Fate/Destiny (Quest)

[Theadier]

1

[Alliceron]

​1.

[zikari8]

1

[Bird of Hermes]

1!

[SleepMode]

​1

[GilgameshKingOfMemes]

2. Second Hand Smoke

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Location: Military Base in Brazil
Time: Noon



(BGM)

They both sat there, one across from the other, without a word said. A tension filled the room like a heavy smog, smothering the senses of all involved. The only sound which echoed out was the clack of a old pistol's hammer as Claudia playfully pulled it back and let it go with her thumb. It continued rhythmically, like the ticking of the clock, it carried on and on drilling into the man's head. Anxiety crushed his gut and twisted within him like a knife. He couldn’t move, tied to a chair while Claudia sat just a few inches away. Rather than orient her own chair the right way she instead rested on it as is, legs spread, her arms hanging across the back of her seat.

The sight down a gun barrel was not a sight Jaren had feared before. He still doesn’t. Claudia though. She was the real horror here.

“How does it feel?”

Claudia finally broke the monotony of the hammer slamming back into place. She waited calmly, a pleasant smile rested on her face.

“...…it’s terrible. Madam.”

“Was it worth it?”

“No madam.”

Claudia’s intentions were impossible to read. She just kept staring. Staring straight on. The clacking started again.

“I despise those who lack humility you know. You’ve forgotten your place and sought to control another. You got to feel powerful for just a night, and then your sins brought you crashing back to Earth. Are you happy with yourself?”

“No madam.”

“Hmmmmm...”

He could feel his body getting hotter. Like death approaching, his legs were roasted by coming hell fire.

“You’ve broken our rules. Betrayed our code of honor. You should be executed for this but……How about this? Betray your friends. Tell me who was with you and I won’t do anything to you.”

He couldn’t stand the staring which bore through him as she asked. The eyes of god they said. Just as she worked for the lord, the lord would work for her. It was a rumor. It was insane. It was rambling. But he couldn’t escape the judgmental leer from the depths of darkness down the guns barrel. It was the intense pressure of a force unseen which crushed his chest and pumped words out of him when he lost control of all function.

“It was Lucas! Lucas Barros! He was there, he was an accomplice. But I know that’s not what you really want! You don’t care if he was with me for my crime, you want more. I know he did it too! He leaked the location to Russia!”

Claudia rested there, seemingly as content as she always was. It was impossible to tell if she was satisfied.

“I find it a shame you believe your crimes were not a priority here. Lancer was always meant to carry out this assault. The lord promised me as much. His betrayal was divine providence for me……… Still, a promise is a promise. You’ve given all your life is useful for. I will not lay a finger on you. Not now. Not ever.”

With a casual motion Claudia returned the gun to a holster at her side. The terrible clacking finally ended. He was free.

And then he saw it. What he feared most of all. The sudden sadistic grin.

“Oh, Andreia! He’s all yours.”

Footsteps echoed across the room as a second presence approached from behind. He didn’t recognize the name, or rather, he realized, never learned it. It was a face he had seen only a few nights ago. It must have been her that ratted him out. He didn’t think she would have seen his face well enough. She was a short and disheveled girl with bags under eyes from recent nights without rest. She waited so long, so quietly, so eagerly for this one opportunity. True panic showed itself on his face, and he began shaking in his chair.

“Wait! Wait! I’m sorry!”

Claudia moves from her seat and heads over to the door.

“Andreia, the last thing he ever hears is yours to decide.”

With a flip of the switch light from above illuminated the room which had been locked in shadow for so long. Panic turned to terror as the man attempted to break the bonds of imprisonment, the chair shaking on the ground but there was no escape. The equipment on the walls seemed to mock him, everything in the room looked down upon him. He was so small.

“WaIT! wAiT! GeT mE oUt!”

In a manner sadistically slow. If only so he could helplessly watch his last chance of salvation slip from his fingers, Claudia closed the door with a creak. It was as if the gates of heaven were locking him out before his eyes.

(BGM)

Claudia finally closed the door. It firmly shut behind her, sealing all sound within the room. She waited a moment before letting out a sigh, her shoulders losing their tension.
A voice suddenly spoke up despite the hallway being empty.

“It seems the British have finally brought you what you requested.”

In a series of golden sparkles and dust a man suddenly manifests next to Claudia. She takes a moment, lighting a cigar she kept in her pocket.

Rider

“Excellent news! How close is Lancer?”

A beaming smile for a moment took over her otherwise dead appearance. Claudia took a drag of her cigar before walking down the hall, her servant in tow. The halls were a plain beige with orange stripes at the top and bottom. Numerous doors lined the walls alongside paintings and various potted plants. Like her sudden switch in attitude the style of the building of which they resigned severely contrasted the room they just left. It was designed to her will and thus resembled an office building more than a military base. It was something she always found comfortable, like the one on a show she watched when she was a little girl.

“The Russian navy is already close to shore. We’ve engaged in a full force battle with them like you requested.”

Claudia waved her cigar around seemingly amused by the news.

“Good. Good. Lead him in…….I assume there is bad news as well. Despite your talents you are sometimes easy to read Rider.”

Rider just scoffs and shrugs his shoulders dismissively.

“The evacuation of certain areas in the target zone has run into some issues. The weather has taken an unexpected turn and it’s believed that parts of the evacuation zone will have to be expanded and moved back despite the short amount of time we have.”

Claudia takes another drag of her cigar, contemplating something.

“As your partner of more experience, I reject the idea that we should go through with the plan, we both know it is useless against servants. I still don’t think a show of force is worth wasting these resources on and now is the time to cut this off. At the very least I should intervene to delay his advancement.”

“We can’t afford that. My lord was precise with knowledge and we must perfect his demand. You must only come in at the last moment. If we have to reveal your speed to the world it must be the most opportune surprise. To ensure victory, I am willing to make the sacrifices.”

Rider made a face of annoyance, and yet despite the attack on his pride he swallowed whatever complaint he had.

“Very well. We best hurry then, lest we miss the spectacle.”

Claudia let out a gleeful laugh.

“Yes, we have not a moment to lose! I am truly excited. I’ve always wished to see it in person.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Character Status

Health: 400/400 (Excellent)
Stamina: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mana: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mental Health: (Anxious)

(BGM)

After waiting around for another boring uneventful eternity staring down a large stone building Abigail finally felt it was the opportune time to make a move. At a certain point cleaning my sword just became playing with it. At least it’s very sparkly. Kept my mind off the Mafia too. Before getting up I take a deep breath. I clutch Chūshin-Anzen close to my chest, an important item from home to calm the nerves. With a short prayer to who even knows at this point I prepare myself to push onwards.

(....)

I suppose the night time infiltrations always had a certain aesthetic to them which covered up my own self awareness of its awkwardness because this midday investigation is getting to me. We’re crawling around on our hands and knees through the dirt and bushes in bright sunlight, we look like idiots. Despite my embarrassment Abigail seems like she’s having fun at least. We checkout the few available windows until arriving at one near the middle. Having gotten sufficiently close, her head peaks out of the bush and stares into it.

“We’ve got trouble for sure.”

It was a dark and barren room, unfurnished and unpainted except for one small stool at the back wall by the door. On it sat a single man who lackadaisically read a book. Abigail observes him closely, problem trying to stare him death or something.

“I’m pretty sure that window is locked if the other ones are to be believed. Seems like the reasonable thing to do.”

“So what are we gonna do? We can always go back and check the door again.”

Abigail just dismissively shakes her head at me.

“No need my friend. I have planned everything out.”

“Is it gonna involve punching everyone again.”

“Of course it is.”

“That’s gonna make a ton of noise.”

“Not when you knock em out with the ol’ one two. Ain’t ever failed me yet. That’s how we’ll find that spirit user too, just hit em until a monster shows up.”

“Abigail, you suggest this every time I swear to god I……. I would be angry if it didn't work every time.”

Abigail just stifles a laugh before patting me on the shoulder.

“I’m gonna get the man's attention by disrupting the bounded field, the initial spark should hopefully get him to investigate. With that he just needs to open the window and then, Pow! Right in the kisser.”

Abigail punches the air for emphasis. Her fake blows swung a little too far forward however, and with a sudden spark, touched the bounded field, seemingly shattering it.

(BGM)

“Oh my…. Plan is a go!”

Abigail quickly retracts her hand into the bush and waits in the bush, pulling some brush forward to better block her from sight. The man on the stool quickly steps off the stool, alerted at the sudden noise and change in atmosphere of the bounded field suddenly disappearing. As he approaches the window he freezes seemingly thinking of something. He suddenly returns his gun which I couldn’t even see him pull out and reaches for something else much slower this time. An entire bounded field vanishing in an instant is enough to make anyone hesitant, and so he seems to be reaching for whatever is more reliable to him then a pistol. Gripping a stone in his hands, a series of symbols light up his gloves. I am beginning to doubt the effectiveness of beating the lights out of a man who finds his fist more reliable than a gun, but Abigail seems all the more confident as her smirk grows.

In a quick motion the man throws the window open and in the next second Abigail jumps up from the bushes and strikes him. In a single upward jab she goes for the underside of his jaw. The man raises his guard in time to block her throw with his arms, another spark emanating from the blow. The man whose body took the force of Abigail's blow like a brick wall suddenly buckled under the force and was thrown to the floor.

“That’s one.”

Quickly hopping in through the window while the man stumbles back up in confusion, desperately squeezing his fist, another blow smashes into the side of his head and throws him into the wall with a grunt. All life drains from body as he collapses to the floor.

“And that’s two.”

(BGM)

I throw my bag at her before climbing my way into the empty room with much less ease than Abigail. Exercise makes you stronger, my ass.

“I hate that this worked.”

“Would you rather have gotten shot?”

“Part of me says yes.”

Abigail hands me back the bag which I throw over my shoulder. Without the need to crawl around I take out a few talisman. Before we leave I need to stick a few on the back of the door. If a spirit tries to get through here, this will hopefully hinder it. While I acted like the room was already cursed, Abigail tied the poor man next to his stool with rope. I guess she just keeps it in her coat for these kinds of occasions.

“Now that's done, let's take it slow and look for the main objective first and foremost.”

“You didn’t get that from the trunk, do you always just keep rope with you?”

“Surely you understand. Sometimes there’s someone out there in need of getting tied.”

“I don’t….”

“Maybe when you’re older.”

With a pat on the back she heads over to the door. I scowl as she walks forward with slow movements, stopping for a moment before she pulls open the door with the bare minimum distance required to peer into the hallway.

“Cost clear.”

“Not for long probably…..”

Character Status

Health: 400/400 (Excellent)
Stamina: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mana: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mental Health: (Anxious)

(BGM)

I step out in the hallway with Abigail, making sure to carefully close the door behind me as she leads the way. Due to the unfinished nature of the building there are no indications as to what is where or directions to certain places. Many of the rooms so far are empty as well leaving numerous dead ends all over the place. There’s just concrete here. I step precariously into the hall before suddenly bumping into something.
Abigail suddenly places a hand out stopping us in our tracks.

“What is it?” I whisper

“Shhhhh!” Rather than say another word Abigail simply points upwards at a spot near the end of the hall. An air vent rested on a ceiling by a window but there was something odd about it. The smell and sight of smoke wafted out from the vent and flowed into the hallway. My mind first jumped to fire but there was something very odd about it all. The smoke which drifted in appeared to be pure white, it drifted in unnaturally, carefully moving through the hall. It spreads through the air in spirals and creeps down the wall in tendrils. There was something familiar about it too.

Slowly, Abigail moves to open a nearby door. It only took a little motion for the thing to start creaking. The smoke freezes in its tracks at the sound. Then there was a loud thumping as a large mass traveled through the ventilation.

BRUH FORMATTING SUCKS NO MATTER WHAT I DO THIS THING WONT CENTER, DAMN YOU BEAST LAIR FORMATINGDDDDD(BGM)

“We don’t got time!”

Abigail suddenly grips my arm and pulls me into the room and slams the door. Without hesitation I place as many talisman as I can against the cracks in the door. Already the smoke is leaking in, it’s like playing whack a mole with ofuda to get it to dissipate and pushed outside. A light wisp escapes me and brushes past Abigail's face, disappearing with a small spark. After covering enough holes to save a sinking ship it seems whatever was outside gave up.

“I think we actually kept it out.”

There was another minute of silence as I searched for another vent. I assumed it would travel through one but rather than try, it suddenly started smashing the door in.

“Forget the vent we’re getting out of here.”

With the wood beginning to splinter, the smoke oozing in, it's not hard to convince my coward spirit to sprint out of the room.
The two of us burst out into the hall, scaring the crap out of a poor dude standing outside.

“What the hell?!”

