Sinful Pride - Volume 1 Chapter 24 A Proud Wrath

His face was the same. So was his height and eyes. His hair though grew longer. His magic power dyed black and gave a feeling of absolute despair to the Orcs and Nao’s party. This… this wasn’t Keita.

“What… is this?” Lia asked the others. The crushing weight of magic power made it hard to breath.

“A Demon?” Anne said while shaking.

“His magic power… It’s considerably stronger than the other Demon.” Said Koba.

“We need to go!” Reika grabbed Nao and Lia.

“…” Nao remained silent.

The others looked at him for what to do. His face was pale and his breath ragged but he didn’t avert his eyes. The human curiosity was both a curse and a gift to the species. Even more so than before, Nao wanted to see the end of this conflict with his own eyes. He could not help himself but stay.

“Ha!” Wrath’s laughed as she saw Keita’s form in front of her.

“You are finally back!” she rejoiced. “Brother, let’s…”

“You are too loud.” Pride pushed his fist at Wrath’s gut. The armor broke and she was send flying to the sky.

“Ahh!” Pride let out a fulfilled breath. “This is it. That’s the feeling I’ve longed for.” he said with no one to hear, clenching his fists.

A few moments later, Wrath finally met the ground. She stood up, wobbling from the blow with her knees shaking.

“Ok… maybe I deserved that.” she said. “Are we done here, Pride? Are you ready to come back?”

“Oh, poor Wrath. Why would I want to come back with you? The next time I see the Demon Lord is the day I will kill her and everyone of the Seven Deadly Sins. Those that are left anyway.” Pride said. His arrogance grew with every word. Every passing moment.

Wrath was silent. She was looking at the ground. Who knows what kind of emotions were swirling inside the Demon.

“Do you hate us that much?” She asked holding back tears.

“I do not hate you, Wrath. Why should I? Why should I hate those who are weaker than me? Inferior beings – such as yourself – that get in my way deserve only my pity.” Pride said as he walked closer to Wrath.

“I see…” Wrath said with a sad smile. “So that’s it then. This is were I bury my brother. Nothing has changed since you rebelled I guess. I stand with the Demon Lord that you wish to harm. There is no choice but to kill you.”

Pride just smiled as he made his way closer. Tormenting weaker opponents to death. That’s what he adored more than anything else.

With a simple jump he was right in front of her. Wrath had no time to react. The only thing she could see was a white flash going right for her left shoulder.

Pride was smiling. He was ecstatic at the thought of paying back Wrath ten times of what he received. Alas, the blade broke when it met the strong plate and the shards flew everywhere.

Wrath was frozen, while Pride was just looking at his broken blade with a frown.

“Trash.” he said as he put the remaining of his blade back at the sheath. “How could I ever allow myself to wield this unqualified weapon?”

“Is that all your path amounts to? You are even weaker than before the transformation.” Wrath shouted with a fury she never showed before. She swung her axe as hard as she could. The attack screamed death to every enemy of the Demon Lord. But this time it was her attack that had no effect.

“Nothing more than a mosquito bite.” Pride said. His hand was holding the metal axe, stopping it in it’s track.

“With his bare hands?” Wrath couldn’t help but speak her thoughts out loud while despair filled her eyes. Pride was unscathed. Not even a drop of blood came out of the hand that was still holding the axe. The arm that was broken and it’s shoulder pierced had already healed.

“Did the years of my absence made you forget your place? Tell me Wrath, how does it feel? As one believed to be a god among Demons, how does it feel to be beaten to the ground?” Pride said, fully indulging in his sin.

“You think I am beaten?” Wrath screamed. She pulled her axe with all her strength but it wouldn’t move an inch. “How?” She shouted.

Pride’s arm was being enveloped with the black magic power from the point he was holding the axe. Slowly the entirety of his body was clad black. The magic power shined in the evening sun, as if made of metal. Wrath punched as hard as she could at Pride’s stomach but he didn’t move an inch. Then the head, the arms… she kept punching while trying to pull the axe but nothing changed. The magic power that surrounded Pride started to take form. Spikes on his shoulders, a helm that left next to none visibility, eerie teeth where his mouth should be, a horn that came from his left temple and heavy chains wrapped around his arms.

“Hell’s Path: Wrath.” Pride said before laughing. “I named this after you. The ultimate shield and spear. It’s shame you do not live up to the Skill.”

Before Wrath could answer, she was punched right to the face. Her helmet caved and she lost a few teeth before hitting the ground. She pushed the bend helmet off her head, revealing a bloody mess. Her mouth wouldn’t stop bleeding, her nose was broken and one of her eyes was smashed.

“Wou… bastharth!” she said while trying to get up to her knees.

“This shape suits you best!” Pride said as he tossed her axe to the side. “Bloody and kneeling before your betters.”

He slowly made his way to Wrath who was having a hard time getting up. After she did, Pride dashed forwards and kicked Wrath to the stomach. She once again fell to the ground.

“I said this suits you best. Stay down!” Pride shouted.

Wrath tried to climb back up, but was met with another kick.

“Stay down!”

THUD!

She fell once again but tried to get right back up.

THUD!

THUD!

Again and again. The Orcs that were having fun cheering and celebrating just a minute ago were silent. Nao’s party that were about to run were frozen. In the sight of such cruelty, no sound was made. Only the sound of Wrath falling to the dirt again and again.

Pride sighed.

“You want to die standing? Is that it?” he pressed his foot on Wrath’s stomach while she was down.

Wrath coughed blood and screamed. Her innards were being smashed to bits. She was trying to push Pride’s foot off her with no success. Pride pressed harder and felt the flesh tearing. Wrath finally let go of him. She had no more strength. Not even enough to scream.

Pride withdrew his foot.

“The spoils…” he said as he walked towards the axe. He heard movement behind him and when he turned to his head, there was Wrath. Back on her feet, bleeding all over.

“You should have stayed done.” he said.

Wrath just gave him a mocking laugh in response. She had no energy to talk.

“You!” Pride howled enraged. He flew towards Wrath with all his strength.

Punching and kicking, breaking and tearing.

“If you want to stay standing so much, let me help.” he said. His armor made of magic power was already becoming red from blood. Every time Wrath was about to fall, he would circle behind her in a flash and hit her the opposite direction. He laughed as he broke Wrath bit by bit until finally he let her rest on the cold ground.

“This is the end.” Pride said as he prepared the final punch.

Then before his eyes, Wrath shined purple and started to disappear in the light.

“Teleportation magic?” he said as he looked at his surroundings. Pride focused his senses to find the origination of the spell. When he could not find anyone among the Orcs, he turned his suspicion to Lia.

The rest of the party flinched when he looked at them.

Alas, it was not her doing. Pride kept looking. With the corner of his eye, he saw that even Wrath’s axe was being teleported. He looked frantically to find the source, when he detected a tiny source of magic power floating in the sky.

‘A spying spell!’ he thought as he pushed the pieces together.

“Bring her back!” he screamed and pointed at the source. “I know you are watching! Demon Lord, bring her back! I am not finished!”

No response. Wrath was safely teleported away, along with her axe.

“Come out you coward!” Pride shouted. “Come out and face me!” his voice started to break.

The color of his hair changed to his usual brown. The black armor that surrounded him broke in puny shards that were carried by the wind.

“Bring her back…” Keita said, as his tears begun flowing at the realization of what he did and said. He wiped his tears with his blood stained hands and turned to the Orcs.

There was still work to do.