Kaelon looked around before he stopped walking. He raised a hand, the squad behind him stopping too.

  "Get ready to fight. They're here."

  Suddenly men shot out of the alleyways around them. At least fifty men surrounded the slum squad, all with weapons pointed at them. Smirks were plastered over each one of their faces, as if they had the upper hand here.

  A man stepped forward, clearly a leader. It was a man Kaelon had seen before. The man who killed Bogar, Ray of The Grate Lords. Seeing Kaelon, his gaze sharpened but he spoke as if he never noticed anything.

  "Wow... Paladins of Altan in the slums, I never thought I would see the day. All you high and mighty church people have ever done is ignore the slums. Yet here you are."

  Ray pointed his sword at them, he had no respect for them or their status. The paladins all placed a hand on their weapons, ready for anything. Kaelon stepped up to Ray, stopping right before his sword.

  Kaelon drew his sword and pointed it back at Ray. His voice echoed through the street as he ordered.

  "Surrender now and you won't get hurt. Throw your weapons on the ground."

  Ray looked down on him with a more serious look. but the gangsters aroundburst out in laughter. Ray turned to his laughing men and yelled.

  "Charge! What are you waiting for?! Kill all of them!"

  The gangsters snapped into action. Blades gleamed with the sunlight as they charged at the squad. Kaelon watched as the gangsters ran at them and yelled out.

  "Brace! Get ready, it's time to clean out the slums!"

  He held his sword tight and infused his divinity into it. The sword glowed a hot red as he met a horde of attacks. Ray stood back as his men mobbed them, a smirk growing on his face. He stood there like an emperor watching gladiators, enjoying the show.

  His smile only dimmed as time went on though. Kaelon and his squad fought through the horde of men skillfully. Brand's calm but overpowering spearmanship, Victor and his sweeping sword. A gangster fell every second, their numbers going from around fifty to less than ten.

  Looking around Kaelon stepped away from the battle. His squad could handle the rest of the gangsters no problem. Locking eyes with Ray, Kaelon shot straight for the man.

  His eyes gleamed gold and his feet left scorch marks with every step. His sword moved in tandem with his feet, executing The Breath of Embers and The Ember Steps.

  'Second Form: Cinderflow'

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  Fluid and continuous slashes began to assault Ray. Sparks flew as Ray blocked every attack with his own sword while being forced back. Kaelon kept the technique going, trying to force Ray into a wall.

  More and more sparks shot from their blades as they continued clashing. Ray's smile had completely disappeared as Kaelon assaulted him with a barrage of flaming slashes. Finally he got some room and he jumped backwards, creating space between them.

  A look of recognition appeared in his eye as he looked at Kaelon. Or more specifically, at his sword.

  "That's Bogar's sword!..."

  He examined Kaelon's face for a second before his eyes shot wide open.

  "You're that kid! You were the demigod?! And I let you go?! Damn!"

  Ray shot at Kaelon, his sword moving quickly towards his neck. Kaelon met his attack and ?

  parried it with his blade. A small gash appeared on his arm, as the redirected sword passed by him.

  'First Form: Kindling Spark'

  Kaelon thrust his sword forward, stabbing Ray in the chest. The attack forced him back but failed to fully penetrate Ray's leather armor. A scorch mark was left in the middle of his chest piece.

  Kaelon immediately followed, not giving Ray any room to recuperate. His sword flashing red as he broke through Ray's defenses. Ray was stumbling back, his sword unsteady. Kaelon forced his sword to the side and slashed at the man's chest.

  Not too far away Kane watched as Kaelon left two gashes on Ray, a satisfied smile on his face. Smoke rose out of Ray's wounds as he stumbled backward, barely standing. Kaelon pointed his sword at the man and spoke.

  "What's your gang's involvement with The Sin Congregation?"

  Ray's face paled at the mention of the name. Fear appeared in his face for the first time since the fight began. His arms shook slightly as he spoke.

  "...How do you know that name?"

  Kaelon's expression hardened and he walked up to Ray. His sword pinted at the man's neck.

  "Answer the question Ray. What's your involvement with The Sin Congregation? What do you know about them? Tell me!"

  Ray fell silent, his eyes growing dark. His arms slowly stopped shaking, his grip becoming steady. His head shot up, his eyes resolved, his sword thrust towards Kaelon.

  Without even blinking Kaelon knocked his sword away, disarming him. That last ditch attack wasn't a threat to him. Stepping forward he asked him again.

  "What's your involvement with The Sin Congregation? What do you know about them?"

  Ray looked at him, tears in his eyes. Genuine fear in his expression.

  "I can't say anything, please believe me! I'll die if I say anything, They cursed me!"

  Kaelon's eyes shot wide open.

  'They?... Do they have a deities support?'

  Black marks suddenly began to spread on Ray's body. He let out a blood curdling scream as he fell to the ground. His body shook as the marks spread, symbols of monsters and depravity appearing on his body.

  Kaelon looked down at the man and raised his sword. With a swift blow, he put the man out of his misery. He turned back to find his squad resting to the side. A few of them had sustained injuries but nothing serious.

  Stepping up to them Kaelon began speaking.

  "Great job. We were heavily outnumbered but you all handled it with ease. Take this time to rest and recover. In an hour we barge into their headquarters."

  The paladins nodded with serious expressions and split to do their own things. Kaelon sat against a wall, a sigh escaping his lips. He thought back to Ray's words with a serious expression.

  'He definitely said They, not they... Does that mean there are Gods behind The Sin Congregation?...'

  He thought back to the ritual he had encountered not too long ago.

  'That ritual was aimed at the Seven Deadly Sins... That makes the Sins divine beings, no? Are they the Gods Ray was referring to?'

  The theory took shape in his head. These so called Seven Deadly Sins were the divine beings at the head of The Sin Congregation. Now only one question remained.

  'How powerful are these Sins? I doubt they are true Gods, at most they are demigods with deep knowledge of ritual arrays.'