Chapter 42: Calm Before the Sin
The sunlight shimmered across Lake Beck, the waves calm once more. The once-murky waters now reflected a clear blue sky. Division 10 and the villagers stood in awe — not of fear, but of peace.
The Lake Serpent, its scales now a soft sapphire glow, bowed before the humans it once terrified. Its deep voice rumbled gently across the water.
> Lake Serpent: "The darkness is gone… and with it, the burden I carried for centuries. I thank you… mortals of courage."
Kael crossed his arms with a faint smirk.
> Kael: "You did good, old one. Try not to scare the next generation too much."
The serpent rumbled a chuckle. "Then tell them the truth, 'Dark Summoner.' Let my story be remembered, not feared."
Yuta exhaled deeply, collapsing beside his father.
> Yuta: "That… was intense."
Kael (grinning): "You did well, kid. You've earned that summon bond."
The serpent turned its great head toward the village. Its eyes, warm and solemn, glowed faintly.
> Lake Serpent: "Come, children of the lake. See what I have protected all these years."
The villagers, trembling but curious, followed as the serpent opened a path into its hidden cave — the Serpent's Sanctuary. Inside, glimmers of light reflected on crystal walls. And there, lying peacefully, were the bodies of those once believed to be "sacrifices."
Their forms were untouched — preserved as if merely sleeping.
The villagers gasped; many fell to their knees. Tears flowed freely.
> Village Chief: "All this time… you never ate them. You kept them safe…"
Lake Serpent: "I do not feed on flesh. I only wished not to be alone. Their souls rested with me… until peace returned."
The villagers sobbed, some bowing, some whispering prayers.
> Villagers (in unison): "We're sorry… we wronged you…"
The serpent blinked slowly — forgiveness in its ancient eyes.
> Lake Serpent: "Then let this be the end of fear… and the start of remembrance."
---
[Later — Evening in the Village]
Division 10 gathered near the lake, watching the villagers celebrate quietly. Laughter and tears mixed with the smell of fresh-cooked food.
Captain Elara stood by the water, her armor gleaming faintly in the sunset. Synoh walked over, his hand bandaged but his smile calm.
> Synoh: "Everything turned out fine, huh?"
Elara: "It did. Thanks to your command back there. The villagers said you kept them safe when monsters attacked."
Synoh scratched the back of his neck. "Just did what I had to…"
Before he could finish, Elara gave him a light punch on the shoulder.
> Elara (smiling): "Don't be modest, rookie. That's an order."
Synoh blinked, surprised — then grinned back. "Yes, Captain."
For the first time, Elara's smile looked completely genuine. Her usual strict aura softened, and even Ursa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
> Ursa (clearing throat): "Ehem, Captain… people are watching."
Elara (flustered): "S-silence, Ursa! It's called leadership morale!"
The others chuckled. Even Meth giggled, teasing softly, "Looks like our Captain's found her favorite subordinate~"
Elara's face went crimson. "METH!"
Kael and Yuta watched from a distance, both smiling.
> Kael: "Strong team you have there, Captain."
Elara: "They're a handful… but worth it. And thank you, Kael. For everything."
Kael: "No need. Just doing my job. Besides, Yuta needed the experience."
Yuta: "Hey! I almost got drowned inside that serpent's head, you know!"
Kael (smirking): "Character building."
The laughter continued — but the serenity didn't last.
---
[Sudden Shift]
The air turned cold.
The lake began to ripple unnaturally.
A faint dark mist rose from the center of the water — the same aura that once corrupted the serpent. Everyone immediately drew their weapons.
> Elara: "What—!? We purified it!?"
Kael (grimly): "No… that wasn't just corruption. Something else was sealed inside…"
The serpent growled, its body tense.
> Lake Serpent: "No… not again…"
The darkness spiraled upward — twisting like smoke forming a vortex. Just as it began to expand, a calm, cold voice echoed through the air:
> "Nullify."
In an instant, the black aura stopped — then violently imploded, sucked into a single hand.
Everyone turned toward the figure standing at the lake's edge.
The man who appeared stood lazily at the lake's edge, his black cloak swaying lightly in the cold air. His expression was calm, almost disinterested, his silver eyes half-lidded as though half-asleep.
> Kael (muttering): "…That presence… no way."
Elara: "This man.."
The man looked up lazily, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
> Kuro: "Well… what do you know. I follow a boy here, and I find you lot again."
At once, Synoh's eyes widened. His hand clenched his sword's hilt tightly as his dark aura flared slightly.
> Synoh: "You again!"
Beside him, Dred's expression darkened — both remembering the last time they fought Kuro's illusion army of the fake Seven Deadly Sins.
> Dred: "Don't tell me you're still alive…!"
