CH 295

What is 'evil'?

That was a question not many had an answer for. Other than an abstract and vague concept of what it could be, most people would find giving 'evil' a clear definition practically impossible.

One thing was for certain, however, and it was the fact that many of those people branded as evil by the rest of society often didn't see themselves as a 'really terrible' human being. And when some willingly called themselves evil, they didn't really view their actions as 'evil' per se but were aiming for the potential benefits of pretending to be an evil person.

Making a bluff of, 'I'm this evil, so don't you dare provoke me,' and successfully tricking everyone else with it could make society label an individual an 'evil' person. However, with the exception of a few special cases, most people branded as 'evil' thought that someone ‘evil’ wasn't really a bad person.

In that sense, Takahira Shingo was a bit... special. He saw himself as a villain.

Every person on this planet would come up with all sorts of excuses and arguments to defend the crimes and murders they had committed. For instance, it would be like using the excuse, 'This is what the world of martial artists is like!'

However, Takahira Shingo hated such things. Whatever the case, murder was still murder. A crime was a crime, no matter what. As such, the one committing the crime should be fully cognizant of their own actions. That was Takahira Shingo's belief.

He saw himself as a criminal, a murderer. Thus, 'evil'. Acknowledging this truth was a way to protect himself from falling deeper into depravity, an even worse 'evil'. But...

Right at this moment, Takahira Shingo sensed all the standards and beliefs he had rigorously held onto were shaking precariously from their foundation. The one who opened the door and stepped inside forced Takahira Shingo into reevaluating the 'evil' he thought he had understood until now. Perhaps it was something else entirely all this time?

However, his confusion and shock were understandable.

'Just... what am I seeing here?!'

What Takahira Shingo saw when the doorway opened were two men. More specifically, one man standing tall while dragging another man by his hair.

Takahira Shingo didn't recognize the young man standing in the doorway, but he certainly knew the one being dragged by his hair. Unless he was blind, how could he not recognize one of his own subordinates, someone he had personally trained and fostered all these years?!

However, he couldn't help but deny the identity of the shinobi being dragged along when he confirmed the situation beyond the open doorway. A clash of absolute ideologies was making a mess in his mind.

The extreme training regime all of Takahira Shingo's subordinates had received ensured that they would never ever display such a feeble sight to their enemies. They would rather choose death than lose the pride of the Great Japan Empire's manly warriors.

Indeed, they would greet their final moments like proud men even as they were tortured or drugged to the high heavens. But that shinobi, he—the person in Takahira Shingo's eyes was not the subordinate he knew.

Crimson tears trickled down the shinobi's bloodshot eyes, while his mouth, revealed after his mask had come undone, was caked with messy drool dripping down from the crooked corner of his lips. Moreover…

“Heuh-ah... Ah, ah... Sob... sniffle...”

Takahira Shingo finally realized something. He finally knew where that pained, sobbing-like moan was coming from. His calmness was shattered almost irreparably by the fact that that noise was coming from his own subordinate's mouth.

Takahira Shingo's glare slowly rose up toward the young man's face, the one dragging his subordinate by the hair. And the moment he clapped his eyes on that face was also the moment Takahira Shingo had a powerful epiphany.

Evil... It was here all along.

Perhaps 'evil' wasn't determined by how people acted or thought, which was what Shingo believed until now. Maybe some people were simply… born evil, and those people growing up to become truly evil beings was predetermined before birth.

The reason why he would even entertain such a nonsensical idea was that—well, the reason was standing right in front of his eyes.

The young man with an indifferent expression while staring back at Takahira Shingo was like an amalgamation of all malice found in this world. Something as simple as the young man staring back was enough to instill crippling fear in Takahira Shingo's heart. He felt so fearful that his instincts were crying out to him to flee right now!

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'...What is such a thing called, again?'

This was different—different from the 'evil' Takahira Shingo was familiar with. Not malicious in intention and also not wicked in action... This was a little more fundamental than those.

'...Right, it's that.'

