Ch.5Chapter 1. Villain Executioner (5)

There are many reasons why I need to kill that underage delinquent, Red Scarf.

He’s disrespectful.

He speaks informally to adults without hesitation.

He spits on the street.

The head of the Syndicate personally ordered his elimination.

He wrecked my bike that Snow White borrowed.

‘He deserves to die.’

The last reason is purely personal, but whether public or private, the fact remains that I need to eliminate that burning brat.

There are two obstacles.

“Hahah…! Goblin! Let’s see if you can handle my flames?!”

One is that arrogant kid over there who’s trying to look brave while clearly terrified of me.

“Stop!”

And the other is the self-righteous hero behind me who has wrapped an ice whip around my wrist.

“You can’t kill people!”

[Snow White. He’s already caused casualties. Would you say the same thing in front of the victims’ families?]

“That’s…!”

I don’t particularly want to launch a psychological attack, but if Snow White is going to interfere, I need to make her back off.

Showing mercy, letting it slide, allowing him to face legal judgment.

None of that applies here.

The boss ordered me to execute him, and as an executive of the Syndicate and a villain, I’m simply disposing of that demonic brat.

[Those who kill shall be put to death. Anyone with basic knowledge of Korean history knows this law.]

“That was Gojoseon!”

[I’m a goblin from Gojoseon, so.]

I’m just playing the part of someone who can’t be reasoned with.

I’m not some thousand-year-old goblin from ancient Gojoseon who was finally chosen.

[Having him face legal judgment is just troublesome. When fists can deliver judgment faster than the law, why take the long way around?]

It’s just my concept, that’s all.

[Red Scarf. Try to kill me. Then you might live.]

“Kuh, hahaha! Let’s see how long you can remain so arrogant in the face of this power!”

Red Scarf, who bursts into maniacal laughter at me.

“Rise, Vermilion Bird!!”

With that strange cry, he spread great wings of flame behind his back.

“Hahaha! This is the power of ‘darkness’! Through a contract with a demon, I have become stronger!”

[Tsk.]

“Oh, no…! That crazy person!!”

Snow White panics at the rampaging Red Scarf, and I feel irritated.

The main villain is the ‘Syndicate,’ but there’s another external enemy besides them.

If the Syndicate is the main human villain, then that demonic power is the ‘malignant’ force that came with a meteor from outer space.

Mana hasn’t only been a blessing for humans, of course, and it sometimes manifests as demonic power like that.

“Kuhaha, uhahaha! Now, I too have become a superhuman with S-class power!!”

Of course, the culprit who caused this brat to ‘turn dark’ like that is human influence—in other words, a man-made disaster.

[Snow White. Was Red Scarf originally an S-class villain?]

“Kuh…!”

[Seeing that you can’t answer, there must be some complicated issues.]

I can roughly guess, but there’s no need to make things more complicated right now.

[It doesn’t matter. I just need to kill him.]

My mission is to deal with that burning brat, no, villain.

“Die!!”

Red Scarf has become a Vermilion Bird burning with dark red flames.

Flapping enormous wings behind his back, he’s transformed into a monster—mana, that ethereal mass, materialized and howling with laughter.

“This is the power of darkness…! From now on, I am not Red Scarf! Call me the Dark Flame Vermilion Bird..! Kuhahaha!”

[He’s insane.]

I lightly grip my baseball bat and sprint forward along the asphalt road’s lane.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

He spread his wings and scattered flames below.

The dark red flames instantly melted the asphalt road, creating pillars of fire to block my path.

[Weak.]

I charged straight through them.

Sticky asphalt clung to the soles of my shoes and dark red flames enveloped my body, but I ignored it all and pushed through the fire pillars, continuing forward.

“Y-you…! You crazy bastard!!”

[I don’t care if you’re the Dark Flame Vermilion Bird or Dark Flare Phoenix.]

I planted my foot firmly on the ground and leaped high.

[You die by my hand.]

Body enhancement through magical power allowed me to jump higher than a 10-story building, and Red Scarf was startled to see me reach him so quickly.

“U-uwaah!!”

He tried to create distance by flapping his wings backward, but it was too late.

I had already channeled magical power into the bat over my shoulder, and all I needed to do was swing—

[Tsk.]

I feel resistance from behind.

Someone trying to grab my bat and simultaneously cool the flames on my body—I couldn’t help but sigh at the chill.

“You don’t need to kill that person!!”

Snow White also flew into the air, flapping her white wings.

[Are you trying to stop me? That guy—]

“You’ll get a criminal record for murder and be fined!”

