"So this is where you've been keeping our prisoners... interesting."

Claire walked through the dungeon, looking around at the cells- most of which were empty.

Eventually she came across Kota and Hergar, the barracuda fishman who had led his people to failure, and the dictator who controlled every aspect of the lives of his people, putting any who went against him under immense labors.

"Oh.... hey, Kota. So this is where you've been all this time. I didn't know you were still alive."

Claire looked over to the shriveling fishman who looked up to her with eyes of terror.

"It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Not since I came to your palace.... do you remember the things you said about me?"

Closing his eyes and nodding fearfully, the fishman did not speak. He merely agreed, for fear that he would undergo horrible torture should he show any sign of insubordination.

"You called me a demon..... and you said that you would defeat me, if I remember. I suppose those words do speak quite true now. Well, the demon part at least."

Claire laughed to herself, mocking Kota's predicament.

"But..... it would seem that your eyes have changed quite a bit since then. I do not sense any malice from you, so I suppose you can be forgiven as well. Antiheroes. Free this man."

"Ehhh? He was such a piece of shit. Why should we free him?", Ashley protested with a raspy tone.

"Mmm..... I suppose because it's just so pitiful to see him like this. After all, he is nothing more than a shell of what he once was."

With a demonic smile, Claire placed a hand to her lips.

"He's a harmless fly. It won't matter any more if we let him free."

"I see. You have an interesting perspective, Determined. However I will say that you are not wrong. After the time he has spent here..... I am sure he has reflected well upon his statements. I do not believe there is any possibility of him posing any threat to our motives, and to be frank I have grown bored of tormenting him. He is no longer the wicked man he once was, but now rather a fearful child."

With a sly grin, Trevor thinned his eyes mockingly.

"And I would prefer not to bully children if I can avoid it."

"Eh.... well, I guess he isn't that bad anymore. Whatever. Do what you guys want.", Ashley murmured with a shrug.

"Good for you, Kota! Are you ready to return to society as a reformed man?", Claire said with a gorgeous smile as the jail door was unlocked and opened using Ashley's magic.

"I....."

Kota seemed to be at a loss for words for his current situation.

"Do you..... mean that? Are you..... ha..... are you dangling the light of hope in front of me?"

Tears seemed to be forming within the eyes of the fishmen.

"Why yes, I am.", Claire responded. "Did you think I'd just let you go so easily?"

At this statement, Kota looked down with bitter smile.

"Of course. After all I did and said..... haha..... you'd never just up and forgive me."

"But..... I believe in remediation through efforts. Therefore..... I will offer you two options, Kota. No.... I suppose three.", Claire stated as she looked up with thought.

"Three..... options?"

Kota sat up, listening to the demon before him with patience.

Lifting her index finger, Claire spoke with a sly smile.

"Number 1. Become one of our slaves and fight in the upcoming war. Of course, your opponents will be demons, and you will have to fight alongside the very men who betrayed and killed you. If your pride still remains, it would be a difficult thing to do, no? But if it has been shattered just as your heart has been, then it would be no issue."

Lifting a second finger, Claire continued speaking with a sinister tone.

"Number 2. I could allow you to leave our lands forever, banished from ever stepping foot on our territory. However..... I wouldn't recommend this one. After all..... soon enough, the entire world will become our territory, and you will have nowhere to run."

Putting her hand to her chin, Claire's tone became less demented as she spoke her mind.

"I suppose at this point you'd have a choice between the human realm and the realm of demons. But we're about to take over the realm of demons, so that wouldn't end well with you. Your best bet would be on the human realm... but let me ask you, Kota."

Staring into the eyes of the fearful fishman, the angel became extremely serious.

"Do you have the resolve to live in a world where everyone sees you as nothing more than a monstrous freak?"

Kota shivered as Claire asked him this.

There was a cold sense of resolve and suffering behind those words, to the point where he felt as if the angel was piercing his own soul with her eyes.

"You don't. I can tell you firsthand..... it isn't easy."

Raising three fingers, Claire closed her eyes before reasserting herself.

"And then there is option number three. If you are unwilling to lower yourself as our slave and work with those we have accepted, then this is your only choice. And it isn't a bad one, at that.... compared to what you've probably suffered all this time."

Holding out her hand with an evil grin, the eyes of the angel thinned so that her expression was truly demonic.

"Death."

