episode_0033

Friend (6)

“Hahaha!!”

(Thud! Bang! Roar!!)

“…”

“Subdue them quickly!”

(Tatadada!)

“No way!”

(Thud! Thud!)

“Ahh!!”

“Isn’t there anyone stronger!”

“…”

“You guys aren’t ready yet!!”

“Wait, isn’t that a line from a game?”

(Crash!)

In the gathering of high-ranking officials in Zone F at the market’s speech ceremony, Eodukshini was actively displaying his presence.

(Thud!! Crash! Boom!!)

As if moving shadows with his hands and giving them mass to exert physical force. However, what clearly appeared sharp did not cut people but only pushed or shocked them into unconsciousness.

At this, I was convinced. There is no killing intent in Eodukshini’s attacks.

“?”

Eodukshini, who had been tearing through the surrounding security forces, stood unharmed and discovered Arsu looking at him.

“……”

“……”

Thus, the silent eye contact between Arsu and Doyoon continued.

(Shake)

Arsu, who had been making eye contact, waved his hand in greeting.

“??”

Seeing Arsu casually waving at the threatening villain, Doyoon was even more bewildered.

“He definitely doesn’t recognize me.”

Despite being a fellow possessor, Arsu noticed that Doyoon couldn’t pierce through his recognition-inhibiting magic.

(Swish)

For Doyoon, who hadn’t realized his true identity, Arsu made a circle with his finger and held it up to his eye, posing as if wearing a monocle.

“……!!!”

Upon this, Doyoon realized that Arsu in front of him was the Mad Hatter.

(Growl!)

Having recognized Arsu’s true identity, Doyoon quickly approached him.

“Mad Hatter?”

“Yeah, right now I’m Arsu Riddle.”

“…Damn”

“?”

Doyoon suddenly cursed upon seeing him.

“…Why are you so good-looking?”

“…You’re good-looking too, though?”

“But still, you really look like a character from a comic.”

“Weren’t we in a comic world?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Oh, who’s the original Mad Hatter?”

“…?”

“I haven’t seen the original.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I really don’t know anything.”

“…And yet it turned out like this?”

“Uh”

“This damn life.”

Doyoon once again felt the unfairness of life.

“How can someone without future knowledge become a villain who leaves a mark in a district?”

“I absorb things very quickly.”

“Really unlucky.”

“So, who is it?”

“…A serial killer.”

“Hmm?”

“A crazy serial killer who used hypnosis to make a daughter kill her parents and then commit suicide.”

“…My word.”

“And he hypnotized a blonde girl to make her kill her parents and then commit suicide.”

“This guy seems even crazier than I thought.”

“He was definitely a villain who awakened a hero.”

“Is that so?”

“…Wait, if you’re this normal… If you’re normal in a different way, what happens to that hero?”

(Ring!)

As Doyoon pondered the flow of the story, a signal came from Arthur’s watch.

“Approaching hero… Saber?”

Hmm, it must be the new A-class hero who just arrived in the F-district.

“What’s your target?”

Confirming that there wasn’t much time for conversation, Arthur got straight to the point with Doyoon.

“Hmm? For now, an A-class villain.”

“Then there should be some impact… Wait a moment.”

Arthur had a sudden good idea.

“Just a moment…”

(Click, click)

“Hmm?”

At Arthur’s gesture, Doyoon pricked up his ears.

“………”

And Arthur whispered something to Doyoon.

“…Insane.”

After hearing Arthur’s words, Doyoon looked at Arthur and said, “Am I going to get ‘mad’ for no reason?”

(Thud!)

Arthur’s somewhat provocative opinion reached Doyoon, and soon after, the hero arrived.

(Swish!)

A tall man, a handsome blond man who seemed like a hero, Saber, drew his sword.

“Don’t draw it.”

(Click!)

From somewhere unknown, Doyoon pressed a gun, which certainly wasn’t his, against Arthur’s forehead.

“…Let him go.”

Seeing the hostage (Arthur), Saber calmly spoke to Doyoon.

“Like that?”

“What?”

“I’ll let him go slowly.”

(Shaking)

As Doyoon pushed Arthur with the gun, Arthur trembled and walked forward.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

To calm Arthur down, Saber calmly spoke.

“Well, he passes the character test.”

In response to Saber’s actions, Arthur evaluated Saber.

“Hey!”

“Yes.”

When Doyoon, not Arthur, called him, Arthur turned around.

(Bang!)

And immediately, a flame spouted from the gun that Adokshini was holding, and a bullet flew out.

“…”

(Sob)

The bullet struck Arthur’s northern part immediately.

“……”

“No!!”

Saber ran towards the fallen Arthur who had been shot.

(Swish)

“Hahaha!”

Seeing Saber like that, Adokshini laughed and disappeared into the darkness.

“You’re really something.”

In an empty space, within my subconscious, Black spoke to me.

“I know too.”

I naturally summoned a table, chairs, and refreshments and sat down.

“Why? I don’t understand either.”

“I thought you knew me best.”

“Well…”

“Oh, and by the way, can you control your regenerative ability?”

“What?”

“If you recover too quickly, anyone would see you as superhuman.”

“…”

Black looked at me with an expression that said, “Is this guy crazy?” Wow, seeing someone with my face making such an expression gives me a new feeling.

