The Adventures of Clara

Case Closed

The story begins years earlier when Blackjack was just eight years old.

Little blackjack plays itself with its dolls. Just like the days before, the neighborhood children would come and disturb him. But this time something different happened.

A little boy a little older than him came and drove away the crowd of bullies.

Wh who?

Wh why?

Back then little Blackjack did not understand. He asked why the boy was helping him. Instead of getting an answer Blackjack even got angry.

"Anu, yes, at a time like this you should thank me!" said the boy.

"Ma-sorry-"

"Acologies! Thank you!"

"Thank you, please."

"good. Don't forget to thank me next time someone helps you."

Instead of feeling grateful, the little Blackjack was more afraid of this boy than the previous bullies. I don't know why this boy feels different.

"Stupid kid! You scared him!"

A man came and stabbed the boy.

"But teacher, don't you always tell me to thank you when you get help?"

"Bad brat! This is this yes, that's it!"

The man called the teacher once again clinched the boy's head. He apologized to Blackjack.

"I'm sorry for this brat" said the man, bowing his head.

"That's okay. Excuse me. Uh, that, thanks."

"Look! Look what you just did you little brat."

The man this time pinched the boy's thick cheeks.

"Gu-teachers! Sa-sick. Please stop it."

"It's a punishment for you. We just came to this town and you've made unnecessary trouble."

Both the teacher and the student went away leaving the little Blackjack in confusion. They came unattended and went home without saying goodbye.

The day of the boy came back but this time accompanied by a little girl.

"Senior, don't make trouble or the teacher will get angry again" the girl recalled.

"Whisper! What trouble do you think I'm causing!" snapped the boy.

But his anger grew even more so when the girl nodded strongly.

The little blackjack that could not stand it anymore immediately said, "A-anu, what's wrong?"

"Ehe. Hey, you! You don't have any friends, do you? Then play with us!"

Small blackjack is once again a confusion. This was the first time someone had invited him to play.

"No-no need."

"Good! Then ... uh, what?"

The boy did not seem to believe Blackjack would turn down his offer.

Honestly, the little Blackjack prefers to play alone. In addition, his mother always advised to stay away from people who looked rude.

"Geez, senior, it's worth it that you don't have any friends" scorned the girl.

"Be-noisy!"

"First you should introduce yourself first. Didn't the teacher say that often?"

An expression oh, yes, I finally remember being plugged in the boy's face.

"Ehem. Let's start all over again. My name is Dodo Riko. Hello to you."

"Blackjack .. greetings to know."

The little blackjack welcomed the boy's helping hand. Unexpectedly his hand felt extremely rough, similar to his father's hand.

"Shanti. Greetings," said the girl.

Since then the boy will be the only one to bother him because other bullies are afraid of him.

The boy would come and pull him everywhere. When dusk comes he will return Blackjack to his home. Then morning came and the boy was waiting for him in front of the house. At one point Blackjack was even welcomed as a college student.

The teacher had only five students, not including Blackjack. Everything is very warm and friendly.

When with them a little Blackjack feels like being at home. Not his current home but his former home where his father, mother, and himself would sit at the table eating food while telling stories and joking.

But unfortunately, just like his family, their togetherness must also end.

"Three years flowed so fast. Why did they have to move, I always wondered. Their time together has been so memorable in my memory."

"Then why don't you come with them?"

"My mom wouldn't allow it. I don't know what's in your shadow but my family's not that bad, you know.

"Before we parted, we made a promise. An ideal world where there is no evil and everyone laughs happily. A utopia without war and famine. We promise to realize the expectations of teachers to create that ideal world. Silly right?"

"Yes. Such a world could not possibly exist."

"Ahaha. I-i know. The bigger I grow the more I know how impossible our hope is. But, you know, what's wrong with trying to realize this ridiculous idealism?

One time Blackjack coincidentally met the boy after being separated for nearly two decades.

Time has turned him into a handsome, handsome man. Fortunately, it hasn't changed much.

"Yo. Long time no see."

Or is it really unchanged?

Blackjack invited him to stop by the house and the two told him about things late into the night.

Apparently the boy became an Imperial soldier. He also married the girl and was blessed with a son who was no less careless than his father.

"My silly son always said he wanted to be like his father" he said, proud.

"May she inherit some of her mother's nature."

"You're mocking me, aren't you?"

"Aahaha."

As the night grew late, both of them were drunk. Their topics also became deeper.

"The higher-ups can only think of war and war! Why can't they make peace, anyway?"

"extreme circumstances? For example?"

"For example, it's like a third party as a common enemy."

At that point Blackjack was not aware of it. Everyone is bound to change, just as his skeptical ideal world teacher can materialize. Most people would have given up on it.

"Third party, yes. Aye! Why I never thought about it."

"Hey, you. Don't think of anything stupid."

"No, no. This isn't stupid. It's j-e-n-i-u-s."

