The Choice

The sound of the impact was deafening.

"Ugh."

The kaijin's barbed tentacles and heavy fists hammered mercilessly against the defensive barrier I had raised.

"Grrr..."

"It's lost its mind."

Under normal circumstances, an opponent would have realized its strikes were futile and pulled back. But its relentless assault never paused for a breath. It was clear that along with that grotesque metamorphosis, whatever reason the creature once had was entirely gone.

"A-Are you a defense-type ability user?!"

"W-We'll help!"

Cold sweat ran down my back as I braced against the barrage. From behind me came the trembling voices of the student council officers. Spikes of static electricity and low vibrations began humming from their raised hands.

"No. Stay back."

"What?"

Their spirit was commendable, but half-baked assistance was worse than useless.

"You're only in the way right now."

At a rough estimate, the monstrosity before me sat around a 3rd Grade threat. Two students without a shred of live combat experience couldn't land a decisive blow against something like this.

"B-But...!"

"Judging by the looks of it, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you're both projectile emitters. If you attack, your strikes will just break against my barrier."

"Ah..."

"And if I drop the barrier, can either of you actually hurt that thing?"

More to the point, their powers were completely incompatible with what I was currently deploying.

"B-But if we stay like this, things will only get worse!"

"S-She's right! You look like you're at your limit..."

They weren't wrong.

Defense, the skill I had activated on instinct, lived up to its name—it was strictly defensive.

Which means I just need an offensive skill.

I had first awakened Insight when a desperate need drove me to expose Lumia's true identity. I had awakened Defense when faced with imminent danger that demanded self-preservation. If that held true, manifesting an attack skill shouldn't be much harder.

All I have to do is focus on the intent to strike.

Settling my resolve, I balled my fist and glared at the creature. Right on cue, translucent text materialized before my eyes.

The results, however, were deeply disappointing. For some reason, every single offensive skill was already maxed out.

Can I force its activation?

...Damn it.

There was only one plausible explanation. Justia, the original owner of these abilities. True to her title as the "Strongest," she had pulverized every evil before her through sheer, overwhelming force. The gulf between her stats and mine was like heaven and earth.

Did she pour all her skill points into pure offense because of that fiery temper of hers?

A loud crack echoed through the air.

"...Ugh!"

A bitter smirk barely had time to cross my face before a shockwave shuddered through my bones. Thanks to the penalty of Defense, my body's durability had plummeted to a dangerously fragile state.

"Grrr... krrk..."

I glared through gritted teeth at the transformed monstrosity. It let out a bizarre, rattling chortle that sounded almost like mocking laughter. From the smug sneer plastered across its twisted face, it clearly believed victory was already in its grasp.

You're underestimating me.

"Hey. You."

"Y-Yes?!"

"You were preparing some kind of vibration earlier. What exactly is your ability?"

Keeping my eyes locked on the beast, I spoke to the trembling schoolgirl behind me in a low, measured voice.

"I-I can vibrate anything I touch... and I can send shockwaves through the air by vibrating it."

"The Concept of Vibration. How much force?"

"E-Enough to send a person flying if they're close..."

As she explained, a tactical plan quickly assembled itself in my head. The risk was enormous, but given the circumstances, it was the most efficient move.

"Listen to me very carefully."

"Yes."

"Blast me with your vibration and launch me straight at that thing."

"E-Excuse me?!"

"And then..."

As I laid out the rest of the plan, she stared at me with wide, uncomprehending eyes.

"Th-That's way too reckless..."

"We don't have time! Do it now!"

"I-I don't know what's going to happen!"

My patience wearing thin, I barked the order and dropped the barrier. Only then did she squeeze her eyes shut and release a burst of concentrated vibration into my back.

".........Khh!"

The sensation of every bone shattering rippled through my frame. A few ribs definitely cracked on impact. My physical durability really had cratered.

"Grah?"

When the man who had done nothing but turtle suddenly shot forward like a cannonball, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠creature hesitated. A look of confusion flashed across its visage as it yanked back the tentacles splayed across the corridor.

Just as I expected.

When faced with an unexpected crisis, magical beasts instinctively prioritized self-defense over aggression. And a thing that was practically indistinguishable from a magical beast would follow the same instinct.

That made things infinitely easier.

"G-Grah?!"

Easier to trap it inside a sphere.

"Now!"

The instant I slammed to a halt directly in front of the creature, I manifested a spherical barrier, sealing it inside. Then, I shouted back toward the students.

"Y-Yes!"

"Aaaargh!"

Squeezing their eyes shut, they unleashed an all-out volley of electricity and shockwaves.

"GUOOOOOOHHH!!!"

Through a palm-sized aperture I had deliberately left open in the barrier, their attacks poured inside, churning together into a maelstrom of destructive energy.

