Who was Mokuro Goto?
A seemingly simple yet complex question.
Goto was born in Japan almost 40 years ago into a high-society family.
From the moment of his birth, the man proved to be in extremely fragile health. Being the first son of the heir to the Mokuro fortune, Goto was cared for from a young age, burdened by so much protection that it became almost detrimental to his development.
He was not allowed to play with other children for fear of catching a cold. He couldn't go to a park due to his allergies. Even going to school was forbidden. Thus, he was educated at home from the moment he became aware of himself.
The head of the [Black Corps] did not have an easy life, not only because of his conditions, but also due to the disdainful or cold attitude of the Mokuro family towards him.
To them, he was worth only one thing: unfit.
His grandfather feared that leaving everything he had built in the hands of someone so fragile would lead to the destruction of his legacy. The more time passed, the more convinced he became of this.
His grandmother hated the fact that so many funds were spent to keep him healthy, when it was clear that he was deteriorating year after year.
His father, well, he loved his son, but spent little to no time with him due to work. And in those rare moments when he did spend time with little Goto, he never truly and openly showed his love for him, given the high standards of behavior that his family had to impose on the leader of the Mokuro clan.
The other relatives mostly imagined him as a lamb that one day they would devour.
Growing up in such an environment, the only lifeline for young Hajime's stepfather was his mother. His holy mother.
Goto loved her because she was the only one who made him feel happy and special, despite his health issues.
"Mom! Tell me a story!"
"As you wish. What would you like to hear?"
"One about kings!"
The head of the [Black Corps] adored stories about monarchs and tyrants.
Alexander the Great.
Julius Caesar.
Napoleon Bonaparte.
And so on.
Instead of reading him typical children's stories, his mother would lull him to sleep with tales of the glory of rulers.
"Mom! What do I need to be a king?!"
"Ummm... well, for starters, a kingdom. Then an army, a people, and finally an heir."
"Why the army?"
"To defend yourself and fight your enemies. Listen, Goto, strength, for better or worse, is always necessary. An ideal without power is just a dream."
"I understand... I promise you, Mom! I will be a king!"
His mother didn't know it, but those words would twist her son's mind one day. If she had known, perhaps she wouldn't have given him that speech. But to her defense, she was just a human woman trying to motivate her son to be great.
If only she could see the future, she would have understood that her desire would be fulfilled in the worst possible way.
A few weeks later, Mokuro Goto's mother died due to an accident: a truck driver crashed into the store where she was shopping for her son.
Kaori's father was only 8 years old. He came out devastated.
Unfortunately, the lack of affection and care shown to him by his remaining relatives did not help his condition.
"I'm fine, father!"
"Okay, then rest."
The only good thing that came from that tragic death was that his father grew a little closer to him.
Goto felt a bit happy at the idea that his only remaining parent wanted to strengthen their bond. At least he thought this until that day came.
"Goto, she is my fiancée, and the woman I will marry."
"What!? H-how!?"
When he turned 10, his stepfather told him that he was going to remarry another woman.
For some twisted irony of fate, the head of the Mokuro clan wanted to provide another female figure for little Goto to improve his well-being.
It could have worked over time if the woman in question had truly committed to developing a positive relationship with her stepson; perhaps, after a rocky start, things would have improved.
That was not the case. The new addition to the family was a good actress, who behaved well in front of others, but showed her coldness and sadism only to one person: the small and fragile heir of just 10 years.
"Your father works so hard to give you a future! Why can't you thank him by getting good grades? Or did your teachers complain about your poor performance!"
"B-but I-I'm trying—"
"Now you're even a stutterer?! You're just getting worse; you're a shame!"
"But.......!"
"Don't answer me!"
Their interactions always ended and began with slaps or psychological violence from his stepmother.
Over time, not only did Goto's physical health deteriorate, but so did his mental state.
At 12 years old, the [Black Corps] welcomed a half-sister.
His family was happy to know they had a "reserve" heir for the day of Goto's passing.
