episode_0030

“Mmm… You came here targeting me, didn’t you?”

I addressed him informally because his hostile demeanor was obvious at a glance. I’m not the type to show courtesy to trash like that.

“Correct.”

“Why? If you went into hiding after killing people, you should’ve stayed hidden. What made you show yourself now?”

“…Guess the NIS called me in.”

“I work closely with them in various ways. They called me in a panic, so I wondered what was going on… And here you are, some deranged bastard.”

“Deranged? That sounds more like you.”

“Not sure a psycho who kills people on a whim should be saying that.”

“You got mutated just to play hero?”

“Whether I play hero or not has nothing to do with you. No—actually, it’s because of bastards like you that I ended up doing something close to heroics. I just wanted to live peacefully, you know? But when I woke up, the perception of Mutants was already in shambles.”

This was a perfect opportunity to ask. Unlike a Minotaur-type Mutant who’s lost all reason, why would someone like him go around killing people? Was it uncontrollable urges or something?

I continued.

“Alright, since we’re here, I might as well ask. Why the hell are you killing people? What do you gain from it? Some kind of uncontrollable instinct?”

“I just kill them because I’m bored.”

“…What?”

What the hell did I just hear?

“Because I’m bored. Problem? From the moment we mutated, we stopped being human. There’s no reason to live by human standards, and I don’t want to either. The almighty authorities can’t even catch me—why should I let them tie me down?”

“…Did you start thinking like that after becoming a devil, or were you always like this?”

“Always. If I could, I’d have killed every damn bastard around me. That piece-of-shit manager, those worthless colleagues, those rotten parents… So I killed them all.”

“Psychopath.”

“That’s why seeing someone like you pisses me off. Getting this power just to suck up to humans?”

This guy was insane. I was sure of it.

No matter how shitty people are, thinking about killing them isn’t something you just do.

Even in the worst environments, some people endure and survive.

I don’t consider myself some paragon of justice.

I’m just your average working-class citizen.

Help if I can, stand back if I can’t.

But still, seeing trash like this makes my blood boil.

His very humanity is rotten to the core.

No—more accurately, he’s like an edgy chuunibyou gone full villain.

“A special existence?”

What a joke.

No matter how “special” you are, it’s human society that decides whether to acknowledge it.

Because humans rule this world.

And “special” means being recognized by all members of society.

Not being an outcast.

But I didn’t bother explaining this to him.

No point arguing with someone who wouldn’t listen anyway.

Plus, I didn’t want to empathize with him in any way.

Why should I empathize with a psycho like that?

Even if becoming a Mutant drove him to extremes, he could’ve at least resisted those urges.

If humans acted purely on instinct, would they even be human? At least show some restraint.

He’s an animal.

No—he’s worse.

A delusional chuunibyou who thinks he’s the most special being in the world, treating humans as inferior.

Above all else… it’s pathetic.

Jesus, in all the months since the Awakening, this is the first time I’ve seen a Mutant spew this kind of garbage out loud.

“Wow… you’re seriously pathetic.”

I didn’t even mean to say it out loud.

Ah, damn.

Should’ve held back. But how could I?

I’m not exactly a social expert—sometimes things just slip out unfiltered.

“…What?”

He looked pissed. Seriously? You’re the one acting like a child, and now you’re throwing a tantrum?

“I mean, it’s true. You act like you’re some new breed of humanity, expecting people to worship you? What do you think the world calls you? A criminal. That’s it. You gained powers just to become a fugitive, and you brag about it like it’s something to be proud of… Are you seriously not embarrassed? ‘I’ll take revenge on those who wronged me and do whatever I want…’ What is this, middle-school angst?”

“You—!”

“Hey, can you even go to a convenience store? How do you get money for food? Uh, right, you’re a devil-type Mutant, so I guess you manage somehow. But isn’t it exhausting? Constantly scamming people for stuff seems like a pain. The authorities can’t catch you? So what? They’re still trying. You’re still a fugitive. Honestly, you enjoy this?”

He probably couldn’t refute me. Who’d willingly choose such a miserable life?

“That’s why whenever bastards like you run wild, it’s Mutants like me—just trying to live normally—who pay the price. Perception is shaped by the minority, and you’re making things hell for the rest of us.”

“I wanted to create a world where Mutants can live freely! Why should we live under human scrutiny? We gained this power—why shouldn’t we use it?”

