Chapter 34: Two Sides of the Same Coin
"I despise you." Enyo was angry, furious even. "Can you not somehow make every waking moment of every second I spend near you not completely unbearable? I'm seriously fed up with the nonsense you keep putting me through at every damn turn. It just never ends with you. You're a nuisance."
"..." Ares was really hurt this time. Had he really been too excessive? Was he honestly too annoying? Was this whole situation just his fault? Could he have done better? Was there a way he could've not upset Enyo? Ares was demoralised and disheartened and could only bring himself to dejectedly apologise, "I'm sorry."
Enyo was completely taken aback by Ares' pitiful appearance and couldn't help but regret blowing up on him. She felt she had a right to be frustrated as Ares really just kept making things worse and worse for himself, but she realised he wasn't the person to be taking that frustration out on. It's not like he had a choice in any of this. "You…" Enyo wasn't great at apologising though and couldn't find the right words.
Ares misunderstood and thought she was too furious with him to even know how to express her grievances, so he just apologised again and fell slightly further into his chair, "I'm sorry. If you want me to leave again, I'll go. I don't want to be a problem for you, so I won't come back." Ares was pained to make this choice and could only utter another apology before getting up and leaving, "I'm sorry."
Bellona hadn't felt like it was right to interrupt as Enyo really should have sorted it out but, now that Ares had left and she was still just sitting there, not saying a word, she decided to do something. "Enyo? C'mon, what the hell? I mean, saying all that and letting off some steam is one thing, but are you really just gonna let him go? I can promise you that if he thinks him leaving will make you happier, he'll be gone for good this time. And as for what you said, yeah, him having a unique pillar and connections to Dominus makes our life harder, but it's not his fault is it? Be honest with yourself, does he actually annoy you? Or are you taking it out on him because you're annoyed at someone else, and he just happened to remind you of that person one time?"
"Um, is everything ok here?" Allie asked trepidly as she came back with Aejaz.
"Just another argument, Allie," Enyo answered gently.
"Oh… Will Ares come back?"
"I'm sure he will."
"He won't," Bellona replied sharply. "He already said he won't. Don't put his willingness to do something he near-enough promised you to the test."
"Seriously, he won't," Aejaz added solemnly. He didn't know what happened but, if what Bellona was saying was accurate, then Ares would just never come back.
Ares would probably go to the sect, take Appa, leave, and only occasionally contact Aejaz in secret instead of taking him along so he could be with Allie.
"Was he really that upset? Why did he care so much?" Enyo couldn't wrap her head around it.
"You're forgetting that Ares, underneath his unique pillar and the way he acts, is just a normal person. I already told you that he's not some special, perfect being. He has flaws, the main one I've noticed over the years is his emotional immaturity, or did you think growing up without parents had no effect on him?"
"What do you mean?"
Aejaz sighed. "From what I can tell, you grew up uncared for. Ares grew up unloved. You know all too well what it's like for someone close to you to hurt you emotionally, and you're more resistant to those things as a result. Ares isn't like that. His issue is similar, but different. He was raised as a slave, remember? Whipped, beaten, starved, and made to fight as entertainment. At what point could he ever really emotionally develop? You remember the throne of corpses? The reason that happened is related to this."
"What happened?"
