"Where do Lin and Prometheus live?" Sakura asked the silent duo while quickly chopping vegetables.
"Suburban villa."
Are they rich, then?
Lin surveyed the not-so-spacious room and asked, "Are you two... living alone?"
"Yes... our parents left a bit early." Sakura's chopping hand paused. She said softly.
"Have you raised Rin all by yourself?" Lin inhaled and slowly exhaled. "That's quite amazing."
"Amazing..."
Sakura lowered her beautiful head, her eyes dimmed.
An older sister should be a role model for her little sister, but she couldn't tell Rin her true occupation, letting her know that her reliable older sister was actually a killer whose hands were stained with blood.
Lin observed her actions and expressions. After watching for a while, he sent a message to Prometheus.
...
At the dinner table, Prometheus fed Lin, who had lifted a section of his helmet to expose his mouth, with a spoon. Sakura watched the siblings with some curiosity, finding their interaction subtly peculiar.
The older brother was completely paralyzed and suffered from a facial condition she hadn't heard of, which couldn't be exposed for long periods. Logically, a sister who would spend every day with such a brother should have a gentle personality.
But Prometheus was somewhat disrespectful and overly familiar with Lin, displaying an attitude a sister shouldn't have. She never smiled, acting coldly like a robot.
The older brother, Lin, was also strange. He often commanded Prometheus in a tone similar to a military order, and the other party would not listen.
"Ah~" Prometheus nudged the spoon right up to Lin's nostril.
"..."
Sakura's eyes subtly observed the close proximity of the two—Prometheus was practically lying on Lin.
Was that gesture and distance a bit too ambiguous? Did this girl have no common sense in this regard?
"Prometheus, you're almost sticking the spoon up Brother Lin's nostril." Rin, however, saw this as friendly interaction between siblings. "Don't make it hard for Brother Lin."
Prometheus moved the spoon a little further away, staring seriously at Lin, whose face was completely dark: "Lin is very disobedient and a picky eater."
"...I don't think 'obedient' is the right word to use for your older brother."
"Rebellious."
Lin began to review whether he had genuinely mistreated Prometheus in the past and was now facing retribution.
"Haha, you two siblings are really interesting." Sakura was also amused by their interaction. Lin was cold, and Prometheus was cold with a touch of malice. Lin wanted to be firm but couldn't resist Prometheus due to his physical inconvenience. Every sentence he uttered was filled with helplessness.
Though it wasn't the kind of warmth one found in a typical family, there was a strange, undeniable bond between the two.
Lin glanced at her smile with his peripheral vision. It was warm and bright, not feigned.
He felt like he had seen this kind of smile on someone else before.
...
"Lin, are you just going to leave it at that?"
Prometheus pushed Lin along a moonlit path. There were no streetlights; the entire world was dreamy, as if covered by a veil of illusion.
She was puzzled by Lin's decision to simply walk away.
He wasn't the type of person to let a criminal go just because they had dependents to care for.
Lin would not judge humanity, but he would hand over those who had erred to the appropriate judicial bodies or individuals. Lin had always operated this way.
Lin walked with his head down, contemplating. Halfway through the path, he finally spoke: "...Prometheus, I am human. There will be times when I cannot judge correctly. You are an artificial intelligence. The probability of you making a mistake is lower than mine. In your opinion, what is the difference between Sakura and the real killer?"
"By general judicial definition, what Sakura did is no different in essence from the killer's actions. She is an assassin, so she has committed a crime by taking another's life and should be judged," Prometheus stated word by word. "However, according to the protocol set by Doctor Mei, we have no evidence of Sakura killing anyone, and not all people among humanity retain human rights or can be sanctioned by law. Therefore, 'killing a person' and 'killing a human' are two different concepts. I lack information on Sakura's targets, so I cannot judge."
Prometheus's two methods of judgment were based on protocol: one was the universal judicial system of humanity, and the other was a definition tailored by Mei to be more aligned with the Moth of the Flame's philosophy.
"...Exactly. So, I also cannot judge."
"...Why?"
Why would Lin say he couldn't judge?
"To her, this is the only means she has to make a living. To me, it would merely require finding a way to collect evidence against her to make her atone for her crime. Theoretically, I am correct, but that doesn't mean it's what is needed."
Rita, Spaciel, Delta... Lin had inadvertently witnessed too many similar situations.
In Rita's case, Lin was right; Rita had to atone for the Fifth Base. In Spaciel case, Lin was right because Karen had already become a Zombie. In Delta's experience, he made the right choice himself, embarking on the path of research because his talent could save more people.
Every time, he was right. Every time, he could judge with rationality. He chose to believe that humanity could make the right choice, so the wrong choices should be eliminated.
But every time, there was only loss and vanishing.
He believed in humanity.
He wanted to believe in humanity.
So this time, Lin decided to handle it differently. He would believe in humanity's ability to walk the right path in another way.
"I left a letter in her email, identifying her true identity. I warned her not to continue living as an assassin, or I would personally hand her over for judgment," Lin calmly explained his actions to Prometheus. "And... did you place the credit card in Rin room as I instructed?"
"No problem. Rin will find it. So, Lin intends to give them the money to allow Sakura to live differently?"
"No. Next, I will have you monitor her, observe her actions. If, after a period of time, she genuinely intends to change her life but cannot find a suitable job or is pursued by the assassin organization, I will give her the password, allowing her sufficient funds to start before retrieving the card." Every word Lin spoke was devoid of emotional inflection, as if preset. "Regardless of whether she continues her assassin profession, I will have the Moth of the Flame find the assassin organization and uproot it. If she continues, I will execute my promise and personally hand her over for judgment."
"I believe in humanity, so I believe in her."
Lin whispered this sentence, as if in prayer.
...
"This is..."
Sakura was stunned after reading the email in her inbox.
"Sister, what's wrong?"
"No... nothing!" Sakura blocked the screen, forcing a smile. " Rin, you must be tired today. Go to sleep quickly."
"Oh, alright." Ling felt a bit strange but didn't say anything and went to her room to sleep.
Sakura thought of the sentence in the email.
"Your little sister needs care. What she wants to see is a sister, not an assassin."
She lowered her arms.
Sure enough, I still can't escape.
Was this what her father called... "Karma"?
To live a different life from now on? Should I really consider this?
"Tap, tap, tap."
At that moment, a knock on the door sounded, making every hair on Sakura's body stand on end.
Sakura cautiously looked out the window. A man in a black suit and black sunglasses was smiling, standing at the door, pushing up his fedora.
In his right hand, he held a sheathed, pale blue long blade.