Chapter 414: Social Tidying Up (6)
Chapter 414: Social Tidying Up (6)
Looking back, there were plenty of clues to his identity.
That fighting style was quite similar to how Edward used to fight in the past.
Back then, there wasn't any Mental Contamination like there is now, but wasn't that red energy that rotted or corroded everything it touched Edward's special ability?
It was just that I hadn't made the connection because Edward’s past appearance was closer to a human clad in dark red light armor.
Actually, describing him as a half-wolf-headed demon with dark red scales might be more accurate.
Regardless.
Even if his abilities and fighting style were similar when examined in detail, if a guy who used to transform into a humanoid with a half-man, half-wolf head during a rampage suddenly turned into something looking like an Alien, wouldn't it be normal for anyone to fail to recognize him?
No, I don't even know why I'm thinking about this so deeply in the first place.
I’d heard he couldn't join the team until his rampage subsided, but I never heard that he just endured those rages alone in deserted places while losing his mind.
And, unlike in the past, I never heard that he couldn't distinguish between ally and foe while in that berserk state.
I mean, seriously, he was in a state where he might have died if it weren't for me.
Originally, Edward wasn't that strong of a Hero even when fully berserk, but now he’s become stronger than most combat-specialized Heroes.
I thought it was strange that Edward was squeezed into a team with those two psychos, Brantley and Harvey, but seeing Edward in this state, I should probably be impressed that Brantley and Harvey are even willing to hang around him.
That’s what I’m saying.
"So, what I'm saying is, it's not my fault I snapped your leg."
I was the victim who got attacked first, wasn't I?
It was self-defense. Pure self-defense.
Though, I suppose putting him in a headlock and spamming low kicks was a bit much...
Anyway, I might have the regeneration ability now, but I’m pretty sure I took more hits, so it’s definitely self-defense.
I threw those words at Edward, who had returned to his human form and was being treated by Brantley.
I knew I wouldn't get a proper answer, but what else could I do but vent like this?
"Ah, you don't have to explain yourself so thoroughly. Even though I had no reason, my memories remain."
Hearing that, Edward spoke his first normal words of the day—actually, almost the first normal words since I met the guy.
"Huh? What the—you can talk?"
In the past, maybe because his animal instincts were so strong, he’d shut up after I beat him a few times. I thought he was being quiet this time because his leg was trashed.
But he was actually in a perfectly rational state.
Weren't you only able to make muffled grunts and growls except for that one lucky day in a blue moon?
And even then, it was only one or two-word sentences, wasn't it?
"It's a bit of a long story."
"Ah. Then never mind."
As long as he's fine, that's all that matters.
Between the Red Mist containing mental-type abilities and what Brantley mentioned, it seems like it’s related to Henrietta's death...
But I don't want to pry into such personal matters.
"...Captain Ha-ram, you're exactly the same as you were in the old days."
"Am I?"
I personally thought I’d mellowed out a bit.
I suppose he means my fundamental personality hasn't changed.
Anyway, that's not what's important right now.
What matters is Edward's condition.
"Brantley."
"Yes."
"How long will it take to fix his leg?"
"An hour at the shortest, maybe three hours at the longest."
That's a relief.
It looks like we’ve avoided the catastrophe of having Edward—who, excluding myself, is probably the strongest card among these six—rendered useless.
Then the next question.
"Is this state of being completely rational an anomaly, or are you usually like this?"
I turned my head from Brantley back to Edward and tossed out the question.
"I'm usually like this. Unlike in the past, you can assume I'm always this sane as long as I don't go berserk."
Hmm. Really?
His condition has improved a lot.
It feels like only yesterday I heard people saying he should be shoved into a time-stasis field, yet here he is, looking like a perfectly normal person.
Well, I mean he looks normal in a mental sense. If you look closely, his physical appearance is far from normal.
Even though he’s returned to a humanoid form, black scales and sharp claws are sprouting all over his body.
Seeing as he’s maintaining this form, it’s likely a permanent change.
I’ve seen this kind of appearance somewhere...
Was it a half-dragon? Or an incubus?
At least his head is human now, so he looks a bit better than he did in the past.
Now, for the next question.
"That berserk state from earlier. Can't you control it?"
"No. Perhaps as a reaction to being able to live normally most of the time, I lose all control once I enter that state. Though, as I mentioned, I do retain my memories of what happens."
Hmm. Quite interesting.
So he’s become a berserker-type transformation Hero, like Misha used to be?
"What about the frequency or the conditions for the rampage?"
"Regularly, it happens about once a month. Other than that, I fall into a berserk state if I'm wounded fatally or if I enter a place with a thick scent of death."
...Those conditions are better than I expected.
I was expecting something like 'he charges at anything that moves,' but these are much more manageable.
"Then was that rampage earlier just a case of bad luck, where your monthly episode overlapped with the mission date?"
"No. That rampage passed a week ago. This time, I simply couldn't withstand the thick scent of rot permeating all of Detroit."
So he went berserk in response to the thick scent of rot.
Doesn't that mean he's still in danger?
"Can you endure it now?"
"Yes. I've grown accustomed to it now. You can rest assured that I won't go berserk again from the smell lingering in Detroit."
Then he’s usable.
No matter how strong someone is, power that can't be controlled is a liability. I was going to send him back if he couldn't be managed, but since he says he's fine, there shouldn't be a problem.
