Wisdom's Due

Commissioned by Chaosbrain

Word Count: 1054

…

Innovate Clear was dead, the Chimera were coming back en masse, and CORE is sniffing around for a target to obliterate with stupid amounts of firepower.

Of course, my only issue with those things was that Innovate Clear owed me a debt. To be more exact, she paid half up front, but now that’s she’s dead, the other half was left for her next of kin to pick up. Now, given my merciful soul, ‘next of kin’ didn’t mean the justly-informed, ignorant relatives, who’ve just found out their daughter/sibling/cousin is dead.

No, my loan-sharking is going to solely be targeting Innovate Clear’s uninformed, supernatural-savvy best friend devoid of any blood relations.

Well, that was the framework of the plan, anyway.

Nothing would be concrete until Pale Death showed up, with whomever they’re keeping stuffed away from everyone’s sight in tow. Under normal circumstances, I’d offer anyone who ruptured the atmosphere and scraped away bedrock with wild flailing some mead, but I was more interested in what came around that needed the Pale Death to scare it away. 

What kind of fucking freak would it take to get the Pale Death running straight at you? Who’s the fucking legend that’s either brave or stupid enough to try that sort of shit? Where can I find them, and maybe shake their hand, before I obliterate them and their atoms between two localized Event Horizons, because I didn’t want a fucking chaotic superpowered idiot like that anywhere near where I fucking lived?

A man has questions, therefore he sits in a shitty tenement lobby, instead of enjoying a nice lunch at his dining room.

The price of not being filthy rich is a steep one, indeed.

But, at least, a little prior planning makes the wait just a bit shorter.

The doors to the lobby open up, Ms. I’ll-Fight-You walks in, and… has the Reincarnation of Lucifer, the Aspect of Conflict, in tow.

Well, there goes the whole fucking country.

Let’s see.

Generic wasteland background, dead parents before he can remember them, and raised by polygamist rabbit people with a fetish for freedom. Horrifically overpowered, recently betrayed, and somewhat attracted to the nice young lady who just rescued him. Scratch that. Very attracted, but won’t allow himself to admit it. Reverse Dandere? With Lucifer Reincarnation topping? I am intrigued. Ten outta ten 2nd Season of an Anime. Would watch.

However, this is real life, so a little deeper digging is in order.

Right answer, lacking in connections to Mr. I’ll-Soulrape-Demons-Until-They’re-A-New-Species, means I’ve got an interesting, easy-to-manipulate lever to throw around. Wrong answer will mean Mr. Fuck-You-Fuck-That-Fuck-EVERYTHING is in control of the figurative and metaphorical joystick. Naturally, that means Mr. Reincarnation gets a singularity to replace his insides with Japan’s outsides. Even if it means getting killed by Pale Death. It’d be worth it. Hmmm, maybe if I could find proof she was in cahoots with him, she could get involved in the Singularity Funtimes™, too?

With any answer, I win.

Either because I get to die taking out Mr. I’ll-Burn-The-World-Because-I-Have-Daddy-Issues, earning me a free trip to Valhalla and relief from all the goddamn pests that bother me every day, or because I get a malleable idiot to throw at all the pests that bother me every day. When losing the right way gets you into the nicest places, even defeat can be a victory! Suck on that, Aspect of Creation! My paradise’s better than yours! I bet yours doesn’t have endless battles, feasts, and wenches either! And, people have to be “good” to get in! In mine, all you have to do is not be a little bitch! So, ha! Ha ha! I win!

Wait, did I just miss his answer?

Wait, don’t panic.

There’s a reason why you don’t have two of each limb, Miyakuro.

Oh, right.

The ritual.

The ritual where I gave up half my total of limbs and half of my eyes.

That ritual.

Scan.

He said no.

Yeah, that matches that facial expression.

Ah, Eye of Wisdom, you are worth every moment of inconvenience I suffer on a daily basis, because of all the convenience you give me in return.

Oh, and also the insight into everything in Reality is nice too, sometimes. When people don’t have layered arcane protections welded onto their clothes. Fucking Soviets and their fucking Rune Factories and their fucking buddy-buddy relations with fucking everyone…fuck. Can’t a guy do ritualistic sacrifice and get the right payoff for it nowadays!? Or, at least, can someone put up a general message to warn people about shit like that!? For fuck’s sake, I can barely See half of what’s happening nowadays! And, naturally, a quarter of the rest’s just interference or traps!

Anyway, do you know how difficult it is to block one of your punches when I can only rely on my instincts with you, Pale Death!? That attack could’ve literally killed me, you know!? All I did was make an offhand comment, geez! It was only a little persuasive! Just a little! Motivational speakers can do better! Would you do that to the next person who tries to cheer the mopey bastard up, huh?! Are you going to punch the next girl that compliments him or something?! That’s weird, you know!?

Well, at least, I can deal with all the bullshit that’s going on now.

CORE’s obviously going to get involved in whatever’s happening. Going against them, in their smug, mustache-twirling ways, would be an effort in futility, so the only path forward is making them owe me a favor, because whoever’s in charge has to be magnanimous, or else they’ll be a tyrant. Obligations, customs, and acknowledgement are the levers that can break the necks of rulers, no matter how powerful they are, after all. The Seer’ll be joining CORE no matter what, so all I have to do is cement that fact in stone, and make it look to the uncultured that I actually want her on my side.  Even if Creighton sees through my little ploy, she can’t deny that I helped her out, especially with Mr. Bricks-for-Brains by her side.

Especially if I send him just the right message, too.

In the end, though I spend nearly nothing, and had no chance for victory, I can get something from being “defeated.”

Not bad for a morning’s worth of work.