[Federative Republic of Brezil — State of Rondônia]
“Why do you fight?”
Joker smiled at French former seminary student Léonard Chartres’s question.
“I’m not the only one who fights,” he answered. “Everyone fights to survive. The fact that you don’t realize this shows how pampered you have been your whole life.”
“Still, we’re all people. We should be able to reach a mutual understanding through words. Whether someone is a Catholic or a Muslan doesn’t matter! I don’t know what your goal is, but can we not resolve this by talking?” Léonard asked.
“Impossible.”
Joker snickered again as he took one step forward.
“Let me tell you a few things,” he continued. “People are saying that the appearance of the dungeons is a huge turning point in human history. Do you understand what changed and how?”
The Crusaders exchanged looks. What surprised them the most was the way Joker spoke rather than the question itself. They had taken him for a much more violent person.
“When it all started—back when humans were still basically monkeys—being strong meant having brute strength. Eventually, humans settled together and society was born. Henceforth, the very meaning of strength shifted. Knowledge came to be needed along with physical strength, and both combined into productivity. For instance, you can think of people being good at hunting or gathering. After some time, currency appeared, and with that, the measure of strength became economic power. How much wealth you had defined how powerful you were. The wealthy influenced society, and that influence slowly turned into political power. Those in power created laws to protect their positions and social classes, castes, and statues were fixed... A few thousand years later states and countries appeared, and now, wealth remains unevenly distributed and humans are forced into invisible classes.”
“That’s not true. In front of the Lord, everyone is equal.”
“Do you think a person of color could become the pope? There are more Catholics in Africa than Europe, yet there’s not a single African cardinal in the Vatican. Does that sound equal to you, hypocrite? ”
“That...”
Léonard didn’t know how to answer.
Catholicism had spread from the Roman Empire, which had led to the current status quo. It was an unwritten rule that a white man would be chosen to become the pope. The Vatican was also conservative and patriarchal enough for satirical tales, such as the legend of Pope Joan, to float around. There was not a single woman among the two hundred cardinals. To sum it up, neither the system nor the culture of the Vatican advocated for racial or gender equality.
“I’m not saying the Vatican is in the wrong,” Joker explained. “That’s just how humanity is. In our thousands of years of history, people have always been defined by their social class. However, the dungeons are about to change this. Societies, countries, even democracy itself—all of these concepts came to be because there are limits to the powers of a single individual. It’s impossible for one person to control millions through brute strength. Only now, it will become possible. Gaining supernatural powers inside the dungeons will make it possible for a single person to destroy humanity itself, if they so wished. I could murder the entire population of South Gamerica—four hundred million people—if I suddenly decided to do so. A single individual with no wealth, no status, and no political power can now topple nations. The appearance of the dungeons made strength regain its original meaning.”
Léonard and the rest of the Crusaders were at a loss. Naturally, they had watched every video Joker had uploaded. He always threw in vulgar jokes and verbally attacked more advanced countries, Gamerica in particular, while urging poorer countries to unite and give him access to their dungeons. However, Joker seemed to be a completely different person now that they had met him and spoken to him in real life. Rather than a radical terrorist, he almost sounded like an intellectual, a philosopher.
This feeling... It’s like...
A man’s silhouette suddenly popped up in Rolf Schabel’s mind, but he shook his head. What they said, how they acted... Everything was different.
The man in front of him asserted he would use strength to force his will on people. He was a terrorist. Rolf grabbed Léonard’s shoulder and forced him to step back.
“Enough, Léonard,” he said. “Joker, I understand your point. Then we’ll just have to use our own strength to force you to obey. It’s what you just said, so you shouldn’t have any issue with this, right?”
Thanks to Rolf’s words, the Crusaders all refocused. The same was true for the Legion. On each side, people with superpowers were ready to face each other, their weapons of choice in hand. Joker, the Demon King, was the only one who remained fully composed.
“Hya ha ha! Good by me! I’m a pretty busy man, though. I’ve prepared another opponent for you. Don’t worry.”
He took a card out of his pocket and threw it in the air. The card glowed dazzlingly for a moment.
“Is it your first time? Fighting an S-Rank monster, I mean,” Joker asked.
“What?! Everyone, fall back!!!”
A gigantic monster with dark green scales soon replaced the glowing card.
✦ ✦ ✦
Name: Dragon
Title: None
Rank: S
Rarity: Ultra Rare
Skills: Breath, Slaughter, Flight
✦ ✦ ✦
The gigantic monster—it was at least ten meters tall—roared. It looked exactly like the dragons told of in stories.
“All right. You guys have fun.”
The Demon King, who stood behind the dragon, waved at the Crusaders before walking away.
＊ ＊ ＊
“I can’t believe it... A dragon? Rank S?”
“Isn’t this bad news, Rolf? Shouldn’t we retreat?” Marco suggested as they fell back.
Rolf continued to hold his shield up. Before he could answer, the dragon’s tail came flying at them. It was an attack from a Rank S monster. The Crusaders, who were only B-Rankers, were sent flying with that single blow.
“Urgh...”
Alberta painfully stood up, shivering. She had taken quite a bit of damage from that attack but had not died. The others also somehow found the strength to stand. If they were hit a second time, however, they might not be able to stand again.
Right as the Crusaders looked death in the eye, a strange voice resonated in their heads.
Hmm... All of you are Limit Breakers, are you not?
“What?!”
They frantically looked at one another before realizing where the voice was coming from.
“Did it...speak?”
Wherefore art thou so surprised? Any being of Rank S hast far more wondrous intellect than thee humans. Mastering thy language is an easy feat. Do not fear. Mine own master doth not seemeth to desire thy puny lives... Well, not all. Giveth me a sacrifice, and I shall alloweth the rest to go unscathed.
“Don’t mess with us! We’d never abandon one of our comrades!”
“W-Wait!” Léonard stopped Rolf, who’d flown into a rage. “You can understand us, right? Then can’t we discuss this and avoid fighting? We have no intention of fighting you.”
What drivel. Hadst I been a weak monster, wouldst thou have not slain me without any debate? Thou knoweth thou cannot defeat me and so searcheth f’r a way to flee.
“That’s not true! We came here as God’s vanguard. Our goal is to bring peace to this place. We never wanted to fight, if it could be avoided.”
God’s vanguard?
The dragon remained silent for a few instants as its humongous body shook.
HA HA HA HA! Thou speak of God! I see. I see now. Thou understand nothing. Thou doth not know wherefore the dungeons exist!
The dragon tramped forward. While Rolf and the others fell back immediately, Léonard did not budge, forcing his trembling body to stay in place. He clasped his cross tightly. The dragon brought its nose to Léonard’s face.
✦ ✦ ✦
I shalt reward thy bravery. I shall tell thee. The goal of the Dungeon System is...
“What?”
That is wherefore thee wilt not defeat the dungeons. As long as thou calleth thyself God’s vanguard, tis impossible!
Then, the dragon opened its gigantic mouth and bit down on Léonard, head first.