Words Count: 5007
A/N: And so a 4 years journey has ended. On one hand I still hate University, but on the other it's pretty strange. I've sat in classes with these people for 4 years straight now we're going to split. Some are even married with children on the way… Sounds depressing but it feels like I am the only one who hasn't graduated yet… Odd, right? 'Cause I remember it was torturous to wake up every school day.
A/N#2: Also, I added tragedy to the tag. Just wanna be clear the end of this book isn't gonna be pretty and some of you might even want to hurt me so I'm apologizing beforehand.
Anyway, here's my usual spiel:
You can start reading up to Episode 60 of Fate: False Sovereignty in advanced. The Tier starts from as low as 1USD! You can support me and read as soon as I release an Episode, check it out:
P(a)(treon).com(/) LiamThePoor
"Gods, these are surprisingly heavy." Jack Baker complained to his friend as he heaped a box filled to the brims with herbs- herbs which total weight came to around 300lbs- possibly more. For every day, normal people, it'd make no sense to involve these materials in what's essentially the building-process to a computer and defensive measures, but for Magi such as them? This sort of things were in truth daily occurrences.
They- Jack and his friends- were not good Magi- having been born as the sole children with any affinity whatsoever to Magecraft in their declining Noble Houses. Their Ancestors weren't amazingly talented either, remaining stuck as second-rate Magi 'till the ends of their lives while Jack and his fellows could merely be considered third-rates themselves. Now, in order to support their livelihoods, they'd taken up works as Enforcers…
That was how they met Leonis Magnum.
In contrast to the lives they had led up to this point, working under Lord Magnum had been absolutely terrific. They pays were high- much higher than the scraps they're thrown at being the Tower's lapdogs, the treatments received were good too- even those intellectuals- those Lords and Ladies all up in their fanciful 'Ivory Tower'- which was quite literal in this case- had to look upon them with respect- respect they had rightfully earned, but was never given until a certain boy- a teenager- a Lord walked into their lives.
"What a pain…" Scratching the back of his head, Damian- Jack's ever loyal and faithful childhood friend- asked. "Has his Lordship said why we're gearing up? Just seems redundant to me, it's not like the Glascheit bitch is a threat with that ragtag group of hers."
"Sshhh! Don't question his commands. He hasn't failed us yet, has he?" In spite of Jack's words, he himself was rather confused by the turn of events. It's a well-circulated fact Penny 'Swan' Glascheit had been defeated twice by Magnum- each time spared only by the grace of his Lordship- favors done in mourning of his friend- the late Glascheit Heir: Sven Glascheit. "I know, it just feels ridiculous to arm ourselves to the teeth in anticipation to her assault. What can they even do to us?"
"Don't jinx us either, you foo–?!" Jack scolded.
That's when they heard it- a seemingly unassuming noise practically everyone'd have ignored in their shoes, likely thinking it to be the work of a small critter or something similar.
As was with everyone under his Lordship's wings, Jack and Damian had long been taught of what Lord Magnum often referred to as…
Well, 'clichés'- multiple training courses to teach the specifics of these stereotypes were made available half a decade ago, and only those who had passed the courses with flying colors and judged responsible enough would be allowed anywhere near the Elites.
Many sayings and lessons were taught within those, though none was deemed more important the
Obviously, No. 1 was: 'Never underestimate thy enemies.'
Apparently even the vaunted and prestigious 'King of the Clock Tower' had suffered beneath the hands of his foes once.
Hard to believe, yet it was as true as the Sun above their heads,
The breezes that washed their exhaustion away,
And the Stars which stood loftily in the Night-Sky.
Still, there was another lesson that came close to winning that 1st place-
A lesson all must learn lest they be eliminated from his Lordship's Ranks: 'If your instinct tells you to do something, do it. If your instinct tells you not to do something, it's probably the right thing to do.'
And at this very moment, their instincts were screaming for them to investigate the source of the noises. Yep, no 'It's probably just the wind' or 'Damn squirrel' or any of that bullshits only to get shafted in the backs because they were too lazy to do their jobs.
There's a reason they're called the Elites after all- the name was testament to their expertise, positions and trainings, though they did prefer the 'Royal Guards' or 'Custodians' more- even calling themselves that in secret. Putting their Ranks within the Tower asides, their group was the Best of the Best, and one of the most basic conditions to join was having survived at least ten Apostle Hunts, each requiring an extreme level of caution just to walk out of those fiestas alive and relatively intact.
