"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING?!"
The young woman's voice echoed like thunder through the shattered remains of the living room—the very same room that had been torn apart in the earlier battle.
Leo flinched, covering one ear with a wince as he sat awkwardly on a splintered chair, surrounded by broken furniture and dust. His expression was half-apologetic, half-exhausted.
"Miss... could you please lower your volume a little? My ear's still ringing from... everything."
That was honestly the best he could come up with. He truly didn't remember how he got here. His mind was a blank past a certain point, and now, somehow, he was wearing some weird school uniform that definitely wasn't his. Everything else felt like he'd blinked and woken up in a completely different world.
The young woman flushed slightly, realising her outburst. She coughed into her fist and calmed down, brushing a few loose strands of wavy brown hair from her cheek as she sighed with a wry smile. Her fingers tapped against her forehead in frustration.
'Was it... my magic? Did I do something wrong during the spell?' she wondered, biting the inside of her cheek.
Her eyes wandered toward Pride, who stood behind Leo like a silent guardian. The armoured girl hadn't said a word, but her eyes were locked on the white-haired man still standing behind the brown-haired woman. Both of them were standing—as if the mere hint of danger would trigger a battle.
The woman pressed her fingers against her temple, clearly overwhelmed.
"You don't remember anything, and yet you somehow managed to summon the legendary Pride?! And not during the Blood Grail Moon... but after? That's unheard of!"
Her voice trembled slightly as her frustration spiked, and she slammed her hand down on the cracked table, causing the broken wood to creak under the pressure.
Leo blinked. His ears perked up at a specific word he faintly recalled hearing before.
"Wait, wait—Blood Grail Moon? What is that exactly?"
The young woman stared at him for a long second, then let out a long breath and crossed her arms, the irritation in her expression slowly giving way to resignation.
"It's the celestial signal... the opening of a path between our world—us mages—and the Spirits. During that brief window, we're permitted to summon Champions... our soul-bound guardians."
"Champions?" Leo repeated, tilting his head like a confused puppy.
"...Yes," she groaned, clearly sensing a headache coming on. She closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again. "Explaining this to someone who's already summoned Pride is honestly... unbelievable."
Her tone was laced with envy, her fists clenched. Her expression twitched with what almost looked like jealousy—though she tried to mask it.
"I'll explain everything... eventually. But for now, we need to take you to the Church and get you officially registered."
Leo opened his mouth and paused, frowning slightly.
"I'm not really sure if that's a good idea—"
"If we don't, the Church will come after you, officially," she interrupted with a sly smirk. "And not in a friendly way. You won't like what they want from you if they find you unregistered."
"...That doesn't sound good," Leo mumbled. "Fine. I'll come."
He stood up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck.
But just as they were about to move—
"But before we leave..." Pride's voice rang out, sharp and serious. Her emerald eyes narrowed as she stepped forward. "...Explain why you were on our roof. I don't believe in coincidences."
Her tone wasn't angry—but firm, demanding clarity.
Envy, the white-haired man, scoffed and stepped forward with a disdainful expression.
"My Master was worried about your pathetic Master—"
Slcck!
The sharp edge of Pride's wooden blade instantly pressed against his throat.
Her expression was cold, her body still as a statue.
"Mind your words next time... or lose your voice altogether."
For a moment, silence fell over the room.
The brown-haired woman blinked in shock, her cheeks flushing just slightly before she waved her hand.
With a faint shimmer, Envy vanished like mist dispersing.
Leo's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait... Where did he go?"
The young woman sighed, brushing her cloak with one hand.
"Don't worry about him. Shall we leave?"
She stepped past him, her posture tall and composed once again. Her voice held authority, but underneath... Leo could still sense a trace of concern.
Leo didn't really have much of a choice. As chaotic as everything was, this woman seemed to know far more about what was happening than he did. And until he figured it all out... better to stay close.
At least for now.
With one last glance at the wrecked house, Leo followed her out into the moonlit path.
The door creaked shut behind them.
He wasn't even sure how he'd clean up the mess left behind... and to be honest, he wasn't entirely convinced it was even his house.
Was any of this real?
He didn't know.
But maybe... he'd find the answers soon.
He hoped so.
*****
It was midnight. The streets were silent, cloaked in stillness. Not a single soul wandered beneath the pale moonlight, as if the entire city held its breath. Under flickering lamplight, three figures walked down the cold stone path—Leo, the young woman, and Pride.
The rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed faintly in the silence.
