"Son. Do not worry yourself. After all, that man is running a business. Life..... isn't a charity."

His mother spoke with a weak kindness, causing Avarco to turn back to her with a look of anger.

"But....."

Avarco looked back and begun to speak, yet at seeing the calm and loving expression of his mother, he could not say any more.

"I paid for one night of treatment. No more. Even so.... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been selfish.... I should've just left the money I saved for you to live on.... right?"

"Never say such a thing, mother."

Avarco spoke with firm resolve, grabbing the weak hand of his mother as she thinned her eyes with a smile.

"I see..... I suppose that even without a father, you were raised well. I'm glad."

"It was you who did so."

"I can't take all the credit. You had many instructors who you looked up to as well."

"Mother....."

Tears of magma came to the eyes of Avarco as he looked upon his mother.

She was too kind.

She didn't flail or complain on her deathbed, but rather continued to look out for him, even in these last moments.

"It is fine for you to be selfish in this last request of yours. It is fine!! As a matter of fact, I am glad that you spent your funds on living just a day more!! Because of that, I.... am able to give you a proper sendoff."

"You are the best son I could hope for."

Avarco sat by his mothers side, not letting go of her hand for a moment.

The hours passed and they sat and talked.

However, as the time passed, his mother became less and less talkative.

Even while on the machine which kept her alive, she was becoming weaker.

"Mother? Are you still there? Mother!?!?!"

Avarco watched as his mother closed her eyes without the strength to speak any final words.

The time: 8:03 PM.

The gemstone on the machine began to make a continuous beeping sound, no longer pulsating as it was before.

Avarco's face was filled with despair.

Tears flowed as he watched his own mother die before him.

He tried to hold in his emotions while he spoke with her, in the hopes of giving her a happy sendoff, but now that she was gone, he could no longer hold in these emotions.

They flowed out of him endlessly.

"Ugh..... mother....."

However as Avarco sat next to his mother, grieving her loss, the man known as the doctor entered the room.

"The woman has died. We need this bed for another patient, so I am going to have to ask you to evacuate the premise immediately."

At the heartless words of the doctor, spoken without even an ounce of concern over the dead woman, Avarco was enraged.

"You..... you don't hold any respect at all, do you? A person just died. DIED. In your hospital. And you're telling me to hurry up and get out?"

"Yes. I am. Did your mother not tell you just before? This isn't a charity. There are other patients- ones who actually have the funds to pay for their treatment, and I have no intention of keeping them waiting. Now leave, before we throw you and your mother out ourselves."

Avarco was enraged, but he remembered the words of his mother which this doctor had just reminded him of.

"Life isn't a charity."

Avarco repeated these words, which put a smirk on the doctor's face.

"See? It looks like you do understand. Now leave. A customer who has already paid and received their service isn't a customer at all. That's what we call a loiterer."

With closed eyes Avarco fought his own desire to smack the man before him. He walked over to his mother, picked up her body in his hands, and walked out of the room.

"Fine. I get it. You're nothing more than a money obsessed pig who doesn't have a single shred of decency in you."

"A bold statement for a loiterer."

Avarco left the hospital that day, and went on to bury his mother, yet he learned another lesson that day.

"Hey!! What are you doing there!?"

"This is a graveyard!!! You can't just go burying someone here!!!"

"What? Why not? Is this not a place of burial?"

"You have to pay for a grave!!! That should be obvious!!! Could it be.... did you kill that woman!?"

"NO!!! This is my mother!!! Why would I kill her!?"

"My goodness....."

"Killed his own mother and is trying to hide the body...."

"I didn't kill her!!!!"

"If you didn't then who did?"

"She died of natural means!! In a hospital! Of sickness!!"

"Then there would be a death certificate, no? Prove it."

"Eh?"

"Show us her death certificate. Either way you're trespassing on this property and interfering with graves of the dead, so you're already looking at a 5 year sentence. If you killed your own mother, then it could be up to 15 years."

"I did no such thing!!"

"Tell that to the judge, kid."

