As she slowly opened her eyes, the harsh fluorescent light above her bed stabbed into her brain like a thousand needles. She winced, raising a hand to shield her eyes.
The slow beeping of machines and the faint antiseptic smell of the hospital room assaulted her senses, making her feel disoriented.
The blades of the white ceiling fan moved lazily, gently ventilating the room as it comforted it's patients.
Hori rose her head, still on the bed. Wearing the clothes Haruki bought for her but now torn and stained with blood due to the Arson incident.
"Oh thank goodness, you're awake!" A voice said from her Hori's side, It was a female Hataki with blue eyes, she was carefully feeding a bandaged elderly pudding.
"...wait, you're awake?!" She parroted but this time in shock.
Hori stared for a while before speaking. "....hello, there." Hori said with a smile. She glanced around the room she found herself in, it was an ordinary hospital ward with light blue walls.
Other patients were laid on the beds at her left and right, heavily bruised and bandaged.
"Don't 'hello there' me!" The Hataki said, "We haven't treated you yet, how are you awake?!"
She was confused.
"That is true, I recall having a huge hole at my abdomen... how am I even alive?" Hori thought feeling somewhat disoriented, confused about her quick and unrealistic regeneration.
The Hataki as well began reasoning. 'Should I tell the higher ups about this? Maybe she's a Priest? That must explain the healing.'
She contemplated, seeing Hori lack the golden cross Priests wore meant she was an ordinary girl.
Hori paused then asked if they were at SHO.
Narrator - S.H.O stands for Sin Hunting Organization, they are tasked with the eradication of Sins and Sinners. A member of SHO is called a Priest.
"Ah, Narrator!" Hori yelled with a relieved face leaving the Hataki confused.
Narrator - She can't hear you, she can't hear you....
Narrator tried clearing her mind.
The Hataki cleared her throat to get Hori's attention. She explained that this wasn't S.H.O
As she kept the empty bowl of pudding on a table.
"We're simply at the treatment center, well it's technically still a branch of SHO but it's called the med-bay, wait where are you going?!" She nearly leaped from her seat, Hori was leaving.
She held the side of the door to support her weight.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose any further. I am fully healed so I best be on my way."
The Hataki was shocked at such polite manners.
Hori bowed one last time then smiled."Bye-bye~"
Waving at the Hataki, she left the med-bay.
The female Hataki hesitated, torn between protocol and compassion. Was it truly okay not to report this? She was pulled from her worries by the cries of the injured.
---------------------------
Hori on the other hand walked towards the entrance door of the hospital to leave.
'The real reason I left is to go look for Haruki-san's body. He's relatives, who ever they are deserve to bury him.'
She thought as her face filled with sorrow, aware that Haruki was dead.
Hori walked quickly to the Hot Springs, the Med-bay she had just left seemed to be quite close, some meters away from a dinosaur museum.
Hori glanced both ways before crossing the streets.
The road was quiet. Time - 4:36 in the evening.
The voice in her head chimed in playfully.
Narrator - Ahem! Hori-san, let's say you can hear me, you don't plan on telling anyone right?
"Oh, just Hori is fine Narrator, it's not even my real name." She answered casually.
Narrator - Oh my God, she can really hear me.
Hori smiled. "Don't worry, I don't plan on telling anyone, they'll just think I'm crazy.... except from Haruki-san.... he's the only who ever believes me."
Hori's fists slowly closed with frustration as her eyes turned watery.
"Why is all this happening? I finally get some help then he dies on the same day?"
Tears fell, almost as if all this happened on purpose.
Hori continued, smacking her cheeks.
"But I've learned something, Haruki-san's death will not be in-vain. If I need achievements to speak with my father, I'll just kill the biggest and baddest Sins!"
Hori remembered Haruki's advice from the hot springs, about becoming a widely recognized Priest, one worthy of speaking with the Prime Minister.
"Narrator! It's settled, I'm going to become a Bishop!"
Her voice determined. Acquiring the title "Bishop" the literal best of the best of the country. A Priest would need to prove themselves.
Apart from that, she remembered what that Hataki said during all the commotion at the Sin of Arsons attack.
