Fuse
I decided to put up the flag on my wall in my room, so it could be the first thing I see every time I wake up to remind me of what I'm fighting for every day. And then I sewed up a miniature flag in about 2 hours to go on my wrist, high on my wave of patriotism and nationalism.
The stars were all inconsistently shaped, some of the lines weren't straight, and the blue field looked a bit too big, but it's my flag, god damn it, and I'm proud to have it on my body again.
The sky in Sumeru will be colored red, white, and blue someday because of today. No doubt that the good people of Sumeru will love their newfound freedom.
In other news, I was now beginning to plan my infiltration of whatever room Kusanali is in.
After seeing my flag for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I was reminded of a quote by one of our founding fathers and future president, Thomas Jefferson, "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
While I have no intention of dying for my country just yet, as I still have a lot to give to it, I can still offer the blood of tyrants to it.
And so, this tyrannical government will fall, and a new liberal democracy will rise.
Well, that's the hope, anyways. I have no idea who will run this system, but I'm sure that the good people of Sumeru will figure it out.
So right now, I'm basically debasing myself to just accept the fact that I have no pride, and I don't really have any objections to working with another American anyways, so I'm walking back on my 'don't ask Dori for free stuff' policy, and I'm going to beg Dori to pay for some more bullets for my guns.
Which is exactly what I'm doing right now, which is begging Dori to pay for my bullets.
"You know this is going to cost me an untold amount of mora, right?" Dori leveled an unimpressed look at me.
I leveled back an look at her, "Yeah, I know, but just consider it an extra investment or something! I need these bullets to effectively fight, and if I can effectively fight, I can go home faster!"
Dori raised an eyebrow, "And would you mind telling me how that math checks out? Are you going to fight a wall between worlds or something?"
Okay, fine, the math doesn't exactly add up…
Wait, no, I can just tell her a bit about my gamer ability! Then my math adds up!
"Actually, I have a bit of a secret to tell you," I said, causing her to become a bit more interested as she motioned me to go on, "When I came to this world from my own, I actually went through one more place before I got here. And there, I actually met a god."
Dori's eyes widened in surprise as I continued, "There, we had a bit of a conversation," Yeah, a 'conversation', Shapeshifter was a dick, "And at the end of it all, I got a little extra power from him… One of the biggest parts of that power is that I get stronger by killing things."
Dori looked as if she finally put together a puzzle set, "Oh! That's why you kept taking on extermination quests from the guild!"
And then she thought about it more, and then she blankly deadpanned, "Do not even try to fight Kusanali, Fuse. I know that's why you were asking about where she lived earlier."
Oh god damn it.
"Well, I have another ability that I got from him…" I started to explain before Dori just hit my shin.
"Nuh uh, you are NOT trying to get yourself killed!" Dori firmly said, looking very upset, "Imagine how sad my wallet would be if you died and wasted all of my mora on nothing!"
Yeah, that's fair.
"Look, I'm not saying I would try to fight Kusanali straight away," I lied, because I'm a filthy liar who would lie, I really wanted to shoot Kusanali right now, "But if I do, I have an ability specifically made for me to fight gods with."
"Ugh, is being stubborn an American thing?" She groaned, completely ignoring my statement of being able to kill god's.
I chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, it kind of is."
Dori resignedly sighed, "Yeah, I thought so," she said, before moving to grab something out of a drawer nearby.
I used [Observe] on it, since I was curious.
[Knowledge Capsule (Guide to Swordsmanship Volume 7) - A knowledge capsule that when used, transmits the knowledge from the capsule directly to your brain. This knowledge capsule has the Guide to Swordsmanship Volume 7, which will grant you experience with the sword.]
Oh, is she doing what I think she's doing for me?
"This is for you," She said, holding it out to me, "Basically, you press the button at the bottom of this, and the knowledge inside goes to you. It'll increase your sword skills, since I know you'll probably need it while I get those bullets for you."
Oh, Dori deserves this entire world, just for her.
I graciously thanked her, took the knowledge capsule, and used it.
Instantly, knowledge of how to use a sword came to mind, and afterwards, I felt a bit more dizzy.
Achievement Unlocked!
[Inside The Gates]
Requirements: Allow something to tamper with your mind.
