Chapter Fifty Four: Request

Rising from her brief nap earlier than expected, Eve found herself waiting for Forbidden Lust to deliver the map of the building's layout. However, as time passed by and Lust failed to appear, Eve realized she still had half an hour to spare before Lust's expected appearance. Eve decided to scout thorough the WWP building's exterior.

Eve prepared herself before leaving from the hotel, she stepped out into the streets of Legis. With each step, she remained aware of her surroundings, taking in the sights and sounds of the city while keeping a vigilant eye out for any potential threats. While she knew there were enemies within the shadows of Legis, what remained uncertain was whether any of them nearby, ready to attack at a moment's notice.

Eve, dismissing the worrisome thought, decided to communicate her location to Vulcan via text message. In her brief and short message, she told him of her departure and told him to remain there, making sure he would be available to receive the map from Lust.

Eve sighed as she continued to walk. The presence of the void energy ever so strong, coming from the direction she was heading. It wasn't a noble sense of justice moving her forward, but rather a desire for revenge that fueled her resolve. All Eve had to do was confront and defeat the leader of the Forbidden, and then she would have her long awaited revenge.

As Eve continued, she sensed a familiar presence ahead, standing silently in the distance. It was Copy, appearing entirely unharmed, as though the battle had left no mark upon him. His clothing were pristine, no hint of damage or wear, a contrast that had unfolded during their confrontation.

Eve walked towards him, unbothered by his smirk. Copy remained motionless, his demeanor giving off an air of confidence as he adjusted his fedora with a casual flick of his hand, then began to close the distance between them.

"Anomaly... No, Eve," Copy bowed as his eyes were shut. "Why don't we have ourselves a little chat..?" He invited her for a conversation.

"Your regeneration really is incredible, it's even more impressive than that of the Forbidden themselves." Eve remarked.

"I'll take that as a yes," Copy smirked as he leaned in slightly, his posture relaxed yet subtly imposing.

"Only because I know you aren't so stupid to attack me here," Eve said as Copy began to walk besides her. She quickened her pace, while Copy maintained his casual demeanor, as if strolling through the park on a sunny day. "Now what do you want?"

Just as Copy was about to speak, Eve interrupted him, her tone firm. "Hold on a second," she interjected, "before you say anything, I need to know... Where's Mary?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean Forbidden Dream," Copy replied with a nonchalant tone, his expression carrying a hint of amusement. "Well, you see, she's quite rusty and is brushing up on using her attribute once more."

"Is there any chance she can be brought back, or is she completely consumed by the Forbidden?" Eve asked.

"If I'm being honest," Copy began with a nonchalant tone, "I've no idea. But if I were to give my best guess, you'd have to rip out the Forbidden attribute. However, you can't exactly do that without outright killing the body now, can you?" He shrugged casually.

Copy's nonchalant shrug only added to Eve's frustration. "So there's no way to save her without risking her life?" she pressed.

"Hey now, I came to speak with you. Not the other way around," Copy said, a smirk playing on his face as he glances at Eve.

"Lust is quite the snake, you know," Copy said. "But what I find most amusing is that she thinks she's so slick. And I'll admit, she definitely is. But not enough to pass by me, and most definitely not slick enough for Forbidden Ruin." He paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "What I'm wondering now is if I should tell the others about her. It could stir up quite the commotion, don't you think?"

There was defiance in Eve's response, "feel free to do as you wish. If exposing Lust means less trouble for us, then I welcome it with open arms."

"Bluffing isn't your strong suit, Eve," Copy blsaid, his tone almost taunting. "You know you need Lust. You see, I owe nothing to the Forbidden either, and I plan to stop helping them. But you see, I'm connected to the boss. He knows where I am at all times. Thankfully enough, he isn't aware of what I say or do, but I want this connection with him cut off permanently."

"And do you mean expect me to do?" Eve asked.

"Have a talk with that professor, maybe over a cup of coffee, and see if she's willing to sever the connection between the boss and me," Copy replied.

"You're not exactly in a position to make requests like that, considering you're the one who unleashed that Forbidden inside Mary, remember? As far as I'm concerned, your concerns don't matter to me. In fact, the next time we're alone, I'll make sure to finish the job properly," Eve retorted.

Copy's smirk widened as he spoke. "Must you make things this difficult? You see, the professor's pet is expected to arrive soon to visit those two injured ones at the hospital. Perhaps you can catch him there and ask him."

Eve brushed off Copy's words as she finally reached her destination: the WWP building. With each step closer, her resolve strengthened.

"Hmph, good luck, Eve," Copy remarked with a smirk. "I hope you'll be smart and take the right decision." With a casual tip of his fedora, he walked away, leaving Eve to her task.

Vulcan woke up, stretching his body and got up from the couch. He glanced around the room, noticing Eve was gone. Checking his phone, he saw her message. Although he wanted to meet up with her, he decided to listen to her instructions and wait a while longer. After all, it was only approximately seven more minutes until Lust was expected to arrive.

Vulcan used the time to take a quick shower, knowing he had a bit more time to spare while waiting for Forbidden Lust to arrive. As Vulcan exited the bathroom, he saw Lust waiting for him, sitting on the bed. He noticed that she was holding the map of the layout of the WWP building basement.

"There you are. Where's the little princess?" Lust asked, her gaze shifting from the map to Vulcan.

"Eve's gone to check out the WWP building. Can we speed things up? I'd like to meet with her soon," Vulcan said, wanting to join Eve.

"Right, here you go," Lust said, passing the map to Vulcan with a slight exhale. "Hey, human, do you want to hear my honest opinion?"

"My name is Vulcan, but sure, shoot," Vulcan replied, taking the map from Lust and unfolding it to examine the layout of the WWP building's basement.

"All of you are going to struggle, and very badly. We, the Forbidden, lost so badly back then because of the Victorious Ten and The White Trial. But since they're practically gone, and we're much stronger, I'd say we'd have a good chance," Forbidden Lust shared her thoughts.

"So, why are you helping us?" Vulcan asked.

Lust let out a soft giggle, "You know, I've always found the concept of hope interesting. Humans have held onto it throughout history, like a beacon. Yet, despite witnessing this phenomenon, I've never quite understood it," she reflected.

"However," she continued, looking into the distance, "there's something different about this situation. It's unfamiliar, this sensation, but there's a whisper, a flicker of what might be... hope," Lust softly smiled.

"Now that I think about it, you must've been around for a long time and you must have seen a lot. Well, I'm not sure how things will unfold, and it might seem a bit reckless on my part. But I'll promise you, we'll get through this smoothly," Vulcan said.

"A promise, huh? Well, I'll hold you to that, Vulcan," Lust smirked.

Vulcan took out his phone and searched for the hospital where Bard and Simon were staying. "Hey, Lust, I don't know if you care or not, but here's the hospital Bard is staying at," Vulcan said, showing her the screen of his phone.

"I have to head back to the Wrath soon, but I suppose I can make a quick stop there," Lust said, standing from the bed.

"By the way, I hope you've been getting stronger because Wrath is no pushover. He's easily the strongest among us, and facing him won't be easy." Lust warned.

"Since Eve and I have to wait here for a bit, I can actually start training for that," Vulcan remarked with a sigh.

"Well, I better get going, and you should go check on that little princess. Goodbye, Vulcan," Lust said as she used spatial retreat to teleport out of the room.

With a sigh, Vulcan exited the room, his mind filled with thoughts of the challenges and the uncertain future that lay ahead...