Chapter 139: Justice or…?

The surroundings were shrouded in darkness as crimson lights flickered from time to time, casting eerie shadows across a narrow alley.

A 5’6" boy dressed in a unique black outfit silently advanced through the alley.

A glowing line of text appeared before every viewer.

[WHAT DO YOU WANT?]

"Justice!" the boy shouted as several figures lunged toward him.

He punched the first attacker, shattering his nose before sending him crashing into another thug.

Before the remaining men could surround him, the MagiTech gloves on his hands released a dense cloud of smoke that instantly swallowed the entire alley.

"Catch that kid!" the bulky boss roared from behind, but inside the smoke only the sounds of battle could be heard.

THUD! SHOOOM! BAM! CRUNCH!

Bodies collided one after another. Bones cracked, fists struck flesh, and painful screams echoed through the fog.

When the smoke finally dispersed, the bulky boss saw nothing but a trail of unconscious underlings lying across the alley.

Justice Kid stood calmly at the other end.

True to the title of a boss, he had first sacrificed his subordinates before stepping onto the battlefield himself.

"K19-71-X," the bulky man muttered as he pulled out a glowing blue pistol from behind his waist.

"This is the little beauty that will take your life, Justice Kid!"

Justice Kid had caused far too much damage to their organization and now he had to be silenced.

BANG!

A brilliant blue bullet streaked through the air as Justice Kid calmly raised one arm.

His specially designed suit instantly stretched outward, unfolding like a protective cape as the bullet struck it before harmlessly dropping onto the ground.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three more shots followed.

The result remained exactly the same.

"So the rumors were true, you really are a genius Magic Engineer." The boss said grimly while tossing the pistol aside.

"Those who exploit the innocent will have every one of their crimes exposed!" Justice Kid declared as he charged forward.

BAM! BOOM! BAM!

Their fists collided repeatedly.

The boss clearly possessed superior physical strength, gradually forcing Justice Kid backward.

Then, the fist-shaped emblem, signifying justice on Justice Kid’s chest suddenly shone with dazzling light.

BOOM!

A surge of power exploded from his punch, launching the boss into a nearby wall.

Blood trickled from the corner of the man’s mouth.

Justice Kid slowly approached before leaning down until they were eye level.

"Tell me, where is he?"

The bulky man laughed despite his injuries.

"Ha! Do you think you’re some great hero of justice just because you beat up a few evil people with violence?" he sneered, unknowingly confirming his status as evil.

Justice Kid remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"In my life, though I have only lived for thirteen years, I have learned and accepted one simple truth."

His calm, unwavering eyes met those of the boss.

"Though my first principles are nonviolence, peace, and justice, I recognize that justice without the courage to oppose evil is powerless, and peace without justice is merely an illusion, just like these days. Therefore, I wield my weapons for those who suffer, and not for revenge, nor to satisfy my own desires like you, but as a guardian of the peace and justice I hold sacred."

The boss burst into laughter.

"Hmph! Those are nothing more than the childish dreams of a kid! Why should I care about other people? Why shouldn’t I exploit them? I earned my wealth, whether through honest business or the black market. If those common fools die, then they die! I’ll gladly keep enjoying everything I stole from them!"

"Enough!" Justice Kid replied coldly.

At that exact moment, the boss suddenly threw a surprise punch with his left fist.

BAM!

The blow landed squarely on Justice Kid’s face.

Although the mask absorbed most of the impact, his naturally frail constitution caused his vision to spin.

Unlike many fighters, Justice Kid relied primarily on external technology.

"Haha! Got you, kid! Your naivety will be the reason you die today!" the boss laughed as he quickly grabbed the pistol that he had tossed aside during their fight.

Because to deceive the enemy, you must first deceive yourself!

BANG!

The bullet whizzed past Justice Kid’s ear as he had already seized the boss’s wrist.

In one smooth motion, he snatched away the pistol before twisting the man’s arm.

CRACK!

"AAAH!"

The boss screamed as his shoulder dislocated.

Before he could recover, Justice Kid grabbed him by the collar and slammed him back into the wall.

"I’m done with your organization! Now tell me, where is the Shadow’s right-hand man? Where is Malachar, the Faceless?"

For the first time, genuine fear appeared on the boss’s face.

Not because of Justice Kid, but because of the name that had just been spoken.

Even so, he still had another plan.

There was no way he would allow the shadow empire he had built to collapse so easily.

Swallowing nervously, he forced himself to speak.

"O-Okay... I’ll take you to him... but you have to guarantee my safety."

Justice Kid silently nodded.

’Still just a naive child in the end...’ the boss thought as a sinister smile flashed across his face.

Together, they walked away from the unconscious bodies scattered throughout the alley while the crimson lights continued flickering ominously overhead.

Just then:

[We will now take a one-minute break. In the meantime, a word from our creators and sponsors.]

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"PROMOTION AHHH!! THEY RUINED THE ATMOSPHERE!" Paul slammed both hands onto the table with bloodshot eyes.

The pressure from his Second Circle mana even caused tiny cracks to spread across his glasses as the others hurriedly calmed him down.

He had become so immersed in the episode that he had nearly forgotten to blink.

And just before the story reached its most exciting moment... The advertisement appeared.

The others could only sigh.

This happened almost every single episode.

***

Zenith Empire, State Four, Morvendrell Dukedom.

