Mash searched through Luke with his domain and saw nothing. He didn’t care though. Another man’s memories, his life had been given to Luke. The butchered explanation managed to get that much across to Mash, and he couldn’t help but make a comparison. Priscilla's ever-present presence within him seemed like an echo of what he was going through. Although, judging by the very obvious internal conflict, he wasn’t as aligned with his other self. He thought about that for a second, and his anger just petered out. Luke took a long breath, and Mash watched him carefully. He wondered who would speak.

“The power of a god comes with all of the memories and knowledge of people who had that power before. It’s a lot. I can see a living soul in you. It is dying, dissolving into your soul. You promised me you wouldn’t do that. It’s wrong. Everything about it feels wrong. Can you even imagine what that’s like?”

Mash nodded. He understood that. His own aspect worked like that but to a more extreme degree. His aspect’s complete refusal of anything that resembled control was more absolute than Luke’s situation.

“And you needed to kill me for it?”

“No. I tried to save you. Separate you from the soul. And I knew that you wouldn’t really die. Mash, you can’t ever die. Even after every world turns to dust, you will be there to witness the end. The universe will end with you in it, and you will come back when it starts again. That is the nature you have chosen.”

Concern bled into Luke’s voice as he explained. Mash shuddered at the explanation. What would that even be like? How long would he have to live alone? He realized then, just how lightly he had taken his power. It wasn’t the strength that made it terrifying, it was the inevitability.

“Huh.”

He didn’t have a good way to respond to that. Just processing that information was hard. He looked at the others that were watching him carefully. Their faces were blank, and he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Well, what would happen if you had killed me? Wouldn’t I vanish for a long time?”

“Yes, but even a thousand years will be a drop in your life eventually.”

“That’s not the point.”

Mash retorted instantly; some heat entered his voice. He didn’t even need to think about his response. The anger in his voice kindled the fire of hatred in Luke. Those four words set Luke off, and he slammed a fist into the ground. It left a crater in the dirt and made Jill flinch. She was a spectator to this argument as were Red and Lisa.

“Mash, you can’t keep a living soul like that! Even if the king deserved to die, this is a fate far worse than that. Can you even imagine how much pain he is in?”

Luke's eyes had filled with the golden light of his power. It radiated from his sockets like flashlights. Mash didn’t flinch. He had two very good reasons to refuse him on this matter.

“No. He deserved worse than death. If anything, this is too easy. I didn’t tell you everything before, but he sacrificed all of his slaves. All of them just died without ever even knowing why.”

The light in Luke’s eyes flashed at the words and he grew conflicted. Mash saw that gaze dart at Lisa. Mash watched her too and saw how tightly her hands were clenched. Mana leaked from her palm as her nails pierced the skin there. She said nothing. It seemed like everyone else was content to listen. They probably understood that this discussion was beyond them in a way. They didn’t yet understand how the power they received at 200 had changed them.

“Just because someone commits evil, doesn’t give you the right to do it. Mash you are not a judge. That is not your purpose.”

Luke’s response made him understand something. Mash hadn’t described all the details of his fight, and he would need to rectify that now.

“I know what my purpose is! And there was no one else who would deal with the king, but me. Nobody but me could kill the king.”

“You might be strong, but you're not the strongest person alive.”

Mash shook his head and tried to find the right words.

“I was in that fight. Wait, don’t argue. I used the aspect of change. It sped up time for me and the king. I don’t know by how much, but I, my attributes changed with it. In that fight, I could literally destroy the world just by moving. The king managed to steal half of that power. If he was alive, or you freed him, he would still have those. That power would make him the strongest by a wide margin.”

“Mash, you think too highly of yourself. If he could steal your attributes, then others could as well. If not. There are other ways to beat it as well. Anything you say is just an excuse. All you're doing is fulfilling your own desires.”

“You may be right, but my desires are changing the world for the better.”

