Ringgg… Ringgg…
Ralph's phone began ringing as soon as he cut the call. He wasn't even given a chance to call someone else by his mother.
Ralph picked it up as he knew he wouldn't be able to call Robert, his mother's secretary. Even if he did, his mother would not stop calling him.
"Hey! Why are you being so mean?" Avelyn asked from the other side.
"Mother, I am in public." Ralph finally got the opportunity to say it.
"Say, Mom— oh. I see." Avelyn finally understood why Ralph wasn't saying it. She then said, "I understand, I understand."
"Right…" Ralph said. Continuing, he went straight to the point, stating, "So, you must've seen the news, right?"
"Yes," Avelyn answered without hesitation.
"So, you will also meet with other Sins to discuss this, right?" Ralph asked.
Avelyn, from the other side, was impressed with Ralph's analysis. He sure was on point regarding it. "How did you know, baby?"
"It isn't difficult," Ralph said flatly. He said, "I need a favor from you, mom."
"There's no such thing as a favor between a mommy and a baby. Asketh my child, and you shall get it. Don't be so reserved with mommy." Avelyn said dramatically and cheerfully from the other side.
Ralph didn't bother to play along, and going straight to the point, he said again, "Please do this…."
On the call, he explained that he wanted his teacher's image to be preserved no matter what happened. Of course, he formally requested her this favor and did not speak like it was an order or command.
Avelyn understood her child's concerns, and finally, when the topic was over, she chirped,
"Don't worry, leave everything to mommy!~"
"Also, when are you coming home?"
Ralph replied, "After the production of the new anime begins."
"And when will that finish?"
"No idea."
Avelyn turned silent for a few seconds as she heard that and then said, "Ralph-chwan, do you perhaps don't want to spend time with mom—"
"I've got work, Mother. I'll talk to you later."
"Hey Wai—"
"Goodbye, take care."
"N—"
"Love you too."
Beep!
Ralph hung up without involving himself in his mother's drama.
Sitting right in front of Ralph, Dennis couldn't help but ask, "Why would you request something like that?"
Dennis wasn't weirded out when he heard Ralph, a grown-up teen, say love you to his mother. He was used to this as he had been with Ralph for quite some time.
Ralph knew what Dennis was asking. He answered, "Well… It's like this…."
*
A few hours later.
Demon Continent.
On the Ninth Floor of Hell.
Across a vast, dark, creepy, and eerie hall stood an ancient stone table in the middle, covering one-fourth area of the massive hall.
Around the table were seven thrones; behind each was a pillar that pierced the tall ceiling of the hall. Each pillar had a symbol on it, representing the Seven Sins.
This was the meeting place of the Seven Sins, located on the Ninth floor of Hell.
Below the Ninth floor, out of the Hell dimension, was the residence and territory of the Demon Queen, Lucifer, who ruled over the Demons and Devils.
Hell was in a dimension above the Demon Queen's, and Abyss was situated below her castle.
Lucifer's territory was in Abyssal-Hell, a massive place in the Demon Continent but between Hell and Abyss.
Hell started from the top floor, and as one went deeper into it, stronger demons could be seen, with the strongest residing on the Ninth floor.
Hell was a special place, having its own importance for Demons. Still, the Seven Sins usually stayed in their respective countries in the Demon Continent. They came here only if they had work or something important.
Below them was their ruler and below her were the Devils she was suppressing.
The 666th floor of the Abyss was just below Lucifer, harboring the strongest Devil in the Abyss.
But obviously, this Devil was subservient to Lucifer, and it wasn't just it. All the others from this race were the same.
The Devils couldn't be out in the open since they were too dangerous for everyone.
The Devils fed on the most essential things needed for cultivation and raising one's Magic Rank — Spiritual Power and Elemental Energies. They also fed on the life essence, which means they could suck a person dry and kill them.
This was their way of cultivating, and this notorious race could very well lead to the demise of all beings in the world if they were left unchecked.
Despite their vile and notorious nature, Lucifer had to look after them as their ruler.
Thus, she created the 666 floors of Abyss, a place the Devils could call their home, reside, and cultivate in peace, sealed away from the rest of the world.
Despite being sealed, there was a way out for the Devils. It was to form contracts with people.
Nonetheless, the strongest ones, those directly below Lucifer, living on the floors numbered in the 600s, had little to no chance of getting out.
Lucifer was too powerful, and her suppression was too strong at these top floors of the Abyss.
Directly above her was the second line of Defense, the Seven Deadly Sins, located on the Ninth Floor of Hell.
At that moment, Theses powerful individuals, second only to Lucifer, slowly entered the ancient hall and approached their thrones.
The thrones looked antique and had many engravings and inscriptions on them. They were in various shapes and sizes, fitting the bodies of the Seven Sins.
Soon, the hall was filled, and their owners sat in the empty thrones.
The Sin of Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, and Wrath had finally appeared.
Each Sin was equal in status, and they were all beings under one sole ruler, the Demon Queen.
Thus, the Sins let their auras free as they sat on their thrones and showcased their might.
After this show of power, the meeting finally began with the Sin of Pride introducing the purpose of this meeting.
"Today, we have gathered...."