Upbeat Hyena 16 (Patreon)

Upbeat Hyena
Chapter 16

-VB-

Floating in the ocean wasn’t so bad.

Avenger hummed quietly to himself as the waves moved him about.

[You still want to fight like this?]

Father talked to him in moments like these. Avenger appreciated that Father, despite being the one who exiled him in the first place, always checked up on him.

“Yes,” he replied as he ignored the gulls squawking above him as they flew in circles.

[It is not too late to become better.]

“I gave up on-”

[You are edgy as fuck.]

“Let me have my speech, father.”

[I want to, but I feel myself cringing with goosebumps every time you go on your nihilistic rant.]

“It’s not nihilism if it is true.”

Father sighed, and though Avenger was not there in the Demon Realm with Father, he could feel Father’s disappointment. [Where did I go wrong with you?]

“You never did anything wrong, Father. You chose not to hold back on showing me the truth. I thank you for that.”

[I see. My mistake must have been giving you the Sight.]

“It wasn’t a mistake, Father. I have already done so much good in this world, but I do regret not being able to settle down. I always wanted a family of my own. It sucks that society is too flexible with its own evils.”

[There is a reason why I do not seek to destroy evil. If I had to destroy evil, then no one would be alive, including me.]

“I know. Only the Almighty is purely good. I don’t even know what that’s like, though.”

[Your ascension prevents you from truly understanding purely good. That is, once again, another mistake.]

“It is not a mistake, Father. I keep telling you this.”

[And yet, you disobeyed me.]

Avenger smirked before spitting out seawater when it splashed his face. “You’re the one who keeps telling me that freedom is the privilege of all beings.”

[Freedom to choose, not to act with impunity.]

“I do not act with impunity. I know that I will eventually face Judgement.”

[...I’d rather you didn’t.]

“I chose this, Father. Please don’t degrade me by telling me that I am wrong.”

[Is it wrong for me to care about you?]

“Never. You care about me as much as my own parents did. I will love you forever for that.”

[Gah. You’re making me feel sappy. Stop making me feel sappy.]

Avenger giggled like a girl before it subsided. “Sorry I couldn’t kill Alexandria. The bitch is … as dark as they come. Lawful evil, I think you called her? She does have a dark soul, even if there are grey blotches.”

[She needs to live a little longer.]

“...  The truth about the Case-53’s-”

[Is beyond my control. It is not my place to judge the desperate for their actions.]

“You are the [Prince of Demons]. Of course, you judge them.”

[Only when they find themselves at the end of their lives and in my hand, never before.]

“Isn’t that why I am roaming? I am the Avenger of those who could not avenge themselves.”

[I know. You are just too indiscriminate and refuse to look at the circumstances that come with living.]

“Nothing matters.”

[Your nihilism is speaking again.]

“... How is everyone doing these days? The rank and file are really afraid of me.”

[Angelina is busy dating that human boy that caught her fancy.]

Avenger chuckled. “Are you still upset about that?”

[I am a father.]

“What about Viviane? She’s like one of the five demons who roam freely.”

[She is handling herself well enough in Oregon. She has quite the following. So large, actually, that there are signs of schism.]

Avenger grimaced. “I really hope none of them become pacifists. It’s sickening to watch. Especially that Bagaram.”

[Bagaram is merely taking one of my edicts to its extreme. Besides, he is doing good work.]

“He’s a banker. A demon decided to be a banker.”

[And disobeying you father, killing your brothers and sisters, and causing mayhem that I strictly forbid is better?]

“Much better!”

[You and your black and white opinions…]

“....Maybe I should go visit Seattle again?”

[Don’t you dare.]

“I might even get fish and chips.”

[Like you can just get fish and chips without killing a dozen people on your way to the fish and chips stand.]

“True.”

[No. I don’t want you to die and certainly don’t want to you to cause more trouble. I want Cauldron away from Seattle, not causing troubles in it.]

“Ugh. Why do you allow the mortals to keep bothering you? You could kill them all so easily.”

[For the same reason I haven’t strangled you yet.]

“...” Avenger sighed before he stood up on the water. It was a bit of a sacrilege to walk on water like Jesus did, but it was a neat trick he figured out how to do while he tried to catch a duck as a itty bitty Knight. This was back when he was still mortal, though, and had been one of the few mortals to receive rank title before ascension.

He looked out towards the coastline and whistled. “She threw me really far away.”

[She’s Alexandria.]

“I mean, still.”

[Just don’t cause too many problems, okay?]

“Okay, Father.”