I step out of my home, filled with determination. I will find the right victim to prove Balgor's character is utter trash.
Twenty minutes later, my determination is deflating as a sketchy man slides out of an alley, holding a black wand with a red orb of energy crackling softly. He wears brown leather armor. His hair is greasy, and his skin dirty. He smiles menacingly.
I smile nervously, and start backpedaling. I bump into another man. I turn around, and see a seven foot tall giant made of fat and thick muscles. He's holding a thick club studded with sharpened jewels that give off cold white air. It must be enchanted with ice magic or something. I quickly look around me, and spot several more thugs closing in. They're all armed with a magical weapon of some kind.
There are Guards nearby.
"Help! I'm about to be attacked!" I yell desperately.
The Guards laugh and elbow one another like they're at a show.
"Go fuck yourself!" Guard 1 yells happily.
"Kick his ass!" Guard 2 yells happily.
I sigh angrily, and look for an exit. I see a path through them, back towards my house. I Air Dash for it, zooming fast ahead. I manage two dashes before I run into an invisible wall. I smack face first into it, and fall on my ass with a bloody nose. I'm scrambling to my feet as the thugs surround me.
I take a deep breath, and try one last thing. I clasp my hands together, and pray to Libra to make shit like this illegal. I receive an image of Libra with her arms crossed.
"Sorry, but no. You're a shitty Apostle. You haven't even settled your first case, or finished those lessons about the World War. Do some actual work man, and I'll let you enact more change." Libra states firmly.
I sigh angrily, and create a bolt of electricity in both hands. The lightning is unstable however. It hurts to hold, and it's cause I'm in a tense situation. A fight.
I start blasting the nearest thugs. They shake and fall to their knees. I blast some more. An invisible wall seems to block the bolts. I growl angrily, and start backstepping while firing. A thug rushes at me, the one with the ice club. I Air Dash to the left to avoid it, and crash right into a thug.
He doesn't fall over though. He catches me in a bear hug. Then he german suplexes me into the ground. I groan with pain, but scramble to my feet. The adrenaline in my body is helping me act better.
I suddenly remember I have charged variants of my spells. I start Air Dashing wildly through the crowd of thugs while charging a bolt of electricity in my hands. I imagine condensing this wild energy into a ball.
Thugs fire bolts of flame at me, but I'm too fast for them. The ice club thug points his club in front of me, and a thick torrent of ice flies out of it. Ice shards block my path, and they quickly start growing and combining into a wall. I Air Dash along the wall, heading deeper down an alley.
As I reach the halfway point, I turn around and fire off the charged ball of lightning. It doesn't move that fast at first. I find myself silently begging it to zoom off and explode against the ice club thug. And this desperation fuels it. Suddenly it's gone. I see a thick trail of blue light. Then I hear a loud ZAP! I see a five foot dome of electricity go off, catching a few thugs in it. It goes on for several seconds, then it dissipates into nothing almost instantly.
The thugs stare at me blankly for several seconds, then they hit the ground with dull thuds. I wince sympathetically at the sight.
The remaining thugs, looks like five, stare at their bodies for a few seconds. I start backing away slowly. I manage three steps before one of them notices me. He points at me and starts yelling angrily.
"Hey! Get back here, you fuck!"
I start running. I hear the thunder of their footsteps behind me as I rush deeper into the city. I take a right and head back onto a main street. Looks like a market. Fruits and cattle on sale. There's a cart in the middle of the road, so I have to jump over the guy sitting on the ground on a carpet with random shit on it to keep running.
A blue laser hits the back of my knee. I gasp as a fierce cold fills my right knee and I slow down. I turn back, and see there's a thug in all black leather armor. He's wielding two serrated knives with glowing red edges, grinning maniacally at me. I imagine a bright light in my hand, and fire off a bolt of pure Light at the thug's eyes. He howls in pain, covering his eyes. He slides to a stop a few feet in front of me. I quickly approach him, and kick him in the balls. Then I jump back, and fire a lightning bolt at his chest. He falls to the ground, his eyes rolled in the back of his head.
It looks like they'll catch up to me soon. I don't have a choice but to stand and fight. I thrust my hand forward, and imagine a powerful wind coming out of it. First a cool breeze leaves my fingers. I force it to become more intense. And I finally cast Gust. A powerful wind bursts out my hand, and knocks back the group of thugs. They fall down on top of one another.