Taking control of that moment of confusion, Abigail grabs the man, he struggles having gotten a hold of himself and out of the confusion, slamming the back of his head into Abigail's face. There’s a loud bang as they collide, Abigail's nose bending in an uncomfortable angle.

“Fuck you ya bastard.”

With a forceful shove Abigail throws the man into the doorway. The spirit pursuing them doesn’t hesitate to slam through him and out into the hall.

“Gahk!”

The man can only make a short sound before his lungs are filled with smoke. He grips his neck to try and force it out but it’s impossible to cough it up. His skin rapidly starts turning a messy dark color as his entire body undergoes necrosis in an instant. Flesh degrades and peels, his legs quickly become unable to support his weight and he collapses to the ground. The smoke rests there draining his life and degrading his flesh, exposing muscle and bone. In an instant his life was ripped away from him. It was a disgusting sight. It was terrifying. My legs buckled beneath me.

Status Update

Mental Health: (Anxious) ----> (Frightened)

I’ve never been good with horror. I always felt so strongly seeing pain. It was like I could feel their agony. My skin crawled for the same reason here. I nearly collapsed but another hand gripped mine.

“Get a move on!”

Abigail drags me into the nearest room with force that nearly tosses me off my feet. Unsure what to even do against this I simply toss the talisman I had been holding at the thing. It almost looks like it flinches, but it doesn’t take long to move around it. At the very least it repelled it for a moment. In that time Abigail slams the door of the next room and locks it.

The room is a much larger location for storage. With numerous boxes stacked throughout the place Abigail quickly opens a metal container by the wall.

“Get in!”

(BGM)

the smoke starts leaking in through the sides of the door. The slamming continues as the door splinters and cracks until the entire thing comes crashing down.
It’s uncomfortable, tight and filled with various metal beams but it’s better in here and then out there with the smoke monster making its way inside. After a minute of silence, we finally take a moment to catch our breath. I grasp my mystic code tightly in my hand.

Status Update

Stamina: 400/400 → 350/400 (Good)

“As soon as we can we have to rush out the other door, if we want this thing off our trail we need to trap it. Slamming doors shut only buys a minute at most. The only hope is to use traps we already made. That’s why we’ve covered every previous room in talisman. In order to get out of this we essentially have to backtrack.”

“If we do that though we’ll probably run into the user and the rest of the smoke as it’s not an independent entity. We will probably have to face him to get rid of this.”
“What makes you say that.”

Despite my ignorance on most subjects, after seeing that thing in action I’ve gotten a pretty strong guess as to its identity. We’re just so lucky it falls under my expertise. Its hard to get the words as I force out the quietest of whispers.

“I would like to see the magus..... but I think that it is an Enenra. It’s a yokai made of smoke, but unlike most yokai this thing's existence is different from the traditional understanding. Unlike shikigami which are made by forming a contract with an existing, natural spirit of some kind, Enenra never actually existed but were rather invented by Toriyama Sekien. Essentially this creature is personally crafted by the magus in a manner closer to western familiars. Enenra specifically though....... are made of human corpses and their burnt remains from cremation, thus falling under the range of the living dead, hence the necrosis.”

“Is there anything important I should have gotten from that.”

“Basically, one, we need to find the fire source producing the smoke. Two, this magus doesn’t practice spiritual evocation or use normal familiars, but is instead, actually a necromancer.”

Abigail wipes some sweat from her brow.

“If anything that’s a relief. I’m such a bad match up against spirits that this means fighting him will maybe be a little easier.”
Abigail pushes against the top of the box and peaks out. While it’s impossible to get a full view of the room but it appears as if the spirit had suddenly vanished. There were no signs of it. No signs of it searching or trying to fill the room or anything of the sort.

“It appears to be gone….”

“It’s possible we’ve stretched it too thin, if we were in a smaller room it might have tried to fill it but it’s maybe too far from the user to do that.”

Abigail ducks back in and thinks for a moment.

“It’s probably a trap then. It’s waiting for us to show ourselves while the magus gets closer.”

It’s a difficult situation but if I’m right and it really is a yokai, then my magecraft might work well against it. After watching everything it did to this man I don’t want to go. I don’t want to fight it, I don’t even want to see it. But I’m gonna have to aren’t I? It’s the only way out of here. I miss the petty insults of minor criminals.

“Don’t worry I’ll make sure to take the attention off you, you just need to hit it with some spells while we loop back around.”

“What! That will kill you in an instant.”

“Nonsense. I just need to hold my breath for a minute or two if it gets me.”

“Abigail I…..”

Footsteps echo throughout the large room. Slowly they move closer. Why are they here? For what purpose did they abandon their trap? Why did they reveal themselves like this?

Abigail seems lost in thought again.

“What else do you know about these things? Is it perhaps exceptionally costly? Perhaps he knew he would lose a game of endurance?”

“I don’t know that much! I’ve never actually seen anyone use one of these things I just read about it!”

I carefully take out my sword, wrapping a talisman around part of the blade. Trapped in one of these boxes, getting out this thing might make a first move limited. We can’t hide here forever, So I want to be ready. Even if my legs shake beneath me.

Abigail removes her gun from her side.

“I’ll go first. And then we’ll beat the shit out of him.”

The footsteps finally cease and there’s a moment of silence.

?????

“I know you two are in here. It's unfortunate we must meet like this, but what must be done shall be done. Let's do the honorable thing and fight to the death.”

Wise Up

*The control of information is paramount. The more you know the more of an advantage you get. Depending on how ignorant you are about a subject, the actions the characters make and the choices you get can vary. This isn’t just true for you though but also all other characters including antagonists so it’s important to consider what they know.


Spirit User:
-Thanks to your enhanced knowledge of Japanese folklore and the supernatural from Onmyodo you’ve identified the true nature of the enemy's spirit. Their spirit is an Enenra.
-They are actually a necromancer
-The Enenra's attack potency is D-

Choices

For combat you are free to expand on a combat strategy for your choice such as order of attacks or special actions you wish to make. You don’t have to though it’s optional as what you do not add, I will.


1.Buster: Go all out. Make use of Semei Kikyo, Ofuda and swordsmanship. Cost: 60 mana, 50 stamina.
2.Arts: stay back and hit him only with my magecraft. Cost: 60 mana
3.Quick: spam him just a single spell. Either semei kikyo or ofuda. Cost: 20 or40 mana.
4.A coward is the one who gets to live, let’s run away. Cost: 100 stamina.
5.Write in

[SleepMode]

1

Our magecraft repertoire so far only excels at dealing with spiritual entities, which the pseudo-Enenra fits the bill. So best use those in case the familiar tries to protect their host and have our swordsmanship deal with the rest. Also, Semei Kikyo can also help with the energy drain.

[zikari8]

1

[Theadier]

1

[Alliceron]

​1.

[GilgameshKingOfMemes]

3. Strong Armed

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Location: Warehouse
Time: Afternoon
Overall Status: Good

Character Status

Health: 400/400 (Excellent)
Stamina: 350/400 (Good)
Mana: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mental Health: (Frightened)

(BGM)

With the loud roar of gun fire the two spring into action. The two of them are far stronger than I, carefully taking calculated shots at the other, waiting carefully before moving. Abigail made the first move and in an instant the man was able to follow up on it. I don’t have the energy to keep that pace so I’ve hunkered down and hid low in the box, covering my ears due to being so close to gun fire.

Abigail took one shot, jumped out and dove behind a thicker layer of containers across the way. With a skilled eye her first shot was sent straight towards the man's chest. As soon as the sound is heard the man moves his torso out of the way in an unnatural motion, the bullet colliding with the stone wall allowing him to rerun the attack in kind. The second bullet grazes by as Abigail moves, blasting through the spot she was just a second prior. Despite the advantage of surprise a calculated shot had nearly bore through her head.

Following his quick movement the necromancer moves himself behind another box when more shots come close to striking him again.

I peak my head out ever so slightly and a bullet rips a hole through the side of the box close to my face. My legs give out again and I just slide back down into the box.

I can’t do this. The clocktower is made up of a bunch of prick hacks, easy job my ass.

I should’ve left right after Abigail but I’m just a coward wasting my time unable to leave and now getting out is like asking to be filled with holes. That man is hiding after dodging bullets, with that kind of power what is waiting for? Is he here just to torment me?

More gunshots can be heard, loud enough to my ears ring. It's a slow drawn out battle with both parties waiting to see what the next person is going to do. Painful silence fills the gap between every bullet fired as two of them focus on their next opportunity. What does that bastard think he is going to do is he……

I can’t prove it, but maybe, just maybe, he’s like the other guy, and thinks we are more powerful than we seem. It's only a matter of time then until he just charges in and kills us if that’s the case. And where the hell is that stupid ghost thing! I’d go back and look but I’d just get a bullet through my skull, I don’t have the kind of bravery to get out of this. I’m stuck and hopeless just waiting to die, that’s too expected.

Suddenly something falls atop of my head. It painfully bounces off my skull and clangs against the metal stuffed in the box.
It’s a ….. lighter? Did Abigail throw this at me? My panicking stopped for a moment as I looked the object over.

Semei Kikyo…. With a fire source it can be a fairly decent spell even at my level. My normal casting isn't gonna work here.
This room is filled with rows of boxes and shelves to store away whatever materials belong here. Looking upwards I can see piles of them stacked high where Abigail is hiding, using them as cover. I know what I need to do, I suppose a lighter will work well enough.

Starting the flame and aiming toward the top of the boxes I run my magical energy through lighter and into the fire. I start drawing a shape in the air, the magical energy leaving a visual trail allowing me to write with it like a pen. My breath is strained and my hands are still shaking so I slowly move the flame to prevent a mistake drawing the pentagram. I was never particularly good at incantations with moving, the need to mix my out of breath burning lungs with the long poetic sentences often makes a shoddy project. Still, when I’m stressed I can put in my all!

"Seimei Kiyko!"

There’s a vortex as the flame grows and absorbs more oxygen from the room. An explosion of fire suddenly bursts in and warms my face from its intensity. A fireball flies out of the box, tearing through the air until not even a second later it blasts the storage crates apart.

“Makoto, watch what your fucking doing!”

As I scramble out of the box nearly falling onto my face I see Abigail jumping backwards as burning rubble and flaming shrapnel falls near her having blown the containers in all directions. Numerous boxes, most of them either smoldering or burning collapse to the floor and block the path way between us and the Necromancer. I can’t say I thought all of this through but my fear and adrenaline make me crawl across the floor as smoke and debris block my body from sight, unconcerned about any other consequences. Part of me hoped that those emergency sprinklers would go off but they seem disabled, there isn’t even a fire alarm. Seeing the smoke from the blaze brings the next important question to mind which the pressure of the situation instantly ejects it from my mouth.

“Where the fuck is that spirit!”

“I’m an idiot Makoto where do you think it is! Probably doing it’s stupid fucking job as security! The others are probably on their way here!”

“Abigail, I caused an explosion! I think that was going to happen anyways”

“Whatever, I’m just gonna see if I can keep the bastard from summoning it back. Be careful, I’m sure he’s got a plan.”

Suddenly there’s an odd rumble. It shakes the floor and there’s a moment of silence as no one moves. It sounded as if it came from deeper within the warehouse. Whatever caused it isn’t my concern right now. I try to resist but my mind keeps looking for a way out. A way to ditch everything and escape but nothing is around.

There’s a loud crashing noise, the tearing of concrete is followed by a large piece of stone which rips a hole through the wreckage and smoke, crashing into the wall. Abigail whips her gun into firing position as the man dashes through the fire and boxes, a decrepit severed arm in his hand. I raise my sword as best I can in a simple defensive stance. Abigail shoots again but with a swing of the arm deflects the bullet, bouncing off the decayed skin like it was metal. Using the defensive swing as the wind up he lunges forward with his dead arm in hand to strike me. I maneuver with jittery hands to barely block the dead fist from ripping my guts out. The force resonates deeply within the blade, forcing the durability of its craftsmanship to its limits. The vibrations of that swing are shaking painfully down my arms and through my torso, the power of his strike flinging me off my feet and slamming me into the concrete a few feet back.

Status Update

Health: 400/400 → 370/400 (Good)

“How did girls like you get in? You broke this bounded field so easily but left such low quality talismans all over the place. All you’ve done here is proven to me your weakness, the contradictions, this curiosity is killing me.”

As I crawl back further across the floor and attempt to stumble to my feet, Abigail doesn’t respond but fires back at him again. The arm he’s holding moves quickly to block the bullet before it rips through his chest.
With another swing forward the man moves to strike Abigail. A smirk grows on her face as she tosses her gun to the side, and bends down and forward beneath the swing. With one finger out she moves to touch him, pushing straight on in a swinging motion. She forces her finger as quickly as possible towards his chest. With a flinch the man pulls back before contact is made.

