Cyberknight: One Path

⁕ The Lynching Game (part 4)

"Are you truly convinced by the righteousness of your actions? Or are they just the result of your personal misjudgement? Did you kill because you are afraid of the consequences or did you kill because you believed it's the right thing to do? "

Coincidentally, these were the same words heard by both Oltevin and Jerry earlier in their lives. Both used to kill without question as long as it was an order from their superior. On one hand, this was the question posed by Oltevin's friend while he was working for Wagner. After slaughtering through a camp of insurgents, both men were in agony from the multiple bullet wounds they had received. Around them were dead insurgents and the corpses of their comrades.

[Mercenary] - "...Say, Skull, do you want to play a game? Let's see which one of us can survive until help arrives. "

Said Oltevin's comrade.

[Oltevin] - "Ah, stop being such a fucking pessimist, comrade. We will both live until help arrives. "

Said Oltevin while grunting at the pain in his chest.

[Mercenary] - "Haha... May Saint Peter grant us a little bit more time on this Earth. By the way, you haven't answered my question yet. "

Said Oltevin's teammate as he turned to face his friend.

[Oltevin] - "I kill because I was ordered to do so. I was hired to do this and I need to get the work done to be paid or my family will starve and my siblings won't be able to go to school. "

On the other hand, Jerry was one of Mike's first disciples, having been under his guidance and leadership since Mike was 13. Despite Jerry being 5 years older than Mike, he always knew to respect Mike's wisdom and genius. A few days before Jerry would officially graduate and also take on the mantle of training a disciple just like his master, they went on one last mission together. On that mission, they stumbled upon the family of one of the rogue cyberknights they were hunting.

Upon dealing with the rogue cyberknight, the dead man's wife and children all ran up to Mike armed with guns and melee weapons in an attempt to avenge their family member. Seeing this, Jerry immediately leaped into action and impaled all these people with spikes generated from the house floor.

[Mike] - "...Only a cold heart could make another's blood freeze. "

Said Mike with a disappointed stare into Jerry's eyes.

[Jerry] - "But master Mike, they were attacking you! "

However, at that moment, Jerry's panicked expression could no longer cover his true intention.

[Mike] - "You knew these kinds of weapons could never hurt me, you knew it in your heart when you killed them. So, answer me, Jerry, what's your answer to my question? "

[Jerry] - "Master Mike... I... I just know it's the right thing to do. They were attacking you and if they were left alive, who knows if they are also associated with these terrorists. "

On the other side, Oltevin's friend smiled upon hearing his response to his question.

[Mercenary] - "Heh! You lie, comrade. Usually, when we do immoral stuff, you also show restraint but today you fought harder than usual. These people we killed, they are insurgents seeking to harm civilians and propagate discourse. You knew in your heart that this was the right thing to do not because you were bound by any obligation. I'm speaking to you now not as a corpse because you gave it your all. "

Oltevin grasped his bullet wounds in agony and didn't get to answer his friend as he felt his consciousness slip.

[Mercenary] - "Just quit this cursed job once you get out of here, Skull. It ain't worth it. "