I sighed as I looked at Nanatsu lying on a stone pedestal I created. It’s only us here in this room made of mud. 

Nanatsu almost depleted his mana. Even though the mana they’re using now allows them to stay conscious and be able to last for a year, it’s still not enough to cast such a powerful spell. Especially if they’re using pure mana without a limiter to control their mana output.

I already warned them that their lives depend on it. 

I opened his chest. His soul core is flickering while the other is somehow stable. He’ll revert back to a mindless one if I let it be. 

Hm, but I still need him.  

My hand started to radiate violet light as I recharge his core. He twitched for a moment. I think this should be enough. His soul core has stabilized. He’ll wake up anytime soon. 

I tap the ground with the end of my staff. 

 

**thud, crack**

 

The wall around us collapsed. 

Sora and Hachiro were just beside the river. They’ve been tinkering a lot with my bag since it got dragged away when we encountered Freya. As for Freya, she went somewhere else after we’ve convinced her to let me check up on Nanatsu’s current situation. I’m glad Hachiro was around when this happened. At least we managed to convince her without Nanatsu’s help. 

However, I sense that there’s already a death sentence waiting for me. I don’t know why, but each time she looks at me, I feel like she’s getting more anxious with a tint of guilt behind her face. That might be because I resembled my former body. 

 

“How’s Aniki, Bell-san?” 

 

Hachiro asked while tinkering on my belongings along with Sora. They displayed all of it out in the open. Sora washes it first beside the river before she completely touched my belongings. After that, she sits next to Hachiro. 

 

“He had a stroke. But don’t worry, he’ll wake up soon.”

“A stroke? Pfft.. Hahahahaha.” Sora burst into laughter.

“That’s not funny, Sora.” Hachiro scolded her. 

“Hahahaha. It is to me…. Don’t look at me like that. Relax, he’ll wake up soon. While we’re waiting, let's check this out.”

“What are you guys doing?” I asked.

“Uhhh… Freya-sama told us to… Uhhh… check for suspicious items.”

“You’re lying, Hachiro.”

“!!”

“Don’t believe him, Bell-san. We’re just curious when we saw your bag in the river. We almost thought you were carrying a rock. And when we opened it, it was filled with gold coins and odd things I have never seen before. Do you know that you could hire an entire army with this amount of money?! And this one, what’s this retractable golden stick with lenses in it?”

“Slow down, princess. You look like you’re having a blast.”

“Sorry, we’re just curious okay, we don’t intend to tell this to Freya-sama. **Sora peaks on the golden stick**... … … Woah! I could literally see far away from here.”

“That’s called a telescope.” 

“You should check this out, Hachiro!”

“I would love to, but I can’t see like you.”

“Too bad. **giggles**”

 

Hachiro shook a small bag.

 

“What’s this, Bell-san? It’s so light.”

“That’s my-”

“Hooooo!” Hachiro spreads it open.

“-clothes.”

“Bell-sam, Bell-san’s tattered clothes!”

“What’s awesome with that?” Sora asked.

“It’s his clothes when we first met him, and as Freya has said before, it’s shining with traces of light.”

“And?”

“The bag is soaked but not its contents, which means it’s still there. And a legend just wore this you know. That’s how awesome these tattered clothes are. ”

“A legend? Hm, I admire Bell-san, but… he’s not a legend. No offense, Bell-san.”

“It’s okay, but would you mind giving it back to me.”

“Can I keep your clothes?” 

“No… That would be weird, besides I have other things to do with it.”

“Please…”

“**sigh** Alright, alright… But you can only take my robe. Return the rest to me.”

“Yessss! I'll put this in my pencil case.”

“It’s a storage box, Hachiro, not a pencil case.” Sora said.

“Heh, the merchant told me it’s a pencil case, so it is what it is.”

“Suit yourself.”

 

Sora felt envious of Hachiro. 

 

“Bell-san, can I keep this one?”

 

Sora asked while peeking at the telescope. She slowly points it towards the sky.

