Chapter 27: Gears Of Fate

When there’s nothing major that happens to you, time seems to go by slowly. But if you keep on repeating a routine every day, something like buying food at the market, then constantly training to control a magical power, for example, then time still flies by faster than horses. It’s boring, but at least it helps distract me from the uneventful life I’m experiencing right now. And it’s not like I don’t enjoy it. After being constantly on the run without a place to call home, something uneventful like this is a good change of pace. Even if it has lasted for two whole years.

By now, I’ve pretty much made myself at home in this small town in Nagoya. The people here aren’t too friendly, but at least they’ve warmed up to the point that I can exchange a few words in Japanese without them looking at me like I’ve just done something suspicious. Well, even if communication isn’t a problem any more thanks to Katsu’s teachings, I’m not the type to strike a conversation anyway, so it doesn’t bother me too much, and I’d prefer if they don’t start talking to me all of a sudden.

Ushiwaka hasn’t come home since letting me stay in his house. Katsu seems fine since according to him, this type of long journey is common for a man of the sea. Petoro, however, doesn’t really take things as well. Contrary to the impression I had on him when we first met at the school’s watchtower, the kid is still acting like a kid his age should – sensitive, moody and short-tempered. Although, he’s only one year away from “officially” being considered an adult, so maybe someone needs to get him back in line. Katsu has been trying, but, considering he’s only remotely reliable when doing chores… things will continue to be like this for a while.

I haven’t heard any news about a cross of any kind, although lately, I feel like there have been more angels flying about in town. It’s as if they’re searching for something. Otsuya’s cross, perhaps? “Even if they’ve retrieved it, wouldn’t it be better if the angels make some sort of public showing to destroy it?” Petoro usually asks that whenever Katsu and I bring up the matter. And he has a point. “It would make perfect propaganda,” Katsu usually follows with something like that. So, this means that the angels are purposely hiding the existence of the cross. But what for? What do they avoid losing by doing that? And now, they have been more active than usual. Could it be that they somehow lost possession of it? Unfortunately, even if it’s true, the actual whereabouts of the item are still a mystery, so the conversation among the three of us usually ends there. In the meantime, we’re just stuck with repeating our routine.

Today, like the many that came before, as soon as the first rays of sunlight shine through the thin sliding door, I kick away my blanket and get up. Having these doors was a pain at first, but in time one would learn to get used to it, and now waking up early isn’t something that I’m forced into anymore. Going downstairs to grab a piece of bread – a dish newly added to the household with my arrival – my day now officially starts.

Even in this early of a time, the streets are no less busy – and no less suffocating to traverse. Among the stalls being set up and the various shoppers casually walking along the road in the hope to get their item of the day, the angels have already started their routine of circling around us, both on the road and in the air, still holding onto their weapons, ready to strike anything that they deem a threat. I know that this is supposed to be the norm for the people around here, but for me, even after two years of living in this town, I still can’t get myself to get used to it.

As my mind drifts away, my eyes meet with those of a boy across the street.

I don’t think I’ve seen him anywhere until now. His eyes are hidden behind a pair of glasses, already a rarity in this place, maybe in general, but with only a few rays of light at the moment, his deep, dark eyes can be seen clearly. I’ve never seen a pair of eyes like that before. Eyes can come in a lot of colors, but pitch-black like his is a first for me. But even then, it’s not a lifeless black like an unending hole, but somehow, it’s as clear as a still lake, as if reflecting myself in there.

The boy seems to notice I’m looking at him also. He’s a bit surprised at the fact. But only for a moment, for just a second later, a smile blooms on his face. However, there’s something about that smile that boggles my mind. It doesn’t look like a smile of joy, nor it is a smile of normal courtesy. Somehow, I feel as if… he’s not smiling at me, but he’s smiling because of me. As if he’s waiting for me specifically.

