Jacob: “Still though, although you didn’t manage to escape undamaged, it was a brilliant display!”

 

Fate was forced to listen to Jacob singing his praises for what seemed like forever, growing more and more embarrassed as the conversation continued on. However, though he was embarrassed, he was truly happy to receive adulation, even if it was from someone who had pushed him to the brink of death just moments ago.

 

Though his fate seemed uncertain, Fate continued to ease up and relax as Jacob droned on with his praises. Eventually, Jacob seemed to have finished with his speech and quickly fixed his expression. 

 

He seemed to have resumed his stately visage, but traces of his excited smile still lingered. 

 

Jacob: “Ahem! I truly apologize for my unsightly behavior just now, young master. However, I was truly ecstatic that you were indeed every bit as capable as I believed you to be.”

 

Even though his excited smile had mostly dimmed, there were still traces of it in his eyes. He now wore a bemused expression, cupping his chin with his fingers while stroking it. 

 

Fate: “...I-is that...so?”

 

For a moment, Fate swore that he could see a sinister glint in Jacob’s excited gaze, but couldn’t focus on it due to the pain he was feeling from his injuries.

 

His legs were egregiously injured, accounting for most of the blood and puss on the floor. This, coupled with the fact that a good deal of skin on face and arms was already burnt was causing him to suffer a great deal.

 

Jacob: “Quite so, young master. In fact, I had almost given up hope on attempting to draw out your abilities with such a simple method as a near-death experience. My next choice method if this plan did not carry through would have been, dare I say, quite unsightly...”

 

Fate had only just started to relax, but with just one chilling comment from Jacob, all the hairs on his body stood on end again…

 

He attempted to calm himself down, yet was stunted in his ambitions by some strange twinge of curiosity…

 

-What kind of plan...could he have possibly thought was... more ‘unsightly’ compared... to electrocuting and almost murdering...me?

 

He continued to inwardly voice his fear-filled curiosities, despite it becoming harder to think over the pain. Jacob seemed to take notice of this, prompting him to produce a small bottle from his pocket, which he uncorked and motioned for Fate to drink it.

However, Fate wasn’t simply going to accept a mysterious liquid from a man who had nearly killed him and confessed that this wasn’t even the worst plan he could think of. He adamantly refused the bottle, flailing his head and causing some of the liquid within to spill onto the wound on his face.

 

In the instant, after the liquid had touched his face, he could feel heat spreading throughout his skin, but it didn’t seem to be painful. A puff of reddish smoke began to flow out of the wound while the skin where the smoke was emitting from began to mend itself.

 

 After a few moments of odd, tingling sensations, Fate felt not a single trace of the discomfort, despite the pain he had been in mere moments ago.

 

-Holy...f*ck! T-this can’t be real, right?! A few drops got on my face and suddenly, I’m fine with no injuries or pain to speak of?!

 

It seemed to be so, however, the injuries on his arms and legs still remained so how he could not feel pain was a mystery...or it could even have been said to be a miracle. Either way, Jacob gave Fate a smirk that seemed to say ‘there, it’s fine, now will you stop being such a baby?’ 

 

Fate now reluctantly opened his mouth and allowed the liquid to fill his dry throat. It felt as if someone had lifted the gates of a damn in a blazing desert, reveling in the sensation of renewal that permeated through his flesh.

 

-W-woah! This...this feels amazing! It’s like every cell in my body is fizzing up like a soda! I probably could have phrased that better...but still, holy sh*t!

 

Within a minute of the liquid having passed his lips, the burnt skin on his arms cracked and flaked away, revealing fresh, new healthy skin and the gashes on his legs seemed to close themselves like they were zippers. 

 

He couldn’t hide his amazement at what had just happened, moving every joint in his body to make sure he wasn’t dreaming while Jacob simply chuckled. However, Fate soon realized that he was behaving immaturely and immediately resuming his cautious expression.

 

Jacob: “It seems that you will still attempt to act beyond your years, but you do not need to be embarrassed about mere shock. I was just as astounded as you, perhaps even more, when I first used a high-grade potion...Ah, memories.”

 

Jacob now wore a nostalgic expression, while gazing off into space as if he was watching his memories play out on the far wall. 

