Chapter 29: Krampus' Black Rabbit

Slash!

One swing of my spear created a wind wave that obliterated the greenhouse into small pieces flying in all directions. Unfortunately, Tachibana managed to dodge it with an acrobatic leap in the air, then landed without injury.

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that power from Krampus?"

He nodded slowly. "Exactly!" he exclaimed. "And I'm glad I can use it to punish those insects who love to trample others."

"You don't even see them as humans?"

"Of course. And I have no plans to stop."

He flicked his hand. Black fire enveloped him. After that, his clothes changed into a black robe with gold patterns resembling creeping vines. The edges of the robe were tattered, with a hood that only left his beautiful face exposed—a face that shouldn't belong to a man. The garden shears in his hand grew to match the size of his own body.

So that's his combat mode?

Unlike our combat modes, Tachibana's combat mode felt very uncomfortable. No, it didn't feel like a dark aura full of vengeance or other negative emotions. But like... something distorted.

"Don't just daydream, Senpai!"

Before I had enough time to analyze everything, Tachibana charged and swung his giant shears diagonally.

Clang!

The blade clashed with the base of my spear, creating a shockwave that swept away almost all the remaining debris around us.

I calmly pushed him back.

He spun his body in the air and landed smoothly. Then attacked again.

I almost slashed him but he managed to dodge at the last second and suddenly appeared behind me, ready to target my blind spot.

As I spun my body, a thrust was launched. I managed to dodge, then deftly pulled the sword sheathed at my waist, trying to slice his stomach. Unfortunately, it failed. He managed to stop the hilt, not letting me draw it.

"Tch!"

In the end, I could only watch that feminine boy roll forward without launching a counterattack.

Watching his fighting style that kept launching combos and wouldn't let me initiate attacks or counterattacks, I began to understand his fighting style. As the saying goes, offense is the best defense.

Strong technique, unfortunately its users usually don't have good defensive capabilities. Just one solid strike landed on him, and everything would end in absolute victory.

"What do you think, Senpai?"

"A risky technique."

"I think it suits me."

"Unfortunately, I'm not a suitable opponent for you!"

I leaped forward while launching a vertical attack aimed at his head.

Clang!

As I expected, Tachibana managed to parry it by opening his shears wide, our sharp blades clashing until sparks scattered in the air. Tachibana then clamped my spear with his shears and knocked it to the ground. When my attention was diverted, his leg tried to kick me from the side.

Grab!

I managed to catch his ankle. Then threw him far away.

Our weapons fell to the ground together. Right in front of me.

I picked up my spear again, then spun it to shake off the dust sticking to it. Meanwhile, he got up quickly. His jaw clenched.

"Why?! You could have killed me just now! You had the chance! Why didn't you just draw your sword and stab me?!"

"Because I chose not to."

My gaze narrowed sharply. Before he could get up, I was already there, pointing the cold tip of my spear right at his neck.

"Those murders... why did you do them?" I asked, coldly, mixed with bitterness I was still trying to hide.

"Because if not me, who would do it?!" He snapped angrily and stood up. Not caring even as my spear grazed his neck until it bled. "The system in this world isn't designed to protect the weak. It's designed to be a stepping stone for the strong! If not me, who would stand up and oppose this unfair system?!"

I fell silent.

He barked again. "Or are you telling me to pray and hope someone will come and extend their hand? That's impossible, Senpai! Miracles don't exist, and even if they do, they never come twice! I've tried to be patient for years but nothing happened! No miracles! No justice! No karma!"

He stepped forward boldly, forcing me to step back so my spear wouldn't pierce his neck.

"Have you ever seen what happens to bullies and the bullied?" he asked, with a bitterness he couldn't hide. "The bullied only live in the shadow of fear, failure, despair, even death! That's the future for us, the victims! On the other hand, the perpetrators have more connections, bright futures, and are even protected by law! Even the world loves them! I know this is natural selection, but this is too cruel! I can't accept it!"

After being silent for so long, I tried to open my mouth.

"Suppose all of that works. Suppose you succeed in eliminating all bullies, then what, do you think you can manage the world in a system you consider fairer?"

"Of course!" he answered, stepping forward, ignoring his neck almost pierced by my threatening spear tip all this time. "Without bullies, everyone can develop properly! Everyone has an opportunity without fear of being overshadowed by the fear that envelops them!"

I pushed my spear forward, its tip now grazing his neck, dripping the first blood between us, but he remained still, staring at me so firmly. A flash of determination and courage in his eyes—something that shouldn't have existed in his former self.

"Isn't that the same as managing this world under your control? You know what happens to people who think like you? Adolf Hitler, Nobunaga Oda, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, and Timur Lenk. And you... you'll be one of them next. Dictatorship, corruption, true narcissism that slowly eats you from within. You're not much different, maybe even worse than those you've killed. Thinking you can make everything better, huh? All that exists is restraint that even frightens and suppresses humans themselves."

"Then why?"

That was when the world felt like it shattered. That small question made me understand. Now I understood where the uncomfortable feeling came from when I first saw his power. It wasn't power born from vengeance, anger, greed, or other negative things. It was a belief in truth, but distorted.

Every great person always had a noble goal. However, even if they seemed to achieve it the right way, there would always be victims from the other side who would suffer losses. Those great people wouldn't care about the method, as long as their goal was achieved. A truth that slowly turned into obsession and greed.

And Tachibana... he was starting to show those signs.

"One last question for you. What does justice mean to you and how do you achieve it?"

Tachibana smiled dismissively. "Do you think I, who has lived for years without justice, can't answer such a simple question?"

"If you can, then why not just answer it?"

He snorted in annoyance. "Justice isn't laws written on paper. Nor is it a judge's verdict that can be bought with money. Justice is when a helpless child can sleep soundly without fear of being beaten the next morning. Justice is when those who oppress, those who destroy others' lives with smiles on their faces, finally feel what they have done."

"I know this might sound crazy. But look at this world. Look at Kinji who bullied me for years, or the girls who insulted me for having a face that's 'too beautiful for a boy.' They were never punished. Teachers didn't care. Their parents defended them. Police didn't want to bother."

"So if no one wants to uphold justice, then I will do it. I will be the judge, the prosecutor, and the executioner. It might not be perfect. It might be wrong in many people's eyes. But at least someone is acting. At least the victims no longer suffer."

"Is that your final answer?" I asked, after listening to his outburst of anger for so long while restraining myself.

He nodded slowly. "I don't care how. In the end, justice is a relative view for many people. Maybe in this era I'm a criminal, but in the future maybe I'm the hero."

I lowered my spear, letting its tip touch the ground. Looking down in silence, then regulating my breath, making sure this was myself, and not that loser. Long enough before finally I looked back at his face with a fragile smile on my lips.

"It seems I have no other choice."

I prepared to thrust my spear with all my determination. But before I could do it, a black fire filled with pure, devastating dark energy burst from Tachibana like a glacier.

"I also... seem to have no choice, senpai. It was nice talking to you, honestly, I admire your courage. Thank you for helping me all this time."

Before that black fire spread further, I tried to thrust him with all my strength. However, my spear shattered into fragments of light just from touching it. I quickly backflipped several meters backward.

"Damn, he's already released his power."

Slowly, that black fire began to die down. Signaling that the second stage of the dark apostle's power within him had begun.

Now before me was no longer a human figure standing. But a two-legged rabbit wrapped in the same black robe. His giant shears were pointed at me, a life-or-death challenge I clearly couldn't refuse.