The System of Justice

Chapter 8: Absolute Justice

That afternoon, the television screen at the safe house displayed a satisfying sight: Raka was being dragged from a car in handcuffs, followed by a pale-faced General Anton, as well as Pratama and Hardi, who could only hang their heads to avoid the flash of reporters' cameras. They were all being taken in for intensive interrogation. Those once-arrogant faces had withered under the media spotlight and the roar of the angry mob shouting insults outside the gates.

"Now is the time, Uncle." Rio appeared from behind his wall of monitors, his voice low so as not to disturb Sarah. "Anton’s mansion is empty. The perimeter security is still there, but most of his personal bodyguards have been summoned as witnesses or are undergoing internal review."

Arga nodded firmly. He kissed Sarah's forehead; she was beginning to look drowsy from the effects of her recovery medication. "I’ll be gone for a while, Sarah. There’s something I must finish so we can finally be at peace."

"Stay safe, Arga," she whispered faintly.

Arga nodded. He donned his black leather jacket and activated his Eagle Eye glasses. "Make sure Sarah stays safe here, Rio."

"Leave it to me. I’ll open a digital path for you," Rio replied.

With the help of the Black-Cab’s stealth system, Arga successfully infiltrated the mansion grounds through a rear wall bordering the city forest. His Eagle Eye glasses highlighted laser sensor grids that now appeared transparent to his vision.

[Ghost: Uncle, I’ve bypassed the garden sensors. You have 10 minutes before the system auto-reboots. Anton’s study is on the second floor, behind a biometric steel door.

Arga moved like a phantom. He had no intention of hurting anyone tonight unless forced. Using his structural weakness analysis, he found a flaw in the balcony window’s locking system. Once inside Anton’s opulent study, Arga headed straight for a safe hidden behind a wood panel. With Rio’s technical guidance, Arga successfully cracked the access code. Inside, he found a physical hard drive containing the "Dragon Project" data and a black ledger detailing the police fund embezzlement.

"Got it," Arga muttered.

[Justice Points Multiplied: +3000 Points!] [Main Mission: Collect Ultimate Evidence—COMPLETED.]

[Ghost: Leave immediately, Uncle. Several guards are approaching.

"Copy that."

With utmost caution, Arga crept out of the room. A maid tidying up the house nearly spotted him. Arga held his breath, pressing his body perfectly against a dark marble pillar as the maid passed just meters from his position. Once the coast was clear, Arga bolted for the balcony and leaped down silently, landing on the wet grass of the garden.

[Ghost: Uncle, the car is in position. Move! I can’t jam the motion sensors much longer!]

Without looking back, Arga sprinted through the darkness of the city forest and dove into the Black-Cab. The car immediately sped away from the luxury mansion, which now felt like a crumbling monument to the general’s downfall.

Arga did not head to the police station; he knew Anton’s henchmen lingered there. Instead, he drove to a corner coffee shop where a man in glasses with a stern expression sat waiting. The man was Prosecutor Herlambang, Arga’s old friend from the academy, known for being an idealist who could not be bought.

"You’re truly insane, Arga," Herlambang remarked as Arga placed the hard drive and a folder of original documents on his table. "Anton’s men are scouring the city for you like you’re a fugitive, and here you are bringing an atomic bomb to incinerate the General."

"I don't trust anyone else but you, Her," Arga replied seriously. "Everything is in there—the embezzlement, the bribery of judges, and the list of witnesses they intimidated. I want you to make sure they rot in prison. Not just Raka, but Anton and all his cronies."

Herlambang opened the documents one by one on his laptop. His eyes widened at the scale of Anton’s corruption. "With this, they won’t be able to squirm out of it. I’ll lead the prosecution myself. I’ll ensure the maximum sentence, Arga. No remissions, no special treatment."

Herlambang stood up and gripped Arga’s hand firmly. "Thank you for staying alive, my friend. Justice owes you a great deal."

"I just hope they get exactly what they deserve, Her," Arga said.

"So, you’ve truly resigned from the force?" Herlambang asked.

"Yes. I would rather not be part of their dirty games anymore. My conscience has been tainted," he answered. "Now, I only want justice for the victims and retribution for the death of my unborn child," he added with heavy emphasis.

"I’m deeply sorry to hear that, Ga." Herlambang patted Arga’s shoulder in sympathy. As a prosecutor, he often saw injustice, but the tragedy that befell his friend was among the cruelest. "I will mobilize my best team, Arga. I guarantee that every tear your wife shed and your enormous loss will be paid in full by the destruction of their careers and their downfall," Herlambang promised solemnly.

Arga nodded slowly. "Thanks, Her. I have to get back. My wife is waiting for me."

The courtroom was packed with media and protesters awaiting the final verdict. Arga sat in the back row with his hat pulled low, while Sarah sat beside him, clutching his hand tightly. The sound of the judge’s gavel echoed through the room, cutting through the tense silence.

BANG! BANG! BANG.

"The court finds the defendant, Raka Edigro, guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of manslaughter and hit-and-run. The court sentences him to 18 years in prison."

Raka slumped in his chair, his arrogant face now shattered. But the judge was not finished.

"The court finds the defendant, General Anton Edigro, guilty of collective corruption, embezzlement of institutional funds, and obstruction of justice. The court sentences him to life imprisonment and orders the seizure of all assets obtained through his crimes."

Cheers erupted outside the building. The people had won.  Prosecutor Herlambang glanced toward the back row, giving Arga a brief nod.

[System Alert: Main Mission—Absolute Justice: COMPLETED.] [Final Reward: Justice Points +10,000 (Status: Living Legend).]

Arga turned to Sarah, and they shared a soft smile, their hands still tightly intertwined. Suddenly, the system's holographic screen flickered to life, this time pulsing with a deep, urgent red.

[EMERGENCY MISSION: RESCUE CRITICAL TARGET!] [Target Name: Dr. Amelia (The Body Whisperer).] [Status: In Mortal Danger—Execution Scheduled in 60 Minutes.]

"Dr. Amelia?" Arga thought, his pulse was quickening.

***