episode_0008

“I won’t! No! I can’t!”

Firebringer (Jin), after hearing my words, was shaking her head at a speed that made me wonder if she’d get a headache.

“I’m telling you, you can do it.”

“No, how am I supposed to do it! That, that’s Eclipse, the Eclipse from TV! Scary and robbing banks!”

And I’m the one who fought that Eclipse.

“Anyway, I, I ca… can’t…”

“…”

As I stared intently at her, she trailed off and avoided my gaze.

“Ca, ca, ca…”

“…”

“…can’t… alone…”

In the end, she changed her words, avoiding my gaze.

Still, it’s amazing.

To be able to properly express her opinion, saying she doesn’t like it, right in front of me.

Usually, they’d be too busy trying to read my mood.

“Of course, I’ll help.”

And, to dispel her worries, I spoke in a confident tone, and I could see hope filling Firebringer (Jin)’s eyes.

“Really…?”

“I have a conscience, I wouldn’t just throw you at Eclipse right away.”

Her expression showed a hint of doubt at the words “I have a conscience,” but as I turned my gaze back to her, she nodded hastily, as if agreeing.

“T, then… how…”

“…”

For now, I’ve somehow fastened the first button.

In the original story, Firebringer was a madman with a reason.

And that reason will definitely appear soon.

I don’t intend to block the madness itself.

It’s more important to make that madness our own and use it effectively.

“…”

And, as if proving that my opinion wasn’t wrong, the survival rate was slowly but steadily rising.

Let’s just keep going like this.

“First. Your ability is to control fire, right?”

“…How did you know?”

Firebringer’s eyes widened at my words.

Well, I saw it in the original.

But if I answer like that, I’ll just be treated like a madman.

“I have my ways.”

I just answered that and gestured to her with my chin.

“Try it.”

“A, yes…!”

As soon as she heard my words, she nodded with a determined expression, then waved her hand.

“Ya, yaap…!”

Then, a ball of fire popped out of her hand and lingered in the air before disappearing.

“…Th, this much…”

“…Hmm.”

I roughly expected it.

How much ability development could someone from an orphanage have done?

“Good.”

That’s something we can develop from now on, so it’s not difficult.

I look at her, who is waiting for my answer with a timid expression.

With this kind of personality, how, why did she insist on becoming a hero?

If she lived being constantly pushed around by those gangs, she could have hated villains, or she could have just gone into hero training and pursued a more comfortable life.

What made her skip even her internship and hang out with delinquents here?

“…”

Should I ask her after all?

Okay. As they say, strike while the iron is hot.

I opened my mouth to ask her, but Firebringer opened her mouth before I could.

“I, I’m Kim Yeon-ha.”

“…What?”

“I, I don’t think I told you my name.”

“…I see.”

Come to think of it, I’ve always called her Firebringer and never asked her name.

“…”

I should ask this time for sure.

As I opened my mouth again,

“Oh, teacher!”

I heard the voice of the old man in charge of the orphanage behind me.

I hurriedly put on the mask I had in my pocket and turned around to look at the man.

“I’m glad. I was worried you were hurt since you hadn’t returned for so long.”

“…It’s nothing.”

From that man’s point of view, if a volunteer got beaten up by the orphanage kids, things would get complicated and tiring, so he came to find me.

“Yeon-ha, what are you doing here alone?”

“…Ah, th… Director…”

Kim Yeon-ha, that is, Firebringer, looked at me with a “what do I do?” expression after hearing the man’s words, and I watched her before turning back to look at the man again.

“It seems she doesn’t listen to me very well. But fortunately, the orphanage student here listened to me.”

“I’m really sorry. I should have stopped you before you left.”

“No, don’t worry about it.”

Since a third party has intervened, it’s safe to say that I can’t get Firebringer’s information today.

Let’s give up cleanly. It’s not like today is the only day.

“…Well, it’s getting pretty late…”

I looked at the sky and then at the man.

The sun was already setting.

“I’ll go in for today. I’ll visit again tomorrow.”

“You’ll come again tomorrow…! Thank you so much! The world needs more people like you.”

The man bowed as if he was sincerely grateful, and Firebringer also bowed in confusion.

“It’s nothing. I’ll go in now.”

I answered that and headed back to the hideout, leaving the two of them behind.

People have become stronger than before, but society may have become more callous.

*

“What were you doing?”

As soon as I entered the hideout, Eclipse greeted me and asked.

