lavinia's ears perked up at her comrade's snide remark, she could tell she's being teased for her height, or lack thereof. Still, picking fights with him before a mission would not only be a waste of time, but also a waste of mana. She simply expressed her frustrations by pouting and channeling Kingsblade's overflowing magical energy to her hands, causing a swirl of blue mana to flow out, in a display of strength. With that issue done and deal with, she began scanning the nearby area for things that would be needed on a long journey. The town's marketplace is an area filled to the brim with vendors and sellers of various wares and services. Whatever it is they needed, she would probably find it there. 

 

Before realizing it, Lavinia and Elysium parted ways, each looking for something to buy in the marketplace. Unlike Elysium who immediately set his sights on something, Lavinia spent a bit more time gauging her options. Potions and so on were probably important, but she had more than enough confidence in her skills and mana reserves that she decided they weren't worth it. All the Sins had their own equipment and gear, so that was also irrelevant. Same with other more luxurious items on offer, such as jewels, spices and whatnot. Though she disliked the rowdiness and loudness of the marketplace, she did find it somewhat enjoyable to have commoners move out of her way as she made her way around the stalls. 

 

It felt nice to have her power recognized, she thought.

 

Not much later, she found something relevant to her and the group. A shop selling various items, curios, and trinkets. It looked shady. And felt shady, too. The stall was ran by an mustachioed man, looking ready to swindle less experienced adventurers and townsfolk out of their money. It was dimly lit, so one couldn't see the items he were selling properly. Not to mention, all the inventory was displayed without any organization, making it easy to get lost trying to find more relevant items. All tricks that would help the man grab a quick buck selling junk to newbies.

 

And to a certain overconfident elf.

 

Lavinia walked into the store, hands on her hip, displaying an aura of confidence as she scanned the shop. Though it was dark, she could still make out some of the items for sale, and she decided it was interesting enough to take a second look at.

 

"Welcome, welcome young miss! How may I help you, esteemed customer?" The vendor stood up from his seat behind the counter, and started spouting the same line he uses the lure almost everyone who comes in the shop, a fake tone of excitement and pleasantry. 

 

"It's a bit dark in here." She remarked in a cold voice, barely paying attention to the vendor's words, as she was busy scanning the stacked shelves full of trinkets. Before the owner could do anything about the lights, Lavinia cut him off by raising her left arm and casting a fire-based spell, creating a torch out of magical flame atop her palm, keeping the flame small enough to keep it from burning down the wooden stall.

 

With the items now in plain sight, Lavinia had her attention taken by a rather innocuous-looking object. It looked like a compass, but had way more gears and moving parts to be an ordinary compass. Whatever it was, it seemed like a very important object. 

 

"My my, to be in a place like this..." The elf reached out and took the compass in her right hand, analyzing its crafty metalwork and construction with sparkle in her eyes.

 

"Ahh, excellent eye miss! That compass is actually-" 

 

"A Witching Compass. Correct." 

 

"...?" 

 

Before the man could finish his swindling ways, Lavinia interrupted him, seemingly filling in his bullshit on her own, while he looked completely befuddled as to what was going on. The mage would then channel her mana into the object, causing the various gears and dials to spin rapidly, a swirl of magical energy jetting out and wrapping around the compass, before eventually settling, all its directions pointed towards the source of energy, Lavinia herself.

 

"An old artifact built by dwarves... It was used in the old wars to weed out our hiding spots and predict our movement. For it to wind up in a human settlement, it seems Eden's merchants are more impressive than I thought." 

 

The girl rambled on and on for what felt like ages, explaining its history and various mechanisms, all of which were apparently laid out in one of the grimoires back at the Royal Institute. As all this went on, the man simply kept his best fake smile, trying his very best to not laugh out at the girl's stupidity.

 

"I'll take it off your hands. This doesn't belong to you, after all."

 

"Of course, miss. That'll be..." 

 

"Give my bill to the Order." Using her left hand, she would draw her Kingsblade and point it square at the vendor's throat, her attention still focused on the "Witching Compass" in her hand. With a crystalline sword emanating magical energy at his throat, the man finally realized who he was dealing with; The Fox Sin of Greed of the Seven Sins, Lavinia. He could simply sigh and put his hands up, not wanting to draw conflict with a group of such fearsome reputation. "Oh and for that matter, I'll be taking these too." 

 

Lavinia left the shop with some pillows, blankets, and a witching compass that would apparently point to sources of magical energy, an object that would be very useful at finding Alabaster's location, if it were the real deal. What she picked up was but a cheap imitation, and though it responded to magical energy, it is nowhere near as fine-tuned and sensitive as the real artifact. Still, it was a compass, and one that resonated with very strong sources of magical energy, such as the Kingsblade, or another of the Sins, so it should prove useful regardless.

 

----

 

“...Better…?”

