"Why is my heart beating so fast?"
"I don't know if you noticed, but people have already started looking at us," he said as he offered his hand to help her up. "Goodbye."
He then turned once she was already standing. 'Those two are already troublesome; it's impossible to deal with another sin right now.'
'Besides, I have to win the bet. Which of these restaurants will be the best.'
But before he could go any further. "Wait!"
Dex, hearing Lyra's voice without stopping, asked, "What is it?"
"Who are you and what did you do to me?" asked the furious one as she chased him.
"Unlike your scaly little friends, I'm actually a dragon, and I only showed you my wrath, puppy," Dex said, still searching for a restaurant and not really paying attention to the conversation.
Upon hearing her new nickname, Lyra grew irritated to the point of not noticing what he had just claimed to be. "Me, a puppy?! Aren't you the one looking like a desperate dog hunting for food, staring at every shop?!!"
Hearing her, Dex felt no anger; in fact, he realized something. "True, why should I worry about finding snacks when there's a little dog here to sniff them out?" He then turned and smiled with a grin that would make Lyra question whether the being before her was actually a demon. "My dear Lyra, you're going to be a good girl, aren't you?"
Half an hour later he had finally finished the snack saga. He was now carrying a paper bag with a W symbol that held both the snacks and lunch.
"Why do you need so many snacks?" asked the wolf-woman who had been following him ever since she'd been treated like a pet.
"I'm going to the beach with some friends, and one of them asked us to buy something to snack on when we're at the beach," Dex said while looking for his companions. 'Will Echi like the food?'
"You're going to the beach too?" she said with a smile that could not be said to be either happy or forced.
"Too?" he asked, stopping abruptly to look at her. 'Now, besides tailing me through the mall, she'll also be able to at the beach?'
"Yes, I'd heard the beaches near the academy are considered as good as the beaches in the north of the Thalmir continent, so I thought it might be interesting to try." She then added, "But what really surprises me is that you people from that isolated mountain are interested in this; I thought you were only fanatics for your hunts."
But before Dex could speak, he was interrupted. "Are you so fast you had time to cheat on me?"
Dex turned to see Echidna and Erica behind him. "Yes, but since I brought this, I think you'll forgive me, won't you, love?" he said, answering his twin's joke and lifting the bag with the food.
Echidna's eyes sparkled when she saw the bag. "Of course I forgive you, my Dex!" she said, reaching for the bag.
"We'll eat at the beach!" he said, pulling the bag away from her.
"Not fair!" she pouted.
Despite Echidna's cheerful, carefree reaction, Erica seemed serious and even jealous seeing the woman following her beloved. "Dex, who is... the charming woman at your side?"
He then pointed his thumb back. "I think you know her; she's Lyra, who's also in the first year."
Now facing Lyra, he introduced the two and himself. "I'm Dex, the blonde woman with the killer body is Erica and she's my roommate, and my twin..."
But Echi interrupted proudly. "I'm Echidna, and although I look like Dex, we're not siblings. I'm one of his wives!"
Hearing Echi's confession about being one of Dex's wives, the wolf felt as if her brain had slowed down. "One of... his wives?"
"Yes, but there's no need to be jealous, dear..." She then moved in a quick motion, getting close to the wolf-woman's face. "After all, both he and I have the capacity to love all our sins, and that includes you, Wrath." She then kissed the wild pup lightly on the cheek.
Lyra quickly stepped back, face red and heart racing. "What are you doing, you lunatic!"
"Can't I express the love I feel?" she said with a playful smile.
"Didn't you say you wanted to eat?" Dex asked her, trying to save Lyra from public embarrassment.
"Yes, but you won't let me eat."
"I will if it's at the beach."
Like an excited child, she answered, "Let's go to the beach!"
And so the quartet set off for the beach near the mall.
The beach was beautiful, stretching like an arc of fine white sand and blue sea brushed with shades of turquoise.
