Ch.7777. Vengeance That Seized the World

When I opened my eyes after the ‘Black Famine’ effect wore off, the scene was quite a spectacle.

The entire Washington Hero Association grounds and downtown area were completely devastated. Everything was destroyed—buildings and roads shattered like a World War II battlefield.

“Report,” Deep Dive’s voice came through the communication line.

“Washington heroes are spreading throughout the eastern region. They’ll soon make contact with Vengeance’s American villain suppression line.”

The situation is developing quickly. I need to reach the White House before then.

Those affected by Famine become enraged but not mindlessly so. The skill amplifies their existing instincts.

That’s why I apparently killed all the heroes around me—because I despise heroes.

Meanwhile, heroes affected by Famine spread across the region, destroying everything in their path.

This is their true nature. They only want to show off and use their powers. Justice is just an illusion created by paying the media.

This is exactly what I planned. Lena suggested the idea.

Neutralize them with the Famine effect, then Vengeance moves in to subdue them all. Vengeance’s American forces, based in Hell’s Babel, are establishing a perimeter around New York and Washington. Once I finish negotiating with the President, we’ll eliminate all the crazed heroes.

The core of this plan is to make public perception crystal clear:

Heroes are just power-hungry individuals, and the peace they maintain is fake. Villains only care about practicality and guarantee peace as long as you obey them. Only villains possess the absolute power to defeat the Galaxy Empire.

I started walking.

“Aaaaargh!!” A hero charged at me with rolled-back eyes. His suit was in tatters, and his arm joint was dislocated, making him look like a zombie.

“Hmm.”

I casually activated a red Light Hook and blew him apart. Despite this, these mindless creatures kept charging at me.

Come as much as you want. I have no reason to refuse the experience points.

After leaving a splendid decoration of red paint behind my footsteps, I arrived at the White House grounds.

The military has been annihilated. The automated defense system still recognizes me as an enemy and functions admirably under AI control.

Swoosh—crack! After casually shooting and deleting it with white energy, I headed underground.

I already knew the location. Outside the thick bunker entrance, screams could be heard.

“Oh God, damn it!!”

“There are no heroes or gods here!!”

Seems the final defense line has been breached. The bunker entrance was melting from heroes’ powers. Inside, the President’s bodyguards made their last stand with pistols, but they were as good as dead.

This will make for a dramatic scene.

“Hup.”

Five steps for momentum. My left leg in the air provided sufficient axis. Boom! My right leg created a massive tomahawk-like trajectory. Bang! I instantly shattered those hero bastards.

“This can’t be!”

“Who are you?!”

I made eye contact with the US President, who was surrounded by numerous bodyguards deep in the bunker. He already knew who I was.

“Y-you. Red Dragon.”

“You’re mistaken, Mr. President.”

“Mistaken, you say?”

“I’m here not as a hero but as Gerogius, leader of the World Villain Alliance Vengeance. I intend to maintain that identity. I’d prefer you never call me by that name again.”

“Are you saying you’re using this chaos to commit terrorism as a villain?”

“No. I’m here to save you. After the S-Sentai Tournament, the heroes went berserk. The Association has no path but extinction. Am I a hero for killing heroes?”

“I see what you mean.”

The President understood my implication. This wasn’t simply a rescue but a negotiation with political intent.

“The meaning of words changes. The term ‘hero’ has already lost its legitimacy. The world now knows they waste resources for image, move by politics rather than justice, and now attack citizens indiscriminately. Do you still intend to protect them?”

“…The military has already turned. As you say, this situation is essentially a coup, Gerogius. The government lost control of heroes long ago. We’re under martial law now. But if the Hero Alliance collapses, chaos will inevitably follow. Australia has already proven that.”

“The Villain Alliance will take their place.”

I tossed a tablet to the President. He checked its contents.

“We’ll maintain order. We’ll guarantee lives. We’ll control crime so it doesn’t harm citizens, keeping it contained within villain circles. I want only one thing.”

I made my demand.

“Obey.”

Other high-ranking officials looked to the President.

“Sir.”

“No matter what, for the government to submit to villains…”

The President questioned me.

“Can you definitely suppress the current situation?”

“Sir!”

“That’s…!”

I crossed my arms and looked down at him.

“I promise. I’ll erase every single hero from this land without leaving one behind.”

“What about the Galaxy Empire?”

“You know better than anyone that I’m the only one on this planet who can fight them.”

Finally, the President bowed his head.

“…I acknowledge Vengeance as a transcendent organization replacing the Hero Association.”

