"FÈNNÙ! I BROUGHT CAKE!"
The voice echoed.
Not just through the hallway—but through dimensions.
Wrath froze mid-strike. His fist, inches from shattering a mountain, halted as the sound rippled unnaturally through his domain. The sky itself flickered, the battlefield trembling as something… foreign entered.
Slowly—very slowly—he turned.
"…He did not."
He did.
Wánjí stepped into Wrath's realm like a child wandering into a storm, completely unaware of the destruction surrounding him. Four arms, all occupied, carefully balancing slices of cake, dripping frosting, and something that absolutely did not belong in a volcanic wasteland.
The ground hissed beneath his feet. Lava bubbled. The air burned.
Wánjí blinked.
"…It's hot."
Wrath stared at him. Then at the cake. Then back at him.
"…You crossed dimensions. For cake."
Wánjí nodded. "I thought you might be hungry."
There was a long pause.
Then Wrath looked away, pressing a hand to his face as a low, strained laugh escaped him. Flames flickered wildly around him, not from anger—but from something dangerously close to amusement.
"…You're unbelievable."
Elsewhere—
Lust had already collapsed against one of his mirrors, laughing openly now.
"I can't—he actually did it—he invaded Wrath's domain… with cake…"
His laughter echoed softly, blending with the whispers of the room. This is better than any temptation… this is pure entertainment.
In the vault, Greed felt it.
A disturbance.
Something… entering spaces it did not belong to.
He turned sharply.
"…No."
Moments later—
"HEY TĀNLÁN! DO YOU WANT—"
"NO."
Wánjí froze in the doorway, mid-step, holding out a plate.
"…You didn't even look."
"I don't need to," Greed snapped. "You're bringing crumbs into my vault."
Wánjí looked down.
There were crumbs.
"…Oh."
Greed's eye twitched.
Envy watched it all unfold.
Silently.
Carefully.
Wánjí moved between realms with ease—not through skill, not through technique, but through sheer innocent intent. There was no resistance. No hesitation.
He simply… went.
Interesting, Envy thought. Even boundaries yield to him… not because he overpowers them… but because he does not recognize them.
Sloth remained asleep.
Even when Wánjí appeared briefly at the edge of his domain, placing a small plate beside his floating bed, he did not wake.
"…He looks peaceful," Wánjí whispered.
Then he left quietly.
And finally—
Wánjí entered the one place he probably shouldn't have.
Pride's chamber.
Golden light shimmered. Silence reigned.
Wánjí hesitated.
"…Zìháo?"
Pride did not turn immediately.
"…You tracked frosting across three thresholds," he said calmly.
Wánjí froze. Looked down.
"…Sorry."
A pause.
Then—
"…What is it?" Pride asked.
Wánjí brightened slightly, holding out a carefully chosen slice of cake.
"I brought you this."
Pride turned. Slowly.
Golden eyes met wide, hopeful ones.
And for just a moment—just a brief, fleeting moment—something softened.
"…You should not be walking into everyone's domains uninvited," Pride said.
"…Oh."
"…But," he added, taking the plate, "I suppose this is… acceptable."
Wánjí smiled.
Back in the meeting hall, chaos gathered again.
Wrath arrived first, followed by Lust—still laughing under his breath—then Greed, visibly irritated, Envy, silent as ever, and eventually Wánjí, who had somehow not run out of food.
Sloth floated in last. Half-asleep.
Pride entered last.
The room settled instantly.
"We need another rule," Greed said immediately.
"Yes," Wrath added. "He cannot just walk into my domain."
"It was funny," Lust muttered.
"It was not," Greed snapped.
"It was," Wrath corrected, barely holding back another laugh.
Pride raised a hand. Silence fell.
"No crossing into another's domain without permission," he said.
Wánjí nodded quickly. "Okay!"
"…And no bringing food into places it does not belong."
Wánjí hesitated. "…What if they want it?"
"They will ask."
"…Okay."
Lust leaned back, smirking. He will absolutely break that rule within the hour.
The room quieted.
For the first time since they had arrived… things felt almost stable.
Almost.
Pride sat in his seat, golden shards faintly glinting behind him. His gaze drifted—not at his brothers, not at the room—but somewhere beyond.
Far beyond.
"…There are others," he said.
The shift was immediate.
Wrath's expression hardened. Lust's smile faded slightly. Greed's eyes narrowed. Envy stilled completely. Even Sloth opened one eye.
Wánjí blinked. "…Others?"
Pride nodded once.
"Yes."
A pause settled over the hall, heavier than before.
"If we exist here," Pride continued, voice calm and measured, "then it would be naïve to assume we are the only ones."
Wrath scoffed, rolling his shoulders. "Good. I was getting bored."
"They won't be reckless," Pride replied.
Wrath grinned. "Then I'll make them be."
Lust tilted his head slightly, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "And you're so certain of that?"
Pride's gaze flickered faintly.
"…Because they will be organized," he said. "Composed. The type to move with purpose… not chaos."
A subtle pause.
"…If they are anything like what I expect, then they are already adapting far more efficiently than we are."
Greed raised an eyebrow. "You're giving them a lot of credit."
"I'm giving them accuracy," Pride replied.
Envy's eyes gleamed faintly, absorbing every word. Structured. Controlled. Unified… the opposite of us.
Wánjí tilted his head. "…Do they have food?"
Silence.
Then—
Lust broke first, laughter spilling out uncontrollably.
Wrath followed, a deep, rumbling laugh escaping him.
Even Sloth let out a quiet chuckle, barely lifting his head.
Greed sighed.
Pride closed his eyes.
"…This is going to be difficult."
Far away—
Far from the city's noise, from neon lights and crowded streets—
There was only open land.
Wide, endless fields stretched beneath a quiet sky. The wind moved gently through tall grass, carrying the scent of soil, grain, and something untouched by modern chaos.
Seven figures stood there.
Not in formation.
Not prepared.
Just… present.
As if they had been placed there without warning.
One shifted slightly, glancing around at the unfamiliar landscape. Another knelt, brushing their fingers against the earth, as though grounding themselves in something real.
The silence was not tense.
Just uncertain.
A softer voice broke it.
"Where are we, brother?"
The question hung in the air, carried gently by the wind.
All eyes turned to the one addressed.
He stood still for a moment, gaze sweeping across the farmland, the distant horizon, the endless sky.
No cities.
No crowds.
No noise.
Just quiet.
"…I have no idea."
And unlike the chaos rising within the city—
They did not move.
Not yet.