Chapter 13: In The Name Of Progress

So after school, our two heroes walked home, it was a rather sunny day, no clouds in the sky, but it was wasn't as warm as you think it was, meaning that it was perfect weather for our two heroes who after some pushing actually did do their homework during school, even though Star complained that homework should be done at home for it has a reason why its called homework but Marco egged her on by saying that if they finish the homework they can spend more time at home without the threat of uncompleted work so Star accepted the compromise.

However, as quiet as their walk was, Star had an uneasy feeling rubbing off her. She doesn't know exactly why, but for some reason she's a lot more fatigued than she should be, she didn't do anything that costed a lot of energy, maybe it was the cake, it wasn't the most healthiest thing to eat, could that be the reason for her sudden lack of energy. She mentally shrugged to herself, only time will time.

Marco was also feeling a large form of fatigue but he blamed the cake, again having your stomach filled with only cake doesn't really help you besides making you fatter and having something in your stomach to begin with.

"Hey Star, you want just don't do anything once we get home?" Marco asked tiredly. Star nodded as response, they already did their homework so they didn't really need to do anything for school tonight so for our two heroes, it was a free day basically. No random Ludo attacks or another Bearer of Despair corrupting Star or Marco and then threatening their lives, none of that, it was just a peaceful day, and our two heroes really needed one.

Elsewhere...

Rize and the Baron were in a forest, also known as Isolation point, a rather misty but peaceful forest reservation with large amount of mountains and peaks to the point that no one can hear you scream, for Rize and the Baron, they viewed this forest as a form of opportunity where that no one can hear the sounds of progress. They abandoned Alistair's plans of inflicting greed in people for it would reveal Rize to easily, so they both decided to make our two heroes come to them, they decided to destroy these forests, establish factories and increase industry bring the resources back to Baron's home dimension while he does nothing but establish plans to get a handsome reward of resources while Rize does the creation of forest harvesters and factories, effectively allowing Rize to feed off of greed and Baron to feed of his own sloth.

And with Star and Marco being afflicted with sloth, they won't be bothered to help save this forest from the black blade of an axe, they then fall into despair for they will realize that a beautiful land is now a wasteland due to their refusal of the heroes call, being so deep in despair, Star won't ever notice that Rize stole her wand accomplishing their mission and gaining profit at the same time. This idea was created by Rize of course. For Baron was to lazy to form a better plan that Alistair gave them.

"So Baron, we are only going to take Star's wand, as well as the resources, but we not killing her or her friend, do you understand?" Rize as Baron Van Vox sat on the ground.

"Fine, fine, It'll take a lot more effort though..." Baron said as he readied himself so he doze off to sleep. But not before being interrupted by Rize's voice.

"And so in several day, this forest will be clear for they are...Mine..." Rize said, his voice becoming noticeably more deeper once he said mine.

"And only mine!" Rize said greed-fully as he pulled out a large quantity of golden coins out of his dull gold robes that for some unexplained reason has very big pockets that are filled with silver, iron, copper and golden coins that Rize stole/earned throughout his various missions and adventures

His hands started to glow in a silver aura of energy and in a swift action, all of the silver coins turned into a pool of liquid metal, he laughed as turned the iron coins into a pool of liquid iron and he turned the copper coins and the golden coins into pools of liquid metal in the same way. Quickly with some hand motions the pool of iron began to form into a statue of a brutal robotic knight with a large saw for one hand and a long metal claw on the other hand. The robotic knight came to life and it suddenly slashed a nearby tree with it's saw hand going through the tree with a single swing, the tree came down.

"Liquid metal is at my command Baron, this forest will be a wasteland filled with stumps and the smell of smoke!" Rize said as he his greed toke over him becoming less morally strong as he was supposed to be.

"Star Butterfly...Prepare for the sudden disappearance of your wand...For it is mine..." Rize finished.