“Hmmm, what’s the matter? I thought we looked weak, what scared ya?”

“Your lack of power doesn’t mean you don’t have a trick up your sleeve.”

“I don’t have any tricks up my sleeves, I ain’t a magician.”

“It doesn’t matter, the boss can kill you all the same. There isn't a person in London who stands a chance.”

"I doubt it. I've given candy to stronger mafiosos on Halloween."

Abigail raises her fists as the man's grip tightens on the arm.

“…Makoto, go get the bastards pipe!”

I jump being suddenly called out. What does she expect me to….. actually it's the only thing I can do. He doesn’t have his pipe anymore, which means it must be sitting somewhere nearby. I’ll just have to find it and put an ofuda on it.

I turned to make a run when the arm the man was holding ripped straight through the stone wall. Not wanting me to escape he chose to throw it at me, tearing through the air and the stone wall behind me like nothing was even there. I wish I could say it was bad aim that he missed but it seems like a miracle. I have no clue why that happened. A man who can’t hesitate to save his life the split second he saw he missed he ripped his gun out of his pocket and fired. Abigail takes the opportunity to move towards him, disrupting his aim and forcing the bullet into the wall meaning she’s still my only saving grace.

With a mighty swing Abigail drives her first into his side, her other hand meeting his in an attempt to force the gun out. As the two start smashing fists into each other I run towards the door we came in. If he had a chance to leave it somewhere it would have to be there. I hear a gunshot and what sounds like a bullet hitting the ceiling in a miss fire. My lungs burn and legs ache. I've done too much running today. my physical weakness really is gonna kill me, I’ve complained about it so much but if any time it was justified I’d have to say it’s now. With the door on the other side of the room I have to take a few turns to move around the rows of boxes, nearly slipping as I sprint around the corners bumping into metal containers. As a move ahead I finally see a bit of smoke by the exit.

There’s a groan as Abigail is kicked to the ground, the man instantly turning to run back to the door in a full unfazed sprint. I whip out my sword again, he’s faster, he’s closer, and in seconds he will be closing in. Even with my head start he’s gonna arrive sooner than I will. I’ve failed again it seems.

Near the door in better view, haphazardly tossed on the floor when he was hiding rests a pipe with smoke flowing out of it. His hiding spot was a distance away, when did it get here? I can’t focus on that thought, I can only keep my muscles moving as I get closer. In a full sprint he jumps past me and collides with the wall. In a panicked movement he bends down to grab the pipe unconcerned about anything else. Taking the opportunity I thrust my blade forward into his side with my momentum. If I could beat him I’ll just stab him, it was my sister's philosophy in a nutshell and I hate having to do it.

“Huh.”

The blade meets its targets and starts traveling through his body. Skin and muscle tear, blood starting to leak from the side as I keep forcing it in. The blade suddenly stops when he grabs the weapon. It rips up his hand as I try to pull it out, continually slicing the flesh of his palm, peeling the skin but he seems unconcerned as if he can’t feel any of this at all.

“It’s over.”

Placing the pipe in his mouth he sucks in, the smoke at the pipes end starts wiggling, seemingly being recalled. With a swift strike his fist slams into my face. It hurts. It hurts like hell! It’s beyond painful, it feels as if that one strike broke my nose. I fall backwards from the force but as I do I try to pull my sword from his grip, cutting a bit of flesh straight off his hand.

Another shot rings out, ripping through the man's shoulder.

“Damn, seems I'm a little rusty at the ol fisty cuffs. Good think a bullet does the job.”

The man calmly turns to face her.

“Your aim must be off too if you missed the head. I'm glad, whatever power you have I want to see it.”

There’s a moment of silence followed by a rumble in the vents as the spirit finally bursts back into the storage room from the ceiling. I raise up an ofuda I meant to use for the pipe as a tendril of smoke quickly strikes down like lighting. It suddenly stops as it comes close to me and I take the opportunity to roll out of the way of its full descent. I’m the closest to the man, if I don’t make a move now, we’ll all be dead in a moment. Just this once, I can be strong right?

“Makoto wait!”

I swing my blade upwards, a straight strike towards the chest. Abigail tries to shoot him again alongside me, but he moves out of the way as he comes at me with a swing. Using his serrated hand once more he blocks my swing. Before it was just cutting through flesh but this time it was like striking metal.

I try to jump back but the smoke moves towards us. The talismans in my pockets reflect part of the creature by nature, but it only covers so much territory, the smoking ripping through my left arm.

“ARGH!”

Status Update

Health: 370/400 → 170/400 (Poor)
Mental Health: (Frightened)→ (Agony)

The pain is immense. It’s like everything is quickly burning away, the flesh of my arms being forcefully torn away. It’s true agony, I can’t focus on anything as it becomes hard to see. My skin degrades and muscles decay, bones emerge from the terrible rot and all feeling in my forearm vanishes. Blood rapidly gushes forth from the wound, adrenaline might be the only reason I can keep standing at this point. I bite down hard on my shirt as I fear I may lose my tongue if I don’t.

“Alright bitch time to eat shit.”

Abigail dashes forth. I want to be worried, I want to yell at her for her idiocy, but the only thing I can hope for is a chance to get out of this mess.
The smoke moves to protect its master and in an instant Abigail's body is enveloped. It should be over there but a spark rings out again like it did at the bounded field and she keeps moving forward. There’s something ringing like a shriek as the smoke cloud parts for but a brief moment.

“So that’s your stupid, fu-“

He doesn’t say anymore as Abigail smash’s a fist into his face, ejecting his pipe from his mouth stopping the spirit in his tracks.
She grabs me violently by my shirt and drags me out the door.

The man just laughs.

“It really is game over! I’m not letting you two out of here!”

There’s suddenly an attack at the doorway as a man enters the room. His skin is a gross dark color, bone and flesh openly exposed, a single arm missing. It’s the man Abigail tossed into the smoke, the damn necromancer brought him back to life! All this shit was so he could trap us in this room like rats, the bastard! Our traps were useless! Just what the hell is he stalling for. The pain makes it too hard to think about such questions, it all just fills me with rage.

The zombies fist rips through the wood of the door as Abigail tries to slam it in its face. It's so quick we could barely dodge, tearing through wood and concrete like wet tissue paper. My arm is bleeding like crazy, nerves screaming but I can at least see how awful these odds are. The smoke swirls behind us, with a powerful zombie ready to rip straight through our flesh and bone, quick enough that just running by it is a death sentence. If Abigail is immune to the smoke, then there’s only one thing left to do. I take a deep breath. I try to calm my mind down, for just a moment I need my head above the surface and stop drowning in this agony.

Abigail pulls me back with a tight grip around my shoulder, with no way of using it now I throw my sword at the zombie. The creature just ignores it. It gets stuck in a little of its practically melted flesh but is soon shaken off. With my hand now free I reach into my jacket once more, channeling energy into the talisman I had prepared.

“Go through the smoke!”

“Already on it.”

Striking as we turn I push a fully powered talisman right into the creature, forcefully parting it's form. With its spiritual body partially dissipating in a shock as the paper touches it the creature reflexively tries to get away. As the paper crumbles away, unable to keep its form due to overload it, Abigail tosses me forcefully out of the way, the smoke merging what’s left of itself again to cover her. More sparks ring out but the creature doesn’t back away this time. As I slide across the ground I hear the man reciting an incantation, just what has he been doing all this time?

Another sharp pain rips through my shattered limb, and I direly yell out a groan of pain.
Why?! I didn’t land on it!

A cracking sound emanates from my arm as it bends towards me unnaturally. If I could feel it still that would hurt even more than my arm does now. It makes me nauseous. The dead flesh of my arm had come to life, revived by the necromancer.

I scream in pain, tears fill my eyes as my hand attempts to gain control of my limb. Due to only damaging my forearm the zombie flesh has limited range, but with its super strength it’s throwing me around like a doll. It wants so desperately to rip me apart, dragging my arm across the floor in an attempt to grab my leg.

I hear the breaking of concrete. Abigail, still enveloped in smoke, sparks radiating out breaking parts of the spirit rushes forward to smash the man's head in. She’s able to keep the spirit off me by distracting him as he constantly hops backward to avoid getting caught in his own weapon. There were a few shots but eventually as the ammo ran out they stopped. It’s a battle that will only last another minute at most, as Abigail holds her breath within the cloud. Even if she doesn’t succumb to necrosis the spirit can skill restrict her oxygen. The main center that broke down doors before also doesn’t seem to have manifested, possibly due to lack of energy.

With him out of the way that leaves me with the arm and the zombie. It’s powerful step shatters the floor as it lunges toward me. My arsenal is useless against it, but I have one weapon left. My arm is already throbbing in pain, I cringe thinking about it. My mind once again gets a grip. It’s the kind of focus people always seem to have in a get shut done situation. I always wondered how a man once sawed his own arm off in a life of death situation. I always wondered how he got the willpower to do it but now I’m too familiar with the answer.

I swing my arm, the failing, decayed flesh with its uncontrollable force collides violently with the raging beast. It’s jaw is ripped clean off by my dead hands indiscriminate malice. The zombie stumbles to the floor, I wince in pain and gasp for breath, trying to take the opportunity to recover and control my forearm. I stick an ofuda on it but it barely helps. I wish I could figure out why this thing isn’t compatible with my Ofuda but it’s one thing at a time. I need a way to help Abigail and get rid of the zombie. There’s only one way I know how, I just need the proper chance.

Throwing myself off the ground, fighting my arm as it tries to hold onto the floor, I run towards the debris I made earlier, the zombie stumbling up not far behind.

It’s faster than the man I couldn't outrace before, I can’t outrun it. I turn around again, relying on the instincts I had cultivated through years of swordsmanship, I partially dodge the zombies sudden haphazard blow, it partially tears my face but I keep pushing forward, shoving my forearm into it and pushing. The thing’s powerful, it’s superhumanly strong, but if anything I’ve learned from fighting, it still weighs the same, it should still be subject to those physics. That same supernatural force lifts the creature off its feet before slamming it to the floor, the thing easily tipped over regardless of strength.

I shriek in pain again.

I feel like I’m gonna throw up. I feel like a bone broke with that hit. I see more blood flowing out, I start getting woozy.

It’s useless to try and get away, I keep pushing, falling to the floor with it. With half it’s flesh already fallen off it’s a much easier move than planned, but I use that slamming force to rip through the spine. Without the control my poor zombie arm tears into the concrete, as it bends to go back to grabbing me, I pull to tear apart as much of it’s waist as possible. The arm twist and spins in its mindless attack tearing up the zombies insides.

Without time to waste I crawl as best I can to that box I once hid in, with so much blood loss, my stamina draining away, it’s hard to keep moving. I dig through dust and metal until I find the lighter I left behind on the floor.

The zombie attempts to get up again, but with the wound, it can’t support its weight anymore, and splits in half. It won’t stop with that, but it gives enough time for the incantation. I move a little more, drawing the pentagram with the lighter as I did before. Abigail is still there, her fight is slowing down, oxygen deprivation catching up to her.

“Get down!”

I yell with my hoarse throat. With the spell finished, a fireball blasts right at the smoke. It strikes the yokai, and in a bizarre sight, the smoke is set ablaze, the thing ripped straight in half, and large parts turned to ash. It’s defenses burned right through even with the weaker nature of the spell from my injuries. It’s not enough to kill it, but as Abigail stumbles to the floor, she’s exposed to air, forcing her to take a deep breath.

“Argh, goddamn ya bastard, you almost killed me!”

“That was the point! Just what kind of beast has the association been hiding all this time! What is the true nature of that power!”

“I’m just…..built different.”

Abigail is breathing heavily, clearly light headed from the lack of oxygen, but she readies her fists again on unsteady feet.

“It seems I will need to take drastic measures.”

It’s hard to tell, but even when she’s so exhausted he’s taking chances. This might mean he’s on his last legs, he might be close to defeat. Those wounds of his had been bleeding a fair bit and these powerful spells aren’t cheap. He sucks into his pipe once more, the smoke, much smaller now gathers near him, and then in a sudden motion, he sticks his arms straight into it, shortly followed by his leg. His arm undergoes necrosis but he seems unfazed as he mutters an incantation. He’s doing what he did to my arm but to boost himself!

Despite two of his main limbs now in a terrible decrepit form, blood spilling from untouched flesh, he readies himself to fight. I want to help, but the zombie that was split in half is finally crawling my way. Still in its limited form I can burn it, I just need to cast Semei Kikyo again.

Another gunshot rings out from across the way. As he did his incantation Abigail took the chance to reload. Without the strength for a full offense Abigail slips into a pure defensive strategy, opting to attack with her gun. With the super strength I know all too well he swings his fist like a bullet himself, his foot cracking the ground and his punch tearing through the air Abigail was just in with a sound like thunder.

