Read Novel Full Chapter 274: The Gang’s (almost) All Here
Chapter 274: The Gang’s (almost) All Here
"Wrath! How does one lack that much grace?! It’s honestly impressive!"
Off to his right, Pride stood with a manic look in his eyes as he marched toward the table.
To his left, Wrath matched his pace.
"You needed only to let me through."
Pride’s steps were silent, but if they were on solid ground, Vale felt that each would make the world tremble.
Staying where he was, Vale narrowed his eyes and kept studying the two.
"You are an arrogant miscreant. Because of you, some bugs gained the confidence to dare even look upon my soil."
The two closed in on the table, their eyes alight with their ardent desire. Their overbearing presences clashed, filling the space with malevolent despair.
A beautiful blue-haired woman stood, her eyes drifting open, causing a torrent of blue smoke to pour out.
Wrath cast a glance at Sloth, then said:
"Behave, Pride. Or would you like that very pride you’ve founded yourself upon shattered and decimated?"
Pride stood behind his throne and gritted his teeth. His eyes found Sloth’s as well, who was staring straight at him.
"What an arrogant..." Pride took a deep breath, then said, "You know what... what use is there in getting worked up over a small bug? I almost convinced myself you mattered. How deplorable such a thing would have been."
Pride pulled back his throne and stepped before it, then added:
"Well, come on. We’re here for discussion, are we not? Sit down, Wrath. And make a case for your continued survival, and I may deign to listen — if you beg on your hands and knees fervently enough."
Wrath clicked his tongue, then did the same.
"You are incorrigible, Little Lion."
"And you’re unaware of the lacking importance you hold in my mind."
"The only thing I’m aware of is your sickening hypocrisy, Pride."
Pride sighed, then turned and looked around the black void.
"Are you three just going to watch? Hurry on now, I have much more important matters to attend to."
Vale, who’d been quietly watching the whole fiasco, looked off in the distance, spotting Envy, who held quite the annoyed look on her face.
Off to his left stood a beautiful woman wearing a sleek orange dress, with vibrant amber hair which flowed like fire dancing in the wind.
’Gluttony.’
The woman looked unnervingly unnerved at the situation.
Vale remembered his first time being subject to Wrath’s maleficent force, the sheer inability to control his will. Now, both Pride and Greed were doing little to restrain themselves, yet Gluttony looked unfazed.
’Who is she...?’
Who was she before being called to Pandora by the Voice? Who was she to be so composed?
The first of the three spectators to move was Envy. Next was Vale, then Gluttony.
All three trepidatiously approached the three powerhouses, all standing around staring at one another.
When all three had sat down in their respective thrones, Gluttony’s being directly to Vale’s left, Pride clasped his hands together.
"Well, then. Let us get started. Now, Wrath. Make your case."
Wrath growled as he slowly lowered himself into his onyx felt seat.
"There’s no case to be made to the likes of you."
Sloth followed next. But, as her small body settled in the chair, the terrifying blue goddess said a single word in her shrill, impersonal voice:
"Behave."
Pride slowly sat, then sighed.
"One day, your words will mean as little as Wrath’s."
The towering man scoffed and leaned back.
But despite things calming down to a quiet tension, Sloth remained still with her eyes wide open.
Her cold gaze slowly drifting until it found Vale.
"Lust. Dominion must not taste water."
Vale’s eyes went wide as all their gazes settled on him. He felt the weight of inferiority, chilling death, jealousy, uncontrollable reverence, and a small pang of hunger trying to consume him.
’Uh...’
His throat tightened; a faint, brittle nod of acceptance followed.
’Fuck...’
Snapped out of his focus on Wrath and Sloth, Pride laughed boisterously.
"Lust, my friend! Would you mind telling us what that was about?"
Wrath’s gaze narrowed as well.
"Yes, pray tell, Lust."
It was getting hard to breathe, but Vale choked out a response.
"I’m not entirely sure."
Seeing that the crystal lay dormant, the sinful crew accepted that to be the case.
’Phew.’
In truth, he knew she was referencing Lor’s sword he’d acquired. But...
’Must not taste water?’
The hell did that mean?
That was a little cryptic, to say the least. Then again, that was also the most straightforward thing Sloth had ever said.
Vale began to fidget slightly, pushing his thumb under his pointer finger repeatedly. All five were still studying him.
’Can’t she go back to sleep?!’
Why was Sloth still staring at him as well?
’This is awkward...’
Thankfully, Vale’s hero arrived — a cough.
Wrath had cleared his throat.
"I have already briefed Gluttony about everything she’d need to know about the Council and what we discuss here. So, we needn’t waste time on an explanation. Instead, let us share our findings." Wrath’s glare found Pride. "Or take this time to air out grievances."
Pride chuckled as he leaned to the side, resting his cheek on his fist.
"I thought I already told you, to hold a grievance against you would be a folly."
Wrath sighed deeply as he adjusted the underside of his pincer-adorned helmet.
"Right."
Then, after a beat of silence, Wrath added:
"I’ll start us off. I saw and learned a lot on my travels... But, Pride has erased Malakite from existence, and the Hero of Virtue, Patience, has disappeared."
’Uh...’
Vale’s gaze landed on the haughty man.
’Erased?’
He hadn’t known how strong Malakite was, but for it to have been ’erased’ was a scary thought. That meant, if Vale understood correctly, Pride had now only a one-front battle versus Beakon.
And once Beakon fell, most of Triton, excluding Wrath and Gluttony, would be under his control.
’But where would he set his sights next?!’
There’s no way Pride would stop there...
But would he target his fellow Vice, or another continent?