-----

”You know, it’s bad form for the star of the party to not be there for the rest to fawn over.” The Harpy commented with a light-hearted tone.

The celebration had already lasted for three days. While not everyone was celebrating, the loss of life to the Growth bringing many people down, most were, and for a good reason. The elevation of a new emperor was always going to be a big deal, and while she wasn’t becoming the Empress just yet, she might as well be in the minds of most. The fact that it hadn’t come through a rather bloody struggle was also much better than what many had feared. She was also currently very popular among both mortal and immortal inhabitants of the Divine Planes, which made the mood of the celebration genuine. Those who could were also celebrating their survival against the Growth at the same time, as things had looked rather bad for a brief time.

“It might be bad form, but I’m going to be the empress dammit! That comes with certain perks, one of which is the ability to sometimes be selfish.” Karna joked cheerfully.

“Genuinely though, congratulations. I did not expect you to emerge victorious when you first came to the Divine Planes. Things didn’t look very good at first.” The Harpy’s tone got more genuine.

“Oh ye of little faith.” She just smiled mysteriously.

“Fair enough. But you can’t really expect everyone to have faith until you’ve given them something to believe in.” He countered.

“Can’t I? I really should point out that there have been several people with such faith, even from the time before I came to the Divine Planes. To them, it was never a matter of if I would win, but when.” Karna was mostly just toying around with the Harpy, without really trying to make a point. Her words were taken more seriously than she’d expected though.

The Harpy was quiet for a moment, before he spoke again, much more seriously. “That is true. And some of them obviously had not seen you before. In this life at least. They obviously know something that most don’t. And I believe they hold the same belief for the other throne that is up for contest.”

"Maybe you should heed their direction," Karna suggested with a shrug.

“Maybe I should.” He seemed to agree. “Though that fight is still contested more heavily. Strictly speaking, even I’m still in the competition.”

“Are you though?” Karna asked, getting a little more serious as she noted that the Harpy wasn’t just playing around. "Are you, really? Think about it seriously. This isn't something you can just luck into. You can't just win this by waiting until others exhaust themselves."

“Practically speaking, I’m not. I realize that. However, many will not. As reincarnators, we’re not used to being the side characters. We’re used to getting what we want. For many of us, the idea of losing is entirely foreign.” The Harpy pointed out.

Karna gave a deep sigh. “That’s a fantasy that will shatter eventually. For everyone. Only those who have not had the misfortune of reincarnating into a really bad situation still hold onto such delusions. Coincidentally, that also encompasses the weakest among us. Those that still onto such delusions never had a chance in the first place. The real contenders have simply not disabused them of that fantasy just yet. That state of affairs will not remain for too much longer.”

“Then who do you think has a chance? I’m genuinely asking.” The Harpy seemed brimming with curiosity.

"Aside from me? Pride. Envy. Lust, or as you might know her, Temperance. Hope might have a chance if she tried seriously, but she won't. Not until and unless both Envy and I are out of running. There are a couple other Names, but I’m not sure if they’re even here.” She listed.

"I'm noticing a trend in those Names. Sins and Virtues. Especially since you've used the Name Wrath several times. I also notice you left a Name out. The Reaper. We’ve all felt their presence a couple of times already.” The Harpy surprised her a little by bringing that up seemingly out of nowhere.

“Well, there’s certainly a Name that should never be counted out. Most reincarnators try to forget their existence though.” She gave a half-hearted explanation.

“Perhaps. Unless you already mentioned them.” The Harpy pointed out slyly.

"Unless I already mentioned them." She easily agreed, playing along.

“Incidentally, there’s a Name that might inspire quite a bit of faith in those aware of it.” He pointed out again. The man was sharper than she’d given him credit for. He could also just be fishing.

“Perhaps. Who can say.” She chose not to confirm or deny anything. Although, it seems the Harpy had read between the lines and chose to make his exit with a knowing smile on his face.

Karna waited for a moment for him to be gone before speaking again. “So? How did it go?”

Envy slipped out of her shadow with a frown on her face. “As I expected, I was not able to follow him to wherever his lair is. The protective artifacts he has set up made it impossible without being noticed. And while I wouldn’t mind picking a fight with him, the timing could’ve been better, what with you declaring a very public amnesty and everything. Worse, it seems he didn’t take your declaration of amnesty to heart. Or, well, the deed could’ve been done before that. It’s hard to tell. We found the body of Hekarti’s son left on her doorstep. He’d been dead for a while. Perhaps even before the vote. It seems Greed had no intention of returning the boy alive.”

“That is unfortunate. I imagine Hekarti didn’t take it well.” Karna couldn’t say she was too surprised. Greed had never been a graceful loser.

