Nuclear Weapons.
The most powerful weapon created by the old generation of humanity.
A god made by man and the first weapon of mass destruction.
While there have only been a few instances of its actual use, its terrifying potential was well understood. Paranoia drove humanity to produce countless nuclear warheads, though they refrained from using them.
Over time, weapons even stronger and cleaner than nuclear bombs were invented. These left no radioactive fallout in their wake, neatly erasing people and buildings alike.
Thus, nuclear weapons became relics of the past—still powerful, yet outdated and impractical.
Naturally, I assumed this world would have nuclear weapons as well. But it didn’t.
"This world has no nuclear weapons."
It was strange. How could a world with the internet lack nuclear weapons? Quantum mechanics, which is essential for developing the internet, naturally leads to the understanding and creation of nuclear weapons.
The absence of nuclear weapons was an unnatural anomaly. It didn’t take long for me to identify the culprit.
"That? We probably took care of it."
Mr. Powerful—now Ares—spoke up. The information was so old that no digital records existed, making it impossible for even me to uncover. But when someone who lived through that era speaks, records become irrelevant.
Ares fell silent for a moment, drawing out memories buried in his neurons from decades ago.
"Whenever humans tried to create some secret weapon or other, Mr. Clear would go in and kill everyone involved. Since weapon development was classified, they probably just announced the developers had died of sudden illnesses."
After hearing his words, I searched for data on promising scientists of the past century who had died suddenly. While much information was lost, this particular detail was still available, making it easy to find.
Nearly half of the scientists who had won this world’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize—the ABC Prize—were recorded as having died suddenly in accidents or from illnesses in their later years. The pattern was so consistent that rumors once spread, claiming that winning the ABC Prize was a death sentence.
"So it was true."
"Yep. Though I never understood why they thought those weapons were such a big deal."
"Because they’re weapons that could threaten even the Guardians."
I couldn’t speak for the other Guardians, especially Mr. Rays. Considering her ability to reduce the output of all objects and beings to her power level, it was possible that nuclear weapons wouldn’t even detonate around her.
But Ares, the one standing before me, was a different story. If he were left alone in a city, and a nuclear bomb were dropped on it, there would be no way for him to survive.
"So, if word got out about this weapon being made, Mr. Clear would throw a fit, wouldn’t he?"
"Of course. If what you’ve described about nuclear weapons is accurate, it’s similar to his own power. He’d lose his mind over it."
"...Wait, what?"
"What do you mean, ‘what’?"
"What did you just say was similar to what?"
Ares shrugged, as if the answer was obvious.
"The nuclear weapon you described and Mr. Clear’s ability—they’re similar."
"...I see."
His words made me reassess the danger level of Mr. Clear. If his ability was similar to a nuclear weapon, it likely involved either nuclear fission or nuclear fusion.
Could a human body really generate nuclear fusion? Of course, a nuclear bomb requires tens of kilograms of material, so even if a person’s body triggered fusion, the resulting explosion wouldn’t be massive.
But if—if—
Mr. Clear could convert 100% of his body mass into nuclear fusion?
"That’s not just fusion. That’s antimatter annihilation."
Antimatter annihilation reactions release 43 kilotons of energy per gram—a force three times greater than Little Boy, the first atomic bomb dropped on Earth.
If he used that energy solely for guerrilla warfare, moving from place to place? Mr. Clear could single-handedly wipe out all of humanity.
"I’ll need to be cautious."
Though nuclear weapons had become relics on Earth,
Their destructive power remained undeniable—so long as they could detonate.
"There’s a reason they’re outdated."
I began designing both a weapon to draw Mr. Clear out and one to neutralize him. In this world, there was no infrastructure for developing nuclear weapons, so I had to start entirely from scratch.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t rely on help from the Scholars Guild or anyone else this time. While nuclear weapons were conceptually complex, the technology to build them wasn’t particularly advanced—if one knew how to do it.
Which meant this would be another solo endeavor.
Science, after all, is at its most dignified in solitude.
With that thought to comfort me, I delved into my research.
*****
One day, during the height of protests against Evilus Corporation, a sudden earthquake struck.
"Kyaaah!"
"It’s an earthquake!"
"Everyone, take shelter inside the buildings!"
The tremors shook the ground violently as if the world were collapsing, but it stopped after only shattering a few windows and toppling some decrepit streetlights.
People, puzzled by this atypical earthquake, were given little time to ponder before another struck the following day. This time in E City. Then Z City. Then D City.
The common denominator in all these earthquakes? Each location had some connection, however minor, to E City and Evilus Corporation. This became prime fodder for public outrage, a perfect excuse to vilify Evilus.
"The chairwoman of Evilus has made a pact with the devil!"
"No, she’s developed a weapon that causes earthquakes!"
"She’s not even human! Burn her alive!"
As the collective fury of the world focused on Evilus Corporation and its leader, Regalia, she calmly convened a press conference.
"[You’ve requested a statement about the recent earthquakes.]"
"[No, I haven’t made a pact with the devil. I’m not that far gone.]"
But then—
"[However, the other accusation is true.]"
"[Excuse me? What do you mean by that...?]"
"[I did cause the earthquakes. They’re a byproduct of a weapon created by our scientists.]"
Human hands had altered the natural environment. The shocking statement left reporters speechless, their stunned faces fixed on Regalia as she continued.
"[For the record, the earthquakes are merely a side effect of the weapon’s power. Its true terror isn’t beneath the earth—it’s above it.]"
Regalia declared that even she wouldn’t want to witness the weapon’s full capability. Whether that was bluster or genuine, no one dared to test her claim.
Indeed, no one dared.
"Cooperate, Satan."
"Oh, Mr. Clear."
On the top floor of a luxury hotel, amidst a private pool party reserved for VIPs, Mr. Satan groaned as Mr. Clear appeared before him unannounced.
When news broke that Mr. Powerful and Mr. Rays had been taken down by an evil organization—one that was now targeting even Mr. Clear—
Mr. Clear had vanished without a word to anyone.
Satan, believing his time had come, indulged in his hedonism.
There was no one left to stop him. Sure, the other two Guardians had been defeated, but that was because they were foolish. He had no intention of making the same mistake by fighting head-on.
"This world is mine!"
But that thought didn’t last long. Barely a few months had passed when Evilus Corporation surged to prominence, and now Mr. Clear stood before him.
"...You disappear without warning and now show up demanding cooperation? What for?"
"Evilus Corporation is dangerous. Cooperate with me, Mr. Satan."
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"And what exactly is so dangerous about them?"
At Satan’s question, Mr. Clear’s expression soured into a deep scowl. Satan flinched slightly at the sight but remained confident that Mr. Clear wouldn’t kill him.
He knew Mr. Clear was a staunch adherent to principles and reason. If he had gone so far as to seek Satan’s aid, then it wasn’t merely out of desperation. Defying him wouldn’t lead to his death.
And, it seemed, Satan’s calculation was correct. Mr. Clear let out a long sigh before speaking.
"The weapon created by Evilus Corporation... it’s dangerous. It holds the power to destroy the world. Humanity should not possess such a thing."
"What’s so dangerous about it? Causing earthquakes? Any S-rank physical enhancer can do that."
"...It doesn’t just cause earthquakes. That weapon—"
It wasn’t just a weapon.
Though Mr. Clear had never faced it directly, his instincts told him everything.
It was the same as his own power.
The same divine authority bestowed upon him by his creator.
"That power is mine alone."
To Mr. Clear,
The idea of humans—creatures he deemed inferior to even monkeys—wielding such a power was an unspeakable blasphemy.