Asterisk Family

The whole block of the residential area in Sector 3 is peaceful. Even though this is a residential space, the houses are still far from each other. Security is also tight in each home. And the Seven Sins know that the hired guards scattered in this area are all graduates of D University. 

Like how they do things, someone will become the decoy who will approach the target. The bait often isn’t going to take part in the fight. And since this is Grim’s first mission as the leader of Sector 7, he will become the decoy.

Grim is hesitant, but he doesn’t want them to know, especially after what Fallen Angel told him.

Flashback...

“We don’t even have a proper plan. They said that before I make a plan for them, I must get to know them first.” Grim is frustrated at the woman on the other side of the phone.

He is in the faculty room because it is lunchtime, aside from him who stayed. After all, the queen called him.

The queen answered her with a cold laugh before saying, “Stop whining, Grim. Show them that you are someone they should listen to. The Seven Sins must accept you first before you’ll get the trust and teamwork you want.”

Grim thought about it for a while. She’s right. Seven Sins are strong. They are like the Phoenix, whom Grim and the Fallen Angel respect. 

“Thanks, Leader.”

“Just a fair warning. If you are deemed unworthy as their head, I am sure someone will strike you down before you know it. The Seven Sins are, after all, not a docile team. They are not to be tamed but to be controlled.” After she said that, the line has been cut off, leaving Grim gaping at what he heard.

End of Flashback ...

For now, this is his chance to observe the Seven Sins and their Dark Arms.

At precisely ten in the evening, Grim’s black Volvo stopped in front of the Asterisk Family’s gate. When the guards see him, they immediately recognize him. The Seven Sins take the opportunity of the knowledge about D University’s guards to deceive the targets.

“Lord Chase!” He salutes in front of Grim, which made Chase a little guilty. That’s why he’s good at tracking and tracing enemies or gathering the information around him. He just hates unnecessary bloodshed on the frontline. Among the members of the Phoenix, Chase Rennon with the codename, Grim, can be considered the most human among them. But now, he is ought to be the teacher for these young ones. He can only hope that he meets the Queen of the Void's expectations.

“I got a letter from the Queen herself for the student council president of D University.”

“Right away, Your Lordship.” He opens the gate for him and lets him pass.

When Grim gets off his car, the butler greets him with a bright smile. “I heard from the guards that you are here as per the queen’s consent, Lord Chase. I welcome you to the humble home of the Asterisk Family.”

Chase is just silent while he follows the butler. According to him, the target is still preparing. That’s why the butler asks him to wait in the coffee area. 

“I’d rather wait for her on the balcony. I don’t want to disturb any of you. I just need to make sure that she will receive this letter.”

“Of course, Lord Chase. Right this way.”

The butler leads him to the balcony on the first floor of the mansion. It’s facing the back part of the target's house.

He has to lure her here, and the Seven Sins will do the rest. That’s what Alice said, just stay and observe. And he’s planning to do just that. He wants to know the things that are not in the data given to him by the Queen of the Void.

The strengths and weaknesses of the Seven Sins, he will know all of it — especially their loopholes.

He can only hear the sound of the crickets, and he can feel the cold breeze brushing his skin. There are also fireflies, which disappear whenever they hit the light coming from the artificial moon. The place is so quiet and serene.

"AAAH!"

"N-NOOO! HE-HELP!"

"They are moving, huh? Let us see the potential of the young ones that the Queen s eyeing herself."

When he heard a series of screams inside the mansion, he immediately stands up and runs inside the hallway. He follows the direction of the cries. Grim is stunned after seeing the massive windows in the hallway.

It’s raining with white feathers coming from the outside. Together with the feathers is the strong gush of wind. Under the moonlight is a set of two wings similar to an angel. It looks like a celestial being that Grim read in a book when he was still a kid. 

The Seven Sins are no longer wearing black cloaks. They are now wearing a dress similar to those who attend church. 

The winged man's hair is dark, and he is tall.

The Dark Arms of the Mercutio has finally shown. How is something so beautiful be so deadly at the same time?

Pride, also known as Zone, flaps his wings. The tips of the feathers sharpened, and while flying, Pride aims for the guards with the sharpened feathers.

Grim thinks that Pride will eventually descend, but a stream of shadows behind Pride appears like they were sneakily hovering over the winged man for an ambush.

Grim saw it but he remained a passive observer. He is curious about how strong these young ones are.

On cue, another much denser shadow hugs Pride from behind.

 The moment this shadow appears, the reinforcement from the Asterisk Family shows up as well. 

The shadow that Grim saw a while ago is one of the members of the Seven Sins! Not long after, Pride carries her like a kid and flew towards the reinforcement of the Asterisk Family. The kid also used her Dark Arm and fired it toward the enemies.

The Mad Hatter is a long and thick gun. Unlike a regular weapon that needs a bullet, the Mad Hatter uses a force field that becomes a magic blast when fired.

Since it’s nighttime, Grim can see the force field emitting blue electricity on the base of the Mad Hatter. The blue electricity crawled from the bottom of the Mad Hatter to the weapon’s tip. Wrath, also known as Farah, fired the gun that looks like a miniature cannon. It is indeed like a cannon because of its loud explosion. When she glances at the targets, no one is left but their ashes.

They land slowly as Pride lowers Wrath to the ground. 

