Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 5] Ch. 2 Reincarnated 'enemy'

Jules

(Eavesdropping)

"But after I turned Eight... things stopped going my way. I was stolen from my home. Sold off as an oddity. That's when I learned the truth of this world. One truth. The only way to gain power... is to take it." More muffled screams and I tried to avoid imagining what that psychopath was doing to his own henchman. I flattened myself against Perchwell's sternum while trying to make my already shrunken form even smaller.

"I created my own magic. I stole the power from stories, books, and the fantasies of my old world. Magic that would bring me above the rabble. In my rage I killed without reason, tortured for fun, and caused destruction wherever I wanted. But..."

The muffled screaming slowed, leaving sobs.

"... I grew bored. It was too easy. There were no challenges. That was until the Nightclaw and the Archangels." There was a sickening snap, more muffled pain. "I found someone from another world here, my world. Do you know how I figured it out?"

There was a long pause filled with only pitiful sobbing.

"There is no god." He said wickedly.

He began laughing.

"You look confused. So let me explain. This world has no Christians, no angels, no Archangels. I know... I checked. So when I discovered the Archangels and the Nightclaw, a light went off in my head. I'm not the only one here from another world. If that's the case then perhaps I'm not here to be a hero, I'm not here to gather a gaggle of girls, I didn't even meet a god to give me some kind of direction. No, no, no." He spoke like he was talking to a child.

The sobbing continued and then there were more muffled screams as I swear I heard the sound of bone breaking through skin and a horrendous screech of pain.

"This world is a game, an illusion. No, better yet, it's a book on a shelf. And I'm the only sane person here that can see it for what it is. A fairytale... a harem anime novel with animal-eared girls, elves, magic, and heroes. So many heroes. But if this were now a chose your own adventure story, then what I thought they needed most... were better villains." There was piercing cry of pain and panic and the smell of burning flesh threatened to make me gag.

"There is a formula to this kind of thing. Tropes to follow. Plot armor to keep it safe. The villains only ever want to destroy the world. I contest that they will always fail because it is in the formula, it's one of the rules. But not me, I am here to destroy something much more foundational, its plot armor. You see, I found another player. The harem protagonist, born to royalty and followed by a harem of pretty girls while doing impossible things. The only person worth contending with." He laughed and his words came out quicker.

"What's a greater challenge then facing the hero? What's more exciting than winning an unwinnable game? Especially, when I know all of his weaknesses. So I challenged him. I stole the Nightclaw right from under his nose and stole the peace that he had with his harem." He laughed again. "His face! His face when he began to blame himself for the death of that wolf boy. Everyone blames the bitch princess for scaring him away, but it was me! I stole his peace of mind and proved something very important!" He shouted triumphantly and then whispered to the point where I could barely here his next question. "Do you know what that is?"

The scared kidnapper must have shaken his head 'no' through the tears.

"That I could affect events and plot armor by interrupting the narrative. It's not about killing him, it's about distracting him and pulling him away from his own story. Over the years, I held his attention with our unseen war, our back and forth of strategy and intrigue. Our little chess game between the Nightclaw and the Archangels as we've completely altered the face of the land and the nature of this world, ironically sealing his fate. I'VE NEVER HAD SO MUCH FUN FUCKING WITH SOMEONE!" He laughed and shouted like a maniac.