So-Called Justice / What Is Justice? ...

Also, why had an Imperial Arm user suddenly appeared by Koizumi's side? And why was that Imperial Arm user's ability so suited for assassination? And this diary—why did Mr. Koizumi know so much about it?

She had not understood at first, but Seryu had completely calmed down now. Although she did not have much experience in office, she had at least been appointed captain of the Imperial Guard by General Bude. She still possessed this much judgment.

Once she calmed down and thought about it for a moment, she could guess that something was unusual about Koizumi. It was only because of her attitude toward him that Seryu had temporarily been dazzled by Koizumi's sugar-coated words. Now that she had seen these notes that filled her with rage, her mind had completely cooled down, and she had noticed several flaws Koizumi had revealed.

Koizumi could not help but give a bitter smile. Well, this really was... It seemed he could only tell Seryu the truth now.

"If I told you I'm a member of Night Raid, then what?"

"..."

Seryu fell silent. How strange. Why did she not feel even the slightest anger after hearing Mr. Koizumi's words?

Logically, her father had died because of those bandits. So why did she not hate Mr. Koizumi as much? He was also a member of the assassin organization Night Raid.

"Before I met you, I wasn't with Night Raid. I only met them and joined them after Reimu, Hata no Kokoro, and I left the Imperial Capital. The Reias family was my mission target. But back to the point—these diaries were what I uncovered. I was worried about you, so I came to find you first. I wanted to show you these diaries too, so you could take a good look at exactly what kind of people you've been protecting." As he spoke, Koizumi turned around and stared out through the doorway.

"Justice isn't something you can claim just by saying the word. From ancient times until now, no one has been able to give justice an exact definition. Is punishing evil and promoting good justice? Is robbing the rich to help the poor justice? Is supporting the weak justice? To put it bluntly, all of it harms one side to fulfill another. Murder is murder. Robbery is robbery. Those are wrong. There is no such thing as so-called justice. The justice everyone speaks of is merely a difference in moral values..."

"...But even if I explained it, you might not understand. I'll be leaving first. Since you've seen these things, it's time for me to finish my mission. I don't want you to stop me. In the entire Imperial Capital, you're the one person I least want as an enemy."

With that, Koizumi vanished from Seryu's side in a flash.

Seryu stood there silently, confusion flickering in her eyes. It was not that she did not understand what Koizumi had said. She understood it very clearly. If he had said those words in the past, she probably would have refuted them immediately.

But now, she was completely lost. Was punishing evil and promoting good justice? At first glance, it certainly was. Yet that also harmed the other side. If one person killed another, and then the killer was killed, was that not killing too? Was that not evil too?

For a moment, it felt as though a bomb had gone off in Seryu's mind, exploding violently and sending sharp pain through her brain.

Watching Koizumi gradually depart, Seryu subconsciously followed after him.

She wanted to ask him for an answer.

She wanted to know what justice truly was in Koizumi's eyes.

What Is Justice

Blood dyed the entire estate red. Koizumi had not spared a single person, including the servants.

It might have been somewhat excessive, but not one of those servants had resisted. They had all tacitly accepted the other side's actions. Koizumi did not feel the slightest pity for them. They only disgusted him.

Seryu silently watched Koizumi massacre everyone in the estate. What surprised her was that she felt nothing at all. Instead, she felt an incredible sense of release, which only left her more confused.

What is wrong with me? Why do I feel so satisfied seeing Mr. Koizumi kill them all? Were they truly evil after all? What is going on? What is wrong with me? The questions repeated endlessly in Seryu's heart.

After watching Koizumi for a while, Seryu finally stepped forward and blocked his path.

As though he had anticipated her actions long ago, Koizumi merely paused. His gaze settled on Seryu, and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. He had watched her expression the entire time she followed him.

It was obvious that his persuasion had already worked. Seryu was simply still lost.