"People die all the time because of Sins! so don't go mopping around because of one guy!!!"
He's words were quite mean, but he must've said such an insensitive comment to to snap her back to reality. "Okay, Narrator.... First things first!"
She shouted.
Narrator - And what's that?
"I'm going to join SHO!"
Hori clenched her fists. She had arrived at where the Sin of Arson attacked.
"Matsumoto Springs" the local Hot Springs but now a demolished structure, ashes were easily sited, and yellow tapes dragged around the area to ward off trespassers.
"Oh goodness, it's all burnt down...." Terror filled her eyes.
Narrator - You want to become a Priest?
Narrator asked continuing their conversation. The voice must've accepted the protagonist could hear her.
Hori answered her question.
"If it means preventing something like this from happening, then absolutely!"
She walked inside the blemished Hot Springs, bending over the yellow tapes. She started wandering around searching for Haruki's corpse.
Hori looked desperately for the body, throwing rubble and kicking stones.
"Where is he?!" She sat down on a block, feeling guilty for not being able to recover his corpse.
Her stomach growled completely ruining the atmosphere
Hori let out a long sigh rubbing her tummy. "I eat too much."
Not true tho, Hori hadn't eaten throughout today, the time being 4:40 PM would make anyone hungry.
Bending her head, she sat there for some time, thinking of maybe heading to the Med-bay.
Surely these "Hataki" must have been responsible for retrieving corpses.
She snapped back to reality from a sudden sound.
Thunk!
A piece of wood fell from the entrance as figures stepped in.
Their walking pace rushed as if vandalizing.
"Woah, so a Sin was here?!"
A male voice echoed with idiocy.
Hori gasped, hastily rushing to a wall. 'Someone's coming! Wait am I even meant to be here?'
Another voice also commented.
"Yeah! I think it was Arson."
A second one replied the firsts earlier statement. Still male.
Hori squatted behind the charred wall. Covering her nose from the smell of burnt blood.
"Woooooah this is so rad! People died here!" A different voice, a girl about 17 years old.
The 4 entered the main center of the burnt down Hot Springs.
They made a mockery of the scene. Joking that Arson was weak, calling the victims wusses for dying so easily.
Idiots at best, their kind existed everywhere.
Hori stood behind her hiding spot in silence, feeling uncomfortable from their comments.
"Ehm....you shouldn't speak so rudely about the dead." Her voice afraid but audible, Hori spoke her mind from afar.
"What the? Who said that?!" The gang leader flinched.
After some seconds, Hori came out of her hiding spot, facing the 4 delinquents.
"Who are you?! A hobo?"
He was referring to Hori's dirty clothes.
Another asked if that was blood on her shirt as he approached.
Hori stared at the floor then mustered courage to speak.
"P—please apologize!, my friend died here today, so apologize for what you said!" She said with slight tears remembering Haruki.
Her fists clenched in frustration.
"First of all, what you even doin here?!" The female snickered hiding behind the 3 goons.
One of the men walked even closer to Hori and leaned in.
His voice clearly mocking, he asked. "Or what?"
The main delinquent said, obviously trying to provoke Hori.
The other 3 sighed, calling their boss cringe for such a goon-like comment.
"C'mon it's not fucking worth it, let's just go." The girl said. They just came to the scene to post some pictures, fighting with a stranger just seemed excessive.
"Yeah dude she's a kid, and didn't you say you'll soon 'turn'?" Another man asked warily.
Hori frowned leading to an explanation.
Narrator - "turn" is referring to triggering the curse. As already explained when a person Sins too much they trigger the curse. Turning them into a Sinner. So that Sinner of Sloth Hori saw as her first time. Was once a man that lazed around too much, triggering the curse and turning him into a Sinner of Sloth.
"And I heard Sinners of Violence are crazy strong soooo~"The 2nd man began walking away.
Narrator - The thug that's now threatening Hori is likely to soon trigger the curse and turn into a Sinner of Violence.
Hori now understood, having a voice to explain whatever she found confusing was extremely convenient.
"Everyone shut the fuck up!"
The boss silenced his companions suggestions to drop the topic. He faced Hori and spoke again.
