“Jenna. I’m sorry. Can we have a go at your food?” Robyn asked. She let out a heavy sigh. This was probably one of the most embarrassing moments to happen as of late. Every member of The Unnamed Team pulled out their coin purses and paid their portion of the bill. Of course, extra gold coins were thrown on top as a gratuity. The team felt bad about ruining whatever celebration this feast was for, but they’d feel worse if someone died because they mishandled the [Demon’s Poison].
“Oh, sure. Is there something wrong?” Jenna asked. She had a look of concern on her that came from both the team's odd actions and demeanor. They looked miserable as if whatever they were about to do would be their final actions in life. The Unnamed Team rarely stood out on their own accord, so it was odd to see them do so now. They were taking charge of the celebration to do something else. Little did they know, the feast was meant to honor them for their hard work against the sins and safe return from the capital, but Jenna didn’t bother to mention that. She thought it was best to simply stay quiet and slip the coins she was given back into the team’s rooms while they slept.
“No. We just want to have a speed-eating match with Grace. Our friend, Grace.” Nicholas said. He made sure to reiterate Gluttony’s fake name. It would be a problem if the known sin-slaying heroes were caught having a friendly competition with the last active sin. Of course, the excuse was just as bizarre as the fake name. Normal people didn’t tend to interrupt feasts to simply have an intense match of overconsumption. Plus, one look at Gluttony’s slim physique was enough to raise even more questions. Nothing about the scene made sense, but no one dared to question the heroes. Some even used their creative minds to conjure up reasonable explanations for the situation.
“Is that right? The reigning champion from the Summer Harvest Speed Eating Competition wants to defend his title?” Mateo said. He smirked as his gaze locked on the previous competition's champion, Xander. Such a normal-looking person could devour an impressive amount of food in a short time. It was probably at that moment when Mateo understood The Unnamed Team would begin to make waves in society. Their recent conquest of two sins, Envy and Pride, also showed signs of their unstoppable growth.
Naturally, Mateo was still blinded by the illusion that was The Unnamed Team. Xander never won the original competition legitimately. He simply used an older version of [Unadorned] to stealthily empty his plates onto his competitors’. No one noticed anything out of place, and Xander was crowned the champion after his indescribably easy bout. Needless to say, the other members of the team weren’t completely satisfied with the outcome, but they would never oust one of their own.
“Well… Yeah… That’s what we’re doing…” Xander said. He could feel the competitive spirit rise within the room. Most of the onlookers were excited to see the match, and Gluttony was eager to show why she earned her name. Even The Unnamed Team fell into the hype, but that was more of a defense mechanism. Their minds were trying to rationalize and justify why they were about to eat poisoned food. No one else was aware of that stipulation, so the tavern erupted into a frenzy of excited bystanders.
“I don’t mind. I’ll take you all on.” Gluttony said with a smile. It wasn’t every day that she was challenged so boldly. Bouts involving food were even less rare. Gluttony may have appeared to be a thin woman, but she could devour a great amount, as one would expect for someone with a name like hers. Grace and finesse went out the window the moment she heard the declaration. Gluttony waltzed over to the table and eyed the feast before her. It all looked delicious. The chef was clearly an artisan who took pride in his work. Not only were the plates mouth-watering, but they were also arranged in a way that pleased the eye.
“Not me. Just those three.” Rex snarkily said. He pointed to the other members of his team before waving them off. There was no way he’d get involved. To start, only three plates were poisoned, so someone would be the odd person out. Rex had no intention of giving the others a chance to escape their fate. They were the ones who accidentally created the [Demon’s Poison]. They were the ones who lost it. Logic dictated that they would have to reap what they sowed. Eins had the same idea. They sat back with their injured friend at an empty table. Xander, Robyn, and Nicholas gave menacing glances to the relaxed duo, but nothing else could be done. The match was about to begin.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m ready for this.” Gluttony said. She stretched out any lingering soreness from her back and arms before assuming an intense position at the end of the table. It would have been intimidating, but all she was doing was getting ready to eat. Plus, The Unnamed Team had bigger issues on their minds. Gluttony had prepared herself on the wrong side of the table. Her hungry eyes stared daggers through the poisoned pasta, meatloaf, and cake. The team was quick to panic.
“No- I mean… We want this side.” Robyn said. She quickly stepped between Gluttony and the table, practically throwing herself over the food. The motion may have been overdramatic, but it was the only way to stop the sin from accidentally killing herself. Everyone looked on with confused expressions. Robyn almost turned red from embarrassment. Why did she have to be the only person to protect the food and damage her reputation? The other people in the tavern would think she was out of mind if they didn’t already. A single person broke through the growing animosity and progressed the event.
“Alright, if you say so,” Gluttony said. She didn’t care where she started. The only thing that mattered was winning. She was Gluttony. She had to prove her name’s worth. If The Unnamed Team wanted to start on a certain side of the table, why not let them? It wasn’t as if there was a clear advantage. Even if there was, she wouldn’t lose to them.
