Chapter 58: Episode 55

Disclaimer: I don't own Nasuverse or any other franchise that can be found in this fanfiction.

Words Count: 5055

Here's my usual spiel:

You can read exactly 22 Episodes in advanced, yes I counted.

p a tr e on . com (/) LiamThePoor

A/N: Thus the prelude for the War of Magnums has begun!

A/N#2: A/N: You know, I almost delayed this Ep. Had to go on a volunteer-trip today, I got out of the house at 6AM and got back at 7PM, I was so fucking tired and even got in a minor accident on the road. Don’t worry, I’m fine, ‘tis but a scratch, doesn’t even hurt. But, then I thought of all the time I’ve delayed Eps and I just don’t feel comfortable doing it to my Readers, especially my patrons, nor do I feel comfortable making it a habit so I forced myself to finish the newest Ep and upload according to my usual schedule. Hope you guys like this. Aight, that’s all, I gotta get some shut-eyes before I drop like a sack of potatoes. Need to get a bath too, damnit.

A/N#3: I said volunteer, but it's more a case of 'You go or fail this class and have to pay a ton of money, plus your time to retake it'. Yeah, University is a bitch.

---

Darkness was important.

It’s a pivotal part of Life, that’s a fact nobody could deny.

For a former dungeon-dwelling hobgoblin like myself, this was even truer. I adapted to the Darkness, cloaked myself with and wore it like a second skin. I reveled in it in ways only those with similar… Disposition could ever hope to sympathize with.

The memories were fading, but flickers of a time when my parents, my sister would jokingly call me a vampire were still there.

Once, Darkness was my most treasured friend.

Once, it’s the only place and time I could truly express myself.

As long as it was dark, I could forget all about my problems, my troubles and just be… Well, me.

There was no façade needed,

No suffocating societal pressures waiting ‘round the corner,

Just peace and quiet.

This, this was not the Darkness I was familiar with.

Rather than peace, calm and quietness, all it offered was a sense of foreboding and maliciousness. This Darkness wasn’t caused by the lack of light, instead it was dark sludge all around and I, I was somehow in the center of it.

I’d speak if I could, but I had a feeling should I open attempt to open my mouth, the sludge would surge down my throat and I’d become something else entirely. Was it simply baseless paranoia? Perhaps. Regardless, I was not stupid enough to risk it. Thus, I pressed my lips into a thin line, trudging forth to find… I wasn’t sure what I was searching for? A opening leading out of this, this sludge-filled Void maybe?

But, the path ahead was treacherous.

Every step I took required great effort.

The best way I could describe it was, I was a normal man trying desperately to escape a pit of quicksand and doing a terrible job at it which, in my defense, was not my fault. I was giving it my best, but it was like my strength had been drained from all four limbs, they were heavier than leads. It’s almost as if I was… Normal again. ‘What the Hell is this place?’

I thought, pressing onwards through sheer determination. My intuition said something lied ahead, something that could help me fight the Curse which brought me here. No, not intuition, whatever it was, was calling for me. It felt evil, like pure, unadulterated, capital E– Evil… It felt like the Daemon King, it felt like Angra Mainyu.

But, lesser somehow? It’s as though it was a mere fragment of the whole, a fragment so small it couldn’t even speak, it wasn’t calling me by whispering in my ears, more yelping and crying like a small animal. The farther I went, the louder its voice grew and at one point, it was no longer the distant yowls of a wounded cub, but the cries of an– Nay, of hundreds of infants all perfectly synced together.

“This won’t keep you down, you still need to go home, remember?” Ciri’s voice echoed in my mind, or was it in my ears? I wasn’t too sure, but she sounded desperate. Against my best judgements, I opened my mouth to respond, to tell her I was okay-ish, and taking advantage of that short instance, the tars surged into my gaping jaws and pooling down my gullet. I gagged, desperate to cough up the offending substances.