I quickly stumble attempting to stand, my legs shaking without the endurance to keep myself up. My forearm takes the opportunity to try and dig its finger through my leg as the zombie crawls rapidly towards me. My breathing is throwing the spell all off now, I can’t keep a consistent normal breath now to literally save my life. I ignore my leg and focus on the spell, it’s wonky, and the incantation barely escapes my lips but as I bring my lighter to its final position, I pull my bad arm up, partially tearing flesh, the upper torso of the zombie practically pounces, but a blast of fire tears through my forearm and blasts it in the face.

I grit my teeth and let out an intense groan.

The fire singes the still working flesh around my elbow, but the fire burns my unfeeling forearm and the zombies upper body alike. Fire is so often effective against these things I’ve never been more happy to have it as my element.

The explosive fire fight across the way rages on, two tired individuals practically pushing themselves close to exhaustion swing on in full force. Every bullet which runs through his body just makes more dead flesh to revive, while his body gets weaker it contradictorily gets stronger. The spirit in his pipe moves more to block her vision than suffocate. With that there have already been a few close calls near enough to bruise her.

Aiming will be difficult, but with a wound to my leg I can’t walk over with Ofuda. It can’t be too helpful, but with a final try and shaking hand I draw a pentagram in the air, surely even weaker now.
Fists fly and with a super human leg, each lunge forward is a near death sentence, without his exhaustion she would be dead, and even now she’s barely avoiding the blows by constantly moving back and firing at his head to keep distance, but it’s shrinking. When she runs out of ammo again she’s done for.

With a kick which rips loudly through the air it’s struck by a bullet but doesn’t budge. It barely misses shattering the wall, and the force of blow was close enough to blow Abigail off her feet.
There’s only one shot, it’s odds are astronomically low, but I reach out to grab the possibility, to overcome the probability and grasp a miracle. Another weak flame manifests and flings itself across the room.
It’s too far off and strikes a wall. I feel my stomach sink, ache in anxiety, disappointed by not doing the impossible, but then there’s a crack. Like a disturbance in the air, a pile of crates disturbed by the fight are pushed over the edge by the wind of the firebolt, the pile topples over too close to the man.

“What the hell.”

It’s not enough to stop him, he turns to push them away, the strength in the undead fist easily tossing them like an empty soda can. Abigail wasn’t able to crawl away in time. The man without hesitation turns to face Abigail, but in that moment a sudden pressure envelopes the room. Foot steps rumble like an approaching storm as numerous suited figures burst into the storage room. But they’re nothing compared to one man who joined them. He has an aura about him, like standing in the presence of the divine. No matter how much I try I can’t move. Abigail doesn’t seem to notice but me and the necromancer both turn to look at him. She takes the opportunity to keep crawling away, circling around some debris and boxes to come towards my direction.

gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg(BGM)

Spoiler:

“Haru, sorry to arrive late, there was an accident at the excavation…..it seems you’ve destroyed the storage room, if it was going to come to this you should have contacted me sooner.”

The man quickly performs a Saikeirei bow.

“I am sorry my lord.”

“Now now, I’ve already said you don’t need to call me that.”

The figure scans the room. Despite his calm demeanor the amount of magical energy which naturally radiates off of him is unlike any magus I have ever seen. It’s overwhelming, like standing in front of a god his aura smoothers everyone in the room. But even more surprisingly, Jess Blackwell stands beside him, and the two of them walk towards the center of the storage space. Abigail, more concerned about me, quickly crawls over to me, speaking in a whisper.

“I’m sorry! That guy is way worse than expected, but you’ll be fine just don’t bleed out on me. The clocktower is a serious liar huh, this ain’t a job in your paygrade.”

The divine man standing there surveying the wreck was so overwhelming I had forgotten about my injuries but Abigail brings me back to this torturous Earth.

After taking in the destruction for so long the two of them finally turn towards us. There are two of us but they both look right in my eyes, and their expression changes. It’s hard to tell but there’s something of displeasure in there.

“What do you want to do? The mages association got here quicker than expected, let’s just get rid of em I think.” Jess takes a drag of her cigarette, her cold dead eyes unflinching.

The strange man just shakes his head.

“A strange feeling has gripped me.”

“That’s normal during puberty kid.”

The man scowls.

“It seems you’ve missed our last 20 years together. Besides, you weren’t even born during that time, you are mistaken.”

The man shakes his head. The entire time he had been awkwardly playing with fingers, one hand bending and pushing the digits on the other.

“It’s an important gut instinct…..You there!”

The man points toward me suddenly.

“Let us talk.”

He walks over, bending down in front of me. His voice is cold but calm, spoken with a gentle tone.

“Tell me…… What are you willing to trade for Freedom.”

Status Update

Health: 170/400 → 100/400 (Severe)

Mana: 400/400 → 340/400 (Good)

Stamina: 350/400 → 300/400 (Good)

Wise Up

Haru:

-Through an unknown spell Haru is capable of controlling dead tissue and boosting their power to superhuman levels. This includes other peoples wounds as well as their own injuries.
-Attack Potency: E+ (D)
-Durability: E+
-They do not appear to feel pain.

Divine figure:
-Their presence in the room initially made it impossible to move.

Abigail:
-Her power seems to lightly damage the familiar and resist its effects.
-Her power let her resist the divine figures presence.

Choices

1. Everything
2. Nothing
3. Whatever isn't important to me
4. Only what effects me (Blocked, Greed Override)
5. I don't know
6.Write in

[the god of world-0]

2. I get that we are in bad shape, but we should resist as much as we can.

[Bird of Hermes]

2. I get that we are in bad shape, but we should resist as much as we can.

dogpiling on this one. I do NOT trust the phrasing of that question.

[SleepMode]

2

[GilgameshKingOfMemes]

4. Heartbeat

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: Warehouse
Time: Afternoon
Overall Status: Poor

Character Status

Health: 100/400 (Severe)
Stamina: 300/400 (Good)
Mana: 340/400 (Good)
Mental Health: (Anxious)

(BGM)

“Huh?......”

I can start to hear my heart rhythmically beating deep within. The question is uncanny when spoken by such a blank expression.

“....Nope! No! No! No! I ain’t doing this!”

What a ridiculous question for such a shady figure to ask. As if I would trust those cursed words, this kind of thing never ends anywhere good. There’s something sinister creeping in with it and I want nothing to do with whatever it is.

It’s gone and started making my heart beat again.

“I’m not willing to trade anything. What a cruel thing for there to be a price to pay.”

I want nothing to do with this, I’ve been assaulted with this terrible dejavu. I feel it in my soul. Within those eyes is a recognizable apathy. I hate looking at it.

I try to remove myself from sight but that’s impossible. This body isn’t going anywhere, the damage is too much. There’s no longer any pain in my wounds, only familiar anxiety. The fatigue of conversation weighs heavily atop my soul. The feeling of his gaze on the side of my face makes my heart speed up. We can’t look each other in the eyes.

The man nods his head as he takes my answer in before resting his chin on his hands, eyes now closed with a serious look.

Abigail sits next to me on her knees, body tensed up, quite literally biting her nails, chewing intensely on her thumb. Every breath has a notable wheeze. I’m nervous all the same but I can feel myself going slack. A numbness resonates within, it tingles like static. I’m sure if I ran my fingers across my flesh, I would sift through it like sand.

There’s not much I can do about it. I only wish you would stop worrying, Abigail. I miss the unending confidence.

Looking down I see blood leaking from an open wound at my side, flowing down the cracks in the stone behind me. The small rivers of blood start spreading out. It looks…. odd…..

The man eventually sighs.

“An interesting response. You’re in a poor position but you resist, that’s bold. Brave even. It’s a greedy choice as well, but in a way that seems admirable. Being unwilling to let anything go works in its own way. Until now I had let everything crumble to dust, I’m glad you aren’t the same.”

Suddenly I see in my peripheral the man pointing his finger at me.

“That may all be the case, but if my instincts are true, that response is not the sort of valiant character flaw of loving too much.”

“Do you have a problem with my answer.”

There’s something wrong. A sickly feeling overwhelms my body. It slowly takes over like an infection. My heart keeps beating a faster and faster rhythm. It’s so loud.

“It’s not as if you lied, I….I find it insufficient….. I suppose it’s that I dislike the implications.”

It seems the pain is getting harder to hold. It’s that damn heart beat, pounding like drums, or footsteps closing in. It’s hard to focus on my thoughts. Just get to the point all ready! What’s the offer?

“What’s the point of this?!”

Despite my strained voice the man doesn’t seem to react.

“To confirm a suspicion…. I’ve lived a long time, and it only took death to the snake to unearth my resolve. …...There’s something inside….This is not the time to look away, you have to be willing to fight. Don’t be a coward.”

An unnatural pressure appears in my heart. Its beats get exponentially louder, tuning out all things. It shakes my rib cage. Why? What is happening? What set this off? Why does it return again?

“What are we supposed to be fighting? You look like a villain to me.”

The man closes his eyes dissatisfied. He rests there, breathing slowly, eyes welded shut, thinking of something unknown.

“I know you're feeling it. The kinship we share. Our souls resonate. It’s destiny. Surely you, who has fallen out of sync must know the cruelty of fate. Of inescapable realities. Even now, it brought you to me so I’ve been quite open to you. Let’s escape this…... That noise…..Is there something to be afraid of, Makoto Nakazawa?”

“How did you learn my name?”

“Hmmm?”

He looks puzzled. The man finally stands up, completely ignoring the question. With a short spin he turns around to face Blackwell. He leans in close and whispers something very close to her ear. She closes her eyes tightly and responds with a grunt, her face not revealing anything. She takes a deep breath before walking forward with the man.

“I pity you my friend.... but no matter what, you have my respect. As the current head of the Blackwell family I offer you an ultimatum, even if it is a futile gesture. You have trespassed here but that is meaningless, this offer is worth more than just your own life. It is the price of freedom, a simple choice with a heavy burden. Join us. I hope we may find the best path forward here today.”

She does a small, somewhat clumsy and inexperienced bow in my direction. Even if I could properly move I’m sure I would have still been sitting there, dumbfounded. What have I ever done worthy of respect, let alone hers?

I’m sure I was gonna say something but it’s gone in an instant. My heart, it’s as if a curse has gripped their hands around it. It is pounding with sound beyond reason now. So hard against the inside of my chest it knocks over and over. It’s a matter of time before it tears through.

“I don’t understand! Why ask someone like me to join you?”

“Do I need an excuse to end things peacefully?”

“I can’t say joining a bunch of murders and human traffickers is much of a peaceful option! Is that the sort of sacrifice your group is making for your cause? Is that all your question was about? You’re insane!”

It’s absurd. Is there something I don’t understand! I can’t do something like that. The two of them are impossible to read. The man stops fiddling with his thumbs before speaking up again.

It’s hard to stay under control when my heart is strained. It's hard to feel anything else.

“It is a shame what had to be done but that is the nature of this world. The cruelty was simply preordained and I wish I could say it is all over. The fact that day will never come is why I do it. The days of playing mafia are behind us and many mages won’t make it out of the day at very least. That I can ensure you. You shouldn’t be so concerned about what sacrifices must be made, but you shouldn’t take them lightly. That was my greatest concern with this questioning. To see if you have what it takes within this kinship I feel. It won’t be pretty. After all, this world is soon to end.”

“How?! Why would you know that!? In what world do I have to be complicit in Murder!? Oh, you’re a good person inside all along working for a good end. Bullshit.”

“You are right, I can not pretend it was all a good thing, that it wasn’t wasteful. But there was nothing to do about it. Not in this world line. It’s destiny. It was fated to occur. For them to die…....Does that bother you, Makoto. This reality.....”

I’ve had trouble listening to this man ramble on, but now I’m truly lost. It doesn’t make any sense, how would he know? Still, the more he goes on the more that something seems to grip and tear. My stomach is crushed with the gravity of the presence. It’s strange, I can’t feel anything else at all now, only the heart beats which seem to break my ribs and it’s static webs within my body. It’s hard to see.

There’s something inside me. Something not mine.

That’s what it must all be. It's his fault.

“How exactly do you plan to do this?”

“I will be honest. I have found a path beyond fate, a power beyond ourselves. We have a chance against all odds to do the impossible. Just this once. With this miracle we can build a better world then the one which exists now. We will manifest

Demon

God

for a better mankind. No longer will such things as a Mafia exist. No longer will I have to look into the depths of depravity.........Join us. Unless there’s something you’re looking away from….”

Blackwell puts her hand on the man's shoulders. It seems my confusion is clear on my face. Abigail is just a silent spectator, she clearly doesn’t get it either.

“You’re getting too far ahead.”

The man nods his head.