It's enough. I ready bolts of lightning in both hands, and blast them with wild abandon. I manage to hit two with bolts before one of them sits up and holds their hand out. Then an invisible wall blocks my bolts once more.
Hmmm. My knee is still stiff. But I've almost evened the odds. Should I fight? I'm backing away, still hesitant.
The thugs get back to their feet. Three left. I begin charging a ball of lightning. Two of the thugs start firing, while the middle one keeps a hand out, focusing on the invisible wall. I can't get through it.
I activate my dome of force to repel the bolts coming at me. I don't see anything form, but I see the bolts smack against my own invisible dome. My mind realizes something. I can overload the invisible wall. Maybe. This ball could be strong enough. If it's like my dome of force, and has limits anyway.
Hell, I'm feeling my limits. But I can't back out now. If I do that, I'll die.
I fire off the ball. It doesn't hesitate this time, but it moves half as fast. It's enough to get a hit though. I see the invisible wall become visible. Lit up entirely by arcs of electricity. I decide to unload with a barrage of lightning bolts. Bolts smack against my dome of force as I do, and I'm basically firing blind.
However, I see the wall crack and dissipate into nothing. I grin wolfishly, and fire a decisive lightning bolt at the center thug who was maintaining that spell. He convulses, and collapses to the ground.
Two thugs left. There's just one problem. I'm fucking exhausted. I wearily bring my fists up. I don't think I can win a fist fight against these guys. And the way they look at each other, laugh, and point their wands at me isn't promising.
The thugs fire bolts of flame at me, but an invisible wall blocks it. However, it isn't my dome. I didn't feel any mana leave me.
"So Apostle. Are these men good or evil?" Cato asks wryly.
I growl angrily, and turn to face a smug looking Cato. He's holding a wand that is half black, half white. The colors spiral up and down the length of the wand. At the tip is a glowing gray stone.
"They're clearly evil if they're willing to jump one man like this." I say angrily.
"Hmmm. I dunno sir. Looks to me like they needed the manpower. You took out almost all of them by yourself." Cato says sarcastically.
I growl again, and drop my dome of force. Knowing Cato is covering me, I start blasting with wild abandon. It's a short exchange, but it ends with the final two thugs convulsing on the ground, small arcs of lightning traveling the outside of their bodies.
Cato smiles and nods approvingly.
"You can fight after all. Good. You will be shaping this world. You will need to be strong. Much of this world believes that might makes right after all." he says warmly.
I pant loudly, glaring at Cato.
"This Apostle shit pisses me. How come the other Apostles that came before me didn't do shit?" I ask angrily.
Cato chuckles bittersweetly, and looks away from me.
"They didn't last long. This world doesn't desire change. And honestly. The other Apostles were not that strong. The world fought against change. And the world won." he explains.
I take a deep breath, and exhale my anger. I am a calm man. I don't desire the world to burn at all. At all.
I smile with forced politeness at Cato. I straighten up my suit jacket and tie.
"Your help is appreciated, Cato. Now then, if you'll excuse me." I say.
Cato looks at me with disappointed shock.
"You're not even gonna ask any of them why they attacked?" he asks.
…
"Fair, Cato. Very fair." I say calmly.
I turn around, and approach the nearest thug that seems relatively conscious. I get down on one knee, and smile. This smile is…a bit malicious. I have the confidence of a victor in me. I feel like I've earned their fear and respect.
I grab the thug by his cheeks.
"You're gonna tell me what I-" I demand confidently.
The thug pulls my hand aside with ease. Then he pulls himself up a bit, and spits on my suit jacket. Then he falls back to the ground, groaning with pain. I sigh annoyedly. Cato shakes his head amusedly.
"Do you need any tips, Apostle?" Cato asks.
I look between the thug and Cato. Hmm…
"I dunno Cato. I think torturing a guy for information is evil." I say, wishy-washy.
Cato facepalms, and sighs angrily.
"Maybe stuff like this is why Apostles died too. You're too moralistic." he complains.
"No, you've just got a complete lack of morals. Must be all the babies y'all eat." I say angrily.
Cato's jaw drops, shocked and offended.
"What, we don't eat babies Henry. That's just a nasty rumor." he says angrily.
"Suurrreeee. Whatever you say." I say skeptically.
"Fucking pussy. You'll never get me to talk." the thug taunts tiredly.
