Reaper's Purgatory-Chapter 36: Judgement

"Yes. The Spire. It's that same one that would've taken us a few hours to reach. And now we'll reach it before the hours are over." K Spoke.

"Oh yeah... You did mention that you wanted to have me judged for my sins." Memories of first arriving in purgatory flooded her mind with K talk about having her judged for her sins.

A whirling noise started to become more audible, leaving Megumi, Dino and Cider glancing around, wondering where the noise was coming from.

"Looks like it's starting." K said.

Suddenly a wave of dizziness overcame Megumi, she felt that the whole world distort around them was everything faded away into nothing. Before she realized it she was in complete darkness.

Confused and alarmed, she tried to budge her body but it was as stiff as stone. The sudden feeling acceleration struck her hard. It was unlike anything else she's felt before like her very soul was moving at supersonic speed followed by a sudden stop.

Her vision slowly returned, he dizziness faded and she was finally able to breath again. She gasped looked around, finding that everyone was still around.

Looking more closely at Cider she noticed that he looked like he was about to faint.

"That was weird." Cider slurred.

"I would get used to it if I were you. It's the best way to get around here in Arc. Especially since using your powers here is forbidden. But that shouldn't be a problem for a demon like you..." K said.

The door in front of them was then opened. A new brown-haired receptionist greeted them. "Welcome to the Spire"

Seeing that Cider and looking at him confused, K pointed to Cider's collar around his neck. "That Collar acts as a suppressant for any cities outside of the domain of Purgatory itself." K explained.

"Really?" Cider immediately tested out the theory, finding it to be true. He pouted at the discovery. "No fair."

"I'm not surprised, considering how stable demons can be every now and then." Dino state. He was the first to leave the small chamber. "Better than being held against your own will if you ask me."

Seeing that Megumi was following behind Dino, K gestured for Cider to keep moving along too. They all moved into the new room where there was a plethora of people were coming in and out. There were doors lined up with for practically miles with different receptionists manning each one.

With a quick glance Megumi could tell that one side was specifically for people coming in, while the other side was for people going out. It was clear since the lines leading 'out' were enormous.

"Ehehehehe..." Megumi became distress and glanced away from the oversized lines. She understood full well, that they would likely be their next victims. She followed her group more closely, seeing the plethora of different people and strange sights.

Soon the left the long hall and entered into what seemed to be a huge town. The ceiling was to the sky, the marble walls and pillars were decorated as if this was a place of nobility with décor to match. It was unlike and places she's ever seen in her life.

There were rows of counter's for conducting business, street performers entertaining groups of people. And just like the city they were just in; it was bustling demons and peoples of different sizes and creeds. There were also reapers that seemed to be dressed more fancily with their hooded uniform robes.

The Spire was so pact and filled with life, that at one point, Dino had to step in to help keep Cider from exploring with his child-like enthusiasm.

As Megumi scanned the huge lively building, she noticed that all the reaper's were wearing an accustomed seven pointed star symbol somewhere throughout their uniform. They were extremely similar to those the reapers wore in Gondola and what one that K was wearing in the center of his robe.

She never really paid attention to those badges, but now they seemed much more obvious than ever. Megumi stepped closer to K and tugged at his robe. "Hey K, what's with those badges?"

"This?" K lifted his crested pendant at the center of his robe.

"Yeah, that star thing. The other reaper's are wearing it too. Is it a badge or something?"

"If I recall correctly, in the living world, this star symbolized a myriad of things. But here in purgatory it's simply used to symbolize the sins we've accumulated in life."

K tore off the badge from his robes, handing it straight to Megumi. "If you look closely, you see that this part of my badge is glowing slightly."

"Megumi narrowed her eyes. Although it was faint she could see a slight glowing emanating. "Oh, yeah."

"That particular point of the star indicates that my sin is Rage."

"Rage?" Megumi took a double take, unsure if K was actually serious.

"I won't go too much into the details but just know that my sin grants me the power to harness a greater power within to both attack and defend myself." K gestured for the badge back, which Megumi obliged.

K continued his explanation, fitting his pendant back on. "But just remember, a lot of other people carry these symbols too, but mostly on plain metal cards, like the one's you'll be getting soon yourselves."

