In my psyche environment, I already knew what was going on between Sloth and the two psyches that were sent to bring him, because I was present in their human vessel minds.
"Why are they taking so long?" Lust complained as she painted her lips, using the glass reflection on her table.
"It's been two days, you know?! Greed, honey! This is not what we agreed on."
"Would you be quiet, old bag! I'm trying to fix my hair," Pride lashed at Lust as he permed his long hair backward.
"You're new here, and you don't even remember anything. You're weak, pathetic, and ugly. You think you're some charmer, whereas you're just a slut! Just be quiet."
"You're quite the handsome, arrogant one. Wanna have a good time with me?" Lust replied.
"Tch! Don't look at me!" Pride yelled at Lust.
"Oh! He's shy." Lust chuckled.
"It's quite some time indeed. It's been two days in the psyche world, but six weeks in the human world," Greed explained.
"And due to the fact that they're fighting Sloth, who can manipulate time?" he added.
"Tells you that they are having difficulties with him," Pride responded with a satisfied smile. "I should have gone, but I don't wanna bring in a weakling like Sloth."
"Let me go retrieve them," Wrath said. "Sloth may be slow and lazy, but he's powerful—especially now that he is a Stray[1]."
"But we can't get to their location on time. They are on the other side of the globe. Isn't that right, Greed?" Pride said.
"It would take us a full day to get there even at superhuman speed, and we can't fly yet. We've barely unlocked a few of our abilities because of the transfiguration. That's why—"
"I'll go," Greed concluded, "but it will only be to retrieve Envy and Gluttony. If they end up dying and respawning, it will be a huge setback for everyone."
"But you just said it would be difficult," Lust cut in.
"Just be quiet and leave it to Greed!" Wrath yelled.
"Ultimately, he's the only one that can help in this situation. It's a shame to me, I don't have my abilities right now."
"Well, I'll be back." Greed warped out of the psyche environment.
"Oh! He's gone."
"He's yet to fulfill my promises. That Greed—he's hiding many things," Lust complained.
"I'm still appalled that your memory is missing. Damned Gluttony." Wrath grinned angrily.
---
Back at the forest, Greed warped to where Envy and Gluttony were having a hard time. He met them frozen in midair.
Sloth was outside, lying on the bears who were sleeping.
Greed walked toward Sloth, who was snoring peacefully.
"You must be having the best time of your life, aren't you?" Greed asked.
"Why didn't you come yourself instead of sending these incompetent fools? You're stressing me too much," Sloth replied.
"These 'fools' are your teammates. You shouldn't belittle them."
"Belittle them? You still tell me this after 295 years? You can take them back. It's stressful watching them here, and their presence is obstructing nature."
Greed sighed in disappointment. "I'll be back for you."
But Sloth had already fallen asleep.
Greed touched both Gluttony and Envy, and they warped into thin air.
Envy and Gluttony were warped back into my main consciousness. Gluttony created a black hole by prostrating his hands forward immediately after they were stationed back in, since that was what he had intended to do before he got frozen in time.
"There's no need for that. It's over—you already lost," Pride said as he stood on the table with his arms crossed to prove he was above the others, who were on the ground.
Envy hissed and warped out of the psyche environment in displeasure. Gluttony, on the other hand, went to his seat and started eating a cake that he made appear in his hand.
"So how long were we frozen in time?" Gluttony asked. He munched on his cake hurriedly with an angry look on his face.
"It's been two weeks, dear," Lust answered.
"Woah! How did she get here?" Gluttony freaked out the moment he saw Lust sitting beside him. He almost fell off his seat.
"Greed brought her in. It didn't take an hour after he left before he came back with her," Wrath responded.
Gluttony paused for a few seconds.
"Which makes it all the more sketchy… Envy wouldn't like this," Gluttony muttered.
"That jealous worm. She can't do anything. Greed isn't one you should mess with—he's the closest to being a neutral psyche," Wrath spoke.
"That's why he's the most dangerous amongst us. He is the sole owner of the quest to take revenge against Fate. You shouldn't take him lightly, especially that crap Envy." Wrath added.
"You, Envy, and Lust have lost millions of years of experience due to a certain someone. Now is the time to harness it. We're almost there—all you need to do is make up for it by spending a week as the sole emotion for Will's body. In other words, become a MOOD," Greed said as he materialized into the psyche environment.
"Become a mood?" Envy warped into the psyche environment too, her question echoing.
"That's what GreedLove told me. He enticed me with the offer that I'd be able to do whatever I wanted if I became a mood for a week. My limitations as a stray psyche would be gone once I became one of Will's psyches. I'm so excited!" Lust said happily with a bright smile.
"Yes. Fate doesn't operate in Will's body at the moment, because God is not here. You can be limitless here. And with this vessel we will overthrow Fate, and everything will belong to me. The people, this town, this city, this world, the universe, the multiverse—they will all be mine! And all of you are going to help me achieve this future."
Greed spoke his true intentions. None of them could object, because each had their own part to gain from it. None was as greedy and selfish as he was.
"But we still need Sloth," Envy said.
"Yeah… Sloth will come around when the time is right."
Greed had a flashback of what Sloth told him:
Do you honestly think you can win? Why are you fighting a losing battle?
[1] Strays are Psyches without host, they are believed to be at their strongest because they have no limitations. however they don't live long