After we ate the first two courses of the five-course meal, she took a sip of her wine and paid attention to me again.
"Logical, how is the dinner? Is it good so far?"
"Mhm. This might be one of the best meals I've ever eaten. There's... no poison in it right?"
"Haha. No. Don't worry. I gain no benefits in poisoning you… Say, Logical, you've never talked about your past." I look at her unstaggering gaze. "How you've gotten this strong at such a young age and stuff."
"I prefer not to. What about yours? You've never talked about it either."
"Mine... huh..." She slowly looks down. "I was taught by my father to be brave and kind yet also ruthless and cunning. 'Rule by trust, but take action through fear' he always said to me. When I was twelve, my father sent me on my first ever mission." She took another sip. "I was r*ped."
What?!
"Then? What happened?"
"Then, I came back home, crying. I expected my father to have a bit of mercy on me. I thought that he might take pity on her raped daughter. Yet... I guess I expected too much. He... instead slapped me for failing the mission.
That's when I learned about the cruel way of this world. Later that night, I heard muffled screaming coming from the dungeon below. I took a peek at what was going on. I... was horrified, yet... also felt an unknown feeling, the feeling of love.
I see my father in front of a man strapped in a chair. His skin was peeled. My father is holding a bucket of boiling water as he poured it bit by bit into the man's meat. I realized something. The man my father tortured is the same man who raped me.
I guess my father cares about me in his own way. When I was 15 years old, my father died, assassinated by an unknown organization. It has been my life goal ever since to find and destroy that organization."
Cruel. I thought my life was tragic enough. After hearing this, how can I even compare?
"I'm sorry about your father."
"It's alright."
Even if she said that she hadn't realized it... She was crying.
"I... was around three years old when a gang attacked my village. They took my parents' life. Ten years later, I destroyed all the gangs in Honma city. But, guess what, even after I got my revenge, my heart is still empty."
"I'm sorry for your parents."
"I don't even know them that much. It's alright."
"How do you view humans, Logical? After they took everything away from you."
"Hmmm... Humans' emotions and consciousness don't hold a single meaning to me, yet I found their labor quite charitable."
"Extraordinary. Is that how you view humans?"
"Yes, Queen of Queens, that's how I view humans."
"So you see humans as lumps of meat that just happen to be alive?"
"Mhm. Interesting isn't it?"
"Truly... What do you mean by labor in said context?"
"Their energy. Their stamina. It doesn't matter how strong I am, it's an undeniable fact that four hands are better than two hands."
"I see. Labor huh? Quite a unique way to put it like that. Then, another question. What do you view me as?"
"As the Queen of Queens." 2x
We both said at the same time. I widened my eyes.
"Haha... Humans can be quite predictable." She took another sip of her wine. "I'm quite grateful that you look up to me. Oh... Humans, humans, humans. Aren't they fascinating creatures?"
"You talk as if you're not human yourself."
"That's because I'm not. I'm of a superior gene. I'm... Lesley Moriarty."
"Haha... Your arrogance has never failed to surprise me. I guess we are akin, in some ways."
"We are indeed. I'm quite surprised." Her hands interlock as she places her head above it. "Judging by the conversations we had in the previous ten minutes. I can confidently say what your desire is."
"Oho? What is it?"
"To rule."
"Not bad. I can also deduce what your desire is."
"What is it?"
"To conquer the world." I take a sip from the glass of apple juice. "I realized it yesterday during our meeting in the forest. I thought why...? Why would such a person be so eager to meet a potential ally? Why do you, who govern all of America and Europe, still want more power? That's... when I realized. Your goal is more than a simple country. You want the world."
"Not quite true. I seek power because I know behind all of these gangs, Mafias, governments, and Yakuza-- exists a superpower that can trample us all. Maranatha, the 2011 epoch's cause hasn't been found.
Imagine all guns, nukes, missiles, artilleries, and ammunition. All... gone in one night. It was scary."
--
11 years ago, 2011, America, 3 A.M.
"Madame! Madame!" A knock came through from the door to a room that held a special somebody.
"Tch. Just who dares interrupt my sleep?!" She goes to the door in her pajamas.
She opens it. "Who th- Otto? What is it?"
Beyond the door is a bulky man with white hair. He's sweating with panic plastered on his face.
"Madame! Come with me!"
Otto pulls Lesley out of the room. Lesley finally awakens with adrenaline rushing through her veins.
She knows that Otto isn't the kind to puss over something minuscule. It had to be something mega to scare him like this.
As they reached outside, their eyes widened in fear. They look up above and see dozens of missile traces going straight up.
"Jesus Christ! WHAT THE FUCK?! OTTO?! Tell me this is a prank!"
"Madame... My guns, when I woke up, they exploded."
"WHAT?! It's not... a prank..."
A phone rang from up her room. She knew that ringtone. That's the president of the U.S.
They rushed towards Lesley's room and picked up the phone.
"President. W- we don't know."
"WHAT?!"
"Where?"
"Up?!"
"Tell me the situation, now!"
Is this... how the world ends?> Lesley took a deep breath as she processed what the fuck was going on. She hangs up her phone and seat back down on her bed. "Madame... What should we do?" "I don't know. Have... *sigh* Have you checked in with your team members?" "No, I haven't. I instantly rushed to you when I heard my guns exploding." "Shit shit shit shit shit... What in the world is going on?"