Chapter One: Don’t Want to Become an Additional Warrior
After defeating the demon king Omega, I, was defeated in the ensuing final battle by Justice Crusader.
I was supposed to die by self-destructing with the device I had brought.
…I was supposed to die.
“Damn it! Kill me!”
“Huh? Why?”
Somehow I was locked up in a solitary cell at the Justice Crusader headquarters.
Currently in the cell with me was a girl with reddish hair tied in a ponytail.
That girl, who would probably be called a beauty by any onlooker, was sitting across from me smiling as she had been watching me for a while now.
“What are you looking at!”
“Oh nothing~”
I really didn’t want to admit it but I had been caught.
The self-proclaimed intellectual Blue had easily disarmed the bomb I had prepared.
After that I thought I would be treated like any other criminal and sent to prison, but where I was locked up was somewhere far stranger.
“Why have you not restrained me! Red!!”
I understood they had confiscated my transformation item, the bracelet “Morpher,” but with such an important person as Red here, it was weird I had no handcuffs or anything.
“There’s no need, is there? I know you won’t attack someone who isn’t resisting,” she said with a smile.
“Gu…gh…”
She has no sense of danger whatsoever.
She comes in here casually like she’s just dropping by to visit…! Someone tell her I’m a criminal…!
“What’s your purpose for locking me up in a place like this! Red!!”
“I’ve told you so many times already. It’s obvious isn’t it – to make you our ally.”
“Who’s going to call you that!”
“I think of us as friends though,” she said, unaffected by my outburst.
She holds up a finger.
“Since I call you by your name Katsumi, you should call me Akane.”
“I never gave you permission.”
“Then, Black Knight? Or your real name Hoshimura Katsumi?”
“Tch…”
Thanks to being captured, my identity was completely exposed.
Fortunately my real name hasn’t been reported in the news, but still…
“In the first place, why don’t you send me to prison?”
“…Eh?”
She seemed surprised I would ask such a thing. After thinking for a few seconds, she smiled brightly again.
“Because you’re a good person, of course!”
“Why would you say that?”
Hearing her candid words, I couldn’t help but make my voice sound weak and thin.
This is weird isn’t it? Why does she look at me with such a cheerful smile?
“Remember that time a building collapsed and you worked with us to resolve it?”
“I only cooperated then because you interfered with our fight. I had no choice.”
Not only did they ruin our serious battle, they even blew up the building.
I won’t say it aloud but my favorite bento shop was in that area. It was a place I couldn’t afford to lose for the sake of my diet.
“And when we were about to lose against an enemy monster, you came and helped us out.”
“Because I’m the one who will defeat you guys.”
More than that, I was exasperated that they would lose to the likes of it.
For a time I was dumbfounded by the weakness of my self-proclaimed rivals.
“And even before we appeared, you protected normal citizens.”
“Why should I have to do something like that? I was just defeating the foolish attackers that came at me.”
“Yeah, I understand. That’s how it was huh.”
“Hey, is it ok for me to get angry?”
I was aware the monsters held grudges against me, but damn was I targeted a lot.
Well, I blew away any that came at me though.
“You protected Yellow’s little brother and sister too.”
“Hmph, that was just how things turned out. Otherwise why would I protect those phonies mixing up Kyoto and Osaka dialects like that?”
That time those brats kept approaching me and were such a pain to deal with.
“….My parents died when I was little.”
“You sure do say things suddenly that throw me off, huh?”
“So creating more children like me and stuff…that’s not what I want to do…”
What I want isn’t something like that…!
“See, you’re a good person after all!”
“I have artistic sense, you know. I’ll blow you away.”
“Kyaa!”
She let out an obviously fake scream.
This girl…! Judging anyone as a good person no matter what.
“And we go to the same school after all, don’t we?”
“….I just lived nearby, that’s all.”
I was also surprised later to find out we went to the same high school, but that really was just a coincidence.
“Anyway, my student life was just a temporary disguise while I hid in plain sight. Besides, I’ve already dropped out.”
“No way! You’re just on leave of absence now so you can go back anytime if you want!”
“Huh, really?
I thought I got expelled after being captured though?”
“See, a good person!”
“Why is that?”
Her logic makes no sense at all.
Is her head really ok?
“Come ooon, let’s be allies! Come oooon!”
