Before his rebirth, Haruki never understood why anime villains—despite having overwhelming power—always wasted time talking or doing unnecessary things instead of finishing off the protagonist, only to end up being defeated by a last-minute burst of strength.
Now he understood, at least a little.
Over the long years, Haruki had lived almost always in a state of invincibility, and that slowly changed his mindset. Crushing an opponent with absolute power wasn't anything special—every true powerhouse was forged through bloodshed. Simple killing no longer gave him any thrill. What did stir something in him, though, was watching an enemy's hope crumble piece by piece until they were consumed by despair.
Haruki believed such sudden, illogical bursts of strength didn't exist in reality. And he was confident: in any world, in any era, he alone was the true protagonist. No one could surpass him.
Ignoring Tina's venomous threats, Haruki glanced at the security forces tightly surrounding the alley, then turned his eyes back to the Minister of Security.
"Are you sure all these men will really follow your orders?"
The minister hesitated. "These people are all part of the Security Department. As their commanding officer, I am their superior. They should obey me."
He wasn't as brainless as Tina. Over the years, he'd seen enough of the Prime Minister's manipulations. The Prime Minister had planted loyalists throughout many branches of the Empire. There was no concrete proof, but the Minister of Security was certain there were spies embedded even in his own department.
Still, he was taking a gamble—that Haruki was just some reckless noble with no ties to the Prime Minister.
But Haruki's next move shattered that illusion completely.
Right as the minister finished speaking, everyone saw something suddenly appear in Haruki's hand—a palm-sized token, engraved with intricate designs, glowing faintly with a silvery sheen.
No one paid attention to how it appeared. All eyes were locked onto the token itself. The regular guards may not have recognized it, but the Minister of Security and several high-ranking officers certainly did.
It was the very token given to Haruki by the Prime Minister years ago—a symbol of his authority. To see the token was to see the Prime Minister himself. It was crafted entirely from the rarest Orichalcum—not quite as unique as a Teigu, but because of its symbolic power and the scarcity of its material, no one in the Empire dared forge one.
The moment the token was recognized, murmurs swept through the gathered troops. Most of the lower-level guards hadn't known what it was, but the news spread like wildfire. Within moments, everyone understood.
The Prime Minister was the highest-ranking civil official in the Empire, and his influence had only grown stronger over the years. Few dared challenge him. Now, with Haruki holding his token, most of the guards who had been eager to take him down in order to curry favor with the Minister of Security instantly fell silent. Not one of them dared show even the slightest hostility toward Haruki or the women at his side.
"Hmph! You've got some nerve, daring to steal the Prime Minister's token! Not even His Majesty could save you now. Guards! Arrest this brazen thief immediately!"
Tina, who had been standing silently off to the side, finally spoke up again.
The Minister of Security was growing increasingly anxious. What he feared most was that once the Prime Minister found out about this, he would lose any justification for killing Haruki.
So when Tina spoke up, he didn't argue—in fact, he wholeheartedly agreed. In his mind, the priority now was to capture Haruki immediately, or better yet, kill him on the spot. That way, even if the Prime Minister later questioned him, he could claim it was a rash act driven by fury over his son's ruin.
Even now, both the Minister of Security and his wife were focused on how to kill Haruki—completely unaware that Haruki had already sentenced them to death in his mind.
Seeing right through the couple's thoughts, Haruki raised the token and addressed the surrounding officials and guards.
"I'll give you one last chance. Leave now and stand behind me, and I'll act like none of this ever happened. But if you stay where you are, then you're my enemies. And you know how I treat enemies—just look at those corpses over there."
The moment Haruki finished speaking, more than half the crowd immediately distanced themselves from the Minister of Security and moved behind Haruki—including many high-ranking members of the Security Department.
In truth, the Minister of Security wasn't wrong. The Prime Minister had long since planted people in the Security Department—many of them in top positions. By now, nearly half of the department was under his control. Some of these people recognized Haruki instantly, while others identified the token in his hand. And many simply didn't want to risk going against the Prime Minister. After hearing Haruki's ultimatum, they switched sides without hesitation.
"You... You... Hmph! I'll deal with you all later! The rest of you, follow my command—take down that criminal!"
The Minister of Security hadn't expected so many of his men to turn on him, but with the situation spiraling, he could only push forward. He barked the order to the remaining loyalists still behind him.
"Haha! You'll be thankful soon for the choice you made today. As for him—he's not going to get the chance to 'deal with' anyone."
Haruki laughed and turned to the group of security officers charging toward him. Behind him, a golden vortex began to swirl once more.
Almost everyone seeing it for the first time was mesmerized by the beauty of the Gate of Babylon. But few understood the deadly power that beauty concealed.
Unlike before, this time the vortex didn't produce a storm of golden weapons. Instead, a single, slightly worn longsword emerged—its hilt a swirl of purple and gold.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake