Alright, here is the thing you've all been waiting for!
This arc is rather big, the Defiance Arc.
Oh well, let's see how it goes.
On a completely unrelated note, does anyone here have Escape from Tarkov?
I was planning on starting playing it again since University ended and I have some time as I make the chapters, so I was planning on just using the Server.
Would anyone be up for some playtime?
Anyway, enjoy!
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/Shoosh/
'As he disappeared from Ishtar's room up above, Silver reappeared all the way at the bottom, at the very first floor.'
'Clinging to the shadows, walls, and corners, Silver observed his surroundings, finding them rather...'
"It's rather empty."
Even so, that's to be expected.
The Ishtar Familia is still recovering from the previous losses I caused while also preparing for the future.
In fact, it's primarily impressive how fast they recovered, by the looks of it Ishtar had more connections than I previously imagined.
I underestimated her resourcefulness... Her control over people.
They may not be in War times as before, but you could call their current condition the calm before the storm.
Gathering strength, they seek both Haruhime and the people that robbed their vault and caused all that trouble...
'Ishtar seeks to overthrow Freya, and that will take resources.'
'She was already confident before, albeit she seemed to have understood her problem... That she had been hasty.'
'However, it isn't the same now, now that she has a renewed force, her plans are simple.'
'To strike while the enemy underestimates her.'
'Like in an arms race, they are sharpening themselves…'
'Some are outside, carrying Ishtar's orders.'
'Some are in the Dungeon, getting stronger and making money.'
'Some are doing the very same they did for years, perhaps doing patrol or working in the Red light district if that's their thing.'
'Not all Amazons here are prostitutes… Or at least, they weren't from the get-go.'
'The Amazons that wanted to fight, but not sell their own bodies already joined other Familias, it would be strange for one to come here otherwise.'
'At least, of their own volition.'
"Hm..."
I better move.
'Silver moved from shadow to shadow, laying low as he sought what he was looking for.'
'Until his attention was drawn towards the ceiling.'
"From the looks of it, I have a lot of time."
'It didn't take much effort for Silver to hear the faint sounds of splashing water coming from a shower a few floors above…'
'Although, even if a God proclaimed, he wouldn't dare to try and peek into what she was doing, no matter what…'
'He was a man of will and one that saw many disturbing things...'
'But God be dammed, seeing that sight would surely leave a scar for life in any man, mortal or divine.'
/Swoosh!/
'Silver vanished, tracing back Phryne's steps.'
'It wasn't hard, there were some small bloodstains on the ground, he just had to follow them while avoiding the few patrols scattered around.'
'For a Familia that had already been robbed once, their defenses sure are lax...'
'But such are Ishtar's ambitions.'
'She can't remain holed up forever, she needs her soldiers to execute her plans and to strengthen themselves.'
'Because the most important piece of her plans was outside, and she wouldn't move until she had it.'
'Her confidence had been rekindled, never extinguished even, but he knew the defenses near the Vault had been enhanced.'
...
"..."
I knew it.
'And as he expected, those stains led him to a seemingly normal room without much furniture or anything outstanding... Or so it looked on the outside.'
'It was a resting room, but given the dust accumulate on the furniture all around, Silver could immediately tell that it was nothing but a ruse.'
'No one used this place, after all, this room was rather far from the main path, and who would go to such lengths just to rest here?'
'It would be better to move outside, or to their own rooms...'
'Another reason this room was so far away was due to the hidden entrance on the side that led to a complex underground maze of passageways.'
'They connect to several establishments of the Ishtar Familia... And perhaps, even further bellow...'
"..."
Don't tell me she...
'The moment he stood here though, his expression turned dark, his eyes sharpened, and he unconsciously gritted his teeth a bit harder.'
'He knew where he was, he had researched a lot about Phryne and the Ishtar Familia as a whole.'
'He had been here before, albeit, he hadn't tried going further.'
'Because he knew what sort of atrocities lay there, and he didn't wish to fill his mind with extra worries...'
'That time, there wasn't much for him to investigate, he knew what likely happened there, but there was no clear evidence of it... Or so he wished to believe.'
'What the eyes don't see, the heart doesn't feel.'
'It isn't different for him, there was no need to make his heart any darker.'
