“How are you doing?” Greed asked before leaning onto a wall while looking at a certain person stuck in a cage.
“Does it matter…” Archie looked up from the ground and stared at Greed.
He was wearing nothing but a piece of cloth that barely covered his privates. At the same time, he had two bracelets on his wrists, shining with different runes every second. At the same time, there was a visible slave collar on his neck that didn’t shine at all. However, the runes were still visible as they were caved into the collar itself.
“Even now, you’re attempting to escape.” She commented with a slight smirk, yet despite expecting him to reply to her, he simply stayed quiet.
“Ugh. You’ve become so boring. Can’t you liven up a little?” She snarled.
“What’s the point of livening up when I’m going to be dead in a few hours.”
“Minutes.” She corrected him with a proud expression.
“And to think I ever trusted you… Any of you…” He sighed.
“Oh yeah… What did you say we were?” She leaned in with a teasing smile before a glint of coldness shone within her eyes.
“A family?” She asked, her tone turning cold as well, causing Archie to look up again with a raised brow.
“What a load of bullshit. We’re not family. We’re companions at best. Its that kind of thinking that made you weak, and if Silas ever chooses to go against me in the near future, unless he changes, he will end up just like you.” She snickered with a tone of mockery.
“,,,”
“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” She cackled.
“Let’s just get this over with.” He sighed and began to walk over to the door of the jail cell.
Sticking her finger inside the door’s keyhole, she quickly opened it and stepped to the side, allowing Archie to step out of the jail cell.
“What do you think of my toki dampening cuffs?” She patted him on the shoulder before looking down at the cuffs around his wrist.
“It’s an artifact I found a couple years ago while scavenging the remains of one of the cities destroyed in the demon wars.”
“…”
“Man… It must feel horrible to be betrayed by everyone you knew and loved. Especially that red-head. You really fumbled the bag with her, haven’t you? All those manipulation tactics you do on all of us must have taken a great toll on her mind for her to betray you so easily.”
“…”
“And to think she could love a man like you… I wonder what she would think if she knew about the execution…” Greed giggled while Archie widened his eyes.
“She doesn’t-“
“She does…”
“What?”
“I was playing with you.” She giggled again before poking his side.
“Hmm?” Looking down at where her hand was, he could not help but jolt as a piercing pain shot through his body.
Her claws were extended and poking into his side. At the same time, he felt like there was some kind of liquid entering his body.
“Got to make sure you don’t awaken something in your last moments of survival… The human body does tend to be weird that way.”
It only took them a few more minutes to get to where they needed to be, and when Archie finally felt the light of the cave’s gemstones shining through the doorway, he could not help but squint his eyes.
His vision finally began to clear up, and after looking around a for a moment, he felt a certain pain in his heart.
There they were. 3 generals standing next to each other, not daring to look at him in the eyes.
Their faces were filled with nothing but shame, but he expected that. What kind of person wouldn’t feel shame in a situation like this.
On the other side, however, were two individuals, one tall with black and amber eyes, and the other short with white hair and emerald-green eyes.
They were Grant and Silas, but there was something different about one of them.
Silas’ eyes were empty. Archie had already seen him trying to fight against the enchantment before, but just like he had expected, it was not enough. Having a strong mind was not enough. They had to be strong as well.
“Honey… When will you be done with these fools? I’d like to cement our marriage.” A voice entered Archie’s ears from behind him, yet by the time he had looked back, he already knew who that voice belonged to.
“Oh? I feel like a remember you from-” The prince scratched his chin while looking Archie in the eyes, yet he was cut off as a rage-filled roar left Archie’s mouth.
“You betrayed us for the kingdom!” Archie looked at Greed, yet all she did to answer his question was giggle.
Death and Life both widened their eyes while looking at Greed.
“W-What’s the meaning of this…” Life asked with both fear and fury in her eyes.
The prince stared at them… No. He stared at Death specifically before narrowing his eyes slightly and letting out a sneer.
“Tell me when you’re done. I’ll be in your chambers.” The prince turned around and left with both of his guards.
“Okay darling!” She waved at him and turned around to meet the stares of the two generals.
“And I suggest you both step down… Let me remind you-” Suddenly, a sense of dread began to form around Greed as her armor began to activate.
The mana cores within her armor turned before shining, with a brilliant light, however, despite their emerald green color, there was something else that illuminated them as well.
A neon crimson light in the form of small, almost invisible threads.
“That, despite being weaker than you, my armor can more than makeup for the difference in strength.” She muttered, yet her voice reached their ears as if she was right next to them.
“And let me remind you of something else…” Her eyes stared into their souls with so much intensity that it felt like she had reached inside them and begun to squeeze the life force.
“Love… I have your mother… And Lock-” She took a single step forward and appeared in front of Death with so much speed that none of them could even react. At the same time, she pointed toward the hallway that the prince had gone down.
“I have your brother.”
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