Chapter 79

Chapter 79

The Remnants of Great Evil

‘…I see, so she’s still a hero in the growth stage.’

I am convinced.

She will soon surpass the Heavenly Demon and even Justice, who was called the hope of the previous generation, to become a great hero.

Unless an evil greater than Ouroboros appears, her justice will remain unchallenged and fitting of the hope of this era.

‘Interesting.’

It’s not fear but a sense of competitive spirit that stirs within me.

The fact that she found an opening against me, even without using her full power.

-…Oh dear, my arthritis is acting up.

Perhaps I should show her some respect and give her a little leeway.

Without revealing this, Gigantes grabbed his bent knee and continued speaking.

“What?”

-It seems I won’t be able to move for about 5 minutes until I recover.

Forcing myself, I could move, but I also want a definitive conclusion.

Fighting each other at full strength. For absolute evil to shatter hope, it must be done this way.

“…What’s with that obvious excuse?”

Spiritas found Gigantes’s reaction incredulous.

“Just admit it, you couldn’t withstand my earlier attack…”

-4 minutes and 50 seconds left.

“Oh, come on!!!”

Gigantes ruthlessly cut off the conversation.

Spiritas, having no words left for him, looked down at Isri, who had landed on the rooftop with her.

Her sidekick, who had calmed down the raging thunder in her body.

“Ma, mama.”

And for some reason, an artificial being who considered her a mother.

“Isri tried her best. As a hero, I fought the villain…”

“…”

“Ma, mama. Why are you angry… Eek!”

Fearful of Spiritas’s hardened expression and reaching hand, Isri shrank back.

But instead of reprimanding her, Spiritas simply patted her head.

“…I’m sorry.”

Yes, at this moment, she realized her own inadequacy.

She was only striving for the greatest, still far from the place she desired.

“Why are you apologizing, mama?”

“Because I hesitated, and you almost caused trouble.”

If she had used her full power from the start…

If she hadn’t become complacent with her own strength and responsibilities, this small child wouldn’t have been forced to make sacrifices.

“…Mama did nothing wrong.”

But Isri declared to Spiritas.

As if not wanting to see her in this state.

“Mama fought harder than anyone. She reached places no one else could.”

“…Isri.”

“Isri listened to mama and saved people. Watching them, I realized. Mama is strong. Mama is the greatest hero.”

Her words were too extreme to be encouraging and too sincere to be mere admiration.

Such words, at this moment, became an unexpected burden for Spiritas.

Somehow, in the words of this little girl, she sensed an obsession towards herself.

“So, I thought Isri should sacrifice herself to create an opportunity…”

Overwhelmed by the sight, Spiritas swung her hand.

The slap echoed with a loud thud on Isri’s head.

“Dang! It hurts!”

“It was meant to hurt.”

Yes, whatever feelings this girl had, wrong was wrong.

Sacrificing herself for Spiritas’s sake. How could that be acceptable?

“…Isri, you think of me as your mother, right?”

Patting her head and then lowering herself to meet her eyes, Spiritas asked. Isri replied with wide, sparkling eyes.

“Yes, mama is mama.”

“Then, what kind of person do you think a mother is?”

Why did this child consider her a mother?

She had a vague idea.

“Mama is a strong person.”

Yes, the strongest hero.

This child could gauge the level of those before her and chose the strongest as her guardian.

“Yes, a mother is strong.”

But that’s only a result excluding experience and skill.

This child followed her because of the latent power within her.

“A person who became strong to protect her child.”

Then, what she needed to do was become stronger to meet that expectation. And during that process, constantly make this child understand her role.

“…Then, what should a parent think of a child who tries to sacrifice themselves?”

Yes, this child was undoubtedly someone she had to protect.

Forcing a protected one to sacrifice themselves. How could that be acceptable?

“That is…”

“It’s the same even without being parent and child. A hero should never easily speak of sacrifice.”

Even if this child wasn’t her own, but stood here as a hero, it was the same.

A hero is someone who saves people.

Punishing evil is merely part of that process.

With numerous lives to save, how could one abandon them by recklessly sacrificing themselves?

“That’s different from what Isri knows. Everyone says a hero sacrifices themselves to save people.”

“That’s only when there’s no other choice.”

Yes, unless there’s no alternative like before.

A hero must always strive for victory and ensure their own survival.

“Isn’t this such a situation?”

The innocent question of a child yet to grasp that fact.

Without malice, merely a pure question. Normally, one could deflect, but this child was no ordinary child to be merely protected.

A weapon and hero prepared to stand on the front lines.

“It was, until you came.”

And someone who needed to learn what it meant to be a hero.

Just like herself.

“Until Isri came…”

“Isri, open your ears and listen well.”

She realized late.

This small girl was a ‘junior’ to her.

If this girl followed the same path, it was her duty as a senior to guide her.

“A hero’s passive ability is taking on multiple foes.”

…Of course.

She, too, was inexperienced, so her explanations often became awkward.

“…Huh?”

“Yes, if one can’t handle it alone, push through with numbers!”