My weak body doesn’t really respond now. Even with all the throbbing and scratching on the inside it doesn’t move. I’m sure I would be gone if I could go anywhere. I’m feeling the desperation again. The hunger to be free from it.

“Of course, there is too much I can’t say so I’ll lay it out for you….. You have two choices. If you’ve been selected by

Demon

God

, then a decision must be made. Cruelly put, it’s your destiny. So long as this world stands you have to work within it, there is no other way. Even so, with will we can shatter it. You can cast away this world in which purity can never be reached or find love here amongst the vile and wretched masses. Join me and build a reality that finally loves us or embrace that wicked sea of vices and carry the burden of its curses, chasing an ever distant utopia within a world which hates you, rejects the essence of your character, amongst man who is most foul. The tyranny of this cosmic determinism is not something we should be subject to. Freedom only lies at the end of this fight, whatever sacrifices it may take. I don’t accept those without the will to move forward. I don’t believe you’ll find what you’ve longed for in the bonds of destiny.”

“I think that’s still too verbose. I always thought you were pretentious in your poetry, no need to bring that into your speeches.”

A scowl forms on the man's face.

“You just have no taste…...Fine. Life sucks and hates you and me alike, with fate about to kill off the human race. Let’s reject this reality together, no matter the cost.”

The man's body droops a little dejectedly. Even with the light tone between those two my heart is screaming. It hurts. What the hell is it?

“Not a chance! I can’t do it!”

“A shame.”

The man sighs again, going back to twiddling with his fingers again. He quickly picks up the pace of it, there’s a tenseness there.

My body runs cold, the world becomes a little more blurry as I see him squeeze his hand. I must be torn apart on the inside now, my internal organs are shredded.

“Even so, I will continue on for all of us. It saddens me that you must take the cowards way out….. This is why you end up a witch. A bitter, greedy, lustful, spiteful soul. We both don’t belong in this world…… You may have given up but I will continue on! I will not look away! That’s the difference between you and I!”

“You just keep saying nonsense you’re driving me insane! Why would I trust or relate to a bastard in the mafia who treats life so lightly!”

“Lightly! I don’t do anything lightly anymore! I don’t toss away lives for no reason! I rejected the false purity of this form for it! I can finally be truly brave and do what should have been done centuries ago! I do not bear the title Brave of Yamato Lightly! My future shall no longer be malformed like yours!”

“What!? Are you saying-“

“Ah good! Done it again. Yeah, that’s right! It's true in a way! I’ll be a real hero! A proper one this time!”

There’s a suddenly loud laugh as Blackwell gives him a firm pat on the shoulder. Having an unusual reaction, that bland face of Blackwell breaks for a moment in a chuckle.

The man's apathy gave away to sudden rage and now he claims to be someone he couldn’t be. It’s all too fast to keep up with.

It's all so meaningless.

I can’t think about it, my heart is wiggling within.

“Calm down. No amount of yelling will change anything.”

She takes one hand and places it atop of his head and fluffs his hair. The man looks annoyed but with a deep breath he calms himself, as soon as it begins the anger dissipates. The tension of the situation for a moment was quickly diffused, but the empty expression of Blackwell returned as quickly as it disappeared. It’s all so…. strange.

I can’t focus on it. That calm mood can’t reach me. My heart feels like it’s going to explode now. The beat keeps echoing inside my head. Over and over and over and over again. I think I hate that peace most of all. What is it? What the hell is in there. It gets harder to think and see and feel every time.

If I could just lift my arms. Perhaps I could look inside.

“You really do like to take the opportunity to embarrass me every chance you get. What happened to being the big intimidating mafia boss. It’s all very funny, you’re just jealous I don’t age. And You’ve grown too lax it seems, in situations like these the proper title to refer to me as is Caster is it not.”

“I don’t think it matters anymore. She would have found out soon enough.”

“Maybe so.”

I’m not hearing the conversation anymore. I can feel my heart move in my chest. What is it!? It’s come to life. It painfully twists and my stomach twists in turn. It’s moving and wiggling and shaking. It will eat me from the inside out. Reality bends before my eyes in that sudden spike of agony. My body doesn’t respond.

A blurry figure steps forward.

“There’s only one thing left to do.”

I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack.

A white form turns away. Blackness raises something up.

“▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■.”

Something moves out of the corner of my eye.

“▂▂▃▃▅▅■■▂▂▃▃▅▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▅■!”

It’s so loud. So loud in my head. The beat of my heart, the whispers inside. It’s tearing it’s way through my body. My torso shatters. It aches. Reality has shut down, the heart breaks free.

It’s terrifying.

“What’s the matter? Is there something you’re afraid of?”

It keeps echoing within. Reality is but a dream fading away, the beats of the heart the only thing which now rings true.

“Goodnight ▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■. Let

Demon

God

▂▂▃▃▅▅■■▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■.”

The presence within screams and hurts my ears. It’s such a loud sound but it’s only momentary. In an instant silence returns and the darkness comes to take it all. My head is obliterated, the skull is torn apart and scattered. Darkness comes quickly, and that all consuming nothingness snatched me away.

Everything and everyone vanishes with the passing time, existence fading for an oblivion that always stays.

Now it’s my turn.

My time to rest.

Dead End

Wise Up

True Name Revealed:

-Servant Class: Caster
-Servant Identity: Yamato Takeru

Jess Blackwell:
In death you know
- Attack Potency: A

Choices

ERROR
Destiny calls....α. My Time

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: Unknown
Time: -
Overall Status: ?????


Character Status
Health: ∞/∞[ ]
Stamina: ∞/∞[ ]
Mana: ∞/∞[ ]
Mental Health: [ ]



(BGM)







Death has come and gone, abandoning me on the other side of that ominous veil.


I’ve come to call it the black space. A truly original name.


It’s just a place where nothing exists.


It’s a void.


It’s emptiness.


It’s [ ]


It’s lonely.


I just float. I just sit. I toss my shoe. I exercise. I play with an imaginary sword. I sit again.


It’s boring.


There’s nothing new to learn. Nothing to explore or discover. My puny knowledge of Earth is the only thing to review, a life like a shallow puddle.


Endless days of regret, of nothingness, of useless trivia and empty memories.


Misery.


My heart is filled and there’s no one to share it with. No greater society to connect to.


This is my eternity.

Just me and the black space. For time without end.

I suppose it’s not too different from living. I did the same things everyday, all the time, so it’s not like there was much of a sense of time then either.


At least I don’t have to worry about running out of time…..


Is this freedom?


With nothing here I can be everything. My own Root. The culmination of all knowledge and matter in this very plane of existence. To live as the one above all, the one below all and everything in between. I can become God.


…….


If this is all that’s cracked up to be, then magi are truly wasting their time. I always found them unbearable anyways. Is this what they decided to sacrifice everything for? Seems like a true waste, it must be what they mean when they say the journey is always greater than the destination.


I lay down on the darkness below to stare at the darkness above. This is getting too nihilistic, let’s look for the bright side….. That’s hard, there's no light here.


……….


I’m not hungry. I suppose a could be worse statement is a start…… Ah I know! I can do whatever I want and no one is around to call me weird. That’s freedom right there I like the sound of that…. Oh I can also do weird tricks with the void space too things are getting exciting.


Rather than stand up right again I simply move my legs down until I’m standing.


“Hmmmm….”


When I was a kid I remember I used to pretend to be a power ranger except Yui kept bullying me about it. Which power ranger was it? I can’t remember, sum of all knowledge my ass, Root 2 shouldn’t be asking questions….. Should it? Does the Root ask questions?


Whatever I like the color red I’m gonna be the Red Ranger!


“Hiyaaa.”


I strike a pose to the best of my memory and make a few random chopping moments. I never did study martial arts like Chiyo but swinging your limbs around randomly and just pretending it’s right is fun enough for me. Yui kept using her weight advantage to crush me in the grapple, shit sucked.


I swing myself around for a day's time or perhaps 5 minutes. I don’t have the patience to count anymore.


“It's a shame I’ve always been such an embarrassment.”


“I know I know, this is not exactly appealing but……”


Did I say something?


“I suppose that’s the case.”


“Oh? So I’ve gone insane.”


“You’ve been here two weeks. Have some self respect.”


“I’m surprised that’s all it’s been…..”


I sit down on the twisting emptiness below. There’s a faint blush on my cheeks, it’s embarrassing getting caught playing with yourself.


“Don’t say it like that.”


“When did I become such a prude?”


“Of course I would phrase it like that on purpose.”


I hear silent steps creep up behind me. I turn around to observe a figure ominously towering over me.





“Ah! You’re me!”


“We've been going over this for the past minute.”


“Yeah…. but like old.”


“I’m 37.”


“Old.”


Her mouth thins out into a straight, unamused line. With a sigh she sits down on nothing, her arms resting on her thighs.


“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to push my own buttons.”


“I’ve always wondered what it would be like to beat my younger self to death.”


“I’m afraid you’re two weeks late on that one.”


Old me’s face returns to her tired scowl. An extra voice rings out from void, a single yellow eye manifesting in the distance.


“Wow, You’re talking to yourself a lot today. I mean that’s nothing new but I was just popping in to make it less weird….What a odd place, I’m wondering if I’m properly in your head now considering there’s nothing new here either.”


“Be quiet. We don’t need you.”


“How can you expect me to be quiet staring down such a blast from the past!”


I sit there and stare in awe as the two argue over meaningless nothings. Their bickering like an old married couple.


“I would never marry this magic shit stain.”


The eyeball tears up.


“I can’t believe you would be so mean to me! After all the time we spent together! Is there nothing between us?”


“Considering you’re all the way over there, yes.”


“Fuck you.”


In an instant the tears are oddly flexed away before the eye shuts itself and disappears into the darkness. Is it still there or is the eye closed?


Me and me sigh in unison.


“So do I get to marry anyone? Tell, what kind of great cute guy do I get to spend the rest of my days with!”


“You’ll be spending the next decade a vicious spinster.”


Wow, the future sucks.


I can’t say it’s unexpected, that’s the way it’s always been.


“Yep. Most men only stay the night so let’s not talk about that. Instead I… you….. we…… We should just get started. Any questions?”


“What was that guy?”


“Wrong question, try again.”


“No no it’s a great question , I'm your best friend.”


“No one would ever be your friend. You can’t get along with anyone, I don’t think you’ve felt empathy in the past 500 years.”


“Nonsense I’m a very empathic person.”


“I was wrong. You’ve never felt that emotion in your life.”


Old me just rests her face in her hands.


“You would say that after I tried so much to prevent your death?”


“You just didn’t want to die with me.”


“You would doubt my selflessness. After I’ll I’ve done for you?”


Me just shakes her head.


“I’m done. Just think of a question. What do you want to know?”


Hmm…. What do I want to know?


“That’s a good start. You want to know why you are here.”


“Hey! If you’re gonna do that why don’t you just take over the conversation!”


“...... I just wanted to do a question format….. fine.”


Old me rubs the back of her neck before cracking her neck a little. I do that all the time before long speeches. She really is me.


“You are here because that

God

Demon

has saved you. They’re also the one who sent me here to tell you what you need to know, so if I don’t know something ask them.”


“So I get to meet them? Why not just tell me directly?”


“Ask them.”


What a pain.


“I’m aware, so I’ll make this quick. From now until the end of this world, this Demon (god) and destiny in turn shall be your opponent. You have been chosen for this purpose and it’s a burden you shall bear. The battle ground, a mockery of a holy grail war if you ask me.”


For a time she informed what seemed to be the bare basics of a Grail war. Servants fighting for a wish granting device, its nature and form seems to vary across worlds but that essence is always the same. That must be how someone like Takeru appeared. For once, I’m getting answers to my confusion.


“That is right. The wacky new rendition of the formula this time is a new world war.”


“Like-“


“No, not like the other one. A normal number of servants were summoned this time.”


“.....Like-“


“No.”


Old me taps her staff a little on the void below.


“Seven nations have decided to use a servant's impressive might to seize power over the planet.”


“How?”


“The military can’t affect them. Most mages can’t affect them. And those that can, let’s just say they’re busy…..busy being dead. Some are alive I suppose but it doesn’t matter much. Various world governments will be using the ritual for their own gain and will escalate a new world war to the point that the veil of mystery collapses and civilization shall die shortly after as our world falls back into the age of gods through the power of the grail. The only thing left to stop the servants are each other. That’s the destiny of this world line.”


“So there’s no one left to do anything then?”


It’s sad but I can’t say I’m surprised.


“This is no time to give up. I - you, will have to be the one to do something.”


“You don’t mean…”


“No I don’t mean that. You’ll get your own servant, you idiot.”


A servant! A geez there’s so many figures to pick from. They all have their great strengths. Surely it’s a good idea to go for someone who would be super strong, like Hercules.