"Stupid. Even if you can't make your ideal world come true, as long as your family, friends, and surroundings are happy then that's enough."

"Key. Even if your mouth talks like that, but in fact, you're still donating all your wealth to help others."

"This is all I can do."

This friend never once gave up on realizing their promise first. What has changed from him is the way of the mind to realize its idea.

Maybe he's been too desperate. Maybe he was tired of being betrayed. The world is too heartless for people like us.

"I will keep fighting until death. You're doing it your way and I'm my way."

It all felt vague and unreal. Afterwards his friend left and Blackjack did not hear from him again.

"The next time I heard about him, he was already stamped as a traitor and became a fugitive. Apparently he joined a group that the empire considered to be ******* with the frills of bringing about peace. He even asked me but I refused.

"What did that fool do? Is it my fault for giving him that idea? I keep wondering. But even after all that. I decided to continue in my own way."

Until here everyone has been absorbed into the story of Blackjack. Everything is quite detailed and easy to understand. But the question is, why did Blackjack end up betraying?

"Me and him, we're the same. We keep trying until that point becomes a habit. The thing is we're starting to forget what I did all this for. Everything slowly began to feel blurred. We do it just out of habit and off the track.

"One day, someone came up to me. That man was the son of the boy and he came to preach his father's death. This news makes me sad, you know. In the end he failed. So what is all this effort for? Isn't everything ultimately in vain?"

"No. All is not in vain" said the child. "Come with me. Please see for yourself the fruits of father's struggle all this time."

Blackjack followed. For days they walked to the corners of the world until they finally reached a city, called Utopia.

In this place humans and demi-humans live together. A place of peace without hunger. An ideal world that Blackjack always fails to achieve, his friend succeeds.

"See. This is just the first step" said the boy, excited. "It won't be long before the whole world will become like this city. Just as Mr. Sage promised. But to realize this plan war must not happen again in a few decades. Therefore, Uncle, please help us prevent a war from happening."

Until here, it finally became clear. The reason for Blackjack's betrayal, the intent of his actions during this time.

"What is all this to prevent war?" ask O'hime.

"That's right, my sweet daughter. A tool to call nightmare. Just hearing it makes me tremble. This tool should not be owned by anyone" replied Blackjack.

"It just doesn't justify all your actions" said a voice from behind a tree.

The figure wears a full-body armor. His face was covered in a helmet of armor but everyone here knew of his identity.

"I never condone my actions, son. Thousands of lives I've taken, it's impossible to make up for it."

"Where is the tool now?"

"The real one I destroyed. The last prototype I gave to a girl I happened to meet."

"Are you an idiot? Giving such a dangerous device to a little girl!" o'hime.

"ahahaha. Relax there is safety. Besides it's just me who's still alive and knows how to use it."

"It's good that way."

"Why are you here, Epsilon?" ask Delta Greyhorn.

"An emergency report came from Denia City."

Everyone immediately turned their eyes towards Blackjack.

"I didn't do anything this time," protested Blackjack.

"S-level monsters appeared around Kenzi Fortress. It's thought there's a disaster-class dungeon around there" explains Epsilon.

"What!" shouted Darton.

The case of Blackjack is not over and now there is a new incident that is not less serious.

Kenzi Fortress is only one day away from Denia City. If the dungeon around there gets out of control then Denia City will also be affected.

"The city guards will leave first. The Special Knight Battalion will follow after two days later," he continued.

"It looks like everything's been taken care of. Let's settle things here first."

"Ahaha. How do you want to take care of it?"

"Isn't it clear. Hymne Blackjack, your act of betraying the empire and all your crimes, hereby I, Supreme Court Justice Epsilon Greyhorn, sentence you to death" said Epsilon.

No one opposed his decision. Except one man, of course.

"Jee-jack ...."

O'hime grasped tightly the Blackjack arm. Even if before he always yelled he would kill her, this is yes this, that's yes it is.

There's no way he's forgotten all the sweet memories of their togetherness.

O'hime, who even her biological parents don't want, is lucky to be cared for by a father like Jack, a gentle and loving figure.

"Sorry .. sorry for being an ungodly child ...."

"Cups. Cup. You're a good girl. I should have apologized. I'm sorry for defying your ideals. This old man has failed as a father."

"No ... no ...."

Unable to shed tears he again cried hysterically dipped the father.

"buddy. Goodbye. Let's meet again next time" said Delta, briefly.

"Yes. Let's meet again if fate allows."

"No ... Jack ...."

Darton tries to keep the hysterical O'hime away. But there's no way he can do it. So with Anna's help, O'hime was made to fall asleep.

"ahahaha. Goodbye, my sweet daughter and my best friend. Sorry to bother you all."

Epsilon drew his sword and raised it high.

"Blackjack, any last words?"

"Nothing."

The Espilon Sword seamlessly decapitated Hymne Blackjack.

The Byzantine Incident case is hereby declared to be completed.