Chapter 139. The Reason for Fanaticism
With an extremely light step, Chaos walked toward his room.
He seemed delighted by his first walk in a long time, smiling brightly while carrying his severed arm in his other hand.
“Chaos! Are you all right?!”
Happy, who could be called Chaos’s closest aide, hurried toward him with a worried expression.
Chaos looked to be in an excellent mood.
He gave Happy, who was overflowing with concern, a truly refreshing smile.
“Yes! I’m perfectly fine. I actually feel refreshed.”
He glanced at his severed arm.
“Ah, you mean the arm? It’s fine, it’s fine. It feels like I squeezed a boil on my back. It hurts, but I also feel relieved.”
“But that wound was inflicted by a Great Hero...!”
“Hmm. That is true. I never imagined the Great Hero of Jeonggyeon had already set one foot into the realm of the Swordless Sword.”
Chaos laughed softly.
“I thought calling him the strongest Great Hero was an excessive title, but apparently it was true. He really is the strongest. I gladly admit it.”
Then he added without hesitation,
“I probably cannot defeat him.”
Chaos stared at the deeply worried Happy for a moment before grinning.
He tossed his severed arm toward Happy and made him hold it.
Then Chaos pulled golden thread from his pocket and began sewing his own arm back on.
His movements were smooth and practiced.
In no time at all, the arm had been reattached.
But that did not mean the wound had completely healed.
He would have to rest for a while.
Chaos gave a bitter smile, clearly disappointed by that fact.
By destroying the Kingdom of Mu, they had obtained many resources.
Its technology.
Its people.
Its history.
Even its wealth.
But none of those benefits to the organization were what had put Chaos in such a good mood.
“Has Madness made any moves?”
“Ah, yes! Actually, we received word that Madness has left the Abandoned District and is currently heading toward the capital!”
Chaos’s face immediately brightened.
“Ahh, as expected! Madness must like this version of Chaos as well!”
His voice filled with excitement.
“Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it absolutely delightful?!”
“Haha, yes!”
Madness had held a festival and toyed with the Village of Hope.
Hope had appeared in the world in response.
And Madness had begun walking down a dark path.
For Chaos, there could hardly have been anything more exciting.
The other fanatics were just as restless, unable to remain still from anticipation.
But Chaos could not simply stay excited forever.
He was, after all, the leader of the fanatics.
He had to regain his composure and continue managing the organization.
“Haa... With this incident, we have dealt with a considerable portion of the roots that opposed the ideals of the fanatics.”
Chaos smiled faintly.
“And the strongest one personally did it, no less.”
Thanks to that, some information about them had probably already reached the Great Heroes.
“Now, all that remains is for us to finally step into the light.”
Happy looked both nervous and excited.
“Are we really going to reveal ourselves now? We still haven’t completely brought the Fruit under our control, have we?”
Chaos paused for a moment as he looked into Happy’s eyes.
Then he smiled gently.
It was the kind of smile that naturally put people at ease.
Happy’s anxiety faded slightly, while his expectations grew.
“It’s fine. That Fruit was never someone we could control in the first place.”
Chaos spoke calmly.
“What matters is that we possess the Fruit.”
“I trust you. But we know Madness is searching for the Fruit. If something goes wrong and the Fruit is taken from us—”
“Happy.”
Happy froze.
Chaos’s voice was no longer warm.
There was no laughter in it.
No kindness.
It was cold.
Calm.
Completely emotionless.
Happy could not understand why.
He had only been speaking with Chaos like he always did.
It had not even been a long conversation.
Only a few words.
A moment later, Happy finally realized that he had made a mistake.
He dropped to the floor and begged Chaos for forgiveness.
But Chaos did not forgive him.
He merely continued.
“Everything belonging to the fanatics exists for Madness.”
Chaos’s gaze was cold.
“Even that Fruit understands this.”
“Even that abnormal Fruit knows that everything it possesses exists entirely for Madness.”
“I-I’m sorry! I misspoke!”
Chaos slowly shook his head.
“No, Happy. That was not simply a mistake.”
“Those words revealed what you truly think.”
Happy trembled.
“Without realizing it, you have begun seeing Madness as your enemy.”
“And you have placed the meaningless existence known as the fanatics—which exists only for Madness—above Madness itself.”
“N-No! I would never do such a thing!”
“You would.”
Chaos looked down at him.
“You just did.”
Everything the fanatics possessed existed only for Madness.
If Madness wanted the Fruit and had become capable of claiming it, no one had the right to stand in his way.
That was why Jamani had wanted to take it back before.
Madness had not yet been ready.
And it was also why they had handed the Gardener over without complaint once Madness had grown capable enough.
Madness was still young.
Still incomplete.
They were merely allowing him to climb the stairs slowly.
Whenever he climbed another step, they gave him a reward.
And if they continued rewarding him...
If they continued proving their loyalty...
Then when Madness finally reached the top step, he would look back at the fanatics and smile.
“Happy, I knew you had been interacting with the others more often lately.”
Chaos’s eyes narrowed.
“But I never expected even you to listen to the nonsense of the Destruction Faction.”
“...!”
Happy flinched violently.
He had never imagined Chaos knew about that.
He had believed he was living while perfectly deceiving him.
Only then did Happy understand his situation.
The fanatics were preparing to step into the light.
And he had become an unnecessary impurity.
Chaos had not suddenly become angry with him.
No.
He had merely been waiting for this moment.
“Happy... I was fond of you.”
Chaos’s expression softened slightly.
“When Madness revealed himself to this world once again, you were the first to accept him.”
“I still do! Nothing has changed! I still serve Madness—!”
Chaos quietly interrupted him.
“Happy, do you miss the days when you were still at the training facility?”
Cold sweat ran down Happy’s back.
His jaw began trembling.
Happy believed he had already achieved enlightenment.
So being told to return to the days before that enlightenment...
Those words were more terrifying than any torture.
Everything offered by the fanatics was like a drug.
Happy had already become addicted to it.
Tears began pouring from his eyes as he looked up at Chaos.
“W-Why are you doing this...? After everything... everything I’ve done until now....”