Takahira Shingo suddenly sensed a lightbulb light up in his head. That was not 'evil'. In this world, something like that youth was referred to as 'demonic'.

Good and evil were decided by one's choices. However, 'demonic' was darkness personified from the start. Just like how humans could be good or evil depending on their choices, no one believed a devil could be good.

“Kkeuh...” The subordinate whimpered loudly, breaking Takahira Shingo's dazed thoughts.

How ironic. Shinobis were constantly reminded of killing their emotions off. Through intense and unending training and brainwashing, shinobis were taught to, at the very least, they had to erase all semblance of emotions from their expressions.

However, Takahira Shingo's subordinate was making an expression that contained every single emotion a human being could feel. On the other hand, the youth holding the shinobi's hair, Kang Jin-Ho, maintained an expressionless face.

This irony sent trails of rage up Takahira Shingo's spine. This rage broke through the walls of terror and fear and managed to announce itself loudly in his head. However, it had no choice but to cool down almost instantly soon afterward.

“You are Takahira Shingo?” Kang Jin-Ho flatly asked.

“...!” Takahira Shingo's brows rose up slightly.

Kang Jin-Ho continued to ask, “Age fifty-six. Correct?”

Takahira Shingo's glare shifted away from Kang Jin-Ho and drifted lower toward his subordinate.

'...He couldn't keep his mouth shut?!'

Shinobis were trained to extract information from their enemies through interrogation methods that included torture, drugging and hypnosis. As such, they also received intense training to avoid blabbing their mouths in case they were captured by the enemy.

Takahira Shingo could proudly boast that his subordinates had been trained far more strictly and thoroughly in this subject than anyone else, but now—

Kang Jin-Ho tutted, “According to your underlings, you're incomparably stronger than they are. Is that true?”

Takahira Shingo was dumbfounded and disappointed. Which made him do something he wouldn't normally do.

“...How?”

Despite knowing that he should never verbally engage his enemy, Takahira Shingo still ended up asking several questions in his native tongue.

“How did you learn about me?! How did you make them talk? How!”

Takahira Shingo's voice became shriller as he spoke. However, Kang Jin-Ho shifted his attention to Lee Jung-Geol without even batting an eyelid. “What is he saying?”

“...?” Lee Jung-Geol grimaced, wondering what Kang Jin-Ho wanted from him this time.

“Interpret for me.”

Lee Jung-Geol felt something was off about this situation after seeing how nonchalantly Kang Jin-Ho demanded him to act as an interpreter. After wondering about how he should act in this situation for a second or two, Lee Jung-Geol sighed and started interpreting. "He asked how you managed to make the ninjas talk."

“Why is he asking me that?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head in confusion.

He wasn’t even trying to make fun of Takahira Shingo Kang Jin-Ho's attitude suggested that he genuinely couldn't understand.

Lee Jung-Geol's expression stiffened. "The Japanese ninjas are trained to endure pain. As such, they never divulge information concerning themselves. But you've managed to nullify that training to extract information from them. Shingo is shocked by that, and that's why he's asking you."

"Is that so?" Kang Jin-Ho continued to tilt his head in confusion. To him, the entire notion of 'not talking' was a strange thing to behold. "Weird. They just told me after I asked them, you know?"

Lee Jung-Geol chose not to interpret what Kang Jin-Ho said to Takahira Shingo. Anyone with even a modicum of sense would have done the same as him. However, Takahira Shingo wasn’t an idiot. Just the tone of Kang Jin-Ho's voice was enough to make him shudder in rage.

Takahira Shingo asked in a barely-contained voice. “What happened to the others?”

“...?”

“No, wait. No point in asking, is there? They are not the type to let their enemy walk away as long as even a single breath is left in them. That's how I taught them, after all!” Shingo sighed quietly. “Yes, I admit that I've made a terrible mistake. I failed to accurately analyze the target's capabilities. It is my fault for thinking that a mere Chosenjin couldn't be all that strong.”

