"Well, well, what do we have here?" Asura's voice echoed in my head. "The choice has crept up on you, my friend. What shall we do?"
Ignoring him, I burst into the apartment and looked around, but couldn't find Xu Zhao Tin. There was no hint that he had left, usually, the hint was a note, he always left one when I stayed overnight with the old man, and he himself went somewhere. There were also no signs of a struggle, everything was quiet and calm. Shivers ran down my spine, and my heart clenched, I was very worried about Xu Zhao Tin.
"Don't worry so much," Asura's flippant and calm voice sounded in my head. "The canon strives to happen, doesn't it? If so, there's nothing to worry about, he'll survive somehow by some miracle. He's not destined to die here."
"What if I've already interfered too much with the canon, then he's in great danger," I began to answer Asura in a trembling voice. "There's a mention of a dragon's tooth, so it's definitely the guardians. The first time there was a team of four people, two mid-level mages, two beginners. The second time there was one mage almost at peak level, who lost due to his overconfidence. Who did they send this time?"
"Exactly, it's unknown how strong the opponent is this time. Are you going to sacrifice yourself for this expendable character, whom you were initially going to kill?" Asura's indifferent voice sounded in my head again, and these words only hurt me more.
"He's not an expendable character, he's a person who has lost a lot in this life!" I objected to Asura's words.
"Oh? Alright, but do you still want to rush headlong, possibly to die for him?" Asura asked doubtfully. "Isn't it safer to get away from here or just hide with that old man? Why risk your own skin for him? Why risk it for a person to whom you yourself signed a death sentence? Just so he dies another time? And is the risk to your life now worth going to the three-step tower?"
"No! No! No!" I screamed, grabbing my head and sitting on the bed. "His death then is irreversible, but now his fate is not yet predetermined! He is a good person! He... He... He is my..."
"Friend?" Asura finished for me. "Then why don't you even try to think about saving him from the black church? Is that situation really hopeless? You saved Lin Yun Er, didn't you? And you didn't even know her!"
"I saved her for an experiment! And is it possible to save Xu Zhao Tin?" I countered, then, calming down a bit, I continued calmly. "These are two different deaths. Lin Yun Er, as you said, was a barely noticeable character, her salvation shouldn't have significantly affected the canon. Xu Zhao Tin's death has a big effect, without it Mo Fan wouldn't hate the black church so much that he would be willing to die himself just to destroy it. And without his death, Mo Fan wouldn't start the battle in Minzhu, which I will need to get into the three-step tower. Yes, and didn't saving Lin Yun Er lead to the death of another person?"
"Yes? Then why did it affect you?" Asura asked. "Didn't it indirectly affect the canon through you? Isn't it because of her that you went to follow Lin Yun Jiaxing during the tragedy? And after that, didn't He Yu die because of her? Are these small consequences? Why do you think saving Xu Zhao Tin will affect the canon more than this? And what do you mean it led to the death of another person? Aren't you yourself to blame for that?"
"What? How am I to blame!" Anger surged within me, I certainly didn't expect such an accusation from him!
"Yes, exactly. You chose the easiest and simplest way for yourself, just to lead Lin Yun Er out of the library," Asura began to speak calmly, his voice a little detached, and images of those days appeared before my eyes. "The plan was good, I don't argue. You achieved all your goals, but couldn't you have done a little better and just not killed that rat? No, you chose the path by which you would test whether the canon would happen with minor changes or not. How is this situation different from that one? If Xu Zhao Tin is killed now, someone else will die instead of him."
"But then it turns out that Zhao Tin can be saved if we don't let him go to that warehouse. Then the events shouldn't change and everything will go as I want!" I exclaimed with inspiration. "Xu Zhao Tin is my first true friend in this life, just like Lin Yun Er is the first and only love in both lives, I can't let them die!" I hit the bed with my fist.
"So that's it? Then we could, for example, lure Xiao Hou or He Yu there, couldn't we? It would be an ideal replacement and wouldn't require much hassle. Otherwise, you'd have to find someone as fearless and resentful of the black church as Xu Zhao Tin, that's too much trouble," Asura smirked indifferently.
"No, I'm not going to sacrifice them either!" I answered confidently. "Not them, not Mo Jiaxing, not Jiaxing Xia, and not any of my loved ones! Although they aren't that dear to me, everyone who is even a little dear to me will be protected by me!"
"Oh? And how will you do that, if you can barely kill robbers? Forgot the incident when you were admitted as a student to that old man? Shall I remind you?" Asura asked, and before my eyes appeared the silhouettes of those two guys I killed back then. "They had their own lives, good or bad, and you deprived them of it.