Description: While Gamer's Mind protects you from any direct mind control or anything against your clarity, do note that it won't help you against other mind-related attacks.
Rewards: [The Nuh-Uh Punch] Skill, 1 Gacha Token.
Oh, wow, I get a reward for doing something mildly dumb? This truly is an amazing day.
Also, what the heck is that punch called?
[The Nuh-Uh Punch - When your mind is attempting to be tampered with, you can use this skill to punch out of your restraints to punch the enemy attempting to tamper your mind.]
Okay that skill is based.
I ignored the gacha token for now as I picked up Roosevelt and Eisenhower and started to swing into the air as I note that I'm a lot more confident about my swings now.
If I had a target that wasn't just blind air, I think I'd be doing better too.
"So, feels better now?" Dori asked, looking at my swinging.
I nodded, "Yeah, thank you for the gift, now I actually have something else to show you."
I got a gacha token from that achievement, and I need a good luck charm.
I pulled out my gacha token from my inventory, causing Dori to look at it oddly as I explained, "Sometimes when I do stuff, I'll get some of these tokens that I can crush to get a random item out of."
Dori looked confused, "...And how does that work? Or even relate to you getting stronger by killing people?"
…How do I explain a game to someone from a world without them?
Uhh… "Magic, probably."
Dori immediately understood, "Ah, I see. Anyways, are you going to use that?"
I shook my head, "Actually, I wanted you to use it, see if it helps boost my luck to get anything better from the token, actually."
Dori looked suspiciously at me, "Are you sure it's not going to blow up in my face?
I gave her a thumbs up as I gave her the token, "It's never blown up on me before, so I don't think it'll blow up on you."
Dori took the token and stared at my face, "Sure, but if this hurts me, you're paying for the damages."
Then, she broke the token to get…
…Huh, nothing appeared in her hands.
"...Fuse, you're going to have to explain to me why a bunch of magical words on a screen just showed up in my face explaining to me that I got something called 'Epic Skill, Eye of Fortune'" Dori blankly stared at me, unimpressed.
Oh, she got a skill, that's why.
I guess anything from the gacha belongs to whoever breaks the token. That's nice to know, I guess.
It's also comical how it sounded like Dori got a power from the gacha that was super specific to her. I wonder if destiny had a role in that, or maybe it really was just dumb luck.
"Yeah, that's how my power manifests for me. I guess it does that to anyone who breaks those tokens too. Speaking of, isn't there a description for that?"
She nodded, as she looked around, squinting her eyes, "Yeah, I think if I squint at things, it'll show me how much something is worth."
And then she stared at me and her eyes bulged as she gasped, "Oh!"
I tilted my head. "How much am I worth?"
That's actually a really interesting question. How much does it think a human being is worth? Does it measure power, blood, or any background info?
"Uh, you're worth… I think that number is in the trillions!" She said, immensely overwhelmed by the number she's probably seeing.
Trillions, eh? Probably measured in mora, but I'll take it!
That also makes him richer than most of Europe, hah, take that Europoors.
I chuckled, "I am the poorest American then. Anyways, that's a pretty handy skill for you to have, isn't it? It basically lets you know if you're getting scammed or not, or getting a great deal."
She seemed to have gotten off her high as she thought about the uses of her new power, and she grinned at the thought of it, "You're right! I could've gone based on my intuition, which is rarely wrong anyways, but this is a lot more precise method! You just gave me a great gift that wasn't at all equal to the knowledge capsule I just gave you! This investment is already giving me huge returns!"
Ah, yes, because that's all I'm useful for, giving her money back.
It brings a tear to my eye how American that is.
"That's great, anyways, it's still the beginning of the day, so let's continue on with our day, yeah?" I said, walking out the front door.
Alright, Kusanali, let's see if your wisdom will help you stand against an American fighting against tyranny…
"Wow, that was surprisingly easy to find." I said, looking at the doors that lead to Kusanali's room.
Apparently, they just allow anyone to come up here, but they block off the path actually leading into the room with just…
2 guards.
They are D rank, so they're not even elite troops. They literally just picked 2 dudes off the street and expected them to defend the doors that lead to the god of their nation.
I mean, to be frankly honest, I think what they're thinking is that their god is so powerful anyway, why put the most powerful guards there when the god can just beat any idiot trying to attack her?
