Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Vesperia.

Rated: M for adult situations, violence, language, and more.

Summary: Sacrifice was a word that Yuri Lowell never contributed to his mental dictionary. There was no such thing as sacrifice to him. Justice, what was right and what was wrong. Yet, even that was clouded, with the white and gray areas tugging on each other's ends. Only one thing mattered to him, and that was being able to shoulder enough burdens so that everyone could be happier, be it with knowledge or ignorance of his actions. However, the effects of the magical item which aided in the defeat of the Adephagos would soon test the depths of his mindset.

Chapter 1: The Bigot Method

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The City of Blossoms – Halure [5:49 PM]

Large amounts of cherry blossom petals floated around the lively city of Halure, with the setting sun's rays veiling it in a majestic light. Every corner held some sort of festivity that many individuals would take part in and enjoy with airborne laughter. There wasn't a soul around that had an unhappy expression or cloud of doom hanging over them. Quite possibly because the world had been saved…

Lounging on one of the highest branches of Halure's sacred tree sat Yuri, a man of many titles, to which he never truly acknowledged.

"…Looks like all is right with the world, eh Don?" His dark eyes scanned they sky above, as if waiting for a reply from someone. He shrugged his shoulders with indifference before settling into a more comfortable position against the tree. "It was worth a try."

The raven-haired man watched as crowds of people celebrated in the streets, rejoicing the defeat of the supposedly immortal Adephagos. It only took four or so days for word to get around that the invincible Empire had taken down the huge creature, with the main savior being the recently appointed commandant, the young and ever heroic Flynn Scifo. Today would officially be labeled as The Fall of the Adephagos. Only a small part of him felt jealous, but the guy deserved it.

"Not much for crowds, are you, Yuri Lowell?" A deep voice interrupted his thoughts from his right side.

He looked towards the source to see the familiar figure of Duke, an enigmatic being clothed in shades of red who always wore some type of frown. The same expression, standing posture, imposing vibe… Apparently, nothing had changed since their last battle a couple of weeks ago.

"Never thought I'd see you so soon, Duke. Didn't think you were much of a victory-festival type." Yuri made a half-smile as he continued observing the action down below.

"I'm not…"

It's like the guy knew how to kill a mood down to a science. "Then you're here to see little old me?"

"This world seems to be returning to normal. Except-"

"The monsters…" Yuri cut him off as he stared the silver-haired warrior down.

"You knew something they did not, is that correct?" Duke asked in his sagely voice.

"That item worked wonders against monsters, even killed the Adephagos in the process. Pretty amazing, right? There had to be a catch, some type of disadvantage to it…" His eyes wandered back down, landing on the members of Brave Vesperia. "They never questioned why I wanted to be the one to use it. So it was no problem." Estelle looked like she was having fun making Rita wear ridiculous masks. Even Judith joined in their antics…

"You are the person responsible for their frantic behavior, am I wrong?" Dukes piercing eyes bore into his skull, as if trying to pry the answers out with impatience.

"I guess you could say so. I mean, the monsters haven't really attacked any other place than where I've been in the past month. Two weeks after we defeated that…abomination…hordes of them attacked Zaphias. Flynn thought it was some sort of late reaction to the disappearance of blastia cores." He found Raven near the city entrance, trying to use his 'manly musk' to woo any female coming in. Karol and Repede were sitting nearby, probably betting on what kind of rejection the old man would receive.

"The monster attacks on Dahngrest and Nordopolica… You experimented by going to those cities…" Duke shook his head in annoyance.

"H-hey! Don't do that, I was able to hold them off after the knights ran away. Besides, I made sure there was a lot of protection around. One had the imperial knights and fighting fanatics while the other had guilds." Wasn't this guy supposed to be living in some kind of cave after their fight, away from humanity and brooding for hours on end about this world's fate?

"Maybe I overestimated your intelligence, Yuri Lowell…" The silver-haired man crossed his arms in a strict manner.

He didn't have much time left, better to get to the point than risk more lives. "What led you to me anyway?"

"Your life-energy…" Duke stated nonchalantly.

Yuri closed his eyes in aggravation. "Care to go more in-depth, professor?"

"Every existence exudes an aura, waves of distinct life-energy for every race; each one with a different intensity." Duke cast his red eyes onto the lax form lying on the branch next to him. "And yours is over-bearing, sinister and forceful in nature. For some reason, your life-energy covers a large radius, effectively causing even the calmest of monsters to become scared and vicious…"

"Well, I didn't have such a fancy explanation like that for myself when I was going around. But I figured it had something to do with me. Everywhere I go, I cause trouble without meaning to…" Maybe he was right. Ever since he left for the long journey from Zaphias a curse had been placed on him. Luck was never one of his best attributes…

"How do you plan to go about this, then? Are you going to stay in the protection of those other humans your whole life? Or is there a solution that even I have not considered?"

