Lucien's Sisters and the Sins are really impressed by Maya's intelligence. Perhaps creatures as ancient as she cannot be fooled due to their vast knowledge.
But since Lucien is in danger, they don't have time to waste thinking well in their next steps. Then Eve steps forward and asks in a respectful tone. "You have to help my brother."
"Your brother?" Maya asks. "Is he the leader Kayla talked about?"
"Yea." Amelia also steps forward. "He stayed behind to face an ancient, powerful creature for us to seek help."
"Ancient creature?" Maya seems to doubt it. "There shouldn't be Krakens in this area. Powerful creatures have instincts good enough to sense my aura thousands of miles away..."
"Even if that creature feels your aura, I don't think it would really fear you." Sloth explains.
She makes a confident expression. "I can't think of any creature that would face in this world. Do you know what creature that was?"
"A f.u.c.king Leviathan." Envy quickly speaks. She's also never been so worried about someone else before as now.
"A Leviathan??" Maya seems to doubt them even more. "That's impossible; the last one was killed by-"
Before she finishes talking, Pride interrupts her. "We're pretty sure what we saw back there. Clearly, Aylin didn't kill the last one."
"Hmm..." Maya makes a thoughtful expression. "But it doesn't make sense for this creature to come after me... It must know that it can't devour me... and you, Sins are the same..."
Then she looks at Lucien's sister. "The creature wants your hosts, right? But why? They don't really seem exceptional."
"..." The girls don't know how to respond. All they care about now is helping Lucien, so an old bird's disapproval means nothing to them.
'Well, at least she can't recognize the b.l.o.o.d.y Rose in you.' The Sins speak mentally to girls.
Seeing that Maya is suspicious of them, Pride thinks about lying, but her personality just doesn't allow her to do that.
So Envy has to do it. "We don't know what the creature wants, but Lucien stayed behind to give us time to find a solution, and you'll help us with that."
Despite not knowing Lucien yet, Maya can't help but mentally praise him. "I can't say that was a foolish act as his sacrifice saved you, but it would be stupid of you to think he's still alive after a face such a powerful creature."
"Lucien is alive!!" Little Ko exclaims as she hides behind Angela. Her instincts tell her that Maya is frighteningly strong, but she can't allow anyone to say that her most loved person is dead, especially when she feels in her heart and soul that Lucien is alive.
"I'm sorry, little girl..." Maya looks at Ko with a thoughtful expression. "But nature is like that; the strong devour the weak and feed on their bodies."
Ko's eyes sparkle as she, a Moon Tiger, knows the wild nature well. "Lucien is not weak! Lucien is the strongest!!"
"Shh..." Angela pets her ears while whispering in her ears. "It's okay, darling; we know that Lucien and your mama are fine."
As the little tigress hugs Angela, Pride goes back to talking to Maya. "We agree that he can't defeat that creature right now, but he has special abilities that allow him not to be easily killed."
She shakes her head. "You have no idea of the power of a Leviathan. Legends say that such creatures could destroy any world that had a sea alone because they made the sea itself come alive and fight for them."
She quickly continues. "These creatures have a strong storm affinity and hold even more powerful water affinity. They control everything in the sky and in the sea, so, in this world, no one can escape from it."
Since it is evident that Maya will not easily believe that Lucien is alive, Pride is forced to give more information about him. "He has a Soul Realm."
"What??" She is surprised. "Is he a dragon?? How can a dragon be together with demons???"
"He's with our sister, and she has this special ability." Envy quickly speaks, not letting Maya know that Lucien is half-dragon.
She makes an impressed expression. "You Sins are really peculiar..."
"Enough talk!" Donna exclaims as she grows impatient. "My brother is alive, and you are the only one who can help us now."
Maya sighs. "I'm really sorry for your brother, but even though he's alive, I can't save him. I mean, I lose all my power level when I die, and I only recently reached the Immortal Realmpeak. It will take at least a thousand years before I make it to the Cosmic Realm, and I would still be far from being a match to a Leviathan."
"You have no choice!" Wrath declares. Even though she's not in love with Lucien yet, she already likes him more than she wants to admit.
Pride nods. "She's right. If you refuse to help us, I'll make sure the whole demon race knows about you. Think about it, people don't come here looking for you because no one thinks a Phoenix would hide in a world made almost entirely of water, but as soon as they know..."
"Not just the demon race would come after you..." Sloth continues. "Soon, all the superior races would know about you, and even if you run away, they'll know there's really still a last Phoenix alive."
