In This World, Police Face the Mastermind

Damn it. I heard something so frightening that my brain won’t move.

After Sai’s nonsense that made my hands and feet tremble ended, the TV turned off, the laboratory fell into our hands, and Mina naturally defeated Food Ghost.

Mina said that Food Ghost had eaten all the people in this basement for revenge and boasted that he had become incomparably stronger than before.

But compared to when Mina fought Food Ghost before, she has grown at least dozens of times stronger.

Mina said that while fighting Food Ghost, she practiced controlling her power to subdue him without injury in front of her suddenly increased strength.

She proudly boasted that because he was adequately sturdy, he was perfect for practice, and after she finished practicing power control, she knocked him out with one blow.

And seeing Food Ghost afterward, rolled up like a meatball and embedded in the floor, I didn’t feel even a slight—pity.

I should break a few of that bastard’s bones.

Come to think of it, in the original work, when Mina first met him, he served as a figure who helped her move past fear and prepare for battle, and even after his prison break, he was like a device to showcase her increased power.

It was quite funny that this damn bastard played the same role even with the original work shattered, but that’s that.

What we did afterward was to go up to help put out the fire and subdue the workers in this laboratory.

The fire was controlled thanks to the efforts of the superpower users at the site. Mina and I began to subdue them, causing moderate pain, with gratitude in our hearts.

As if Sai’s words about planning to abandon this laboratory were true, among those guarding above, there were quite a number of superpower users in addition to those with firearms, but hardly anyone with dangerous superpowers.

Those who could control water or tree roots, along with those carrying firearms, were certainly dangerous, but how could they possibly block a human-shaped object flying at the speed of sound with mere water, tree roots, and lead bullets?

Additionally, as requested to the captain, police support arrived just shortly after exactly 10 minutes had passed, so we could easily clean up the remaining henchmen.

Well, I made Mina escape in the middle because of our plan, but since the police are perceptive, they’ll probably think New Hope helped me.

Who would care about such things when we’ve neutralized a factory making superpower awakening drugs?

The responding police officers were astonished to see the underground laboratory, work facilities, and the awakening drugs stacked in the innermost warehouse.

I was dragged to Seoul, ignoring all situation assessments and such, and ended up meeting the Police Commissioner again.

I’m certainly a police officer too, but I wonder why I was moved as if I were a suspect being transported. So, in the early dawn, before the sun had risen.

The Police Commissioner who greeted me when I was dragged to his office looked at me with an incredulous gaze. Then, slowly rubbing his chin, he asked:

“So, from where was it planned?”

“Excuse me?”

“Was it before you wrecked the press conference in that way? Or perhaps before Yagi pulled that stunt?”

“Did you want a proper achievement after your suspension? Or was your goal promotion before achievement? I thought you were just physically capable, but your mind works well too, doesn’t it?”

“Excuse me?”

The Police Commissioner suddenly drops formal speech and starts spouting strange nonsense. Was he drinking when he was dragged here at dawn?

As I looked at the Police Commissioner in disbelief, he let out a cold, mocking laugh: “Huh-huh!”

His eyes, mixed with admiration and anger, made it impossible to recall the previously polite and warm face. Well, this might be his true face.

What’s important is why this high-ranking person is acting like this toward me.

“Don’t try to back out. You said you knew New Hope from before, right? You said that at the press conference to draw in that kid.”

“In your judgment, you thought that just regular police and military wouldn’t be enough to subdue such a place. It’s truly pathetic but… this incident has proven that our power alone is insufficient, so your choice was correct. It’s pathetic as a police officer, but that’s how it is.”

“…”

I silently listened to the Police Commissioner’s words and thought.

There’s no smell of alcohol, and from what he’s saying, this person seems to perceive my impulsive words at the press conference as some kind of groundwork for raiding the laboratory.

But I just blurted it out because I was fed up with that damned Sai.

I thought that inwardly. The Police Commissioner continued:

“Yes, you have a face like you don’t know anything. Sai. Didn’t you anticipate what that devil would do? It’s regrettable. While you were raiding the laboratory alone, that woman made her move.”

Made her move. I already know. I also saw the scene of her attacking and butchering soldiers.

But the news the Police Commissioner showed by turning on the TV in his office revealed that the situation was beyond what I had imagined.

I knew that bitch Sai had attacked soldiers. But I didn’t know she had directly attacked the military, so when I heard the news, I felt my head go blank.

Even in the original work, she fought with the military, but she didn’t commit the crazy act of repeatedly charging in, wreaking havoc, and leisurely leaving.

Moreover, she sacrificed countless soldiers within just a few hours.

It was scary to think about how far this crazy woman intends to go.

At this point, I almost thought about accepting that disgusting confession, but… who knows what else this woman who pulls such crazy stunts for a confession would do?

So that’s how it went. Sai killed soldiers numbering in the triple digits. The damage to weapons and financial loss is said to be beyond words.