"We got a situation in the East Wing." Remembering his trainings, Jack whispered to the coms pinned to the collar of his shirt,
Their gazes still trained upon that spot. "If Damian and I don't establish contact within the next three minutes, just presume we've been had and alert the everyone else."
There's a brief moment of statics, before a voice replied. "Roger that. Will reinforcements be necessary? Purple Team's just six hallways away from your current location."
"Probably?" He responded hesitantly. "But probably not. I don't want to pull our forces thin when it could just be a rat or something. Blue Team over and out."
"Copied. If you need help, holler. Stay safe, brothers."
Nothing else needed to be said as Jack sent his friend a slow nod.
No reason to clutter up the coms.
Whether it was really a foe or merely a small, harmless little animal that had wandered within the Bounded Fields somehow, they'd figure out soon enough. "Might want to put your weapons up, boys."
With a singsong voice, Jack echoed,
Before pulling out a dagger with ragged and razor-sharp teeth on its edges strapped to his right forearm. His was a weapon of pains and misery, one that would undoubtedly fuck-up the insides of any foes unfortunate enough to meet him in battle.
Not nearly as effective as that cursed and barbed whip Damian carried around fucking everywhere- a Mystic Code enchanted by his Lordship himself as a reward for their loyalty- but it's his, and Jack loved the mean-looking thing to death. Brandishing their weapons, the two- both being the Captain and Vice-Captain of Blue Team respectively- gestured for their group to surround the unassuming bush.
Of the thirty-five people sent to Fuyuki, each Team- corresponding to the seven colors of the rainbow- were assigned five people. A Captain and his Vice in case something were to happen to the first.
Aside from those two, three other people- who're not necessarily less talented or weaker per say, though a bit lacking in… Certain qualities needed for leadership- were grouped to compliment one another. Jack's essentially Blue Team's very own Glass-Cannon- deadly though more focused on the offensive aspect of combat and his friend- Damian- was Blue Team's Bruiser with a well-balanced Stats in both defense and offense.
His cursed whip absorbing the bloods of his enemy to heal his wounds and supplement his stamina in battle.
Their Marksman- or ADC as his Lordship would call them- was an arsonist with penchant for explosives- specifically piercing, explosive rounds. In fact, the entire area they're assigned to stand guard had been rigged to Hell with at least a carload of fiery Rune Stones the man had handcrafted, set up in strategic locations to prevent enemy advances… His name? Well, that's the thing, nobody knew.
The psychopath always had this skeletal mask on, spoke in riddles and to make matter worse, the ADC barely- if ever- communicated with the Team.
Thankfully, no one had an issue with that- which made Jack and Damian's jobs a whole lot easier. As long as Zero- a name they had had to give him to avoid confusion- did his job and didn't prove to be a liability, they could not care less. After all, as Magi, which one of them did not possess vices and oddness? "Zero, you see anything?"
"Slight movements, unsure what or who." Perched atop the East Wing with his rifle, the ADC spoke- keeping his response curt and frankly, impolite- some might even consider it rude, while still giving the Team information to formulate a plan. "Bushes, makes it hard to see."
"Alright, buddy… Just keep us updated, and if you see anything out of place–"
"Shoot first, ask questions later." Zero interrupted discourteously. Quite used to the stoic man's antics, no one even tried to make a comment or witty remark. Hell, they were more amused if anything. "Atta-boy."
"I'll check it out, you guys stay close." A fourth voice entered their conversation- the voice of a child- more specifically, a childlike woman.
In spite of Zoe's appearance, she was already in her late-thirties by the time their Team was formed, or so she said. Few people knew how true the claim was- perhaps only his Lordship- due to the constant joking manner she seemed to have adopted. If Damian's the Bruiser, Jack the Assassin and Zero the ADC, then Zoe was a walking, talking Battle Tank. At one time, the Vice-Captain of Blue Team had seen her take an anti-tank round to the face and just walk it off literally minutes later.
There were even speculations within the Elites that she was invulnerable, though this piece of information had yet to be verified.
Skipping playfully, Zoe marched straight into the unknown with naught but a smile on her lips and a knuckleduster to protect herself with. Usually, that was enough. "Be careful. I know you're tough, but…" Trailing off, Damian let out a sigh when he saw the seemingly younger girl pay his words no heed. "Zoe, I will cover you."
Last, yet certainly not least was their Support: Karma Shimura- and yes, they had played the stripper-name card to death.
