The First Mission
"Look, my bad. Could you let me go now?"
"Die. Just drop dead."
With her yoyo wire wrapped tightly around my throat, she wrenched it taut with brute, unforgiving force.
"Hurry up and die, you piece of shit."
"Kh... ack..."
It stung a bit, but this was nothing. I had endured far worse when I was a kid.
Come to think of it, hadn't Spade been talking to someone just moments ago? Or was that just my imagination?
"...Are you some kind of pervert?"
Seeing me take the punishment with a calm, easy smile, she finally released the tension on the wire, her brow knotting in disgust.
"Maybe."
"What?"
Even I was taken aback by how casually the answer slipped out.
The person standing before me was Spade—the deadliest combatant in Dominating Hands. Seven top-ranking heroes had been butchered by her hands alone, and the total count of heroes she had slaughtered thus far was simply unmeasurable. Her methods were so bloodthirsty, so gruesome, that the media had branded her the 'Slaughter Machine.' A truly terrifying monster.
"........."
Even without that terrifying track record, the sheer bloodlust and stench of gore rolling off her as she glared at me were enough to crush an ordinary man's spirit.
Yet why?
I wasn't the least bit afraid of her.
"Come on, relax that scowl."
"...Huh?"
Shrugging off the wire tangled around my body, I flashed a grin and rested a hand casually on Spade's bare shoulder.
"It's just two guys seeing each other naked. No need to get so pissed, right?"
As I patted her shoulder, Spade froze in stunned disbelief, then slowly looked down at her own chest.
...What the hell is wrong with me?
A quiet smirk tugged at my lips before reality snapped me back to my senses. Pulling my hand away, I muttered internally.
Did my brain rot from everything I've been through?
It made no sense. Her radiating killing intent was sharp enough to turn anyone's knees to jelly, so why did I keep feeling this irresistible urge to tease her?
"Hey."
".........."
After turning the mystery over in my head, I carefully broke the silence as she stood there, still staring blankly at her bosom.
"Have we... met somewhere before?"
"What?" She raised an eyebrow, glaring daggers at me.
"You just feel way too familiar."
"What kind of bullshit—"
"Did you grow up in an orphanage, by any chance?"
I took a tentative shot in the dark, but her expression remained one of sheer bewilderment.
"Guess not. Well, nice to meet you anyway."
Smacking my lips, I extended a hand. When she caught it on pure reflex, I offered a broad grin.
"Guy to guy, let's try to get along."
SLAM!
"...Gah!?"
The very next instant, I was slammed hard against the training room wall, her fingers locking around my throat like an iron vice.
"Know your place."
"Khk... ugh..."
"I'm not here to indulge your pathetic jokes."
I might actually die here. Should I beg for my life right now?
Desperate thoughts raced through my head. Yet what spilled past my lips was something completely different.
"I don't know what kind of history you have with Dice, but I..."
"Down."
Silence descended instantly.
"Facing death has really made you lose your fucking mind—"
Spade stared at me dumbfounded, sneering as she poured more strength into her grip.
"...Huh?"
That was the exact moment the anomaly took hold.
"Ngh?"
She swayed unsteadily, and then, without warning, sank to her knees. Her hands folded neatly together, pressing flat against the cold floor.
"Wh-what is this? What the hell did you do to me...?"
Just like that, she was prostrating before me.
"How strange."
Blinking down at her, I scratched the back of my head and voiced my genuine confusion.
"Why are you already hypnotized?"
"...What?"
For reasons beyond my comprehension, she had already been thoroughly conditioned to obey me.
"What... are you talking about...?"
"Hmm."
I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Had she and I really crossed paths in the past? Was that connected to the bizarre sense of intimacy I had felt around her from the start? No matter how deep I searched my memories, nothing surfaced. Shaking my head, I decided to focus on the immediate situation.
"Let's start with a hundred push-ups."
".....!"
Time for a little payback for the strangling.
"I'll... fucking kill..."
"Add two hundred more."
"You mother... fucker..."
"Throw in a hundred squats, too."
".........."
"Stop... fuck..."
"Hmm."
"I won't kill you... so please, just stop..."
"Mmh."
The tug-of-war between Spade and me dragged on for hours.
"...Please."
"All right. You may rest now."
"Ah-ugh."
Only after several hours had passed did I finally bring Spade to complete submission, leaving her collapsed in a heap on the floor.
"Good girl, Spade-ssi."
"Ngh..."
