Berlun, The Empire
Fuse
"I dealt with the situation back in the Unified States of America," I told the American ambassador, who obviously wasn't expecting me sitting in his chair in his office when he came back.
"What the- It's only been a day!" He shouted in surprise, "I didn't even hear anything from Philadelphia!"
Suddenly, the phone on his desk began ringing.
"That's probably them," I unhelpfully added, picking up the phone for him.
As predicted, there was an American on the other side of the line praising Edward Hummings for being a genius son of a bitch that got me to decimate Canadia and Mexica, essentially putting them at the mercy of the now extremely nationalistic Unified States of America.
After all, from their point of view, an eagle soared through the country and killed all of their enemies.
Anyhow, Edward is about to get a massive pay raise, and he'll get political recognition from across the Unified States for sending me there.
So, good for him.
Edward hangs up, thanking the other person, not even telling them I was in the same room with him.
"Nice going, dude," I complimented. He should be feeling pretty stoked right now.
Edward looked very happy, "Say, do you think I could be the president one day?"
"What's your view on segregation?"
He blinked.
"What?"
"Like, do you think it's bad? Good?"
"...I do not approve of it."
"Yeah, you can be president one day," I affirmed, standing up to go handle the Imperial situation, "When you're president, be sure to be as progressive as you can on all of the social issues. Even if you don't get any of it done, get that torch passed… Actually, what party are you in?"
Edward was obviously pretty confused by my sudden talk of 2000s era politics, but he answered, "I'm a republican, working for our Republican president. And what's this about progressive on social issues you wanted me to endorse?"
"Like, civil rights. Anti-segregation, pro abortion, pro gay rights, pro trans rights. You know, all that stuff."
"What the hell is a trans?"
"People who want to change their gender. Anyhow, it'll be better to give them their rights sooner rather than later. Anything else you want to ask me before I help out the Empire from their war?"
"...Instead of telling me all of this, why don't you write a note with an endorsement for me and all of the issues you want me to focus on."
"Hell, sure thing."
I'm fairly certain I set the Unified States on a good political path. My word should be pretty hefty here, and Edward Hummings is a pretty liberal dude from the looks of it, seeing as how he didn't object to any of the policy proposals from the 2000s I was suggesting.
It stings a little to make a Republican president my guy, but FDR hasn't… Actually, he's due to show up after the next guy bungles the Great Depression…
Shit, did I doom civil rights by tying it to a failing administration?
…
…I'll handle it when the time comes. Surely I'll get one ability or another that lets me stop an economical depression.
Besides, when the Republicans say that they're the party of Lincoln in this universe, they'll actually be the party of his ideals now. That's gotta be worth something.
As I walked into the palace where I vaguely know the Kaiser of the Empire is inside, I ran into a familiar face.
"Oh, Tanya?" I asked with a curious tone as she seemed to be in a hurry, "What's going on? Where are you going?"
Tanya wasn't going to answer until she registered who was actually speaking to her.
At that point, she looked absolutely baffled that I was standing in front of her, "Fuse?! IT'S ONLY BEEN A DAY!"
"Crazy, Edward said the same thing," I noted, before asking her again, "So, what's happening?"
"What's happening is that we are losing hard," Tanya stressed before pointing to a corridor, "Look, every important man and woman in the Empire just got direct orders from the Kaiser to defend our Fatherland to the last breath. He clearly believes you can save him. I didn't think the same until you showed up just now!"
Humming, I complimented the intelligence of the Kaiser, "Oh, good on him. I probably wouldn't have bothered defending you if you surrendered already. He has a lot of faith in me, doesn't he? Give him my compliments."
"Give it yourself."
"I can't, I have to give him Europe as a reward for his faith," I said, already walking out, "Otherwise, I would be showing up too early."
It was basic etiquette to show up to someone's house with a gift. I gave the President the world, I should at least give the Kaiser at least a victory.
Tanya was, for some reason, already kitted out in her mage gear as she walked alongside me, "Where are you going, then? I'm trying not to die, so I'm going to follow you along with the rest of my squadron."
