Fool's World: The Devil (ch. 4) (Patreon)

Fuyuki City wasn't much of a city, I thought as we drove through the streets. Compared to the various villages Nobara and I drove through after we made our escape, choosing to stick to back roads to prevent anyone from following… Fuyuki City was still much larger in population than a village several times over, but compared to Mifune City, it almost felt empty. Like, at one point, it had been home to a lot more people, but now all there was were relics of the city it had once been.

The signs of it were everywhere -- it was the middle of the day and the traffic was manageable and quick. I hadn't even seen a taxi. Handfuls of people were milling about on the sidewalks, and perhaps the fact it was chilly out might have something to do with it, but my first impression of the city was that it felt shockingly empty. It was a city built to house over a million people, but it felt like only half that number actually lived in the city.

"Woah…" Nobara muttered, still awed by the sights as she craned her head back to look at the skyscrapers we drove by. I let out a chuckle as I drove through the city with no real destination in mind -- Touko would be sending the guy she found to meet us in the city. Meaning that we were left waiting for her to contact us. "Don't laugh at me!" She ordered, squeezing my torso tightly as if she were trying to squeeze the air from my lungs. "I grew up in a village where there was pretty much nothing but old morons that wanted to stay in a small village forever. I'm not used to sights like these. I always thought Tokyo would be the greatest city in the world, but…"

I guess I could see what she meant as I took a turn, deciding on taking a scenic route that would take us along the outskirts of the city to get a lay of the land. "There can only be one greatest city in the world, and I'm betting this isn't it," I remarked, going up a long hill that hugged the outskirts of the city. As if to prove my point I caught a glimpse at what could have been a city park. Only instead of lush green grass and dark trees, I saw a lifeless stretch of land. Part of that was to be expected given that it was winter, but the park looked dead. Not dormant, actually dead. Dead grass, dead trees, and even dead dirt.

"Someone needs a new gardener," Nobara remarked upon seeing it, before she patted my stomach, "Back road. My turn! My turn!" She pointed out, pretty much as soon as we pulled onto a back road. Obediently, I pulled to the side of the road and parked before Nobara and I switched places. Unsurprisingly, Nobara wasn't one to just sit back for the ride.

So, I agreed to let her drive on back roads until she got used to driving the bike. I couldn't exactly teach her what I knew given I didn't know how or why I did the things that I did, but Nobara was a quick learner when it came to physical stuff. The only downside was getting a face full of her hair.

Grabbing hold of her, Nobara quickly took off, blasting past the speed limit in no time at all. She let out a laugh, enjoying the sensation for a moment. "Do you think they know we're here?" She shouted over the roaring wind as we sailed by a bunch of trees, taking a winding path that seemed to hug the outskirts of the city.

I shrugged, "No clue," I shouted back. We hadn't seen anyone since we made our escape from Mifune City. I got rid of the phone I had been using to avoid being tracked, but it also meant that I was completely in the dark about the situation we had left behind. I had no clue if we were even being chased or not. Maybe the entire situation was cleared up after a day on the road. Or, maybe it wasn't.

In the end, it didn't really matter. So long as we didn't poke our heads out, we wouldn't draw attention to ourselves, making it that much harder for them to find us. Regardless of the circumstances. I had a pocket full of cash that would ride us out until the Grail War ended. If for some reason I ran out of money, then I would consider putting out feelers to see if the Yakuza still wanted me dead.

"Do you think we should try talking to them? Not that Nishikiyama guy, but eyepatch! They could help us with the Grail War," Nobara pointed out, and it was a strong argument, but at the same time, their help was a double-edged blade.

"If we get the Yakuza's help, then they're going to want a slice of the prize. And since there's only one wish…" I trailed off, turning my head so I didn't get a mouth full of Nobara's hair as it whipped me in the face. The Yakuza's help would come at a cost, and it would force a situation where we either betrayed the Yakuza, or they betrayed us. The former, I had no problem with, but the latter was dangerous at best and deadly at worst. "I say we keep that card up our sleeve. We play it if it looks like we need it to win, but only as a last resort."