Drenched in sweat and panting from pure exhaustion, Spade flinched under my gentle pat on her head before grinding her teeth in raw humiliation.
"You're... the absolute worst. Seriously."
A sudden jolt of clarity snapped through my thoughts.
Why am I using formal honorifics with her? No, what on earth am I even doing right now?
Controlling people through hypnosis was something I had sworn never to do as a hero. Yet look at me. This wasn't how a hero behaved—this was the work of a villain...
Wait, but I am a villain, aren't I?
Now that I thought about it, I was indeed a villain. What reason did I have to cling to heroics? In fact, from a villain's perspective, wasn't what I just pulled actually commendable?
...Right?
Even if my head accepted the logic, a lingering distaste clung to my chest. It had only been a few days since my fall from grace, so a bit of resistance was natural. Well, from here on, even that hesitance had to be discarded. I had no intention of letting self-righteous principles rob me of my chance to avenge Justia.
"Today stays strictly between the two of us."
"...Grr."
"Understood?"
Having settled my thoughts, I gently tilted up Spade's chin and whispered in a low, level tone.
"Having the rank one combatant as my slave doesn't feel half bad."
"You... bastard..."
"Though 'slave' sounds a bit crude... Let's just be friends instead. What do you say?"
And just like that, I made my second friend since turning villain.
"Let's grab a drink sometime later. Surely you can buy a rookie a drink, can't you?"
"Get lost... you piece of shit....."
"Pardon? What was that?"
"...Good... bye."
We were friends, right?
It really is strange, though.
Leaving Spade's training room and heading back toward the lobby where Dice waited, my brow furrowed as questions gnawed at me.
Why did the hypnosis take hold?
My 'Hypnosis' concept had zero effect on total strangers. For it to work, I needed at least some knowledge about the subject, or the target had to grant implicit consent. Yet Spade was the sole member of Dominating Hands whose dossier was a complete blank. She was an enigma who had eluded every background check by the International Hero League, every probe by the Secret Intelligence Bureau, and even the tracking abilities of superhumans possessing the Concept of 'Investigation.'
Even my 'Insight' skill, which had recently advanced to Level 2, failed to glean a single shred of information on her.
So how was I able to dominate her with Hypnosis? Had she truly been conditioned by me in the past without my knowing? Or could it be...
...Is this Villainization?
The only plausible explanation was Villainization. A sort of growing pain said to afflict all villains the moment they fall into depravity. It was rumored to twist an individual's abilities and personality—though mainstream academia dismissed it as little more than an unverified urban legend.
Yet I had seen it with my own eyes: the penalty notification warning that Villainization was progressing when I awakened the 'Path of the Villain' system.
Come to think of it, I slipped into polite speech earlier without even realizing it.
I rarely used formal speech. Aside from addressing elders, I almost never spoke respectfully to peers. Yet while dealing with Spade, honorifics had rolled off my tongue naturally. Was that an influence of Villainization as well?
...Well, whatever.
At this point, it didn't really matter. Thanks to my Concept of Hypnosis, my mind wouldn't crumble or be subsumed by Villainization anyway. If the side effects aided my quest for vengeance, I would welcome them with open arms.
"Hey, Dice. I've finished saying hello to everyone."
Having organized my thoughts, I arrived at the lobby and called out to Dice, who still sat on the sofa.
"Hey, Haneul-ah."
"Yeah?"
Her expression as she looked at me was unusual.
"Did you... remember something too?"
".......?"
Remember? What is she talking about?
"Nothing crossed your mind when you looked at me? Not even a little?"
"Well... I don't know. That you're mysterious? Something like that?"
Puzzled over how to respond, I scratched my head.
"...No, never mind."
Dice let out a faint chuckle and shook her head, muttering softly.
"Could you... speak formally to me too?"
Then she made the sudden request.
"...Like this?"
"Pfft."
It wasn't difficult, so I offered the polite phrasing with an awkward smile. Her face finally brightened, breaking into genuine laughter.
"No, it's fine."
"I can do it if you want."
It was only for a split second, but I caught it clearly.
"Just speak however makes you comfortable."
The wistful, yearning look in her eyes as she smiled at me.
"Well, I won't say no to that."
Polite speech felt strangely embarrassing anyway, so I accepted her offer with relief and took the seat she indicated on the sofa.
...Wait, is she giving me grief because she found out what happened in the training room?
Breaking out in a slight cold sweat, I resolved to go a little easier on Spade next time.
