The Brothers Lefray, Part 1 (Solo)

A Field. One Year Ago.

"If you want to kill Pride so much, why don't you do it yourself?" The man who spoke was dressed in a dull brown overcoat, and was paying more attention to his small herd of goats than to his guest.

The second man wore black leather armor, and thin black gloves. A short, messy head of hair was starting to cover his previously shaved head. His eyes held an intense focus on his host. "Le Lefray is more a title than a family name. I was raised by monks who sought to understand and harness the power within them. We called it Ki. The Black Wing Bird was, we thought, out celestial mentor. That bird was actually the Sin known as Pride, and he was the source of our power. I only truly mastered my powers when I fully embraced my own inner Pride."

"Not wanting to harm a family member, then?" Dar asked, disinterested.

"Hardly," Leejay Le Lefray said. "Quite the opposite. But fighting a Sin with strength granted by that very Sin would be...unwise. For all I know, he could remove my powers completely with a glance."

"Doesn't that mean you will lose your power once he dies?"

Lefray hesitated. "Yes."

"And you want that?"

"You should understand. You gave up your Rage, after all. The strength of my people, of the Zydon, is useless now. And that means there is great power that is now being wasted. The power of Pride should be harnessed, and used to advance and empower the human race."

"You lose a fight, so you side with the victor? Makes sense. And what do you owe to this Pride, anyways? It's not like he gave you enough power to win the war. But why did you come to me?"

"The extent of Pride's power is somewhat a mystery to me. I am afraid that anyone with Pride in their heart may be unable to strike him down. I need a fighter that holds absolutely no Pride within their heart. And that person is you, Dar. You faced humiliation, defeat, and exile. You have become pathetic."

Dar was quiet. A few weeks ago, he would have cut this man in half for saying such a thing. But now, he could only agree. "Is this supposed to encourage me?"

"I want you to become the new Pride. Eating his heart should bestow the title to you. Embrace the power. Embrace the glory. Go from being nobody to being the most important of people, at least in your own eyes. But remember what it means to be a broken mortal. If you do that, I think you will be a great force for good in this world."

Dar thought, and after a short time chuckled. "You should have been a car salesman. Anyways, assuming I say yes, that I want to become this Pride, I have to eat his heart. How exactly do you think I am going to kill him?"

"With the Nth metal knife that you possess."