"Alright!" Nobara agreed before she began to slow the bike as the woods gave way to a clearing. Further down the road at the top of a hill was a small church that overlooked the city. It seemed… rather out of place, to be honest. It was quite a drive to get to the church from the city and I thought that they were usually in the centers of cities? Or was this one of those Europe vs. Asia things?

Eh, it didn't matter.

"We should look for an inn before we decide to start squatting," I told Nobara, who stared at the Church building for a long moment before she found her voice. She glanced back at me, her hazel eyes betraying her uncertainty, but she brushed it off a moment later. "What?" I asked her, but she shook her head.

"That church is giving me a funny feeling," she told me. "Jujutsu scorers don't really have an ability to feel curses, but… that church gives me the same vibe as a curse."

"Let's go check it out then," I voiced, earning a nod from Nobara as she looked around to park the bike near the churches gates

I looked at the church -- roughly three stories tall thanks to a bell tower at the forefront of the building. A wide set of stairs built into the side of the hill lead up to the entrance, where a white marble statue of the Virgin Mary sat enshrined in the center of the three lancet arches that made up the front facing facade of the church. Behind it I could see a pair of strong wooden doors. At the angle we stood, I could see windows of stained glass built into the sides of the building, likely depicting scenes from the bible. It was majestic, but I didn't really get any weird vibes from it. It was just a church.

"It might be nothing," Nobara pointed out, eyeing the church with me. "Like I said, I can't actually sense curses."

"Maybe," I agreed. "But I trust your instincts." The fact that she had some kind of reaction to the church at all was worth investigating. Especially when she didn't have that reaction at all to anything else before.

She sighed, "And when I'm wrong?" she asked, and I gave her a lopsided smirk.

"Then we wasted a few minutes," I said, thinking nothing of it. Nobara looked oddly relieved at the reassurance. It wasn’t like the world was going to end if we wasted a few minutes and she was wrong. We were killing time anyway until Touko contacted us. So, either we found something or we didn’t. Either way we had something to do while we waited. It was a win-win if there ever was one.

Pushing my bike towards the gates, Nobara walked beside me, keeping her gaze affixed to the church, her hand in her handbag and clutching her hammer. Luckily, the front gate was open. The church seemed quiet, with nothing really going on. It seemed well maintained, at least -- the grass was freshly cut, there were no weeds to be seen… but other than that, it was…

Quiet.

Nobara approached the stairs to the church slowly, almost as if she were approaching a coiled snake. I’m guessing that despite her protest that it was nothing, it very much was something. In response to that, I followed her lead while I pulled my white undershirt up and tucked it behind the gun that was stashed away in the back of my waistband. My jacket would still conceal it, but it was easier to grab. If we needed it. Nobara glanced over her shoulder at me, raising one of her hands to knock on the heavy wooden doors.

Then she chose to just push the door open. It wasn’t locked, so the doors just swung open easily, revealing a reasonably lit church interior. Rows of pews lined up in neat rows, a podium, crosses -- pretty much everything you expected to see when you went into a church. Which really begged the question of why Nobara was acting so skittish.

“Those that enter the house of the Lord should do so with more manners,” I heard, my gaze zeroing in on the only other person in the church as they sat up from where they had been laying down on a pew. Napping instead of praying. Blonde hair and wearing a black track jacket, I noticed before the person turned around. He was handsome. Almost startling so, which made his ruby-red eyes with their slit pupils stand out that much more. “But, I suppose I shouldn’t expect manners from a pair of stray dogs.”

I blinked, “You’re kinda a dick,” I pointed out, taking the insult far less personally than Nobara did.

“Who are you calling a dog, pretty boy? How about I rearrange your face so it reflects that rotten personality of yours, huh?!” Nobara threatened, taking two strides forward to do exactly that. The blonde-haired man smiled lightly, his expression one of amusement. I reached out and placed a hand on Nobara's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks and to stop her from pulling out her hammer to follow through with her threat.

