The dormitory was silent save.
A lone firefly of flame flickered above Arthur's bunk. Just enough light to illuminate the worn pages of The Two Lost Oni.
Miles stirred in the bunk below, rubbing his eyes, "You're still awake?"
Arthur didn't look up, "Red Oni followed a lawful good nature but often create problems that the Blue Oni who resolve it in a much more reasonable manner but gets looked down." He turned a page, "But the Blue Oni fails to understand why he unfit to be king if his solutions to everything is to kill a life instead of change it."
Miles sat up, curiosity cutting through his drowsiness. He climbed up to Arthur's bunk, the mattress groaning under his weight.
The illustration facing him showed two demonic figures locked in battle—one crimson with a missing right arm, the other was sapphire with a missing left eye.
"Didn't peg you for a folklore guy," Miles admitted.
Arthur snorted, "Joseph's copy. I was curious and decided to read it."
Miles skimmed the summary, "So let me get this straight—Red Oni's the people's champion, Blue's the outcast, and they're fighting because...?"
"Because the gods think it's funny. To use personal hatred as means of entrainment for an unwanted rivalry." Arthur snapped the book shut, "However, the ending was rip out. So, the new ending according to the book is them about to have their final showdown."
A beat of silence. Miles studied Arthur's eyes linger on the book front cover.
"What's next for you?" Miles asked suddenly, "After you help Vanessa hit #1?"
Arthur's gaze drifted to the ceiling. The firelight carved shadows under his eyes, "Dunno if I get that luxury." His thumb brushed the book's cover, "Promised future like that scares me to think about. The world is rather unpredictable, so I will go along with what I can for now."
Miles flicked his forehead, "You're not in prison anymore, dumbass. Dream. For real this time."*
"Tch."
"Ever thought about a family?"
Arthur's laugh was a short, sharp thing, "Not unless they're as down bad as me." Then, quieter: "Gwin, maybe. If she meant it. But right now? Options open."
The admission hung between them. Miles fidgeted.
"You ever... f*** someone?" Arthur asked.
Miles turned scarlet, "Wha—no! Have you?!"
"Nope." Arthur sat up onto his side, "Wonder how it feels, though. Bet it feels amazing." His grin turned wolfish, "Random question, ass or tits?"
Miles nearly fell off the bunk, "Dude—"
"C'mon. Hypothetically, you were about to die and a nurse asked you which part of herself you wanted to see one last time... what would it be?"
Miles quickly glance at Gwin's bunk and she was motionless under her blanket. Miles exhaled, "...Ass."
Arthur nodded sagely, "A man of culture. I wouldn't mind resting my head between these soft pillows."
"Shut up." His shadow hand gently bonk Arthur head.
Arthur laughed before saying, "Lingerie preference?" Arthur pressed, "Red's classic. Black's dangerous. White—"
A muffled *giggle* cut through the dark.
Both froze.
Gwin's blanket shifted—just slightly.
Arthur and Miles locked eyes in silent panic.
Five heartbeats passed.
"...Bed," Miles hissed, scrambling down.
Arthur killed his flame with a flick of his fingers. Darkness swallowed the room, but not fast enough to hide the triumphant smirk on Gwin's face—wide awake and filing away every word.
---
The lights of the Association hallway flickered overhead as Team 3 followed their instructor.
Arthur and Miles walked shoulder-to-shoulder, exchanging a whisper.
"You think she heard us?" Miles muttered, glancing at Gwin, who hummed a cheerful tune, her steps unusually bouncy.
"No idea," Arthur muttered back, "But she's way too happy for another exam. That's for sure."
Gwin shot them a knowing smirk over her shoulder—just enough to make Miles face burn—before skipping ahead.
---
The instructor stopped before a heavy steel door, its surface etched with hazard warnings.
"This is where we part ways," he said, "Each remaining team has been placed in an isolated simulation. Eagle designed these scenarios himself—consider them a crucible. Pass, and you advance. Fail, and you're out."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, "What's the catch?"
The instructor's lips thinned, "This exam has the second-highest failure rate for a reason. The scenarios are pulled from real-world disasters. The villains? Straight from the Association's S-Class Threat database."
Miles stiffened, "You're throwing us against S-Class?!"
"Simulations," the instructor corrected, "These S-rank are former villain dated back 30 years ago, so we have their information ready for the contestants. But the pain? The consequences? All will be real. Good luck."
The door hissed open, revealing a pitch-black chamber.
Team 3 stepped inside.
The void swallowed them whole.
---
Light blazed back into existence—but the world they knew was gone.
The Eiffel Tower lay in twisted ruins. The Seine ran black with ash. And the air… the air screamed with the echoes of dying fires.
A child's sob cut through the devastation.
"Help… please…"
A girl, no older than ten, huddled beneath the rubble of a collapsed café, her dress stained with dust and blood.
Gwin moved first, "We've got you—"
"Tell me child, do you believe in heaven?"
The voice was silk wrapped around a knife.
Team 3 turned as one.
And there he stood.
Sin, the Messenger of Salvation.
His presence alone crushed the air from their lungs.
Draped in tattered priestly robes, his face was a grotesque mosaic of stitched flesh and golden scripture.
His smile split ear to ear, "Sloth, Envy and Wraith. I can see it in your eyes that each one of you represent a sin that gospel warn us about not follow. Yet you still allow sin to lust over you, you filthy degenerate."
An information text appeared next to him with a list of his trigger.
1. Body Alteration – Sin could reshape his flesh into weapons, armor, or worse.
2. Destruction Beam– A single glance could reduce city blocks to dust.
3. Judgement – His eyes highlight a colourful aura around his target which represents the sin of seven deadly sins they commited the most.
Gwin didn't wait.
"Miles, grab the girl! Arthur—"
Sin moved.
A blur of rotting fabric—then a backhand that sent Gwin flying, "May the Lord cleanse the Envies from your heart and purified your soul."
The impact cratered her into a building, the sound of shattering bones louder than the collapsing rubble.
"GWIN!" Miles lunged, shadows erupting—
Sin caught his wrist.
"Begone…Sloth."
Miles screamed as his arm folded backward at the elbow, bones jutting through skin, before being kicked towards a ruined store.
Arthur's fire ignited—but Sin was already behind him, breath hot on his neck.
"Your turn, Wraith."