Okay! Sorry again for delaying things last night, but we are back!
>>6032187“When are you two planning your next battle against them, then?” you question.
“Fairly soon. Within the next day or so, two at most… oh, er, days here are closer to 20 hours than 24.” Chiaotzu answers.
“So the two of you were getting some more training in before then, right?” Hado questions.
Hearts nods in confirmation. “Indeed. That, and we were making sure to keep their attention on us directly. They’re a prideful, arrogant group, and they’d target us over any populace we might have aided, purely so they could try to make an example of us.”
“How exactly have you guys been going about this? Like, what kind of campaign have you been waging against them, and how aware of the activity of you two of you are they?” you inquire next.
“We hit targets that will draw attention for each of them that don’t involve substantial risk to other mortals.” Hearts responds. And there he goes, using that word again. “For Authadia, loud and proud as he was, all it took was a display of strength and a direct challenge, lured out away from his underlings as he was determined to put an end to any ‘rebellion’ personally, with a captive audience. Kakia on the other hand, not as open to a direct fight, much more focused on his rituals and ‘works’. Mess with those, and he won’t ignore that. Threw some of his underlings at us first, even tried calling forth a creature of pure madness designed to drive the minds of mortals into despair when things didn’t go his way.”
“...Okay, sorry to interrupt, but you’ve used the term ‘mortals’ in a very particular way a few times now.” you remark with a raised eyebrow. “Almost like you’re excluding yourself from that grouping…”
“Kid’s got a point.” Sala agrees.
“My sensors have detected that you are still flesh and blood, even with your unusual Ki signature.” 16 adds in. “You do not have the trademark identifiers of demons, either, even if your unusual energy reads closer to them.” 19 gives a silent nod of agreement.
Chiaotzu… has a sad look on his face, then glances up at Hearts. He smiles, but it’s the kind of smile you can tell isn’t one that comes from recalling any pleasant memories. Moving beyond bad ones, sure, but… “I threw away my mortality long ago. Rejected it in a decision I have to live with until I’m finally able to pass on. Your mechanical allies aren’t that far off the mark, though the man I am now is no being of those below the worlds. Even so, I am not doing this as one seeking any form of redemption for what I had done in the past. And I say this with the strongest conviction I can: I do not believe the lives of mortals should be treated as the playthings of the gods.”
(cont.)
