"Our apprentice was the one who provoked the Wyvern. I will repeat this, Hero Candidate. Thinking about it now, we were the ones in the wrong. Luckily, we were able to converse and apologize properly."

  "But... what were you doing near Astria ? You just told us it was reduced to ashes ?"

  "Ah~ Such is the life of an adventurer, young Ramiel. Despite what the propaganda of the Guild says, we adventurers are more often that not... simple contractors with not very exciting jobs. Sometimes tasked to sy monsters, kill cultists of the Sins, help to protect a convoy... but most of the time... we do some grave-digging. In that case, in a city-sized grave. Think about all the riches that were left in there ! The scrolls from Astria's Magic Tower ! The artifacts ! All of that ! Wealth ! All of that for... nobles who like to collect trinkets but also ourselves. To get stronger !"

  "That's right." the archer elf nodded at her leader's words. "Fairy tales are just that, fairy tales. We adventurers need to live. And to live, you need money. And power. There's this huge grey zone of... if someone looks dead enough, if there's no-one around... it's yours to keep. The Guild doesn't condone such behavior but... I'm confident when I say at least 85% of adventurers in the world operate like this."

  The youngster nodded along and let himself to wander in his mind. After a few instants, the Holy Sword's voice made itself known, its tone soft and cautious.

  | The tales of your world are heavily glorifying reality. You can see it now. So, are you truly sure you want to step in this world ? |

  'I don't have many options, please understand Sky. It's that or I get tied to a country. And I won't have the freedom to move around. That'd be the absolute worst. I'll have to explore the world. I must be able to do things on my own. And... I'll have to get my hands dirty at some point.'

  | Right. That is some wise insight. You've grown in the span of a few days. You are... calm. It feels like your mind has settled.|

  'Raya coming so... early was the first part of the reality-check. Realizing I couldn't vaguely follow the game's plot was the second. Realizing I was so weak without you was the st part I needed. You surely understand that, but I must become strong by myself. I must not rely on you endlessly.'

  |Truly impressive... I acknowledge this drive. Very well Ramiel. Let's become adventurers.|

  The incoherent mumbling of the de Wandermer heiress snapped Ramiel out of his musings. Ugh...

  Even the adventurer party had sensed something was wrong and once they finished telling their tale, they eventually tried to slightly get away from the female teen.

  | She's going completely ballistic. I understand losing her lover is painful. And discovering he was living with the other Wyverns must have been a shock to her... But... Even before that, she was reckless. For some reason, up until now, she felt like she was the one still treating this reality as a game.|

  'Speaking of which. Something has been bugging me ever since we read the book of the Wyvern chieftain. If we follow the traditional reincarnation trope in the novels I've told you about... This boyfriend of hers must have reincarnated in a period stretching over nineteen years.The tome was speaking about four Wyrms hatching in the past thirty years. The first hatched too long ago. It wouldn't work...'

  | That leaves three. One named... Kroc Dacier. Then Raya and Orwa. Orwa hatched the very day of the massacre. So it couldn't have been the one to write on the altar. |

  Ramiel silently acquiesced.'Kroc Dacier and Raya hatched a few days apart, both about nineteen years ago. But unlike for the other two, we don't have any major clue to reach a conclusion. Do we ?'

  The sword kept silent, trying to recall things it had heard from its previous holders. Something that could act as a key to a seemingly unsolvable problem for now.

  | Maybe... getting information about Fire Wyverns might be... the best way to find an answer. And currently, the best source of answers would be... |

  'I know. Stallion Academy. The headmaster, his companions, the Pope. And... Raya herself.'

  Ramiel clutched Sky's pommel with all the strength he could muster.

  He was torn between pursuing an answer or to keep following Liz'a around. Sure, she was being borderline insufferable right now, but she was still a reincarnated individual. He couldn't just... leave.But discovering the answer to her boyfriend's end could very well be the better alternative.

  But what if the answer was not the one he wanted ? And what if it was ? What if Kroc Dacier was Jean ? And he was dead ? Or what if Raya was Jean ?Then...

  | You overthink too much, don't. And one of these might not be so bad. This Liz'a would get her significant other back. Besides, there is hope. The Raya you have encountered didn't seem like she was the one from your virtual world. |

  'Still... Liz'a is hell bent on killing her. What of she's too blind to see it ?'

  | Then that's a whole other yer of problems that await us... |

  "Wyvern Raya ! Sin of Wrath ! We, Silver-Fme Padins, welcome you back !"

