Ex-Girlfriend and Older Sister

"Hic, u-ugh... Aaaagh...!"

"This option really packs a punch."

Traumatizing the Vice Principal proceeded without a single hitch. Pandora had traded five energy drinks to code this customized Hypnosis App, and it was practically overflowing with useful features.

"S-Stop... Stop it! Spare me! Please spare my life!!"

Take this option, for instance: it temporarily warped the subject's amygdala, conditioning their brain to register everything they perceived as pure terror. Watching the Vice Principal sprawled on the floor, bulging his toad-like eyes as he writhed in absolute panic, it was working remarkably well.

"It's definitely effective, but the lack of nuance is a bit of a flaw."

"Urrgh... Ugh..."

Having completed my rough performance test, I tapped the reset button. The Vice Principal stumbled to his feet, drooling profusely.

"Gwaah?!"

The sight of him disgusted me so thoroughly that I planted a solid kick into his ribs, sending him crashing into the railing.

He rolls quite nicely.

His body was as round as a bowling ball, which made kicking him around surprisingly satisfying. Maybe I should roll him back in the opposite direction next.

"Cough... W-Wait! Just wait a minute!"

As I strolled toward him with that thought in mind, the trembling man suddenly began bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"Y-You must be a rookie hero so you don't know any better, but... this is excessive force!"

"Pardon?"

"I-It is illegal to harm an opponent who has already surrendered! Surely you learned that much in the curriculum?!"

Of course I knew that rule inside and out. It was precisely because I despised rules like that that I had become a Black Agent in the first place. But had this man just referred to me as a hero?

"Do I look like a hero to you?"

"There was no record on you, so at first I thought you were a villain. But didn't you just say you wouldn't kill me?"

It seemed he was laboring under a massive misunderstanding. Had his brain twisted my statement that I had no intention of killing him into something noble? What a profoundly self-centered bastard.

"Non-lethality is the very identity of a hero, isn't it? Heheh, hehe..."

"That's true. You're correct."

Then again, the more self-centered a person was, the stupider they tended to be.

Crack!

"Kehhk!"

"Correct in getting beaten half to death, that is."

Sure, Resurrection hadn't been in any condition to file a coherent report about me, but by this point, even an idiot should have caught on. What was he doing smirking at me with that slimy, sinister look in his eyes?

"Are you a Kaijin as well?"

"Wh-What...?"

"There's a tiny tentacle squirming beneath the flesh of your temple."

Looking down at him with an expression of pure disdain, I asked about the detail that had been bothering me since earlier. The Vice Principal blinked dumbly before mumbling to himself.

"That's impossible... I'm merely an agent..."

"Hmm."

Seeing that the parasite was lodged in a fatal pressure point that would cause instant death if disturbed, it was clearly meant to act as a silencing device. Given what had happened earlier with Resurrection, trying to dig information out of this fool would be a waste of effort.

"Wait, hold on... How can you see that?"

As I clicked my tongue in disappointment, the Vice Principal's eyes widened into saucers.

"Are you... really a villain?"

"Took you long enough to notice. Truly impressive deduction."

I didn't have time to drag this out any longer. Whispering with cold sarcasm, I began tapping my smartphone screen once more.

"Ghk?! Ke-hurk...!"

"Unfortunately, it's far too late."

As it turned out, there was an Altering Common Sense option tailored perfectly for him.

"Gasp... H-Haaah... Urk..."

The moment I activated my pre-selected options, the Vice Principal clutched his throat, his face draining of all color.

"Wh-What... Cough... did you... do to me...?"

"You are currently experiencing severe hyperventilation, Vice Principal."

"...What?"

It was time to kindly explain the prognosis to my hypnotherapy patient.

"When a person breathes too rapidly, the carbon dioxide concentration in their blood drops drastically. That leads to shortness of breath, dizziness, paralysis, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and intermittent fainting spells."

"Wh-What kind of..."

"From now until the moment you die, you will live with those exact symptoms permanently."

Terror washed through the Vice Principal's eyes as he processed my words.

"Medication won't help you. It's been rewritten into your subconscious baseline as common sense."

"You monster..."

"Well, punching a hole in your windpipe might offer temporary relief, so I went ahead and prepared a few extra symptoms just in case."

If he was terrified by just this much, my therapy would hardly be complete.

"From now on, at completely random intervals, that overwhelming terror you just felt will return to visit you."

".........!"

"Everything in your environment will register as a mortal threat. You might even bolt awake in the dead of night, screaming your lungs out."

When I flashed him a pleasant smile, his expression went totally blank with horror.

"Oh, and don't even dream of committing suicide. I adjusted your subconscious so you'll instinctively give up every time you try."

"........."

"After all, as the hero curriculum teaches us, human life is precious. Wouldn't you agree?"

When I finished, the Vice Principal's pallid face contorted as he squeezed out a trembling voice.

"Why... Why are you doing this to me...? Even a demon wouldn't go this far..."