 

!!

 

I grabbed the end of it as I pointed it down.

 

“Don’t point it to the sky. Especially not on those moons.”

“Why so serious, Bell-san?”

“Just don’t. That thing is dangerous, it’s cursed to be specific.”

“You’re just scaring me, aren’t you?”

“I’m not. If you want to know how dangerous that is, it’s capable of summoning a catastrophe that will hunt you down to the very ends of this world until you and that telescope are both destroyed.”

“...”

“Now, would you mind giving it back to me, princess?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, you simply didn’t know. Don’t blame yourself.”

 

Sora turned over the telescope. I squeezed it back to its size before I threw it in my bag. 

 

“I’ll help you out, Bell-san.”

“You don’t have to feel bad about it. Hachiro and I will clean this up, you should rest instead.”

“But-”

“Mm? What… What happened?” Nanatsu woke up.

“Aniki!” Hachiro ran towards Nanatsu.

“You collapsed because you had a stroke.” I went after Hachiro.

 

Sora ignored what I said and insisted on tending up my belongings. She looks like she’s still mad at Nanatsu.  

 

“How is that even possible?” 

“I’ll tell you about it soon.”

“Oh, I understand.” Nanatsu saw Sora behind us before he understood me.

“I think that’s all of it… I should be going now. ” Sora said as she wiped her hands.  

“Take care, princess.” 

“Thank you!” Sora ran off towards the bushes. 

 

–

 

“It is safe now, Bell-sama.”

“Thank you, Hachiro. Now that she’s gone, we should plan out our strategy and initiate it tonight.”

““Understood”” 

 

–

 

Right after our meeting, we went after Sora. 

 

“Alright, we’ll split up here. You and Hachiro should go after Sora. I’ll handle-”

“Hiik!” Sora squeaked. 

“Where did you get this from, huh?!” Freya asked.

“Where was that?” I asked.

“Bell-sama, it’s coming from there.” Hachiro pointed out.

 

The three of us hid behind the bushes. We saw Freya gripping Sora’s hand. 

 

“Bell-sama, that’s your…”

“My telescope. She took it.”

“Freya-sama, it hurts.”

“Did you point this on those moons…? Tell me!!” 

“N-Hn! It hurts Freya-sama. Agh!” Freya squeezed Sora’s hand so hard that it broke the telescope in half.

“I’ve been waiting for three thousand years. Three thousand years, of, waiting! Three thousand years of thinking if he would ever come back. For three thousand years I guarded his tomb, wished him happy birthdays, told him stories of the current situation of the outside world from Zariel. For three thousand years! I waited for this.” 

“Hnnnn…”

“Everything’s perfect. The day we met, killing every Gaian Apostle spying on me in your pathetic Kingdom, the cloudy skies that hid me from those who wanted to take me back up there, my plans to convince Geban to work with me. Everything’s perfect. Until you-”

“Aw, aw, aw.” Freya gritted her teeth as she poke Sora’s head.

“-Until you ruin every opportunity I had.” Freya started to tear up.

“**sniff** I’m sorry, Freya-sama. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t point it to the sky… I swear.”

“And you even dare to cry before me! I trusted you! But I forgot you were a complete idiot from the start!”

“**sniff** No… I swear, I didn’t point it to the sky.  mmmnnnn. I’m really sorry.” Sora burst into tears and her mouth started to quiver.

“Who gave this to you, huh? Tell me!” Freya’s intimidating voice echoed through our ears. 

“I-I just… **sniff** mmn mmn… found it somewhere **sniff** around here **sniff**”

“Liar!” 

“I’m sorry, mmnn, mnnn… I’m sorry, Freya-sama. I’m really sorry.”

“If you really feel bad about it then tell me who gave this to you!” Freya shook Sora’s arm.

“I’m, I-I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. **sniff**” 

“Where are the other pests, Huh…? I’ll ask them myself.”