As long as he could dispel the confusion in Seryu's heart, then without a doubt, she would be his.

The only thing that worried Koizumi slightly was whether he might lead Seryu even further astray. That would not be good.

After all, Seryu herself already had a rather twisted sense of justice. If his words accidentally made it even more twisted, that would be troublesome. Everyone understood every sentence differently.

If Seryu's interpretation differed from his own, he would have quite the headache.

"Go ahead... Say whatever you want to say. Ask whatever you want to ask. You'll feel better that way. At the very least, you won't remain as lost as you are now. Your heart will feel better too, won't it?"

Koizumi's lips curved faintly as he looked at Seryu.

Seryu froze slightly, then nodded. Mr. Koizumi was right. She was only tormenting herself by acting like this.

If she had doubts but refused to ask about them, they would surely affect what came next.

It was not as though Seryu had never experienced this before. For example, ever since Captain Ouka had been killed over the crimes he committed, Seryu had been deeply listless. Her efficiency while working had even dropped drastically.

If the Imperial Guard did not all know about Seryu's relationship with Ouka, they might have thought she had been replaced by someone else.

Knowing how deeply such things could affect her, Seryu also understood that it was better to clear things up now.

"What exactly did Mr. Koizumi mean earlier? I still don't really understand. Why did you say that punishing evil and promoting good, supporting the weak, and robbing the rich to help the poor are wrong? Aren't those things justice? What exactly is justice?"

Seryu asked in a frantic rush, her eyes filled with intense pleading.

It was as though she were hoping for something. There was even a trace of despair on her face.

This feeling of having one's entire worldview reconstructed was truly unbearable. It was enough to make someone despair.

Seryu had clearly been driven into a corner. The people she had always protected were evil. Her former colleagues in the Imperial Guard were evil. Even her mentor was evil.

The people who had constantly taught her about justice had turned out to be the very ones committing crimes.

How utterly ironic... Seryu's heart felt as though it were bleeding.

What should I do now... If everything I have always believed in was wrong...

"Then, Seryu, let me ask you something. Do you think punishing evil and promoting good is right? Or that it is justice?"

Since she had begun asking questions, there was no need for him to avoid having a proper talk with her.

Koizumi did not hurry to leave. Staying here for too long could be dangerous, but there was a need to remain a little longer now, because Seryu was worth it... Well, using the word "worth" to describe Seryu was rather despicable, but it was the truth. Sometimes, whether something was worth doing had to be measured by its value.

"Of course it's right, and it's an act of justice!"

Seryu answered immediately without the slightest hesitation.

"Then... Seryu, do you know the Minister?"

Minister Honest was the regent who assisted the Emperor in this Singularity. It could be said that he handled everything concerning politics.

He was also Night Raid's ultimate target.

"Of course I do..." Seryu froze slightly, completely unsure why Koizumi had brought up the Minister.

"Then let me give you an example. If the Minister's son acted recklessly and even snatched women off the street, but a righteous hero stepped in and killed him for the people—would the Empire consider that... right? Would it consider it justice? How would the Minister react after learning about it? Would he applaud and say that hero had done well?"

Seryu was immediately rendered speechless. Others might think that person had done a good thing, but the Minister undoubtedly would not say so. He would even have the Empire arrest that hero for acting recklessly... It was even possible that she herself, as a member of the Imperial Guard, would be the one ordered to arrest him.

"That is why so-called justice depends on which side holds the greater power. If that hero had someone behind him whom the Empire feared, then without question, neither the Minister nor even the entire Empire would dare say anything to him. But in this case, that hero has no power behind him. In the end, the entire Empire would hunt him down. He would end up just like Night Raid, who are being hunted right now. Isn't that so?"

Seryu was speechless again. Koizumi was right. Because that hero had no backing, it would only end that way.

"Then, over time, everyone would forget that so-called hero. Because of the arrest warrant, they would remember only a wanted criminal who happened to be a hero. They would never remember the hero who eliminated evil for the people... Just like Night Raid now. Don't you agree, little Seryu?"