"A success."

Trapped within the transparent cage, the creature thrashed helplessly, unable to retaliate.

"Um... how long do we have to keep doing this...?"

"Keep pouring it on until the heroes arrive."

"...W-What?!"

Deciding the immediate threat was neutralized, I wasted no more time and quickened my pace toward the lower floors. But then...

"...Hm?"

A casual glance out of the corridor window brought my boots to an immediate halt.

"What in the world...?"

Across the sprawling sports field below, the executives of Dominating Hands were staging a wholesale massacre.

This isn't when the operation was supposed to start. No, wait, more importantly...

Setting aside the fact that they had breached the perimeter far ahead of schedule, something else was deeply off.

...They aren't killing indiscriminately?

To an untrained eye, it looked like a festival bathed in blood. But from where I stood, the truth was startlingly different.

Heart—all traces of her airheaded persona gone—was slicing through targets with a chilling smile, wielding a massive scythe.

The old man, roaring with hearty laughter, crushed skulls and turned flesh into paste.

Pandora, her eyes half-lidded with their usual drowsy detachment, nimbly worked the joysticks of her console, commanding a swarm of lethal drones.

And Spade, true to her reputation as the Hero Butcher, had already slaughtered three staff members.

Yet without exception, every single target they struck down was a student or faculty member harboring squirming, parasitic tentacles beneath their skin.

What the hell is going on?

As I stood frozen, grappling with the bizarre contradiction before me—

"Well, this is quite inconvenient."

"......?!"

A familiar voice drifted from behind.

"Can you see us as well?"

I whipped around, every nerve screaming.

"Mr. Ji-seok."

Standing there with an easy, crescent-eyed smile was the hero Resurrection.

"...This doesn't look like the restroom, Mr. Resurrection."

Beyond him lay the two female students, collapsed limp and unconscious against the floorboards.

"Are you a villain as well?"

I hadn't felt so much as a breath of wind when he took them down. Cold sweat prickled my skin as I dropped into a defensive stance. Resurrection tilted his head, regarding me with curious amusement.

"How long do you intend to get in our way?"

Deep within his torso, the writhing tentacles grew increasingly violent.

"...Are you Lumia's subordinate?"

"The Child of Prophecy?"

Testing the waters to see if Lumia had orchestrated this, I threw out the name. Resurrection's brow furrowed in genuine perplexity.

"Why would that child be brought up now?"

There wasn't a trace of falsehood in his tone. He had nothing to do with her. Then what in the world was all of this?

"Just how long have you things been blending in among us?"

The moment I pressed him, hoping to wring out even a shred of intel—a terrifying shockwave tore down the length of the hall.

"Kh-urk!"

"What a pointless question," Resurrection murmured, stepping forward with an effortless, predatory smile even as his strike bounced off my deployed barrier. "From someone who will soon cease to exist."

"Wait, hold on a second."

He was dead set on a fight. At a conservative estimate, his threat grade had to be between 2nd and 1st Grade—and on top of that, he was a hero wielding a legitimate supernatural Concept. Given how acutely he monitored my every twitch, slipping my smartphone from my pocket to deploy Hypnosis was out of the question. And fending him off with Defense alone was suicide.

Which left only one viable card to play.

"Do we really have to fight?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You know I'm a villain. I came here for a completely separate objective. I have no interest in fighting you."

As I laid out the plea with total earnestness, Resurrection paused, quietly weighing my words.

"To be frank, I don't care what you things are doing. Go ahead and do whatever you came to do. I won't interfere."

"Hmm."

"In exchange, you don't interfere with me either. Deal?"

Silence hung thick between us.

"Do you not care about the children behind you?"

"...Why would a villain give a damn about them?"

"Hmm."

Resurrection studied me with an inquisitive glint, then slowly pulled back his fist with a faint smile.

"It seems villains these days can be quite reasonable."

"Well, I suppose so."

I hadn't truly expected him to buy it, but this was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an ideal outcome. My focus belonged on Lumia, not some bizarre anomaly masquerading as a hero.

"Then, if you'll excuse me..."

Exhaling a quiet sigh of relief, I began to lower the barrier.

"However!"

A sudden violent tremor ripped through the corridor.

"Ugh!!"

The shuddering impact forced blood up my throat, driving my knees toward the floorboards.

"You simply look far too weak."

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

"I believe it would be far tidier to kill you right here."

Resurrection had transformed. His human veneer had shattered, replaced by the same twisted, grotesque monstrosity as the student earlier.

The cunning bastard. He had feigned acceptance just to land a cheap shot.

That's a villain's trick, you prick.

"Hey. Listen."

Grinding my teeth in silence, I managed a thin grin and pointed over his shoulder.

"Are you sure you want to keep your eyes on me?"