Megumi glanced back at K a little more confused. "Wait, Dino has to get one too?"

"And that demon child." K added. Both Megumi and K glanced over, seeing Dino putting a stop to Cider's antics. "Neither of them have received their Judgement yet either. And' they've been here in Purgatory a lot longer than you."

"But why?"

"Because neither of them were found."

A deafening silence overtook them. Megumi had an idea of what he meant wasn't sure. just as she was going to ask, K spoke back up.

"As reaper's it's part of our jobs to find and guide lost souls here to Arc. To determine their sins and help them find a new lease on life here in purgatory. But sometimes there are those that slip through the cracks. They wind up more lost and confused. And often roam around aimlessly without a cause..."

Dino and Cider suddenly erupted into a wrestling match, prompting K to sigh seeing the two.

"It's often that people like them become demons. whether through desperation or otherwise. Like that child you grew fond of."

"Is it really that hard for the reapers to everyone?"

"In an ideal world. Yes. But we can't predict where a person will dies and when. Even at our numbers it's like looking for a needle in the haystack." K raised his hand, conjuring his bone tentacle to cease the fighting.

With the fight now over, Dino and Cider proceed to rejoin Megumi and K. as the two approach, K turned back to Megumi. "Do you remember, when we first met?" K asked.

"Huh? O-oh. Yeah? What about it?"

"During that time, I was on a mission to find execute a demon that been killing other reapers. Needless to, I didn't find them. But I did find you. If you had died any sooner or later, we probably wouldn't be here right now."

Megumi was surprised to here such a revelation from K. It was hard for her to imagine what to would have been like if she found herself alone. Perhaps she would have cried and mourned. or perhaps she would've ended up dead or in the hands of some demons.

"Sorry I didn't hear what you said." Dino stated. He rubbed the back of his head, as he glared at Cider, irritated by his never ending antics.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything important." K led the way again. "This way, we aren't far judgement center."

Megumi following close behind, proceed through the thick crowd of people in their way. eventually they arrive to a place where a multitude of counters were lined with lines that spanned for miles.

"Here." K stopped and pointed at the one empty counter with a single receptionist that was minding her own business. Megumi's groups approached the black-haired woman that was filing her own nails. She blew on them, and quickly became satisfied with her work.

K cleared his throat, garnering the women's attention.

"Hmm? Who are you four." She scanned the small rag tag group in front her, scrutinizing them.

"We're part of the caravan that arrived forty minutes ago." K said. He laid down an opal that held Harold's crest.

"Now, would you look at that? It's not every day that old man from Gondola funds an expedition. I was told that your group wouldn't arrive for another few hours." The receptionist Bent under her desk, grabbing a sphere. "Clearly our informant was wrong."

"No. Our group just chose the quickest option." K said.

The receptionist perked a smile, amused. "Ah. Like to play it risky, Huh? It's not every day that we get newcomers that can survive a fall from all the way up there."

Megumi lasered her eyes at K, who ignored her. Clearly, he knew of the dangers of jumping all the way from the sky.

"Alright, who's going first?" The receptionist asked.

Megumi was about to step up but was quickly stopped by K. "We'll have Dino and Cider go first; Megumi will go last."

"O-oh." Although surprised, Megumi didn't question K.

"Alright..." Without hesitation, Dino stepped up to the receptionist who opened her counter up, letting him enter. She closed her counter and led him down a hall behind her.

It only took a minute until he returned with a rectangular metal card that his eyes were fixed on. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Yeah, Chin up." The receptionist said.

Megumi peeked at the rectangle, seeing a seven-pointed star with a single point glowing.

"Alright, I'll take the next person."

Cider stepped up and reluctantly followed the women. He glanced back at Megumi, a little nervous, but continued on, into the hall. Like Dino before, Cider was done in a minute and also given a metal card.

He looked at his card, more unsure what to make of it. "Hmmm..."

"Alright, I'll take the next one." The receptionist called. "You're up next, right?"

Both Dino and Cider watched as Megumi nervously followed the lady inside. The white marble hall was dimly lit with little decoration to show for the plain white background. She followed around the corner and to her surprise, she was led straight to a red orb with several floating sprites.