 

"That supposed to be a joke, smartass?" The two rendezvoused at the wooden cart Elysium had bought for the group. Her response was more thorny than before, simply glancing a look at him as she set her purchases in the cart, the compass, pillows and blankets for the long haul. With all her stuff safely in the wagon, she took a step out, leaning against it with her arms crossed while surveying the area.

 

“...Check yourself...We are being watched...More closely this time…”

 

"That snake took my words literally, didn't he?" She uncrossed her arms, gathering magical energy to her right arm to the point a faint yellowish glow was visible on her palm. "Shall we strike first?" She asked Elysium, while her focus remained on the silver-haired knight of the Order, ready to summon a bolt of lightning to smite her.

[Yui]

---

"Yeah. I forgot! BAHAHAHAHA!"

 

Well, I guess you WERE drunk.

 

"So why don't you jog my memory a bit? Go on and hit me with everything you got, right here."

 

"It was like--"

 

"Come on! Hit me! Hit me!"

 

"...huh?" Alura wanted Corra to actually hit her? Here she'd thought the ogre meant to simply hit her with information on what had happened that day, but apparently not. Even if Corra tried to refuse, there wasn't much saying no to someone who dwarfed you quite like Alura did, let alone someone like the Sin of Envy specifically. With a defeated sigh, Corra took a few steps back, holding up Plethora and making it take the form of a mace. She set the weapon down on the floor, before saying "Let's see... you were in a fit of drunken rage and the guards weren't trying to stop you. So I... took the mace one of them dropped, and while you were busy focusing on the guards, I just kind of..." Corra ran directly at the ogre, moving just past her before swinging the mace - not holding anything back - at the back of the ogre's head. It didn't knock her out when the two had first met, so surely it wouldn't do so this time either.

 

"Like that. Then you picked me up with one hand and said something like 'bahaha, you've got guts' and then..."

 

What did happen after that?

 

"I forget what happened next."

---

[Mr. Hyde]

 

Alura watched with anticipation, as the tiny girl drew her ace weapon!  The Sacred Treasure that had just been recovered, Plethora.  It took the shape of some shining mace, prompting Alura to gawk at it in confusion, but attuned with amazement.  

 

"Let's see... you were in a fit of drunken rage and the guards weren't trying to stop you. So I... took the mace one of them dropped, and while you were busy focusing on the guards, I just kind of..."

 

The girl had run past her, conking her in the back of the noggin with full force.  Alura's head naturally shot forward, and straight into the concrete, causing the streets to shake.  Alura's face had been planted straight into a hole in the road.  A muffling could be heard coming from the hole, but nothing particularly audible.  

 

"Like that. Then you picked me up with one hand and said something like 'bahaha, you've got guts' and then...I forget what happened next."

 

Alura's limp body had sprung back to life, placing her hands on the street with enough force to pop her head out of the brick.  

 

"Bahahaha!  With a blow like that, I wouldn't remember either!"  Alura patted Corra's head with amusement.  "You're strong for your stature!  I really like people like that!  No wonder I recommended you so fiercely.  Usually no one listens to a monster like me, but when they learned you knocked me out, I'm sure it was in their best interest!"  So they made her a Sin to keep her specifically in check?  Interesting.  "Although, you won't be able to knock me out again with your current self, again!  I was really drunk last time, so don't go gettin' a big head! BAHAHAHA!"  Alura slapped her knee, as she started walking back towards the more public areas of Eden.  "Well then, tell me more about ya.  This time, I'm sober enough to remember!"  

 

 

 

"Heheh, you want this mission so badly um..., Alright Tab, if it's a two on one you got, that's what you'll get!  Well, you heard him, Mumbo. He can't beat me on his own and he needs your help. Get over there so we can start this two on one.  Come at me from whatever direction you'd like!"

 

Adrian's eyelid twitched.  He was about to correct this imbecile when the heretic did it for him.  

 

“First off Rock, I am pretty sure he wants to take both of us on, not me and him against you. Second, we are not going to fight in this neighborhood of yours without destroying it in the process. And third, we shouldn’t delay this mission any longer than it should just for a knight to prove himself in a mission he wasn’t asked to do.”

 

"Why you..."  Adrian groaned, with all his facial features contorting out of pure anger.  

 

“Well, I’m sorry sir knight, but we best be on our way, we have a long journey ahead of us and we are still needing to get supplies. Maybe another time.”

 

"I'm not letting you off that easily!"  Adrian shouted, swiping his sword through the air between the three of them.  As the swing ended, the space between the Holy Knight and the Sins shortened, and they were both in range of his sword.  "It's as simple as explaining to the Order that you are responsible for how this goes...and with you put away, we'll be sent in your stead!  But the guards won't get the chance to arrest you, because they'll have to call the coroner instead!"  Adrian cackled as he swung his large katana in a horizontal slash at the two of them.  

