Chapter 108: This Is Mine Now

Bahara’s palace was completely destroyed.

No ceiling remained, and only a few pillars still stood erect. Even that was not in good condition, shown by the charred marks as if blackened by something.

Still, there was something left.

The Seven Sins, with a determined look on his face, reached out his hand despite still having a sword firmly embedded in it.

“A little more… Just a little more.”

It was the throne.

And a red carpet, now only traces of it left, was laid toward it. It looked burnt and desolate, but the missing part extended to the crawling Arak’s blood.

It was then.

Tap tap.

A red-haired boy walked along the red carpet.

It’s Ian Kaistein.

He looked relaxed as if he had come out to drink in his own yard.

With the sword stuck in his arm, Arak, no, the Seven Sins shouted.

“You, you bastard!”

But Ian didn’t even pay him a glance.

Ian walked past him, straight toward the throne. Then he sat down naturally.

Plop.

It was a very arrogant posture without an ounce of politeness. Strangely enough, however, Ian seemed to fit the position very well. Like the king who conquered Bahara.

Soon he opened his mouth with a refreshing smile.

“What are you doing? Why don’t you get up? You said we should fight fair and square.”

“What?”

“What the, one of the almighty Seven Sins is a chatterbox? Come on.”

Ian already knew his information through Faith.

The proportion of Faith talking to him little by little increased after he saved the chieftains and soldiers.

[He’s a fragment of Jealousy, one of the Seven Sins. Although he is only a fragment, he cannot be underestimated.]

In addition, Faith knew his ability.

[The ability of Jealousy is to make someone jealous of the other person.]

Or to make the other person jealous. Depending on how deep the jealousy and envy were, the power to give would also increase. That’s how the black-eyed monsters were made.

But now there was no human being around to turn into a monster.

It was for that reason that Ian came alone without taking anyone with him.

It was a pretty good move.

“I will tear you to death!”

It was clearly a human body. In addition, he sustained serious injuries all over his body that made anyone believe he could no longer move.

But what was this?

Shruaakk!

A lump of black tentacles spurted out of his mouth, each as sharp as razors. They shot forth toward Ian.

But Ian, despite coming by himself, was not alone.

“Come out, Faith.”

Woong!

Light emanated from Ian’s body seated on the throne.

It was the reward given by Faith for saving the five chieftains and Bahara’s soldiers. No, it was Ian’s new power.

[Your belief is like steel that can’t be broken through by anything. No one will be able to break it.]

Bang!

Jealousy’s body was thrown out, along with a huge explosion. Not only that, but even his tentacles shattered and scattered into dust.

He bounced off, similar to how light rejected the darkness.

Jealousy was instantly planted on a pillar at the far end of the palace, right on the opposite of the throne.

The royal sword remained firmly embedded in his arm.

It didn’t end with that.

“Aaargh! Aaargh!”

His body was melting away.

The body, which previously had endured the flames somehow, seemed unable to withstand Faith’s light. In addition to that, Faith’s light illuminated the whole palace.

Woong!

Then, things that had been blackened returned to normal.

In particular, the power of Jealousy, the fragment of the Seven Sins, which was corrupting this palace and the fragment of the Seven Virtues hidden in the throne, crumbled into nothing.

[Darkness can never overcome the light.]

Faith whispered quietly in Ian’s body. Nevertheless, Jealousy screamed, spitting blood.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you think this body is going to lose to power like that!”

He had the power he had kept just in case.

Of course, Jealousy had to risk everything on his own. This was such a risky gamble that he would never have even considered it. If he couldn’t kill Faith even after using that power, he himself might die.

But he had no other choice.

‘Only a few steps left.’

At least, if this hand had touched the throne, he would have been able to take revenge on that bastard by using that hidden power as his own.

At that thought, Jealousy could not hold back the rising anger.

“Again, you’re in my way again! This time again!”

Thick killing intent exploded out of his body as if he would kill him right then and there. At the same time, Jealousy began to set himself ablaze.

‘Just a little bit more time. Then, I’ll chew you up even if I have to burn everything.’

Seeing this, Ian smirked.

As if he knew he was stalling for time. No, he seemed certain.

But instead of making a move, he leaned on the throne with his arms crossed.

“As you wish, I’ll fight fair and square. So, why don’t you get up?”

“Y-you wretch…”

Jealousy gritted his teeth and screamed.

