Ch.33. Meeting the Evil Female Executive and Deciding to Become the Leader of Evil

Pain Queen Morgan.

One of the four executives of Apocamellot.

So she was alive.

“What are you thinking?”

“I sensed Red’s energy and searched the area.”

“I’m asking why you helped me.”

“That’s…”

Morgan’s eyebrows trembled. She couldn’t meet my gaze, her eyes filled with what seemed like heavy regret.

“…I was repaying a debt.”

“Debt? What debt could an evil executive possibly owe to a hero!”

BANG!

I struck the airship wall in anger. The solid steel bent like taffy.

“You’re a hateful being who tortured and violated humans to death! Did you think I would forget?”

I can’t forget. How Morgan’s monster subordinates invaded the city and mercilessly pierced citizens’ hearts with spears.

How this woman watched from above, enjoying the scene with a chilling smile.

Hatred enveloped me. Before I knew it, my beast-like rough hands were gripping her slender neck.

“Ugh…”

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t break your neck right now.”

“Ah, Red… please…”

Morgan began to cry with a pained expression.

Could this wicked woman, who only enjoyed others’ pain, actually feel sadness?

BOOM!

I threw her against the wall.

“Speak!”

“…When Dark Arthur fell, the girl’s memories returned.”

“Memories?”

“Originally, I wasn’t a monster. I was human.”

Morgan confessed as if spitting it out.

“Don’t wag your tongue carelessly.”

“I know you won’t believe me. But when I was human, I owed Red my life. When you were working as a hero…”

Morgan’s voice was trembling.

We were enemies trying to take each other’s lives. No matter how much she begged or pleaded, there was no reason to believe her.

But I had my suspicions.

Morgan wasn’t an original character in the scenario.

In the game, Apocamellot only had three executives until the end. Morgan was the fourth executive who suddenly appeared in this world.

That was one of the moments that made me realize this world wasn’t a game, but a reality based on a game.

History could change in ways I didn’t know about and could be modified at any time.

Because it was created by humans, not gods.

“Red, take this.”

Morgan pulled something from her chest. In her respectfully outstretched hand was an elegant switch.

The switch of the Red Dragon of Apocalypse.

Red Dragon’s switch.

I picked it up and examined it carefully.

The delicate carving gleamed brilliantly.

What’s so special about this thing?

What’s so great about the Superior Sentai?

What’s so impressive about being an S-class hero?

Mountains of money, powerful switches, glorious honor.

Were they really worth betraying and killing comrades who fought alongside you?

“Damn this switch!”

CRACK!

The switch shattered in my hand like an eggshell. Red light burst forth, swirling and absorbing into my body.

The power of the red dragon reclaimed its master.

“Morgan. What do you want from me?”

“You dedicated your entire life to justice.”

Morgan looked up at me with pitiful eyes, caressing my cheek with her long, slender fingers.

“So now, live for your desires.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s all.”

I turned away. I went to the decompression chamber and closed the door. Opening. The silent space greeted me unwelcomingly.

Desire, huh.

“System.”

A window appeared before me.

[Red Dragon / Jung Ui-seok]

[You are the only player who will determine the fate of this world]

[Clear the ongoing scenario, defeat evil, and achieve peace]

Peace.

That’s what I truly wanted, as someone who loved this world.

At first, I wanted to return to my original world, but that desire has diminished now.

Somi also wanted peace for this world.

That thought hasn’t changed.

No peace means defeat by evil organizations, which also means my death.

[There’s more than one way to fight evil organizations!]

[Please set your player objective]

[Current objective: Hero of Light (Completed)]

The objective I naturally chose at first—Hero of Light. And this is the result of achieving it.

I used one item.

A cash item. The right to add an objective.

It’s for people who want to enjoy multiple playstyles with one character.

[Adding objective]

[Objective list: Hero of Darkness / Hero of Evil / Lord of Evil / Villain of Light / Observer / Bringer of Chaos / Citizen with Hidden Power…]

I chose without hesitation.

