Step. Step. Step.
Footsteps resonated through the expansive hall as an uninvited guest made his way into Eliza's castle.
"Hmm. Now how do I activate this thing?"
Eren stood before the imposing Seven-Headed Serpent Statue, pondering how to activate it. In the past, it was Eliza who had triggered the mechanism behind the statue, granting him two of the Sin Series Marks simultaneously. However, Eren's understanding of magic runes wasn't advanced enough to decipher the intricate engravings covering the statue.
Reflecting on the nature of the Sin Series Marks, which were rooted in intentions, Eren decided to clarify his intentions while in the statue's presence. Scratching his jawline in contemplation, he resolved to act upon this assumption.
"Um… hey! Do you remember me?" Eren addressed the statue, briefly feeling the absurdity of conversing with a stone sculpture. He acknowledged that such an act would appear utterly ridiculous if he were in the presence of others. Fortunately, he had followed Alephee's advice and ventured here alone, sparing him from awkwardness.
With newfound determination, Eren continued, "Over a decade ago, I arrived here as a mere Ace Ranker. During that time, you granted me two of the Seven Sin Series Marks." He regarded the statue with eager anticipation.
"I have since acquired the Sin of Gluttony from Beelzebub. Now, I seek to obtain the remaining Sin Series Marks." Eren's explanation was succinct, and he concluded with a resolute question, "What must I do to attain the remaining Sin Series Marks?"
Expecting further conversation with the stone statue, Eren was pleasantly surprised when a foreign thought abruptly infiltrated his mind, conveying a concise message: blood.
Acting swiftly, Eren unsheathed his sword, Rigor Mortis, and cut his left palm, allowing the vibrant red blood to flow and disappear as it touched the ground.
In an instant, an overwhelming presence, more profound than the aura of the Titan skeletons surrounding him, encased Eren. He understood that his efforts had borne fruit, activating the statue.
All seven heads of the statue simultaneously opened their eyes and moved independently. The snakeheads, detached from each other, slithered like living serpents, extending their tongues and hissing at Eren as the adjoined torso drew near him.
Another foreign thought entered Eren's mind, this time accompanied by four distinct echoes, akin to a choir of voices within his head. It asked him a vital question.
'Do you accept this binding?'
"Yes!" Eren declared unwaveringly to the statue. Four of the snakeheads, representing the remaining Sin Series Marks that he sought, hissed at him and drew nearer.
In the next instant, searing pain flared in Eren's right shoulder as the colossal serpent's head bit him with unexpected agility and intensity, forcing him to his knees. The other three snakeheads followed suit, delivering venomous bites to various parts of his body.
Although Eren should have been writhing in agony, he had already lost consciousness after the initial bite. As his soul detached from his mortal form, intricate runic patterns began to manifest, weaving the remaining Sin Series Marks into the very essence of his being.
Even in his unconscious state, Eren's body experienced excruciating torment. His bloodline abilities activated spontaneously, rendering his skin slime-like to preserve his strength and alleviate his pain. His physical form underwent repeated cycles of cellular destruction and rapid regeneration, fortifying his body to serve as a more robust vessel for the remaining Sin Series Marks.
***
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Within Eliza's castle, a tempest of mana erupted, triggered by the tumult of Eren's Sin Series Mark bestowal. The Mana Pulses around him were so potent and destructive that they began to wreak havoc on the sage's abode as if it were constructed from flimsy cardboard.
Not even the Titan skeletons escaped the wrath of this formidable mana storm. It was as if the storm possessed its own sentience, methodically obliterating each Titan skeleton through a diverse array of elemental assaults. To influence the Titan skeletons, which were considered Sage-level entities, the mana storm had to match their formidable caliber.
The sheer destructive force of this storm was evident in the fact that the Titan skeletons, which had adorned Eliza's abode as part of its eerie decor since the Pre-Calamity era, ultimately succumbed to the relentless barrage of elemental onslaughts, crumbling into dust.
***
Outside Eliza's castle, storm clouds gathered once more, darker and more foreboding than those summoned for the Fiends' Test of Calamity. The very air became charged with electricity, tinged with a hint of ozone. Fierce winds howled, intensifying the ominous atmosphere with their shrill sounds.
