The Seven Deadly Sins stand equally amazed with how incredible is Lucien's potential to be the host of all of them. Even knowing him so well, l.u.s.t also doesn't quite understand how he can be that way.
It's evident that part of that is possible because his relations.h.i.+p with all kinds of emotions is very intense. But well, his sisters are like that too, mainly due to the influence of b.l.o.o.d.y Rose, which makes them feel everything amplified.
Yet, Lucien seems to have something else, something special, that makes his relations.h.i.+p with the Sins so smooth and natural. Also, his relations.h.i.+p with his sisters benefits both of them in surprising ways.
The best examples of that are how thanks to him and only together with him, Envy and Amelia have such a powerful relations.h.i.+p with jealous and envious feelings. Being envious and being envied never had such an incredible magnitude before.
In the same way, Sloth and Sophia find with Lucien the best way to relax. No matter how long they stand doing nothing, just doing nothing in his arms, receiving his caresses and love gives them so much power.
Although they don't want to admit that, Wrath and Donna also already understand that only with Lucien can they genuinely increase their potential.
And while Pride is the only one who has real difficulties in accepting Lucien's help due to her nature, Gluttony and Greed have already updated their goals and know what they have to do to get stronger faster than ever.
Greed even thinks she's already taken the lead in making Lucien imagine a future where he has all the most beautiful and talented women in the universe as his wives, an idea as l.u.s.tful as greedy.
But l.u.s.t and Envy are there to defend what is most precious to them and stand between Lucien and Greed.
"With so many women, he couldn't enjoy those he most loves." Envy speaks in a determined tone. She wants to die of jealousy just by imagining a scenario where she would have to share Lucien with thousands of wives.
l.u.s.t is the person who most supports Lucien in conquering the heart of all his sister and the Sins, but she also fears that so many wives will cause more trouble than he can handle.
But before she can say anything, Gluttony pushes Greed aside. "Yeah, we don't need more women for him when we have the best ones here..."
"Humpf! You just want him to yourself alone!!" Greed complains. "And there are still people who say I'm the most selfish Sin!"
"And you are!" Envy quickly responds. "Our little Gluttony would be easily satisfied by Lucien and then join Sloth for a good nap while you would make him go around collecting wives like gems for a collection."
"You little b.i.t.c.h!" Greed materializes a golden sword and attacks Envy.
*Whoosh*
But she summons her double dark daggers and quickly blocks Greed's golden sword.
Greed is taken aback by Envy's incredible speed, but she doesn't give up, and her eyes glow golden while several golden blades appear around her body, aiming at her sister.
A confident smile appears on Envy's face, and her eyes glow gray before turning golden, and several golden blades also appear around her body, copying Greed's.
Greed is aware of Envy's abilities, but she has never seen an imitation as perfect as that in the Sins' first ten years with any host.
Envy's incredibly rapid evolution shocks Greed, but she still tries to remain confident. "The fake will never win the original!"
"Oh really??" Envy smiles and then doubles the number of golden blades before easily tripling it. "Do you want to try?"
All Sins can feel that Envy's golden blades are not only identical to Greed's but even seem more powerful. And since she has three times as much as her sister, it's clear who would win the fight.
But before Greed is further humiliated, a flash of white light blinds the sisters and shatters their golden blades.
"Are you really going to fight to decide which number of wives Lucien should or shouldn't have?" Pride's voice sounds arrogant and angry.
"Sister..." Both Envy and Greed step back while making sorry expressions, which shocks Lucien. He can't help but imagine that if he had Pride as his wife, she could easily end any disputes or fights between his girls.
Pride notices how Lucien's eyes sparkle as he gazes at her, and that makes her feel as good as if she were having a heavenly o.r.g.a.s.m.
She just wants to stand there, being admired and desired by him. But everyone notices the mood getting strange, and Eve catches everyone's attention. "Ahem… we have to talk about our next steps before Maya and Nea think we're planning something against them."
"But isn't that what we're doing?" Naomi asks sarcastically. "I mean, taking Maya's magic core isn't going to do her any good."
Claire nods. "That would infuriate Nea and Saria, so we'll be making the Mermaids our enemies..."
"Not exactly..." Envy comments.
"What do these Mermaids matter?" Pride asks in her usual arrogant tone. "We've already found the Phoenix, and she's a lot weaker than we expected, probably due to being reborn less than five thousand years ago and living in a world made almost entirely of water with limited resources, so..."
She gives time for someone to say the obvious, but as no one says anything, she continues. "We should take her magic core already, of course."
The other Sins and their hosts look at each other as they wonder about that, so Sloth is the first to speak. "But that's not going to be that simple because we can't take it by force; she has to give up her magic core, you know."
Pride sighs and looks at Lucien. "If even the stupid Fire G.o.d managed to seduce a Phoenix, our handsome devil can do it a lot faster with his magic rod."
All of Lucien's sisters blush when they hear Pride say 'magic rod.' Sophia and Amelia are well familiarized with that magic rod while Naomi also had it in her hands once, but she and their other sisters can only imagine how it is nowadays.
"Alright…" l.u.s.t steps forward. "Let's a.s.sume Lucien could seduce the Phoenix; yeah, he certainly does. But then, it's not like she's going to give him her magic core like she would give her p.u.s.s.y."
