Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Mercy
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“No need for this.”
The older of the brothers said. Thick tears streamed helplessly down his cheek, leaving dark traces.
“Don’t die. Come on, little brother. We’ve got to go home together. Yeah? Open your eyes.”
In front of him lay his brother’s body, growing cold. But the older brother couldn’t even embrace him—he just desperately cried out, begging him not to die.
“Please, just stop. Please don’t kill him. Treat him before it’s too late. I admit defeat. So please…”
“Someone, anyone—do something! He’s hurt too badly. We can’t just leave him like this. You have to inject medicine into the wound. There’s one left in my bag. Please, someone, just listen to me—”
Total annihilation.
Every last one.
Not just the moon, but the entire planet—
Every living creature on it, erased from the universe.
"..."
The air froze,
and my body stiffened.
A powerful grip tightened on the Mooncutter in my hand, and the energy condensed in the ember crystal began to overheat bit by bit.
"There’s no need to blow up the whole planet."
“...Hmm, why do you think that? Reflect on everything you’ve been through so far.”
Rophuk sensed that persuading me wouldn’t be easy, but he refused to give up, continuing to lay out his logic.
He surely knew I could shoot him at any moment, yet he never backed down. Was it remarkable courage, or did he truly believe in me?
Maybe both.
“The natives here are all violent and arrogant. Of course, there might be some decent women like your comrades. But can you really ignore the tragedies most of them endure and sweep them under the rug?”
He wasn’t wrong.
“Tell me. Have you ever seen a man survive normally on this planet? Of course not. They’re all captured by women, treated like stud animals, or worked to death as slaves. If they resist, teeth, claws, and clubs come flying. You know that well enough.”
My grip on the Mooncutter was losing its certainty. As Rophuk said, this planet was like a massive predatory organism that lured in males to exploit them.
“Boy, after experiencing the natives’ atrocities firsthand, do you still claim they deserve to live? If so, you intend to let this planet’s tragedies continue, producing new victims.”
Rophuk had closed the distance to right in front of me. His unwavering arm seized my Mooncutter and brought it to his forehead.
“...Of course, I don’t mean to blame you. We both know this isn’t your fault—it’s these repulsive monsters’. You’re just too kind and gentle.”
Now my Mooncutter was aimed right at Rophuk’s forehead. Just a little more pressure on the trigger, and his head would vanish completely.
“Joo-ho, don’t misuse that kindness in the wrong direction. We have to end this ourselves. For all those who’ve suffered, we must right the wrongs.”
Yet Rophuk showed no fear whatsoever. The lenses over his eyes and their lights operated as calmly as ever.
“Believe in me. I’ll handle everything. Once it’s over, I’ll help you set foot on your homeworld again. Remember why you came to this desert. Isn’t it ultimately to find a way back home?”
The reason I’d struggled to survive all this time.
It was to return to headquarters on behalf of the Paradise Ship’s crew and report what had happened here to someone.
Rophuk wasn’t wrong.
That we’d been pushed this far out.
That we’d thrashed desperately every day just to survive,
and in the end, we’d made it back...
In place of all the dead,
I wanted to tell our story.
To do that,
I had to escape this planet someday and return to headquarters.
“That doesn’t mean all the planet’s natives are criminals. What about the large and small animals and plants living here, and the children of a new era about to be born? Are they criminals to you too?”
I shook off Rophuk’s hand once more and put distance between us.
The Mooncutter, which had been aimed at his forehead, began condensing massive energy again, gleaming ominously.
“Strictly speaking, they’re a minority of victims. But as you know, some sacrifice is inevitable to achieve anything.”
“Destroying an entire planet can’t be dismissed as ‘some sacrifice.’”
I couldn’t let this place be destroyed. I had a human home called headquarters to return to after finishing things in the desert, but I also had a home with [them].
“My god, Joo-ho! You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you knocked up some local women before coming to the desert?”
Rophuk burst into laughter, clicking his tongue. Even without much conversation, he easily inferred what I was concealing.
