The Price

"Transmigrator, do you remember what I told you about relevance?" The Voice asks.

I scowl slightly, "Yeah. You said that I was so irrelevant that no one would notice me. What about it?"

The Voice rasps, "That is no longer true. You have struck a heavy blow against Fate. So heavy that Fate has deigned to make you its enemy. You are now a force in this world. You are relevant."

"So how does that help with the whole powers thing?" I query.

"As higher deities, beings like Fate and myself are not bound by the concept of jurisdiction or spheres of authority. My authority is absolute over anything that exists in this dimension, including souls. The only limiting factor is strength. Fate and myself will only accept a constraint laid upon us that we cannot overcome with our strength." The Voice says.

"So that's how Fate engineered the accident that was supposed to kill Gallant?" I respond.

"Correct. Fate may rule over souls, but matter will also bow to a being of that level of power. Unless of course, a being of equal power but greater affinity with matter intervenes." The Voice rasps.

I hum thoughtfully, "Sounds like similar to how big shots operate back home actually. I get what you are saying so far. You have the ability to grant powers, but Fate will intervene, reversing your work, am I right? I am assuming you have a way to get around this?"

"Of course I do," The Voice scoffs, "otherwise we would not be having this conversation. You are the key Transmigrator. Fate knows you exist, but does not actually know who you are and what you are capable of. As Fate cannot directly observe someone not part of its web, all it knows about you is a garbled account of what happened at the warehouse. An account that gives you far more credit than you deserve."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there." I grumble.

"Similar to what was done at the warehouse, the preconceptions of our opponent will be used against it. Fate already implicitly accepts that you have certain powers. I will use my authority as a higher deity to grant you those powers in the guise of unsealing capabilities that you had already possessed back in your home dimension. When you deploy your powers in the field, Fate will notice but begrudgingly accept that those powers have always been yours as it has no way of proving otherwise. Once that happens, perception will become reality." The Voice explains.

I think for a moment. Sounds good, there are issues with the plan.

"One problem, actually make that two." I say, "Firstly, wouldn't Fate notice you working your magic on Gallant's body and at the very least investigate? It would quickly realize that I don't have any powers at all. Secondly, if the powers you can give me are tied to what I did at the warehouse, wouldn't those powers be fairly unimpressive? I just used plastic explosives and stabbed a few guards after all."

The Voice responds, "The first issue you raised is something that I have already accounted for. Its also the reason why I wanted to have this conversation here in the apartment. This apartment is a territory that I absolutely control. Fate cannot perceive anything within it. It will not know that I had operated on Gallant's body as long as the operation is done here."

What? Operation?

"For the second issue," The Voice sighs regretfully, "I am afraid that is something that you will have to deal with. I will try to stretch how much power I can grant you under the circumstances, but if I go too far, Fate will challenge me on the powers I have granted, and that will cost you everything. This issue is also linked to a potential complication that I will go into if you understand everything so far."

I knew it. There always has to be something that crops up. "Alright. Lay it on me then." I say while narrowing my eyes.

"As you have probably already noticed, Mr Gallant, like yourself, does not possess magic. The reason for this is because both your souls are too weak to form a spiritual core. Without a spiritual core, any powers that I grant you will not be able to manifest. As both of you are grown men of age, your respective souls will not strengthen any further. There is a way to get around this, and it is that piece of unpleasantness I mentioned to you back at the Academy."

I brace myself mentally for whatever may be coming as The Voice continues.

"I can build an artificial spiritual core for you using a sliver of my divinity. That artificial core will then be implanted into Mr Gallant's body. In order to control this artificial core, a portion of your soul will need to be broken off and fused with it. Whenever you wish to deploy your powers, you will signal the soul fragment within the core to release the core's energy."

Breaking off part of my soul? Would I ever be able to get it back?

"However, the complication does not stop there. Outside of Fate, I am an existence greater than any on this world. No native can bear the burden of wielding the mantle of my power. Their souls would immolate and their bodies tear apart from the strain. Transmigrator, as an alien, your soul has a better chance of surviving. The problem here is Mr Gallant."

Gallant. I had forgotten all about him. This concerns him as well right?

"Which is why I need to operate on Mr Gallant's body. I need to modify it so that it can withstand the stress of holding the core. Even so, activating the core will likely damage his body. These modifications are irreversible and will mark Mr Gallant for life. So is the process of breaking off part of your soul. This is the price that must be paid for the power you seek."

I swallow hard. I should have realized that with The Voice, nothing comes for free.

"I cannot ask Mr Gallant for his opinion. The choice to decide has been taken away from him. In a way Transmigrator, you are now in the position I was in when you were first summoned. It will be your choices that will determine the consequences that another will have to face for the rest of his life. So, knowing everything that I have told you, what is your decision?"

I smile bitterly, my cheeks red with shame. Gallant marked for life through no fault of his own. Just as I was abducted through no fault of my own. He would pay the price and bear the consequences for something that is to my benefit.

The right thing to do would be to refuse. Refuse and ask The Voice to cast me back into the Crossroads. Gallant would go on to live his life none the wiser and The Voice would seek out another soul to abduct.

But I am selfish. I don't want to die. I am selfish in the same way The Voice is selfish when it has no problem trampling over others in order to protect its position.

The same way I don't mind trampling over another to save my own skin.

Maybe The Voice is truly my destined summoner, just as I am its destined summons.

I harden my heart and say, "I accept."