Spiritas shouted at the bewildered Isri.

Her attitude was so confident it bordered on brazen.

“It’s a continent everyone lives on. If I work myself to the bone, should others just sit back and watch? Absolutely not. We’re all striving for happiness, so how can I take responsibility for everyone’s happiness alone? If I do something, others should help. If they help, I should meet their expectations.”

“…And the result is pushing through with numbers?”

“Of course. Fighting together makes it easier and quicker!”

A statement more about efficiency than righteousness.

Hearing this, Isri’s hair began to droop.

As if expressing disappointment.

“Mama’s idea of a hero is sneaky.”

In the moment when a long-standing admiration or longing withered.

“…Yes, a hero is sneaky. Especially the heroes of past generations.”

But enduring such disappointment was necessary for their future path.

Hadn’t the person she admired and loved also said so?

That justice is surprisingly a sneaky concept.

“Still, before pursuing justice, we are human.”

Righteousness, morality, responsibility, or belief…

Those who bear such things are merely humans.

No matter their power or status, if they can handle everything alone, they would be akin to gods.

“Humans can’t do anything alone. Before asserting justice, we must learn to depend on others.”

Family, friendship, society, culture, and power…

Love that encompasses all humanity stems from that.

Law and morality are the minimal promises to respect all that and ensure safety.

Even selfishly, following those concepts is necessary for one’s safety.

“And villains are those who, while calling themselves human, forget that and betray everyone.”

To betray the unified effort and pursue self-interest is not selfishness but folly.

As long as justice exists in society.

“A hero teaches everyone by punishing such people. Showing the great cost of betraying everyone.”

Therefore, a hero should never try to take on everything alone.

Their foundation is the collective will of everyone, supported by those who cannot be on the battlefield.

“So, Isri. Don’t act desperately just because the situation is dire. You’re not the only one bearing the responsibility here.”

This was Spiritas’s conclusion as a hero.

A love blossomed from admiration, and the concept of justice built on that foundation.

A battlefield where strength and righteousness coexist was her ultimate pursuit.

“…Mama.”

She hoped her feelings would reach her.

She wished for this child not to repeat her mistakes and ruin herself.

“Mama is saying she will fight with Isri?”

“Of course…”

“That’s not right.”

But did her words not reach her?

Isri, bowing her head, shook it as if rejecting her words.

Setting aside her previously meek and naïve attitude.

“Contrary to mama’s words, Isri is not human.”

Her voice sounded sad and regretful.

Teaching her that she was different from Spiritas.

“Isri is a tool made, not a human.”

“A tool…”

“Because that’s what everyone who made Isri said.”

-Rumble!

Matching those words, a vibration slowly spread.

The sound signaling the approaching time of predetermined doom.

Gigantes, having fully recovered his leg, was preparing to move. Though slower than before, because he had gathered more mass into his body.

The ensuing danger would be even fiercer.

Even sensing the impending danger, Spiritas couldn’t urge the girl before her to flee.

“So, there’s no need to expect Isri to understand.”

The sparks from her body.

A change had been triggered in the being who called herself a tool of humanity.

“A tool is always handled by human hands. Not together, but mama should use Isri.”

-Bzzt, bzzzt.

With those final words, electricity coursed through her body, and her eyes gradually turned to light.

The light resembled the glow before self-destruction.

But the flow of power was extremely stable.

“Isri?”

-The AI of the entity has raised the danger level to the highest.

From her open mouth came Isri’s…

But not Isri’s voice.

-First-class security lock released, AI mode switched from E-3 to B-2.

Yes, at that moment it awakened.

What the followers of justice had kept hidden to fight against evil.

-Mode: Beast Buster. Activation preparation complete.

The remnants of a being who had once plunged this continent into terror.

***
[Everyone, look over there! There’s a blue light where Spiritas is! What is that light!?]

As the giant appeared in the city and the voices of the announcers broadcasting the scene via helicopter grew more urgent.

Seeing the hero being filmed, I couldn’t help but drop the beer can I was holding.

The light, vividly visible even from hundreds of meters above.

The sight of electricity dancing wildly in the air, scorching everything, was rare even for someone like me who had lived long as a villain.

So I immediately sensed it. Plasma generated by human hands, through a Gift…

Only one person I knew could sustain such a phenomenon.

“Beast Buster?”

The bombing maniac, Beast Buster.

Fourth-ranked executive of Ouroboros, a destructive monster who could turn a city into ruins in a short time with his power. A walking human bomber.

Why did traces of him suddenly appear in Isri, who had charged at Gigantes?

“Haha!!! That guy is still alive!”

Next to me, Anatomy clapped and praised the sight.

“Of course, that damn tin can couldn’t have died easily. The other five managed to survive somehow, so why wouldn’t he?”

“…Did you know?”

His uncharacteristic excitement suggested he had been waiting for this moment.

Yes, he must be elated.

He, too, like me, was attached to Ouroboros.

Until recently, he had been searching for traces of old comrades, so finding such traces now would naturally make him happy.

End of Chapter