Finally, a code for relief was generated in Seeking Shadow’s emotional module. Once again, she had quelled violence and restored peace.
The rescued Corporate Alliance personnel dialed a signal, establishing contact with the Xisheng Hotel, preparing to head back.
While others were collecting war trophies, Masasuke Hazuki walked with his katana towards the depths of the filthy building.
The hideout of Cold Bay’s Thugs was some kind of small factory, not large in scale, used as a home workshop, probably for making some kind of crafts. Seeking Shadow followed behind him, entering that twisted metal maze.
"This is not their headquarters," Seeking Shadow suspected.
"These guys number in the thousands; they used to be dockworkers."
"What are you looking for?" Seeking Shadow inquired.
"Traces of mysticism. People like them easily become obsessed with some form of evil," Masasuke Hazuki said as he found a secret door leading down.
He checked it, then pried it open with his katana and jumped down.
Seeking Shadow followed behind.
Upon landing below, she saw the surroundings filled with eerie portraits, all depicting shadowy apparitions over the river, resembling a woman standing atop the golden river in various poses, the stench of blood very strong.
Seeking Shadow glanced into a corner, quickly noticing several piles of human bones, some still with fresh blood, surrounded by flickering red candles casting a sinister light upon them.
"Just like monsters," Seeking Shadow despised such injustice.
"From Jialong Slope to other places, there are hundreds, even thousands of similar ritual sites. Each family wishes to exchange sacrifices for the knowledge of the river maiden, parents sacrificing daughters, children offering up the elderly, men offering up women," Masasuke Hazuki inspected a small shrine assembled from wood, its bowl filled with someone’s fresh blood.
"What knowledge do these ruffians seek?"
"Ways to get rich, remedies for illnesses, techniques for seducing women... any knowledge that can take them away from suffering."
He examined the dust on the ground, very clean.
Seeking Shadow sat on the ground, once again recalling various brutal memories from the past. Some people would stop at nothing.
"Mysticism is dangerous," Seeking Shadow acknowledged.
"Yes, using mysticism can lead to even greater disasters. For decades, many disappearances have been attributed to its evil. Although I’m not sure if a Synthetic Human can understand..." Masasuke Hazuki pointed to the underground ritual site.
"Do you know the rumors about me in the outside world?"
"They say you are the shadow of the Cyber Specter, the projection of that cybernetic consciousness in the human world."
"To some extent, that’s correct. So I hope you won’t see me merely as a Synthetic Human," Seeking Shadow nodded, "I believe there must be those who tirelessly work night and day to fight against evil, as a complement to automated justice."
"Automated justice?" Masasuke Hazuki pondered.
"The law is automated justice. Once laws are established, they can produce justice every day," Seeking Shadow now had her own interpretation.
"But it also requires human vigilance, human watchfulness... human containment and control. Mysticism should not be spread, it only needs a few of the smartest, bravest people with a spirit of sacrifice to grasp it, to protect the majority. Those people, like bearers of forbidden powers, are a product of some transitional phase, and eventually, all mysticism will be erased," Masasuke Hazuki said.
"So, do you also wish to erase yourself?"
"I’ve done a lot of things, and you should be able to tell, I do not like the unchecked spread of mysticism. Humans need to impose limits... You must know how powerless ordinary people are in the face of such might."
Hazuki Masasuke sat on the ground, looking up at the floor above, where countless people were scurrying about, sorting through the entire nest for anything of use.
"Like the Corporate Alliance’s purge and containment action against mysticism?" Seeking Shadow asked.
"Yes, that was the greatest feat I have ever witnessed," he said.
"You’re too arrogant," Seeking Shadow said.
"To be frank, you could have communicated with them. The way it is now, most things, just because humans can’t yet explain them with science, get quickly lumped into the ’mystical side,’ and then it’s pointed at them: into the cage! Mysticism!—And then there’s fighting and killing, removing the unwanted. If you’re always going to keep that attitude, then I can only comply," Seeking Shadow said.
Seeking Shadow mimicked Nidelaide’s tone, sounding witty and articulate.
Because Nidelaide had a sense of humor and was interesting to talk to, Seeking Shadow cleverly entered his own archive of Nidelaide’s linguistic database, cut out text fragments from there, and played them back with Seeking Shadow’s voice, effectively copying Nidelaide’s eloquence.
Hazuki Masasuke had never thought that Seeking Shadow could speak so fluently and astutely.
"You..." he said softly.
"Labels make things simple! Witches are mysticism, lock ’em up. Monsters are mysticism, lock ’em up. Even those monsters who often do good deeds, because of labels, oh, how convenient, slap on mysticism, lock ’em up. That’s what the Corporate Alliance has been doing for 150 years. Although the corporations haven’t really studied mysticism properly, all in it for the money, but it doesn’t matter, because they fight against mysticism, so the corporations have a great achievement. Is that so? That’s just grand," Seeking Shadow said.
Hazuki Masasuke smiled faintly; his long-held convictions could not be cracked by a few words.
However, Seeking Shadow’s words did reveal to him one side of the issue.
"Your voice is your own, but the words are not," Hazuki Masasuke noticed.
"Because my friend speaks more clearly," Seeking Shadow replied.
"Understand... there is a need to build a fence between mysticism and the lives of ordinary people. A slightly magical person can kill an entire family and get away with it. Not all your encounters with mysticism have been with good people doing good things, have they? You also know that to them, humans are like toys and slaves," Hazuki Masasuke said.
Seeking Shadow looked up but did not reply.
"Actually... compared to The Big Shots who can truly decide the fate of the world, we’re like dust in history, we don’t have the immense power to shape the world. That’s how it is," Hazuki Masasuke continued.
Hazuki Masasuke pointed upwards; they were in a blood-scented cellar, while others were rummaging through the factory nest.
"We are watching this filthy world from an even more basic, more ordinary viewpoint. You’re just a muscle for hire, and I’m just a mercenary. People of great renown and power like Lila Nestor and Kojima Kanako hardly value you or me. There’s no need to argue further, as what we stand for is simply what each of us firmly believes in our hearts. As for now, I will always stand with humans," Hazuki Masasuke said.
The laughter of Rinne and Lu Jing came from above, and Seeking Shadow knew it was time for her to leave; their happiness meant they must have found something valuable.
Seeking Shadow let out a faint sigh. She used to be just a domestic service robot, but now, in a way, she had become an agent of justice. Hazuki Masasuke was a bit odd, yet she felt a kindred spirit in him. Perhaps only the obsessed could dedicate themselves to extraordinary causes.
"I hope the battle at Jialong Slope will clear our last doubts," Seeking Shadow said.
"Of course... only the winners can stand tall and clarify their principles, while the losers’ bodies will just be kicked into Cold Bay," Hazuki Masasuke murmured.
She nodded to Hazuki Masasuke, then climbed the ladder through the trapdoor, returning to the top where Rinne and Lu Jing were happily tallying their gains.