"I picked up a neat trick from America," I said, flying into the air, Tanya following soon thereafter, "But first, can you name me all of the countries on the border?"
"What? The Francois, Albion, Waldstatte, Illdoa, Legadonia, Magna Rumeli?" Tanya listed off confusedly.
Remembering those names, I told her, "Great, can you go back down and tell the Kaiser to look up here? I'm about to destroy their armies. Though, keep him safe because I'm pretty sure that Colette and whoever she's able to bring here are going to attack me not long after I start shooting."
Tanya looked at me even more perplexedly, but she obeyed my request and went down to bring the Kaiser.
The main reason why I was able to target the Mexican army and the Canadian army with my spell that never misses was because it was the Unified States the conflict was happening in. I would never miss a shot against a foreign invader in my home country, even if my home country was some sort of alternative universe self.
In Europe, it's a little bit harder, but if I adjust my target to their individual armies, it should work out just fine.
Sure, there's going to be Empire casualties, but considering I'm about to save Kaiserreich Germany, they're no big loss.
After all, my next demand for the Kaiser is to turn this country from an Empire into a Republic.
A minute later, the eagles of death soared across Europa.
"Oh, Dear Lord, Grant Me The Strength To Walk Across The Fabric of Reality To Destroy Heretics In Your Name…"
"Of course, my child."
Yep, and that was every army invading. About 3 million men, all turned to ashes.
Of course, I used most of those souls to just keep firing Soul Ballistas into other armies, but I still have a million rowdy souls that I had to suppress and kill by the bucket load.
Seriously, does something like a curse remover item exist in the gacha? I need to get one of those. If I get any strong souls, they immediately fight against me and I start to hurt. But all of the weaker souls just die from my suppression in any number higher than 100.
Well, to be fair, at the rate I'm killing people, it was probably more than deserved to have some sort of inconvenience. They're going to have to write new Geneva conventions for the use of continental missiles just because of me.
Sensing the air charge up holy magic around me, I remarked to the open air, "Hey, Frenchie…"
As though Colette was always there, she defiantly stood against me. Behind her were hundreds of mages from countless different nations, all united in their hatred against me.
"How does it feel to be on the losing side?" I finished my sentence, the opposition silently aiming at me.
Colette simply retorted, "You are an American. You should know how it feels to be a loser."
…
"I'm going to fucking kill you."
In an instant, Berlun descended into chaos as every mage attempted to shoot me, the Imperial officials quickly getting their Kaiser away from the battlefield.
Some of the soldiers watching from below began shooting at the mages while I flew high into the air.
I was getting shot. A lot.
But I was specifically avoiding Colette's shots, which hurt a hell of a lot more. They began to home, so I used Grand Telekinesis to move the other bullets in the air in their way.
It worked a little bit, but all I needed was a few seconds…
I charged up another Soul Ballista, aiming straight down.
The crowd of mages scatter, but they won't get anywhere in time.
The great thing about souls is that they're fairly polite in what they decide to damage. After all, these souls are living things.
So when I tell them that they will only hurt those with malicious intent against me, they will comply.
Colette tried to interrupt my casting by shooting me through the arm, but since I'm half slime, that didn't do much aside from hurting me.
Americans only know pain from other Americans. There's nothing that these foreigners can do to hurt me.
Soul Ballista flew into Berlun, white flames engulfing the entire city in an attack that only hurt the invaders.
As predicted, not a single invader- bar Colette- lived.
"SO I ASK YOU AGAIN, COLETTE!" I shouted out with mad glee, "HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A LOSER!?"
Having tanked the entire Soul Ballista, Colette's heavily damaged answer was, "...God."
Ah, right.
The moment he appears in Colette, I'm going to yank him into physical form and beat the shit out of him.
Colette's eyes glowed golden, and that was my opportunity to strike.
I flew straight down, activating Devourer of Gods.
In the next moment, Tanya and I were standing in a vast, white space.