Well, I expected that search to last longer, so it's not even halfway through the day yet, and I was planning to catch a glimpse of inside those doors at night. So I guess I'll… Just tour around the city, I guess.
As I came down the path, someone walked up from behind me, saying "Excuse me, do you happen to be the one named Fuse?"
I looked at the guy who was asking about me and observed him.
Cyno
Status: Great
Stamina: Full
Title: General Mahamatra
Classes: Polearm Warrior, Electromancy.
Professions: Comedian
Overall Ranking: A-
…
Ah.
Police.
"Yes, my name is Fuse," I politely said, following the rules of talking to a police officer from back home, "How can I help you?"
Cyno carried a blank look as he explained the situation, "You've been noted for your lack of cooperation in wearing your akasha terminal while in the boundaries of Sumeru City. While it is not expressly required, the Akademiya asks that you put it on so that the security of Sumeru can be assured."
Oh, so this is the catch with the akasha…
First, you record every willing person, then you brutally take in everyone that doesn't comply? What a fucking fascist system.
No doubt this Cyno person is the kind of guy who would say that he was just following orders at Nuremberg.
Either way, I'm breaking off from the script and I'm going to flat out refuse him, "No."
Cyno didn't look too impressed, "I must warn you, if you don't put it on sooner or later, there is the chance that you'll be forbidden from entering this city again, and in more extreme cases, you will be sent into the desert."
Pfft, I don't like this city anyways, and deserts are way cooler than jungles so I would gladly march into it for the sake of upholding my personal freedom.
I laughed in his face, "Oooh, so scary! But I'm afraid that you and your group of morally bankrupt intellectuals have no say over my rights."
Cyno's expression did not change, "So be it. The Akademiya will decide what to do with you shortly."
Hah, bitch. Can't do anything in a public area just yet, huh?
Cyno left me, and I just had a grin on my face as I looked for something else to do.
What a fucking moronic government.
Cyno
Fuse is laughably suspicious. It's not even good for his own joking material.
Quite frankly, he has no idea why he was sent as the guy to give him the warning. Those tasks are usually given to the matra under him, but apparently the Grand Sage wanted him to wear the akasha terminal really badly…
Well, he couldn't end up fusing Fuse and the akasha together, so that's a shame.
Hm, that was a good joke, he should find a way to bring it up to Fuse some day… If, of course, he follows the law.
If not, ah well. Perhaps it'll be good for when they're transporting him to the desert.
Though, he wonders why the Grand Sage of all people took an interest in Fuse. It's not like foreigners are given much thought to in Sumeru if they aren't here to join the Akademiya in the pursuit of wisdom.
Perhaps it's just the rebelliousness in Fuse that just bothered Azar. In fact, it's probably something like that, Azar was too light-skinned sometimes for his own good.
One day, Azar will be Azarry for his attitude.
…Hm, is there a way to bring that up to Azar?
Well, there's nothing to do for today other than to wait to see if Fuse would do something stupid like…
Hm, Fuse would be the type to try and enter the Sanctuary of Surasthana, wouldn't he? He would also be some money that Fuse would try to fight Lesser Lord Kusanali…
Though he hasn't seen Lesser Lord Kusanali a single time in his life yet, that's a fight she could probably win without much issue.
Well, as he said, there's nothing left to do for today unless if a criminal shows up that he needs to apprehend, maybe he'll go find Tighnari, see if he could bug him for a little while.
The Chasm, Liyue
?
It's raining today.
She stares up at the clouds for just a moment, reminiscing of better days, allowing for the drops of cold rain to pepper her face.
It hasn't done a thing to help her headache, though, so in the end, she just keeps walking towards the direction where her headache starts to become better.
She notes that some hillichurls seem to have the same idea that she does, but…
They're walking towards the giant hole in the middle of this place. But she needs to go beyond it.
The rough terrain of the chasm doesn't help at all with her trying to feel comfortable in her own body as her torn shoes, worn out from days of walking with no rest, continues to degrade on the cold stone.
But she wasn't tired. She couldn't be tired. She herself wasn't doing any walking at all.
A cold breeze carried frigid water to her icy skin.
Though her race is specifically built to hold off the cold…
This rain is irritating.
Freezing the rain clouds above her, she shatters the frozen clouds and lets it fall onto the lands below, no doubt the cause of a few of her rank ups.
