Aha, who had vanished somewhere earlier, suddenly popped up again. His originally smiling orange mask had turned indignant—
"Aha's reputation is flawless. Everyone who's tried him says so!"
"..."
Gwen ignored Aha, who had popped out to stir up trouble, and merely gazed calmly at the distant figure.
HooH offered no response to Gwen's words. After silently meeting his gaze for a moment, the figure vanished.
However, though HooH had said nothing, Gwen understood the meaning—
Balance existed among all things and could not be shaken.
"Well? Isn't this cosmic troublemaker annoying?
Want Aha to help you set something up and take out this cosmic troublemaker? We split the spoils seventy-thirty?"
Seeing Gwen suffer a setback, Aha's surrounding masks broke into smiles again. He sidled up to Gwen and asked with a grin.
"From the sound of it, you seem quite experienced at killing gods.
Aha?"
Gwen withdrew his gaze from where HooH had been and looked at the Aha egging him on.
"How could that be!"
In an instant, all the masks around Aha wore aggrieved expressions, and indignation colored his voice—
"Aha is universally acknowledged as the universe's greatest benefactor. How could Aha possibly do something as cruel as harming his own kind?"
"Then what if your sworn brothers or beloved friends were in danger?"
Gwen remained unmoved, his gaze still calm as he watched Aha.
"Sworn brothers?
Beloved friends?
Hahaha..."
As though he found Gwen's phrasing incredibly amusing, Aha repeated it and burst into hearty laughter.
"Of course, Aha would pray for them with the utmost sincerity..."
"Ha...
Then I'll let you watch a good show...
Perhaps it will be mine, or perhaps it will be your sworn brothers' and beloved friends'..."
Having received the answer he wanted, Gwen's words seemed to carry a trace more amusement