episode_0007

“D-don’t fight…!”

“Where do you think you’re talking back to? Shut up!”

I watch the red-haired woman shrink away and disappear into the corner at the words of the leader-like teenager.

A woman who seems to be somewhere between an adult and a teenager.

Firebringer.

Her name is terribly corny, but her actions are far from corny.

I recall a scene I saw in the Hero World.

A villain laughing madly on top of a burning corpse, welcoming the protagonist’s team.

She was even a villain who caused quite a few casualties with indiscriminate attacks.

Why did I choose such a psychopath-like villain?

It was because of one thing Firebringer said before she died.

She said, and then started to burn everything.

After being defeated by the protagonist’s group, the last place she headed was this Sky Orphanage.

Firebringer, shedding tears and meeting her death in the Sky Orphanage, which had been burned to ashes.

In the story, there’s almost no explanation of what kind of agony she went through, or what happened to her, so it’s a setting that’s glossed over.

I stare intently at her, not taking off my mask.

Everyone in the world has their own story, but even after experiencing all sorts of things, people don’t all have the same outcome.

Some overcome their pain and look forward to a better future, while others sink to the endless bottom and live in endless depression.

In that sense, Firebringer was exactly the kind of talent I needed.

Someone who has sunk to the bottom, but hasn’t burned everything away.

A so-called crazy person, but a reliable type when they become an ally.

But…

“D-don’t fight…!”

I didn’t expect her to be this kind of person.

As I look down at her, Firebringer makes a “eep” sound and shrinks back, and the others who were watching her look even more threateningly at me.

“You came all the way here and you’re bullying our kids?”

“That won’t do. We need to give you a little lesson.”

They raise their hands.

Like the children of a superpowered orphanage, they don’t have any guilt or doubt about taking down a person.

Perfect material for a villain.

But that’s not the kind of talent I want.

I slowly take off my mask.

“Where do you think you-”

And everyone else who sees my face freezes.

Reactions that I can’t help but be hurt by, no matter how many times I see them.

“…Who are you?”

And the person who seems to be the leader mutters, wary and distancing himself from me.

Incredibly, all of this is a reaction to me simply taking off my mask.

The weak-hearted can’t even look at my face.

“…”

Like Firebringer (Jin) over there, who is looking down.

And, this is when you have to come on even stronger.

I take a step forward, and the leader, who was facing me, takes a step back to match.

With this, the victory or defeat of the power struggle was already decided.

My victory, as someone born to be a villain.

Of course, I can’t end it like this.

I subtly turn my gaze and look for the person who seems to have the weakest spirit.

However, I can’t pick someone who looks so weak that it seems natural to bully them.

It has to be moderate.

I found just the right person.

A moderately weak-spirited, but average-sized man comes into my view.

I slowly approach the man.

“…W-what?”

The man mutters, looking tense as anyone could see, as I approach.

“…”

I stare intently at him, and he averts his gaze this way and that, then clenches his lips.

“This son of a bitch, really…!”

As expected, his hand moves first.

I quickly turn my gaze to the moving hand.

His right hand.

The moment the man swings his hand, I slightly tilt my body to the right and dodge.

A ball of wind-like energy is fired from the man’s right hand, and when I dodge it, it hits the wall as is and explodes.

-Boom!

The ball of wind explodes in the quiet alley, and a strong wind blows.

“…”

“H-how…”

The man mutters, seemingly bewildered that I dodged the attack.

I also had to put my face to work sometimes in the previous world, so this isn’t difficult.

But this gives me a reason.

-Thwack!

Before the man can react, I punch him in the solar plexus.

“Gah…!”

The man grabs his solar plexus and doubles over, stepping back.

“You…!”

The teenager who seems to be the leader opens his eyes wide at my actions,

I had no intention of handing over the initiative to such a kid.

I start beating the man up as is.

-Whack! Whack! Whack!

“Agh! Aagh! Agh!”

The man screams in pain as I beat him up, and the teenager in the leader role, who was trying to restrain me, couldn’t move, as if his body had frozen upon hearing the screams.

It couldn’t be helped.

