Chapter 74: Episode 71

Words Count: 5304

A/N: I couldn’t decide who I wanted to accompany Rin and Leo on this trip, so I put myself in Sasaki’s shoes. Okamoto’s too shy, she can’t be of much help if needed, and the Mages will probably take advantages of her. Bakugou is too hotheaded, he’ll probably bring a War home with him, that leaves only Shibata and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I have already built their relationship with the moments they had in the Martial Art Arc, so it wouldn’t feel forced to have this conversation. What do you guys think?

Here's my usual spiel:

You can read from Episode 72 to 102 (Plus Ep 103 should be up in a few hours) in advanced and the Tier starts from as low as 1USD, try it out!

p a tr e on . com (/) LiamThePoor

---

Sasaki pulled through on his promise of help. Much like Sven, he too was surprised that I was alive– Seriously, why did everyone think I had perished? Did I seem like I was the sort to die so easily?!

Apparently, even months after my sudden disappearance, courtesy of Kirei, his Martial School(?), Sect(?), Organization(?) still loitered around Fuyuki in hope of finding me and continuing our cooperation. And unlike the Glascheit Heir, living in Japan and all, he had already been informed of the event had transpired in Fuyuki less than an hour after it happened, having been notified the second the whole ordeal went down. According to him, due to the FPD, his men were not allowed to act hastily,

But Sasaki swore up and down he was just about to send his men to investigate the matter when he saw my number popping up on his personal mobile phone.

I gave Sasaki a short explanation of why I was… Indisposed of for over two entire years– Damn, the more I thought about it, the less guilty I was of Kotomine’s death, I mean he did commit suicide out of nowhere. Of course, being the cunning bastard he was, Sasaki did not appear very convinced by the story I essentially made up on the spot, but perhaps realizing how reluctant I was to share my tales of adventures, the former Leader of Kiyoshi decided to overlook all the inconsistencies and we went straight to business.

Although, I got to admit, without the traitorous rats in his ranks, actively working to hinder and undermine his and his little brother’s authority, Sasaki worked fucking fast. I called the man in the morning, and he delivered barely three hours later, got us fake passports, IDs and everything. There were even international credit cards– You know, those VIP-only black ones? Yup, they were just lying there, looking all cool and pristine in the pile of documents he sent us.

And, if his words were to be believed, they contained a few hundreds thousands pounds each… Sure, that might not sound like much to someone living in the 20’s, but keep in mind this was 1996, a time where everything had not been overpriced thanks to good ol’ inflation and you could buy mansions in LA for the same amount.

Obviously, he wasn’t giving me all that for free.

He was grateful for my helps in the Ragnarok debacle, but Sasaki was a filthy capitalist at heart, and what he gave me was by no means a small amount. Not that I was any better, since I basically spent thirty minutes haggling with him over the phone. Anyhow, eventually we reached a middle-ground, and it’s decided I was to pay him in… Unique Mystic Codes, specially designed to meet the requirements members of his most trusted subordinates had specifically requested.

Thus, a deal was struck,

And thus there I was, pockets hundreds of thousands of British pounds heavier and richer, my name was also no longer Leonis Magnum– From here on forth, I shall be remembered as Adam Jackson the Magus! Yup, not the greatest, most fear-inducing and awe-inspiring name ever, but I’d take it over Tom, Dick and Harry any time of the day, any day of the week. Those were just the most basic-bitch names…

As I had originally predicted, barely an hour after I was ‘caught’ by her, Rin received a call and was immediately summoned to London to answer for her crimes/failures as the Second Owner of Fuyuki by the stuck-up cunts from the Clock Tower. That’s when I was finally able to see the tsundere in her most glorious, the way she talked and handled the passive-aggressive remarks accusations thrown her direction,

All the while keeping her composure with the only signs of worry being the slightest trembles of her hands…

Say what you wanted about him, but for all his faults and wrongdoings, Tohsaka Tokiomi had definitely taught his eldest daughter well concerning political matters. Granted, she did have a comical outburst later that night, though I believed it’s important to note the tsundere had seemed more angry than actually scared, as she should be. I could hardly blame her, whoever talking to her on the phone was a pretty huge cunt, I’d have crushed the phone to bits ages ago if I was in her shoes,

Which thankfully I was not.

