Chapter 185: Unfinished Business

  The party stood, waiting for the king to make the first move.

  “You… you mortals can leave,” the king said. “I have no business with you.”

  His solemn gaze turned to Kit, suddenly turning fierce.

  “Where is my son?!”

  For a moment, Kit flinched. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what to say. Behind her, John was pushing Destiny and Prota away, but she didn’t notice that. She was stunned, locked in place by the presence of a greater threat.

  “I- I-”

  “Where is he? My son… my precious son…”

  Right. Ultimately, this hadn’t been some evil plan or corrupt noble. The prince’s motives had been subjectively pure. And now, he was dead. People would be wondering where he’d gone.

  What was she supposed to say?

  “Kit,” John whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder. “My promise still stands. I’ll help you if you want. But… I mean, this is a chance, you know? And you’re strong, right? Unique powers and all that. If you need my help, I’ll be around. But I think you know what to do anyway.”

  With that, he walked away.

  But his words had sparked a fire in Kit.

  “Your majesty,” Kit said, her voice shaky. Still, it was gaining clarity the longer she spoke. “Your son is dead.”

  The king of the NInetails gasped, staggering as if he’d taken a blow to the chest.

  “I do not know if you were aware, but your son used his magic to both enslave my mind as well as that of Elder Kang Loy’s. He tried to marry me in order to use the power of the First Descendant as a weapon to bear against the other clans. He tried to use me as nothing more than a tool. In return, I retaliated, fighting for my life.”

  “You- you scoundrel-”

  “Am I any lesser or greater as a Mystic? Were we not created equal under Celeste?” Kit yelled, really gaining her stride. “I am Kit Ninetails! A Mystic of the Ninetails clan! First Descendant, bearer of the Eternal Flame! And you wish to treat me as a tool?”

  At that, the king remained silent.

  “You have long since overstepped your authority. We were created to roam the lands in place of Celeste, but all we can do is bicker and fight among each other! Your son’s greed was so great that my entire life was spent in hiding, running away from what I wished to do! And you wish to turn me into a villain?!”

  She growled, claws of flame extending as all nine tails sprouted behind her. Pink lightning began to flicker around her body, but more than that, it coursed through her veins, preparing her to strike at a moment’s notice.

  “If that is the case, then I no longer wish to be part of this clan. I have found the hero. I am the one who will be by his side. I will be one of the saviours of this continent. I have been assaulted time after time, and yet I remain. You may stop me if you wish. But know that you, too, will fall.”

  Kit didn’t know if that statement was true. Whether or not she could beat the king was something she didn’t know. But she didn’t care. She wouldn’t be threatened by mere authority anymore.

  And, in the back of her mind, something told her this was a story. Surely she was a good guy, and the good guys always won.

  Right?

  “...I see.”

  With that, the king turned around. Kit was genuinely stunned. What was this?

  “Wait, you’re not-”

  “I am upset. Terribly upset. But I cannot ignore what you have said,” the king said, not turning around. “And you are right. I did not notice my son’s behaviour. As a father… I should be fighting you for his honour, here and now. But as a king… my people’s needs come first. And, as a king, I apologize. Things… things should have never come to this. What you do with your life from now on… that is up to you. Goodbye, Kit. May we meet under better circumstances.”

  With that, he left. Just like that, the ordeal was over. Kit collapsed, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

  “What… what was that…?”

  All she’d done was be honest with her feelings, unafraid of the outcome. And it’d worked out. In the end, everything had worked out.

  “Ha… haha…”