My hands clawed at my neck and slammed repeatedly at my stomach to vomit it, whatever it was out. “I’m not sure if this will work, but it should interfere with the transformation and slow his possession until we figure out a permanent solution. Geralt, Ciri, you two hold him down, I’ll feed him the potion.”

Triss’ words, seemingly coming from miles away, overlaid with my own gurgles, until I felt a silky smooth texture entered my throat, breaking the slimy black substance down to its molecules. “Triss, it’s working!”

The moment Ciri finished, I started spewing out intense waves of flames at the coming Darkness. I didn’t know if I looked cool or not, just that it felt worse than any hang-over I had ever had. The flames kept coming and coming, like an unstoppable chemical and biological reaction was taking place inside me. “The veins are receding, but…”

Geralt’s voice, monotonous as ever, chipped in on the side, yet it contained a weariness to it that was odd to hear. “The Curse’s fighting back.”

“It’s not a Curse.” The Sorceress interjected. “It’s a possession. Whoever Leonis got in a fight with is an adept at Demonology, and they’re trying to convert his Soul with Black Magic.”

Oh, that explained a lot. Thanks Triss, I knew what to do now. I forced the nausea away, racing towards the fragment of Angra Mainyu. The path ahead was still swarmed with sludge, but with cleansing fire spewing from my mouth like a torrent, they dared not approach, instead opting to sit on the sides, waving its constantly disintegrating tentacles around menacingly.

I ran and ran, until Angra’s cries grew to a roaring volume, and a second voice joined in– It was Gabriel’s, the Umbral Witch sounding almost anguished, frustrated. “Why do thou fight me still? We can be together, we can be a family! Thou art powerful, but thou can be so much more if thou would just… Let go!”

I ignored the bitch’s ramblings as I felt the flames sputter weakly. I was running out of fuel, I must reach Angra Mainyu as soon as possible. I couldn’t explain why or how, I simply knew for certain that the Daemon King would be my ticket out of here. Thus I continued, even as my legs burnt with exhaustion, the soles of my feet blistered and my existing callouses hardened, while new ones grew.

At times, I’d trip and fall on seemingly nothing, only to be taunted by a drifting tentacles made out of pure, ever shifting… Blackness.

Still, I refused to stop. I’d regret it if I did, I just knew.

Alas, my patience and persistence were rewarded. My lungs ached and choked with smokes and ashes, but I made it.

There it was, Angra Mainyu, lying still on an altar created from a kind of oily metals, cracks of Ambient Mana, purple and red intertwined similar to Saber Alter lining its form. It stretched its arms towards, and only then did I see it in the truest sense.

It wasn’t the inhumanly beautiful creature I had met during the Ragnarok debacle, it wasn’t even a person, more an unborn, misshapen fetus. Its skin was wet with ungodly liquids, and its stench was a mixture of bodily fluids: Blood, sweats and sex…etc.

I disliked it already.

But, it seemed the Darkness couldn’t approach it without being sucked in themselves, which meant I’d have a moment of solace, a moment to catch my breath and rest before I vomited out innards. I closed my gaping mouth, rubbing the joints that connected my lower-jaw to my face and slumped down, leaning against the altar. “Well Angra, here I am. I heard you calling. Don’t happen to know the way out, do you?”

Obviously, being a fucking fetus and all, Angra Mainyu merely let out gurgles in response. Hell, if he/she/it wasn’t a wrinkly blob of flesh, and their/its eyes weren’t bottomless pits, I’d say it was cute. I sighed, feeling a bones-deep tiredness settling in. “What am I saying? Of course you don’t. You’re barely even coherent! Shit…”

I messed up my hair, gazing despondent at the encroaching Darkness. Triss had called this a possession, which often meant certain death. According to what I had heard from both Rin and that shithead of a priest– Kirei, cases of Demonic Possession never ended well for anyone, be them the victims or the exorcists… But, I had a better, more powerful Entity in me, didn’t I?

How could a random, nameless Demon ever hope to contend with the King of Daemons himself?