Once that’s done, I spent the next day teaching the rest of [Sword God Style] to Shiro in the early morning– Good Gods, I was really waking up at 4AM without prompts from anyone, what was the World coming to? Then, I helped Sakura prepare breakfast, loath as I was to admit it, the now Elven Girl was a much better cook than I was. Lunch was again spent trying to force a healthier lifestyle on a certain Queen to a… Varying degrees of success,

And by that I meant Gil had agreed to reduce her usual intake of three bottles of wines per hour to two bottles due to my incessant naggings.

I also may, or may not have… Emotionally blackmailed the Golden Queen, claiming Gil I wanted her to be there when my ‘Omniversal Conquest’ inevitably started. No, I had no plans to go full Alexander the Great any time soon, lest I drew the attention of some Cosmic Abominations, but she didn’t know that, and she did not need to know. In the evening, Rin and I began setting up our game-plan so to speak.

I explained to her some of the stuffs I got from my adventures, including all the potion recipes I got. I never asked Triss to teach me, but hanging out with an expert for so long, you’re bound to pick up some of their expertise. We could use the… Less effective potions to buy the judges. But, in the worst case scenario they decided to play balls with us, we could up the bribes at a gradual pace.

And if they still opted to be dickwards, I could throw in the weaker version of the Witcher Trials.

Anything more and I might have to pull a ‘Zelretch’ and threaten to nuke them from orbit.

It wouldn’t even be hard either, I could always sneak into a military-base, steal their nukes and blink out.

Although, this option was most definitely not advised. Why? Because as much as I despised the Association, they were kind of, sort of the only somewhat effective governing-body to have ever existed in the Moonlit World. Without them, it would be absolute and utter chaos. Imagine hundreds, if not thousands of over-enthusiastic Mages roaming the World freely, unhindered by Enforcers and the Laws. Hell, imagine all the Apostles that would be created as a result of the Clock Tower’s destruction…

There were the Church and Atlas to pick up the loads, yes.

But the first was extremely prejudice against everyone, and the second was basically an inbred version of the Association who cared for none other than their researches. Seriously, communication with Atlas happened every few decades, they were not exactly what you would call ‘leader-materials’. In other words, the Mages’ Association, and subsequently the Clock Tower might suck more hairy ballsacks than a cheap, alley-loitering prostitute, their alternatives were not any better.

In fact, I’d argue the Church and Atlas might even be several margins worse than those stuck-up cunts. Initially, I had planned to build my... Powerbase on those potions and Rituals, but I supposed I could always figure something else out. Obviously, these were just the worst case scenarios, I might not lose anything other than a few mouthfuls of spits in order to defend Rin! However, as a wiseman once said: ‘Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.’

I might not always follow this advice, being the reckless idiot that I was, yet that did not make the saying any less true.

We would have to wait and see, and wait we did.

With the Golden Queen, the Tohsaka Heiress, the aspiring Heroine of Justice and Sakura the Elf Girl to accompany me, the days passed by really quickly. Before I even realized, it was high-time for us to make that trip to London. So here we were at the airport with Gil, Shiro and Sakura sending us off. The other three were doing relatively fine, but Rin was not having a good time, the tsundere was used to sleeping in late, and having to wake up at 4AM to catch a flight was doing terrible, terrible things to her.

The Tohsaka Heiress was more cranky, more irritable and her lifeless glares could drill into your Soul like none other, even the Glassed-Girl who agreed to travel to London with us, despite of her calm and collected composure, was flinching at the looks she was receiving. Why was someone coming along with us, you asked? Unfortunately, even Sasaki could not finesse the Laws into allowing two quote-unquote ‘children’ to go on a flight alone,

Hence why a certain Martial Artist had been sent with us.