They did little to hide it. But the most explicit was obviously the little girl's mother.
"Do everyone a favor and die! Your father will be happy to be rid of you!"
"No! My father loves me!"
"Fool! You need to learn your place!"
That same evening, Goto entered and overheard a conversation between his father and his first daughter.
"I'm glad to have you here… I don't want you to think of yourself as a replacement for the day when your brother is no longer here..."
The head of the Mokuro clan had often heard from doctors that his son would not survive to adulthood. Now he was beginning to believe it as he saw how much his health had worsened.
Those two words were filled with regret for not having spent time with his son, sorrow, and pain. However, the fractured and twisted mind of little Kaori's father misinterpreted those words.
"(N-no… not you too, Dad! Why all this!? I haven't done anything wrong!? I studied! I tried hard! Yet everyone hates me! Why!? Why!? Why!? WHY!?)"
In a fit of rage and psychosis, little Goto manifested his true nature. Almost destroying the family home, the house began to tremble, then the metal parts of the house started bending, causing a significant portion of the structure to collapse, the walls crumbled, metals twisted and contorted like paper. After this destruction, before he even realized what had happened, Goto lost consciousness from the effort.
"What happened to my son! You're a doctor! You have to tell me!"
"It was a simple manifestation of his true nature."
"What do you mean 'true nature'? Answer me!"
"Your son is a rarity; he is both a [mage] and an [esper]. An [hybrid]."
Hajime's stepfather's powers were incredibly developed, considering his young age.
As a child, he could already shoot a coin at a speed faster than a bullet with his [esper] side, or stop a truck traveling at 80 kilometers per hour with one hand, using his [mage] side. Unfortunately for him, he lacked the control to do it all properly.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, his stepmother convinced the rest of the Mokuro family, with little difficulty, to send the boy to [Fumetsu].
It was a permanent exile, clear and simple in the eyes of anyone. The head of the clan tried to stop them, but when the safety of his daughter was involved, he had no choice but to give in. It was a fact that Goto needed to learn to control himself.
"Father! I'm sorry! Don't send me away! I will control myself! I didn't want to hurt anyone!"
"I'm sorry, Goto, but it's for everyone's good."
That day, the seed of hatred for normal humans was born in Goto. He was only 13 years old.
For the first few months on the island, Kaori's father tried to communicate with his parent and convince the staff accompanying him to take him back.
In the end, he surrendered, falling into a deep depression because of this.
Weeks passed until the day came when the head of the [Black Corps] remembered his promise.
"I promise you, Mom! I will be a king!"
Goto's health was fragile, but he didn't care. He had nothing left except that promise, a void he felt in his heart, bitterness, and hatred.
Thus began his ascension.
Training his body beyond every limit, Kaori's father overcame his weaknesses until they disappeared.
Then he focused on his [magic], entering the academy that trained the [White Corps].
By the age of 19, he graduated as the top of his class with the highest grades.
At 22, he became a [Black Corps] member based on his merits.
Taking inspiration from his stepmother, the man created several masks to deceive others.
Killing and manipulating, Hajime's stepfather quickly climbed the ranks. He wanted his kingdom, and to achieve it, he would do anything and everything.
His greed, born from his void due to the lack of love, led him to hurt thousands of people and ruin the lives of an equally large number, acquiring women, money, and fame for his distorted pleasure.
Now, decades after that promise, Goto had nearly achieved his goal of an unchallenged kingdom.
The man knew that some would see him as a dictator, so he created a false persona of a hero and a perfect man, while committing unspeakable acts to maintain his power.
His need for control and paranoia had made him cautious and cunning enough to never be caught by surprise.
In a certain sense, he had truly become an ideal king, if only he did not represent such an extreme and corrupt side of humanity.
And now, in the present, Goto was in his tower, his palace, his castle, looking down at everything and everyone while gazing from the window at all he had created beneath him, savoring a glass of fine whiskey.
"You would be proud of me, Mom. Of all that I have built."