“Oh my god… Do you actually think you’re the leader of some secret society? This is exactly why you’re pathetic. So, how many members does this ‘society’ have?”

“…”

“Ah, just you? Figures. Even I wouldn’t want to be ostracized in this modern world.”

“Shut up…!”

“And if bastards like you didn’t exist, we wouldn’t have to worry about perception in the first place! You’re the reason we’re in this mess, yet here you are spouting nonsense. Unbelievable.”

Lost for words, he glared at me with a face flushed red with rage.

“Never mind. If you’d just obediently followed my lead, I might’ve kept you as a pet.”

“A pet? Overestimating yourself much? I guess turning into a mythological demon gave you delusions of grandeur… Too bad for you, I’ve got plenty of unjustified confidence myself.”

“SHUT UP!”

With that, he charged at me. The moment his feet slammed into the ground, the earth shattered beneath him.

KWA-BOOM!

The well-maintained plaza was reduced to rubble in an instant.

Ugh, this bastard—trashing my university like this!

Do you know how much tuition I paid for this?!

Fine. You want a beating? I’ll oblige.

His fist shot toward me at incredible speed. Faster than I expected. But—

Too slow.

His movements were clear as day. I caught his fist mid-air.

CRUNCH!

Just gripping his arm—without even trying—was enough to snap something.

Panicked, he unleashed flames from his entire body.

WHOOSH!

Whoa. Devil powers, huh? Fire manipulation? Cute. I can do that too.

“Ghh…!”

The pain from his crushed arm must’ve been intense because he quickly backed off. Huh. Tough little thing. Even a casual punch from me bends steel, but a full-force grip only broke his arm?

“Hey, Devil. How many months has it been for you? You’re pretty sturdy.”

“What the hell are you—?!”

“How many months since you mutated? Two, maybe?”

“…”

Seems I hit the mark. I clicked my tongue.

Two months? And in that short time, he killed that many people?

More importantly—compared to Sia, who’s also two months in, this guy’s a joke. She at least tries to live decently.

“You wanted to keep me as a pet with that weak-ass power?”

“Ha! I wasn’t even trying yet!”

“Oh, really…?”

I lost all interest in arguing. Just wrap this up and hand him over to the agents.

Then, his aura suddenly shifted.

His body expanded, his skin turning crimson.

His lower half grew covered in fur, and his head morphed into something resembling a goat’s.

Like Baphomet from Christian mythology.

And it wasn’t just his appearance—black flames erupted around him. Aha, so you do have something up your sleeve.

But… I didn’t feel threatened.

In fact, it just looked ridiculous.

“Ah, Phase 2.”

“I’ll burn that arrogant mouth of yours to ash!”

He hurled a massive black fireball at me.

Oddly, I felt like I could easily nullify it.

I raised my palm.

The fireball, fierce enough to incinerate everything in its path, was effortlessly absorbed into my hand.

Huh. Easy.

“Impossible…!”

“That’s it?”

“Not—not yet!”

He conjured an even bigger fireball. If this hit, nothing in the vicinity would survive.

Bystanders scrambled to flee.

This idiot doesn’t know restraint.

Fine. If he won’t hold back, neither will I.

Perfect timing.

I should make an example of him—ensure no half-baked upstarts dare mess with me again.

The reason I hadn’t transformed yet was simple: my mere presence would level my house.

Just spreading my wings once turned my furniture into scrap. If I fully manifested my true form, what then?

I knew roughly how big I’d be as a dragon. Naturally, I thought, Ah, this size makes sense.

And because I understood the sheer scale of my true form, I never dared attempt it. Transforming in the streets would flatten buildings—no thanks.

But now? This was a vast university campus.

And thanks to him, most nearby structures were already destroyed.

Meaning—there was nothing left to destroy.

Which meant…

I could finally reveal my true self.

If I ended up naked, I could just wrap myself in my wings and tail and call for help.

Wait—what about my phone?

Eh, whatever. I’ll just buy a new one. My contract’s up, and I’ve got money.

Now wasn’t the time for trivial concerns.

Teaching this reckless insect a lesson was far more important.

I unleashed every ounce of power within me.

OOOOM—

Instantaneously, the surroundings trembled. The ground quaked like an earthquake, shockwaves rippling through the air.

I could feel the overwhelming energy coursing through my veins.

My perception of the world shifted.

My vision expanded to a thousand-mile scale—people below looked like ants.

And to me, the devil was now just another insect.