In This World, Police Face the Mastermind(5)

“You cop bastards!!! Do you know who I am?!!”

“You idiot who got caught by cops!!”

Thwack! I strike the back of his head hard with my fist. This guy’s name is Fire Disaster. This bastard who committed 14 murders, robberies, and arson is a superpower user who handles flames.

That is, as a so-called supervillain, normally if I hit him like this, my fist should hurt instead.

I witnessed him getting hit directly by rifle bullets and only ending up with bruises during the suppression.

He’s the kind of guy who shouldn’t be affected even if I had hit him with a gun butt right now, and who should glare at me as if he’s about to kill me while snorting, but—

“Ah, aaahh! The police are beating people! Is there no human rights protection! You filthy police bastards!”

“There are no human rights. But I can hit you harder, bastard.”

Fire Disaster is whining that he’s dying of pain after I hit him once.

Due to being hit tremendously during the process of subduing him, blue marks have been engraved on his face.

He’s being dragged away like a dog on a hot summer day, unable to use the flames he boasts about.

I looked down at Fire Disaster and mockingly sneered at him. He’s taken away by the police, bound in handcuffs.

With ordinary handcuffs, he would have immediately broken free and run away, but this guy can’t escape.

It’s because an early version of the superpower neutralization drug that Yuna-ri tried to make is being used, and he won’t be able to use his superpower for about an hour.

Yes, the superpower neutralization drug. I first secured it during the human-centered incident. It’s a new item not in the original work, which I used on Justice and was given as a gift by ‘Mina’.

To be honest. I had forgotten that Yuna-ri was researching a superpower neutralization drug.

But after joining the special task force, I realized that it’s difficult to forcibly put superpower users to sleep or tranquilize them with drugs as before when trying to arrest and transport them.

While pondering how to move them to Mugan, a special prison that puts superpower users to sleep and renders them unable to use their powers, Yuna-ri suddenly brought up the superpower neutralization drug she had been researching.

It’s estimated that she made an initial test version this time with information about the completed neutralization drug obtained through a deal with ‘Mina’ and information secured while destroying the awakening drug factory.

Rather than asking how such a thing was made, the government first checked if it was effective, and after confirming its effectiveness, they immediately sent people.

Then suddenly that day, a research team for the production of neutralization drugs was established centered around her, separate from the special task force.

Currently, it costs too much to produce a 10cc syringe worth, and even when used, it only has an effect for about an hour.

But the higher-ups seem to be placing their hopes on this. They say it’s the only hope for treating people who have become superpower users and the trump card that can defeat Sai.

But Yuna-ri herself said this about the neutralization drug she made:

“I can’t completely revert them back. Since the genes have already changed, I can only temporarily suppress it like turning off a switch, but they can’t completely return to being ordinary people.”

“After all, the one who made the neutralization drug we first secured was that monster Sai, right? She must have anticipated there would be someone like me?”

“And I heard from that ‘woman’ back then. Sai was a congenital superpower user. If that’s the case, the original drug might work, but what I made won’t work on her.”

Yuna-ri further said that the original neutralization drug made by Sai would be difficult to make even with a blueprint of the completed product to be made in the future.

I felt disappointment at first, but soon decided to think differently.

That means the neutralization drug that was first used on Mina, who is a congenital superpower user like Sai, would also work on Sai. And the drug I have might work on her too.

Thinking this way, the hidden card I’m concealing becomes a trump card that will work on Sai.

While I was happy about the good news, I couldn’t help but laugh hollowly as I realized why Yuna-ri had so readily entered the special task force.

Regardless of what she had done in the past, if she showed this level of ability, the government would overlook it. She must have completed such calculations before taking my hand.

From the moment she asked if she could get a reduced sentence for what she had done at the motel, she had already calculated everything.

I think she’s perfect at self-preservation, but what’s wrong with a smart person using their brains?

I decided to let it pass since the initial superpower suppressing drug made by Yuna-ri is currently being used by the special task force and is clearly proving its effectiveness.

It’s been 5 days since the inauguration of the special task force. Our first operation was a complete success with the early version of the neutralization drug made by Yuna-ri.

But it was really, really difficult.

“Ah, damn. It’s so exhausting.”

After confirming the surroundings were safe, I briefly took off my protective gear.

When I removed the proper protective gear instead of the metal-like protective gear from before, the sweat had dried in this weather, leaving white salt crystals hanging on my clothes.

Not just the clothes, but from wounds to dust everywhere, I looked like a beggar, but since other police officers also looked like beggars, I wasn’t really embarrassed. It means we all worked hard.

Let’s see. In the 5 days since the special task force was established, we achieved results after fighting without properly sleeping a single day.

That achievement is successfully destroying a part of the alliance of supervillains who were moving in groups.

Police officers receiving proper armament and support are perfectly supporting Mina beyond my imagination.

With such support, Mina was able to subdue supervillains more quickly and systematically.

Come to think of it, even in superhero genres where heroes and police fight together, usually the police follow the hero’s movements.

Wouldn’t it be more efficient to move together by coordinating signals and communicating?

Even if Mina, who has become stronger again this time, has become strong enough to win against multiple supervillains, they’re not fools, so they won’t face the strengthened Mina head-on.

At that time, what the ordinary police in the current special task force do is to move, suppress with firearms, push with numbers, and support so that Mina can fight.

But because Mina is so fast and strong, it’s hard for us ordinary police officers to even follow her for support.

I gained the realization that the police officers appearing in hero comics were fighting incredibly difficult battles, but.