The word vibrated through the halls, stiffening all those in the cells who were patiently listening in on the demented voice of the demonic woman.

At this word, they were struck with terror due to the reality behind her tone.

There was a depth behind the way she said it, something which was indescribable with words alone.

'This woman.....'

Almost every single person within these cells had experienced death.

Kota. Hergar. Envidia. Avarco. Claire. Garett. Trevor.

With so many who had experienced brutal, tormenting deaths, this word should not have carried the weight it did when it exited the mouth of the angel.

Yet..... it did.

"If... if I choose that option..... will that be the end?"

"Will it be the end? Ah.... you mean to ask if we will revive you to torment you at a later point?"

Kota nodded.

"No. If you choose that option..... you may consider yourself freed of this world."

Kota bit his lip, clearly in a predicament.

He did not know what to choose.

It was not that his pride stopped him from choosing the first option. Anything but.

He had been tormented, abused, and broken to the point where he was mentally beyond repair.

He would never again be able to live a regular life.

But there was something else which stopped him from choosing that option, and it was his own fear.

The fear that he would be forced to continue suffering for the sake of his tormentors.

Placing his hand on his forehead, Kota clenched his teeth.

"I..... would like to live."

He forced the words out.

It took everything within him to say those words.

Living was far more terrifying than death.

He wanted more than anything to choose death.

Yet there was something inside Kota that was spurred as he was given these three decisions.

"I..... must apologize to my people. After that, I would not mind if you were to kill me off."

"So..... is your answer that you will become a temporary slave for your last moments?"

"That is my answer."

"I see. An interesting answer. I will grant you your desire."

As the demon stated this, tears flowed from Kota's eyes.

He held his face in torment, remembering back to all the suffering he had went through, and all the suffering which he had caused.

He had cheated in a battle against Ploritan to win over the position of chief.

He had ignored the safety of his civilians for his own pride as a warrior.

He had rejected the hand of the antiheroes, who had come to the palace in order to offer their assistance as meek servants of the Determined.

And in the end, he had caused a split among his people.

He had done nothing good in his life, and everything which he had suffered to this point was in retribution for those actions.

The ripping out of his own heart, the removal of his lungs, the experiments, the horrible pain which he had suffered at the hands of these antiheroes.

He should have hated them.

He should have hated them with every fiber of his being, yet as Kota thought about all these things, the only one he could hate was himself.

Turning around, Claire faced a cobra who appeared to be half asleep, writhing in pain.

His screams had been silenced, but he was clearly undergoing torment far more immense than anyone else within the jail cell.

"So? What did this one do?"

"It would be better if you didn't know.", Ashley stated. "But he was probably the shittiest person in this world."

Closing her eyes with a nod, Claire moved on.

"I doubt he could be worse than that man, but I will take your word for it."

Stepping forward, Claire approached the cells just beyond the two.

The one on her left had an elemental who was a combination of magma and earthen rock, wearing an exquisite outfit as if he were a mix between a king and a businessman.

The cell on her right contained two women who were identical in appearance yet polar in element. Both of the women had pony tails made from their respective elements, one composed of ice and the other of fire, and their features were almost exactly similar to one another with their elemental composition aside.

"So? Who are these ones?"

"The one on the left is Avarco, the former Host of Greed."

Trevor introduced the man, to which he stood up and bowed, taking off his hat in respectful manner.

"My my..... I take it that you are the Determined? I apologize for not introducing myself, but it would seem that the elven man behind you has already done so for me. Indeed, I am the former Host of Greed. I once held the ability to control the supply and demand of peoples hearts, increasing the desire of those around me for a certain good, or to produce a certain good. Yet that ability was taken from me in my own death, and now I am merely an old man with no abilities aside from the use of my mind."

Claire approached the man, staring him up and down.

He had the face of a young man yet the demeanor of an older gentleman, and there was the gleam of gold in his eyes which Claire knew all too well.

"I see that you've done your research. Yes, I am the Determined. I am the one who killed Vex, the Host of Wrath. Pleased to meet you."

Claire took the hem of her black dress with a grand motion, sarcastically showing respect in elegant manner as the skulls around her neck clinked together.

"Now then.... I can tell already what your answer will likely be, but I will ask anyways. Will you become our slave and follow our every command, or will you die like a dog here and now?"

At this question the man fixed his monocle with a grin.