"It was the first and only time Ares had ever asked me for anything, back when we were still young. I was going through the stuff I had stolen that day, waiting for Ares to come back so we could start training. After a while, he arrived with a complicated expression on his face. I thought something was wrong but, before I could ask, he simply said, 'Come with me.' I followed him for a good while and, eventually, we ended up walking through a funfair. I thought we were just passing through, but Ares stopped and took a deep breath before turning around and looking me in the eye. 'I need you to steal something, I would do it myself, but I don't want to cause a scene over something like this,' I remember him sounding anxious, but I obviously agreed nonetheless. He took me around the corner and pointed at something in one of the stalls. 'That, can you steal it?' At first, I thought he wanted me to steal the stall-owner's stardust but, when I asked, he said no. Do you know what he wanted? He wanted a teddy bear, and was so ashamed to ask me that he nearly had a panic attack. I didn't understand why he even wanted it, but I felt pity just looking at him the way he held onto it so tightly on the way home. We didn't speak the entire way back, the best he could muster when we got back was a 'goodnight' so quiet I barely even heard him. He would always sleep clutching onto the teddy from then on, perhaps because he liked the warmth he was so unfamiliar with. I think he even named it, although he never told me what. One day, we left to go do our rounds. When we came back, our alley had been ransacked. We'd made a few enemies and one group in particular really had it out for us, they even left their insignia as proof it was them. We didn't exactly live a luxurious life, but all of our small comforts had been ruined, including Ares' teddy. I've never seen him as distraught as he was that day, it took him hours to calm down. Even then, he wasn't back to normal. He took off without saying anything and I was too scared to follow him. It was the first time I ever truly felt like Ares was going to be violent and, although I knew he would never have hurt me; I didn't want to see him like that or be anywhere near him while he was in that state. The day passed, and he hadn't come back, so I went to sleep thinking he would come back during the night. When I woke up the next day, he still hadn't come back yet, so I went out for a bit to see if I could find him. What I found was the aftermath of his rampage that would later be nicknamed the 'Incident on Red Street', and also be the reason we became as infamous as we are. Apparently, Ares had walked straight into the group's hideout and single-handedly fought every single person in it, dragged them all outside, and executed them in broad-daylight. It's not called 'Red Street' because it's in Red Sun City, but because he stained the entire street red with their blood. He made no effort to clean up the corpses. He instead used them as a throne for the remains of his teddy. He piled up the bodies and left the scraps of his teddy on top of it. Even when the street was cleaned later, no-one was brave enough to move the teddy. Although everything else is gone now, the tattered teddy is still lying there in the middle of the street as people simply refuse to touch it out of fear. Ares uses cute things as a coping mechanism, why do you think he went ballistic over Appa's tiny scratch? Ares isn't faultless. He actually has serious issues that stem from his upbringing. Just because I respect and love him like a brother, doesn't mean I'm not aware of how childish he can be sometimes. However, he only ever gets like this if he genuinely cares about the person. His heart is in the right place it's just feelings of abandonment and betrayal are new to him, so that was why he got upset at me earlier. Having something he cared about taken from him was why he got upset over the teddy. He's not used to things going wrong with people or things he cares about because he's never had family to scold him, leave him alone for any period of time, or anything else that comes attached with a normal childhood. You're probably the first person he's ever cared about in any capacity that's ever berated him, and he's no doubt struggling to cope with that. He'll do anything for forgiveness or to make your life easier, and that includes not ever coming back."
"... I'll… Go and talk to him," Enyo said quietly as she got up and went after Ares.
Aejaz sat down in a chair and Allie sat next to him.
"Well, at least it looks like you two are getting along," Bellona teased.
"Uh, um, yeah." Aejaz smiled shyly and looked at the ground.
"Maybe you should give your brother some advice."
"Is it weird that I think he doesn't need any?"
"No, I was just joking. I think he's doing fine considering the kind of person Enyo is. Those two have still got some work to do, but that's normal."
---------------------------------
Enyo brushed aside the branches and bushes in her path until she managed to find Ares who was sitting up against a tree with his hands around his knees.
Ares had his head facing down and didn't notice Enyo at first, it took Enyo moving closer for him to look up. The movement revealed a treetop tiger nestled against his chest. This particular treetop tiger was the same one that had sniffed Ares when everyone came tumbling through the teleportation spell, the one Ares had used to shoot a fireball at Aejaz, and the one that Enyo had sent off to go call Ares back when she was done eating. He was a distinct little tiger as, unlike the others, he had a white streak running along the back of his head. Ares was still talking in sad tones, "I… I'm sorry. I thought this would be far enough away for me to say goodbye to the tiger without seeing you again… I'll leave now."