I brush aside Red’s invitation to join them with no hesitation.
“No way! I’d rather choose death than become allies with you guys!”
“Hey! Don’t go saying you’ll die so lightly!”
She scolded me like normal.
Hey, aren’t we the same age?
“But it’s a shame. Even if I became allies with you guys, would society accept it!?”
Either way people’s evaluation of me won’t change from being evil.
I’m an incredible suspicious character and thief in the eyes of the public!
“People don’t see you as a villain though.”
“Don’t be stupid. There’s no way after all the destruction I’ve caused.”
Show me proof if I’m not seen as a villain. Come on.
“Ok, got it.”
Seemingly taking me seriously, Red operates her terminal and soon shows me.
I nervously look at the screen, and it seems to be a video sharing site called HoocTube or something…
“Hello everyone, this is an update from Blue Blossom, the official PR and Black Knight image improvement Vtuber from KANEZAKI Corporation where the Justice Crusaders’ commander is the CEO.”
[──(°∀°)──!!]
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
[Naonaono!]
[Please share more info about Black Knight!!]
A character with blue hair like an anime character appeared on the video, moving and talking like a real person.
Next to the video, comments streamed by at an incredible pace from bottom to top.
“Huh, what’s this? An anime…? What’s going on…”
“….You’re like someone from the warring states period seeing a TV for the first time.”
“I’m ignorant when it comes to the net and stuff, so it can’t be helped!”
But what is this really? The character is moving but how?
“It’s Blue Blossom and her nickname is Naonao-chan, the official PR Vtuber from the company our commander runs.”
“Hwu…what? What’s the point of showing me this?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay”
I don’t understand the meaning but urged on by her I lower my eyes to the screen.
The character Blue Blossom, wrapped in blue hair and a futuristic military-style outfit, moves and speaks like a real person.
“I’ve received confirmation from the president that the theft report on Black Knight’s suit has officially been withdrawn.”
“Oh?”
Was she talking about me just now? And the theft report was withdrawn?
“Well I’m not that surprised personally.”
[Yeah, }
[The withdrawal itself apparently had been decided long ago.]
[The good he’s done is just too great.]
[He’s seriously humanity’s savior.]
“I heard he’s currently being protected at the Justice Crusaders headquarters, and according to the president he’s doing well. Red and the others have been posting various things on Twutter, so I’m really glad he’s being taken care of.”
[That was honest lol]
[She can’t hide being a fan]
[Black Knight’s got some serious popularity huh]
[Does Naonaono ever get to meet Black Knight?]
“If we actually met I wouldn’t be able to stream right?”
[Serious tone scary]
[Suddenly talking low is dangerous]
[Lol]
“Ahem, in any case with the withdrawal of the theft report, I’m happy this will reduce the people speaking ill of him! Black Knight is a good person! No matter what the antis say, I absolutely, definitely won’t let this fact change!”
As the character Blue Blossom cheerfully declared, the stream of comments beside her accelerated further. Seeing this before my eyes, all I could do was stand there dumbfounded.
Somehow my theft was forgiven and my image improved without my input, it was making my head spin.
“O-oi. Is this story true?”
“It’s factual. Rather, the talk of withdrawing the report itself apparently was decided quite some time ago, but the procedures and everything got delayed because of the monster incidents and such I hear.”
“So what’s my situation now…?”
“You’re the honest Knight-kun!”
“No way!!”
This world is crazy!!
There’s no way I’d be forgiven so easily.
“But I destroyed quite a bit of the town didn’t I!!”
“To defeat the monsters.”
“I was feared quite a bit!! Whenever I ran into people in town they would scream!”
“Screams of joy I think.”
“This world is weird!!”
What’s going on here!!
“Thanks to Naochan’s activities, we also worked hard on Black Knight’s image improvement you know? Posting about you in solitary confinement on Twutter and stuff.”
“So it’s partially your fault too!!”
“Yup!!”
“Don’t look so happy!”
She nodded really strongly!
She’s truly invincible huh.
I don’t feel I can win at all in a verbal fight.
“And there’s lots of videos of you being active posted and stuff…”
“Stop! You don’t have to show me!!”
“Really? But it’s interesting.”
Red puts away her terminal looking disappointed.
It’s just the public’s perception being weird, I’m not weird at all.
“The news was also happy when I got captured…wasn’t it!”