Of course, the main man himself couldn’t come, being the Coo-Leader of Kiyoshi and all, but he had plenty of elites under him, one of which was one of my old acquaintances– No, it wasn’t Bakugou. That guy and his… Explosive personality would probably piss off every Mage he came across. No, the one to make the trip with us was a certain Glassed-Girl, likely due to her phenomenal self-control.

“Shibata-san… It has been a while. How are you doing on this fine morning.”

“Yes, it has, Magnum-san–” My smile grew unnaturally forced at that, and noticing the rigid way in which my facial muscles jerked, Shibata Eri hurriedly made a backtrack. “– I meant, Leo-san?”

I nodded, letting out a sigh of relief through clenched teeth. Yes, Tom, Dick and Harry were not good names, but they were still marginally better than Magnum. Seriously, who named their House after a firearm?!

The Glassed-Girl continued, licking her the insides of her teeth as she struggled to come up with the appropriate words. “I’ve been… Surviving, you?”

She wasn’t joking, the physical differences in her appearance aside– The once long ponytail reaching the small of her back now changed to a soft, messy bun; the heavy bags circling her eyes and the way she… Jumped in paranoia at the slightest twitches of those close to her proximity.

Shibata Eri looked visibly older, experienced, her steps while deliberately slow, seemed to contain something more predatory, more dangerous, on edge and less springy, upbeat than the serene, teenage assassin I had remembered working with. By Gil’s golden grace, Sasaki had been working her to the bones, hadn’t he?

‘No mercy to those of the fairer-sex, I see.’

‘I don’t know, she just looks well-fucked to me. Probably by that Sasaki-guy… Those scholarly guys are more often than not the biggest freaks out there.’

Angra replied, humming an aged tune I did not recognize. He immediately went into hiding when he saw Gil stare at us with a look of complete and utter repulsion. It’s no secret to anyone, not even Shiro and Sakura that I was housing one of the many Nameless Martyrs, but the Golden Queen was the sole person who was genuinely offended for my sake. Not sure why, the dude might be irritating at times, yet he had been naught but perfectly courteous as a roommate.

‘C’mon, bro… She’s just- I mean she–‘

Well, now that I really thought about it, he might, might be right judging from how oddly wide her legs were. But, that did not look like someone with a decent sex-life, was it? Oh-Well, it was none of my concerns if Sasaki was being too… Rough during sex. From what I  understood of her character, Shibata Eri was a tough girl. Regardless of what Sasaki did, I was certain she would be able to handle it fine no doubt and long as she hadn’t asked for help, I refused to be a busybody and butt my nose into their lives.

Then again, it might be something else?

“I’ve been absolutely fantastic, still kicking asses left, right and center. There were a few complications along the way, but nothing I couldn’t deal with.” Turning to my own group, I started with the introduction, gesturing at the Glassed-Girl with a soft, boyish smile. “Guys, this is Shibata Eri, ‘Martial Artist Extraordinaire’ and an acquaintance of mine.”

Then, I made to introduce my group. “This beautiful blonde is Gilgamesh–”

What? There was no reason to hide it, even if I attempted to, with how gargantuan her ego was, I doubted Gil would agree to keep her real identity a secret.

“Like- Like the Sumerian Queen?” The Martial Artist furrowed her brows as she interrupted.

I needed not to answer, seeing as Gil was happy enough to offer a wolfish grin. “The one and only, mongrel.”

“You know her?” I questioned, slightly weirded out since few had ever heard of the Golden Queen. Remember, this was 1996, a time when the Internet was scarce and far, far less accessible to the public. Most Japanese were not even aware Sumer– The earliest recorded Civilization was a thing. “I like to study history in my free-time, and few could forget the only Queen to be known as both a Tyrant and a Benevolent Ruler by her people.”

Somehow, I wasn’t surprised. Shibata Eri did seem the type of gals to actually enjoy– *Shudders... History.