'At that time, he left feeling defeated in some ways, as his power was nowhere near enough for him to voice his dissatisfaction.'
"..."
'But today, it was different.'
'The cold blood on the ground said everything.'
'Honestly, he was considering what he should do now.'
'Going down there was easy, the problem was leaving.'
'Would he be able to turn his back to whatever was happening there in the face of buying more time for himself?'
'The very definition of sacrificing the few to save the many...'
'Some would point out the hypocrisy, as it wasn't like he hadn't done something similar before, this wasn't his first time turning a blind eye to others' pain and misery for his own selfish goals.'
'He wasn't a Hero, nor did he see himself as one.'
'However, in all honesty, there is no right answer, because both are right.'
'If his actions end in the destruction of the Hestia Familia, all in the name of some senseless justice he suddenly had… For someone that has already departed...'
'Would it have any meaning?'
'Many die every day, many suffer every day, yet such a fact doesn't get in the way of everyone else's daily smiles.'
'Some may remember those that suffer and suffered, but...'
'Most can't.'
'Because they are mortals, and mortals struggle to accept their own grievances, what to say others'?'
'If they worried for everyone that deserved a better life and to be avenged, carrying on their wails with them throughout their lives…'
'Then such a world wouldn't be worth living.'
'Everyone would end up like Bete, a hollow shell with some distorted sense of self.'
'Although... Would things change had the person that suffered such a tragic end been...'
'Someone he knew and held dear?'
'To risk it all at that moment... But turning his back now.'
'The same situation, but two completely different outcomes... But that's how it is.'
'There's nothing wrong with that... However...'
'Some may praise a person for taking action and succeeding... The best outcome.'
'But those same people would mock and judge this person were he to fail, condemning them in the process.'
'And God forbid you were them to realize you turned your back, as society always seeks someone to put the blame for anything on.'
'People hate to see the truth and the ugly reality... Because they would've made the same thing were they there.'
'They wish to believe on the contrary... That they would be Heroes were they in their shoes... And that is the Duality of men.'
'Failure is not tolerated, but not taking action is also not tolerated, even if you'll fail.'
'And failure is also not tolerated, so the only choice is to never let them know.'
'To some, dying while doing a heroic act is the right thing to do... As long it's not them or anyone they know.'
'Leave that to the others... The "Heroes"... They'll carry the future, they just need to cheer whenever it is convenient for them to do.'
'Heroes don't fail, Heroes always succeed... Those that do not aren't worthy of their attention.'
'By this point, is it even fair?'
'Fairness... Is too deep of a subject to go over, even the Gods struggle to decide what is the meaning of justice, what to say, men.'
'Who makes the rules... And to whom?'
/Step…/
'But for some reason, this time.'
/Creak…/
'Silver decided to take this step forward.'
'There wasn't much in his mind his expression was blank.'
'He wasn't doing it for curiosity or self-satisfaction.'
"Sigh..."
'He decided to do and so he would… Letting out a small sigh in the process.'
'You could say that at the end deep inside his heart, there is indeed some morbid desire to justify himself, to prove he wasn't some mindless monster…'
'But at the end of the day, Silver made it clear many times that he was fighting so he could find meaning in life.'
'At first, it was the desire to have an adventure like none other and explore the unknown...'
'Over time he found people to help him with that…'
'People he came to care about a lot.'
'And to respect as well.'
'With that in mind, he thought…'
'Is turning away really alright?'
'What they think does not matter.'
'What does He think?'
"This is fucked up." He mumbled as he oped the door to the secret passage
...
/Step step…/
'As he descended the filthy stairs that lead to the hidden, dark basement, he reflected upon his current actions.'
'They didn't have any point, did they?'
'Nothing would change, even if he acted.'
'In fact, he might make things worse.'
'Saving a criminal from a block of execution because he was judged unfairly won't change anything unless you go the extra mile and prove the contrary…'
'But what if the entire world wants this person to be executed? Even if they know it's wrong?'
'Are you supposed to clash headstrong against the collective will for someone you barely know?'
'A criminal nonetheless? Even if it's someone undeserving of death?'
'He wasn't here to be a Hero, nor did he care if people called him one or something else.'
'He never cared for what others thought of him… Yet, his life wasn't solely about him anymore.'