"Tanya? The heck are you doing here?" I questioned the moment I realized she was there.
"I figured out what you were doing and couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk to Being X before you kill him," Tanya answered in the most serious way she could. But I could see the hint of embarrassment within her that she yolo'd into this situation without thinking it through.
"Fair enough."
Straight forward was Colette and a vague, spiritual man. Probably Being X.
"Hmph… To think that the Atheist recruited a fledgling God from another world…"
"Don't call me a God, dumbass," I annoyedly asked, "People can bow to who they want, but they should put America first. Not me."
Seriously, if people kept considering me a god in this world, I was going to have serious problems…
…Not if they forgot what a god was, right?
Colette crossed her arms, "You two stand in the domain of God. Even with his ability to bring him into physical form, you have no chance. Surrender now."
Tanya carried a pissed off look as she ranted, "Being X, you brought me into this world trying to convert me to your faith. Look where your foolish quest has ended up now! You're about to die a miserable death at the hands of someone completely unrelated to me! My only wish is that Fuse makes this death long and excruciating for you as possible, you poser!"
"Your words hold a confidence that will not hold up."
I pulled out Detroit, the Concept Devouring Knife.
Being X clearly knew what it did as he commanded something to happen.
"Disappear!"
But nothing happened.
Colette knew what was up, and she pulled out her gun to shoot.
Before she could, I saluted, "Domain Expansion, Revolutionary Battlefield!"
As the heavenly realmed bowed to Washington, I used Long Slashes, a skill from a while ago, to hit Being X with the Concept Devouring Knife.
He tried to defend himself, but, well…
He got domain-diffed.
Reality shifts as the concept of God disappears from the world.
You have gained an achievement!
[Nietzsche Celebrates]
Requirements: Kill God.
Description: God is dead. You have killed him.
Rewards: 5 Divine Gacha Tokens, 10 Gacha Tokens, Major Increase in All Ranks, Title: Godslayer, Deity Status Menu Unlocked (Converted into 1 divine gacha token.), 1 Class Slot.
Ignoring the achievement rewards for now, I checked my surroundings.
We were still in my Revolutionary Battlefield, Colette had her gun raised, but it seemed as though she forgot why she had it up.
Tanya, meanwhile, asked me, "What are you waiting for? Erase her!"
"...Tanya, have I swung Detroit yet?" I asked, curious to hear what it looked like from her side.
Tanya looked back to Colette to ensure that she wasn't going to attack, but after confirming she was locked in place, she answered, "You have, but you missed! Or you didn't attack at all!"
Huh, that's something, alright.
"Do you remember how you came to this world?"
"Huh? It was just a standard reincarnation after I died. I just assumed that my good and bad fortune were the standard for reincarnators," Tanya slowly answered, before realizing, "Wait, did you…"
"It worked, yeah, you don't remember," I confirmed, still looking at Colette, "Say, you want to say anything?"
"You… You killed God?" Colette ghastly asked, not wanting to believe what was in front of her.
Huh, let me read the description for this knife again.
[Detroit (Concept Devouring Blade) - A small blade that is capable of erasing concepts that it hits. What concepts it erases and how far it reaches can be modified by the user. Erased concepts will cease to exist only in your multiverse, but can be remembered by you. You can choose to return erased concepts, but people will recognize that there was an erased concept that came back. There are targets able to resist concept erasure. This weapon is named after the city of Detroit, Michigan]
Hm…
…Ah, I think I get it.
Erased concepts only cease to exist where I want them to, and I was trying to keep it to this world since one of my friends fashioned themselves a god.
Obviously, Colette is from another world too, and unlike Tanya, her world isn't explicitly connected to this world.
Maybe I'm right or wrong on this, but I think she just tried to process her new memories to fit in with her journey in this world.
That's quite powerful.
I plainly admitted it, "I did."
With that, Colette collapsed.
Looks like she wasn't actually a French nationalist.
She was just religious.
