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I need to spar with someone.

Floor of your choice. I'll be using my sword only - I don't waste bullets on people - and my demons will only come out if there's deadly intent, which will not end well for you so I really don't recommend it.

-Aleph

[Lucifer can handle anyone who insults him by himself - except now that he's gone.]

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There was a nuclear war, before my time - a war fought with powerful weapons meant to wipe out cities rather than armies. It leaves horrible side-effects for those few who are able to survive the radiation from the blasts.

[Diarmuid shakes his head at this. Even as a knight who had fought in many battles himself, it is hard for him to accept the idea of the destruction of war on such a great scale.]

It is so hard for me to imagine a weapon so strong. Or a cause that would justify taking so many lives and damaging the world so badly at the same time. How does the world even begin to recover from that?

Well... my world didn't recover, really. As far as I know, besides my city, there are very few livable areas on the planet.

[His world is very post-apocalyptic.]

Do you think your world will ever recover? Or is it a lost cause?

[Even though it's not his world, Diarmuid can't help but be saddened by the lost of any world. So much beauty, so many people, so much promise...gone.]

Not to the point it once was, probably. But the people who are still here? I think they'll do all right.

[Diarmuid smiles slightly. Some hope, no matter how small is better than nothing.

He nods his head toward the demons.]

So who do you think will kill the most?

From an impartial standpoint? Beelzebub. Though Lilim might be able to charm some into killing each other and that could get bloody fast.

[Diarmuid lets out a low whistle. These demons just get more and more impressive.]

Nice. As strong as these guys are, I'm kind of surprised that the tower didn't try to limit them somehow like so many of us have been limited.

[He raises an eyebrow at Aleph.]

You say 'impartially.' Would the answer be different if you weren't being so?

I try not to play favorites.

[The answer would probably be the same.]

Understandable. I'm sure they all have strong personalities, and you wouldn't want them fighting each other instead of the monsters.

[Diarmuid pauses to look out where the demons are fighting. They look to be having a great time so much so that some of the remaining monsters are actually trying to escape the floor.]

They aren't having any problems here, but what would happen if they were injured or killed? Can they regenerate?

They can be healed even from 'death'. I don't have the power to do it myself, but they can heal each other, so if I'm careful I don't have to worry.

If it was a case of all of us dying, then I imagine we would all be returned the next morning.

[Diarmuid whistles quietly again.]

You all really are a team right down to having someone who can heal wounds. Excuse me if this is too personal for you, but have you died in the tower yet? It would seem with a team like them, you would be pretty safe.

I haven't, yet. [He doesn't seem too be too concerned with it being a personal question.] I don't want to get overconfident about it, though. That's a fast way to change my winning streak.

That is completely correct. Keep thinking like that and you will do fine. Especially with those guys.

[He motions toward the demons.]

I'm sure they make anyone who even thinks about messing with you think twice really quick.

They almost completely make up for my reputation at home, which accomplished about the same thing.

-killed God, before you ask.

Oh...

[Diarmuid's not sure what is more surprising--the claim or how blase he is about admitting it.]

Why? I mean, why did you do it? Did he wrong you somehow?

[Considering he was raised by a god during a time that the gods mixed with normal people a lot more than they do now, Diarmuid's reaction is probably much different than the one Aleph might be expecting.]

He was going to wipe out life on Earth. It was necessary.

[Don't worry, Diarmuid, Aengus is definitely not the type to anger Aleph.]

Sometimes they are lost to their power.

[Diarmuid nods in understanding.]

If it had to be done, then it had to be done. Not all gods are as gentle as my father was.

[Who would want to hurt someone like Aengus?]

What was your father's name?

[Nobody, that's who.]

It was Aengus. He was a member of Tuatha De Danann--a god of love, youth and poetry.

[Diarmuid smiles and his eyes seem to pick up a bit of a glow. It's obvious he enjoys talking about his father.]

Actually, he was not my birth father, but he is the only person who ever acted like a father to me and the only I will ever give the name. He loved to tell stories and sing songs. They were always such a great comfort to me.

[A comfort Diarmuid really wishes he had access to now, but that would mean bringing his bright and cheerful father into this dark, dead place, and he would never want that to happen.]

He sounds like a kind man. I'm sure you were lucky to have him.

[Aleph has never rued not having a father - it simply is not something that mattered.]

I owe all I am to him. I was honored to have him as my father.

[Diarmuid shudders to think of how he might have ended up if his biological father had raised him.]

What about you? Do you have family waiting for you back on your world?

It's... extremely complicated. But my mother's name is Hiroko, and she's one of the strongest people I've met and also one of the kindest.

[Diarmuid smiles gently.]

That is a beautiful name. I bet she is extremely proud of the son she raised because it seems like you are a lot like her.

We were separated shortly after she gave birth. I only met her again recently.

[Not that you're wrong about the pride thing.]

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