Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

“Ah, so that’s how it is…” Charles paused for a moment, stroking his chin, and said, “So, the way to uphold justice is to become an urban idol in the eyes of the gods? To make everyone smile with songs and dances!”

"Oh, oh! An idol? Hmm, not bad! Let's turn our weapons into musical instruments too!" Adira pulled Ryu to her feet and slowly circled the central lake.

"Adi~~~~"

Liu blushed deeply and pouted coquettishly.

Ciel took Liu and Adi's weapons and rhythmically struck them, while sparkling fireworks swirled in circles around them.

Residents passing by stopped and smiled longingly at the sight of the dreamlike scene.

Ryu's gloomy mood vanished at that moment. She felt that any kind of justice was good, but she still wanted to find her own justice.

Until then, just follow one of the two approaches.

After the dance ended, Adi waved goodbye, still pretending to investigate the "illegal stolen goods den".

Liu lowered her hand in farewell.

“Charles-san is a man of great wisdom.” She turned to look at Charles with her eyes crinkling. “Is that all the justice of Mr. Charles’s ‘friends’?”

"Yes……"

"And what about Mr. Charles himself? Didn't he find justice?" Ryu asked curiously.

“Me?” Charles shrugged. “I’m not as noble as you think. My understanding of justice isn’t great; in fact, it’s rather dirty.”

"Huh? Can justice be dirty?"

“Ah…” Charles’s gaze deepened: “Do you think the monsters in the dungeon are righteous or evil?”

“Of course it’s evil!” Ryu said matter-of-factly.

"Why? What did they do wrong?" Charles asked rhetorically.

"They've eaten so many people! They've taken countless lives!" Liu said with a righteous expression.

"Then the question arises: what are humans to pigs, cows, and sheep? The food you eat, the pelts you take from animals, the silk you peel from silkworm eggs... how many lives have they taken?"

"...!" Liu was initially angry and wanted to open her mouth to refute, but the next second she bit her lip and finally became relieved.

"A very... pointed question. I've never thought about it before."

Charles shrugged: "You see, what defines the original justice and evil? Discussing what justice is within these established rules of good and evil is just too boring."

"Nothing in this world is simply black and white, right or wrong. If there is anything absolutely right, it is the ideal."

"Monsters dream of having an endless supply of meat, a vast land to roam freely, and a clear blue sky. Cattle and sheep dream of basking in the sun every day, waking up to find grass to eat, and enjoying their mates during mating season."

"Humanity's ideal is also to spend every moment smiling and happy. But this ideal has been thwarted by monsters and various other factors, so monsters are defined as evil by intelligent humans!"

"You see, the source of evil is an 'ideal' that has been blocked. In contrast, justice is an 'ideal'."

Ryu sat there for a long time, thinking: "Mr. Charles, your wisdom is indeed beyond my comprehension."

“It is indeed very abstract, somewhat like stream of consciousness.” Charles smiled. “An ideal is called an ideal because it cannot be easily realized.”

"Therefore, those who can break common sense and rules to reach their ideals are called heroes."

Chapter 170: The Challenge!

"So, in the previous story, the hero chose to sacrifice himself? He essentially created a third option besides the two options?" Ryu probed.

"You are very smart."

Charles grinned mischievously, "That question has an even more absurd answer. Would you like to hear it?"

Ryu asked curiously, "A fourth ending?"

Charles nodded: "That means dealing with the person who raised the question."

Liu exclaimed, "Is this okay?"

Charles shrugged: "You can't predict what choices others will give you, but you can decide whether you have the ability to change them. If you lack the ability and fail to turn the tables, then you might become a demon who 'kills' both sides simultaneously."

“How can you use ‘kill’?” Liu’s eyebrows drooped.

Charles looked helpless. "I'm sorry, it's still because of ideals. When your 'ideals' go against everyone's expectations, and you make a different choice, in most people's eyes, you become the 'murderer,' because you could have saved 'most people,' but you chose the most foolish way."

"Compared to the third option, sacrificing oneself obviously won't invite criticism from others."

"Yes, it's unjust and not very positive, but isn't it a way to a perfect ending? Hmm, do you know what people who take the latter path are called?"

Liu was stunned: "What?"

Charles smiled: "Villain."

Liu asked unhappily, "You mean those people from the Dark Faction?"

Charles scoffed, "Villains aren't just mindless idiots; they're practically lunatics. Ha, they don't even have their own ideals. Their minds are filled only with the will given to them by 'God.'"

“For example,” Charles turned to Ryu, “have you ever wondered why the former heroes [Silence] and [Gluttony] would help the Dark Faction?”

