Ashu stared into Ash's still-determined eyes. After a brief silence, she sighed softly, and her once-gentle voice seemed to have been stripped of all warmth in an instant as she said calmly,
"Fine. As you wish."
Only then did Ash realize that when she spoke without emotion, Ashu's voice really was exactly like the one that had once habitually appeared in his mind.
"For life to continue in a beautiful world, all war must be destroyed before a peaceful world can be built."
Hearing that, many people below nodded repeatedly in agreement. If that was how they saw things, then perhaps the two sides could really be considered friends?
"But countless times, throughout countless journeys, whether humans or other lifeforms, they have all proven that this is nothing more than a beautiful ideal."
Her gaze shifted slightly aside as Ashu looked at him with an expression only Ash could understand.
"Sometimes, even battles fought with good intentions... still brought terrible consequences and war. The ugliness within living hearts only causes the same mistakes to be repeated again and again."
"The only lesson humanity learns from history is that humanity learns no lessons."
"..."
Some fell silent, perhaps reminded of some unpleasant conclusion.
"So, we, who seek peace, believe that..."
Her voice gradually became hollow as she calmly spoke words of infinite cruelty.
"All life is the source of destruction and war. So long as humanity's ugliness remains, war cannot be avoided, nor can peace ever arrive."
"The greatest obstacle to humanity living in a peaceful world is humanity itself."
"!"
With his throat constricted so tightly he could barely swallow, Ash seemed to understand what she had meant when she had asked whether he wanted to know the truth.
"Whether it was merging the countless parallel worlds and timelines of