Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Skull Head
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"The charges are repeated assault, murder, rape, robbery? What the hell? When did I ever commit crimes like that! Are these guys insane? The news didn't report a single line, and now they're fabricating charges? These damn... bastards...?"
I spat out my rage at the Hero Association for making up crimes, but then my actions over the past two days suddenly came to mind.
I beat the crap out of Sanctuary Corp's guards and heroes → repeated assault
I tore the Scorpion bastard apart alive → murder
I had a good time with Aqua Girl → rape
I took out the kidnappers and seized their assets → robbery
"Hmm. What is this? Is it the Truman Show?"
The charges were so spot-on it felt like the Hero Association might be watching me. Hero Association, you're honest, huh?
"...Like hell you are! This is incitement, fabrication, and defamation!"
Quick change of attitude!
Sanctuary Corp's guards and heroes attacked me first. So beating the crap out of them was justified self-defense!
Tearing the Scorpion bastard apart alive was a necessary action. So my no-kill rule is still intact!
Having a good time with Aqua Girl was exactly that—a good time. She loved it so much she gushed like a fountain! So no rape guilt!
I personally took out the criminals, so their assets are rightfully mine. It's payment for my labor. So robbery is innocent too!
"What the hell, Hero Association! A bunch of liars!"
As expected, the Hero Association wasn't trustworthy. Pretending to be good up front while spreading all sorts of vile incitement and fabrications behind the scenes—they're the true villains of this era.
"Anyway, now I can proudly introduce myself to the kids."
I still hadn't introduced myself to my new underlings. I was supposed to do it yesterday, but things got too hectic.
I had to send the kidnapped kids home, smash the kidnappers, and deal with the child porn buyers.
I spent the whole day crushing limbs, dicks, and balls, only getting home late into the night.
Uncle Chris, who hadn't slept until dawn, looked at me with a pleased expression. What the hell was this guy imagining?
But there was one awkward issue: one of the child porn buyers was a woman. Gender doesn't matter—if they committed the crime, they're criminals.
The problem was women don't have dicks or balls. I couldn't just smash their pussies... So I kidnapped the female buyer and handed her over to my underlings. They'll handle it.
"Time to get up."
Anyway, time to head back to work. Come to think of it, I haven't run into my parents since meeting them at the company.
I leave during the day and come back at dawn, so no time to cross paths. When not thieving full-time, they're both upstanding office workers.
"Oh yeah, I should check out that suit shop again."
I glanced at the suit hanging in the closet.
I bought it from some random store because I couldn't walk around naked, but it turned out to be no ordinary item.
It was the same suit I wore yesterday while fighting the kidnappers.
Even with bullets flying and a rocket exploding on impact, it only had a bit of dust and slight scorch marks—otherwise identical to when I bought it.
"Was the shop owner a superhuman?"
The owner looked like a young guy in his early twenties. Anyone making bulletproof suits isn't normal. Regular people couldn't craft something with that insane durability.
"...Or maybe they could."
My parents suddenly came to mind.
They use Sanctuary Corp's secret cutting-edge gear for their heists. And those gadgets are made by regular people, not superhumans.
Thinking about it, a regular person could make this suit with enough tech know-how.
"Still, I should pay a visit sometime."
If he's useful, I'll recruit him as a subordinate. If not, leave him be. No rush, so no need to panic about him vanishing.
Right now, my priority is building a villain organization to aid my fun in the villain world.
"Uncle Chris, I'm heading out~"
"Yes, have a great day, Young Master."
I greeted Uncle Chris, who was tending the garden, and left the mansion. Thanks to the tutorial system, no worries about getting lost, so no need for a driver.
I drove to District 78.
"Welcome back, Boss!"
"Welcome, Boss!"
"....."
As soon as I arrived, the underlings cleaning the front greeted me sharply, like disciplined recruits.
These guys are surprisingly diligent.
Maybe a prejudice, but I imagined them lazing around. Never thought they'd be cleaning like proper citizens.
Diligent villains... Not bad. You need diligence to do evil right.
"Everyone inside?"
"Huh? No! Hopkins and Maxwell are..."
"Shut up. Call them. Now."
"Yes, sir!"
I had no intention of memorizing their names, so I cut him off and headed inside.