“… The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the most well-known records of Ancient Time by historians, and there are several intriguing factors in it I enjoyed… May I know why- how you’re here, alive?”

“It involves a very complicated and dangerous Ritual that takes place in Fuyuki, but that’s not important.” I waved off her concerns with a shrug, pointing at Shiro. “Next up is Shiro, Emiya Shiro– A girl with a Hero Complex the size of my ego. She’s also a pretty awesome swordswoman.”

The Golden Queen snorted at that, while the smol Heroine of Justice chuckled, a distinct awkwardness audible in her voice. “These two are the Tohsaka sisters, Tohsaka Sakura and…”

My gaze landed on the tsundere. “Tohsaka Rin, who will follow be joining us on this trip.”

With the exception of Gil, who refused to shake hands with a mongrel, her words not mine, Shibata ended up greeting each and every one of them with a clearly fake, polite smile on her face. “So you are the famous Rin Tohsaka whom Leo-san talked so much about…?”

The tsundere blushed, looking all shy and adorable. “On- Only good things, I hope?”

Shibata just smiled, winked at me and promptly decided to pretend to not have heard the question. “Now that we have been acquaintances, I believe it’s time we leave. The flight takes off at 5:30, does it not?”

“Yes, let us leave.” I responded, but not before giving the girls a hug each. Well, the Elven Girl received a gentle pat on the head, since I was afraid she would still be haunted by memories of Zouken and Matou Shinji.

Speaking of which, I had no idea what happened to that sociopathic, rapist nutcase. I’d imagine he too had lost his life during my bombardment, didn’t know, didn’t care to check either. Yes, I could use [Future Calculation] to somewhat accurately find out his ultimate fate, but I did not feel like wasting a charge on some worthless little bastard, especially since the time of reckoning was approaching.

Let’s be honest, without the old Worm backing him, Shinji was as good as dead. He posed no threat to anyone, not even Sakura who was the weakest of our group, and seeing as the Elven Girl now mostly spent her days in the Church or the Emiya Residence, he would not even be able to get close.

As for the ever-useless Fuyuki CPS (Child Protective Service), they were more than willing to give Raiga Fujimura– Taiga’s yakuza grandfather custody of the former Matou Girl once he had made one or two phone-calls to the dirty politicians knees-deep in his pockets. Threats were dealt, compromises reached and deals struck, but eventually Taiga did gain full custody of the girl. “Gil-chan, don’t forget to lower your intake of alcohols while I’m gone, I’ll be very, very crossed if I return and you’re back to three bottles an hour.”

The Golden Queen rolled her eyes, arms crossing as she pretended not to hear me.

“Shiro, I’d tell you to train your Magecraft and Swordsmanship, but you being who you are, I don’t think that’s necessary.” I ruffled the smol Heroine of Justice’s hair, pressing a peck on the crown of her head. “Protect Gil and Sakura while we’re gone, alright?”

“I will, don’t worry!” She pumped her fists excitedly.

The Golden Queen scoffed, as though offended at the mere thoughts she would require protection from the girl she often referred to as the Cursed Blade. As for the girl in question, Shiro was just happy to be entrusted with such duty. “As if I’d need shielding from a mongrel who can barely even protect herself. The Cursed Blade would make for a horrible Queensguard.”

I pinched her stomach, grinning and whispering to her. The only sign of the Queen being annoyed was the irritated glare she threw me. “Don’t be a spoilsport, Gil. Let the girl have her moment, you want to witness the Rises of Modern Heroes, do you not?”

She hissed back. “I do, but a mere counterfeit does not interest me! Let alone a cursed one, Little Lion.”

“But she’s not a mere counterfeit, Shiro’s so much… More.” I wouldn’t say a girl who could perfectly replicate the techniques and Noble Phantasms of Heroic Spirits a mere anything. Then again, Gil’s values were completely different to mine, even after months upon months of interactions, there were some kinks in the Golden Queen’s personality I had not been able to figure out just yet. “I’m sure this discussion can go on and on for hours–”

And I wasn’t kidding either, Gil and I had had this same conversation thrice within the last two days.