“Freya-sama, pleaseee…. Mnnn… mnn… **hiccup** I-I’m really, sorry.”

“Tsk. We’re getting out of here. Call the others, except the suspicious one. ” Freya lets go of her hand and she looks down on Sora. She pokes on her chest this time.

“**sniff, hiccup**” 

“And tell him that. WE, ARE, LEAVING, HIM. And if he asks why, tell him WE, ARE, NOT, HIS, CARETAKERS. Does your small brain understand that?!” Freya said every word mince by mince. 

“Mmnnn… **sniff**”

“ANSWER ME!”

“**nods** mmmnnn **hiccup**”

“I’ll see you later. If you haven’t seen those pests within 30 minutes, we’re leaving them as well. And bury that thing.” 

 

Freya walks out with guilt painted all over her face. Sora was still crying after she left. She stood there looking at the telescope she took from me. 

“Don’t, Hachiro.” I whispered. 

“But Bell-sama. What about Sora?”

“...”

“What about the plan?” 

“...”

“We should wait for his orders, Hachiro.”

“We only have half an hour, Aniki.”

 

Their voice slowly echoes through my ears until I succumb to my own thoughts. 

I… I didn’t know Freya has been guarding my tomb for so many years after I left her. I thought they would all leave me after I die. But I didn’t know she would stay for me. I was… I… I was sleeping the whole time. 

Everything that I’ve assumed about her plans wasn’t exactly as I thought. It’s completely different. I didn’t know she was desperate to see me again in this world.

The way she hid from the shadows. It's more likely that the Heavens didn’t fulfill their contract and now they’re trying to take her back. 

The only safe place she has now is the Kingdom that we created. The underworld wouldn’t dare to open their doors for her. The Ferryman won’t allow it. Both of these places are capable of driving away the archangels like her. Now, she’s risking herself out in the open. And I can’t blame her if she can’t trust someone to send a message to Geban aside from herself. That person is difficult to find. 

My chest feels heavy. I’m starting to think about where my followers are now today. Have they lived a normal life? A life of immortality? Or did they suffer the same way as Freya? 

For all those years, all I did was forget about the mistakes I made when I was just a mere child. I didn’t care much about their emotions. I always leave them behind when I’m done.

Seeing it in front of me I realize that everything is true outside of my room. Before, I only saw them as mere characters from a video game. At that time, the only reality that I know is that I’m the reason why my parents both died. How my mother betrayed my father. Those were the only real things that I know. 

 

And now…

 

“Bell-sama… Bell-sama… Bell-sama…” Hachiro whispered. I slowly went back to my senses. 

“... What is it?”

“Sora’s looking for us. What should we do?”

“B-Bell-saaaan… Mnnnn… **sniff** H-Hachiroooo…. **hiccup**”

 

Sora meekly walks back to the river, looking for us. She was carrying my broken telescope with her arm while she lightly squeezed her broken fingers as she endured the pain. 

 

“Should we show up, Bell-sama?”

“Don’t.”

“Why?”

“Change of plans. I want you two to go after Freya. Once she flies off again, take my former body immediately and run away as far as you can. Find any secluded cave you can find, just don’t get caught.”

“What about her?” 

“I’ll take care of it. Now, go.”

 

Nanatsu and Hachiro nodded before they left. 

 

–

 

“You’re finally here. Where’s Sora?” 

“Sora? I thought she’s already here?” Nanatsu said. 

“You’re supposed to be her KNIGHTS, HER GUARD!”

“...” Freya pokes on their heads.

“You are all idiots. idiots, I say! Now, do you want me to look for her?!”

 

Nanatsu shrugs his shoulders, Hachiro backs away. 

 

“You dare whisper in front of me!” 

“No, ma’am, A-I-I mean, Freya-sama.” Hachiro stuttered. 

“You are all idiots! **slap, slap, slap**” Freya slaps the hell out of them. 

**thong, thing, thong** Dents are starting to form on their helms. 

“Don’t raise your arm! **slap**”

“We’re sorry, Freya-sama. We’ll look for her right away.”