There, the sun is out now, and it's just a little warmer.
She still couldn't muster the energy to smile.
The sun shines on everything but her, as she spots the little cave entrance that her body is leading her to.
Her headache is getting noticeably lighter, maybe what 'Destiny' is guiding to her is just beyond there.
As her footsteps freezes the earth around her, she continued to walk, for there was nothing else she could do with Destiny pulling her strings.
Night Time, Sumeru City.
Fuse
That is crazy how even at night, there's nobody properly monitoring the sanctuary of whatever the hell it's called.
Truly their hubris will be there downfall.
America would never make such a mistake like this.
Walking on the lightly lit pathway leading to the god's abode, a blue figure caught my eye. There was someone climbing the tree…
Huh, is that anyone I should be worried about?
Layla
Oh not really.
She noticed me staring at her, and waved. Of course I waved back.
"Hey, you don't look familiar, what're you doing here this late at night?" She questioned once we had gotten close enough to speak with each other.
I shrugged, "Ah, you know, some scouting. You?"
She shrugged as well, "I needed something from the library, so I'm sneaking in."
Ah, so we're both doing something bad. That's nice to know.
Layla pointed down the path I came from, "By the way, I saw a bunch of people coming up this way. If you're trying to sneak a peek at Kusanali, tonight might not be the best time."
Oh, great, is this bad luck, or did they know I would be here?
Still, that bit of knowledge does mean I'll have to move faster, even if I wanted to take my time.
"Thanks for the warning, but I'll be fine" I reassuredly said, before starting to walk slightly faster this time, "Good luck with your thing!"
Layla just waved back as she started to maneuver around the great tree again, signaling her departure.
What a nice girl, all students should be more like her.
You know, willing to snitch on any authority figure.
Starting to run up the trail now, I eventually crossed the bridge and…
Wait a second, where are the guards?
I double checked my surroundings and didn't see a single person around me. Maybe the people coming up here are the guards that are coming for the night shift?
Well, either way, I'm going to take the opportunity to enter her room without resistance.
Opening the tall doors, which were surprisingly not locked, I enter a great hall, filled with green light.
In the center of the large circular room was a small platform, holding a…
Wait, that looks like a cage.
I know that if I go closer, I'm definitely going to get caught… But I needed to know who was in that cage.
Daring to get closer, I got close enough to look to see if anyone was inside.
There was a small child inside, looking at me with a resigned smile.
Then, I had realized the truth.
Nahida.
Status: Fine, Immobile.
Title: Dendro Archon.
They…
They…
THEY IMPRISONED THEIR FUCKING CHILD GOD?!
Of fucking course these fascist pieces of shit pseudo intellectual cocksucking pedophilic cockroaches would commit such a vile and downright moronic decision like IMPRISONING A FUCKING CHILD.
"Hello, Fuse, nice to formally meet you. But we don't have much time, you need to leave!" She said, looking very concerned, almost in a panic.
"No need to say anything, I'll get you out of here." I immediately said, looking around for something that vaguely looked like a control panel.
"The control panel is in the grand sage's room. You can't get me out of here." She said, sounding far too worried for the situation we were in, considering I wouldn't lose to some two-bit police with no magic.
Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Think, how do you open things, Fuse?
"How tough is your cage? Can I just break it?" I asked, knowing that we were short on time with the mysterious group of people coming this way.
Nahida blinked, as if she had never thought of that option, "I'll be honest and say I don't know. This cage was made using my- ah, Rukkhadevta's leftover power, and I can't use any of my power inside here. I'm not sure if you have the power to override this."
Sounds like a pretty good cage, then. My delusion alone doesn't sound like it'd break through the power of a leftover god, but…
Hey, I have that conduit perk, don't I?
"If you can't use your power inside, can you lend some of that power to me for just a second?" I asked, clearly showing off my intentions.
She looked pensive for just a moment before nodding, "Yes, I can do that, if you'll just close your eyes for a moment…"
Nahida quickly acts and a green energy flows out from her cage as I can feel her energy flowing through me.
Achievement Unlocked!
Thanks, I don't care right now.
I heard footsteps behind me, with some authoritative voice shouting, "Stop! You don't know what you're doing?"
