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[Translator - Tangrine ]
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Chapter - 21: The Ever-Present WWE
"... she's weaker than I expected."
“Hm?”
“I mean the Hero of Justice. Since you were being so cautious, I assumed she'd be unbelievably strong. But she doesn’t seem as strong as I expected.”
“She’s strong only when facing evil. She could probably kill someone like the Great Witch Priscilla with a flick of her finger.”
“That much difference, just based on who she’s fighting?”
“Yeah, that’s how her power works.”
She’s strong because her purpose is to judge evil.
And judgment… is a one-sided act.
To judge someone based on your ideals of justice means trampling their dignity and free will.
And that takes overwhelming power.
That’s why the hero makes vows to the gods.
She binds herself to strict moral codes to receive that power.
And those are like -
[Never hesitate to punish evil, even if it costs your life.]
[Never use your strength to oppress or persecute the weak.]
[Never use your power for personal grudges or self-interest.]
Libra grants power in exchange for what you’ve already lost.
And Justice grants power in exchange for vows.
If Libra is like an insurance company, then Justice is more like a loan shark.
Your collateral is your honor.
Lose that, and your power gets seized immediately.
“Zara is the natural enemy of heroes. She’s the most innocent scapegoat in the world.”
“How ironic. The most wicked being ever born… is also the most innocent person in this world.”
"And heroes are the most troublesome beings in the world."
This whole world’s setting is a mess, but even in that mess, the Hero of Justice stands out as a special kind of disaster.
If the world’s about to end and you’re wondering who pushed the trigger—chances are, it was one of them.
They show up out of nowhere, in places no one expects, and cause utter chaos.
And you can’t kill them because they’re heroes.
If you go down the ‘Hero-Slayer’ route, your evil alignment skyrockets—and once that happens, a hero will show up and wipe you out.
“The only upside is that they’re the rarest among heroes. Most break their vows and fall within a month.”
“But… didn’t they choose those vows themselves?”
“Yeah, and not everyone can live up to the promises they make.”
When a hero candidate first swears their vows in the name of the gods, burning with righteous passion.
Their thoughts are simple.
-‘This world is broken. Bad people get away with everything.’
-‘Criminals deserve to die.’
-‘Letting perpetrators go unpunished is like hurting the victim all over again.’
Hero candidates never question their own thoughts.
Well, it's the kind of righteous statement anyone would nod along to.
The perpetrator must be properly punished. For the world. For the victim.
That is what people call ‘true justice.’
And so, hero candidates recklessly swear vows they can’t possibly bear.
I will kill every murderer. I will kill parents who abuse their children, teachers who rape young students, witches who devour humans, lords who whip serfs to death.
Grant me the power to kill them. Such is the vow they make.
With the naïve belief that killing all the bad people will make the world a better place.
“If it were that easy, Nosferatu, the House of Assassins, wouldn’t even exist.”
This world is upheld just as much by the pure goodwill of a few decent people as it is by the horrific malice of a few monstrous ones.
And usually, those two are the same person.
“A hero who kills abusive parents to save a child usually hears that child's resentment first. Playing the hero isn’t something a person should do.”
Sometimes, the abused child throws themselves in the way to protect their parent.
There are even cases where the man who brutally murdered a young girl also ran an orphanage and served as a volunteer.
And when the evil lord who exploits his serfs is killed, the ones who suffer most... are the very serfs he exploited.
‘Justice’ is nothing more than a public nuisance.
The only time you’re allowed to talk about justice is when you're drinking cheap liquor at a tavern and grumbling about life.
But the moment you take justice into your own hands, it becomes the most horrifying form of violence.
“Usually, the most righteous and kind-hearted people become ‘heroes of justice.’ It must be unbearable for them to realize they’ve become the very perpetrators they once hated."
That’s why there are only two kinds of people who continue as Heroes of Justice.
Newcomers who’ve just made their vows and become heroes.
And the self-righteous, blind fanatic who can’t give up on justice, no matter how much harm it causes.
“Well, let’s see what kind of person this fellow turns out to be."