“As expected, you are arrogant and cowardly then and now!”

“Back then?”

“Right. Either you or the one hiding inside you! What you are doing is utterly nasty and childish!”

Ian grinned at the remark.

“That’s rich coming from you, someone who is parasitic on another’s body and manipulates others as you please. Man’s jealousy sure is ugly, huh.”

“!?”

Jealousy’s face hardened for a moment.

Never once had it crossed his mind that he would be insulted like this by a young man. No, it might be because of the hidden meaning veiled in his words.

“You. Don’t tell me you know who I am.”

“Of course. One of the Seven Sins, Jealousy?”

“!?”

Jealousy shuddered.

He couldn’t believe Ian recognized the essence of the Seven Sins, even though he was nothing more than a fragment. Moreover, it was something that Ceres, who had passed this power, was unsure of.

Recognizing the essence of the Seven Sins could only mean one thing.

“N-no way. You. Don’t tell me you have that bastard’s fragment! You really have that bastard’s fragment!”

The true essence of the Seven Virtues, Faith.

It was evident that he was asleep in Ian’s body.

Jealousy slowly rose, his face breaking into a sneer as if he had never been shaken.

“Pfft! Hahaha! From what I see, I don’t think he has enough energy or self left. How could the owner of the body be a mere child?”

“The person who was hurt by a mere child is barking too much.”

“Shut up! Your attack hitting me was just a fluke! If only my body was normal, if there were no restrictions, do you think you’ll be a match for me?!”

A black mist seeped out of Jealousy’s body.

“Faith. If you have the power, you should be able to fully recover from such minor injuries.”

Then he would eat him up.

Even if neither the power nor the self remained, the essence of one of the Seven Virtues would surely be able to heal his wounds and transcend him from a fragment to the essence of Jealousy.

It was thanks to the special power Faith possessed.

Jealousy began to move its body while whetting his appetite.

He soon broke his arm nailed by the royal sword.

Crack!

The arm, hardened by fire, crumbled to bits like a cookie.

And the very next moment, Jealousy began to be jealous of everything.

[I will tear you apart, even if it means sacrificing everything I have.]

A human named Ian, who had limbs he didn’t have.

The man in front of his eyes who, above all, had a sturdy, heavy, and sharp royal sword.

The kid who looked down on him in an arrogant posture like that bastard from the past.

And all that jealousy soon transformed Jealousy into a new form.

New arms and legs began to grow, replacing the missing limbs.

Krrdk krrdkk.

But those weren’t ordinary limbs. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Not to mention the fur covering his figure, he had changed to something strongly resembling that of a beast. Teeth, claws, and horns grew, their sharpness comparable to royal swords.

Aside from that, wings also sprouted from his back, ready to strike and kill those who looked down on him.

Whiik!

A grotesque monster in human form.

No, he became a new creature that never existed before.

But Jealousy didn’t feel satisfied.

“I can’t believe I burned myself only to get this much power. If only you hadn’t gotten in my way…”

This was because the current Jealousy was only a fragment.

A power that did not even come close to the strength of his true body. For the power of Jealousy that could tear apart even the gods of the past to their demise, he could only pull this much power at most.

If he had absorbed the power of the Seven Virtues hidden here, he would have recovered some of it.

But this power alone was enough for him to tear that little boy to death.

“I will thoroughly trample you.”

The black energy from Jealousy’s body began to dye the palace. No, that wasn’t the only thing.

“Die!”

Jealousy, which became a monster, rushed to Ian at breakneck speed.

Yet, Ian was still sitting on the throne arrogantly. He didn’t budge even when Jealousy’s sharp nails were only an inch away from his nose.

‘Did he get scared now?’

But something was off.

The very moment when Jealousy’s claws were about to touch Ian’s body.

Ian, still seated leisurely on the throne, smirked.

“Hey. I am not the only one dragging your feet.”

“What?”

He couldn’t understand what Ian meant.

But in the very next second, Jealousy understood exactly what he meant.

It was only natural.

Woong!

It was because Faith responded to Ian’s words and exuded raging power. No, it wasn’t just Faith.

Woong!

The royal palace of Bahara was humming. The echo traveled to the throne Ian was sitting on. And a huge circular membrane was created around him.

Pats!

Screeech!

The membrane soon pushed away Jealousy’s claws. However, it did not end with simply pushing them away.

The light that became one with Faith.

Bang!

“Gaaahh!”

