Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 226: Chapter 225 Neither Side Are Good People

When Fang Zheng finished dealing with those Fire Mist Warriors and returned, the battle on the other side had also ended.

However, what surprised Fang Zheng was…

“What, what should I do, Mr. Fang Zheng? I killed that Fire Mist Warrior…”

“Oh?”

Looking at Nanoka with a face full of sorrow, Fang Zheng was momentarily stunned. To be honest, he had not expected Nanoka to have such ability. In Fang Zheng’s view, it would have been quite impressive if Nanoka managed to defeat the opponent, let alone kill them, given Nanoka’s skills and state of mind…

“How did you do it?”

...

“I, I… I commanded those Knight of the Forerunners to attack the opponent, and then Miss Tilia helped block on the side, and as a result, the Fire Mist Warrior couldn’t withstand Miss Tilia’s attack and was knocked flying, then he crashed into the Knight’s side, and before I could react…”

So that’s what happened.

Hearing this, Fang Zheng glanced at Tilia, and the girl gave him a subtle wink. It seemed likely that with Nanoka’s fighting style and mood, she wouldn’t have thought of delivering a fatal blow to the enemy. Fang Zheng was sure that it was Tilia who had manipulated things behind the scenes, because as a Follower of the Crimson Realm, she naturally had a born enmity with the Fire Mist Warriors. Even friendly forces like Shana and Nanoka wouldn’t be spared from her meddling, and for an enemy that presented themselves like a lamb to the slaughter, Tilia would definitely be even less merciful.

“Alright, there’s no need to be so downhearted.”

With that thought, Fang Zheng patted Nanoka’s shoulder.

“It’s normal for Fire Mist Warriors to fight amongst themselves; you just haven’t seen it before. Consider this a wake-up call, just be more careful in the future.”

“Do, do Fire Mist Warriors also fight each other to the death?”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s reassurance, Nanoka opened her eyes wide in surprise, looking at him in disbelief. Fang Zheng then shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“That’s right. You didn’t think Fire Mist Warriors were truly fighting for this world, did you?”

“But… isn’t that the case?”

“In terms of results, yes. But in terms of motivation, absolutely not.”

Fang Zheng waved his hand dismissively, and began to explain to Nanoka.

“According to your story, you became a Fire Mist Warrior only after receiving education and training. But in reality, warriors like you are very rare. You should know that the original Fire Mist Warriors appeared because they lost friends and family in attacks by the Followers of the Crimson Realm, desiring revenge and wanting to kill those enemies. To do so, they needed power sufficient to battle the Followers of the Crimson Realm, and that’s why they became Fire Mist Warriors.”

“But… but in the end, don’t they also protect the balance of this world?”

“That’s correct, only in terms of the outcome. But this result is not their true desire.”

At this point, Fang Zheng gestured around him.

“Do you see where these Fire Mist Warriors tried to attack us? In the city, in crowded places. And in fact, isn’t that the case with most Fire Mist Warriors? Do you think they’d wait until a Follower of the Crimson Realm isolated themselves in a deserted place before taking action? No, they wouldn’t. They start Sealing and fighting as soon as they spot a Follower of the Crimson Realm, not caring at all about whether there are people around, regardless of how much damage it will cause.”

“But after the fight, they repair…”

“Indeed, they do repair, but what if they die in battle? Over the years, haven’t there been countless Fire Mist Warriors who perished? Go ask others what became of the battlefields where Fire Mist Warriors died. What about the innocent people who were dragged into the fight because of their vendetta, what fate did they suffer?”

“…”

This time, Nanoka fell silent, her brows furrowed, unable to utter a word.

“See, this is the difference between you and other Fire Mist Warriors; you might think they killed the Followers of the Crimson Realm, protecting the world’s balance. But in reality, deep inside, they don’t feel the slightest bit about it. They only seek revenge, wanting to eliminate every Follower of the Crimson Realm they see, and they couldn’t care less about anything else.”

Fang Zheng spread his hands and pursed his lips. This was why he held no good feelings for either Followers of the Crimson Realm or Fire Mist Warriors. Of course, when it came to individuals like Shana, Lamy, Tilia, and Nanoka, he could still have a favorable impression. But towards these two groups, Fang Zheng had not a shred of sympathy.

The reason was simple: he was human.

From the standpoint of humanity, neither the Followers of the Crimson Realm nor the Fire Mist Warriors were good entities.

Indeed, the Followers of the Crimson Realm would start Sealing and consume humans, posing a great threat to humanity. But what about the Fire Mist Warriors? Didn’t they also engage in Sealing and battle the Followers of the Crimson Realm?

And what’s more important, even if the Fire Mist Warriors won the battle, they seldom used their own Power of Existence to restore the world damaged in the fight. Instead, they employed the Power of Existence from other humans injured during the battle.