“…But isn’t there something else we should do first?”

“?”

“A quiz.”

“…Ah, right.”

“I am small and large

I have appeared as water and fire at first

I may be wrong, but if lucky, I won’t be wrong

What am I?”

“Bring ‘me’ next time we meet.”

“So, did you bring ‘me’?”

“Of course.”

(Swoosh)

Arthur took out a pocket watch from his bosom.

(Clang! Crash!)

Then he forcefully slammed it onto the table.

(Swish)

Thus, he threw the perfectly broken clock with shattered glass and immobile clock hands to Black.

“A broken clock.”

“…What’s the answer?”

Black asked, touching the broken clock.

“I am small and large. Clocks come in various sizes, from pocket watches to building-sized clock towers.”

“That’s the answer.”

“I have appeared as water and fire at first. The first clocks were water clocks and sundials.”

“That’s also the answer.”

“I may be wrong, but if lucky, I won’t be wrong. A broken clock is right twice a day. There’s a saying that even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

“Indeed, that’s the answer.”

(Tick, tock)

The broken clock began to function again.

“Two Arthurs?”

?”

?”

When a voice other than their own was heard in the space, both Arthurs turned their heads.

“What’s this?”

In the eyes of Doyoon, who was wearing a hanbok, Eodukshini appeared.

“Doyoon? Why are you here? No, how did you come here?”

“I told you, I can enter dreams or the subconscious. And most of all, I was worried because I shot a gun, so I came in to see… So what’s this? It looks just like you? Except for the hair color.”

Doyoon looked around at Eodukshini and asked Arthur.

“I don’t know either, we’ve known each other since we were kids. He’s a friend from my imagination that appears in dreams or the subconscious like now.”

“Hmm.”

Doyoon looked around at Eodukshini.

“…It doesn’t seem like a person, at least not entirely?”

“Really?”

“If it were a person, it could cross over into dreams, but it can’t. Maybe it’s an existence only in your mind? Or maybe more than human existence, and other etceteras.”

…”

Arthur looked at Eodukshini upon Doyoon’s words.

(Shrug)

Eodukshini shrugged his shoulders with a smile as he met Arthur’s gaze.

“Now, from now on, it’s going to be a deep conversation, so the uninvited guest should step outside for a moment.”

(Snap!)

When Eodukshini snapped his fingers, Doyoon’s body turned into smoke and disappeared.

“I gave you the ability to recover.”

“I see.”

“But I didn’t just give you the ability to recover accurately.”

“What?”

“It’s more than that.”

…”

“You don’t need to ask me, you already have it. It’s something I can’t help you with, the ability that has already left my hands.”

“…Do I have to control it?”

“I don’t really like the word ‘control’… Yes, try adjusting the direction and speed.”

“I’ll have to make an effort.”

“But you’ve definitely grown a lot.”

?”

“And made many friends.”

“…That’s true.”

“Come on, your friends are waiting.”

…

…

…

“…”

Inside the hospital room, I slowly opened my eyes. Apparently, my recovery wasn’t as fast as I had hoped, judging by the discomfort in my body.

“…Seolha?”

As I turned my head, I saw Seolha dozing off, shaking her head.

“Oh? Mr. Arthur? Doctor!”

Having seen me wake up, Seolha hurriedly went to find the doctor.

“…I was lucky. Fortunately, the bullet didn’t break into multiple fragments and didn’t cause major damage to my organs. The critical period that could have endangered my life has passed, so now you should focus on recovery. It seems it wouldn’t be bad to start walking a little from tomorrow.”

“Phew, thank you.”

Hector’s face turned pale when he heard that I had collapsed.

“……”

And Seohyun was looking at me expressionlessly. Strangely, it was more frightening than getting angry.

“Well, anyway, it’s fortunate.”

Jim, who seemed least shaken by the news of me being shot, said.

“That’s right. It’s really fortunate,” and the most alien presence in this group, Seolha, said.

I heard that I collapsed at the casino and they hurriedly brought me to the hospital.

“The villain who attacked Mr. Arthur is called Eodukshini. It hasn’t been announced yet, but he’s expected to be designated as A-rank.”

“He does seem strong.”

Certainly, Eodukshini’s power displayed at the terrorist scene was strong. Also, the fact that it was a terrorist scene with a mayor’s speech, and the special nature of that scene, making it a mess and incapacitating B and C-rank heroes while escaping from an A-rank hero simultaneously. These factors combined made it highly likely for him to be judged as an A-rank villain.

“But isn’t Seolha busy right now?”

“He has to come because his friend got hurt.”

“…Friend?”

Seohyun reacted to Seolha’s mention of a friend.

“Oh, Anderson wanted him to send his regards, and also Chairman Choi Myung-wol.”

Jim whispered to Arthur’s ear so that Seolha couldn’t hear.

“…”

Come to think of it, I’m friends with some very special people.

First, A-rank hero Lee Seolha.

And childhood friend and A-rank villain Oh Seohyun.

James (Jim) Hardy, a famous headhunter in the mercenary industry.

Anderson Lee and Choi Myung-wol, who hold a place in the dark world of F-district.

Recently debuted A-rank villain Kim Doyoon, Eodukshini.

And a few other friends outside the norm.

“…Have I lived my life poorly?”

Arthur, who pondered carefully about the friends he was keeping, thought so.