"C'mon kid, I asked you a question, what you gonna do?"
Leaning towards Hori, his bad breath irritating her nose trills.
Hori hesitated before speaking, not wanting to resort to such a brute option. "...apologize....or I'll break your nose!" She clenched her fist.
The man paused, obviously amused. "...pfft! What the fuck! y'all hearing this bitch?!" He faced his friends.
"My girl got balls, I like that!" The girl hyped Hori.
They joked about the whole thing seeing the height difference between Hori and the man, landing a punch alone would be impressive.
As their laughter died down, the unexpected happened.
Dark Frame
The backgrounds saturation reduced to zero leaving only Hori and the thug with color.
The female delinquent shouted in shock. Seeing as their color had reduced to zero.
Dark Frame's are quite rare, most people triggering only 10 throughout a lifetime.
"Shits about to get real now!"
The delinquents anticipated, seeing as the scenery held promise.
"What a load of-
Bam!
Hori's fist appeared in his face! His entire nose caved in.
The man of 6 feet fell to the floor covering his nose to prevent blood from gushing out.
"What the fuck?!" One yelled.
The female delinquent threw up seeing his disfigured face. It looked like an industrial accident took place on his already ugly mug.
"The Dark Frame was because of her?!, but she's a kid!"
The thugs yelled as their color returned. Hori approached the bleeding thug.
She spoke with sympathy.
"I simply abore violence! So please apologize to prevent me from going further!"
She said squatting down and holding the bleeding man's collar, Hori was going to punch him again. His nose already caved in from a single punch, another one would most likely kill him.
"Stop standing there you pussies! go fuck her up!" The girl ordered the 2 remaining men. Hesitant at first to gang against a kid but reasoned better after seeing Hori nearly send their leader to his maker.
They stopped in their tracks after hearing a familiar voice.
"Heyyoooo what's all the commotion?!!" It interrupted before they began fighting.
Hori immediately shifted her attention to it since she recognized that tone. Her eyes became watery after she made sure she wasn't dreaming. "....Haruki-san?!"
"Hori?!" Haruki also yelled.
"You're alive?!!" They both jinxed, shocked at seeing each other safe and sound.
Haruki, looking nothing like a corpse. Now in a big black plain sweater and grey jeans with red and white shoes. He looked good as new... what was happening?
The 2 remaining thugs ordered Haruki to come help them with beating Hori up.
Hori didn't let him finish; she rushed into a hug, embracing him warmly.
"Whoa, I missed you too, but... how are you alive?!" Haruki stroked her hair, feeling Hori's trembling body cling to him.
"Haruki, you know this kid?"
The goon asked helping man 1 stand up.
Haruki replied sarcastically.
"C'mon, were almost the same age, 'kid' is a little bit too much."
He answered feeling unsure what to do, seeing Hori still hugging him.
She didn't say anything, just tightly clinging on to Haruki.
"Fuck, seems like they know each other. Just carry him let's go. And we're putting his hospital bills on you!" He said referring to the man Hori had punched, he was unconscious.... hopefully.
"Yeah, I'll see you guys later"
Haruki answered still looking at the clingy Hori.
The NPCs carry the man and finally they left, leaving the two alone in the blemished Hot Springs.
"Thank goodness you're alive."
She finally released Haruki from her grip. But how tho, she checked his pulse and it wasn't there. So she asked for an explanation.
"Oh, that's normal, Sins don't have a pulse." He casually answered, honestly confused Hori was still calm being around him despite explaining he wasn't human.
Hori had forgotten Haruki was a Sin, unaware of the no heart beat, she did know that they had extremely quick regeneration.
Her mind was at ease as she smiled at her healthy looking friend.
They stood facing each other, the silence thick with unspoken words. Hori slightly embarrassed for hugging him from no where, Haruki feeling awkward for the lack of topic.
A minute later, Hori spoke apologetically. "....my....deepest condolences towards Matsumoto-san."
She bowed her head. Hori spoke about the owner of the hot springs who Haruki seemed to be fond of.
However Haruki looked confused. 'Who's Matsumoto?'
He asked himself, must've been someone unimportant, he casually forgot his deceased friend.