The Villain's Testimony
The day of the trial. A massive crowd had gathered at the courthouse. The long-hidden truth about the first Enhanced Human experiments and the identities of the surviving 1st Generation Enhanced Humans was finally set to be revealed today at the Cheongang Supreme Court. In reality, the case concerned whether unregistered Enhanced Humans in the city would face punishment, but the ever-hungry media had caught the scent and swarmed like vultures.
“Step back! You’re obstructing entry!”
After a long wait, a single vehicle finally approached, and the Enhanced Human at the center of the controversy stepped out. Reporters from every network rushed forward like ants, thrusting cameras toward him, but the heavy security detail ensured almost none succeeded in getting a clear shot. Security inside the courthouse was equally tight. All other scheduled trials for the day had been postponed for this case. Even the usually lax guards stood rigidly at their posts, tension etched across their faces.
“The defendant will enter. Spectators and court officials, please take your seats and maintain order.”
—Creak.
The enormous doors, far too large for ordinary human passage, swung open with a short groan. Inside waited spectators whose nervousness was plain to see and guards with stern expressions.
“The judge is entering.”
And there stood Eniac, the super AI that oversaw all security in Minos.
Jinhyun was forced into the defendant’s seat, which was far too spacious for a single person. Glancing toward the gallery, he saw Han Cheolho and Han Yujin watching him with tense expressions.
‘So it’s come to this.’
Jinhyun slowly closed his eyes. Looking back, it all felt like a dream. From the moment he was born, he had never known who he was. No one had ever told him. Yet he had never felt lonely. There had been five others who shared his circumstances. Having someone to share your pain with when it became unbearable was a tremendous blessing. Jinhyun had always received blessings from the world. Even when his five family members vanished overnight, someone new had reached out a hand. So he had to return that blessing to the world. Though in the end he had betrayed their trust, they were still alive and present. That was enough. The only lingering regret was Chae Yuha. The woman he had last saved was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps even that hope had been too much to ask.
“Defendant, please state your date of birth and name.”
When he opened his eyes, reality returned. In response to Eniac’s cold question, Jinhyun began answering with the prepared replies. With each successive question, an unmistakable murmur rippled through the gallery. Most of it stemmed from fear and dread, but as Eniac’s questions grew more pointed, those emotions gradually shifted into relief and joy. Thus, the predetermined fate tightened its grip around Jinhyun’s neck.
“I will now deliver the verdict.”
And then—
“Wait just a moment!”
The worst villain, the one who would twist all of this fate, finally appeared.
*
“Witness, please state your date of birth and name.”
“30430602, Chae Yuha.”
The woman with the captivating smile seized the atmosphere of the courtroom the moment she entered. Everyone in the gallery already knew her face thanks to the videos she had spread online beforehand.
“Isn’t that the person from the video?”
“If it’s about the hostage incident, then yeah, that’s her.”
“That face is impossible to forget.”
—Bang bang.
“Order in the court.”
With Eniac’s sharp rebuke, solemnity returned to the courtroom. Still, the spectators couldn’t help but wonder what this woman named Chae Yuha would say. With safety nano-machines already implanted in the heads of the troublemakers and the case seemingly resolved, why had Eniac not yet declared the trial over? There could be no clearer answer.
“I believe some of you may recognize my face.”
Finally, the witness Chae Yuha opened her firmly closed lips.
“I was present at the scene of the department store kidnapping. I was being held hostage by the rampaging Anti-Origin, my life in immediate danger.”
Chae Yuha clenched her trembling hands as if trying to hide her nervousness and pointed toward the defendant’s seat.
“That man saved me. An Enhanced Human subdued another Enhanced Human.”
When Chae Yuha pointed at the defendant’s seat, Jinhyun—who had been facing away—turned his head. His eyes widened.
“I have something to say to all of you. What do you think caused this incident? A simple device malfunction? The innate evil of the Enhanced Human who caused the problem?”
Chae Yuha shook her head and continued.
“I believe the cause lies within ourselves.”
“What the hell are you saying?”
An angry shout erupted from the gallery. Despite the criticism, Chae Yuha maintained her composure, correcting her faltering expression as she pressed on.
“There are many reasons why humans become Enhanced Humans. Because their lives are in such danger that they cannot survive otherwise, because they dream of extending their lifespan, because they want to protect themselves, and sometimes because they simply want to help others.”
She then projected a video stored in her internal device into the air.
“But how have we been treating them?”
The footage showed a loud-mouthed woman berating Enhanced Humans mixed among civilians, demanding they go out and fight. It even captured her striking an Enhanced Human across the face, leaving them sobbing ugly tears. All of it.
“This is only a fraction of it. Our conduct today is surely no better—likely worse.”
Chae Yuha lowered her head.
“Everyone, they are people.”
Her voice had grown much quieter than before, as if she were holding back tears.
“They could be your neighbors, your friends, your family, your children.”
Chae Yuha kept her head bowed, thin tears dripping downward.
“They might become villains who destroy your daily life. But they could also become heroes who protect it.”
“.......”
The murmurs in the gallery had fallen silent.
“Please don’t deny their potential. Please don’t put a leash around the neck of the man who saved our lives.”
—I beg you.
With those final words, Chae Yuha could no longer continue her testimony. No one raised any objections. All that remained was the lingering resonance of the witness’s plea and the silence it left behind.
*
Just a few minutes earlier.
“You want me to stick this on my chest?”
“Yes, please.”
