Ulysses spoke as their words carried a sense of deep respect and admiration. "You are special, my Master. Not just because you possess the Cardinal Sin System, but because your very essence resonates with us." The sin smiled as their tone became more reverent. "Your nucleus - the core of your being, beyond mind, body, and soul - is what makes you unique. Unlike others, it is divided into seven parts, each representing a different sin."
Deep within Ophelia, resided seven different sins, each one with their own distinctive appearance and power. The "Wrath" part of her was just one fragment of the whole.
Ulysses' voice softened, almost affectionate. "Each fragment of your nucleus yearns to be awakened, to serve you as I do." Ophelia hummed in thought, gazing at the bloodied floor. "I see. But this nucleus… what of it? I'm afraid I've never heard of its existence until now."
Ulysses widened her eyes, a bit surprised by her Master's inexperience with the most common trait all magicians were aware of.
"A Nucleus is the core of one's existence, Master. It holds all of our information, including our physiology, and it comes from the Supernal of Life." Said Ulysses, her expression calm.
"Supernal… of Life?" Questioned Ophelia, lifting her brows in question.
"Yes." Nodded the Sin of Wrath. "Supernals are Cosmic Forces, sometimes embodied by powerful entities. They derive from the originators of existence; Chaos, Creation, and Destruction." She spoke coherently, making it quite easy to understand.
"I see, and these Supernals… or rather… Cosmic Forces, created the Nucleus'?" Asked the infant, curious.
"Indeed! The Supernal of Life, Ambrolinia, is the sum total of all life and all things that exist across the Multiverse."
In some worlds, the Nucleus had different names and functions. Some were called Data Cores, others were known as Roots, but the most common name given to them was indeed Nucleus. Ambrolinia was responsible for the creation of the Nucleus, so essentially, all living things had a piece of the Supernal of Life within them in one way or another.
"Without the Supernal of Life, all living things in existence will perish. Supernals are just as important as the originators of existence that I mentioned earlier, and these Cosmic Forces exist within a realm beyond potential, known as Arudel, though these Cosmic Forces still pale in comparison to the originators." Ophelia nodded her head, understandingly. She took in the information with a smile on her face, though it faded momentarily as suddenly, a memory surfaced in Ophelia's mind; the moment she had died, a woman who called herself Chaos intervened.
"So that explains it…" Ophelia's eyes widened as she connected the dots. The woman who had given her another chance at life, who had granted her this extraordinary power, was all linked to the very same Supernal that had created the nucleus. "Agnes Gravenworth…" The weight of this revelation hit her like a physical blow. She had always wondered about her purpose, about why she was chosen. Now she knew - it was because she was special, touched by the essence of Chaos itself.
"Master, is all well?" Ulysses' presence seemed to notice her realization, her voice taking on a more cautious tone. The air around them grew thick with tension as Ophelia processed this new information about her existence.
"Excellent…" Ophelia's small face suddenly twisted into a cruel smile, her eyes shining with a malevolent glee that was completely out of place on such a young face.
"You delight in the chaos, don't you? The thought of wielding such power fills you with joy, Master." Ulysses seemed both concerned and fascinated by her reaction, sensing the dark pleasure she took in this new knowledge.
"If such an important entity chose me for this purpose, then my power will be absolute!" Shouted Ophelia with joy.
Ulysses' words seemed to feed Ophelia's darker impulses, making her infantile body tremble with anticipation. She clenched her tiny fists, her violet eyes gleaming with sadistic intent.
The scene was almost surreal—an innocent-looking baby, plotting destruction and suffering with a disturbing enthusiasm. Yet, there was something about her that made it all seem natural, almost right.
"But first, I'll need a more… fitting body." The Sin tilted their horned head, understanding Ophelia's predicament.
"You desire a more mature form, one that can properly wield the power of your nucleus and the Cardinal Sins? If that is the case, you must be careful, growing too fast could damage your soul and its shape."
Ophelia nodded, her infant voice surprisingly articulate. "I need to be able to control them all, Ulysses. The other sins—they won't listen to a baby."
The sin considered her request, her expression shifting slightly as she mustered up possibilities. "There are certain skills that can greatly accelerate growth. The most powerful ones are said to be stored in the libraries of ancient skill casters." Ulysses' form became more animated with interest. "Though I wonder where we could find such libraries."
