POV: Rai Shinsei
The atmosphere was tense as a sudden change in our first mission was daunting, yet everyone awaited Rylie's explanation silently.
"We don't know what their intentions are with the kids they've abducted, but the Hero Association managed to locate their base within the Exterel Mountains and the location will be sent to each of your phones directly." Rylie said as all of our phones received a notification.
"Now let me explain the objective of the mission and each member of the Seven Sins."
"Your mission is to solely rescue the children. You all are not to engage in any fight regarding the Seven Sins and if the worst possible scenario arises, then the heroes supervising you all will be the ones to fight them, not you." Rylie stated as she placed her finger on one of the bounty posters.
"First, we have the weakest of the Seven Sins, Gluttony, who is considered a Level 2 Threat and shouldn't be an issue for your team. Her Aspect is a unique-type called Aura Absorption, which allows her to absorb any attack that uses aura, but other than Aria, who solely uses aura-imbued attacks, the rest of you should be relatively fine."
"Next, we have Envy, who is also considered a Level 2 Threat. Her Aspect is a unique-type called Power Shot, which allows her to increase the power of any projectile depending on how much aura she imbues into it. She's very weak in close-combat, but is fairly skilled in ranged combat, so please be aware if you're forced to engage in combat with her.
"The third member is Greed, who is considered a Level 3 Threat. He has a unique-type Aspect called Drain, which allows him to heal himself by siphoning energy through anyone within his grasp, so avoid close combat with him at all cost and only rely on ranged attacks."
"Then we have Sloth, who is also considered a Level 3 Threat. His Aspect is a unique-type called Hypnosis. If your will is weak, then his Aspect will render you useless unless you're able to inflict yourself with pain in the midst."
"Lastly, we have Lust, who is the strongest among the five and is considered a Level 3 Threat. She has a unique-type Aspect called Telekinesis, which allows her to control any object with her mind alone, so please fight her with caution if you're forced to engage in combat with her." Rylie stated as Sarah raised her hand in confusion.
"If these villains are only as strong as C-Class heroes, then how come they haven't been captured yet?" Sarah asked as her question seemed to be on everyone's mind.
It's a good question.
There are many high-ranking heroes on this continent, so it shouldn't be a problem defeating them, unless-
"That's because the leaders of the Seven Sins are on a completely different level than the rest of the members. They are the sole reason why the Seven Sins are still able to roam freely." Rylie replied as Sarah's face tensed with apprehension.
"What are Wrath and Pride's Aspects?" I asked.
"Unfortunately, we don't have any information on Pride because no one has ever survived an encounter with them, but as for Wrath, the Hero Association was able to deduce that he uses an elemental-type Aspect." Rylie replied as she gazed at the five of us with concern.
"I know your sudden change in the mission is daunting, so if any of you want to back out, please let me know now." Rylie added as Arthur and I glanced at each other.
"I'm going." Arthur replied with a grin.
"I'm also going." Aria replied with determination brimming within her eyes.
"Same here." Everett replied nervously.
"I guess I'll go." Sarah replied hesitantly as everyone shifted their gazes onto me, waiting for my answer.
It seems they're prepared to risk their lives.
"I'll go." I replied as Rylie sighed deeply.
"I was hoping you all would back down, but I guess that's the heroism running through your veins. As I said before, once you group with the heroes on standby, you will solely rescue the children and leave immediately. If any member of the Seven Sins shows up, abandon the mission and if you're unable to run away, then fight for your lives. You all should be strong enough to handle them without their leaders, but we can't afford to lose any more future heroes." Rylie said with a smile as she handed us the bounty posters of the Seven Sins and walked us out of the classroom.
"I wish you all the best of luck." Rylie added as she stood by the entrance of the classroom and watched the five of us head towards the exit of the academy.
"I didn't know you were a swordsman also, Rai." Aria remarked as we exited the academy and walked towards a luxurious black limousine with our driver waiting outside of it.
"I wouldn't call myself a swordsman, but a sword was the first weapon I learned how to use." I replied nonchalantly as Arthur glanced at me skeptically before we entered inside the limousine.
~
As we headed towards our destination, we briefly discussed the mission among each other as Aria and Everett sat beside me while Arthur and Sarah sat across from us.
