Kai's Predicament and Project Parseltongue

The Grand Fair seemed to have lost its colors for Darcie and Daphne.

Things wouldn't have felt so exaggerated, perhaps, if they hadn't shared such a close relationship with a house-elf themselves.

The arrival of the minister for the closing ceremony, a great front-page article in the evening issue of the Daily Prophet on the Chess Tournament, and even the premature departure of Daphne to the Greengrass Manor couldn't bring Darcie out of her troubled thoughts.

Darcie Malfoy had quite an open mind because of her special circumstances of the preposterous rumors and prejudice against her. Her published paper emphasized the intentions behind Magic as a qualifying measure, rather than just foolishly naming and dividing this vast field into white and black.

Despite all that, even Darcie had to accept that extracting Bone Marrow out of a live house-elf could have no good intentions behind it. So what if it raised a potion's efficacy, letting it last for centuries?

It was just too cruel.

So when Darcie holed herself in her room, just after Daphne's reluctant departure, all thought that the little Malfoy had tired herself out by fluttering around the shops of Diagon Alley too much.

When the time for supper came, Darcie ate little, just sipping on the juice and having a bite of the pie. From a corner, Madam Villanelle kept looking at her, but all that had gone unnoticed by Darcie.

After having a grand celebratory meeting with the minister, Lucius and Narcissa returned to the Malfoy Manor with Draco and Dobby. As it was Friday night, Darcie was supposed to have gone with them, but she rejected the notion. There was just too much to study, and she had to decide what to do with this object as well.

So, as the horde of wizards and witches merrily departed from Diagon Alley after the 3 days-long Grand Fair, Darcie drowned herself in the books, trying to see some sense of what she had learned from Garluk in the history.

However, after hours of going through major history and potions books, the fog of doubts only thickened in her eyes.

At some point after midnight, Darcie fell asleep, failing to keep her resolve of studying overnight.

*

*

"What a fucking brilliant ingredient!"

Kai, Petyr, and Rintaro Okabe were seated on three chairs around the fire in the library within the suitcase. The mysterious object, with a glossy black surface, was hovering over Kai's palm, his hazel eyes trying to penetrate deeper into its mysteries.

"I know who is behind this object," the insane scientist declared confidently.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

Rintaro Okabe frowned at Kai as if he was looking down at him. "Mr. Storm, don't tell me you haven't realized it by now?" he almost rebuked. "Of course, it's the Organization."

Kai stared at this ridiculous Character who thought this supposed "Organization" was behind everything in this world. For a moment, he wondered what would happen if he were to stuff Rintaro's face into the fire on his right.

Would he feel pain? Would he truly feel as much pain as fleshy beings?

Rintaro gulped as he saw Kai's eyes not leaving his face. "There… there could be someone else, if not Organization," he forced out a few words.

Suddenly, Petyr sighed. "It's quite a predicament," he said, for once not smiling. "The consequences of falling into this chain of events for Darcie could affect our plans, master."

Kai stole his gaze off Rintaro and put it on the object once more. The fingers of his left hand drummed on the chair's arm, as his mind raced to contemplate the meanings of Petyr's words.

The conclusion was the same. It was indeed a predicament. And there was only one reason for Kai to not feel well about this mysterious object.

This was unplanned.

Things just happened too fast for Kai to influence Darcie against it. Dobby's sudden announcement, the oddity of the silent seller, and then the disappearance of the stall. All this painted quite a magical and mysterious picture in Darcie's eyes. And it wasn't in her nature to not be curious about these events. If Kai had forcefully nudged her against taking the actions she had taken, then he could have increased his chances of failing his comprehension.

This was a risk Kai could never hope to afford, for there wasn't an inch of any reasoning behind it.

"Wait a minute!" Rintaro exploded. "Mr. Storm, now that we know a code word, like saying OPEN, which can let us see the map and other mystery hidden behind this sealing potion, then why aren't we going for it? If none of the known languages work, then we still have Parseltongue, right?"

