[...And that's it. The third one to get on board with what he's doing- the most important one, considering their relationship. He knows that Luke has inferiority issues, and he also knows where they come from. Everyone who's said it in the past were right; they really aren't that different, and a lot of the time it shows. He's always had difficulty with differentiating between his flaws and his rep- ...and Luke's.

It isn't about who's better anymore. It never should have been.

It's about Asch, and Luke, and who they are. Who they've always been, who they're going to be.

They're not meant to be enemies.]

I can't make any promises. I can't tell you we're going to be friends, or that I'll be nice to you all the time, or that I'll be... whatever the hell you want me to be for you someday. I'm not going to lie and say I'm okay with what you've done, or what you stole from me, even- [...And he stops, because he needs to swallow that lump in his throat, the eternal flare of anger, hate, and resentment just from thinking it-] ...even if it wasn't your fault.