Post by Kaija on Jan 12, 2022 4:20:40 GMT
"Yeah. But, it's more than that. I guess you could say that I've started to feel like a bit of a hypocrite."
Probably an odd statement for Carmen to hear, but she could tell that Kore was being honest. It's not like Kore didn't live by the principles that she'd been explaining to Silvaria, and more that she'd been reminded of something.
"You know, I think back to our last fight. Our last real fight. And I think about everything that lead up to it. I can't remember how many times I lost to you. And like... You know I love you, and I'd do anything for you. But, I remember I used to dream about the day when I could lay you out. Fantasize about kicking your ass. Sometimes you had to wonder whether I was sharpening my blades for the demons or for you. And then the day finally came." she could remember it clear as day. She knew Carmen could too, "Happened right here, too. Made a blade that could finally cut you. It was like a papercut but, man, I was so happy when I drew blood. Like my efforts actually meant something. I mean, I still got knocked the fuck out by Noctua, but I was on fucking cloud nine. I had a smile on my face when I went down, didn't I?"
Wasn't something that she would've known herself, but it sure felt like it looking back. That moment of satisfaction when all of your work comes to fruition. It sticks with you for a while.
"But then I saw the cuts when I woke up and... I think that that hurt me more than having my ass kicked ever did. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was proud of my blades. But... something changed in me. I think, back then, I came to the realiza-... the conclusion that fighting you was only ever going to produce two results. Either I lost or I won by doing something to you that I could never forgive myself for. I just don't have your kind of strength. And I guess I gave up on that dream. Because it didn't seem worth pursuing anymore."
That part... wasn't something that Kore ever told Carmen. Partly because she knew it wasn't something that she wanted to hear. Partly because she wasn't interested in being talked into doing something cruel to someone she loved just for a momentary victory. But, that was a long time ago. And, Kore now had something... someone new to fight for. Someone besides herself.
"We've been sitting here all afternoon talking to Silvaria about the 'unfairness' of the world. Telling her that she needs to learn to deal with it and push through it because that's just how things are when you get into my line of work. But... every advantage- every ounce of unfairness- has been in our favor the whole time. These words of mine don't have any meaning if I don't make an effort to live by them, myself. So, I'd like to pursue that dream one last time. The right way."
The hard way.
Kore turned to the nearest entrance just a moment or so before Silvaria appeared through the doorway and met eyes the two devils.
"And I want Silvaria to see just how her boss... how well I handle 'unfairness' when it's not working in my favor."
And That water magic seemed to heal her up right quick. Her wounds seemed to have healed, she had a pep in her step, and she was already in a hurry to figure out just what the secret behind the duplicate devil truly was. Kore just kept her eyes locked on Silvaria and smiled; the words coming from her mouth probably doing more to confuse or intrigue the witch than anything.
"But that can wait for another minute or two. A promise is a promise, after all."
Both the real and the duplicate gestured for Carmen and Silvaria to follow as they made their way over to a more sandy patch of earth; a large "2" drawn on the double's forehead to highlight her false nature. And Kore simply gestured towards it, seemingly anticipating something.
"I'm actually kind of curious. Before I show you what this is, what exactly do you guys think that I'm doing. I uh... I admit that I don't expect either of you to guess it, but I tell you what? If one of you gets it right, I'll take you out to a Michelin Star restaurant for dinner. What about you, hunter?" she turned to Silvaria, "You did get a pretty good look at the basic building blocks of this technique back in New... er, well, I suppose we were in Yemen by that point, weren't we?"
A devilish smile spread across her lips. That was about as much of a hint as she was going to give before she spilled the beans.