Cleaning Time

"...If... if I had met you sooner... I wouldn't have become like this, would I?"

"...You can't ask me that. I don't know what kind of life you lived, and I have no interest in the past of some creature who leached off the Celestials."

"Then... why do you look so sad?"

Whether I actually wore a sorrowful expression ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back then, I no longer know—and there's no one left to tell me.

When I said nothing, she began to speak of her past.

"And then I was... sold into slavery... to an old man... forced into sexual relations... abused... tortured... and..."

"Stop. Shut your mouth now. Saying any more will only hasten your death."

"...Heh... You're so kind... worrying about an enemy's death... Still... I'm grateful... that you... were... the one... to kill me..."

"...Fuck."

The memory still left a bitter taste in my mouth—the world before regression. When the Celestials lost interest in humanity and began slaughtering people, every villain and hero across the globe joined forces to fight them with everything they had. And they lost.

But not everyone fought the Celestials, even when heroes and villains united. Many lost hope before their power and turned traitor, siding with the Celestials against humanity. We fought both the Celestials and their human collaborators.

Among those who betrayed us were five individuals of incomparable strength who slaughtered countless heroes and villains. Before regression, I killed one of them.

A woman with nine snow-white tails who massacred heroes and villains alike—the Yoho.

Before she died, the Yoho told me her story. Her parents were killed, she was captured as a slave, and she suffered endlessly.

Normally, I wouldn't have cared enough to listen—I would have killed her immediately. But back then, I heard her out. I don't know why. Maybe I felt it was the right thing to do. Or perhaps, since she was beautiful, I pitied her dying form. Unlikely, but possible.

I remember everything she told me perfectly. Who killed her parents. How she was captured and sold at the Underground Auction House to an old wealthy man as a sex slave.

And today is that day. The Underground Auction House is right here—hidden beneath this abandoned factory.

'Trash bastards.'

I knew the world was full of trash, but heroes? People who were supposed to save others, taking money to protect this secret? That made me furious.

"What the hell? Why is this bastard here? What are the guys outside even doing?"

Crunch.

Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed him. I grabbed his neck and snapped it.

"Wha—? Hey, what's going on— *gack!*

"Shut up."

Crunch.

Another trash approached at the first man's cry. Before he could finish speaking, I grabbed his neck, gestured for silence, and squeezed until his neck snapped just like the first.

These people weren't worth sparing. They knew about the slave trade here and stayed silent. Better to kill them all here than let them defile society outside.

"No. The Yoho told me the location of the Underground Auction House and the names of my enemies, but not the route."

"I don't need to find the path. I'll just kill everyone I see along the way. And Beatrice, I have a question—how many people can your teleportation hold?"

"That's enough."

Teleportation was a top-tier spatial magic, the pinnacle of its category. Even with two people, the incantation was complex enough to be unpredictable. Beatrice could handle more people, though it would take longer. Since there weren't many slaves here and my target was the young Yoho, the delay didn't matter.

Swish.

Cheon Seong created a mask of mana to cover his face.

"Time to clean up."

It was time to clean out the trash defiling society.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

"Wha—? *Crunch.*"

"Fuck you, you bast— *Crunch.*"

Running at high speed with his mask on, Cheon Seong snapped the necks of everyone he encountered, moving forward without pause.

Shing!

A sword strike flew toward him. Cheon Seong wrapped his body in qi, shattered the attack, and stopped.

"I don't know what you think this place is, but you're an intruder here."

"...You're a hero."

I didn't remember his name, but the hero who appeared on the news yesterday—Kim Ki-hoon, who wielded a sword—stood in my way.

"Why are you heroes covering up crimes?"

"What reason would there be? Money, of course. You're probably doing this for money too, aren't you?"

Seeing the trash gesture for money, I felt reassured.

"As expected, everyone here is trash. What a relief."

"Wha—? What do you mean— *Whoosh—*

"Ugh! This bastard!"

Clang!!

I'd worried there might be a hero here who didn't know what this place was, but Kim Ki-hoon's words confirmed he was just another trash turning a blind eye for money. I threw a punch at him.

His sword met my fist. I poured maximum reinforcement magic into my arm and pushed his sword back.