Knowing time was up, I immediately activated my delusion, which I felt was being augmented by Nahida, and threw all my strength into the cage that mocked the American ideal.
As my fist landed on her cage, it shattered immediately.
Nahida gently floated down while I landed on my back, burnt out by my delusion.
Yeah, that hurt as hell, but it was super worth it.
Looking at the crowd that had gathered, I saw it was a bunch of police- Matra, right?- and some guy in a blue robe that looked like their leader.
So, who's the blue man?
Azar
Status: Good
Title: Grand Sage of The Akademiya
Ah, so this is the leader.
He looks fucking terrified seeing Nahida being freed, and rightfully fucking so, because if I had more bullets, I would shoot him.
I also have no doubt that all 46… Well, 45, presidents before me would also shoot the bastard if they had the chance.
"Azar, on the authority of the Dendro Archon, you are hereby stripped of your rank as the Grand Sage, and are to be imprisoned until further notice." Nahida declared, looking at the Matra surrounding him as if to say 'who do you side with?'
Though I'm a bit weakened by my stunt, I walked in front of Nahida just as an added intimidation.
The loyal Matra, who has collaborated with Azar from the beginning to keep their god imprisoned, chose wisely.
Once one of them had flipped sides, the rest of them followed as they quickly restrained Azar, who was crying, "No! No! You fools don't know what we could achieve if we had just-"
Suddenly, every person in the room bar Nahida and I fell silent.
[Mind control blocked by Gamer's Mind]
Wha- oh those sons of a-
"They just got mind controlled by someone!" I shouted, immediately taking out my swords, ready for a fight.
Nahida looked at her people being controlled in concerned shock while my mind was trying to figure out who was doing this.
Azar's title was the grand sage, is that not the leader of the Akademiya? Is there someone else pulling the strings? But who would outrank literally the head of this nation? It'd have to be someone from a foreign nation, but who would exert that much influence? Was there anyone important who would…
Wait! That Nazi guy from a few days ago!
"Ah, it seems as if I didn't really need to wait that long for this opportunity to come. I really am thankful to you, Fuse, for leading me here." A familiar voice, oozing with a superiority complex, came from behind the crowd.
The puppets made way for their master, as Dottore showed himself to us, "I was wondering why they were panicking earlier, but I suppose this is why. We haven't met yet, Kusanali, but you can call me The Doctor."
We live in the worst timeline.
"Nahida, I just want to warn you that I don't win this fight." I said, not keeping my eye off of him, just in case if he attacks.
"That's fine, because I wanted to tell you that I don't win this fight either." Nahida said, her face filled with some sort of determination, likely trying to think of a way to get us out of this situation.
"Well, I wanted to tell you that I win this fight. So, instead, let's negotiate, shall we?" Dottore said, running with the small joke as he slowly approached us menacingly.
Negotiate? Why the hell was he negotiating? He said it himself, he wins this fight, why would he want to negotiate?
Nahida was braver than me, so she asked, "Oh? Aren't you strong enough to just take whatever you want from me?"
Dottore nodded as he came to a stop, "Yes, I could, but I'm afraid I'm quite arrogant. After all, I think I could win in a debate against the God of Wisdom."
God bless America for stupid as hell villains!
Nahida and Dottore started talking about things like gnosis and stuff, while I immediately tried my best to think of a way to get out of here without giving anything to him.
I got an achievement earlier, would that help at all?
Achievement unlocked!
[Divine Power]
Requirements: Be imbued with divine power and unearth your divine potential.
Description: Let Heaven itself no longer be an obstacle for you, for with this power, all mortals will bow before you.
Rewards: [Deity Status] Menu, 1 Divine Gacha Token, 3 Mythic Gacha Tokens, Large Increase in All Ranks, 1 class slot.
Your Strength Rank has increased to B-!
Your Dexterity Rank has increased to C+!
Your Vitality Rank has increased to C!
Your Endurance Rank has increased to C!
Your Power Rank has increased to C+!
Your Intelligence Rank has increased to C+!
Your Wisdom Rank has increased to C+!
Your Control Rank has increased to B-!
Your Magic Rank has increased to C+!
Your Confidence Rank has increased to C!
Your Charisma Rank has increased to C!
Your Luck Rank has increased to C+!
Your Social Rank has increased to C!
