Hero For Lust

A day passed, and Caspian decided.

He would bring things to a close.

With fatherhood looming, every loose thread demanded resolution. The world's shadows had stirred long enough.

The 'Abandoned Masses,' the 'Tsukuyomi,' and 'The Organization' — each would fall beneath this cloudy sky.

He started with the 'Abandoned Masses.' Shadow Ring stood beside him, silent but steady, as he questioned her. More importantly, he asked if anyone among them still mattered to her. She shook her head.

That settled it.

'Omni Sense' swept across the continent, pinpointing their locations within seconds. No fanfare. No drawn-out justice. One by one, the low-level members vanished — hurled into the sun's heart.

Next came the 'Dowager's' Three Fangs: Lady Vermilion, Sister Umbra, and Dame Ivory. Their names carried weight, their reputations carried worse. Caspian dealt with them just as swiftly, their stories ending in a solar baptism.

But the Dowager offered surprise.

She appeared as a withered crone, back bent beneath layers of black robes that shimmered and rippled like smoke. Her hair coiled into a tight gray bun, wild strands jutting from the edges, and her yellow-green eyes glinted with age and malice. In her grip, a cane twisted like burnt wood, gnarled and stained.

Caspian remembered her. She could escape from 'Hyperspace Gates.'

For a moment, it worked. She slipped back through a gate and shattered her cane mid-flight, triggering what she called 'Bloodmoon Resurrection.' Her frail body dissolved into light, reforming as a striking woman with jet-black hair and skin-tight crimson battle silks that seemed born of the blood moon itself.

It changed nothing.

He answered with a single, elegant response: the fabled 'Moon Kick.'

She vanished in an instant. This time he made sure she didn't return. Just to be certain, he took a selfie by the crater on the moon where her remains landed — one to show Shadow Ring.

A small memento. She smiled when he shared it. Genos did, too.

¤ ¤ ¤

An hour later, Caspian moved on to the 'Tsukuyomi.'

He located them, sealed the entire group in a pocket dimension, and let them be. A personal gift for Tatsumaki — it was her right to deliver their final judgment.

Only one annoyance remained: 'The Organization.'

"Genos. Doctor Kuseno." Caspian stood inside the lab. "I'm destroying the Organization today. Will you join me? If so, we're picking up one other person on the way."

"Master, I must be the one to face the Rampaging Cyborg!"

Doctor Kuseno voiced his concern, but sighed and nodded. "Very well. Genos, go to West Basement Hangar B, Capsule No. 4." He listed the passcode. "Inside, you can equip emergency armor and your latest upgrade — something I've quietly updated after every enhancement. It's very strong."

"Thank you, Doctor!" Genos darted off.

"Caspian," Doctor Kuseno asked, "are you sure you can find them? And who is this other guest?"

"I already have. It's Dr. Bofoi, of course."

¤ ¤ ¤

Thank you, Master. Thank you, Doctor Kuseno.

Caspian had kept his promise. The 'Organization' was gone, save for the one standing before Genos in the dead wasteland. Genos's core burned. Sparks flared behind his eyes. He would end this nightmare.

Doctor Kuseno's parting words echoed: 'Genos… it's not that you're weak. It's that your enemies are always too strong.'

Not today. Not anymore.

He surged forward.

"'Lightning Core.'" Energy pulsed as lightning enveloped him. He tackled his mortal enemy straight on. No response. No time to react. The 'Rampaging Cyborg' was sent flying.

Genos wouldn't relent.

"'Floating Core.'" He rose high into the sky, hand extended. "'Super Magnetic Core.'" The cyborg shot toward him, drawn in as if by fate. He caught its smooth metal skull in his palm.

Then he plummeted; causing the ground to rupture beneath the weight of his descent.

He repeated the sequence, a brutal, full course of force. "'Super Magnetic Core.'" "'Scorching Core.'" "'Super Magnetic Core.'" "'Freezing Core.'" The 'Rampaging Cyborg' struggled in vain.

"'Floating Core.'" Genos caught its neck and hurled it skyward. "'Roaring Dragon Core!'" For thirty seconds, his output would skyrocket, power escalating with each heartbeat. "'Reverse Meteor Strike!'" He met the airborne machine, driving a punch into its platinum-hued shell. It cracked. He followed, striking again. Downward. Harder.

"'Final Smash!'"

His arm detached, a self-propelled missile that chased after the plunging robot. It caught up quick and struck with full force, crushing the enemy into the wasteland below.

Genos hovered above, smoke rising from his shoulders, as the crater below stretched wide for hundreds of meters. This time, he was strong enough.

Mom. Dad. Sis. I've finally done it. Forgive me... for taking so long.

As the 'Roaring Dragon Core's' power faded, Genos drifted down, dropping to his knees on the cracked earth. Revenge. Hatred. Rage. All burned out.

His arms trembled. His breath came in short bursts.

It was over.

Revenge. Hatred. Rage. All burned out.

And now? What was left?

He stared down at his hands, unsure what to feel. A warmth touched his face; foreign, stinging.

Tears?

He hadn't cried since that day.

A bitter laugh caught in his throat. Even with his revenge complete, the Doctor hadn't stopped looking out for him.

Through his daze, he heard footsteps, which drew in his focus.

"Genos, you've lost an arm again," Doctor Kuseno said.

Beside him, Dr. Bofoi dropped to his knees, his composure shattering. "You all… you actually did it. You destroyed the 'Organization…' and the 'Rampaging Cyborg…' Thank you." He choked on his words, overcome with emotions.

"There is no need for your desperate measures now," Doctor Kuseno said, as he patted his old friend's back. "How about we return to our original goal? Improving the world. I've met a colleague; I think you would be interested in working alongside him."

Dr. Bofoi got to his feet and nodded, the anger Caspian had seen earlier replaced by a profound peace.

"Good work, Genos," Caspian's voice followed. "I'm sorry, everyone. I should have wrapped these issues up sooner. But don't worry. Things won't drag on any longer. We will all get the peaceful lives we deserve."

Genos choked up, but couldn't find the words. That's when he noticed a woman standing behind Caspian. She wore a plum-colored blouse tucked into dark slacks, her posture poised. Dust clung to her sturdy black boots. Her dark hair fell in loose waves, brushing past her ears.

She met his gaze, and in that moment, he knew her identity — Shadow Ring.

Maybe… having her by his side wouldn't be so bad.

Doctor Kuseno's words shook him from his trance. "Let us go home, Genos. You are in much need of repairs."