So what if it was merely a fragment? Angra Mainyu was the Boss, maybe not on O’Dimm’s level, but he was still Evils and Curses Incarnated...

I glanced at the crying fetus.

Then, with a smooth motion and a complete disregard of its foul scent, I picked up the fetus, pointing it at the Darkness.

They abruptly pulled away, fleeing in panic as the fetus’ mouth widened invitingly, as though ordering the Darkness to enter it.

I took a step forwards, the Darkness hastily retreated dozens of steps back.

A Grinch-worthy smirk pulled on the corners of my lips,

Even Angra, through its wrinkled skin, had on a hint of a devious grin. “Ohhh, I have a feeling this is gonna be so much fun, wouldn’t you agree Angra?”

The fetus bobbed his head and gurgled. I wasn’t sure if it’s because he understood what I was trying to convey, or if his neck simply had trouble supporting his big-ass head and he was choking on the slimy fluids, but I took it as a sign of agreement anyway. Without a care in the World, I began my Hunt, chasing after the rapidly disappearing Darkness and laughing maniacally. “Get your dumbass back here, biatch! I’mma–”

Angra paused, beady pits glaring angrily at me. “I meant, WE are gonna fuck you up. Happy?”

The fetus giggled, before returning to sucking the Darkness. Wait, wait…! Not that kind of sucking. I meant, it devoured the Darkness, eating everything in its path like a ravenous super vacuum, and the more it absorbed, the bigger it grew, I noted. Its growth was gradual, nigh unnoticeable at first, but once I really started paying attention, I could literally feel it getting heavier in my hands. “Still hungry, are you?”

The Voldemort-wannabe fetus smiled, its eyeless, bottomless pits boring into me with a starvation and desire language alone could simply not express.

Its lips set in a thin, crooked line that edged up slightly. “Of COuRse.”

Its mouth remained shut, yet the words flew into my ears all the same, bringing a toothy grin to my own lips.

‘The enemy of my foe is my friend.’

That saying had existed for centuries, there must a good reason for it. Not to mention, Angra Mainyu truly did not mean me any harm, it was… I wouldn’t say trustworthy, but I believed in mutual benefits. If it saved me, it would be freed from the World’s Evils sooner or later.

The pact between us was clear. “Then let’s hunt down the rest of these bitches.”

I shot towards the Darkness.

Although I was without my Supernatural qualities, the Darkness by its very nature wasn’t exactly agile, and this Space was only so big. After giving chase for what seemed like a week, Angra was able to consume the Darkness wholly, growing about a foot taller. “It’s done–“

Angra gazed at me, its pitch-black pits staring into my Soul. “– You may leave now, I’ve fully digested the… SnACk.”

“That’s it, not even a ‘thank you’?” I raised my eyebrows at the Daemon, arms crossed. Little Angra Mainyu merely chuckled in amusement, its voice every bit the child it currently was. “I’ve given you something in return, have I not? You named it [Future Tragedy], I believe? Really need to brush up on that naming sense of yours by the way.”

Blinking rapidly, I stared at the Zoroastrianism’s Devil, head full of thoughts. “I don’t think that counts, I was going to get [Future Sight] regardless, if not something better. You twisted its nature into…” I activated [Future Tragedy], watching cautiously as Angra Mainyu crackled manically, uncaring of the visions of his own Deaths assaulting his mind. “This is better. Cooler, if you want to go with the Modern term.”

He threw his arms up, a confident smirk plastered on his dark, charcoal black lips. No idea where he got the lipstick for that, but I digressed. “Admit it, you like [Future Tragedy] better like this. You’re a sadist, terrorizing your enemies is in your nature, and I’ve given you the perfect tool to do that.”

“Fair enough.” I tapped my feet awkwardly, continuing after a brief moment. “Mind telling me how long we’ve been here for?”

