"I did it... I finally did it! The blessing has reached me at last!"
On the day following the start of the rampage by the Society of Friends of the Night, Mary sat alone, staring at her badge and whispering with a shudder of joy.
Before her eyes lay the proof of her devotion to Kurotobari—a badge shaped like a black feather, pulsing with an eerie, rhythmic light.
She knew exactly what this meant. Overwhelmed by the realization that Kurotobari, the man she revered as the embodiment of justice, had granted her his power, she was moved to the point of tears.
"Now, finally... I can avenge my mother!"
Mary's fingers tightened around the badge. She was resolved to exact her vengeance upon the criminal who had killed her mother—a man who was still living his life in peace as if nothing had happened.
With the strength of a Magic Armor Beast, she was certain she could easily erase a mere human from existence. But as her resentment toward the hit-and-run criminal who had stolen her mother’s life and her own happiness intensified, Ryuga’s words from a few days ago echoed in her mind.
It’s still not too late. You should try to overcome your past suffering alongside the people who support you.
"..."
As she recalled his words, the resolve for revenge that she thought was absolute began to flicker.
It’s still not too late... Because that sentiment weighed so heavily on her, she understood all too well that she was about to step across a line from which there was no return.
To avenge her murdered mother meant killing the man who had taken her life. Even if she didn't kill him, she would have to make him suffer a pain worse than death. Once she did that, everything would change. She would be walking the same path as a common criminal—the same path as the man who had killed her mother.
(No! He and I are different! I am seeking justice for my mother! What I am doing is right!!)
Mary desperately asserted her own righteousness in her mind, trying to rekindle her fading bloodlust. But then, Raiha’s voice resurfaced to haunt her.
Even if Kurotobari has justice on his side, I don’t believe that gives him the right to pass judgment on others.
The idea that using justice as an excuse to condemn others was wrong... that thought pressed down on Mary’s heart like a lead weight.
Deep down, she already knew the truth: her revenge was nothing more than a personal grudge. She had hidden behind the word "justice" to rationalize it, but her true motivation was simply an inability to forgive the person who had taken her mother away.
There was no noble "justice" in her heart. She was merely reaching for a power that had fallen into her lap so she could satisfy her own desires.
Using this power would give her the revenge she craved. However, in exchange, she would lose everything. Would her mother in heaven truly want this? Would she be happy to see her daughter become a criminal beyond redemption?
And then there was her father. What would happen to Gaut if his wife was dead and his only daughter became a murderer?
"It doesn't matter... it doesn't matter! That man... that monster...!"
Mary spat out words of hatred for the killer, trying to drown out the guilt toward Gaut that was swelling in her chest. Yet the more she tried, the more her memories of her father flooded back, sharpening her sense of shame.
He had loved her so dearly. He had stayed strong even after losing his wife, dedicating his entire life to raising her. Was it right to betray that father's love for the sake of vengeance?
Just as Mary’s resolve began to crumble under the weight of her doubt—
"Mary-dono! Are you there!?"
"!?!"
Startled by Sakura’s voice echoing from the front door, Mary jumped and reflexively shoved the badge into her desk drawer.
Struggling to maintain a mask of composure, she hurried to the entrance. Her breath hitched when she saw that Sakura was not alone; Yugo and Jinba were standing there with her.
"W-what is it? Why are you here so suddenly...?"
Mary barely managed to force the words out. The grim, heavy atmosphere radiating from the three of them was overwhelming. She knew Jinba was an officer with the Security Force. For a terrifying moment, she wondered if they had discovered she had received Kurotobari’s Blessing and had come to arrest her.
Then, Sakura spoke.
"...Mary-dono, I need you to listen calmly."
Sakura’s expression was grave as she looked Mary straight in the eyes. Mary watched her, paralyzed by a mounting dread, only to be struck dumb by the words that followed.
"Lord Gaut... he was attacked by rioters and rushed to the hospital. He is in critical condition and currently unconscious."
"...What?"