Mary Anne coughed and spluttered as the world re-materialized around her, suddenly choked by the acrid, sulfurous, bloody air that now surrounded her. Hey big, brown eyes widened as she looked around herself, desperate to get a sense of her new surroundings. They were as unfamiliar as they were unsettling. She was in some kind of cave or cavern, almost perfectly circular, with the walls formed of orange-red sandstone. It was illuminated by flickering torches mounted along the walls, and the cavern floor was covered with sand. Bloodstained sand. To Mary Anne, it seemed like some kind of macabre gladiatorial arena. That thought stiffened her resolve. Mary-Anne was feeling more than a little unbalanced after what had happened in the church. Seeing the tables turned on the Star Sentinels so suddenly and so completely was unnerving. But the magical girl knew she had no time to be hesitant or unsure. People needed her. Her friends needed her. They could be in trouble, and Mary Anne was never, ever going to let her friends down when they were in a pinch. It didn't matter who or what she had to fight, she was going to do everything she could to make sure they were safe.
Mary Anne's conviction grew still further when she noticed she wasn't alone. She hadn't noticed them at first, as they were leaning idly against one wall of the cavern, hidden in shadow, but there was someone else there with her. They seemed to notice the magical girl's attention and pushed off from the wall, striding confidently out into the center of the arena. It was a demon, and one that cut an intimidating figure. She was clearly feminine, but she was taller than any woman Mary Anne had ever seen before. The demon had faint, red skin and, while it was subtle, her features reminded Mary Anne unmistakably of some kind of snarling beast. Her eyes were those of an inhuman predator, and her face was a little too lupine to be human, and when she grinned maliciously at Mary Anne, she showed pointed teeth. Besides that, the most remarkable thing about her was how muscular she was. Mary Anne knew more than a few athletes in her college classes, but this demon put them all to shame with her rippling abs and toned, powerful thighs. The leather harness and tight leather shorts she was wearing certainly left none of it to the imagination. Her black hair was wild, and as she half-grinned, half-snarled at Mary Anne, the magical girl had no doubts about which of the seven sins she was facing.
"Wrath," Mary Anne said levelly. She was already readying herself for a confrontation. Fighting wasn't in her nature, but many long and hard battles had taught her not to hesitate when she was fighting for her friends.
Wrath laughed, showing teeth. "Got it in one, princess."
Mary Anne sniffed, irritated. Princess? It was true that the two of them made for quite a contrast. Mary Anne was far smaller, and her immaculate sailor uniform - as feminine as all her other clothes - suited her perfectly. Her reddish-brown hair was held back in two neat braids with small, red ribbons at the end, and she knew her freckled cheeks gave her an innocent, fresh-faced look. But she'd soon show this demon she was far from a helpless princess.
"I gotta say," Wrath jeered. "I'm a little disappointed you're the one I got landed with. You look weak. But maybe I'll make something of you yet."
"I'm not weak," Mary Anne shot back, through gritted teeth. She was already chomping at the bit to wipe the smirk off of this demon's face. There was something in the air that was making it easy for her choler to rise. The scent of dust and blood and sweat. "I am Sentinel Red, and I'll punish you!"
"Fine, then." Wrath spread her arms, her stance open. "Come on. Do it."
Mary Anne hesitated. For all her anger, she was able to see that there was something a little too easy about this. A little too straightforward. This demon was setting a trap for her, even if she couldn't see how just yet. But if Wrath wanted her to attack, it seemed sensible to do the opposite. So, instead of charging forwards, Mary Anne just folded her arms and waited. Maybe there was a better way out of this than simply fighting. She hoped so.
Wrath sighed, clearly disappointed. "Come on, what are you waiting for?"
"I'm not gonna give you what you want," Mary Anne answered softly, unmoved. "I know you want to corrupt me - and I'm not going to let you."
"That so?" Wrath grunted. "Let me guess. You're the nice one. The kind one. Much too kind and nice and delicate to ever fall prey to the sin of wrath, am I right?"
Mary Anne knew she was being taunted, but she nodded anyway. At the risk of being prideful, she thought it was true. She simply wasn't an angry person. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever snapped at someone or lashed out at them, or even said something passive-aggressive or impatient. She'd always lived her life according to the motto that kindness made the world a better place.
"Lies!" Wrath snorted viciously. She sounded so full of rage, Mary Anne took an automatic step backwards. "I see your heart, princess. You're not as nice as everyone thinks. There's something burning inside you, raging every time someone treads on you or takes you for granted. You're angry."
Mary Anne shook her head in instinctive denial, but Wrath's words had her doubting herself more than she would have liked to admit. It wasn't true, was it? Now that Wrath had planted the seed of doubt, it was difficult to erase. Was she really certain that she wasn't that kind of person? Could she be completely, one-hundred-percent certain? Mary Anne couldn't deny that she was sometimes irked at how other people behaved. She liked being kind and spreading kindness, but sometimes other people could be so inconsiderate. Even her friends, every now and then. Mary Anne wasn't immune to feeling frustrated over that. Sometimes, very frustrated. But she never said anything, never expressed it. That didn't make her an angry person, did it?
"I'm... you can think whatever you want!" Mary Anne retorted huffily. She kept her arms defiantly folded.
"So be it," Wrath snarled. "But tell me, princess, if you're not gonna fight me, then who's gonna save your friends?"
A pang of concern shot through Mary Anne's chest. "My friends?" she hissed. How dare this fiend try to use them against her?