The sand reflected the sunlight, gently warming the soles of their feet. The waves of the great sea broke into sparkling foam that carried the scent of salt.
Along the shoreline, rows of colorful umbrellas and translucent fabric tents swayed in the warm breeze; there were also many people, especially academy students eager to enjoy their last days of vacation.
As the only one who truly knew the beach, Erica led them to the spot she usually stayed. "Follow me."
They passed many students who seemed to look at them as if they were strange but beautiful creatures.
They reached the spot where Erica usually stayed. Erica and Dex set about preparing the place, laying out the towels and the sunshade, while Lyra and Echidna talked about something.
Echidna noticed something while observing a beast-woman who wore only the bottom of her bikini; she then noticed that several beast-women and even women of other races also didn't wear the top. "Hey Lyra, why don't they have the top part?"
Lyra replied, "It's a tradition for beast-women, although it has also recently been adopted by women of other races. It's meant to show whether a woman is looking for a partner or not. For women who aren't seeking a husband, they should wear nipple piercings that represent marriage or dating, just like humans use a ring."
"So you're going topless too?" she asked curiously.
"Yes." She then took off the top, showing she had nothing underneath.
Echidna could only admire them. "I guess I can't leave you alone in this, can I?"
Her clothes dissolved into the air in golden particles, leaving only two things: the bottom of the bikini and a pair of piercings that looked like gold.
There she was, almost completely revealed to the world—and she admitted she liked it. She could slowly feel the gazes of men and women on her body with desire. 'I think I finally understand what you feel, Erica, and I have to say, it's good.'
"How did you do that?" the wolf asked, seeing her clothes disappear.
"It's an ability."
After answering the shocked Lyra, she attacked Dex from behind—he had already taken off his shirt.
He then felt her breasts pressing against his back. "What the hell are you doing on my back, Echi?!"
"Exactly what you're thinking, dear—my BREASTS," she said, emphasizing the word while rubbing them against his back.
"Why the hell are your breasts out?!" Dex said, a mix of anger and shock.
"You have to be more open-minded, dear; look at the women around us."
Dex looked around and noticed that beast-women and other women of different races weren't wearing tops. "Why don't they have tops?"
Echidna quickly explained it to him. "So women who wear the piercings are women who already have a partner?"
"Yes, and that's why I want you to put these on me." She then brought her hands in front of his body and showed the two piercings.
Seeing them, he turned to her. The usual teasing Echidna was gone. She was blushing, even embarrassed. "You know, even if it feels good to receive others' gazes, I still want everyone to know I'm only yours."
Dex kissed her deeply without saying a word. While she was overwhelmed by Dex's pleasure, he had already begun to move. He slowly took one of the piercings, ready to put it on right now—and he did.
The reaction was immediate: her beautiful red eyes, moments ago clouded by pleasure, were now cleared by pain, yet her pupils still took on a heart shape; even so, the kiss grew more intense. Seeing that, Dex hurried and quickly finished the job on the other nipple.
Even after he had finished putting them on, the kiss continued.
When they finally stopped, both were breathless but just as in love as before.
Her eyes still dazed by the sting of pain, she said, "I think you just made me a masochist, love!"
Erica's POV:
Seeing them kiss and noticing both Echi and Lyra were topless, she had only one question. "Will he really pay attention to me if I'm like them?"
As a frequent beachgoer, Erica knew about the style that was becoming popular. Yet, as a human who was part of the student council and now its president, she felt it would be inappropriate—after all, even if she were 'the most beautiful woman in the world,' that wouldn't change the fact that she represented the school.
But now it wasn't just pride in showing she was the most beautiful woman—she wanted his attention more than anything, so she took it off.
She took off everything, leaving only her vagina covered and nothing else. Everything for everyone to see, but she didn't care.
She advanced toward the breathless Dex and asked only once, without hesitation and full of pride, "I want you to make me yours, so mark me as yours too!!"
System of the Ruler of the Sins – Sin of Pride: Erica – Complete natural awakening