Avarco was arrested that day, taken in, tried, and found guilty of multiple offenses.

Trespassing on private property.

Meddling with graves and vandalization of property.

And finally, the murder of his own mother.

No death certificate was issued. Avarco was rushed out of the hospital so quickly that he didn't even bother to check out properly.

The doctor who ran the hospital was then asked to testify under oath, to which he replied with a smirk.

"I've never seen that boy in my life. And certainly not on that day."

Taking revenge on Avarco for a petty reason, the doctor grinned as he exited the courtroom.

'Enjoy your next 15 years in jail, bratty kid. If it were found out that a patient was forced out without proper procedure, I would be the one on the defendant side.'

Avarco's professors were shocked to hear the news and refused to believe it.

They knew Avarco for long and understood well that he would never do such a thing.

More importantly, they knew for certain that a man had come that day and informed them that Avarco's mother was in the hospital.

They knew a part of the truth, but were unaware of the lie told by that doctor.

They were informed too late, and Avarco spent the next 15 years of his life in a jail cell.

While he spent those 15 years alone in the cell, he was given a label by the other criminals.

'Mother killer'

None of the criminals would go near him for fear of the horrible nature of his crime- the young boy who slayed his own mother without mercy.

Yet Avarco was not angry at them, nor did he correct their assumption.

Even so, there was something which bothered him all that time.

For the 15 years he spent in that cell, he thought and thought.

He thought about the state of the economy, of society, of businesses, and of the reason why that doctor would do such a thing.

He thought and he thought and he thought, and in the end he came to a conclusion.

"Everything..... is based off of money, isn't it?"

How did he not realize it?

How did he go so long without coming to this simple fact?

How did he not consider this?

"If I had more money, I could have hired a lawyer...."

"If I had more money, I wouldn't have had to leave that place so quickly... I would have been able to afford a proper burial..."

"No..... if I had more money, mother wouldn't have died in the first place."

It was so obvious, yet it had flew above the head of Avarco for all these years.

"Hahahahaha... how could I have been so ignorant?"

Inspired with a new goal, the dead man who had spent 15 years in a cell pondering was reinvigorated with a goal.

"I will.... become rich. And with money, I will rule everyone."

[You have fulfilled my conditions.]

[Come.]

It was then that Avarco's mind was pierced with a strange voice.

He looked around his empty cell, confused.

Nobody was there.

"I must be going nuts from this isolation, but that doesn't matter. I will exit and I will make money..... I will make all the money in the world, and I won't stop.....hahaha....."

[I am here. Underneath this jail.]

Suddenly, an image was thrusted into the mind of Avarco.

A yellow crystal, and a location.

In a basement within this very jail.

"What is that?"

Avarco was filled with curiosity, yet there was something else which was spurred in him.

"Somehow.... I feel that if I go there, I will be able to make a large sum of wealth...."

Avarco managed to escape the view of the guards during his next lunch break, making his way into the jail basement, where a metal door was locked before him.

"Ah.... perhaps this was too good to be true."

[Enter. It is now unlocked. Come, my host.]

[Host?]

Avarco did not understand the meaning of the words, but he heard the door click and opened it without issue.

Opening the door he saw the yellow crystal floating in the room, glowing with power.

[I have not had a host for a long time. There are many who are greedy, but there are few who desire wealth above all else For wealth is only a means to obtain that which we desire. Yet your greed..... is pure.]

Avarco reached out, touching the crystal with a smile.

Power flowed into him, and he felt more in tune with the world than ever before.

[Go and change the world, using the single factor which rules it..... money.]

Avarco was later released from his sentence and the first thing he did was start up a business.

He was a prodigy.

He was perhaps the most successful businessman in the history of Volaciophus, and could always predict the cycles of the economy.

When he had amassed a small fortune, he hired a lawyer good enough to sue the doctor for lying under oath.

Many witnesses were gathered among his former instructors, proving that Avarco was innocent of the murder of his mother. Furthermore, a number of the nurses who were present that day testified, speaking of the words and actions of the man after Avarco offered them hefty sums merely to speak the truth.

