PLANNED FUTURE

Lynne appeared midair, drifting downward slowly and landing on an empty patch of land, momentarily frozen. He suddenly shivered and crouched, his teeth clacking and his forehead breaking out in cold sweat.

“Holy shit that was terrifying!” he mumbled. “I nearly shat my pants!”

“… why’d you even tell him you know?” the child-like figure appeared next to him, sighing. “Especially if you were going to piss your pants due to fear.”

“Shut up! Let me have a moment of self-actualization that I survived that crap I dared to pull!” Lynne reprimanded, exhaling deeply as he got back onto his feet. “Honestly, when you told me he’s a False God, I was fairly certain you were just shitting with me. Judging from his reaction, though…”

“He’s a very old one at that,” the child said, his expression growing serious. “It’s rather amazing he managed to infiltrate human society that deeply.”

“Tell me about it,” Lynne said as the two began the casual stroll through a green-lit field of grass. “It’d be even more amazing if you could have pinpointed what exactly is he the God of.”

“Hey, you should feel lucky that I even managed to whiff out that much. It was actually partially due to you.”

“Hm?”

“You managed to rouse his aura slightly,” the child said. “Which is when I detected it.”

“He was rather impatient,” Lynne said, pondering out loud. “Looks like Y’se was right. This ‘war’ had much more of a metaphorical meaning than anything else.”

“Most wars at this level do,” the child said. “It’s very rare that clans engage in outright wars with masses of casualties. It’s usually just means of keeping one another in check.”

“That balance is scary,” Lynne said, creasing his brows. “It’s that level-headed distance they maintained that allowed him to do what he pleased in the first place. Besides, now that we know of him, we can’t exclude the possibility of others.”

“Yeah. Will you tell others?” the child asked.

“Not yet,” Lynne replied. “Regardless of whether I do or don’t, he’ll assume I did anyway. However, this information… it would change the balance far too abruptly.”

“Why’d you give him a warning then? It probably won’t be just probing attack anymore.”

“That’s what I was aiming for,” Lynne said; a moment later, light flashed as the Spirit appeared on the other side of him. “In essence, both sides merely want to see just how many Divine Mages are in the play at the moment, while also keeping an eye out for the third parties. However, it was abrupt,” Lynne elaborated. “Y’se’s ascension forced their hand, meaning that they’d have liked to keep the current balance for a bit longer. However, they were forced to at least put up a front, while also trying to probe out our true strength.”

“… so your aim was to further disrupt their plans?” the Spirit asked.

“Not exactly,” Lynne said. “In the end, this battle won’t make much difference. At best, only Y’se and that Patriarch will participate when Divine Mages are considered. Neither side is willing to show their hand this early on. However, they won’t be as lax about it anymore, especially if there are other False Gods in their alliance of Clans. There’s even a chance I’m actually wrong, and that this battle will signal a World-wide conflict to spur. However, I still feel it’s a bit early for that.”

“In the end, you just wanted to provoke them into a more open battle?” the Spirit said, pondering for a moment. “Is that even beneficial to us?”

“It’s also to create disruption in ranks,” Lynne said. “I stirred Yunchi and him for different reasons; neither can truly confide into another so, during their battle, their aims should differ. Yunchi will no doubt aim for me and my dad, while Patriarch will probably look for those stronger than me, fearing I might have shared the knowledge. That will, in turn, create discord in goals. In the end, all their battle plans will have been for naught, and they’ll be forced to improvise.”

“… do you really think just some casual words can cause such a rift between a Clan?” the child asked, doubtful. “If they were that easy to fool, they wouldn’t be standing where they do today.”

“Of course not,” Lynne shook his head. “But, it won’t be just their Clan. And, it’s not just casual words; I played off of their heart’s insecurities and demons. I needed to spark an ignition of necessity not only within them, but everyone else. Now that I know that Hyorn’s Patriarch is a False God, which opened the possibility of other False God in Clans, the reality that they had managed to fool the Source itself of their plans has gotten more realistic. Because of it, I can’t just bide my time anymore. Not even just from their side, but our own too. I don’t feel as though this war will be one of attrition.”

“What makes you say that?” the Spirit asked. “All World Wars throughout the history lasted for centuries, if not millenniums. Even if you want the quick conflict, it’s largely impossible due to the sheer number of Divine Mages involved.”

“It’s different,” the child suddenly said, as if he had realized something. “You’re not looking for spread out conflicts, but condensed ones? Wait, you’re trying to mark yourself?!”

“On point!” Lynne exclaimed, winking.

“… yup, you’re insane.” the Spirit said, sighing.

“It’s pain in the ass knowing that conflicts would erect in any one of the known realms,” Lynne said, sighing dejectedly. “It makes it nearly impossible to properly plan the course of action. However, if I know beforehand where the conflicts will arise, it’s much easier.”

“Still… you think this will be enough?” the child asked.

“No, not just yet,” Lynne said. “I’m far too weak to become central focus of the entire war. However, I’m in a unique position; I’ve already began spreading rumors of my two Bloodlines, and when our side sees just how focused Hyordians and others are on me, they won’t be able to ignore me.”

“That’s under the assumption that they’ll focus on you.” the Spirit said.

“Well, yeah, it’s a gamble,” Lynne said casually. “But it’s a calculated one. I’ve entered the picture far too late to make any noteworthy changes unless I do something out of expectation, for both sides.”

“… why do you even want to enter the picture? You could have easily hidden yourself until you’ve gotten stronger.”