“Stop this at once or else we will tell this to Bell-sama!” 

“Tell him! Tell him everything! **slap**” Nanatsu’s threat didn’t work and he was hit even more. 

 

!!

 

“Agghhhhhh!”

 

The three turned to the sound of screaming.

 

“Was that Sora?” Hachiro asked. 

“She’s in danger. Freya-sama, we should-” 

“She’s gone.” Hachiro confirmed as they looked out for her. 

“Quick, this is our chance.”

“Y-yes, Aniki.”

 

The two of them went inside the wagon.

 

– 

 

A crow was harassing Sora when Freya found her. The crow didn’t make a sound. 

 

“Hnnnn… Aghhh… Stay away!” Sora tries to drive it away but it keeps coming back. 

“Pathetic. **slash, splat**” Freya single-handedly killed it.

“I-I’m so sorry, Freya-sama.”

“You’re still crying?”

“**sniff**” Sora shuts her mouth and wipes her tears. 

“Give me that.”

 

Freya tries to take away the telescope.

 

“I said give it to me!” Freya snatched it away from her. 

 

Sora lowered her head. 

 

“I already told you to bury this thing, didn-'' Something caught her attention.

“...”

“This crow… There are strings in it. It was already dead when it got here. Tch. We’re getting out of here. It’s starting to get suspicious.” 

 

Freya threw away the telescope. She then carried Sora like a cat. In an instant, they flew back to the wagon. As soon as they land, she lets go of Sora. 

 

“Hachiro, we’re getting out of here. Get inside, pest.” Freya raised up the curtain of the wagon.

 

!!

 

“Where is Bell-sama's?”  

“There’s only my bag here.”

“Those fools. They have done it this time. They’re dead. They’re literally dead! Once I caught them. I’ll rip them apart limb by limb and parade their corpses around the Kingdom for all to see.” Bloodlust lingers on every word she says. 

 

Freya flew up in the sky and scanned her surroundings. She noticed a small movement from the shadows. 

 

“Found you.”

 

!!

 

Hachiro and Nanatsu were carrying his body. 

 

“Quick, inside the cave.” Nanatsu points out. 

“Aniki, she’s getting closer!” 

 

**voooomm, woooshh, crack, booom**

 

Freya summoned her spear and threw it at them. Nanatsu and Hachiro both managed to evade her spear but they weren’t spared by the debris falling at them. Instead, they raised the lifeless body of the Demon King acting as protection.

 

“You insolent fools! You dare use his body to protect yourselves!” 

 

The two brothers delved deeper into the cave. 

 

“Get back in here!” Freya screamed at the cave entrance. 

“Eat my ass.” Nanatsu said as they endlessly ran away from her. 

“Hnn!!! You’re dead, Nanatsu. I’m telling you, you’re dead! I’m not letting you go this time.” 

 

Freya went after them. 

 

“**exhales**” She held her spear to the level of her chest. 

“If you use that spell around here, we’ll surely take shelter under his dead body.” Nanatsu’s voice echoed to the deepest ends of the cave.

“Tch. Show yourselves, cowards!” 

 

**voooooomm, bangggg**

 

Freya hit the wall beside her. 

 

“Hnnnnn!!” Freya’s bloodlust is already at its limit. 

 

“Hahaha” Nanatsu’s laughter echoed around her. 

 

Freya turned around. 

 

“Show yourselves!”

 

**tak, tak, tak, tak**

 

**giggles**

 

A faint number of shadows run around her. Freya snaps her finger. A yellow wisp lights her surroundings. 

 

“Found you!”

 

!! 

 

“Acchhh!” Freya caught Hachiro by the neck. 

“Take this.” Nanatsu threw dirt at her.

“I won’t let you- **splat** Pweh! These traces of light!”

 

Hachiro tried to squirm away from her grasp while she was wiping off the dirt on her face. Hachiro managed to get away but Freya immediately caught her. 