When Wrath is on the ground, Grim can see how small she is. The Mad Hatter is even taller than her, which she’s carrying like it’s not a big deal. She’s wearing a red lolita dress where black frills and black ribbons cover her neck up down to her wrist. A black net-like stocking covers her legs, paired with black school shoes. Her hair is also a shade of bright red which is braided in two.

Grim jumps from the window and approaches the two who are openly looking at him behind their masks. He intends to memorize their scents, so he needs to be closer.

“Pride and Wrath, huh?” Grim mumbles as he reaches them.

“Have you seen our combo?” Wrath asked her like a kid. Excitement is evident in her childlike voice. 

“Pride is a good support,” Grim said, “Especially for your Dark Arms, Wrath, which needs more time before firing.” He saw Pride smile no matter how much the latter tried to hide it.

“Correct! Pride covers my lead time when using Mad Hatter. Congratulations! You uncover that basic part. Knowing who to pair each Sin with is important.”

“Now, now. Where are the others? Envy was left at the guardhouse. All the residents of the block are under Medusa’s hypnosis. Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, and Lust are at the other side of the mansion.” Pride uses his Mercutio again. On the other hand, Wrath places her arms around his waist. 

The movement is so smooth that it made Grim think that the two are used to it already. 

When Pride offers his hand to Grim, Grim could not help but ask. “What? You can carry the weight of two people?”

“Hold his hand so you’ll see Lust in action.” Wrath urges Grim in an impatient voice.

Grim wanted to run towards the other side instead of flying, but Pride is already holding his hand. Before he can protest, they are already in the air. The night is filled with the sound of Pride’s flapping wings. When they reach the top of the roof, Grim can see the artificial moon. 

Somehow, Grim feels like he can touch the artificial moon if he stretches his arms to the sky. 

Wow, flying is indeed an addicting experience. It feels so liberating... and fulfilling.

When Wrath giggles, Grim has realized that he is already extending his arm toward the moon. 

Pride is also looking at him. Amusement is evident in his eyes. 

Grim pulls back his arm, feeling the burning on his cheeks because of embarrassment.

“I know the feeling,” Wrath said. “I always feel that whenever Pride carries me with his Mercutio.”

“It never gets old,” Pride seconded.

Pride descends on a thick branch of an Acacia tree when they reach the other side. Grim wants to ask him why they didn’t land directly on the lawn. But his question is immediately answered when a scene unfolds before them. 

The butler runs outside the greenhouse. His wrinkled hand holds a woman’s wrist, dragging her out of the greenhouse. She is only wearing her pajamas, and her ashen face is filled with tears. Three bodyguards are following them while carrying heavy machine guns.

"Miss, this way! I receive the message from the Madam. They are already on their way." The trembling voice is almost muted by the heavy breathing of the butler as he cajoles the shivering young miss of the Asterisk Family.

A minute later, the woman’s parents came running as well. This time, they race out of the mansion. Just like their daughter, three bodyguards are also following them. They met each other halfway to the yard like they are already safe. 

"Mom? Dad?"

"Claudia? Oh my goodness, Claudia!" A middle-aged woman opens her arms toward her crying daughter. A look of relief is evident on her face.

But a happy reunion is nothing but a pipe dream in front of the onslaught of the Seven Sins.

From the shadow emerge two pairs of shoes. They are both wearing a three-piece suit. The one wearing a white suit raised his right arm and made a circular motion in the direction of the family.

“Please, let us go!” The head of the Asterisk family pleads, gone is the noble aura of the middle-aged man. His family hides behind him while the six bodyguards protect them in a circular formation. All the guards are holding guns while being pointed at the twins, Greed and Gluttony.

“You took something that belongs to the Void,” one of the twins said before clicking his tongue.

“And for that, you will perish along with your betrayal to the Void,” the one wearing a black suit and has ash-colored hair said.

Using Greed’s Roseta, he separates Claudia from the rest. His Dark Arms look like a hurricane circling around Claudia and everyone in the circle. 

Since Grim and the others are on top of a branch, they can see everything in the yard. 

One of the guards tries to escape Roseta, only to be devoured by the harsh wind. Parts of his body splattered everywhere, making Claudia’s parents scream. 

"AAAH!"

Claudia is also screaming while crying. "Please... Please, let us go!"

“Why do we have to kill the target?” Grim asked.

“Just watch,” Pride answered.

In the middle of nowhere, pieces of paper flew behind Gluttony, who is now concentrating with his eyes closed. The bird-shaped folded papers are also known as origami. The moment he opens his eyes, the countless origami dash to the hurricane where Claudia’s parents and the bodyguards were situated.

The origami seems like they have brains of their own. They ignore the hurricane, flying past it, as they race to the enemies before sticking to their locked targets' bodies. 

“Zutoom,” Gluttony murmured, triggering the origami to explode simultaneously. 

Some heads fly away. There were hands scattered around the yard. Greed ceased Roseta, and the hurricane disappears into nothing. Claudia has seen the dismembered body parts lying on the ground, making her scream. Her voice reverberates through the yard. 

"Nooo! What have you done?"

She is holding her head while tugging her hair. Her gaze transfixed to the fallen members of the Asterisk Household as the last bit of sanity left her. 

"You will pay for this!"

The ground shook. 

Greed and Gluttony have been forced to bend their knees when a force akin to heavy rock is suddenly pushing them down.

Claudia is now using her Dark Arms, the Tatara.