'He wouldn't be the only one to be judged...'
'Was it acceptable, by his own standards, to let what he was thinking… Happen?'
'Now that was the question.'
'It didn't matter what others thought, only what he truly desired.'
'Many struggle to realize that, what they truly want, being instead pushed around by the waves of trend and responsibility.'
'They will call those that stray from the ordinary all sorts of names in order to justify it, sometimes they'll be in the right, other times in the wrong, whatever they believe.'
'Glorious names to those that went along their wishes, terrible curses to those that decided to travel elsewhere...'
'And many generations later, they'll bask in the achievements of those their ancestors cursed, and still do the same, without realizing their current lives are all thanks to the sacrifices of many, forgotten and vilified.'
'Silver may be one such person, sometimes doing what he wishes, or thinking he does, other times not.'
'So this time… What does his heart wish to do?'
/Clench…/
'Silver finally arrived at the bottom of the stairs, and the dark basement presented itself to him.'
'This nauseating smell…'
'There was something on the ground...'
'The dampness in the air, the stains on the walls...'
"..."
It's empty.
'Ignoring the dreadful objects scattered around the room, some with blood, others covered in unspecified liquids, Silver turned around.'
'He wasn't satisfied, nor was he relieved.'
'Because nothing changed.'
'This place smelled of death.'
'He was just a tad too late to see it happen.'
/Shoosh!/
'Silver vanished from the room.'
…
/A minute later…/
'In the dark alleys behind the colorful streets of the Red light district, a woman clad in a dark robe walked vigilantly.'
'In one hand she carried a large dark bag over her shoulder, on the other, an oil lamp.'
'And on her back, a shovel.'
/Stops…/
'She was silent, not uttering a sound as she stopped in front of an open area.'
'This place was full of rocky mounds, makeshift tombstones.'
'Dozens…'
'A dark place hidden behind tall and majestic structures.'
'One side lit with twinkling red light…'
'The other side darker than the night sky.'
'A perfect reflection of the Red light district, and perhaps, the entire city…'
'No one knew this place, and neither would they want to.'
'Justice is for those that live under the light…'
'Those in the dark live and die with the shadows.'
'To be used and thrown away, like paper tissues.'
'If they step out of the dark…'
/Thud/
'Without hesitation, she dropped the bag on the ground, and crouched, placing her shovel on the ground, stomping it with her foot.'
/Tcha!/
'It wasn't like she needed the extra effort to have her shovel pierce the soft dirt...'
'But she felt the need to, complied to put a little effort into this morbid task.'
'It was time to dig a new hole.'
"..."
/Tcha!/
…
/Time passed…/
'The sky was clear, and the stars shone faintly together with their sister, the moon.'
'The woman continually dug without pause, without complaints, without as much as a grunt.'
'Maybe as a way to atone for her sins, or perhaps for another reason…'
"..."
'Once the hole was done, being deep and wide enough, she grabbed the bag, and tossed it inside.'
'Offering a quiet prayer, and brushing a few strange objects inside, as if that would change anything… She closed her eyes.'
'Perhaps she believed the Gods would listen… But were they really?'
'Would they even care?'
'The Gods she thought were listening... Were they truly as holy as she believed?'
'Wouldn't they mock her instead? Or tell her words of the futility of their existence and the weakness of her prayers? After all, in the end, all Souls reincarnated under their rule.'
'To be alive was merely another estate their Soul was in, who knew how many times this had happened ever since the conception of menkind?'
/Tcha!/
'She used her shovel to scoop a large mound of dirt, pouring it over the hole.'
/Tcha!/
/Tcha!/
'Again and again, until the hole vanished, leaving only a small mound of reshuffled earth behind.'
'She could've left by now, her job was done.'
'But she didn't.'
'Moving to the side, she grabbed a few rocks, using them to cover the hole before compacting the ground with her strength.'
'And with that, a small pile of rocks was made, the one and only memento of this being.'
'No one would remember him, no one would visit him…'
'Aside from her… And one man.'
/Step…/
'Once the woman left, carrying her dirty and rusty shovel, a man stepped out of the shadows.'
'Under the moonlight, he stared at this nameless tomb… Tombs.'
'All… In complete silence.'
