Chapter 27 : Hey, I'm Home.

In stories, there's a fine line between good and evil. but in reality there are many circumstances to consider.

Maybe it's just a misunderstanding on someone's part. I honestly don't know...

Good guys get killed all the time, bad guys don't get caught. We try to figure out the truth, based on the news and gossips...

but honestly almost all of it is bullshit anyways.

Even the things we see with our own eyes are warped and twisted for our own self gratification.

In the middle of the lies and deceit, we live by choosing the 'Truth' that is most convenient for us.

For this is an awful world full of lies and schemes.

Be it sin, or sincerity, with thinly veiled intent to betray, wins the trust of the rest.

Because the true nature of this world is not the search of truth, but deception...

You see others as 'evil' While you cover up your own sin.

In the end Desire comes out on top, no matter the consequences...

...........

Haruki woke up in a grassy plain...

He quickly stood up, he remembered what gluttony told him.

You see what you desire the most huh...

He looked around and he saw a beautiful house in a distance...

An old English mansion, that looks worn but it feels more homey that way...

It brought a smile to his face...

For this is a place very dear to him.

"Back here huh... Hehehehehe, I can't fucking believe you gluttony..."

He has traversed this path countless times...

He thought when he buried her, it would be the last time he came Home...

He slowly walked in the grassy plains, towards the lone house on top of a hillside.

He arrived at the door, thinking if he should open the door...

Haruki softly pressed the doorbell.

He could hear beyond the door, someone was running towards it.

The door slowly opened.

"Hey, welcome home!"

A beautiful woman peeked her head through the door while smiling sweetly...

She looked as beautiful since the last time he saw her.

Shoulder length brown hair, Unrivaled beauty... Her eyes as perfect as the moon, skin as white as pearl...

Haruki would never get tired of looking at her...

Wind blew her hair into a mess.

Yet she was still smiling cheekily staring at his stunned face.

Haruki slowly spoke with a shaky voice...

"Hey, I'm home..."

A phrase he thought he won't be saying to her anymore...

She pulled him inside, she led him into the living room. They both sat down at the sofa...

She leaned in close.

She asked how was work...

Haruki responded with a wry smile.

"It was fine..."

She pouted, and said...

"What do you mean fine? you didn't go to the university today! One of your students saw you sleeping beside the hill!"

Haruki wondered what the hell she meant...

'A University Professor!? Hahahahahaha do I want to be a professor!? Hahahaha oh my Professor Port and Professor Oobleck must've influenced that idea...'

Haruki finally understood... Gluttony's illusion is showing him what could've been...

An alternate reality, where he finally found peace...

He thought to himself, 'ehh it wouldn't hurt to stay for a while...'

Elsie poked him in the face...

"Hey you big dumb idiot!! are you even listening?"

Haruki nodded his head as she pulled her close...

She sighed...

Elsie then stood up, and she fixed her work in the table,

"Hey Hubby, would you mind grabbing the food? I'm going to clean the table up after this..."

Haruki went to the kitchen, what he saw was her favorite food, ready to serve.

It was Mapo Tofu, it had a little more sauce than Tofu or the minced pork...

Just as she liked it...

Haruki, with a smile on his face took the Food.

And placed it on the table...

Elsie dashed and took her plate, carried it to the living room, she turned on the TV.

Haruki sighed, "For the last time Honey... don't eat at the sofa, you're gonna stain it again."

"But Brrrkln Nn ish on." she said with her mouth full with food.

"Hahaha I'm sorry what?"

Elsie looked up. "Hm?"

"I got none of that..."

Elsie quickly chewed her food, and said...

"Oh, sorry... Br*oklyn99 is on... sooo wanna watch it together?"

Haruki sighed and took his plate, sat down beside Her.

They both passed the time doing nothing in particular... Haruki spent days with her just having fun.

He was content with this kind of life, he actually enjoyed being a professor...

But amidst all that He knows it's not real...

what seemed like months were merely minutes...

He knew it was time to say goodbye...

He sat up from the couch and cooked her favorite meal one last time, he remembered to add a little more sauce.

When she arrived she saw Haruki sitting down at the dinner table, solemnly looking at her.

He smiled and told her to sit down...

They both ate silently...

Elsie was the first one to speak up...

"You already know don't you? you've known since the first time you came here... it didn't even affect you..."

Haruki laughed as he stared at her...

"I know this was all Gluttony's Room of desire or whatever... but, seeing you and holding you in my arms... felt very real...

it even allowed me to fulfill my promise to you... a quiet life in the countryside... a life where we don't have to keep on running...

the life we always wanted."

Haruki sat beside her, and embraced her real tight.

"But living here made me realize, there are people waiting for me outside... people that also care for me, just like you did.

So I can't sit idly by as they wait... it was fun seeing you again..."

He kissed her in the forehead, he looked at her straight in the eyes.

"You know... I Never really told you how I have been doing..."

He retold his story to her...

From the moment he came to remnant.

From the moment he met Neo

When He saw the whole cast...

Until the moment before he came here...

Elsie smiled at him...