“’Bout two days.” Really? I thought it must have been longer than that. As though hearing my thoughts, Angra Mainyu replied. “This is your mind, your Soul, time passes by differently from the Real World, just like a dream. And, before you ask, you can wake up by hurting yourself.”

How did he? Can he read my mind?! “It’s written all over your face, dumbass.”

I pinched myself absentmindedly on the arm, only to receive a scoff from Angra. “Pinching, really? What are you, a fucking pussy? This is how a real man wake up from a nightmare.”

He cocked his arm back, throwing a wild haymaker which landed square on my face. The punch destroyed my nose, cracked a few teeth, threw blood droplets splattering all over and sent me stumbling back and… Straight out of the Dream.

I snapped wide-awake, staring at a familiar ceiling.

There was something on my forehead.

‘A wet rag?’, I idly noted.

Next to me were the soft snores coming from a head of ashen-white hair. “Princess, is that you?”

I pressed on my temples, nearly lurching what little remained of my lunch two days prior. I was starving, my joints and muscles felt like they were being weighed down by leads, but most importantly, there was this dull headache hammering against my skull. I hissed painfully, letting loose a shuddering breath. “Ouch, what the fuck is wrong with me?”

“Hmmm, Leonis?” The Witcheress, startled by the noises I was making, woke up bleary-eyed, palming her blades cautiously as she got to her feet and backed away. “You’re not possessed, are you?”

I looked at Ciri, a weirded-out expression coming over my face. That’s a stupid question to ask. “I don’t think so? But even if I was, do you really think I’ll tell you?”

“No, no I guess not.” Uncomfortable silence descended upon our heads as I patted my thighs, while Ciri crossed her legs, clearly having something she wanted to say. “”So/Uhmm.””

We both started, pausing to let the other continue. My lips twitched in irritation as sheer annoyance crept onto my expression. “This is stupid, we’re monster-hunting badass, not hormonal teenagers. Let me start, how are you Princess? Well, I hope.”

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“How am I? How are YOU? You’re the one nearly possessed by a Demon.” The ashen-haired Witcheress giggled, seemingly amused by our awkward interaction. I didn’t find it funny, but I cracked a smile anyway, prompted by her own laughter. “Not too good, my head’s killing me, literally. I’m so hungry I can eat a horse, and I lost my rapier- I lost Invictus! Oh-fuck, Gil’s gonna skin me alive, she’s never gonna let this slide…”

I hurriedly jumped down from the bed, yet I could barely take a step before feeling my legs cramp up, the muscles inside seizing painfully at the sudden movements. I fell flat on my face, my head bouncing like a basketball as Ciri snickered. “Careful, you’ve been out of it for two days, and the possession didn’t do you any favor.”

She cautiously helped me to my feet, letting me fall roughly on the bed. It was necessary to note that the mattress wasn’t the same rock-hard, Spartan piece I was used to, Triss must have replaced it with hers while I was out. “No, no. You don’t understand, I have to retrieve Invictus! It’s mine! It’s Gil’s first ever gift to me, I can’t let those filthy Demons taint it! I have to get–“

I was growing hysterical, I knew, but I wasn’t one to share, especially when it came to something as special as my rapier. Still, Ciri was adamant that I rested first, and to prove her points, she lightly pressed her palm on my chest. Usually, I’d be able to break out of her hold, regardless of how much force the Witcheress was putting in, but for whatever reasons, I just couldn’t muster any strength. “Lie still, you can leave when you’re able to stand unaided.”

“But- But…”

“But nothing. I don’t think you understand how close you came to dying! The possession was halfway through turning you into a Demon, it’s only thanks to Triss’ quick thinking that process was halted long enough for your immune system to fight back. Look at yourself, Leonis!”

And look, I did.

I hadn’t realized it, but my muscles had… Thinned. It’s like I was a victim of the Great Chinese Famine, I was actual skin-and-bones, my abs, which I had taken great pride in, were gone. “Oh-fuck...! I’m gonna go full Vietcong on that bitch Gabriel.”

