The atmosphere became heavier and heavier. The squad was becoming increasingly nervous as beasts beyond their power were about to clash. Commander Rime obviously wasn't a traitor, and neither was Gravis. Yet, those two loyal beasts were about to kill each other, and Gravis would also be treated as a traitor.
Wouldn't this be even worse than if the plans of the two dead traitors had succeeded? If the plan had succeeded, Gravis would be dead, but if Gravis won against the badger and Commander Rime, this powerful asset would join the sea beasts.
"I accept the duel," Commander Rime suddenly said quietly, eliciting shocked gazes from everyone.
"What are you saying, Commander!?" the badger asked with anger. "You have only committed a small mistake. Yes, some kind of punishment should be issued, but that is not enough to execute you. Gravis is the irrational one here!"
"Just because you don't understand my reasoning doesn't make it irrational, badger," Gravis commented icily. "My path to power is more important than anything, and if you shared a similar sentiment, maybe you would have already become an Emperor."
"How dare you!" the badger shouted angrily at Gravis. "I'm giving everything for our Icy Pride Empire! I'm not as fragile and immature as someone who immediately kills a beast that wanted to save their life, like you!"
"That's exactly what I meant," Gravis said. "If you put more importance on your own power instead of your contributions, you would already be an Emperor. Don't stamp something as irrational just because you don't have the willpower to do the same."
"Stop!" Commander Rime shouted. "I've already accepted the duel. With this, Gravis will not be a traitor, even if he kills me."
The badger gnashed his teeth in frustration. "And you expect me to just watch as you're being goaded into a fight you can't win!? If you really wanted to take this fight, sure, I have no issues there, but you have been forced into this fight! How can I be happy with myself when I let a comrade willingly kill themselves for such a stupid reason?"
Gravis only looked coldly at Commander Rime. Gravis understood very well that Commander Rime had only wanted the best. Commander Rime was so fiercely loyal to the land beasts that he had been willing to receive punishment for saving a powerful asset. Additionally, now, Commander Rime was even willing to lay down his life to allow Gravis to remain inside the ranks of the land beasts.
Gravis hated the current situation.
He didn't enjoy killing, and he also didn't want to kill Commander Rime at all. Commander Rime had only had good intentions by helping Gravis, so much so that the goodness in his intentions even became self-sacrificing. Such a powerful conviction to sacrifice one's life for a bigger purpose was something Gravis could respect deeply.
Yet, even though Gravis didn't want this at all, sometimes it's necessary to do something that went against one's heart when trying to achieve a goal. Becoming powerful was inherently a very selfish act, even if the person or beast might have a selfless goal.
In order to become powerful, the being in question needed to kill others and trample upon their dreams and desires. Gravis hated this part about becoming powerful, but he had long realized that doing such things was necessary to make his path to power as secure as possible.
Were there other ways to supreme power? Of course! The badger and Commander Rime had become powerful Kings without having to do such things. Yet, how long would that work? At some point, selfish beings would triumph over selfless beings. Gravis didn't like this reality, but that didn't change it.
The more powerful one became, the more necessary it was to sacrifice things for power. If Gravis only had the goal to become an Emperor, he wouldn't need to kill Commander Rime. Yet, what of the higher world? What of the highest world? One had to remember the cruel fact that Gravis' power was still in the first half of all the available Realms. He hadn't even reached the halfway point!
"Inquisitor," Commander Rime said slowly with a bitter smile, "I have dedicated my whole life to the land beasts. Yet, my goal is not to make the land beasts powerful but to kill all the sea beasts. If, by sacrificing my life, I manage to keep a more powerful enemy of the sea beasts than me alive, I'm willing to do it."
"Inquisitor," Commander Rime said again as he looked at the badger with conviction. "Gravis will be able to kill more powerful sea beasts than me. If you really cared so much about the land beasts, you should be able to judge Gravis' worth in comparison to mine."