'Until he decided to break the silence… Perhaps the very first words all of these tombs heard in a long long while.'
"The brighter the light."
"The darker its shadow becomes."
There is no ideal society where all live well.
And trying to reach equilibrium will end up causing more harm than good.
Most of the time at least...
Because there will always be a limit to what one can do alone…
To rule, others are required.
And unless all move like one cohesive cog, compromises will have to be achieved so all can move forward.
Someone commands someone obeys, someone makes, someone receives.
Some more than others...
In war, half a dozen command an army atop a luxurious table drinking wine, while on the battlefield, thousands die, and even those that have nothing to do with it suffer.
In nature, a bird dives towards the ocean, fighting against bigger, stronger birds, flying 100 km just to catch a single small fish to feed its young.
But the fish had to die for the young to live.
And so did the young of the bigger bird.
Dozens.
Thousands.
Many have to be sacrificed so one can move on.
We just don't see it, and even if we do, we ignore it.
Because our minds cannot tolerate such feelings, self-preservation comes first, not only for the body but also for the mind and spirit.
We did not evolve to care that much about others.
Until someone close to us dies that is, then we curse the skies.
But when the skies don't answer, who will cry for us?
"No one."
/Snap/
'Silver snapped his fingers, and the earth trembled.'
'The dirt reshuffled, and the stone reformed…'
'The dirty and disorderly graveward became orderly and clean, with proper paths and memorial stones for the dead.'
'But all were nameless.'
"..."
Watch me.
'He could've done more, like taking a glimpse onto what lies beneath the stones, adding that information onto the tombstones...'
'But he did not wish to.'
'Silver didn't say much anymore, only turning around, walking back onto the shadows he came from.'
'And while he did so, small flowers grew atop each tomb.'
'However… They soon withered as Silver vanished.'
…
/Back in the Hearth Manor/
/Shoosh.../
/Shoosh.../
'Haruhime brushed her hair softly, looking at the mirror, a small magical crystal glowed on the side, illuminating her face.'
'She couldn't go back to sleep, what had just happened was still repeating in her mind.'
'She couldn't understand, and the more she tried to, the more her mind entangled on itself.'
'To the point it made her eyes spin a little.'
'So to calm herself down, she went to do one the things that tired her the most...'
'Taking care of her hair and fur.'
/Thud…/
"..."
So…
From now on…
'In front of her eyes, the outline of the metallic choker that she grew used with having seemed to flash for a moment before disappearing.'
'She gave the mirror one last look, perhaps giving the girl reflected in front of it one last goodbye.'
'Because from tomorrow, Haruhime from the Ishtar Familia would be officially dead.'
'That was the answer she came up with on her own.'
"..."
'It is hard to forgive herself despite everyone's help…'
'So to move forward, she will first forget about it… Throw it aside.'
'Although one day she'll have to face her "true" self, for now, she would like to live in the delusion she so much craved for.'
'That right now, she was a princess, one that had been just rescued.'
'And it was time to live the life not told in history books, the so fabled: And lived happily ever after.'
'She knew it wouldn't be so simple, she barely even knew what that meant...'
'There was a lot to do yet.'
'She wasn't truly free yet.'
'But with a smile, she thought about the future.'
'A future where she walked outside, entered a sweets shop… And bought her favorite cookies Aisha always brought her.'
'All on her own, without as much as a single worry, with the money she made herself...'
'As for how she would make that money...'
/Crack…/
'Perhaps… She wouldn't have to wait that much, would she?'
"Hm?"
'Turning back slowly, Haruhime stared at the bizarre sight of Silver walking out of a magical door with a calm yet heavy expression.'
'The light coming from her crystal cast a shadow onto his body, making the scene oddly somber...'
'Perhaps it was her fox blood, her unique bloodline not seen anywhere else in the world…'
'But she could tell, that behind that calm expression, there was a certain agony contained within.'
'So ignoring her current condition, she got up from her seat…'
"?"
'And hugged the man quietly.'
"..."
'Letting out a soft sigh, one of many this night, Silver patted the head of this little fox teenager.'
"Sorry for bothering you at such a late hour… Again."
'She shook her head.'
'Silver smiled.'
'He obviously noticed how odd she being awake was.'
