He Who Fights With Monsters 8 (He Who Fights with Monsters, #8)

by Shirtaloon

I am just some guy this time, Carlos. I’m not the guy, which is a refreshing change. I loved the idea of being the hero right up until I was.”

He wasn’t in a place; he was in a territory. It belonged to someone on a level deeper than he could fathom and he had made that person it belonged to angry.

“You’ve helped enough,” Shade said. “You took a man who has already paid the price for giving more than he had and you told him to give even more. Mr Asano has been working with Madam Remore to recover from living up to the responsibilities he took on when no one else would. It is unbecoming of a clergyman of the Healer to undo her work.”

“You aren’t expected to be perfect, Carlos.” “I hurt a man I was there to help because I was pushing him to help me kill, whatever I might have told him. And myself. What kind of a priest does that make me?” “A human one. The power you wield might have changed you, Carlos, but you are still a mortal man.

“He’s a good man, but he gets caught up in looking to the future. If he sees a way to do good tomorrow, he sometimes overlooks the pain it takes today to get there.”

“I know he’s trying to do what’s right. I also know how easy it is to convince yourself that you know what’s right better than everyone else. I’ve hurt people making that mistake as well.”

“I’m assuming the hell at the end of this road you mentioned is not a good destination.” “It does have all the good music,”

“Do you think she’ll be cranky that I ate the magic bridge?” “She gave you an object of great power and you used it to do something absurd, Mr Asano. If she failed to anticipate that by this stage, the shortcoming is hers.” “That’s certainly true, but what I asked is if she’ll be cranky.” “Yes, Mr Asano. I do believe she will.”

“Pain’s been a companion longer than you have, Neil. I like you more.” “Oh, you find me to be a better companion than excruciating pain. That’s very gratifying.” “Oh, definitely,” Jason said. “You’re in the top twenty for sure.”

but we both know the inferences you conjure up are more deadly than the swords Humphrey does.”

“I hate to break it to you Shade, but not for my current rank is kind of my thing.”

I’m a little concerned that Colin and Gordon jumped in so quickly. I didn’t have the chance to discuss it with them.” “They are young. Headstrong, like you. Loyal at any cost. Also like you.”

With everything you’ve done, you’ve earned more gratitude than I’ll ever be able to pay back. Even if you choose to not return, the next time I summon a vessel, that’s okay. You’ll still be my friend and that’s the only expectation I have of you.”

“You do not have to pay me back for any gratitude you feel, Mr Asano. Friends do not count favours.”

“Mr Asano, you obtained an astral throne and an astral gate in the middle of attempting to not explode. Not only is that utterly absurd, even by your standards, but you will come to understand how ominous your gaining them truly is.”

“Jason, what did you do?” “That same thing I always do! I almost got killed, weird stuff happened and now I have to deal with it to save the world.”

Still, you have a plan, right? I mean, I could make a plan, but you've probably heard about my plans. It's usually a two-steps-forward-one-step-back scenario. And the last step is onto a landmine.”

“I have to deal with the Builder, Dawn. I have to handle the messengers and I have to save the world. Again. And that’s okay. Interdimensional heroics are kind of my thing.”

“It’s just one thing now, and you went and ruined it. That shouldn’t even be possible, but if only one lunatic will find a way, you’re the lunatic for the job.” “I’m a trendsetter.” “You’re suicidal.” “I am not suicidal. I don’t try to get myself killed. It just kind of happens.”

“He didn’t send me to kill you this time either, Asano,” Shako said. “But let’s see where the day takes us.”

“You are breathtakingly presumptuous,” Shako told Jason. “Of course I am,” Jason told him. “Have you not been paying attention?”

“I’m sick of being a meeple in the board game for sky wizards.”

“Forever is a long time, Shako. In the scale of the cosmos, we are no less children than Jason. That is why he and I can be friends. He is very good at showing you the joys of the short-lived.”

“You know this is why powerful people keep dragging you into things, right? It’s not that you do things others can’t, but things they won’t.

“I’ve warned you that you can’t win the fight to come. That you’ve already lost. Doing anything about the aftermath is impossible.” Her smile widened as she snorted a soft laugh. “But I’ve watched you do the impossible before, Jason. You’re already like nothing I’ve ever seen.

