Just then, Kino grabbed Jean, who was running past him, and gently said,"Alright, alright, don't be mad anymore. Nothing major happened, right? Calm down."
"But she almost crashed the Demon King."
Jean sat on Kino's lap, her chest rising and falling rapidly—so much so that Kino felt a little dizzy just looking.
"But the ship didn't crash, did it? And even if it did, we could repair it." Kino comforted her.
"You always spoil her."
Jean shot Kino a charming glare, but her anger began to subside.
"I can spoil you the same way I spoil her, my dear. Do you want that?"
Kino looked at Jean, his eyes full of warmth and affection.
He wasn't upset at all—on the contrary, seeing the normally elegant and composed Jean act so fiery and cute felt fresh and endearing to him.
Upon hearing this, Jean's delicate face flushed. She shyly slapped Kino's hands wrapped around her waist.
"Let go of me. There are other people around."
The others tactfully turned their heads away, pretending not to see.
However, Storm, Shadowcat, and Blink couldn't help the envy flashing through their eyes.
Kino let Jean go.
She didn't chase after Dark Phoenix again, but a lecture was unavoidable.
Thus, the farce came to an end.
The Demon King entered stealth mode.
Kino and his group arrived at a human settlement.
There, Kino saw the harsh reality of human survival in this world.
Resources were extremely scarce. People were thin, pale, and their eyes were filled with exhaustion and fear.
Sentinel robots patrolled the sky, but because of Kino's concealment magic, they didn't notice the presence of unfamiliar people.
[Human, you have violated the law. Please report to the Tribunal for judgment.]
A Sentinel blocked a ragged man.
"I didn't break any laws! Let me go!"
The man tried to walk past the Sentinel, but was blocked again.
[Human, you are charged with street pollution. Please report to the Tribunal for judgment. Resistance will result in enforcement measures.]
The Sentinel's arms began to crackle with electricity. That was clearly the "measure" it meant.
"...I understand..."
Seeing the lightning, fear flashed in the man's eyes.
He turned and walked in another direction.
The Sentinel followed behind him.
[Human, please watch your step.]
People nearby either curled up in corners or watched the scene with numb expressions.
"Why is it like this? Half of humanity is gone—shouldn't that mean double the resources for the rest?"
Storm had originally imagined humans uniting in joyful, vibrant settlements.
"Half the population may be gone," Tony replied, "but ninety percent of the world's resources are still tightly controlled by the top three percent at the very top.
What little remains is left to be divided among the overwhelming majority.
I have no idea what those in power are thinking, but if they had a shred of sense, they wouldn't have created such an extreme dictatorship."
Professor X's eyes flashed, as if he knew something.
"Let's see it for ourselves," Kino said. The group followed the Sentinel robot to the Tribunal.
The Tribunal building was solemn and spotless, a stark contrast to the filthy streets around it.
The doors were wide open, the inside clearly visible.
It looked like a courtroom. But aside from the man on trial, the room was filled only with Sentinels.
[Human, you are charged with the crime of pollution. Do you plead guilty?]
The presiding Sentinel stared at the man with cold yellow light in its eyes.
The man trembled all over, his face pale, unable to speak.
[Human, you are charged with the crime of pollution. Do you plead guilty?]
The presiding Sentinel repeated.
"...I plead guilty!"
[For the crime of pollution, you are fined five kilograms of flesh. Immediate execution.]
(Translation: 2/2)
A Sentinel robot stepped forward, its arms transforming into twin blades.
A flash of cold light—
"Aaaaaaaah!"
The man screamed in pain, clutching his smoothly severed shoulder.
[Human, silence is required in the Tribunal.]
The man instantly stopped screaming, his face drenched in sweat, and stumbled out.
When he exited, people hiding in the shadows lit up with joy in their eyes.
They followed him.
Within moments, a group of over ten people had gathered around him.
"Let's go."
Kino merely glanced at the scene before continuing to follow the Sentinel carrying the man's severed arm.
Professor X and the others looked on with a flicker of sympathy—but did nothing. Their kindness toward humanity had long since faded.
"Kino, can't we help?"
Tony looked conflicted.
"I can save one. I can even save a hundred thousand. But Tony… you overestimate me. I no longer have the patience or kindness to save strangers."
Kino said this without even turning his head.
"What about the cheap limb-regrowth serum you released?" Tony asked.
"That was just a way to make a name for myself—makes future work easier."
Kino replied.
"I don't believe that."
Tony tossed that line and turned to chase after the man.
Stark gave a bitter smile. "Leader, he's still too young."
He hadn't yet faced enough life-and-death crises, betrayals, pain, and loss. His heart still held strong ideals of justice and compassion.
He believed that as long as you try, nothing is beyond salvation.
"...Sigh. Must be paying off a debt from a past life."
Kino paused.
Tony quickly caught up with the man.
The trail of blood from his wound stretched along the path, but the man kept walking in one direction.
The people around him looked increasingly greedy, licking their cracked lips.
"Hey, buddy, you need this."
Tony pushed through the crowd and injected the man with a healing serum.
The wound quickly stopped bleeding and began to grow new skin.
The people around them looked disappointed and regretful, but none of them showed resentment. They quietly dispersed.
The man looked at his healed shoulder. His expression contorted.
"Why did you save me?"
"What did you say?" Tony thought he misheard.
"Why did you save me? Let me die! Let me die! Just let me die!"
The man shoved Tony aside, roaring with hatred.
"Are you insane? I saved you!"
Tony stared at him in disbelief.
"Saved me? Who asked you to save me, you bastard, idiot..."
The man spewed every curse he could think of.
Bang!
Suddenly, the man was sent flying.
"In ten minutes, your heart will stop. If there's anything you need to do, now's the time."
"...Thank you. You're mutants, right? I won't turn you in. Thank you."
The man froze for a moment, then smiled, bowed deeply to Kino, and ran in a certain direction.
"Kino, what the hell is going on?"
Tony sat on the filthy ground, confused.
"Because this world is already beyond saving. Not even I can fix it."
Kino reached out and helped Tony up.
Quote of the Chapter:"In a world where despair has roots deeper than hope, even salvation feels like a curse."
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