gasp!
She quickly jolted from the bed. Still wearing the clothes Haruki bought for her but now torn and stained with blood due to the Arson incident.
"Oh thank goodness, you're awake!"
A voice said from her Hori's side, It was a female Hataki with blue eyes, she was feeding an elderly pudding.
"...wait, your awake?!"
She parroted but this time in shock.
"....hello, there"
Hori said with a smile.
She glanced around the room she found herself in, it was an ordinary hospital ward.
Other patients were laid on the beds at her left and right, heavily bruised and bandaged.
"Don't 'hello there' me! We haven't treated you yet, how are you awake?!"
She said with a confused face, however Hataki wore caps and nose masks.
"That is true, I recall having a huge hole at my abdomen... how am I even alive?"
She wondered, confused about her quick and unrealistic regeneration.
The Hataki as well began reasoning.
Should I tell the higher ups about this? Maybe she's a priest? That must explain the healing.
She was contemplating whilst feeding an elderly man.
Hori paused then asked if she was at S.H.O
Narrator - S.H.O stands for Sin Hunting Organization, they are tasked with the eradication of sins and sinners. A member of SHO is called a priest.
"Ah, Narrator!"
Hori yelled with a relieved face leaving the Hataki confused.
Narrator - She can't hear you, she can't hear you....
Narrator tried clearing her mind.
Ahem!
The Hataki cleared her throat to get Hori's attention. She explained that this wasn't S.H.O
As she kept the empty bowl of pudding on a table.
"Were simply at the treatment center, well it's technically still a branch of SHO but it's called the med-bay, wait where are you going?!"
She said referring to Hori, seeing as she was leaving.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose any further. I am fully healed so I best be on my way."
She said approaching the door. The Hataki shocked at her polite manners.
"Bye-bye~"
Waving at the Hataki, Hori left the med-bay.
The female Hataki thought if it was okay to not report this. She forgot to ask if Hori was a priest but from the absence of their cross she was certain she wasn't.
For someone to heal so quickly was abnormal, Hataki was brought out from her thoughts by the cries of another patient.
------------
Hori on the other hand walked towards the entrance door of the hospital complex to leave.
The real reason I left is to go look for Haruki-san's body. He's relatives who ever they are deserve to bury him.
She thought sadly, aware that Haruki was dead.
Hori walked quickly to the Hot Springs, the Med-bay she had just left seemed to be quite close, a little bit away from a dinosaur museum.
Hori glanced both ways before crossing the streets.
The road was quiet.
Time - 4:36
The voice in her head chimed in playfully.
Narrator - Ahem! Hori-san, let's say you can hear me, you don't plan on telling anyone right?
It inquired.
"Oh, just Hori is fine Narrator, it's not even my real name"
She answered casually.
Narrator - Oh my God, she can really hear me.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on telling anyone, they'll just think I'm crazy.... except from Haruki-san...."
Her face bent down.
"Why is all this happening? I finally get some help then he dies on the same day?"
Tears fell from her eyes, almost as if all this was happened on purpose.
Hori continued smacking her cheeks.
"But I've learned something, Haruki-san's death will not be in-vain. If I need achievements to speak with my father, I'll just kill the biggest and baddest Sins!"
Hori remembered Haruki's advice from the hot springs, about becoming a widely recognized Priest, one worthy of speaking with the Prime Minister.
"Narrator! It's settled, I'm going to become a Bishop!"
Her voice determined. Acquiring the title "Bishop" the literal best of the best of the country. A priest would need to prove themselves.
Apart from that, she remembered what that Hataki said during all the commotion at the Sin of Arsons attack.
"People die all the time because of Sins! so don't go mopping around because of one guy!!!"
He's words were quite insensitive, but he must've said such an insensitive comment to to snap her back to reality.
"Okay, Narrator.... First things first!"
She shouted.
Narrator - And what's that?
"I'm going to join SHO!"
She said clenching her fist!
She had arrived at where the Sin of Arson attacked.
"Matsumoto Springs" the local Hot Springs but now a demolished structure, ashes were easily sited, and yellow tapes dragged around the area.
"Oh goodness, it's all burnt down...."
Terror filled her eyes.
Narrator - You want to become a priest?
Narrator asked continuing their conversation. The voice must've accepted the protagonist could hear her.
Hori answered her question.
"If it means preventing something like this from happening, then absolutely!"
She walked inside the blemished Hot Springs, bending over the yellow tapes. She started wandering around searching for Haruki's corpse.
Hori looked desperately for the body, throwing rubble and kicking stones.
"Where is he?!"
She sits down on a block, feeling guilty for not being able to recover his corpse.
Her stomach growled completely ruining the atmosphere
sigh
She dejectedly said.
"I eat too much."
Not true, Hori hadn't eaten throughout today, the time being 4:40
Bending her head, she sat there for some time, thinking of maybe heading to the Med-bay.
Surely these "Hataki" must have been responsible for retrieving corpses.
She snapped back to reality from a sudden sound.
Thunk!
A piece of wood fell from the entrance as figures stepped in.
The walking pace wary as if vandalizing.
"Woah, so a Sin was here?!"
A male voice echoed with idiocy.
gasp!
"Someone's coming! Wait am I even meant to be here?"
She panicked thinking of what to do.
Another voice also commented.
"Yeah! I think it was Arson."
A second voice replied the firsts earlier statement. Still male.
Hori rushed to hide behind a charred wall. Covering her nose from the smell of burnt blood.
"Woooooah this is so rad! People died here!"
A different voice, a girl about 17 years old.