Well that was odd, was the enigma before him actually concerned for his well-being? "Man… I think the tables have turned. You're the one asking all the questions now." Yuri grinned at his own joke, hoping to soften the pain of his upcoming choices. Receiving no reaction from the stoic man next to him he continued, "I remember how nice and cozy that ancient Krityan city on top of Mt. Temza was, away from civilization, in the middle of nowhere… You could truly live peacefully without having to see anyone."

The silver-haired man turned away from him abruptly. "Humans are such a foolish race… Yet, I can't help but relate with you..."

The sun was nearly down, signaling the start of a cold night for Halure, and his leave. "I better wrap things up before I go. Don't worry. There won't be any kind of cataclysmic event anytime soon." Yuri jokingly patted the stiff man's shoulder before dropping gracefully to the ground below. "See you later, Duke." The raven-haired swordsman started towards the festivities in the middle of town.

"Yuri Lowell, forgetting his own words… Such a hypocrite…" Duke grinned as he vanished behind a swarm of cherry blossom petals.

-

Halure – Costume Stand [6:20 PM]

"That looks so cute on you!" Estelle's perky voice squealed as she took in the image of the embarrassed mage wearing a waitress outfit and matching beret.

"How exactly did you drag me into this…?" Rita sighed in exasperation.

"You lost at that game of dice; it was the only way to get you to do this!" The cheerful healer responded while handing her another accessory to try on.

"B-bunny ears?! I'm not going to wear this!" the mahogany-haired girl cried in detest.

"Yeah, you shouldn't. I prefer the cat ears, myself." The familiar voice of a male made itself present from above them.

"Yu-Yuri! Don't surprise us like that." The pink-haired girl took a deep breath of relief as he jumped down from the grassy ledge next to the blushing teen.

"Hey, Estelle. Could you give me a minute alone with the genius mage?" It was more of an indirect command than a question.

Estelle hesitatingly glanced between the two before nodding in reply. "Sure." She strolled over to where Karol and Repede were drooling over some food.

"Did you come to make fun of how I look? Or did you actually have something important to ask me?" Rita asked with her eyes closed, concentrating on trying to keep her face from becoming even redder.

"It's not every day that I get see you this flustered, I kind of enjoy it. Makes you cuter than usual." Yuri's husky tone sounded from in front of her face, causing her to open her eyes and fall back in surprise from his close proximity. "Hmm… Black lace, very nice." She quickly stood up and blocked her lower regions from view with a large shirt from the table next to her.

"I'd expect this from that perverted old man, but not an idiot like you. You're lucky I haven't perfected my formulas yet, or you'd be burnt to a crisp right at this moment!" Rita glared at the raven-haired swordsman in front of her, noting how he didn't look threatened at all.

"I'm just in a good mood. But seriously…" His expression turned hard, he meant business now. It reminded her of the time he warned her about hurting Estelle. "Would you hold onto this for me?" He threw a large item towards her head, which she caught with expert timing.

"…What's this?" Rita stared at the item with obvious interest. It looked like…

"It's a 'new' bodhi blastia. One I synthesized before we went into the Tower of Tarqaron. I was meaning to give it to you, but forgot about it once we got inside." Yuri scratched his cheek as he looked at the people walking around them.

"All right… So why are you handing me something that would be completely useless now?" Rita asked with narrowed eyes. He was acting pretty odd…

"Well, I wanted you to analyze it for me before, but now.... It's just…I don't really have anywhere to put that. My place over in the lower quarter is still under renovation. And you're the only one that seems to take good care of blastia related items, so…" The raven-haired man smiled in a pleading like fashion.

"That's it? Hmph! Here I thought you had some kind of revolutionary idea ready to give me and all you want is for me to take care of this?" The idiot was starting to get under her skin to the point where she couldn't resist his requests. "Fine." She drew out her characteristic sigh.

"Heh! Thanks, I appreciate it. No one else better to trust your stuff with than the famed Rita Mordio!" Before the young girl knew it Yuri had disappeared into the crowd.

"…Idiot…"

-

Halure – Sukiyaki Stand [6:34 PM]

"Egh... I might as well eat Repede's cooking." Karol stated in disgust as he swallowed the last bit of food from his plate.

Repede bit Karol's arm in response.

"Ow! R-Repede, I wasn't being serious." He rubbed it softly, wincing a bit before noticing he didn't feel the pain anymore. Two small hands were hovering above his faded wound. "Wow, thanks! How'd you do that, Estelle?"

The princess clasped her hands together and did a slight bow. "Rita taught me how to do certain magic using the Spirit's energy. I'm still trying to get the hang of it though…"

"Don't overdo it, Estelle. You may be talented, but everyone has their limits." Yuri's presence filled the empty void she was feeling from before.