Ares was in the middle of getting up when Enyo walked over and spoke, "I'm here to apologise, which is rare, I know. If you still want to leave after, then I won't stop you." Enyo looked at the tiger who was still hanging around. "You, however, can leave."
Meow
Ares petted the tiger one more time and carefully put him down to let him scamper off.
Enyo sat down with her back against the same tree as Ares and was facing roughly 90° away from him.
"..."
"..."
"What was its name?"
"Name?" Ares was confused.
"Your teddy bear."
"That… It's embarrassing..."
"It's fine, you don't have to say."
"..."
"..."
"Huggles."
"Huggles?"
"Its name was Huggles… 'Cos I liked hugging it… I'd never hugged anything before. It was the first thing I ever owned, and it was the softest and warmest thing I'd ever touched. It made me happy."
"... I don't get you. No matter how I try, I can't comprehend what kind of person you are. You keep changing from one minute to another, and I really just can't keep up, but that's not a bad thing. It's better than being one-dimensional, flat, and boring like me or my father. You acted in a similar manner to him one time, and I just assumed you were always like him. That annoyed me… You annoyed me because you reminded me of what I hate about him and about myself. Then I slowly came to understand you were nothing like my dad, you were more like my mother, someone who has the freedom to act however they want to, whenever they want to. You're someone with a broad depth of character, and that made me realise how shallow of a person I am. That was when I started to hate seeing you, not because of anything to do with you, but because I couldn't help but wish me and my father were less like ourselves, and more like my mother… More like Bellona… More like you. Yes, you can agitate me. Yes, we may not always see eye to eye, but I think you're a good person, and you definitely didn't deserve to have me berate you over my own insecurities about my own failings. My bloodline works on myself too, so I knew I was lying when I said everything before, so I apologise. I'm sorry."
"..."
"..."
"You're not a boring person. I don't think there's anything normal about you but, even if that were true, so what? If anything, that would make you far more unique than the rest of us. Aejaz, Appa, me, our neighbours, if we're all special, then none of us are. If you have 100 normal people, then yeah, one special person will stand out but, if you have 100 special people, then a normal person will stand out. Of course, I don't think you're normal or one-dimensional at all anyway, so that's all irrelevant. I don't think you appreciate yourself enough. There are so many weak-willed women out there that don't have half the pride or conviction you do, women that will latch onto whatever person they can find that will take them further on their cultivation journey than they could have gone on their own. Of course, Aejaz is my brother, and I love him for the goofball he is but, like Allie, I have no respect for them as cultivators. While your views are far too idealistic, as a person in the world of cultivation, I respect you for who you are, for being the kind of person who'll stick to those views when abandoning them would be so much easier. I was impressed the first time we met, and part of me envied your single-minded dedication as it was something I don't think I could ever manage. I don't really have a reason for anything I do. It's funny, you think a broad-depth of character is a good thing, but I think being multifaceted is just a facade for a lack of direction and purpose. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Part of me hopes that when I meet my parents, I find them to be like you. I guess that's why I took what you said so personally. What if I finally met my parents and they too think I'm a nuisance? It's not a thought I'd ever entertained before. I know you came here to apologise, but I should too. Regardless of whether you think you berating me was right or wrong, it remains true that I annoyed you to the point that you felt it necessary to say something in the first place, so I apologise. I'm sorry."
"..."
"..."
The silence lasted longer this time, but eventually Enyo did something that took Ares by surprise by removing her helmet. Ares was momentarily stunned at how strikingly handsome Enyo was. She had an imposing and dignified air that compromised none of her plain-yet inherently attractive facial features. Her skin was spotless like that of a divine being who'd cleansed themself of all impurities and her hair flowing in the wind complimented the heroic and angelic look perfectly. Rounding her beauty together were the mesmerising purple eyes, embedded in which was a piercing, steely gaze. The contrast between Enyo's innately violent stare and the purity of every other facial feature should logically have been at war with one another and, yet, they managed to come together in a way that simply defied logic, creating a new breed of attractiveness unique to her and her alone. Enyo was nothing short of a flawless blend of fierce majesty and unquestionable beauty.