“– Unfortunately, we don’t have time for that. Just let her live out her fantasy for a bit, won’t you? As the Queen of Heroes, it is kind of your responsibility to inspire aspiring Heroes, is it not?” I patted her lightly on the back, before pulling Rin and Shibata along as we raced towards our Gate, waving one last time at the three girls left behind. “See you guys! We’ll be back before you know it!”

Hell, we would probably have dinner at the Church in the evening. Once I had reached the Clock Tower, it would not even be an issue to blink back and forth at will. ‘This will be my first time ever travelling outside my country of origin… How exciting!’

“Le- Leo! Slow down…!” The tsundere stammered as I pulled/dragged her by the hand, forcing the shorter of the two girls to keep up with her short, little legs. “You! You just thought something incredibly rude, didn’t you?!”

You are reading story Fate: Dead Man’s Lament at novel35.com

‘How did she know?!’

‘Perhaps your sensei has the ability to scour the minds of unsuspecting foes so she may torture them with their most horrific memories?’

‘Angra, why are you talking like that?’

‘Like what?’

‘Like that!’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Leo-tan.’

‘Oh-Fuck you and your attempt at gaslighting me, Angra.’ I cursed.

“You’re not getting out of this by ignoring, idiot!”

I smirked, a smirk that did not quite reach my eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rin-tan.”

‘Choke on a tub of shits, Leo-tan.’

‘You first, motherfucker.’

“Ara-Ara… Young love, how nice.” Oh-Shit, when did Shibata turn into an Ara-Ara Onee-chan?!

“How could I love this, this idiot?! He’s rude, and impulsive, and- and…!”

I replied calmly. “Rin-sensei is right. She doesn’t love me...”

For the slightest moment as I paused, I could have sworn the tsundere looked kind of disappointed, which was exactly when I decided to strike. “… She’s in love with me, that’s a completely different thing.”

‘And the World’s Biggest Narcissist award goes to!’

“SHUT. UP, LEONIS YOU IDIOT!”

Ah- This flight was going to be super chaotic…

I fucking loved it already.

—— [Fate: DML] ——

Two decades,

Two entire fucking decades and I- He had been on a plane only thrice.

One was a vacation to a large City in the same country, a time when his parents had not been bankrupted, leading to their eventual divorce.

A second time was when was to a colder City in the North to visit his then absentee father,

The third was when he finally coughed up all his savings to treat himself one last time before his… Suicide. Funnily enough, I could barely remember anything from that third trip.

Sure, the first two were a haze too, but the third was just a blur of incoherent images and feelings all meshed together almost as though he was constantly in a drugs-induced high.

I pressed my face against the window, gazing the passing clouds in boredom. Getting on a flight for the fourth time ever would- should have made for quite the novel experience, but with [Blink] and [Petal Burst], I had long been able to replicate a form of flight, or rather to glide through the Sky. That was much, much more fun than this, trapped in an ugly metal contraption with the other dozens sweaty people.

While Sasaki had been kind enough to give us seats in First-Class, having Supernatural senses, plus being in an enclosed space, I could not ignore the overwhelming body odors at all… Odors such as the stink of someone’s feet, three seats ahead of us, the sweats dripping down the slightly obese guy behind and his yellowing shirt-armpits, or the pure, clear scent of sexual frustration wafting off Shibata, who was sitting with us inside the box. “Shibata-san, are you alright? You look kinda… On edge.”

‘Quite literally.’

Never before had I hated having the ability to read someone’s chemo-signals than now. It was not that obvious when we first reunited, but boxed together, it’s hard not to notice the scents and the way the Martial Artist was rubbing her legs. Perhaps realizing the oddness in my tone, Shibata pushed her glasses up to cover her growing bright blush. ‘Shit, she really is edging.’

