HEX: Aspect Of The Void

"That's enough!"

My voice reverberated across the vast space of Blank Canvas, instantly stopping both Wrath and Lumia from going any further in their battle.

They both assumed normal stances and looked at me obediently.

I released the barrier I placed around myself and looked around the dimension. It was badly damaged, having tears and ruptures in its very fabric.

"They went a little too far..." I muttered.

But, since they hadn't used their full powers, the world remained intact.

"It's time to leave, Lumia."

The artificial goddess nodded and took a deep breath. Instantly, Blank Canvas shattered apart and we appeared in the normal world.

Standing in the flat plains alongside my two subordinates, I took in a breath of fresh, natural air. 

It was lighter than the one Lumia reproduced within her world. I suppose even she still has a lot to learn.

"Where are we headed to, my Lord?" Wrath asked me with curiosity lit in his eyes.

He appeared to be trying to predict the next of the 'Seven Deadly Sins' I would be reuniting with.

"For now, let's head to the nearest city... After all, we're no longer in the Western Empire" I grinned.

That's right! After the incident, I decided to explore other areas of the world, since the Seven Deadly Sins were scattered far and wide.

Currently, we were at the border region of the Eastern Empire.

Wrath and Lumia nodded and followed me as we vanished with the wind.

**************************************

"Are you really going to keep being cold to me? You do realize we are partners on this sacred mission, right?" A man clad in a casual white jacket, revealing the light-colored shirt he had underneath, and black pants said.

His partner who walked beside him totally ignored his statement and kept facing forward.

Her outfit was a short gown, with leggings entirely covering her skin and long gloves over her arm. She wore a dark cloak which covered most of the outfit she had underneath though.

"Virgo, how long do you think you can ignore me for? I'll just keep talking until you respond." The man pestered, stroking the goatee he had underneath his chin.

"Oh, Aries, will you shut up!" Virgo finally replied, glaring at the grinning man beside her.

"Ah, finally. The maiden speaks!" 

Virgo gritted her teeth as she internet stared at him. How could he afford to joke around with her concerning the situation?

The only reason he was being so carefree was because of his detachment from the case.

"Four of my Apostles are dead, Aries. This mission is of great importance to me. Don't get in my way!" Virgo snapped, walking fast ahead.

"Do not forget who made it possible for you to have been assigned to this case in the first place!" 

Aries' sudden statement made Virgo stop dead in her tracks as she turned back to glare at him.

On his face was plastered a condescending smile, one which made her even more disgusted in his personality.

The thing she hated most about this Constellation, was his two-faced nature. Within the council, he acted mature and sensible, yet at other times he displayed a frivolous attitude. However, his true character was that of an egotistical persona who enjoyed making others aware of their place.

"I haven't forgotten. I am still grateful to the Prophet for the opportunity." She answered and turned forward.

"Tch. You're no fun" He sneered.

Spending the rest of their moments in silence, they finally arrived at their destination.

"We've left Artia, the first scene of the crime. But, after investigating for the past few days we realized that the culprit had moved on." Aries began analyzing out loud.

"The last signature recorded of the final two Apostles who were killed happens to be here. Hopefully, we find the culprits." He added.

Virgo tightened her first in resolve as she looked upon the city a small beneath her. 

From the hill where she stood, she could see the developing structures and several buildings. The people appeared to be busy, either building or performing other trades mostly related to construction.

"The place where the Evil One's subordinate was found and killed, uh? It had to be here of all places." Aries muttered.

The Apostle heads, the Constellations had agreed to look into the matter after Virgo and Aries returned from their investigation, but since it had led them to the city of interest, they may as well look into the matter.

"We'll be killing two birds with one stone. Finding the killer of my subordinates, as well as the one who defeated Wrath." Virgo finally spoke.

There was no room for error or mistakes. Considering the situation, the one which took higher priority to her was the killer of Apostles. However, when she thought of it logically, it would be better to discover the famed 'Hero' of the city and use him however they could to face off against the enemy.

"I can guess what you're thinking" Aries smiled at Virgo.

"Pray tell, what is it?" She rolled her eyes.

"You want to enlist the help of the city's new hotshot, uh? But do you really think it will be that easy? I mean, the guy took down one of the rogue Primordial's big seven." Aries retorted.

Of course, Virgo had thought about that fact. However, the more she mulled over it, the more she was convinced that something didn't add up.

"The General must have been weakened. There is no way a mere human would stand a chance against one of those Demons, even with Relics. This city shouldn't even be standing if a General truly appeared with its full power..." Virgo said.

Aries nodded slightly, agreeing with the truth in her words.

"Still, a General is still a General even if it is weakened. Whoever killed it must possess some valuable Relics and could prove useful in our search for the heretic who killed my subordinates." 

"And if he refuses?" Aries asked, smiling mischievously.

"We simply make him. No man is capable of resisting me, after all... as a Prime Apostle of my god, all shall obey." 

For the first time, Virgo gave a slight smile. She was curious as to what manner of man the Hero would be. 

However, she was on a schedule and had to wrap things up quickly.

"I might end up being a little rough, but, oh well..."

She would soon find out what she desired to know as she ventured into the partly ruined city of Adventure, Lamar.

"... All is for the sake of the gods!"

Aries still stroked his goatee as his eyes lit up after seeing Virgo smile.

"Let's go!" She said, instantly disappearing from the hill due to her hyperspeed.

"Good grief, she's excited already... how interesting." Aries grinned, chasing after her as he vanished as well.

"This should be fun!"

**********************************

It didn't take us long before we finally arrived at the nearest town. From afar, I could already tell what kind of place it was.

The entrance to the community was different from the ones I had previously seen.

The gate was shabbily designed, using only wood and straw, with tars holding them together.

There were no guards assigned there, allowing us to enter without much worry.

Venturing within, we attracted the attention of the residents who stared at us strangely. Their attires and appearances were shabby, compared to ours. 

Since Lumia was well decorated, and Wrath wasn't so badly dressed either, we stood out instantly. 

Getting the attention of everyone around me wasn't bad, but I needed more information. The knowledge I had obtained from the books I read and data I accumulated back in the office of Artia's Mayor was inconsistent with what I was seeing.

The Eastern Empire was supposed to be prosperous and brimming with life. Having a meritocratic system, most of its residents lived good and entertaining lives. Plus, with their multitude of natural resources and one of the highest concentrations of Relics, they were extremely wealthy. Yet, this town looked nearly deserted and unkempt.

I scanned the town and found the total number of people dwelling within to be merely a few hundred.

"Three hundred and forty-nine... Strange." 

Looking around me, most of the residents were young folks, mostly women.

"There's definitely something going on here" I whispered.

I analyzed the surrounding Aspects, as well as the components of the townsfolk, Instantly reading their minds. Several voices popped up which I sorted out instantly.

"W-who are these people?!"

"They're coming from... N-no way! That's impossible!"

"We haven't had any visitors in such a long time!"

"Were they sent by the Inquisition? No way!"

"Are we finally saved?"

"Don't tell me, they're here to-?!"

".........."

After listening to countless others, I finally grasped what was happening in no time.

"It appears there is a Dungeon nearby, and after trying for several years, this Kingdom has given up on conquering it." I smiled.

These townsfolks were what used to be residents of a very large hub, but upon countless failures, attention was given to other areas and Dungeons around.

The ones who remained were people who had nowhere else to go. They were literally abandoned by the government.

But, there's more... a secret that these people have been hiding among themselves, and the reason they're so cautious about our appearance.

Everything is tied to the Dungeon.