Chapter 27: Sloth

After a brief montage within the designated pharmacy, Hibiki is able to secure the medicine Wendy requires to make her fast recovery. As she makes her way back to the church, her mind goes over the various things she could do to help nurse her Onee-Sama back to health. 

"I sure do hope the medication does the trick! Hmm… but if this medicine doesn't work, I'll be forced to take even more drastic measures to secure her well-being. Like hmm… I could be a full-time nurse! Using a wet cloth to bathe every inch of her body, giving her massages to relax her temples, and other totally non-lecherous locations!" The nun fumes to herself, getting irrationally giddy as the thoughts continue to invade her head. While in her own world, she fails to notice the various people falling to their feet around her. Some people were already on the floor, not in pain, but seemingly just tired. She starts to take notice of this once she reaches a point in the walkway covered with people, all lying on the floor. 

"Uhm… excuse me? You're blocking the road." Hibiki says to no response.

"Uhm Hello? Can any of you hear me!? It's rude to just parade all over the common road, don't you people have any manors." Again she is met with no response. Initially annoyed, a realization came to Hibiki. She takes a look around her surroundings, not just the individuals around her but all the people within the vicinity are looming over themselves, acting more like zombies than people. She immediately recalls the last time she had witnessed mass hysteria to such an extent. 

"Don't tell me… Could another sin have already made their way here!" As she says this, her eyes are immediately guided by the lesser spirits around her, they bring her attention down the road, seeing a faint yellowish aura being emitted down the distance. She's hesitant at first, being one to avoid emanate confrontation, but her curiosity ultimately gets the better of her as she slowly makes her way down the road. Her right-hand clutches the bag holding the medicine she retrieved, and her eyes start to shake as she prepares to see what demonic figure awaits her, only to be met with… a slug. 

"Is that… a slug?" She says looking down at the small yellow creature moving slowly on the floor. The creature was clearly emitting a vast hysteria wave that was affecting the surrounding people, so it was no doubt one of the seven sins. 

"If I were a betting girl, I'd take it that this must be Sloth…" Hibiki concludes. After facing Both Greed and Lust, she expects things to start rising in difficulty as the rest of the demons garner time to strengthen themselves. But this, it looked like your average everyday slug. A smirk finds its way on the young sister's face. 

"Fu fu fu~ Well it seems like it's up to me to defeat one of these big bad demons, whatever will I do~…" She says before arrogantly lifting her foot from the ground. A splat noise can be heard only a few seconds later. The slug that was emitting the demonic energy had now become one with the pavement. 

"Welp, that takes care of that," Hibiki says, seemingly contemptuous of herself as she turns around to look over the people who were caught in the crossfire. She is about to make her way over to them before a thought comes to her. These people still seemed to be under hysteria, though she was still not aware of this demon's latent ability, but considering its title of sloth, the implications must have something to do with the crowd's sludgy nature. She turned to make sure that the demon was dead, only to be appalled at what was waiting before her. A slur of dozens of slugs were making their way to her, slugging over the pavement and the buildings from seemingly all directions. 

"Uh oh…!" Looking at the unsightly view before her, Hibiki tightens the grip she has on the bag. She had only gotten out so she could retrieve the medication for her big sister, but with this demon arriving in the city, and Wendy currently being out of commission, Hibiki is left to her own devices for the time being. But even so, looking at the odds against her, she grits her teeth and tightens her resolve. 

"No matter what happens, I have to get this Medicine to Onee-Sama!

Back within the church's halls, Gilda can be seen walking down the church's hall after cleaning herself up from her recent interaction with the bedridden maiden. 

"Hmph! That jerk Silvia, pushing me to do something so degrading! Even after I made it crystal clear I still haven't accepted that girl as our Goddess!" While she continues going over this gripe within her own head, she suddenly feels an alarming sensation jolting within her subconscious. This jolting sensation forces her to clench her own chest, the pain she's currently feeling is not like anything she has ever felt before. 

"Gasp~ W-what… what's going on! I feel like something terrible is happening right now." Squinting her eyes from the pain, she's able to see a small array of spirits levitating around her, all seemingly swarming over the dark book that's strapped around her waist. This book upon further inspection was currently emitting a dark aura around it, with the word "Sloth" covering the book's cover. 

"No…. the gospel is having some type of demonic reaction… doesn't that mean…!" Gilda's suspicion would soon prove to be true, for the demon that has awakened under the title of Sloth has already begun its rampage deep inside the city. 

"Damnit and our so-called goddess is out of commission at the moment, what in the world are we supposed to do? I better inform Silvia!" Is Gilda's immediate thought, but suddenly hesitation clouts her judgment. She was no fool, she knew only a goddess could truly defeat a demon. Even the nuns of the Egyptian Orthodox Church who have been blessed by the spirits don't have the spiritual affinity to combat such outer-worldly threats. However… There have been stories, passed down in folktales and old books discovered by the church of regular everyday people obtaining the power of the gods, similarly to Wendy. Stories of heroes of distant legend, chosen by the cosmic order, born human and given the power of Gods. If put in a dire situation, and as long as their beliefs coincide with that of Ma'at… Once proven worthy, they can obtain the power of a God.