Envy continues. "Your life will end... Even if you are immortal, you will never be at peace. People will try to force you to give your immortal core to them in every way possible, starting by hurting those you love."
"..." Maya makes an annoyed expression that things can really happen that way. And she definitely doesn't want to be hunted like an animal as has happened many times in the past, nor for her family to suffer because of her.
"You demons!!" Her eyes glow red like living flames. "I thought you were better than the d.a.m.n G.o.ds, but it looks like I was wrong."
Sloth slowly points to the girls around them. "Most of these women aren't of different races, but we'd all do anything for Lucien."
"Destroying worlds and races wouldn't stop us from helping him." Pride comments.
Envy smiles provocatively. "Let alone screw with a stupid ancient bird..."
[s.h.i.+T!!] Maya can't help but mentally curse. Anyway, her peaceful life is threatened.
"You shouldn't threaten me..." She says in an annoyed tone. "You better keep on your way while you still can because if we go back to the Leviathan, we're all going to be screwed."
"You could talk to the creature." Sloth suggests. "If, as you said, the Leviathan knows it can't devour you, maybe it respects you enough to let Lucien go."
She shakes her head. "This creature must be very arrogant. If it wants your friend, nothing can stop it from having him. If we try anything, the creature will destroy our bodies. You Sins can come back, but what about your hosts and those girls?"
"Husband." Sloth corrects. "He is not my friend but my husband, as he is to all these women. There will be no way for us to go on without him."
"You have no choice, stupid woman!" Wrath exclaims.
Pride nods. "Exactly. If you don't come with us now... Well, since you're not in the Cosmic Realm yet, we can start making a mess in your life right now."
Envy smiles. "You must like your granddaughter a lot, don't you? We saved her life, and we'll take it back if we have to."
Maya looks back at the Rising Phoenix Clan s.h.i.+ps. She can't help but have affection for those people, as they became her family when she was more alone. Despite being not blood-related to Kayla and her mother, Maya really loves them.
She looks at Pride and Eve again and sighs. "Alright, I'll go with you."
"Of course." Pride smiles.
"Just give me a minute to say goodbye to my people; it's likely that I won't see them again after this madness..." Maya speaks and flies back to her s.h.i.+p.
"Grandma!!" Kayla runs to Maya as soon as she arrives on the s.h.i.+p. "No one is believing me that we actually saw a Leviathan, but you believe us, right?"
"Yes, darling." Maya pats the head of her granddaughter. "I'll help them..."
"But how?" Kayla asks in a worried tone. She wants to help Lucien so badly, but she's too scared of the Leviathan. "We can't really face that creature!"
"You have to trust me…" Maya speaks and then looks at Naomi behind Kayla. She feels a familiar expression upon examining her face, but as that seems very unlikely, she ignores that.
"Naomi, let the others know I'm going with this group alone," Maya speaks before entering the captain's cabin with Kayla to say goodbye.
"Yes, Master," Naomi responds and quickly flies towards the other s.h.i.+ps. But once he gets there, he orders other people to pa.s.s on the orders before flying to the Sea Devil.
She lands on the deck, and Pride again makes a sound block barrier around the s.h.i.+p.
"Sisters!!!!" Naomi exclaims as she smiles but quickly goes back to a neutral expression as that barrier only blocks the sound, and every one of the Rising Phoenix Clan s.h.i.+ps except Maya and Kayla is watching them now.
Eve smiles at her sister. "Naomi… I'm glad you're alright."
"Hehehe..." She giggles and then floats a few inches. "Not just alright… look, I'm already in the Sky Realm! I'm so awesome, don't I?"
"Humph!" Amelia makes a mocking sound as she can't be happy with Lucien being in danger.
"Amelia, you look jealous as-" Naomi is about to provoke Amelia, but then she notices that the expression of her other sister and all those women is sad and concerned. The depressive mood is really intense around them.
She looks at Sophia and Donna, trying to figure out what's wrong. "Are you okay, sisters? What is..."
'One is missing, you dumbhead!' Gluttony's voice echoes in Naomi's mind.
[f.u.c.k! How could I forget about him?!?] Naomi gets immediately worried.
"Where's Lucien?!" She asks and then looks at Eve with a pleading expression. "Tell me he's fine! You couldn't have let anything happen to our little brother..."
"Calm down, Naomi, or you'll ruin your disguise," Eve speaks.
"Screw this s.h.i.+t; our family is more important than anything!" Naomi exclaims, not pretending anymore.
"He is fine!" Sophia quickly speaks.
"Just facing a d.a.m.n Leviathan for us…" Donna comments in an annoyed tone.