4 Chapter 4: High Priestess

At the entrance of Forest of Exiled.

A horde of people stared at the person who was being held by two strong-looking immortals and placed in the center of the altar. Then a beautiful woman wearing a white robe walked toward him before incanting a ritual.

A moment later, golden light glows faintly as strange runes emerge, covering the person within the center.

"The moment of truth has come. This person, a mortal, Enos.. has committed a grave sin that was totally unforgivable! So... I call the power of the Archangel of Justice, Raguel. Heed my call and use Karma on this person to repent the sin he had done, inside this forest."

"I bestow to you, Archangel of Justice, the rights to give this person the punishment he deserves. With your justice, evil won't succeed and wrong will become right."

As the ritual was completed, a blinding light suddenly showed up, engulfing Enos, as thunderclap resounded with lightning striking the altar.

A loud explosion almost deaf all the immortals present at the scene.

"No! My... My son..." The Madam, Lyra, was suffering from grief as she can't see how her son was being punished.

"Lady Lyra, you have also committed a crime that was unforgivable along with the Seventh Lord. You have violated the Tenth Law of the world, 'Mortals must need to be thrown at Forest of Exiled the moment they were born.' You must be punished for the crime you had done!" the beautiful woman walked toward Lyra before saying with conviction.

"High Priestess.. You're the one committing crimes!" the Seventh Lord can't just sit and watch how his wife was being blamed for something natural.

"How dare you say that to the High Priestess! Even if you're the Seventh Lord, you deserve to be punished!" the High Priest beside the High Priestess angrily said as he held high reverence for the latter, that's why he can't allow anyone to be rude to the High Priestess.

"High Priest.. please calm down. All evilness will be wiped out with goodness." the High Priestess said with composure as she look at the Seventh Lord.

"Yes.. High Priestess."

"How could being mortal is a sin?! My son has not committed any sins! How... how could it be his sin for being born in this world?!" the Seventh Lord wants to justify his son because it's not Enos's fault but their fault as a parent.

"It says in the Divine Book that mortals are the exterminator of immortals." the High Priestess didn't get intimidated despite being pressurized by the Seventh Lord.

"That's bullshit! How could mortals kill immortals?! That's outrageous! You're abusing your authority." the Seventh Lord can't believe what the High Priestess said since it just feels unreal. How come a mortal can kill an immortal?

"Aries, as the Seventh Lord, and one of us, you must obey the law! The law is absolute! You must be punished and deprived of your title!"

"That's right! Your family is a sinner and a variable in this world!"

"Yeah, they must be punished as well, high priestess! They're the ones who are abusing their authority!"

"How.. how dare all of you do this to us and accuse us?! High Priestess... you must deal this with just! We.. we didn't commit any crimes! We're just a parent who loves their own child!" the Seventh Lord was angered by the blame put on their family and felt wronged.

"My father is right! It's just because you can't feel and understand the love of a parent since you don't have a child, High Priestess!" Neon, who was just listening beside them, can't finally help but join the arising commotion.

"Sir Neon, how could you be this bold?! You need to die to repent your sin! How dare you insulted the High Priestess?!" the High Priest was once again angered by what Neon said and was about to attack Neon but was stopped by the High Priestess.

"Calm down, High Priest. We must not get carried away by emotions."

"And Sir Neon, you have also been recorded of violating the 756th Law of this world, 'An immortal having Archangel's power must not intercourse with any blood-related immortals.' and 2226th Law of this world, 'An immortal must not use his Special Skill to a mortal to do an incest.'"

"That's an accusation! How.. how could I have done that?!" Neon was shocked to hear what the High Priestess said.. and anxiousness start to appear in his eyes.

"Through the power of Archangel of Justice, Raguel, the Guilt Embodiment... I have known the sin you need to repent! Using your Special Skill (Thought Manipulation) of Archdemon of Annihilation, Dantalion, and (Love Manipulation) of Archdemon of Incest, Beleth, you have done sexual intercourse with your brother before changing his memory. And it was done numerous times. This crime is beyond forgivable! You must be deprived of your power and title!" the High Priestess was still composed but her words held supremacy.

"That's.. that's a lie! I.. I can't do such a thing." Neon still denies what has been accused of him.. but he can not stop his body from shaking.

"Neon, is.. is that true?!" the Seventh Lord, after hearing such accusations about his son and seeing how anxious Neon was... can't help but doubt the latter.

"Father.. no.. it's.. it's not true!" Neon still strongly denied it as he gets afraid of his father whose face has been twisted.

"Neon, tell me the truth?!" Lyra asked his second son with a shaking voice... as she doesn't know what she would do if it's indeed true.

"Mom.. please.. believe me.." Neon was now desperate as he forced his mother to believe him.