I glare at the thug. He flips me off while still lying on the ground. I stomp on his hand, and twist my foot back and forth. The thug looks at me, completely calm.
"That barely even hurts." he says calmly.
I growl furiously, and stomp rapidly. Cato laughs, hunched over at the sight. Hands on his knees. He's even wheezing a little. It makes me so pissed off.
I decide to stop, and take a few steps away. I start breathing in and out slowly.
Cato's eyes light up with an idea.
"Henry. Will you come to my guild today if I help you with this?" he asks warmly.
I shrug my shoulders.
"I have to learn from ya anyway. Libra won't let me add any more laws until I deal with that or deal with divorce. And I feel like avoiding divorces at the moment." I say calmly.
Cato smiles, and approaches the thug. He kneels beside him, and holds a hand over his head. It grows a thick black aura. The thug suddenly becomes consumed with fear. His face pales. And he's trying to crawl away.
"What spell is that?" I ask seriously.
"I call it Control Mind." Cato says proudly.
"Cato, don't use it!" I yell firmly.
Cato scoffs, and presses his hand down. I stare, hesitant to do anything. I'm afraid his spell would spread to me. But I can threaten him.
I concentrate, create a bolt of flames in my left hand, and point a finger gun at Cato.
"Cato, stop this spell." I say firmly.
"You couldn't hurt me if you tried." Cato says confidently. "Plus, you'll thank me soon. I'm doing you a favor." he says nicely.
His hand connects, and the light leaves the Thug's eyes. They become a dull gray, and he stiffens in place.
"First, tell us why you attacked my friend Henry here." Cato says confidently.
The thug begins speaking. It is completely without emotion.
"We were paid by one of our bosses, Balgor."
Cato looks up at me with a smile that says "You're welcome". I scowl with disgust.
"I didn't need his freedom taken." I say angrily.
"But now he is the perfect witness. I promise to bring him by for your trial." Cato says nicely.
Cato turns back to the Thug.
"In what way exactly is Balgor one of your bosses?" he asks calmly.
"I am part of the gang known as the Bloody Fists. Balgor's official position within the group is a Champion. This role signifies he is one of our strongest members, and that we should always listen to him. Or he will kick our asses." Thug explains, monotone.
"See Henry? With one fell swoop, you've tarnished your opponent's reputation. You could thank me, ya know." Cato says warmly.
I growl and grind a foot into the ground. I'm so ready to turn around and leave. But I can't help but admit, this is essential evidence.
"Ask him if Balgor has any marks that identify him as a Champion. Like a tattoo or something." I say seriously.
"You heard him, do you know anything about that?" Cato says warmly.
"His hands are painted crimson. They were made that way when he soaked them in the blood of an enemy Champion." Thug explains, monotone.
I arch a bemused eyebrow.
"Do all gangs have Champions?" I ask curiously.
"Yes Henry. For your sake, I will explain that most groups that number over a hundred have a Champion. These Champions are often imbued with powers based on their group and their history. For example, from the knowledge we have at the Seekers of Knowledge, I can tell you that the Bloody Fist's Champion gained perks such as increased strength. And the power to steal money from his foes with every blow." Cato explains warmly.
"Huh. Well, that's concerning knowledge. Good to know, I suppose." I say nervously.
"Indeed. And with that Henry, I believe you're nearing your checkmate." Cato says warmly.
"Yes, indeed I-" I say happily.
Wait a minute, how's he know I'm nearing checkmate?
"Actually, no, no I'm not. Still a lot of work to do." I lie annoyedly.
Cato chuckles and wags a finger.
"Henry, it's obvious your plan is to tarnish those adventurers' reputation to win the case. We heard the meeting between you and that Blackheart woman." he says smugly.
"You take that back, she isn't Blackhearted!" I snap angrily.
Cato is taken aback for a moment. Then he "pfft"s and shakes his head amusedly.
"Henry, she's a Blackheart as in that's her Clan." Cato explains nicely.
I…shrink a bit out of awkwardness.
"Oh, right. Sorry." I say shamefully.
"It's fine. Ignoring that, Henry. I propose you come by the Seekers of Knowledge guild. Perhaps if you learn some things about the world, I will give you what you need for your case." Cato says warmly.
I squint suspiciously.
"Why would you ruin one of your own Guild Member's lives for me to come to some classes disguised as a trial?" I ask skeptically.