  For the first time, Kit got her taste of true freedom.

  ~~~

  “Children. This way.”

  John flinched as he heard a voice call out. It seemed like the Elder’s voice, but after going through that ordeal with the prince, he didn’t trust any of his senses.

  Still, it really did seem to be the Elder. He stepped out from the trees, shaking some leaves off his head.

  “There is one last thing I neglected to tell you. Long ago, there was a village that requested our aid. They needed talismans of illusion to hide themselves away. Young man,” he said, turning to John. “You came here seeking a strange energy, did you not?”

  “...sure, whatever. Everybody knows about it now,” John muttered. “What about it?”

  “I recently recall… That energy. It lingered on the prince. It was also… in that village I told you about. I do not know what your purpose here was. You do not seem to bear any mana. But if you truly seek that energy, then this may be a place to look next.”

  The weight of what the Elder was saying suddenly hit John.

  A village.

  Strange energy.

  “I-”

  He felt his body grow stiff, a chill running down his spine. He spared a quick glance at Prota, who seemed oblivious to the implications of what the Elder was saying.

  “Here. This is a map that leads to that place. You will not be able to find it otherwise, I believe… unless something broke our talismans. Regardless, I wish you well, children. Once again, thank you.”

  With that, the Elder left once more.

  In the back of John’s mind, he was cursing the [Author] for throwing in exposition so randomly, but his true emotions were those of confusion and panic.

  A village. His energy. Hidden away, so much so that Mystics were involved.

  For his entire time here, he’d been wondering a lot of things. Why Diaboli wanted Prota. Whether or not Diaboli was the only one with his memories. Why she was giving it to random people. What her purpose truly was.

  But now that he thought about it, Prota was just as much of a mystery as Diaboli was. Why hadn’t he ever thought of this?

  She shouldn’t have been able to [Reset] with him that first time. He’d just accepted that she could do so, but in hindsight, that shouldn’t have been possible. The message he’d read had been dismissed back then due to his conflicting emotions, but now that his mind was focused on the issue at hand…

  [However. The subject contains a fraction of [Deus Ex Machina] energy. By forming a [Destiny Bond], you will share a portion of your energy and allow the target to use [Plot Armour]. Would you like to form a [Destiny Bond]?]

  “The subject contains a fraction of [Deus Ex Machina] energy.”

  Those words alone were enough to send shivers down John’s spine. He looked at Prota again, who was looking around the forest, again oblivious to the implications of what was going on.

  This little girl had [Deus Ex Machina] energy in her since the start, and he hadn’t even realized it.

  It wasn’t enough to harbour any memories. John knew that for sure. She wasn’t nearly strong enough to have anything of significance. At least, that’s what he hoped.

  But that wasn’t the point. The point was that her place of origin…

  “Shit,” he cursed under his breath.

  In the end, all he could do was follow the path laid out for him. It was almost as if the [Author] were leading him down a trail, telling him that, no matter what he did, he was still in that damn bastard’s plan.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  No. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of useless thoughts. Right now, all he could do was push forward. If he did that, then the answers would all come eventually.

  He was an [Anomaly]. He wasn’t under the [Author’s] control. He was under his own control.

  If the [Story] didn’t fit his desires… he’d just change the [Story]. It was as simple as that.

  “Guys!”

  Everyone turned around to see Kit jogging toward them, no sign of injury to be found.

  “You… you good?” Destiny frowned, checking to see if she was really ok.

  “The king is letting us go. There should be no more problems after this,” Kit said with a smile. “So… let’s go.”

  “Wait, wait. The king is letting… you? He’s letting you go? Just like that?” Destiny said slowly.

  “Yep! It’s… I’m free, Des. It’s all over. It’s finally over. We can-”

  She stopped as Destiny threw his arms around her, a big, goofy smile on his face.

  “You did it, Kit. You’re free. It’s… you don’t need to hide. No more running. Just… freedom.” He let go of her, backing off just a bit. “I want to ask more, but we should go. Do you know where we’re going?”

  “The carriages are that way. I know how to drive them. Come on, let’s go!”

  ~~~

  John was left alone with his thoughts again. He hated it, but he couldn’t really do anything.

  Kit was busy driving the carriage back to the royal palace, and both Destiny and Prota were dead tired from the fight. With that, John was left awake once more.

  Still, it was a good time to gather his thoughts. Now that he wasn’t distracted by emotions and random thoughts, he could think clearly. Then again, thinking clearly wasn’t doing much at the moment.

  His next steps were incredibly obvious. He’d been hoping for the Mystic village to give him a clue as to where he was headed next, but to be honest, he hadn’t been expecting it to be this head-on.

  “It’s crumbling,” John muttered. “The [Plot]. Just how much did I fuck things up?”

  “Mm… a decent amount,” Zero said in his mind. “Although, it’s not like the [Plot] falling apart has anything to do with your interactions. Or, maybe it does?”

  “...explain.”

  “In some stories, the protagonist is reincarnated into a story, right? Something happens, blah blah blah, but ultimately, they end up interfering and changing the plot. However, in those stories, the world will occasionally start falling apart because of things like causality, fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it. However, those are intentional designs, genuine aspects of the story that were meant to exist.”

  “So, what? You’re saying that this isn’t the case here?”

  “Exactly. John, you’re a lot more… uh, realistic, I guess? Yeah, sure. More realistic than those other stories. If the [Story] is falling apart, it’s because the [Author] doesn’t know what to do next. It’s quite literal. The writing quality is just dropping because the [Plot] they had ready is no longer viable.”

  “The writing quality…”

  “Yeah. Now, it could be because of you. But then again, maybe not. If there is an original story, then it would make sense that the [Author] isn’t doing so well. After all, with your involvement, the [Plot’s] definitely deviated quite a bit from what it was. But then again… well, none of that really matters. Keep going, John. You’re almost done.”

