Chapter Nineteen: Argument, Broken Promises, Being Petty

Nariko had fought until the end of the skirmish that was at one of the many demon strongholds. Although her muscles ached, and a rib may be broken, she knew she was lucky. The other Hero definitely had it much worse than her, in fact the other Hero would be dead if Nariko didn't interfere at the last second. Nariko's thoughts were also clouded by questions for herself, if she did the right thing by letting the other Hero get away. She didn't know, but she hoped she would soon.

Gazef on the other hand, seemed to be in a bad mood after what had happened, taking out his anger on any demon he came across, although the fight didn't even last more than ten seconds.

The Sage, as Nariko had learned his title was and that it wasn't actually his name, fell back to the injured soldiers on their side and said he was going to heal them. Nariko didn't know how strong he was, but when she tried to get a level on his mana, it seemed to have no limit, deep and endless like the ocean.

The skirmish did not last much longer after the Demon's Hero had been dispatched by Gazef and the Sage.

The battle had been a success in the grand scheme of things, they got rid of the stronghold and now it was under the humans control, they had proved that they could beat the Demon's Hero, which would no doubt be bad for the demons morale, and stopped the carriage that was trying to get away with whatever supplies they were running away with.

But Nariko didn't feel like it was a victory. It felt like there was a wall between her and Gazef, and the reason for it was obvious to anyone that knew what had happened.

If anything, the wall between them was because their moral or personal thoughts were different. Gazef believed that getting rid of a threat before it was out of control was the best, in this case the Demon Hero was the threat. Meanwhile, although Nariko did agree with that, she believed that if there was a chance someone could change, it was her duty to at least try and help them.

That was one of the reasons she had told the king to create some POW facilities for some demons, so they could fit into normal society when the war was over, some had even been reintroduced into the normal world by this point. But when you're in war, and you look into someone's eyes, you can see if someone is going to surrender or not, and it hurts Nariko each time she sees the look which means that they won't surrender.

So, because Nariko had stopped Gazef from getting rid of the threat, they currently weren't talking to each other, although Nariko would definitely talk to him once they were back in the castle.

So, as Gazef walked with a powerful gait through a hall, no lights in it and only being illuminated by the beams of light that entered through the windows with no glass on one side of the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the hallway as he continued, it was impossible not to notice the sound of someone rapidly running towards him, although within the normal human limit.

He stopped and took a breath, knowing who it was already without them having to speak.

"Hey." They called out, making Gazef turn around to face them.

And, like he guessed, standing in front of him was the Hero, Nariko Kamata, in all her glory. Her long blonde hair flowing with the wind, her face now free from her kitsune mask as her face showed a rare glare from her, although the glare itself was weak considering she didn't glare often. Wearing a simple blue dress, with her hands still wrapped, making Gazef wonder if she ever took them off and the last time she had got them changed.

"What is it, hero?" Gazef asked, already knowing the general direction that this conversation was going.

"Why did you do that?" Nariko asked in an accusing tone, already knowing why, but wanting to know something else. "You promised me. You promised me that if we came across the Demon Lords Hero then we would aim to subdue, not to kill." Nariko explained. "That didn't look like you were aiming to subdue, you almost killed her." Nariko finished, her voice now showing the hurt that she felt from the promise between them being broken.

Gazef fully turned to face her. "I do indeed remember that promise." he said honestly, no use in denying it, wasn't like denying it would stop the discord between them, it would only escalate it. "But when I saw her and you fighting…"

Gazef trailed off as his mind went back to when he was watching them fight, he watched first before interfering, but it was enough for him. He had only given Nariko a second chance to fight because of the damage he did before that and the fact that there was a promise. Perhaps some part of him wanted for that other hero to change, but when he saw the Demons Hero going for the kill, he knew… she would never change.

The aura's clashing between them two, they were exact opposites. Perhaps if they both started out on the same side they could work together in perfect harmony. One the ruthless executioner, while the other would be the voice of them helping to comfort and lead people.

But that wasn't the case, and it would never happen.

