What can I offer?
My naïve little junior, you have it all wrong.
"Rather than asking what I offer for you to join , you should instead be asking what I will take away should you dare to oppose."
It wasn't that I would squander in order to recruit her, but that she would voluntarily ally with if nothing else but for not having as her enemy.
The "offer" was rely to see if she wanted to stand against or not.
To which extent she was aware of mine and Sophie's capabilities didn't matter, as if she declined my generous offer here and now, she would thus pay the price.
Even for a Concept like her, she wouldn't be able to escape a situation like this untouched.
"..."
"..."
There was a lull in the atmosphere following my words, but Light cut it short with an entertained burst of laughter.
"Pahaha, that was unexpected! You really are sothing, Senpai!"
At first, I thought she might have been taking my warning too lightly as she smiled to herself and seed to find sothing funny, but that was quickly revealed to not be the case.
"I've heard the gist of what your asurent does, Senpai, but isn't it fascinating? Can you really know the answer to any question? In that case, is it really necessary to ask what side I'm on?"
She sent such an inquiry my way, but it was an understandable one.
If I could already know what her intentions and beliefs are just by asking, then what was the point of even having this discussion? Was it for re pretences?
"I wouldn't show my face to you if you were planning to harm . Of course I know what your intentions are; that is exactly why I'm here," I answered.
I never asked what side she was on. She hasn't yet decided that, after all.
All I'm doing is helping her to understand the consequences if she happens to choose the opposing side.
The asurent of Light isn't all that powerful when pitted against the rest; on my personal ranking list, I would place it as the second or third lowest-ranking Concept asurent out of nine, just above myself.
Situationally, Light is the third weakest Concept, but overall, I would call it the second-weakest.
Of course, Truth is the weakest as it is the only Concept with no actual inherent combat capabilities, but I would still argue for Truth's superiority over Light in a general sense.
Anyway, that's how it is.
It's not even that I particularly want her to be on my side.
I have authority over nurous people possessing strength far greater than Light's, after all, so what use would I have for her, who functions as a slightly loftier lantern?
No, instead of sothing like that, the only thing I aim to get out of her becoming allies with , is rely so that she isn't an enemy. Like this, even without putting her to use, I can shave off the enemy's forces bit by bit.
Ordinarily, I would simply kill her on the spot so I wouldn't have to deal with it, and that thod would also eliminate the risk of treachery, but currently, I'm not so inclined to do so.
The reason for that is because if I kill any more people unnecessarily on school grounds, there will co a confrontation from a third party whom I cannot afford to cross, at least not right now.
So, the best path forward is to persuade Light to join my side, or at the very least remain neutral to , so that I don't have to deal with her in the future.
Ultimately, even if she isn't the strongest, a Concept is still a Concept, and a minimum level of caution needs to be upheld.
"So, what is your answer?" I asked her.
Then, removing any sense of a façade from her face, and with her hands by her sides, Light looked at and stated her answer.
"To be completely honest with you, Truth... I'd prefer to stay out of all of it. As a neutral party. You know, I already notified the Wardens of my answer to their offer. After releasing , they told they would let go free and without the risk of recapture, so long as I hid well as a normal citizen. I didn't even have to do anything for this freedom except for being a good person. I can go to a normal school like a normal girl, I can make normal friends like a normal girl..."
She took a short break in the middle of her explanation to think.
Swivelling her head to gaze at the world around her―the passing clouds, the amber sunset, the frosted ground―she addressed once more.
"...Truth."
Turning back to my direction, she stared into my eyes with the most candid expression she could possibly wear.
"This is the first ti I've experienced such freedom and such normalcy... And I don't want to lose it."
Her head shook side-to-side as if showing to the extre that she didn't want that at all.
"They said they trusted to keep behaving, and I plan to do so."
Her eyes began to glisten as the dams only narrowly managed to prevent a flood.
"It doesn't matter what you say, it doesn't matter what they say; this discord, this conflict... I don't want to be a part of any of it."
Her mouth distorting in shape as she continued to shake her head, it was impossible to ignore the intense quivering of her voice. anwhile, Sophie and I watched the girl without a word.
This girl, Kanon Yuuki.
Sixteen years old; fifteen of them spent within the Playground; all she ever wanted was to experience an ordinary life.
"Light."