"I have always been the type to prioritize my own self interest..... your eminence? Is that what I should refer to you as?"

"You had better. Call me by anything less and it won't be this side you're dealing with."

"You send chills down my spine, I do say, your eminence. Enough to make this old man quiver just speaking with you. As I was saying, I have always prioritized my own self interest. When there is profit to be made, I will allocate my efforts towards it. When I am faced with a decision, I weigh the options before deciding on which one holds the greatest benefit with respect to the risk."

Claire nodded in agreement.

"I do not see self interest as evil in of itself. After all, there is not a single human, humanoid, or demon on this planet who does not act in self interest. Anyone who acts outside of self interest is nothing more than a mindless beast."

"Ah! You have quite the amusing perspective, your eminence. I cannot agree more. Self interest is often viewed by many as evil, because it is the prioritization of ones own self over others, yet this is in actuality all that is possible for those with intellect! If we prioritize another for example, we are doing so for the self! If prioritizing others does not bring us happiness, we will cease to do so. If it does bring us happiness, we will continue to do so. Or if not prioritizing others will bring to us feelings of guilt, then we will do so in order to avoid such feelings. I feel that many are so reluctant to admit this phenomena, for it would make them appear to be evil inherently, yet that is not the case."

"It would take a real hero to help someone else even when you are hurt by doing so.... is that what you are trying to say?", Claire asked.

"Indeed. I consider myself to be a businessman, therefore I consider helping others as a means of helping myself. If there are those who desire a certain product, I provide it for them at a price which is beneficial to myself. They will buy the product of their own free will, at the price which I offer, and therefore their decision to make such a purchase will always be one of self interest as well. For if it were not in their self interest, then they would not purchase such a thing.", Avarco replied.

"And if helping others was not in your self interest, you would cease to do so?"

"Exactly so."

"I see. I cannot say I like your opinion, but I certainly do not disagree with it. However, that makes things easier for me. After all..... that means if I am to create a scenario where it is always to your benefit to obey my every order, then I would effectively acquire you as a slave. No?"

"Your mind is devious beyond measure, your eminence. That of a true merchant, if I do say so myself. But you are exactly correct. In my current state, I have been placed in a position where anything else would be beyond detrimental to my own state. Therefore.... I offer you my loyalty, for the little that it is worth."

Claire nodded.

"With someone as powerless as you, it will be a simple task to keep your benefits aligned in my favor. If you ever find yourself disobeying me, just know that your death will be slow and painful."

"You do not pull any punches, your eminence. To call a man powerless is to shame his very being, yet I cannot deny your words when I compare myself to you and their excellencies."

"We have discovered that you Hosts of Sin have a good relationship with one another, despite your conflicting personalities. Is this true?"

"It is true without doubt. Do you understand what is required for someone to become a Host of Sin, your eminence?"

"For one to undergo such great torment that their sin exceeds all others.... is that correct?"

"Exactly."

Placing her hand to her chin in thought, Claire closed her eyes with a smile.

"I see. Then, I will be utilizing you, as well as the man I killed. And to you as well, Host of Envy."

Turning around, Claire looked down upon the flaming woman.

"I heard about you as well. You gave Ally quite the scare when you tried to steal her power. But in the end, infinity cannot be contained within the body of a mere mortal. No?"

"That's.... right. I lost to her. And I died. And now I'm here alive. What.... are you going to do with us?"

The flame elemental spoke with care, something which she was clearly not accustomed to.

"What are you going to do with us, YOUR EMINENCE. Do not forget the title, for that is to forget your place."

"Forgive me, your eminence...."

The woman bowed her head, shivering at the sudden disgust which the angelic figure took in her tone.

The frost elemental beside her too bowed, for the presence of the angel was too strong to casually sit by without terror creeping it's way into their hearts.

"As for the answer to your question.... well, I don't have to tell you that, right? After all, who are you to be asking me questions? You are nobody. First understand that. However, I do not think it would be right for you to not know of your role, therefore I will tell you."

With a smirk, Claire spoke clearly for the two to hear.

"Listen closely. Our opponents are the remaining three Hosts of Sin. Their abilities hold power over even myself, so we cannot underestimate them. Therefore.... in order to defeat them, I must first break them."

----

Within the Capital of the Dictatorship, almost everyone had gathered.

The streets and plazas were packed with people of all types.