"Rai, have you been on a mission before?" Aria asked curiously as I nodded.
"Only once." I replied as Sarah clicked her tongue in annoyance from my response.
"I'm surprised they let somebody as weak as yourself on a mission in junior high." Sarah snickered, but despite her obvious attempt to provoke me, I remained poised.
"There were several B-Class heroes guiding us and the mission was only a Level 2 Threat." I replied as I noticed we were about to arrive at our destination soon.
"Before we arrive at the location, we should have a leader for our team. If there comes a time where it's just the five of us, we need someone to make the final decision if necessary. I recommend either Aria or Arthur since they're the most level headed among us." I suggested as Sarah scowled at me in bewilderment.
"Huh? Why not me and who gave you the right-"
"Your judgment is poor and you're too self-centered. Our lives are on the line against a villainous group that even A-Class heroes struggle to capture. If all goes wrong and we're forced to fight them, the chances of us living are slim to none. Instead of having a temper tantrum about a title, I'd advise you to take this mission more seriously before you lose your life." I replied sharply as Sarah clicked her tongue in frustration, leaning forward as she grabbed the collar of my jacket.
"Who gave you the right to judge me?! You're just a weakling who is overly paranoid when we have Arthur here with us-"
"Arthur won't be able to protect you, nonetheless himself if the leaders show up. Did you even think about why we were tasked to solely rescue the children instead of fighting? It's because none of us are capable of surviving except for Arthur, whose survival solely depends on the situation. This isn't a game, Sarah, so get your shit together." I replied harshly as Sarah broke out a cold sweat, releasing her grasp from the collar of my jacket as she sat back down into her seat in silence.
I can't lose my composure over such childishness.
"I'm sorry about that, but between the two of you, which one of you wants to lead the team? Everett, I'm sure you don't mind right?" I asked, regaining my composure in the midst.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine with that. I don't think someone like myself would even be qualified to lead this team." Everett replied with a sheepish chuckle as I shifted my eyes towards Arthur, who looked at me with a wry smile.
"I'm not sure why you're looking at me when we know who the leader is already." Arthur said with a grin as I sighed with relief from finally coming to a decision.
So Aria's the leader-
"I agree with Arthur. We may be level headed, but you were able to understand the gravity of our situation immediately, so I think you should be our leader, Rai." Aria suggested with a smile as I looked at them blankly.
Huh?
"Sorry, but I can't be the leader. Even if I'm able to grasp the situation faster than others, I'm nowhere near as strong as the two of you. I won't be able to protect us if anything goes wrong." I replied quickly as I felt myself losing my composure from their unexpected decision.
"Well, I wouldn't consider you to be weak, but if all goes wrong, none of us will blame you." Arthur said as Aria and Everett nodded in agreement.
These guys…
"Alright." I said with a sigh of defeat as I looked at them with a smile before they eventually began conversing among each other.
It's nice to have people who trust you.
~
"We're here." The driver said as the five of us exited the limousine, but as I stretched my body, I couldn't help but gaze at the vast, cavernous mountains in the distant as the sunrise peeked over the summit, creating a breathtaking view across the landscape as I took a deep breath to regain my focus.
As everyone stretched their bodies, I observed our surroundings as we were dropped off on a steep hill, preventing our driver from going any further towards the boreal forest that extended across the Exterel Mountains.
If there wasn't a dangerous group of villains roaming within this forest, I wouldn't mind taking my time to enjoy the view.
"I wish you all the best of luck." The driver said before heading off into the distance as I noticed a faint trail leading inside the expansive forest.
"That's odd. I wonder where the heroes are?" Aria asked curiously as she began to scan the area.
She's right.
Where are the heroes?
"Maybe they're waiting for us inside? They probably followed that path into the forest." Everett suggested as he pointed towards the trail.
"You're probably right." Aria affirmed as Arthur and I glanced at each other.
"Let's go." I ordered after taking a deep breath as we followed the trail into the forest with Arthur walking beside me while the remaining three followed a few feet behind.
"Remember what the teacher said. We are only here to rescue the children. If anything goes wrong, we are abandoning the mission and leaving it in the hands of the heroes." I said sternly as everyone nodded.
Let's pray that all ends well.