Though unlike the rest of the Team, the dark-skinned woman's arguably the sanest amongst their group with a sense of sensibility required to keep all the… Colorful personalities of Blue Team grounded to Reality. It also helped that she had saved all of their asses once too many times.
Excelling in Barrier Magecraft, Jack and Damian had personally gotten to witness her smash an enemy to bloody paste- conjuring a beautiful pink Barrier to surround her opponent before abruptly shrinking it, causing the person trapped inside to be crushed like they're in a mystical trash compactor. It's both a good and bad thing she's a pacifist who disliked fighting and just conflict in general. With a flick of her wrist, a hexagon-patterned Barrier appeared over Zoe.
It might appear excessive, unfortunately with all the Superhuman Servants- historical / mythological figures running about every nook and cranny of Fuyuki, you could never be too cautious- something Jack's sure his Lordship would approve. "Hello! Is anyone there?" Looking at the woman who did not seem at all reliable, both Jack and Damian narrow their eyes.
The two would not trade their Team for anyone- having cultivated a sort of kinship with these weirdos- but sometimes they could prove to be too much. Carelessly, Zoe raised her leg and… Kicked- that one kick was so ridiculously powerful, it left the entire area barren as the bush and even the weeds on the ground were swept away to reveal-
"Huh? You gotta be kidding me, it really is just a rat?" The animal screeched, flailing in agony due to its erupted eardrums- a result of the shockwave from Zoe's leg that had uprooted everything in sight.
"Man…" Damian muttered. "Whichever Landscaping Company Lord Magnum has hired is gonna have a field-day with this–?!"
* KABOOM!
"What the Hell was that?!" It's then that their coms all buzzed with sounds. "Code Black, I repeat, Code Black! There has been an enemy attack on the South Wing! All Strike Teams are to report your Status and are to head to the location of Team Red this instance!"
Another one buzzed through as Rajesh- the current Captain of Team Purple echoed. "I'm afraid we can't either. We're under attack from an unidentified assailant- we're completely pinned down over here."
"Team Blue, His Lordship has ordered for you to help Purple. The remaining Teams are to aid in the evacuation." There was a moment of silence and statics, before the familiar voice of the man entered the coms. """Lord Magnum. / What are our orders? / Milord!"""
"At ease. The assailants are Assassin: Simo Häyhä- a Pseudo-Servant, while the second one's identity still remains a mystery. Blue, you go help Purple. Green, you're nearest to Red, you know what to do. The rest head straight to the closest battles. I will handle the evacuation myself, I'm close anyway. Remember your training, slow and steady win the race. Hinder them, if given the opportunity, take the shot but don't if it's too risky. The Servants will reach your locations shortly. You are my best, it'll be a pain to train up another group."
"Milord! I know you love us!" Zoe exclaimed loudly, excitement visible on her grinning face. "Don't be disrespectful, Zoe."
Karma
spoke, flicking the allegedly 'older' woman on the forehead while softly scolding. "Mou… Milord doesn't mind, right?"
Pouting, the childlike woman mischievously fiddled with her golden-orange strands and the coms given to her. "Zoe, now's not the time for jokes. Settle down and I'll consider bringing you out for ice-cream after this."
"Yay!" Screamed the child? Woman?
"Truly, what a simple-minded child…" Meanwhile, the rest of the group- with the exception of Zero who was still stalking the roofs- slowly shook their heads- far too used to the tomfooleries. "~Ice-cream, ice-cream–!"
Suddenly, as Zoe was bouncing up and down like a child, her head snapped back- blood starting to spurt from the newly-created wound on her previously unblemished skin. "Zoe?!"
Karma screamed in horror as the 'little girl' stumbled back, a smile still frozen on her lips. "Zero, what the fuck?!" To their surprise, their loli Tank bolted up- the shot having just barely penetrated her exceptionally tough skin. "Owie! Zero's a big-meanie!"
"No. No Zero here, I fear.
Call me…
The White Death."
"Shit! Take cover!" Multiple rounds were shot their direction next as Karma- ever the reliable Support- conjured a giant Barrier that shielded them from the Pseudo-Servant's bombardment yet, the feat hadn't come easy judging from the cold-sweats pouring down her chin.
"What White Death?! The real article wouldn't have announced his presence like an idiot, you are merely a cheap imitation!" Damian taunted, hoping it'd piss off the Pseudo-Servant enough to reveal his location. In response to that, shot after shot began to angrily rain down on their heads- a storm of bullets, gunpowder and likely explosives too.