"Well, it's because receiving a proper education is more valuable to me than that man and his friends. You're the Apostle. The man who will shape this world. And that man? He's just a Wizard who has some friends that are high ranked like me. Sure, he's saved this city a few times. But he isn't someone who will influence society. That's you." Cato explains seriously.
I am a bit shocked by this. But also underwhelmed if I'm being honest.
"You really love how I'm this Apostle huh? Well, I find the job irritating. And I'm not sure I even want your guidance. You're amoral." I say angrily.
Cato sighs and puts his hands behind his back.
"Henry, you give it a bad name. I call it 'neutrality'. You should try it. It's supposed to be your defining trait." he says in a sarcastically friendly manner.
… I hate this guy. And he just loves to annoy me. But I can't deny it. I must embrace neutrality in order to get my checkmate. I need decisive evidence on the Wizard.
"Fine, I'll be more neutral. I'll come by for those lessons later." I force out calmly.
Cato smiles approvingly.
"Excellent. I'll prepare snacks." he says warmly.
"Good. Make sure to get something greasy." I say firmly.
"But that doesn't go well with an academic environment." Cato says hesitantly.
"I know." I say sarcastically.
Cato rolls his eyes, and turns his back to me.
"I'll see you there. Come along, Slave." he says calmly.
Cato walks away, the mind controlled Thug in tow. God, he's a bastard.
I'm outside the Seekers of Knowledge guild once more. The sight of this tower irritates me. The sight of the tapestries pisses me off. The door pisses me off. I knock on the door extra hard so the tower knows I hate it.
The door view slides open, and I see familiar gray eyes.
"Hello, Henry Sheeves. Here to continue my Second Trial." I say calmly.
The door view closes, and the door opens. I don't see the man who opened the door anywhere. It bothers me, but I still enter. I go down the dark hallway, take the right at the intersection, and enter the half black, half white room.
Cato sits at his same spot behind the table. I take my seat across from him. Once more, the chair turns gray.
"Hmmm…is your chair slightly darker today?" Cato asks curiously.
I shrug my shoulders.
"Does it matter? It's just a chair." I say nonchalantly.
"Those chairs represent the morality of a person. At least according to Libra's Scales. If it's gone darker, then you've become more evil." Cato says calmly.
I find myself zoning out. I wonder what I did that caused my morality to darken? I bet it was letting Cato use that spell. Fucking bastard. I shouldn't use his witness. But I really need it. And this info on the Wizard.
"I'll have to try to do better from this point on." I say with some determination.
Cato smiles and puts his hands together.
"Indeed. Moving on, today we will be discussing the positives of each Continent. I figured you'd need that after only learning negatives about them during a War. Something that brings out the worst in societies. So let me show you them at their best." he says warmly.
"Oh boy. Can't wait to hear how slavery helped build Zelzabog and Pordrig into paradises for the rich and privileged." I say with bitter sarcasm.
Cato stares at me blankly, and exhales slowly.
"Anyway, let's begin with our home here of Pordrig. Its greatest pride, and something you'll love, is how it is a society that stands on morals. That's why the Judges are allowed to punish people based on how their actions are perceived." Cato explains calmly.
"That's not even a good thing. It gives the Judges too much power. There needs to be some kind of regulation for how punishments are handled." I complain.
"Well, it's good you recognize that. Shame you didn't get any pleasure out of that." Cato says warmly. "Anyway, another thing that Pordrig is proud of: its Adventurers. Pordrig is the largest producer of Adventurers. It is also where most Adventurers' Guilds have their headquarters. Adventurers provide the great benefit of slaying the terrible pest that is monsters." he explains warmly.
I nod calmly.
"Pordrig is well known for its arts. We have many colleges devoted to education. And Pordrig probably has the largest number of people able to pursue their dreams." Cato explains warmly.
I'm sensing something is too good to be true here. What could it be? …
"So how are so many people able to pursue their dreams?" I ask curiously.
Cato looks down at the table. … An awkward silence has filled the air.
"Now please don't get mad Henry." Cato says tensely.
"It's the slavery, isn't it?" I say annoyedly.
"It's the slavery." Cato admits quickly.
I groan angrily.
"Let me guess. The slaves are doing all this continent's work while everyone else gets to do as they please? Fucking disgusting." I say angrily.
Cato knocks his fingers against the table, thinking.
"Moving on, Zelzabog is well known for-" he says with determination.