  The Wyvern stared for a few seconds at the group of men and women before her and sighed.

  "I told you guys to stop being formal with me. That's really uncomfortable."

  "Ah, right. We forgot..." the captain sheepishly stated with a shit-eating grin.

  "Miss Raya. The otherworldly device you've handed me, I've transferred it in the magic development teams. They're the best when it comes to handling foreign artifacts."

  "Good call. By the way, if it's not too much trouble... could you handle the report from the operation in Halforge ? I need to notice the Pope about various happenings."

  "You mean... The Divine's presence dimming ?"

  Raya nodded slowly at her interlocutor. "Don't worry about it. They warned me about this."

  The padins let out some 'ohhhh' and 'ahhh' of surprise under the Wyvern's amused eyes.

  Fucking hell... it felt good to be able to feel emotions.

  -

  "Uwah, you look scary when you squint your eyes ! What are you thinking about, little Raya~ ?"

  "Hello Millia ! Well... Nothing much. I was wondering if... I could take a piece of the cathedral. To allow me to feel emotions sometimes. Y'know, holy aura that calm me down and stuff. Because I want to taste food and look at the stars sometimes~" Raya waved in direction of the holy structure.

  "Wouldn't that... interfere with your duties as a Sin ? What if someone used this against you ?" the elf wisely replied.

  "Ah."

  The member of the hero party of old could almost hear gss shattering in a thousand pieces in the Wyvern's body. She crouched down and began to draw circles in the dirt, sulking like a capricious child.Well technically... Raya was a considered as such in Wyvern years...

  In an instant, Raya, serious version was back, clearing her throat with a slight blush on her scaled cheeks.

  "You saw nothing." she stated before going away at a rather fast pace.

  -

  "My court. You have felt it too, right ? The Divine's power has dimmed ! It is time for us to march ! Archdemon Ka'h ! When can we expect to cross the Frosty Death ? When will we reach Elfort ?"

  "If we keep up the pace and rest well... Three month at most. In the other case... if we want top speed, we might cross the nd in only two."

  "But ?" a shadowy grotesque figure asked cautiously on its throne.

  "But we might lose a third of our forces, which would be a shame... truly."

  "And what about the cults that follow the Sins ?" another figure pointed-out.

  "They are... inactive. They do not partake in destruction. They are focusing of spreading their influence for now."

  "Will they become a threat ?"

  "No. But... the Sin of Wrath ? That's a whole other story. For all the power you hold, O Demon King... going against the Purging Fme would be naught but folly."

  "... I still can't understand how you manage to switch your speech patterns like that."

  Fire was chosen.As it feeds, it devours even,The burning cradle that nests it.There is no fighting it...

  It advances dutifully,To erase the world's follyThe Purging Fme is Patience,And fair it is, in that sense.

  The air crackled and fizzled, under the watchful eyes of the nameless Immotors. The pyres they had erected on the dunes of Saand made up a breathtaking spectacle.

  The cries of people getting thrown in the fiery mounts echoed in the desert's vast expanses. The mounds of corpses were also the prisons of countless criminal souls, at the mercy of the incoming sparks of Hellish Fire.As soon as a patch of fire dimmed, an Immotor went to light it up again. The most powerful ones were were invoking embers of Bck Fire, to purge the many souls here.

  -

  "Great Shaman. The cult of Gluttony has been sighted near our Southern borders now. Some are dangerously close to...What should we do ?"

  "... Leave them be. Try to reason with them. Tell their leaders that a common threat is advancing near Elfort. Tell them that the Demons are trying to cross the Frosty Death."

  "Are you... sure ? What if the cultists tried to ally with them ?"

  The elven shaman ughed softly and shook her head, braids of vines and leaves following her every movement."There's no way that will happen. Ever. The cults of the Sins would rather get annihited than to desecrate their masters. It would be the greatest offense of their lives. Especially since the Hell-made-flesh would bring consequences. It would be terrible."

  The vampire messenger hummed in understanding."Should we try to get the cult of Gluttony to aid us then ? Their forces might help us against the Demons."

  "I'm not against this idea, but what would our citizens say ? The cults of the Sins are still... a sore topic for many. The Age of Cinders may have reconstructed vilges and nations, but it couldn't fully heal the scars all over the world."

