LIGHTNOVELONLINE Arc 6: What…? – Chapter 2
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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
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"Speech"
Time*
Arc 6: What...? - Chapter 2
A few hours later*
In an open field of grass, surrounded by large pine trees. Daisuke faced Azula, the formidable firebending prodigy of the Fire Nation.
Daisuke radiated an aura of unyielding power. Effortlessly, he summoned his Stand: The World, a manifestation of his indomitable will.
Azula, her stance poised and confident, unleashed a flurry of flames from her hands, channeling her mastery of firebending. The flames danced and swirled around her, a testament to her unparalleled skill.
But Daisuke merely raised an eyebrow, his ember eyes filled with boredom as he effortlessly evaded Azula's attacks with causal steps, easily avoiding being touched by the flames. With a swift motion, he closed the distance between them, his Stand moving with blinding speed to deliver a devastating blow.
Azula attempted to counter, her lightning-fast reflexes guiding her movements, but Daisuke's sheer speed and power were overwhelming. With a single, precise strike, he sent her crashing to the ground, the force of the impact leaving her momentarily stunned as she coughed up blood.
As Azula struggled to get to her feet, Daisuke hovered over her, a disappointed expression on his face as he watched Azula, unable to stand. She could not lift her arms, let alone perform any firebending.
"This is not good, Mai...! Azula was easily defeated...!" Ty Lee whispers anxiously to Mai.
"Yeah. I kind of expected something like this when you mentioned that his aura was darker than Azula's." Mai said dryly, but one could hear the fear in her voice that couldn't be hidden.
"Now you have two choices. One: Be like your friends over there and be my maid. Two: I kill you." Daisuke said as if he was talking about the weather and not about killing a teenage girl who could manipulate and generate fire.
"T-Th-That not a choice...!" Azula growls in pain.
"Of course, it's a choice. The choice was, do you want to live as my maid or do you want to die? There is nothing hard about it." Daisuke replied with a calm voice. "It's just that you find it hard to decide. How about if I help you to decide?"
Choosing to manipulate the heat around him, Daisuke uses the Fifth Magic.
The air around them seemed to grow heavier—a torrent of writhing, flames, twisting and coiling like serpents hungry for destruction. The flames danced unholy fervently, lowering the temperature until Ty Lee and Mai began to shiver. It's much worse for Azula, who is in the center.
Ty Lee stumbled backward while Mai stood frozen, gasping in horror as they gazed at the inferno before them, its heat searing and its fury unrelenting. Fear gripped their hearts in the face of such power, and panic threatened to consume them.
Azula's mind shattered when she saw the fire serpents before her eyes. Her body is broken, and now her fragile mind is broken as well.
Daisuke waved his hand and shattered the fire serpents, slowly letting the temperature return to normal. He also showed how effortlessly he could control the deadly flames beyond what should be possible in this world.
"I think we all know what your answer is now." Daisuke stares at Azula. "Ty Lee and Mai. Explain the rules to her while I rest by the lake." He walks away, leaving his back to Azula. However, he hasn't left his back unprotected, as any of his Stands will manifest the moment she shows any hostile intent.
A few weeks later*
"Hey, Master. What's the point of having these three little girls travel with us?" Scathach asks Daisuke as they walk through the streets of Ba Sing Se. "Justeaze, Artoria, and Altera would be better and stronger than them."
"I'm trying out the villain team." Daisuke replied. "Although I let them do their own thing while we were having fun. I'm curious to see what evil things they do in this city. I've done a lot of evil things back in my world, since the business world is not friendly and involves a lot of bloodshed. I want to see what these three can do while I'm not around to watch them."
"You know, it's kind of annoying that you're trying to be a villain, the evil character of a story against the heroes. And me being a Heroic Spirit kind of makes it kind of weird while being your Servant at the same time." Scathach said this but continued to hold Daisuke's left arm.
"I just want to try it." Daisuke replied. "Honestly, it's not much different. I'm getting bored lately, and I'm just waiting for those three to cause more chaos for me to see if they will face the heroes of this world."
"Master, I don't think you were actually trying to become a hero." Scathach cuts Daisuke off when she sees him open his mouth, knowing what he will say next. "And no, Master, Esdeath's world doesn't count since you wanted to gather all the Teigu for your own use and not for the people."
"Oh? Then what is a hero, in your opinion?" Daisuke looks at her with curious eyes.
"A hero is typically defined as someone who displays exceptional courage, bravery, selflessness, and moral character in the face of adversity or danger. Heroes often go above and beyond to help others, often sacrificing their own well-being for the greater good. Heroes can appear in various contexts, including everyday life, literature, mythology, history, and popular culture. They are admired and revered for their noble qualities and willingness to act for the betterment of society or the individual. Heroes who perform extraordinary acts of kindness or bravery can be found in various roles." Scathach explains.