Now, let's get some detailed information.
"Do you go berserk immediately once those conditions are met?"
"No. Except for rampages triggered by near-death experiences, I can feel the signs of an impending explosion. It depends on the situation, but I can hold it back for thirty minutes to an hour. That gives me enough time to find a place to hide where I won't harm others."
What? He’s actually become really useful.
It’s not an instant trigger, and he has a grace period to control the explosion?
He’s stronger than before, has the reason to control his actions normally, and the risk of suddenly losing control has plummeted.
At this point, I’m almost curious about what exactly happened to this guy.
However, since I already declared I wouldn't listen, it would be a bit awkward to ask now.
Now, for the final question.
"Edward."
Since this was going to be a serious moment, I adjusted my tone and voice before calling his name.
It’s not that I hadn't been serious until now, but the following question carried a different weight.
"Yes."
Perhaps sensing that, Edward also gave a short, firm reply.
"Did Brantley tell you about this mission?"
"I heard the details while I was being treated just now."
That makes things faster.
"So. Can you do it?"
A short question, but one that contained everything.
This mission essentially requires the mass killing of people.
Even if we don't define those mutated things as human, it’s a mission to exterminate beings that were once human and still possess human forms.
Wasn't that the very reason I separated from my disciples and brought the Ultimate group along?
A twisted mission, fit only for the broken members of the old assassination teams.
While the justification of protecting the world exists, it is undeniably a dark operation.
I will not force this on Edward.
If Edward can't do it, I will simply exclude him from this mission.
His combat power would be a waste, but that would just mean he wouldn't be traveling with us.
I could just have him join the rest of the Ultimate group and use his strength in a different way.
I don't know how much of my intention Edward read.
But at the very least, he must have understood the 'this is a mission where you kill people, are you okay with that?' part.
A shadow immediately fell over Edward's face.
A brief silence followed.
In the quiet where only Brantley moved to repair Edward's leg.
About thirty seconds passed.
"...I will do it."
Edward finally seemed to have made up his mind. He spoke firmly.
However, I didn't accept that answer immediately.
"You can back out if it's too hard. There's also the option of joining the Defense Force and only dealing with those who are confirmed enemies."
I asked him once more.
Deliberately showing him another path.
But this time, Edward didn't hesitate.
"I can do it."
I didn't accept that answer either.
Because I could still sense his inner conflict.
I reached out my right hand toward him and continued.
"Earlier, with this hand, I killed a woman who was baking pies. Her Mental Contamination was so severe it was irreversible. She was probably in her forties. Even though she lived in a slum like this, she was a woman who hummed with a smile on her face. Before the contamination, she was likely just an ordinary civilian. I killed such a being with my own hands."
The details were slightly dramatized, but The Core of it was the truth.
Perhaps because she lived her life that way, she clung to that daily routine even in such a state of Mental Contamination.
She was just a pitiful civilian sacrificed to the evil known as The Mad Doctor.
I disposed of such a woman.
Of course, this kind of thing is common everywhere.
Suppose there’s a zombie virus; few people would have a strong aversion to killing a human who has been infected and turned into a zombie.
Of course, there would be The Resistance to killing something in human form.
But few would hesitate, thinking, 'This person is a victim too.'
However, when the numbers grow, it becomes a curse.
Killing one or two might be unavoidable, but as the number increases...
The fact that what you erased with your own hands was once human begins to eat away at your mind.
I know this, which is why I ask Edward.
I don't know what kind of life he led to get here.
But to someone who was once held captive by something other than his own will and forced to carry out such actions.
I ask if he will perform such deeds again by his own will.
If he can bear to pile up those horrific memories once more.
Perhaps Edward had already finished sorting through these emotions after the team disbanded.
After all, isn't he currently living as a team with Brantley and Harvey?
But I don't know this changed Edward.
The Edward I knew was someone who, even while tearing people apart...
Would howl in despair at the act of killing.
And scream in ecstasy as his urges were satisfied.
He was an Edward who ran between the extremes of conflicting emotions.
Perhaps because this question was a bit more direct, Edward pondered longer than he did for his second answer.
After about two minutes, he finally opened his mouth.
"...I can do it."
Three questions and three answers.
Yes. This should be enough.
Edward joins the Assassination Team.
From now on, the mission will be planned under the assumption that he can act and think rationally.
Since he answered that he can do it, the special treatment ends here.
This wasn't an answer received through Henrietta, but one spoken by Edward's own will, so he is now a full-fledged member of the Assassination Team.
"You will be deployed to the mission as soon as your leg is recovered. Consider this your last rest and get yourself into peak condition."
"...Yes!"
I could sense a slight hesitation, but it was outweighed by his resolve.
That should be fine.
Thinking that, I brushed past Brantley and spoke.
"The three of us will continue the mission, so keep operating. It doesn't matter if Edward's recovery is a bit delayed."
I spoke in a voice low enough that Edward couldn't hear.
Hearing that, Brantley turned his head to stare at me.
Then he spoke.
"...Are you trying to lighten the burden Edward has to carry?"
As if.
I'm not that kind of person.
"A cripple with a broken leg is just a hindrance. I don't have time to waste waiting for someone who may or may not be helpful."
I said that and left the warehouse where Edward was being treated, then spoke to the two waiting for me.
"Resuming the mission. Scatter."
And the three of us quickly vanished into the darkness.