Moans fill the magical dome above the shell of Saria's gigantic turtle as Lucien 'boosts' the female Nagas and Mermaid troops.
He does the best he can as quickly as possible, but still, every group of Nagas and Mermaids who leave the dome are as satisfied as they are feeling more powerful than ever.
Even though they're in the middle of a war, those women can't deny that while they're with Lucien, they're having a great time. But for Saria and Kamala, who have to bring new groups of troops to Lucien when he's finished with the previous ones, this situation is far from pleasant.
Each of the Nagas or Mermaids that the princesses have to help get out of the pool because they have weak tails, and Lucien's scent all over their bodies are thorns in Saria and Kamala's hearts.
Each group of troops that leaves Lucien's arms makes their army more powerful but also makes Saria and Kamala's expressions more upset…
Above the clouds, Lucien's sisters, their Sins, and the princesses watch the army move eastward around the giant turtle.
"Hmm..." While Eve is looking thoughtfully at the horizon, Claire seems more interested in Saria's flushed face.
Saria can feel a mixture of curiosity, pity, and even jealousy emanating from Claire, and while she doesn't want to start a fight with her best friend, she can't keep quiet while being watched like that.
"I-is there something in my f-face??" She asks in a shy, hesitant tone.
"An expression I didn't know you had." Claire quickly responds without hiding a certain provocation in her voice.
Saria quickly looks away, getting even shyer. "W-what a-are you talking a-about?!?!"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Claire looks into Saria's eyes as if analyzing her soul, but she's not sure how to explain what she sees. "It's like you... feel..."
"Indignant." Greed materializes her body next to the girls and speaks in a neutral tone.
"What?!" Saria quickly goes into defensive mode, denying that. "I don't feel indignant or anything like that!"
Claire sighs as Eve looks away. But Greed seems determined to prove her point. "Oh really?"
"I do not know what you're talking about." Saria still tries to deny the feelings that hurt her heart.
"Alright, princess, I'll illustrate for you." Greed smiles. "Let's suppose that I am the princess of an entire race and that I have a great responsibility to my people..."
Saria doesn't like what comes next, but a part of her is curious to know if Greed's words can help her better understand her own feelings, so she stays silent and allows the Sin to get on with her show.
"My older sister is gone, and my mother, the Queen, is doing everything she can to protect our people…" Greed shows no sympathy and speaks harsh words bluntly. "But I know that one day I will have to assume her crown and use my life to serve my people when she is gone too."
"Greed!!!" Claire doesn't mind teasing Saria, but she gets upset when someone deliberately tries to hurt her friend.
"I'm fine." Saria holds Claire's hand as she looks into Greed's sharp golden eyes. "I want to hear until the end."
"But-" Claire doesn't want her best friend to suffer, but she can see that Saria is curious, so she just keeps holding her hand while facing Greed. "Alright..."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Eve gets curious, too, and looks at the girls with a thoughtful expression.
Greed smirks before making a fake confused expression. "Where was I? Ah, princess, responsibility, crown... Well, life isn't fair, and whether they're commoners, soldiers, or royalty, life is always willing to act like a bitch and fuck you."
"Wise words..." Eve remarks under her breath.
"Huh?" Greed smiles at Eve before her eyes turn to Saria. "But you know what? Fuck the life, I'm better than that, or at least I want to be. Yeah, I'm going to be a good daughter, a good princess, and one day, a good Queen."
Saria's eyes remain fixed on Greed as those words seem to come out of her own mouth.
Greed doesn't stop. "Well, I try so hard to be the best version of myself, and it works... for a while. I tried to be as selfless as possible, but deep down, really deep, I hid my selfish desires... to have my sister back... not having to bear the weight of that crown alone... wishes that could not be fulfilled."
"..." Saria feels her heart ache even more as she holds the Ghost Lady's handle tightly in her scabbard. As long as the cursed sword doesn't need to feed on Lucien's energy, Saria will keep her sister's soul always by her side.
"Well, at least I thought those wishes couldn't be fulfilled until a certain person arrived." Greed smiles. "That certain person also awakened in me a long-hidden desire..."
Claire starts to make a strange expression when Greed mentions 'that person,' and now everyone wants to know how Greed's story ends.
"You know what's most interesting about altruistic people?" Greed asks sarcastically before answering herself. "No matter how pure they are, within their hearts, at least a small part of them hopes to be rewarded for their good deeds."
Eve can't help but roll her eyes, but she is silent as Greed continues. "And well, that's not wrong. You see, neutral and even bad people are rewarded all the time, whether it's luck or fate, so why can't life reward someone who deserves it at least once?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Greed looks into Saria's eyes. "Why can't life reward me??? Yes, maybe this is the time... maybe that person is my long-awaited reward."
Claire really wants to shut up Greed's mouth, but Saria starts to calm down as she understands her own feelings better. She even starts to nod slightly while whispering to herself. [Wouldn't be bad at all...]
"Ah..." Greed sighs and makes a sad expression. "But remember that life is a bitch? Yes, even now, even after I've been a good girl for so long, life seems to want to play with me, and what I desire so badly, many can have but not me..."