"I call the power of (Blessing Manipulation) of Archangel of Fortune, Barachiel, to deprive the power of the immortal, Neon!" the High Priestess doesn't want to wait for the drama to end as she has already started giving Neon his punishment.

A splendid light suddenly emerges from the sky, directed towards Neon.

When the light was about to touch Neon, a thick dark aura suddenly emerge, covering his whole body, before devouring all the lights that comes to him.

"It's indeed powerful. The power of seven deadly sins is truly absolute but unfortunately, you need to be deprived of it." the High Priestess doesn't expect Neon to fight back and was amazed by the latter's power.

"High Priest, help me." As the High Priestess knows that her skill is insufficient, she asked the High Priest for help.

The High Priest, using the same incantation, use the same special skills, making the Blessing Manipulation doubled.

"I will just help you this once!" A shout suddenly echoed... stealing all the attention present on the scene.

Synthia, who's watching from afar.. lifts her hands towards Neon, and a super thick dark aura shot out, creating a horde of demons with supernatural strength.

The Blessing Manipulation then attacks the demons instead of Neon, depriving its strength before the skills end.

"Who is it?" the High Priestess asked as she was shocked to see such a powerful skill and for someone to interrupt her in her ritual.

"It's me.. High Priestess, my dear sister." Synthia said with a smile.. as she walks forward before greeting the High Priestess.

"Synthia?! How.. how.. could you.. be alive?!" the High Priestess can't believe what she has just seen since she was sure that her sister had already died back then.

"Sister? Don't.. tell me, Synthia was the one who... No! That can't be!" the Seventh Lord who also knew what happened back then was bewildered as she look at Synthia who was at his Manor. He can't believe that he didn't recognize Synthia with his current strength.

"Aries.. is she.. the true Synthia? How.. how could she have such.. powers?" Lyra asked the Seventh Lord as she didn't expect Synthia to have such power. A power that might equal to her or even to her husband.

"So.. Helen was telling the truth. Dang it! I don't need help, especially from her!" Neon said with gritted teeth as he give Synthia a deadly glare.

"So the High Priestess has siblings? And she seems powerful as well!"

"This is an unexpected turn of events. How.. how could this happen in a ceremony?"

"Damn her! Why butt in! That Aries was so close to being deprived of his power!"

"Elder Sister... did you miss me?" Synthia asked with longing in her eyes.

"You evil! How come you're still alive?! You can't be alive! You have died already!" the High Priest was furious at how Synthia was still alive.

"Why? Can you do anything to my Absolute Immortality, High Priest?" Synthia calmly said... before dropping a bomb on High Priest.

"Ab.. Absolute Immortality? That's impossible!" the High Priest thinks he might hallucinate what he hears but if it's indeed Absolute Immortality.. then it's not impossible why she's still alive.

"It's nice to see you again after so long, elder sister." Synthia said again to High Priestess.

"Synthia... You.. you have committed a deadly sin. You.. you must die!" High Priestess was firm on her responsibility and even if Synthia was her remaining family.. she can't just exempt her from her sin.

"But I can't. You can't kill me." Synthia said with a smile on her face again that annoyed the High Priest.

"High Priest... Please ready yourself." the High Priestess very well knows what Synthia means and asked the High Priest to get ready for something.

"High Priestess.. you!... you must not do that!" the High Priest knew what the other wants to do and strongly oppose it.

"High Priest.. We have no choice. My.. my sister has become stronger than before."

"But... you might die!"

"I don't care. Just get ready."

"Ye..yes."

"Shirin, you don't need to do anything." Synthia who feels that her sister might sacrifice herself immediately stops her.

"What.. what do you..."

"I call the Ultimate God and oath that I would never bring any threat to the world from this day onward! I offer my Absolute Immortality, and if I violate this oath... I would die instantly." Synthia didn't need to explain as she just oaths to the Ultimate God.

"A sinner can't call the Ultimate God."

Contrary to the High Priest's expectation, thunderclap suddenly echoed as black violet lightning struck Synthia, proving the authenticity of the oath.

"That's.. that's impossible!" the High Priest was filled with shock as the black violet lightning means the authenticity of the oath.

"Synthia.. how... how could you... call the Ultimate God?" the High Priestess was as bewildered as the High Priest and all the present on the scene.

"Because it wasn't me who annihilated the former Ninth Region. It.. it was my.. husband!"

"What? It.. it can't be..." High Priestess feels like she was the one who committed a grave sin instead and felt ashamed to face her sister.

"You're right. He has the Oblivion Embodiment, and has more powers than you."

"So my guess was right!"

"High Priestess.. what does she mean?" the High Priest seems to not get what's happening and asked the High Priestess.

"Lucas has framed her and lied to us."

"What?! No.. With your Guilt Embodiment.. you can't possibly..."