  "But these scars... are far too old for someone of this age to have them. It was about... two millennia ago. There are only children of children of that time in your nation."

  "Yet the scars were passed down as oral tradition. Beware of Sins, beware of the Seven Deaths we teach even to this day."

  Both kept silent in the tree that acted as a council chamber. The Grand Shaman got closer to a window carved into the hollow tree and looked at the forces of Elfort's capital, preparing for an inevitable csh with enemies of old.

  "Van Goth, do you know where Frea is ? I haven't seen her since her... abrupt return in our nds."

  The vampire frowned and scratched his chin, trying to recall anything relevant. Finally, he spoke up."I... haven't seen her either. But some servants I encountered were gossiping about her going at random pces in the territory near the capital."

  "What is that little one up to... Don't get into trouble, Frea dear."

  -

  Sins of Marka, II : Age of Bze.

  Enhanced visuals, enhanced immersion, enhanced experience !The thrill of an old-school RPG, with VR !

  Dive into the world of Marka, a world pgued with demons, sects, monsters and many more threats !Face beings only seen in myths ! Aim for the top ! Become a hero recognized by all !

  Triumph from the evils in Marka !

  ......... What bullshit.The only evil in Marka, is the one you earthlings bring.

  "Are you sure you want to do this ? To put our world under tutege... would require tremendous amounts of divine power, and the evils that have accumuted on Earth will try to invade your Marka."

  "I know Ra, I know. That's why I need to learn to code. I need to understand this power of creation, to prevent otherworldlers from coming in my world, and to transmit such knowledge to you, so that you can fight it."

  "So that's why you made a human-like vessel. Interesting. But do you still have enough power ? That could be a problem." the falcon-headed god asked, unsure of his peer's idea.

  "Don't worry." the Divine replied. "I have a lot more than I need for what I aim to achieve."

  "That's good then. My hammer may not be able to do anything now... but I send you my support !" Thor added, fshing a smile.

  "So what's the pn, run that by me again." the Egyptian deity interjected.

  "Alright. First step. I learn the basics of coding. Let's cheat a little bit by sending clones to learn at the same time all over the world.Second step, I'll create a small videogame world, that is outside of any god's sphere of influence to build up reputation.Third, I'll attempt to infiltrate the studios who are bridging my world to the fiction they've created, overload the code they've created with my own. And a touch of divine power. And boom, no more otherworlders.Fourth, go back to Marka, and I'll commence the ritual to get your world in my sphere of influence. No more videogames, no more gods who get their realms invaded."

  "That's... A solid pn. I hope we can help with what remains of our powers."

  "Ah ! Thanks a lot Zeus ! It means a lot to me !"

  "Will you use your divine power to forge an identity ?"

  The Divine shook Their head and showed a slight smirk.

  "Of course ! That's the fun part ! Let me just..."

  A surge of divine power spread around the globe and its moon, filling the minds of nine billion Earthlings and Moon-dwellers with fabricated memories.

  "There it goes. From now on, I am Chris Topher ! A student in... whatever coding is."

  "What... the fuck is that name ? It's Christopher. A single word ! Topher is not... Nevermind..."

  "It doesn't matter. I made several other auxiliaries identities. This one's just the main one."

  "Still... that's a weird... Nah, do what you want. But... you should probably study the clothing conventions our mortals have. What you're wearing was trendy like... five hundred years ago. "

  "Oh..."

  "You'll need housing too."

  "And diplomas, and- Ah, I guess you took care of that already."

  "Waaaaah, the training session was tiring. But resourceful. I'm not going to deny it. I feel like I'm improving my boxing style day by day, and it's been less than a week ! The headmaster's course is brutal... But man !"

  "True, I'm still sore from yesterday's sparring but I'm terribly excited for tomorrow's dungeon exploration ! We'll get to see what we're capable of !"

  "Woah, easy Aro ! Let's not forget we're juniors still. I get the feeling but it's still a dungeon. "

  "Right. Let's do that seriously. I'll surely team up with Cir de Lune. I assume you guys will stick together, right ?"

  Margos and MaviK both shook their head in denial, much to Aro's astonishment. They wouldn't work together ? Impossible.

  "We're still forbidden. Remember ? The headmaster's sentence."

  "- Besides we'll profit from the occasion to read some texts and speak to some clergymen."

  "Oh, that makes sense..."