‘Explains the disheveled look…’

“I’m- I’m sorry, Sasaki-sama is teaching me something… New.”

‘Damn, never knew he had it in him, but man has got games. Thank Gods Rin has fallen asleep, or this is gonna be super awkward.’

“Do you want to change the subject? Might help distract you from your predicament.” What? I was lustful, and an asshole for sure, but I wasn’t about to betray a bro for it, no matter how much my Title was singing to me. “Is it really that obvious?”

The Glassed-Girl sent me a wry, awkward smile.

I answered with a nod and a curt, “Kinda, yeah.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re way too perceptive and aware of these… Adult matters?” Shibata sighed out loud, though having a context made it sound far more sexual than it should.

“What can I say? I might be young, but I do partake.”

“With who?” Call me crazy, but I had a feeling the woman was skeptical at my claims. I could, could tell on Gil, Triss and Ciri or… “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, Shibata-san.”

Silence descended on us once more as I awkwardly patted my thighs in a chaotic rhythm. “That woman- The blonde one, is she really–?”

“Yup.” I interrupted. “She really is the resurrected Sumerian Queen of Uruk. I apologize for how rude she was, but you know how Royalties are, especially Ancient Ones. Once you’ve proven yourself to her though, she’s actually surprisingly sweet.”

Both figuratively and physically. “Wait! Are you and the Queen of Uruk–?!”

I just shrugged, changing the subject to our common acquaintances. “How are Bakugou and Okamoto by the way? Sasaki did not tell me anything about them.”

Shibata smiled with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Don’t tell me they–”

“No, no! Nothing of sort, Leo-san. Okamoto left Kiyoshi a few after Ragnarok was destroyed and became a doctor– The Murim kind. She’s unexpectedly good at it too, apparently being able to control metal-wires like you can your own limbs make for an easy time sewing up wounds and extracting bullets and broken blades.” She chuckled. “I do miss fighting alongside her, but perhaps it is for the best. Chika’s heart is too kind to be a frontline fighter anyway.”

I scratched my chin. That made sense, that girl was basically Sakura without the years of tortures toughening her up. “And Bakugou?”

The blonde bastard better not be dead.

“He’s currently leading a new team of eight with his childhood friend… I’m more of a secretary for Sasaki-sama nowadays.” It might be baseless, but I had a feeling I knew who that childhood friend was– Probably a certain green-haired, stuttering shounen-protagonist. “I’m sad that we split up, being the first team to be created by Sasaki, but I- I can’t say I’m unhappy at how things turn out… What about you? What were you doing in the last two and a half years?”

“I was…”

Being thrown into the Void,

Making a Pact with the Gaunter O’Dimm,

Meeting Ciri,

Being cursed by the Crones,

Hordes upon hordes of monsters chasing me,

Meeting Phillip and saving his ungrateful bitch of a wife,

Going to Novigrad,

Sexing that deliciously beautiful Succubus,

Meeting Triss

And so many more things…

Those were the highlights of my adventure to the Witcher-Verse, it was a shame I most likely would not be able to share those with anyone any time soon. Although, maybe Gil would be willing to listen? I trusted her, more than I did anyone else beside Rin, so I had that option if I ever wanted to get those tales off my chest, someone who wouldn’t blame me for the choices I took. “I was betrayed by one of my Guardians, and was stuck in another Dimension for a while.”

That’s the short version of what I gave Sasaki too, being known as the Magus who accidentally travelled to another Dimension was better than the Magus who invented a Star-Gate and was sent to another Universe by a malfunction caused by the Priest he lived with. First, because it was just fucking embarrassing to have your own inventions used against you, I’d probably never live that down.

Secondly, having the knowledge of how to create a Mystic Code capable of Omniversal Travel, even directionless one, was the kind of shits Mages would murder people for. What’s to say you couldn’t use this method to break into the Root? In fact, the thought had occurred to me, but until I could actually control the destination, True Magics would remain outside my grasp. Still, Mages did not care about that. Remember, the Holy Grail Ritual’s original purpose was to shatter the boundary of Space and Time in hope of finding the Root.

