Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.
Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Time*
Chapter 89: Wait A Minute!
Hours later*
I adjust the tie around my neck, the current form of the Justiciar's Uniqueness. It had previously manifested as a brass book before transforming into this tie. The Hanged Man's Uniqueness no longer has a separate physical form, having merged directly into my shadow. Death's Uniqueness has transformed into a skull-headed ring worn on the index finger of my left hand. The Door's Uniqueness has taken the form of a tie clip shaped like a small white key.
Pretty much every Uniqueness is on my person in one form or another, with the Red Priest's Uniqueness being the only exception.
I reach out with my left hand, loosening the pendulum's chain and letting it drop until it begins to swing slightly. I close my eyes and enter Cogitation, clearing away stray thoughts before focusing on a single question.
Is it bad if I stay in this world for too long?
I repeat the question seven times in my mind before opening my eyes. The pendulum is spinning clockwise, confirming that yes, staying in this world for too long would be bad.
Afterward, I wrap the chain around my left wrist to secure the pendulum before reaching into my pocket and taking out two d10 dice. I channel my Spirituality into them and toss them into the air, catching both in midair before opening my palm.
Two 7s.
That could mean 77 days, 14 days, 77 months, or even 77 years depending on how the result is interpreted. But my Spirituality, sharpened by all Pathways, immediately rejects all those possibilities.
7 hours and 7 minutes.
And counting.
Well, seems like I'll have to put tonight's adventuring on hold.
I glance down at the pendulum around my wrist for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. Better to wait only a few hours before performing a Computational Divination. Hopefully, I can find out what exactly makes staying in the One Piece world for more than a few days so dangerous and whether that danger has already started closing in.
I exit the newly built log cabin on the Flying Dutchman and immediately spot Momoyo practicing her moves on the deck—one punch here, a kick there, each strike sharp with enough force to create shockwaves.
Then a Sea King suddenly surges out of the water, attempting to crash into the side of the ship.
Momoyo barely hesitates.
She leaps high into the sky and drives a single punch into the Sea King's head, killing it before it can even reach the Flying Dutchman. Its massive body crashes back into the ocean while she calmly drops toward the deck, as though that had simply been another part of her training.
I glance over the side of the ship and spot several dead Sea Kings floating just beneath the surface, their massive bodies barely staying above the water.
One by one, they begin to sink as movement stirs below them. Other Sea Kings rise from the depths, dragging the corpses down to feed until the water swallows them completely.
I walk over to Momoyo just as she finishes practicing. She raises an eyebrow at me before reaching for a bottle of water resting on a broken wooden table.
The table is still attached to what remains of a shattered wall, leaving a large gap that exposes the kitchen on the other side. Momoyo takes a drink from the bottle, still watching me.
"So, bad news." I start.
Momoyo's fingers tighten around the water bottle with a sharp crinkle of plastic before she crushes it completely in one hand. A few droplets spill over her knuckles, but she doesn't seem to notice. She says nothing, only fixing me with a steady stare.
"We won't be able to stay in this world much longer. I'd say we probably won't even make it to morning." I continued.
Her other eyebrow rises this time, higher than the first. The corner of her mouth twitches, and for a brief moment, she looks less annoyed than genuinely caught off guard.
"The good news is, I should still have enough time to finish a good portion of my plans in this world before it's too late." I finished.
Momoyo glances down at the mangled bottle in her hand, then back at me. Her grip loosens slightly, though her expression makes it obvious she isn't thrilled about having the night cut short.
"Don't worry, I'm going to cheat." I said proudly, as though that should immediately solve everything.
Momoyo slowly turns her head toward me and gives me a long, disbelieving stare, looking at me like I'd just said something crazily stupid with complete confidence.
"What?" I stare in return, confused by the look she's giving me.
"Aren't you already cheating life itself with all those supernatural powers you have right now? Hell, you can even create objects with supernatural effects." Momoyo pulls out the Ring of Damage Transfer and holds it up between two fingers. "You made this for me almost two weeks ago, remember? And because of that stupid curse, I've stubbed my toes more times than I can count." She glares at the ring like it personally wronged her, her expression souring at the memory.
"Very much, but at the cost of my mental health and everyone else's." I grin at Momoyo, who just rolls her eyes at me. "Actually, where are Alucard and Bon Clay? I haven't seen either of them for a while now." I glance around the deck, only for my Spirituality to suddenly flare with a warning that something is wrong. I freeze for a second, confused, before realization hits me.
I slap a hand against my forehead in annoyance.
"I hate how this is becoming a repeat..."
Momoyo starts to react, but I turn away before she can say anything.
"Be right back."
I don't wait for her response as I head back into the log cabin, already preparing to enter Sefirah Castle.