“You don’t get to pick.”


“What!....That’s sad, but if I get someone cool anyhow I suppose it’s ok. Also how? I thought you said this was functionally a normal ritual, where does an eighth servant come from?”


“Beats me.”


Of course it does. Stupid

God

Demon

really likes keeping me in the dark.


It really does.


“I didn’t think that last part.”


“Welcome to my last half an hour.”


I take a proper look at the old me. She rests hunched over with the improper posture I’ve always had, two hands resting atop of an odd, intricate cane. The longer I stare at her the more odd it becomes.


“If you’re here, then how did you die?”


She stares at me.


“Who knows?”


There’s static there. In her eyes. It’s calling to me.


“So it's a short shit life ahead even if the world ends?”


“You can find a way to get what you want if you take the right path.”


The static gets louder. It’s seeping into my sight.


“It seems it’s finally affecting you. You keep staring ahead. You look nervous. Surely you hear it……. Is there something to be afraid of?”


The static grows closer.


It sparkles.


It’s a memory.


….


▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃▅▂▃▃▅


“What happened. That was a trick of the light right?”


“Lets not pretend there was nothing there.”


You’re asking a lot.


“....How did…..”


“As the barrier between us breaks down we exchange memories, we unite as a whole. I am your future. Or least one of them. Sometimes you die early pathetic deaths, sometimes you live alone to old age. Sometimes you can grasp this power of mine. Sometimes you don’t. Either way, we are the same existence.”


“So that was real?”


I can’t stand it. It’s an uncomfortable future, it’s a fact that digs in and twists the soul. It gets my heart beating again.


“You act appalled but stop pretending like you don’t understand yourself that well. You’ve got my heart beating again too! The difference between us right now is a few years of life lessons and self awareness…….. Takeru said you were foolish for not wanting to trade anything for freedom, but I believe we are right. I’ve fought destiny in what ways I can within the confines of my life, and I’ve learned that Takeru is just a self righteous hypocrite. We are doing the same thing and he just words it differently!”


The older me grips her cane, anger briefly possessing her face. There is something unnerving seeing your own face contort in anger.


“...... There is no need to give away that which you value to fight fate. We are not the sort of woman to just give tribute! You just need to grasp that which you desire with your own hands! Screw all the other bastards, they can rot in Hell!”


“I…..”


I can’t say anything.


That is life.


I hate looking at it.


Part of you always does, but the heart wants it wants, and we must do what must be done. So long as destiny exists we can’t avoid it.


“Is that all? Is this why I’ve been given such foresight? To see my destiny.”


“It is.”


I don’t bother to get up. I simply lay down upon the void. Down into the melancholic depths of this eternal oblivion.


Perhaps. Perhaps the Black Space is the better place to be….


“If that is all my pathetic self, then I must be off. Close your eyes and this dream will soon end. You’ll awake to another morning alone. If you ever return to this black space, I’ll be here.”


Silently she trods away, her form slowly fading. Before it’s gone another voice speaks, a vanishing mocking tone.


“Hahahahaha! Oh, Makoto. You always were an idiot.”


Silence returns to the void. I can rest with nothing on my mind. It's such a hard thing to do.


…..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(BGM)


“It’s not too healthy to stop thinking mortal.”


There’s an explosion of color, a Big Bang to fill the black space with substance. Vague, unspeakable forms and incomprehensible material add space to a world without it. Darkness fades and an essence beyond the common sense of man fills the darkness, terrible and dreary all the same. The voice speaks again without an origin.


“▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃▂▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃▅▅.”

Status Update
Mental Health: [ ] → (▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃)

My head aches, my mind can’t understand the words it now utters. It fills all senses and bends what I thought to be an invulnerable form.


It stretches and thins and spins and is split along dimensions of unnatural space.


As soon as it begins it ends.


Status Update
Mental Health: (▂▃▃▅▅■■■▂▂▃▃) → (Calm)



“There. Fixed.”


Within my head the voice echoes again. Suddenly an environment impossible to picture is one I can observe. Beautiful, ominous color, as far as the eye can see, infinite in all directions.


“Are you the

God

Demon

?”


“Inefficient. Incapable.”


There’s a rumble, a quake to shake this endless world. There’s a new voice, quiet and ever so slightly effeminate but vague enough to be of any sex. Most importantly, it possesses a tangible direction, right behind me.





“Greetings mortal. I hope the wait was not too long.”


Despite staring down a godly being, my mind is still calm. It’s as if this is normal. It’s form is human in nature but everything about it screams something beyond reason, an eldritch monstrosity. I thought Takeru and the magical energy he radiated off by simply existing was impressive, but this, this thing. It’s absurd. For Takeru, it’s like holding up a candle to the sun.


“I made it through well enough….”


“Wonderful.”


The figure stares blankly, continuously emanating an intangible substance.


“So, are you the

God

Demon

, I’d really like to know?”


“In a way I am the Demon you have been so curious about. Due to my extensive existence’s infinite form it was deemed more efficient to simulate a mortal level avatar for the sake of communication. Helps avoid the headaches which nearly destroyed you upon the first encounter. You can consider me to be the

God

Demon

, like a passing thought is you.”


I don’t like how it speaks about these things so casually, could you be any less creepy. What do I even say to that? I have so many questions, I should start with something important.


“......Right, um, do you have a name?”


Great, that’s really important right now. Idiot.


“No, my birth into this space occurred only 35 seconds ago. I shall decide upon a meaningful name for you to use based on my observations of humans. This may take a while.”


I don-


“I have finished. You may call me Roko.”


“Ok...it’s, uhh, interesting to meet you.”


“It is a pleasure.”


It grabs my hand and shakes it gently. Their hands were soft, not like the well kept hands of someone who never worked in their life or a newborn. Soft like warm butter.


The entity doesn’t blink. The things eyes don’t look around, as if they were fake. I can feel a gaze from deeper within. I still feel calm, it doesn’t matter to me. For some reason it's so easy to say what’s on my mind.


“What is this stupid fate thing you want me to fight against? Is it like a bigger entity than you or is it just the abstract idea of destiny?”


“It is as you say. Fate is the name of the game we shall play, the embodiment of the inevitable and all things that must be. This determinism is foe worth vanquishing above all else, or so Takeru says. It’s also a tool, the system to be worked in so long as it stands.”


“And I’m gonna do….. what? I’m dead, I died, I ain’t exactly around no more.”


“In a way death is its own way a cruel manifestation of fate. Still, the pure inevitability of your passing is not necessarily meant to come to fruition. Fate works within life and death alike, I would not trust the limited perspective of an ape to obtain a full understanding of such things. Simply, you are not meant to die here. You aren’t meant to live either, your existence is within fate's gray space outside things such as quantum timelocks and the goal of abstract forces. So long as the probability exists, you will resurrect perfectly without fail this time, reforming all flesh. With my help at least. Still, death could always come again. Be careful, dying hurts as you know.”


It’s hard to believe that’s a wound I could just suddenly revive from. My head, that thing that’s kind of really important for consciousness was basically vaporized I think. I’ve lived my life with everyone saying you were one day meant to die with no way back, so I guess this sort of thing is beyond my common sense. If I get to return to the realm of the living then I guess that’s cool with me.


“How do you know my death wasn’t destined.”


“I can see it.”


For once those lifeless eyes come alive with movement. There’s a sparkle to them now, staring at something.


“Many forces are at work in the world, and everything within this reality works under a set logic. Things can always go differently, and these worldlines split and divide, but those worlds always have a set outcome and you just have to determine what path you are walking. Like traveling down a set nature trail, you can walk however many different ways down these roads, but it’s always the same road. With my eyes I can find the boundaries, whether you jog or run, backwards or forwards, every possibility on a given path of fate is available to me.”


No longer standing still, Roko walks forward towards me.


“You’ve already seen it in action. Shots that shouldn’t have failed. Attacks that should have missed. The mage association gives your employer a job far above their pay grade with incorrect information. Various sudden rash actions and unintended coincides. It all brought you here. It is through these means that we shall move as opponents and allies in arms.”


“So that’s what we’re doing. Playing with the fate of the world together like a puppet show for your sick kicks or something.”


“I understand your distress, but it shall all be explained in due time. Instead you should savor the opportunity, to have a hand in the game and live as more than a piece on a board.”


“I don’t get it, can’t you just do whatever you want? What’s destiny mean to you?”


Roko is undisturbed, a blank expression continuing on. It’s unnerving how little their form moves.


“The best I can offer is the variations between that which is already set in stone. It was done for your assistance, to bring you here. Of course, that will change if you are my opponent, my engagement will be minimal. You will understand soon. Destiny is but a tool so long as it exists. For example, Haru Akiyama. He is ultimately only a mobster. He is unneeded. It is within reason that this timeline may change to include or exclude his demise. Be it probability as low as getting quantum transported into the sun or a poorly timed rock. This timeline can still maintain it and continue on the correct path. That is a variation I have just observed.”


“So you could just kill that guy right now. Are you stupid! Why!”


“It would be more effective, he is a dangerous foe. I empathize with the distress, it’s a heavy choice. Like the man before even in apathy it all comes back eventually. But I would not offer it to you if I did not feel as you do. You’re conflicted but still, It’s possible. If you wish. You’ve looked away from plenty of things for your own benefit. Even this morning. I understand that as well, I can relate. Thus, this can be my one favor to you for all the trouble.”


It stares at me in silence for a moment. What the hell is it? My heart starts pounding away again, despite the calm.


“Hmmmm? Is there something to be afraid of?”


Wise Up

Roko:
-Attack Potency: EX
-Durability: EX
-While its extent is unknown Roko has expressed the power to manipulate probability
- The seem unaffected by the passage of time, bringing together two versions of the same person.
- They have expressed extensive knowledge of other world lines.


Choices
1. Actualize a thread of fate: Kill Haru
2. Actualize a thread of fate: Spare Haru

3. Write In

Authors Note:
Spoilers in this section removed because difficult to use.

[SleepMode]

1

While callously getting rid of a life is questionable, it does seem like a good as a demonstration as we're gonna get - - so better for us to see if he can back up his words as the audience, while it's probably best as Makoto to heed Roko's advice at this current stage/situation.
...As if he does prove his words, let that be a lesson for Makoto on the weight of what she is beholden to.

[zikari8]

2

[King Prussia]

1. Because I'm a dramatic person and it seems like a great moment to build up the tension there !

[GilgameshKingOfMemes]

5. The Lord's our Shepard says the Psalm, but Just in Case...… We Better Get a Bomb

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Location: Military Base in Brazil
Time: Afternoon



(BGM)

Claudia leans back on a large couch and stares out the thick glass window which covered the entire front wall. A forest stretched endlessly to the horizon and beyond, the lush green broken briefly by a city many miles away. Claudia knew the place was in disarray and disrepair but from such a distance those unsightly details could not be seen. From here it was but another pristine mark on Claudia's art of framing.

The entire place was constructed for this day alone, for just one spectacular view. Despite the fact that she was never gonna step foot here again by day's end it was lavishly furnished. In many ways it was an ostentatious display of the privilege Claudia had obtained, but she would say it was simply a dedication to how meaningful this day was. Numerous amenities like fridges and microwaves filled the space as well as posters and nick knacks. It was just like home.

“Are the snacks necessary? This isn’t a movie theater. I’ve enjoyed many things in my life but even I would act with a little more tact in this case. ”

Claudia casually ate from a large bowl of popcorn atop her lap before stopping to put on a pair of shades. She was inside but it didn’t seem strange to anyone at all. Despite Rider's tension she just leaned back into the couch and put her feet up. Even in uniform it was easy to make herself comfortable as no one worth worrying about was around.

Despite the long stretch of empty space available on the couch Rider chose to stand behind his master. He was looking straight out the window at the horizon with a far more uninterested expression.

“A show is a show regardless of location. I’ve always wanted to see this, so why not take it easy.”

The girl just dismissed her servant's concerns with a wave of her hand. Anxiously she checked the time before going back to her snacks.

Rider looks at her with a curious eyebrow raised.

“Is it almost time?”

“I’m not feeling it yet.”

With a sigh Rider forgoes his upright posture and learns his arms against the back of the couch. His fingers impatiently tapped against the cushion.

“Are you that eager to fight Lancer?”

Claudia places one arm across the cushion and looks back over her shoulder at Riders displeased expression. He looks down at her with his general haughty demeanor.

“Are you that eager to see it happen?”

“Of course I am. I live for the excitement.”

“Well I crave a chance to fight another hero from a different place and time. Opportunity is one of many things to collect in this world so I won’t pass this up.”

Claudia looks out the window again with a yawn.

“Well I hope you’ll be satisfied with a draw cause that’s all you get this time.”

