Chapter 14 – The Fox’s Question (4)

Ｒｅａｄ ​ｏｎ​ ​ＫａｔＲｅ​ａｄ​ｉｎｇＣａ​ｆｅ

 

[Currently, in an unidentifiable location, a large number of armed forces stand in confrontation with Silk! And behind them—that fox mask! Could that be the infamous Wakamo, one of the “Seven Prisoners”? Why is she here?]

[Is Silk really planning to fight Wakamo and that overwhelming army all by herself?!]

The sudden news broadcast echoed throughout Kivotos.

It was the shocking report that Silk—the hero who had recently risen to fame—was now facing off against the Fox of Calamity, Kosaka Wakamo, and her massive military force.

Citizens who saw the broadcast froze in shock, their eyes glued to their screens. The footage, likely captured from above, showed Silk standing alone against an army of enemies in one sweeping view. And that was precisely why they couldn’t help but be stunned.

The sheer number of enemies confronting Silk was overwhelming. Compared to her solitary figure, the opposition was vast—impossibly vast.

Helmet Gang. Automata. Mercenaries. Black Market guards. There were even Crusader tanks.

At a rough estimate, there were dozens—perhaps even over a hundred—enemies gathered in that single location.

“She’s… planning to fight all of them alone?”

“That’s insane!”

Some shouted in disbelief at Silk’s choice.

“…What the hell is this girl?”

“Huh~? Interesting little thing, isn’t she?”

Others watched with intrigue.

And then there were those who—

“…Silk.”

“Please… don’t get hurt, Silk.”

—could only worry for her.

Though their reactions varied, in this very moment, every single person in Kivotos was focused on Silk through their screens.

The hero known as Silk, who had saved countless citizens, was now a household name—a figure whose fame had reached every corner of the city.

Yet, despite her reputation, one question had never stopped circulating:

Just how strong is Silk?

Her feats so far could be matched by other elite fighters from different schools. No matter how impressive, surely she wasn’t beyond their level?

Because of these lingering doubts, crime in D.U. and Millennium—the areas where Silk primarily operated—had never truly ceased.

But in this moment, as Silk stood alone against an army of this scale, everyone shared the same thought:

“Is… this even possible?”

Could one person really defeat a force of this magnitude?

Every single person watching shook their heads. 

Even the two engineers from the Engineering Department, who had crafted Silk’s equipment, couldn’t hide their unease.

But then—

The scene that unfolded next betrayed all their fears.

BOOOOOOOOOM—!!!

A deafening roar erupted the instant the battle began. 

But what followed was nothing short of shocking. A tank had been obliterated in a single strike. Enemy formations collapsed in an instant. And a shockwave that engulfed the entire battlefield.

Countless question marks floated above the heads of those watching. What the hell did she just do?

They remembered Silk deflecting the Crusader tank’s shell. They then saw her firing a web-line, yanking herself toward the tank at blinding speed.

But what happened next?

It looked like she threw a punch—

…What was that?

As everyone remained frozen in confusion—

“Ah…!”
“So that’s why she wanted such absurd firepower…!!”

Only two people—and one genius girl—understood exactly what had happened.

This spectacle was Silk’s doing, but it was also the result of science pushed to its limits. Now they finally understood why Silk had demanded such reckless power, disregarding the risks to herself.

They let out hollow laughs as their eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Silk’s right hand.

There, a single gauntlet—glowing red-hot—released a stream of white steam, pushed far beyond its limits.

***

“Haaah…”

A single strike—and yet, my arm was throbbing with numbness. I massaged my right arm, exhaling sharply through gritted teeth.

Sssss…

The new equipment, having released an extreme burst of heat in an instant, was now visibly scorched. It seemed I’d need some time before I could use it again.

No matter. I’d already achieved my goal.

The tank was destroyed in one hit. The enemy formations had already collapsed. At this point, I’d more than gotten my money’s worth.

The gauntlet, ‘Infinity’.

A new piece of equipment I’d commissioned from the Engineering Department, spending every last bit of my savings. Utilizing thermal compression technology, it was designed for instantaneous energy release, acceleration, and shockwave dispersion.

It was ridiculously heavy. It will damage the user. And after using it once, it will become temporarily unusable…

‘It doesn’t matter to me.’

All I needed was that one strike.

