Ch.256Chapter 10. Manufactured Hero (8)

What might seem like eccentricity to some is considered “style” in the world of superpowers.

Especially if you faithfully replicate a proven image, and respect and imitate it as closely as possible, you can stir people’s emotions.

And from the fact that I accomplished this myself, I’m extremely satisfied.

Satisfaction aside, I can’t continue fighting due to intense exhaustion.

I truly burned everything to white.

I had to destroy multiple missiles simultaneously, using a bit too much magical power to ensure not even one would fall on the city, and now I’m essentially incapacitated for combat.

To make an analogy, it’s like I usually keep my smartphone battery at minimum 20%, but now it’s fallen below 5%.

‘Maybe I overdid it.’

I’m only hovering in midair in case more missiles come, but if they do, it would be difficult to exert my full power again.

‘If I have to fight more here, I might really need to squeeze out every last drop.’

At that point, the fusion might break, and my transformation could end if my magical power runs out.

Fighting is fine.

But there are things that mustn’t be revealed.

‘No one can find out about Goblin and Qiongqi.’

Someone might see me and think, “That’s actually one of The Syndicate’s people!” but they’d more likely think, “Is that another leader of Sephirot?” before assuming I’m with The Syndicate.

The important thing is not to be discovered.

To avoid discovery, I need to cross through space, but Qiongqi isn’t in good condition for that right now.

‘I used too much magical power.’

Spatial movement isn’t something you can do carelessly.

Qiongqi has been using spatial movement continuously for days, and although she’s replenished her magical power intermittently, she’s used far more mana than she’s recovered.

Fortunately, no more missiles came.

Instead, something else flew toward us.

“Kidnap!”

[Thank goodness.]

The green-haired woman, Taowu, grabbed my back with her cheerful voice and pushed me through the smoke.

Whoosh!

As I threw myself into the green dimensional gate Taowu created, I landed directly in a hotel room near Phuket.

[Fusion release.]

As soon as I release the transformation, I immediately hold Qiongqi and place her on the bed.

“Haa, haa, haa…”

“Sleep. Rest well.”

“…Okay.”

Qiongqi, who had handled all the calculations including those I should have managed while using the Hesed Force technique, was thoroughly exhausted, and I laid her down properly so she could recover at least some magical power.

“Your presence here means I don’t need to step in anymore, right?”

“Yes. There’s no need for you to appear in that form anymore.”

Taowu grabbed my face.

I wondered what she was doing, but then she frowned and pinched my cheek.

“Didn’t I tell you not to use mana to your limit?”

“You never said that.”

“You’re lying. You just used mana until you were about to lose transformation, didn’t you?”

“……”

That’s Taowu for you.

With her sharp senses, she immediately grasped both my and Qiongqi’s condition.

“The Chairman didn’t tell you to rest for nothing. Tsk. I bet you got all fired up after being lectured by the Chairman and went overboard. Someone who usually keeps 30% in reserve, ready to use magic power to the bottom.”

“……”

I was hit with a barrage of facts from Taowu.

The truth is, I have nothing to say because even though my magic power had recovered, it was close to being illusory magic power.

If anyone could fill their magic power completely with willpower, everyone would be armed with mental fortitude.

I fought while brainwashing myself that “my magic power has fully recovered.”

Thanks to the Chairman’s words, I got a rapid charge, but because it was rapid, my mana consumption was higher than usual.

It didn’t strain my body, but I used mana right up to the brink.

As a result, I now needed at least a few days of recovery before I could fight like before.

“Wow. Look at this. What are you going to do? Qiongqi’s magic power pouch has shrunk by more than half.”

“I’m reflecting on my actions.”

Qiongqi’s mana pouch is a critical matter.

“It’s quite infuriating that someone who claims to be reflecting still has the same size magic power pouch and bat.”

“Magic power and vitality are different things.”

My MP may be depleted, but my stamina isn’t.

“What about the rebel leader?”

“My subordinates are handling everything. The heroes who came out to the streets are now subduing the villains.”

Taowu turned on the TV and pointed to a live broadcast channel.

-Ah! Those children…! They’re the children rescued from the island! Children who received training at the Korean Marine Academy are now wearing octagonal hats and saving citizens!

The reporter’s voice is filled with joy.

-Citizens! Can you see! The heroes are now defeating the villains! The prisoners! Our heroes! Our hope!

Exclamations burst forth as hope appears and the crisis seems to be nearing its end.

“Doesn’t that kind of commentary make you cringe?”

“That’s rich coming from someone who was just striking all kinds of poses while fighting.”