Koizumi's lips lifted slightly, amusement showing in his smile.

"..."

At that moment, Seryu had no reply.

What Is Justice?

Seryu had to admit that Koizumi had convinced her. Punishing evil and promoting good could actually end in such a way.

Although it was only Koizumi's hypothetical situation, honestly, it was also the closest to reality.

When people lost someone close to them, the first thing they usually thought of was avenging them.

That was perfectly normal. Even Seryu thought that way.

However, one question still remained unresolved in Seryu's heart—

"Mr. Koizumi, then I have one last question... What exactly is justice?"

It was something Seryu had always pursued... Or rather, it was the goal of her entire life: to carry out justice!

For some reason, when Koizumi looked at Seryu, the image of a certain man surfaced in his eyes.

Koizumi knew that man very well... No, not very well. He had only met him in the past.

A pair of weathered eyes. Dark skin, as though he had endured countless days beneath the sun and wind. Those aged eyes seemed to see through everything in the world as they looked upon the enemy before him. The bow in his hand carried a fierce presence and pierced through his foes without hesitation. He seemed long accustomed to killing, so he never held back.

That was Archer of Fuyuki City, an opponent Koizumi had encountered before. Yet that opponent had given Koizumi a very strange feeling. For some reason, he felt that Archer and Seryu pursued the same thing.

It was only that Seryu's pursuit of justice had become somewhat twisted and had long strayed from its original path.

Koizumi lightly shook his head and could not help clicking his tongue. Since when had he started having hallucinations?

Seeing Koizumi shake his head, Seryu's eyes filled with confusion.

"Mr. Koizumi, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? My question can wait. You should go get some rest first." Clearly, Seryu no longer rejected what Koizumi had done to the Reias family. She understood why he had done it, and honestly, any favorable impression she had once held of the Reias family had vanished long ago. Why would she avenge them?

Honestly, it was already good enough that Seryu had not killed them herself. Avenge them? As if!

Seryu truly hated evil. Though her sense of justice was twisted, her hatred of evil was genuine. She was simply far too easy to manipulate.

She had judged Night Raid to be entirely evil based solely on surface information. That was enough to show her innocence. She was easily misled by appearances. Without someone beside her who could help her analyze things, she would probably be used terribly by others. Thus, at this moment, Koizumi was effectively taking on the role of that analyst.

Once Seryu joined Night Raid in the future, Koizumi felt he would need to discuss this issue with Najenda as well. Some people truly were not suited to acting alone. Akame, Serenity, or Hundred Personas would be fine, but people like Seryu, Sheele, and Mine probably would not be.

Seryu was too innocent, and because she was innocent, she was easily led astray. That was why her sense of justice had been wrong since childhood. Fortunately, it was not too late yet.

As for Sheele, it was because she was naturally airheaded and not particularly strong.

Mine herself was another problem. She specialized in long-range attacks rather than close combat. Although her Imperial Arm, Roman Artillery: Pumpkin, adjusted its power based on the level of danger she faced, it was also tied to her mental strength. If she fired too many high-powered shots, Mine's brain would eventually develop problems.

Those three truly were not suited to working alone. If they did, it was certain that something would go wrong, even if it was not a major disaster.

Koizumi merely smiled faintly at Seryu's question. He knew why she had asked it.

After all, she had pursued justice for so long. How could she not want a clear answer to that question?

With a helpless sigh, Koizumi slowly stepped forward, placed his right hand on Seryu's head, and spoke.

"Then, Seryu, let me ask you another question. If you can understand something from this question, then you should know what the justice everyone pursues truly is at its core."

Seryu nodded gently, her eyes fixed on Koizumi without the slightest distraction.

"Then I'll ask. It's still that same hero. He has been declared wanted, and you are responsible for arresting him. If you don't know what he did and only know that he is a wanted criminal of the Empire, what would you do?"

