Oh, the irony!

Arcadia had countless residents, both human and inhuman, yet that accursed amulet had decided to pick Barbara. His Barbara!

Strickler frowned. How many times had he cursed the Destiny already?

He always tended to plan multiple paths to reach his goal. One or two being unavailable meant nothing.

Yet now, his only possible path was no different from a steep mountain trail along the edge, where each misstep meant certain death.

Stricklander eyed everyone gathered for a regular discussion. Nomura seemed displeased and tried to keep her distance from everyone. Oh yeah, his schemes had already landed her in the most dangerous position - she risked even more than her boss himself.

Bular was just a regular Bular. Throwing angry tantrums, threatening everyone, and clearly wishing to go for the Trollhunter's head. Controlling his action had already become Herculean labor, and…

Stricklander winced, remembering that in an attempt to get at least some advantage and guarantee of his own survival, he had somehow acquired yet another major headache.

The said headache was leaning on the wall lazily, carving some figurine with his knife.

Angor Rot was both the valuable ally and chaotic factor, and Stricklander suspected that one might have sold him to Barbara one day if there was a perfect opportunity. Sure thing, Inferna Copula had ensured some loyalty, yet Angor was far from being a fool. If he ever found a loop to abuse, it would be the end of everything.

Another meeting ended without changing a thing. Bular still wanted to solve the problem his way. Angor still tried to wrestle out his freedom. And Nomura was just tired of all that farce.

Stricklander nearly jeered at the ridiculousness of his own conundrum, as the next part of his schedule involved meeting with Barbara.

And, of course, she had noticed his foul mood. She always picked up even the tiniest swings - and if Strickler wasn't an outstanding liar, his secret would be out a long time ago.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a stressful day at work. It's nothing compared to you fighting trolls."

A sweet lie to lull her into the delusion of 'everything's alright'. He was a hypocrite, a fake existence stealing someone else's identity. It had become a second nature already.

And Barbara bought the deception every single time.

Vulnerable.

Entirely at his mercy.

Stricklander could easily break her apart, backstabbing her when she never expected it.

Yet…

He had never been Stricklander with her. Just Walter, her beloved and trusted man. And Walter could never backstab the one he held dear to his heart.

Even now, he could see that damned amulet gleaming blue inside Barbara's handbag. How many times had Strickler planned to steal it? The answer was as many as he had stopped at the last second.

And it drove him crazy. It was one thing not wanting to harm his love, but taking the amulet from her would just resolve everything without any violence.

But no, Walter was genuinely scared to be caught committing that unsightly act of thievery!

To see disappointment and hurt in her eyes.

To shatter the image of the perfect man he always shoved to her.

It was a horrible truth - Barbara had tamed the one who had been once feared as one of the most merciless bastards within Gunmar's party, and it had been Strickler's own fault.

He had never planned their relationship to become a real thing. There had been a need for a cover - and the charming mother of his favorite student had been the most appropriate option. Yet soon enough, Walter had realized he had lost already, falling for the strong-willed redhead whose gaze could drive him crazy with ease.

But even then, it hadn't been such a big deal - well, at least, as long as the Janus Order believed it was just an act.

Kanjigar's death - that one had been the spark to combust everything.

At times Strickler wished he had found the successor himself. Or better - never learned the identity of the enemy.

But no, Barbara had come to him herself, sharing the world-changing level secret as if it was nothing.

He should have been happy back then.

He had believed he would have.

Yet, for the first time in his long life, Stricklander had felt lost and confused. His further actions had been just proof of that. All the recent schemes had been just pathetically futile as if he wasn't able to go all out against Barbara.

Why as if, though? He definitely wasn't able to go all out against Barbara, and it was just stupid to deny it by this point.

His road to doom had been already pre-written, apparently.

It reminded Walter of that unpublished chapter from his book.

Elegy for the Cunning Dragon.

His book had never had a happy ending. The death of Dragon had been there even in the initial version.

The only difference was that Dragon actually considered Knight his friend, and that journey made him realize his own wrongness.

The reveal was a deliberate act, a determination to play the villain to the very end so that his friend could become a true hero.

That could be the only way to resolve everything, as the world would never forgive and accept Dragon.

Yet, as he was dying from his wounds, he kept remembering all the wonderful times spent with Knight's party and wondering if there could be some other way to resolve everything.

The last scene featured a hallucination of Dragon joining Knight at the celebration.

A foolishly childish and naive hope that would have never come to fruition.

The world knew no mercy.

History was written by victors and those ones decided who would be a hero or villain.

And Walter had already lost.

Dragon had lost the second he befriended Knight.

And Strickler had lost the second he fell in love with Barbara.

Everything was just a countdown to his doom by this point, with not even the slightest chance to escape.