"K-Kai? Is...is that you? Huh...thought I'd be dead by now...I'm even hallucinating...it looks like...I'm in a forest...," Charlotte uttered weakly, as I knelt down beside her with a grimace.

"I...I'm sorry, Chairwoman. There's nothing I can do to save you. It's nothing short of incredible that you've survived this long with those injuries, but...you'll be dead soon, I don't have any way to heal you," I remarked quietly, clenching my fists.

"Yeah, I...I know. If only...if only I were stronger...then maybe, I-...," She began, before pausing for a moment as she trailed off and added, "Wait...kill me. Quickly."

"H-Huh?"

"If...if you kill me...you can bring me...back as...an Apostle of...Sin, right? Do it..."

"What? I don't-...I-I can't control when Subjugate unlocks, and I can't just-...!"

"P-Please, I...I don't have...the time...to argue. I-I have nothing...to lose...so it's at least worth...worth a shot, right? I...I want to fight. Th-This...this can't be...how it ends...so...please...give me...the chance to...fight again...," She uttered, her eyelids starting to droop.

<Special Unlock Condition: Voluntary Desire to Become an Apostle of Sin, Has Been Met>

<Checking Target Compatibility>

<Target Compatibility Confirmed>

Ai? What-...?

<Subjugate Can Be Temporarily Unlocked>

<Kill Target to Confirm and Initiate Unlocking of Subjugate>

"Kai...please..."

"I-...okay, then," I nodded, shakily raising Desecrator before relaxing as I took a deep breath, and drove the blade down with a grimace.

My chest tightened as the blade plunged through the left side of her chest, cutting into her flesh as it slipped through a gap in her ribcage, before piercing her heart.

Her body seized up slightly, before her expression eased, her eyes slowly closing as her body went limp and slumped against the ground as a slight smile spread out across her lips...

<Conditions Met>

<Hidden Skill: Subjugate, Temporarily Unlocked>

<Initiating>

<Commence Incantation>

"<Subjugate>. <Submit Your Soul To Me, Pledge Your Undying Loyalty And Heed My Every Command>. <Now, Awaken...Apostle of Pride>."

A dense mass of energy erupted over her body, before rapidly taking shape in a humanoid form, resembling Charlotte, except...younger.

The humanoid figure's body glowed in a hue similar to her complexion, short gray hair appearing on her head, styled across to the left.

A pair of black glasses formed over her red eyes, before a white tube top wrapped around her torso.

A short, open black jacket that stopped halfway down her stomach appeared over it, along with black trousers and a white waist-cape that went down past the back of her knees, and finally, a bright green spear formed in her right hand.

As she lifted her head and met my gaze, a screen popped up in front of me...

Apostle of Pride

Name: [ ]

Age: 92

Gender: Female

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 82 KG

Skills:

Create Wind Spear

Unstoppable Force

Immovable Object

High Elemental Resistance

High Status Effect Resistance

Super Spear Wielding Affinity

Stats:

HP: 773

MP: 408

Strength: 776

Agility: 1150

Vitality: 770

Perception: 1340

Power Level: 869,500

Huh? Her Power Level, it's close to what her full Potential was, her Power Level before she died was almost 150,000 lower than it is now.

Her Agility and Perception in particular have skyrocketed. Is this what her stats were like when she was in her prime, maybe?

<Acquired Apostle of Pride>

<Please Designate a Name>

I can't help but feel conflicted about this. On the one hand, she isn't gone, I'm definitely happy about that, but...

"<Wow, I'm really alive-...well, technically speaking, that's inaccurate, I suppose. Huh...why do I feel the urge to address you by a title of respect, like sir or something>?" She spoke in bemusement.

"I, uh, you really don't have to-..."

"<Oh, and what's my new name? You said before that you use the Latin words for the deadly sins to name your Apostles, rights? What's the word for pride>?" She inquired with a gleam in her eyes.

Huh. She's, uh...she's taking this really well.

I mean, I know she literally asked for it and all, but still...

"I don't know, it feels kinda wrong to just rename you like th-...," I began.

"Oh, I don't mind at all. Actually, I think it'd be pretty cool to have an edgy new name," She laughed light-heartedly.

"Right, uh...in that case, I'll call you Superbia," I responded, feeling a bit disconcerted.

<Understood>

<The Apostle of Pride Will be Designated the Name Superbia>

<Hidden Skill: Subjugate, Locked>

"<Superbia, huh...yeah, I really like that! I must say, this feels amazing...I feel so alive, even though I'm not! I haven't felt this good in decades, it's like I'm at my prime again! No, I think I feel even stronger than I did even at my best...huh, my hair's still gray though.

That's too bad, it would've been nice to have my blonde hair back. Well, it's fine>," She grinned cheerfully, adding as she swung her spear across, "<Seems I've lost almost all of my old Skills, except for the passive ones, but I've gained some new Skills as a tradeoff. It's a bit vague, but I feel like I made a conscious effort to do that when you used Subjugate on me>."

"I see...sorry, I'm still having trouble processing the reality of this situation," I responded in bemusement.

"<What, are you feeling conflicted or something? There's no reason to be, this is like a dream come true for me, to have a strong body again>!"

"If nothing else, I'm glad you aren't gone," I replied with a smile.

"<Heh, yeah, me too. I have to say, this really is incredible...and I now understand why the other you've used Subjugate on are so loyal to you, I feel this strong urge to serve you>."

"<Indeed, I feel that same sensation>," Chimed in Acedia.

Oh, I kinda forgot that he was here. On that note, uh...where exactly is 'here'?

Ai? Where are we?

<Yeah, about that, I was waiting for the right timing to tell you>

<So, uh...>

"<Wait...I thought I was hallucinating, but we really are in a forest. What is this place>?" Inquired Char-...I mean, Superbia.

<You're not on Earth anymore, Kai>

<This is...>

"<This place...yes, there is no doubt about it. My Lord, we are in the world I came from. The world of the Monsters>," Remarked Acedia with a grimace.

Huh?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.