"Hah."

What was this now? Was he seriously trying to lecture me on morality? Seeing his grave expression and hearing that self-righteous tone, it genuinely seemed like he was. The sheer audacity left me speechless.

It appeared he had already forgotten the atrocious crimes he had committed. In that case, I had no choice but to carve the memory into his flesh.

"I am a human being... people are not your toys to—AAGHHH!"

With that very lesson in mind, I drove the toe of my boot squarely between his legs with all my strength. His lecture was abruptly cut off by a spray of frothing spit.

"I can't tell whether you're playing dumb or if you're genuinely this oblivious."

"What...?"

"Every single one of those symptoms ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠belongs to a panic disorder."

The vile acts he had committed using academy admissions as leverage had inflicted that exact, heartbreaking agony on countless young female students, leaving them confined to psychiatric wards.

"S-Save me..."

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Praying that his victims' mental wounds might heal even a fraction of an inch, I kicked him between the legs once more, completely crushing his groin.

"That is my identity."

"Guh-urrk...!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

And with that, the first session of hypnotherapy concluded with flying colors.

"Halt!"

"Don't move a muscle!"

Vengeance served, I was just about to turn around and rendezvous with the executives when sharp voices rang out from the doorway.

"Oh?"

I wondered who it was, only to find a squad of students. Judging by their battle stances, they were well aware that I was a villain.

Hardly any familiar faces.

The problem children of Class 2-1, whom I had taught until a few months ago, were nowhere to be seen, nor were the freshmen from Class 1-1 I had encountered earlier. They had likely scrambled together whatever personnel were immediately available.

As such, they posed no real threat to me—save for one single person.

"Surrender."

A face I had hoped not to encounter here of all places.

"Do so, and I will ensure you receive the minimum degree of mercy."

Minamoto Himari.

The heiress of Japan's preeminent conglomerate holding a monopoly over Mysteries, the current Student Council President of the International Hero Academy, and my ex-girlfriend, who had once confessed her feelings and begged me to become her entire world.

Her neatly trimmed black hair fluttered in the wind as she walked steadily toward me.

"Why should I surrender to you?"

Supplying the question while repressing the tempest of emotions boiling inside ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me, I waited for her answer.

"You caused a disturbance in the middle of the academy. I cannot simply let you walk away."

With those words, she tossed the smartphone in her hand directly at me.

"...Wait, what?"

I caught it on reflex, momentarily startled by the absurd thought that she might be using a Hypnosis App as well. But the screen didn't display an app—it was a real-time livestream.

"Why am I...?"

It didn't take long to realize that the star of the broadcast was none other than myself. After all, my costumed figure was plastered dead-center on the screen.

Bzzzzz...

While I stood there dumbfounded, watching my own live feed, a familiar sound buzzed against my ears.

"Neutralization complete."

Closing the distance in an instant until she was right in front of my nose, she issued orders to the students behind her in a voice devoid of all emotion.

"Your ability has been sealed. Cease this pointless resistance."

Her claim was entirely true. The moment she stepped into range, the Hypnosis App in my hand threw an unknown error and ceased functioning altogether. The cause, naturally, was her power—specifically, the Concept of Territory rooted within her.

No matter how many times I see it, that talent is utterly broken.

Once anyone stepped within a certain radius of her territory, they were stripped of the ability to activate any supernatural power. It was an overwhelmingly lethal trump card. Of course, all one had to do was maintain distance. Yet countless villains had ended up neutralized simply because keeping away from her proved impossibly difficult.

"Excuse me."

As I quietly shifted into a combat stance, Himari studied me intently before furrowing her brow.

"Would you mind taking off your mask?"

"...Why?"

Had she managed to see through my disguise? The thought flashed across my mind, but it was unfounded anxiety.

"It is difficult to read your emotions from just your eyes."

Tilting her head slightly to peer deeper into my face, she scrutinized me.

She hasn't changed a bit.

Blessed with innate genius and born with a silver spoon, she possessed everything the world could offer—save for one single thing. Emotion. Her capacity to feel and empathize had been critically deficient. After all, the very reason I had met her in the first place was that the Shinwa Group Chairman had secretly hired me to provide psychological therapy for her.

What nostalgic memories.

Yes, that therapy. That was where my bond with her had begun.

"If you refuse to cooperate, I have no choice."

"........."

"Subdue the target using the standard-issue stun batons and taser guns."

How on earth had things ended up like this? Uninvited, memories of the days I had spent with Himari came flooding back into my mind.

One day, during an open-ended therapy session that seemed to have no end in sight, she had rested her chin on her hand, gazing blankly at me, when an unconscious smile had graced her lips. The moment she realized it, her eyes had rounded like a startled rabbit's.

I remembered her usual expressionless face, and the uncharacteristically trembling voice with which she had declared that since I had taught her how to feel, I was obligated to take responsibility for her emotions from then on.