Seryu stood stunned for a moment. After a brief silence, she slowly answered.

"I would carry out the Empire's orders and arrest him."

That was right. This was what Seryu would have done, because at that time, she would not know what he had done. She would only know that he was wanted by the Empire. Under such circumstances, the Empire's actions would be the justice in her heart.

"Then what if you knew what he had done, but the Empire still ordered you to arrest him? What would you do then?"

Koizumi's question made Seryu fall silent. She did not know what to do, because she knew that the real wrong belonged to the Minister's son who had abducted women from the street. The righteous side should be that hero who had punished evil and promoted good.

But she belonged to the Empire. She was part of the Imperial Guard, responsible for maintaining order in the Imperial Capital. What she should do was obey the Empire's orders. Yet now, the Empire's orders conflicted with the justice in her heart. What should she do?

"Then... do you understand now?" Koizumi tilted his head and looked at Seryu with a faint smile.

Seryu froze slightly, as though she understood something.

"Does Mr. Koizumi mean that so-called justice is simply whether one's actions can live up to one's own heart?"

Seryu's words were not entirely correct, but they were close enough.

In Koizumi's view, that was what justice was. Those who punished evil and promoted good, robbed the rich to help the poor, and supported the weak did so only to live up to their own hearts. They were not bound by their identities. They did what they wanted to do. Everyone was the same. It was only that everyone occupied different positions, and those identities had confused their hearts.

Seryu was exactly like this. Her heart had merely been constrained by her current identity.

If she put aside her identity as a member of the Imperial Guard and faced that hero's situation again, then Seryu would make a different choice.

Trouble

In the end, Seryu intended to leave with Koizumi and Chelsea. As for the Imperial Guard, forget it.

The reason for leaving was simple. She had been completely disappointed in the nobles of the Imperial Capital. It could even be said that if she remained in the Imperial Guard, she might eventually be led astray by those people...

Heh... Even she herself had realized that she was innocent and easily led astray?

Of course, Koizumi had considered having Seryu remain in the Imperial Capital as a spy, but honestly, her personality was not suited to espionage. She lacked strength and could not act. It was simply impossible.

At the same time, Seryu said she did not want to act as a spy in the Imperial Capital. More than anything, she wanted to work alongside Reimu.

Koizumi could not say much in response. Fine, then. In any case, Seryu's decision matched his own thoughts quite well.

There would likely be some trouble next. Chelsea could be set aside for the moment, but Seryu would have difficulty leaving the Imperial Capital.

Koizumi swept his gaze over the Imperial Guard members patrolling the streets and frowned slightly.

"What is it? Is it difficult to leave the Imperial Capital?" Chelsea had already changed back into her human form and stood beside Koizumi.

"It is. After all, if I fly through the air carrying Seryu and we get spotted, it'll be difficult to retreat!"

Koizumi could not help clicking his tongue. He had not considered this problem when he planned to persuade Seryu, but now that he had thought of it, the matter became difficult. He would have to hold Seryu while flying, and if they were intercepted, it would be hard to deal with.

It would be much easier if he had a gap. A gap's ability could help Koizumi move through space.

Even barriers would not be a problem. Gaps could ignore the power of barriers and enter and leave both their interior and exterior.

Gensokyo itself possessed two layers of barriers, and Yakumo Yukari often used gaps to travel in and out of Gensokyo.

The spirit abduction incidents adults often spoke of were essentially the work of Yukari's gaps, and also part of the power of boundaries.

Spirit abductions mostly happened to children. Since ancient times, whenever a family's child disappeared without reason, the villagers would strike gongs and drums, shout the child's name, and search everywhere. If they could not find them, they would conclude that a "spirit abduction" had occurred, believing the missing child had been taken away by deities, tengu, fox spirits, mountain hags, ghosts, or fairies.