Chapter 4 – The Eve

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[In recent weeks, the absence of the General Student Council President has persisted, and with the complete shutdown of Sanctum Tower, which managed Kivotos’ infrastructure, public order in the city has been rapidly deteriorating—]

[As the state of anarchy continues without central control, debates surrounding the command authority of the SRT Special Academy, the direct unit under the General Student Council, have resurfaced—]

[Academies representing each autonomous district are urging the General Student Council for countermeasures and compensation, but no concrete plans have been put forward yet. As a result, most academies predict that this state of anarchy will persist and are choosing to strengthen their own defenses—]

[This morning, one of the Seven Prisoners, Kosaka Wakamo, escaped from the Correction Bureau. With Sanctum Tower ceasing operation and the city’s infrastructure collapsing, the likelihood of further prison breaks from the Correction Bureau increases, worsening public security—]

[As crime rates across Kivotos soar, Kaiser Corporation has declared, “We will not stand idly by in this situation.” The company’s representative, ‘The President’, expressed their commitment to ensuring Kivotos’ security—]

“It’s begun.”

Several days had passed since I commissioned the Engineering Club for equipment.

As information about the General Student Council President’s disappearance spread, the events preceding the prologue were now unfolding.

The shutdown of Sanctum Tower paralyzed the city’s infrastructure.

Crime breaking out across academies and autonomous districts.

Public security collapsed, and anarchy ensued.

With Sanctum Tower—responsible for connecting most of the city’s infrastructure—out of commission, chaos was inevitable. Even before this, Kivotos had an active underworld, with black markets operating in the shadows. A full-blown security crisis was only a matter of time.

‘Valkyrie Police Academy and SRT have effectively lost their power. The academies are struggling just to defend their own territories. A situation where everyone prioritizes their own survival over their neighbors will soon unfold.’

Since the game never depicted these details explicitly, I didn’t arrogantly assume that my predictions would all come true.

But every time I watched the news, I felt an unsettling intuition that this city was heading toward complete catastrophe.

“Now’s the time to move.”

Instinctively, I knew that this was the moment for action.

While I hadn’t foreseen everything, my research online had told me one thing, that this anarchy would only deepen Kivotos’ chaos in the future.

‘Kaiser Corporation, the General Student Council, and other factions. This event will make them realize just how unstable Kivotos truly is.’

A bizarre city that relied entirely on a single person. A city that crumbled when she vanished—too incompetent to respond properly.

Everyone would draw their own conclusions from this.

Some would seek to claim Kivotos for themselves. Others would try to step into the role of the missing president. And some would simply exploit the chaos for their own ends.

I had no intention of sitting idly by while they did as they pleased.

This was now my world. A world where my favorite characters were alive and breathing.

‘I don’t know how far my power will reach…’

But at least until ‘Sensei’ arrives. I will strike them down with everything I have.

Ting!

At that moment, my phone chimed with a MomoTalk notification.

It was a message from Shiraishi Utaha, head of the Engineering Club. She informed me that my equipment was nearly complete and ready for pickup later in the afternoon.

I responded immediately and turned my attention back to the TV.

[Experts predict that, at most, the current state of anarchy will last about two weeks—]

“Two weeks, huh?”

I scoffed and turned off the TV.

In the game, this lawless period lasted for several weeks. It wasn’t something that would end in just two.

“…Things are about to get busy.”

With renewed determination, I stepped out of my house.

***

Consultation Room of the Engineering Club.

There, I met Shiraishi Utaha, the head of the Engineering Club, and her club member, Nekozuka Hibiki. Utaha handed me the equipment and an instruction manual.

“Here, this is what you asked for. The design itself was simple, so it didn’t take long. But formulating the special liquid inside took a bit more time.”

“Does it have all the functions I requested?”

“Of course. No need to worry about that.”

I nodded and skimmed through the manual.

In summary, the equipment functioned as follows:

1. When worn on the wrist and activated, it ejects a special liquid in a straight line.

2. The force of the ejection varies depending on how hard the activation button is pressed.

3. The liquid is stored in limited-capacity capsules, which must be replaced when depleted.

4. Upon exposure to air, the liquid dissolves after approximately two hours.

“I struggled with the liquid formula at first, but your suggestion of using wire capsules helped solve the issue. This was a fresh challenge for me.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Honestly, I didn’t expect this level of quality.”

I held up the device, examining it closely. Holy crap. This is insane. 

It was, quite literally, a web-shooter.

I asked Utaha if I could test it out, then strapped it on and aimed at the wall. With my fingers in the classic Spider-Man pose—

Thwip!

A grayish-white liquid shot out in a straight line and stuck firmly to the consultation room’s wall.

“Oh…”

No matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn’t break. I was very satisfied with the result.

“…It actually works.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

Grinning ear to ear, I reached for my payment when—

“Um…”

Hibiki, who had been silent until now, spoke up hesitantly. I tilted my head in curiosity as she continued.

“I… actually added another function.”

“…Excuse me?”

What do you mean by that? 

I blinked, staring at Hibiki. Did she add a self-destruct feature or something?*

“If you press the button on the wrist, the liquid will burst outward in all directions.”

“?”

“It just… looked cooler that way.”

Wait. That function is—

I stood there, stunned.

A web-bursting technique—just like how Spider-Man spreads his web to block incoming projectiles!

A signature move used in almost every Spider-Man series!

Did she even realize what she had just created?!

I grabbed Hibiki’s hands.

“You’re a genius!”

“Uh, w-what?”

“How did you come up with that?!”

Of course, it had the drawback of consuming an entire capsule at once. But it was still a game-changing feature.

Hibiki had made a truly revolutionary modification. She was a godsend.

“Can I commission you for more stuff in the future?”

“Uh? I mean… sure?”

“Actually, let’s talk about it right now. Please!”

“O-Okay! Just—let go of my hands first…!”

I didn’t let go. What if she ran away?

“Consultation! Now!”

“Okay, okay, geez…!”

***

Despite the small commotion, I had a productive discussion with Hibiki and Utaha.

Utaha, impressed by my enthusiasm, even provided extra liquid capsules and promised continuous production. I was so touched that I immediately signed a contract for a steady supply.

Over the next few days, I rigorously tested my web-shooter’s performance. By beating down criminals in the black market every night.

Word spread quickly.

In Millennium’s underground, people started calling me “The Vigilante”.

I had probably brought that on myself by introducing myself as a self-appointed hero. 

With this, my hero career officially began. But it was time to expand beyond Millennium.

Right on cue, an urgent news broadcast played on the radio.

[Breaking news! As anarchy continues and crime surges, Kaiser PMC forces have appeared in Central Kivotos, claiming they are ‘only here to restore order’ while using military force to suppress chaos.]

Kaiser. Those bastards finally made their move.

“Then I’ll just have to stop them.”

I grabbed my gear, put on my suit, and stood up.

It was time to take action.

KatTL