10 minutes later*
Exiting Sefirah Castle, I bring back the results from the multiple Computational Divinations I performed.
And I hate how easily I'm being influenced at this point.
Being a Sequence 8: Listener definitely isn't helping either. Every stray thought feels a little too loud, and certain impulses slip into my head with just enough familiarity that I almost mistake them for my own. Delaying the divination had felt reasonable at the time, almost natural, even though there was no good reason to wait.
I can't believe I actually considered putting off the Computational Divination after regaining access to Sefirah Castle.
That realization makes my expression sour. The worst part is knowing that, for a moment, I hadn't even questioned where the thought came from.
"Get your fucking ass out here...!" I growl in rage as I force the City of Calamity to spit Fate Lust back out before me.
She takes the form of a tall, graceful woman with a nearly perfect human figure. Long, flowing hair streaked with crimson and black falls around her shoulders. Her face is beautiful, yet her expression is cold, hostile, and faintly humiliated, as if being dragged out like this has deeply offended her. Her crimson eyes look fractured in a broken, unsettling way.
She wears a black and deep crimson ceremonial dress, like ruined royal robes still clinging to the last scraps of dignity.
I grab her by the neck and lift her off the ground, her feet leaving the floor as pure rage surges through me.
For a moment, I want nothing more than to kill her right here and now. But killing her would be pointless. Fate Lust is only one version among many manifestations of Fate. Destroying this body wouldn't erase Fate itself or stop the role she occupies. It would only remove this particular version, and sooner or later, another would appear to take her place.
Worse, her fall has already been noticed. Because Fate Lust has been enslaved by the City of Calamity, other versions of Fate are beginning to move toward the One Piece world to investigate, replace her, or deal with whatever managed to bring her down.
My grip tightens around her throat.
Killing her now wouldn't end the problem. It would only make room for the next one.
Fate Lust gives me a mocking smile but doesn't say a single word.
Or, to be more precise, she can't. For whatever reason, every version of Fate seems completely incapable of speaking verbally. They can still communicate in other ways, but actual speech is something none of them appear able to use.
At my current Sequence, I still can't understand why.
That smug smile on her face, though, communicates more than enough.
"Any influence from the outside world is Prohibited here!" I use the ability Prohibition through the Justiciar's Uniqueness and reinforce it with the Sefirot: Nation of Disorder.
The rule immediately takes hold.
Any external connection Fate Lust might be using is severed. Messages cannot reach her. Remote abilities cannot lock onto her. Blessings, summons, fate manipulation, spiritual interference, borrowed power, and attempts to observe or assist her from outside this space are all denied the moment they try to cross the boundary.
Even if another Fate tries to reach her, lend her strength, alter her condition, or interfere with what happens here, the Prohibition rejects it.
For now, Fate Lust is isolated.
Whatever she does next, she has to do it with only what she already possesses.
"Any powers used without my permission are prohibited here!" I continue without hesitation, layering another Prohibition over the first.
This time, the rule targets the use of supernatural abilities within the area itself. Any power Fate Lust attempts to activate without my approval is immediately suppressed before it can properly take effect.
The drain on my Spirituality spikes almost at once, the Justiciar Pathway burning through it at an alarming rate.
I don't care. Not right now.
Swirling smoke erupts beneath my feet as azure light flashes from within it. The smoke curls upward around Fate Lust, wrapping around her body as she lets out a silent gasp of pain.
Then the City of Calamity moves on its own.
Two well-dressed but headless figures appear beside her without warning. Each one grabs one of her hands, and with a brutal pull, they rip both arms off at the same time.
Yet no blood pours out. The torn wounds are burned black and cauterized to a crisp the moment her arms are ripped away.
Then iron rods formed from the swirling smoke thrust through the backs of her knees, pinning her in place. Fate Lust's face twists in agony, her expression finally breaking as the pain hits her in full.
"You won't be the last." I growl.
The two well-dressed, headless figures tighten their grip on Fate Lust and begin dragging her backward into the City of Calamity. She struggles only briefly before the flashes of flames close around her, swallowing her piece by piece until nothing remains.
I let her disappear without another word. I've already vented plenty of my rage on her. And I know there will be others.
I check the remaining Spirituality within the Justiciar Pathway and realize there's barely enough left for one more Prohibition. I could still force out another if I really needed to, but doing so would leave that Pathway nearly drained dry. Best not to waste it for now.
I take a deep breath and use the Visionary Pathway's authority over Loss of Control to forcibly stabilize my thoughts and emotions before they can spiral any further.
The rage recedes faster than it naturally should, leaving behind a cold clarity.
With myself back under control, I exit the log cabin and step onto the deck, already rearranging my priorities in my head.
A lot of my plans are going to have to be pushed ahead of schedule.