“I don’t suppose you’re the priest?” I asked him, earning a small tilt of his head as he considered me. He pushed himself off of the pew, revealing that he was a few inches shorter than me, but even still, I could practically feel him looking down on me. I ignored my annoyance in favor of puzzling out the whole situation -- Nobara had noticed something off about the church, and when we go inside this guy was here? Coincidence?

It was possible. Possible or not, I had already decided to trust Nobara’s instincts, so it was a question of what this guy had to do with it, if he had anything to do with it at all. But, creepy red snake eyes were a red flag, so he probably did.

“I’m afraid not,” he said, walking towards us, his gaze never leaving mine. “You strays will have to find another shepherd. I have no time for you.” He told us, his tone decidedly condescending. I felt Nobara tense as he approached, readying herself for action. I gave her a small squeeze on her shoulder, trying to keep her calm. Despite the guy being a bit of a jerk, he wasn’t really doing anything that was worth fighting over. I had no clue who he was. Didn’t even know his name. Why should I care if he was calling me a stray dog?

“Shame,” I said, not moving when the guy continued on a collision course with me. “We’re new in town and we were looking for some friendly faces to show us the sights.”

“Lying in the house of god? Worse, to me?” He asked, that small smile of his growing ever so slightly. I rose an eyebrow at that -- lying to him was worse than lying to god?

“Girls like a guy with confidence, but too much of anything will spoil a dish," Nobara decided, earning his attention. "You aren't impressing anyone by acting like a narcissist."

He came to a stop in front of me, paying no attention to Nobara. At this close, I saw his slit pupils matched his cheshire smile. "It would be a sad day indeed if I had to prove myself to the likes of you," he returned, sounding certain that his bark could back up his bite. "A stray dog feasting on the scrapes of your betters."

The guy was a dick, but that sounded like a personal insult. Was he talking about the fact that we had come to the church? Did he assume that we were here for a handout? Maybe, but that piece didn't quite fit the puzzle. It left too much wiggle room instead of snapping into place nicely. When his insult didn't find purchase, his smile slipped ever so slightly to become more of a sneer. "A mongrel without shame."

"We have names," Nobara said, roughly pushing the guy to get him to look at her. His eyes narrowed, shooting Nobara an irritated look. Then he tilted his head ever so slightly, looking at her with a gaze I very much didn't care for.

"And what might they be?" He questioned, making Nobara puff out her chest with confidence as she went to tell them.

But I interrupted before she could, "We don't, actually. Stray dogs don't get names, after all," I said, feeling a bit bad about undercutting Nobara. Not bad enough to not do it, but I didn't like this guy. It wasn't the insults -- I couldn't care less what some random asshole that I literally just met said about me. His opinion was worthless to me. It was how he carried himself that just rubbed me the wrong way. He acted like someone who thought their shit didn't stink.

He slid his gaze to mine, one edge of his lips curling upwards into a mocking smile. He reached up and patted me on the cheek, "Smart dog," he remarked before he stepped forward. This time I stepped to the side to let him pass. I heard him chuckle to himself as he headed for the exit. We watched him go, idly reaching out a hand to close the door behind him.

As the heavy set door swung to a close, I saw him spare one last look at us. His gaze was anything but kind. The door snapped shut with a thud that seemed to echo in the church for a moment -- I glued my eyes to the door, openly frowning as I replayed the interaction in my head.

"Was that what you sensed?" I asked Nobara, who glared at me. The question caught her off guard, making her glance back at the door as well.

She didn't answer for a moment, thinking about it before she settled on a helpless shrug, "Maybe? I think so? I'm not getting anything anymore, though," she trailed off, grasping for words. It wasn't particularly helpful, but I think I understood what she meant. Nobara had sensed something from the church, but she didn't know why or what.