 

 

 

Reagan watched as the High Elf's attention directed straight towards her.  A slight, tingling chill ran from her retinas all the way to her spine, as she could feel the Sin's raw power from where she stood.  But she lived for this feeling...the feeling of making eye contact with someone truly worthy of a fight.  She didn't get the feeling from the other Sin.  She could only smirk at Lavinia's blood lust.  Those two wouldn't be able to hear her over the crowd, and she definitely didn't feel like straining her throat just to state the obvious.  She raised an eyebrow, and threw up her arm, motioning for the two of them to come at her.  

 

"You dimwits.  If you wanna fight so bad, then come get it.  I was just sent to keep an eye on you."  But she'd be glad with the fight, rather than the latter outcome.  Hopefully too many civilians wouldn't die in the process.  

[scooterulez]

As Adrian swung his blade at both of them from their right, it stopped was stopped by a barrier that Alistar set up before Adrian attacked, knowing that he wasn’t going to let them go off the hook. However, the space between the blade and his barrier began to warp in a way that the blade began to slice through as Adrian yelled out "YOU THINK A MISERABLE WALL WILL PROTECT YOU?!" Suddenly, his attack stopped with inches away from striking Alistar and Rock as bright chains surround Adrian stopping his momentum

 

“No, but making you immovable might.” A second of delay would have been fatal, but Alistar's sacred treasure should do the trick.

 

"What?!"  Adrian shouted as the chains appeared around his body.  For a moment, he wobbled about clumsily but regained his balance shortly after.  "Cheap Trick. As expected of a Sin." He groaned. He took a deep breath, and sucked in his stomach, allowing him enough wiggle room to throw his sword into the air.  He soon followed, jumping horizontally in a way that his sword would slice through vital parts of the chain.

 

“Ok, cheap trick, as expect from a holy knight!"

"Now to be rid of you!"  With a few consecutive slices through the air, Alistar would find himself close enough to Adrian to spit on him.  "I'll cut you down, Sinner!" He cried, before letting loose another swing.

Alistar’s heart started to race as he quickly put his left arm up, but Rock dashed forward, his body a blur as he clenched his fist, throwing it into Adrian’s cheek. “Oy, oy, you’re the one that said it two versus one, so don’t forget the other person in this fight!”

[King K. Azo]

 

"Rock." Adrian grunts, as the force of the punch sent him back a bit. "That sniveling sin is in my way. You're the one I really want." The knight grinned, as he traced the edge of his blade. "You might be strong, but my Magic Ability is far superior!"

 

"Well, if you want me, here I am," Rock said, grinning under his helmet. "You didn't have to drag Mumbo into this, ya know. I'd gladly take you one on one," Rock took his stance, clenching his fists. "If you're so sure of your Ability, then let's see it!"

 

"Taking out not one, but two sins, is all part of the plan!" He said, as he charged Rock with his blade barely sweeping the ground. The very earth beneath it vanished from view. "DIE!" Adrian shouted, swinging his blade up from the ground, and towards Rock's abdomen in a slanted slashing motion.

 

Rock's eyes narrowed as he watched the blade. He thought about taking it head on, but decided that was a bad idea. He took a deep breath, watching and waiting. As the blade went up, Rock dashed back, moving his whole body to avoid the blade. He heard it whistling by as he let out a cry of "Raging... STORM!" His armor suddenly began to glow with power, and he dashed forward, aiming a huge, heated punch into Adrian's gut.

 

Adrian smirked, as the blade missed its mark. The Sin closed in as the sword's path through the air had been highlighted in some strange white light, as if it had traced the very air itself with colors. Coming from the white light, however, were chunks of the road that had been ripped up earlier, and even some parts of Alistar's chain and barrier. Rock stopped his attack as he watched the rubble fly at him. With a grunt, he swatted a few away that was coming at him, and dodged the larger pieces.

 

"Some sort of teleportation magic?" Rock muttered. "That's really tricky, you know? Kinda cool though,"

 

"Teleportation? One would only hope it's that simple...but if it helps your reasoning," In two swift motions, Adrian struck through the air, pulling Rock in with the first swing, and slashing at him again as if he were about to crack open his skull, "Then allow me to teleport your two halves to your friends!"

 

Rock was surprised as he was pulled over to Adrian. So it wasn't teleportation. Some sort of space manipulation had to be in play though... he wished he knew more about magic sometimes. Still, there was a bit of a mistake made on Adrian's part, at least, Rock saw it that way. He lowered himself as he was pulled over, popping up to hit Adrian with an uppercut, hoping to hit him before he was hit.

