Sins of the heart

Chapter two: sin of wrath Iris

Riku couldn't help but feel that his life had officially entered the realm of the absurd. One minute, he was living his quiet, unremarkable existence in his small apartment, and the next, he found himself standing in a fiery wasteland, face-to-face with a woman who looked like she could punch him into another dimension.

He gulped, taking in the scene before him. The ground beneath his feet was cracked and scorched, small flames licking up from the crevices. The sky above was a swirling vortex of dark clouds and molten light, casting a sinister glow over everything. And then there was her — Wrath.

Iris, the embodiment of Wrath, stood just a few feet away, her fists clenched, her fiery red hair flickering as though it had a life of its own. Her eyes, glowing like embers, locked onto his with a searing intensity that made him feel like he was about to be set on fire.

"So... you're my date?" Riku asked, trying to keep his voice from trembling. He wasn't sure if this was a joke or the beginning of his untimely demise.

Iris snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Her muscular frame was encased in armor that looked battle-worn, yet she wore it like it was a second skin. "Date?" she growled, her voice dripping with disbelief. "I don't have time for dates. But apparently, I'm stuck with you for the next week."

Riku scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yeah... about that. I don't know how this happened either. One minute, I'm living a normal life, and the next, I'm being told I have to date the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Doesn't sound like my problem," Iris snapped, turning her back to him. She glanced at the desolate landscape around them. "Why the hell did they pick this place for a date, anyway?"

"I guess it suits your... personality?" Riku offered weakly, immediately regretting his words as soon as they left his mouth.

Iris whirled around, flames sparking at her fingertips. "What was that?"

"Uh, I mean... it's kind of intense here! You know, like you." Riku's heart pounded as he tried to backtrack. "In a good way! Intense can be good! Like, passionate?"

For a moment, Iris looked like she might explode. The air around her crackled with energy, and Riku could feel the heat of her anger in the pit of his stomach. He braced himself for an impact that never came.

Instead, she let out a frustrated sigh, the flames around her dying down slightly. "You talk too much," she muttered. "If you're going to survive this, you're going to have to toughen up. I don't do 'soft.'"

Riku exhaled, relieved that she hadn't incinerated him on the spot. "Got it. Less talking. More... uh, toughening up."

Iris turned and began walking, motioning for him to follow. "If we're going to spend time together, we might as well make it useful. I'll teach you how to fight."

"Fight?" Riku echoed, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hurried to catch up. "I don't know if that's really my thing."

"It is now," Iris said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You want to get out of this mess? Then you're going to have to prove you're not a waste of my time. The others might tolerate weakness, but I don't."

Riku frowned. This was not how he had imagined his week would go. He wasn't much of a fighter, and the idea of being trained by the literal embodiment of wrath didn't sound all that appealing. But he wasn't exactly in a position to argue. Not with Iris, and certainly not with whatever cosmic forces had decided to throw him into this nightmare.

"Okay," he muttered under his breath. "Let's do this."

---

The first few minutes were brutal. Iris didn't hold back as she barked orders at him, her voice sharp and unforgiving. Every time Riku hesitated or faltered, she was there, pushing him harder, demanding more.

"Stop flinching!" Iris shouted as Riku narrowly avoided one of her punches. "You're never going to survive if you can't stand your ground!"

"I'm trying!" he panted, barely managing to block another hit. His arms felt like lead, and his legs were shaking from the strain. "You're not exactly giving me time to adjust here!"

"Life doesn't give you time to adjust," Iris snapped. "You either fight, or you fall."

Riku stumbled back, his foot catching on a crack in the earth. For a brief moment, he thought he was going to hit the ground, but Iris grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back up before he could fall.

"Don't give up," she said, her tone quieter, though no less intense. "You might be weak, but I can tell there's something in you. Don't waste it."

Riku blinked at her, surprised by the unexpected words of encouragement. For someone who was supposed to embody uncontrollable rage, there was something almost protective in her gaze now. Not soft — Iris was definitely not soft — but maybe she wasn't as one-dimensional as he had thought.

"Thanks," he muttered, straightening up.

"Don't thank me yet," Iris said, her eyes narrowing. "We're just getting started."

---

By the end of the day, Riku was exhausted, every muscle in his body aching from the relentless training. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard as he stared up at the swirling sky above.

"Not bad for a first day," Iris said, standing over him with her arms crossed. "You didn't die, at least."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Riku groaned, wincing as he tried to sit up. "Do you do this every day?"

"I have to," Iris replied, her tone serious. "Wrath doesn't rest. Neither should you."

Riku sighed, staring up at her. Despite everything, there was something oddly compelling about Iris. She was fierce, yes, but also driven by something deeper. And as much as he dreaded the days ahead, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he was meant to learn something from all this chaos.

"Alright," he said, forcing himself to his feet. "Same time tomorrow?"

Iris smirked, a small flicker of approval in her eyes. "You might just survive this.

From being used as a punching bag Riku found the pain of wrath and hate.