So hold on a second, why the hell is this place destroyed? Isn’t it because you fought with the Followers of the Crimson Realm?

And if you lose? As the “villains,” Followers of the Crimson Realm can just dust off their bottoms and walk away. But when the Sealing collapses, who ends up suffering? Isn’t it the common folk, unwittingly pulled into the conflict?

Flesh-eating for power, Followers of the Crimson Realm are no good, but do you Fire Mist Warriors become the good guys after defeating them and then sacrificing humans to fix the world? You avenge yourself and sacrifice humans to clean up the mess you’ve made and you still feel smug about it?

It’s like the pot calling the kettle black. Special Forces launching a surprise attack on terrorists in a market place still consider the impact of stray bullets and casualties on civilians.

So in Fang Zheng’s eyes, both Fire Mist Warriors and Followers of the Crimson Realm are nothing but terrorists, no different from one another.

That’s why what disgusts him the most is that facade of Fire Mist Warriors who fight with the claim “for the welfare of the entire world and humankind,” when they’re actually just settling personal scores. Posing as if they’re so noble and grand, doesn’t it just sicken you?

So why do I want to kill both Fire Mist Warriors and Followers of the Crimson Realm?

Because my love for this world runs deep. For humanity, I am willing to work tirelessly until death. The so-called readiness to die for the slight benefit of humans, well, cough cough, everyone understands…

Alright, I shall adopt that saying as my personal motto from now on.

After making this decision, Fang Zheng nodded with satisfaction, then summoned several soldiers from the Scourge Legion to collect Noble Phantasms dropped by the enemy. Whether Fire Mist Warriors or Followers of the Crimson Realm, many of the renowned had Noble Phantasms for protection. Now, Fang Zheng was curious to see if any of these guys could “drop” any rare equipment.

Of course, that’s just by the way; my goal is world peace.

“Come in haste, leave in haste, I lament that we cannot meet, love in haste, hate in haste, everything goes with the wind…”

Humming to himself, Fang Zheng turned to leave and check his Spoils of War, while Nanoka stood still, staring at the ground in silence.

She was naive, but no fool. That Fire Mist Warrior indeed harbored a strong urge to kill her, as if eagerly wanting her dead, although Nanoka was still a greenhorn. But after all, she was a warrior too. She could tell the difference between a will to fight and a will to kill.

Back then, she felt wronged and couldn’t understand why one Fire Mist Warrior would want to kill another. But now, after hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Nanoka finally got it.

In fact, she had followed her master or others on outings to witness their battles. Many of them really would start a Sealing in a market area and fight against the Followers of the Crimson Realm. At the time, Nanoka didn’t pay much mind to it, believing all’s well that ends well since the Fire Mist Warriors always won.

But now thinking back on it, Nanoka broke out in a cold sweat.

What if the Fire Mist Warriors lost?

Would they expect the Followers of the Crimson Realm to fix the world like Saints? Of course, to avoid trouble, the Followers of the Crimson Realm would set torches… but then, doesn’t that make them no different from the Fire Mist Warriors?

I have to admit, this attack was like a complete refresh of all my principles. Before this, I never doubted the actions of the Fire Mist Warriors, believing they fought for the world, for maintaining balance. But now, recalling the recent battle, I can’t accept it at all. Does fighting for the world justify snatching others’ Noble Phantasms, even killing people?

How is that any different from robbery?

“Sanya…”

After a moment’s silence, Nanoka finally turned to her partner.

“The Fire Mist Warriors really are…”

“…I’m sorry, Nanoka. I wanted to tell you… that indeed, most Fire Mist Warriors are like that. That’s why… many Demon Kings don’t want to enter such contracts… They don’t want their powers to be sacrificed for revenge… That’s why I chose you.”

The tone of Sanya wasn’t great either. In the Crimson Realm, the Demon Kings each had different thinking. Many don’t realize that the Followers of the Crimson Realm and Demon Kings who come to Earth are just a small part of the Crimson Realm. There are powerful Demon Kings who, although disapproving of their kin’s actions on Earth, also refuse to form contracts like the Fire Mist Warriors.

Just like Sanya said, they didn’t want to let their powers be misused by those Avengers. And these are the backbone of the Crimson Realm.

This means that the battles on Earth between “Followers of the Crimson Realm” and “Fire Mist Warriors” are just skirmishes between the “radicals” and “conservatives.” The truly influential and powerful Demon Kings of the Crimson Realm are quietly observing from the sidelines, munching on melon seeds.

“But… why did you form a contract with me?”

“………”

This time, facing Nanoka’s question, Sanya was silent for a long while before answering with a reluctant and frustrated voice.

“Because I lost a draw…”

“………”

“………….”

“Sanya, I finally understand why my luck is so bad.”

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