“I’m sorry, but… do I know you?” As I approach the boy, the question comes out of my mouth faster than I could even think. And only after uttering that do I notice that it is not something that I should ask. Why did I ask something like that? Clearly, this is our first meeting. If anything, I was looking at him first, so he should be the one asking that.

However, it seems like it’s not the first surprise for me today.

“Hmm… How should I say this…” Contrary to my belief, the boy lightly touches his chin as he answers, seemingly pondering about something. “To say that we’ve never met before is correct, but to say that this is our first meeting also isn’t wrong.”

“… Huh?” I could only utter at the riddle of an answer the boy speaks of.

“Don’t worry about it,” the boy smiles once more. “We will meet again, after all. And soon, as a matter of fact.”

The boy then turns away and goes into the building behind him – a flower shop, where he hangs the “open” sign up afterwards. I know this flower shop. I’ve seen it a couple of times on my way to buy food, but I’ve never really paid any attention to it. However, I’m sure that I haven’t seen this boy in this shop before. But how come? How did he just appear like that out of nowhere?

The question lingers in my mind even as I return to my current home. As usual, welcoming me in the kitchen is Katsu, having already put on his apron and tied his hair back in preparation of making breakfast for Petoro:

“You took a bit longer today. Anything wrong?”

“Eh, not really,” I answer without much interest while instinctively giving him the ingredients that I bought.

“You look like you have something on your mind.”

“I guess… Do you know that flower shop across the street?” I ask.

“You mean the one run by Sakurako-san? Sure.” With a quick nod, Katsu answers. “But what’s wrong about that?”

“That Sakurako-san… she doesn’t have any kids, right?”

“As far as I know, no. She’s single, after all.” Katsu shakes his head.

“Then who’s that boy that works there?”

“There’s a boy that works there?” Katsu asks with a confused look. However, he’s only like that for a brief moment, as he hits his fist into his hand and cheers as he remembers a detail he’s missed. “Oh, right, there is one! I think he’s only been here for about a week or two, though.”

“But why would you ask that?” Katsu continues with a smug as if suspecting there’s something odd that’s happening for a girl not known to talk like me.

“Tch, it’s not like that.” I shake my head and click my tongue in annoyance. “That boy… seems weird.”

“Weird how?”

As if waiting for the question, I tell him the whole story.

“Oh, that is weird,” Katsu concludes.

“Do you know anything else about him? Like, where is he from? Or how did he end up working here?”

“I… have no idea.” Unfortunately, similar to me, Katsu also shakes his head in response. “The guy is basically a mystery. No one seems to know where he came from, or how he ended up working here. Even Sakurako-san herself. I tried asking her once, and she only said ‘he needed to work here, so I let him work here. Who cares where he comes from?’”

“So… yeah, I’m as stuck as you are.” After a stint of imitating an old lady’s voice, Katsu finishes his answer. “But let’s not get carried away with that. We just continue our days like normal.” Trying to pump ourselves up again, Katsu quickly takes out the ingredients and starts to prepare breakfast as if nothing has happened. Meanwhile, I also leave the house through the backyard and head towards the hill to start my training.

 

“Armed.” Standing in the middle of the ground, surrounded by the usual trees, I mumble. A flame burst out in the air, engulfing my body in the process. Feeling the gentle warmth around me, my body is clad in a suit of white armor – a form I gained during the two years of work that’s supposed to be less powerful, but more precise in control, and along with it comes a flag, whose pole double as a spear, in my grasp. In my time training, I’ve gotten a lot more used to the whole process, to the point that the transformation only takes around a third of the time as before. Then, raising my flag up to the sky, I say out loud:

“Roue de Feu!”

As the words leave my mouth and my flag plants itself down into the ground, a circle of gold-tipped spears once again forms behind my back. With a wave of my hand, the spears fly in their guided directions, bursting into flames and striking precisely into the ropes that are hanging the equipment – now leftover woods that Katsu hid there from the day before. As the wood falls down onto my head, the spears fly back and make a sturdy frame in the shape of a circular formation that they formed, and shield right from above me as I raise my flag once again. The space around the spears also ignites, making an umbrella of steel and flame. Upon touching the flame, the wood instantly burns to a crisp, with only a few branches escaping their fate by bouncing off the poles of the spears.