"Yuri, stop coming out from behind me all the time!" she playfully punched him in the face with her cheeks puffed out.

The swordsman replied with a chuckle. "So, how goes it Captain Karol? Enjoying Brave Vesperia's official holiday?"

"Sheesh! If only that were true. The real heroes never get acknowledged for their deeds…" The small boy scuffed the ground with his shoe, watching as it kicked up a lone cherry blossom. Estelle bowed her head in gloom.

"Hey now, wasn't it you who said doing the right thing is all that matters? Don't forget Brave Vesperia's creed, you're the one who made it, y'know." Yuri said in feigned shock. Repede barked in agreement.

"…You're right. We'll make our mark some other way, right Yuri?" Karol looked up at him with evident hope.

"Hah! Of course! Oh yeah…" All three members watched as their raven-haired friend fished around a sack they hadn't seen him carrying. "Think of these as congratulatory gifts, for a successful mission well done." He threw the first one at Karol, placed one in front of Repede on the ground, and handed the last one to Estelle.

"This is…a badge?" Karol took in every small detail.

"Yeah, when I was helping the lower quarter rebuild I talked to that bag of bones, Hanks, about our guild. He chattered on the whole day about how guilds should have a uniform classification system, like badges." Yuri shrugged his shoulders. "When Raven passed by hearing that he became all ecstatic and even made some drawings with ideas. Looks pretty good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah!" the small boy pumped his arm in the air. "This will definitely separate us from the rest of them. I'll have to make copies for the others, thanks Yuri!"

"Anything for the guild, Captain." Yuri looked down at his long time companion with a smug expression. "I didn't think it would make you look that awesome, Repede." The dog barked as he did a somersault in the air, sporting a long red scarf in place of his past rope-chain.

The raven-haired man was caught by surprise when he was engulfed by a strong hug. "Whoa! Easy princess, I didn't get you anything that special…" He rubbed her back in a circular motion when he felt moisture dampen his shirt. Karol and Repede quietly left, with the boy giving him an exuberant thumb up.

"…Thank you so much…Yuri…" The pink-haired girl continued sobbing for a few minutes before letting go and rubbing her eyes like a child.

"Glad you liked it. Just don't let Flynn know I took it…or that you have it, for that matter. That is the right one, isn't it?" He implored with caution.

"Yes… I don't know why, but it was taken away from me when I was very young. It was my mother's. Was it hard to find?" Estelle asked in concern.

"I think you're forgetting who I am, Estelle. The notorious criminal, master thief, glorious chef and unbelievably handsome swordsman: Yuri Lowell!" The raven-haired man emphasized his point by striking what he assumed was a 'manly pose'. He smiled as he heard Estelle's infectious laughter.

-

Halure – Entrance Area [6:51 PM]

"Dammit… I don't have much time left. I've made my peace with the old man, but…" Yuri hurriedly made his way past the groups of people blocking his way to the exit of the city. "I can't wait. If I don't leave now I'll be endangering all of them..." He whispered to himself harshly.

As if on cue he saw Judith walking through the entrance. "Judy!" He yelled over the noise around him while pushing to his destination.

"Hm? What's up, Yuri? I was just talking to Bauul about you." The Krityan's sultry voice never ceased to amaze him. There was only a certain amount of teasing a guy could take…

"Don't get a man's hope up only to bring it down hard, Judy." The voluptuous woman oddly responded with a serious look of hurt. He didn't have time to think about it, time wasn't going to slow down for a criminal. However, he couldn't come off as someone in a hurry. "Mind looking after Repede while I'm gone? He's getting pretty lonely up there, and I feel like taking a walk…alone…"

"Why me? I'm sure Karol or Estelle wouldn't mind." Judith commented with suspicion.

"I thought you could tell by now, Repede likes you the most." Yuri said in a matter-of-factly style. As he was about to walk away he turned around suddenly. "It's horrible to feel regret, isn't it?"

Judith raised an eyebrow. "Of course it is. That's why you should do what you want no matter the consequences. Or…that's what I believe in, at least." She straightened her posture and crossed her arms beneath her chest. "Why do you-"

Yuri immediately closed the distance between them, planting his lips forcefully on her delicate pair. Finding no retaliation he deepened it and parted a path so he could slip his tongue inside. Using his left hand, which wasn't occupied with holding The Last Fencer, he trailed it down the small of the Krityan's back and groped one of her cheeks over the thin cloth.

After two minutes passed he disengaged himself and licked a trickle of Judith's saliva that was on his bottom lip. "Well, guess I can safely mark off one of my life goals; being able to kiss the most beautiful woman in the world." He did his characteristic smug smile and began walking towards the field outside.