'See? Anything can be bought. If people can be paid to lie, then they too can be paid to speak the truth.'

The man was charged with either a sentence of 20 years or a large sum of money, however Avarco did not stop there.

He pressed one step further.

"My client's mother paid your fee to be kept alive until midnight- after which she was free to die. Did she not? You received payment to keep her alive until midnight, yet refused to provide her with the proper cure given that she could not afford such a thing. Tell me then. Since she died 4 hours before midnight, where exactly were those 4 hours that she paid for? Are you telling me that even if you had the ability to cure her, you were not willing to put forth such an expenditure?  Yet she paid for those 4 hours. Even if it meant curing her of her illness completely in order to keep her alive, should you not have done everything you could to ensure that she received at least those 4 hours?"

Avarco's lawyer twisted and turned the situation about in order to produce a favorable result for the man, increasing the amount of money which he would need to pay.

After wringing the man dry of every last penny, Avarco then went on to become the owner of the largest business in the entire city, and eventually he stood beside King Leroy as the 2nd Host of Volaciophus.

He lived his life as a King while focusing on nothing more than his own goals. Leroy went off one day on his own without a word and never returned, and years later Avarco was informed of the birth of a new host. His own sense of greed led him to her, combined with the instructions of the system which spoke to him.

And now, finally, after years of ruling, Avarco had come to a point of hopelessness once more.

Never had he faced a businessman who was able to overcome his own negotiations, yet the elven figure blew away all of Avarco's expectations.

Avarco sensed a strange similarity which he could not quite pin down, but this was soon overcome by the reality of the situation.

He was now in danger.

Not only him, but all the people around him.

They were thrusted about in a horrible and nauseating manner, orbiting the center of gravity which was that spiritual monster.

They flew through the sky unable to even speak, and Avarco furiously thought to himself, wondering where he went wrong.

'Just what exactly did I do wrong? They came out of nowhere. Perhaps I should have created a more expansive network of information? No, if I had done that the other hosts would become suspicious of me, thinking that I was planning an external attack and violating our agreement. No matter how much I ponder I cannot find a proper solution....'

"Your mistake? Hahahaha....."

As Avarco thought this, the voice of the succubus flowed into his ears as he was thrusted violently in an orbit.

"It's simple, really. Your mistake was believing you had a chance."

The beautiful voice combined with these crushing words, leaving Avarco unable to say anything back.

"But if I had to say something else, then I suppose it would be..... that you were born into the wrong world."

The woman spoke relentlessly with a feminine laugh, chipping away at Avarco's very worth as a person.

"But even so.... you still hold worth to us. So prove it, pig. Give a presentation that the people of your village will never forget."

----

"A presentation?"

The spinning stopped and Avarco was able to speak.

"Indeed. You can at least do that much, no? After all.... it would be humiliating if someone who couldn't even do that would call himself a businessman.... much less the very Host of Greed."

"I..... would be glad to do so."

Avarco smirked as he gained a chance to redeem himself.

He had died.

The pain of death and the terror which he held was something he would never in his life forget.

Yet even so, it was something which spurred him onwards.

He had experienced death.

And he had overcome it.

What else was there to stop him?

The antiheroes were beings of power who held his own life in their palms as if it was a candle that they could blow out and relight without any effort.

'How much profit could I attain if I were to merge with their business? My..... this is indeed looking very profitable.'

Avarco no longer held the status of "Host of Greed".

He no longer held his own ability to control the supply and demand of the world, but even so this was not an issue.

He was still a businessman, and he would continue to attain wealth.

"Forgive me for my late realization. I will not disappoint you."

Trevor smirked as he looked at Avarco, who had become filled with determination.

"With such a bold statement a mediocre performance would be unacceptable."

"Even so, I maintain my statement."

The group flew through the air across the land, traveling across the mountains and then into the land of darkness.

Eventually they came upon the volcanic crevice- the only bit of light in the entire realm of darkness, containing the city of magma within.