[Objective added: Lord of Evil]

[Evil can be suppressed by greater evil. Become the leader of powerful villains and overthrow evil organizations!]

[Notice: From now on, you will gain experience points for defeating heroes! The probability of villains respecting you has increased!]

The ability users in this world are classified into four categories.

Heroes, villains, unaffiliated, and monsters.

The main antagonists in the scenario, the evil organizations, are groups of monsters who aren’t human. The Dark Kingdom, Galaxy Empire, and others. The Dark Kingdom consisted of the dead from the underworld, and the Galaxy Empire was made up of aliens.

My original objective, “Hero of Light,” meant fighting them as a member of the Hero Association.

Now I’ll work toward the objective of “Lord of Evil,” the leader of villains.

Monsters are still my enemies, but now heroes are my enemies too.

I will never again trust those women with my back while fighting evil organizations.

I’ll fight my own way.

[Objective addition completed]

[Strive toward becoming the Lord of Evil]

Heroes are unnecessary.

After completing the settings, I muttered quietly.

“Transform.”

[Up a blind alley]

I draw the dragon’s power from my heart. An exoskeleton forms. A disgusting blood-red color, as if soaked in blood, envelops me.

My reflection appears in the glass wall. A crimson dragon warrior I’ve never seen before stands there. The ominous aura emanating from me is so intense it could be mistaken for a monster. My transformation seems to have changed due to increased stats.

It’s been a while since I used my power as myself, not as the Red of the Sentai.

Before me is the blue planet, Earth.

I shot toward it without hesitation.

◈ ◈ ◈

“…He’s gone.”

Morgan gazed at the red light heading toward Earth through the small window of the spacecraft. She traced the glass with her fingertips sorrowfully, but Ui-seok’s warmth was already gone.

“Even if this feeling is deception, even if it’s a sin, even if it’s unforgivable.”

Endlessly, endlessly watching that comet-like tail.

“Please be happy, Ui-seok.”

Morgan murmured.

In the empty universe where no one could hear, where nothing could exist.

◈ ◈ ◈

“Dragons don’t shed tears.”

“They only soar.”

Saying this, the warrior in dragon form defeated the assassins.

The spacious mansion, filled with happiness just an hour ago, was now in shambles from the attackers’ gunfire.

Before her lay the bloody corpse of her once-loving mother. Behind her, her congressman father had collapsed with a gunshot to the shoulder.

Overwhelmed with despair and fear, her face a mess of tears and mucus, barely standing on trembling legs.

Yet still rising to protect her father, her last blood relative—Kang Yerin.

The young lady with no abilities, who would later be called Yellow Cloaker, just before meeting her death.

She was saved.

By Jung Ui-seok.

By the hero called Red Dragon.

“I’ve defeated the assassins. Your mother… I’m sorry. You protected your father. Well done.”

Kang Yerin knew. She couldn’t protect anything. It was this hero who protected her and her father.

Thank you.

Those four words she couldn’t say then.

If she had known she would never get to say them after putting it off…

Even yesterday, or before that.

She should have said it many times.

“Haa, haa!”

Kang Yerin opened her eyes. The ceiling. She knew it. It was a hospital room in the Hero Association. A headache struck her. She clutched her head and tried to recall her memories.

“Dream… how much was a dream?”

It came back to her. The final battle with the evil organization. What happened afterward. Red fell. That wasn’t a dream.

“Ugh…! No, no!”

Kang Yerin jumped out of bed and left the hospital room. She headed straight for the association president’s office. She kicked the door open.

“Oh, you’re awake? Rich girls sure sleep a lot. Hehehe.”

Ji Se-hwa showed her teeth in a grin. Everyone was there. Ji Se-hwa, Shin Yukyong, Choi Minseo, and the association president.

“This is a level 0 security meeting. Close the door.”

“What have you all done?!”

Kang Yerin strode forward and slammed her hands on the conference table.