In addition to this negative realization, there is something else we learned.

That is that supervillains were having power struggles to take over Seoul.

According to the testimonies secured from those we’ve arrested so far, after Sai’s terrorism plan failed, she massacred soldiers with power and then disappeared.

Among the remaining supervillains, the strong ones are either creating forces or investigating Sai while devouring the forces Sai left behind, trying to become the new king of South Korea.

Although the situation is worse than expected, since what we need to do hasn’t essentially changed, we tried to subdue the supervillains who have allied together, along with Mina.

The first dig of the special task force was so successful, but can we end it with just this, when it’s literally just the first dig?

“How many have we captured?”

“We’ve put 5 supervillains who escaped from Mugan back in prison. And arrested 20 others who were making a mess under those bastards. The Mapo area and Dongjak-gu area are now safe.”

I nodded at the words of a police colleague who was wiping sweat like me.

The police have secured two areas that were among the places with intense power struggles.

There are still many we need to capture, but since we’ve interfered in the supervillains’ power struggles, they’ll be uncomfortable moving.

Temporary peace will come to other neighborhoods, and the citizens of this neighborhood where we are will be able to see an end to their life of not being able to go outside for fear of encountering supervillains.

I slowly looked around. The fight between armed police and superpower users has turned this area into ruins, but even so, it was noisy with people living in this area gathered around.

Citizens who endured a terrible time of being unable to do anything while seeing criminals run rampant and people die, spew words close to curses as they watch the supervillains being taken away.

But not everyone was like that, and some of them approached us and said:

“Thank you… really, thank you.”

“Here, it’s not much. Please eat this and keep up your strength…”

I see people bowing and expressing thanks while handing over food. And among those receiving such thanks, besides us police, was Mina, who fought at the forefront of the battle.

Mina was turning her face red as if embarrassed while receiving their thanks, but she was also happy.

Although she had received countless thanks from people before, this is the first time she’s fought with her face completely exposed like this.

People are giving thanks to Mina, not an unnamed hero New Hope, so it must be quite an unfamiliar feeling for Mina.

That’s the kind of child she is. No matter how much people curse and doubt her, she genuinely rejoices when people express gratitude as she fights for the justice she believes in.

People say they can’t trust the hero New Hope while their own legs are shaking, but—well, neither that kid nor the people of the special task force care about that anymore.

Rather, there were many people who were sad about Mina fighting, saying it was due to their own inadequacies.

The police officers who joined the special task force are all police officers full of a sense of mission, so that’s even more the case.

Compared to me, who compromised by saying nothing can be done without Mina’s help, I thought they were truly righteous people.

That damn Sai. I thought, if your eyes had to go crazy, couldn’t they have gone for such wonderful people?

But then I repented for having such a thought even for a moment, because compared to these brave and righteous police officers, Sai is too much of a trash.

After shaking off these thoughts, I called together the nearby police officers and Mina. I opened my mouth to continue with congratulations on the successful subduing and explanations about future movements.

“Good work, everyone. We’ve successfully cleared out all the supervillains who were dominating this area. We’ve properly dug our first shovel. But we’re not just here to catch supervillains; we’ve gathered to catch the root cause.”

“Among those we’ve caught this time, there wasn’t a single one who knew about Sai, but we’ve secured testimony that those gathered elsewhere know about Sai.”

At my words, a bit of solemnity appears in the eyes of the special task force people and Mina.

Whether we’re the military or police, we’ve suffered so much that it’s hard to tell, but we haven’t forgotten our ultimate goal, Sai, by even an inch.

And now it’s time to face those who have gathered forces centered around Gimpo International Airport and Yeongdeungpo area, which we were planning to subdue next.

Perhaps the most notable guy who became the boss of this place is that Justice guy who escaped this time. But the problem is that in this place, it’s expected to be difficult to distinguish between civilians and supervillains because Justice’s followers have gathered.

So before we attack that place—

“Let’s rest a bit.”

“Eh?”

Mina had her arms crossed and was exuding fighting spirit as if about to dash out immediately, but at my words, she slips like in a gag comic.

Would she still want to say that after seeing our sorry state?

I told Mina with my eyes to look around.

The special task force people have been fighting for 5 days without proper sleep. The city has become a mess, and many people have been injured and moved to the rear.

Although support comes from police stations and violent crime detectives, all those people are busy trying to stabilize the city.

This means if we move any more recklessly, our side will collapse from exhaustion first. We also need weapons supply and personnel reinforcement.

“Ah.”

Mina seems to have realized this fact now, making a bewildered sound and then blushing.

She clearly didn’t recall the difference in stamina levels between a superhero and ordinary people for a moment. Since she was primarily a child who moved alone, it could be considered natural—

No, before dividing between superhero and ordinary people, I wish she knew how much difference there is between the stamina of a high school student and that of an older man.

“Kids sure have amazing stamina. Really. Energizer Bunny.”

“It’s good to be young.”

“D-don’t tease me.”

Older men teasing Mina. Such a harmonious scene lasted only briefly. We decided to entrust the situation cleanup to other people and return to the office to rest for now.

It’s a tough schedule where we have to return to the field immediately after catching a few hours of sleep and washing up.

But what can we do? We have to do it. With that thought, I drove back to the office—

As soon as I returned, I had my collar grabbed and hair pulled out by the captain who lunged at me with crazed eyes.

This shows the personality of a person who, far from welcoming someone who has suffered tremendously for 5 days, grabs them by the hair first.

A bald person should at least have a good personality. I sighed, tearing up at the lost hair.