Chapter 295: Mowing Down (5)

Chapter 295: Mowing Down (5)

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!

'...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.

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!"

“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'.