While this limited their movements,
It ultimately accomplished what the whip-wielding Enforcer had set out to do, which was to locate the assailant currently in hiding. "There!" He whispered/shouted. "He's around 600 yards North of us!"
"Where the Hell is Zero?! Is he dead?" The answer to that question was most likely: Yes. Unless he's dead, Zero- in spite of his many faults- would have never abandoned his post. "Gone… Probably." Avoiding the actual term, Karma echoed what everyone was thinking. They're sad, of course they were. Despite all the headaches his lack of communication skill had caused, they had known, eaten, lived with Zero for years.
Still, there was a time for mourning… And now wasn't it.
Now's the time for vengeance. "He's sniping at us from Rajesh's location. If we spread out, some of us might die, but it'll give us a chance to take him down- or at least render him unable to attack temporarily–"
— [Fate: FS] —
[Magnus Castle, Training Facility – An Hour Before The Assault.]
A mere four days had passed since Sakura and I had that conversation.
I wouldn't call us the best of friends, but I'd say we had made substantial progress- both in our relationship and Sakura's Magecraft. If Rin was talented, then Sakura's an actual prodigy. Her low self-esteem did cause problems, which had been rectified somewhat thanks to the constant positive reinforcements Rin, Shiro, Taiga and even I heaped on her.
Don't get me wrong, she's still quite a distance away from what her Dark, Alternate-Self was able to throw around like free candies, yet I'd be the first to admit to her talent. Much like Rin, Sakura would have surpassed me ages ago if she was at all interested in Magecraft… While I had Stats rivalling a low-tier Servant, I always tried to balance between Magecraft and Martial Arts. In contrast, the younger Tohsaka was the type to min-max, she's practically useless in a close-combat situation,
Or so would many believe.
The issue with this sort of thinking was they didn't take into account all the defensive Spells she had- all the Immortal Familiars she had to be precise. Trust me, I had attempted to take down one of her Familiars to no avail, getting past them was hard enough, actually slaying these UnaVaatu-looking motherfuckers might just require the legendary Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. That, or Sakura ran out of Mana, in which case she'd make for an easy target.
The first was essentially impossible to find. The only two people I knew of who had access to the Mystic Eyes were Shiki Ryougi and the less experienced Shiki Tohno- who if I remembered correctly, would rise to the top 10 of the most powerful beings in the World- DEATH. The latter was a far more plausible option, that was if you didn't take into account the seventy A-Rank Magic Circuits she had. With or without the Grail to supply her Mana, Sakura was still a walking Mana-Reactor, similar to her sister. To make it worse, she could fucking regenerate…
I knew not how we had never learnt of this ability of hers- attributing it to a lack of injuries- but basically, Imaginary Numbers / Hollow allowed her reshape her body using shadows. That's not even the end of it either, the original Sakura- even Dark Sakura was underpowered. When she was born, the younger Tohsaka was regarded as a Miracle. Similar to Shiro, she's an Incarnation… a Hollow Incarnation to be exact, which meant her Origin and Affinity both were Imaginary Numbers.
When she's forced to adapt and acclimate to the Matou Magecraft, her Elemental Affinity was changed to Water, rendering her unable to display her true talent. Guess what the Trial of Grasses did? C'mon, take a guess… Got it? Yep, it fixed her Affinity- Nay, fix's incorrect. It returned her original Affinity, while still let her keep what she gained from Matou Magecraft.
With all that combined, it made her the 'Devourer of Heroes'- the antithesis and natural enemy of those made of Mysteries- Servants specifically. Ever since she started taking up Magecraft again, my and the other Servants had recoiled from her like peasants in the Dark Age faced with the Black Plague. There was only one problem though, she was quite weak against physical beings- beings such as myself and other humans.
We're trying to sort it out, though I wouldn't say we had had much success regarding this matter. "You're doing wonderfully, Sakura. Keep it up!" Sending her a thumb-up, I smiled as creatures of shadows rose from her feet- monstrous beings that seemed ravenous for any and all kinds of metaphysical Energies- even Ki. While she's weaker against humans, those Familiars of hers would still attack and devour the Ki of anyone nearby unless ordered to do otherwise.
Concentrated, Sakura did not appear to have heard me so I turned my attention to the other women in the room.
