Chapter 142: Hypocrisies of Privileged

Captain Hato, still reeling from his battle with Aanya but standing tall, stared at them with an expression that was a twisted mix of sorrow and defiance.

Then, as if a dam had broken, he threw his head back and laughed—a sound that echoed through the chamber, filled with bitterness and despair.

"You fools," he spat, his laughter dying down as he fixed them with a cold, piercing gaze. "You have no idea, do you? "

"You, who were born with silver spoons in your mouths, you who have the backing of the great academies, the protection of your noble families—you have no idea what it's like out there. "

"You live in your ivory towers, playing at justice, but you don't know the first thing about the real world."

His words cut through them like a knife. Ruchir opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. Could he be right? Had they been blind to the struggles of those outside their privileged circle?

Captain Hato continued, his voice now low and seething with barely contained rage. "You talk about justice, but what do you know of the hardships of an honest official? Every move we make, we have to watch our backs. "

"We live in fear—fear of offending those in power, fear of losing our livelihoods, our lives. "

"The corruption runs deep, and if you don't play along, you get crushed. But you, with your fancy titles and cushy lives, what would you know of that?"

Garret's anger flared. "So what, Hato? You think that justifies what you've done? You think that gives you the right to become this… this monster?"

Hato's eyes blazed with intensity. "A monster? Yes, perhaps I am. But this world made me a monster. "

"I tried to do things the right way, to serve with honor. But what did that get me? Scorn, betrayal, endless threats."

"The system is rotten to its core, and the only way to survive is to become something stronger, something the system can't destroy."

"I became the very thing I fought against because it was the only way to protect myself and those I cared about."

Robert shook his head, his voice heavy with disbelief. "But you could have chosen differently. You didn't have to become this."

Captain Hato's laugh was hollow. "Choice? You think I had a choice? Every day, every mission, I had to make impossible decisions. And in the end, I realized that the only way to make a difference was to tear down the system from within. "

"I gathered those who were like me, who had been broken by the same system, and we formed the cult—not out of love for evil, but out of necessity. We became the darkness that would devour the greater evil."

Ruchir felt a cold sweat on his brow. Was there truth in his words? Had they, as students of the Four Great Academies, been shielded from the darker realities of the world? The thought gnawed at him, unsettling his sense of justice, of right and wrong.

Hato's gaze swept over them, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You can judge me all you want, but until you've walked in my shoes, until you've faced the impossible choices I've had to make, you'll never understand. The world isn't black and white, and the justice you cling to is a fragile illusion."

Ruchir's anger was momentarily overshadowed by doubt. He had always believed in the righteousness of his actions, the justness of his cause.

But now, hearing Hato's words, a seed of uncertainty began to take root. Could it be that they were too sheltered to see the world for what it really was?

Garret's fists tightened, but his voice was quieter now, tinged with an emotion he rarely showed—vulnerability. "Then why didn't you come to us? Why didn't you try to change things from the inside? We would have helped you, fought alongside you…"

Hato's expression softened for a brief moment, a flicker of something almost like regret crossing his face. "Because the system is too powerful, Garret. You can't change it from within—those who try are either corrupted or destroyed."

"I chose the only path that I believed could bring about real change. It's not pretty, it's not noble, but it's the truth."

Robert looked away, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. "So you became what you hated, because you saw no other way?"

Captain Hato nodded, a sad smile on his face. "Yes. And maybe I'm damned for it. But at least I'm honest about what I've become. The world you're fighting for doesn't exist, and it never did. You can live in your illusions, or you can face reality."

Ruchir, his voice trembling with the weight of everything he had just heard, asked, "And what are we supposed to do with that, Captain? How are we supposed to fight for justice if the world is as broken as you say?"

Captain Hato's eyes bore into Ruchir's, his voice cold and unyielding. "That's for you to decide, Ruchir. But know this—when you've seen what I've seen, you'll understand why I did what I did. And maybe, just maybe, you'll realize that the path to justice isn't as clear-cut as you think."

The chamber fell silent once more, the tension hanging thick in the air.

Ruchir, Garret, and Robert were left grappling with the uncomfortable truth that Captain Hato had laid bare before them, their minds swirling with questions and doubts.

As Ruchir, Garret, and Robert stood in stunned silence, wrestling with the grim truths Captain Hato had revealed, it was Professor Aanya's firm voice that broke through the haze of doubt clouding their minds.

"Now is not the time to weigh your opinions," she said, her tone sharp yet resolute.

Her eyes blazed with determination, the righteous energy that had awakened within her pulsing with a subtle, almost comforting warmth.

"Think about the commoners outside, the people who are feeling secure and walking happily on the streets because of us. Because they believe in the justice we uphold."

Her words struck a chord, jolting the students out of their paralysis.

They exchanged glances, each one recognizing the truth in what she said. There was no time for hesitation, no room for doubt.

They had a duty to fulfill, a duty to protect the innocent and uphold the ideals they had been taught.

