After the mission Heroes in Disguise

[no99]

As the mission ended, Suma took an interest in a certain person by the name of Genjurou. Rather than head back directly to the UG base, she got him to agree to a sparring match, fist to fist, not to be satisfied until she stood triumphant or lacked the strength to stand at all.

Which is why when she did come back, it was several hours late, and she looked like someone had run her over with a train made out of fists. As she limped back to the housing area, she stopped occasionally to catch her breath or laugh like a maniac.

"Oh, what an era to be living in, with warriors such as these!"

Comments

[abugslife]

Keeping an optimistic view on life is good, as long as it does not cloud your judgement on the situation. I would like to remind you that you are covered in bruises, by the way.

[no99]

Indeed I am! Reminders of the great distance between myself and the pinnacle of strength.

[abugslife]

Do you aspire to reach the pinnacle of strength?

[no99]

I desire strength, but not for its own sake. Strength is a gateway to greater battles.

[abugslife]

Is that what you desire, then? Fighting in greater and greater battles forever, for no other purpose than glory of the fight itself, until one day the fight turns out to be too great even for you and you perish in it?

[no99]

Yes! That, exactly. Marvelously put.

[abugslife]

I know several warriors who have the same reason, pure in its simplicity and lack of pretense.

I, however, have a different aspiration.

[no99]

Whoever fights, fights or their own reason. Which one is yours?

[abugslife]

From a brief look at history, it is obvious that threats to my people will not end anytime soon. Both of our peoples. There has to be someone willing to fight those threats, so others will not have to.

[no99]

So you fight so that the weak can live peacefully. How admirable of you.

[abugslife]

You don't seem to be impressed.

[no99]

A noble cause, but a predictable one. I find I take more interest in those who fight in the name of a noble cause, but for wholly selfish reasons.

[abugslife]

I know a lot of such people. They might seem interesting and exotic on the surface, but deep inside, many of them are despicable bags of dirt given human form.

[no99]

Well said! As it so happens, one such bag of dirt stands before you now.

[abugslife]

You still have a lot of dirt to acquire before you even get close to the ones I am talking about, I'm afraid.

[no99]

A bold claim. Do you know the things I've done?

[abugslife]

Did you willingly participate in genocide?

[no99]

I have killed in the service of a great many killers. For a long time, I did not bother to ask whether their causes were just.

[abugslife]

Were you one of those killers? The ones who organized the whole thing?

[no99]

I have no interest in leading. I fought whoever the ones on top told me to fight, without asking who they were.

[abugslife]

I see. Then perhaps I was mistaken; you probably are not above the one I am thinking about, but you are certainly close.

And it is nothing to be proud about. Quite the opposite, in fact.

[no99]

Right you are! I am not proud of who I am. The world will be a better place when I am no longer a part of it, but there are things I must do before this.

[abugslife]

At least you are very well aware of who you are, I see.

Things of what kind? Unfinished business, phantoms of the past haunting the present?

[no99]

Both of those at once. I fight to create a world where people such as myself do not exist.

[abugslife]

What an ambitious goal. Is this the only way to redeem yourself for all the past transgressions?