Greed's words are like a spark that falls into the big haystack inside Saria's heart, igniting her feelings. And the poor princess pushes such feelings out with a frustrated cry. "WHY IS IT LIKE THIS?!?! Why does this bitch want to fuck me?!?!"
"AHA!!" Greed laughs as she points at Saria's face. "There she is, the real frustrated Saria. You look like a kid whose puppy was stolen by bad kids, and the worst part is they keep playing with your puppy in front of you, and you can't do anything."
"HE'S NOT A PUPPY!!" Saria and Claire speak at the same time.
"Oh-h... okay, I won't call him that anymore." Greed raises her hands as she apologizes.
Eve sighs as she shakes her head.
"So..." Saria bites her lip as she looks at Greed with a curious expression. "How does the story end??"
"Huh? You really want to know, don't you?" Greed asks in a teasing tone. "That's why I love the Mermaids; you are such an honest and straightforward people."
"Stop beating around the bush! I need to know what to do!!" Saria gets really impatient.
"Right, right!" Greed quickly nods. "We don't need to talk in metaphors anymore; I've been helping you for a long time, you know? It was my influence that made you move your lazy tail forward and seek a better future for your people."
"..." Saria can't deny those words too. She was a little upset and even scared when she found out that Claire had a Sin inside her, but it was that Sin's influence that made her and her people want to do something about their problems.
"And now? What should I do??" She asks.
"It's simple." Greed speaks in a casual tone as she lifts her hand and clenches it into a fist. "You take it."
Saria is confused and hesitant. "But... is that all? What if it... he... doesn't want me, too?"
"Bullshit!" Greed quickly responds. "Are you blind? He wants you so much that it's impossible to hide such a desire even from really blind people."
"Really?!??" Saria can't hide the excitement in her tone as her eyes sparkle.
Claire pouts, and Greed glances at her for a while. Their gazes meet, and they both understand what's on each other's minds.
"Of course." Greed responds to Saria. "Don't you remember how he smiled as he fought you on your first encounter?"
"Ehh..." Saria remembers how excited Lucien was fighting her and didn't have any hostile feelings. "That was nice, but... why does he seem so willing to do... you know; with everyone but me?"
Greed doesn't even have to think to answer. "That's because he cares too much about you to rush things. You know, he's only doing this to the troops because we need to strengthen them, and to your mother… well, they needed to come back and had no other way."
"I'm not sure..." Saria comments.
"Come on; it's not that hard to understand him." Greed sighs. "He doesn't just want to eat you; he wants to flirt with you, slowly conquer your affection... create memories so you can both laugh about it in the distant future."
Saria deeply blushes when Gree speaks the word 'eat' with that meaning. But those words also make some sense and warm her heart. "Maybe you're right, but... why do you want to help me so badly?"
"Because that's what I do." Greed smiles. "I help people get what they want, and I get stronger from it... it's a win-win situation."
Again those words make sense to Saria, but Claire and Eve look at Greed as if they want to beat the malicious Sin to death.
"Got it!" Saria nods as she makes a determined expression. A moment later, she blushes at some thought and looks away to the dome above the giant turtle's shell.
"Oh, it's been several minutes... I have to get another group of soldiers for Lucien to do... his thing, you know." She speaks in a shy tone.
"Let's do it." Kamala awakens from her thoughts and moves instinctively towards the dome.
"No." Saria quickly speaks and then tries to explain. "Ehh... you look a little tired; let me do it myself this time."
Kamala doesn't mind getting women covered in Lucien's scent out of the pool, so she just nods and thanks Saria before floating back above the dome. "Thank you."
Saria can't hide an excited look as she flies toward the dome. But then she hears Claire's voice. "Remember that we are still in the middle of a war."
"Yeah, I'll be right back." Saria responds as she quickly flies down.
"Take your time, girl, and..." Greed comments while making a grabbing motion with her hand.
*Whoosh*
But then a golden blade nearly cuts Greed's hand off as she dodges Claire's blow. "You poisonous snake!" The angry girl shouts at the Sin.
"Hehehe..." Greed smirks mischievously as her eyes glow gold.
"Stop it!" Eve speaks in an authoritative tone and looks at Greed with a hostile expression. "Can you not make trouble while Lucien is trying so hard to help these people?"
"Oh-h..." Greed smiles at her. "How about I tell you a story about an older sister with naughty feelings about her little br-"
*WHOOOSH*
The sound of a blade cutting through the space itself is heard by the girls, and only after a second do they understand what just happened when they see Greed's body cut in half by Eve's sword and turning to golden dust in the air before disappearing.
The Sin was literally cut in half, and yet the expression on Greed's face is a teasing smile as she goes back into Claire's soul.
But even though that was such a brutal blow, Eve's face remains as serene and cool as usual. She just dematerializes her greatsword and faces the other girls in silence. "..."
"..." Claire and Kamala can't help but be startled by Eve's action and even stop breathing for a second as the golden remains of Greed's body finish disappearing in front of them.
"I'm glad you shut her mouth up… I couldn't take this bullshit anymore." Pride's voice breaks the silence, but Kamala and Claire are still frozen in midair.
