ROSES HAVE THORNS-Chapter 60 - Shooting The Shit

"Looks like they all got on the ship safely, although Dominik seems to be rowing back to shore for some reason." Emelie said when she spotted the boat halfway to the shore.

"He probably didn’t know I could fly so now he’s going back to wait for me. Silly Dom."

"No, I’m the one who’s flying. You’re just along for the ride. Don’t make me drop you so that you can row your little boat with Dominik."

"So petty, Emy~"

"E-Emy?! Why are you calling me that!"

"Why not? We’re friends, aren’t we?"

"Still! Only Amy’s ever called me that and my..."

"You’re what?" Kurt became suddenly curious. "That little husband of yours you mentioned to me in your backstory, hmmm~?"

"S-Shut up! And stop wiggling your eyebrows like that else I’m throwing you off the deep end!" She began moving him towards the open sea.

"Alright! Ha ha ha! I’m sorry! I learnt my lesson so please stop."

"Hmph!"

"What the! You could carry Kurt like that Emelie?! Dammit, now I gotta row back!" Dominik screamed when he saw the two of them flying over him.

When they landed on deck Kurt saw five people tied and gagged up to the mast of the ship.

"So these are the cultists who were bringing those women to the island huh?"

He crouched down and pointed his steel dagger to their faces.

"You’re lucky that my prefect friend already has plans to take you all to the station. Otherwise, we all would’ve had so much fun together. Your screams of torture would’ve been music to my ears..." He coldly whispered to them so that no one could hear.

Sweat profusely poured down their temple as they saw the look in this madman’s eye. And the way he hovered and twirled the dagger near their faces only enhanced their fear.

*pfffft tooot* *sob*

"Did you just... *sniff* Aw shit! You’re disgusting!" Kurt stood up and abruptly walked away.

"What’s wrong Kurt?" Emelie asked when she saw him at the edge of the ship.

"That disgusting cultist just shat his pants after I threatened him a little."

"Maybe it was a defense mechanism, hahaha."

"Augh! What’s that stench?!" Dominik chimed in as he boarded the ship.

"Kurt made that cultist over there shit his pants after he saw his ugly mug, tee-hee hehe."

"Whoa! Misinformation! I do not have an ugly face!"

"Pfft haha! Tell that to Brown Pants, hahaha!" Tears fell out her eyes as she couldn’t stop laughing.

"Why you little... Get over here!" Kurt tried to catch her, but she was too nimble and flew away while laughing like a witch.

"Don’t worry Kurt. I don’t think you have an ugly mug" Dominik gave him a thumbs up.

"I– You–!" ’....Haaaa just take the compliment, Rossana.’ "Thanks Dom."

"No problem."

Kurt and Dominik both leaned over the ship’s railing and looked out into the ocean as they spoke to each other.

"So, you the one who sailed this massive ship?" Kurt asked.

"Yep. I have this little fascination for them. It was pretty exciting to sail one for the first time."

"I’m sure you must’ve had tons of fun. What about the flying ship? Any interest in that?"

"Not really. I like the water physics that comes with sailing. It really makes me feel... connected with the sea and ship. What about you? Any hobbies?"

"Kill–AAHHH! Ehem! *Cough!* Sorry, spit went down the wrong pipe..."

"Ooof be careful man. I didn’t even ask you anything complicated."

"I know. It’s just... This is embarrassing but I don’t really have any hobbies. Back at the... ninja village... all I ever did was train. Does training count as a hobby?"

"If you enjoy it then sure I guess?" Dominik shrugged.

"Then that is my hobby. Hmmm, I don’t see Diana or the ladies anywhere." Kurt looked around the deck for them but could not spot them. "Where are they?"

"The ladies didn’t want to be anywhere near those cultists so Principal Valentine took the below deck and showed them to their rooms. She also said something about teaching Courtney a lesson on how not to look wrongly at nor have any sinful thoughts of another woman’s man. Sounds like you’re going to have your hands full with her. Haha."

"And I’ll gladly keep them full." Kurt held his hand on his chest as he looked lovingly out the sea.

"Cupid really shot his arrow straight through your heart, huh? Same with the principal. Listen, if you need any help with problematic guys trying to get between you two, you can always hit me or Mia up. Especially Mia. She’ll chase away any man that surrounds her like a rabid dog now that her best friend finally got herself a boyfriend."

"I appreciate the offer, really," The hand that Kurt was holding to his chest suddenly turned into a fist and the loving look he just had turned into a twisted yet delighted smile as he looked towards Dominik.

"But I actually want to see the man who has the ball to try and take what’s mine. Who knows, maybe they’ll be the next to shit their pants, hehehe~"

’Oh my sweet Goddess above. They’re both crazy...’

