"But more than a month… such a long time. Won't they change their minds?" The voice came suddenly from the gathered crowd.
Everyone turned in surprise. It wasn't just anyone who spoke—it was the Captain of the United States himself. For him to raise such a concern made everyone's eyes sharpen with interest. Even Zenkichi looked at him with mild curiosity.
Then, without hesitation, he answered with words so simple and absolute they silenced the air itself. "Then I'll destroy the United States."
"…" Captain America froze. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out. The color rose faintly in his cheeks, a flush of anger, but also something else. He didn't know how to respond.
Deep down, though, he knew his strength wasn't born from hard years alone. His entire existence as a super-soldier was the result of a single vial of serum. Without it, he never would have become what he was today. And that knowledge humbled him, even if he never said it aloud.
Still, Steve Rogers was a man of justice. And because of that, his emotions ran purer, cleaner than most.
Zenkichi broke the silence. His voice was calm, yet carried weight. "Do you know why I came to the United States in the first place?"
Steve's brows furrowed. He didn't understand why the question was being asked, but instinctively, he gave the only answer that made sense. "…Why?"
Zenkichi's eyes narrowed slightly. His tone was steady, yet sharp enough to pierce the heart of the room. "Because once, your government tried to capture me. To cut me open, to study me like some experiment. If I didn't have the strength I do now, I'd be nothing more than a body in one of their labs."
The words dropped like stones into still water, ripples spreading through every Avenger present. No one had known this truth. None of them had guessed.
"So tell me," Zenkichi continued, his voice low, cold, "why shouldn't I make them pay the price for that mistake?" The fury was restrained in his words, but it was there, like fire beneath ice.
Steve Rogers stood straighter. His clenched jaw relaxed as he finally understood. "…I see." Relief softened his face. The knot inside his chest loosened.
Because justice was not America's alone—it was something greater, something shared by all people. If America had committed wrong, then it deserved to face judgment.
When Zenkichi had first spoken of destroying the country, Steve had thought it madness, an abuse of power. But now? Now, with the truth laid bare, he couldn't see it the same way.
Still, one last question lingered in his heart. "You said… if they really attack you during this month, would you truly destroy the United States?"
Zenkichi's lips curved into a sharp smile. His laughter was quiet, but cutting. "Do I look like that kind of brute?"
Steve blinked.
"I wouldn't need to destroy the entire United States. At most…" Zenkichi's eyes glinted dangerously. "…I'll destroy the Black Palace."
The words landed like thunder. Steve exhaled slowly, the tension leaving his body in a rush. Around them, the others exchanged looks, caught between speechlessness and unease.
Destroying the Black Palace. The very thought of it conjured visions of chaos. Of governments collapsing, of nations spiraling into disorder.
And yet, when Zenkichi said it, no one dared to laugh, no one dared to dismiss it. Because the terrifying part wasn't that he'd said it. It was that he could.
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Milestone
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter.
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