I wiped the blood trickling from my lips and raised my head.

I saw enemies caught in the shockwave still lying unconscious. Others, further away, stood frozen in shock at the devastation I’d caused.

And.

‘Even Wakamo looks… pretty stunned too.’

Had the battle not gone as she’d expected? 

Or was she simply witnessing something beyond her imagination?

Wakamo stood rigid atop the truck, staring down at me with wide eyes.

“You… just what are you—?”

Her voice carried a desperate demand for answers.

But I had no intention of waiting for her to finish.

As I bound the fallen enemies with my web-shooters, I slowly stepped toward her.

“Are you planning to just stand there?”

Wakamo flinched.

Not coming to me? 

Fine. Then I’d go to her.

The moment I crouched into a fighting stance, Wakamo snapped back to her senses and immediately aimed her gun at me.

But.

“Too late.”

BANG—!

I’d already predicted the trajectory of her bullet long before she fired. Dodging it effortlessly, I shot webs at her legs and wrists—then yanked.

“Ghk—?!”

Pulled forward by the force, Wakamo lurched toward me. I dashed to meet her mid-air and swung my leg.

THUD!

The moment my kick slammed into her abdomen, sending her crashing and rolling on the ground.

Just then—

Bzzzt—!

An Automata, previously disabled by the shockwave, suddenly reactivated with a mechanical whir. It immediately aimed its gun at me and opened fire. Following its lead, the Helmet Gang, mercenaries, and Black Market guards all regained their senses and began shooting at me in unison.

“…Damn it.”

They recovered way too fast.

Though their formations were broken and their shots disorganized, the sheer volume of bullets—fired by dozens of enemies—felt like a literal rain of lead.

“Shoot! Just keep shooting!”

“Kill her no matter what—!”

“Don’t stop firing!”

I rolled swiftly across the ground, using a broken Automata as a shield as I closed the distance. Blocking bullets with my gauntlet, I kicked the shield forward, knocking down a group of enemies.

I webbed a face, yanked it down, and slammed their head into the ground.

I caught a grenade mid-air and hurled it back at the enemy lines, detonating it in their ranks.

I drove my hand through an Automata’s core, shattered a Helmet Gang member’s visor, and crushed a guard’s rifle with a single strike.

Front, back, left, right—enemies swarmed from all directions. I dodged just enough to minimize damage, exploiting every tiny opening to reduce their numbers.

In the midst of this, I could feel myself growing sharper—more accustomed to the fight. My abilities were evolving in real time.

I almost laughed.

Even in this chaos, I was still improving. Even against impossible odds, I still believed in my chances.

I exhaled. I threw a punch.

Leaped and fired a web-line. Accelerated and kicked.

When the enemies rushed me all at once, I pressed a button on my wrist—releasing a full spread of webbing in all directions.

SHWAAAAA—!

Even with most of their weapons disabled, the enemy numbers were still overwhelming.

And I was alone.

But that didn’t matter.

My instincts were still alive. My stamina was holding.

I could still take them all down.

But—

“Fine. Wait right there.”

Wakamo was watching me from behind.

Whether she was saving our final clash for later or not, she simply stood there, exuding a vicious aura as she observed my struggle.

“I’ll come to you soon.”

Then I’d just have to go to her. I gritted my teeth. My mask was cracking. My gauntlet was cooling down.

And then—

BOOOOOOOOOM—!!!

Another shockwave erupted.

This time, the gauntlet was completely destroyed—rendered useless. I tore it off and hurled it aside, then webbed up the remaining enemies. Those still dazed, I rushed to knock them out for good.

The enemy numbers had been halved.

Breathing heavily, I steadied myself into a fighting stance.

The repeated use of Infinity had left my head ringing. My senses felt hazy—like waking up from a deep sleep, still half-dazed.

I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to focus.

I couldn’t afford to lose consciousness now. Not when I was so close.

Fight to the end.

Do what I had to do.

“If my enhanced senses are dulled… fight on instinct.”

Remember the combat reflexes engraved into my body.

I unleashed a fierce blue glow from my eyes and charged at the enemies aiming their guns at me.

SHINK—!

“Urk…!”

“We hit her!”

“Our attacks are working! Push forward!”

Under the barrage of bullets, my body accumulated more wounds. The sharp pain made me stagger—but I clenched my fists harder and kept moving.