“It’s fine because my limbs don’t cringe.”

If there were a recording, I’d watch it repeatedly for mental satisfaction.

The best play. Do…

“Hmm.”

“What now?”

“I’m wondering what name to use.”

“Oh, that? Just call yourself the Charisma of Flame… Oh, I’m joking, joking. But where did you come up with that anyway?”

“From my head.”

It’s not a lie since I pulled it from a being in my memories, something that doesn’t exist in this world.

“Taowu. What happens next?”

“Nothing much. The rebel leader Rai Chai is now, as you can see…”

Crack!

A crisp sound rang from the TV.

The video showed Nguyen delivering a knee kick to Rai Chai’s helmeted head, and Rai Chai collapsed while still holding his gun.

“They didn’t let him get killed or commit suicide, and they succeeded in arresting him like that. Now the villains are being captured one by one. After stopping the missile bombardment, the villains lost their fighting spirit. And…”

Taowu lightly tapped her temple.

“Rai Chai lied about having bombs implanted in their heads. About 70% of those who fell for the lie have surrendered upon realizing they’re not terminally ill. Their sentences will increase, and some may even receive death penalties, but that was their choice.”

“…Whether to choose death before dying from a terminal illness, or to take at least one more person with them to the afterlife.”

“Right. But now that’s not possible either? So it’s over.”

Now everything is finished.

I lay down next to Qiongqi, and Taowu sat gently beside us and tapped her Taeguk Watch.

“Yes. It’s me. I’m at the hotel now, so you handle the rest of the cleanup. Take care of all the bad ones. The Chairman will step in soon, so just make sure there are no more casualties.”

Click.

The Taeguk Watch disconnected.

I immediately got up and grabbed Taowu’s wrist, and she shrugged as if she had expected it.

“The Chairman stepping in doesn’t mean using superpowers.”

“…That’s a relief.”

“Of course it is. If the Chairman were about to use powers, someone would be rushing out right now.”

Taowu pushed my shoulder down with her hand, and I lay back on the bed.

“How is the Chairman planning to step in?”

“He’s going to use the Sephirot Knights that Director Do has set up.”

“…Wait a minute.”

A hypothesis occurred to me.

“Is he planning to credit all of The Syndicate’s actions to the Sephirot Knights?”

“Yes. He allowed the riot to happen with that intention from the beginning.”

“……”

I could feel it again.

The Syndicate stops at nothing.

“Create a situation and then play hero. We take the sweetest fruit for ourselves and achieve the results The Syndicate wants. Plus, in the direction the Director most desires… Look, it’s starting to become public now.”

Taowu pointed at the TV.

[…According to information just received, as villains are being arrested one by one, there are many injured… but no deaths reported…]

[What do you mean? No deaths reported? Does that mean there are too many deaths to count?]

[No. Rather… there are no deaths…!]

Official death toll: 0.

Thanks to Taowu’s team working in the shadows, there are injured and wounded, but no dead.

Even that man whose arm was severed is being carried to the emergency room with his arm tightly bandaged.

As if someone had reattached his arm with superpowers.

And then.

The TV screen flickered and switched.

People seeing this would probably say:

“The Syndicate…?”

“Not The Syndicate, though.”

People might think it’s The Syndicate because they always make statements through widespread hacking like this, but while the person behind this is The Syndicate’s leader, the public statement isn’t from The Syndicate.

[Humanity.]

A gray screen.

In the static-filled screen, an unidentified being shaped like a person stands still.

[You are currently facing an unprecedented crisis.]

A being that suddenly appears and spouts strange words.

[I am ‘John the Art’. One who has come back from the future. A regressor.]

An unidentified being claiming to have come from the future.

[Humanity. Find Pandemonium. Find those who create demons. They are behind all incidents. Even this one.]

John the Art abruptly pointed to the mastermind.

[Humanity. If you do not stop Pandemonium, humanity will perish.]

Flash.

[So I have brought 10 apostles from the future who share my cause. They are the Sephirot Knights. Sephira.]

Behind John the Art, 10 emblems flashed.

[I am the guardian of Sephirot. Chosen by the son of the god who created this world, I have returned to the past to protect this world.]

And behind John the Art, a being that somehow resembles the Holy Spirit spreads its arms.

[Humanity.]

All.

[God says, it is time for us to join forces.]

It’s all staged.

“…Taowu. Is that person calling himself John the Art actually the Chairman in disguise?”

“No? We hired an actor from Hollywood.”

“…No one would ever suspect.”