Steel Armor vs Shadow Killer
Thud—!
Jenaraider, struck by my Energy Wave (Repulsion), crashed into a building.
That damn nuisance! You're the one wrecking the buildings, you spider bastard! Seeing a so-called hero casually destroying citizens' property made righteous fury boil up inside me, the S-rank villain representing all villains. Heroes are supposed to cherish citizens' assets! Why the hell are you smashing everything?!
But this wasn't just self-justification. Jenaraider had actually wrecked nearby cars and buildings by blasting electricity everywhere. You damn fucker! You call yourself a hero after that?! Citizens' blood, sweat, and tears! My final dance! Take it awaaay~ Ahhh! Aaaaah~!
"Dark Force!!!"
"Kuh!"
I thrust my left hand forward. Jenaraider burst out from the cave-like hole in the building.
"I'm your faaather!!!!!"
"Kyaaak?!"
Crack—! I nailed his head with a nuclear peanut. Jenaraider slammed into the ground.
"Who told you to come out?! Get back in there! Energy Wave!"
"Krahk!"
I blasted him with another Energy Wave, sending him crashing back into the building. Hmm? This is kinda fun?
"You damn fucker! When an adult tells you to stay in, you stay in! Get out here already!"
"Kruuuuh!"
Jenaraider burst out again.
"Lama kick!"
"Kraaak!"
I extended my leg and booted him. Jenaraider smashed into the building again! When I pushed my hand out, he flew back; when I pulled it in, he came flying toward me. Ahh... An invisible thread connected me and Jenaraider.
I yanked him toward me, grabbed his head, and yelled.
"You and! Me's! Connection! Link! This is! Our! Inner! Sound! Copy me, you bastard!"
"Uuuuh..."
"Copy me!!!!!!"
"Uuuuh..."
"Tch."
I'd tried to instill some hip-hop spirit in Jenaraider, but all he could muster was "uuuuh..." With such a weak body and mind, how the hell did he even hero?!
"Huh?"
Looking at the unconscious Jenaraider, a brilliant idea struck me. Isn't this prime S-rank bug-collecting material? The bug farm had C-rank, B-rank, and A-rank bugs, but no S-rank yet. And this guy's a spider.
"Wait, are spiders bugs? Aren't spiders animals? What was it... arthropods?"
As far as I knew, spiders were arthropods. Hmm... Whatever!
"From today on, spiders are bugs. Arthropod bugs, boom boom boom!"
With spiders officially bugs now, it was fine to drag him to my bug farm. Yahoo! Achievement unlocked! Clap clap clap—!
"Huh?"
I was about to clap in joy at achieving the [S-Rank Bug Collection] when someone behind me clapped instead. Who was that?
"Impressive, Steel Armor! Toying with an S-rank hero so easily! Truly remarkable."
"....."
Behind me stood a man painted black from head to toe. Wait, a man? The body contours screamed male, but... more importantly, no facial features—where the hell was his voice coming from? And...
"Blood smell..."
A thick stench of blood wafted from the black man, strong enough to detect from a distance. My instincts whispered: This guy's no ordinary bastard.
"Who the hell are you? We haven't met before, right? No intro?"
"Ah! My mistake. I've heard so much about you, I assumed we were acquainted. I am Shadow Killer."
"....."
That fucker was the one who put a hit on me and ji-na?
"Anyway, got time? I'd love to have a nice chat with you."
"Time? No, why the hell are you even here?"
"Pardon?"
"There were other heroes around... Huh?"
The other heroes had pulled back to avoid our fight. If Shadow Killer showed up, they wouldn't have stayed quiet. I looked around and...
"....."
I saw them. Corpses torn to pieces. One odd thing: some wore masks or face coverings, others were bare-faced. As far as I remembered, all heroes hid their faces with masks.
Did he kill civilians too?
"They're all dead?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. They tried reporting you to the Hero Association while I wanted to chat. Perfect timing for a test, so I tried it... but it was still inadequate. All tests failed."
"Tests?"
"Something like that."
Shadow Killer remained utterly composed. And I hated that nonchalance.
"Anyway, care to talk?"
"Sure? Spill it. What do you wanna chat about?"
"Shall we move somewhere else?"
"Nah, right here."
"Very well."
Unfazed by my prickliness, Shadow Killer nodded and extended his hand.
"Shake my hand."
"Hm? A handshake?"
"A gesture for future friendship wouldn't hurt. You qualify to shake mine."
"What?"
What bullshit was this guy spouting? And how was he talking without a mouth?