As my senses gradually returned, I focused on one thing only: Taking them all down.

“Hah…! Hah…! Hah…!”

Fire webs. Dodge. Roll. Punch. Kick. Fire again.

I processed, calculated, and acted like a wild beast—absorbing information with my eyes, analyzing it instantly, and executing the most efficient way to reduce enemy numbers.

Crudely. Brutally.

Until Wakamo grew sick of it.

Until every enemy before me grew sick of it.

Until everyone watching through their screens felt it.

“RAAAAAAH—!!”

I screamed hoarsely.

I threw punches like my life depended on it.

Every movement carried my will—every strike instilled fear in my enemies. If they overwhelmed me with numbers, I’d overwhelm them with sheer force.

I tore off an Automata’s arm. 

Shattered a Helmet Gang member’s helmet. 

Slammed a mercenary’s head into the ground.

Smashed a Black Market guard’s gun to pieces.

Until the battlefield was littered not with my wreckage—but theirs.

After that, I couldn’t even remember how I moved or why. My body just burned—hot, relentless—guided by pure instinct.

“Hah…! Hah…!”

By the time my body was drenched in blood, my breathing ragged—

Silence.

Only my heavy panting echoed in the now-empty battlefield.

And then—

“Why…?”

“Why would you go this far—?”

Wakamo’s voice reached me.

***

I turned my head weakly toward the voice.

There stood Wakamo, trembling as she stared at me.

She asked me once again.

“Why… would you go to such lengths? What is your goal? Why do you play the hero?”

Her voice shook—with fear, with desperation… and just the faintest hint of hope.

Only then did I realize.

At some point, most of the enemies had fallen.

Now, only a handful remained—and her.

I won. I’m actually winning.

A laugh escaped me.

“Heh. What else…?”

Laughing sent a sharp pain through my ribs. I clutched my side and met Wakamo’s gaze. Then, as if to ask why she was only questioning me now, I answered.

“With great power comes great responsibility. That’s all.”

The principle of the hero I truly admired.

Now, it was my own creed.

“Responsibility? Ha! And that’s why you did all this? Just because of responsibility?”

Wakamo challenged me.

I shook my head.

“Just responsibility? No. I just hated seeing bad people do whatever they wanted. So I moved. I acted as I pleased. I punished them. That’s all.”

“Who gave you the right?”

“Hah. There’s no such thing as ‘right’. I just act based on what I see and what I’ve learned. I know this power can help others. That’s enough.”

“……”

Just like in all the hero stories I’d seen.

What is a hero?

Is it someone who punishes great evil?

Or someone who protects peace?

No.

A hero is simply someone who acts when others won’t. Someone who uses their abilities to protect others.

Heroism isn’t some grand, unreachable ideal. No one gets to decide who qualifies as a hero.

Just as evil takes many forms, so does good too.

“There’s no special reason for me to help others. Sorry if that disappoints you.”

“…I can’t believe it. I… refuse to believe it.”

But Wakamo only shook her head.

Not because she didn’t understand.

Because she didn’t want to.

“If there are so many forms of justice and goodness in this world… Why was everything I’ve seen been so cruel? Why did no one ever—“

Her words were cut off. But I knew what she meant.

Why did no one like you come for me back then?

In her darkest moments, the only thing that had reached her was malice. That was why she had broken—why she had become the Fox of Calamity.

And so—

“I can’t believe you. That someone like you acts purely out of goodwill and responsibility. So—”

She refused to accept my words. No matter what I said, she wouldn’t listen. 

She was saying that her suffering was proof that the world was evil.

I denied that. I knew this world’s true nature. And so, I could say with certainty:

‘You were just unlucky.’

‘You still have a chance.’

‘You deserve happiness too.’

But—

“Yeah. Didn’t expect to convince you in one go.”

I wasn’t the Sensei. I couldn’t guide others. And the proof was in her unchanged gaze.

Were we destined to remain at odds?

Would we have to fight to the bitter end?

It was probably until Wakamo accepted the truth.

Then—

“I’ll keep telling you as long as it takes. I’ll prove it to you myself.”

We’d have to clash.

I’d have to keep speaking to her—no matter what.

Wakamo and I locked eyes.

“I’ll show you how wrong you are. I’ll prove that you are no noble hero—!!”

And then—

We charged at each other.