episode_0015

Scissors spin violently as they surge toward the robber.

Watching a tool meant for cutting paper or thin objects fly like a shuriken was fascinating, even to me, the one who threw them.

“Y-you fucking bastard!!”

The robber shoves Rachel aside in a panic.

He barely manages to deflect the scissors with the dagger in his hand.

Tracking and reacting to that with his eyes—yeah, he’s no ordinary person either.

“Y-you started this first!! I was trying to handle this peacefully!!”

Bullshit.

Grabbing someone and threatening them counts as peaceful now?

They say there’s no cure for stupidity, but damn, that’s just tragic.

The robber charges at me, dagger in his right hand.

I take a step back, watching him, then pull a chisel and hammer from my belt.

“…All you have is a dull, generic color.”

I toss the chisel into the air.

“Not even worth using as a canvas.”

The moment the chisel aligns perfectly parallel to the ground, I swing the hammer.

—Ting!

With a crisp sound, the chisel shoots forward—literally.

The high-speed projectile embeds itself into the robber’s left trapezius.

“GAAAH!! Y-you fucking little—!!”

The robber trembles, screaming in pain.

Whether from agony or shock, his movements grow sluggish.

And that’s one of the biggest differences between Erodes and humans.

Erodes will do anything to destroy what’s in front of them, but most humans can’t push past the barrier of pain.

That’s why humans are far easier to deal with than Erodes.

Pulling out a carving knife with my free hand, I step toward the now-slowed robber.

“D-don’t come closer…! Stay the hell back!!”

Does he even realize that just moments ago, he was the one closing in on me?

Ignoring his words, I keep advancing.

“You goddamn—!!”

—Swish!

He slashes vertically with the dagger.

I sidestep.

—Swish!

He swings horizontally.

I step back, dodging.

Predictable attacks like these? I could take the hit, but why bother?

“…Pathetic.”

The words slip out before I realize it.

This time, instead of slashing, he thrusts the dagger straight at me—aiming for my heart.

Going for a vital spot? Good.

But blindly targeting only vitals without any variation makes your moves painfully easy to read.

And most rookies don’t realize that.

—Clang!

I swing the hammer hard, smashing the dagger off-course.

He doesn’t drop it, but the blade meant for my heart stabs harmlessly into empty air.

“…!”

The distance between us has naturally closed.

If I aimed for his heart right now, I could easily end him.

But my goal isn’t execution—it’s suppression.

So I have no intention of targeting anything life-threatening.

That said, anything not life-threatening? Fair game.

I sift through the Artist’s knowledge.

With his expertise in human anatomy, I consider what kind of injury would best restrict the robber’s movements.

The answer comes quickly.

—Thunk!

I drive the carving knife straight into the joint of his right shoulder.

“GAAAH!!”

His arm convulses violently.

Like a seizure.

Must be excruciating.

Joints have more nerve endings than most areas.

In my past life, I remember suffering for a long time after an Erode stabbed my knee joint.

Hurt so bad I wanted to die.

Probably how this guy feels right now.

Drool spills from the robber’s mouth as he drops the dagger and collapses to the floor.

Crimson blood streams from his impaled shoulder and trapezius.

“…The proof of red life. Never gets old.”

The muttered words make me flinch internally.

Yeah, this personality isn’t exactly stable.

More like a half-mad artist, huh?

No wonder he turned his back on the world.

If I wander around borrowing this personality too much, people might mistake me for a lunatic.

Better reserve it for combat.

With that thought, I release the personality.

My clothes and appearance revert to normal.

Hah.

The chisel and carving knife embedded in the robber vanish without a trace—but the wounds they left remain.

Good.

The crisis is officially over.

Rolling my shoulders, I stretch and walk over to the counter.

“Uh, sorry—any idea when my drink’ll be ready?”

The clerk, who’d been staring at me blankly, jolts to attention, flustered.

“H-huh? Oh! The grapefruit ade, right? J-just a moment, please!”

“Take your time.”

Nodding rapidly like he’s being chased, the clerk starts remaking the drink.

As I reach for my phone to soothe my parched throat, a message pops up.

[Achievement: A Hobbyist Hero (First Criminal Subdued) Cleared!]

[Reward: 200 Fate Points]

Huh. This time, the achievement definitely registered.