Ares couldn't help but gawk at this unexpected development until he eventually managed to form a few words with what little of his brain was still functioning after that RKO, "You're the most attractive woman I've ever seen."
Enyo immediately scrambled to put the helmet back on but Ares managed to catch a glimpse of a flushed face amidst the panic. "...That was mean," Enyo complained cutely.
Ares was in disbelief at the tone in which she responded; he never thought the word 'cutesy' could apply to Enyo's type of deep voice. "It would only be mean if I were lying to you, and you know I'm not. You really are remarkably good-looking. As a result, I can't help but wonder, why the helmet?"
"... I don't want to be judged by my looks, but rather by my actions and my conviction."
"This is just my opinion, but I think your look only serves to enhance the type of attitude and person you want others to see in you. There is nothing about your look that detracts from the fact that you are a stoic and resolute woman. I do get where you're coming from though, I just hope it's not because you subconsciously underestimate yourself. You're honestly stunning. It would be a shame if you were ever in doubt of that." Ares smiled and spoke with genuine kindness.
"... Thank you," Enyo mumbled.
"No, thank you. I'm sure that wasn't easy for you. It's not much but, as a show of good faith that I trust you too, I want you to see something. Ah, but I should mention, it's just another thing to add to the list of complications."
"You've got to be kidding me? I didn't think there was any way to add onto the problems we already have." Enyo was awed that there was still more.
"I hate to say it but, even though I don't know the full extent of the Dominus issue, I imagine this one will be considerably worse for supporting my case."
"WORSE!?" Enyo was on the verge of tackling Ares and wrestling with him.
"Yeah… I'm sorry."
Enyo took a deep breath and tried to find a silver lining. "It's fine, don't apologise. At this point, who cares? At the very least, no-one other than us knows about any of this, so none of this is an issue yet. We just have to make sure we hide it all well. Who else knows what you're about to tell me?"
"Just Aejaz. Even now I wish I hadn't told him. I was young and made a stupid mistake, but he also deserved to know as he was there when it all started and I was sort of obligated to explain everything to him." Ares summoned the Primordial Blade and it firmly wedged itself into the ground.
"What is it?"
"The most powerful thing in existence."
"... Not that I don't believe you, but how can you be sure?"
"I'll remove the restrictions so you can see the history of that thing, that alone should be proof enough." Ares tapped the gem on the hilt and beckoned Enyo to touch it.
Enyo leant closer and immediately got distracted by the seemingly infinitely vast expanse hidden within the gem. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before and she didn't understand it in the slightest. She focused again and tapped the gem while flowing some mana into it to get the rundown of the treasures name, origin, and history.
The Primordial Blade wasn't quite like other treasures as it took you inside its world and recreated the events that led to its creation. It would replicate even the tiniest detail and allow you to feel like you were in a simulation. It was on a different scale to any other treasure. You could reach out and touch both the nothingness as well as the sparks that would later give rise to the two universes. You could watch the birth of countless millions of stars and the folding of a universe. It was an experience unlike any other in that you could physically interact with just about everything rather than just watching as a bystander.
Time flows differently when processing treasure information so, although it felt like a few eternities had passed quickly to Enyo, it had only been a couple of seconds to Ares. Enyo let out a quick gasp when she arrived back in reality and immediately looked over at Ares, who wordlessly shrugged his shoulders with a 'what can I say' kinda look on his face.
"You have control over an entire universe!?"
"One day I will, yes. It's far too much for me to use right now, well, excluding for storage and cooking purposes anyway."
"That's where the food came from? Unbelievable. You're using an entire universe as a kitchen. That's… Actually…. Very like you." Enyo realised mid-sentence that Ares was absolutely the type of person to do that.
