"Your appearance has forced me to admit that perhaps my earlier contempt was a mistake. Unfortunately, I refuse to correct it. Between us, only one can exist."
After a brief pause, [Fate] suddenly asked.
"If you held the authority, what would you want to do?"
An expectant expression appeared on the right side of her face.
"Obviously, I want to let them develop on their own, to create their own fate."
She did not hide her aim, nor did she hide her fondness for those living beings.
"To do what a god should do: guide them, show them the way, teach them to face cruel fate and everything unknown in the future, then let go.
Even if doing so might bring their destruction sooner, or cause some individuals to suffer more, they would have infinite possibilities, infinite fates.
They could break through established views and rigid social classes, rather than walk unknowingly toward death along the predetermined paths you and I cast over them.
I want them to thank themselves for overcoming suffering, to thank themselves for overcoming fate, and forge entirely new fates of their own. That concept of constant transcendence and constant renewal is far more beautiful than you, clinging to your mission."
[Fate] scoffed. "So naive it's laughable. You want to merge yourself with all living beings and betray the Universe Consciousness that brought us into existence. Are they worthy?"
The left face suppressed her anger. Suddenly, she felt that having another consciousness was not so bad.
After all, she finally knew what this thing was that made her chest tighten with suffocation and twisted her soul.
She demanded coldly, raising a hand to point at the tallest mountain, at the Divine Temple upon it.
"What do you think these people are? Why do you think this