"Steel Armor. What is your dream?"
"Dream?"
Out of nowhere, Shadow Killer asked about my dream. Psycho bastard lived up to the name—totally unpredictable.
"Yes. Your dream."
"Well, my dream..."
I pondered my dream. If I had one... a harem? Villaining around, beating assholes I hate, blowing cash? Yeah, that about summed it up.
Do I gotta tell him? Why the hell would I?
But I didn't wanna share that with Shadow Killer. He just rubbed me wrong. It wasn't just the hit on me and ji-na. Pure instinctual revulsion. I wanted to beat his ass senseless.
But a real man separates business from personal. To become a big shot later, you gotta shake hands with people you hate! He seemed the chatty type, so might as well pump him for info.
"....."
I crossed my arms and clamped my mouth shut. Silence was a great communicator. I'm listening.
Getting the message, Shadow Killer spoke. Sharp guy, despite being detestable.
"My dream is a world where Dark City's citizens are free from villain threats."
"....?"
Did a dog just bark nonsense? I swear I heard some insane bullshit...
"Your dream is what now?"
"My dream is a world where Dark City's citizens are free from villain threats."
"Hah..."
Not a hallucination. He repeated the exact lunacy.
You crazy fuck! You're a villain yourself—an S-rank one who's killed tons!
"Aren't you a villain too?"
"From their perspective, yes."
"Their perspective? Who's 'they'?"
"The elite: social leaders, Hero Association, chaebols above the law. By their rules, I'm a villain. But I've never seen myself as one."
Oh ho?
"So who do you think you are? A hero?"
"Holy warrior."
"...Huh?"
"A sacred fighter for God."
...Fanatic?
The sudden "God" mention made me sigh inwardly. Headache already. Believing in God isn't wrong. If it brings peace, why condemn it? The problem is using God's name for evil. Twisting scriptures to kill and profit. Waging wars, murdering over beliefs. When faith turns fanaticism, sanity snaps.
Fanatics froth for "God." Sigh. Against fanatics, shut up and grab a club. It's the best way to "chat."
"Dark City is tightly controlled by elites. CCTV everywhere spies on us; the internet's worse. They manipulate articles, news, even personal SNS anytime. What right do they have to curb freedoms?"
"Villains sin endlessly for twisted desires, blind to their crimes' weight."
"But the Hero Association is uglier. They claim to protect from villains, sucking up Dark City's budget yearly. What do they do? React after the damage, never preventing it. Why even need them? The hurt are hurt, the dead are dead."
"This society needs massive bloodletting. Blood must flow to purge the poison. We're poisoned to the brim. Delay, and we die."
"I've waited for someone like you. Help me, and my dream—a free world—comes sooner."
"Steel Armor. I need your help. Will you be my ally?"
"....."
Shadow Killer extended his hand.
"Uh... um..."
I scratched my jaw and neck, pondered a second, then replied brightly.
"Nah."
"Pardon? Why not?"
"'Cause you touched my stuff."
"Pardon? I didn't touch yours. You wrecked mine."
He glanced at the ruined building. I'd demolished it layer by layer; Jenaraider's lightning finished it. Cheaper to bulldoze and rebuild.
"Hah! Then slap your name on it. 'Shadow Killer's! Touch and die!' Like that."
I snorted and pointed opposite.
"And you killed those guys."
"Hm? The heroes? What do they have to do with you? You a hero?"
"What bullshit? They're my bugs, and you killed 'em without permission."
"Pardon? Your bugs? What...?"
Shadow Killer tilted his head, baffled. Dumbass. Truth: dead heroes didn't matter. D-to-A ranks were common in the farm. What mattered was Jenaraider, the S-rank bug.
So why claim the dead heroes as my bugs? Simple: to fuck with him.
Fuck that. I'm already a success—do I need to separate business and personal? I've got two killer identities: chaebol heir and S-rank villain Steel Armor. Both maxed out. Why shake hands smiling with the asshole who targeted me and ji-na?
No reason. And perfect timing. Time to bug-ify Shadow Killer too. Two S-rank bugs!
"You killed my bugs, so you'll replace 'em."
"Hm? Me?"
"Yup. You."
"Pity. I'm a priest serving God—can't be a bug. God chose me."
"Ugh, fuck. That damn God shit. I'd love to see what kinda God picks a fucker like you."
"How could a human comprehend God?"
"Fine, you fanatic. Let's throw down."
I rolled up my sleeves and yanked my left arm.
'Attraction!'
Pull him in first, then beat his ass.