"That's a closed topic, I know what I deprived them of. They were just a stepping stone to the power that would give me immense authority and allow me to protect everyone I want," I waved my hand dismissively.
"Yes? Could you kill them again, or others?" Asura asked with a smirk.
"Yes, of course..." I answered with a slightly trembling voice, because I wasn't really sure, back then it was a surge on the verge of an emotional breakdown, and now?
"See, you shouldn't try to protect anyone if you're not ready to kill for it or be killed yourself. Go back to the old man and live peacefully," Asura replied calmly.
"No. I won't abandon Xu Zhao Tin, no matter what it takes!" I said confidently, getting up from the bed.
"But then he will most likely die again, you haven't figured out how to save him yet? Or are you ready to kill someone else instead of him?" Asura asked sarcastically.
"Yes, if I have to! Any obstacle that stands in my way, I will crush by any means. If anyone dares to touch my loved ones, a terrible fate awaits them!" I said confidently, resolutely heading for the exit.
"Have you really decided?" Asura asked, and I stopped in the middle of the corridor.
"Decided on what?" I asked with doubt in my voice.
"Hahaha!" Asura laughed in response. "To kill! To kill! To kill everyone and everything! Anyone who dares to stand in my way, friend or foe, will be killed, am I right?"
"Not exactly, I won't kill friends," I answered resolutely, clenching my fists. "And don't you dare mention it again!"
"Oh, you're back? The one who gave birth to me? The true Asura, huh?" He smirked back at me.
"What? What true Asura?" I asked, confused.
"You, me, it's you, but not entirely me, understand?" Asura said something nonsensical seriously. "You didn't understand? I was born from your determination, cruelty, and calculation, all this time I was just a reflection of yourself. I was what your tender heart feared the most. People shouldn't be killed, right, it said. But you thought otherwise, yet you still chose the path of the heart when you realized what you were doing."
"What are you trying to say?" I didn't understand him.
"Your soft heart from your past life couldn't come to terms with the realities of this world. Where either you kill your enemy or he kills you. That's why I appeared," Asura laughed like a madman. "I am the part of you that understands everything. I just needed to rob your heart a little and explain the eternal truth."
"Enemies die, friends and loved ones are protected. I lacked the determination for this before," I sank into thought, remembering everything that had happened and realizing that it was all true.
"Yes, exactly," Asura said, calming down. "You made a mistake when you decided to go hunting with Xu Zhao Tin. It was he who planted the seeds of doubt in your mind about the correctness of your actions. He showed you how people feel when their loved ones die. And after that, you began to think about it more and more, realizing the horror of your thoughts and actions, their ruthlessness. Your soft heart couldn't bear this anymore."
"The last straw was when he found out that I could kill people," I said, sinking into even deeper thought. "Then my conscience actively began to torment me, and after that, you appeared, trying to stifle my conscience with an excess of these thoughts."
"Yes, exactly. But the deed was done. First Lin Yun Er, then Xu Zhao Tin, they both became close to you and showed you that they are not just characters in a story, but living people. After that, you couldn't stand to see them suffer anymore, am I right?" Asura asked.
"Yes, you're right, but now I'm absolutely sure of my beliefs and ready to pursue my goals with both my mind and heart. It's just that they have changed slightly," I smirked, realizing all my naivety and pity all this time. "However, I can't protect them from everything, they will have to get their life lesson and a portion of pain."
"Yes, you're right. But what will you do now?" Asura asked with interest in his voice.
"What? As I said, I'll go and save Xu Zhao Tin, and everyone who stands in my way, no matter what it takes, I'll turn them into bloody mush!" I said confidently, clenching my fist and heading for the exit.
"Yes, this is the decisiveness of action I was aiming for! Hahaha!" Asura laughed, his laughter gradually becoming quieter, as if he were moving away somewhere, and soon stopped altogether.
Today was a hunting day with Xu Zhao Tin, so I didn't bother to inform the old man where to find me in case of anything. I immediately headed to the meeting point, even if there was a high-level mage there, if they dared to interfere with my plans, death awaited them. Even if we knew each other before, or were friends, just dare to interfere with me, or harm my loved ones, I will grind you to dust!
Walking quite a distance from the apartment, I changed into the suit I wear for underground fights. It was still dark, so not many people could see me, and even if they did, I wouldn't care. Holding the mask in my hands and looking at its devilish smile, I smiled myself. Something tells me that the fight will be tough, possibly, I'll even get badly hurt. But today will be Asura's time, no mercy, let the blood of my enemies anoint me and stain my hands red, I will gladly accept it.