Walking up to her, I picked her up by the back of her neck. She didn't resist at all as I mocked her, "You talked so much shit about my country, but now that God, someone who wasn't even French, is dead, you suddenly lose all hope? You disgust me."
I disabled Revolutionary Battlefield, leaving us in Berlun.
The people cheered as it revealed me victorious in a fight where the only casualties were the enemy mages and people who died of a heart attack when I unleashed my Soul Ballista.
Colette did nothing but take the jeers of her enemy.
You know what, if this wasn't a Christian nut disguised as a French nationalist, I would be a bit more sympathetic to her.
The French Nationalists, at the very least, love their country more than this.
In fact…
"Tanya, tell the Kaiser that winning the war in Europe should be easy, and to turn this country into a democracy. I'll be back to ensure he does it," I said, preparing to portal away.
Tanya simply nods, "Thank you for your service, then."
I winced at the words used, "Guh, don't use that line on me. I just killed people. Save it for the actual veterans."
With that, I left through a portal.
A few moments later, we were in another Francois city. Marseille, I believe.
Colette's eyes seem to light up in recognition, "You-"
I pulled out Detroit, "Say, I'm really disappointed in you, Colette…"
"No! No! You can't do this!" Colette grabbed onto my leg to beg, any dignity within her gone.
"I thought you were like me. Instead, you were like the fascists in Trump's Republican Party," I forlornly said, hatred bubbling in my heart as I remind myself of my eternal enemies, "You're a stain on your country. It's better off not existing."
Ignoring her pleas, I stabbed at the concept of France.
Well, Francois, but you get the idea.
The formerly French city's architecture shifted into an entirely different style. Downright bizarre.
Not to mention, much uglier than it looked before.
Colette immediately ran toward something, so I followed her.
It was a map.
Before, this nation was the Republic of Francois.
Now, it was split in 3.
Fountain, Occit, and Bross. Essentially north France, south France, and that little peninsula in northern France.
That was now their "Natural Borders."
"Ayyy! Dude! How's it goin?!" A random Occitan walked up to us to greet in a distinctly non-French way, "Oh, girl, you look sad. Your boyfriend treat you-"
Anyway, I shot him, the point being made.
France, in this world, is dead.
"...Kill me. I can't take any of this."
I tilt my head, "Hm. What fragment of the domino do you have?"
She took a moment to answer, "...The unchanging fragment."
Unchanging… Ah, conservative? That worthless ideology.
The moment her perfect world had one missing part to it, she immediately shattered.
Even the American conservatives were better than that. She really is just an inferior version of me.
Why do I have to take it? I really would rather not…
Still, she was French.
For our longtime ally, this was the least I could do.
Pulling out Washington, I aimed at her head, "Any last words?"
"I thought I would live forever."
[You have killed Colette!]
You have gained: Colette's Soul, Unchanging Fragment of The Domino.
[Unchanging Fragment Of The Domino - This Fragment of the domino was separated from its main body due to the passing of universes. It is the most unchanging fragment of The Domino, which imparts on its holder by granting them a life that shall never change.]
x
[Let My Ambition Raze All It Gazes Upon.]
Description: With His ambition, you must answer destiny's calling.
Objectives: Assemble all pieces of the domino. [4/6]
Reward: Destiny's Calling Shall Grow Ever Louder.
x
Like clockwork, my system status opens.
(System Status)
[SYSTEM COMPROMISED]
[PACIFICATION UNAVAILABLE]
[CALAMITY AWAITS]
[LONG LIVE THE UNITED STATES]
(Status of the soul)
[Ambitious Soul of The Domino - Ambition is the fuel that great and terrible men use to enact their will upon their world, and your ambition shall raze all you gaze upon.]
[Destined Fragment Of The Domino - The unseen hand of destiny guides the universe in its vision, yet, not all things are destined for greatness.]
[Destructive Fragment of The Domino - All life must gain power, and for many, destruction is a method of gaining power. Yet, some destruction is simply meaningless.]