  “Am I?” John muttered. “This feels… it feels so messy, Zero. Now that I think about it, the way this whole thing ended was kinda… I don’t know. Lackluster, I guess? Like, what happened? We beat the prince, and then what? We just leave? Is that really it?”

  Zero sighed. “Just keep moving, John. Questioning the quality of your existence isn’t going to do anything, ok?”

  “It does do something, Zero! Look, if Prota’s village turns out to be some kind of… I don’t know, some kind of mess, then what? What next? We just… what, get no answers, no closure, no nothing? What if the [Author] doesn’t have a plan for me? For Prota? I’ve long since accepted that I’m probably going to eat shit and die, but you know what’s worse than that? Being forgotten. Being dropped. What happens if my memories just aren’t here?”

  “...I can tell you that this, at least, won’t happen, ok? You may be fucking things up, but this [Story] will have an ending, I can guarantee you that.”

  John went silent.

  “Ok. Thanks.”

  He felt Zero go away, and he returned to the map. It was well-drawn, simple, and easy to follow, pointing out John’s next destination quite clearly.

  He couldn’t help but feel nervous. There were so many questions about Prota he wanted answered, and yet he didn’t want them answered at the same time.

  Was she part dragon? Did she really have [Deus Ex Machina] energy? What if she were someone from the real world? Did he know her? But if she were from the real world, she should have a soul like Zero, right? And her backstory was too deeply rooted in this world for her to be someone like John.

  But the worst thought of all was the one he was trying to avoid thinking of.

  “John. You know… memories are meant to be made. Just because they’re gone doesn’t mean they’re forgotten,” Zero said quietly. “Nobody lives forever. Nobody gets to keep people around forever.”

  “That’s reality. This is-”

  “You can’t keep doing that, John.” Zero’s tone was firm. “You either root yourself in reality or fiction.”

  “Yes, I can. Because you’re the one who rooted me in reality, and yet the things that are happening to me are because of fiction. Isn’t that my whole existence? Isn’t that the entire concept of who I am? Someone who’s rooted in both. Someone who uses both to their max.”

  “...I can’t even argue with that.” Zero sighed. “Just… you know. With-”

  “Don’t say it. I don’t want to think about it,” John muttered.

  Zero vanished once more, but the soul was a little more satisfied than before.

  John was avoiding the issue, yes. But he was scared of losing Prota. He didn’t want to consider the option.

