Ch.35Episode 7. Joint Class Sparring (End)

Thwack!

“Not going to answer?”

Thwack! Thwack!

“Urgh…!”

“Just tell me where Moonlight is and where the hideout is, that’s all I need.”

The Akcheon organization member who had transformed into Jinsu-do had returned to his original form.

Like the fake Kang So-hee who had been sent flying, his hair was dyed red. His face was unrecognizable, swollen and bruised from my fists.

“Look at him, still holding out.”

“Huu… huuk…!”

I looked down coldly at the guy covered in tears and blood as I clenched my fist.

“You think I’m going to stop beating you anytime soon?”

These Akcheon bastards all have such tight lips, regardless of their skill level. There’s no need to reflect that aspect too.

“Let’s see who wins.”

Just as my fist was about to connect with his face again, three instructors grabbed me. They held my shoulders, torso, and arms.

“Instructor Yoo, that’s enough. Any more and it would be difficult to call this self-defense.”

“…”

I looked at each instructor in turn before shaking off their hands.

Seriously. Do they think I’m acting without any thought?

I only used my full strength when I destroyed the doppelgangers. When I was one-sidedly beating him, I didn’t use my ability.

Of course, I was careful not to kill him. That’s why this guy has been able to endure until now.

If I had hit him with full force, his head would have exploded with the first blow.

“That damn self-defense… I really don’t understand why you show mercy to villains.”

“You can’t forget that students are watching.”

I sighed and reluctantly got up.

“Even if they’re students, they’re aspiring heroes. If their resolve breaks from something like this, they don’t deserve to be heroes.”

I flicked my wrist, shaking off the blood on my hand.

“And instead of wasting time talking, you should go collect that woman over there. She’s a villain too.”

As I pointed to one side, the instructors turned their heads toward the woman who was still trying to recover.

“What right do you have to—”

“Understood.”

One instructor showed his displeasure at my tone, but another instructor next to him stopped him. I sighed as I watched the grumbling instructor walk away.

The fact that instructors who should be handling other duties came here meant that Kang Chan had discovered something.

“Instructor Yoo!”

“…You’re here.”

Kang Chan’s face was dark with shadow.

“As you said, while I was checking around the training area, I found a deviant in the women’s restroom near the back door.”

So he found the disguise artist.

“What did they look like? What about their ability? Were there any other unusual circumstances? Why did you come here instead of pursuing them?”

I fired questions rapidly. With telekinesis and A-rank capability, he should have been able to subdue the disguise artist.

If it was something he couldn’t handle alone, I wouldn’t have sent him in the first place.

Instead of answering my barrage of questions, Kang Chan bit his lower lip hard.

“The deviant was wearing a hood that covered their face. I tried to catch them, but they… threw Kang So-hee and Jinsu-do at me. As soon as I caught them, I checked the students’ condition… and lost track of the culprit…”

“What was their condition?”

“…I handed them over to the medical team. But they were already dead.”

“I see.”

I responded calmly.

I had expected this, so I wasn’t shocked.

But Kang Chan was different.

He couldn’t help but be deeply affected by the death of students under his charge.

It would be fortunate if it ended there, but the Academy would question him about the casualties. And eventually, he would lose his position as an instructor.

On top of that, the Academy’s image would be severely damaged for letting a villain who killed students escape.

Tomorrow’s front page would surely be filled with all kinds of criticism about the Academy.

But I couldn’t blame him.

After all, this situation arose because I saved Yoo Ari.

However, I had no intention of taking responsibility for what happened.

I only needed to protect the special class students.

I didn’t care about anything else.

Others might call me selfish if they knew this thought, but I didn’t care.

I was no saint, nor did I intend to become a true hero who saves everyone.

Still, I couldn’t just stand by and watch Akcheon run rampant in the Academy.

“Instructor Yoo.”

“Yes.”

“You knew everything, didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t certain until after I gave instructions to Instructor Kang. I became certain after Instructor Kang left and I narrowed down the suspicious individuals in Class A.”

“You made such a request to me without being certain?”

“I was hoping it would just end up being my paranoia. But unfortunately, it wasn’t.”

“…I see.”

He answered calmly, then lowered his head and trembled.

“Why don’t villains use their abilities for good instead of for crimes like this…?”

“That’s not something an active hero should be saying.”

“What?”

“A villain is just a villain. Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t waste time giving meaning to criminals.”

I remind myself of this every day.

Right now, I’m running around frantically trying to protect those girls, but if by any chance they choose to become villains…

I would kill them without hesitation.

This resolve remained unchanged.

“And now is not the time for reflection. It’s time to care for the shocked students.”

The Class A students were looking back and forth between me and Kang Chan.

