#185 The Choice is Yours
"....."
Dr. Krumolla stared at Steel Armor on the monitor as if entranced. He hadn't realized the massive shock he'd received, but his fingers were trembling uncontrollably.
He wasn't the kind of man to feel terror at death or cower in fear at the sight of it. Quite the opposite—he was a scientist utterly indifferent to human life, the sort who'd developed Steam under the banner of evolution.
Countless people had died in the process of making Steam. And Dr. Krumolla had known full well they would die, yet he'd never stopped production.
Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas. Once an ordinary scientist, Dr. Krumolla had become a monster under Shadow Killer's influence.
But even he was stunned by the scene before him—no, by the slaughter unfolding.
"Is that... even possible?"
Was this the power of an S-rank superhuman?
He'd known S-rank heroes and villains were strong, but this was the first time he'd witnessed it firsthand.
"That's... S-rank?"
Dark Lady hadn't been bluffing when she said she'd assembled an assassination squad to kill Steel Armor, an S-rank villain. She could speak with such confidence because she had the results to back it up.
That squad of fifty included multiple A-rank villains, and powerhouses like Dark Lady herself, just one step shy of S-rank.
Yet those elites had met such a pathetic end with a mere gesture from Steel Armor, who hadn't shown even a hint of seriousness.
Dr. Krumolla, watching it all in real time, was as shocked as Dark Lady.
"S-ranks really are monsters... Huh?"
Then, Steel Armor turned his head and looked straight at the CCTV camera.
Dr. Krumolla, locking eyes with him through the monitor, felt as if Steel Armor was staring right at him.
No way. Body enhancers don't have abilities like that...
"I don't know who you are."
Huh?
"I don't know what you want, either."
N-No way...?
"If it's ransom you're after, I can pay any amount."
He's talking... to me?
For the first time since becoming a monster, a chill ran down Dr. Krumolla's spine.
Dark Lady was right there beside him, but Steel Armor ignored her completely, speaking solely to the man beyond the CCTV—to Dr. Krumolla on the monitor.
"If you release my daughter and her friend right now, I won't hunt you down. I won't chase you. I'll just forget it ever happened, write it off as bad luck. But if you don't..."
Steel Armor set the ball made from fifty villains down on the floor.
"I'll track you. I'll find you. And..."
Crunch!
He stomped it flat underfoot.
"I'll kill you."
Steel Armor reached out, and the CCTV camera began to shake. The image on the monitor shook too.
"The choice is yours. And the consequences of that choice? Yours too."
Crack!
The CCTV shattered.
"....."
Dr. Krumolla stared blankly at the dead monitor.
He glanced at the mangled CCTV camera, crushed by Gravity Dominator, then turned away.
Saw that, right? You had to have seen it. If not, I'd look like a total idiot.
During the fight with the assassination squad earlier, one CCTV had tracked his movements. The others were stationary.
That one alone had followed him.
So he'd guessed the person controlling it might be the one who'd kidnapped Rachel and her friend.
It might be wrong, but if he was right, he could send a warning.
A message that if they so much as touched a hair on Rachel's head, he'd kill them without mercy.
Or it was all for nothing.
"Dark Lady, was it?"
"....."
"Not willing to return Rachel even now?"
"Who the hell is Rachel?! We never kidnapped your daughter!"
"Really? Then who did?"
"... I don't know."
"You hesitated."
"....!"
Stab!
His index finger plunged into Dark Lady's shoulder.
Soft flesh, resilient muscle, solid bone—he felt them all, but none could stop his finger.
Index Finger Fire Truck doesn't stop at red lights~
"Kyaaack!"
"Surprisingly weak to pain, huh? Screaming over something like this."
He grabbed her hair, yanking her head back to fix it in place. Then he slowly leaned in close.
"I'll believe you. Doesn't seem like a lie. You—no, you all—clearly didn't kidnap my daughter. But..."
"Kgh..."
"You know who did. Right? That's why you hesitated."
"....."
Dark Lady glared at him with venomous eyes, lips sealed.
This fucking bitch is stalling again? Think I'll go easy just 'cause you're hot with a killer body?
He'd cut her slack before, but not now. No way in hell.
"Oh... Lady. I'm not a cop. You don't have the right to remain silent with me. Or... do you want me to separate your upper and lower body like your boss?"
"Kgh...!"
His finger traced her slender waist. One wrong move, and he'd punch right through her gut like he'd done her shoulder.