I remembered strolling down the street together, and how her eyes would dart frantically, analyzing every twitch of my face whenever I showed the slightest sign of fatigue.

I remembered holding her hand in silence, and how she would stare at me before shyly intertwining her fingers with mine.

Every single one of those moments remained painfully vivid in my mind.

"His threat level is unconfirmed, so exercise extreme caution."

Closing my eyes against the tide of the past, I listened to Himari's icy commands. A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I raised a single hand forward.

"H-Huh?"

"What is this?!"

A translucent barrier deployed directly in front of the advancing students, halting their momentum dead in its tracks and leaving them visibly flustered.

Just as I thought.

My theory held true. The authority Justia had possessed existed on a completely different plane—far beyond the realm of standard supernatural abilities. But if that was the case, what was the true nature of this power? Why had Justia held such a terrifying concept, and why had she chosen to pass it down to me of all people?

"...Did you just activate an ability inside my territory?"

While I pondered the mystery, Himari's voice cut through the air.

"How is that possible?"

Though her expression remained calm, having known her for so long allowed me to catch the subtle tremor beneath her words. A faint edge of bewilderment was laced into her tone.

"Every ability has a weakness."

"Are you claiming you found the weakness in mine?"

"Who knows? What do you think?"

Smiling faintly at how little she had changed, I began taking measured steps forward.

"Setting that aside, aren't you leaving yourself far too exposed?"

".........."

"A hero who places absolute faith in their ability always meets a pathetic end."

At my words, a look of sheer terror abruptly surfaced in her eyes, and she began retreating step by step. To an ignorant bystander, she would look like a frightened schoolgirl backing away in horror. But that was precisely what made her terrifying.

Having learned what emotions were from me, she had become an absolute master at exploiting them. The second an opponent carelessly rushed in thinking they had the upper hand, their head or arm would be severed from their torso.

"Well, whatever. Take this."

Knowing her tricks all too well, I casually reached into my inner pocket, pulled out the dossier detailing the Vice Principal's corrupt dealings, and tossed it toward her.

"This is...?"

Maintaining her frightened facade, she caught the papers midair.

"Evidence of the Vice Principal's corruption."

".........."

"That should be more than enough to lock him away in Karma for good."

Having delivered my parting gift, I turned to leave. Pushing myself further against her was out of the question; my body was already screaming from activating skills in rapid succession.

Pandora must have finally restored our scrambled communications, as Dice's voice crackled through my earpiece.

"...You aren't going to kill me?"

Still, walking away like this felt far too unsatisfying.

"I won't kill you. I simply wanted to hand that over."

".........."

To the woman who had coldly abandoned me at the exact moment I needed her most, I wanted to deliver at least one proper blow.

"Please take this."

"And what is that?"

Pretending not to see through her ploy, I stared at the business card she extended toward me.

"...I am grateful that you saved the children, at the very least."

"........."

"If you have time, let us have a conversation."

Scratching the back of my head, I reached out toward the card in her hand.

"In prison. At our leisure."

At that exact moment, a hidden blade slid from beneath Himari's sleeve. Radiating cold, murderous intent just as I had anticipated, she swung a crescent of sword aura straight at my neck.

".......!?"

A completely futile effort.

"Hey. That was painfully clumsy."

Though Paralysis could only freeze her for barely a single second, that one second was all I needed.

"Mimicking emotions, I mean."

"........!"

Whispering into her frozen ear, I cocked my arm back.

SMACK!

Putting the full weight of my body behind the swing, I slapped her across the cheek.

".........Ah?"

She clutched her burning, red-swollen cheek, her face a portrait of total shock as she experienced physical pain for the first time in her pampered life. Clearly, she had no idea what expression she was supposed to make in a situation like this.

"You're truly pathetic, you know that?"

To run off to someone who promised to teach her true emotions, only for her emotional growth to regress into this miserable state—it was so absurd it bordered on comical.

"...Nice revenge."

As a thoroughly refreshing smirk spread across my face, an affectionate voice whispered beside my ear.

"Sorry for scooping you up without asking."

Before I knew it, I was being carried bridal-style in Dice's arms, soaring away from the academy grounds.

"You're going to have to explain everything that happened today..."

Chucking softly under my breath, I cast a final glance back toward the rooftop where Himari stood.

"Clumsy...? Me?"

In the distance, a black-and-white joker card fluttered downward, landing directly atop Himari's head as she stared after us in a daze, muttering to herself.

"...Don't talk nonsense."

That was my final memory of that chaotic day.

"What do you... even know about me?"

Meanwhile, at that very same hour.

'...Those eyes.'

Wrapped in a warm blanket as she was evacuated by rescue heroes, Great Order sat in silence.

'It was only for a split second, but I saw them clearly.'

Staring blankly into empty space, she sank deep into thought.

'...Was that really you, Kang Haneul?'

A moment later, her teeth ground together in a quiet, simmering rage.

'If it was... then why did you push yourself to such an awful state just to save me?'