Project Schemer: A Pure and Twisted Thought

Chapter 9: Façade

"So, you use something that is not even used when you defeat her. I'm honored."

"Why are we doing this?"

"Because what you're going to do, that is not going to indulge me."

"Understandable."

The world is a battle between them. With the new form of the clock hand blade, Thomas could easily avoid the smoke cloud and retaliate, but D'artenge is not someone who can be defeated. Both of them are swift and careful, so there is no reason why there should be one of them to approach first. D'artenge with his poison smoke and Thomas with his clock hand blade, two of them playing a game of catch with no one winning or losing. And D'artenge knows he can win, but this will require a lot of planning in a short time. But this time, D'artenge doesn't have time on his side because he can't focus on anything but avoid deadly attacks from Thomas as the clock hand blade shoots countless clock hand arrows toward his place.

Thomas's arrows break right through D'artenge's smoke cloud. Thomas uses his power and changes D'artenge's smoke cloud direction and uses it to fight against him. But the moment Thomas thought he would win, inside D'artenge's mind was something else. In his mind, he thinks about the future when his friend kills them and he can't feel anything. That feeling of emptiness and the insatiable desire, the road he walked, all of them will have no meaning and that is the moment D'artenge is no longer D'artenge but a hollow husk of a clown.

And that feeling doesn't help anything but drive him mad.

"I will fight for my desire. And I won't let you get in my way. A quick death. What a joke. I will not let you win until I let them squirm on their own dying breath. So you, the silent saint, you should stand back before I want to kill a god. Not like you are the first."

And like how determination fills a person with purpose, inside D'artenge is determination, hatred and scorn. And in front of Thomas is no longer D'artenge. Even the great rulers in the past couldn't be used to comparing D'artenge with them. Filled with madness, with a desire to bring misery, D'artenge became the embodiment of his own desire with the pair of gloves changed before his eyes, but this one is different, the pair never shown in front of Thomas's eyes. D'artenge smiles with a gentle expression and in the end, he smiles and just uses very simple words to describe the gloves.

"Witness this silent saint, this is what ended an era."

The era of Central doesn't end with an execution, because Thomas knows that will be too kind. The last era ends with a plague bringing nothing but agony to the centre and the old rulers must be on their knees to beg for the execution from Thomas, but even the execution is just a symbol, because D'artenge didn't allow anyone to reach the palace as he surrounded it with a cloud of a plague and disease that bring anything to an agonizing end. Mercy is a luxury to anyone who dares to fight against D'artenge.

"So, silent saint, one last chance. If you yield, I will not let you endure the process of suffering... Very well."

It's no longer the fight between Thomas and D'artenge. This is the second time they fought like this. This is the battle between the silent saint and the parade of the plague, the silent resort no longer around them as the world around them changed. Thomas launches countless arrows at D'artenge, but upon contact with the barrier, the arrows slowly corrode and turn into nothing but a few specks of bright dust. And the moment the torrent of arrows ends, the swirl of smoke slowly expands and, eventually, Thomas is overwhelmed.

"I'm sorry, Thomas. I am sorry because I have to become like this. I am sorry for filling myself with scorn and malevolence. But now, everything is going in my way, I tolerate you long enough."

D'artenge doesn't like to use any of his power on his friends, but a chess piece must stay on the title and for his plan to work, he always finds a way for everything to return to normal and that is fabrication. It hurts him more than anything when this is the only solution, but for his plan to succeed, Thomas must play the role and only that role is what is required, when to strike, when to fall, when to retreat and when to hold back. And now, D'artenge is not going to hold back, he is going to set everything in the right course and that right course will be nothing more than his plan for every upper-class family.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The children returned with the suitcase, and they saw D'artenge talking with Thomas and nothing was strange about that, but there was a strange light appearing in D'artenge's hand and he just left after the conversation was over. The children still saw their teacher sitting under the umbrella and enjoying the shade and avoiding the sun above him. The children are relieved to see him still alright, but Thomas just said nothing happened and, being children that they are, the students returned to their normal activity.

"Well, D'artenge, I will think about that. Now, I will look at your plan and make sure it works. And father, just like you want, I go easy on him."

Inside of Thomas's suitcase is a blueprint, nothing more about that and the title is not even there. But the details and the design are as clear as day, the blueprint is something different, but the general design and details let anyone see it knows it is a variation of the clock hand blade. And the signature on the bottom of the blueprint is simply S.H.T, Thomas always wanted D'artenge to join them but that silent child always had his plan.

"Perhaps, maybe I will go with your plan for a little longer. But don't slip, or I will start my plan instead."

Watching the children playing with the waves and the sand is something really calm in Thomas's opinion. Let them have some fun before the storm appears and the day is over. Let them dream under the sea of stars, because that is the only moment they can forget about the harsh reality. And the children from the west are almost so afraid that they have to watch their backs until the trip is over, when they see any moment Thomas appears in front of their eyes. But Thomas doesn't care about that, they desire his death, but they have to have the guts to make that reality or, in a way Thomas always says, killing him requires nothing but extreme determination. Because in that duel, D'artenge held back and Thomas knows that fact because Thomas will die if D'artenge goes all out and unleashes the true plague.

"I thought you never believed in god."

"I don't, but not for the same reason as you do. I don't believe in god because they do not consider themselves as god, they are deified humans and that is the beginning of their tragedy."

"So, what about demons?"

"For the same reason. They are demonized humans."

"Interesting, so do you think they will deify or demonize you and me after we are gone?"

"It is an idiotic thought for you to think we are going to disappear."

Thomas went through his notebook under the moonlight as D'artenge sat in the dark looking at him. The light of the moon shining on Thomas is almost provocative to anyone, but not to D'artenge. Because at that moment, D'artenge is thinking about the fact that his fabrication does't work and Thomas is only playing along with what happened. And because D'artenge knows, when Thomas goes all out, his plague is only a bunch of smoke and mirrors, nothing but a cheap trick that used to deceive a living saint.

"If you have nothing more to say, then leave. What you are sitting on is Gradnare's sleeping space."

"You are really attached to that kid, aren't you?"

The shadow of D'artenge blocked the light of the moon as he left the bed and approached the window. Looking down on Thomas's notebook and he found nothing. There was nothing in the notebook and there was nothing reflected in Thomas's eyes but some annoyance. But Thomas knows, he is still required in D'artenge's plan and the illusion of his father is something D'artenge will never go against. As D'artenge left the room, Gradnare came in and lay on his bed and not before long, the kid fell asleep.

"Oh, father, how is your day? I can't wait to hear every detail about it. Gradnare? He is already sleeping, and I believe he should rest as much as he can before he can return to his normal schedule."