[Otaku-sama]

The shift in the evening crowds around the lady knight was imperceptible for most, but to Elysium, it as if one threw a stone into a mountain stream. The commoners of Eden knew to give the agents of the Holy Order a wide berth, lest they invite their wrath. The souls of the commoners were little but small grey clouds to Elysium, their humanoid shapes blurring and shifting, while the soul of the knight glowed a bright pink, her outline clear and true as she issued her challenge. As much as he held contempt for the Knights, he had to recognize that each one of them was formidable.

 

"Shall we strike first?"

 

Lavinia, always ready to prove herself, had already begun reading a lightning spell, her blue soul pulsing with the mana it harnessed. Clearly, asking for his input was merely a formality and a fight was imminent. While expending energy before their task had begun was not what Elysium hoped would happen, perhaps making the Knights look a little more unreliable would be to his favor.

 

“...Stay your wrath...Allow me to make the first move…” Elysium whispered to Lavinia before directing his attention towards the knight.

 

“...So a lapdog presents itself...So eager to prove herself to her master...Come then... Face us monstrous Sins...Perhaps you will be able to save some of them…”

 

With a sinister laugh that echoed within the mind of the knight, Elysium commanded the golem to emit its chilling aura around it. A cloud of rime poured out, creeping across the ground and covering everything it touched with tiny white needles of frost. The rime enveloped nearby lamps, extinguishing the flames, shrouding the area around Elysium and Lavinia in cloudy darkness save for the crackling glow of Lavinia’s magic. 

 

The commoners, now fully aware of the danger they were in, all began to scatter in all directions away from the encroaching fog, fearing what may happen if it touched them. Even if there was no danger, one could not be too cautious in the face of a Sin.

 

“...A harmless diversion... I leave the rest to you…”

 

[Yui]

---

"Bahahaha! With a blow like that, I wouldn't remember either! You're strong for your stature! I really like people like that! No wonder I recommended you so fiercely. Usually no one listens to a monster like me, but when they learned you knocked me out, I'm sure it was in their best interest!"

 

That's kind of a sad way to put it.

 

"Although, you won't be able to knock me out again with your current self, again! I was really drunk last time, so don't go gettin' a big head! BAHAHAHA! Well then, tell me more about ya. This time, I'm sober enough to remember!" 

 

"Ah! My name is Corra Ridley, and I'm the Rab... Goat's Sin of Lust." Corra sounded none too happy with her sin's animal remaining a goat, judging by the tone with which she specified it as she followed Alura out into the more public parts of town. "My mother is a blacksmith, so I'm used to seeing all kinds of weapons, but I never really used any until that time I hit you with a mace. And I've ALWAYS wanted to see what's outside of Eden! So in a way, I'm really excited for this mission! Hopefully we can bring Alabaster back peacefully, since I saw him maybe twice ever before he left." She barely even knew the guy's name and which Sin he was. Did the others know him any better than Corra did? They all seemed like the types that would be content staying reclused away in their own little corners of Eden.

 

...well, except for Rock.

 

"What about you? Are you excited to leave Eden? I don't think we've ever seen each other since meeting until just now too, so what other stuff do you like doing besides drinking?"

---

[宇佐見 蓮子@C94]

As Lavinia readied herself for a fight by flashing a bloodthirsty grin, she cant help but feel rather impressed at her comrade's quick thinking to disperse the crowd around the battlefield. Though she doesn't particularly care for the lives of mere villagefolk and commoners, she would rather avoid the hassle of being a wanted criminal again, so she wanted to at the very least keep the casualties to a minimum. With the the area cleared and their position concealed behind the fog, Lavinia pulled up the sleeve of her right hand, as more and more magical power is channeled into it, causing an audible crackling sound that is only amplified by the dark, eerie mist surrounding the area. Her target remained crystal clear to her; the scantily-dressed knight sent to 'monitor' them.

 

"<O lord of storms, bequeath unto me, thy divine blessing of storm. Gather in this hand of mine, and let my wisdom be thy guide...!>" 

 

She started to chant in elvish, the yellowish light surrounding her palm becoming more and more visible, almost bright enough to be seen through the thick fog.

 

"Let's do this, you bastard! Lightning Bolt!!" 

She shouted at the top of her lung, pointing her open palm right at the knight, as the ground below the knight suddenly lit up with the same yellowish glow as her palm, emitting the same ominous crackling sound to all directions.

 

"Not done yet..." Before anything else could happen, she put her left arm up as well, now emanating a similar glow to her right palm, with both hands open, all of a sudden, what was one nexus of magic crackling below her enemy became three, all surrounding Damian's underling at a random position around her. 

 

"Behold the magic of the Great Lavinia! Chain Lightning!" 

 

With a loud "Ha!", the elf pulled both her hands down, a swift pulling motion as if pulling the sky itself down by her command.  a burst of magical power, a high-level magical spell further made powerful with the usage of Quicken, rained down from above, trapping the knight in three pillars of lightning bursting forth from the sky, almost all in a flash.