The dagger ripped through Xiao's body and hit his heart, a heavy quake filling Ciao's body as he spits out some blood but none of it fell on Li Lun as she was protected from the sound and the blood, a hint of craziness flashing in Xiao's eyes as he spoke out loud, his hand close to the dagger and inches away from taking his own life,
"Reaper connect these words to them, my friend"
Xiao said as he kept the pain he was feeling at bay, knowing that from now onwards those controllers of his life, whoever they or it are would be listening to what he was going to say and would get to know about the lengths that he, Xiao will be willing to go to,
"You bastard or bastards, listen to this....cough..."
Xiao saying so coughed out blood, using his other hand he wiped it off as he kept his expression dangerous, his words itched with his will as he felt a wrap in reality around him as if something extremely powerful or something beyond his comprehension was paying attention,
"You can throw in all the fucking trials, hardships, problems, and kills my way but never....never manipulate a person that I care for or else..."
Sayings so Austin pushed the dagger a bit forward the pain-killing him but he held in it, knowing that he can't take a step back here, if he did then everything would be over, with an expression of craze he continued,
"Or else I will end my life here and now, I wish to see you all take me from Death this time...."
His words were a challenge, a challenge that arouse the pride of the one overseeing all the death in this cosmos, one that definitely hit its mark, as Xiao felt a presence he had gotten used to riling up within himself, the ones that did this to him, couldn't let him die, not after all they have put on him.
Xiao knew that he couldn't find out who or what they wanted but he could ask Reaper and know the fact about the cost of the controller's action if this feat was possible again, whatever happened to him, could it be repeated again? if he could be taken away and played with again and the answer that Reaper gave him was more than enough for him to make this gamble.
Whoever this was they couldn't let him die, not now but they couldn't also let him be lost, the things they did was beyond just breaking the laws of the cosmos, whatever they did had given rise to the current Xiao who's power which broke all the norms, he's literally a waking monster that can cause destruction.
One that needed to be controlled or chained, even with Death choosing him, Xiao with what he had and what the controllers planned for would definitely have ended up creating a monster of power, that's why control was placed on Xiao but all that went to shit the moment Death took action, there was no stopping that force and it lead to the current predicament.
They couldn't kill him but they definitely wanted to control him....
This wasn't Xiao making a gamble, this was him making a move, he knew that he couldn't push the controller too much, even if Reaper didn't say it, Xia understood that whatever this force is, Reaper couldn't fight against it completely, either he doesn't have the power or something of much higher is preventing it from the action.
Reaper will protect him but there's a limit to the protection and Xiao knew that deep in his heart so right now right here Xiao was taking action, a single move towards the path that he wants to walk, not one that's already written for him,
"Either you take up this option now or I don't mind spending my life as God in the world of death"
Xiao spoke, even if he was to die he wouldn't technically 'die', he could 'live' off as anything within the realm of death and return back to cause all the chaos he wants but Xiao knew that he if did so with the help of Reaper he would one of the strongest in the cosmos but that's not what Xiao wanted.
He didn't want to be one of the strongest. No, Xiao wanted to be the strongest.
And he could only achieve so while walking the line between life and death, a being of power that will only exist as the one living unique being, if Xiao wants revenge that's the path that he should take,
"So tell me, what do you choose?"
Xiao asked within the silence as his blood started to flow down his chest, he wasn't bluffing in the slightest, sure he wanted to be the strongest but what was the use of all that drive and stubbornness if he couldn't keep the ones he loves safe? or worse keeping the ones he loves as themselves, who can tell if they wouldn't be controlled?
Sure, he might lose the path he wants but then, in the end, he would just have to keep trying to find another path to walk, Xiao knew life isn't fixed, if troubles come, you just have to learn to overcome them and keep moving, whining wasn't going to solve shit,
"Make sure to never take control of the people I go for or the ones I am interested in, I refuse to believe that the ones who took me till here won't be able to grasp what I am going to do next...."
Xiao spoke with sharp breaths, as the pain in him was increasing, even if it was just this much death was slowly beginning to grasp onto him, he didn't have long left, even then his hold on the dagger stayed strong,
"Trials, chains, dangerous, deaths, collapse, try everything but never use people against me, do so at least this much and I shall at least listen to what you have to say"
Xiao spoke, he lived a short yet long life and he knew the world isn't just a place where the hero or the villain just wins, sometimes we would need to work the two together for success, Xiao's end goal is happiness for his family and the ones he cares about, to see what the cosmos has for him.
He doesn't know what the end of the cosmos is or how it ends up, he couldn't ask Death, as he has his own limitations, but the controllers of his life could know, of course, Xiao will give them a life of hell for what happened to him but only after he gets the bigger picture, in the end, what Xiao's lacking severely is information and mainly.....
He'd be weak to put on an argument with these powers but that's where daddy Death comes in, he will be the umbrella that Xiao needs until he reached where he needs to be and gets the answers he needs,
"So, what's your choice...."
Xiao asked back with a shit-eating grin on his face, even though death was near, his eyes sparkled with a light greater than any.