One of the things I found almost perplexing about the older technology of the Silent Generation's vintage gramophones specifically.
Once, I despised the technology for its 'low-quality' audio, but swaying to the tunes of 'Careless Whisper' at full blast, I understand now. The slight crackling, the sound distortions, and the skips… All of it can be used to amplify the emotions of each syllable.
"There's no comfort in the truth, pain is all you'll find!"
Unwittingly, my voice starts to mirror the vocals on the record, my feet shuffling to the gentle, romantic beats while my hands deftly move to pack the Mystic Codes that once belonged to Kirei, rocking my hips as the saxophone flares to life.
"Guilty feet have got no rhythm,"
A song about heartbreak really has no right sounding this good or upbeat.
Kudos to the writer.
Holding onto the scalpel like a mic, I twirl an invisible partner, feet dancing freely without rhymes or rhythm—"Leo, what are you doing?"
Frozen in that position, I lift my eyes to find Gilgamesh leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed beneath her chest. "… Singing?"
"With a scalpel in your hands?"
Quickly, I toss the scalpel into the duffle bag and fake a stoic face. "What scalpel?"
Our eyes lock, then the Golden Queen's gaze shifts up and down my body. "You got taller."
"Or maybe you got shorter, have you considered that?"
I tease, a mischievous smirk forming on my lips, but just as she's about to retort, I put a finger to my lips and hush, "Excuse me, I have to get this part."
"Tonight, the music seems so loud,
I wish that we could lose this crowd,
Maybe it's better this way,
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say!
We could have been so good together,
We could have lived this dance forever!"
* DING!
All the tension drains from my muscles as I sing along with George Michael, surprised at how high my voice can go now.
It makes sense, though; my lung capacity has significantly increased, after all.
"Sorry 'bout that. Hard to control my actions during such a masterpiece. Anyways… How have you been, your Majesty?"
The corner of my lips arching upward, I sling the duffel bag over my shoulder as the vinyl record restarts the song again.
Towering over her, I face the Golden Queen at eye level.
For the first time ever, it's she who has to look up to me and not the other way around, and boy is it fun. "You have definitely shrunk, your Majesty."
Compelled by an invisible force, I reach for her hair; hesitate briefly, then rest my palm on her head…
It feels like cat fur—soft and silky. There's something euphoric about it too… Not the act itself, but the fact I can meet most people at eye-level now.
Her fingers coil around my wrist with surprising swiftness, yank me downward, the frail-looking appendage harnessing a strength that'd put most on the planet to shame, cackling to herself.
"And you've gotten cockier."
"I'd argue it's confidence."
Winking, I slip past her to exit my Workshop, shrinking down to 'fun-size.' "If you will excuse me, I need to kill something."
"The Worm?"
"Ya' guessed it!"
Throwing her a thumbs-up, I jog up the stairs toward the hidden trapdoor.
"Will you be fine?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
It's just Zouken.
I've faced literal Devils in two Universes, in comparison, what is a Dick-Worm to me now?
"Just wait to hear the good news!"
A grin splits my face as Caragor emerges from the darkness, his infernal orange gaze clashing momentarily with Gil's ruby red.
The Maine Coon, after a graceful flick of his tail against her shin in greeting, settles down beside me.
I draw the Seal to Angra Mainyu, the blade pulsing with power, and hold it towards the cat's muzzle, scratching his chin gently. "You know the drill…"
Caragor offers a curt nod and, with the blade held aloft between his canines, disappears in the direction of the Matou Manor.
My own preparations complete, I send a quick text to Sakura to arrange a meeting before starting the journey on foot.
"Leo-sen—"
"Please!" I cut her off with a wave, heckles rising as I remind her. "Just Leo."
Tugging her into the café, I shoot a wary glance towards the new 'waiter' whistling innocently, his fangs and Kaleidoscopic eyes dead giveaways. 'Zelretch…'
What in the world is he doing here?
Gesturing towards a table by the window, I guide Sakura in that direction before turning to confront the Apostle. "Zelretch, you could have mentioned you were in town."