'But he quickly associated it with what just happened.'
She must be like Hestia, whatever happened must be weighing on her mind.
And perhaps…
Is it so obvious?
'For a moment, his eyes sharpened, but they became soft soon after.'
"You should go to sleep, tomorrow will be… Hectic."
"Hectic?"
'Her still tail suddenly started to move, displaying her curiosity.'
"Yeah… Now that we don't have to worry about your blessing, I was thinking of bringing you the Dungeon." Silver said with a smile
She did go to the Dungeon but never did anything substantial.
It's time for her to learn the ropes of adventuring.
All of that physical training was just so she could take care of at least one Goblin... Run from a Minotaur.
"Oh!"
'Haruhime nodded, taking a step back in a mix of embarrassment and surprise.'
'She felt happy as if her efforts were going to finally be put into use.'
'Her desires were all falling into place one after the other!'
'She couldn't help but feel excited...'
'Yet, she still felt something was wrong, missing.'
"Still… Although I came here to check up on you…"
"There is still one I would like to request."
"Please say it Si… Captain."
"!"
'Silver patted her head again, making her flinch.'
"Just call me Silver, I told you and many others that calling me Captain was a bit overly formal."
"Leave that for when we are outside of the Manor."
If Hestia were to barge in right now it would lead to such a mess…
'Haruhime nodded, a bit embarrassed.'
"I-If I can be of any help…" She said meekly and slowly
"..."
"I'll be frank then."
"Please, cast Uchide no Kozuchi on me."
"!"
'His eyes were unwavering, his tone was heavy.'
'Actually, she didn't know if it was true, but she saw his eyes flash with light for a moment.'
'Haruhime looked at him with extreme surprise and confusion…'
'Why did he need such a thing this late…'
"Alright."
'But she complied nonetheless.'
'This was actually the first time he had ever requested this of her, despite joking about it many times.'
'He said once he could've taken down even Amphisbaena if she were to use it on him, and despite the benefits of doing so could've caused, he always said the same something along the lines:'
'"Your Magic is the trump card of our Familia and it should be kept a secret… But do not hesitate to use it if you see fit, as it's your power, let me worry about the consequences later."'
'"But until then, I'll try my best to move on so a situation where we are obliged to use it doesn't come."'
'"Not to say I wouldn't want you to participate in helping the Familia… But it is still true that the drawbacks of using it are rather severe for the growing adventurers around us."'
'"The day I ask of you to use it… It'll be when something pretty serious happens… A day where my strength alone won't be enough to carry everyone's burdens."'
'"Hopefully that day isn't near…"'
…
'Haruhime moved away from Silver, getting a little bit of space as she focused.'
'She closed her eyes and then opened them, resolute.'
"~Grow~"
'Bellow her feet, orange, golden light started to gather, forming into a complex magic circle.'
'Despite not having the Development Ability of Mage, Haruhime's Magic still had a circle.'
"~That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion. Grow~"
'From the magic circle, wisps of golden light started to rise into the sky, gathering into a vortex of golden rays.'
"~Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you~"
"~Grow~"
"..."
Here it is...
"Uchide no Kozuchi…"
'With her final line, the golden vortex shot to the ceiling of the room, before descending on top of Silver.'
/Glow…/
'His body started to faintly glow, and energy filled his body.'
"..."
I see, so this is how it feels.
I can understand now, why this is so dangerous.
'Silver turned to Haruhime, smiling.'
"Thank you."
'He turned around, grabbing the handle of the door…'
"C-..."
"Hm?"
'Gathering her courage, she said with a smile:'
"Come back soon…"
'Silver eyes trembled towards her innocence.'
'But he had to reply…'
"I will."
'Turning back to look at her one last time, he crossed the door as it closed slowly…'
/Creak…/
'And with a small "clack" the door closed, fusing back onto the wall, vanishing completely.'
'As if it was never there, to begin with.'
"..."
'Haruhime turned to her window, staring at the sky.'
'She felt as if she could feel it, where he was…'
'Or perhaps it was mere intuition.'
"Stay safe." She whispered
…
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Notes
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh.
Took me a while to post this, sorry boys, day was rough.
Filled with things to do.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, we'll continue this later.
As always, bye bye.