Chaos Mate ~Revenge In This Chaotic Academy~ - Chapter 70: The First Judgment

Chapter 70: The First Judgment

Madoka Side

Days after Jack’s ambush.

I head alone with Mogami to the underground dungeon of the Tsubaki household, where Jack lies on the ground, both hands and feet bound, coming into view.

His mask is off, revealing slightly long black hair, but his face is swollen from the relentless beating “I” gave him yesterday—literally a collapsed face, as the phrase goes.

I checked with Lesta, and this man’s name is Kirisaki Kaito.

Apparently a third-year C-Class student who kept to himself, but that’s irrelevant.

His background means nothing to me.

I quietly say “Please” to Mogami beside me. She puts on her headphones, approaches the unconscious Kirisaki, touches his forehead, and closes her eyes.

※

Emi Side

I connect to Jack’s memories, sifting through them to select what I need.

Searching for memories of Suzuka-san, or the “White Knight” Madoka mentioned who killed her, and the Pokers, I arrive at a single connected scene.

The setting is a dark classroom somewhere.

Suzuka-san, battered and broken.

Approaching her are Jack and three others—men and women wearing masks.

A crow-like plague mask, a Venetian mask with butterfly wings, and a skull mask.

In their hands, they hold weapons—a scythe, an iron fan, a spear.

“This is what happens when you defy us. Seems even death can’t cure stupidity, eh, Teacher Tsubaki Suzuka?”

Jack taunts and sneers, but Suzuka-san spits out blood from her mouth and readies her sword.

“If it means stopping you, I’ll struggle to the bitter end. Until I die.”

As she takes a fighting stance, the crow-masked man and butterfly-masked woman laugh.

“Heh heh heh. What a foolish woman. An ordinary human with no abilities thinking she can beat us? Yet she resists so much♪”

“But that’s precisely the condition we seek for our vessel. If you’d cooperated quietly, I’d have treated you as a valuable sample with care.”

“Hmph. Become your experiment fodder? No thanks!!”

Gripping the hilt with both hands, Suzuka-san prepares to face the four. At that moment—

“Wait, Teacher Tsubaki.”

Green flames light up the dark classroom, and someone approaches.

A figure in a blue cape, clad in white armor, radiating a green aura like flames.

This is… the White Knight Madoka was talking about?

Suzuka-san’s eyes widen at the sight of the White Knight, and the four show visible unease.

“You… why!? How do you have that power…!?”

“…This is the answer I chose. With this power, I’ll end everything.”

The White Knight extends his right hand, and green flames spread before him.

As I try to peer further, a burning sensation assaults my consciousness, as if it’s being scorched.

※

Madoka Side

“Ugh…!!”

Suddenly, Mogami starts writhing in pain, pulling her hand from Jack and collapsing to the floor, panting heavily.

“Haa… haa… What… what was that…?”

“What’s wrong, Mogami? What did you see!?” I ask.

She points at Jack, her eyes filled with anger.

“This guy… Jack and the other three Pokers were tormenting Suzuka-san. Then the White Knight appeared… I couldn’t see past that. But there’s no mistake—the White Knight is connected to the Pokers.”

A connection between the White Knight and the Pokers.

That alone is enough progress.

“Then… the Pokers really were involved in Nee-san’s death.”

Mogami neither confirms nor denies my murmur.

That’s fine. The means to confirm it is right in front of me.

“Thanks, Mogami… From here, I’ll handle it alone.”

“…Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’m calmer than I thought. At least… for now.”

Saying that, I glare down at Jack, clenching my fist tightly.

※

After sending Mogami back, I wait for Jack to wake up, trying to calm my emotions.

But no matter how much I try to suppress them, anger and hatred well up inside me.

Eventually, I hear a groan—Jack must be coming to.

“Finally awake, huh… Been a day, Jack. How’s it feel?”

“Chaos…”

He glares at me for a moment but quickly smirks.

“Feeling fantastic… is that what you expected me to say? It’s the worst. Seriously, what was that sword… and what are you? My body’s got no strength. Thanks to you, I can barely use my ability.”

To answer Kirisaki’s question, I hold up Byakka in my left hand for him to see.

“Ice Blade Byakka. You really don’t know anything about this sword?”

“I don’t. If I did, I’d have taken measures and crushed you immediately. That power… it’s too dangerous.”

Feeling a slight satisfaction at the resentful look in Jack’s eyes as he stares at Byakka, I keep it sheathed and thrust it toward Kirisaki’s face.

“Jack, you’re gonna tell me. Everything about the grudge between you and Nee-san.”

