Reinhold Dietrich Presper
Day 0 - Afternoon (2/3)
Minami Ward - Tokisaka Shrine
I stood up and gave her a courteous bow. She was quite agreeable now that it had become clear that I was no longer a burden on her it seemed. Good for her. There were things I had to attend to now. Covering my absence. Information gathering. Planning. Consolidating resources. Writing a will. Organizing a relic...
And yet I couldn't help but feel like I needed to discharge this stress somehow. On that poor girl though? No. She was not at fault for this...not fully. It was a failure of her duties in some way, but in others she was under no obligation to involve me at any stage of this. And yet it seemed like she didn't quite...understand.
Was I the first contact she actually had to the Clock Tower outside of her own family?
It was a possibility. Maybe she never wanted to offend me, nor was she in the clear what her position here was. In that case, maybe it was better to simply tell her. Surely, as long as I would do so matter of factly there would be no offense.
-----
"There is one last thing I wish to leave you with." As I stand outside, ready to leave the estate behind and make my way towards my own, I interrupt the uncharacteristically wordless ritual of her seeing off her guest.
I lock eyes with her intently. It was important than any impression of my previously shaken state were no longer visible. I had to be calm, not vengeful. There was no point to impart this to her with a tinge of irritation.
This was not about scolding this child. It was about telling her why the sky was blue.
"It is a misunderstanding you seem to fallen prey to that you have been approximated as Second Owner by the Clock Tower. This is not the case. There are no approximations. This is not a title. It is a descriptor of duties that certain people perform, no matter if shaman or shareholder. Due to our general policy of minimal interference we allow the existence of parallel societies such as yours, which often lead to a degree of misunderstanding in this regard. Many consider this a mistake, and sign that we should run a tighter ship. I disagree. But rest assured, would you not perform the duties that you do, we would find someone that did, and they would carry your descriptor. And would you interfere, we would be supporting them to the best of our abilities, as fiercly and convicted as we support you now, of course."
I turned away from her, facing the horizon.
"I do not speak for the organization. I merely admired it enough that I deemed it worth to dedicate my life to it. The Clock Tower is a perfect system that consists of many imperfect individuals, like myself. It has persisted for longer than any of its detractors ever predicted, and wrestled entire world religions into stalemates. Magic thrives where we allow it and it ceases where we demand it. It preserves what should have long died, and will continue to do so after all that remains of us are dilapidated graves."
One last time I turn towards her, this time grabbing her hand and giving her a firm shake.
"I hope when that time comes, yours will be empty. Goodbye, Miss Arashiya"
-----
Just out of her earshot, I got my cellphone out
"Lena, I need you to get me something from the plane."
-----
Reinhold Dietrich Presper
Day 0 - Evening (Phase 3/3)
Nishi Ward - Presper Residence
The biggest risk factor, aside of course from twelve other individuals wishing for my death in this little competition, was the very weapon I needed to wield to kill them. An attack dog unlike any other. Sure, I had my experience with familiars, dangerous ones too, but nothing quite like this.
A power unmatched in modern day. The very finest essence of what humanity had to offer. Gods, human only by taxonomy and hair splitting.
And the shell to contain them was not exactly what I would call reliable. A dog whose chain you can yank only three times could hardly be called trained.
So I had to rely on what I knew best. Control the few parts of them that still could be called human. And stack the deck as well as I could to ensure I was the one in control in this relationship.
The rest was just hoping and daring.
Candlelights were the only illumination the dark cellar under thesmall western-style house in the bustling commercial district of Kagamihara City. The floor screed upon which I had drawn a chicken blood circle seemed only to accentuate how hasty my decision had to be made under the current circumstances. The cellar walls were still unclad bricks. If I had planned on spending more time here I would have a contractor properly tile the whole place. As it was, it smelled like wet rock.
Wet rock and candles.
"Silber und Eisen sei dein Anfang."
No use crying over untiled floors. Time for business.
"Der Erzherzog des Vertrags sei dein Fundament.
Erhöre mich, im Namen meiner Meisterin, Bingen.
Lass die tösenden Winde mein Wall sein
Schließe die Tore aller Richtungen
Steige die Krone empor
bis sich der dreigespaltene Weg um dein Königreich windet."
The prana rushed into the circle. The candle lights soon were outshined by it. It was bright as daylight.
"Ich verkünde:
Dein Körper ist mein zu befehligen
Mein Schicksal soll deinem Schwert innewohnen
Erhöre dich dem Ruf des Heiligen Grals
Antworte wenn du dich diesem Willen sowie der Wahrheit unterwirfst.
Ein Eid soll hier geschworen werden.
Besitzer aller Himmel Tugenden. Herrscher aller Höllen Sünden."
And this was it. This was where the deck was stacked.
"Doch sollst du dienen mit deinen Augen betrübt von Chaos.
Warst du auch jemand im Käfig des Wahnsinns
so bin doch ich es der deine Ketten hält."
I hope whoever it was would be forgiving of this feint. Or too mad to consider it an affront.
"Des Siebten Himmels drei große Worte
Komm aus dem Zirkel der dich hält, nun
Wächter des Gleichgewichts."
A burning pain was my immediate reward. A glance on my hand is all I could force myself to do, before I realized how crushing the momentary silence had become.
And then, a great thundercrack.