"For being even worse than Pordrig! Just skip it!" I say angrily.
"You need to see its merits and-" Cato argue seriously.
"Look, here's a merit. Their version of magical slavery is less evil than Pordrig's. There, it gets the 'I'm slightly less of an asshole' reward." I say angrily.
… Cato claps his hands, and the image of a delicious looking sundae appears.
"Zelzabog cuisine is quite delicious! Here is what one of their famous Noble Sundaes look like." Cato says with forced enthusiasm.
"Does good cuisine excuse slavery? No!" I snap angrily.
Cato throws his hands up, giving up.
"Henry, why don't you try and explain to me why slavery is bad?" he says annoyedly.
"What? You need a lesson on that?" I say angrily.
I look at him with pure disgust. He looks back at me, calm and composed. A front.
"You are the Apostle. Teach me why slavery is bad. It's part of this Trial now." Cato says with serene firmness.
My jaw drops at the audacity of this man.
"You act like it's some noble and necessary thing to explain something this basic? Really?" I say angrily.
"If you can't explain why something needs to change, you are not being a good person. If you force change without explanation and good reason, you are a Dictator." Cato explains with calm firmness.
I grit my teeth, and growl angrily. I hate to admit it, but he has a point. It's stupid he's making me do this, but alright.
"Fine, here's my thesis on why slavery is bad, Cato." I say annoyedly. "Number one, it is literally taking away a human being's free will. That's evil. It's evil because every human being has the right to do as they desire as long as it doesn't hurt anyone."
"So it's only humans right? Not like, say, a dragon, who deserves free will?" Cato says sarcastically.
I glare at him.
"Fine. To clarify, I meant every humanoid on this planet." I say annoyedly.
Cato gives me a bemused look.
"What does humanoid mean? I've never heard that word before." he asks.
I return the look of bemusement.
"It's uh…well, that's honestly a bit of a serious question. I'd say it's any creature with an intelligence equal to the average citizen…of a modern society…" I answer nervously.
I hope I didn't leave any people out with that. Cato will annoy me more with his nitpicks if I did.
"That is a rather broad term. It can apply to almost anyone. Who's supposed to do the menial labor then?" Cato asks with concern.
My glare grows more intense.
"Cato, just pay people to do that work." I say angrily.
"But businesses can't afford to do that. It'd be so expensive. Don't you know just the average Adventurers' Guild employs over a hundred slaves to craft their armor and weapons?" Cato argues seriously.
"I'm shocked and appalled by the fact you're seriously arguing like this. Does this whole world lack any sense of empathy?" I snap angrily.
"Henry, I just don't think you're smart enough to see the necessity of slaves." Cato states like he's observing a fact.
"I think you're lazy and evil if you really need a slave." I state angrily.
"Try another reason to explain why slavery is evil." Cato orders calmly.
I grit my teeth, and growl quietly with rage. But I must continue this stupid argument. … …
"What determines how a slave is made?" I ask angrily.
"Weakness, honestly. Any form of Control magic only works if the victim has a weak will. You need only have a strong willpower to resist. Something that one doesn't need training for even. Though it certainly helps." Cato explains calmly.
Interesting. It somehow makes me a bit less pissed off slavery isn't based on anything like race. … That I know of.
"Is there a racial preference for slaves at all in this world?" I ask angrily.
"That's a peculiar question. Are you planning on starting a business? If so, I'd recommend getting some orcs. Good for menial labor. Honestly, the race is based on what work you're making them do honestly." Cato explains, bemused.
I have to stop myself from grinding my teeth. Racism does exist here. Of course it does. My isekai blows. I wish I was in "All Knowing Writer's Viewpoint". That kind of Apocalypse would be so fun compared to what I'm dealing with.
"Anyway, here's reason number two." I say angrily. "Do you have loved ones that would be considered weak? What would you do if they were enslaved?"
Cato strokes his chin thoughtfully.
"Intriguing. I've thankfully had all my family born within the borders of Pordrig, so this hasn't been a problem for me. But if it was," Cato ponders aloud.
His eyes turn cold.
"I'd probably overwhelm the spell with my magic. Then I'd kill the one responsible for enslaving them." he states with firm coldness.
I smile. We've reached common ground.
"You see, that's a good reason for it being illegal." I say warmly.
"Yes, but there is already a solution to slavery in that regard. I've just provided it." Cato says firmly.
