"Let me strike a deal with you." Tamashi hissed, lowering his hand and leaning towards Yuna.
Yuna glared defiantly back at him, avoiding from looking at Tanner's corpse bleeding out on the ground.
"If you agree to help me bring down the gods from Ayamash, I will let you take my head. Fair?" Tamashi spoke.
Ayamash was the realm of the gods, the humans called it the heavens, but it's true name was Ayamash.
"And what is stopping me from killing you right now?" Yuna hissed.
"Oh, come on, dear Yuna. Do you honestly think you'd be able to defeat me with your current power level?" Tamashi asked. "Your only real chance is to accept my offer. If you do, I will not only let you have my head… but I will tell you the truth behind all that has happened to you."
"And if I decline?"
Tamashi frowned. "I grow tired of playing the role of parent to all you kids. I've had to adapt my nature and become goofy, ill mannered and kid friendly."
"Kid friendly my ass."
"Heh. Well, to a degree. But. If you decline my offer, I will have no choice but to kill you. I can't have you turning against me before you've done what I need of you."
Yuna gripped the bars in rage. She was frustrated beyond the meaning of the word, no strand of words meshed together in any way could ever possibly describe her rage and frustration. She desperately wanted to kill the very being that killed those she loved, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough. She could do nothing.
The feeling of helplessness came over her once more, as well as guilt, all in a tidal wave of pain. But this time, it didn't crush her completely. It became fuel for her wrath. A weapon she would utilize against Tamashi, and one day, it would be the tool that kills him.
"Fine. I accept your terms." Yuna growled, backing away from the bars. "But know this. I vow upon my own life and the life of all the children you've taken. I will make you cry for mercy, I will make you beg for me to kill you swiftly. I will kill you slowly, and painfully. You will suffer by my hand, and I will shown no remorse. I will kill you without any regret. That is my blood vow."
"Wow." Tamashi said, clapping. "Touching, truly, what a speech, it's almost like you think we are in some kind of silly fantasy story where the hero instantly drives fear into the villains heart and overcomes them with simplistic, touching words."
Tamashi grinned. "But I assure you. This is no fantasy. Your words mean nothing here. The only thing that matters… is your drive to kill. So keep it going, and maybe you'll be able to follow through with those words, hmm? But as of right now, they do nothing for you."
"I don't care. I've said what I need to."
"Oh, but wait. We aren't done. Yuna, you loved the gods, didn't you? Or do you still?" Tamashi asked.
Yuna narrowed her eyes. This was something she had struggled with as long as she had been in purgatory. She wanted to love the gods as she had when she was young, she wanted to be able to depend on them, to pray for them and think they were listening and one day they'd come and save all of them. But at the same time, the longer they never showed up, the more she began to spite them, the word "god" leaving a distinct, sour taste on her tongue.
"Well. Allow me to tell you just why the gods never came to save you.. or your friends." Tamashi kicked Tanner's corpse, knocking it aside where it rolled onto the stomach. Yuna didn't want to think of it as Tanner… she would rather think Tanner was free somewhere, away from all the agony, and that the corpse was some other child. She'd rather some random kid she didn't know die that Tanner… or Edric. But, in truth, she knew she'd lost them both. Forever.
"Yuna, dear. The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because you are important. You remember how Yin and Yang natures work?"
"I do. What of it?"
"Well, you see, some beings have higher nature levels than others, and out of all the humans we took, you and Ygdran had the highest levels of power. That's why you are important, because one day, you will be far stronger than even I. Same with Ygdran. Now, do you know why the gods have not intervened in this little… experiment of ours?"
Yuna gave no response. Blood still coated her face and clothes and she could see Tanner's blood, bone and teeth cast across the floor of the cell.
"It's because, during all of the twelve years of war between the demons and gods, there was never a victor, just endless conflict and draws. So, the gods struck a deal with my father, the demon king. The gods spoke, saying that if we demons retreated to purgatory, where we could never again leave, then they would give us almost anything we want. You know what we chose? You children. Why? Because you will be our elite weapons against the gods. Some day soon, you will be sent forth, and you will fight to the death in a war zone, obliterating the land and fighting immensely powerful beings."
Yuna's heart dropped, but her expression stayed the same. She felt that the gods had done something like that.
"Ha…" Yuna began, "haha.. hahaha…" she then began laughing hysterically. "YOU THINK IM SURPRISED BY THIS?! HOW AMUSING, TO THINK ONCE UPON A TIME SO DISTANT I THOUGHT THE GODS WERE PERFECT.. I KNEW, WHEN THEY NEVER CAME, SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT WHO'D OF GUESSED THEY'D GIVE UP KIDS!!?"
She grinned madly at Tamashi who looked at her with shock. With eyes crazed and wide, Yuna spoke, "Well… looks like I'll just have to kill the gods and you. Wipe you all out of existence… hahaha.. hahahhha!!! This will be so fun!"