I blew out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Maybe he's gay and you have one hell of a gaydar?" I asked, managing to break the tension that had threatened to suffocate us. Nobara responded with a chuckle and delivered a slug to my shoulder. I didn't wince even if it was a solid punch.

"Maybe," Nobara said, feeling more at ease. "Should we wait a bit until he leaves? I don't want to see that guy again. He gave me the creeps."

"All are welcome in the house of the Lord," A new voice spoke up, and our attention snapped to the other end of the building in time to see a man walking up a set of steps leading down into what was either a sub-level or a basement. He was tall, had broad shoulders, and a mane of dark brown hair. He wore priestly garb in dark colors, with a cross hanging from his neck the only point of light. This guy, I'm guessing, was the resident priest.

He seemed a little young, though. Late twenties to early thirties at the oldest. But I had no clue if there was an age requirement for being a priest, so that might not mean anything.

He smiled slightly as he came to a stop near the podium and rested a hand on it, "And to those that believe in Him, aid shall be freely given." I glanced at Nobara to see what she made of him, and she seemed faintly puzzled.

"Is not believing a deal-breaker?" I asked him, earning a warm chuckle as he continued to walk forward, down a few steps, before he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Then it comes with a cost -- I was about to eat supper, and the two of you seem like you have a story. I would like to hear it," he said, his smile growing a bit bigger.

One broke out on Nobara's face, "That'd be great!" She said, and I really hoped that the priest would pay because our funds were limited and Nobara's stomach was a black hole. Then she seemed to catch herself, "I'm Nobara, and that's Majima -- we're new in town."

"Kirei Kotomine, a pleasure," Kirei introduced himself with a small bow, raising back up, and at this close, I saw that we were around the same height.

"Do you know that guy who was here earlier?" I questioned, searching his expression for anything. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just some hint of recognition or surprise. Instead, I saw nothing in those dark brown eyes.

Kirei chuckled, "I do. He's a lost soul that's returned after traveling the world and is having a crisis of faith, so to speak," he told us. I was just looking for the guy's name. Maybe some info about what kind of guy he was to see if he was the type to have Yakuza connections.

Nobara looked a bit sad and ashamed upon hearing that he was having a rough go of it. "Oh… I hope everything will be okay?" She offered, an empty consolation but she offered it all the same.

"All will be well," Kirei reassured us. He looked to me, "I know of a lovely restaurant in town. My treat," he said and before I could even thank him, he continued almost speaking over me, "Are you in town visiting family?"

I shook my head, "No."

Nobara elaborated for me, "He doesn’t have any family left. They…" she explained, gesturing to the city outside of the door.

Kirei tilted his head ever so slightly, "Ah, I see. It's difficult to believe that it's already been ten years since the fire. You have my sincerest condolences." The fact I didn’t have to say that they were killed in the fire said a lot. He offered a small bow and I offered a shrug in response -- it felt weird getting pitty for a dead family that I never knew. And my parents were trash that the world was better off without. I didn't mourn their loss. "Let us speak over supper." He said, and I guess he was hungry based on his urging.

…

Not long after, we found ourselves in a quiet restaurant. An elderly man greeted us from behind the counter while a waitress took out order -- I didn't miss the look of pity when Kieri ordered the Dan Dan noodles. A pot meal that could serve up to four people.

"... How spicey would you like it?" The waitress asked, looking to us instead of Kirei. Which was a little odd.

"I prefer it spicy, but you are welcome to set it however you like," Kriei offered with a patient smile on his face. Nobara perked up at that, giving the waitress a smile.

"I like spicy food?" She said though it came out as a question when she remembered that she wasn't just speaking for herself and glanced at me. Seeing that I was outvoted, I nodded in agreement. The waitress gave a smile that was more of a grimace before she bowed and left to deliver our ticket. That was… weird. I looked to Kriei for an explanation but there wasn’t one offered.