"l.u.s.t is right; I couldn't just ask her for her magic core as well as asking it because we saved her daughter, and granddaughter can't guarantee us that it would work either." Lucien comments. "And our relations.h.i.+p would be ruined after she realized our real intentions."
Everyone agrees with Lucien's words about that plan not having any guarantee of works. But Pride maintains a confident expression. "We're not going to ask her for it, naturally."
So she explains. "Once we're sure she's in love with Lucien, we just need to fake an attack and stick a sword in his heart..."
"HEY!!" Amelia is the first to complain about that plan, but all of Lucien's sisters make it clear they don't agree with that either.
Pride looks at Amelia with a stern expression, then Lucien pulls her into his arms, calming her down. "Go on."
"The Phoenix wouldn't let her love die, so she would offer her magic core to Lucien..." She continues explaining.
"But the wound would have to be very serious for her not to suspect anything." Eve comments in a concerned tone.
"Yes." Pride nods. "He'd have to contain his life mana to get to the death gates, but as soon as he got the Phoenix's magic core, he'd activate his amazing regeneration again, and Sophia would use her... special methods to help him heal even faster."
"What if the Phoenix still doesn't give him her magic core?" Donna asks, also with a concerned expression.
Pride rolls her eyes. "Then Sophia would help him in the same way. The Phoenix wouldn't suspect anything, and we would just need a second plan."
Again, the other Sins and their hosts look at each other and wonder about that. The plan doesn't look perfect, but at least it's something.
"I'm with Pride; it might work." Wrath supports Pride as usual.
"I guess so..." Envy comments.
Sloth sighs. "I think it's a little risky, but yes, Sophia could bring Lucien back from the gates of death without trouble, so this plan could work."
Gluttony looks at Sophia with a curious expression. "I haven't seen the girl's healing abilities yet, but if Pride and Sloth say this will work, I have nothing against it... as long as I can devour some of that magic core's energy."
"No way." Pride quickly responds. "We're going to use the magic core as the catalyst for the pentagram pact and share its energy equally."
"d.a.m.n!" Gluttony pouts, and that makes her look like a spoiled charming little lady.
Then Pride looks at Greed. "What about you?"
She shrugs. "Whatever."
"l.u.s.t?" Pride asks. "You are the last."
"I see how this could work or fail…" She replies but then takes Lucien's hand. "But neither you nor I can decide on a plan that other people will have to do works."
Pride looks into l.u.s.t's eyes with a stern expression, trying to intimidate her. That could have worked before, but now, next to Lucien, holding his hand and having all his support, she doesn't fear anything, not even her authoritarian Big Sis.
"..." After ten very embarra.s.sing seconds, Pride realizes that if she keeps trying that, she will get humiliated even more.
So she quickly tries another method. "We're a team here, right? So what's the problem with voting on our next steps? I didn't even need your opinion as most of us had already agreed, so you can keep this att.i.tude and-"
When Pride speaks, her aura spreads around and everyone pays close attention to her words as well as not feeling any desire to interrupt her. But Lucien has his own prideful aura and does it in a subtle and calm way. "Wait."
He understands that Pride needs to feel in charge due to her nature, and he respects that as well as he respects her character. But he'll never let anyone disrespect his loved ones, especially his 'first wife.'
Without contradicting Pride's words, he points an important fact. "I think you forgot to ask the opinion of the other members of this group."
Pride makes a confused expression for a second before Lucien quickly glances at his sisters. "Oh, I see... what do you girls think about it?"
Like Eve, all of Lucien's other sisters have concerned expressions on their faces. Even Sophia, who relies heavily on her healing abilities and in that special connection she has with him, can't help but fear that something goes wrong.
They look at him, but he keeps a neutral expression, not wanting to influence their decision. Then they look to Eve, seeking her opinion.
Eve believed in Pride's plan and mostly that even she wouldn't put Lucien's life at risk without trusting that there wasn't any chance of him really dying.
But she could never decide that for him, so she gives her answer. "I'll agree with whichever Lucien prefers."
Pride closes her eyes and shakes her head before looking at Lucien's other sisters, but they all quickly respond. "Same for us."
Then all eyes turn to Lucien again, and Pride smiles. "Looks like you're the one who decides it in the end. It seems fair to me since it's you who would take the sword in the heart after all."
If having his heart pierced could save his sisters that simple, Lucien wouldn't think twice about having his heart and whole body pierced by thousands of burning blades. That would be just too easy.
And although he doesn't like the idea of deceiving a naive woman like that, he has no other plan. So, in the end, he will always do what it takes to keep those he loves safe.
"If that's the only plan we have, I don't have a choice but to do it." He feels bad just by imagining the tears Maya would drop for him before giving her life to save his. And the only thing that comforts him is knowing that Pride hates that plan as much as he does.
Another person who feels especially bad about that is Naomi. She has already developed an affection for Maya in recent months and now finds herself planning to deceive her that way.
The mood quickly turns tense, and Pride feels she must say a few words. "We mustn't forget who we are. We are not good people... we are evil, cruel, bloodthirsty, and merciless demons! Our path is over bones and blood, and only then will we keep our family and people at the top of the power order."
Lucien agrees with Pride about doing what it takes to keep their family at the top. Yet, he can't help but question which path he should tread there.
Just over bones and blood will he walk? Are deceiving and killing really the only way for him, the Handsome Devil, and a real personification of l.u.s.t?