Judith barely realized she was in a trance when she saw the back of the man, who had claimed her lips a few moments ago, leaving. She could feel an abnormal heat building up in her body. It wasn't common for her to be taken by surprise, so she was still trying to register what happened. She had no idea what she was supposed to do next.

Her mouth moved on impulse. "How long are you going to be gone, Yuri?" She saw him stop in the distance before waving a hand in the air.

"However long it takes me to clear my head!" the raven-haired swordsman shouted his roundabout answer. Not waiting to be asked anything else he took off at a decent walking speed to escape the city boundaries.

The young Krityan woman stood there, looking towards the night sky in a daze. "That was my first kiss…"

-

Ehmead Hill – [8:29 PM]

"That's it, that's it!" Yuri withdrew his sword from the eye socket of one boar-like monster who had charged at him relentlessly. He was right about the time that they usually attacked. No matter where it was, early evening was when they'd attack him.

The raven-haired man dodged to the right as several wolves bit at him. Using the momentum from his back-step, he executed a spiral slash to give himself space from his rabid enemies, two of which made contact with his sword.

"If I can't handle you guys, then I'm pretty much done for once I reach Relewiese Hollow." He held his side as a wave of pain emanated throughout his body. A sprained right wrist, several gashes to the torso, and even a bruised knee… Things weren't looking too good. He watched the drooling pack in front of him with hatred. "You guys are damn lucky that you were able to a launch a preemptive strike…"

Counting inside his head, he noticed that there were twenty-three more monsters to kill before he could make a safe escape to the Fiertia, which was only a few more miles out, hidden on the shore. "I'm about to show you bastards how 'survival of the fittest' works!" With a burst of adrenaline, he sprinted forward, sword poised in the air for an overpowered down slash.

"Azure…Blast!" Yuri shifted the sword in mid-swing so he could hold it like a dagger, continuing to bring his fist into the closest enemy's cranium. By luck, he made a sickening impact on one wolf, who then collided into a colossal monster behind it. A Gattuso. "My luck is…shit…"

At first, he planned to pick off the weakest links before going for the main one, until another level of Hell broke loose. The Gattuso was no longer interested in his meat, it was enraged, probably believing its allies were foes.

"This is my chance!" The raven-haired swordsman called forth the last bit of energy he had into his legs, running as fast as he could from the wild brawl ensuing. It wasn't long before the edge of the Fiertia came into view. Hearing no cries or horrific roars behind him, he slowed down, feeling the fatigue from his recent fight flooding his system once again.

"Damn… Everything is much easier when you have a team involved…" The young man knelt down from exhaustion. "Maybe I should have-"

"Dropped dead?" A feminine voice interrupted him.

"Huh?" Yuri's attempt to look up was foiled when a well-placed kick to the head knocked him unconscious.

"…So, what are we going to do with him?" A second person, with a more high-pitched tone, asked.

"I want to know why… Why did Yeager choose him? What makes this murderer so special?" She pondered with deep malice lacing her words.

"Killing him would be so fun though…" The other voice whined playfully. "Could I play with him while we're sailing?"

"Go ahead, but don't be too evil. We don't want to scar him before we even get to our destination."

"Spoil-sport…"

The clouded night sky cloaked the two assailants in a secure, dark visage; both of them carrying their newfound prisoner towards the Fiertia in silence.

-

Author's Note: Yes, a very short chapter compared to my other ones. It may be a side-effect from the current happenings of my personal life, or the dreaded writer's block setting up a nice little fort in my mind. Either way, both have been due for some time. In case you're not a reader of my other titles I'll warn you right now, my word choice sucks almost as much as my grammar. But I still attempt to make these so plot bunnies don't infest my mind. Also, I've just completed the game recently. Some of the concepts and mechanics of the Tales of Vesperia world are still being filtered, which takes quite a long time…

You may be asking, "Why so out of character?" Simply because… I can't write too in-character, but don't think I'm going to try and make them my own. Writing them in certain ways and adding major personality quirks just makes the story more interesting to me, even if others will most likely hate me for it in the process (-_-). I'm not that good with psychology, after all… Yeah, Yuri's going to be more of a pervert in this story, though not an overboard type. The events in Halure were more of a, "It was great knowing you, I wish I could have spent more time with you" kind of thing. A sentimental goodbye because he was planning to live and die as a hermit, thinking that finding a solution would be too troublesome and impossible, or rather he didn't want to bother the others after peace had just resurfaced. The two females at the end should be obvious, as well as the parts they'll play in this fanfic.

Most likely, I'm going to tweak around with this chapter a bit, especially when all these ideas become more of a solid foundation to build on top of. So, in that sense, I guess you could think of this as a roughdraft! I plan to do re-edit most of the content in here, especially since my skills aren't up to par. If you're one of the very few who will read the next chapter of this, or any other story I update in the future, thanks for tolerating any annoyances you may find in my work, and review if possible!