Fighting head-on against her had proven ineffective, so I’d use guerilla tactics instead. I must whittle down her forces first. Luring the Umbral Witch out of her lair should be the second priority, part of the reason why I lost was the enclosed Space, there just weren’t much rooms to dodge in her Workshop. But enough of that, first I must check my Stats. Hopefully the effect of the… Possession was only temporary.

I wasn’t looking forwards to raising my Stats back if it wasn’t.

[Game Ver.a3.2]

Name: Leonis Magnum

Title: A Queen's Object Of Affection

Age: 8/21

Race: Human

Level: 14 (95.3%)

HP: 23% – MP: 100%

STR: Unranked – 85.2/100(–90)

AGI: Unranked – 92.2/100(–90)

DEX: Unranked – 88.2/100(–90)

VIT: Unranked – 100/100(–90)

INT: Unranked – 100/100

CHA: Unranked – 97.2/100(–50)

Points: 74.3

[—]

‘Phew, thank the Gods.’ I wiped away the cold droplets of sweat off my forehead. All my physical Stats were deducted ninety Points each. My CHA wasn’t spared either, which was understandable, given I had lost what seemed like a hundred pounds and looked like I was a wind away from actually biting it. I touched my chin and face. There was no meat, no flesh, just skin pulled taut and stretched over my skull. Thankfully, my Mana was still useable.

Thus, I projected a handheld mirror and looked at my reflection. “Good Gods, I look like a fucking SCP.”

[Status Effect: Muscles Atrophy]

Recovery Rate: 1 Point/Per Day

... That’s three months, three whole months doing nothing.

I couldn’t wait that long, I could barely even sit in one spot for an hour, let alone lie on the bed for three months straight.

Assuming I could fasten the process through exercises and physical conditioning, that’s still a month and a half at the very minimum, give or take a few weeks. I clenched my teeth, massaging my head. “That’s not gonna work.”

“What’s not going to work?” Ciri chipped in, and I replied despondently. “I just checked my body with Magecraft, it will take me three months to fully recover. I can’t wait that long, which is why I’m going to try something stupid.”

To my surprise, the Witcheress did not even bother telling me otherwise, she simply looked at me in anticipation and worry. “Not going to try and stop me?”

“What good will that do? It’s not like I can stop you, and I have a feeling this might help me control the Elder Blood better.” I smirked. Ciri was indeed different from Rin, the little tsundere would have fought tooth-and-nail to prevent me from doing something stupid. The Witcheress, on the other hand, I wouldn’t say she didn’t care, more like she had a habit of succumbing to her curiosity. “Watch and learn then, Princess.”

I tugged and pulled on the Elder Blood, focusing on its dominion over Time rather than my usual go-to Space.

A Shield of Elder Blooded Mana covered my form as I sat upright.

I had seen Ciri do this many times before. Unlike my version of [Blink] which was Spatial in its nature, the Witcheress was subconsciously displacing herself in place of her Alternates. It was a far more sophisticated use of the Elder Blood, one I would have never attempted due to the sheer risks it represented, had I not fiddled with Temporal Magecraft prior to my acquirement of the Elder Blood.

There were three options currently available for me.

First, I could accelerate my own Time until the three months period ended, it’s also the easiest solution, and the most likely to screw me over. After all, I was trying to cramp three months into a single instance, dying instantly due to starvation or dehydration was a real possibility.

The second, more complicated option was to exchange my body with myself from an Alternate Timeline, similar to what Ciri did every time she blinked.

The third, which frankly was the hardest to accomplish, was to reverse my Time prior to my battle with Gabriel the Umbral Witch. All of these solutions had their own risks. The first was already out of the equation, I had no idea what cramming three months into a single instance could and would do to my body, and if Kiritsugu’s example was anything to go by, if I didn’t perish from a lack of foods and drinks, then my heart might simply burst.

Sure, the Elder Blood might, might help, but that’s really not a risk I was willing to take.