"In case you're curious, that's how I made your shield. The same way the universe was made into a sword. Nothingness can make anything malleable, and that's how it combines mana with items to create treasures. It's also why blacksmiths occasionally, accidentally, create treasures instead of artifacts as the lingering mana merges with their creation. I can't intentionally combine stuff with mana yet, but that was the rough process your shield underwent."
"That would explain how you made it so fast. I see why this is a problem. If people found out… Forget the three clans, the entire world would want that thing."
"The entire world… But not you." Ares smiled happily as he confirmed it was right to trust Enyo.
"Tsk, don't get all soppy." Enyo looked away from Ares shyly, although Ares couldn't tell because of the helmet. "The others don't need to know about the sword. It's not that I don't trust them, but this thing should be known about by as few people as possible," Enyo spoke while standing up and dusting herself off.
"Yeah, you're right." Ares was about to stand up when Enyo stood in front of him and offered him a hand.
He gladly accepted and was about to thank Enyo until she surprised him yet again by pushing him back down with a single finger as a call-back to their previous interaction. "I'm not usually a petty person, but that felt really good," Enyo spoke smugly.
Ares couldn't help but laugh. "Don't let anyone convince you you're like your father, in my eyes, you're wonderful as you are."
Enyo held out her hand again and pulled him up once more. Ares thought that Enyo would be unable to catch him off-guard again, but she did. Instead of pushing him, this time, she pulled him closer and hugged him. She whispered into his ear, "Everyone should know what it feels like to be hugged."
Ares couldn't stop himself from shedding tears the second the words left her mouth. He hugged her and cried into her shoulder for around a minute while she patted him on the back.
Ares eventually stopped crying and wiped his eyes, but it was still fairly evident he had been crying. "I, uh, I'll need a minute before I go back, I think." Ares sniffled.
"Take your time," Enyo replied before leaving.
Ares sat down on the floor again and lay down facing the sky. He was so focused on mulling over everything that just happened that he was too preoccupied to notice a creature sneaking up on him, closing in on his face.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
And finally, when the creature was in range to pounce on its unsuspecting pray…
…
Lick
"HUH!?" Ares freaked out for a second before lying back down and sighing loudly while holding his hand over his rapidly beating heart. "You sneaky little thing, how long have you been there?"
Meow
"What on earth does 'long enough' mean? You're a rascal, you know that?"
Meow
"Hey! That's a low blow!" Ares chuckled in response to the tiger's quip.
Meow
"Yeah, it looks like everything's fine, but that doesn't mean we won't still be leaving in a few days. I know it's a bit early to be saying this, but I'll miss you, little guy."
Meow
"Really? That sounds great to me! If you're sure that's what you want, then by all means." Ares stroked the tiger.
Purrrr
---------------------------------
"All good?" Gladius checked.
"Yeah, he'll be back in a bit," Enyo responded.
"And you're on good terms?" Bellona interrogated.
"Actually, yes. Better terms than I think we've ever been on. I think we have a good understanding of one another now."
"Seriously? You were only gone for 10 minutes!" Bellona was impressed. She whispered into Enyo's ear, "You're so telling me what happened later."
Ares arrived shortly after with the white-striped treetop tiger draped over his shoulder.
"You really get along with that specific tiger, don't you?" Charity asked.
"Yep. His name's Leo by the way... Don't look at me like that. He chose it, not me."
Meow
"What did he say?"
"Uhhh, he's quite a mouthy tiger, you sure you wanna know?"
"How bad can it be?" Charity questioned.
"He says he doesn't wanna see you of all people giving him a funny look 'cos of his name as yours sounds like it was a literal charity case."
Pffffffft
Bellona burst out laughing and Gladius did a spit-take.
"I think 'mouthy' was an understatement," Charity complained. "I can't believe I'm being insulted by a small fur ball. I think if I completely skinned it I wouldn't even be able to make a purse out of that thing."
Meow
"Uhhh, should I even…" Ares tried to end the translation war here as what was about to come next was pretty brutal…
"Speak." … But Charity was having none of it.