Instead, he clasped his hands together on the table, "Sadly, there are no plans for a formal event to mark the tenth year anniversary of the tragedy that befell our community. The city council is eager to leave the tragedy behind them. Not to mention that most of those that suffered losses by the fire have since moved on." He told me, seemingly assuming that I was here to mark the anniversary of my dead family. "It is regrettable, but Fuyuki has suffered too many scandals. Any more and there won't be a city left."

That caught Nobara's attention, "Scandals?"

"The fire overshadowed it, but in the weeks prior, there was a number of children that went missing. A dozen bodies were found, while a dozen more were located -- my own ward among them. However, there were several dozen more children that were never found," Kriei said, his tone matter of fact as he spoke. Nobara’s lips thinned at that. I’m pretty sure she made the same connection I did.

Ten years ago. The Grail War.

"Never found? What about the guy that did it?" Nobara questioned, taking a sip of her drink. She didn’t sound particularly horrified or anything, though she was clearly unhappy. Kriei shook his head, looking at her with a blank expression.

"It's presumed that the culprit died during the fire, but no one knows for certain. There was never enough evidence for a suspect to be found, much less an arrest. It's possible that he's still out there," Kriei said and that was the very last thing that Nobara wanted to hear. Her lips thinned unhappily, knowing that likely meant that they were dead. I frowned for a similar reason, but there was a nagging feeling that I couldn’t quite crush.

I knew my parents experimented on kids. I knew that they were in Fuyuki city. Were the two connected?

She looked at me and I offered what I could, "He's dead. You don't kill over twenty kids and then retire." If you killed around a dozen kids in the span of a week and kidnapped a dozen more to add them to the tally, it didn't make sense that the culprit would stop after one setback. Whoever that culprit might be. If it was my parents or not, odds were they died in the fire.

Kriei offered a reassurance, "I agree with Majima -- people do not change. And a man such as that will not have the self-restraint to be anything other than himself." He said, and I blinked slowly. I agreed with him, but a priest stating that people couldn’t change felt a bit… weird? Wasn’t Christianity all about forgiveness and redemption?

Our food arrived before I could speak -- it was a pot of noodles in a thick sauce, covered in a rich layer of toppings, and a scoop to separate our portions out onto our plates. It smelled so spicy that it had actual heat coming off of it. The waitress placed a container of milk on the counter on our side, leaving Kriei with nothing but water. Nobara happily helped herself as the waitress bowed to hide the look of pity on her face.

Nobara scooped the Dan Dan noodles onto her plate and I waited until we all had some to speak up, "You don't believe people can change?" I asked Krei as I broke my chopsticks and scooped up some noodles. Nobara made a strangled sound was a warning, but I didn't heed it. I gulped down the noodles, and nearly instantly, my mouth began to burn.

It was spicy, but not unpleasantly so. For the first few seconds. Then it grew so hot that I couldn't taste the food, only heat, and pain. Nobara sounded like she might be dying. I was holding myself together, but tears were blurring my eyes and my entire body had started to warm up.

"I do not," Kriei answered easily, popping a button to his garb as he ate. There was a satisfied smile on his face as he took another bite, thoughtfully chewing before elaborating. "A person's true nature is unchanging. It can be denied, that is true, but someone who claims to have changed has simply learned to lie to themselves."

I didn't want to take another bite, but it felt too rude to not at least finish the plate I made for myself. The pain made it a little difficult to think, but that seemed not just controversial, but outright contrary to my expectations of a Priest. "People change all the time. It's part of growing up."

Kriei either smiled, at my response or me forcing myself to take another large bite, I wasn't sure. It felt like steam was about to erupt from my ears. "Majima is right -- change is natural. Why is this so spicy?!" Nobara questioned, sweat starting to build up on her forehead.

"Of course. People learn. They grow. They learn what is against the rules and what is within them. They learn how to interact with others -- when to laugh, when to cry, when to yell, and when to remain silent," Kriei said, taking another bite of his meal. He was holding himself together the best, but he was feeling the heat too at least. "But that is not what I mean. Underneath the lessons, wisdom, and maturity is a person's true nature. Something that can only be truly revealed when they are in a position to drop all pretenses."

