Unsettling silence followed Erik's explanation as both Naeku and Leia looked horrified.
"S— Seriously?" Naeku finally muttered, shocked. "I— I never realised they were that ruthless..."
But Erik sighed and shook his head. "That's the point, they're not… but it doesn't matter. They'll genuinely mourn the deaths of those innocents, but they'll still do it without regrets. They have this view of me where I am a faultless divine being. To them, that means those innocent deaths serve a higher purpose and were inevitable anyway."
Naeku inspected him cautiously and raised an eyebrow. "Which is…?"
Knowing what she was aiming at, Erik smirked and nodded. "Obviously bullshit, yes. Don't worry, I make myself no illusions over my own mortality and ability to screw shit up."
"Oh, good!" Naeku immediately exclaimed, sighing in relief as she touched her chest. "I… wasn't sure how I'd deal with it if you actually believed that."