Some students flinched whenever they made eye contact with me, but others had a gleam in their eyes. They seemed to admire how I subdued the villain in one go.

“I see…”

He walked weakly toward the students with a powerless smile.

“Instructor Kang.”

“Yes?”

“One more thing—there might still be unidentified infiltrators in Class A. While caring for the students, continue your investigation as well.”

With those final words, I turned away. The special class students, who had been watching me with anxious faces, hurriedly approached.

“Instructor, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“There’s blood on your face.”

Jung Yi-yeon took out a handkerchief and wiped my face. But the dried blood just flaked off without really cleaning.

“It’s okay. Let’s go back now.”

There was nothing more we could do here.

Just as we were about to leave the training area, someone grabbed my arm.

“Instructor Yoo!”

It was the instructor who had stopped the one who had shown displeasure earlier.

“I’d like to hear more details about the current situation. Would you cooperate with our investigation?”

“…Very well.”

The situation was different from when I stopped Yoo Ari.

Now that someone had died, I couldn’t back out. I might even become a suspect if I wasn’t careful.

Sigh. If the Association Chairman finds out about what happened today, he’ll give me another earful.

“You all worked hard with the training today. Call me if anything happens.”

“Yes, Instructor.”

I waved once to the kids and followed the instructor.

* * *

By the time I finished being questioned by the Academy’s Inspection Department, the sky was already dark.

As soon as I came out, my phone vibrated. It was the Association Chairman.

“Hello.”

[Yoo Jin.]

“Yes.”

As soon as I heard Sung In-hyuk’s low voice, I started thinking about what excuse to make.

[Didn’t you say you would hit them in places that wouldn’t be noticeable next time?]

“…Ah, I did say that.”

[Then why did you smash his face?]

“His face was annoying.”

[Are you joking?]

“I’m sorry. I was just irritated.”

[Irritated?]

He sounded surprised. I could almost see Sung In-hyuk raising his eyebrows on the other end of the phone.

“Two students died. Even if they were Class A students who had nothing to do with me… this is a provocation against me.”

[How would Akcheon know you’re the Brain God?]

“No. They already knew. Those guys.”

It was one thing for them to immediately recognize that I was the Brain God, but they were also feeling “fear” toward me.

Jeokwol, a group that assassinates heroes, wouldn’t be nervous about a mere Academy instructor who wasn’t even an S-rank hero.

This was a reaction that could only come from accurately recognizing my power.

After all, the ability to emit sparks throughout my body is unique to me, so it might be strange if they didn’t recognize me.

[Then…]

“The threats to the Academy will continue. The special class too…”

I was about to say there was a possibility they would target the special class, but I decided against it.

It’s not the Association Chairman’s concern, and I’ll personally eliminate any possibility of those girls becoming villains.

I’ll make sure they become official heroes no matter what.

[What do you think we should do from now on?]

“Get information from the ones we’ve caught so far. If we can’t get information, we won’t have the right to attack.”

Playing defense isn’t my style.

As they say, the best defense is offense—I don’t like just responding to attacks.

I should be the one attacking from the start to keep them in check.

But there was no mention of their location in the original story, so there’s no way to find them immediately.

“Chairman.”

[Yes.]

“If you want me to bring down Akcheon, get information somehow, whether from Gongsang or the Jeokwol bastards.”

[I’m trying my best.]

“That sounds like something a politician would say.”

[Given my position, I can’t help it. Still, comparing me to those people makes me feel a bit offended.]

“If you’re offended, then do better.”

Let me get back at that disguise artist who got one over on us.

[You’re probably the only person in South Korea who talks to me, the Association Chairman, like that.]

“Oh, by the way, I think there will be parents who distrust the Academy from now on. Will that be okay?”

I lightly ignored his words and changed the subject.

[…I think there will be a massive wave of school visits since the Academy was established. Given how strictly we’ve prohibited outside visitors until now, there will be fierce backlash.]

“Well, that’s not my area of expertise. Handle it yourself.”

[You really have a knack for irritating people, Yoo Jin.]

“Thank you for the compliment.”

That was the end of our conversation.

I ended the call and looked up at the sky.

The crises will continue.

Until the special class students become villains, or until Akcheon falls.

But that’s fine.

Because I’m here.

I had no intention of giving up until I fixed the plot that the author had ruined.

“That reminds me… they should have cleaned up the dormitory cafeteria by now… Maybe I’ll order delivery tonight.”

Shaking off everything that happened today, I headed to the dormitory, pondering what to eat.

And two days later.

As I had predicted, the Academy’s reputation was severely damaged by this incident, and it had the honor of making the front page of the newspapers.