According to the Police Commissioner, our country’s VIP has now realized that Sai cannot be arrested by soldiers and police alone.

I thought it would be seriously stupid if they just realized this now, but considering what choices the higher-ups might make going forward, that wasn’t the issue.

Once the higher-ups realize that Sai can twist their necks as easily as twisting chopsticks, they’re the kind of people who would do anything to protect their lifeline.

In the original work, they surrendered when they realized they couldn’t win in a fight, so would it be any different here?

When my thoughts reached this point, I could understand what Sai was trying to do.

This crazy woman literally wants to become a being that the law can do nothing about.

Damn it, I want to argue with someone about whether this is also following the original work’s progression.

If the state declares she cannot be arrested and gives up, how could I, as a police officer, capture her?

There’s no way other than moving like a resistance to arrest Sai, even if it means becoming a criminal along with Mina, as in the original work.

Well, that’s fine. I’m prepared to take off my uniform anyway, and although it’s extremely frustrating that only this specific aspect follows the original work’s development, I can understand it.

But the reason, the damn reason why Sai is pulling such crazy stunts, that fucking reason that’s completely different from the original work, makes me disgusted and uncomfortable.

“Are you saying we’re giving up on arresting Sai?”

When I asked in horror, the Police Commissioner snorted and said:

“If the higher-ups say so, we have to, but it’s impressive how you pretend not to know while setting everything up.”

“?”

I really don’t understand what this person is saying. I wondered if the Police Commissioner was also Sai’s subordinate to be talking such nonsense.

But I thought about it.

While Sai was causing chaos by attacking military bases, I alone raided and stripped the laboratory making the superpower awakening drug.

Looking at this objectively, how would it appear?

From the government’s standpoint, when listing reasons to give up fighting a woman like Sai, apart from Sai’s overwhelming power being a problem.

The superpower awakening drug she creates and spreads, and the resulting superpower users and emerging supervillains, would be major issues.

As more and more superpower users who lose their reason, rampage, and break free from control increase, Sai’s forces grow proportionally.

But I struck at the production facility that could be considered the starting point. As I originally thought, even if it doesn’t completely disappear, accidents caused by superpower users will decrease incomparably compared to before.

This means Sai’s forces have weakened. Additionally, there are cooperative superpower users like New Hope in the current system.

Since an ordinary police officer like me has shown such accomplishments, regardless of the actual facts, the families of the dead soldiers and people in general, while knowing Sai is dangerous, wouldn’t think she’s completely invincible.

They would rather be filled with vengeance and insist on catching her no matter what.

In such a situation, would the government easily choose to surrender to a single superpower user? It would be a decision that would send the current party and government to eternal ruin.

Considering that high-ranking officials value their positions and pride as much as their lives, they couldn’t easily surrender to Sai.

By dealing with the laboratory, I’ve helped the situation unfold this way.

Should I say it’s fortunate? I didn’t expect this effect, but it was good for me.

But did the Police Commissioner say I orchestrated all this? Is he crazy? I said in horror:

“Commissioner. I think you’re misunderstanding, so let me clarify. This happened by chance. Well, it’s fortunate that things turned out well.”

“Yes… you have to say that, don’t you? Does that mean there are things you can do? You don’t need honor or promotion? You’re really incredible.”

The Police Commissioner said this and threw himself into what looked like an extremely expensive chair, stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then spoke.

The middle-aged man with white hair sprouting had eyes drenched in melancholy, and then he sighed and said:

“Fine. Then, as promised before, I’ll establish a special task force centered around Sergeant Lee Munsu. Do whatever you want, whatever you need to do, with the help of superpower users. I’ll back you up.”

“Since people will have to acknowledge that ‘supervillains’ cannot be defeated without ‘heroes,’ it will be easy to create justification.”

“Whether you die or not, let’s try to get in there. In return. Put all those damn supervillains back in jail. As police officers. Without fail.”

??

The Police Commissioner, who had returned to his warm impression, grinned. He seems to be making some even stranger misunderstanding, but having the Police Commissioner’s backing is significant.

I decided to keep my mouth shut since there’s no benefit in denying it further if I can accept it as a good thing.

Then—what should I do now?

After pondering for a moment, I realized that if only the most terrible events flow according to the original work, there’s something that needs to be prevented first.

Yuna-ri. Along with the thought of what to do if she goes crazy and tries to betray, I wondered if she would really betray like in the original work.

Recalling what that woman has done so far. I realized it’s time to take a look at her once.

They say you shouldn’t trust a drug addict’s words, right?

Although Yuna-ri hasn’t directly done drugs, in my mind, she’s become someone who wouldn’t seem strange if she did.

Actually, there are star shapes engraved in her eyes. How can a person’s pupil be star-shaped? Isn’t that extremely suspicious?

I rubbed my chin, thinking that even by my own standards, it might be a bit unfair to Yuna-ri if she heard these thoughts.