"So, Dom, we just gonna shoot the shit all night or are we sailing back home?"

"Aww and here I was having fun hanging out with you. If we sail back now, we should make it back by midday tomorrow."

"You’re not going to get tired and fall asleep behind the wheel? It is pretty late and dark."

"The challenge excites me. Besides we’re on the clock now so we have to move fast before Tobias notices something’s amiss."

"I pray you get us all back safely, Captain Dee." Kurt pushed himself off the railing and went to the door that led to below the deck. "Oh yes, do you have any idea where Emelie went? I wanted to ask her one last important thing before calling it a night."

"She’s probably in her room. By the way, hers and Principal Valentine’s room is the first door to your right when you go down. They’re sharing a room. Yours is opposite theirs. We’re supposed to be sharing, but I’ll be up here taking us home. The rest of the two rooms were split between the rest of the women."

"Got’cha. Night Dom." He waved and he went down to see Emelie.

"See you in the morning bro."

Shut

"Nishishishi~ I hope you have fun tonight, Rosie~" Dominik giggled maniacally to himself as he watched Kurt leave.

...

Knock Knock

"Emelie. Diana. Can I come in?"

"You can come in. It’s just me anyway." Emelie called to him from within.

"Diana’s still giving her ’lesson’?" Kurt asked as he sat on the bed opposite hers.

"There’s that, yes. Also, she found some white wine in the kitchen and is drinking with Mrs. Cooper. I would drink with them but alas *sigh* I’m still seventeen." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Womp womp." He smirked at her.

"Argh!" She threw her head back on her pillow. "So why’re you here? Your room’s opposite here in case Dominik didn’t tell you.

"I know, he did tell me. There’s something important I wanted to ask you but never really had the chance to. Depending on your answer, operations going forward will be either simple or very complicated."

Emelie sat up and looked in his eye with stern professionalism.

"Okay. Go on, ask away."

"... From what I know so far, you always have worked alone and kept your secret to yourself. But for some reason, despite your numerous regressions and actions taken, you always seem to fail, and the world ends during the second invasion war, right?"

"...Yes."

"Now, you see, I find that really strange. There’s just no way that’s possible. You said this is your 100th cycle and that the world would always end in 10 years. Not to sound like those geeks on reddit but–"

’Reddit?’ Emelie thought to herself.

"But that makes you approximately 1000 years old. That’s too long of a span to not see any change. This leads me to my question. Emelie, is it possible that someone knows about your secret and struggle, and is purposefully interfering with you behind the scenes?"

Emelie looked at him wide eyed. She was surprised that Kurt could’ve figured all this out. But then again, if she were in his shoes, she’d also find it strange that no change has occurred in all these years and would also most likely have come to that same question.

"... Yes." Emelie answered. "There is someone that knows about my identity..."

"Really? Then all we have to do is–"

"But we can’t kill him."

"Why? Wouldn’t killing him eliminate the potential cause of all this?"

"If we kill that person, it’ll only speed up the end of the world. Trust me I’ve tried."

"Speed it up? How?"

"... When that person is killed... he revives. And with his revival, a far worse entity awakens inside him. This entity makes him far stronger, faster and smarter than he’s even been."

"Do you know this entity? Can his awakening be stopped somehow?" Kurt asked.

"No, the awakening cannot be stopped. As for this entity, I have searched the entire world for clues about its origin and found absolutely nothing. Thus, I came to the conclusion that it must be otherworldly. And as for the name, I’ve heard him say it a few times. He calls it ’System’."

"System? Sounds... errr... technical?"

"In any case, we don’t have to worry about him for now. He is not the cause of the end of the world, but he could become one if we kill him. As long as he doesn’t die everything should be fine."

"So, we ignore him? Even though he is a threat?"

"It’s more complicated than that but yes. Just leave him to me and don’t seek him out. He doesn’t know about this ’System’ yet and I would like to keep it that way."

"..... Alright. I’ll trust you."

"Thank you, Kurt. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"Yeah..." He got up and walked to the door. "Goodnight, Emy."

"G-Goodnight, Kurt. Jeez, I’m not gonna get used to you calling me that."

"Womp womp~"

Shut

From two doors away Kurt could hear the sound of women laughing and talking as if they were having a party.

’Best to just leave them be.’

He went inside his room and threw off all his clothes as he got into bed. He laid down facing the ceiling with his arm behind his head and thought about the conversation he just had.

’Should we really just let this person be? *Sigh* Forget it. I’m sure Emelie knows what she’s talking about. Let’s just focus on what’s in front of me, which is capturing Tobias and saving those kids.’

With his resolve now clear, Kurt closed his eye as he drifted off in a deep sleep.

....

SHWOOSH

"Rosie, hehehe~"