"You know there's no point in telling me any of this right?"

Haruki laughed heartily.

"Of course! I just wanted to relay it to her... tell her about how I've been...

Can you do me a favor and change the scenery?"

Elsie smiled and nodded.

The House disappeared and it was replaced by a grave on top of a hill...

He was Holding Flowers... Pink Camellias...

He slowly put down the flowers beside the gravestone...

"You know... when all is said and done, I still love you..."

He said as he looked at her standing beside the tree...

"When I lost you... I was broken, a wandering vagrant finding a reason to live...

I was not well adjusted... more often than not I'm barely keeping it together.

I'm constantly distracting myself... just a grown man who can't even look at his subordinates straight in the eyes for too long, because they'll see how broken I am...

When I arrived at remnant I had nobody...

But they still helped piece back the shards...

When I lost you...

I found myself...

Back then the people who are always able to walk on the path they decided on... people like that?

I'm truly envious of...

But then I met them...

I met her...

Thank you for being there for me... but I have to go, it's my turn to be there for them...

It's my turn to walk the path I chose...

Be it a path of blood, you may disagree...

But if it's for them...

I am willing to do anything."

He placed their two rings on her gravestone...

He walked towards Elsie and he hugged her tight, kissing her in the lips.

"Thank you for listening to my selfish request, and for being there for me one last time."

Elsie gave Haruki the most beautiful smile she could give him...

"You finally let go of that hatred... be quick now! they're waiting for you..." She said as tears flowed down her eyes.

They stayed with each other for a good long while, what felt like an eternity was mere seconds...

They have to part again...

But such is life...

He slowly let go of Her, he walked down the hill.

He summoned Fenrir Fangs.

He gathered flames on his claws and punched the illusion.

He looked back at her one last time etching her eternal beauty to his mind, He smiled and turned around...

Never looking back...

He was slowly swallowed by the blinding light...

Returning him back to the temple of gluttony...

..............

Cinder stood up and saw Haruki was still not here...

But suddenly a blinding light followed her confusion, returning Haruki back...

She still was emotional from what she saw in Gluttony's Room...

She tackled Haruki and Cried in his arms for a good long while.

Haruki was anchored back to reality when Cinder tackled him.

He was surprised, but he let her have it, what she saw inside could have changed her...

He hugged her back, He was finally released from the emotional shackles of his past...

He was smiling brightly.

'Thanks gluttony...'

[Keh, you're no fun kid I was expecting you to cry and weep like a little bitch, but whatever...]

'I may not have the answer for your question about faith or Humanity's goal... but what I can tell you is, in order to truly understand humanity, you need to not see via your boundless strength or your collection of memories...

you need the terrifying endless unknown, Both the good and the Bad... to have faith in yourself.'

[Gluttony sighed, Bah! damn your self reflection! ]

Cinder finally let go of Haruki, she was blushing from ear to ear.

She looked at Haruki with her moist eyes...

"I'm sorry I lost myself for a moment there..."

Haruki was surprised... 'She actually said fucking sorry!?'

Woah... this place is good for therapy...

[Uhh... boy need I remind you, the Hall of Desire is not your personal fucking shrink!!

It is a place to expand my understanding of humans and adding them to my army!]

Haruki ignored Gluttony and told Cinder...

"it's uhh... fine, what we saw on that place probably shook us to the core..."

Cinder slowly backed away from Haruki...

Haruki thought to himself...

'Ahh fuck it, it's like gluttony said... why don't I love a little more... live a little...'

Seeing this Haruki showed her a cheeky grin, He held her in the waist and brought his face close.

Her face was red as a tomato.

She closed her eyes and puckered her lips...

Their lips were about to touch but suddenly a voice resounded all over the place.

"I hate to interrupt but... you and I have a score to settle..."

It was corvus, he was body was tattered and beaten, but he was still standing there grinning like a mad man...

Haruki ignored the battered corvus as he was leaning on the wall...

Haruki kissed Cinder on the lips.

Enjoying the moment their lips slowly parted.

they stared at each other's eyes...

Basking in the after glow,

And he looked at Corvus, he slowly spoke...

"Why don't we settle this outside the temple? And for fucks sake don't touch my women..."

Corvus laughed madly and he said.

"Of course!! the winner has the rights to make the rules!!"

Corvus then summoned his Raven blade slowly healing him...

He followed Haruki outside...

...

When they finally arrived outside.

Haruki told Cinder to go find the rest...

She was a bit reluctant to do so, but she went away... glaring at Corvus the whole time...

Corvus Finally spoke.

"Enough with the theatrics boy! Let's finish this!"

Haruki transformed into a Jet black werewolf, and he summoned the entire pack of jet black wolves...

He held warmonger in his hands ready to charge at corvus anytime.

"Hehehehe, old man, only one of us would be walking away today! and it'll be me!"

[Keh, you're talking like your hot shit now kid? you're as annoying as ever.. but... what you said wasn't wrong. I can't stand that bastard either...

LETS GIVE HIM A BIG ONE!!]

Haruki and Corvus Laughed madly as they charged against one another.