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Chapter 104: Madness

A heavy silence fell over the room. No one could move, or think. Even breathing seemed to be taken away from them.

The Queen, a hand on Mercy's left shoulder, looked at the Rift with annoyance, then cast her orange eyes on the group of Guild emissaries, who were unconscious.

"These imitation warriors are the most ridiculous things in this Kingdom. Them, S-rank? If I had more time, I would put all these soul stones into circus animals. Speaking of circus..."

She looked at Candace with disdain.

"I see you took your job seriously, at least these can withstand so little pressure."

She caressed Mercy's neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

All the Holy Knights were already on their knees, Peters glancing desperately at Mercy several times.

Agiel, also on one knee, addresses the queen.

"Your Majesty, we never expected to greet you here today."

"Expecting? Do you think there is anywhere in this Realm I can't go? My limits begin and end when I choose, engrave that somewhere in your mind."

"I will never underestimate you, my Queen, forgive my clumsiness."

The queen sighed and looked at Midgard.

From the snake woman's perspective, it was as if she was in the hands of a gigantic monster.

She knew that the Queen was hostile toward her, she also knew that if she decided to kill her, she would kill her, no fight, no resistance needed.

"Good, now you look more presentable than the mop you were before. Fear of death sure changes a person."

Midgard looked at her out of the corner of her eye, unfazed, and looked away frowning.

Gloria turned then toward Dora.

The boy remained motionless from the moment she appeared.

She walked slowly toward him and raised her hand to put it on his head, as she came closer, Midgard's anguish grew bigger.

The Queen's hand was now a few centimeters above Dora and stayed there, frozen, or rather as if it was about to vaporize him.

"I wasn't mistaken, you seem less human than last time. I suppose the failure did a great job."

She retrieved her hand and walked away, leaving Dora almost melting in anguish.

All this time, she never took a look at her own children, seemingly the last of her concerns.

The two trembled in great fear, head lowered.

"My Queen, if I may ask, why are you here? I might be wrong but isn't it the first time you get out of the castle?"Agiel asked.

She stopped and waved a fan, staring at the Rift.

"I've forgotten how annoying it was to feel pressured, so I've decided that I don't want to see this thing anymore, get rid of it today."

A slight silence fell, followed by a general exclamation of astonishment.

"What?" Everyone wasted at the same time.

"My Queen, I might be mistaken again but, you're not asking us to lead our raid right away, are you?"

Peter also came forward and got down on one knee next to Agiel.

"Your majesty, it's... it would be almost impossible for us, we severely lack preparation."

The Queen glanced at them with disdain and agitated her fan.

"This isn't a request, I'm ordering you all to get rid of it now. Consider this the moment you pay back every favor you benefited from the position I gave you all."

The Holy Knights looked at each other, while Candace, was clutching her arm.

"Always so inconsiderate..." the dean whispered.

"And speaking of lacking preparation, I'm not counting on any of you for this task, those who can barely stand have no purpose there. I've already given you the best weapon you need." She ambled towards Dora.

"I hate wasting time so let's get to the point, are you ready?"

She stopped right in front of him.

The pressure in the room started to increase again.

Everyone looked at the young boy with great fear.

The Queen spoke, and an answer had to be given, but they all knew that only one answer was possible.

Dora took a deep breath, trying to speak, but no words could get out of his mouth.

Candace walked hesitantly next to him.

"It should be enough, we've been training nonstop stop everyday, and as you predicted he is beyond any people I've brought in my Rifts. These people there are his followers, so I took them too to his training. Their potential has greatly increased, probably due to synchronization with Greed's soul, thus they can stay awake even under your pressure."

"Is that so?... Ah, I should feel satisfied for my offspring, but concerning the part of staying awake, it's only an outcome if I allow it, do you understand?"

Candace groaned and looked away.

The Queen glanced indifferently at each noble, beads of sweat appeared on Mercy's forehead, Freya's lips were tight and she stayed focused on the ground. Finally, Zuri, shaking, looked away.

"Good, seems like we won't need to wait until your parent dig their graves to teach you what skeletons lie in the closets.... I don't recall another boy though... Eryl, isn't the blonde one supposed to be dead?" she stared straight at Cid confused.

