Chapter 204: Attributes

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Countless black cubes floated in the air.

All of them seemed to move regularly with a certain purpose.

There’s no way I’d let them do what they wanted so easily. So I changed Greed to his bow form.

[Eris should do this too.]

Having the aid of Envy’s long-range attack will also help here.

But, Eris’ reaction was unusually sullen.

[I’m essentially just a support…there’s no way I can do any worthwhile damage to those things.]

She shot a few special bullets to raise my parameters. All while smiling bitterly.

I wouldn’t have any of that, so…

[Come over here.]

I beckoned her to my side, then I placed my hand on top of the hand Eris used to hold Envy.

And started imagining the form I saw back in the spiritual world.

[Umm… Fate?]

[Just a moment.]

She obediently waited in silence, all the while the black bayonet in her hand began to change form.

[This is the assault mode. Is it a little too much?]

[Not at all. It feels nice.]

Eris twirled the newly transformed Envy with relative ease and even struck a pose. Afterward, she stared at me with a convinced look on her face.

[Being able to remove the collar mark, and transform Envy… I’m convinced now. You have awoken to your true self.]

[Eris could tell?]

[Why of course. I told you, didn’t I? I’ve always been watching you.]

[I see… I guess Myne had been as well?]

This made me think that Myne first approached me because she knew, much like Eris. Somehow, I felt like I was dancing in their hands the whole time.

Eris laughed, correcting me a little.

[That shouldn’t be the case, Myne shouldn't have known. I believe what she’s only aware of is that you are also a mortal sin skill holder.]

[Eh? Are you sure?]

[Of course. It’s Myne we are talking about.]

I was convinced by that. During our travels together, Myne rarely showed any concern for complex things.

{Well, I guess Myne isn’t the type to care about that after all.]

[Surely.]

Imagining Myne’s face, I couldn’t help but to giggle alongside Eris.

[Myne… She and Roxy haven’t seemed to be able to get here yet.]

[It’s alright. I can’t imagine them losing so easily. Rather, we should do what we can here.]

[We really should!]

I raised my black bow, while Eris transformed her black bayonet.

Our aim, the black cubes.

Raising our magic power, magic arrows and magic bullets were fired at the same time.

The two attacks mixed together in the air, increasing firepower before colliding with the black cube.

[So sturdy!]

The black cube remained intact. It stayed afloat in the air, as if nothing happened.

Eris, who also saw it, came to the same conclusion as me.

[That color and shape…it has to be]

[…made from similar material with our Mortal Sin weapons.]

It was a faint feeling. However, their numbers were enough to cover the sky.

It made us unwilling to think that they were made from the same material as our weapons, and therefore, indestructible.

『So it’s from the same material, so what’s the big deal?』

Greed called out in response to our short discussion.

If we can’t destroy it, then I should just go with what Myne usually does.

I readied the black bow once more.

[If it can’t be destroyed, then just make it fly away.]

[Oh… I see Myne’s influence right there.]

Eris facepalmed upon hearing my plan.

Well, you’re right. It’s true.

I may have consumed a lot of monsters during the time I was running amok as a demon. My status was still high enough to use Bloody Ptarmigan.

『Do you need my support in this?』

[It’s going to be the first one in a while, so please do.]

『Will do then.』

Eris was watching the situation while smiling. In order to meet her expectations, I will stop the movement of that black cube.

The black bow grew larger by sacrificing my status. As it turned into a more terrifying form, I could feel my strength leave me.

That said, I had Greed’s assistance. I noticed that the burden on my body was less than when I used the secret alone. He might be sharp-tongued, but he always took care of me.

『I’m ready. What’s wrong, Fate?』

[Nothing… let’s do it.]

『Then get ready. Aim』

My target was the center of the black cube.

I pointed the bow and arrow at my target, and pulled the bowstring. The flame magic arrow was mutated by the gluttony skill to become an even more powerful flame arrow.

The Bloody Ptarmigan shone red, brighter and brighter. The color eventually turned to gold, and the heat it emitted was enough to melt my surroundings.

[Owie ow! Fate, shoot it quickly.]

Eris protested and jumped away due to the heat. In any case, I still needed to aim carefully.

Predicting the cube movement, and release.

[Gooooo!]

With enough momentum to pierce the sky, the fire arrow flew toward its target in a straight line while spreading heat and flame. The black cubes were indestructible, but if we could interfere with its movement, something may happen.

『Fate!!』

[Yeah… I see it too.]

Greed sounded surprised there. And Eris also looked similarly surprised.

It would be strange that such an extreme heat could be doused by ice… but at the moment, it’s not even surprising.

There’s a person who could make that possible.

…Dad. Dean Graphite.

He was looking down at us, using the black cube as a foothold.

In his hand was the black spear Vanity. He used that to freeze my Bloody Ptarmigan.

As if showing off that fact, the frost was still lingering around the tip of his spear. His presence here also served as deterrence.

[Dad!!]

I called out for him as loud as I could. In response, Dad pointed his spear at me expressionlessly.

[I told you not to come here.]

Faint red tattoos emerged on his face.

That’s a stigma. A gift from God. The source of a Sacred Beast’s power, and at the same time, a covenant of absolute obedience to God. I heard that sometimes it’s very hard to manage.

Dad…what kind of contract did you put yourself into?

I, his son, bore no stigma. Was it because I am a half human?

No, I already knew the answer when I fought Kairos…..the reason is why.

And apparently it’s true. But, I still need to make sure.

[I’ve come to stop you. I can’t let this happen…and I have something to ask.]

Dad gave me a sharp look, but gazed upward after a moment.

[There are things in this world that you’d better not know. You’ll be happier that way. That’s what you want to hear, right?]

[Even so.]

He muttered something and pointed the black spear at me again.

[A disobedient child like you needs to be punished. If you want to stop me, if you want to know the truth, you know what to do. Either way, I can’t afford to stop.]

The stigma turned redder. Apparently recognizing us as obstacles.

I felt that my father's power was increasing accordingly. Too much pressure gave me the feeling that gravity was multiplying.

While holding the black bow firmly, I asked Eris,

[Can I ask you to handle the black cubes?]

[What are you going to do?]

[I’m going to face my Dad.]

She put her hands on my shoulders and forcefully made me face her.

[Two is better than one.]

[Sorry. This is a problem between son and father. I couldn’t…]

I can’t relent just this time. Eris hugged me, perhaps to convince me.

[Very well. If it’s what Fate wants. I’ll be happy to oblige.]

[Eh?]

It was nothing like I expected.

[You always fought for someone else’s sake. I want you to fight for your own sake one day.]

[…Eris.]

[It is as I said. I’ve been watching you all the time. Leave the black cubes to me. I have this new power to rely on after all.]

Eris backed away from me, tapping on her transformed black bayonet.

Then she nodded to me, before seeing me off.

I aimed at Dad whilst running around the crumbling buildings. Greed spoke to me in an amazed voice.

『The fate of the entire world hangs from a father and child’s squabble…..what a silly story.』

I could hear Eris start shooting at the black cubes behind me.

Every time it hit, the flow of the magic circle to draw was temporarily obstructed. Time-earning seems to be going well.

I drew the black bow and shot a magic arrow toward my father while replying to Greed.

[Absolutely.]

If someone had expected this to happen from the beginning…it would’ve been Greed.