Save 103 ─ Dark Justice

That boy grew up believing in justice.

He could be a lawyer, physicist or judge when he grows up and thus practice that real profession.

He even wanted to be a fireman or policeman according to his physique.

But in reality, he always wanted to be a justice guy like the superhero shows.

The problem was... he only saw life as black and white.

There are bad people who end up on that path for helping people they care about.

Just like there are good people who do bad things for money or pleasure.

The boy thought he was doing good, what he was doing was making everything worse.

By helping a kid who was beaten up, the next day the school bullies hospitalized him.

By helping an old woman on the street to cross to the other end, he prevented her from getting home in time and she died of a heart attack.

For lending money to a homeless man, he used it to buy a gun to shoot some young men and steal their belongings.

As if it were a life lesson, the young man thought he was doing good, when he was only ruining people's lives.

The day he died was in a fire while on his way home.

The fire was set by an addict who was hiding in the basement of a building.

The young man helped the addict escape, but in doing so inadvertently collapsed the door which was configured with a modern security system which was activated in the event of a break-in.

The door would lock if someone forced it, the boy did so and the other doors locked throughout the building.

The addict escaped, living another day and continuing to use drugs.

The boy tried to help others resulting in his death from inhaling the toxins from the smoke.

On that day, more than 300 people died as a result of a good deed.

Sometime later he reincarnated as Zack and was now going to get into a war.

◇◇◇

Zack was flying in Grappler straight into the fleet formation of Aster's army.

Behind him were coming all the airships that Zero repaired.

Upon arrival, the soldiers raise their voices and welcome Zack to the battlefield.

"It's Zack-sama! Zack-sama of Wayne Household has come! Our victory is decided!"

"The true guardian is here! The Demon of the Kingdom will not defeat us!"

"Long live the Hero of Aster!"

Zack blushed as he was cheered by everyone, even being called a hero.

Zero spoke to him as they approached.

"Zack-sama, I detected that Rudel is approaching in a slow manner."

"Slowly you say? ... Will he have run out of fuel?"

"I'm afraid not. We don't use fuel. We use 'Infinite Energy' to function. But Battler being slow seems suspicious to me... even if they're not doing anything."

"Never mind. Surely he must be writing his last moments."

Reaching the front of all the airships, Zack turned and spoke to his army.

"Everyone! It's a pleasure to have you here."

"Today will be historic."

"On this day. Aster will not only regain its lost glory, we will also succeed in proving to the whole world that no matter what kind of monsters they have in hiding."

"Justice will prevail and our country will prove to be number before all!"

"Trust me!"

"Trust in the emblem of the guardian of the sacred tree!"

"Trust in the Hero of Aster!"

◇◇◇

Zack began to give a motivational speech.

Diana was listening to him from a boat off to the side.

She muttered after sighing.

"That fool. I get that he's excited and there's morale to be boosted. But you're overreacting."

(Although you look pretty cool doing it.)

Diana thought of something she shouldn't have.

A servant at her side informed her the following.

"Diana-sama, we've found a help signal."

"Help signal?"

"Yes. From the direction it seems to be from the temple and the only one with that smoke signal is the knight leader Lutart."

Immediately Diana said.

"Let's go to him!"

The servants agreed and turned around.

◇◇◇

Diana's airship arrived at where Lutart lay.

She quickly descended and found him lying in a tree.

She ordered the medical team to treat him immediately.

As she lifted him onto the stretcher, he took her hand.

"D-Diana-sama."

"Don't talk! Just wait, you'll get better soon."

"We must withdraw and apologize at once!"

Neither Diana or those present could believe what he was saying. She answered him after stroking his head.

"It's okay, you hit yourself hard. Get some rest."

"... You're wrong. I'm like this because the temple was attacked."

"The temple!"

She turned around and her eyes widened in surprise.

"The temple... it's gone..."

She grabbed Lutart to ask him something vital.

"What about that girl, is she all right?"

With all his strength he answered her.

"Yes... she was taken... but that rescue cost the lives of everyone present."

"... Huh?"

Diana heard that to rescue Airi, Rudel killed everyone.

◇

I was approaching the airspace where Aster's fleet was gathered.

All the soldiers, knights and sailors of all the noble families, including foreigners, mercenaries and adventurers recruited by Zack, who has the support of the great nobles, have gathered.

The total number amounts to twenty thousand.

