The Fate of the World

“…I advise you to be particularly careful about Envy, Leviathan that is. Thati s indeed what’s at her core, but the way it manifests in her personality is…quite simply, malice. Malice and sadism towards everyone else. She is Envy at its extreme, and thus she always resents and despises everyone for what she doesn’t have. Combined with her power and skills, that means she’ll almost always kill them or worse. Furthermore, she hates the idea of others being above her in status, so there’s a good chance that she would simply prevent you from speaking by force if it seemed like you were about to exert your authority as Master over her.”

“So I’d need to humble myself or treat her as an equal at the very least, huh?” Ritsu’s brow creased in concentration as she considered the weight of Beelzy’s words. “Sounds like she’s embraced her aspect and let it define her a lot more in her own head. She’ll need to be handled more delicately... especially around our more proud and boastful Servants.” Chaldea had always had it’s share of loose cannons, but Levi seemed more like a nuclear Easy Button.

“Ahh, I see…I know all of them rather well. We’ve spent eternity together in Hell, after all. Yes, Belphegor would be a difficult one…Though her raw power is immense and her defenses are impenetrable, she’s incredibly lazy and apathetic. Rather than sending her into battle, it may be wiser to simply use her as a strategist of sorts. She’s also something of a genius in all matters, I’ve found. She could likely beat modern computers in calculation speed.”

“That makes sense. It would be less taxing on her, which would fulfill her aspect effectively.” Ritsuka looked thoughtful. “Envy is one that’s more straightforward. Wanting what others have can be a powerful motivator, and offering that to her on a silver platter can not only garner a positive response, but also help her see that she is a valued member of our team.

“Essentially yes…And that’s something we’ve all been living with for a very long time, so it’s more or less shaped our personalities from the start as well.” Beelzebub nodded in confirmation. “What about it?”

     “Don’t talk to me like as if I started it.” The warlord snapped, giving Ritsuka an angry look. The day was quite taxing on her, mentally and physically, and as a result, didn’t have a lot of patience. “Because I had no intention of starting a fight with her at all. She attacked me first. And here you are, talking like as if I’m the one who instigated it.      Get your facts straight or go away. I’m not playing the scapegoat here.”

     She then turned her head away. She really didn’t want to remember what all happened today. She was drained enough as it is… having someone accuse her of this stuff doesn’t improve her mood.

     The pained warlord let out a soft sigh of anguish.

     “I’ve suffered enough for one day. I don’t need this.      I only blame myself for letting things get this messed up. For nearly getting Okita killed. I… I can never forgive myself for that. This entire time, I keep hearing the same thing in my head: ‘I should have stopped her’… and I didn’t, and look at the fix she’s in now. Tch…      …some friend I am. Letting her friends get injured like this…”

Ritsuka listened patiently as Nobunaga vented her frustration. When she was finished, she went back to dabbing her face with the cool cloth. “I didn’t mean to imply you started anything. I was trying to choose my words carefully, but it seems I chose poorly. I apologize.

“But look at it this way. You and Okita are still with us. Wounds can heal. No permanent damage was done. And.. Okita wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up about a choice she made on her own.”

     “She suffers? I find that hard to believe.” Nobu says, huffing. She’s looking a little better, and is able to see out of her left eye again. But the rest of the left half of face is still swollen and bandaged. Nightingale also appeared to have replaced the bloodied bandages from earlier from the previous incident. 

     …in addition, Nighingale has forcefully strapped Nobunaga to the bed to prevent her from sneaking out of it in her condition, having caught onto her habit.

“Levi doesn’t appear to be suffering, no.” Ritsu reaches over to take a washcloth and soak it in cool water before using it to wipe down the exposed portions of Nobu’s face. “See, because of her nature as the personification of Envy, she’s basically compelled to act in accordance with that particular sin. The reason she doesn’t appear to be suffering is because she has accepted that things can’t change. It’s not really possible to fight against something that basically dictates your actions for you despite every fiber of your being willing you to do the exact opposite.”

She wrings out the cloth before soaking it in fresh water. “She’s resigned to her fate. She believes that the Envy she can’t control will push people away, so why bother making friends? What’s the point of getting close to anyone when she’ll always end up feeling secondary in their lives - because her Sin forces her to feel that way despite any evidence to the contrary? It’s really a sad existence she lives.

“But that’s why she did this to you... It was her way of warning you that she isn’t in control. That this is what happens when you get too close. That you’re better off just leaving her alone and not getting involved with her... 

“Are you feeling better, Nobu?” asks Ritsu as she sits beside the Archer’s bed. “I heard about what happened. While I understand your feelings on the situation, you really need to stop letting your temper get the better of you. Especially around someone who suffers like Levi does.”

Dating Service