He knelt, and I raised the corner of my mouth.

***

With the President’s broadcast announcement going out worldwide, Vengeance began its suppression.

A massacre occurred.

I personally handled only the T1-class Absolute League, leaving the rest to my SSS-class subordinates.

Faced with the Villain Alliance, most heroes worldwide chose to retire. Those who couldn’t come to their senses and kept going on about the S-Sentai were all killed.

Just two weeks.

All 192 Hero Associations that existed worldwide were disbanded without a single exception.

And then.

—-

Notice: Victory for the hero faction in the scenario “Civil War: S-Sentai Tournament!” has become impossible.

Notice: You have cleared the scenario “Civil War: S-Sentai Tournament!”

Great Achievement!: Early Terminator of Civil War!

Special Benefit: You can restore one discarded item, limited to one time.

One step remains until achieving the goal of becoming the Lord of Evil!

Most great villains respect you!

Show excellent charisma one last time!

—-

The third scenario has ended.

***

“The US President has signed a security treaty with Gerogius, leader of the World Villain Alliance. This will establish Vengeance branches worldwide…”

At a shop near the East Sea coast, the owner had turned on an old TV and was watching the news with a customer.

“Wow. Never thought I’d live to see the day villains rule the world.”

“Isn’t it better this way? That devil, Red Dragon? Vengeance has been handling the Galaxy Empire suppression all along.”

“That’s true. I knew those hero bastards would meet their end after all their nonsense.”

“I heard the villains don’t tolerate crime either. They crack down hard on those who don’t listen.”

“So if you just follow orders, there’s no problem? Ladies over there should be careful too.”

The owner casually remarked to two hooded women in the shop. They nodded slightly, pretending to have heard.

The two finished their tea, left money on the table, and exited the shop.

They lowered their hoods while searching the coast.

It was Kang Yerin and Ji Se-hwa.

“Ui-seok is really amazing. He ended up taking over the whole world.”

“Indeed.”

“If I had just followed orders from below, he could have united heroes instead of villains like this.”

“We agreed not to make such assumptions.”

“…Right.”

Kang Yerin continued tracking, with Ji Se-hwa behind her.

“Quetzalcoatl’s power byproducts continue in this direction.”

“Why did Choi Minseo come here? If we go further east from here, that’s where…”

“Yes. The underwater prison where we fought Eridanus.”

After walking along the coast for a while, the two finally discovered something.

There was an unnaturally raised earthen path over the water, wide enough for one person to walk on.

“This…!”

“Minseo definitely walked this way. Was she heading to the underwater prison?”

The two women walked along the raised path that submerged them up to their thighs.

But the path suddenly ended halfway.

“What’s this? Did she commit suicide here?”

“I can see the underwater prison.”

“Yerin, can you use it now?”

Kang Yerin called the yellow dragon. The yellow dragon’s response was extremely weak.

She had turned back time too much already. It wasn’t an ordinary skill but a Max Performance—an ultimate ability that exceeded limits.

Moreover, she had fought Eridanus beyond her limits immediately after using it.

Kang Yerin’s yellow dragon had weakened considerably and needed a long time to recover.

It was impossible to repeat time as before.

“…For a moment, perhaps.”

“Can you check what happened here?”

“I’ll try rewinding time targeting this space.”

Kang Yerin’s Clock Rewind had leveled up, allowing her to target inanimate objects.

“Since Choi Minseo can see us, let’s hide.”

“Leave it to me.”

Ji Se-hwa’s Leviathan emerged from the sea, wrapped around them, and took them underwater.

Though underwater, they could clearly see the surface as if through a periscope.

“Clock Rewind.”

Kang Yerin rewound time at the point where the raised path ended. Finally, a scene with Choi Minseo appeared.

The two were shocked to see who was with her.

Dorado.

Choi Minseo was speaking to that Galaxy Empire executive who had turned Shin Red into a monster.

‘Grandfather, turn me into a monster.’

The two women broke into a cold sweat hearing those words. Even more surprising was what happened next.

Dorado took a liking to Choi Minseo and left with her.

“This is insane…!”

When Kang Yerin’s ability ended, Ji Se-hwa’s mouth fell open.

“What? Then Choi Minseo is now…”

Kang Yerin also realized what was happening.

“…She must have become an executive. One much stronger than Epsilon who became Shin Red.”

“What should we do?”

After contemplating, Kang Yerin proposed to Ji Se-hwa.

“…Do you think we could kill Choi Minseo ourselves?”