“Wait, I was supposed to sell these…” I exclaim as the remaining ash scatters in the wind. “Oh well. I’m pretty sure he won’t be too mad at me.”

All of a sudden, as if lightning has struck the area, a sudden clap echoes through the woods. There’s a person here? Katsu, maybe? He would be the most likely to make this kind of clapping… But why is he here when he’s supposed to have housework to do? Did he decide to skip a day? No, that’s not like him…

Not letting me guess any further, a voice sounds, and I can tell for sure now that it’s not Katsu, or anyone that I know, for that matter, that’s behind me right now:

“Spectacular performance! Your spearplay, and the way the flames flicker to your command… It’s like a picture.”

Instinctively, I turn around immediately and point my flag spear forward, to where I assume would be the person’s neck. To my surprise, however, not only does the perpetrator not show any signs of fear or worry, but his face is also one that I’m familiar with. Not too much, but with just enough of an impression for me to realize instantly.

Pushing his glasses slightly up, the boy continues, as if being held at spearpoint is an everyday occurrence to him:

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“No need to be afraid. I don’t mean any harm… Petra, isn’t it? Or would you like me to call you ‘Jeanne’?”

“How… did you know my name?” I ask, still holding my spear ready for any chance of attack, while conjuring a few more just in case the boy tries anything funny. Right now, every fiber of my body is screaming that he’s someone dangerous, but at the same time, I can’t shake off the feeling that he’s harmless as well.

“It’s simple, really,” the boy still answers with a smile, although if any of the spears pointing at him leaves their position, he could be dead in an instant. “You don’t look like you belong here, and considering that you have a cross, narrowing down your name is merely child’s play.”

“You know about the cross?” I ask, sweat starts to pore beneath my gauntlet. This boy… I don’t get it. What’s this feeling of dread that’s coming from him?

“I know. I could even say that I know about them a lot more than you do,” still with a calm demeanor and a friendly smile, the boy answers. “However, I can’t tell you anything that I know. Instead, you can consider this a gift of mine, to show you that I’m on your side.”

As the words leave his mouth, the boy disappears in front of me. And before I can react to anything, hanging on the tip of my flag spear is already a shining emerald cross, while the boy has already appeared behind me as he continues to say:

“Take it, destroy it, the choice is yours. But let’s see if everything has truly been set in stone or not.”

“Wait, what did you just do?” I turn around and ask, but the boy has already disappeared again and reappeared behind me as fast as he vanished from my sight:

“It’s a sort of technique I have, but I’m sure that doesn’t matter too much right now.”

“Why are you doing this, then?” I turn around and try to pinpoint his location, but to no avail, for his voice always sounds behind me no matter where I look

Still not showing himself, the boy answers. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m on your side. It’s only natural that I would help you.”

“Why are you on my side? How did you get this cross? And why didn’t you try to use it yourself if you’ve already got it, and fight with us that way?”

“I’m on your side, but I can’t fight alongside you,” the voice continues. “I can’t intervene too much in this world’s matters, like an NPC in a video game. And like an NPC, my job is only to support the main heroes, by giving them the upgrades they need to vanquish the boss.”

“NPC? What is that? What are you talking about?” I ask, but to my surprise, the boy this time appears directly in front of me.

“However, I too wish to escape the fate of being a mere NPC. That’s why I’m giving this to you, in hope that your action will be the trigger to in turn help me with my own goals. The choice is yours to make, but I’ll give you one warning: the gears of fate have already begun to turn. You better decide soon. Later.”

“Wait!” As the boy turns around and tries to walk away from the scene, he has already been surrounded by a row of spears blocking in his path, and in between the gaps is a long wall of fire, completely shutting off any chance of running away.