Shiro was conjuring Gems for Rin to fill with Mana… Probably best not to disturb them, especially since the older of the Tohsaka siblings was quite irritable due to the change in our schedule.
Gil was sleeping, I think? Enkidu and Berserker were having a face-off in the distant, same for Artoria and Archer. Fuck probably, it's definitely unwise to bother Servants who're fighting at full force, which left me with Illya and her two maids, or Taiga.
The first was cheering Berserker on, plus I didn't have anything to say to them, while the Tigress of Fuyuki looked like she's free enough. 'Alright, I've decided. Taiga it is.'
"Hey, Taiga-nee."
"Leonis?" For once, I saw a contemplative look crossed her face, yet it was gone so quick I nearly though I was mistaken, but that couldn't be right. I'd not miss such crucial facial details. "Are you free?"
"I'm resting. You need anything?"
"Nothing, you just look lonely, so I thought I'd come over to keep you company." Throwing me a suspicious glance, Taiga pulled her hands over her chest protectively. "I know what kind of person you are–"
Wow… Dramatic much? "– Don't think you can trick me like you did Shiro and Sakura!"
Rolling my eyes, I flopped down next to the Tigress. "How are you holding up?"
It's surprising, unfortunately Raiga Fujimura had passed away a year ago. I knew not why or how, given he was- should still be alive according to Canon.
My guess was a combination of my own actions, plus the changes in Taiga- granting the old man an Heiress- had made it easier for him to ease into retirement. Without a purpose, without direction, old people tended to pass away much faster than those with one. Raiga had done all he could, accomplished all there was to accomplish and now that his legacy- the legacy of the Fujimura Group was ensured, he must have lost the will to live.
I did send them a bouquet of flowers, but I doubted that managed to soothe her pain…
Since, Taiga had merged both Organizations to create a stronger one.
About 60% of her people were Martial Arts, and those who weren't were plenty talented in other fields. She had completely exceeded my expectations, yet I was too busy with my own shits to congratulate her in spite of the fact she only took up the responsibility because I asked her to. "You've interacted and fought against Servants-!"
Biting my lower lip, my face scrunched up as I searched for the correct words. "- What do you think? Still up to fight more of those?" Seeing the serious expression I had put on, all traces of jokes were wiped from the Tigress' face. "I don't know… I couldn't even get a hit in fighting Saber- even with that- that outfit, and I know for a fact she was holding back as well. Against another… I don't think I'll be of much help."
Muttering, Taiga stretched like a cat, unintentionally showing off her curves. I must admit, between Rin, Shiro and Taiga, I'd have gone for the Tigress had I not had memories of the Fate franchise. What could I say? I was a sucker for tomboys, and while Shiro did fit that category, she's too… Tamed- mature. I much preferred the energy-boost Taiga's presence brought. Sure, it could get pretty freaking tiring at times, but well… That's what I liked.
* SMACK
"Ouch! What was that for?!" I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head.
"Where are your eyes looking at, pervert?!"
I scoffed, biting back with faux anger. "If you don't want to be leered at, don't wear such revealing clothes! And don't stretch when they are drenched either!"
"This is my Gi! It's not revealing!"
"Yeah they are! Your breasts are quite literally spilling out of it!" I pointed at the sweat-drenched open of her white Gi. Pretty sure she didn't even have anything underneath either. "You're not even wearing a sport bra!" I hissed discreetly, eyes glancing at the other people in the room. Thankfully, no one was looking in our direction.
"Go change woman! You're the pervert here!" Then, without waiting for an answer, I projected a towel, throwing it over her head to cover the exposed skin with naught but a frown on my face… We looked at one another, mouths slowly widening before bursting into laughter. Six pairs of confused eyes turned towards us, the Tohsaka siblings', Shiro's, Illya's and her maids'. As for the battling Servants, they didn't seem too keen on checking out the source of the noises.
"Sorry, sorry." I apologized.
"We'll keep it down." The Tigress added.
Once they realized we were simply joking around, the attention was returned to their trainings. "Ah… Why're you here anyway? We were acquaintances, but we were never that close."
Narrowing my eyes, I clutched my heart, dramatically faking offense and repeated. "Not that close? I'm hurt! Have you already forgotten how you used my body once?!"
"I sprained my ankle and had to be carried. Don't make it weird, Leo-chan." Taiga drawled, rolling her eyes as she crossed her legs in a lotus position. For a few minutes, we just sat there, drinking in the scene and enjoying the presence of each other. I had done my parts of the training session, having sparred with every Servants within the Facility a little while ago. In comparison, Taiga's session was less intense, though still admirable for a Martial Artist.