Ruchir was the first to recover, nodding slowly as the fog of uncertainty began to clear from his mind. "You're right, Professor," he said, his voice steadying. "Now is not the time to waver. We can't afford to lose sight of what's important."

Turning his gaze back to Captain Hato, who was watching them with a cold, detached expression, Ruchir's eyes hardened. "Captain Hato, you say that the system is corrupt, that you had no choice but to become what you are. "

"But I refuse to believe that there was no other way. You chose this path because it was easier, because it gave you power. But power without justice is nothing more than tyranny."

Garret, finding his voice, stepped forward, his usual cocky grin replaced by a scowl of determination. "You've always been a hardass, Captain, but I never thought you'd turn into a monster. "

"You talk about the hardships of the world like you're the only one who's had it tough. Well, newsflash—we all struggle, but that doesn't mean we get to throw our morals out the window."

"You can justify your actions all you want, but at the end of the day, you're just another villain hiding behind excuses."

Robert, his earlier shock turning into cold fury, spat out his words with biting sarcasm. "So you think strength is all that matters, huh? That as long as you're powerful, you can rewrite the rules? Well, let me tell you something—real strength isn't about crushing those weaker than you."

"It's about standing up for what's right, even when it's hard, even when it means risking everything. What you've done, Captain, isn't strength. It's cowardice."

Captain Hato's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he listened to their words. "Enough," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "There is no need for your self-righteous nonsense. In this world, there is only one law that matters, one truth that is immutable: Only strength is supreme. As long as you are powerful, your wrongs become right, and your opponent's right becomes wrong. History is written by the winners, after all."

He paused, letting his words sink in, his gaze sweeping over the group with disdain. "You can preach your ideals all you want, but in the end, might makes right. "

"That's the only law that has ever mattered, and it's the only one that ever will. So let's stop this pointless talk and settle it the only way that counts."

Without warning, Captain Hato reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, blood-red pill.

The sight of it sent a chill down Ruchir's spine—he had heard of such pills, forbidden substances that could temporarily grant unimaginable power, but at a terrible cost.

"Watch closely, students," Captain Hato sneered, holding the pill between his fingers. "This is what true strength looks like."

With a swift motion, he swallowed the pill. Almost immediately, his body began to convulse, his muscles tensing and bulging unnaturally as the potent energy of the pill surged through him.

His skin took on a sickly pallor, and veins of dark energy began to snake across his flesh, pulsing with a malevolent glow.

Then, a horrifying transformation began. Captain Hato's body expanded, his limbs growing longer and more powerful, while his skin darkened to a shade of deep blue, almost black.

His eyes, once sharp and calculating, now glowed with a fiery red light, filled with a savage, unrestrained power.

From his back, sharp, jagged spikes emerged, crackling with dark energy, and a demonic aura began to seep from his form, spreading throughout the chamber.

But the most terrifying change was the armor that began to form around him—an eerie, blue-colored armor that seemed to be alive, flowing over his body like liquid before solidifying into a dense, impenetrable shell.

Red energy coursed through the armor's veins, pulsing with an ominous rhythm, like the heartbeat of some ancient, malevolent being.

The air around him grew thick with pressure, the weight of his new power pressing down on Ruchir and the others like a suffocating blanket.

Captain Hato let out a guttural roar as the transformation completed, his voice now distorted, echoing with a deep, demonic timbre.

"Behold," he snarled, his words dripping with venomous pride, "the power of true strength. This is my final form—The Blue Demon Ascension!"

The pressure in the room intensified, the very air crackling with the dark energy emanating from Captain Hato.

Ruchir and the others could barely stand under the weight of his power, their legs trembling as they struggled to maintain their composure. 

Captain Hato, now fully transformed, sneered at them, his voice rumbling like distant thunder. "You think your ideals, your so-called justice, can stand against this? You're nothing but insects to be crushed underfoot. Prepare yourselves, because I will show you what it means to face true power."

But as terrifying as Captain Hato's transformation was, Ruchir felt a spark of determination flare up within him. The fear, the doubt—it all began to melt away in the face of this overwhelming threat. He tightened his grip on his weapon, his mind sharpening with focus. This is it, he thought, this is the true test of our resolve.

Garret, despite the pressure bearing down on him, managed a defiant grin. "You think that's gonna scare us off? We've faced worse than you, Captain, and we're still standing. You might have the power now, but that doesn't mean you've won."

Robert, his usual sarcasm replaced with steely resolve, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're powerful, but we've got something you'll never have—each other. And we're not going to let you tear down everything we stand for."

Captain Hato merely laughed, a chilling sound that reverberated through the chamber. "Brave words," he said mockingly. "But they will mean nothing when you're lying broken at my feet."

And with that, the tension in the room reached its peak, the air charged with the anticipation of the battle that was about to unfold.

The students steeled themselves for the fight of their lives, knowing that they would need every ounce of their strength and resolve to stand against the monstrous power of the man who had once been their mentor.

The final confrontation was about to begin.