He Who Fights With Monsters 7 (He Who Fights with Monsters, #7)

by Shirtaloon

“Jason’s world held many secrets. On returning, he found himself with responsibilities that someone of his rank should not have had to shoulder. Enemies whose power utterly dwarfed his own.” “No change there, then,” Jory muttered. “Still picking fights he can’t win.” “I never said he didn’t win,”

“If you'd mustered up some courage any time in the last two years then she wouldn't have been stuck between a ghost and a coward. Now the ghost is coming back, so it's time to give it up or rummage around those fancy pants and see if you can't dig out some balls.”

“The thing about death,” Belinda said, “is that we don’t look back at things the way they were. We tell ourselves stories and pretend that they're memories. After a while, we forget that they aren't.”

Be who you are. Make sure you’re chasing what you want and not what you think you should want. That will only hurt everyone, yourself most of all.”

Jason, being Jason, heard ‘stupidly powerful,’ immediately decided to annoy it and blew up its magic thing. Now the monster surge is back on, with a bonus invasion, and Jason’s coming here to probably get us all killed.”

“Oh, great,” Neil said. “Sounds like Jason’s time away gave him the humility he so badly needed.”

“You're not Luke Skywalker,” Farrah called out from her lounger. “Shut up,” he said, continuing his sword dance uninterrupted. “Anakin, maybe. Prequels, not Clone Wars.” Jason stumbled. “That’s just low,” he muttered as she laughed.

“On the bright side,” Gary said, “this means Jason and Farrah are either here or will be soon, right?”

“I got to be a famous superhero and it turned out to suck.

“You don’t seriously think you can avoid being caught up in the Builder invasion, right?” “A bloke can dream, can’t he?” “Even if you can,” she said, “you’re still you.”

“I need to stop spending time with you people,” Jory complained. “I only ever get in fights when you’re around.”

“You don’t feel any need to defend your lady?” “She can take care of herself,” Jory said. “If she wants my help, she’ll ask. She’s not shy.”

“I wish Gary was here. We could bet on how many hours it takes for a gold-ranker to punt you into the ocean.” “I can be respectful.” “A conclusion based on what evidence?” “That’s a little hurtful.”

“Knowing her, she’d probably say something about being the Goddess of Knowledge and not the Goddess of Solid Deductions Made on the Basis of Reasonable Evidence.”

Humphrey had been the driving force in building a comprehensive tactical and strategic doctrine. Jason had been the driving force behind the names.

“Oh, yeah. I’m still getting into that magic mindset.” He flashed her a grin. “It’s good to be back.”

“I’ll do my best.” “Could you strive for my best?” Farrah asked. “It’s just that, you know… I’ve seen your best.”

“I have enough regrets that I don’t need to borrow ones I didn’t earn.”

No Network alternately trying to kidnap me or leech off me. No gold-rankers hunting me down. Just good old-fashioned adventuring.”

“It does feel like he takes after Jason more than me,” Humphrey said. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

“That’s because Jason’s the fun uncle and you’re stuck being the responsible dad. You need to impress the little guy.”

“On my world, you followed my lead. Now we’re back on yours, it only makes sense for you to be in charge.”

“We've both been separated from our teams for some time. There may be some issues with our records since we are both likely to have our status listed as deceased.” “Why is that?” Vidal asked, not looking up as he took notes. “Because we died,” Farrah said.

Jason roaming around of his own volition will do more to hurt the Builder than anything the Adventure Society can dream up, I can promise you that.”

“Jason has earned my help,” Dawn said. “Both with the sacrifices he has made and the sacrifices to come.”

“Just because you can do something doesn’t make it a good idea. How about instead of transforming yourself, you just act like a sensible person?”

“I can be self-aware. Eventually.”

acting like a sensible person makes for a better disguise than turning yourself into a creepy sleaze.

“I am fully aware of your concerns. You used to be more polite, Mr Remore.”

“I serve the Goddess of Knowledge, Mr Remore, not the goddess of assumptions. If I told you that Jason Asano was alive and I was wrong, how would you feel about that? And as for Miss Hurin, that came as a surprise to even the goddess.”

“Even though she already knows my gratitude, please convey my thanks to your goddess, Priestess Pellin.”

“My goddess only told me that it is your secret to share or—and she wished to voice her strong preference on this—not to share.”

“Our definition of everywhere,” Farrah said, “is more expansive than what you're thinking of.”

She instructed me specifically to ask that you to be more careful, Mr Asano. She may not know the details, but she is aware that death is becoming an unfortunate habit for you.”

“Don’t make a spectacle of yourself,” Jason said. “We’ll tell you about it later.” “We really need to get to later,”

“Jason had to step up and face challenges that people of our rank shouldn’t have to. His family supported him, but they weren’t ready to accept the steps he had to take to keep his world safe. What he had to become to take them, and the sacrifices along the way.”

“I would say that unevidenced conjecture that impugns the reputation of a group of people who are objectively heroic for the very thing that makes them heroes is unbecoming of someone representing an organisation like the Adventure Society. Further, I would say that, on a personal level, you were a petty, bitter and envious little person who does not deserve the seat you are sitting in. If you were to put it to me.”

“You aren’t painting yourself in a good light, Mr Asano.” “That’s kind of my thing too. I’m coming to realise it’s something I’ll just have to accept about myself.”

My friend told me that I should just be myself, which is probably a good lesson for all of us.”

“Well, I was coming back from the dead myself, so not bringing her with me would have been rude.”

“Then why don’t you tell me something I don’t know, Mr Asano?” “Because I’m not going to start satisfying your curiosity when you haven’t even told me your name.” “Most people show gold-rankers more respect.” “When all I’ve received is suspicion and rudeness? I’m here so you can determine if I’m a Builder puppet. I haven’t been proven one yet.”

“Sure thing, Farrah,” she said to Jason. “I'm going to lay low and not make a fuss. Nice and quiet, that'll be me.” “I told the guy to use a less powerful projection ritual,” Jason said. “Have you found these people to be great listeners?”

Each of those was from a different great astral being. They’re relatively common from the Reaper and the Celestial Book, but the World-Phoenix, not so much. As for the Legion and the All-Devouring Eye? The last I heard, they didn’t hand out blessings.”

“You can eat spirit coins if you like,” Farrah told him. “I’ve lived in the land of refined sugar.”

“That is sufficient confirmation that the diamond-rank coin was looted by a silver-rank essence user.” “I was actually bronze at the time, but I suppose you can’t check that.”

Also, the boy was absurd.” “Perhaps he’s matured.” “He’s dead.” “He didn’t strike me as the sort to let that stop him.”

“Silver, but his aura is quite remarkable. Death is not the only trial the boy has faced.”

“but one should not wager everything on hope. Some people are simply ill-suited to remaining unremarkable.”

“The lady of stone and fire has returned to the path? How did this come to be?” “Not sure how, exactly. I’ve got this friend whose disregard for the rules apparently extends to the laws of life and death. I’d say it’d get him into trouble, but, from what I hear, he’s running out of kinds of trouble to get into.”

“That guy sold out his family, his world and his soul in that order. Now some monster is out there somewhere, using his body as a meat suit. There’s only ill to speak.”