“I found a new member.”

“You didn’t go to the orphanage for a preliminary investigation?”

“I did a preliminary investigation and found a new member.”

“…I don’t mess with minors.”

I don’t know who’s the villain and who’s the hero.

No, wait. He’s a villain with convictions, so maybe that’s why?

“She’s just become an adult.”

“Then, well, I can beat her up without any guilt. Got it.”

Just like a villain, he’s saying he’s going to use violence on an adult who’s still wet behind the ears.

Eclipse is holding a needle and thread, mending the torn hem of her clothes, and looking at me.

“So, what’s she like? How did you win her over this time?”

“I haven’t won her over yet.”

It’s just the beginning.

Eclipse frowned as if she was dumbfounded at my words, then narrowed her eyes again and started focusing on her sewing.

“Anyway, I don’t know what kind of person the one you recruited is, but at least bring someone who can take my attacks.”

“Okay, don’t worry.”

As long as Eclipse and I are in a rival confrontation, Firebringer must remain my right-hand man.

If the rival changes too often, the immersion will drop.

“When are you going to hit the orphanage?”

“…A week from now.”

“Until then is your groundwork?”

“That’s right.”

“Exactly what kind of groundwork is it that you need a week for? Are you secretly planting a spy or something?”

“Something like that.”

Because I have to start culling first.

Heroes and villains, and the truly dangerous individuals who are neither.

That’s a method that only I can do.

“Hey, Eclipse. There’s something I want to ask you.”

“What.”

“Isn’t your face all over the place? Don’t you need to wear a mask?”

“When I go out for personal matters, I roughly fix my face with darkness.”

“…”

You should have done that for me too.

*

The next day.

“You really came!”

As I returned to the orphanage wearing a mask, the man greeted me happily, spreading his arms wide.

He didn’t seem to expect me to actually come.

“I said I would.”

And, a smile bloomed even wider on the man’s face at my calm answer.

“Today is a day without internships, so everyone is inside. Say hello to them. Here…”

I followed behind him, who looked happy, and moved my steps.

As he said, there were quite a few people today.

And the teenagers I saw yesterday were also standing in groups.

Did someone recognize me?

“…Oh!”

Pointing at me, he nudged someone else’s shoulder.

Yeah. Spread the rumors like that.

Keep spreading the rumors and tell the kids that the villain-like man is volunteering at the orphanage.

And the old man, who doesn’t know anything about that fact, was diligently introducing me to the other children with a joyful expression.

How long had we been walking around?

“This is where our graduating kids are now.”

They’re called graduating kids, but they’re the ones who are about to become adults.

Adults who have just shed their teenage skin were gathered in chairs that resembled a classroom.

“Most of them aspire to be heroes, and some of the truly capable kids have already become independent and are working as heroes. If not… they go their own way.”

That means they became villains.

I slowly look around.

I know everyone here.

From the person I fought with yesterday to the teenager who was the leader of the group, and even Firebringer, who was trembling.

About half of them were friends I was familiar with.

“…Hello.”

And, I greeted them as if I didn’t know anything and focused my mind.

There’s still no change in the survival rate.

The ‘culling’ that I’m trying to do is, in a way, a very primitive method.

Walking around, talking to people, making them recognize me, and pre-identifying and dealing with those who have a significant impact on my survival rate.

The problem is how to talk to them.

But that worry didn’t last long.

“They’re about to become independent. How about you give them some advice, teacher…”

As if he read my mind, the old man guided me to them with a kind smile.

“Come on, this is the teacher who came to volunteer.”

“Nice to meet you.”

I said hello like that and moved my steps to shake hands with everyone.

Maybe it’s because we’re inside the orphanage, but no one was picking a fight with me because of what happened yesterday.

Maybe they were too scared.

“Nice to meet you.”

I disguised my voice to sound kind and kept shaking hands.

My survival rate fluctuates subtly every time I shake hands, but this isn’t a big difference.

In other words, these are people I don’t need to worry about.

“…”

I shake hands with Firebringer.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Y, yes…”

It went up.

I definitely have to take Firebringer with me.

Thinking that, I made eye contact with the male student sitting next to her.

He was a man with a kind impression.

You could call him a saint drawn in a picture.

“Hello.”

I reached out my hand to greet him, and the male student smiled kindly and took my hand.

“Hello.”

“…”

A mechanical voice announced my survival rate.

I think I found the culprit.