She hadn't used Senketsu today, and I couldn't fault her. Archer- being the male version of Shiro- had specifically asked the Tigress not to, stating he did not want to be traumatized further and she likely couldn't find it in herself to reject his request. Out of all of us- the tsundere included- Taiga had the best relationship with the cynical Servant, partly because she- or a version of her- had raised him to adulthood before he fucked off to the Middle-Eastern to participate in Wars.
In a sense, she's more Shiro's/Archer's older sister than Illya ever was.
"Haaaa… Leo."
"Yes?"
"I think you chose the wrong person."
Keeping her voice low, the Tigress leaned back to rest her back on the reinforced wall. I didn't need to ask her what she meant, I already knew it. "I don't think so… You've done great as the new Oyabun of the Fujimura Group. You might not pay attention, but according what I had heard from the people of Fuyuki, your actions have not only helped propel the City's economy, you've also earned the trust of your subordinates. Raiga-san would be proud."
"But I'm weak. Compared to the others–" Her gaze sharply turned to the Rin, Shiro and Sakura. "– I've trained for years, and Sakura's already close to surpassing me… Even with Senketsu, I can barely keep up with Saber and–!"
"Don't." I interrupted, speaking in a teasing manner- an attempt to uplift her spirit. "Don't be like that. There can only be one depressed person in this room and that position belongs to me, not you."
Though judging from the look on her face, I hadn't managed it at all. Sighing, I reached for her hand. Startled, Taiga blinked at me owlishly. "Taiga-nee, comparing yourself to others is the path to self-destruction. Saber is an actual mythological King, Sakura is basically a miracle-child the moments she was born, same goes for Rin and Shiro… She might be stronger than you, but her condition isn't something you'd want to envy."
"I know. I just wish I could do more for Shiro, for Rin and Sakura… For you."
"You've done a lot, believe it or not. I may act like I abhor your antics at times, but without you, this Castle will be terribly lacking." Chuckling, I opened a portal and out came a cup of beverage. Sniffing the air, Taiga's eyes shone. "Is that–?!"
"Pumpkin spice latte from Ahnenerbe, just what you like." Giving her the drink, I pulled out another- coffee, black.
"I didn't think you noticed." A gentle smile tugging at the corners of her lips, the Tigress held the drink with both hands and began to sip.
"If you're worried about your prowess, don't be. My contacts are currently searching for Martial Arts all over the World. Due how spread out it is, they're transporting those Manuals back to London. Once they reach the Tower, I'll fetch them for you… It will give you the boost you so crave." Even the infamous 'Art of Dark Heaven and Earth' had been procured a little over a week ago.
"Why're you being so good to me?" Seeming genuinely confused, Taiga asked. "What kind of ridiculous things are you asking? We're friends, are we not? Siblings even."
"That's it? That's all there is to your kindness." The Tigress interrogated, and seeing no reason to lie…
"Not exactly. I do have a selfish desire." Pulling out a stack of papers, I pushed them towards her. "These are–?"
"My finances… Everything I've ever earned in the Mundane World- the rights to them, I want you to have it. Rin will take over everything I have in the Moonlit World with Sakura and Shiro helping her."
Taiga blinked once,
Twice,
Thrice,
Then. "Leonis, are you going off-world again? You're acting like grandfather when he–"
She suddenly choked.
"Something like that." Loath as I was to admit, I hadn't been able to find a method to weaken the Curses' hold on my Soul…
Once the Grail War ended and I absorbed the World's Evils… "Why?"
"Because I made a Deal, and regardless of how others might think of me, I always stay true to my words."
"I see…" For an instance, I thought I saw sadness cross her face, though it was gone as quickly as it came. "Will you return… Or is this an early farewell?"
"I will… In time. When I've dealt with my issue." I replied. "Take care of my Empire, Taiga-nee. You might not have confidence in yourself, but I do. If you can't trust yourself, trust me."
There was a short moment of silence- a glimpse into the real person beneath that façade of joviality, until… "That's cringe, Leo-chan." Ruffling my head, Taiga rose to her feet- limbs trembling. "I'm sure whatever's bugging you, you'll deal with it as you always have–"
* KABOOM!
Just like that, the moment was gone…
Schooling my expression into the feared Tyrant, I stood.
"Everyone… War's upon us."