Your Overall Rank has increased to C+!
What the- wow that's a lot.
Nahida and Dottore seem like they'll be speaking for a while, but I still need to hurry with my menu hopping so I can do something before whatever transaction takes place, which definitely won't be in Nahida's favor.
Ignoring the deity menu for now, I opened my gacha tokens to see if they were good, and of course they had to be, right? They were all going to be divine and mythic!
Divine Skill Rolled
[Murphy's Law - When used on a target, something will go catastrophically wrong for them. This skill can only be used once a week due to your Overall Ranking.]
Mythic Cursed Class Upgrade Weapon Rolled
[Cursed Star Shattering Browning M1919 Machine Gun - This machine gun is rumored to have the power to shatter stars as its bullets tear through anyone unfortunate enough to be hit with its bullets. However, it is cursed to only use bullets made from the ashes of stars, so it's very difficult to use.]
Mythic Perk Rolled
[Cling To Life - Whenever you are near death, your body will autopilot into an action that has the best chance of getting you out of your situation alive, even if it is technically beyond your natural ability to do so.]
Mythic Skill Rolled
[Grand Telekinesis - A telekinesis spell that scales on your Magic Rank. The limit of how many things you can carry at once and the weight is determined by your Intelligence. Your ability to control your spell is determined by your Control Rank. And your Wisdom Determines how fast you can improve this spell.]
YES YES YES!
WE CAN DEFINITELY USE ALL OF THIS!
Looking at Nahida and Dottore not paying attention to me, I brought out my newly-found machine gun and checked if it had ammunition in it.
AND IT HAS THE FULL CLIP! ALL 250!
I felt more giddy than when I got a girlfriend in my sophomore year in high school! And definitely more happy when I figured out she was batshit insane and actually straight up murdered a girl for talking to me and she went to an insane asylum just a year later!
God, Taylor, what a crazy bitch.
Anyways, I can just dump half of this clip into Dottore and that should fix the problem! Well, there is the issue of ammo, but… Eh, who cares, I want that Nazi gone.
I was thinking of getting it soul-bound, but then I remembered an important part of my whole soul-binding process. Namely that it drags weapons down with me. And I don't think I'm at a level where the machine gun rumored to shatter stars is going to be as good when it's bound to my soul.
So instead, I shall just hold off on binding it now, but I'll just unofficially name it… Monroe, yeah, that sounds good.
Seeing that Dottore and Nahida were still not paying attention to me yet, I let myself briefly check the deity menu to see what was that all about.
[Deity Status]
You now have the ability to ascend into a true deity!
Your power as a deity will come once you gain followers.
Your current followers: 0.
You may choose your domain when you reach 1 follower.
…Wow.
Okay.
I was not expecting that.
How do I feel about being able to become a god?
…I feel insulted by my system for even showing this to me, to be honest.
I am, first and foremost, an American. As every red-blooded American would know by reading The Declaration of Independence, it quite clearly states that "All Men Are Created Equal."
The idea of godhood is completely incompatible with the American way of life, for no one, not even our greatest presidents or our highest judges, are immune to the will of the people, because they too are equals with the people.
Gods, being the personification of power they are, completely spit upon this idea.
While I can see that Nahida is a nice god, by virtue of being stuck in a cage for what must've been 500 years, all other gods are by nature beings that view themselves as above humans. Viewing yourself as above people just by the circumstances of your birth is the most anti-American idea I could ever think of, short of straight up betraying the country.
So, all I'm saying is… I'm never going to get a follower to worship me, because that would totally spit upon my ideals.
And my ideals are worth far more than the power of being a god.
Feeling pretty confident about my own decision, I closed the deity menu, and vowed to never open it again, ever.
Looking back at the conversation… What is Nahida holding?
[Dendro Gnosis - This gnosis signifies the holder to be one of the 7 archons of Teyvat, and can be used as an energy source. This gnosis is currently being used to power the akasha.]
Ah, that's what they were negotiating over.
Yeah, that sounds way too important for us to just hand it over like that.
It sounds like Nahida was just showing it off to make a point, and Dottore smiled and said, "So the God of Wisdom would risk everything… On a gamble?"
…Yeah, I think I missed a page.
Nahida nodded, dangerously looking at his eyes, "Would you risk it?"