All in the while Ira heard every word the Bearers said as he stayed in the shadows in his human named Roman disguise, a black suit is a lot more complementing in the shadows than his red armor and his tall stature would make him stand out as a massive shadow of a gargoyle demon to the trees

"Where's your morality now Rize?" Ira said to himself with a quick and quiet laugh, Rize always believed he was self-righteous, believing that the destruction of a forest for personal gain is not as bad as slaying an innocent girl for personal gain, theirs not a lot of differences between aren't they?

Nodding to himself he left knowing what exactly what the Bearer of Sloth and the Bearer of Greed are going to do. That is, until a sudden pang of fatigue started to course through the Former Bearer of Wrath.

"What in the world?" Ira asked himself as suddenly he coughed rather violently, he coughed once more, and then again. His legs started to become weaker and weaker to the point he fell to his knees, he coughed again, this time having blood. He looked at the now blood-stained grass in horror as he scrape the blood off of his mouth with his sleeve of his suit.

"Look what we got here..." Ira heard, quickly he turned to see not Rize, not Baron, but Beelze, his robes being tied to his waist so it was not covering his body of ashy and scarred flesh and a hundred maws that must be fed twice a day despite these mouths and maws that are all protruding out of Beelze's body, his body was naturally unmuscular and feeble.

"Seems like your broke Alistair's chains of command..." Beelze said as he unsheathed his weapon, it was a massive straight bladed scimitar with a large spike at the top of the blade, used mainly for disemboweling carcasses. Ira eyes were filled with utter fear.

"Please, please don't kill me, Beelze, listen to me, do you really want the death of a young princess?" Ira said, Beelze looked at him, well tried to, his face had more mouths than eyes, having only one eye in a head with many open mouths that protrude sharp teeth and tongues

"Just please listen to me Beelze, you will become redeemed, you probably seen it, it was a mundane human that mended my heart, he gave me a second chance to not face the fiery abyss..." Ira said to entice Beelze to not butcher him and become The Bearers of Despair next meal.

"He will give you a second chance as well...You just have to not give in to Alistair's desires and demands..." Ira said, Beelze once again simply stared at the former Bearer in a human disguise.

"...I came here...For you to tell me...How to break these chains..." Beelze said as he put down his blade and offered a hand for the Bearer of Patience.

Diaz Residence

Are two heroes arrived at their home, it was rather quiet, well unless you count the presence of Marco's mother, she was busy doing some leftover dirty dishes that wasn't cleaned last night when our two heroes entered into the kitchen, hopefully to find something more healthier to eat rather than sugary frosting and sweetened batter.

"Hello you two!" said with a warm smile as she finished up on her dishes and turned to see her fatigued son and exchange student.

"Hey mom..." Marco said with a rather somber and tired tone.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a worried tone for her son and Star.

"Can you make us something to eat please?" Marco asked his dear mother.

"Didn't you two had lunch?" responded.

"Well, if you count cake as lunch..." Star answered with a slightly sheepish smile. sighed as response disappointed in a her son of his unwillingness to not eat the sugary dessert known as cake.

"You two can't even control what you eat, Alright okay, what do you two want to eat?" said with the same warm smile she usually uses

"Anything is fine, thank you..." Marco said in a grateful tone. So as our two heroes waited for Marco's mother to cook them something nice to eat, our two heroes went into the living room, probably to wait patiently by sitting on the couch and watching some television, Star still didn't particularly understand how does an image appear on the screen but she rather not question for she was to tired to do so.

Our two heroes silently watched television, as our two heroes watched, Marco began to think. What would happen if Star would have stayed dead? He honestly doesn't know, he knows that Ira would have probably killed Marco in his stance of never-ending rage, he knows that his mom and dad would probably be devastated, and Star's parents would probably be devastated too.

"Hey Star..." Marco asked his friend as he turned to his best friend, she was already asleep, something that surprised Marco for how tired he was too, he didn't know what was causing this almost unnatural drowsiness and lack of energy, he didn't know, he couldn't blame the cake this time.