I said this while inserting a pen-shaped miniature camcorder into Han Yujin’s chest pocket. It was an original camcorder that ran on digital. The courthouse guards, born and raised in Minos, would never imagine this was a camera. It was an ancient relic, practically an OOPArt by now.
> [Villainy Points Shop temporarily disabled]
> [Current Villainy Points: 95/100000]
I had bought the pen from the Points Shop. My precious Villainy Points… It had been so damn hard to raise them. I think I mentioned it once before—I really wanted to see the face of whoever made this thing. Buying a 10-point mini-cam had dropped me below 100 points and disabled the shop function. Clearly, flexibility was not part of the design.
“What… are you going to use this for?”
Han Yujin asked while fiddling with the miniature cam that looked like nothing more than a pen. For something good, of course. Like secret filming or wiretapping. But I couldn’t exactly say that outright, so I gave a vague answer.
“It’ll be used for peace.”
*
The storm had passed. Chae Yuha’s passionate speech, like a raging current, had shifted the atmosphere inside the courtroom. Some still believed nano-machines should be implanted in Last’s head, but others had begun to question the very existence of safety nano-machines. Whether they had always held that view or had been swayed by Chae Yuha’s words was unclear. What was certain was that no one could predict the trial’s outcome anymore.
“I will now deliver the verdict.”
Now everything rested in Eniac’s hands. Amid the tension gripping everyone, Eniac—who had conducted the trial in a purely formal manner—set down the gavel and asked,
“Before the verdict, I have one question for the defendant.”
The question was, of course, directed at Jinhyun.
“There is a proverb passed down among the Origins since long ago: Position makes the person. The defendant possesses power. You may think of it as a form of status or authority.”
Setting the gavel aside, Eniac spoke not as the AI managing the city’s security, but as a thinking, reasoning individual.
“You used that power to help others, even knowing it would put you in danger if your identity as a non-civilian were discovered.”
“What is it you wish to say?”
“I am deliberating. There is a scale in my hand right now. Implanting nano-machines in your head would eliminate the immediate threat. However, lives that might have been saved could meet their end through the twisting of fate. Conversely, if I do not implant nano-machines in your head, there is a risk that many people will die because of you.”
Eniac continued.
“May I trust you?”
“.......”
In response to that question, Jinhyun destroyed the meaningless restraints binding him. The spectators gasped in shock at Jinhyun’s action. The guards simultaneously raised their guns, fingers on the triggers.
“Remain calm.”
At Eniac’s command, the guards lowered their weapons.
“Defendant, how should I interpret this action?”
“...My apologies. It seems the message wasn’t conveyed clearly enough.”
Jinhyun cleared his throat with a cough and raised his right hand over his left chest in oath.
“I promise. Until the day comes when everyone can live in peace, I, Jinhyun, will continue repaying the grace I have received from the world until the very end.”
At the same time, a golden aura began to emanate from behind Jinhyun. The spectators, who had been startled by his sudden action, felt a sense of reverence as they bathed in that light and lowered their heads.
“I see.”
Eniac picked up the gavel once more. The sound of the hammer, signifying the final verdict, echoed through the courtroom.
*
“I hereby deliver the verdict. The defendant Jinhyun is sentenced to indefinite probation.”
Nice. I cheered inwardly, ten times, a hundred times. For a moment I had wondered how it would turn out, but Last never disappointed me. Probation wasn’t a bad thing? In ordinary cases, of course it was. But that only applied to those whose heads were filled with thoughts of committing crimes. Since there wasn’t even a one-in-ten-thousand chance Last would get involved in crime, it was essentially the same as a not-guilty verdict. I glanced at the people in the gallery. No one uttered a single word of protest when Eniac handed Last probation. They too must have felt his resolve and been somewhat moved. The power to spread hope. The power to protect the powerless from trembling in fear. Heroic Force. In a way, that ability seemed even more brainwashing-like than mine.
“Defendant Jinhyun, upon completion of deliberation, you will undergo aptitude testing at the Hero Corporation and perform work that benefits the people. Whether exploring the surface, subduing monsters, or apprehending criminals—anything is fine.”
Eniac continued.
“However, if you stand before me once more, I will not implant nano-machines in your head. Instead, I will sentence you to a brain wash.”
A brain wash. In simple terms, it meant erasing the memories stored in his brain and turning him into someone else.
“Make sure I do not regret today’s choice. Prove to the city that Enhanced Humans are not beings to be feared.”
“I will do my utmost.”
Thus, the preparations for the hero Last’s debut—long if measured one way, short if measured another—came to an end.
*
After Eniac exited, Jinhyun, left behind in the courtroom, looked toward the gallery as if searching for someone. It wasn’t Han Yujin or Han Cheolho he was looking for. It was Chae Yuha—the mysterious woman who had appeared at the moment of crisis and saved him. He found her quickly at the edge of the gallery. Her striking appearance and the constant smile on her face, regardless of what she was thinking, made her relatively easy to spot. She was arguing with Yujin, trying to take the pen-like object from her.
‘Really, what is she thinking?’
Jinhyun’s heart was in turmoil. Clearly, their meeting at the restaurant had been their first encounter. So why did it feel like they had helped each other like this before? Jinhyun pondered this as he was led out of the courthouse by the guards.
Meanwhile, Chae Yuha, who had been arguing to retrieve the pen (miniature camcorder), shouted,
“You never said it was a camera!!”
“Stop complaining and just hand it over!! I need to deliver the footage before the reporters outside leave!!”
Perhaps she was now facing a mountain even greater than all the hurdles she had overcome so far.