"What? When you saw us fighting, what did you see? Tell me!" Nariko demanded, breaking Gazef out of his thoughts.

"Because your polar opposites. And besides, that aura she had before she vanished proves my point, that she is a threat that has to be eliminated as soon as possible." Gazef explained sternly. "Now, go relax and get healed if you need to, there is a meeting with the king you need to attente to tonight." gazef said to her, before starting to walk away.

Nariko looked incredulously at Gazef's retreating figure. "Don't go!" Nariko demanded, her voice strong.

Gazef turned around to look at her, never hearing this tone from her before.

"That's it?! You brush off our promise because of one fight! Because our aura's are opposites?! What does that even mean?! And don't brush me off this time!" Nariko shouted at him, angry and confused at the way Gazef could just… brush this off.

Gazef huffed, quickly losing any patience he had with Nariko. "I wouldn't expect you to understand." Gazef said simply.

Nariko's face scrunched up in anger as he said that, he was still trying to brush this off. "Well, explain it to me. What is it that I wouldnt understand? Just because I'm not from your world, I wouldnt understand?" Nariko asked, trying to rein in her anger even though it was still bubbling under the surface.

"Exactly." Gazef said. "It's because you're not from this world that you don't understand. When you came here you made a promise to the people to do whatever you could to stop the Demon Lord Zerad and his forces. And today you let one get away, not only that you actually saved them! You saved someone who could one day surpass you, did you realise how stupid that is?! Nevermind mind 'one day' they're already stronger than you! And I had a chance to stop them! To get rid of Zerad's ace! To stop any destruction they might cause in the future! But you interfered and let them get away, by now they're probably already fully recovered, stronger than before, and will try and kill you! You do realise that you're their main target! If anything, it seemed like the Demons Hero had a personal grudge against you!" Gazef shouted out, the calm he was trying to have was long gone, seeing as being kind about the reality of it, and that Nariko hadn't realised the gravity of the situation, he would spell it out for her.

Nariko shrunk back at the shouting, but still stayed and listened to Gazef. Of course she knew all of this already, it had been on her mind during the final stretch of the skirmish. The consequences of her actions. But still, she couldn't just kill someone from her world, not when there was a chance of saving them. 'Don't be afraid to take risks, no matter how many people oppose it, believe in yourself.' it was something that Itysus had said to her before she left to this world, and… the risk of not killing the Demons Hero in hope that they could change was a risk she was willing to take. And besides… "Yes, I did make a promise to the people, and I intend to keep it. But you broke your promise first, so call me petty if you want, but this is a little payback because of that." Nariko said, she was calm now, thinking over things, and whenever she thought of Itysus a wave of calm rushed over her, which probably shouldn't happen considering how big of a duty he had put on her, but he seemed to have confidence in her, and if a god believed in her, how could she not believe in herself.

Nariko then walked away from Gazef, going away in the way that she came, while Gazef only watched her back in shock of what had just happened. That was just so… unbelievably petty. Clearly, at least in his opinion, she hadn't stopped him from killing the other Hero because of the promise between them or out of some sense of petty 'payback', as Nariko had put it, it was more likely out of instinct to not let someone from her world die and the fact that she wanted to change them.

But, now that she was gone, he really wasn't feeling like chasing after her just to make a retort. If anything, if he did that, I would make him just as petty as her, if not more so. Gazef just rubbed his head as he felt a headache coming along. Why did Nariko have to be so complicated? Actually, why did people in general have to be so complicated? Why couldn't they just accept that some people needed to die for the betterment of the people.

In Gazef's opinion, if he was given the choice to kill a baby who could grow up to kill millions, or leave the baby to live and grow up and risk the chance that he turns into the person who kills millions. He wouldn't hesitate to kill the baby, it didn't matter what the chance of it happening was, the fact that it was a possibility was enough for him to kill the baby.

The need of the many was more important than the needs of the few. That was the way Gazef thought, he thought that his whole life, and he wouldn't change now because a 'fabled' Hero had been summoned to their world.