"This has always been my goal… My chance!" Striking a look of determination, as well as heading towards the opposite direction of Silvia, Gilda makes her way to the cathedral's weapon confines, grabbing a stack of talismans and an axe imbued with magic from an earth God for good measure. Feeling confident, she grabs hold of the Gospel and storms out the Church's doors, making her way towards the Demon. 

Back with Hibiki, she can be seen frantically running away from a swarm of slugs, for a creature known for its slow and Slithering manner, its abundance in numbers was proving to be challenging for the little sister to handle. 

"Mou! This is pointless!! How am I supposed to deal with all these slugs creeping onto me? If it weren't for my dress I'd probably be unconscious right now!" She says as she makes a beeline through the street, making such a hard left made her clash heads with an equally excited sister that was running in her direction. 

"Gah! Chotto watch where you're going… Gilda!?" Hibiki says on the floor to the sister sitting right across from her.

"Hibiki! There you are! Are you okay? Did you find the Sin!?" Silvia says curiosity, not getting a chance to view the demonic entity behind the silver-eyed sister. 

"Hehe… about that…" A montage ensues, and Hibiki informs Gilda of her current predicament involving the sin of Sloth.

"I see, well it's a good thing I am here!" Gilda says with confidence, spawning Hibiki to look at the blonde sister with a helpless chibi expression.

"Huh!? No no, that's the wrong attitude! We should be running back to the church to get Onee-sama!" 

"Haaah! We don't need that false profit! Besides, can't you recall her physical condition? She would be of no use to us now…" Hibiki thinks over this... Initially, she thought she could use her latent spiritual abilities to exorcize this demon before it attained its true physical form, but being overwhelmed by its sheer slew of numbers left her feeling too nervous and doubtful to engage in any type of counter-attack. 

"No… there's still a chance, if we can get this medicine to onee-sama, she might recover enough to purge the demon!" The sister in response laughs at the silver-haired nun's idea.

"Ho ho ho! That won't be necessary, Hibiki… After all, I'll purge this demon right here!"Gilda unleashed her arsenal of talismans with a dramatic flourish, sending them swirling into the air. They adhered to every surface—walls, windows, buildings—creating a sacred barrier in their immediate vicinity. The mindless slugs, driven by a singular hunger, continued their advance, oblivious to the talismans' power, aiming for the two sisters who had yet to succumb to their spell.

"I don't think so! Now, activate Divine Spirits!" Gilda's command echoed through the air, a fierce determination lighting her eyes. The talismans, responding to her call, burst into radiant light, their glow intensifying with the power of the divine spirits she invoked. The air around them hummed with energy, a palpable force field that began to repel the advancing slugs.

The creatures, for the first time, hesitated. Their mindless advance slowed as the light seemed to burn them, sizzling sounds filling the air as they recoiled from the invisible barrier now surrounding the sisters. Hibiki watched in awe, her fear momentarily forgotten, as Gilda stood firm, her hands moving in intricate patterns, weaving a complex spell.

"This is our stand, Hibiki! With the divine spirits as our shield, no demon shall pass," Gilda declared, her voice resonant with the power of her conviction. The silver-haired nun finds herself buoyed by her sister's confidence and decides to take action as well. 

"Okay! Let's try working together on this one Sister!" Hibiki says as she puts her hands together, ready to involve a holy spell. "By the breath of Shu and the light of Ra, by thy spirits, we summon your divine protection."

Her hands, still pressed together, started to emit a soft, bluish glow, symbols of ancient hieroglyphs flickering into existence around them, swirling with the power of her invocation. "O Isis, great mother and healer, lend us your wisdom and strength. Let the ankh, the key of life, be our bastion against the encroaching darkness."

Gilda, inspired by her sister's call, amplified the spell with her own voice, "Together, we stand under the aegis of the gods, our faith unwavering. Standing above Geb, the earth, and under the sky, Nut, we coincide with the order of Ma'at."

The air around them thickened, charged with ancient magic. The enchanted symbols expanded, forming a protective dome of light that enveloped the sisters. The advancing creatures recoiled further, their forms beginning to dissipate as the combined might of the invoked deities bore down upon them. Then in unison, the two girls yell out the sacred word together.

"Purification!" The lights shine before them, as the sacred spell starts invoking the primordial energy of the spirits before them. A divine white holy light shines onto the demon-infested streets, one by one the slugs begin to be purified, enveloped in the holy light, their forms shimmering and dissolving, leaving no trace of their presence save for the lingering echoes of their defeat. At the sight of their exorcize going under way the two girls standing side by side seem ecstatic at the fruits of their labor taking effect. 

"We… We did it!" Gilda says, surprised at how easy this exploit had undergone. But before she could revel in her victory, the green-yellowish mist that was emitted from the slugs started moving in a more chaotic manner. Slowly and then rapidly it starts swearing in a circular motion, like a small hurricane taking form above the streets. The two girls stare in terror at the event before them, the ashes or souls of the demonic slugs start to combine, swarming into the vortex as the slew of numbers start concentrating their energy into one, taking its true form in front of the sisters.