"If you truly believe I would fall for such a childish ruse..."

Without altering his expression, he drew back his fist to deliver the finishing blow.

"What a shame."

Gazing past him, I spoke with a heavy, bitter sigh.

"I'm not the type to lie."

"Freeze. Right where you stand."

At that exact instant, a frigid voice cut through the corridor like a blade of frost.

"...Kh."

"A magical beast capable of speech? How rare."

Standing squarely in the center of the hall, muttering to herself, was my older sister: Great Order.

What incredible timing.

Never in my life had I imagined I would be this glad to see her.

"The heroes are on their way. In fact, a significant force has already breached the academy grounds."

Blocking the corridor, my sister laid down the law in a calm, icy timbre.

"Are you a beast tamed by a villain? If you can comprehend my words, surrender. This is an order—"

She froze mid-sentence, suddenly biting down hard on her lower lip.

It seemed the subconscious restriction I had placed on her was doing its job.

I need to put on the mask.

This was my window. While she held his attention, I had to get downstairs and rendezvous with the executives. Since my true objective was securing Lumia, that was the only logical play.

Taking advantage of Resurrection's bulk blocking her line of sight, I pulled out the mask Pandora and Ira had manufactured for me. They had mentioned something about cognitive jamming, a voice modulator, visual assists, and several other bells and whistles. Since there was no telling when my transformation might unravel—and worse, my sister would recognize this face immediately—it was far safer to keep it on from now on.

"Well, I'll take my leave."

"...Tsk."

Having donned the mask, I dashed down the hall. Resurrection clicked his tongue in irritation, but under Great Order's presence, he could only glare after me.

"W-Wait!"

Just as I was mentally acknowledging how impressive my sister’s authority truly was, her urgent shout rooted my feet to the floorboards.

"C-Co..."

She hesitated, squeezing her eyes shut before forcing the words past her lips.

"I am requesting your cooperation."

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

"A-Are you not a member of the faculty?"

When I only stared back at her in silence, she pointed toward the professor ID badge poking out of my chest pocket.

"F-For certain reasons... I cannot utilize the full extent of my ability right now."

"And?"

The voice that escaped my mask was an emotionless, mechanical drone.

"The students are in danger. I-I will hold the line, so please—"

"Grrrrr..."

"......!"

Right then, an animalistic growl erupted from behind her.

"GUOOOOOOH!"

The first kaijin, having shattered my makeshift containment and regained its footing, stood panting with ragged, rabid fury.

"Well. Do what you like."

"W-Wait!"

None of this was my problem. She was one of our illustrious Top-Ranking Heroes, wasn't she? She would handle it. And even if she couldn't, she had brought it upon herself.

"Please, don't go!!"

"Now then, where did Lumia run off to..."

Ignoring her pathetic cries behind me, I stepped toward the window to get a vantage on Lumia's coordinates.

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

Once again, my mind went dead silent, just as it had moments before.

"What..."

True to my sister's words, the Top Heroes had arrived, leading a massive vanguard into the academy grounds.

"What is this...?"

What stunned me wasn't their arrival.

"What the hell is wrong with this world?"

Among that sea of elite heroes, there were only two individuals whose bodies were free of squirming, eldritch tentacles.

"The heroes are here!!"

"Everyone, please follow our instructions and evacuate in an orderly—"

It wasn't just the Top Rankers. Among the throngs of reinforcements pouring onto the scene in real-time, those harboring parasitic tentacles vastly outnumbered those who did not.

"This is insane..."

As I stood paralyzed, watching the parasites writhing beneath the flesh of humanity’s protectors—

"Y-You idiots...!"

My sister's horrified voice echoed from the hall.

"Why are you up here?!"

"W-Well..."

Class 1-1, including Justia's younger sister, had just emerged onto our floor via the emergency stairwell.

"The Vice Principal told us to evacuate to the roof. That's why we came to the floor with the rooftop stairs..."

"What kind of bullshit is that?! Get back down immediately—gah-urk!!"

Before she could finish her scream, a barbed tentacle from the first kaijin caught her clean across the torso, smashing her hard against the concrete wall.

"Prey... walking straight into our mouths."

"Grrr..."

Resurrection, now fully warped into an aberrant beast, smacked his lips alongside the other creature as their crimson eyes locked onto the children.

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

Still not my problem.

Whether my sister died or the students were butchered, it had nothing to do with me. If I felt like being charitable, I could wrap a protective barrier around Justia's little sister and call it a day.

"Down... get downstairs right now... this is an order..."

"I-It's terrible! The stairs below have completely collapsed!"

"Ugh."

Think coldly.

My objective is Lumia.

"...Get behind me."

Leaving this mess to rot would actually serve me better.

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

I know that's the right choice.

"Tsk."

Then why does it taste so damn foul?