To be honest, I have no idea what the hell just happened. I don’t get a single word that this guy said. But I still want answers. Something, anything that is related to the sequence of events that has just happened. Something within me urges me to know.

“Hah…” Letting out an audible sigh, the boy turns around finally, but contrary to my expectation, all that I receive is a shake of the head in disappointment. “You know, I can get out of this place pretty easily. But fine, since you’re so desperate, I’ll give you one chance. Ask one question, any question, and I’ll answer it.”

“One question…” I mumble. There’s only one chance. What do I want to know? What’s the most valuable information that I can get from him right now?

Think, Petra, think. There has to be something that you need. A way to destroy the cross? … Not really, I can ask the dragon for that. The ‘wheels of fate’ that he mentioned? … What is that actually? And does it have anything to do with me? Argh, no good. Answering that will only open up a bunch more questions. What else… Damn it, I have nothing else! Fine, then the only option left is…

“Who are you?”

“… Is that really what you want to ask me?” The boy raises his eyebrows, seemingly in doubt.

“I have nothing, alright? Just answer the question!”

“You know, I have a million ways of dodging the matter if you phrase it like that,” the boy lets out another shake of the head and gives a shrug. “But fine, since you’re honest with me, I’ll answer in a way that you might find important in the future.”

“The name’s Ryuuro. Kuroshi Ryuuro. But then again, my name is not significant at all in this world. Instead, keep this in mind: next time if you meet the Archangel in charge of this land, tell them that ‘the being from another world’ that they’ve been looking for is already here.”

“Hold on! That still doesn’t answer anything…” I try to reach out to him, but suddenly, the scenery around me starts to spin uncontrollably, as if I’m experiencing sharp dizziness for some reason. As I come to, I’ve already left the training hill, and reappear in an entirely different place altogether.

The flickering flames. The burning buildings. The scene is familiar, but never would I think of seeing it again. However, unlike my previous nightmare, this burning town is now completely devoid of people, as only an eternal fire is present, and it only emanates a soothing warmth rather than a scorching heat of destruction. Directly in front of where I stand is a small portal floating in mid-air, and behind it is the exact same scenery as the one I’ve been in just moments ago, with the strange boy standing in it. I try to reach out to the portal, but a voice echoing through the space around me stops me from doing so:

“I’ll take it from here.”

“What’s going on, stupid dragon?” I ask, turning my attention towards the red sky – where the voice was coming from. “Where am I?”

“It’s my cross’ dimension. Or rather, the dimension that I modified a bit to be similar to something you know. But I digress; I need to borrow your body for just a moment. There’s something that I need to discuss with that boy.”

As soon as the words from within stop, through the portal, the dragon’s voice sounds from my body:

“Hey, boy. Yeah, I’m talking to you.”

“… Asmodai, right?” The boy, after a brief moment of hesitation, asks. “What do you want from me?”

“That promise you made with Byleth that day… Why did you tell him that? Why did you entice him into causing that war?”

“I think you’re making a mistake here,” the boy calmly answers. “I didn’t entice anyone. History is supposed to be that way. Whether it’s due to Byleth or it’s due to something else entirely, the result can’t be altered.”

“If that’s the case, then why tell Byleth that in the first place?”

“Because, although this world’s history is supposed to be that way, our fate is only possible if I did what I did. And so, Asmodai, are you going to be the one to push the gears into moving forward, or are you going to take Byleth and Balam’s side and try to resist it altogether?”

“What are you talking about? Byleth, I get, but Balam would never…”

“He already is, Asmodai. But I’m not stopping him. For the only way for fate to move forward… is for them to resist fate altogether. Take your pick. The choice is yours.”

“Is that choice really mine, or is it already inevitable ever since you stepped into our world?”

“Heh,” the boy lets out a smirk for the first time ever, and it’s a smirk that sends chills down my spine. “Who knows?”

Those are his final words to us before he completely disappears from our sights. Before I could digest everything that has happened, I’m already back standing on the training hill again, with my armor dispelled, and an emerald cross shining in my hand.

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