I loom over him intimidatingly, but Kirisaki lets out a nasty chuckle and looks down.

“Tsubaki Suzuka, huh… You think I’ll answer?”

“…Your choice doesn’t matter.”

I grab his collar and punch his left cheek.

“Guh!”

“Who’s the White Knight that killed Nee-san?”

“Heh, who’d tell you—ugh!”

I backhand his right cheek.

“The real names of the other Pokers? If they have abilities like you, tell me those too.”

“Gahh!! …We don’t betray our comrades!!”

“I’ll ask again. Who’s the White Knight!? You know, don’t you!? Answer!!”

I keep swinging my right fist, interrogating while unleashing my anger.

“Urgh!! …I don’t know!? No clue who you’re talking about…!!”

“Don’t screw with me!!”

I drive my fist hard into his stomach, and blood spews from Kirisaki’s mouth.

“Gahaa!!”

Clenching both fists, I keep pummeling his face.

“Talk… At least spit out information instead of blood!!”

“Bwah!! …You think I’ll talk?”

I punch with my left fist.

“Gubuh!! …No matter how much you hit me, I won’t say…”

I smash his nose with a straight punch.

“Gabah!! …You hate me, don’t you? Does beating me satisfy your grudge!?”

Blood pours from his nose and mouth, but Kirisaki’s smirk doesn’t fade.

“Gahh!! …She was truly… a foolish woman, wasn’t she… Tsubaki Suzuka…”

Anger surges within me.

“Bugh!! Guh!! …Throwing her life away… for such a pointless ideal…”

Nee-san’s life was taken by them.

“Gah!! Bgyah!! Aghaa!! …Tch, what a completely… useless death, right…!? Bwaha!!”

Our lives were thrown into chaos by the Scarlet Phantom.

I alternate left and right fists, glaring down with furious eyes.

“Because of you, Nee-san died!! I’ll never forgive you… Your sins will be judged by me!!”

“Buguha!! …What… right do you… have to judge…?”

He looks at me with pity, sneering mockingly.

“You’ve taken plenty of lives yourself, haven’t you? You’re no different from us. And that beastly form!! You’re not human—you’re a monster, a freak!! A freak like you has no right to judge us!!”

The same kind.

A monster.

He might be right.

Like Jack, I’m a scumbag who’s killed many.

That’s exactly why…

“…Since we’re the same, a scumbag like me is the perfect one to crush you.”

I deliver one final, harder punch and lower my fist.

Stress relief’s over.

Looks like Jack has no intention of talking.

Stress relief’s done.

My goal has always been singular.

Unsheathed, I point Byakka’s ice blade at Kirisaki.

“Luckily, thanks to Mogami, we extracted the info we needed from your memories. If you won’t talk, I’ll just hunt down the rest of the Pokers and interrogate them.”

Nee-san left me the clues to do just that.

“Now I can take my revenge on you without any regrets. …It’s time for your condemnation, Jack.”

My left eye’s pupil is probably dyed crimson now.

The surge of emotions is unstoppable.

Looking up at me, Kirisaki still chuckles.

“You think you can kill me?”

“…”

“I’m asking!! Not with Hope or Despair. As a chaotic existence, can you kill me!?”

Kirisaki taunts with hollow eyes.

What’s this guy been babbling about?

I glare down at the pathetic man writhing before me, gripping Byakka with both hands.

Then, I flash a mocking smirk.

“Who decided my revenge means killing you?”

I swing down, striking Kirisaki’s head with a heavy blow.

“Guhaaaa!!”

He collapses, eyes rolled back, motionless.

He’s not dead. Just asleep, for a near-eternal length of time.

This Ice Blade Byakka has three modes.

Impact Mode, Auto-Charge Mode, and Suspended Animation Mode.

Among them, Suspended Animation Mode lowers body temperature to the bare minimum for life, keeping the target in a vegetative state.

To revive them, simply raise their body temperature.

“This makes… the first one. You’re not even allowed to die. I won’t let you go to Nee-san. Helpless, barely clinging to life… suffer in your powerlessness.”

It’s a weapon for saving, but also for my revenge.

A contradictory blade, just like me.

That’s the Ice Blade Byakka.

My revenge isn’t about killing—it’s about stripping away everything but the right to exist.

I refuse to bear more sins by killing them.

I won’t kill.

I won’t let them die.

But whether they live or die depends on my choice.

Regret having everything taken from you in the depths of your consciousness.

Pokers’ Jack.

Third-year C-Class, Kirisaki Kaito.

The first one, condemned.