“I think they were probably happy you would finally be active in an official capacity.”
“Damnit!!”
I can only hold my head at this point.
How did it turn out like this!?
“And I lost to you guys and am captured here!!”
That’s right, I’m in solitary confinement.
But not just ordinary solitary confinement – I’m at the Justice Crusaders’ headquarters.
“But it couldn’t be helped right? Katsumi, you were using an old model Morpher weren’t you? It has vastly lower specs than ours but puts an incredible burden on the user right?”
“So what?”
“Your body should’ve been worn out, but when we caught you, you were perfectly fine. We were so worried about you that we beat you down with all our strength to save you…”
“Don’t you feel a little guilt…?”
She’s making an incredibly pained face. I wonder if she’s saying something incredible.
“I don’t want to hear that from you who tried to self-destruct in front of us, you know?”
“….That was bad of me.”
Can’t refute her when she says it like that.
But I never thought anything of it at the time.
So that’s why they said stuff like “Stop using that!” and “Do you want to die!?” during battles…
“And you have the qualities of a hero!”
“No way.”
“Oh come on, don’t say that…”
She nodded strongly!
She’s truly invincible huh.
I don’t feel I can win at all in a verbal fight.
“Excuse us.”
“Comin’ in~”
While we were talking, two girls breezed into the room I was confined in extremely casually.
One was a girl with black hair in a bob cut with a blue tint, and the other had brown hair in braided pigtails.
“Here they come…! Blue, Yellow!!”
“Not Blue. Hinata Aoi.”
“You’re hopeless. I’m not Yellow but Amatsuki Kirara, got it? Remember it already.”
Blue scowls at me while Yellow looks exasperated.
Well, I didn’t expect Blue’s name to be real.
But as for Yellow, her speech is as incoherent as ever.
“Yo Yellow. Aren’t you tired of talking like that?”
“Wh,what, I’m not tired at all, ya know?”
She’s clearly flustered.
Whether stellar or muddled, Blue places a hand on the shaken Yellow’s shoulder.
“Kirara normally speaks proper Japanese. She only talks strangely when transformed or meeting you.”
“Aoi!?”
“Knew you were forcing some personality huh.”
“Sh,shut up!”
I never considered she might really be playing a character.
Oh I see, so it’s to hide her identity and stuff huh?
“Now now, settle down.”
As Red placates me and Yellow, she brings over a chair and speaks to me.
“So I’ve been saying all this time you aren’t a villain but, in the eyes of the general public there are still many who think poorly of you.”
“Of course. Rather, it’d be worrying if it wasn’t like that.”
No matter how misunderstood, that won’t change.
Even though I was defeating the monsters, we also fought in the middle of the city at times.
It would be abnormal to not be concerned about it.
“But your popularity is greater than that. Same as us of course.”
“That’s not normal at all is it? It’s completely weird isn’t it?”
Ignoring my denial, Red continues speaking.
“We’re very grateful to you. You’ve saved us so many times when we were in a pinch, and protected the world while we weren’t around. I became a hero because you saved me too, you know?”
“Huh, first time hearing that.”
Blue and Yellow also look surprised, but of course I don’t remember anything like that.
But Red doesn’t stop talking.
“It’s possible more monsters may appear again in the future.”
“…………”
“You understand it too right? We know the monsters’ terror and cunning very well. No matter how safe we think it is, they’ll surge forth from places we can’t even imagine.”
Certainly Red was right.
Just because we defeated Omega doesn’t mean it’s over.
Surviving monsters may appear, and there’s plenty of possibility for new forces to arrive as well.
“And there may be enemies appear that we can’t defeat alone. But if you join us as an ally, we won’t have to worry about that anymore.”
Red looks at me with strong conviction in her eyes.
They don’t have the same lightheartedness like when she casually invited me to join earlier.
“And when we work together I always feel relieved. Ah, it just feels like we can’t lose. You don’t just help us with your strength but also support us mentally.”
She narrowed her eyes and smiled at me.
It wasn’t the charming hero’s smile she usually wore.
“So I absolutely won’t leave here until you say you’ll fight together with us.”
“Yeah, please stop that…”
The eyes opened just a sliver were not smiling at all.
I look to Yellow and Blue for help but they just keep smiling, which makes it even creepier.
At this point I realized they had no intention of letting me escape from this facility.
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