  Both twins sighed after a few moments just as Cire de Lune arrived at the table.

  "Well that's one hell of a welcome party. Thanks everyone. Should I go back ?"

  "Nah, nothing like that Cire." MaviK cut-off. "We were just thinking about... the fact that Ramiel and Liz'a stole the Holy Sword. Why would they do this ?"

  "That has to be the dumbest thing you could do in this country. Granted, the sword was Ramiel's to begin with, but still..."

  The four went silent. There wasn't much to discuss about. The Hero candidate and the heiress of the Empire fled after stealing a holy weapon. Simple as that.The reincarnated twins both wondered how the pair would manage to progress. There were so many useful artifacts and items in the Academy. Why did they decide to cut-off such a golden opportunity ?

  Cire yawned and stirred. She got up and waved at the three boys.

  "See you tomorrow boys. It's getting te and I want to be in top shape for tomorrow. Remember to pass by the training grounds. That's where we'll be given our supplies. Don't get to bed too te Aro."

  "Goodnight !"

  "G'night !"

  Margos jabbed the elf on the side with a smirk while looking at Cire's retreating form.

  "Well well well. Seems like we have two lovebirds in our midst. You'll make a fine couple."

  "Oh yeah they will. Hey, Aro, I'll write a book about you guys. A love story about a forbidden romance. The brave commoner and the delicate noble elf girl who love each-other."

  "Ohhhhh that'll sell like hot cakes ! And add a malevolent wizard who wants to kidnap the maiden !-"

  "Ohhhhh ! Excactly this ! Paper ! I need paper ! Let's write that down !"

  "Y- you guys !" Aro panicked. He was pretty sure that Cire could still hear parts of their nonsense. He waved his arms frantically and in a desperate fashion to get the twins' attention, but it was useless. They were engrossed in whatever silliness they had imagined.

  While the elvish teen didn't deny that he had feelings for the girl, that didn't mean these two blockheads could shout it in to whoever passed by. With heat rising up his cheeks, Aro let out a dying grumble the twins didn't even register.

  Please, to whatever higher being there's out there, make it so that Cire didn't hear this... ButDidn't she forget Margos and MaviK were still forbidden from going in the dungeon ? Hm.

  "My, my... what's that commotion about, students ? Shouldn't you be preparing for tomorrow's dungeon exploration ?"

  The three boys turned and the Thassian brothers froze. It was dark already but they could recognize this silhouette from hundreds of years of gamepy. The form The Wrath took in her introduction cutscene. Right now, she was half hidden by a cloak of pstic-like material, nesting a fme with the tip of her tail.

  Is she using her tail as a torch or what ? Aro frowned.

  "Well... that's not very nice to not answer." she mocked as she sat down on the elf's right. "Wait... I recognize you two, with the tanned skin. You were some of the students who trespassed the padins' training grounds. No wonder you're not prepared. As for you..." the walking-camity muttered. She got closer to Aro and stared at him for what felt like an eternity.

  "You pass. But you should follow that other elf's advice. Shoo shoo, boy."

  The confused teen looked one st time at his companions, who were seating buckets for some reason. He got up and before he left, he turned around.

  "What's your name, Madam ? Just so that I can properly address you next time."

  The twins didn't expect to see Raya's face twisting in disbelief. That was quite out of character for her."WHA- What did you call me you fucking punk ?! I- I'm twenty at best you absolute buffoon ! I- AAAAARGH- I'll remember this !"

  The poor Aro sprinted away, horrified by the mistake he had made, leaving the twins and the offended Wyvern alone.

  She turned back head and sat up again."Now..." she started off in an overly sweet voice. "I have only two teeny tiny questions that I want to ask on behalf of her Holiness. You'll be free to go once you answer truthfully. If I deem your answer to be too vague or unsatisfying, you can be assured that you won't get a single bit of vacation time this year. To make up for the dungeon explorations and monster subjugation you'll miss, of course."

  "We..." the reincarnators began as pressure from Raya intensified. "We can swear on our names as heirs of the Thassa Union. We will try to tell the truth."

  "... Well that's a first white truth uh..." she stated as the pressure vanished. "Alright guys... So first, why did you guys break into a forbidden area ? And second, do you know why and where your friends went after stealing the Holy Sword ?"

  What the fuck ? That doesn't feel like-Wrath... ?And why is she even here to begin with ?

  "Take your time, we have all night."