"Now then, let's get down to business."
"...About the first mission?"
"That's right. The date is tomorrow. It'll be your official debut."
As I offered an awkward grin, Dice slipped back into her usual poker face, snapping her fingers and glancing behind me.
"Ah, but before we dive in... there's someone I need to introduce."
"Someone to introduce...?"
I followed her gaze and turned my head.
Tap, tap...
"Huh?"
My eyes widened as I spotted someone walking up from the floor below.
"Whew, it's been a while since I visited the executive floor!"
"Wh-why are you... here?"
Walking toward me was someone so familiar, someone I never could have imagined seeing in a place like this.
"Ta-da! Surprised?"
The current Vice Student Council President of the International Hero Academy, and a rookie Black Agent of the Hero League.
"Look who's moving up in the world, Oppa! Becoming an executive overnight, huh?"
"Kim Ira?"
At the same time, my former sidekick waved brightly at me, clad in a white lab coat.
"I hold quite a high rank myself, you know! I'm 'Jack' of Dominating Hands, overseeing infiltration ops and support gear development!"
"...'Self-proclaimed' Jack, you mean," Dice cut in dryly.
"Tch."
It felt like a sledgehammer had slammed into the back of my skull.
She was a villain? And affiliated with Dominating Hands, of all groups? Just how long had she been lying to me?
"Hm? What's with that look? An emotional reunion hug? I'd love to, but I'm swamped with work right now, so I'll have to decl—"
My brain stalled for a moment as I stared blankly at her. Then, rising to my feet, I strode over to where she stood.
"Ow, ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow! What gives?!"
"......."
I clamped down on her ear and twisted it with all my might.
"Do you have any idea how much I worried about you?"
"Aack! Ow, ow!"
"Pulling dangerous stunts like this?"
"Aaargh! It hurts! It really hurts!!"
She was someone I had always treated like a younger sister. How much had I fretted over whether she was safe, what would happen to her future? And here she was, blindsiding me like this.
"When did you become a villain?"
"...Wh-when you were sentenced to death, Oppa. That's when I was scouted."
"And infiltrating the Academy was on their orders?"
"No... that was my own rogue decision. Hehe."
She scratched her head with a goofy, sheepish grin.
"Hmm."
I didn't detect a trace of falsehood. It seemed she hadn't deceived Justia or me back then.
"...Thank goodness. I was planning on taking responsibility for your life."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Relief washed over me, lightening my mood. I let out a sigh, releasing her ear as I muttered the words.
"Responsibility? What does that..."
"Excuse me, but we need to start the briefing now."
Just as Ira's eyes went wide and she began pressing for answers, Dice's voice cut in, suddenly laced with a sharp chill.
"Ah, right. I'm busy too, so let's get down to brass tacks."
"...Fine."
With that, the briefing for my first mission officially began.
"The mission is simple."
Dice flicked her fingers, and the massive monitor mounted on the lobby wall flickered to life, displaying a familiar location.
"That's..."
A place I knew all too well.
"The International Hero Academy?"
"The gathering grounds for the very best hero hopefuls from across the globe."
The place where I had spent three years as Vice Student Council President, where I first crossed paths with Justia. How could I ever forget it?
"Our objective is singular."
As I gazed at the Academy's scenery lost in nostalgia, Dice's eyes flashed, her voice dropping to a low declaration.
"We will crash tomorrow's freshmen entrance ceremony and kidnap a student."
"...Hmm."
A dull numbness seized my mind. Could even Dominating Hands pull that off?
"From what I know, the Rank 1, Rank 2, and Rank 3 heroes will all be in attendance."
"Why? Think you can't handle it?"
"...Orders are orders, I suppose."
A moment of hesitation flickered through me, but I nodded in acceptance. This wasn't a friendly club for ability users; this was the Villain League.
"The executives will handle the faculty. Your job is to infiltrate as the homeroom teacher for Class 1-1 and abduct the target."
"Me?"
"Among all of us, your ability is best suited for an abduction."
She wasn't wrong. Still, a few glaring questions remained before I could agree outright.
"That's all well and good, but my face is public knowledge. How am I supposed to infiltrate? I can't exactly walk around in a mask."
"That's why I brought our 'self-proclaimed' Jack."
At my question, Dice pointed at Ira, who was sprawled out on the sofa.
"I'll give you a flawless disguise!"
"...Wait, you? How? Doesn't your transformation only work on yourself?"