“No, she didn’t. She’s swearing revenge. On the positive side, her vengeance seems to be entirely focused on Greed. Not that she has any chance of succeeding.” Envy sat down on a nearby divan and grabbed a half-empty glass of some alcoholic drink before downing it entirely.

“Perhaps we can give her a bit of a helping hand. I’ll have Hope and the Harpy spread the news of what he did. He went directly against the first decree of a future empress. A decree of mercy no less. That will not win him any favors in the public eye. With that established, we can make a move on him without being condemned for it. No one will shed any tears over someone who would kill a child.” Karna stated.

“The boy wasn’t actually young enough to be called that. He was, in fact, barely younger than you.” Envy pointed out.

“Eh. Leave that part out of the story. I doubt most people will be aware. And calling him young is still not wrong. We’ll just have to avoid using the word child.”

“In that case, can I take care of him? I have some unfinished business with him from previous lives. Not as much as with Lust, but…” Envy asked while picking up another half-empty glass.

“Once again, you don’t need my permission, but sure, you have it anyway. I have my hands full setting up a trap for Pride, so I’d actually be pleased if you took him off my plate.” Karna gestured dismissively.

“Good. In that case, I’ll be back with his head in a few days. I’ll borrow Kensei. She would be a nice help against his toys.” Envy declared, before vanishing.

---------

Greed stared morosely at the golden and gem-studded ceiling of his haven. Every item inside was heavily enchanted and created by master crafters. Some were even made by Wrath, and those had a place of pride in his collection. He had always been proud of his collection and his achievements, but it was never enough. His talents were not enough. In many cases he could buy success, but in the face of the likes of Pride and Wrath, he knew deep down that he simply didn’t fight in the same class.

Few among them dared to admit it, but there were clear tiers among the Sins. Pride and Wrath were in a class of their own, not just because of their age, but also because of sheer talent. They could accomplish many things effortlessly that required tremendous effort from lesser people. Below the two came him, Envy and Lust. He was honest enough to admit to himself that even among the trio, he was likely the least talented. That’s why he tried to be the most prepared. That’s why his power manifested the way it did, as it allowed him to carry some of those preparations with him to other lives. As for Sloth and Gluttony, they could be powerful in the right circumstances, but they were simply slaves to their Sins. While other Sins were more than their Sin, the two had embraced theirs, becoming somewhat one-dimensional.

Still, he had thought he had a chance. He’d been born early enough that he held the advantage, and his victory had not been far. It felt that without the help of certain people, like Khaine or even the Emperor, Wrath wouldn’t have been able to gain the throne. Still, he didn’t consider it unfair. If fairness had been a concern, then the mere fact that Wrath had been born so much later than him should’ve disqualified him. No, what irked him was that he had been so close. A few days and his plans would’ve come to fruition. And if not for his greed, he could’ve just smothered Wrath before she became a threat. Yet his greed dictated that not only did he want to win, but he also wanted Wrath to admit to losing. In the best case, he might have even been able to win her. The last part was beyond ambitious, but the possibility had been too enticing to pass, and he didn’t earn the Name Greed for not shooting at ambitious goals. Besides, she was a good distraction for Pride especially.

Instead, now he had people coming after his life. He could hear the fighting as his underlings, both mechanical constructs and living people, met their end. His defenses crumbled, and all the preparations he had made were rendered moot one by one. The indignity was that it wasn’t even Wrath that had come to finish him off. Instead, she’d sent her little lackeys. That galled. Instead of falling to the blade of someone he admitted to being superior, he was going to fall to an equal. He wouldn’t go easy. He never did. But he would fall. The least he could do was to take Envy with him.

The heavily enchanted gold and platinum doors to his personal chambers, which looked more like a throne room, burst open and a pair of women walked in. “Greed you old bastard! It’s time for you to die again.” Envy declared in a cheery voice.

Anyone else might’ve wondered why she was so happy about the situation, but he knew. “Come to get rid of the competition, eh? The loyal pet doesn’t want to compete for her master’s attention.” He tried to goad her. He’d set several traps in the room after all.

Envy seemed to be in a mood though as she cheerily stepped around every trap he had laid. As usual, her senses were annoyingly sharp. “Competition? You think you can consider yourself competition? Mighty arrogant of you. You have never been able to compete with me in anything, not to mention anything important.” Greed noted that the other woman who he recognized from reports had stopped to casually lean against the wall next to the door.

“And yet, you’ve ended up dead at my feet more than once.” Greed retorted, getting up from his throne-like seat.

