A Day In The Fated Future
House of the Crowleys
(Dazai Crowley's POV)
"Remember when you told me I was nothing more but a stranger?" Blair asked me, reminding me of our first moments we spent together.
"Yeah….?" I replied, reluctantly.
"Clearly you didn't see me as a friend, let alone a wife, so that was flag number one."
Okay, that's understandable, I guess.
But the last two were more serious than I thought.
"Flag number two was when I asked you why you were asking me so many personal questions back in your bedroom."
"What did that have to do with anything?" I asked.
"Well, for starters, I knew you saw through my question from back then and realized the two scenarios I was prepared for. And when I saw you try coaxing your way out of it, that's when I immediately realized you fell under scenario two."
Wait, what!?
"That's how I knew you were the type who likes to pay attention to his surroundings and questions everything around him. Which obviously must've included me as well. That was when I learned of your true nature, or rather, colors~".
Tch, so she beat me to the punch!!
"You raised flag number three back when you asked me who constructed the magic barrier. C'mon, did you really think I wouldn't have noticed the magic knife you concealed in your pocket?~" She asked in a humorous sarcastic tone.
What the fuck!? I made sure it was crafted in a way to where it wasn't that easy to spot! Just how sharp are Blair's senses!?
"The moment I noticed that and the fact you borrowed the same trick I used on you, you pretty much told me that you had little to no trust in me."
"Course, I didn't immediately arrive at the idea you thought I was the one who kidnapped you, but after you played right into my hands and fell unconscious thanks to the barrier, you gave me plenty of time to think and finally arrive at that one and only conclusion. And it seems like I was right."
"Y-.....You….So you saw right through me since the very beginning, huh."
Blair chuckled.
"Course I did~ Though it was fun, hell even adorable, to watch you run around thinking you were actually fooling somebody~...but c'mon…you're going to need a couple more years before you can even HOPE to fool a girl like me!~"
As Blair said that, she looked down on me with eyes whose emotions I could not begin to even fathom. It was as if I was some dog playing fetch with a ball, and my owner was simply looking down on me with an expression saying….
…"How cute"...
Being both irritated and completely disappointed in how sloppy I was, I clenched my fists out of anger.
I couldn't believe it. This entire fucking time, since the very beginning, Blair been had me all figured out. She realized everything I was doing since the moment I made my first move.
But instead of even trying to call me out or make a move against me, she played along simply because it was….."entertaining".....
I couldn't say anything. I was utterly speechless. And even if I could say something, what was there to even talk about? I failed….
….All because I wasn't good enough.
"Aww~.... Don't give me that droopy face~....You don't need to blame yourself, you know? If I was any other person, you most definitely would have the upper hand, you see~..." She said, giving me pity in a reassuring manner.
"But the problem is…." She added on, before suddenly stopping, leaving me in suspense.
And that was when "Blair" showed her true colors.
"....You were up against a monster…."
Those eyes, that smile, those emotions, this dreadful aura and everything else that she was showing me was her true self; a "demon" who knows no limits.
I see. So it wasn't because I fucked up myself. It was because I was up against a person who outsmarted and overpowered me in every respect possible.
In other words, I was simply and utterly outclassed.
….Wow.
"Heh~…hahaha~....hahahahahaha!~..." I laughed, but not out of pleasure, but pure and unfiltered hysteria.
No longer able to bear looking at Blair any more, I covered my eyes and forehead with my palm.
"Well….what can I even say? To the victor goes the spoils, huh?" I replied, unsure what else to say.
"You won. Go ahead, and do whatever you want with me. It's not like I can do anything to stop you…" I continued, completely resigning myself to defeat.
Looks like this is where my journey ends, huh…Unlike last time though, I can't even be mad.
After all, I was the stupid one who tried to challenge a person whose power could possibly be akin to a god. Let alone the fact they know I was trying to fool her since the very beginning.
If I die now, it's really nobody else's fault besides my own. And I take full responsibility for that.
I guess….
…it wasn't in the cards for me to learn about myself.
So I closed my eyes and awaited my fate. All that I could possibly ask for now, is that whatever Blair does, let it be quick and painless.
"Pft~...."
Suddenly, she chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"Me?~ Win?~ Dazai, you really have no idea the position you're in right now, do you?~" She asked.
"....What the hell are you talking about now?"
"You say that I'm the "victor", but in reality, you couldn't be further from the truth. If anybody's the victor here, it's you~ And you just won big time~..."
I still have no clue what she is talking about. But before I could even question it again, Blair suddenly leaned closer towards me.
But instead of kissing me, she merely kept our faces a few inches in between us, all the while staring at me very intensely.
"Say, Dazai? I'm really strong, right?~" She asked me.
"Uh, yeah?" I replied, reluctantly.
"And I'm very smart too, right?~"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Then, doesn't that make me a, oh I don't know…..the perfect "tool" for you to exploit?"
I raised my eyebrow out of curiosity.
"Thanks to your amnesia, you barely know shit about yourself, let alone wherever the hell we are now. You're also up against a god and several others who could most likely be your enemies, and yet you barely have the strength to even defend yourself~..."
"I don't know about you, but that sounds like the odds are practically stacked against you, kiddo~...."
"Yeah, we've been over this. Why are you repeating the same things we already know?"
Suddenly, Blair leaned closer to me, so she could whisper in my ear.
"Because I want to make a "deal" with you, Dazai~...."
"What….!?"
"Oh hoh hoh, did I peak your interest now, Mr. Crowley!?" She replied as she continued to stare me down with those inhumane eyes.
"Stop with the bullshit and cut to the chase. What is it that you want from me!?"
"It's simple, really~... I'm a young maiden with a good heart, you see? So when I see a person like you in trouble, I'm willing to help them out~...."
"In other words, I'll help you out throughout your journey. All the way up until you get all your memories back. And when the time comes when we need to fight….I'll be your sword and shield~..."
I see, to put it simply, instead of wanting to kill me, she's willing to help me get out of this situation.
And considering how, like she said, those gods could most likely be my enemy, I probably wouldn't stand a chance against them on my own.
However, it might actually be possible to fight against them if I had her on my side. Especially after seeing what Blair could do just now.
It was a very tempting offer to say for sure, but if there's one thing I learned in my past, it's to never trust anything that comes free of charge.
"Cool, but what's the catch?" I asked seriously.
"Oh good, it's nice to see you're not that oblivious~..." She replied, happily.
Suddenly, she raised three fingers in front of me.
"There are three things that I want in return. The first is that I don't want you to try tricking me ever again. I'm not asking for bling loyalty, but instead, I want your unwavering trust and faith."
So basically a condition where I can never betray her in any way possible, huh. That's a smart move.
I don't know how I feel about outright giving her my immediate trust and whatnot, but under the current conditions, that should be feasible.
"The second is that I want you to treat me as your absolute equal. I'm neither your sadistic master, nor am I your submissive servant. And while you don't need to treat me as your wife, (as of yet), I would appreciate it if you can see me as your friend~"
This time it was mutual bonds and equal status she was asking for. Instead of wanting a master/servant relationship, she proposed friendship. This way it'll feel a lot less one sided to either party, making it easier for me to agree to the first condition, which in turn increases the longevity of our contract.
Judging from her words and how openly and humble she was trying to be, it's clear that Blair was strategically proposing conditions designed to last.
Heh, she sure knows her politics. Guess that comes with the territory of being an esteemed noble.
"And what's the third?" I finally asked.
Suddenly, Blair's expression and attitude changed into something much more serious and selfish.
"Don't pry into my past."
And when she stated that one last condition, I would never, not once in my life, would ever forget.