He hangs out in groups and engages in gang activities, and he’s only a boss among his peers, so he wouldn’t have encountered an individual who directly attacked him.

Especially if that individual dodged the attack and then indiscriminately beat up his team member.

Fear is contagious.

Especially to those who haven’t tasted fear.

“Aagh! Agh!”

-Whack! Whack!

After beating up the man without saying a word, I stop punching only after confirming that his legs have given way and he’s sitting down.

No one touched me.

Hanging out in groups means that when the group falls apart, all that’s left is a weak self.

I need to put a period here.

The fight between me and Eclipse probably made the news.

I don’t know how well my face was captured, but as long as I have this intense impression, it will be very easy to recognize me.

“…”

“…”

Fortunately, no one seemed to recognize me.

Eclipse’s face was sold so much.

Come to think of it, I should put a mask on Eclipse too.

She’s more likely to attract attention than me.

I resolve to buy a mask for Eclipse on the way back and continue speaking.

“Slow.”

I don’t say “weak.”

I scratch their pride, but I never directly hurt their pride.

That way, I can make people feel bad more quickly while also getting them to submit to my will.

How did I know? I learned it after working in a company.

“Your movements are too big. No hero would ever get hit if you swung like that.”

And, I subtly speak as if I’m talking to a hero, revealing that I’m not the hero they hate.

“…”

As expected, the way they look at me has changed.

The gazes that were clearly filled with animosity just now are now like looking at a stranger who showed up and is calling himself a senior, if I had to put it into words.

“And, you don’t run away, and you don’t fight back.”

“Ugh…”

I kick the man who is still groaning in pain and continue speaking in a calm voice.

“I came because I heard there were some useful talents here, but I’m extremely disappointed.”

“…Who…are you?”

The leader finally uses honorifics and looks at me.

And, I didn’t need to answer that.

I just put on an indifferent expression and look around.

If they had all rushed at me here, saying “let’s all die here,” I would have cried and called Eclipse.

I’m glad they didn’t.

Suppressing my pounding heart, I pick three people.

Three burly guys who clearly seem to be the action leaders or in charge of combat in this organization.

“You, and you.”

The two burly guys who were pointed out look flustered.

But the first two are just a bluff.

“And you.”

“…Me?”

When I point to Firebringer (Jin), who was hiding in the corner and trembling, her red hair starts to tremble in time with her trembling.

“The four of you.”

“M-me…?”

Firebringer points to herself with a flustered expression, and I nod.

“Yes. You.”

From the start, you were my goal.

“U-uh…”

“Hey.”

Firebringer (Jin) looks at me, trembling like an aspen, and the teenager who seems to be the leader snaps out of it and points a finger at me.

“W-what gives you the right to just take people-”

“Whether you follow or not, that’s up to you.”

I don’t need to listen any further.

I say coldly and turn my back, taking a step.

The longer I talk, the more my mysterious atmosphere will disappear.

I walk out of the alley and get lost in thought.

The other two might not follow.

But Firebringer (Jin) will definitely follow me.

I recall the scene I saw at the beginning.

Her shrinking into the corner after listening to the group’s leader.

Everyone has a desire for recognition.

They want to be affirmed, and they want to hear good things even if they’re doing everything.

Just the illusion that there’s someone who recognizes them makes them feel good.

She probably hasn’t met many people who recognize her. That’s why she has no pride.

Conversely, if there’s someone who recognizes her, she’ll follow them with the desperation of grabbing a lifeline in the darkness.

As expected.

As I walk out of the alley, the sound of dragging footsteps rings in my ears.

I turn around and look back, and Firebringer (Jin) was following behind me.

“What about the other two?”

“…The leader caught them.”

Firebringer answers, hesitating at my words.

I don’t care.

No, it’s even better.

“Why did you follow?”

“…Because you told me to.”

She’s a bit lacking in her own opinion, but this is a problem that will get better with time.

“Good.”

Then, from now on, I’ll give her a role.

All villains have a trustworthy right arm.

A right arm specializing in combat, a left arm specializing in brains, something like that.

And here’s a woman who will become my right arm.

“You will fight Eclipse.”

“…Huh?”

Firebringer (Jin)’s eyes widen at my words.