Atsuro's stance relaxes at this, an almost imperceptible shift in his muscle tone that makes him appear more at ease The smile that comes to his face now is less guarded. ...That night, the night before he had approached Kazuya with his earnest request, he had told himself that he would respect his friend's decision no matter what he chose. Even if it was the path he disagreed with most.
To become a saint or a demon. Both entailed 'ascending' beyond humanity, giving up what it meant to be human... It was the last thing he had wanted for Kazuya. Reincarnation or no reincarnation, it wasn't fair to put him in a position where he had so much to lose. But at least choosing the path of the saint would put him in the company of the angels, who, on the whole, seemed less keen to kill humans than the demons were. Even so, he had told himself... there were things that mattered beyond all of that. If Kazuya could no longer be human, then Atsuro could be all the more human in his stead. Above all else, what humanity meant was... hope. Belief. Faith. Faith in the values of friendship and trust, faith in those who were dear to you, faith that man had a shining future ahead of him. It was why he believed so strongly in the path that was right to him. And it was why he could believe in Kazuya even if he chose, almost unfathomably, to lead a rebellion against God.
Some might accuse him of being blinded by his loyalty. Others could laud him for his unerring constancy. But regardless of what anyone else thought... he knew why it was that he would believe in Kazuya. And it was a relief to find that it would always be the same way.
He didn't like to think that he would leave his friend behind in any iteration of any world.
"Hey. Someone's got to keep your ego from getting too big." It is Atsuro's turn to mock-punch in a show of manly pretense. "Reincarnation of Abel or not, it's my job to tell the world about that time in 9th grade when your gym shorts fell off on the track." ...That had never actually happened, but Atsuro felt the whole 'different world' thing made it plausible.
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To become a saint or a demon. Both entailed 'ascending' beyond humanity, giving up what it meant to be human... It was the last thing he had wanted for Kazuya. Reincarnation or no reincarnation, it wasn't fair to put him in a position where he had so much to lose. But at least choosing the path of the saint would put him in the company of the angels, who, on the whole, seemed less keen to kill humans than the demons were. Even so, he had told himself... there were things that mattered beyond all of that. If Kazuya could no longer be human, then Atsuro could be all the more human in his stead. Above all else, what humanity meant was... hope. Belief. Faith. Faith in the values of friendship and trust, faith in those who were dear to you, faith that man had a shining future ahead of him. It was why he believed so strongly in the path that was right to him. And it was why he could believe in Kazuya even if he chose, almost unfathomably, to lead a rebellion against God.
Some might accuse him of being blinded by his loyalty. Others could laud him for his unerring constancy. But regardless of what anyone else thought... he knew why it was that he would believe in Kazuya. And it was a relief to find that it would always be the same way.
He didn't like to think that he would leave his friend behind in any iteration of any world.
"Hey. Someone's got to keep your ego from getting too big." It is Atsuro's turn to mock-punch in a show of manly pretense. "Reincarnation of Abel or not, it's my job to tell the world about that time in 9th grade when your gym shorts fell off on the track." ...That had never actually happened, but Atsuro felt the whole 'different world' thing made it plausible.