 

“I won’t let you escape.” Freya said as he wiped off the dirt on her face. 

 

??

 

She soon realized Hachiro had cut off his arm and now they’re running away from her once again. 

 

“Get back here!” 

 

Freya went after them once again. They ran and ran until they ended up in an open chamber. The moonlight is enough to partially light up the place. 

 

“End of the line.” Freya said. 

 

The yellow wisp fades away.

 

“Where did you hide his body? Return him at once before I kill you both.”

“What if we don’t, will we live forever?” Nanatsu sarcastically asked. 

 

“I’ll rip you apart!” Freya’s pupils dilated. She then flew at them at full speed. Her left hand is ready to claw out their guts. 

“B-Bell-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Hachiro screams for his life.

 

**Dooooonnnnnnn**

 

Their surroundings trembled upon impact. Fog obscured their surroundings as debris fell from the ceiling. 

 

The fog gradually subsides. Freya saw Hachiro alive and well. 

 

“You’re still alive?! What’s this? Let go of me, let go of my hand!” 

 

Freya tried to pull away her hand but someone was grabbing her tight behind the fog. 

 

“I said... ”

"..."

"let… go… of…"

“...”

“me…” Freya was stunned. 

 

A three-meter tall man stood before her. His eyes are filled with intricate white rings that spin like a clock and ticks like a clock. It shined and radiated like its core. His long silver hair shimmered in this lifeless cave. His body is wrapped with a purple cloth that now serves as his robe. Behind him is the emblem of their Kingdom they both created and cherished. 

There he stood tall with dignity, pride, honor, and authority. The First Founder of The Great Floating City of Arcadia, The Demon King Belphegor. 

Nanatsu and Hachiro went behind the Demon King. Seeking salvation. 

Freya still couldn’t believe what she was seeing right now, but she immediately returned to her senses. She kneeled before the Demon King.

 

“Bow before your-” 

“Enough with formalities.” The Demon King waved his hand, halting her. Freya lowered her head. 

“Bell-sama, I’m here to report. The Kingdom right now needs your help. The princess is here to-”

“I don’t want to hear anything about it.” The Demon King waved his hand again. 

 

Beads of tears slid down to her cheeks. She didn’t make a sound of it. She bit her tongue preventing herself from quivering. She doesn’t want to look pathetic, especially not in front of her King.  

 

After a long silence, the Demon King asked.

 

“How are you today?” 

 

It was an odd question she has never heard before. That the Demon King is asking about her current situation instead of the Kingdom. His solemn words echoed through her ears down to her heart. 

 

“... I… I’m…” Freya wasn’t able to finish her sentence as she knew she would burst into tears at any moment. 

“Stand up, Freya.”

 

Freya lowered her head even more. After a long silence, she finally stood up. Yet she embarrassingly hid her face from him. Her hands are tucked on her waist and her wings drooped. 

 

“Come here.” 

 

Freya was surprised when the Demon King suddenly hugged her. She finally felt the warmth of his arms after so many years. She felt every broken piece inside her coming together. 

 

“It must have been lonely.” The Demon King whispered next to her ears.

“**sniff**” 

 

Freya tried to stop her tears. She lost control of her quivering lips until… 

 

“**sniff** Bell-samaaaa! Mmmmm…” 

 

She eventually burst into tears. She tightly hugs back the Demon King along with her quivering wings. 

 

“I’ve been waiting for you… **sniff** I’ve been waiting for you to come back. I followed every word you’ve said… And… **sniff** and… now you're here.” Freya buried her face on his shoulder. 

“Yes… I’m here.” The Demon King caressed her head. 

“This isn’t a dream right? It’s all true, right?” Her voice was muffled by the King's robe. 

“Yes… this is all true.” The Demon King reassures her. 

 

“**sniff** Mmnn… **sniff, sniff** mnnnn…” 

 

Freya cried, and cried, and cried. They both stood there for hours. She shed every ounce of her sadness to the Demon King.