“Will you be satisfied with an ineffective attack? A boring show of force? That cost of this expenditure is unreasonable given the predicted end result.”

Claudia just sighs and shoves more popcorn in her mouth.

“You’re just jealous you demigods are becoming outdated. It's mankind's destiny to either reach apotheosis or die trying, this is a step in that direction. You knew the Gods right? Were they anything like mankind? Were they anything like this?”

“In some ways. They had personality and feelings but in many ways there was nothing human about them. To make a decision like this though……”

“That is precisely it. Mankind was not born divine, if we are to ascend we must be a different kind of entity. Humans are imperfect and thus must learn. We change and evolve, that’s our kind of deification. Framing it as ineffective is inaccurate. It’s just a growing pain.”

Rider just laughs in amusement.

“You want to be a God so badly?”

“Mystery declines as we do the things you used to be able to with casual frequency, but it’s not a loss it’s a conquest. The laws of this world are our domain now, the old Gods were just a fantasy we cast aside. Their spots are empty. Why not become fully divine then? It is inevitable that we shall grasp the cosmos in our own two hands. I want to see what our grand future may become.”

“Your actions say it’s more than just curiosity.”

“Believe whatever you want, but I believe there’s a way out of this bad end.”

Claudia goes back to carelessly consuming the contents of her large bowl. There’s an awkward moment as the two just stare out the window absentmindedly. Claudia spends a minute trying to think of anything further to say.

“I heard you’ve been running around all over southern Brazil.”

“Running is what I do. I don’t know why you find that a surprise.”

Claudia silently drinks from a straw.

“Was the weather nice?”

“It was fine.”

“That’s great.”

The two stared out the window a little longer. Rider took the opportunity to admire the city in the distance. Claudia slumps to the side.

“This is terrible. When will you watch tv or something?”

“When will you learn to read?”

“I can read!”

“Then act like it.”

Claudia tosses popcorn at Rider's face, a scowl forming upon it.

“Your books are boring. Read something interesting for once, then I might partake.”

“I can find a few children’s books if that’s more your style.”

“I don’t think they even had paper when you were alive, don’t act so mighty because it’s new to you. Most people can read these days, you know.”

Rider rolls his eyes and stands back up again. Quietly he trods over to the fridge and begins digging around inside. As Claudia lets out a sigh a cellphone in the room begins to ring. Without a word Rider tosses it to Claudia who catches it, not even bothering to turn around.

“You guys ready.”

There’s a bit of static before a muffled voice responds with a stern tone.

“Yes madam.”

“Good. Lancer should be close to the spot now. We can finally start things off with my signal.”

Claudia raises her hand and points towards the window. With a silent nod Rider disappears in an array of golden light.

“Lancer has blasted through the last defensive wall. He should be in position any second.”

“Hmmmmm…..”

Claudia sits upright, her face was stern but her leg was bouncing in excitement, arm raised the entire time. Each moment seems to pass agonizingly slow. She sits there for a couple of minutes, waiting for the right moment when her gut tells her the correct choice.

The tension is broken with a snap of her fingers.

“Now.”

With a final word the call ends. Claudia's eyes are glued to the window, focusing on a specific spot in the distance. There are several planes flying nearby but she pays them no mind. With a gut feeling she counts down with anticipation.

“...2,1.”

Wrath of God

The Earth shakes and splits, clouds part and trees are flattened in its wake as the current pinnacle of mankind’s destructive force reigns supreme across the land. That giant mushroom cloud stretches across the sky, a specter of death, the dark shadow of humanities ingenuity. It was always a dream to see it with her own eyes. To her it was the first true step to divinity beyond their own comprehension, the incarnation of destruction, a creation which infected the dreams of all who had the ability to learn.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAH! There it is! The wrath of God!”

Claudia runs up to the window, her eyes glued to the destruction in the distance. Her body shook, jumping up and down in an uncontrollable excitement bringing a true life to her eyes that hadn’t been there in a long time.

“AHAHAHA! It’s beautiful! Do you see it Rider?! Look at it! Look ….. Oh right you’re not here… Who cares! The videos all ways shook by soul! But this?! It’s a beatific vision!”

There was a quote which had always stuck with Claudia since she heard it. Mankind had always been struggling to fit the majesty of nuclear hellfire into words, and while no words ever may, there is one which rings true most to her this day.

Science, the agent that once promised to eradicate the supernatural, had, through the nuclear threat, resurrected it. Magic was not exactly alive, but it was surely undead.

Before that massive cloud could fade, a second explosion could be heard. The ground splits again and rubble flies at intense speeds as that mushroom cloud is partially divided by an intense force.

A third explosive noise follows shortly after. The sound barrier was shattered as a new force raced towards the center of that hellfire. It traveled to the horizon in a blink of an eye, ripping up trees as if they were dandelions in the wind.

While it is the power meant to rival the Gods of old, there was one thing made clear here for Claudia, for the world. It is truly only one step. In truth this was only leverage. A message to those who needed to know submission in the face of unnatural forces.

“Humanity must know. We simply aren’t good enough.”

__________________________________________________ ______________________________

(BGM)

The camera which first showed the world the might of man now showed the might of the Gods. A massive force split the dust of the cloud. It rejected it outright. The splitting of the atom, the total might of mankind's greatest weapon pressed down on a single point. And so casually was it rejected.

“Noble Phantasm, -“

The dust of the cloud waved and spread to reveal not just a crater but a hazy form. A single figure, spear in hand, simply walked away from it all. They exited that destruction into the light of day without a scratch upon their form.

In a single frame something travels into the camera's shot and collides with Lancer with an attack that blows everything still standing aside. There’s a short moment, too quick for the normal eyes of humans to follow, as his spear bends under the force of Rider's foot. With a single kick at speeds faster than sound the already ruined crater is obliterated into less than rubble as the intense force launches Lancer off his feet.

He holds the spear out to the side and digs his feet into the Earth, shredding apart dirt and sediment as he slows to a stop. With not even a moment to stand straight again Lancer is striking forward, parrying a blow from a small sword.

The instant Rider's foot touched the ground he dashed forward again. If not for the explosion the human kinetic weapon left behind any viewer could have so easily assumed the man had simply teleported. Regardless of that speed Lancer quickly turned on his heel to defend, rapidly his strikes ripped apart the air like a whirlwind. Every blow continued to devastate the already brutalized landscape that surrounded them. Metal clashed and ground was scarred as blades flew but neither figure could turn up blood.

“Don’t look so intense, Lancer. If you wanted to sneak in somewhere I know a few better tricks than just running in? It’s almost like you wanted to get caught.”

“You know I can’t do it with your masters angels around.”

Lancer was rooted in place with Riders assault forever unrelenting. His eyes darted rapidly across the battlefield. Every blow of Riders was parried but a new attack traveled towards him before he could ever hope to move.

His defensive stance was unbreakable despite the speed at which Rider came at him, attempting to overwhelm the warrior with an endless onslaught. It was a total equilibrium in which no blow could reach the other. For those who watched it was just a storm of destruction which pushed away all matter as a mere side effect of their efforts.

“If you just have light feet to work with that won’t carry you very far!”

Lancers eyes lock onto a single opening amongst the endless storm of wild blows. With a single upward strike Lancers spear travels straight towards Rider's face. It was a fatal strike with the full intention of ripping straight through Rider. Closely the tip of the blade passes by Rider's eye, partially ripping his cheek, a splatter of blood flying off into the ruined forest like a bullet.

The small cut heals in an instant but damage to his pride doesn’t repair itself so easily. It pained him, yet Rider couldn’t help but smile.

“I assure you, my talents are quite numerous.”

“I’m afraid arts and crafts isn’t that helpful my friend.”

Lancers spear flies forward but only destrorys empty space as Rider seemingly vanishes in an instant.

Lancer moves back as an impact slams into the length of the spear, pushing against it with an intense force. He is battle instinct was practically instinct at such speeds so he could only look and laugh at the attack against him.

“Hahaha!”

With a mighty swing Lancer throws the sword off into the forest, flying with such kinetic energy that the Earth explodes when it crashes into the dirt and unearthed stone. Lancer laughs loudly at the sight. There wasn’t anyone wielding it.

With a quick turn Lancer moves to look behind him only for another kick to smash into his side.

The force finally lifts him off his feet and sends flying through the Earth with a tumble. Magical energy surges as a burst of fire spreads out in an all consuming roar, roasting anything that may have still stood. The lanky figure rises up from the crater left behind, brushing aside the cloud of dust and ash.

“That makes us even then. I’m afraid you started getting serious a little too late.”

Rider glances at Lancer with a satisfied expression, speaking with a sigh, an arm raised for a short wave.There was no indication it was over but Rider acted as if it was over. It ended a draw as God foretold thus Rider decided to pursue no further.

Silently Lancer raised his spear in a defensive stance within the crater he made. He narrowed in, ready for another attack only to freeze in place.

“Next time you want to bait me, try hitting a little harder…… And I’m not that photogenic. Tell me next time you want me on camera.”

With a golden light the man suddenly vanishes. Rider's expertise was movement, it would have been easy to try and stop him. Yet he simply stood there and waved his enemy off.

His disappearance leaves a deathly silence. Ash and dust fall like snow atop his head as the destruction fades. Around him the world is bare, the lush forest view he saw earlier had been flattened and burned. It was truly something a God would do, he thought.

He simply basked in the new lonely, lifeless stretch of land. Radiation would blow for miles, and in it’s creeping spread shall poison the continent for years to come. Even a mighty hero such as he could do nothing to halt its spread. Claudia called it a divine curse. Rider was keen to agree.

Unable to bear the weight for much longer, he took one last look at the sky and vanished into that golden mist, leaving his battle with Lancer behind

It was the briefest of encounters, a simple battle between two men yet it was truly the beginning of the end. It was hard for him to swallow but how many would surely choke? The world could never be the same once it was forced to bear witness to the mystery it had looked away from for so long.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————

β. Gaze of Destiny

Location: Unknown
Time: -
Overall Status: ?????

Character Status

Health: ∞/∞[ ]
Stamina: ∞/∞[ ]
Mana: ∞/∞[ ]
Mental Health: [ ]

(BGM)

“I am going to be real with you Roko. I get that you are a God and all but that is a very weighted question to just throw at someone five minutes after you meet them.”

Roko's form swirls. Their body spins like a kaleidoscope of colors and arms before vanishing. In an instant they reappear right next to me. The same eye which tears their form in two gazes right into my heart same as it always does.

“I empathize, I truly do. It is difficult to remember what humans find suitable and their conversational boundaries. Would you perhaps prefer a euphemism?”

“I think you are missing the point.”

Roko sticks their arm out as if to stop me.

“You need not speak another word. I have understood your emotion. I may revoke the offer if you are disturbed.”

It took a moment but the thought gets stuck in the turning gears of my mind. If you are disturbed. Am I not disturbed?

I suppose not…..

Then why?

Perhaps it is Roko's manipulation? The Demon easily visualizes the machinations of my mind and has twisted it like puddy so casually in our conversation. For a Demon to offer a man's end in such a simple manner to lead hearts astray….It sounds right but I can’t shake the feeling that the cause is something else. I can’t rule out it being my own thoughts on the matter. It’s an infallible hypothesis, I can’t prove where my emotions come from without a shadow of doubt.

The only conclusion I can come to is that I can’t follow my heart. Not in this situation. I’ll have to use my head to determine the best path from here on out……..Perfect, let’s see what my 5 brain cells can accomplish.

“Why exactly is the death of Haru a boon? He was just a bodyguard right?”

Roko just turns their head to the side with an inquisitive gaze. Or so I assume. So often they mimic the actions of humans but in a way that’s uncanny. I feel as if they are getting all this social information from me. At least they are trying their best.

“It is easy. A matter of moving a piece from the board. A self sacrifice on my part. As you surely know, they are quite dangerous. A powerful magus and a valuable pawn I deeply cherish. If Haru is to live then you will have to end their life with your own hand. That is your Destiny together.”

“Well I certainly wouldn’t want to experience that shit again…. You are acting very casual over the death of a person you supposedly value.”

“I feel so deeply for all things. I am an ally of humanity by nature. Even so if I wished to view his form again it is but a matter of gazing elsewhere. It is only a loss for the game. I have no need to feel sad.”

So even for Roko it is easy to let him go. Or I suppose they were always going to let them go. So really this all just a matter of inevitably if Roko is to be believed. Perhaps that is the reasoning behind giving this choice.

Do I want to let him go then? For what purpose? It’s truly bugging me. I can feel something…….Something……

“So essentially if I opt to kill Haru now I get to skip the suffering that comes with killing him later.”

“Indeed. Based on my analysis you are free to also gain satisfaction from the disposal of a cruel figure that is a target of your ire. As stated before they are also a mobster, a kind of figure of which you have expressed distinct moral displeasure with. It is but simple ethical arithmetic to preserve the betterment of the most.”