His lips quirk into an infuriatingly knowing smirk. "I was going to, until I saw you rearrange the priest's face. Thought you might appreciate some time for quiet contemplation."
"Yeah…"
I drawl, a flicker of annoyance crossing my features. "Should've killed him way earlier on. Don't know what I was thinking."
The arrogance of myself, to think I could change someone's fate. "We all have our moments of weakness."
I shrug nonchalantly, unwilling to dwell on it. "Any particular reason you're gracing Fuyuki with your presence?"
"Just… Curious."
Zelretch's gaze, sharp and unsettling, locks onto mine.
"I've encountered your kind before—countless times, in fact. You guys are always entertaining to watch—too entertaining not to."
"Glad I can be of use."
I grab the water bottle Zelretch offers with a grateful nod and rejoin Sakura at our table. "Leo, I—"
"Let's cut to the chase," I interrupt, my tone firm but not unkind. Best to get this over with quickly. "I'm a Magus, Sakura. I know what your grandfather is, and I think I can help you."
Her eyes widen, fear rippling through her like a shockwave as she scrambles to her feet. "I- I think I need to—"
"Sakura!" Voice taking on a sharper edge, I snap the girl out of her panic attack and gesture to the seat across from me. "I know this is a lot to handle, but you need to stay calm."
"No, no! You don't understand, Grandfather could be—"
"Listening?"
I interrupt, my hands steepled, gaze unwavering as I meet her eyes. "I'm aware."
That's the whole point of this mission: To draw the Worm out from his hole while Caragor sneaks into the Matou Manor.
Her fear isn't irrational though…
Kariya Matou made similar promises, and look where it got him… Hell, look where it got them both…
Six feet under, while Sakura is trapped in Zouken's clutches still.
"Look into my eyes, Sakura, and believe me when I say I can help you. I'm not Kariya; I will not fail."
Hoping that dropping the name will bolster her confidence in me, I hold the gaze, a self-assured grin on my face—one of genuine confidence, not the façade I so often don with such ease. A string of victories is all one needs for fear to flee like a coward.
Of course, it still lingers, being a fundamental and quite necessary part of myself, but as Galadriel once said; 'You have no power here.'
Moreover, with all the advantages I possess, I might as well shoot myself in the face if I could not handle a measly Worm.
Zouken's not a strong combatant anyways, just an incredibly, annoyingly persistent pest.
The only person in town who I cannot overpower are Gil and Zelretch, both of whom are more of outliers than the norm.
"Ca- Can you really save me?" she asks.
Raising my pinkie, I reply with a confident grin, "It's not a matter of can. I will."
Suddenly, a glow envelops me—silvery motes that glitter beautifully, like the stars dotting the dark canvas of the sky.
[Slot 1: Oath of Salvation]
> Buffs: [Divine Resurgence — Instantly heal 25% of your maximum health upon activation. Additionally, for the next hour, regenerate 1% of your maximum health every minute.]
>> Duration: 3 Months…
Suppressing a triumphant smirk, I beckons Zelretch closer, my hands clasped tightly.
"You called?"
"Can you get us a room?"
"You encounter the legendary Kaleidoscope, and your first request is for a private room?"
His unexpected arrival startled Sakura, who retreated like a spooked doe. "Sir, you are…?"
"An old man with time to spare." I quip to test his bottom-line, and the Apostle Ancestor doesn't disappoint, chuckling at what others would perceive a slight.
"He's not wrong. You plan to extract the Grail fragments here, right? You do realize I won't assist you in your endeavor, yes?"
Taking a sip of my coffee, I focus on the Apostle, crocodile tears welling up. "Not even for the sake of suffering children?"
"I've been alive for a long time; there's no atrocity I haven't witnessed. Fate's dealt her a crappy hand, but it's not the worst,"
He replies, amusement flickering in the kaleidoscopic depths of his eyes, and continues dismissively, "I will not engage in combat on your behalf, but should you require transportation…"
That's probably the most I could hope for.
"Now you've got me curious… What is the worst you've seen?"