"Yeah... no." Daisuke pokes Scathach in the forehead as she looks at him in shock. "You're right. I didn't act like a hero on Esdeath's homeworld. I didn't even try to help the people. Instead, I just happened to help them on their way to get the Teigu. I am anything but selfless."
"Pfft." Scathach chuckles. "Master, I never said you were a hero. I'm just saying that you technically weren't one when it was implied that you might have thought you were one. If anything, you should almost be an anti-hero. Not the classic, typical hero. Instead, anti-heroes often have more morally ambiguous traits, such as selfishness, cynicism, or a disregard for authority. Despite their flaws, anti-heroes are usually the central characters in their stories. They may still perform actions that lead to heroic outcomes, albeit by unconventional means or with questionable motives."
"Almost?" Daisuke looks baffled.
"Master, you were still in a state similar to a mindless, empty being. That's why I said you could try to see if being a hero could make you feel something." Scathach calmly takes her time to explain. "But since you want to try being a villain first. I won't stop you; I'll even support you, but please be careful not to go too far down that road."
"Don't worry. I can't think of myself as a good guy or a bad guy. I'm just someone who wants to enjoy life. My life. Anyway, I think I have given these three enough time for whatever evil plans they have in mind. It's time to find them." Daisuke kisses Scathach's lip, making her moan softly.
An hour later*
The outer wall of Ba Sing Se is a massive fortification surrounding the city. It is several stories high and wide enough for several carts to pass side by side. The outer wall is heavily guarded and serves as a barrier against outside threats.
"Why is there a steam drill?" Daisuke looks at the damaged drill.
A colossal, serpent-like machine constructed primarily of metal and powered by a combination of steam and firebending. It is equipped with a large rotating drill bit at the front that appears to be designed to drill through solid rock and earth. The entire structure is reinforced with metal plating and adorned with the Fire Nation insignia, reflecting its military purpose. However, it appears that a group of people have managed to sabotage the drill's mechanisms and weaken its structure.
"Most likely to break through the wall. Something I don't think is a good idea. They should just find a way around the wall to save time and effort instead of making that broken drill machine." Scathach offered her own opinion.
"Oh? What would you do?" Daisuke's eyes locked with hers, and he gently cradled her face in his hands.
Scathach leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she savored the sensation of his warm palm against her skin. Then she moved closer to kiss him for a few seconds before pulling away, smiling.
"I would make a large hole in the wall with several spear thrusts." Scathach replied. "Another is to use the Primordial Runes to break through the wall."
Daisuke sweatdrops, "I mean, if you were born in this world. How would you break through the wall?"
"If I were born here?" Scathach's furrowed brow, narrowed eyes, and focused gaze indicate deep thought and strategic planning. "I wouldn't have a clue. Because the version of me that would be boring in this world would be a completely different person, with her own life experiences growing up."
"I see." Daisuke nods slowly. "Well, let's find those three. I thought we would find them here, but I guess they must have gone deeper into Ba Sing Se."
Hours later*
At the center of Ba Sing Se lies the magnificent Royal Palace, home to the Earth King and his court. The palace is a sprawling complex of grand halls, lush gardens, and ornate chambers, symbolizing the wealth and power of the Earth Kingdom monarchy. It serves as the political and administrative center of Ba Sing Se.
"Well, this is something." Scathach said with a hint of interest.
Azula, who had the Earth King at flame-point, with a blue flame floating on her right index finger, was in the position to burn the Earth King. She quickly extinguished it and threw the Earth King to the ground, bypassing everyone else, then knelt before Daisuke.
Both Ty Lee and Mai do the same, not wanting to be a second later when Azula moves. All three kneel, ignoring the shocked looks they receive.
"Greetings, Lord Daisuke and Lady Scathach." Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai said at the same time.
"You may stand now." Daisuke said to the three, which they did immediately, quickly moving behind him and Scathach. "So, what's going on here?"
"We were in the middle of the process of taking over the Earth Kingdom, Lord Daisuke." Azula reported.
"Were you now?" Daisuke mutters to himself, and then he looks at Scathach. "Scathach, make sure no one tries to escape."
Scathach brought out her two red spears, spreading bloodlust throughout the palace and freezing nearly everyone in place.
Daisuke puts on what he thinks is an evil smile, but it is actually just an arrogant, smug face.
He slowly walks over to the throne the Earth King was sitting on before Azula throws him to the ground, then stops and thinks about sitting on it. Mostly, it looks uncomfortable to sit on.
Instead, he just stands in front of it and then turns around to face everyone.
"Ty Lee." Daisuke spoke up.
"Ye-s, Lo-Lord Daisuke?" Ty Lee became even stiffer than she already was due to Scathach's bloodlust.
"You shall be the new ruler of the Earth Kingdom." Daisuke declares.
"Eh...?" Ty Lee's eyes almost pop out of their sockets.