Brindlewood City.

Although it wasn’t the most famous city in State Four, Brindlewood possessed a charm unlike any other.

It was, above all, a forest city.

Rather than replacing nature with civilization, the city had been built alongside the forest itself.

Towering unique trees stood between buildings, wooden bridges connected districts through dense canopies, and roads frequently disappeared beneath emerald leaves before emerging once more.

It was a city where forests and civilization intertwined.

More importantly, Brindlewood was the closest major city to one of the Dukedom’s Demonic Towers.

As a result, adventurers constantly flowed through the city, making it lively throughout the year.

To manage the increasing number of adventurers, the Adventurer’s Guild, operating under the National Adventurer’s Association, maintained one of its largest regional branches here.

At that very moment, two figures exited the guild.

One was a rugged middle-aged man with a long scar across his face.

The other was a blond-haired boy who appeared to be around ten years old, possessing light golden hair and equally dull yet bright eyes.

From afar, the pair looked like relatives or perhaps an older adventurer guiding a young recruit.

However, anyone observing carefully could easily tell that the boy wasn’t walking of his own accord.

The scarred man’s arm rested firmly around the child’s shoulders, subtly forcing him forward.

Several adventurers noticed this particular interaction and without attracting attention, they quietly left the guild one after another.

The scarred man skillfully avoided the city guards before leading the boy into an abandoned alley hidden between several old warehouses.

After confirming that nobody else was nearby, he finally smiled.

"So, kid, when’s your father coming to pick you up? We’ve got a little business with him too... now."

Although the Adventurer’s Guild never granted official adventurer status to those below the legal age, special provisions existed for children.

So children could become Pseudo Adventurers, allowing them to accept only no-risk quests within their home city.

The purpose was simple.

Because sometimes even children needed a legal way to earn money.

And without such opportunities, many talented youngsters would inevitably be drawn toward theft or the criminal underworld.

The scarred man happened to be a local adventurer.

He knew nearly everyone who regularly visited the guild.

Earlier that day, he had watched this unfamiliar child casually hand over what appeared to be an enormous "registration fee" to obtain his Pseudo Adventurer badge without any background check.

Naturally, he knew it was a bribe.

And people who carried such wealth... Rarely walked away safely.

The boy had calmly mentioned several times that his father was extremely strong and the scarred man dismissed those claims completely.

After all, he sensed nothing from the child.

No martial posture, no trained breathing, and no disposition resembling either a warrior or a mage.

Meanwhile, he himself was a Mid-Level Expert Spearman.

Against a mere child, there was nothing to fear.

Smiling greedily, he snatched away the money pouch.

And the moment he opened it, his pupils shrank, because every single coin inside...

Was a Great Golden Rwa Coin.

"..."

Silence filled the place.

"Hahahaha! I have stuck a jackpot! You lot, finish him! Tonight we’re having a feast!"

The boy trembled violently while staring at the pouch.

The scarred man assumed it was fear.

Unfortunately, he had misunderstood it.

The child wasn’t trembling because he was afraid.

Several shadows emerged from behind the surrounding buildings as men and women who were armed stepped out.

Each one wearing greedy smiles.

After all, their leader was generous and always shared the spoils.

"Huhu... Heh... Hahahahaha!" The blond boy suddenly burst into laughter.

Everyone froze.

One of the mages immediately activated a sound barrier, sealing all sound to the outside world.

The scarred man frowned feeling something unusual.

"Kid, have you gone insane?"

The boy ignored him and instead he slowly raised both hands and placed them on the man’s shoulders.

THUD!

"...Huh?"

The scarred man’s expression changed.

His knees violently slammed into the stone pavement.

The pressure descending through the boy’s palms felt as though several mountains had suddenly crashed onto his shoulders.

He couldn’t move.

The smiling child leaned forward until they were eye level.

"I’ve really had a hard time holding myself back."

His voice remained strangely calm.

"I can smell blood on you and also the scent of many different women. You smell absolutely filthy."

He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

The surrounding adventurers instinctively stepped near, as they saw their leader kneel while the boy continued.

"Oh, and Justice Kid taught me never to ignore injustice, especially when it happens to the weak."

He smiled innocently.

"But just so we’re clear, you’re the weak ones here. So I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong because he never explained what to do when the weak are the ones committing injustice."

He paused before thoughtfully adding.

"My father also taught me something else. If I started some trouble then I should finish it properly, and never ignore being betrayed, or looked down upon."

The surrounding adventurers finally moved.

"He may have a hidden Magic Tool!"

"Kill him!"

They shouted, but before anyone could attack.

TZZZZZT!VZZZZZT!

Two blazing orange beams erupted from the boy’s eyes as they instantly pierced through the scarred man’s skull.

The smell of burnt flesh spread throughout the alley.

The scarred man’s body went limp before collapsing onto the ground.

"I only came here for a peaceful vacation, but you people just had to ruin everything." The boy said coldly as his body slowly began to levitate.

The remaining adventurers stood frozen and stared at him in disbelief as the boy turned his head toward them.

Gone were the somewhat dull golden eyes from before an in their place two glowing orange orbs stared back at them.

Everyone present felt an instinctive chill spread through their bodies.

It was the gaze of something... far beyond their understanding.

And from that day onward...

The adventurer party known as the Untruly Red Swords disappeared without leaving behind a single trace.

They were never seen again.