102 – EP4. Afterword (1)
District B attack incident.
The situation that ended with many casualties and property damage brought the greatest despair to the public since the Great War three years ago.
Even if the situation has been resolved, trust in the government is bound to decrease significantly when the invasion is allowed.
If the news of the ringleader’s death had not been confirmed, the situation would not have been able to calm down so quickly.
-Many people were sacrificed.
Reconstruction of the city took place over about three months.
After that, when the situation in District B finally reached a level of stability, a grand memorial service was taking place under the leadership of the association.
A funeral for the innocent victims as well as the heroes who were caught up in this incident and sacrificed their lives.
-They will never come back, and they will remain in the hearts of everyone alive, reminding them of this moment every time. Those memories may be painful and painful, but we will never forget them. No, you shouldn’t forget it.
The one who represents the memorial service is Spiritas, an S-class hero.
Her unique pink dress, which symbolized her, had been replaced with a black robe at this moment.
She created such a solemn and solemn atmosphere that one would never expect to see her, who had created a hope as bright as a star.
But because there was such a sense of disparity, everyone at the scene could feel it.
The weight of this place, and the tragedy that occurred on the scene at that time, even indirectly.
-But this fight can never be said to be meaningless.
Nevertheless, her voice had power.
Even though she watched the tragic scene from closer than anyone else, she spoke as if encouraging those who looked up to her.
-There were many sacrifices, but this fight was our undoubted victory. Gigantes and Kronos……. Other than that, the so-called great evil will never reach out to you again. The forces that gathered around them will also be scattered, and they will never be able to easily set foot in the sun again.
They have left an indelible wound on this land, but in the future, the forces centered around them will never appear in the sun again.
On the contrary, such victory will come as hope to everyone who will live in the future.
-What is a villain tale… …. Although her body was left without a shape after the fierce battle, and the hero who fought against her also lost his life due to his injuries, it can be said that the risk of another force emerging from her has disappeared forever from this continent. You will be able to.
Spiritas continues speaking while closing his eyes as if recalling that face. Afterwards, her eyes opened and her gaze turned towards the huge memorial stone erected in front of her.
-Unbreakable Vanguard. We must not forget that name.
In the name of the noble heroes who died on this earth.
Furthermore, all those whose names are engraved on this tombstone……. And the heroes who will carry on their will and protect this continent in the future as well.
Spiritas, who engraved the names inside, immediately raised his fist and shouted to the countless people behind him.
-Everyone, don’t give up hope. Evil will come back one day, but we are ready to fight it. We will not fall. Justice is……. We will always be by your side.
Quiet applause following a solemn and strict declaration.
Even the grandeur that came from it was ultimately possible because of the stage and script prepared by the association, but it would not have been highlighted if it were not for the mindset of the hero named Spiritas.
Yes, she will definitely grow up to be the hope to lead this world in the near future.
If I had not come across the hidden events behind this situation…….
He may have been genuinely happy about his junior’s growth.
-Knock knock.
Just as I was watching TV and feeling uncomfortable, I suddenly heard a knocking sound.
Seras used the remote control to turn off her power and looked back at the door of her office.
“Ah, yes. Come on in.”
Squeaking, the door opened and what came in was a good-looking man wearing an office suit. It was Seras’ exclusive secretary, Mars Hector.
What he gave me after that was clearly the document he had requested.
“… Thank you. “Thank you for asking me an unreasonable request.”
[Special words.]
After handing over the documents, Mas writes down words in a notebook and shows them.
As Seras looked at the documents with a faint smile at the sight, Mars knocked on the desk in the office and showed another notebook’s writings.
[Are you feeling well?]
Are you worried about my safety?
Seras smiled bitterly and lifted her left arm.
The last time I saw her, her arm was completely wrapped in bandages.
“It’s not something to worry about. “In the first place, there is little work that requires physical exertion in executive positions, so it is not difficult to focus on recovery.”
The injury was that severe at the time, so is it natural to be worried?
It’s certainly been three years since I retired from the front line, and since the opponent was my opponent, I had to prepare for even death.
If a landslide had not occurred due to the collapse of the ground afterwards, it would have led to a battle of slaughter without empty words until one side died.
‘In the end, the agenda regarding this incident was transferred to the Disaster Management Committee, not the Association, and it was decided to bury it through additional construction for safety reasons.’
What I have in my hand is data summarizing how to deal with it.