"W-what… is that?" Hibiki says in terror, not being able to conceal how much fear she was feeling in this moment. The demon before them looked to be the same type of demon as Greed from before, but different in its physical exterior. It looked like some anthropomorphic snail, sporting a large she on his back while holding a long circular staff. Its eyes were clouded and two antennas stuck out its head. Part of its body was covered in its hard shell-sh armor with the rest looking like the sleazy goo-ish exterior of the slugs it had set loose across the city. This demonic entity, raging with its malicious power and energy, was now staring directly at the two sisters. Gilda swallows down a lump of saliva she didn't know she was holding, as her mind draws down to the one and only conclusion she can come to.

"Sloth…!" 

As if being called on cue, the demon takes action. Lunging forward it attempts to use its staff to secure a safe radius to target the sisters. The two anticipate this before screaming out to each other.

"Hibiki, put on a barrier!" 

"On it!" Hibiki screams as she spawns a glowing white shield created by the spirits to safeguard them from the demon's evil yellow mist. Like slugs emitting a repellent gas to ward off predators, the demon expels a cloud of sinister yellow mist, aimed to engulf them in its corruption. Yet, it crashes against Hibiki's shield, unable to penetrate the divine protection. With the immediate threat held at bay, the sisters now have a moment's respite to devise their next move.

"W-wwwhat do we do now!!" 

"I don't know! I didn't think I'd get this far!"

"Mou! Gilda you Moron! How could you charge this far without a plan!"

"Haaa!? I'm not a moron, you're a moron! And I did have a plan! I just didn't expect those things to fucking digi-volve!" 

"Well as things are going now you and I are both going to die!!!"

"I don't need to be told that Hibiki!" Gilda finishes off their little banter before she ponders. Okay, think, think, think, think! What do I do now? There has to be a way out of this, after all, Siliva managed to aid them in their battle with Greed, I should be able to do the same… But how… Ah, with the Gospel!" At her recollection, the sister grabs hold of the book previously strapped to her waist, flipping through the pages, she attempts to decipher the scriptures.

"Okay come on, there's got to be a way we can neutralize this power in here!" Silvia says this all the while Hibiki has her hands put out, rejuvenating the magic within their barrier.

"Uh, Gilda, I don't think this barrier is going to last very long, please tell me you have an idea!"

"Give me a sec… mou I should have brushed up more on my hieroglyphic studying…!" She says attempting to read through the scriptures of the gospel. Though the book had already bonded to her, the same as it did with Silvia, it was still up to her to decipher the text encrypted with the pages, only then, by overcoming the innate "Sloth" within herself, can she invoke the power to nullify its ability. 

"Hmmm… let's see here… Yes! I think I got it... Hibiki we need to…" Before she could finish her sentence, The demon that was a good distance away from them suddenly appeared before them in an instant, as if moving at supersonic speeds. Now standing before the sisters, it uses its staff to break the barrier before them. Stunned and started by the demon's secondary ability manifesting out of nowhere, the two girls are helpless to its advances as it slaps the gospel out of its hands. This act also pushes the girls back onto the floor, now staring helplessly at the yellow snail-like figure.

"Gilda!" Hibiki screams out to the sister, who's still too startled to speak as her eyes stay glued to the presence before her. Instantly, the demon unleashes an even more powerful wave of its demonic energy than before, invoking its sin of sloth onto the two maidens before it. Now engulfed in its herbivorous malice, the girls submerge into the slothful state they had previously witnessed befall the citizens of the city. However, now taking on its true form caused its spell to advance from its primitive nature, taking on a much stronger and more potent form. Not only were the two paralyzed by their innate sloth taking full effect, but now their minds had begun to be violated by the physical depictions of their slothfulness. 

Hibiki was consumed by her own hallucinations, along with Gilda who was not managing any better. Hibiki, before she had met Wendy, was considered a bit of a slothful person, only recently cleaning up her act with having her crush be so involved in her daily life. Before she would often laze around the church, staying in her room consuming awful amounts of junk food, with a particular type of junk food standing out from the bunch. Her beloved fried squid, her favorite most delectable snack of all time was her guilty pleasure, ravishing on them any chance she could get. But now, that snack was having the most negative effect on her, taking the form of a giant squid, her body was currently getting violated by the giant monstrosity before her, she lay helpless as its giant tentacles slithered around her body, the sloth demon's power keeping her in a comatose straight, unable to do anything from the creatures advances. 

Gilda was in a no better state, she found herself ensnared in an illusion no less harrowing than Hibiki's, yet uniquely tailored to her innermost vulnerabilities. Unlike Hibiki, whose sloth manifested through physical lethargy and indulgence, Gilda's sloth was a mirror to a different kind of inertia—the paralysis of potential, the stagnation of spirit, the idea of… not being good enough, to be a sister, a consort to her faith, or even a goddess...