“What happened?! What did you do to Jung Ui-seok!”

“Jung Ui-seok is dead.”

Shin Yukyong answered without changing her expression.

“What… did you say?”

“We four defeated Jung Ui-seok, who betrayed us for Dark Arthur, and returned. Weren’t you there with us?”

Kang Yerin felt dizzy and almost lost strength in her legs.

Jung Ui-seok was dead.

She had never imagined this happening.

No matter how much he had become a slave to capitalism, addicted to drugs, or a broken person.

She never thought he would die.

“Are you all really going to bury Jung Ui-seok like this…?”

“That was the plan from the beginning, wasn’t it? You agreed back then, so why are you making a fuss now?”

“No, I… I didn’t.”

Kang Yerin didn’t know.

Jung Ui-seok was addicted to drugs and at risk of becoming an SSS-class villain. So after defeating Apocamellot, they would confiscate his transformation device and switch, then arrest him.

That’s all she understood.

Even when Ji Se-hwa cut off Jung Ui-seok’s arm, she only thought the method was a bit extreme.

“I can’t accept this. Whatever the risk, you all killed Jung Ui-seok! He was still in his right mind! It was Jung Ui-seok who defeated Dark Arthur! I’ll report this to the media!”

“Would that be okay?”

The association president murmured in a low voice.

“What did you say?”

“Kang Yerin, you know well that the Hero Association receives full support from the ruling party. Your father belongs to the opposition party. Since Apocamellot appeared, the ruling party’s approval rating has exceeded 80 percent, an all-time high, thanks to the Dragon King Sentai.”

“Ugh…”

“Such claims coming from your mouth would be seen as coming from your father’s mouth, and it would be like waging political warfare between parties with false information, risking his political life.”

The association president glared at Kang Yerin with sharp eyes.

“I’ll ask once more. Would that be okay?”

Kang Yerin gritted her teeth.

She couldn’t answer.

Seeing this, the association president smiled with satisfaction.

“Then let’s talk about our direction going forward. You four will become superstars for annihilating the evil organization. You’ll receive hefty rewards from tax funds, and advertising and sponsorship deals will be enormous.”

“Hehehe! I’m already excited! It’s a money shower!”

“Hmm. Satisfactory. Please develop new switches as well.”

“Ad-advertising model… Could I become famous too?”

“But individuals lose their buzz quickly. Above all, toys won’t sell well. You know that, right?”

“Toys are important! The sales guarantees for transformation devices and mechs are enormous!”

“So we need to maintain the Dragon King Sentai title. But Jung Ui-seok is out. We can’t use the name Red Dragon either.”

“Are we bringing in a new Red?”

“Yes. I’ve already selected a candidate. You were too busy fighting to notice, but he’s a popular male idol these days. A guy called AXII.”

“Akshi? I know him well. Heavenly good looks. I bought five copies of each of his albums.”

“Hehe. This will go smoothly then. Silver Mirrored, you’ll represent us in media interviews. Green Nature.”

“Ah, yes.”

“You’ll manage Jung Ui-seok’s Pestam. It’s important evidence, so someone trustworthy needs to handle it. You also have Quetzalcoatl’s ability.”

“Ah, understood! Everything was confiscated? Emma must have been guarding it.”

“That maid robot? It was a bit troublesome, but no problem. Couldn’t completely destroy it though. Now, Blue Saber, your job is…”

Kang Yerin couldn’t hear anything. She heard, but nothing registered in her brain.

Jung Ui-seok was dead.

Without preserving even a fingernail’s worth of honor.

The women before her, discussing money and fame without the slightest unease or guilt about him, seemed grotesque.

No, am I the strange one?

Are they normal and I’m the grotesque one?

I don’t know, I don’t know.

He always knew the right answer at times like this.

For a long time, nothing reflected in Kang Yerin’s pupils.

A week later, when a red light shot from high in the sky toward the ground, she didn’t notice.