Leo's hand hovered cautiously over the circular stone that floated steadily in the air, its surface glowing faintly with a pale shimmer.
For a moment, nothing happened. Just eerie silence. Then, all of a sudden, the stone began to rotate slowly beneath his palm... its surface whirring gently before it paused with a soft click. A crack formed like a pie slice, and a segment of the stone detached, shifting outward until it lightly touched Leo's open hand.
Leo flinched with a sharp gasp, instinctively glancing at the others around him. They didn't seem alarmed. They were still, calm, watching silently as if they'd expected this exact moment.
"Arrgh!" Leo groaned as he abruptly reached up and scratched at his right shoulder. It burned with a strange, deep sensation that made him grit his teeth. "W-What the hell is happening to me?!"
"Relax," Jing muttered in a calm, detached tone, her arms crossed as she observed. "The bond between you and your Champion is simply beginning to reveal itself. Nothing to fear."
Suddenly, from beneath Leo's palm, a swirl of greenish-white smoke emerged, curling like mist around his fingers before converging into a sharp, distinct form. It shaped itself into the image of a sword with wings—elegant and ancient-looking—and etched itself onto the pie-slice-shaped piece of the stone.
The engraved piece slowly slid back into the main circular stone with a low hum, aligning itself perfectly.
Thud!
A heavy locking sound rang out, echoing across the chamber like a distant gong.
Immediately, the entire stone lit up with dozens of symbols, running around its surface in rapid succession—green, black, white—like code from some alien language spinning wildly, forming patterns all over the disk.
A cold, mechanical voice announced from the stone, cutting through the air with authority.
"S Rank?" Valra exclaimed, her voice rising slightly in disbelief. She turned toward Pride, eyes narrowing. A subtle but unmistakable flicker of jealousy danced across her expression.
Leo blinked, confused and still feeling the residual burn in his shoulder. "What's going on now?" he asked, but before anyone could answer—
The mechanical voice boomed again, and a powerful pulse of energy blasted outward from the stone. A ripple of translucent waves radiated from it, distorting the air like heat waves as it spread.
Leo instinctively stepped back, his balance faltering slightly from the impact, but Pride was quick. She stepped behind him and placed a firm hand on his back, pushing him forward.
The wave surged far beyond the chamber, spreading out across the land. Ordinary people felt nothing, oblivious to the shift in the world.
But seven specific individuals... they felt it.
Something inside them stirred.
Then—absolute silence.
"That's... it?" Leo asked after a pause, eyes scanning the still-hovering stone suspended in the air.
Jing gave a small nod. "Yes. Within four days, the Relic will fully reveal itself. Do your best to survive... and win the war," she said, bowing her head slightly.
Valra, without a word, turned to leave.
Leo blinked, then gave a respectful nod and bowed as well. "Thank you for your help, Ms. Jing."
Jing gave a faint smile. "I am Jing Lianxi. And here..." She extended her hand and offered a small pouch.
"What's this?" Leo asked as he opened it and peered inside. His eyes widened slightly at the soft glow. "Five red stones... and five green ones?"
"This is standard for all Masters," Jing explained. "The red stones are for restoring the environment. They can repair most moderate damage, but not complex or wide-scale destruction. And the green ones—they'll help you recover physically, heal injuries... though not the life-threatening kind."
Her tone remained cool, emotionless. She stepped back and added, "Good luck, Mr. Leo. Perhaps we shall meet again... if fate allows it."
Leo gave a small nod, then turned and followed Valra. Pride trailed behind him, but not before casting one final glance toward the ancient stone, her eyes narrowing in unreadable thought before she too turned away.
"Hey, wait for me!" Leo called out as he passed through the gates of the church. Just as he stepped outside, he froze. Valra had stopped walking. She was standing still, her gaze locked on something in the distance.
"..." Leo blinked, squinting his eyes in the fading light. 'Why are my eyes still blurry? What's wrong with my vision?' he wondered silently, straining to see. There was a shadowy figure further away... just out of clarity, yet unmistakably there.
Before he could make sense of it, something tugged at his sleeve.
Leo jerked slightly and turned... Standing beside him was a little girl.
She looked no older than seven. Her hair was a faded pink, tied into small twin tails. Her eyes shimmered the same color—pink, soft, and curious. Her expression was innocent, childlike, almost too perfect. She tilted her head, her tiny hands gently holding onto his sleeve.
"Hmm? A little girl?" Leo muttered.
"I'm a little hungry, Big Brother... can you feed me?" she asked sweetly, her voice soft and harmless.
"H-Hungry? Uh..." Leo's face twisted with uncertainty. He looked around awkwardly. "I don't have anything with me right now, kid. Even the stores are closed."
The girl slowly shook her head. "I don't need food..."
Her sweet face twisted into something else—something darker. Her lips curled, and in one blink, her innocent eyes gleamed with something feral.
"I need you~"
Her mouth opened wider than it should have. Two sharp fangs emerged as she lunged forward in a flash, her eyes locked on Leo's neck.
But before her teeth could reach—
"Get away from my Master!!"