“There’s no time,” Lynne said. “Ryuuk will awaken in less than two years’ time, and I heard that our friend in the far North had managed to escape the pursuit and is currently in the hiding. I have a sneaking suspicion he’ll show up during the Ryuuk’s escape. After this battle, I have a feeling that escape will mark the true start of the World War.”

“… it’s just one True Dragon. I doubt it will be enough to spark the war. Unless you’ve got something else planned?” the Spirit asked, smiling oddly.

“When you get to the bottom of it, what’s even the cause of this conflict?” Lynne asked.

“… differences? Manipulation?” the Spirit proposed.

“… history.” the child said calmly.

“History! Exactly!” Lynne said. “From what I learned while reading the books in the Tower, if we generalize it broadly, there have always been three sides: False Gods, Primal Beasts and Humans. In the end, all three have always been in conflict, one way or another, with alliances being made left and right between either of the three. Whenever one side would rise to abrupt prominence, other two would join hands to suppress it. So, who’s rising in prominence now?”

“… humans.” the child said, frowning. “But…”

“You’ve noticed?” Lynne smiled innocently. “False Gods also appear divided, while Primal Beasts are uniting with other humans. I think it’s because they are privy to information I lack at the moment: the ultimate goal behind the ploy of whoever’s behind this. In the records, it is stated that Creation and Time are only theorized existences, and have never been confirmed. However, they have managed to confirm it, even if they are unaware of it.”

“… because of you.” the Spirit said.

“Yes,” Lynne nodded; the background swiftly changed from the open field to a narrow valley, causing them to slowly walk through the shade. “I know that Creation and Time exist, but I think they actually exist outside our dimension.”

“What do you mean?”

“… I mean, no matter how much you try,” Lynne said. “You can’t actually influence either. Whereas with other Laws, it’s possible, however little. For instance, it’s impossible to create something out of nothing; when Mages fire off spells, we draw out Mana and convert it into whatever it is we’re casting. However, we can’t just will something into existence, right?”

“Right.”

“The same is with Time. It’s impossible to do anything with it outside temporary freezing it in a small, secluded space. It’s a constant, as is Creation. That’s why I think their Origin exists outside of our dimension, making it impossible for us to influence it.”

“Do you think they’re trying to break into that dimension?” the Spirit asked.

“I can’t say,” Lynne replied honestly. “However, what I can say is that their plans have been slightly foiled. It’s clear that there are far more interested parties here than just our two. However, they didn’t want to arouse suspicion of others, which is why they kept the status quo for so long. Arousing the Patriarch’s suspicion like that not only sped up this conflict, but their general plans as well. As a latecomer, I need to inform myself directly of who’s at play here; rather, I just need to learn who’s pulling the strings.”

“… that’s rather complicated.” the child sighed after short silence. “Wouldn’t it be easier to take it step by step? After all, you’re still far vulnerable.”

“Ha ha, don’t worry about that,” Lynne laughed loudly as he spoke. “Do I look like a wimp who’s easy to take out.”

“Kind of.”

“Hey!” Lynne cried out. “Khm, anyway, what I lack in strength, I must compensate with knowledge. However, that’s impossible when every party involved is acting so passive. That’s why I have to stir conflicts – with my own actions. So, when they look back...”

“… they’ll realize it’s you who started it, making it so they’ll start paying attention to you…” the Spirit added.

“… which, in turn, will make you the central focus of the conflict.” the child concluded.

“Yeah, besides, you’ve heard the monkey,” Lynne said, frowning. “He discovered actual dimensional pockets – at least residue of them – strewn all about the Eastern Wastelands. I wonder if he’s managed to find a functional one and explored it yet…”

“What do you think they’re used for?” the child asked.

“Eh? No clue. However, you were right in this part: step by step. I already have slight advantaged in knowledge over the Hyorn Clan, and even our own side. The question is now whether False Gods reside on our side or not. If they are…”

“… it complicates things even further. Seriously, this world is fucked.” the Spirit complained.

“Eh, it’s not too bad,” Lynne said, sighing. “Ever since I was a kid, whether I liked it or not, dad drilled the army strategies into my head, and general operations during a war. On my own, I slowly learned human’s nature, how they react to certain changes and events, and how to stir them up easily. In the end, neither Primal Beasts nor False Gods are the drivers of this conflict: it’s humans. And humans are rather fickle creatures…”

“… wait. So that’s what you meant when you said you’ll be throwing yourself into the fire.” the Spirit exclaimed as he understood something.

“Yup.”

“… ho ho, Thalia will be pissed when she finds out.” the child said.

“You think so?” Lynne smiled, looking at the direction of the Tower. “I think she’ll be rather impressed by the size of my balls.”

“… you may understand humans, but you sure don’t understand women.” the Spirit said.

“You may be—wait, when did the women stop being human?! Apologize to every woman out there right now!”

“You actually followed the flow for a moment there.”

“And I apologize for it! I apologize for befriending two terrible creatures!”

“…” Whether she’ll be pissed or impressed, the child thought, glancing at Lynne. If anyone actually learned about your plans, they’d probably shove a knife through your throat. Looks like I really wasn’t wrong in choosing you. Heh, this is sure to become really, really, really fun it seems…

The trio continued to bicker for a while as the sun in the sky disappeared, replaced by a crescent moon. The starless sky, shrouded in stormy clouds, sung its tune in silence, while the rest of the world waited, fidgeting over the things to come.