A pathetic fool, a pretender, and an arbiter.

This was how Halo saw them from the moment he learned about their Flaws. Seraph was everything but herself, with her Flaw being deception, she shifted to whatever was logical for a situation.

Liam's Flaw was anxiety. He feared what others thought of him and remained cautious with his actions.

This left Halo as the only one who could maintain their relationship. He cared little about others' opinions or how people perceived him.

But now, looking back, he might have been delusional.

"If you look at flaws only as a drawback, you miss their true meaning."

Seraph said as she led the way toward Mirror Steppe, the only safe land among the three, and more than a dozen lands away. Liam and Halo followed behind, letting the gorgeous queen lead with her grace.

Halo's mind followed Seraph's words carefully, but something else weighed on him. Light, his clone, insisted on staying behind.

Halo didn't care about that, but he was certain it was hiding something about the terrifying Sinner they'd encountered while rescuing it the day before.

He couldn't help but think it was up to something. Still, he couldn't bring this to Liam and Seraph, it might spark drama he wasn't ready for.

"I've come to think it's not the Flaw itself that determines our Only Sin, but the ruin it leaves behind. Pride, for instance, I met several with that Flaw at the academy, yet each served a different god. One even worshipped the God of Forgery."

Halo was taken aback that Seraph wasn't certain about that. Actually, this was one of the main reasons he saw himself in the hero of Damnation of the Gods, the game in which he currently lived.

The hero's Flaw was Overconfidence, and he served the God of Darkness. He believed too much in himself, and though he succeeded at most things in his real world, it was only because of his parents.

They loved seeing their child brave enough to stand for justice, so they corrected every mistake from the shadows. These selfless acts devoured them whole.

Their child kept believing he was flawless, and before long, they were drowning in an endless abyss they'd created.

This reminded Halo of himself and his parents. He didn't remember much about them, but he was certain they'd defended his blunt persona just as the hero's parents had.

"Our flaws are our sins, and maybe that's the point, this world wants us to never forget."

Before long, they passed the enormous gates of the Mirror Steppe, the forceful pull from the barrier covering the land dragging them once more.

The moment they entered the land, the weight of their predicament dawned on Halo. He began massaging his forehead in frustration. He completely forgot.

Inferno Moist, one of the triad lands, was most likely a living Sinner in disguise. Now they had to learn about the legend controlling such monsters before it devoured them. Worse, they knew almost nothing about the bastard.

"Can we fight this horse man, if it comes down to it?"

Halo asked as they approached the second wall within the land and passed their casual security check.

Both Seraph and Liam glanced in his direction before shrugging their shoulders.

"I think we have no choice…"

Liam replied casually, his tone tinged with evident confidence.

Halo sighed. He wasn't inclined to this.

The zone felt as carefree as before. It didn't have the frantic energy of cities from Halo's world, but it was cheerful enough. Impressive, given that everyone here lived under the constant threat of Sinners and Purposes.

They maneuvered through the crowd toward the center, where Mill's shop was located. Mill was the man who guarded this land.

As they got closer, Halo frowned. Vegetables right next to meat in this cramped shop? Poor practice. Still, he had to admit everything looked well-maintained.

They entered. Mill was there, behind the counter piled with vegetable baskets. Pure white clothes, expensive glasses, far too refined for this wasteland. He ran his fingers through his grey hair, smiling like their survival was a miracle.

"You left in a hurry the last time… I was getting a bit nervous."

The moment Mill spoke, Liam bowed his head and spoke:

"It was my fault, mister. I should have said something to you."

As soon as he spoke, Mill brushed him off with casual words and gestures.

Halo, however, felt as though today wasn't his day. He couldn't help but worry about even the slightest detail. Maybe the Sinner he saw shook something within him, though he was certain fear was a myth to him.

"I thought it was your Purpose to guard this land, Mill. You are always in this shop, wearing these luxurious clothes."

Mill smiled.

"I don't need to wear full armor to guard, you know? And this is a safe zone, there are hardly any threats."

Halo sneered. He knew someone, Noah, who had a similar Purpose but couldn't fulfill it to save his life. Yet this old man was living a life Noah would die for, so casually.

When Mill finished speaking, Seraph spoke up.

"Do you know anything about the legends who lived in the Changing Malicious Solemn, mister?"

Mill's expression grew grim for a moment as though whatever crossed his mind was unpleasant.

His expression softened.

"The castle, huh?"

Halo's expression grew lazy. He could already predict what Mill would say. The last time he'd mentioned being tasked to guard the castle, Mill had tried to talk him out of it. He couldn't expect anything better now.

"I've watched over this land for longer than I can recall, seen Rascal and Inferno Moist pass through more than a few cycles. But the castle…"

He exhaled deeply.

"They say there've been over ten legends, but I can only confirm three. Actually… I'm not certain about the last one, so let's say two."

"Can you tell us about them?"

Seraph hurried her words.

Mill's expression took an unexpected somber turn.

"I'd suggest you kids leave the castle…"

Halo scoffed.

'This bastard.'

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