Both Kai and Petyr shared a glance as they heard this reasoning, but ultimately, the two cunning individuals shook their heads in rejection.

"I am 110 percent sure that saying Open in Parseltongue would unlock the seal," Kai said, rotating the object over his palm.

The insane scientist scratched the stubble on his face, looking densely puzzled. "Then why…"

It was Petyr who explained, regaining his sly smile. "Let's say Lord Kai was to unlock the seal right now," he whispered, fire crackling to his left. "Then what?"

The self-named Hououin Kyouma wasn't as shrewd and as scheming as Petyr and Kai, but he wasn't a fool, either. The moment he heard Petyr's words, Rintaro's eyes widened in realization.

Kai nodded. "It seems you have understood the hideous consequences of such actions," he said, smiling. "The Darcie Malfoy this world knows has an uncanny knack for deriving acute inferences based on a set of data. Imagine what would happen if she were to wake up in the morning to find this seal broken mysteriously. What should I do then? Nudge her to act stupid and ignorant about it? Or should I nudge her to just accept this sudden unsealing?

"No. Things aren't that simple. If Comprehensions were that easy, then anyone could have done it. I can't Act as both smart and foolish with the same person. It would cause a tremendous unsolvable paradox, shattering my comprehension on the spot."

Silence.

Petyr and Rintaro looked at Kai, knowing well the monstrosity of this predicament.

"So what now?" Rintaro asked.

Kai drummed his fingers on the chair's arm, his eyes trembling, lost in thoughts. Then he took a deep breath and sighed. "Nothing," he told the Characters. "This is Darcie's adventure, and I can't interfere with it. At least not openly and casually, unless needed desperately. Perhaps it's a good thing, and we would gain something truly extraordinary in the end. Who knows?"

"Then is it time…" Petyr mumbled.

Kai gave a hard nod. "Indeed," he said brusquely. "It's time to begin Project Parseltongue. To proceed with her adventure, Darcie must know that she's a Parselmouth. Not to mention, that fucking Ollivander is too reluctant to share the mysteries of Parseltongue with her. He told her so much, but he might as well have told her nothing. I have a feeling that there's something he knows about Parseltongue that can help me move forward in deciphering the tales for good."

Then Kai hissed. -Selene-

A silver mist burst out of Kai's chest and the two Characters backed up, pressing their backs into the chairs.

-I know what to do,- Selene hissed wisely, kissing Kai's chin. Then her tone changed, her hisses becoming incredibly affectionate and loyal. -Have you been missing Shinobu, master?-

When she didn't get an answer, the evilest hiss escaped. -What must I do to transcend? How many must I kill and devour? I hate losing. Master, I want power. I want to become strong.-

Kai scratched the underside of Selene's jaw and ran his fingers across her draconic scales. His eyes couldn't help but fall on the black and yellow ethereal rings rippling rhythmically over her slender body.

He knew the matter of her loss against the Upper Rank Third demon had been troubling her greatly these days. He had even told her many times that her loss against that demon was justified, for he represented the peak of VF Random World.

Yet, the pet was as stubborn as its master.

Kai had been improving at a fast pace after his reincarnation, using the Tournament of Worth as a jumping board. Selene, however, was stuck at the D+ grade. And the more they analyzed her situation, the more Kai felt it wouldn't be easy for her grade to enter the Uncommon level.

-I will think of something,- Kai hissed promisingly. -For now, work on Darcie's training.-

Selene slithered off Kai's body and exploded into a burst of silver mist before vanishing into the sofa where Darcie had fallen asleep.

Kai also threw the object hovering over his palm on the table from where he had picked it up.

"What else is there to discuss today?" Kai asked.

Rintaro fumbled around in his pockets and took out a diary. He opened it and scratched off the Project Parseltongue entry. "Uh," Rintaro mumbled, pressing his brows together, "I have a doubt, Mr. Storm."

"What is it?"

"Why aren't you practicing your Breathing Style? Shouldn't every second matter from what we have learned from Shino… I mean Ms. Butterfly."

"I had this doubt in my mind as well," Petyr added.

Kai sighed.