"He's currently imprisoned in your heart. Now, come, I know a suitable location."
With Zelretch in the lead, Sakura and I descended into the building's basement.
Rows upon rows of wine barrels filled the space. "Holy shit? I didn't see wine listed on the menu?"
"This is a storage; we don't do sale—someone else does. You're welcome to sample a glass, if you wish."
"I'll have to decline."
Even three months immersed in the Witcher-Verse hasn't made the poison—beer in particular—any more palatable. They leave an awful aftertaste and make my stomach all bloated and terrible every time.
"Suit yourself."
Fiddling with a ring of keys, Zelretch unlocks and pushes open a door, revealing a room with pristine, reinforced walls and a sterile scent that draws a startled yelp from Sakura. "The nearest Worm is 23 kilometers out. Should give you a head start. Enjoy yourselves, and please leave Ahnenerbe a five-star review on our website!"
"Will do!"
Ushering us through the doorway, Zelretch steps back and slams the door shut behind us. I rush to pull it open again, but instead of the Ahnenerbe basement, we find ourselves facing a staircase leading upward towards the light.
How the Hell is his transportation method so damn seamless? Even Ciri couldn't erase every trace or mote of energy, else the Wild Hunt wouldn't have been such a threat.
"Leo?"
"Right, let's get down to business."
Activating [Life-Sharing] and adjusting the transferrable injury intake from the target to me to a full 100%, I select Sakura, instructing. "Sakura, can you sense where they are?"
"You mean the—"
"Crest Worms, yes. If you can sense them, I'm gonna need you to highlight their position for me."
Her Circuits thrum to life; the spiritual pathways blazing where the Worms hide.
"This is going to be excruciatingly painful, but you need to trust me."
The moment she nods, I grab her bicep, fingers digging through skin and tearing out muscle, ripping free a writhing Crest Worm that screeches like a person high on helium.
The wound mends before the scream can escape her throat, sealing shut as all injuries will—except those marked by the Debuffs: [Dismemberment] and [Decapitation].
Why those even qualify as Debuffs is beyond me, but I suppose questioning the whims of the Gods is a futile endeavor in and of itself.
Then, an invisible force begins to gnaw at my own bicep to mirror the wound inflicted on Sakura, but magnified to match my total mass.
Her eyes—wide with fear—meet mine; hope and trust warring against the terror and doubt.
"Leo-senpai, y-your arm!" She gasps, the words catching in her throat.
"It's alright." I reassure, keeping myself composed despite my nerves shrieking themselves to life.
Once I'm close to death, I'll activate [Divine Resurgence]. 1% health regeneration per minute adds up to 60%, coupled with the first 25 means I won't be facing Zouken half-dead. My biggest worry solved, I reach for another Crest Worm.
[ERROR: CIRCUITS NOT FOUND!]
[Calculating…]
[Solution: Converting Spiritual Damage to Physical]
Instantly, my body erupts in a hiss of steam, sweat forced out of my pores in beads as large as pebbles.
Due to how Crest Worms work, the removal causes immense damages to her Circuits, which [Life-Sharing] transfers to me instead, and with all my Circuits relocated to the Crest, my nerves became the scapegoat; shrieking like people being slow-roasted alive.
"Is- Is there anything I can do to help?"
Sakura pales, hand reaching for another pulsing Worm to mirror my actions, but I stop her. "Don't."
As much as I actuallt do crave the help, the experience would scar her more than she already is.
Better that all that negative emotions be focused on me instead.
She doesn't need to be introduced to such a self-destructive coping mechanism.
One by one, I tear the Worms free, grinding each squirming creature under my heel into a grotesque paste of biomass and blood. Sakura watches it all unfold, her gaze distant, her mind already retreating to that blank space of hers.
By the twelfth Worm, the nerves in my fingers are so shredded I can no longer feel them.
A fleeting thought wanders across my mind—'Would using the actual Mystic Codes designed for spiritual surgery would have been less painful?' I did bring them, after all.
But then a proper surgery would have likely ended this way anyway—with excruciating pain and a high chance of being interrupted by Zouken mid-procedure.