If I compare it to last year, where there were less than five thousand enemies, the number quadrupled.

Normally I would be terrified to be surrounded by pure enemies.

This time is different.

I decided to kill them.

Kill.

I have killed before, last year I killed thousands.

Moments ago I killed hundreds.

The explosion shouldn't have killed them all, some may be trapped suffering while begging for help,

I don't care anymore.

The me that doesn't want to kill is no longer here.

For that reason, I will use all the power of Ixion to destroy my enemies.

They dared to take Lucy and Airi.

They made a mockery of me and the Kingdom. Not that I care much about the latter since my patriotic sense is down to the ground.

But it bothers me that they mock the Kingdom as if everyone living there is trash.

But what bothers most.

Is that they made me do this.

I don't like killing, I'll never get used to it.

But today is different. I told Ixion I didn't want the drug he gave me last year.

This time I will fight using all my power.

I told Ixion as we approached.

"You must be happy. Your wish will come true today."

"I will show everyone your real power."

Ixion who was resting on the board looked at me.

"I know. For some reason it bothers me that it happened. Or at least in the way I didn't expect."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing important..."

"If you say so..."

"By the way, what time does your body arrive?"

"It will arrive in exactly thirty minutes."

"Wahh, that's a long time."

"Battler will be able to take on everyone without a problem. But if Zero decides to attack with his cannons we'll have a tough time."

It seems that with Zero the situation is not advantageous.

"What about Grappler?"

"His stats are still the same, but for some reason I sense something strange about him."

"Is that bad?"

"No. But it bothers me a lot for some reason."

Today, Ixion has been very strange.

Come to think of it, isn't it the same as last year?

Ixion behaved the same way last year.

We were about to reach the same height level as them when Ixion notified.

"...Master, I received some photographs from a spy drone I sent to Wayne Household."

"Is that important?"

"It shouldn't. But this you must see."

"Show me."

Ixion showed me the pictures and my hands made Battler stop.

"... You must be joking."

"It looks like it's not real."

I got angry at the sight.

"Zack. You really are a dirty bastard."

◇◇◇

Reaching the same height level as Aster's combined army, Zack communicated with Rudel for all to hear.

"Welcome, Rudel. I'm glad you didn't run away like a rat."

Rudel heard the laughter of the enemies laughing at him, he didn't care as he was angry.

Through Ixion he sent a signal to Grappler to have a private line of communication.

Zero accepted the call.

"What are you doing this for?"

"Are you trying to beg for mercy or strike a deal?"

"I'm afraid it's useless. You won't be able to─"

"Why did you do it?"

Rudel said something strange to him.

"What are you talking about?"

"... Do you want me to make the channel public for everyone to hear this?"

"Go ahead. I have no idea what you're talking about."

*Sigh*

The communication cut out and Battler projected an image into the air.

"Why did you do it Zack?"

Everyone in the room was shocked at the sight─

"Why did you kill your father?"

... Lucian's lifeless body on the floor of his office.

No one could believe that a great noble lay dead in his own home.

Cliff's cigar dropped at the sight of it.

"Lucian... wasn't he supposed to be sick?"

Zack glared hatefully at Rudel.

"If you knew the reason. You'd give me the reason."

Rudel even more angrily shot back.

"Everything you've done says to me that the reason must be dumb."

Zack remembered the reason why he murdered his father.

◇◇◇

Returning to the morning after talking to his father.

Zack was upset.

He was having breakfast with him.

"It's not great. We can finally have a family breakfast."

Despite saying that, his wife, concubines and other children were not at the table.

Only Zack was there.

He was irritated. He owed it to Lucian to have gotten him up early to do things a father should teach his heir son.

They went to talk to officials.

Then to different districts in the territory to check how construction was going.

Then to dinner at a fancy restaurant.

Finally evening came and Zack met with Randy.

After the talk, the three of them went to Lucian's office for a drink.

"Let's toast. To a new Aster."

Lucian poured three drinks of his finest liquor, and pulled out a cigar imported from the empire.

After lighting it, he sat down on the couch.

"This is life. We just have to wait for the others to agree, move on to the plan, and then see how everything changes for the better."

Randy laughed with him.

"You're right. Soon, that Randolf nuisance will be kicked out and we'll take over."

"I wonder if I can become the new Acting Chairman?"

"You don't even think so. Since my son will be the revolutionary hero, it's only natural that his father will be the chosen one."

Zack was irritated.