"Oh, I don't deny that. We've all died so many times that eventually even you're going to get one or two over me. Besides, your little hack of being able to bring things from one life to another can be a really overbearing one in certain low-power universes. You'll notice though, that this isn't one of those." Envy once again stepped around another trap he'd set. Damn. He’d had some faith in that one. She’d even teased him a bit by almost stepping on the trigger but had pulled her foot back at the last moment.

“Yes, well, your specialty of stealing the skills of others is only useful if you have someone to steal from. This universe really is made for you. Too bad that’s not going to save you.” He pulled out a scepter and pointed it at her before muttering a command word. The scepter was something that he’d used to great success in the past as it could mentally dominate someone. Even someone as resistant as Envy should’ve been befuddled for a short time. Enough for her to get caught in his traps.

Before his words finished though, he felt something strike his wrist, sending the scepter flying. The blow had been hard enough that without his very powerful armor, it would’ve been his entire hand that had been sent flying instead. He could see the woman by the door sheathing her blade. He hadn’t even seen her move. How had she struck him from that distance? And through his defenses? He had several defensive fields surrounding him, all powerful enough to stop an attack even from Wrath.

“You seem confused.” Envy grinned. “I didn’t bring her along just for fun. Wonderful skills she has. Almost designed to counter your little toys. Every time you pull something out, she’s going to strike you, and next time she won’t be so gentle. Not that the scepter would’ve worked. I’ve seen that trick before. Heck, I’ve used something similar myself. Do you really think I didn’t bring countermeasures against mental manipulation? I’m allied with two rank 14 psions!”

His mind worked quickly, and he soon arrived at an answer. "A conceptual attack? One that will allow her strikes to reach their target no matter the distance or protections?" He didn't need confirmation, though the slight shift in Envy’s expression was enough to tip him off. He’d gotten close enough to the right answer.

With a quick swing of his arm, he struck the head of a statue, which caused a golden barrier to envelop him and his throne. The spell was something designed by Wrath. It isolated him from any attacks by effectively placing him in a different reality. Conceptual attacks like the one the woman had used were very particular about being aimed correctly, and since he effectively wasn’t where her eyes told her he was, any attacks would miss. The protection was so absolute that even if this entire world was destroyed, he would survive. And in fact, that was his plan. The two women didn’t know it, but this world would soon be no more, and he would be the only thing left. The only downside was that he couldn’t do anything to them either.

"Oh, I've seen that one before too. Used by Wrath though. Did you steal the idea from her?" Envy asked, seemingly not in any hurry. She wasn't yet. The signal he had sent had already triggered the destruction, but it would take time before the artifact at the core of the world reached a critical mass of power.

“Considering how often you steal from her, I don’t think you’re in a position to say anything. Some items and spells of hers might have ended up in my possession.” He admitted freely. The longer he kept them talking, the less likely they were to have any way to escape. Many prepared barriers had been erected behind them, just to slow them down should they try to escape.

"Kensei, could you be a darling and deal with the building problem at the core of this world? I didn't think Greed would be crazy enough to use it, but it's a good thing I scouted things out beforehand. Oh, and I'd close my ears if I were you." Envy's words both worried and confused Greed. Her expression also stated that he'd somehow played right into her hands.

With a grin, the woman called Kensei exited the room, preparing her sword for another attack. Could her conceptual attack reach the core of the world? And could it destroy the artifact he had placed there? “Are you not worried about sending your trump card away? I could have another scepter like the last one.” He had another three.

“I’m not worried in the slightest.” Envy’s grin grew positively wicked. “See, I’ve seen that defensive trick before. I know it goes both ways. Not only does it isolate you from our attacks, but we are also safe from your attacks. There’s also another rather nasty downside. I’m not sure if you picked up on it when you stole the idea.”

“What?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“You can’t turn it off before it has run its course naturally. So, now you’re stuck here with me, and you can’t do anything to me for more than twenty minutes.” The evil glint in Envy’s eyes did not look promising.

“Your attacks can’t reach me though.” He replied a little uncertainly.

“No, but my voice can. Did you really think Wrath hadn’t long ago developed a counter for that defense? As it turns out, she didn’t have to, as she had the counter ready before she developed this spell. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to learn the skill before this life. However, having seen her use the skill a couple of times in this life, I think I finally got it. Now we’re going to take part in a very interesting experiment.” Her words were seeped with malice. “I originally wanted to save this for Lust, but at least I’ll get to practice.”

“W-what kind of experiment?” He had a very bad feeling about this.

“We’re going to see what happens when someone is subjected to the full power of the Song of Khali for a whole twenty minutes. I have to apologize in advance, but I can’t quite control it like Wrath can. You’re going to be getting the full blast the entire time, and not the pleasant version either…