Dottore shrugged, still smiling, "Perhaps I would, after all, all of my other selves for just one gnosis? If it were two, maybe I'd oblige, but…"
Nahida looked very pensive, as if she had no idea what card she could use next, which meant I had to step in to shoot my shot.
"Ahem, if I can make a suggestion?" I said, causing both of them to questioningly look at me.
They didn't say anything, with Dottore silently motioning me to go on.
So, here's my very own gamble, "I retract my earlier statement. I win this fight."
Nahida's expression of 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!' Was pretty funny to look at, and Dottore just seemed amused.
I have a totem of undying, I have Murphy's Law on my side, I have my anemo delusion, I have the power of telekinesis, and I have the spirit of America inside of me.
And also the indomitable might of the Browning M1919 Machine Gun that's been upgraded to shatter stars.
I'm pretty sure I win this fight now.
Of course, this all depends on the assumption that Dottore is human enough to die to my gun, of course, because if the combined power of Murphy's Law, Nahida's power to power up my physical body so I can adjust my gun's aim faster, and up to 250 bullets forged from the ashes of a dead star isn't enough to kill him, then I'm not sure what will.
Dottore chuckled, as if he didn't take me seriously, "Would you like to test your hypothesis? Good hypotheses should be able to hold up to rigorous testing."
I nodded, taking out Monroe, and silently begging Nahida for her power by unsubtly motioning at her using my head, "Sure, I just have to ask- You won't be too upset if you die, right?"
Dottore laughed, looking completely calm, "Ah, Kusanali, you won't mind if I took this quick detour, would you?"
Nahida looked at me with a pleading expression on her face, before she resigned herself to the situation, "Would you mind if I gave him some of my power once more?"
Dottore shrugged, "As long as you don't try to use the power of dreams."
The power of what now?
Nahida looked slightly surprised at him knowing that, but she just silently agreed as her power flowed through me once again.
Alright, so the plan is to disable him by either going for the neck or knees, and run the hell away.
Dottore slightly bowed, "You first. Let's see the extent of your little gun's power."
I grinned, unable to resist the urge to shit talk, "Dottore, I am thankful that you're so fucking dumb."
Activating my delusion and letting its power take me over along with Nahida's power, I feel as if time has slowed down for me, as I used [Murphy's Law] on him while taking aim with Monroe.
Let this piece of shit know that the only good Nazi is a dead Nazi.
Pressing the trigger, I couldn't even comprehend the speed at which the bullets flew directly at Dottore's chest, because as every competent gun owner knows, always aim for the chest.
I held the trigger for an extra 2 seconds, my bullets all penetrating through his body and into the wall, and likely through that as well. That also means I now have 180 bullets left when I stopped firing.
Dottore actually shrieked in pain as he was sent away through the sheer force of the bullets going through him.
Nahida wasn't able to hold on to her thoughts as she immediately asked, "Where did you get a weapon like that?!"
I didn't reply because I know my ass didn't get some sort of reward for killing him yet, so we didn't have the time as I dared to look at Dottore and-
Of fucking course he can regenerate.
Dottore looked absolutely furious as he slowly stood up, still reeling from the damage, and I immediately made a decision.
If this gun can't kill Dottore, I have absolutely no chance right now, so we gotta run.
Picking up Nahida, who didn't raise an objection, I immediately booked it towards the front door through the crowd of people still being controlled by Dottore.
Daring to look back-
A ray of dark energy just barely missed my head as I quickly reacted with my delusion and Nahida's power to get my head out of the way in time.
"THAT'S WHY YOU ALWAYS AIM FOR THE CHEST, ASSHOLE!" I shouted at him, Absolutely pissed that he also has a ranged attack like that.
Fucking Nazis.
Looking back- Holy shit he's literally running straight towards us, and I think he's faster than what I am right now as well.
I don't think we outrun him, so I made a bold move, just as Eisenhower did while masterminding the European campaign in World War 2.
We're jumping off the tree.
"Hang on!" I told Nahida who was still dutifully hanging on to me, as I lept off the massive tree.
I quickly looked above me to see Dottore not jumping down with us, so my gut reaction was to celebrate escaping him.
And then I realized in the midst of falling towards hard concrete floor-
I'm not sure if my physical resistance works against fall damage.
