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]

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?

[no99]

It is not guilt that drives me. If I listen to my heart and do what I feel is best, I would remain a wild beast.

The notion that the world would be a better place without my ilk in it was one I came to through much reflection, and so I choose to act against my true nature.

[abugslife]

So your decision is a fully rational one. The kind of rational approach that fully trumps over any kind of emotional one. Interesting.

...I hope you will succeed in your goal. I am sure you are aware it is next to impossible; cruelty and vileness are not things that can be eradicated easily.

[no99]

Ah, you misunderstand. I'm not so foolish as to hope to rid the world of cruelty. When I speak of those like me, I am referring to something more specific. My list was once long, but it is very short now.

[abugslife]

I presume anything more specific than that is a secret for the time being.

[no99]

Do you wish to know? The full story is a tale for another time, but I don't mind giving the gist of it.

[abugslife]

Give me the very short version.

[no99]

There are six gods of war remaining in the world. With my death, I hope to eliminate the last.

[abugslife]

I presume "god of war" is just a figurative title?

[no99]

What is a god? I was not present for the creation of the world, if that's what you mean. I do have strange powers, though.

[abugslife]

I can believe in the existence of strange powers. That's both well-documented and something I encountered firsthand.

But actual, divine gods is a different matter entirely. It is rather hard to believe in any kind of gods when your own ancestors pretended to be them, thousands of years ago.

[no99]

Now there's an interesting story. Which gods are you talking about?

[abugslife]

Egyptian ones. When ancient Gebian explorers arrived on Earth, in ancient Egypt, they did not want to intervene into local civilizations, but also figured there will not be much harm in pretending to be their gods just for a while, in order to receive free food and other offerings.

I am surprised you did not hear about this before.

[no99]

Ha! No wonder they disappeared after the Middle Kingdom fell. Horus had me quite thoroughly fooled.

[abugslife]

...

You sound as if you were there, personally.

[no99]

Do you believe such a thing to be possible?

[abugslife]

Not for an ordinary Earthling. But I have seen more than enough extraordinary things here.

[no99]

Never in all my years have I seen such a gathering of strangeness as the Unity Group.

[abugslife]

With Unity Group's recruitment practices, this was bound to happen.