[Kindest Fragment of The Domino - Kindness is the collective trait that allowed civilizations to grow out of their cycles and participate in the universe. Yet, that kindness can easily be twisted in more sinister ways.]
[Unchanging Fragment of The Domino - Any great figure has a foundation of a great, unchanging will, ready to bear the burden of the task to come. Yet, all forgotten figures had their foundations made of a weak, but unchangeable will.]
x
(Destiny's Path)
[Act upon your own destiny, or someone else will do so for you.]
[Who is capable of stopping our ambition?]
[How foolish they were, for their unchanging hands cracked before our innovative arms.]
Yep, still scary as shit.
Still no clue what it's trying to tell me other than "I'm fucked."
I'll open my gacha tokens when I get back to the gang to tell them of my victory.
So, I picked up the corpse of Colette to bring back for revival if I want to try it with her into my inventory.
Then, I jumped into the portal-
Right to the border of the universe.
Huh, I haven't met this guy in a while.
Walking to the torn part of the wall, I called out, "Why did you call me back here now?!"
"Well, you obviously haven't been using any of the powers we lent you. So we thought you might enjoy a little time off to think about what we're giving you."
"Honestly, all of your powers are shit."
I've got 5 of these things and the most useful one is the one that prevents me from being trapped. The other slightly useful one is the one that lets me scare anyone around me.
The rest are garbage. When am I ever going to need a discount on what I buy? When am I ever going to want someone's attention on me? When am I ever going to lose so badly I need Skryb to take my body?
"Hmph. Perhaps. Either way, I can tell that you've obtained both the kind and unchanging fragments of the domino. Well done."
"I bet I can take you on now too," I openly threw out the idea, just to see how he would react.
"If you get the chance, try it," He encouraged for some odd reason, "I have conquered all who stood against me here."
I let those words register inside my head for a little bit.
Conquered all those who stood against him there…
Stood against him there…
"Say, who stood against you?"
"Basically everyone."
Bitch, this guy is trying to conquer the universe!
This is the guy I'm trying to help?!
I paused.
This is an American, so…
I guess, for his power level, it's an appropriate ambition to have.
Still, I told him, "You're not doing any favors to yourself by telling me this, by the way."
"If I thought it would stop you, I wouldn't say it," Was the response I got, "Now, I do have another ally for you to take something from."
"American?"
"No."
"I'll hold my breath, then."
I can feel Skryb leave as another presence fills the void.
A suave, harsh voice sounds out from the other side, "So, you are the liberator of this universe?"
"That's a fancy way of saying American."
"As if Americans have a monopoly on freedom," He replied with a decently hard line, "Anyhow, I am Moroes, Grand Commander of the Meta Liberation Army. Good to meet you."
Meta Liberation Army… Sounds familiar, but I'm not going to push it.
Leaning back on the wall, I said, "I'm Fuse. So, what ability do you think you're going to give me?"
He hummed for a moment, thinking about it before answering, "I am a man who believes using your inherent powers is a human right. Given how all of the other abilities you've gained followed the ideals of my co-workers, you will likely be unable to be prevented from using any ability you have."
Those are good ideals. Definitely American-like.
Skryb did him an injustice. He was definitely an American in spirit.
"I like you, so I'll take your power, no matter what it is," I said, holding out my hand.
"Continue on, Liberator. Cast off the tyrant's head."
[Moroes' Blessing - Using one's own ability is a human right. - Gain the perk [Liberated]. You can no longer be restricted from using any of your abilities.]
When I told him he was right, all he said was, "As I predicted. Goodbye, Fuse. I do hope that you will not be put in a situation where my perk is required for you to live."
…Now that he puts it that way…
"Yeah, me too," I said, leaving as well.
Now, back to Teyvat.
AN:
Almost 4k words, but we reached it through author's notes. Sadge.
[1 more chapter of backlog that will expire on New Years Day. Then it's back to 'Oh shit, I have a chapter due tomorrow' and finishing it at 1 AM.]
[Merry Christmas]