"Last chance. Shut up again, and I'll kill you and grab someone else. I'll kill them one by one until I find someone who knows."
"....."
"Three! Two! One! Time's up. Die."
Shunk!
"Guh! W-Wait!"
He stopped at her desperate cry. His index finger's first knuckle was already buried in her belly.
"Dr. Krumolla!"
"... Who?"
"The one who probably kidnapped your daughter and the other girl—Dr. Krumolla."
"Dr. Krumolla?"
Who the fuck is that, you bitch?
While Steel Armor was unleashing his madness, a fierce battle raged on the other side.
"You're not what you used to be."
"Eh, you're not as sharp as you once were either."
Demon Baron and Hardboiled traded blows.
Hardboiled's gloves emitted heat over 100 degrees Celsius, scorching Demon Baron's skin just from proximity.
But as a level-10 superhuman, Demon Baron only reddened—anyone else would've suffered severe burns.
"Wave of Malice."
Black energy swirled around his grotesquely mutated hand.
If Steel Armor were here, he'd scream, "That's Black Spiral Dan!" in delight.
Anyway, the condensed black energy shot toward Hardboiled.
"Guardian's Creed."
Hardboiled crossed his arms in an X and activated his skill. A translucent rectangular shield appeared before him.
BOOM!
"Ngh!"
The black energy collided with the shield, exploding massively. Cracks spiderwebbed from the edges.
Hardboiled knew from experience that holding firm wasn't always best. He twisted his body diagonally, stepping back.
The shockwave veered off at an angle. The spent black energy vanished, but the shield—cracked though it was—held.
"Steam Pack."
Time to counter. With his new skill, Hardboiled's speed surged beyond compare.
Thud!
"Ngh?!"
His punch's power had skyrocketed too.
[Steam Pack] was a special skill for body enhancers, halving [HP] to massively boost physical abilities.
Demon Baron flew back from the hit.
"Ngh?! This bitch is way stronger than I thought!"
"Didn't you say A-rank hero? Why's she this strong?!"
Meanwhile, Gumiho battled Demon Baron's minions behind them.
He had five; she was alone. Yet she held the advantage.
Close-range attackers met her razor claws. Ranged ones faced purple flames. Mental assaults? Reflected right back.
Gumiho countered perfectly.
No rank gap. She was A-rank hero; all five villains A-rank too.
"Then help the boss... Ugh?!"
Whoosh!
[Malius] tried sneaking behind Hardboiled to tip the scales.
But Gumiho wasn't watching idly. Purple flames chased the fleeing Malius like heat-seekers.
"No one gets past the president."
"Tch!"
Gumiho's expression remained impassive. Facing five peers, she showed no fatigue.
But her icy mask soon cracked.
"Cough!"
"... President?"
She whirled at the cough. Hardboiled, who'd held the edge moments ago, now bore three long gashes from right shoulder to left side—like claw marks.
Dark blood oozed.
"Cowardly bastard..."
"You've been retired too long. Honor on the battlefield? The winner defines honor."
"Ah... Aah..."
Only then did Gumiho notice the new arrivals behind Demon Baron.
While she'd handled the five, reinforcements had slipped in.
Normally, she'd smell them. But the stench from the five had dulled her senses.
Three new minions, all A-rank villains.
Demon Baron was S-rank but ruled just one district with a tiny group—ten villains total.
Yet no one underestimated him. All ten were A-rank elites.
His was a small but elite force.
"Oh my god! The Hero Association president dies—chaos incoming! So exciting!"
"Might as well dismantle the Hero Association while we're at it."
"....."
And now Shadow Killer's minions were reinforcing too. Desperate straits.
"Time to vanish into history's shadows."
"Ngh..."
Demon Baron closed in to finish Hardboiled.
And then—
[Grrrrrrrr!]
"....."
A beastly roar stopped him cold. He looked up. Gumiho radiated unprecedented menace.
"That's... a fox? No, a gumiho?"
The sight hit like glimpsing the mythical monster, not the hero.
She bared fangs like a beast, glaring at Demon Baron.
[Kyaaaaah!]
"Stop!"
As Gumiho lunged, Hardboiled blocked her. Her feral aura subsided at his voice.
[.....]
"Snap out of it, Gumiho. It's me, Hardboiled. This scratch won't kill me."
"... President."
He smiled, patting her shoulder.