[ the very suggestion of 'royalty' makes asura give a harsh snort, audibly abrasive as his eyes alight in amusement. ]

Hardly. [ he spits the word like the concept of royalty has curdled the taste of it on his tongue. he thinks of the deca draped in their stuffy robes, looking down on their idea of the filth and weakness as though they were not the true stain upon what could have been a bright existence. ]

Just a leader. [ he's happy to move on from that topic as he hadn't meant to invite a discussion. just flashing his credentials, you know.

what chonghua says is of greater interest to him still, and he lifts an eyebrow in curiosity. ]

A man who can not only escape Hell, but can shed how damnation rends the soul. As a mortal, no less. Sounds like you're overselling him.

[ it's not that asura thinks it impossible. he just knows firsthand how insidious the darkness that dogs the steps of the damned can be.

he, too, once thought he'd left it behind.

now he doesn't know if he's slipped back or if it was all a radiant, brilliantly constructed illusion. ]