He smiled, "A dictator can be kind. In a position of absolute power, when no one is looking, they can still be good. It is because kindness and goodness is their true nature. They can learn to be cruel, even evil, but if you strip it all away, that dictator is good at heart. Likewise, a doctor can be cruel. They can learn the value of a human life, and hold it in their hands… and when no one is looking, they can choose to let go of it without anyone being the wiser."

I had to take off my jacket as I took a third bite, determined to finish my plate. I don't know why. I really should just give up on it, my tongue was on fire and my sinuses were burning, but I felt like I would be admitting defeat if I tapped out now. At some point dinner had become a contest to see who could last the longest, and I liked to win. I could see his point. Give a person power, and you saw who they really were. I even agreed with it to an extent.

"What if a man woke up without memories," I started, grabbing a napkin and dabbing away tears. "And when he learned who he had been, he hated himself? Didn't he change?" I asked because it felt like I had changed. I didn't like who Mikoto Majima had been.

"In that case, I would say that he has become the truest version of himself," Kriei said. "He unlearned all the things that molded him into the person that he detested. His ignorance of the world allows him to judge his actions based purely on his own morals -- those that are not imparted by society, but morals that are ingrained in his sense of self. What he decides reveals his true nature."

I should have seen that point coming, but it felt like there was a bonfire in my mouth. It was like the heat of the food was going to burn a hole right through me.

He smiled, "An alcoholic will always be an alcoholic. For that is their nature. If they never drink another drop of sake for the rest of their life, then it simply means that they didn't live long enough. They deny who they are by removing all temptation, because they are too weak to deny that temptation.” He glanced over at Nobara, who, to my shock, had somehow managed to clean her plate.

She was draped over her chair, completely boneless as she panted like she had run a marathon. Tears dripped from her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling, completely oblivious to the conversation. I eyed the last two bites on my plate before I ate it all in one gulp. I don't think I would be able to taste anything for a week after this. The spiciness of it was so hot, it was burning away my taste buds.

"So, people just lie to themselves. They get better and worse at denying who they are to themselves and others," I said, grabbing another napkin to wipe my face off. That seemed to sum up his view of things. "I don't think I buy into that, but I can't really refute it either," I remarked as I pushed my plate away.

Kriei chuckled, "I would be disappointed if you could so easily accept my point of view. How you see the world should be determined by yourself, not others." He sounded like he meant that.

It was a solid argument. Both in the sense that it made sense and that there was no real way to argue it. At least not without being able to understand a person's true nature at a glance.

"At what point does a lie become the truth? If you are never in a position to act on your true nature, then you are never tempted to act on it, in that case, can it be called a lie?" I asked him, and to my awe, he began to make himself a second plate. "Society is based on regulating people -- laws and rules. Act inside the lines and you'll be accepted and avoid punishment. Is it better to lie to yourself if it means not being an outcast to society?"

I didn't really know where I fell on the issue. I could understand Kirei’s point of view but I found it hard to swallow. The idea that you were who you were and no amount of effort could change that. It felt… I don’t even really know.

"What do you believe?" Kriei asked, turning the question around on me as he took a bite of his way too hot noodles. My mouth still burned. How he could eat that stuff as his first choice of meal was beyond me.

I had to think about it did a moment, trying to gauge what I felt and what I thought. Then there was trying to put it into words. "I… don't want to lie to myself," I decided on after a moment of thought. It felt a bit obvious for a realization, but I was being honest. I didn't really know who I was. I knew who I used to be, but… I didn't really know the current me either. There was too much blank space.

I didn't know my morals or lines in the sand. I didn't know what it would take to push me over them. I didn't know if there were things I would never do. I didn't know what I liked. What I hated. I didn't even really know what I wanted.

It was obvious to want to be true to yourself, but even I knew that it couldn't be that simple. If it was, then everyone would do it and that wouldn’t be actual advice.

Kriei offered me a gentle smile.

"Neither do I."