Chapter Eight: That Was Hope

A crimson radiance flashed forth, as though carrying boundless hope within it.

It appeared only for an instant before vanishing at once, and a crimson giant stood erect amid the city.

Massive muscles, silver armor extending from his chest to both elbows, sharp head blades crowning his head, and an orange-red gaze filled with majesty and intimidation.

Compared with any other giant of light, he was unquestionably the more powerful build. When he bent to set down the mysterious woman, the muscles of his abdomen stood out in clear relief.

“Is this... the power that can save the world?” the woman asked in shock, staring at the giant before her. Though she knew the red glasses could grant some kind of great power, she had never imagined that it would manifest in such a form and appear in the world.

It truly was... like a savior.

Smoke billowed everywhere, and the entire city had fallen into paralysis. No one knew how many had died in this calamity, and when people themselves had grown indifferent to their own lives, no one would care about anyone else. As for the government, it surely had no intention of intervening at all.

No one could save them. They had become birds in a cage, and for them death and survival were no different. One was but ignorance of the future, the other despair toward reality.

“You... hurry and get out of here!” K cried anxiously, looking up at the buildings. On every floor, the windows were open, and people leaned there, watching the alien rampage not far away. There was no fear in their eyes, no terror at all.

They only watched in numb silence, as if they were completely unaware of the horror of the disaster.

“If you stay here any longer, you’ll die!”

K shouted madly.

At that moment, a drunken man staggered out of the building, swaying as he made his way toward K, a bottle still in his hand. With blurred eyes, he looked at K and shouted:

“What a rare sight. To think someone is still talking about such things here. You still have hope in this world? That’s really hard to believe!”

K stared at him in astonishment and asked, “Why...? Have you all given up hope?”

The drunk took a long swig and roared, “Hope? What hope is there left? This damn life, this suffocating world! What is hope? No one knows!”

“But we can clearly feel it. Beneath this world...” He swayed and stamped his foot, saying:

“...there’s the stench of decay!”

“What are you talking about?” K cried in shock. “What is all this nonsense? You should know that monster is coming any minute now! You’ll all die!!!”

“That isn’t death!” the drunk retorted, raising one finger and wagging it before his eyes. “It is liberation. We will cast off these heavy bodies, fly out of the birdcage, and return to the true world!”

“What true world?” K shook his head. “Aren’t we already in the world?”

“The true world... there, too, we may live out our days on a single line, and yet there is hope.”

“The true world... night will still fall, but warm light will also exist.”

“There may even be monsters like this there, but more than anything else, there will be smiles and joy.”

The drunk grew more and more agitated as he spoke, and with fury he smashed the bottle in his hand before him, shouting:

“Look at the illusory world before your eyes! The government is watching us at every moment. They control our thoughts, drain our emotions, and numb our souls! This place is not the true world at all. This place is hell!”

K had already seen the giant alien turn its gaze this way. Its palm lifted and pointed directly here, while a powerful green destructive beam gathered in its hand. The air around them seemed to凝固, oppressive and heavy beyond measure.

The drunk swayed as he looked at the enormous alien, yet still showed no fear. Instead, he shouted with excitement:

“Come on then! Kill us! Free us from the cage and let us see the true world!”

“Boom!”

The alien suddenly raised its hand. A green sphere of energy had already condensed in its palm, poised to strike straight down at the ground. Crushing pressure enveloped the area, and in an instant K fell into despair.

Yet the drunk was utterly unafraid. He even wore a smile of release.

Likewise, those leaning from the windows looked the same, as though they regarded death as rebirth.

“Bang!”

At that very moment, a swift streak of light suddenly struck the alien’s back with tremendous force, and at the same time sliced directly through its body tissues. Green blood splashed from within as the alien was slapped flying.

“Whoosh!”

That streak of light was the rapidly spinning head blade. After striking the alien’s back, it traced an elegant arc through the air and turned back again.

“A new giant life-form has appeared...” On the holographic screen, the man’s face appeared once more, his voice emotionlessly reporting the event.

“Who exactly is he...?”

The drunk slowly opened his eyes and felt a warm light shining upon him. He suddenly looked up and saw the giant’s strong, towering body standing in the city, gazing down at him like a guardian deity.

“It’s light... it’s light...” The drunk was fully sober by now, and an uncontrollable joy flooded his chest. He waved his arms and legs about like a child.

“That is light...”

“That is hope...”

Everyone lifted their heads together to look at the giant. In their eyes there was no longer numbness or vacancy, but instead hope and reverence.

K also looked up, staring foolishly at the giant’s form, unable for a moment to know what expression to wear. He could sense the change in the drunk and in everyone else, but he did not know how to understand it.

“Why...?” K murmured. “What is so special about this?”

The drunk looked at him with disdain and sneered, “So you’re one of those despicable people, are you? A government lackey!”

K froze, then stepped back a pace, staring at the drunk in disbelief, as though even his blood had begun to freeze.

He had always believed himself to be a hero. He guarded the city’s peace. He walked the edge between life and death. Even he did not know whether he would die in the next pursuit of the aliens.

He had given so much for this... and yet this was all he was worth?

“You... explain yourself!” K lunged forward, seizing the drunk by the collar with a ferocious face. “What right do you have to say that to me!? Do you know what we have sacrificed for this world!?”

How could the drunk be a match for a well-trained operative? He offered almost no proper resistance before being seized like a chick in a hawk’s claws. Even so, his expression showed no fear whatsoever, only a look of disgust.

“Heh, talking with such conviction, are you...”

“It’s you people who monitor us, locking us in cages like birds. The fear spreading through every corner of the city—wasn’t all of that created by you? Stripping away our freedom, draining our emotions, numbing our souls!”

“The government, that’s your government, you dogs, not ours!”

“Pah! If you don’t believe it, then step out onto the street and reveal your own identity. See what look everyone gives you! Dog of the government!!!”

And on the pedestrian streets, crowds of people all stopped at once and looked up at that enormous figure. The cold indifference on their faces gradually changed, and their wooden expressions slowly gave way to joy.

Just like a plant in the desert, parched and withered beneath the blazing sun.

But after a spring rain, it would instantly be granted new life and bloom once more with beautiful flowers.