You have no chance to succeed at what lies ahead of you, Jason. But I want you to anyway. I have no idea how you can, but that’s your area. The best I can do is give you the chance to figure it out for yourself.”

“Whatever you and I have going on, serving you means a lot to her and I respect that.” “You don’t need to ply me with sentiment, Asano. I don’t care about your feelings.” “But Dawn does, and of the two of you, she’s the one I actually care about.”

“She became more attached to you than anticipated. I thank you for reminding her of her mortality.” “You’re welcome. But while she and I are friends, you and I have an arrangement predicated on mutual benefits and shared agendas.”

“I know this authority matters to you and I mean nothing. But it goes the same way back: I don’t care about it beyond using it to get what I want. And if what I want is to thank my friend, I will. I don’t need his full measure. If Shade wants to take this authority, bunk off and leave an intern in his place, that’s fine. He’ll still be my friend, and with the friend he’s been to me, he more than deserves it.”

“The things that make you useful also make you trouble.” “I think you just titled my memoir.” “Or your epitaph.” “It’s a good line, either way.

If a mountain climber’s shoes are untied, that doesn’t matter to the mountain.”

“Bonkers?” “Bananas. Fruit loops. Too many dips into the nut bag. Why are all these euphemisms for being crazy food? Do we have any of those fritters left?”

“So, this is the mortal the World-Phoenix chose for you. He’s a bit of an oddity, but I suppose he’d have to be. It would not give you anyone ordinary.”

“Relationships based around mutual benefits are exhausting. I like friendship. And trust.”

“You have a domineering collection of familiars for such an affable man, Jason Asano. Perhaps destiny knew you would need them.” “Please tell me destiny isn’t some other great astral being I’ll have to deal with.” Carmen laughed again. “Thankfully not.”

“I do hope you survive to grow up, Jason Asano. I look forward to meeting you again at that time. As for you, Dawn, don’t dally too long. Coming to grips with your mortality is important, but so is letting it go.”

“I have to say, Mr Asano, today was a genuine treat for me. It’s a delight having you back.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to oppress?” he asked Dominion. “I don’t oppress,” Dominion said. “I’m just oppression-friendly.”

“You think you’re so important that gods will start just turning up?” Jason gave him a flat look. “Point taken,” he said, with no sign of shame. “It’s a little rude, but fine.”

I was talking to Dawn and—” “Oh, that’s how it is,” Farrah said. “No,” Jason denied firmly. “That’s not how it is.” “It’s a little bit how it is,” Dawn said. “That’s not helping.”

When a person has that kind of power in their hands, they could do terrible, unbelievable things. It’s intoxicating to feel like a god, but I’m not a god and I don’t want to be. I felt the damage I could do and I’ve made mistakes before. Messing up with that kind of power… it shouldn’t be in my hands.

“Well, we named our days after gods. The gods are real here and probably frown on that kind of thing. I don’t think Dominion would go along with it unless most of the days were named after him, so they probably cut their losses.”

But maybe wait until you’ve recovered from the last time you wrecked yourself channelling weird super-magic before doing it again.” “That sounds like good advice, bro.” “I’ll take it under consideration.”

But as he convalesced, he had a lot of time to think. He had decided that it was time to stop waiting for his life to be anything other than a chain of events that pushed him to the brink. It was time to stop letting the cosmos break him and break it right back instead.

“Maybe I’m growing as a person?” “That would be very welcome, Mr Asano,” Shade’s voice came from Jason’s shadow. “You say that like you don’t think it happened.” “Mr Asano, there is a fireman’s pole running the entire height of the pagoda.” “I said personal growth, Shade. I didn’t say anything about maturity.”

“When it comes to Jason, you’ll find that the very serious and the very silly go hand-in-hand.”

“Meaning rich pricks with an agenda,” Jason said. “You’re a rich prick with an agenda,” Farrah pointed out. “My agenda is primarily sandwich-related. It doesn’t count.”

“But I’m past the days of randomly making trouble to see what I can stir up.” “You stole a nuclear weapon.” “Not for laughs. Now, when I make trouble, it’s deliberate because I know what I’m trying to stir up.”

You’re the weak link because no one cares if you get angry, so long as the people around you don’t.” “Yeah, I’ve seen that pattern before,” Farrah said. “I imagine they’ll have to learn why that’s a mistake the hard way.”

“They don’t care about answers,” Jason said. “They care about power.