“So that’s it? No matter how kind you are, there’s no need to reject my proposal this strongly. You’ve already grown deeply sympathetic toward these natives. Snap out of it!”
“They’re precious people I’m responsible for. And I still haven’t found my comrades who crash-landed with me. I have to go back.”
His tone grew firmer. To Rophuk, the feelings I held for the natives and my comrades were mere illusions or forced empathy.
“Do you truly love them? Or did you develop feelings just from struggling to survive here? Either way, you’re showing excessive favor to the natives. They’re monsters. As you already know, monsters that exploit men to survive! And what? Your crash-landed comrades? Ha, boy. You think they’re still alive? If they are, they’re probably praying someone comes to kill them.”
We couldn’t bridge our difference of opinion.
“...Everything can change. It already is changing. There must be a better way. The planet’s people will change too. I’ve seen it myself.”
“They can’t change. Unless this brutal stage comes to an end, the tragedies will repeat.”
Rophuk saw all natives as the same monsters,
but I believed they hadn’t been born monsters—they’d just taken the wrong path due to a flawed environment and poor upbringing.
“Can you really shoot me? If you’re so certain you’re right, go ahead. I’ll gladly die. It might be my fate.”
Rophuk’s feet stopped.
He came no closer,
appealing only to my emotions for one last persuasion.
“But boy, in the end, what you cherish is just an illusion. Do you really think the few months on this planet were more beautiful than your old life?”
Rophuk shouted.
All the events on this planet were fleeting moments anyway. If I returned to headquarters and reclaimed my daily life, I might even forget this nightmare entirely someday.
But I pulled the Mooncutter’s trigger and said,
“...No. But I can’t let them all die.”
Bang-!
The explosive energy from the ember crystal shot out in a straight line, completely shattering Rophuk’s left shoulder. An immense surge of power that blurred even my consciousness was unleashed.
He flew far back, crashing into the wall, and slowly lost his blue engine glow. The Mooncutter shot to neutralize him had perfectly fulfilled its task.
Now the recoil from the shot hit me all at once. I gripped the Mooncutter tighter, clenching my trembling hand to control the surging emotions.
“Hoo, haa...”
It couldn’t be helped. To stop Rophuk’s annihilation plan, I had to shoot now.
Crackle—
Sparks flew from Rophuk’s body. His malfunctioning mechanical parts rattled with warning beeps.
“Rophuk, I don’t want to kill you. I know what an incredible man you are. So please, abandon this insane plan to kill every living thing and come with me.”
With him, we could destroy the moon. If we used the ember meant for planet destruction, we might even escape the planet with more people.
“There’s no need to become the same villain. We’ve practically won already. Of course, that doesn’t justify what you’ve done. But I understand your feelings enough.”
Only Rophuk’s lens lights flickered weakly. He looked up at me, listening to my words.
“I won’t ask how many things you killed or how much agony you inflicted to extract the ember. So please, even now... for everyone else, use the ember differently. There’s no need to kill them all, right?”
“Ahh—merciful boy.”
Rophuk laboriously raised his half-severed right arm. His defenseless palm slowly rose as if to escort me.
“Fine, you win. Let’s do it your way.”
Rophuk smiled faintly. Looking as if he’d lost all combat function, I slowly approached, matching his eye level and lending him my ear.
“Joo-ho—you really resemble my little brother. He keeps coming to mind. Come a little closer. Please—”
Poor Rophuk carefully slipped his hand under my chin. His cold palm supported my head.
“Even looking again, those are kind eyes. The world needs more good people like you.”
The moment our gazes met,
the moment my vision focused on Rophuk’s face...
“But you know—”
“The truth is, a shitty world like this...”
“doesn’t deserve good kids like you.”
Crunch!
Something broke inside my body.
Before I could even realize I’d been attacked,
the scrap-heap-like hand crushed my throat.
“Khek—”
That was it.
Consciousness fled,
and my vision darkened.
“Close your eyes, boy. Next time, aim for the head.”
Chapter 12 - Ember
end.