 

Fate now felt some displeasure sweep over him…

 

-A high-grade potion!? I haven’t played enough games with potion tiers to guess perfectly, but these things must be insanely expensive, right?!

 

This displeasure stemmed from his own self-worth. It was clear that a potion that was able to allow someone to recover as fast as the one he drank had was extremely useful and thus, extremely valuable. Yet Fate felt that there was nothing of value he held that could be worth such a price…

 

Jacob: “I imagine that I felt the same as you do now, questioning what worth you hold that could be worth something that could potentially save the life of another. I know that I asked the question...and the response I received and the response I shall convey to you is…”

 

-Was…?!

 

Jacob: “Because the value of your life has no worth, not until I have given it such. However, I have a question to ask before I elaborate on what I mean...”

 

This response shocked Fate, but it seemed rather childish. It almost sounded like he was saying that ‘you are worthless unless I say you aren’t.’ Jacob noticed the dullness in Fate’s shocked eyes and put a hand on his shoulder to snap him out of it. He then began to speak with a sinister smile...

 

Jacob: “If I told you that the other plan I had was to kill the young miss, Liza, what would you have done?”

 

The that had clouded Fate’s mind immediately became a tumultuous sea of guilt and rage that boiled within his stomach, making it feel as if his soul had been set ablaze! He instantly generated a burst of flames within his palm and coated his fist with it, swinging it towards Jacob with all the energy he could muster!

 

The flaming fist impacted, creating a small burst of flames that spread across the floor! However, Fate wasn’t done and without thinking of his mana or the disparity between their abilities, coated his other fist in blue mana and launched it, like the one before it, at Jacob! 

 

The thin layer of mana began to squirm and dissipate after Fate had launched his attack, but once it collided with a mere sliver of the flames, it burst into an explosion that engulfed the area that their bodies occupied in flames!

 

 Flames and smoke replaced the sight of Jacob and Fate but soon began to dissipate, revealing both of them to be completely intact. Fate grimaced and gnashed his teeth together in fury, while Jacob nonchalantly brushed the soot off his suit…

 

Jacob: “...Young master, I’ve only just gotten myself dusted off, please do not force me to do so again…”

 

-Dammit! Why... the hell did... I do something so stupid?! More importantly...why the...f*ck...didn’t it…!? Oh...that took a lot...more out...of me...than I...thought!

 

The reason the mana layering that he had coated his fist with had begun to break down was that he had already exhausted his mana supply just generating it. He had already used a great deal of his mana to take control of the needles and create the explosion that blew him away from the incoming attack, but now he had blasted Jacob with flames and attempted a combination that he was unfamiliar with!

 

Jacob: “Still, it is quite surprising that you reacted so strongly to such a weak provocation...It seems that you’ve actually formed a connection with her. How deep must it be for you to completely exhaust yourself and attempt a suicide attack?”

 

Indeed, the explosion had been quite large and, though Fate’s injuries had been healed, he was in no state to make an escape. If one looked close enough, they could see the purple flakes of mana that had once belonged to a construct.

 

This construct had been a mesh net of thin strings of mana that wrapped around Jacob and Fate, shielding both of them, though mostly Fate, from the explosion. If Jacob hadn’t produced this guard, then Fate would presumably have died in that instant…

 

-Why...did I almost…?

 

Jacob: “Regardless, it seems that I now have something to use against you, should the need ever arise...However, I hope you do not mistake this idle chatter of mine for my true intention in meeting you here today.”

 

True, it wouldn’t make sense for Jacob to take a dig at Fate when he already had him at his mercy, nor did it make sense for him to take such care in keeping him alive. Moreover, Jacob had not even informed Fate’s mother of his actions…

 

Fate: “...W-wh...what...do you...want from me…?”

 

Jacob: “All in due time, young master. However, first I shall need to take you to be healed. After all, though I did block the explosion, I certainly did not prevent your hands from burning...As for the questioning of your abilities and my proposition, they can wait until you are well enough to speak to me coherently. Now, please rest, young master.”

 

As soon as Jacob spoke those words, Fate collapsed, being snatched up by Jacob before he could collide with the ground. He decided that he would return later to erase the signs of the battle and proceeded to carry the unconscious Fate with him, out of the room...