Liu was stunned again, then shook her head: "You know?"

Charles shrugged: "I don't know either. But there must be some reason why the heroes would have no choice but to destroy Orario."

"Therefore, they are the real villains."

"And those dark factions, they don't even know why they want to destroy the world. They are just puppets controlled by God."

Charles asked earnestly, "If killing, sacrifice, and destruction can bring a more 'ideal' future than salvation and blessing, then can it be considered 'justice'?"

Liu shook his head blankly.

Charles patted the elf on the shoulder: "Alright, instead of asking what justice is, that's a pointless question that can be answered with 'idols.' You should think about something more useful."

"Think about where your 'ideal world' is, and then just keep moving forward!" Charles stroked his chin. "Ah, that's my friend's 'answer' too."

Although Liu didn't understand, she gained a lot of knowledge about justice, and she came to understand.

"So, what Mr. Charles is trying to tell me is... that every person, no, every life, has its own sense of justice?"

"Therefore, even asking Lady Astrea, the goddess of justice, will not give me an answer."

Liu felt as if she had been enlightened. She stood up and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Mr. Charles. You truly possess wisdom as profound as a god."

"Although I haven't found my own 'ideal' (justice) yet, I believe Mr. Charles will definitely be able to realize his own 'ideal'!"

Charles made a heart shape with his hands: "Thank you."

Seeing the elven girl, her gloom gone and though still confused, running forward, Ciel chuckled.

……

at the same time.

The House of Dusk.

Finn held a black envelope with a gold border and a clock engraved on it.

It was a 'challenge' that had been delivered to him sometime during the war, mixed in with intelligence.

[Passing through the gates of the underworld from the endless abyss of chaos. When the other shore blooms with flowers and divine pillars illuminate the starry sky, I will, together with heroes, commit an unforgivable sin. —The sinner Joker reports.]

Rivera stared at the card, puzzled. "What's this?"

“A notice of intent…” Finn bit his thumb: “No, or a challenge!”

"How did they get it in?" Grace asked gravely.

“The guild, the messengers, even members of our own clan—any link in the intelligence chain could be at play.” Finn rubbed his temples. “This means they’re not worried that we know they have spies.”

Is it because they feel they have nothing to fear?

“You mean, there might be another ambush?” Riveria lowered her eyes.

Grace's eyes widened: "The enemy has discovered our plans?"

“No,” Finn said firmly, “their trump card was never the so-called ‘suicide bombers.’ Now, no matter which clan it is, they have no chance against those two aces.”

“Fortunately, the enemy is arrogant, but this is also our opportunity.” Finn narrowed his eyes, wrote something on the parchment, and asked Raul to send it away secretly.

He bit his throbbing thumb, his gaze fixed on the peaceful city: "This may be our only chance of victory. A chance that forces us to unite."

……

Night fell, less than 24 hours before the outbreak of the great protest.

After a long absence, Ciel returned to the Soma clan and personally visited Soma.

The room was as messy as ever, and Dionysus, disheveled and with long hair covering his eyes, stirred the murky cauldron.

"You're still the same as always. There's already an uproar outside."

Somo raised his eyelids slightly, glanced at Charles, and then calmly turned his gaze back: "Wait a little longer... we'll succeed soon."

"Are you still developing your new wine?" Charles suggested. "Actually, things are fine as they are now. Without the divine wine, everyone can work hard and become ordinary business families. Isn't that good?"

Soma paused for a second, then continued stirring, saying, "Why should I give up my interest?"

"Don't you know what the divine wine brought them?"

"Why should I know? They're not even worth talking to."

The calm words shattered Charles's last shred of pity. He glanced at the wine in the pot, which was gradually becoming clearer, and his eyelids twitched slightly.

"Is this the new divine wine?"

Soma became noticeably more talkative when discussing topics that interested him: "It's better than the previous 'Soma,' it will be a masterpiece that surpasses even divine craftsmanship, you'll definitely like it. Sir, sir."

Perhaps it was the last time, when he drank all the divine wine in one go and told Soma, "It's just so-so," that spurred this stubborn tech geek into action. The divine wine, which had been stuck at the "Soma" level, has now entered the "plus" stage...

As Charles smelled the increasingly rich aroma of the wine, he couldn't help but swallow, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Then... I'll wait." A cold glint flashed in Charles's eyes, and he turned and left helplessly.

Chapter 171 Valetta: I will give it my all!

As the long night gives way to dawn, the sun rises and sets. The sky is tinged red by the dim sunset, and night falls again.

"The required items for the Deankaite Familia have been delivered."

"Alright, distribute them to the whole team. How many minutes will it take?"