Pride's voice rang out like a whip as she darted in with terrifying speed. Her wooden sword slashed through the air in a perfect arc, cutting the space between Leo and the girl.
The little girl sprang back instantly, her feet skidding across the ground as she narrowly avoided the blow. She landed gracefully and began dusting her clothes as if nothing had happened, an eerie elegance in her movements.
Leo stumbled back in shock. "What the hell was that?!" he shouted, his eyes darting between Pride and the strange girl as his heart raced wildly.
Pride stepped forward, her body shielding Leo, her gaze locked firmly on the girl.
"Hehe... Look at you, protecting your little Master~" the pink-haired girl giggled softly, her voice light and teasing, laced with amusement as she tilted her head.
Pride stepped forward, her eyes sharp and her stance unwavering. "State your name!" she demanded with a cold, commanding tone.
"My name? Oh well..." The girl's voice softened into a mock whisper, her smile wicked. "Dead men tell no tales, right?" she grinned sweetly—almost eerily—then stomped the ground.
In an instant, she vanished.
Leo's eyes widened. "W-Where did she go?" he muttered, blinking rapidly with a shocked expression. His brows furrowed as he rubbed his neck, "That girl... she felt weird. Like something was seriously off about her."
"I'm here... my little cattles~"
A voice echoed chillingly through the air.
Leo and Pride both snapped toward the sound, just as a shadow began to emerge from the darkness. Valra was already facing that direction, her eyes narrowed, her body tense.
From the shadows stepped a tall figure—his presence cold and suffocating.
A man, cloaked in black, his dull clothes ragged and worn. His hair was pitch black, long and loose, and his glowing red eyes pierced through the gloom like twin embers. Draped casually over his shoulder, perched with eerie comfort, was the same pink-haired little girl. She sat there like a queen on her throne, completely relaxed.
Pride growled under her breath, something primal and warning. Her eyes were fixed on the man. "Gluttony," she muttered with venom.
Leo blinked, confused. "Gluttony? How do you know that?"
Pride didn't take her eyes off the approaching figure. Her voice lowered, serious and sharp. "We can sense each other. Sins... are bound by the same Relic's thread."
Valra flipped her wavy hair with calculated grace, her eyes never leaving the two figures. "Well, well. Looks like we've made a new friend."
The little girl giggled again, her laughter echoing unnaturally. "Hehe~ Indeed... we're all going to be very close friends soon."
Valra's lips twitched with disdain. Silently, she reached out with her mind.
/Envy, I need you. Now./
Envy, who was currently at Leo's house, was crouched beside a magic circle carved into the ground. His fingers ran along the edges, analysing its formation.
/Understood. I'm on my way./
He vanished in a blink.
Meanwhile, back at the church's entrance—
Valra raised her voice. "So... you were the one tailing us?"
The little girl tilted her head again. This time, her smile sharpened. Her pink eyes gleamed like cut glass. "Tailing? Hmm?" Her tone darkened, her smile curving cruelly. "What are you? Hmph, doesn't matter." She waved her hand casually. "I didn't come here for small talk."
She turned her head toward the black-clad man. "Gluttony... It's time to fill your stomach~"
The man lifted his head slowly. A deep, unsettling grin spread across his pale face. His eyes glinted with hunger as his tongue slid out, licking along the edge of his lips.
"Yes, Master..." he whispered, his voice rough and full of anticipation.
Then—
Crack...
His neck jerked violently to the side.
Crack-crack.
His spine twisted unnaturally.
Crack-crack-crack!
His ribs bulged outward, splitting his shirt as the sound of tearing muscle filled the air. A thick, animalistic growl escaped his throat, shaking the air around him.
Leo instinctively stepped back, his body paralysed as he watched in horror, 'What the fu....!!!!'
The man's skin began to split. His bones were distorted. Black veins pulsed across his arms, glowing like lava veins under cracked rock. His muscles expanded grotesquely, flesh tearing and reforming. His back exploded open with a wet, fleshy rip—two monstrous, leathery wings burst out, veins glowing red, twitching and twitching again.
His eyes burned now—not just red, but blazing with hunger.
An unnatural red.
A hunter's red.
His face stretched, jaw elongating, nose vanishing. Fangs jutted from his open mouth. His ears twisted into long, sharp, bat-like spikes. His figure was no longer human.
It was a monster.
His legs bent backwards. His feet reshaped into claws that crushed the earth beneath. From his chest erupted a blood-curdling roar, loud and guttural, shaking nearby stones. [Imgincmt]
"ARRRHHHH!!"
He was no longer a man.
Valra's eyes widened, and she immediately dropped into her battle stance, her hands glowing with magic.
Pride stepped beside her, unsheathing her wooden sword with a swift flick.
Both women spoke at once:
"Master, stay back!"
"Leo, don't move!"
"..."
Silence.
They blinked. And turned back—
Only to see Leo... sprinting in the opposite direction, running with all his might.
"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, YOU IDIOTS!!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, his legs pumping furiously as he fled down the road like a man possessed.
Valra and Pride just stood there.... Blinking.
"...Seriously?" Valra muttered.
"...Master..." Pride muttered.
________________________
[Important Note in Author's Thought⬇️]