It sent Jealousy back to the palace pillar. But he seemed to fail to understand.

“W… what is going on?”

Jealousy had lived for decades, no, hundreds and thousands of years. As far as he knew, there was only one reaction like this.

“Don’t, don’t tell me you…?”

That was what Jealousy had been trying to do. It was to absorb the power of the Seven Virtues. Just if there was a difference.

“Bastard… Did you absorb the power of a fellow Seven Virtues?!”

“Why? Can’t I do that?”

“What?”

“Isn’t it a fragment anyway? I’ll return it later.”

“What nonsense is that!”

Jealousy was stunned, speechless.

The Seven Virtues led to the Seven Sins, and the Seven Sins led to the Seven Virtues.

As such, it was permissible to prey on other forces, but it was taboo to absorb the same forces. Furthermore, the power absorbed once could not be spat back out.

“Are you even aware of the side effects!?”

There were such people attempting the same in the past.

But they all never ended well. No matter how incredible the essence was, they were destined to walk down the path of destruction.

However, it was unthinkable for a young human to absorb two powers that even one was too overwhelming. Much less Faith was not a fragment but the essence.

Of course, Ian couldn’t have held out.

But just at that moment.

“It’s not something you should worry about, is it?”

“!?”

“Come up. I’m ready now.”

Crack!

Jealousy broke through the pillar with uncontainable fury.

Bang!

“I wasn’t worried about you! I was worried if the Faith I’m going to eat has been tainted!”

He lunged at Ian again.

But Ian was no longer an ordinary kid. He was Faith, radiating light from his body.

Screech!

No matter how sharp Jealousy’s nails and teeth were, they could not penetrate Faith’s light. That wasn’t the only thing.

Woong!

The other power of the Seven Virtues in Bahara’s palace.

It soon clumped together over Ian’s head and began to form a figure.

It’s a giant hammer.

Jealousy’s face instantly hardened.

“No, no way. The power that was here!”

He seemed to know what kind of power was targeting him. But Jealousy had wings.

Whooosh!

“Even if I’m against you, your attack will be nothing if it doesn’t land!”

Jealousy gave up attacking Ian and took off to the sky. It was because Faith and the other power had no power to fly.

But it was then.

“Where are you going?”

Ian raised his hand toward Jealousy, who was up in the sky. He didn’t bother to use it when dealing with the Second Prince or the others, but he had another power lying dormant in his body.

The power that he received from Countess Aria Reese.

And the very next moment.

[Be humble. Kneel before me.]

With Ian’s words.

BOOM!

Jealousy crashed to the ground with great speed. His whole body was deeply planted into the palace’s floor. But it seemed that the shock was greater than the pain.

“Th, there was another fragment? And Humility?”

But there was no time to dally.

Woong!

Before he knew it, the giant hammer forming above Ian’s head struck down. Jealousy gritted his teeth, struggling to get away from it somehow.

But Humility wouldn’t let him go, its pressure pinning him firmly in place.

“D, don’t make me laugh! Do you think I, this body, will lose in a place like this!?”

But that’s his end.

Bang!

The giant hammer slammed down, smiting Jealousy.

***

“Is it over?”

Ian got up from his seat, saying something he should never say. But Jealousy no longer existed.

In the center of the huge crater created by the power of the Seven Virtues, only Arak, who had become a half-idiot, was there.

It was then.

Woong!

Black light clumped together over Arak’s body.

It’s the fragment of Jealousy.

Ian unconsciously reached out his hand slowly toward the fragment.

But right at that moment.

“Oh, so it comes down to this in the end. What did I say, you should’ve listened to me.”

“!”

A voice sounded from behind Ian.

It belonged to a man hiding in the corner of the palace. His face was covered with a strange mask, yet he felt strangely familiar.

Ian’s expression turned grim.

‘I have been here the whole time, but how come I didn’t sense him at all?’

The man smiled and leisurely approached Ian.

“I’m sorry, but could you return that? It is ours.”

“Really? Did you write it down as yours somewhere?”

“Oh, dear. You are one really troublesome fellow. If you insist, I will have to take it by force.”

The man was definitely an ordinary human.

Yet, for some reason.

‘If we fight, I will lose.’

Danger alarms kept blaring in Ian’s mind.

So, there was only one thing Ian had to do.

“Sorry, but this is mine now.”

Gulp.

Ian swallowed the fragment of Jealousy as it was.