Arc 6. A seemingly endless loss
Road to a Hero:
Three Chances in Another World
Chapter 32. Nut up
Finally, after an hour and a half of walking, Gray makes it to Rupert's Gentlemen's Club. Standing right outside of the iron door, staring at the overgrown weeds in front of it, realizing he hadn’t remembered the passcode. Filled with stress, he rubs his eyes, which have some newly found bags, something that hasn’t been prevalent since he got into this world. In a moment of genius, he thinks to call upon Azaela to rummage through his memories and find the passcode. He forms a fist, placing it right in his palm, closes his eyes, and seeps deeply into his mind. As he falls into his mind, deep into his OD, finding it a mess. Not the black obvious with purple smoke like it once was, but it’s much worse. It’s boiling, filled with black flames, and instead of the room just being dark, it’s pitch black. Being almost impossible to see, all he can do is feel the flames get closer to him.
He closes his eyes, opening them to blast a blinding white light, illuminating the area. And doing this he’s horrified by what he sees. Large black tendrils swarm the flames, trying to put them out, but once they see Gray, they go to attack him. He attempts to run, but the ground swallows him up, fully consuming him with his OD. But in a second of hope, he sees a glowing red figure, like a ball of power that’s barely taken shape. It places its pulsating hand on his forehead, forcing him to fully delve into the spiritual state, causing a bright white light to shoot from his mount. Filled with fear and confusion, he’s hit with a barrage of images, altered ones. A war between unrecognizable forces, a clearing of a deep fog, the slaying of a black dragon, and the smile of a vampire, are all seen in first person. He’s then hit with his memory, watching as Rupert knocks on the top, two at the bottom, and on the right on the metal slip. His eyes stop glowing, and he finds himself standing outside of the door, drenched in sweat. He’s about to collapse, but he keeps his composure. He’s about to use a secret knock, but he watches as the metal slip opens, seeing Chester's eyes.
Chester: “Oh, you’re here early. I didn’t even know you knew the knock.”
Gray’s confused, mainly with the fact he hadn’t knocked on the door yet or had he? What happened in the few seconds he was unconscious, what’s wrong with his OD? Was it a dream, was it a premonition, was Azalea trying to take him over, or was he dying? All questions he’s forced to look away from to speak with Chester.
Gray: “Sorry, I didn’t know what time to show up.”
Gray hears Gray take a puff of his cigarette and then a small chuckle.
Chester: “It’s fine, you’re in your clothes. I can walk you through everything while we wait for Rupert, and it won’t be long, half an hour or so.”
Gray: “Alright then.”
Chester opens the door for Gray, letting him into the almost pitch-black hallway.
Gray: “What’s with this place being all dark.”
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Chester: “It’s so if that door is ever opened, you can’t see the false wall.”
Gray’s confused about what Chester means by the false wall, because the last time he was here, he couldn't see anything. But it’s easier to understand when Chester pushes in a brick on the wall, unlocking the door. So, he forces the door open, giving Gray a sight of the club without anybody in it. It’s like going to work on the morning shift, nothing’s set up and nobody’s there, it’s peaceful.
Chester pulls out a chair, sitting down while they wait.
Gray: “Where is he?”
Chester: “He’s on the train right now, he thought you’d be here a bit earlier. Why are you here so early?”
Gray: “I needed to get some fresh air, so I figured I’d get a head start.”
Chester finishes his cigarette, balling it up and placing it into an ashtray.
Chester: “You look a lot worse than the last time I saw you, you’re hair’s down, you got eye bags, and you’re all pale.”
Gray: “So you’re saying I’m almost on your level?”
Chester laughs, smacking his legs while doing so.
Chester: “I might be weaker than my brother, but I still have legs as strong as iron. Don’t make me show you how much they hurt.”
Gray steps up to Chester, putting his face in his face.
Gray: “I could put you in a grave without even trying.”
Chester pushes Gray away, standing up right after. He then pulls out another cigarette, lighting it with a flame crystal.
Chester: “You want one?”
Gray: “I’m good. I’ll just take a nap.”
Chester shrugs his shoulders and walks off, leaving Gray by himself. Gray sits down on the table and slowly drifts off to sleep. By the time he wakes up, Ruperts is just getting into the club, waving to him when he enters. Gray rubs his eyes, yawns, and gets up.
Gray: “I wanna talk to you before I kill that guy.”
Rupert: “I figured, I haven’t even told you how you’re gonna get there. So, what do ya wanna ask me?”
Gray pulls the chair out in front of him, using it to prop his leg up.
Gray: “Why should I do this, what do you get out of it? You already killed Dorothy, and I could take you out without much issue. I’ve got gods of war on my side, enough evidence to sick them on you, and Valatrocitus has fallen to a degree I could wage war and win without much issue.”
Rupert squints his eyes, but he’s honestly impressed. He takes out a cigar and tosses it to Gray, taking one out for himself as well.
Rupert: “Waging war might help me a bit. Our mutual friend Arthur went to me to make the guns, so I have a monopoly on them. For people without actual power, using a sword won’t do much, but a small cannon? That’ll close the gap, and every country will want em’.”
Gray: “So you sell to everyone? That’ll last for a bit until people just reverse-engineer them and make them for themselves. You’re always gonna go down.”
Rupert: “Depends on how long the war will last. So are you gonna do it or not? Do you want war, do you want it?”
They both glare longingly at each other, but Rupert calls Gray’s bluff.
Gray: “Tell me where Chezera is.”
Rupert: “Good dog.”
Gray bites his lip but doesn't do anything too heinous. He calms down and sits back down, preparing for Rupert to tell Gray what he needs to do. Rupert then places a white bird feather on the table, confusing Gray.
Rupert: “Alright, what you’re gonna do is simple. I’ll send you off in a carriage, and you’ll wait till you see him, and take him out. You’ll use the dagger, kill him with it, and use this feather to wipe his blood up with it.”
Gray: “So a straight-up assassination, got it.”
Gray stands up, takes the dagger from Rupert's hand, takes the feather, and begins walking over to the door to leave.
Gray: “Where’s the carriage gonna be?”
Rupert: “Right outside. So, you’re not gonna be all sad about killing that guy?”
Gray: “I gotta grow up sometime.”
Rupert smiles, sending a chill down Gray’s spine. Then, Gray begins walking towards the door, walking through it, and leaving the room, clutching his cursed charm as he does so.
End of Chapter Thirty-two