"They were warriors too, people who gave everything for humanity's future," Yukichi Fukuzawa sighed.
"They deserve to be treated fairly."
Fukuzawa undoubtedly felt more deeply for these secret keepers and investigators who worked in the shadows. He had once been called the Silver Wolf Swordsman himself, killing again and again in the darkness for that country's future. He understood better than most the sacrifice and courage it required.
For those who worked underground, their sacrifices were only greater and crueler than those of soldiers in the open. Yet none of the glory could be theirs, and even in death, they received no fair judgment. Too many operatives with only a single contact died bearing a stigma they could never erase.
"No, this is a greater cause." Fukuchi Ochi shook his head. "They have already resolved to sacrifice themselves for this great goal, to give everything to save humanity's future. Treatment, reputation, even their lives-none of those really matter. What matters is that they know why they are dying, and they go willingly."
"That is what matters most." Fukuchi looked at his palm, his tone deeply conflicted.
Did those people really not know what they would have to give up? They knew.
Just as Fox had casually remarked that they were not all dead yet, they had long since put life and death out of their minds. One day, they might even give their lives.
Fukuchi could not remain unmoved by these people. His ambitions had stemmed from his despair and dissatisfaction with his country's leadership in the first place.
Unlike Fukuzawa, who had left, he had remained in Japan's darkest corners, only later joining the military and becoming a hero.
In the end, the hero had become a dragon too.
What had enraged and devastated Fukuchi had never been those