"You really can be so naive sometimes, Oppa." She grinned mischievously and whispered, "Hiding or falsifying the exact nature of one's abilities is basic etiquette for heroes and villains alike."
"You... can transform other people too?"
"Though unlike using it on myself, there's a time limit!"
Having grasped the operational details, I turned back to Dice.
"So who am I disguising as?"
"Ah, about that."
Dice gestured quietly toward the black-masked subordinates waiting at a distance.
"Mmph, mmph! Mmmph...!"
Moments later, a gagged man was dragged into the lobby, bound hand and foot.
"Mmmgh! Mmph! Ngh..."
CRACK!
After staring at him impassively for a beat, Dice launched a card with a flick of her wrist.
"........."
"The newly appointed professor who was supposed to oversee Class 1-1 just passed away, you see."
Watching the man bleed out from a severed throat without a flicker of emotion, Dice waved a hand to signal her men to clear the body before continuing.
Munch, crunch...
"............"
I glanced sideways at Ira, but she was casually swinging her legs, munching on potato chips. Judging by her apathy, this was an everyday occurrence here.
"Originally, I intended to disguise you with his face, but as you can see, he's rather hideous. I doubted you could win the target's trust looking like that."
".........."
"So I forged a new identity instead. A temporary professor assigned to look after the students in place of the missing rookie professor."
Reminding myself that I had to adapt to this environment, I listened intently to Dice.
"Ta-da."
"Wait, is that..."
Looking at the forged ID displayed on the monitor, my eyebrows knit together.
"Is that supposed to be..."
"Yes, exactly. It's your face, aged up about ten years with a few unnatural features adjusted."
"...I like that I won't have to pretend to be a completely different person, but isn't there a risk of getting caught?"
At my words, Kim Ira spoke up with a slightly sheepish look.
"Actually, turning someone into an entirely different person cuts down the time limit drastically as a side effect."
"...Is that so?"
"Modifying someone using their original face as the base keeps the duration much longer. Besides, I'm altering your fingerprints and body frame too, so you won't need to worry about being exposed under normal circumstances."
Her explanation made complete sense. I nodded silently, pausing a beat before asking Dice my final question.
"And what do I gain from completing this mission?"
Dice tilted her head quizzically.
"The reason I joined Dominating Hands is to take revenge on everyone who drove Justia and me into ruin."
"Yes, of course."
"Now that I belong to this organization, I'll follow orders... but there ought to be an appropriate reward, wouldn't you say?"
Once I finished, she recalled her bloodstained card with a flick of her fingers, locking eyes with me.
"Didn't I mention our target?"
"...Don't tell me."
"Lumia Obsé. The Child of Prophecy. That's our target."
At that name, an inferno roared to life inside my chest.
"And I recently uncovered something interesting. Turns out she and the Academy's Vice Principal are thick as thieves."
"............"
"There's also concrete proof that he played a major role in fabricating your Academy records."
She slid a dossier across the table toward me.
"His fingerprints were even on Justia's expulsion incident."
I wanted to ask how on earth she had acquired such intelligence.
"In the middle of the chaos, I don't think anyone would complain if you slipped away for a moment to teach him a lesson."
Yet right now, there was something far more important at hand.
"That's more than enough."
"Right? It's a win-win."
"Moving forward, I'd like information like this as my reward... Hm?"
Letting go of my questions to finalize our cooperation, my gaze suddenly locked onto the corpse being hauled away in the distance.
"What's wrong?"
"........."
For a split second, I could have sworn I saw something squirm beneath the corpse's flesh.
...Just my imagination?
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Evidently, exhaustion was still catching up to me.
"What, did you see a ghost?"
"No, it's nothing."
I needed to return to my room and get some sleep for tomorrow. With that thought, I rose from the couch.
"Well then, I'm counting on you."
"Likewise."
I only hoped no unexpected variables would throw things off.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The following morning, at the International Hero Academy.
"This is ridiculous."
I had successfully infiltrated the grounds, but before long, I found myself squeezing my eyes shut in sheer disbelief.
"H-H-Hello!"
Why... why are YOU here of all people...?
Before me stood a girl so heartbreakingly familiar, someone I never could have anticipated running into here.
"It is an absolute honor to meet you, Professor!"
Why did you have to enroll in the Hero Academy, of all places...?
Justia, the woman whose memory was my untouchable sanctuary.
Her biological younger sister was bowing to me, greeting me with an appearance and voice that mirrored Justia's so achingly well.