As we fell down, oddly reminiscent of how I fell down to get here, I had a little prayer in my head because I absolutely hated falling like this.
PLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORKPLEASELETMYTOTEMWORK
Eventually, we fell to the ground legs first. Pain surged my body as it crumbled against the unwavering spirit of the floor, and I eventually blanked out.
Dottore.
He scowls as the last of his wounds were healed, likely causing the deaths of a few of his clones who were made just to ensure this body's eternal youth.
That power of his gun was, simply put, beyond this world.
For the first time in a very long time, he felt real, actual, pain, and he absolutely despises the feeling.
Staring down at the sight below him, he sees Fuse somehow managing to survive the fall, and making his escape with Kusnali.
And himself with no gnosis.
Tch, now that increased the time he had to stay in Sumeru for, because even though the experiment with creating a god using the electro gnosis that the Balladeer will find in Inazuma in a few weeks, no doubt, the real prize was obtaining the Dendro gnosis using the fallout of that event.
And now, that process has become much harder. Though, if she has any care for her people, then she'll come to her people's aid once Scaramouche ends up as a new god over the people…
Still, the true threat to this whole operation is Fuse. He felt his little divine aura grow almost tenfold in that room there, and now it feels like Fuse emits an aura of that of a young god.
But where did he come from? What is he the god of? Why does he feel the need to intervene in their plans?
Either way, the Tsaritsa needs to hear of this development. Nothing can stand in the way of her goals.
If Fuse would rather lie dead than be on her side, then so be it.
?
Fuse
Waking up, I thought I was going to see a number of things.
Maybe I would see a text box saying the totem of undying activated.
Maybe I'd see Nahida looking super worried and scolding me for being a dumbass.
Maybe I'd have actually died and gotten to see my dad again.
Instead, I saw none of that. Because I woke up standing, looking at a giant glass wall.
It was as if I was standing on gas, as it looked as if my surroundings were all in a red void filled with stars.
Looking at the glass wall again, I noticed a large crack that was in the large wall.
It felt like I was meant to be here.
Seeing nowhere else to go, I tentatively stepped forward, feeling solid ground despite standing on barely anything but gas, I moved forward.
Once I got close enough, a sinister sounding voice came out of the tear in the wall.
"Ah, so someone's finally made it here. I've been waiting for you."
AN:
Do you like self-inserts? I still like them.
Anyways yeah the pacing just went from 0 to 100 but it's good to have Fuse finally do something exciting.
I felt comfortable giving the ability to become a god to Fuse this early because I know he'd be the type of person to be an overly idealistic American, despite the simple fact that 99% of Americans wouldn't hold their ideals for that long in order to become a god, even most of our presidents. Either way, consider the deity system a Chekhov's Gun, because it's probably going to be used one day in the future. Like, way in the future. Talking 2025 future here, possibly.
I'll have to touch up on this chapter later since I wrote most of this on my phone, but this is a chapter I like.
Anyways there's definitely a few of you who are going to drop this next chapter. But I think the end result would be cool so I don't care that much.
[The first draft of this chapter saw Fuse getting time stop, but even I thought that was a bit too much, because then EVERY big enemy would need a way to stop that. Meanwhile Fuse will just run out of bullets eventually with Monroe.]
[I added Dottore's "I take the life out of other clones to make sure I stay alive" ability because I wanted to keep Dottore around. If Fuse had just used the full clip on Dottore, he 100% would've died. But to be fair to Fuse, who wants to stick around and find out whether or not he was actually immortal?]
(Uploaded this on Veteran's Day because I thought it'd be cool to upload on every American federal holiday, but I actually don't have chapter 8 ready because I've been writing too much Time Capsule. Anyways, in 2 weeks it's Thanksgiving on Thursday, so chapter 8 should be ready by then, and then we'll move back to uploading on Saturdays on the biweekly schedule.)
(Also, Genshin's 4.2 archon quest is PEAK Genshin, actual kino. I actually wish I held off on writing Manifest Destiny because I really want to have Fuse in Fontaine now. But according to my outline, we're leaving Genshin in like, 3 chapters, so it doesn't really matter at this point.)
(Also Attack on Titan's anime finally ended, and one must imagine Jaeger crying to Cereal somewhere, ranting about how stupid anime onlies are for liking the ending.)