That left me with [Timeline Displacement] and [Time Reversal] to choose from.

Yes, I named them, because why the fuck not?

I picked [Timeline Displacement], simply due to how often I got to witness it thanks to the Witcheress.

Reaching into the cyan pool of Mana, I activated [Future Calculation], having the Skill that specifically dealt with Alternate Timelines would help immensely. Suddenly, a myriad of Timelines were revealed to me in a Kaleidoscope.

There was one where Leonis Magnum, too stubborn to make a tactical retreat, perished to Gabriel the Umbral Witch.

Needless to say, I discarded those Timelines immediately.

In another, Leonis Magnum was already saying goodbye to Triss and Ciri while the Star-Gate home was being powered on.

“So many Timelines, so many possibilities, yet I could only choose one…” I murmured, eyes glowing a cyan hue as I blindly grabbed at one where Leonis Magnum was relatively intact and initiated the exchange of flesh. The effect was instantaneous, I groaned as weakness slowly left my body. Caught utterly unprepared, the other me desperately fought back, using his own mastery over the Elder Blood to stop the process, but…

“Too little too late!” I crackled like a villain having just accomplished his goal even as Other Me raged in response, which wasn’t far from the truth. It’s fine, he had defeated Gabriel and was on his way home. Surely, he would figure something out? “You are–?! You fucking prick!”

The Other Me gritted his teeth, his eyes wide realizing my identity. I guessed my guy wasn’t expecting this. In all fairness, I wasn’t expecting having to rob my Alternate-Selves of their bodies either, but here I was, putting it into actions. I waved at him as our Souls passed by each other, before slowly entering the other’s flesh. “Sorry! And, thanks for body! I was careless with Gabriel!”

“Oh, you worthless fucking cunt! So you decided to steal my body?!” He screamed literal tons of well-deserved obscenities at me, and I took it like a champ. As I said, I did deserve it after all. “Sorry, sorry! I’ll pay you back later.”

“Fuck you! Don’t make promises you can’t keep!”, He let out one last shout, before we were sent back to our own Timelines. I jumped on the bed under Ciri’s surprised gaze, snickering manically. I felt bad for Other Me, but surely he would understand? We were one and the same, it’s no big deal to help each other on small occasions, right? Pffftt, who was I kidding? I was so going to abuse this. Leaving it to future Leonis was no longer a meme, but a Reality!

[Skill Gained: Timeline Displacement – Rookie Lv: 1/10]

“Pffftt! Oh my fucking Gods! I basically have Funny Valentine’s Stand! Elder Blood’s fucking broken!” I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Obviously, it was Ciri. “What exactly did you do? It just felt like a normal [Blink] to me.”

I patted her smooth hand patronizingly. “Oh, you poor child, you don’t even realize the kind of cheat you’ve been abusing on instinct, do you?”

The Witcheress’ eyes narrowed dangerously as she swatted my hand away and spat. “No, and I’ll really appreciate it if you explain in details, instead of saying cryptic lines like a wannabe Wood Witch.”

I forced down a laugh, clutching my stomach. I should probably send Other Me an apology or something, ‘Lest he started the Timelines-spanning War of Magnums prematurely.’ I thought jokingly to myself, before beginning my explanation of what just happened. The Witcheress bobbed her head, fingers clutching her chin.

She seemed confused, an understandable reaction, since knowledge of Alternate-Timelines and Universes wasn’t exactly widespread as it was on Earth. Concern marred Ciri’s expression as she whispered. “So, you essentially robbed your Alternate-Self of his body and gave him your broken one?”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure Other Me will understand. Beside, he’s fine, my body will heal, it just takes time.” The worry on her face still refused to leave as she continued. “Can’t he- They do the same unto you?”

That’s a fair point… But there were infinite Timelines. I wouldn’t be that unlucky, right? The odds were quite literally 1/Infinity. Hell, even with the fading connection between our bodies and the Timelines, the chances of Other Me whose body I had appropriated finding me and taking revenge was far closer to 0 than it was ever 1. Still, I should probably take caution. Other Me likely never thought that would happen to him until he fell victim to my devious hands.