Mash couldn’t see the future, but he didn’t need to. The world would be better without slavery. Some might try to bring it back, but most of the slavers were either hiding or dead. His action and those of the slaves he freed had left a lot of slavers dead. That was a cost he accepted.

“Say that to the thousands that died. So many beastmen. So many innocent people were killed by a suddenly free monster or criminal. I saw them, and lived some of their lives. Half of those had cursed you with their deaths, others still live in hopes of getting it. You owe them, you need to repent. Not many people exist that can or will hold you to any consequences. Only, you have to accept it.”

Luke’s words drew a whole new kind of silence. Not because of the implication alone, but because there was an odd certainty to his gaze that the Luke of a day ago could never manage. Mash stared at his friend. He had changed so much it was weird; disconcerting in how it made him feel like someone or something had replaced Luke. His domain, and Jill’s presence, made that an unlikely situation.

“I can’t do that. There is too much I need to do. Who knows how long I would stay dead? If I missed even a year, I feel like everything would become unrecognizable. A decade, a century, or more? The world wouldn’t even be the one I had wanted to help anymore.”

Mash’s response came with an assuredness that probably seemed callous and blind. Luke had become almost unrecognizable after a day. A thousand years wasn’t just enough time for the world the change. Luke’s information didn’t change Mash’s opinion at all. If anything, it strengthened his resolve to never die. At least not until he was sure, that his friends and family would be fine without him here. Plus, he still needed to find the World Owner. One of the two Lukes didn’t share his opinion.

“Would that really be so bad? I can make protect everyone until you get back. More importantly, the world isn’t ready for you.”

Luke fully believed in every word. He stared at Mash with the intensity of a god, and he didn’t blink at all. The light pouring from his eyes made it feel like Mash was staring into the sun. Mash met the gaze. He could stare into the sun. Light or the lack of it didn’t really bother him. To the others, Mash’s own eyes were swirling voids of darkness. His triangular white pupils a single light amidst the darkness. This point was one that Mash actually agreed with, but it was also the exact reason for his actions.

“It won’t ever be. A world that is ready for me, wouldn’t need my powers. You don’t see the flaws in that world, but I do.”

Luke was prepared with a response, and he spoke quickly.

“It’s not your job to fix the world.”

“No, but it is my job to change it, to free it!”

Mash shouted those words. They felt so right as he said them.

“Then at least give it the chance to prepare. Let me go. Let the other gods and kings shield the world from you.”

Mash almost rejected the idea. The heat of anger was pushing him to say more. Jill interrupted him before he could say anything. Her voice cut into the fire of their argument.

“I want you to help me kill a god!”

Jill shouted the words. Her gaze bore into Mash’s back, and his shoulders tensed at the sudden shout. He had almost attacked instinctively. Jill didn’t flinch and she teleported between the middle of them. She stood staring down at Mash and then turned to Luke. She glared at him in equal parts before speaking.

“Luke wants time to help his people, fine. Or are you going to say that your mission can’t wait? That you won’t help me?”

Mash faltered, his anger vanishing as Priscilla showed him a memory from moments ago. He saw Jill broken on the ground, crying from having her magic stripped away. Even if it had been an accident, he owed her. However, he didn’t want to wait. His aspects and being pushed for him to act. He kept his tone neutral as he responded.

“Now? I will be a lot stronger after changing the world.”

“Now. I’m tired and desperate. Mash, your attack felt so similar.”

She shuddered, and her wing very gently curled around her. It definitely seemed like the thing was responding to her emotions. Her whole body shook, and he held out a hand to catch her. She didn’t look like she would fall, but it seemed like she could use a hand either way. He drew it back as she stared it at him. His domain revealed a lot, and he felt the fear in her.

“Sorry.”

There was nothing else he could say.

“No, don’t apologize. Mash, you’re the only one strong enough to help. You are the only one that might be able to compare to the thing.”

Just referring to the god that was torturing her. Her eyes darted about and her breathing quick. Jill swallowed down the emotions and forced a smile with her next words.

“Actually, you might be scarier than it was. And I can find it now.”