200 Fate Points.

Now that daily quests are unlocked, it’s not huge, but as a bonus, it’s not bad.

Guess good deeds really do pay off.

Then—rumble rumble—a commotion erupts from the café entrance.

“Everyone, hands up and drop your weapons! We received a report and—… Huh?”

Officers storm in, barking orders—only to pause, scanning the eerily quiet interior.

Confused, one cautiously asks,

“…Uh, who’s the suspect here?”

In unison, every person in the café points at the robber groveling on the floor.

One officer frowns, staring blankly at the guy before pulling out his radio.

—Static.

“Uh… situation’s already handled?”

After reporting, he hurriedly pulls out handcuffs.

Everything after that went smoothly.

The robber was fully restrained and hauled into a police car.

A few officers stayed behind to take witness statements.

Naturally, they learned I was the one who subdued him.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, no civilians were hurt. If it’s not too much, could you give us your name and affiliation?”

A puppy-eared officer bows slightly as he asks.

“Park Junghyun, Providence freshman.”

“Ah, a Providence student! Your actions today will be reported to the faculty. You’ll receive a commendation and, per regulations, a reward of roughly 500,000 Mihan dollars.”

Commendations are a minor factor in boosting Providence rankings.

They won’t skyrocket your standing, but 1–3 rank jumps are possible.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to top-tier students—but I’m still mid-tier at best.

“Just did what anyone would.”

“No need to be modest. Right now, you’re practically a hero.”

Ahem.

Didn’t step in for praise, but it’s still kinda embarrassing.

Just as I start feeling awkward, a welcome voice calls out.

“Order for Customer 31! Your grapefruit ade is ready!”

Finally.

Grinning, I snatch the drink and give a small nod.

“Thanks. Uh, officer—am I free to go?”

“Yes. You’ve done more than enough today!”

With permission, I take a long sip and step out of the café.

The coolness washing over my parched throat is perfect.

“Kinda bitter.”

But the strong flavor dominates, so it’s not off-putting.

And hey—it’s cold and goes down easy.

Not gonna complain.

Humming, I head toward my apartment.

Or at least, I try to.

“W-wait!”

A high-pitched voice calls out just a few steps from the café.

“Yeah?”

“How dare you dismiss the Dark Flame Master without even a—WAAH!”

Rachel, who’d rushed out, loses her balance and faceplants.

“Oww…”

Tears glisten in her eyes.

“You okay?”

“O-of course! This body has long transcended the concept of pain!”

She scrambles up, puffing out her chest like it’s nothing.

“Glad to hear it. So, what’d you wanna say?”

“Ah, right! How dare you reduce the Dark Flame Master to a mere afterthought by leaving without gratitude!”

Sounds like she’s mad I left before she could thank me.

“Ahem. Normally, a mere flick of my finger would suffice, but with my power sealed, I was in a bind. Thanks to you, I could catch my breath. Thus, I shall grace you with my gratitude.”

Technically, her power isn’t sealed—she just couldn’t reveal her identity.

“Just doing my part.”

“Your humility isn’t entirely displeasing. However… I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.”

Her eyes sparkle at my permission.

“Are you, too, one who walks the path of darkness?”

…The path of darkness?

What kind of chuuni nonsense—

“Come again?”

“Heh. I can tell at a glance. The words you muttered while facing that fool—you, like me, are a being shrouded in darkness!”

What did I even say to make her think that?

I sift through my memories.

-…You’re such a dull color. -…All you have is a dull, generic color. -…The proof of red life. Never gets old.

…Yeah, I can see the misunderstanding.

Seems she heard the Artist’s edgy lines and assumed I’m like her.

“Nope.”

“Tch. Everyone denies it at first. But you’ll soon realize—we are not like the rest.”

“Uh-huh.”

Brushing off her delusional rambling, I change the subject.

“By the way, are you a Providence freshman too?”

“Indeed. I, too, am a freshman. I merely mingle with these fools to reclaim fragments of my sealed power.”

She covers her face with one hand, striking a bizarre pose.

“Remember this name well! I am Rachel! The Dark Flame Master who shall consume this world—the harbinger of darkness!”

Her words are pure chuuni nonsense.

But shockingly, one part is true.

Yes.

“The true mastermind who shall plunge Providence into chaos!”

She’s actually the mastermind—not just playing a role.