Insectoids, lizardmen, ratmen, snakemen, fishmen, slime kin, goblins, and even a few humans.

Men, women, and children.

The powerful and the powerless.

The warriors and the civilians.

However, there were a few members of the dictatorship who had not gathered.

Specifically, the people of Iciclaris and Volaciophus, as well as the Inhabitants of the haunted tower.

These people were not present among those gathered, making it so that only humans and humanoids were present. Not a single being with the classification of 'demon' was currently within these halls.

It was at this moment that six beings appeared before the crowds, all of which were hovering in the air.

Chairs from barriers formed, and five of these beings sat down while the sixth stood forward on a platform.

Among these five beings, the one who sat in the center was an angel with the pitch black dress of a demonic overlord.

Miniature skulls lined her necklace and she looked down on the people with an overwhelming expression.

Sitting on one side of her was a crimson demon and a ragged spirit, and on the other side of her was a well mannered elf and a dominating succubus.

And standing in front of her, looking onto the crowd, was a fishman.

A man who was of the barracuda type.

His body was covered in scars and his eyes were filled with fear as he shivered before the crowds, however stage fright was not the reason for his fear.

'I..... must do this.'

Resolving himself, the barracuda stepped forward and shouted out to all, who had been quieted at the appearance of the group.

"My name..... is Kota. I am nothing more than a fool who defied the antiheroes and the Determined, rejecting their kind advice on multiple occasions. And for that, I have been punished greatly."

Gripping his heart, Kota looked down on the crowds.

Many of the fishmen were staring straight at him with both confusion and irritation.

Standing at their front, Ploritan met eyes with Kota.

"I have done many things which I must repent for, and most of all was my sin..... of prioritizing my own glory over my people's well being."

The faces of the fishmen softened with confusion and wonder as Kota spoke in an apologetic tone.

"It is my own fault that so many died at the hands of that legion commander. I was a fool, and wanted to prioritize my own honor over my people. I understand that I cannot be forgiven, but that is not the reason I stand before you today."

Bowing his head and closing his eyes, Kota shouted for all to hear.

"I stand before you because an apology is due. That is all."

'Their excellencies....'

'Somehow they managed to make that Kota bow his head in apology to us.....'

'They.... truly are something else.'

Many of the fishmen were filled with amazement at the excessive sincerity behind the apology, inclined to forgive the man for his transgressions.

Ploritan stared at the man with a completely serious expression.

Kota had caused him and the people much grief.

His anger towards Kota was not something he could simply throw out the window.

But seeing his demeanor right now, he remembered the very reason which he began to serve the antiheroes in the first place.

'The first test I underwent..... was to work with my enemies. If I had failed such a test, I would not be here today.'

Therefore, closing his eyes, Ploritan stood forward.

"Kota. I cannot speak for any others within this crowd. I hated you for the things you did to our people. But even so.... on seeing you in such a state, I can at least speak for myself."

With firm resolve, Ploritan pounded his chest with his fin.

"I forgive you."

As Ploritan made this move, many hearts around him were moved with compassion.

"We forgive you, Kota."

"We forgive you."

At hearing these words, tears flowed from the eyes of Kota as he received forgiveness which he neither deserved nor expected.

"T.... thank you."

These words hobbled out the babbling mouth of Kota as his damaged heart underwent a flurry of emotions.

"Isn't that wonderful? I suppose you can now die in peace."

And at that moment, Kota felt a foot pressing on his back.

Kicked off the platform, Kota barreled towards the ground, his head splattering onto the open pavement.

Standing atop that platform was an angel, and her smile was that of an innocent and gentle girl.

Placing her foot on the ground, she walked back to her seat, sitting down in a fashion that could only be resembling of a true demonic Queen.

'Are you sure you should have done that, Claire? He was repentant and everything. Won't you feel bad?'

'Feel bad? I granted him exactly what I wanted. What more could I have done to help him?'

With a light smile, a fang poked out of the sinister mouth of the girl.

'If he wished to live in those last moments, then he made one fatal error. At the moment he made his decision to die, he failed to realize the value..... of life.'

Sitting forward with a smile, Claire looked around at the fishmen who were conflicted with emotion at seeing Kota dead on the ground, yet soon looked back up to the one they knew of as their Queen.

"Now that we've gotten that over with, I suppose it's time to get down to business."