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Their fight looked like a well-choreographed action stunt.
They swung their swords at each other, but neither was trying to kill or injure the other.
Blades clashed and parted in empty air.
Just before the blade could pierce the other's skin—
The space where even fine hairs could be sliced—that was the gap between their swords.
"Ma’am, you're really weak!"
“I’m just controlling my strength. I have no intention of hurting you. My only goal is to kill that man.”
“Well, we’re both holding back anyway.”
Zara was more skilled in this sort of WWE than anyone else.
Because Zara has spent her whole life trying not to kill people!
"You can’t beat me. I’m lucky. And better than you."
"It’s meaningless."
And so, their battle resembled more a petty argument than an intense struggle.
Clang!
Each time their swords clashed, Zara mocked the hero.
"I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’re old. Hehe."
"…Are you mocking me? If you’re trying to provoke me, it’s pointless. I will subdue you and kill that man. I won’t hurt you."
"I’m just stating what I see. If it felt like mockery, maybe that says something?"
For the first time in her life, she insulted someone without any grudge.
It was surprisingly enjoyable.
Born inherently wicked, Zara smiled brightly.
The boundary between good and evil was that thin.
She was no longer kind. No longer innocent. No longer guiltless.
Clang!
The hero’s sword strikes grew stronger.
Zara’s blade became just as vicious.
The constellation of divine punishment smiled crookedly.
"I don’t understand. Why would you go so far for someone who tried to kill you? Don’t you resent him?"
"Of course I do. But, ‘he tried to kill me, so I’ll kill him back’—isn’t that kind of a childish way to think?"
Clang!
As time passed, the exchanges of their swords grew ever fiercer.
The hero’s blade turned fiercer; Zara’s blade turned more savage.
Their bodies still bore no wounds, but the hero’s arm was trembling from the impact, and sweat poured from Zara’s forehead like rain.
To use a fighting analogy, it had gone from WWE to UFC.
"Evil deeds must be met with proper retribution. That is justice."
"Instead of obsessing over other people’s sins, how about you take a moment to reflect on yourself? That’s what makes someone a better person!"
As long as the hero fought for justice.
Zara, who stood in her way, could only be ‘evil’ in her eyes.
Clang!
Their blades collided, and Zara was pushed back a large step.
Though both of their swords were growing equally powerful… the longer the fight dragged on, the worse it became for Zara.
After all, her talent was meant for killing people. With a kind blade that sought to kill no one, she could not defeat a hero.
However, even as she was being pushed back, Zara smiled.
"I really hate this world. I resent it. For me, tomorrow is always an unhappy time, and the world is just an unhappy place. Things have never once gone the way I wanted.”
“Even now, when I finally decided to stand up and face my fate, some weird old lady shows up out of nowhere and starts ranting about killing the man who’s been tormenting me? My choice means nothing.”
“Even if I stop you here, some other hero will show up, or he’ll probably just die in an accident anyway!"
"……."
"But still, that doesn’t mean we should give up on making choices. At the very least, you’ve got to make a choice before you’ve earned the right to scream at the world, ‘Fucking Asshole.’"
If tomorrow is destined to be even more miserable than today anyway, if no matter what choice is made, only a horrifying conclusion spiraling toward the worst lies beyond it.
If she could change nothing with her own power. At the very least, she had to be the one to make the choice.
Because that is what it means to live with pride.
"This is the end."
The hero swung the sword wide.
Zara no longer had the strength to swing her sword.
Zara let the sword slip from her hand.
The bald man would die at the hands of the hero. That was ‘fate.’
And then.
"……Huh?"
"Kegh! That hurts…… You said you weren’t going to hurt me…… Liar……!"
The hero’s vision wavered ever so slightly.
Zara was cut by the sword.
"What is this…… Why……."
The hero’s vow was broken. The hero had violated their own vow.
Dandelion felt the strength draining from her body.
Looking at the hero, Zara, clutching her bleeding stomach, smiled with a silly grin.
"Hehe……. That’s what I said, didn’t I…… That you’re too weak."
The hero was defeated by Zara!
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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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