The badger gritted his teeth violently. The badger was also fiercely loyal to the land beasts, and the main reason why he became an Inquisitor was to protect his comrades from traitors. Falling at the hands of your companion was the most bitter death the badger could imagine.
Because of that mindset, the badger became so incredibly furious with Gravis. Gravis was their comrade! Yet, he would kill one of his companions without the companion agreeing to it. Yes, Commander Rime had accepted the duel with his words, but he obviously had been forced into the decision. If no one forced him, he would never give his life like this. How was Gravis any different from a traitor!?
This was where the morals of beasts clashed. Both of them had the same goal but different ways and mindsets to achieve it. Commander Rime thought about the cold reality and facts. Mathematically, Gravis was worth more to the land beasts than him. With his fierce loyalty and mindset, Commander Rime could accept giving his life for that.
In comparison, the badger thought more about the emotional impact that such a decision would have. One of their most outstanding and hard-working companions, an idol that every beast should aspire to be, would die to one of his comrades without having done anything with malicious intent.
Who was right? Who was wrong?
The answer was: no one.
Morality and goals were all subjective. There was no objective morality that everyone could agree upon. Because of that, right and wrong, good and bad, didn't exist. The worlds were only a conglomerate of different ideologies mixing and crashing together. It was impossible to discern any kind of objective morality from that chaotic swirl.
"You don't need to do this," the badger said with compassion to Commander Rime. "You are not the responsible one for this situation, and you should also not be the one to pay for it."
"I know," Commander Rime said, "but I have made my choice. If I refused, we two would have a very high chance of defeating and killing Gravis. In a weird sense, instead of my life being in his hands, his life is actually in my control. I am the weaker one, but my decision can decide if he dies or lives. You should realize that I'm not the one without any power, but the one with all the power right now."
"And I decide to lay down my life for the land beasts," Commander Rime said.
The badger's frustration broke through the roof. He had the power to prevent such injustice from happening, but he just couldn't do it! His morality said that what Gravis was doing was wrong, but his morality also said that it was up to Commander Rime to do with his life whatever he wanted. No matter what the badger chose, he would have to break part of his own morality!
"Gravis," Commander Rime said as he turned to Gravis. "Today, I give my life for your path of power. Yet, I implore you to stay with the land beasts and fight the sea beasts. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy."
Gravis closed his eyes for a bit, but his Spirit still kept watch over his surroundings. Then, he took a deep breath and opened them again. "If there is a time in the future when the land beasts do something that would normally make me abandon them, I will give them a second chance. This is all I can do," Gravis said.
Commander Rime sighed. It was not as much as he wanted, but it was something. At least, with his death, he would keep Gravis from defecting now and once again in the future.
"That's enough for me," Commander Rime said as he readied himself for a fight. "You can come whenever you want."
The badger wrung with himself but moved out of the way regardless.
"Goodbye, Commander Rime. I regret doing this," Gravis said as he readied his saber.
"I'm not that weak that I would simply fall over and die. You have to earn your victory!" Commander Rime shouted.
Gravis landed on the ground. The present beasts weren't sure what he was doing. Why did he suddenly land?
BANG!
Gravis used his pulse to increase his body's power while he moved all his remaining power into his lightning. This was the fastest Gravis could go. With him being a level two King now, his speed was even faster than a level five King. Commander Rime couldn't even react to such a ridiculous instantaneous acceleration. Gravis closed in and swung his saber.
BOOOOOOM!
The fully powered Lightning Crescent hit Commander Rime on the head. In the end, Commander Rime had been able to react and evade, but Gravis' Will-Aura suppressed his speed to such a degree that it didn't matter.
The explosion shook the surroundings and bolts of lightning flew into the distance uncontrollably. It was pure destruction.
Commander Rime had died in one strike.
Meanwhile, Gravis gritted his teeth in frustration. "I didn't want to do this," he muttered angrily as all the lightning gathered and transformed back to himself.