As I pressed forward, the trash stumbled back. I seized the opening and closed the distance rapidly.

A blinding white light erupted—holy in appearance but destructive in nature, obliterating everything it touched.

"*Gack!*

The trash had dodged back, but even in abbreviated form, White Night struck his abdomen with overwhelming force. He was embedded in the wall, vomiting blood.

I walked toward him.

"Pl...please...spare...me...please..."

"People like you aren't needed in this world. Even if I spared you, you'd just keep doing this."

He cried and begged desperately, but I raised my leg.

"Goodbye. Trash."

"Pl...please...spare...me!" Squish!

His head crushed, blood and brain matter spraying, the trash died. I wiped the blood from my mask and moved on.

"Over here! What's that noise?"

"Kim Ki-hoon couldn't even handle one intruder. This is so annoying."

The noise from my cleanup drew more trash. I picked up speed to meet them.

"Hurry up and clean them out!"

Black Night engulfed the leading trash. They couldn't react in time—their bodies twisted and burst with blood as they were launched backward, dead instantly. Those further back barely dodged and shouted at me.

"Fuck... who are you... what do you think you're doing...!"

"Do you know who we are?!"

"Shut up. Why would I need to know about trash who turn a blind eye to slave trading?"

"You knew about the slave trade here?!"

"I clearly told you to shut up."

Boom!!

"*Kuh—!*

I punched the shouting trash in the face. His face caved in as he flew backward and collapsed.

Thud.

"Hiiik!! M-m-m... monster... it's a monster!!"

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

Seeing his fallen comrade, a terrified trash fled without looking back. I began chanting a spell.

"I'm not letting you escape. So just die right there."

A spear of flame appeared in Cheon Seong's hand. He gripped it tightly, reinforced his body, and hurled it at the fleeing trash.

The spear of judgment, wreathed in flames to burn evil, pierced its target.

"*Kuhah—!*

Fire Lance pierced the fleeing man's chest. Cheon Seong turned from the fallen bodies and moved on to the next trash.

As his footsteps faded, someone stirred among the corpses.

"*Kuhweeeek!* You bastard... you dared to hit my face! I won't let you get away with this!!"

The trash whose face Cheon Seong had crushed had played dead until he left. Now he rose, shouting.

"I won't let you... I'll take revenge... I'll make you beg on your knees... and then kill you..."

Whoosh.

"...Huh?"

The trash tried to move as Cheon Seong disappeared, but suddenly felt something hot in his stomach. He looked down to see Fire Lance, still radiating heat, piercing his abdomen.

"No way... those words earlier... damn it..."

Thud.

He realized Cheon Seong's warning—"I'm not letting you escape"—applied to him too. Cursing, he collapsed.

"Over there! All fighters, gather now!"

"Fuck, what the hell is going on?!"

"Who leaked the Underground Auction House's location?! Seriously!!"

"It's quite noisy outside. What's happening?"

"An intruder has entered, Chairman. They're powerful, so all fighters are rushing to respond."

An elderly man wearing a pig mask, waiting for the auction to begin, asked his guard. The guard explained the situation.

"Tsk. Will this delay the auction?"

"The auction will proceed without issue. They've been notified, so please don't worry."

"Then it's fine. And I heard a top-tier item arrived this time?"

"Yes. Information says a Nine-Tailed Fox cub was captured. We don't know who, but it's been released into the underworld. Most guests today are likely here ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"Nine-Tailed Fox, is it..."

Slurp.

"That's exciting. Something so rare is worth collecting, no matter the cost."

Boom! Boom!! Bang!!!

"We can't let them in here— *Kuhah!!*

Boom———!

As the old man smiled lecherously at the thought of buying the Nine-Tailed Fox, loud impacts echoed outside, growing louder until something smashed through the door and rolled inside.

"Tsk. Can't even handle one intruder. Disappointing. You deal with it."

"Understood, Chairman."

Shhhhk.

The old man calmly ordered his guard to handle it, knowing from the noise it was the intruder's doing, and waited for the auction to begin.

"Move."

"Do you know who this person is?"

"Not my concern. I'm just cleaning up trash."

"Asking for death, are we?"

Whoosh!