Several minutes later.

"Ugh..."

"You've grown so fragile, Great Order."

Drenched in blood, Great Order was hauled into the air by her hair in Resurrection's grip.

"Let... g—"

A heavy crack reverberated as a fist collided with her jaw.

"...Urk."

As she attempted to force out a command, a vicious blow shattered against her jaw, sending violent tremors through her failing body.

"I have wanted to devour you for so long."

"Wh-Who... are you...?"

"Watching an arrogant paragon like you drown in terror as you die... there is truly nothing quite as delectable."

Licking his lips as he savored her ruin, Resurrection whispered into her ear:

"Now then... bon appétit."

"No... stop..."

Great Order thrashed with every ounce of strength remaining in her limbs.

"Don't... please, nooooo...!"

Yet against the beast's unnatural strength, her struggles were laughably feeble.

"Stop it!!"

Just as the eleventh rank of the global hero registry seemed destined to fall vacant—

"......?"

"Let her go! Let her go!!"

Shivering in blind terror, one girl had somehow found the courage to step forward.

"I said let her goooo!!"

Justia's sister. With both hands clamped desperately around Great Order's combat boots, she pulled with all her might.

What... a pathetic sight.

In that single heartbeat, Great Order understood everything. The helpless despair of being utterly impotent at the precipice of death. The searing humiliation of being defended by a child so much younger than herself. The crushing agony of knowing her own frailty would drag that innocent girl into the grave alongside her.

I'm scared.

It was an emotion she had never once known in her life.

Someone... please save me.

An absolute weakling, crushed beneath an insurmountable power.

Please...

Naturally, the first face that surfaced in her mind was Lumia. The invincible prodigy who had escaped the Karma breakout without a single scratch, while every other hero involved was grievously wounded. The sweet, innocent girl who had held her hand with warmth, swearing that no matter what catastrophe befell them, she would protect her.

Ah...

Yet that tender visage twisted in an instant, replaced by the cold, venomous glare Lumia had worn on that fateful day—the day she had slapped Great Order’s hand away in utter disgust.

The beast’s barbed tentacle rose high toward the ceiling.

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

Knowing the end was upon her, Great Order squeezed her eyes shut. And in that final, fading second, the figure that unexpectedly flashed through her mind was—with cruel irony—Kang Haneul.

The memory of the day she had packed her bags and walked out of the house. The sight of her younger brother sprinting breathlessly down the lane, desperately waving a lunchbox above his head.

"Sis! Where are you going in such a rush?!"

"You left your lunch behind, you dummy!!"

That was the exact moment the world shattered.

An apocalyptic detonation rocked the foundation of the earth.

A cataclysmic shockwave, beyond anything Resurrection could have dreamed of conjuring, ripped through the entire academy.

"Cough, cough...!"

"Wh-What was that?!"

Blinded by the erupting gale and billowing debris, the students flailed helplessly in the dust.

"What was that power just now...?"

"F-Forget that... what about the monster?!"

When the blinding smoke finally cleared, the trembling students stepped toward the epicenter to see what had transpired. What met their eyes struck them entirely dumb.

"Cough..."

A lone figure stood amidst the ruin, wearing a black mask with hairline fractures spreading around the eyeholes. One arm held Great Order against his chest; the other fist remained extended forward in the wake of a strike.

"L-Look at that..."

"Insane..."

"Is that even real...?"

Behind him, the entire academy building—from the first floor straight through to the rooftop—had been cleanly obliterated into an open chasm of rubble.

"The only person who could ever hit like that was Justia..."

The moment the vanished goddess’s might made its brief, terrifying return—Pandora’s AI surveillance drone, floating silently in the air, was streaming the entire scene live across the globe.

I had almost forgotten the most important thing.

Vengeance had to be executed thoroughly, without mercy. Yet I could never allow myself to become the puppet Lumia so desperately wanted me to be.

Still, as the price for thirteen human lives, it was remarkably cheap.

No wonder Justia loved using this so much.

"Th-Thank..."

As I gently touched the socket of my left eye—sealed shut forevermore—a trembling whisper drifted from my chest.

"Thank you..."

Her face buried deep in my chest, Great Order sobbed uncontrollably, her shoulders heaving with every ragged breath.

"You saved my life."

A hollow scoff nearly escaped my lips.

Just to hear that one sentence...

Just to hear a single word of praise from her, think ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the life I had lived. And only now, when reduced to this? Only after I had become this thing do you finally say it?

"If you could tell me your affiliation... I swear I will—"

"A villain."

The words were born purely of spite.

"A vile, irredeemable villain."

Tearing my hand away from the sister who clung to me in tearful gratitude, I answered in a voice as cold as iron.

If I had known that moment was being broadcast across the entire world, I might have come up with a slightly cooler line.