The maid, with a little grimace, bowed.

"It was another blond man, my Queen, this one is a worthy Knight."

"Worthy? A knight? What a joke. Anyway, it doesn't matter right now, as long as Anesidora is ready all of you mean nothing."

She turned her back and walked toward Dora, but right after her declaration, Cid, furious, took one step forward, making the Holy Knights panic.

(...This idiot!)

(What the...)

But just before he could open his mouth, Elizabeth sent him to sleep with a single tap on the neck.

"You should have let him go, if I had turned him into a corpse it would mean that he's worthless." The Queen said.

She reached Dora, looking at him head to toe.

"Alright, enough waiting, stop hiding your power, I want to confirm your level."

Dora flinched momentarily and clenched his fists.

He was about to try letting his power flow but Candace quickly patted his shoulder.

"He won't be as strong as you wish, Queen."

"... What?"

"I mean, not enough to take out the Twilight of Gods by himself. Dora is very strong, a true genius, but in order to keep his Sin under control we could only train him while restricting his power. He is incredible... but not enough yet."

A silence plane in the room, all paralyzed eyes falling on the dean.

The Queen observed her all this time with strange eyes.

Her gaze wasn't filled with anger, but rather curiosity. The curiosity of knowing why Candace would lie at that moment.

She glanced at Midgard who was sweating profusely, eyes shaking, and as if understanding that she was on her radar, she looked back at her.

"... Are you kidding me?"

The whole building started to shake, sending everyone on the ground.

The ambient atmosphere became orange, and the air was hard to breathe.

The Holy Knights struggled to remain on their knees, while the nobles were losing the ability to think little by little.

The Queen, like a grim reaper, was standing in front of Candace, lying on the ground.

"I'm not sure to have understood, you were supposed to answer yes, so why the long speech?"

Candace was moaning on the floor. She tried to push the ground to stand, but the Queen's pressure forced her to the ground again.

"Who permitted you to restrict his power? Didn't you hear me say that I wanted him as strong as possible? I asked you a simple question, and I'm waiting for an answer. It's easy, just one word: is greed ready to go, Yes?"

"... Aah... He... Aagh..."

"See? You can pronounce three words, I'm only asking you one, so go ahead: Is Greed ready, Yes?"

She put her foot on Candace's head, but suddenly, a powerful shockwave shook the room.

"Don't touch her!"

The Holy Knights flinched, Midgard, Eryl, And Elizabeth trembled as they all realized that Candace was no longer under the Queen's foot but a little farther away, next to Dora, eyes shining.

"... My, what a bad gentleman. She is underestimating you so I am just convincing her to open her eyes."

Dora gritted his teeth furiously. The Queen increased her pressure, making him increase his instinctively.

He took a look at the dean who tried to catch her breath, then looked back at the Queen.

"Sir Anesidora," Eryl called him, understanding too well his psyche.

"Dora... no..." Elizabeth managed to stand up.

The Queen gave herself wind with her fan, lowering her pressure.

"Don't stop him, any powerful retaliation is welcomed, if they can convince me that you're ready for the task."

"... Unforgivable."

"Hm?"

"This is unforgivable! How dare you threaten our people? This woman, these people, they all belong to us, the Avatar of Greed! How dare you lay your hands on them?!"

His aura burst into powerful energy waves. The Holy Knights stood up one after the other.

Alerted, Midgard rushed to him.

"Dora, No!"

"Hmm... Hm?... Could it be..." The Queen lowered her fan and looked at Midgard.

Her eyes suddenly shone in bright orange, and a shockwave struck the snake woman.

Under the eyes of Dora, Midgard fell to the ground, she was still conscious, but bleeding nose, eyes, and ears.

A flash of light froze the whole room, and the next moment, Midgard was next to Dora and the nobles behind them, unconscious, all under a protection barrier.

Elizabeth, Iris, and Eryl were next to them, and further away, the Queen.

A green light covered Midgard and Candace, making them recover little by little.

The Queen smiled and walked toward them.

"My... I was sure that you would try your luck there, it would be a normal human reaction... so that means that there's really nothing human inside you, am I wrong? Sin?"