It was written about the follow-up measures that took place in response to the collapse site that occurred in the abandoned city of District E while I was recovering.
As it is located in a mountainous area, everyone was convinced that it was hit by a landslide, and it was concluded that the cause was ‘naturally’ caused by the deterioration of underground facilities.
And now, for safety’s sake, it has been decided to completely bury it by covering it with new soil.
Nowhere in the document was there any news about Admont McCoy or the villains involved with him.
Even though something might come out if they investigate, it’s as if they’ve intentionally ruled out that option.
[Shall we go to the site and investigate in person?]
Of course, all we can do is bury it, so if we invest the time and budget to dig it up, we might be able to find something.
The note that Mars gave at this moment must have been given with that in mind.
“… No, you don’t have to.”
However, Seras dissuaded Mars without a single thought.
If you are worried, you should do enough during the three months while your body recovers.
She had already decided to stop caring about what happened there.
‘Not only other executives of the association, but also high-ranking government officials probably have a rough idea of what happened down there. Nevertheless, if you decide to bury it, there is a high possibility that you will be sensitive to access there.”
If you try to investigate on your own without such surveillance, excessive attention will be focused on it.
He is already considered a thorn in the side of the association, and if he ignores those views and moves forward, he will run the risk of being deprived of his authority.
Even if what happened down there was more dangerous and scary than you thought.
“It’s not time yet. Not yet… ….”
As long as the association wants to hide it, there is nothing I can do.
She still retains her sense of justice as a hero, but ironically, she does not have enough power to uncover the corrupt aspects of justice’s followers.
“…… Mas.”
So she must endure until she gains that power.
As she continued to persevere, she cast a precarious glance toward her secretary, the only person she could trust and rely on.
“I know it’s a shameless request, but… ….”
She asked if she could please go on that difficult journey with her.
Her mouth was about to ask that question, but before she knew it, she was closed by a piece of paper presented to her.
[I am willing to show you the end of the path you are taking.]
That’s all it says.
Afterwards, Seras was surprised and tried to say something to Mars, but at that time, Mars had already stepped into the exit of her office.
-Click.
An isolated space with a closed door.
Mars stared at the door, then turned his back on the spot and walked down the hallway of the facility.
Afterwards, we headed to a warehouse area with few people.
-Maestro.
As if they had been waiting for me to step foot in there, a shadow began to stir in the thick darkness of the warehouse.
Shadow of the new arrival mall. A woman he calls his former subordinate and comrade in arms.
-Would you like to have a drink together?
In her black hands, which even absorbed light due to the distortion of space, was a rustling black envelope.
***
Before Ouroboros was formed.
It was only two villains who assisted the ignorant transcendental person who came down from space.
Beings who were born evil and had no place to set foot anywhere in this world.
“Take it here.”
The place where these two people had a drink was on the rooftop of the association building. This place was located in the very center of Pangea.
Each facility created with the association at its head, residential areas created to surround them, and a blurry view of each district drawn on a curved horizon, etc.
The Maestro, facing such a scene, looked down at the bottle in his hand.
It is a white liquid that is too cloudy to be called alcohol.
“Oh, don’t you know this?”
Shadow, who was staring at it, smiled, albeit with a haggard expression.
“It’s a liquor called makgeolli. He said it was made from rice……. Um, isn’t it too much to eat on the rooftop?”
“… ….”
“If you don’t like makgeolli, I’ll give you something else. Coincidentally, a new product came out this time, so I took a peek at it. It’s said to be a beer made with mint chocolate…….”
Suddenly, the Maestro reaches out and snatches the makgeolli.
After seeing him open the bottle and take a sip, Shadow smiled and lifted the can of beer to his mouth.
“How many years has it been since you drank like this? “Maybe it’s been about 20 years?”
“… ….”
“… Well, it seems unlikely. “Neither you nor I like alcohol.”
Even today’s drinking parties are just to get in the mood.
Actually, the beer in my mouth felt like it had a pop, but I couldn’t feel any taste at all.
Her body was the closest to experiencing the distortion of space, so most of the senses that a person should feel were worn away.
Is the best we can do is leave behind a human form and reason?
“…… Maestro, do you remember?”
Even something like that cannot be said to be normal, but still, memories of the things I had seen and experienced were coming back to me.
When no one was looking for me, I always looked back on old memories by myself.
“This was before we formed an organization.”
A drinking party on the rooftop, just the two of you.
There was no reply, but Shadow didn’t mind such reticence and brought the beer to his lips.