[Oh.]

For a hero’s words, that was surprisingly persuasive.

[I almost got goosebumps. That’s quite harsh coming from Snow White.]

It’s not a clichéd line.

Most heroes typically shout things like ‘You shouldn’t kill people!’ or ‘Let him face legal judgment!’

Ah.

Maybe it’s because I’ve heard others say those things so many times.

[Your words touch me more than others’. But do you think I’ll stop just because I’ll get a criminal record or a higher bounty?]

Crack.

The ice whip Snow White had wrapped around me instantly shattered.

Leaving behind Snow White, shocked at seeing her ability neutralized, I kicked off the air and lunged forward.

“U-uwaah!!”

He was already fleeing.

With his back to me, he was flapping his wings, trying to escape toward Busan.

He probably planned to flee from Busan to China, but not a chance.

[Swift.]

I become a missile.

I continued kicking off the air, pointing my bat forward like a spear, and stabbed him in the back.

“Kuhurk!!”

The mana shield prevented the bat from piercing his body, but the impact still struck his entire body.

[Whatever it is, you can’t suddenly become S-class. Your form might temporarily be S-class, but your actual class is merely A.]

“Kuaak…!”

Red Scarf fell, tears welling in his eyes.

I threw my bat high into the air, then mounted his back and grabbed his burning wings with both hands.

FWOOSH!!

“KAAAK!!”

As I tore at his wings with my hands, he screamed as if a real part of his body was being ripped off.

Red sparks flew from the torn wing surface like blood, making my skin crawl as if it were a real body part.

Thud!

He crashed headfirst into the ground.

His face smashed into the solid line of the asphalt road, and I landed using him as a foothold, stepping on his back and raising my hand.

Catch.

The bat I had thrown into the air landed precisely in my hand.

It would have been uncool if it had fallen beside me, but it went according to my calculation.

Thud!

I slammed the bat next to Red Scarf’s face.

The melted asphalt, softened by heat, stuck to the bat in a sticky mess, and Red Scarf looked up at me with a face consumed by terror.

“S-spare me…! I don’t want to be trapped in this kind of country…!”

[This kind of country?]

“T-take me to China! I’ll reward you! There, I’ll…”

[You bastard.]

I stomped on his neck with my foot, then raised my bat high.

[I may be a crazy villain, but I’m a Korean villain!]

CRASH!!

I brought the bat down.

His head—

I didn’t smash it, instead dropping the bat beside his head once more.

“……”

Perhaps due to the fear of death.

He fainted with his eyes rolled back.

[Tsk.]

I was going to kill him.

I was planning to break his spine with a beating on his back, but unfortunately, the order “changed.”

-Mr. Do?

The boss’s signal transmitted through the magical communicator attached inside my mask.

-Red Scarf is just a means. What’s important is putting Snow White in our debt. That applies to you as the villain Goblin as well.

In other words.

The boss’s instruction is to spare this guy to make Snow White feel indebted.

[Roger.]

I stepped away from him.

Soon, Snow White landed behind me, folding her wings, and I casually slung the bat over my shoulder and nudged the unconscious Red Scarf with my foot.

[Hey, Snow White. This guy’s unconscious. Am I going to be arrested for assault?]

“…If you had actually killed him there, you would have been charged with murder.”

[So this counts as mitigating circumstances. I hope I don’t end up with a criminal record or increased bounty later. By the way.]

I nudged Red Scarf’s side with my foot again.

[What’s the secret behind his sudden power boost? I’m curious too.]

“…You don’t need to know. You’re already strong enough.”

I know.

But that’s something I know as a reader and as Goblin—outwardly, I should appear ignorant.

[Is that so? Then fine. I was going to kill him, but I’ve lost interest.]

“…Thank you for your cooperation. Even though you’re a villain.”

[I didn’t cooperate. I just act as I please.]

I approached Snow White, bending at the waist to bring my face close to hers.

[I only do what I want. Don’t misunderstand—]

BANG!

A gunshot rang out.

I quickly turned my body and reached back reflexively, but the magic bullet wasn’t aimed at me or Snow White.

In the distance, a man carrying something like a rifle was approaching from the direction of Busan.

Smoke trailed from the muzzle, and what it had apparently targeted was on the ground.

Red Scarf.

Splat.

Red blood sprayed sideways as Red Scarf’s head was shattered.

-At 11 AM this morning, Red Scarf, who had been racing down the Gyeongbu Expressway leaving flames in his wake, was killed.

-The killer was the notorious “villain executioner” known as “Goblin,” who struck Red Scarf’s head…