“It can’t be… This kid…”
His wings flapped with a rustle.
No, not his wings. A black light was emitted from Black Veil’s whole body, and it looked like wings flapping.
It was whimsical in a way, and as Raiha gulped, Black Veil transformed in the light and emerged as a person.
They looked at him again… And he looked like a normal posh man.
He truly was very normal. He looked like the kind of person who lived to uphold the law, not destroy public safety.
But… The eyes coldly looking at them contained madness, making Raiha feel crushing pressure as she looked at them. But she pushed that aside to ask a question.
“Why…? Why is someone like you doing this…? You’re a guard that protects people, right?”
Garland smiled a little, and responded as though thinking back to nostalgic memories.
“…This was long ago. I was still in the front line of criminal investigations… I had a wife and daughter. Yes, had…!!”
He clenched his fists and spoke as if groaning.
Had… The use of the past tense told Raiha everything, but Garland continued.
“My daughter was killed by a repeat offender. My wife suffered psychologically after losing her daughter, and took her own life. Of course, the culprit was soon caught and executed, but… So what? His death didn’t bring my wife and daughter back to me! That criminal took everything from me!!”
Garland screamed while bending his body, as though he were vomiting.
He was wailing… Such was the grief and anger in his yells, and as he raised his head, he spoke to Raiha.
“If that man hadn’t been released, my wife and daughter wouldn’t have died. That life should have been taken in the name of justice! Ones who stain their hands with misdeeds will eventually commit bigger crimes. And so…!!”
“You kill them before they do?”
“Precisely! Criminals need no mercy! To protect all innocent, all criminals will be dealt with by my hand! That is the justice of Black Veil! I will exterminate all evil as an envoy of justice!! The cheers of the people who agree with my justice are proof!! Soon! Soon those who were given my power will create a wonderful world of justice and order!!”
He was mad, thought Raiha.
It was clear why the members of the Friends of the Night Society who worshiped him were so fanatical. The one being worshiped was the maddest of them all.
His despair over losing the family he loved twisted his sense of justice when he acquired great power.
He wanted a pure white world without a single stain, a world where his justice was the rules.
At a glance, it did seem like a wonderful world of order, but Ryuuga spoke with disdain, as if saying his twisted sense of justice carried no value.
“…Is that all you have to say, murderer?”
“What…!?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said you’re a murderer.”
Those words clearly upset Garland.
Ryuuga stared at him without a muscle moving on his face, but the anger in his heart seeped into his voice, as he spoke as if growling.
“I sympathize with your misfortune, but you’re just killing people. You’re just using justice as a shield to throw your anger at others.”
“Damn you…!”
“Protect innocents by dealing with evil by your hand? You wanted to put your hands on Raiha and Ehn just because they disagreed with you. How is that different from a criminal forcibly eliminating people he doesn’t like? Answer me.”
“Quiet! Those who besmirch my justice are evil!! You too! That girl! All evil that needs judging!!”
Garland screamed madly and held a black feather badge tightly.
The explosive madness and bloodthirst released by him did not make Ryuuga budge. In fact, he stood in front of him and calmly glared back.
“…Did you know? Heroes don’t fight for justice. They fight to protect world peace and people’s freedom… Apparently. That was said by a real hero, not a poser like you.”
Ryuuga slowly drew his sword.
He slowly released the tempest of raging anger inside him, and spoke his feelings from the bottom of his heart while glaring sharply at Garland in his monster armor beast form.
“People that shouldn’t have been hurt were injured because of the people rampaging for your self-righteous justice. A lot of suffering was created because you dragged people into your unsalvageable road to revenge. What envoy of justice? You’re a criminal who disturbed the peace of the city and bound people’s hearts!”
“Damn you…! You call me a criminal!? One who denies the new world order I create and my justice calls me a criminal!?”
“…You’re no magistrate. You have no right to judge anyone. But I’ll tell you this.”
Ryuuga pointed the sword containing the raging tempest inside him at Black Veil.
And as both angers clashed into a whirlpool, Ryuuga howled at the monster armor beast he designated as an enemy to be defeated.
“Black veil… Your sins are heavy!”
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Thank you so much for continuing to translate this web novel! As a fan of kamen rider and isekai, this is a lot of fun to read.
It really reads like one of the series, you can almost picture it saying 7:47 in the upper right.
Leave all behind, THE THEME FOR THE NEXT BIG BATTLE HAS BEEN DECIDED!