Ophelia's eyes lit up as she realized something important. "Hmm... my family potentially has a library! Why wouldn't they? They're rich and powerful leaders of Algunita." She was in a royal family; possibly one of the strongest in the world. It was only logical that this rich and wealthy family had a library of some kind.
Wrath perked up, widening their eyes. "Your family library? That could be a valuable resource, but first, must find its location, however…" Ulysses' tone shifted from excitement to practicality, recognizing the immediate problem they faced. "While the library is important, we must deal with the aftermath of my... actions here first."
The sin gestured to the blood-soaked room, her voice carrying a hint of caution. "Your family will notice the doctor and nurses' deaths. They will likely become concerned and start looking for answers."
Ophelia frowned, her childlike face showing a rare moment of worry. She hadn't considered how her family would react to this situation. "Hmm… what should I do? I don't want them to be any more suspicious of me than they already are." The infant looked at the ceiling in deep thought until an idea crossed her mind. "Ah, yes! An idea…"
"Hm?" Ulysses tilted their head, slightly curious.
+
As 30 minutes passed, a knock sounded at the door. "This is King Jubilius, I've come to check on my daughter, it's been half an hour, and I've grown worried for my heir." Alicia stood behind her father with a worried look on her face, questioning what was taking so long.
Unable to take it, the princess's voice called out from the other side of the door, filled with concern. "Hello? Are you guys in there? We're coming in."
The door swung open and it revealed King Jubilius and Alicia standing in the hallway. Their faces instantly paled at the gruesome scene before them - the blood-soaked examination table, the doctor's lifeless body, and the corpses of the nurses and their mutilated bodies lying on the floor.
"Oh… Gods…" King Jubilius stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock. Alicia covered her mouth in horror, her voice trembling. "Oh my god... what happened here, Father?"
Ophelia's eyes welled up with fake tears as King Jubilius approached her. She let out a loud, heart-wrenching wail that echoed through the room. "Uwaaahhh!" At the same time, Ulysses took her cue and slipped out of the examination room, darting down the hallway with impressive speed.
"Wha-?" Alicia, already on edge, immediately noticed the movement at the corner of her eye. "You there! Where do you think you're going?" Without hesitation, she dashed after the figure, her dress flowing behind her as she ran down the corridor in heels. "Stop right there!"
"Tsk.." King Jubilius, torn between concern for Ophelia and his daughter's sudden departure, hesitated for a moment before following them both. The three figures disappeared from sight, leaving behind a blood-stained room and a sobbing Ophelia.
"Uwaaaah—!" Her tears suddenly stopped, replaced by a satisfied smile. She watched with calculated delight as Alicia chased after Ulysses, unaware of the sin's true nature.
"Hmph, pitiful humans, I've just been born today, yet you cannot keep up with me while you had many years to train!" Ulysses, now fully aware of the plan, continued running through the castle halls with a frown.
The king and princess followed closely behind, their shouts echoing through the corridors.
"Guards, cease them!" The King shouted, ferocious in his voice. His command echoed through the castle, summoning dozens of guards in the hallways as they ran down the corridor. "Halt!" They shouted, rushing with their weapons drawn, only to find the figure already engaging in combat.
The sin moved with incredible speed and precision. They swung their weapons, but they dodged their blows and countered them with powerful strikes that sent the guards flying. The guards, trained warriors all, struggled to keep up. Some were thrown against walls with bone-crushing force, while others barely managed to avoid the devastating attacks.
"Out of my way!" Ulysses' movements were fluid and deadly, a dance of destruction that left a trail of unconscious guards in its wake. Her strength was superhuman, and her skills seemed to be honed for combat.
Meanwhile, Ophelia hopped off the examination table, her small feet padding against the floor as she fell to both hands and knees, crawling to the doorway. "Ah, there we are." She peeked out into the hallway, her violet eyes gleaming with mischief as she heard the chase unfold from afar. "The coast seems clear. Now that Ulysses' is distracting my family and everyone else, I can focus on finding the library."
As the guards struggled to contain the Sin of Wrath, Ophelia saw her chance. With the adults and guards focused on the fight, she slipped away, unnoticed, and crawled quickly down the castle halls.
The sound of clashing metal and shouting guards faded behind her as she navigated the familiar corridors. "I must make haste…" Her small hands grasped the edges of the carpets as she moved, determined to reach her destination quickly.