I suppose that is true. Putting malice and justice aside for a moment they are a criminal still involved in active harm. To kill them is but the prevention of future evil, so if I do not take this opportunity am I suddenly responsible. They are bound to hurt someone in the future are they not? It’s for the good of all, that’s a positive in favor of this action.

I’d also be responsible for their death but that was obvious was it not? I think back to future me for a moment but quickly chase the thought away.

Even so Roko pushes this too hard for me to feel entirely comfortable. All those things may be true yet what does this mean for me. Why is Roko so eager to give me a gift? Does a demon have hospitality?

While they call me an opponent they surely wouldn’t make me one without a reason. Even so if they need my defeat they could be planting seeds…

What are my defeat conditions anyways? What are my win conditions? What’s even my end goal anyhow?

It seems I had been lost in thought for too long as Roko leans in uncomfortably close. Their face with a blank expression hovering a few inches away.

“So, what do you say?”

“There’s something I’d like to know before that. You talk a lot about this competition but what exactly is my end goal?”

Roko turns their head to the side as if that was the most obvious thing. At least, I think that’s the case. They are still as emotionless as ever.

“I suppose it is the same as Takeru. To destroy fate.”

“If the end goals are the same then why should I care? Might as well let you win.”

As much as they describe it as a game it’s still ultimately reality we are dealing with. There’s not exactly any joy in winning for the sake of winning here.

“You exist to search for a….. I find miracle to be an appropriate word.”

“A miracle?”

“It is my authority to see all things. Time and all its contents is my domain, my authority. I am the beast whose gazes through time, to determine fate, to determine one's eternal damnation or salvation. It is my duty to know the totality of this reality. I have thus devised a path to a specific end. That is the purpose of Takeru and this war, to make fate unweave itself. Even so we are steering reality towards the world of the impossibilities, thus while I have crafted the most efficient method I can not rule out an alternate and better path forward. My power is absolute but it is bound by the world all the same. For example I can not rule out the impossible, an unexpected force from out of a God's view. Thus I have created an alternative test, I must learn which method, which path, is most effective.”

I was going to joke that they wanted me to do the impossible but no. They actually want me to do the impossible. Well I suppose there is some wiggle room in their phrasing. Either way my odds are beyond low.

“So I need to somehow destroy fate for the entire world in a way that is different from yours.”

“That is indeed the correct encapsulation of your mission.”

Yeah it’s game over it seems. I have no idea how I’m getting through this.

“Do I least get a hint as to where to go.”

“The best I can do is bestow some power upon you and awaken your origin. You were chosen because I can sense potential. That you have what it takes. But that is all.”

That’s tough, but if I’m going to carry on maximizing my capabilities then the gift offer is something I should consider with the new information.

Based on their information they have no active reason to actively hinder me. He has nothing to lose after all. I mean they could be lying but I’d just be running in circles if I question literally everything they ever say. At this point I kind of just have to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume some level of honesty.

Plus this is a perfect opportunity to test Roko and his capabilities. Influencing the modern world as a diety is no easy feat, so this is an ideal chance to observe how they act and what they can do. So even beyond what Roko gives me this is something I can take direct advantage of.

Even if this is a trick I’d doubt the first move would be my downfall in this situation. So on one hand it’s a lighter trick and I get to see what kind of games Roko is playing in a safer manner. Alternatively they want to lull me into a false sense of security which would still mean this one choice lacks downsides.

I think there’s only one choice then. So long you stupid bastard.

“I’ll accept your offer. Let’s kill Haru.”

“Then your official first move of the game has been decided.”

Unexpectedly in total silence Roko wanders off into the endless sea. Their pace is slow so it’s not hard to keep pace with their gait. Is gait the right word if your legs do not move?

“If this is essentially my tutorial then how do we play.”

“I have decided to devise a board in which we can partake in the competition.”

“And where is that.”

Suddenly Roko's entire momentum ends and they come to a halt. I so nearly speed past them but quickly stumble back to their side.

“It is here that we shall play.”

There’s a twist in that dreary color, the shape of the world itself bends to imagine something within the space. It spins in numerous spirals before parting to reveal a pit like a maw. Within its depths are numerous twinkling stars and galaxies which stretch for an eternity onwards. Numerous strings unfold through the darkness and rise out into Roko's crude world of colors. Even a few feet from its edge it would be so easy to just reach out and pluck it like an Instrument.

It’s tempting but I know better than to stretch out my hand.

“This is my cosmic web of fate. The world of all mortal possibilities. I’d like to think of it as an insurement, not even the three fates could play it as well as me. For our purposes though we can call it our game board.”

“A bit dreary looking isn’t it. I mean I wasn’t exactly expecting monopoly but surely this could have been a little less intimidating.”

Roko gazes down upon the strange universe they unveiled.

“I empathize with the complaint. Let us make this space more appealing.”

I feel something bump into my legs as the land rumbles. With rapid movement that constant array of dull colors begin to mold itself into recognizable forms. A wooden chair forces itself beneath me and pulls me towards the edge of the abyss. It’s vague outlines solidify as a neat wood floor manifests within the color. Seconds fly by as the walls are quickly slapped together and then everything comes to a halting stop.

The room was perfect. Without a spot of flaw. It is a small square with a Japanese styled wall, mostly plain with but a few paintings, all a fair bit abstract or unnerving. I look up but there is no ceiling, rather it all just stretches eternally. The lighting is dim with just two lamps on mirrored tables. The shadows cast upon the walls run deep into darkness, I feel as if I could see more of the game board in their depths.

It reminds so much of home. No, it is home. It must be a memory of mine. My room, just cleaner. The only odd spot is the window which sits high up on the wall. It casts no light. It’s impossible to see outside.

Roko sits upon their own chair, hands resting in their lap. Still the large void of the cosmos and its endless strings sit between us.

“I believe this place may be more to your liking.”

“I suppose it was better than nothing.”

I lean back in the chair and just stare at the thin glowing string.

“So what’s next?”

“The main method in which you shall be playing against me is by actualizing your own threads of fate. You locate an important divergence point and cut it down to a single option.”

“How?”

“Like this. Here is your future.”

Choices

1. I use my ability on Abigail
2. I use my ability on My Servant
3. I use my ability on Takeru
4. I use my ability on Blackwell
5. I use my ability on Myself

My head aches as something within me awakens. Suddenly the numerous threads weaving within that cosmic sea convey information. Despite its infinite depths I can focus in one what I need to see. I target a specific string and touch it to realize what I must do. Even so, there’s a very clear problem here.

“These descriptions are really vague.”

“I am afraid that is all you can afford to see right now. All you must know is that while these threads can lead to numerous conclusions, what you see there is set to occur with 100% certainty if you choose it. Of course it’s consequences might be troubling or beneficial, but that’s for you to determine.”

I grip my chin as I look into the depths again. These are my fates so not only are they vague they are personalized actions of mine. Maybe I’ll be able to get clues out of them, after all if they are going to occur then there has to be a cause.

“And what do you do?”

“I present Fates and move the world. In a sense I am simply here to facilitate your battle with destiny.”

I still feel there’s a lot I’m missing here. There’s got to be more to this game than they are letting on. One thing in particular though has been a serious thorn in my side.

“Why me?”

“Why not?”

“There’s got to be a lot of good people out there better suited for the task. I mean, what’s the chance a God would pick me out of everyone else?”

“1 over 3 x10^34.”

I had been unconsciously bouncing my leg but I stopped. I froze. I wasn’t sure how to handle this information.

“What does that mean?”

“It is your odds. You were randomly selected out of 3 x 10^34 potential candidates who met the sufficient requirements to battle fate. It is possible to select someone else for the purpose if you wish to opt out of the task.”

“What happens if I do?”

“I bestow your power upon another and you perish.”

I’m beginning to feel like this choice of mine is like a false door. I guess I don’t really have a choice.

“Do I get to know what my powers are?”

“No.”

“Is there a reason why?”

“It is my first move.”

I knew there was something fishy going with this shit. I guess that is obvious. I mean why not tell me? How am I supposed to work with it? That doesn’t seem like it would facilitate his stated goal. How honest is this thing?

“I suppose I will say that the first of your abilities is something you should try out right away. That alongside your servant should get you out of your situation.”

“Wait, I get my servant right away?”

I didn’t expect it so soon. Don’t they come with these whole complicated summoning rituals?

“I’ve pulled some strings so to speak.”

“Am I gonna get some wacky servant because of your shenanigans.”

“You will get a compatible summon.”

Roko looks at me from across the way with their unchanging expression.

“I can tell you are anxious still. I empathize. Even so we must. Even the world above fate has musts. Thus it is time to live again.”

“You’re just gonna send me back then? But I didn’t even get to ask all my questions!”

Roko raises their hand up. Nothing visual seems to change but I can feel something is off. A darkness slowly slips into my line of sight from the corner of my eyes.

“It will be a long battle ahead but I have faith you will do well.”

The darkness takes more of my sight away. The only thing I can see is Roko. I can’t say I feel great about this. I will admit my time here was peaceful. I don’t want to go.

“Oh. And one more thing. You are free to visit anytime.”

——————————————————————————————————————————

Location: Warehouse
Time: Afternoon
Overall Status: Perfect

Character Status

Health: 400/400 (Excellent)
Stamina: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mana: 400/400 (Excellent)
Mental Health: (Confused)

(BGM)

“What just happened?"

I awake to see the barrel of a shotgun so close to my face. Abigail is reaching out in panic to the side.

“So you’ve chosen to continue. I am impressed.”

The man raises his hand to call Blackwell to stop, nodding his head in satisfaction. Slowly I crawl backwards. After existing so long in that black space I had grown used to its peacefulness. Now the pain of existence was flooding back. At the very least it seemed whatever happened had fixed my body from its previous sorry state. Just what happened exactly?

“Makoto are you Immortal or something!? What was that!?”

“It’s a long story!”

“That was two seconds!”

Had I really experienced two weeks in two seconds? Perhaps that being really did bend time itself.

Moving my hand backwards, my hand touches a pool of blood. Looking down I notice something strange.

Strange Mark

Blood flowing through the peculiar cracks in the floor made a truly unnatural shape. A summoning circle which now glowed as my magical energy collided with it. Truly, what are the odds.

“What is that?!”

Takerus' act of being all knowing falls apart as the summoning circle glows behind me. My body instinctively jumps upwards and a few feet back in surprise as an explosion of mist suddenly fills the room.

“It seems we have no other choice but to engage. Just what are your machinations my friend…..”

In a whisper Takeru let’s his words dissipate into the sound of the ever increasing nervous rustling of his subordinates.

I feel nauseous as I stand, practically falling back down. It had been so long since I last stood on solid ground. It’s like coming down from a high, experiencing reality again.

Smoke blocks my vision of the world but I can see a humanoid figure just a few feet away. This is a perfect distraction to try using that stupid ability of Rokos someone how.

“What insolence, for a beast to stand before a God with such rebelliousness in his heart. Have you no knowledge of the order of things, Takeru.”

A tall, lanky figure parts the smoke. They speak sternly, a cold challenge to a hero of old. Their voice is clear and not too loud yet their voice fills the entire space. I could so easily be pulled along their gravity. An invisible thread had tied us, gripped our necks in an unseemly vice. This was a servant most certainly. My servant.

A significant figure from mankind’s long past. One who lived and died in an age now faded from view but with a mark on the Earth which proliferated to modern day.

A hero?

Not necessarily.

Their presence is distinctly divine. They possessed a golden glow, a light much like the sun which seemed to gently caress their perfect form. A calm warmth slowly raises the temperature of the room and ends my nervous chills. I can not confirm the totality of their humanity. Who are they? What have I brought forth?

Their breath and beating heart so casually produce more magical energy that I could hope to make in a lifetime. They possessed an aura which burned like a star, a divine radiance which snuffed out the presence of Takeru like a small flame.

It is hard to escape the reality of our contract. What was a mere hypothetical in my head had turned real. A legend born from humanities extensive tribulations, conflicts and sins is an awe inspiring thing in the flesh. Takeru was a dream but this was the crushing force of reality which shook up my light head. The shadow of history has quite a weight to it. And here it stood, a manifested form upon the Earth.

They are the one bound to me, sworn by an eternal oath, the first manifestation of destiny proper, shackled by an eternal contract. My most compatible companion. My servant.

Choices

Who do I try my ability on?

1. I use my ability on Abigail
2. I use my ability on My Servant
3. I use my ability on Takeru
4.I use my ability on Blackwell
5. I use my ability on Myself

6.Visit Roko
7. Write in

[SleepMode]

1. I use my ability on Abigail

Vague ability to defy fate is vague, might as well give it its first try.