CHP 27: Forever Together (Patreon)

I sat in Shirou's living room, twirling a pen as I went through the flight records for the past few weeks.

Cortana had pulled IDs from the concerned databases and printed them all out, a worker drone brought them to me a few minutes ago... The timing was great cause the house was mostly empty at the moment.

Shirou was visiting his late father's grave while Sakura and Caren left for some sisterly bonding... okay okay fine, you got me.

I forced them to go shopping for groceries with each other because while both had no problem talking to me, even venting or making requests at times, they didn't seem to interact with one another all that much.

As a responsible older brother, I couldn't possibly let my sisters be like that.

...There's certain problems that come up with them being overly dependent on me.

Tiamat is fine but they're not.

I'm sure you understand why.

"Hm~. Hm~. Hm~. Shinjii coffee refill~?" The person in question leaned over, peering at me from the kitchen, "Or are you... not finished?"

Hell, why not.

"Sure." I pushed the empty cup in front of me her way as she sauntered out of the kitchen, waving her body and humming happily.

Ignoring her, I pulled up the next record and sighed, "...Man, what was this guy even thinking?"

The attached picture showed a blonde dude with hollow eyes, scraggy hair and sickly skin... in a black suit.

He could've put on makeup or something for the pic but no, the sheer arrogance that comes with being a magi made him think that 'stupid' normies wouldn't be able to tell that he has a preference for children.

Seriously, they're supposed to be smart.

Where do they get off underestimating people like me as much as they do?

I'm pretty sure a tactical missile would end any one of them while a nuke would straight up erase their little Head Quarters.

"I... don't think he was thinking... at all." Tiamat tilted her head slightly, leaning over to pour me coffee.

Damn, she can go off.

At this moment in time, I would like to clarify that I definitely did not stare down her shirt when she leaned over wearing a button-up blouse... No, that would be something a pervert would do.

...Even if I did look, which I didn't, it was for science.

"You're not wrong there." I shrugged my hand, "Look at some of the other guys I've noted down."

The Creation Goddess sat down curiously and started studying the pages I'd singled out from the two piles I had before me.

There was a bald dude on an international watchlist.

A guy who had literal fucking fangs on display in his picture.

...Then there was that one midget with scars all over his face.

There was also a tall fatass with thick glasses.

But I think the last dude was just a pervert looking to get lucky in Japan with how it's reputation is.

"Bad... people?" Tiamat's eyes shimmered, "Do you want me...to?"

"Not yet. I still have to confirm who's who." I held up a hand to stop her line of thought.

If we started going after every guy that looked suspicious, the list would never end.

Which brought me to my second dilemma for the day, how exactly was I supposed to track down the magi and whatnot flocking to Fuyuki?

Realistically speaking, Tiamat could probably sense every presence in the whole nation or something but... it seemed a bit boring to just up and delete them all instantaneously like that.

...What? Don't judge me.

I'm sorry but as long as I'm not in personal duress, I'm not all that motivated to spend time I could be using to invent some other world breaking piece of tech.

This whole witch hunt is just a way for me to mark my present territory and kill some time... Also to kill some pedo fucks.

But, more on that later.

I looked at Tiamat with narrowed eyes, "What's up?"

Kind and empathetic as I am, it's easy for me to notice when something's eating away at someone. Just, I usually capitalise on that to make said someone question life... But come on, it's Tiamat.

"...Nothing." Tiamat lowered her gaze, looking down at her own lap with droopy ears.

I couldn't help but sigh.

Why are these people such a handful?

And don't misunderstand, I'm not concerned... This is just me making sure her performance isn't affected, trust, that's all it is.

"Come on, come here." I patted my lap, gesturing her over with my other hand.

She looked up strangely, hesitant and confused.

I sighed again and softened my tone, "It's alright, I'm the one who's asking so I won't be annoyed."

Slowly, she crawled over and put her head down in my lap, but not before hesitating and looking up at me for confirmation... again.

...I'm an innocent shota and you're a hot onee-san, this whole interaction is all wrong.

Ugh.

"What's bothering you?" I put a hand on her head.

I've noticed she's a little too obedient... I told her to stop talking a bit back and she didn't talk until I figured out what was going on and took it back.

That took me six hours.

Are you starting to see the problem?

...It's not healthy for her.

"N...Nothing."

"You can tell me, you know?" I couldn't help but smile slightly... her hair's really soft.

"Mm..."

Fiiine.

"Wanna tell me about your kids? I'm curious about how Gods were."

She went silent and buried her face in my lap for a few minutes before finally mumbling,

"From... where?"

"From the start." I guess this isn't a waste of time, "Tell me everything."

"Abzu... and me... our union was..." She turned around to look at me, putting a hand over her chest, "It was... not like humans, not willing... It was what... was natural. I did not love... truly."

The meeting of the saltwater and the freshwater resulted in the birth of the Sumerian Deities... who eventually rebelled against their Father and put him down but Tiamat didn't try to stop them.

"But my children... I loved them truly... I gave them everything... I would do anything..."

Man... Gods were just universally fucked up.

"They killed Abzu... I did not mind... as long as I could care for them... I wanted to... give them everything... whatever they wanted." 

Shimmering tears welled up in the Primordial Goddess' eyes, casting a strange light on the room when combined with the natural crimson glow of her pupils.

"But... they got tired..." Genuine grief and confusion laced her tone, "I don't know what... I did... They tried to kill me..."

See, this is why I want to go on a crusade against the Sumerian pantheon.

Tiamat is amazing.

"They said... they didn't need me... I was sad..." She trembled, "But I did not want... to fight them... please believe me... I don't know why... I did."

I looked up at the ceiling.

...And I definitely don't feel like crying. Mad scientists don't have those emotions.

"So I... stopped myself... they tore my body... and used it... to create life... then... banished me... I was not... needed... They could have... used me... And I would let them... so long as they... let me be by them..."

They were right cunts, no other words for it.

She clenched the hand she had over her chest into a fist, staring up at me, "I was alone... I was... sad... but you came..."

I pursed my lips and took a deep breath.

"I... I do not... want to make... the same mistake... and make you... hate me... I do not... want to be... alone... again... I don't want to... leave."

So that's it, that's why she's so obedient and submissive. She's afraid that she'll mess up somehow like she did before without knowing about it and I'll get mad.

I couldn't help but smile at that.

"What do you take me for?" I looked down at her, wiping away the tears from her eyes, "Sorry to say this but I DO want you around... and you're not leaving, ever."

"R...Really?"

"Really."

"You will not... hate me?"

"Never." 

She can be kind of stupid, there's nobody alive out there that would leave her of all people... I just happened to be lucky enough to come across her first.

"You will be... with... me... forever?" She asked with a trembling voice, afraid but now hopeful.

"Well, at least till I end up dying? I won't leave you no matter what you do." I scratched my cheek, this is kind of embarrassing, "I love how you really are."

...Wait, no... NO!

The second Beast of Man leapt up and smothered me against her face, "Tiamat loves Shinjii too... I will stay... forever."

...

...I guess this is fine too.

"I reaffirm, father. You will never die."

This AI is weird about the eventual death that comes for all humans, mine, to be specific.

And uh, frankly, it's starting to scare me a bit.

-

Hope you enjoyed.

Leave a comment.

Sorry about yesterday, I kinda blanked out after boxing practise.

Too many?