Sacrifice was needed to save more humans.

It was always like that. You could call it a sacrifice for the greater good, but wasn't sacrifice something you choose for yourself? It shouldn't be forced onto others.

So, what they really meant was... survival of the fittest.

"READY YOUR WEAPONS!!"

The ringleader raised his hand, signaling the troops to hold their position. The soldiers, fully armored and towering like three-meter-tall androids, stood motionless, surrounded by various high-tech military vehicles.

A hundred meters ahead, a man shrouded in a swirling black mist, like ink spreading in water, came to a halt. The air around him thickened with smoke while a ruined building spewed water from its windows. Once hovering steadily, flying cars plummeted from the sky, their shattered forms igniting into frenzied flames.

For a long moment, there was silence... until the ringleader raised his blade.

Those in power often trample over the rights of the weak. Those who lack strength would be subjugated.

"FI—!!"

A hand shot out before the command could be completed and gripped his face. The palm of the shadowy figure engulfed the ringleader's head entirely. He was already standing before the soldiers in the blink of an eye.

A dark mist swirled violently around their point of contact.

Such hypocritical behavior from humankind.

The ringleader was caught in the grip. He struggled, but it was futile. His body was lifted into the air, and his once mighty sword clattered to the ground.

Its glow faded, extinguished.

"Phmmm...!!"

But I also learned about human personalities.

"CAP... CAPTAIN!!"

The soldiers stiffened.

Their fingers hovered over triggers, grips tightening around their weapons, but none dared to move against the shadow before them. All frozen. Their wide eyes seemed to understand—they should never have been here. They shouldn't have confronted the figure in front of them. They should have evacuated, like everyone else.

They knew the vast difference in power.

I learned about the human world.

The ringleader's efforts to break free were abruptly halted as the shadowy figure's grip tightened. Blood began to seep from the seams of his suit, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief. Slowly, a thick, red goo oozed from them.

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"U-Upp...!! Khmmm!! AAGHH!!!"

I became human.

Splintered. Shattered. These were all that remained of the ringleader's body, destroyed against the backdrop of devastation. The soldiers who witnessed it could only watch in horror as their resolve crumbled, with the illusion that they were safe in numbers.

I couldn't universally apply negative statements about humans; it was vital to consider each situation's diverse contexts and circumstances.

"ALL, OPEN FIRE!!!"

The shout shattered the silence, snapping the soldiers out of their stunned reverence at the ringleader's display. A surge of rage surged through them. Click. Clatter. Weapons were raised in unison. A storm of pulse energy, bullets, beams, and rays cut through the air, converging on a single target.

I felt disgusted.

Of course... it was all for nothing.

Every attack pierced his body as if the man himself didn't even exist—yet he still stood there, unmoving. He was there, facing them. "Them," who continued to operate the massive machines individually.

Yet, I was also confused.

Despite the gunfire and explosions, the figure raised his hand toward the sky. The sky, now encased in a sphere of void, swirled with dark mist above him. With a single snap of his fingers, the sphere detonated, sending a shockwave that surged across the battlefield like a tidal wave.

In the chaos, vehicles were tossed aside and overturned. Robots short-circuited, collapsing in a heap. Soldiers were hurled through the air as if nothing more than ragdolls. The earth cracked beneath the immense force, and what remained of the surrounding buildings crumbled into dust.

"AAAHHHHGG!!"

No matter how hard you try to save, protect, or prevent humans from making mistakes, they inevitably suffer.

There was no doubt that this horrific scene was being broadcast to people all over the world, captured by the drones that continued to hover, even after the previous one was destroyed by the man's devastating impact.

"He is slaughtering those soldiers..."

Because humans weren't designed to be happy.

World leaders convened for emergency sessions in hidden rooms. The weight of their decisions felt heavier than ever before. Analysts and academics offered live commentary, drawing conclusions from drone footage and speculating on the mysterious being's origins and motives.

Yet, no one seemed to truly understand.

The reason lay in the fleeting nature of happiness itself.

Rarity gave it value. When it became easily attainable, its value diminished, eventually becoming meaningless. Thus, it was impossible to halt the cycle of suffering; happiness was only reserved for a fortunate few.

As the shadowy figure advanced, the drones continued their relentless pursuit, capturing every detail of this looming threat. When night fell, he paused, his head turning as if aware of the world's watchful gaze. It seemed he might speak for a brief moment—perhaps to address the lingering question that hung in the air: Why?

Why were we created for, then?

But no words came.

The answer was too obvious.

He turned and continued on his path.

With each step, a street pole crumbled. With each step, a pseudo-knife sliced through the houses on either side. With each step, the screams of those fleeing for safety tore at their throats as blood spilled onto the ground. One by one, the screens that displayed his figure flickered and went dark. Disconnected. Gone. It was a silent signal: the man had obliterated the area.

We were simply a drama created by beings superior to us to observe.

For that reason, I dismantled this stage play.

In the vacuum of information, theories emerged. Was that man the result of a forbidden experiment gone awry? An entity from another dimension? Or perhaps a manifestation of nature's wrath?

You could say I made a biased decision, a selfish one, or whatever you want to name it. Those wouldn't change anything.

I'd made my decision.

I would bring salvation to you all.

I, myself, didn't know why I had to witness this, to see and feel this horror, to see how hopeless and helpless humans were.

However, I knew that man was—

After all, I already knew, I just—

"A monster."