Kuro (smirking): "Alive? Hm… that's debatable. But I must say, your growth has been entertaining."
He turned his gaze toward Yuta, and the air instantly felt heavier.
> Kuro: "I've been watching you, boy. You've grown quite… promising."
Yuta (frowning): "What do you want?"
Kuro: "Straight to the point. Good. I'm rebuilding the Seven Deadly Sins — but this time, I want it to be perfect. The last group was… disappointing."
The lake rippled at his words, reacting to his mana — calm yet suffocating.
> Kael (stepping forward): "So you were behind the fake ones after all…"
Kuro: "Ah, the famous Dark Summoner. You were there, weren't you? or you not sorry I always forget something that jot important …"
He smiled faintly, eyes narrowing at Yuta again.
> Kuro: "But you… you're different. That raw willpower inside the serpent's mind. You have potential — to become my new 'Sins.'"
> Yuta (gritting teeth): "...."
The ground cracked slightly beneath Yuta as his aura surged, his bond with the Lake Serpent glowing faintly behind him.
Kuro simply yawned.
> Kuro: "It's amusing, isn't it? Mortals celebrate peace right after stepping over blood."
Elara (coldly): "What do you want, Kuro?"
Kuro: "A toast."
He raised a glass of wine from a nearby table — no one saw where he got it from — and took a slow sip. His eyes drifted toward Yuta, his expression unreadable
He lowered the glass, stepping closer, his gaze sharp yet strangely sincere.
> Kuro: "You want strength, don't you? Not just to protect, but to catch up — to surpass those you once walked beside."
Yuta (clenching his fist): "…Synoh and Lux."
Kuro (smiling faintly): "Ambition isn't sin, Yuta. It's what drives evolution."
Kael took a step forward, his voice calm but heavy.
> Kael: "Stop it, Kuro. Don't twist his mind. I know your kind of offers."
Kuro turned his gaze to Kael with mild amusement.
> Kuro: "Ah, the Dark Summoner himself. I was going to invite you as well, old friend — but having father and son under the same banner ruins the… experiment."
Kael's eyes darkened, knowing that Kuro was right.
Kuro's smirk softened into something almost human.
> Kuro: "Don't worry. I won't take him away from you. He'll just… learn from me what the world won't teach."
He raised his glass again, this time conjuring several ghostly chalices of dark mist for the others.
> Kuro: "To my new recruit—Yuta of the Tamed Soul. May your strength surpass all limits."
Yuta hesitated, glancing at his father… then at Synoh and Elara.
Then, he slowly raised his own hand.
> Yuta: "If it means becoming strong enough to protect… then I'll walk this path. Even if it means walking beside you."
Kael's face fell in quiet disappointment, but there was a hint of pride too—his son was no longer a boy.
Kuro chuckled softly, clinking his glass against Yuta's phantom one.
> Kuro: "Spoken like a true seeker. Welcome to the beginning of something greater."
He then turned toward Elara and Synoh, his smirk returning.
> Kuro: "Relax, Captain. I'm not here to start a war. I'm merely passing through… and enjoying your hospitality."
Elara's grip tightened on her sword, but before she could speak, Synoh stepped forward.
> Synoh: "It's okay, Captain."
Elara (surprised): "Synoh…?"
Synoh (calmly): "If he wanted to harm us, he already would have. Let him rest — for now."
The other knights exchanged uncertain looks, especially Dred, whose knuckles turned white on his sword hilt.
> Dred (whispering): "That's Kuro the Sloth, the S-rank adventurer turned ghost. You really think we can trust him?"
Synoh (quietly): "Trust him? No. But provoking him would only put everyone in danger."
Kuro gave a low chuckle, clearly hearing every word despite standing meters away.
> Kuro: "Ah, you've learned caution. Good. You're starting to sound more like Fenrir's heir than you realize."
Synoh flinched, his eyes narrowing.
Elara shot Kuro a glare, but he only waved lazily and walked toward one of the empty camp tents.
> Kuro: "I'll be taking a nap then. Wake me when the world ends."
He disappeared inside, leaving behind silence and tension thick as smoke.
---
Later that night, the festival resumed quietly.
Music and laughter returned, but every knight kept one wary eye on the tent where Kuro slept.
Synoh sat near the bonfire, staring into the flames, deep in thought.
Fel's voice echoed softly in his mind.
> Fel: "Why did you stop them, Synoh?"
Synoh: "…Because if we fought him, none of us would've seen the sunrise."
Fel: "And Yuta?"
Synoh: "He made his choice. Now we'll just have to get stronger… until we can face him again."
As the fire crackled and the lake shimmered under the moonlight, Captain Elara quietly looked at Synoh — the warmth of the fire reflecting in her soft smile.
For a moment, amidst danger and shifting loyalties, there was calm.