The rough-looking guys slouching in the hallway snapped to attention at the sight of me.
All together, they looked like real soldiers or mercenaries. In truth, they're just goons who huddle up and shoot guns.
In hero movies, they'd be the villain extras who get shot by the protagonist. The pathetic kind who fire hundreds of rounds and miss every shot.
One of them ran up and guided me down the straight hallway. Guess this guy's our mid-level boss.
"This is the room used by the Boss—no, Heroin."
"Heroin? Isn't that a drug?"
"Pardon? Oh, uh, yes, Heroin is a drug, but I mean the villain you killed..."
"Got it. From now on, call that guy 'Scorpion bastard.' No family name or first name."
"Understood."
A guy torn into pieces doesn't deserve a name. And Heroin as a last name? Confusing. 'Scorpion bastard' is clear and simple.
I entered the Scorpion bastard's room. Surprisingly tidy—clean freak, huh?
"....."
"....."
"....."
"...Any orders?"
"No. Come back when everyone's here."
"Yes, sir!"
Mid-boss—shorten it to Midbo.
Midbo saluted briskly and left, closing the door softly without a bang.
I was gonna chew him out if it slammed, but he's quick on the uptake. Good to have sharp underlings.
"Oh! Drugs."
Rummaging through the Scorpion bastard's safe, I found small baggies of drugs. Drugs make money, as expected.
"Always wondered what drugs feel like."
Like in movies, I dumped them on the desk, lined them up with a straw, and snorted.
Pretty hefty amount, but don't underestimate a Body Enhancer's lung capacity. All gone in one go.
"Kek! Cough cough! Fuck, my nose... Achoo!"
Powder up the nose burns like hell. Eyes watering.
So, drug effects?
Movies say it's euphoric bliss, better than sex, mind-melting haze. No wonder addicts keep coming back.
"....."
No effect at all!
Antibodies to drugs?!
Wasted pain for nothing.
"Boss, everyone's gathered."
"Good."
I stood at the knock from Midbo outside and went down with him. There were my criminal underlings.
"....?"
Weird? Wasn't it 26? Why more?
Started at 26, now 35—nine more. Did they breed? Self-replicate?
More underlings are good for a villain, so I ignored it. Probably recruited friends while talking about me.
I asked the underlings looking up at me.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Uh... Steel Armor, sir!"
The hesitant underlings named my villain alias. I checked the news this morning too. News travels fast.
Makes sense in this neighborhood.
People greet with bullets instead of hellos. Guns are scary, but superhumans are worse.
To avoid getting wrecked by one, you memorize heroes and villains—looks and all. It's survival.
"Right, Steel Armor. Got wanted as an A-rank villain by the Hero Association today."
"Whoa..."
"As expected..."
Respect in their eyes doubled.
Their old boss, Scorpion bastard, was decent C-rank. I'm A-rank. Just two grades, but an uncrossable wall.
"We're taking over Dark City. Starting with this district as our turf."
I told them our future plans.
"Keep distributing drugs like before. But now, do it aggressively. Push so hard other villain groups in neighboring districts flip out and attack us."
"....."
Underlings gulped. They smelled the blood in my words.
"War's coming. Recruit anyone useful on sight. Don't worry about villains. A-rank or S-rank, I'll kill them all. So go wild."
"Woooaaahhh!"
"Steel Armor forever!"
They cheered at the call to attack.
"But!"
My shout silenced them like magic.
"Don't touch kids. No kidnapping or selling. Anyone who does, I'll crush their limbs myself."
No kids. That's the rule. Gotta follow the code, right?
No complaints. They saw what happened to the District 65 kidnappers yesterday. No one wants that fate.
For reference, the kidnapping crew met a miserable end by my hand.
Criminals make enemies. I left the limb-crushed ones in the street, and their foes finished them off.
Not my direct kill, so no-kill rule intact. I didn't 'personally' kill them, see?
"Also, to show you're my underlings, shave your heads!"
"....?"
Excited faces turned puzzled.
"Bald! No hair allowed! Shave it all, then tattoo skulls on your heads!"
"....."
Twisted expressions. Tough luck—deal or lose limbs.
"We'll be [Skull Head], a terrifying symbol feared by all!"
"....."
No cheers this time.