"Die."

The guard moved swiftly behind the intruder and swung his sword.

'It's over.'

Whoosh Clang!!

Before he could finish that thought, the intruder's fist blocked his sword. Startled, the guard recovered, withdrew his sword, and kicked the intruder away.

"...Stronger than expected?"

"You... what are you?"

The guard's sword, meant to protect the old man, was blocked as easily as wood. Tense, he demanded the intruder's identity. The intruder calmly sat in a luxury chair and pointed at the old man waiting behind the glass.

"A cleaner who takes out trash like that."

Click.

"Damn it!"

Boom!!!

The intruder moved at high speed. The guard blocked with all his strength, shouting loudly.

"Chairman! You need to evacuate!!"

"Don't worry. I'll send you along on your way."

"Wha—*Kuhuk!!!*

The intruder suddenly floated in the air, kicked the guard's head hard, and sent him flying into the reinforced glass window.

"What is this?!"

"Only now realizing your situation... I guess making money and intelligence are separate things?"

The old man, who hadn't expected his expensive guard to fall, finally realized he was in danger and stared at the intruder.

"You bastard! Do you know who I am?!"

"Really lacking intelligence, aren't you? If you want me to know who you are, take off that mask on your face."

"Th-this bastard!!"

Click.

"Die!!"

Enraged, the old man drew a monster-killing pistol from his coat and fired.

Bang!

The bullet hit the intruder. The old man cheered.

"Hahaha! The crime of defying me is grave! So die!"

"...Rich, high-status trash always have the same repertoire."

Swish.

"U... ugh! It... it definitely hit! How are you still alive!!"

"That doesn't work on me. And hey, trash—want to hear something interesting?"

"H...hiik!! D-don't come closer! Get away!!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Click-click!

"D-damn it! Out of bullets!"

Step. Step. Step.

The old man fired repeatedly as the intruder approached, but panicked when the bullets ran out. Cheon Seong, the cleaner, bent down and removed the old man's mask.

Pop.

"Now you're the last VIP left here."

"S-spare me! I'll give you as much money as you want!! N-no, I'll hire you! You must have a client, right? I... I'll give you double! Enough to last your whole life! Please!"

Swish—thwip.

"Then goodbye, trash."

Crunch.

The old man's neck snapped, his head lolling. Beatrice spoke to Cheon Seong.

"As expected. Thank you for letting me know, Beatrice."

Click!

Whoosh.

"Good thing there's not much left."

With only those connected to the Underground Auction House remaining, Cheon Seong wanted to finish quickly. He carried the old man and guard, then punched the reinforced glass.

Boom!!

The glass shattered easily under his fist. Cheon Seong jumped through the broken opening.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

Boom!!

He walked toward the area with the strongest human presence, smashed the door, and entered. The scent that hit his nose made him frown.

"...Filthy bastards."

The room where slaves were kept was filled with aphrodisiac. Having seen all the filth of pre-regression society, Cheon Seong knew exactly what this was for.

"Hah... hah... hah!!"

"Haaang... haaang... haaauugh!"

"Hek-hek-hek... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heung... hah-hah!"

His prediction was horrifyingly accurate. Female slaves, intoxicated by the aphrodisiac, were frantically rubbing their heated bodies against the floor.

"Now I truly lament being human alongside trash like them."

"Haa... haaau... m... master... haa... pl... please... use me..."

"Haaang... me too... me too... please... please use me... haaang... my body is so hot... haaang"

"Hek-hek-hek..."

"...Just a moment longer. I'll make you comfortable right now."

Whoosh.

Cheon Seong looked pityingly at the women crawling toward him, rubbing against his legs. He manifested green mana to blow away all the aphrodisiac, then changed its nature.

Shhhhaaa.

White mana, symbolizing purification and healing, moved at his will, enveloping the women and purifying the aphrodisiac from their bodies.

Whoosh!

As the white mana purified everyone, someone in the corner lunged to avoid it. Cheon Seong immediately knew who it was.

"*Grrrrr...*

A white-haired girl growled like a beast, staring at him.

The young Yoho—one of humanity's traitors who killed countless heroes and villains before regression, and the reason I came here—was watching me warily from that corner.