The sprites circled around the glowing red orb as if lure by some mysterious force within.

"Just place your hand on the orb" The receptionist gestured with her hand, as she smiled more gently.

Despite the growing numbers of butterflies in her stomach, Megumi pushed herself and slowly placed her hands on the red orb. Shockingly enough, the orb was warm, and her hands slowly sunk into the very orb.

The sprites suddenly surround Megumi from above. Not long after, a bright light enveloped her vision, blinding her for a moment.

"O-oh..." the receptionist looked at Megumi more curiously.

"W-what happened, Megumi asked. She shook her head, regaining her vision.'

"N-nothing. Don't worry about it. Here."

Megumi turned find the same metal card Dino and Cider had received. "This is your sin." The receptionist said.

Megumi looked at the heptagram seeing the very top of it glowing. Megumi point to her card curious. "What sin is this?"

The receptionist quickly spoke up again. "Oh yeah. Your sin is-"

********

"Lust..."

Megumi hid her face from Dino and Cider that were looking at her card.

They were now seated inside a retro style diner at an empty table. There wasn't much ongoing business aside from the occasional coffee drinking man.

Even from behind her arms, they could tell that her face was beet red with embarrassment.

"She said, my sin was lust..." she muttered more quietly.

"What does that mean?" Cider asked.

"That means you're not old enough for grown up talk."

"I'm old enough!"

Just before Dino could continue the bicker, K returned with several trays of food. Mostly burgers and fries. "Here's the food. Now dig in."

Cider quickly scarfed his face with fries and took a chomp from his burger. "Mm... What was your sin anyways?'"

Dino reveals his card. "Greed apparently. To be honest it's hard to believe But I guess it makes some sense. What about you Cider?"

Cider took another bite from his burger, speaking with his mouth full. "Gluttony. Honestly, I can't see it."

"Well, I think I can see it clearly. It's written all over your face now."

Cider simply stuck his tongue out in defiance.

"But why'd it has to be lust?" Megumi complained.

"I can take a wild guess." Dino chucked a fry into his mouth, finally chowing down on his own food.

Megumi dug her face deeper in her arms, the heat of her face practically becoming a steaming fire.

"Lust in Purgatory can be very deceptive." K said. "Lust is a very common sin here in purgatory, but that's because it's gained when someone obsesses or chases something throughout their life but never achieves it."

K took a fry in hand, putting it in his burger. "From the words of my own brother... lust or better called desire, comes from broken dreams." He then glanced at Megumi who was still hiding her face. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

Slowly Megumi relaxed herself, finally peeking somewhat from her arms. She saw as K close his fry filled burger and take a bit from it.

Eric would do the same on occasion when they taste tested food from the local diners and fast foods places.

"What are you waiting for? Your foods getting cold." K suddenly said.

Seeing that food was in front of her, she finally came out of her shell taking up the burger and slowly bit into.

The taste was more nostalgic than she would've imagined it to be, and it brought smile to her face. "Thank you, K... for everything..."

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"Don't worry about it. It's my job as your reaper to help to the start of your path." K turned away from Megumi. "We have some time, So I'll show you around before bring you to enlist with the reapers corp. for your examination"

Megumi stopped and raised a brow. "Exam?"

********

Liang sat down with his legs crossed, rubbing the back of his head. He glanced around the wide-open void in front of the rift. "Where the heck are those guys?"

Man of the people from the caravan seemed to be waiting on Liang.

Arnold, who stood next to Liang, simply looked up at the city above them. "Hmmm... Should I tell him that K took Dino and those other two into Arc?"

Arnold glanced back at Liang, who seemed to be losing his mind. "Nah. He wouldn't believe me anyways. Who would be crazy enough to just jump down anyways-"

"What the hell!?"

Liang jumped straight up, Shocking Arnold by his sudden brazenness.

"I'll leave everything to you Arnold!" Liang yelled.

Arnold could only look on, at the now falling Liang with twitching eyes. "O...Okay...?"

Now Arnold scratched the back of his unsure what to make of the increasingly strange situation. "I guess we'll continue to the spire...?"