“I’ll take precautions, don’t worry.” I patted her soft white hair. For a girl living in the Dark Ages and constantly on the run, Ciri had really nicely scented and smooth hair. A product of Triss, perhaps? If so, I must take a few back home for Gil, Rin and Shiro. Gil would marvel at the gifts for certain once she realized I had interacted with Mankind of a different Universe, Rin would thank me since she didn’t have much hair products, if you could believe it.

My favorite tsundere’s money trouble hadn’t ended yet, and with Kotomine running her financial to the grounds, I doubted things had turned for the better.

Shiro… Well, Shiro wouldn’t give a damn, being the tomboy that she was.

I’d have to ask Firefly later. ‘Course, I wouldn’t her stuffs for free.

Once I had retrieved Gabriel’s Soul, my schedule would be freed to do whatever she wanted.

I could leverage the fact that I helped her and the Mages escape Novigrad and singlehandedly destroyed the Eternal Flame and Witch Hunters, but even I knew that’s a scummy thing to do.

It's just hair products anyway, she wouldn’t request something too unreasonable, right? “What are you going to do now?”

“I’m glad you asked, Princess! I’mma go straight back to that Umbral Bitch and bash her face in!” I replied enthusiastically, a smile on my face. It’s the sort of smile I reserved for my worst enemies, which by stealing Invictus from me, Gabriel had landed herself on. I was contemplating all the ways I could torture the bitch, when I felt Ciri’s punches hammer at my chest. “Have you lost your marbles?! That woman nearly killed you–”

“Actually, she summoned a Demon that almost successfully possessed me–” I coughed as she punched in the stomach. It didn’t hurt. It barely tickled. But here’s some life-lesson for you all, it didn’t matter if it hurt or not when a girl hit you, you must act hurt or that shits would escalate very quickly. The Witcheress’ face scrunched up as she roared. “What’s the difference, you fool?!”

“The difference, Princess, is that I now have a proven method to handle that kinds of attacks.” Cue an image of the Daemon King– Angra Mainyu making a peace sign. “Beside, I’m not going to take her head-on, I’ll imitate the Vietcong and–”

“That word again, ‘Vietcong’. What is that?” I sighed. I sometimes forgot where I was. Those terms and references meant nothing to her. “Alright, time for a history lesson.”

Half an hour, and a fuck ton of contexts later. “So you’re just going to attack multiple times to wear down her forces? Why didn’t you just say so? Why the history lesson?!”

It occurred to me that had Ciri been a cat, she would be hissing angrily with her fur standing up straight. The mental image brought out a chuckle from me, which only seemed to upset the Witcheress more. “Do you want to come with me?”

Just like that, the steam in her engine ran out. I, who had kept Ciri away from the retrievals of the seven Souls, suddenly invited her to go with. It must have been quite the surprise, a welcome one if the look in her eyes was to be judged. Then, without any prompt, the ashen-haired Witcheress yanked my hand up and down excitedly, like a child. “Really? I can go with you?”

“Yes, you can. Most of the Demons are fodders anyway, you’ll just have to pay attention to their regeneration. The only true threats are Gabriel and the Greater Demons, and I’m not going to engage with them immediately.” The smile on her face widened as she palmed her blades. “I’m ready, when are we leaving?”

I gently nudged her off me and got to my feet. This body wasn’t the victim of starvation mine was. In fact, it was pretty full, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. I was craving meats, and a cold drink, and I was going to get it no matter what. Thus, I glanced at Ciri with a casual smirk, head tilting at the door as I made an exaggerated bow.  “After I’ve gotten something to eat. Wanna join this lowly servant, Princess?”

The Witcheress giggled, offering her gloved hands to me, her voice was like the chimes of bells. “Of course, Sir Knight.”

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