"He said, and I quote, 'Look lady, you wanna talk about making things? You should forget about making a purse. You're so ugly, I doubt you could even make a man happy.' … Um, he also said something along the lines of, 'this cat has claws, bitch.'"
Everyone just sat in bewilderment with mouths agape, this tiger was savage!
"Listen here you little shit…" Charity was about to go off on a rant but was interrupted.
Ahem
"We should get back on topic. We have unfinished business, remember?" Enyo cleared her throat and interrupted in the nick of time.
"I'll settle the score with you later." Charity did the 'I've got my eye on you' finger motion to the tiger and paid it no more attention.
Gladius then proceeded to explain everything he had tried to before, thankfully minus any interruptions this time around.
"Ok, well, this is certainly an awkward situation we've found ourselves in," Ares commented.
"You don't say," Enyo mocked. "So, what are you going to do? If you even think about joining the war, I'm going to slap you."
"The war is silly; I have my own goals. You can't expect me to choose between you and my family."
"If you won't be joining the war, then how are you going to explain yourself to the Umbra Wolves? I can't imagine they'll be ecstatic to hear someone with your qualifications doesn't care."
"They won't mind, after all, I'm going to be a part of the war, so they won't care."
"What? You just said you wanted nothing to do with the war, are you messing with me again?"
"No, I never said that. I said I wasn't going to choose a side and, just because the war is silly, doesn't mean I won't get involved. It's quite simple really. If what everyone is fighting for is silly, and I think both sides are silly, then I'll make my own side!"
"Huh?"
"Knew it." Aejaz sighed.
"I officially declare myself a third party."
"But… For what purpose? What are you even aiming for?" Enyo was at a complete loss.
"To end the war peacefully. There are too many people like you and I that have lived shoddy lives because of this war, and one side is guaranteed to keep suffering if the other wins. The only way everyone wins is either if no one wins, but then the war will never end, or if someone else entirely wins. That someone will be me!"
"You know, when we were talking earlier, you actually somehow convinced me you weren't insane."
"I'm being serious. Our generation deserves better than being trapped in this stupid, never-ending loop and to eventually have to force it upon the next generation too."
"Didn't you call me idealistic? How do you plan on brokering peace? You think they'll just sit down and agree with you? It won't happen."
"I didn't say that was how I'm going to do it. I'm not going to negotiate anything. I'm just going to tell them to stop."
"Why on earth would that work!?"
"Because that's how the world works, the cultivation world at least. I've said it once, I'll say it again. The cultivation world is ruled by the strong. When I increase my cultivation, I would love to see anyone try and argue with me about continuing their silly little war games."
"... Let me get this straight… You want to take control of the entire domain and rule over it to stop the war by becoming so strong no one can stand up to you?"
"Pretty much."
"Even though we just told you about what kind of person Dominus was?"
"Whoa, hold up. There's a huge difference here. I really don't want to rule. It sounds like a hassle. I'll probably just get Rud to do all the hard work. I only want to hold a position of power long enough to put a stop to the war, otherwise I wouldn't even want it for a split second."
"I mean… That's a lot of work… You're not exactly going to be supported by, well, anyone. Do you really think you can be more powerful and influential than three major clans combined?" Bellona asked with doubt in her voice.
"There are three reasons the answer is yes. First off, my destruction pillar is capable of all that, and I truly believe in it. Second, my stubbornness can move mountains. Lastly, uh, well, I can't tell you, but Aejaz and Enyo know what kind of trick I have up my sleeve!"
"If you use that… Then yes, it should be quite easy actually. That's on the condition that you can use it though," Enyo thought aloud.
"QUITE EASY!? WHAT THE HELL IS HE HIDING!?" Bellona was in disbelief.
"It's for the best if you all don't know, just trust me when I say he can make this ludicrous plan work off the back of that thing alone, even without his pillar. It does mean you'll have to use it though; it won't be a secret anymore then."