“...What is he saying now?” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Lee Jung-Geol again, and his face clearly said that he didn't understand a word coming out of Takahira Shingo's mouth.

Lee Jung-Geol thought this spectacle was a farce—a comedy routine. While Takahira Shingo spoke in a grave, determined tone, Kang Jin-Ho was glaring at Lee Jung-Geol, annoyed after failing to understand Takahira Shingo’s words.

If this were a scene from a movie, the audience would have burst into raucous laughter by now. However, Lee Jung-Geol was in no mind to laugh.

This was no farce. No, it was more like a tragedy. Lee Jung-Geol was an intimate player in this damn tragedy as well!

“...Yes, I accept that you're strong. Very strong. However, you'll still die. I swear, you will definitely die! I'll make sure it'll happen!” Takahira Shingo scowled until he resembled a demon while slowly pulling out his blade.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded as if he had finally understood something as he watched the Japanese sword reveal itself from Takahira Shingo's hip. "You should have done that from the start."

Kang Jin-Ho then tossed the ninja he had dragged in here at Takahira Shingo's feet.

“Heuh-uhh...” The ninja, finally freed from Kang Jin-Ho's grip, clung onto Takahira Shingo's leg. “S-sir, I... I...!”

However, Shingo didn't even spare a glance at his subordinate as he raised his voice. "Hide!"[1]

“Y-yes, sir? Sir!”

“You should know what you must do now.”

“...!”

"Normally, such an honor would not be granted to you. However, I shall be gracious and especially grant you the opportunity to protect your honor, Hide!"

Hide's hands began to tremble noticeably as he listened.

Takahira Shingo snorted. “You aren't thinking of performing the full ritual in front of the enemy, right? Make it brief.”

“Euh...!” Hide could only gasp softly at that command.

Meanwhile, Kang Jin-Ho studied the two ninjas with great interest. He couldn't understand a word of what was being said, but there was this thing called 'air' one could read. And in an extreme situation like this one... Most people would act in a similar fashion.

“What are you waiting for?!” Takahira Shingo loudly roared.

Hide's trembling hands slid under his garment before pulling out a small dagger. He then knelt down while staring fearfully at the coldly-gleaming blade. “Ah... Ah, ah...”

“You dare show a pathetic sight like this to your enemy!”

"Euh, euh...!" Hide held the dagger in a reverse grip, then brought it up all the way to his head. And now, all he had to do was slash it down toward his stomach.

He was trying to commit seppuku, a form of ritual suicide. This was his last opportunity to hold on to his honor as a warrior... by killing himself!

However, it was just another type of suicide in Kang Jin-Ho's eyes.

"...Euh! Uwaaaaah!" Hide suddenly screamed before throwing the dagger away to the floor. He then made a straight beeline toward Kang Jin-Ho in a desperate attempt to flee. All he could see right now was the open doorway behind Kang Jin-Ho.

"You fool!" Takahira Shingo swore loudly, then expertly swung his katana. His target was clearly the back of Hide's neck. However, his blade couldn't touch the fleeing ninja's neck in the end.

Clang!

Shingo's blade was deflected as a loud metallic noise echoed in the room.

"I've changed my mind," said Kang Jin-Ho after deflecting the senior shinobi's sword, "Wanting to die after doing something utterly stupid is fine, I guess, but wanting to cling on to his life is also not a bad idea in my book. He'll have his uses later, after all."

Takahira Shingo obviously couldn't understand what Kang Jin-Ho said, but the language barrier wasn't enough to stop him from understanding that this youth wanted to protect Hide.

“You insolent little Chosenjin bastard!”

“Kekeke...” Kang Jin-Ho cackled softly. “This is no time to get angry, fella.”

It seemed that this shinobi still couldn’t grasp the situation, so...

“You see, I don't need two survivors.”

With that, Takahira Shingo's fate was sealed.

Shwiiing...

Both Crimson Destiny and Azuremourne were leisurely drawn from their scabbards.

1. This name is not read as 'hide', but 'Hee-deh'. ☜