Yugo gazed directly at Sakura, conveying his thoughts with the weight of firm conviction.
After speaking his piece, he posed a question to her.
"You know that place where we just ate? Most of the people working there are ex-convicts. If you look at it through the lens of Kurotobari’s justice, that shop shouldn't be allowed to exist. If he were to attack that place tomorrow, Sakura, would you really think he was doing the right thing?"
"I... suppose I wouldn’t," Sakura replied, shaking her head slowly as she processed his words.
Yugo nodded and pressed on.
"That’s exactly it. The owner’s justice is about giving people a second chance at life. It’s the polar opposite of what Kurotobari stands for, but I don't believe it's wrong."
"...I suppose justice exists within everyone," Sakura mused. "Some see revenge as justice, while others believe that same justice is found in forgiveness."
"Right. That’s why Heroes don’t use justice as their reason for fighting. They fight for world peace, for human freedom... and to protect the small moments of happiness right in front of them. That is why a Hero stands his ground. A sense of justice that exists only inside your own head isn't an excuse to go around hurting people."
Everyone had their own brand of justice. Even Kurotobari’s ideology of showing no mercy to sinners was likely his own version of it.
However, using that as a justification to harm others or strip away their agency was wrong. That was Yugo’s final answer.
"For the sake of justice, humans can become cruelly merciless... a Hero I deeply respect once said that. That’s why I can’t get behind Kurotobari’s way of thinking. I refuse to believe that someone who thinks it’s okay to hurt others just because they feel 'justified' is in the right."
"...That was a remarkably honest and noble answer. Please forgive my bluntness in asking, Yugo-dono."
"Don’t sweat it! I’m just glad if my rambling actually helped you figure things out!"
Yugo gave a bright, slightly embarrassed laugh and began walking away with long, energetic strides.
Sakura walked alongside him, and Ryuga was about to follow when he remembered Raiha trailing behind. He stopped and waited for her.
"Are you all right? Was the pace a bit too fast for you?"
"I-I’m sorry... I’m quite short, so my stride is much smaller than yours. I didn't mean to make you worry."
"Don’t worry about it. I’m used to it because of my sister. Yugo and the others will notice we’ve slowed down soon enough, so there’s no need to rush."
Ryuga stayed by her side, showing consideration for the physical difference in their pace. Raiha bowed her head apologetically, then looked up at him with a hesitant expression.
"Ryuga-san, may I ask you something?"
"Haha, now it’s your turn to play the interviewer? Go ahead, what’s on your mind?"
Ryuga spoke with a gentle, joking smile. Raiha took a shallow breath and looked him in the eye.
"Earlier, when you were speaking to Mary-san... you told her it wasn't too late for her yet, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did. Is there something wrong with that?"
"...It might just be my imagination. But when I heard you say those words... I felt like you were speaking to someone else. Someone you know who has already resolved themselves to walk a path of no return. I felt like you were seeing that person in Mary-san."
"......"
Ryuga’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Raiha felt a chill of fear at the sudden, guarded atmosphere he projected, but she summoned her courage and continued.
"If that person... if that person is actually you, Ryuga-san... and if the target of your revenge is the Mad Dragon that took your family away, then I—"
Dread, determination, pain, terror, conflict, and a deep-seated guilt.
All these emotions swirled in Raiha’s eyes as she tried to reach out to him, but then her pupils suddenly dilated.
It was truly Godspeed. She saw Ryuga step forward, drawing the katana from his waist in a single fluid motion.
The move was so fast she couldn't even process a reaction. All she could do was resolve herself to accept the blade she assumed was meant for her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling once—but the moment of impact never came. Instead, the sharp ring of metal deflecting something hard echoed behind her.
"What...?"
She spun around, startled, to find Ryuga staring up at the sky with his blade raised. Black feathers were scattered at his feet.
Realizing that those feathers had been aimed at her and that Ryuga had struck them down to protect her, Raiha followed his gaze upward.
"...I take it that counts as a surprise attack? Who the hell are you?"
"I am the Executor of Justice. I am the one who slaughters every sinner in this city..."
Solid black—that was the overwhelming impression.
From the elongated, rounded head to the razor-sharp claws and the massive wings spread across his back, everything was an abyssal black. Three circular goggles, reminiscent of a gas mask, were arranged in a triangle on his face. The figure looked like a twisted fusion of a bird, a human, and something cold and mechanical.
"Is that... is that him!?" Raiha gasped.
"Yeah. I didn't think we’d run into him quite this soon."
Raiha groaned, her face pale with terror, while Ryuga glared at the intruder, his fighting spirit burning with a quiet intensity.
High atop a nearby roof, the assailant made his declaration.
"My name is Kurotobari... the One Who Punishes Evil and Enacts Justice! You are evil. Therefore, you shall be executed by my hand!"
"We’re evil, are we? And what criteria did you use to decide that?"
"I am under no obligation to answer a sinner. Evil must die; that is the only truth."
Ryuga let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
Just as Kurotobari prepared to dive from the roof, melting into the city’s deepening shadows, Ryuga spoke again.
"You messed up. If you weren't going to answer my questions, you should have kept your mouth shut from the start. You shouldn't have given your name; you should have just attacked without a word."
"What...? What are you talking about?"
Kurotobari paused, confused by Ryuga’s cryptic remark, but he understood the meaning a second later.
Two streaks of light—one crimson, one blue—intensified as they blurred past Ryuga and surged toward the roof.
"Kurotobari! Prepare yourself!"
On one side, Sakura charged forward in her shrine maiden attire, swinging her naginata with lethal precision.
As Kurotobari braced himself against the razor-sharp, water-clad blade, the second attacker lunged with a clenched fist.
"Transform!"