"I'll worry about that when it comes to it." Ares shrugged. If it got to the point where he had to use the Primordial Blade, then, with its power, he should be able to swat aside anyone who wants it by then.
"Unbelievable, do you just pull ridiculous things out of your ass?" Bellona couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Strangely enough, that's not the first time I've been asked that question." Ares thought back to his first meeting with Julio.
"What are you going to tell your parents? Being a third party won't sit well with them, I imagine."
"We have similar goals. I'm going to tell them that I'll fight for the sake of returning to the upper domains. I won't get in their way if they don't get in mine."
"WAIT. PAUSE. PROBLEM DETECTED! NOTION REJECTED!" Bellona shouted. "We can't go back; we aren't allowed to do that."
Ares grinned mischievously. "Says who?"
"Says the people who are in charge of the upper, severed domains?" Bellona sounded unsure as Ares' confidence was making her second guess herself.
"And why are they in charge?"
Enyo sighed as she had become quite accustomed to Ares' way of thinking and knew the answer without him even having to say it. "Do you just live off that one principle? How far do you think it can realistically take you until you hit a brick wall? If you become strong enough to rule over them as well, you'll just make even more problems for yourself, and then you'll be stuck in a never-ending cycle."
"Everyone lives off that principle so I suppose I do too, yes. If I hit a brick wall, I'll just break it. I'll worry about the consequences of my actions when I actually get that far. There are other, more prevalent things to take care of for now."
"I do not ascribe that principle to myself. What if the brick wall is indestructible, and will you actually think things through later? What about the rest of us who'll struggle while you're off messing around?"
"Ah, but you do. You can't arrest someone if you aren't stronger than them, or do you just think they'll go along with you willingly when you ask politely? Nothing is indestructible before the pillar of destruction, nothing. I have no plans on involving anyone else in my escapades, I never usually do anyway. If the gap between domains is just severed space, then I can probably traverse that myself quite easily without having to take anyone with me. I always think things through, so I can promise I'll figure out something appropriate."
Enyo just sighed, Ares was really surprisingly difficult to argue with and she didn't even know where to start refuting anything he had just said.
"FINALLY, I FOUND YOU."
Everyone turned to face the newcomer. It was obvious from the voice alone who it was and, quite frankly, not a single person was happy to see him.
"SHREW! Buddy!" Ares just couldn't resist poking fun at Trew, it was oddly satisfying.
"Don't call me that."
"I thought you said you didn't mind?"
"I MIND!"
"Oh? My apologies. In that case, what's your name again?"
"It's Trew."
"Screw? Your second name wouldn't happen to be loose, would it?"
Aejaz was snickering off to the side.
"ENOUGH. I have a single question for you. If you don't answer me, I'll kill you," Trew spoke through gritted teeth.
"You?" Ares looked around and squinted. "Maybe I'm blind but… With what army?"
"I don't need an army to deal with a rodent like you, so you best pray I don't have reason to kill you by the time you're done answering the question."
"We've already asked him, Trew," Bellona said. "He's not a revenant."
Ares picked up on the gist of things and made a mental note not to reveal that piece of information to Trew specifically. This was not a mental note he could just forget about like the ones before it otherwise there would be serious repercussions involving the Legion Clan.
"'Poof'. D'ya hear that, Screw?" Ares asked. "That was the sound of your 'single question' going up in smoke."
"I have no reason to kill you, so you ought to be grateful for that. I would dishonour the clan by beating up some random human from a lower domain out of pettiness, so you can relax for now, but just you wait for the regionals. You'll regret speaking to me the way you have," Trew threatened.
"The regionals, huh? Fine, we'll settle this dispute of ours then," Ares spoke confidently before leaning low over the table, putting his hand to the side of his face, and 'whispering' to Enyo in a voice that could easily be heard by everyone present, "What the hell are regionals?"
"Ugh.' Enyo facepalmed her helmet and groaned. Maybe Ares really is an idiot?