21st…
30th…
'Just how fucking many are there?!' I nearly roar, but swallow the anger. Let it brew so I may unleash it on that fucking pile of dogshit of a former human being instead.
Above, the buiding shakes with buzzes—"BeesS?"
I slur, the nerves in my tongue and jaws too damaged to work in cohesion. 'He's here already?'
Just how fast are these fucking things?
One more… Just one more.
Collapsing, I barely arrest my fall, landing on one knee while Sakura stares at me—utterly emotionless.
"I can help…"
"No!" I started this, I'm gonna end it.
With one last yank, the last Crest Worm lands in my palm, shrieking bloody fucking murder like fifteen death metal vocals are screaming a chorus.
"I need one alive."
Ransacking through the dufflebag, I drop the Crest Worm in the reinforced glass container, covering it up just as the creature's about to spring out.
It's going to be bait, to draw as much of Zouken out as possible, while Caragor sneaks into Matou Manor.
'[Divine Resurrgence]!'
Instantly, my injuries significantly improve.
Cracking my neck, now nourishing a major and extremely personal grudge against the Worm, I march to the door. "Congratulation! You're free! Hide, I'll lead them away."
She stares with this vacant look that sets my teeth on edge, then bows deeply.
"Please don't die."
I snort, throwing open the door. "Even if I want to, I can't."
Literally.
My life is linked to hers now, whether she knows it or not.
To take me down, Zouken would need to inflict lethal damage on both of us at once, a tricky feat for him, considering how well-constructed and fortified the surgical room is.
Zelretch really did me a favor with this setup, albeit a small one.
A small favor's a favor still; I owe him one… After Zouken's done and dusted, I'll make thirty fake accounts and flood Ahnenerbe with five-star reviews. With a casual swipe, I obliterate three bees, each twice the size of the Crest Worm I'm carrying, and ready my spear as the rest swarm toward me.
I let a few hits land, pretending to be an easy prey to lull the Worm into a false sense of security, even causing intentional glitches in my [Kinetic Shield] to up the act, all while leading him to the trap I've laid out.
Zouken might be a nuisance, but durability isn't his strength.
He's not a powerhouse, more like an annoyingly persistent long-range Mage who lacks the raw DPS of an ADC, the burst of an Assassin, or the toughness of a Tank. He's a Mage, a Debuff Support, which is all Zouken needs to be in pursuit of his dreams, and that will his downfall.
After twenty minutes of strategic maneuvering, intentionally slowing my pace to bait him, I finally catch sight of the valley I've chosen for our confrontation… Or rather, 'Slaughter' is a more fitting term.
Half a ton of TNT is buried underneath, nestled within the pebbles, soil, every crack and crevice I can find. Zouken is doomed; he just doesn't know it yet. As soon as we reach the valley, where there's no escape routes for the swarm closing in, something finally clicks in Zouken's mind. Frantically, the Crest Worms try to beat a hasty retreat, their mandibles clicking to communicate, but it's too late.
I press the trigger hidden beneath my warm fur coat, grinning as a fiery explosion engulfs us both.
With [Mimir's Eye] at full capacity to catch any potential remains, I step back as a massive tentacle, composed of thousands of Familiar Worms melded in a disgusting, slimy biomass, lashes out from the collapsed valley, launching boulders in my direction.
"YyyoOu!"
It roars, an unholy cacophony barely resembling human speech.
"Me… How does it feel, Makiri Zolgen?"
No joke leaves my lips as I stare down the grotesque mass.
"How does it feel to be defeated? To know that in another century, no one will remember you, let alone your House?"
I save my quips for enemies I actually take pleasure in battling, not a foul creature fitting for the deepest depth of Slaanesh's Realm… Those deserve only insults.
"How does it feel?" Raising my hand to unleash [Super-Charged: Infernal Blast], I chuckle as another scream pierces the air. "WHoOoOOO? WhO dArEs AttAcK mY WorKsHoP?!"
Calling that pest-infested sex dungeon a Workshop is an insult to Magi everywhere. 'Good job, Caragor.'