"First of all," the young woman spoke, her voice clear and smooth, laced with pride, "My name is Valerienne d'Asterra... from the Asterra Household—one of the strongest Noble Mage lineages in this world."
As she walked with deliberate poise, she flicked her thick brown hair over her shoulder with a practised motion, chin held high.
"You can call me Valra," she added, her smirk almost glowing in the moonlight.
Leo walked with his hands in his pockets, his eyebrows furrowed. 'Yup... doesn't ring any bells at all,' he thought to himself, trying to dig up even a single familiar memory from his foggy mind.
Nothing.
Trying to make sense of the conversation, he asked with a raised brow, "Mages? You mean like..."
Valra nodded, the corners of her lips twitching upward in amusement. "Magic. Yes. I know how absurd it sounds.... But in our society, we live hidden among the ordinary. Because of technological growth and humanity's increasing scepticism, the Magic Association made the decision long ago to stay hidden from public view—to preserve peace and balance."
Leo gave her a sceptical glance, half-expecting her to admit she was joking. "Oh? Sounds like a conspiracy theory."
In response, Valra simply gestured toward Pride.
"Is that a conspiracy too?"
Leo turned to look at the stoic girl clad in elegant armour walking beside them like a silent sentinel. Her cold, focused gaze, her flawless posture, the metallic glint of her breastplate under the moonlight—it all looked painfully real.
He scratched his head. "...Yeah, okay. Point taken."
He still struggled to believe any of this was happening.
'Shit...' he sighed inwardly, his expression tightening.
Valra continued, "As I mentioned before--" but her words were suddenly cut short. She halted in her tracks, her steps freezing mid-stride.
Leo noticed and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
She didn't answer right away. Her eyes scanned the dim alleyways, brows slightly furrowed. Her mana flared, faint but sharp, as she reached out through her connection.
/Did you sense that?/ she asked mentally, her thoughts projecting to her Champion.
Envy responded coolly, /No. Nothing clear. Was it Greed again?/
Valra didn't reply immediately. Her instincts had definitely picked something up—not hostility exactly, but... something deeper. A presence.
She tensed slightly, then continued walking, albeit with her senses now sharply heightened.
"As I was saying," she resumed with a calm voice, though her eyes flicked side to side, "The Blood Grail Moon is a celestial phenomenon. During that brief window, mages like us are permitted to summon Ancient Spirits—like her."
She tilted her head toward Pride.
"These beings don't come easily. They answer only to fated souls—seven in total. And those seven alone can summon the Sins of human. Their Champions."
Leo's pace slowed as he listened, his heart beating faster.
Valra stopped again, this time deliberately. She turned to him with a serious gaze.
"Seven spirits. Seven sins. Envy. Greed. Lust. Wrath. Sloth. Gluttony... and Pride."
She glanced at Pride once more, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Each Champion has a Master. And once summoned, they must... fight each other."
Leo blinked rapidly, confused. "F-Fight?! Why?"
Valra looked up at the white moon, which hovered above like a silent witness. Her voice softened, touched with reverence and foreboding.
"Because when sin rises... humanity begins to crumble. And with that imbalance... comes it."
Leo stared blankly, unsure of what she meant.
"The Ancient Relic," Valra whispered. "The Arcanum Eidolon—a wish-granting relic."
Those words sent chills down Leo's spine.
A relic that could grant wishes? That sounded like a legend straight out of a fairy tale... or a nightmare.
Valra kept walking, "I don't know how you summoned Pride after the Blood Grail Moon ended... it should be impossible. Which is why there's only one person who might have the answers."
They finally stopped in front of a massive building—a towering cathedral with cracked gargoyles and ancient stained glass windows. It loomed in the darkness, lit faintly by the moon. The thick scent of aged stone and incense drifted faintly in the air.
The old church looked like it had been forgotten by time.
Valra placed a hand on the heavy doors and looked back at Leo.
"Just remember... the game began tonight. What you saw earlier was only the tip of the iceberg. The real war begins when the Relic reveals itself."
Leo audibly gulped.
'What the hell have I gotten myself into...?' he thought, half-panicked.
He wanted to scream... Or cry... Or hide in a bar.
Did he really trade his life away for a billion?
Was that even real?
He didn't know anymore.
As the giant doors creaked open, a haunting sound echoed from within. Cold air flowed out, thick with silence and an eerie presence.
Leo stood frozen in place. Something about this place... Made him feel weird.
He stepped inside anyway, because he had no other choice.