Dora groaned and spread his arms.

"Our first mistake was to play your game, our second was to let you approach our people."

"Your people? Two of them are my children, aren't you too greedy?"

Dora frowned, a yellow wind converging around him.

"We were keeping this for that thing above, but go to Hell! Polymerization: Asyl..."

"Voracity"

A red light struck Dora in the back and sent him to the ground.

The aura around him vanished, and the shield covered the group too.

He gave one last gaze behind him, only to see Eryl, red vapor coming from her mouth.

Elizabeth and Iris looked at her in incomprehension.

"Eryl... What the hell? Why??? Why did you do that?!"

"Following my orders, Lady Elizabeth."

"... What are you saying how is...!!!"

The next moment, Dora's hand was a few centimeters away from Eryl's throat.

A powerful shock shook the room, and Peters appeared on top of Dora, struggling on the ground.

"Is this going to be enough?"

"This was one of the strongest blessings of gluttony, Saint Peters, I took care of eating only his consciousness and active energy... But I can't confirm he won't stand up soon."

Iris trembled and rushed to him, but fell unconscious too, Agharita appearing behind her.

Elizabeth and Midgard were the two only people awake, looking helpless.

The legend turned to the other Holy knights surrounding them and then to Eryl.

"... It was a trap? You planned all of that to trap us?"

Eryl whose hair had become normal again kneeled next to Dora.

"It wasn't a trap, Lady Elizabeth, but reparation. The Sin seems to be the one in control now, but Dora never used the dark energy. We have been fooled."

She opened her mouth, red mist started covering Dora.

"Fooled? How fooled? How can you be sure it was the Sin?... I thought you were on our side..."

"I believe that I've warned you all that I was merely a messenger. My Queen was the only one giving me orders, and my limit was the human Dora. However, there's no human inside a trickster."

Elizabeth was dumbfounded. She looked at all her comrades unconsciously taken away by Holy Knights.

Her hand wandered dangerously around her sword.

"Don't even think about it, Lady Elizabeth." A Holy Knight armed with a short sword appeared behind her. "We understand your concern, but you have to also understand that the situation is unpredictable, this thing isn't a human but pure Sin, we have been fooled."

"... But how could we be fooled? What are you basing yourselves on? I know him, I've lived with him, you've pushed him to his limits... it's you who made him act that way!"

She was stunned and spoke weakly before turning towards the Queen.

All the Holy Knights held their breath. The apocalypse loomed above their heads, yet, they were about to unleash all their firepower on themselves. Gloria stood next to Midgard and suggested.

"Why not ask this Player?"

The snake woman flinched and looked around at everyone like a trapped animal in a zoo. Her eyes were wide open, and she could sense a murderous aura emanating from all directions. She knew she was done for.

"Stop... Pressuring her! She knows nothing, stop accusing everyone else!"

"Lady Elizabeth, your power has only in equal to your clumsiness." Eryl sighed.

Gloria's eyes shine brighter.

"Tell me, Player, was it your doing? Did you hide the true nature of Greed from the beginning? Did you try to trick me?"

Midgard trembled and lowered her head, or rather, put her neck in evidence as an offering.

The Queen never asks questions, she asks for a "yes". She knew it was over.

A single wave of energy made everyone flinch.

Dora used her remaining energy to teleport Midgard into her spiritual room.

Peters reacted quickly and buried his head in the ground, knocking him unconscious.

But this little move was enough to save Midgard from a dire destiny.

The Queen growled, her aura shaking the building again.

"... This is exactly why I hate giving them the freedom to speak. Seize that stupid girl and her friends, they will be launched into the Rift alongside Greed and Sloth."

The Holy Knights flinched, casting glances towards Peters who remained unfazed initially but then opened his mouth wide. Elizabeth slowly reached for her sword, seemingly ready to destroy the area, when Agiel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and whispered to her.

"Please, play along or I won't be able to help you."

She froze her move, letting the man approach the Queen.

"If this is what you wish for... But if I may ask one last..."

The ground shook even more.

The Queen turned to him with a terrible gaze.

"I think I said letting people talk was a problem."

Agiel curtsied with a confident smile.

"Even if it is about a way to force Greed to fully awake?"