The environment inside Eliza's Purgatory grew increasingly hostile. It was as if someone had initiated the self-destruct mechanism, unleashing a catastrophic storm. Even the external weather underwent a drastic transformation, casting the entire region into an eerie twilight, despite the broad daylight.
The Way of the Elements, relating to every natural element within the world of Anfang, surged inexplicably. The ground near Eliza's Purgatory fractured, creating spontaneous rifts. The forest ignited in flames, yet the trees remained undamaged. The whole area appeared to be submerged in a spectral liquid, exerting tangible pressure on every living being present.
***
Amidst this turmoil, both within and beyond the confines of Eliza's Purgatory, Eren's consciousness found itself in an enigmatic state. It was as if he had relinquished control over himself and traversed into an unfamiliar realm.
Meanwhile, his physical form underwent an inscrutable metamorphosis, perpetually cycling between cellular disintegration and rapid regeneration, as if undergoing the tempering influence of an arcane power.
The four serpents of the Seven-Headed Serpent statue had successfully delivered their bites to Eren, a fact made evident by the distinct runic patterns now cascading across his skin like serpents on a profound journey.
Eren's garments had long since dissolved during this transformative process. Sin Series runes etched themselves upon his body and soul, forming intricate and enigmatic tattoos. Even the previous tribal-like pattern, a result of the earlier Sin Series Marks, grew more intricate as the remaining four merged into it.
Eren was unquestionably undergoing a profound metamorphosis. Although not perilous, the process was far from smooth.
In all worlds spread across boundless multiverses, no living being had ever succeeded in claiming all seven Sin Series Marks for themselves. Legend held that a single individual couldn't bear the weight of all seven.
Yet, this unwritten rule had been shattered. Eren's body and soul seamlessly assimilated the remaining Sin Series Marks, defying the conventional wisdom.
Eren experienced a sensation that the concept of time had become elusive during his time in this mysterious state. His consciousness drifted into a realm where the line between past and present blurred.
Access to the Seven Sin Series Marks had awakened something extraordinary. It was as if he delved into foreign memories concealed deep within his Elder Ichor-infused blood.
***
In his bewildering state, Eren sensed as if he inhabited the body of a complete stranger. He lingered in a surreal space, not fully awake yet not entirely devoid of awareness. His consciousness teetered on the precipice, reliving the memories of another.
Within this dreamlike realm, Eren experienced an existence that seemed to span eons.
With but a gesture, he birthed countless worlds and brought forth myriad races. He felt as though the universe itself would conspire to fulfill his every whim, should he but express it. Every force in this boundless expanse stood ready to translate his thoughts and desires into reality.
Eren's perception encompassed mastery over every fundamental element within this limitless domain. At his mental command, countless worlds erupted into an infernal conflagration, and his mere gaze extinguished the most radiant cosmic stars, shrouding them in frigid darkness and snuffing out their fiery essence.
Continuing to immerse himself in these memories, Eren experienced a profound connection with the Way of the Elements and the World Wills of the various realms he traversed. In every world he ventured into, he found himself capable of wielding his divine powers with absolute mastery.
To his own astonishment, Eren assumed a benevolent demeanor when interacting with mortals and even mighty beings in the worlds that piqued his interest. Despite their insignificance in his cosmic perspective, he treated them with respect and humility. He refrained from adopting an omnipotent air, choosing instead to embrace the multifaceted tapestry of life.
As Eren delved deeper into these memories, he became increasingly convinced that they couldn't possibly be remnants of his past lives. The extent of his benevolence, a stark departure from his character, left him skeptical. If he had once possessed such immense powers, he doubted he would have exercised them with such compassion.
***
In an instant, a monumental cataclysm unfurled across the cosmos. Countless worlds crumbled and perished as a godfall took place.
Eren, once omnipotent, now grappled with his own mortality. It felt as if he had been cast down from celestial heights to the abyss of mere mortality, his once-potent essence enfeebled by an inscrutable force or entity.
Amid this profound transformation, Eren saw a mocking smile—a grin etched on the countenance of a beguiling goddess who appeared to be the architect of his fall. Eren remained ignorant of this goddess's true identity, unable to conjure her visage in his mind's eye.
Yet, one certainty anchored itself in Eren's thoughts: she held some connection to Sienna and the enigmatic Slumbering Goddess he had encountered just before Sienna's demise.
