[This… this can’t be. Everyone can’t be here]
[Myne!?]
Myne clutched her head, dropping the black axe in the process.
[Why… I’ve adapted well to the Wrath skill. Why do this when you’ve promised that you’ll let everyone go?]
[Myne, get ahold of yourself.]
[Lunaaaaa!]
[Fate, what do you think? What do we do in this situation?]
[Kairos-san?]
[Fate, I’ve been watching you through the Gluttony skill.]
[You’ve been watching?]
[Yes. You are now able to try and work together with the souls you have devoured. That’s why I’m finally able to appear before you now. I wanted you to know.]
Kairos gently stroked Luna’s head, which stuck out among the messy mass of flesh that was the strange monster.
[Soon after this, these fellows will attack us. And Myne, out of guilt, lost her mental balance and succumbed to her skill. She ended up escaping from here. Without her, I could only fight them alone. The result was disappointing. You’ve seen the future of what would happen through Mikuria, haven’t you?]
[That’s…]
[I ended up devouring the person I cared for due to the Gluttony skill’s influence. This kept repeating itself endlessly.]
He said that with a face full of regret. But then he pointed at my chest and grinned.
[However. Someone else had taken the Gluttony skill in my stead. You can do what I couldn’t. That’s why… I entrust this to you.]
[Kairos-san…]
He drew the black sword from the scabbard and offered it to me.
[I knew it, you are more suited to wield him. More than even me. Well, Greed can be awkward and hard to handle at times, but he meant well. You can always rely on him.]
[Yes.]
v7-3
[You finally got here. Took you quite long, Fate.]
[Greed… you. The you in this timeline shouldn’t know me yet]
[I only remember about halfway along the path here. It’s because Kairos restricted my memory. Oy, Kairos! Why did you do that to me?]
[Cause you’d just get in the way. I also want to show him that you haven’t really changed at all since a long time ago.]
[He’s really a handful… I get that as well.]
[Oy, not you too!]
Being ganged by both me and Kairos, Greed could only complain in defeat.
[But this time things will end differently. Isn’t Luna an essential piece for your plan? So what will you do now, Fate?]
[Isn’t it obvious? Of course we’ll release Luna from there.]
[See you again shortly.]
[Kairos-san! Your hand!?]
[Well, that’s how it is.]
The hand on my shoulder was growing transparent.
[Looks like my time has ran out. Once I disappear, I won’t be able to interfere anymore. In other words, no one will restrain Myne’s soul so she might end up attacking you. After all, this is her world.]
[Myne’s world?]
[It’s not as bad as you thought.]
Kairos looked at the strange monster before us.
[The darkness in Myne’s heart has grown mature after such a long period, and it has taken that form.]
[So that’s the darkness in Myne’s heart?]
[It is. Furthermore it has combined with the Wrath skill to grow exponentially stronger overtime. At first, it might still be manageable. But eventually, there will be nothing she could do on her own. She needs someone else to help her after all.]
Myne was crouching next to me, seemingly in agony.
[I’m counting on you, Fate.]
My fist balled in conviction.
[Yes!]
[Fate, this coldness comes from Myne’s heart. Do not succumb to it.]
[Yeah, I know.]
[Luna… are you really fine with staying that way?]
[Let’s go, Fate.]
The basement degraded as time went on. Rust and decay spreaded out, and water leaked from the gaps.
[This thing… it’s trying to get Myne.]
[Suppress it! Never let it touch Myne.]
[UOoooooh]
[Don’t let your guard down!]
[Wha!?]
The fusion monster spreaded out its tentacles, this time attempting to grab me instead of Myne.
[In that case, let’s see who is stronger here.]
[You have been told already, right? The power comparison between two different mortal sin skills?]
[Yeah.]
[What’s wrong? Can’t do anything to me?]
[Luna!!]
[Fate!]
[Thank goodness.]
[Wait, it’s hurt… I’m alright though.]
Even in my embrace, Luna’s eyes were already stuck on Myne.
[Don’t be sloppy, big sis.]
[It’s inconsequential now. It’s already weakened by Fate’s gluttony skill. Evidently, I was able to release myself. We have a more pressing problem here.]
[It’s alright now. You don’t have to wear a mask and pretend to be strong anymore.]
Luna’s voice should be the only way to reach out to Myne’s heart more than anyone else could.
[Big sis doesn’t have to feel guilty anymore. All of us never bore any grudges against you, sis. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to tell you this back then.]
[If only one managed to do so, then everyone would be allowed to leave the lab. That was what the uncles at the facility said.]
[…However]
[Those evil adults lied to us.]
Myne painfully cried.
[It’s alright. And you know this already. Everyone will not return no matter what. And big sis surviving is more than enough for us all. The fact is that I, and everyone, still love big sis all the same.]
[Still, if it’s completely open, there is a possibility that everyone may return. I have collected a lot of money for that moment. We promised that we would build our own village, didn’t we?]
[Big sis… I’ll say this one last time. Please give it up. That’s all I want to convey to you. Since this will be the last time we can meet and talk like this]
[No, Luna!!]
Luna slowly lifted Myne, who was crying in her chest, up.
[How unsightly. Where did the older sister that we all admired go?]
Luna gave me a glance before continuing to talk.
[We can no longer accompany you, sis. Live in the present, big sis.]
[Luna.]
Myne, still crying, muttered,
[…I’m scared]
Hearing that, Luna smiled and turned to me.
[It’ll be alright. After all, big sis now has a friend who is willing to go this far for you. That’s why… please get along with Fate. Or else… I will not forgive you.]
[Fate, I will leave my sister in your care.]
[Yeah…]
Approaching Myne, I tried to take her hand, but she wouldn’t budge.
[Need to kill that thing first.]
She retrieved her black axe, and promptly swung at the strange monster.
[Big sis, thank you… for protecting me all this time]
[Fate…I….]
I couldn’t hear the rest of what she said.