"High Priest... My Guilt Embodiment is not that powerful. It's unusable if one doesn't have repentance for their sin."

"So we punished the wrong person?"

"Yes. Synthia... I'm.. I'm sorry. I.. I have made a big mistake." the High Priestess apologized with her head bowed down to show her sincerity.

"We're so sorry, miss Synthia." the High Priest also does the same thing as High Priestess.

"I don't show myself for this. I just want to say... that to compensate for your mistake, spare the Seventh Lord and his family."

"But... that's impossible, Miss Synthia!"

"High Priest, we need to comply with her."

"Why? High Priestess, we cannot let any sinner exempted!"

"But that's been approved by the Ultimate God."

"What?!"

"Due to the help of my sister, Synthia, your family will be exempted from any punishment. The ceremony has finally concluded here."

"That's unfair! How... How could you exempt them?! They deserve to be depr.."

The Sixth Lord was suddenly struck down by lightning, making his angelic powers to be removed.

"No one must question the decision of the Ultimate God."

"Synthia... Why?" Lyra asked Synthia why she help her family and felt grateful.

"Why? What are you talking about, Madam?" Synthia was confused by Lyra's question.

"Why did you help us?" Lyra repeat her questions as she was curious why would a maid help them instead of taking it as an advantage to ruin their family.

"It's because Seventh Lord and Madam is my boss."

"Then thanks. I.. I will never forget your kindness."

"Madam don't need to do this. I.. I just did what I need to do."

"Tha.. thanks." Neon was so hesitant to thank the latter since he's still angry at Synthia.

"You're welcome, Sir Neon."

"Neon! Come to my room when we get home!" the Seventh Lord said to Neon, suppressing the anger he had feeling for quite a while now.

"Ye--yes, Dad." Neon nervously complied and shut his mouth.

"You'll be grounded for ten years in your room!" Lyra was just as angry as the Seventh Lord.

"Ye--yes, mom."

"Sir Neon... I.. I would never forgive you." Synthia said to Neon as she can't forgive what he had done to the person she had loved.

"I know."

"How.. how could you do that to him?!"

"I'm grateful for your kindness but I don't promise that I will be grateful for you all my life, Miss Synthia."

"Neon! How could you say that to her?! She saves us!" Lyra scolded her son as she was displeased by his ungratefulness.

"Madam, it's fine."

"I love my brother, so I did it with him."

"Neon! Are you crazy?!" Lyra was angry by what she heard and slap her son.

"Stop this in an instant, Neon! How.. how could you love your brother?! Are you insane?!" the Seventh Lord was furious at his son and slapped Neon as well.

"Yes.. I am. And I hate this woman." Neon still firmly said despite tears flowing on his face.

"How dare you act like this?! You'll be grounded for another 20 years without leaving your room!" Lyra adds another year for Neon's punishment.

"That's fine. But I would still hate her even if she save my life. She.. How dare she steal Enos from me?"

"Can't you see yourself right now?! You're.. you're disgusting!" the Seventh Lord was now near his limit and can't know what he would do to his son if he burst out from rage.

"Yeah, I am! But what's so wrong about it?!"

"Let's just go home now!" Lyra can't seem to stomach the gazes thrown by other immortals in their family and just want to go home now.

"Ahm.. Lady Lyra, may I speak with my sister first?" the High Priestess, who didn't know when should she interfere.. find the opportunity to ask for her sister.

"Yes, High Priestess."

Then the Seventh Lord and Lyra, who is burning with shame and anger, bring their child to their own manor.

"Synthia... you probably didn't do what he's talking about, right?" the High Priestess asked curiously.. since mortal and immortal can't be together.

"Elder Sister, I'm sorry."

"Synthia. You.. you're pregnant, aren't you?!" the High Priestess.. sensing another presence on her younger sister's belly was dumbfounded.

"Elder Sister, what.. what are you talking about?"

"Synthia, there's another strong angelic aura in your stomach."

"Elder.. sister..."

"You love that person?! But you're still bound by the marriage with Lucas." the High Priestess was now worried for her sister since if she sinned.. she was afraid that she would punish her.

"I'm sorry, elder sister."

"You don't need to apologize. So, he's the reason why you save their life, right?"

"Yes. They're.. they're still the family of Enos."

"But he's a mortal, Miss Synthia. You two can't possibly be together."

"We know. That.. that's why.. Enos.. had gone to that forest."

"So.. it's.. just all his plan?"

"Yes. Elder Sister.. it.. I wouldn't get punished.. for being pregnant.. by him, right?"

"Yes, since the baby is an immortal. And if you're talking about the marriage, Lucas was the first one who dissolve the essence of your marriage and leave you for ten years."

"Thank goodness."

Then the two siblings spent several hours, filling those times they didn't get to be together.