They had no fucking idea if that would work or not, the Ritual was capable of a lot of things, but it was nowhere near Omnipotent. If news of my Star-Gate were to be leaked, chances were I’d have all the Mages up-in-arms forcing me to publicize my invention, and even if that was proven to not work, we would have crazy Mages running freely in the Omniverse sooner or later, which I would really rather not have. Not now, not ever knowing how the majority of Nasuverse’s Mages operated on the daily.

They would either bring the wrath of Cosmic Gods down upon our heads, or destroyed so many Realities for their own selfish purposes. Some guys might even pull a Thanos or something… Nuh-Uh, no sir.

“That’s… That’s rough. Am I correct to assume you have dealt with this Guardian of yours, Leo-san?” For the briefest moment, Shibata showed a trace of concern that was swiftly wiped away, but it was too late. I had already seen it. It’s same concern I saw months(Years ago for her) back when we talked on the porch of their team’s hideout. I couldn’t believe they had broken up, things were changing so fast and while I was moving with them, a part of me, the stupidest, insecure part still felt like I was being left behind somehow,

And that, that really sucked. “I fought him, he lost and committed suicide.”

“Oh…?” Shibata looked at me in contemplation as she wondered aloud. “You- You do not seem very happy about it, Leo-san?”

“I- I just, he was one the first people I met after my… Amnesia, you know? He taught me how to fight, how to use my Magic Circuits– Even though he wasn’t very good at the whole Magecraft thing.” Leaning into my seat, I huffed. “The blades– The Black Keys I used, they were his. I knew he was evil, I knew he did not like me much, but I had thought I could‐ I don’t know, change him? Make him a better person, I guess? In spite of his faults and betrayal, I kind of miss the banters we had.”

I looked down at my lap. “I keep telling myself I hate him, and that he’s a horrible Doomsday Cultist who would have smothered me in my sleep the first chance he got to keep the guilt away, but I don’t think even I buy these lies.”

“… For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you feel this way, Leo-san. Losing someone close to you, even if they had betrayed you first, couldn’t have been easy. But the fact that you feel this way is a testament to your own goodness, is it not?”

‘Goodness, huh?’

“I don’t think I have that anymore.” I said cryptically, mind dragging up images of the devastation I had had a hand in, be it directly or indirectly, and all the inhumane experiments I had done on Whoreson Junior’s men. They deserved it, but two wrongs did not make a right. “I think everyone has a little bit of goodness in them, it’s their choice whether they want to embrace it or not.”

‘It’s already too late for me, I can only walk down this path and see what lies ahead. The thing about Evil and Cruelty is that they’re addictive, and once you get a taste, backing out seems impossible to do. I have gotten a taste, and I do not want to stop, ever.’ I did not say that out loud, instead offering her a hollow-smile. “Thanks for the Ted Talk, Shibata-san. But I have to get some sleep in, it’s a long flight and I have a long day tomorrow.”

She reached out to ruffle my hair. “No problem, Leo-san. If you ever need to speak to someone, I’m all ears.”

I pulled down a blanket from my cabinet. Rin was leaning on my shoulder, it seemed having to wake up so soon was too much for her, after all. I rested my head on hers, it’s only fair, right? Then, I sent a teasing/wicked smile towards Shibata. “You know, if you want to you can go rub one out in the bathroom. Might make you less distracted and fidgety.”

The last thing I heard was the sounds of her gurgling on her drink in shock, before I was lured by the allure of peaceful slumber, lulled by Rin’s soft snores and the gentle hums of the airplane.

You can find story with these keywords: Fate: Dead Man’s Lament, Read Fate: Dead Man’s Lament, Fate: Dead Man’s Lament novel, Fate: Dead Man’s Lament book, Fate: Dead Man’s Lament story, Fate: Dead Man’s Lament full, Fate: Dead Man’s Lament Latest Chapter