Xander and Nicholas approached the table. Robyn cleared her mind and brushed aside her lingering worries. There was no way out of this. The three knew that. It was impossible to dispose of the [Demon’s Poison] without risking the life of something or someone. The best course of action was to handle it themselves. Hopefully, they would gain new skins tailored for resisting poisons and regenerating health. Otherwise, the three were in for the longest meal of their potentially short lives.
Compared to her gloomy acquaintances, Gluttony was ecstatic. There were few opportunities to display why she earned her name. Most people made jokes about how her figure didn’t suit her title. Of course, that type of banter was never used in front of her. Any of her demonic subordinates would be immediately disciplined, but the other sins were free to tell their fair share of jokes. Pride talked about his preferred taste of exemplary and voluptuous women. Wrath spoke about how nothing but bottle prowess mattered, constantly mentioning that Gluttony lacked muscle definition. Even Envy used to talk about how jealous she was over Gluttony’s slim physique.
Thinking back on it, those three were never her favorite.
“On your marks,” Lust shouted. She was excited to see the event unfold. This was exactly the type of action she loved: unnecessary and chaotic. She hardly knew who to root for. It was why she chose the role of referee. Rather than pick sides, Lust wanted to take the role of commentator, “Get set. Go!”
The Unnamed Team raced to a swift start. They didn’t give themselves a moment to hesitate. Robyn snatched the cake. Nicholas took the pasta. Xander cradled the meatloaf. The three had the perfect start to their race. They all winced at the thought of devouring poison, but now wasn’t the time to falter. They couldn't give their brains the time to process what was happening. An intense bite was all it took to seal their fates. It should have been horrible. It should have tasted awful, but it didn’t. The food tasted amazing as if it were made with the finest wine this world could produce. The three had never tasted something so wonderful, even during their time in the capital. Their pace hastened as they realized how much better the situation was.
Meanwhile, Gluttony was also eating at a great speed. It was clear to see how she earned her title. Her confidence was far from misplaced. She was managing to keep up with her three opponents. No. It was better to say she surpassed them. Of course, The Unnamed Team had slowed a bit due to their lingering fears, but Gluttony still managed the impressive feat of finishing a plate in a minute. Murmuring filled the gaps between the constant sounds of chewing. Who was this girl? Where did she put all of that food? There were plenty of questions floating around the tavern. Xander, Robyn, and Nicholas had their concerns as well, but they didn’t last long.
A new problem had presented itself.
The effects of the [Demon’s Poison] had finally activated. It was a cruel twist of fate that anyone could have predicted. The toxin was nothing to scoff at. The three heroes felt their body temperatures rise and muscles tense as their bodies tried to cope with the foreign substance. A wave of pain stemmed from their stomachs and flooded their minds. It was hard to think of anything, much less continue eating more of this poisoned food. Sweat dripped from their foreheads as panic set in. They couldn’t see their overall health, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine how low they were.
“What’s wrong? Not going to get conquered by one plate of food are you?” Gluttony said. She wasn’t the type to taunt an opponent, but she expected more from their heroes. There were three of them against her. They started on the arguably more tantalizing side of the table. They were confident enough to challenge her. Naturally, their current performance was a disappointment. Only half of their original plates were gone, and they were already slowing.
“Damned sin and her stupid taunts,” Nicholas said, mumbling under his breath. He could feel his stomach turn with each bite, but he refused to be conquered by a simple dish. That wasn’t the legacy he wanted. He'd finish his food even if it killed him. At least, that was how he justified eating more of the meal. There was no way to rationalize eating poisoned food, so he had to act like his pride was at stake to motivate himself.
Nicholas was the only one who pushed himself to continue the challenge. Xander and Robyn were left to suffer and eat with much less enthusiasm. The pulse of damaging pain continued to run through them. Each bite took more out of them than the last. It was a grueling process, but it had to be done. Cheers from the bystanders pushed the heroes forward. Even Genesis was getting in on the action by announcing new skills like [Poison Resistance II] and [Health Regeneration II]. The group's collective health dropped to a dangerously low amount, stopping short of death just as the meals were finished.
“I win! No one can beat the great Gl-Grace at eating!” Gluttony shouted, almost accidentally revealing her true identity. The room erupted into cheers and yelling. There was no room for doubt about her skills. She had managed to finish every plate on the table in the time it took The Unnamed Team to finish three. Meanwhile, her three opponents were practically dead on the table. It wasn’t hard to see who the new champion was.
“Nice job, girl!” Eins cheered. They used [Stealth IV] to expertly maneuver through the crowd without being detected. Once within reach of the target, Eins deactivated their skill and gave Gluttony a celebratory pat on the back. Smiles concealed their true intent as a new skill was utilized at the final climax of today’s event.
A silent usage of [Greed] was all that it took to steal [Gluttony].