The 4 entered the main center of the burnt down Hot Springs.
They made a mockery of the scene. Joking that Arson was weak, calling the victims wusses for dying so easily.
Idiots at best, their kind existed everywhere.
Hori stood behind her hiding spot in silence.
"Ehm....you shouldn't speak so rudely about the dead."
Her voice afraid but audible, Hori spoke her mind from afar.
"What the? Who said that?!"
No reply.
She comes out of her hiding spot, facing the 4 delinquents.
"Who are you?! A hobo?"
He was referring to Hori's dirty clothes.
Another asked if that was blood on her shirt as he approached Hori.
"P—please apologize!, my friend died here today, so apologize for what you said!"
She said with slight tears remembering Haruki.
Her fists clenched in frustration.
"First of all, what you even doin here?!"
The female snickered hiding behind the 3 goons.
One of the men walked even closer to Hori. And leaned in.
His voice clearly mocking, he asked.
"Or what?"
The main delinquent said, obviously trying to provoke Hori.
The other 3 sighed, calling their boss cringe for such a goon-like comment.
"C'mon it's not fucking worth it, let's just go."
The girl said. They just came to the scene to get some pictures to post, fighting with a stranger just seemed excessive.
"Yeah dude she's a kid, and didn't you say you'll soon 'turn'?"
Another man asked warily.
Narrator - "turn" is referring to triggering the curse. As already explained when a person Sins too much they trigger the curse. Turning them into a Sinner. So that Sinner of sloth Hori saw as her first time. Was once a man that lazed around too much, triggering the curse and turning him into a Sinner of Sloth.
"And I heard Sinners of Violence are crazy strong soooo~"
He began walking away.
Narrator - The thug that's now threatening Hori is likely to soon trigger the curse and turn into a Sinner of Violence.
"Everyone shut the fuck up!"
His voice silenced his companions suggestions to drop the topic.
The thug faced Hori and spoke again.
"C'mon kid, I asked you a question, what you gonna do?"
Leaning towards Hori, his bad breath irritating her nose trills.
"...apologize....or I'll break your nose!"
She clenched her fist.
"...pfft! What the fuck! y'all hearing this bitch?!"
He faced his friends.
"My girl got balls, I like that!"
They joked seeing the height difference between Hori and the man, landing a punch alone would be impressive.
As their laughter died down, the unexpected happened.
Dark Frame
The backgrounds saturation reduced to zero leaving only Hori and the thug with color.
The female delinquent shouted in shock. Seeing as their color had reduced to zero.
Dark Frame's are quite rare, most people triggering only 10 throughout a lifetime.
"Shits about to get real now!"
The delinquents anticipated, seeing as the scenery held promise.
"What a load of-
Bam!
Hori's fist appeared in his face! His entire nose caved in.
The man of 6 feet fell to the floor covering his nose to prevent blood from gushing out.
"What the fuck?!"
One yelled
blurgh~!
The female delinquent threw up seeing his disfigured face. It looked like an industrial accident took place on his face.
"The Dark Frame was because of her?!, but she's a kid!"
The thugs yelled as their color returned.
Hori approached the bleeding thug.
She spoke with sympathy.
"I simply abore violence! So please apologize to prevent me from going further!"
She said squatting down and holding the bleeding man's collar, Hori was going to punch him again. His nose already caved in from a single punch, another one would most likely kill him.
"Stop standing there you pussies! go fuck her up!"
The 2 remaining men were about to rush towards Hori. But stopped after hearing a familiar voice.
"Heyyoooo what's all the commotion?!!"
The voice interrupted before they began fighting.
Hori shifted her attention to it.
Her eyes became watery.
"....Haruki-san?!"
Hori yelled.
"Hori?!"
Haruki yelled.
"Your alive?!!"
They both jinxed, shocked at seeing each other.
Haruki was wearing a big black plain sweater and grey jeans with red and white shoes. He looked good as new... what was happening?
The 2 remaining thugs ordered Haruki to come help them with beating Hori up. Before Haruki could reply Hori rushed and hugged him.
"Woah, I miss you too, wait.... how are you alive?!"
Haruki brushed her hair, Hori was trembling as she held him tightly.
"Haru you know this kid?"
He asked helping man 1 stand up.
Haruki replied sarcastically.
"C'mon, were almost the same age, 'kid' is a little bit too much."
He answered feeling unsure what to do, seeing Hori still hugging him.
She didn't say anything, still clinging on to Haruki.
"Fuck, seems like they know each other. Just carry him let's go. And we're putting his hospital bills on you!"
He said referring to the man Hori had punched, he was unconscious.
"Thanks for nothing Haru!"
They dissed.
"Yeah, I'll see you guys later"
He answered still looking at the clingy Hori.
The NPCs carry the man and they left.
"Thank goodness you're alive"
She released Haruki from her grip and finally spoke. But how tho, she checked his pulse and it wasn't there.
So she asked for an explanation.
"Oh, that's normal, Sins don't have a pulse"
He casually answered.
Hori had forgotten Haruki was a Sin, unaware of the no heart beat, she did know that they had extremely quick regeneration.
Her mind was at ease as she smiled at her healthy looking friend.
They both stood there for some time, the area brooding in silence as the 2 of them were left alone.
This is awkward!
Haruki thought not knowing what to say.
Hori spoke apologetically.
"....my....deepest condolences towards Matsumoto-san"
She bowed her head.
Hori was talking about the owner of the hot springs who was Haruki's friend.
However Haruki looked confused. Who's Matsumoto?
He asked himself, must've been someone unimportant, he casually forgot his deceased friend.