As the antiheroes entered the city, Ashley's eyes flared with a strange interest.

"Heh heh heh.... I..... like this place."

"It's pretty nice, isn't it?", Garett added on with a chuckle as the four looked around at the flowing city of lava.

The buildings made from cooled lava floated on top of a sea of lava, shaking and crashing into one another like tectonic plates.

Around them were flames and a heat so great that a human would have died if they had even approached the entrance, yet the antiheroes entered without issue.

"Well then, slave? Get going. We'll be waiting in the plaza."

"Of course."

The elementals were dropped to the ground and they all rushed off, suddenly able to move.

'We... can move again.....'

'Finally.....'

"Do make sure to show up for our inauguration. Anyone not present will be.... duly noted.", Trevor commented.

This comment sputtered an immense amount of terror into the hearts of the men who were set free. Remembering their very own deaths, they couldn't take anything said by these beings of chaos lightly.

"Yes!", they shouted in obedience, rushing off.

"Ah you. Stay here and fetch us some food, will you?", Garett said while pointing out to one elemental as the four antiheroes floated in the air.

"Right away!!!!"

With a fanged smile, Garett looked to his comrades.

"If you're gonna travel around the world, you might as well flavor the local delicacies. Right?"

"Keh heh heh..... yep...."

Ashley agreed as she hung her arms around Garett, lazily resting herself on him.

The four lowered themselves to the ground, which Garett touched with one hand.

Instantly the molten rock took the form of seats, and the four sat together as they waited.

"This endeavor has been a strange one indeed.", Trevor commented, speaking to Samantha. "I do wonder just what awaits us. My own simulations have been.... thrown off, though only slightly. By your action, no less."

With this statement, Samantha grabbed his hand with a thin smile.

"Whatever happens doesn't matter to me. After all, insects will always be inferior. The only thing they can change is just how hard they try."

----

Evelyn found herself rounding up the people of the city of Iciclaris once more.

"Everyone!!! Spread word that we are to gather at the auditorium!! There is a large event which will occur very soon, so I encourage you all to hurry there!!! The fate of our city will depend on what happens in a few moments, so please!!! Be sure not to arrive late!!!"

'Eh?'

'What is the Captain talking about?'

'The fate of the city will be decided?'

'What's going on?'

With confusion the people reluctantly stepped outside their homes, following Evelyn's lead.

"Please spread the word to everyone else as well!!! I don't think anyone should miss this!!"

Little by little, people from every corner of the city were called and gathered, all converging at the auditorium which was filled well beyond it's capacity.

Evelyn then stood forward before all the people.

A chunk of the icy building had been cut out of the roof, however the sun was already setting at this point, and it was beginning to get dark.

Looking up to this chunk, Evelyn was reminded not only of the slaughtered children, but of her own comrades, and her expression darkened a bit.

'But even so.... I have to move forward.'

"What have you called us here for, Captain?"

"What on earth happened out there!?!? There were a number of explosions and flashing lights from what I saw!!"

"Captain, please tell us!!!"

Taking in a deep breath, Evelyn prepared her own heart to tell the people the truth.

She would inform them of everything, and perhaps their own hearts would be thrown into distraught at hearing the reality of the situation.

But even so, this was her duty.

She was a Knight. And sometimes, this required her to play the bearer of bad news.

She stood before the people right now to tell them of how much of a failure she was, and how she had disappointed each and every one of them.

She was distressed as she thought about her own inadequacy, but even so she could not allow that distress to prevent her from performing her duty.

She would own up to her own mistake, and admit her own weakness with shame.

The people would likely rebuke her and shout out against her, furious that she had failed while managing to keep her own life.

Yet that was her punishment.

"To everyone who has gathered.... I thank you for coming."

Evelyn saw the principle, many students, and the faces of so many families around her.

With heavy heart, she choked up- wanting to prolong for even another second the news of the terrible fate which awaited them.

Turning towards the people with a deep breath, Evelyn's words dropped like a hammer, silencing the people before her.

"I have failed as a Knight. I was unable to protect this city."