I sigh angrily and hang my head low. Of course he says something like that. It's like I'm arguing with a stubborn child who thinks they're a genius.
I pull my head up and hold up three fingers.
"Reason number three." I say tiredly. "Slavery is bad because everyone is born to be free. Born with a destiny. And slavery robs them of that destiny."
Cato shrugs.
"I don't believe in destiny. Plus what if their destiny is to be a slave?" Cato asks calmly.
I facepalm with both hands. Then I groan loudly into the palms of my hands. He's such a bastard.
"Could you prove someone is born to be a slave?" I ask angrily.
"No. But you can't prove that it's impossible to be born as one." Cato says smugly.
I smack a fist angrily against the table. I hold my head up with my other hand. My face displays my loathing of this argument and Cato fully. It's so overwhelming I can't come up with any more reasons.
"Haven't you seen any horrors of slavery? Like the back of a whipped slave?" I ask angrily.
Cato tilts his head and gives me a confused look.
"We don't whip people here Henry. We just use magic that inflicts pain. Like an electric shock." he says with mild concern. "Are you really from another world?" he asks seriously.
"Yes, Cato. I am." I say angrily.
Ughhhh, I hate this.
"Doesn't it disturb you to see people punished like that? Just for making mistakes at a job they have no choice in?" I ask, a mix of sympathetic sadness and anger.
Cato shrugs once more, and I smack both hands against the table. I stand up and furiously shout.
"This is basic empathy! How don't you possess it!? A human becoming a robot and forced to work for the rest of their lives is hellish and a crime against humanity!"
Cato stares at me with calm determination. He points a finger at me, then curls it downward.
"Take a seat. Take a deep breath." he orders calmly.
"Fuck that, Cato. Why don't you explain why slavery is fine!?" I snap angrily.
Cato takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly.
"Fine. If you insist, I will. Not everyone needs or deserves to enjoy the pleasures of life. We need people to work. And with free will, everyone's ability to work is not at their fullest. They will stop to take illegal breaks. To talk amongst one another. To use the restroom because they drank too much water. This ruins the flow of efficiency. What we need are slaves. Without good workers, society would crumble. Without slaves, progress would slow down. Slaves allow the geniuses of Pordrig to focus on improving society in all facets. And all at a low cost. Food, water, and basic boarding. A perfect engine for society." Cato explains like an intelligent teacher.
Except he's explaining the logic of slavery. Disgusting logic that favors no one but himself.
Cato smiles politely and straightens himself up.
"Let's take the subject back to the lesson at hand. Let's ignore Pordrig and Zelzabog for now, and focus on the Draconic Kingdom." Cato says calmly.
"Oh man. And I was just getting into this debate." I say sarcastically.
Suddenly a thought occurs to me.
"I've entertained this Trial long enough. We've debated two subjects now. And I'd say we did slavery thoroughly. I deserve some information on the Wizard." I demand with firm anger.
Cato stares at me coolly.
"You have not even finished a single lesson, and you demand this? You are an insulting brat." he says firmly, offense clear in his voice.
"And you're a slaver. A pathetic leech on society." I taunt with disdain.
Cato slowly rises to his feet.
"You will take that back. Then take your seat." he orders coldly.
I scoff and smile with amused doubt.
"What, a slaver is gonna fight himself? I'm surprised you don't make a slave do your dirty work for you." I taunt.
Cato raises a finger, and electricity starts coursing through his arm.
"Do I need to teach you a lesson in obedience, Apostle? I've mentioned before that Apostles don't live long. And you're about to learn why." he says angrily.
I point both my hands at Cato. I'm feeling angry, but I don't want to kill Cato. I still need him. But he's pissing me off and I want this to hurt.
I concentrate on my hatred and the darkness of it. My hands become covered in a black aura.
"I think I need to teach you I'm not someone who is going to make the world the way you want it. I'm going to make it a better place." I say defiantly.
"You think this world needs help!? Go kill a monster or fight the Kingdom of Gilgamesh! Pordrig is just fine!" Cato yells angrily.
"It needs a reality check! Slavery is a crime against humanity! This whole continent needs actual laws and a new sense of morality!" I yell back angrily.
"Your morality is naive, emotional, and ignorant! You understand nothing!" Cato yells furiously.
We glare intensely at one another for a second. We're reading one another for when they will make the first move. I see Cato's eyes twitch. He sees my hands become fists.
We fire at the same time.