I had always thought I could no longer be a good person, that I had no reason to even try. I only pursued my own interests, constantly oppressing and hurting others.
But.
From the moment I met Ai, a seed sprouted in my heart.
Then, when I returned to Japan and lived with the student council, I finally understood.
I wanted to live my youth as a human, just like them.
I wanted… to be kind, like them.
Even if it's hard to change one's nature, I hoped that one day I could proudly tell them that even someone like me could have a moment of being a hero.
That I could help others too.
…
…
"Cough… cough…"
Rinji felt his whole body wracked with pain as he staggered to his feet.
The rain washed over him, rinsing the mud from his clothes.
He stumbled step by step toward a large tree. Smoke from an explosion shrouded the area around it, and the ground had a huge crater, like a giant monster's footprint.
Beneath the tree, broken and burning with small sparks, Isaac sat slumped against the trunk. His clothes were scorched and tattered, his entire right arm gone, and blood continuously flowed from the empty socket of his left eye. He looked like a broken-down old doll, ready to collapse at any moment.
Rinji was stunned. He had never seen his father appear before him in such a pitiful state.
"Dad… are you okay?"
"I'm not at the point where you need to worry about me." Isaac chuckled.
Despite his appearance, his voice carried surprising energy, nothing like someone mortally wounded.
It was Rinji instead who could barely even speak.
Plop.
Slumping down beside Isaac, Rinji trembled as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, stuck one in his mouth, then after glancing at his father, shoved another into his.
With his only remaining left hand, he snapped his fingers. Both cigarettes lit at once.
"Kid, do you know what you did afterward?"
"How would I know? Once you pierced my chest, I blacked out."
Rinji touched his chest where Isaac's attack had gone through.
There was no wound anymore, not even a tear in his clothing.
"Your mechanical arm really had a lot of metals to restrain me. As a father, were you really trying that hard to kill your son?"
"Nonsense. I knew full well you wouldn't die, even if I cut your head off." Isaac laughed as he blew smoke. "But you, my unfilial son, nearly killed your old man."
"Don't joke around. Even at full power, I couldn't do it."
Rinji gave a bitter smile.
"I was serious. But you were definitely holding back."
"Holding back? More like holding back an entire ocean."
"Tch, then fight me again if you've got the guts."
"Hahahahaha!"
Isaac burst out laughing.
Even with his broken body, he looked overjoyed.
"I never thought you'd fight your own father for the sake of some students you barely knew. Could it be the future you becomes a superhero?"
"The future me is just like you, Dad—skilled in both killing and arson."
Rinji's cigarette slipped from his lips, its glowing tip extinguished in the wet mud.
"But even though I don't consider my classmates my friends, I don't want them to die. Because after coming to this class, I think I've found an opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
Rinji didn't answer directly.
"Dad… you like Kamen Rider too, right?"
"Yeah. I've watched almost every series."
"I like it too. That's one thing we share," Rinji said. "But why do we like those fictional heroes? Is it just because their suits look cool? Honestly, most of the Heisei-era suits after the first decade are ugly as hell."
"Hah, the Showa-era ones weren't that great either." Isaac grinned.
"Exactly. So it's not about the suits."
Rinji raised his head, his crimson eyes staring into the stormy sky.
"It's because… we long to become heroes who can protect others, even just once."
"…Yeah."
A small smile tugged at Rinji's lips. "I want one day to brag to my friends back home that I didn't just kill people, I could save them too."
"As expected of my son," Isaac laughed. "At last, you've chosen a path different from mine."
He removed the cigarette from his mouth and tossed it aside.
"Unlike you, I abandoned the idea of justice long ago, back when I was in hell as a child. I had to become a villain to reach my goals. And every time I survived one hell, another even harsher one awaited. The world never let me stop, always pushing me forward."
"…"
"But now, knowing your choice, I feel relieved," Isaac said, smiling with release. "You didn't walk my path. After all, you have the right to choose your own."
"Even if one day I still become a heartless monster," Rinji said with a faint laugh.
"I just want to do what I like."
"No matter what, I can rest easy now."
As he spoke, broken machinery and wires scattered through the burnt forest began gathering toward Isaac.
The parts floated up, glowing blue, and reformed into a complete arm. His empty socket grew a new eye. His burnt clothes became whole and clean again.
Rinji: "…Damn! So that pitiful act earlier was all fake."
"Not a bad way to score some sympathy points."
"Like I'd ever pity you."
"Hahahaha!"
Isaac flexed his rebuilt body. Feeling someone approaching, he prepared to leave.
"Since my kid turned out this great, I can finally retire."
"Retire? At your age?"
"Of course."
Isaac's face softened into a gentle smile.
"I spent so much time chasing my goals, while your mother was always by my side. As repayment, I'll devote the rest of my life to her."