The door to Fate’s destroyed room began to creak open, allowing the light of a small lantern to slowly seep into the dim space and its eerie, quiet calm. The possessor of this light source, Liza, whose bright smile was exposed under its light, peeked her head around the side of the door as she allowed the glow of burning oil to touch the rough, wooden floors. 

[Clack!]

However, a loud clacking soon halted the stillness, the sound of slow, yet continuous pounding reverberating throughout the room, though this didn’t seem to affect Liza, as her shoes now fully poked through the doorway…

-He must have been so lonely...but I know that his spirit will soar when I tell him what I’ve learned!~

As the lantern, which contained a candle that was only a few inches tall, stretched further into the room, a shadowy, humanoid figure began to come into focus. Soon, Liza’s whole body had entered, however, before she could go further…

[Clack!][Clack!]

Fate: “Don’t…*huff*...talk...to me!”

A fatigued and hoarse voice caused her to stop dead in her tracks, startled, as she shook in surprise. She immediately began to think if she had somehow upset him, while listening to the ever slowing clacking ring throughout the room.

[...Clack!][...Clack!]

Fate: “Why…*huff*...*huff*...won’t you…*huff*...give up? I…*huff*...could do...this…*huff*...all day!”

Liza now realized that Fate’s words weren’t directed at him, rather, at least she assumed, they seemed to be directed at whatever was causing that sound…

[...Clack!]

She quickly resumed her approach, steadily tip-toeing towards Fate, whose shadowy visage quickly began to fade, as the light of the lantern now crept over his legs, revealing his pale skin. After cautiously creeping to Fate’s side, she was finally able to see him in his entirety, as well as the source of the now halted noise. 

He looked at her in shock, having seemingly not noticed her before, while she questioningly gazed towards his right hand, which appeared to be holding a small rock that had been somewhat worn down by repeated blows…

Liza’s gaze then lowered to what sat adjacent to the stone, an ornate bronze ring with a red gem at its center that looked as if it would become quite pretty with a little polish. However, the floor around it was a different story, as it was covered in stone fragments and it was indented in several spots. Liza’s gaze shifted back to Fate’s seemingly nervous eyes, which seemed to be slowly turning away from her.

She sighed…

Liza: “My lord, I can understand if you missed me or were simply attempting to release stress, but…”

Fate suddenly shuddered as the air around Liza became eerie and her hazel eyes grew dim, his shaking only intensifying as she reached for his shoulder…

Liza: “You need to maintain yourself, my lord!”

The hair-raising aura around her released almost instantly, her eyes had regained their color, and a frustrated glare now penetrated Fate’s vision. 

Fate: “M-maintain myself…?”

Nervously, he raised his eyebrow, prompting the frustrated Liza to lightly pinch the shoulder she had been reaching for, which caused Fate to lightly grunt in pain.

Liza: “Indeed, my lord, I’m sure that you had already noticed during our walk, but your injuries are not yet fully healed...Thus, you require rest!”

She puffed her cheeks as she stood in front of him, with her hands placed on her hips in exasperation. Fate felt his pride slowly crack at being talked down to, again, but tried not to let it show as he looked up at her frustrated face. 

He now felt his anger turning towards the ring, and by extension…

『Hahahaha!!!~ You’re getting scolded by a girl, and one of your own servants, no less!~ Not to mention that you still can’t hit me...hahahahaha!!!~』

Indeed, the reason for the numerous scratches and dents to the wooden floor was that Fate had been attempting to destroy the ring and his other self, with a rock, but had found not even a slight degree of success. 

Each time he had attacked it, it somehow infiltrated his mind, causing momentary lapses that caused his blows to miss. Fate had quickly surmised that it had some degree of control over him but kept up his assault in the hopes that whatever it was using to prevent him would force it to expend its energy, again, to no effect.

-F*** you, you stupid piece of antique jewelry!!! Go back to the dowager’s puzzle box and live out your...un-life with the rest of your haunted-ass kind!!!

Liza noticed Fate’s gaze had moved away from her, again, much to her further frustration, as she lowered both hands in front of his face and…

[Clap!]

Fate’s mind turned blank for an instant, his body unable to fall due to his position, yet still slumping into mush as his brain struggled with the sudden introduction of noise. However, he quickly recovered, shooting up like a bamboo sprout, prepared to shout like a madman for what his ears had just suffered.

Fate: “You…!!!”

Liza flinched at Fate’s enraged tone, feeling her stomach curl as she clenched her eyes shut, awaiting punishment for her imprudent actions...however, it didn’t come…

She waited longer, but she didn’t feel anything, and Fate’s voice had mysteriously trailed off. Liza slowly lifted her eyelids, only to see an evilly grinning Fate, with his now maddened gaze, once again, aimed at the ring on the floor. 

『Hey, still can’t hit me!~ Are you somehow going to erase the memories of the last who knows how long of fail and start all over again, because you can’t…!』

He now turned to her, his evil grin seemingly being suppressed into a somewhat broken smile. Fate placed his hand on her shoulder, causing shivers to run up her spine, though she didn’t attempt to flee…

Fate: “I’ll take that little outburst under advisement...but before we get to anything related to my physical wellbeing...can you possibly…?”

His gaze shifted back to the ring, which now sported a dim, yet increasingly frequently flickering light…

『Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare, you f***!!!』

Fate: “Destroy this little piece of scrap-copper?~”

Liza froze, attempting to comprehend the situation, to think of some reason that a lord would not punish a servant that dared to speak to them in such a brash manner, even if they had their master’s best interests at heart, and instead, would direct them to destroy a piece of their master’s property. It seemed mad, and given his expression, Fate could very well fit the bill.

Liza: “D-Destroy your property, my lord...?”

Fate: “Yes, please!~”

『Don’t listen to him, this man is insane, run away for your safety!』

Yet, despite the ring’s change of attitude and calls to Liza, she could not hear it, and thus, could only question the ring’s minor changes in appearance and her master’s request. However, an order was still an order, and so, Liza dragged her quivering body to the ring’s location, raising her shoe in preparation to stomp on it…

...

[Chapters completed this week: 3/7]