Chapter Seven – The Gathering of the Sins

The Former Demon Castle

The ruined castle stood, hollow yet alive. Shadows slithered across cracked stone walls, their movements too fluid, too unnatural. The air carried a weight—thick, pressing, ancient. Something lingered here. Something unseen but deeply felt.

Inside the vast hall, a round table stood at its center, aged yet unyielding. Eight chairs surrounded it. Seven occupied. One remained untouched. Larger, more ornate. The demon king's throne.

Lilith's nails tapped against the armrest, her violet eyes burning with barely restrained fury. "When I get my hands on that bitch of a maid, I'll—"

A chuckle interrupted her.

"Still clinging to that?" Greed leaned forward, amusement laced in his voice. His black hair gleamed under the dim torchlight, his dark eyes brimming with mockery. "One human, Lilith? Are you that obsessed?"

Lilith's gaze sharpened. "Shut up, Greed."

Wrath, the enormous orc, let out a low grunt. "Some people are weak in their own ways." His massive frame barely shifted, but his mere presence suffocated the air. The weight of his axe, strapped to his back, was a silent threat.

Lilith's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't understand, you thick-headed beast." Then, her gaze snapped back to Greed, voice sharp as a blade. "And you—if you speak again, I swear I'll—"

Greed smirked, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Go on. I'd love to see you try."

Sloth groaned, his head resting lazily on the table. "Can we leave already? You're all disturbing my nap."

Wrath ignored him. "We're waiting for Envy and Gluttony."

"Not that he's ever on time," Greed murmured, his chin resting on his hand, a sly smile playing on his lips.

A flicker in the shadows.

Two figures emerged.

The masked man—Envy. His movements were smooth, deliberate, unreadable. Beside him, a boy—Gluttony. His youthful face remained calm, but his eyes? Hollow. Starving.

"If you missed me, Lilith, you should've just said so," Envy teased, his voice like silk laced with venom.

Lilith scoffed, arms crossed. "Miss you? Don't flatter yourself."

Envy didn't respond. Instead, he reached into a small bag, pulling out an object that, at first glance, appeared unremarkable. But the moment it touched the air, the atmosphere changed.

The Aurum Fortuna.

"I've obtained it," Envy said, his tone deceptively casual. "And let me tell you, it wasn't easy."

Wrath frowned. "And why do we need it?"

Envy slid the bag toward Greed, who peeked inside. A slow smile spread across his face, his fingers tracing the edges of the rune as though savoring its presence.

"The Aurum Fortuna." He let the name settle. "A rare rune stone, celebrated for attracting wealth and fortune. Nobles and merchants would kill for it." His fingers ran along its smooth surface, his grin widening. "But… the curse is what makes it fun."

Lilith arched a brow. "Curse?"

"Once used, it twists the mind," Greed murmured, his voice almost reverent. "It fuels desire until it consumes. It promises fortune but brings ruin. What better tool to divide the humans?"

Wrath grunted. "The Satoru family… they don't seem affected by it. Even their king doesn't have one."

Greed's grin didn't falter. "Which makes it even more dangerous for everyone else."

Lilith leaned back. "And what's my role in this?"

Greed turned to her, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Nothing."

Lilith's smile vanished. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me." Greed's smirk widened, his voice slow, deliberate. "Your incompetence is already a headache."

Lilith shot up, her eyes flashing with rage. "You—"

And then it happened.

A shift.

A weight heavier than anything else in the room.

Pride spoke.

"Enough."

The word alone was a command. Absolute. Unquestionable.

Lilith froze.

The air became dense, suffocating.

Pride didn't move. He didn't need to. His presence devoured everything else. His towering frame, the reddish hue of his skin, the way his very existence demanded submission.

"No one," he said, voice calm, yet carrying the weight of a thousand orders, "is to interfere with Greed's plan."

Silence.

Greed still smiled, but his usual arrogance wavered. Even he wasn't immune to Pride's aura.

Wrath let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Hah! That pressure of yours never gets old."

Lilith, trembling, sat back down.

Gluttony licked his lips, uninterested in the tension.

Sloth sighed, resting his head on the table again, already bored. "Can I leave now?"

Pride didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

The meeting was over.

The Eastern Province – Church of the Divine

The high ceilings stretched endlessly, adorned with murals of gods and goddesses. The scent of burning incense filled the air. At the altar, a woman knelt in prayer.

Long golden hair cascaded down her back, a white blindfold covering her eyes. Yet nothing about her seemed fragile. She was the Saintess. A woman whose very presence felt divine.

Soft footsteps approached.

A woman in her late forties, her brown hair streaked with silver, hesitated before speaking.

"Saintess, why did you not accompany the priest to the Satoru mansion? The newborn's blessing—"

"There is no need." The Saintess' voice was soft, yet resolute. "The child's path will cross mine in due time."

The older woman hesitated, confused. But the Saintess did not explain. She simply returned to her prayer.

Somewhere in a Forest

The carriage wheels creaked against the uneven ground, the forest stretching endlessly beyond.

Inside, a man sat. His face remained hidden in the shadows.

Only a smile could be seen.

A subtle, knowing smile.

He said nothing.

But in his silence, something inevitable lingered in the air.

The carriage pressed forward, toward a destination unknown