  And that meant John cared enough about her that he felt fear. He cared enough to dodge the question altogether.

  ~~~

  John felt empty as the whole incident passed over with no further ramifications. The carriage landed discreetly, and the beasts that carried it left without any instruction. Kit turned back into a fox, hopping onto Destiny’s shoulder as they walked back. She didn’t need to hide anymore, but it would be questionable if a Mystic just walked into the castle of the royal family.

  But that was the issue. There were no ramifications. It felt as if they’d never done anything of interest in the first place.

  Destiny and Prota definitely remembered a lot. After all, they’d endured months of training and had become leagues stronger than they’d been before. But John… what had he gained?

  All he had was this map. A map that could lead to a blissful dream or a terrible nightmare.

  “John?” Destiny said, waving his hand in front of John’s face. “Hey. What’s up, man?”

  “...sorry,” John said quietly. “Just thinking.”

  “It’s nothing dangerous, right?” Destiny frowned. “Sorry, it’s just… you don’t usually get like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “You’re not smiling.”

  John flinched as he realized he’d let his face go blank. He’d been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he’d dropped all his subconscious defences.

  “Ah, that’s… sorry about that,” John said, his grin reappearing on his face. “I was just thinking about something the Elder gave me.”

  “The Elder?”

  “It’s… it’s a little personal,” John said apologetically. “I can’t really-”

  “No, don’t worry about it. Take your time, John.”

  They continued to walk for a while, slowly making their way back to the castle.

  “...what are you gonna do now, Destiny?” John said suddenly.

  For a bit, the only sound was that of shoes treading on grass. The sun shone brightly overhead, the summer heat sweltering. The forest trees provided ample shade, but the humidity was incredibly unpleasant.

  “I don’t know,” the hero finally admitted. “I suppose I’ll do some training on my own. You were right, John. My ability is more than I thought. I… thank you. I don’t think we would’ve won if you hadn’t said anything.”

  “You would’ve figured it out on your own,” John said honestly. “I just… I just thought it’d be better if you figured it out a little earlier.”

  “What? How would I have figured it out?”

  “It’s your ability. I mean… isn’t it supposed to represent you? You wanted to cut through anything, right? So…”

  “I guess. But still, John…”

  Destiny trailed off, trying to figure out what to say next.

  “John.”

  He suddenly stopped, and John continued on for a few more steps before realizing the half-elf wasn’t moving.

  “I know this is kind of an awkward moment to say this, but… thank you. I really mean it. You’re hiding a lot, and that annoys me at times, but you’ve done so much. For me. For Kit. For… for everyone, I guess.”

  “Wait, hold on, I-”

  “I know you don’t think you’re a good person. And maybe you’re not. But you’re someone who cares. You’re someone who’s helped us, even though you didn’t need to.”

  “But I already explained, I need-”

  “That’s bullshit, John, and we both know it. You killed Hikari. You saved Kit from the prince. You defeated Sofya. You have this strange energy that isn’t even from this world. Do you really need me to defeat the Demon King?”

  John didn’t know what to say. Destiny’s eyes were glowing.

  “I… I don’t know.”

  “...that’s the truth?”

  Destiny was surprised for a moment, but in the end, he just sighed.

  “Look. John. I don’t know who you are or what your true goals are. But you’ve been a real friend to me. To all of us. So, no matter who you are… thank you. You’re a good friend, John. And, in my eyes, you’re a good person.”

  John stood there, stunned. Destiny had laid his points out so suddenly, so passionately, that he didn’t have a counterargument. He just accepted it without resistance.

  “I…”

  “John.”

  Prota’s quiet voice stunned John even more.

  “You’re… you’re John. Isn’t that what matters? John is John. To me… John is a good person.”

  He wanted to deny the statement. He wanted to argue, to prove them wrong, but he couldn’t.

  “...sure,” John said quietly. “Thanks, guys.”

  “That’s it? No witty comeback? No sarcastic remark? Hey, you’re not an illusion, are you?” Destiny said, poking John in the chest. “Maybe we’re still trapped?”

  “Oh, shut up,” John said, a grin forming on his lips.

  This time, though, it wasn’t the usual grin that remained static no matter what. It was a genuine, heartfelt grin, one of joy and love, one of genuine happiness, something John hadn’t felt in a while.

  Destiny laughed. “There he is. Should’ve never doubted you.”

  “You’re a bitch, you know that?” John said, laughing as well.

  These were friends. These were companions. Destiny was right. There were many instances where he could’ve avoided helping them. There were many cases where he could’ve turned a blind eye.

  But he hadn’t.

  Even the kids at Scholaris were people he considered friends. He tried to help them. He tried to save them. He spared their feelings, treated them as more than just statistics and variables. He’d tried to reason his actions out by saying that they were necessary for the ending, but Destiny had already pointed something obvious out:

  John didn’t know if he needed these [Characters] for the goal he wished to achieve. Ever since he’d met Doctor, he hadn’t known if Destiny was needed at all. And if that was true, then what could [Companions] possibly do?

  No, it was time to stop making excuses. These were [Characters].

  But so was he.

  “Destiny. I think… I think I’ll be taking a bit of a trip,” John said as they continued to make their way back home. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen, and I’ll have to talk to Prota first. But… i might go missing for a while.”

  “But you’ll be fine, right?”

  John flinched for a moment. That was an obvious death flag. But he was above such things, wasn’t he?

  The one controlling him was a [Writer].

  But then again, wasn’t he one as well?

  “Yeah. Who do you think I am?”

  “Well… you’re a bum. You’re lazy. You’re annoying. You act weak, and then you pull out random abilities at random times.”

  “Hey!”

  “But… you help us when we need it. You’re honest when it matters. And you’re genuine. But why does any of that matter?”

  Destiny turned around, putting his fist against John’s heart.

  “You’re John.”

  John smiled brightly.

  “Damn right I am.”

  He reached into his pocket, feeling the map Kang Loy had given him. Prota walked up close to him, grabbing his arm, looking up at him. He looked down, and she saw the joy in his eyes.

  That same joy was soon reflected in her own expression.

  “Alright.” His voice was quiet, as not to alert Destiny, but it wasn’t like this was a secret they needed to hide. “We’re gonna go get your sister. One way or another.”

  Prota felt her heart skip a beat.

  “The Elder gave me a hint as to where you came from. If you don’t want to go, we don’t have to go. But… this might be the closest lead on you we’ll ever have. What do you-”

  “Nn.”

  Her expression was more than enough of an answer.

  “Alright.”

  John took her hand, looking up at the shining bright sun. Today was today. Tomorrow was tomorrow.

  One step at a time. That was all it took.

  He would figure things out.

  “Let’s do it.”