As she brought those sleeve-veiled hands to her face to wipe the leaking tears, I called her.
"If your wish is to remain neutral, that works for . As long as you don't help the Wardens, I shall not interfere with your daily life."
As a fellow kid brought up in the Playground, I felt like I could sowhat understand her desire.
"Th-thank you... Senpai..."
"..."
It's clear from this that Light truly doesn't want to involve herself with either the Wardens nor any of the other Concepts any longer, and I realised that in its entirety.
Turning to Sophie, she looked at with an odd sort of gaze. I ignored it and spoke.
"Let's go."
Today, one more variable has been crossed off the list.
❖─────❖─────❖
After confirming Light's abnegation of her position in the current conflict between myself and the Wardens, I and Sophie were on our way to pick up Emir and Selina from school.
"..."
"..."
There was an atmosphere of silence between us as we walked; the only major sound being the crunch of our feet on the icy pavent beneath our every tread. Despite the perhaps awkward-seeming air floating around us, however, there was no such feeling in reality.
By this point, we were used to each other's company to the point where we were not bothered by sothing others might nonsensically fuss over like silence, and on the contrary, aningless chatter would only serve to dampen the natural flow and serenity we had going, so we did not care to disrupt it.
I think I could now state with full confidence that Sophie was like a right-hand man. Although there hadn't been many opportunities for her to act, the few tis I did need her, she was there, and well did she perform during those tis. Most of all, rely knowing I have her by my side if necessary is a great reassurance and comfort.
However, for the exact sa reasons, I find it to be quite the disquieting relief.
Because it only compulses to realise my own helplessness.
If there were to co a ti where I needed Sophie, but she wasn't there, what would I do? No, what could I do?
I'm not sure if it's enough to call a predicant, but the fact that I am forced to rely on the support of others like this is a severely understated issue. Of course, I've had this sa problem from the very beginning, and it's a fact unlikely to change, but this vulnerability is one I utterly regret.
The one and only crippling weakness I have; that I cannot do much by myself. Of course, when my only opponent is ordinary human beings, then even if they know what my ability is, they might as well be facing a god against my asurent of Truth which is akin to omniscience... But it only goes that far.
If my opponent evolves from ordinary human beings to human beings with alarmingly potent superpowers, which is exactly the current situation, then all of a sudden my threat level drops from 'god' to 'ordinary supervillain'.
And even the 'super' in 'supervillain' is arguable.
In reality, all I am is an above-average human male with excellent preparational skills.
That's why I pocketed myself a couple of powerful future bodyguards in the form of Sana and Sona, after all. Follow that up with additional insurance in the form of Sophie Asanami and Selina, and you arrive at the current state of things.
Sure, I've secured myself a team of superpowered lackeys, but what about ?
Since the beginning, I've never changed.
The exact sa as I was.
Even though I have remained the sa, I have gained more strength as followers.
Why is it, then, that I feel more concerned about my own safety than I did at the beginning?
Undoubtedly, my strength and my power have grown, but why does that growth include my insecurity?
"...I'm surprised things went so well."
Suddenly, I heard a voice from beside .
"Y'know, I was half-expectin' her to go all 'oh, you caught ' and flip a brawl on us all a sudden, but it actually went quite smoothly, so I'm glad."
Sophie's rough, yet sohow simultaneously soft voice, entered my ears. I replied.
"What do you an? She never wanted to be involved from the beginning. Just like most of the other kids, all they want is out, and once they get it, they want nothing to do with those bastards. It was the sa with at the end of last year, you know?"
Looking at the rolling grey clouds above as I spoke, all I heard in the following monts was a snort of laughter.
"Heh. Sure thing, bud."
Casting a sideways glance, I caught the quietly smirking face of the girl on my right.
Thinking about it now, I only ever first interacted with Sophie right after the kidnapping incident, right? Prior to that, despite being in the sa year for two years, we never so much as glanced at each other in the hallways, after all.
So, knowing what I'm like right now and ever since I got her on my side, it's only to be expected that she would find wanting nothing to do with the Wardens hard to believe.
If you were to ask , I would say the sa thing.
And yet, if you talked to the from six months ago, I would act completely differently.
If you really think about it, it's wild how people can change so dramatically in such a short span of ti.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway."
Once we get rid of them―
"Soon, the war will be over."
―At that ti, peace will return.
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