What his father was saying disgusted him.

The conversation with Randy was repulsive to him.

He remembered everything they did today.

(When we went to talk to the officials, I was listening to him talk about getting money from foreigners by selling failed orbs. Not only were they doing something illegal, they were also scamming.)

(When visiting the constructions, they would hand you briefcases full of money. It seems that the construction materials are of low quality, if there are problems they will just demolish the building and build a new one since it is cheaper to do it to repeat the cycle.)

(The worst thing is that at the dinner, it wasn't just us. You sat your lovers with us, women younger than your wife and even gave them money.)

(As a father... as a man... you are trash!)

(It makes me nauseous to be your son!)

At that moment, Zack's emblem flashed.

"What's wrong?"

Both nobles asked.

Suddenly, a magic circle appeared from the ground and giant roots came out of it.

Lucian and Randy screamed at the sight of it.

"Zack! What the hell are you doing?"

"If this is a joke, I swear I'll will─"

"This is no joke."

The roots wrapped around Lucian's neck lifting him six feet in the air.

The roots were thin, but they held him very tightly.

He was beginning to choke.

Zack reached out and revealed his feelings to him.

"I always hated you."

"Not for never showing a father's love to a son."

"I don't hate you for seeing me as a political tool for your purposes."

"I hate you because you are the very embodiment of an evil person."

"Everything around you, you see as a toy. You use and discard it as you please. Just like your biological son without hesitation you threw him away."

As Zack clenched his fist, the emblem glowed brighter and the roots wrapped around his neck with intensity.

Lucian begged to be released as he was running out of oxygen.

"... Zack... stop it... please..."

"I'm sorry... really... I'll make it up to you... stop... son."

Hearing himself being called son in this situation, Zack became even angrier.

He planned to release him, but with that word, he was no longer going to do it.

"This is divine punishment for all the sins you have committed as all the atrocities you do without hesitation!"

He clenched his fist tightly... and at that moment.

"... ────!"

The life of his father, Lucian, ended as he looked at the lamp.

His hands stopped and Zack threw him to the ground.

Randy was so frightened that he watched as the expression on the man who was his partner emanated fear.

He peed his pants. But after seeing him.

"Huehuehuehuehue!"

He burst out laughing like crazy.

"That's what you get for being a pig!"

"You fucking scumbag. Just like everyone else you were making fun of me."

"This is karma no doubt."

"Zack-kun!"

Randy ran up to him.

"This is extremely wonderful! For that reason, let me propose a better offer."

"If you help me become Acting Chairman, we can eliminate all those traitors. With me in charge, this country will be able to increase its profits thanks to my foreign merchant contacts."

"I'm sure we can rule Aster both together!"

Zack was so angry that he didn't realize what he did.

But after a while, he started laughing.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

The reason for that laughter was because of what he did.

"I feel so good!"

"So this is what real justice feels like? It's amazing!"

Zack's laughter was infectious, Randy burst out laughing as well.

As they both laughed, Zack understood everything.

(I get it at last. The reason I was reincarnated was to save this world.)

(But not as a simple justice.)

(Normal justice doesn't work for these black-hearted people.)

(The only way to achieve it, is by that means. The only way.)

◇◇◇

"Extreme justice is the only solution!"

Zack shouted his goal.

Rudel heard that and got angrier and angrier.

"Are you a child perchance?"

Ixion commented on what he heard.

"It seems Zack has a disorder about the sense of being a justice guy."

"His method seems to be dark justice."

"Dark justice?"

"Dark justice is an old term I remember. It is about taking the law into one's own hand. Resulting in tyranny and oppression in the long run."

"At the same time it is a very extreme realization of justice. An extremist it is."

Rudel replied to that.

"Extreme justice...h uh?"

He pointed at him and turned to look at Ixion.

"That means this guy only considers scum as bad and guys like him as good. right?"

"That's right."

*Sigh*

Again Rudel sent a voice message.

"To all of you, especially Zack. Everything you've done against us... is without a doubt a big mistake."

"For that reason..."

Ixion informed Rudel.

"Master, my main body is already at the borders of Aster, in a few moments it will arrive here."

After hearing that. Rudel proclaimed the end of them.

"I will kill each and every one of you."

"At this moment. I declare war and the end of this country."

At that threat, everyone became serious.

Zack and Zero enlisted.

Rudel took the command handles and─

"Ixion... let's kill them all."

The war began.