38 the weight of a life

The battlefield lay in ruins. Diana had just slain the last demon. She surveyed the devastation, a landscape of destruction and flames, with heaps of bodies strewn around.

Piles of charred corpses and body parts littered the ground. Rain began to fall, its drops attempting to cleanse the evidence of what had transpired here today.

The water that fell onto the flames generated a mist that veiled most of the battlefield.

As Diana watched this, she began to reflect on what had happened. She might be a warrior, but this marked her first time fighting and killing fellow humans. Typically, she battled monsters or trained with her Amazon sisters.

Now that she realized this fact, various emotions surged within her. Her mind, previously consumed by adrenaline and the imminent danger to her life, had shielded her from viewing these people as humans. However, now that it was over, it all came rushing back at once.

Inmo observed this and understood what had occurred. He sighed, recognizing that his ethical restraint had been broken long ago. He no longer felt the weight of taking a life, especially in this world where an afterlife existed, and life was but a point in the grand scheme of the universe. However, he knew it would take Diana some time to overcome this, and she might bear these chains for a while.

"Hey, how about taking a stroll? Merlin and Franky can handle things here," Luffy suggested to Diana. She, who was spiraling into guilt, saw a glimmer of hope and decided to hold onto it. She nodded in agreement.

Merlin, aside from having experience in killing, possessed demon blood, so taking human lives didn't weigh heavily on his conscience. Now that Morgain was dead, he felt freer to leave Camelot and travel the world. His task here was done, and he could explore the world and evolve his magic.

Franky, on the other hand, had never had an issue with taking human lives. The only lives he cared about were those of the Observers, like Inmo, who were a priority for protection. Other humans could be exterminated if necessary, as per his directives.

Inmo, realizing that everyone agreed, picked up Diana in his arms like the princess she was and flew to one of the many surrounding mountains. To be honest, he didn't like dealing with emotionally fragile individuals; it left him with an immense lack of motivation to help them. Thinking of the girl who was always cheerful, even though she knew little about the world beyond her island, and still tried to convey confidence to those around her, seeing Diana in this state depressed him too.

After a few minutes, they reached the peak of a mountain, escaping the storm that had formed on the battlefield. They could now see the starry sky. Inmo sat on the ground with Diana by his side. For a while, they watched the stars in silence until Inmo sighed and decided to broach the uncomfortable topic. "So, was this your first time killing another human?"

Diana recoiled slightly. "Yes, until today, I had only fought beasts and monsters. You know, when I was on the field, I never thought of these people as humans for a moment. But now... I realize they were humans too, with families, friends, lives that I took from them."

Inmo calmly gazed at the sky while listening to Diana. "But you know, Luffy, what's worse is that deep down, in the end, I don't care," Diana began to cry at that moment. Inmo said nothing, only remaining silent until she calmed down. He was surprised and would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate her perspective on the deaths of their enemies.

"What kind of monster am I?" Diana continued her monologue. This time, Inmo decided to share his opinion. "Diana, human lives can be important, but not all deserve to keep them. At the end of the day, the only life that matters is yours and your family's. Don't feel pity for your enemies." Another round of silence fell between them.

Diana pondered what Luffy had said. She feared being seen as a monster by him. Realizing he shared her perspective brought immense relief and even a smile to her lips.

Inmo continued trying to convince Diana. "You know, Diana, death isn't such a bad thing." It was a somewhat hypocritical statement coming from him. "Death is a part of the cycle, leading to higher planes of existence. The body may have perished, but the soul endures. There are different afterlives... and so the cycle ends." While Inmo was giving a lecture, Diana had unknowingly leaned on his shoulder and fallen asleep. When Inmo noticed this, he picked her up and carried her back to the castle to rest.

Franky and Merlin finished tidying up the battlefield very quickly. Merlin used his magic to salvage some parts and demon blood, gathering everything that remained and incinerating the field entirely. All evidence of the great war that had taken place there vanished.