Chapter 2: Elizaveta Smiled
Elizaveta smiled.
Even wedged in among the kids doing stretches, Mirror blended in perfectly—no sense of mismatch at all. No matter how many times she watched, it never got old.
S-Rank Villain Appeared. Support Requested.
A photo popped up above the image of Mirror beaming with arms raised in a V, her T-shirt riding up to reveal a cute little belly button.
Elizaveta's brow furrowed.
Crunch. The phone crumpled in her grip. Leviathan handed over a fresh one from the side.
"Mistress."
"What's wrong?"
Leviathan spoke first, which caught her off guard for a moment. But then she gasped at the notification Leviathan showed her.
Hero "Mirror" has been assigned as the dedicated hero for villain "Marian".
"That child finally picked one!"
"Yes. Mirror has selected her dedicated villain. But... is that alright?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"The S-rank villain who just appeared is named Marian."
Elizaveta smiled enigmatically.
"And?"
"Well... this villain Marian has started a live broadcast."
"WWE? Perfect, then. Our Mirror's still a nobody, after all."
She was thrilled at the thought of seeing more of those adorable antics, but Leviathan kept nagging.
"Even in WWE, she needs a basic weight class—"
Thwack!
A fist slammed into Leviathan's gut.
"Since when—"
Crunch, squelch.
A pale fist pierced the skin, ripping through innards. The S-rank's tough body crumbled like tofu.
"—did a pet get to offer unasked opinions?"
Spinal column shattered.
Leviathan's body collapsed.
Thud. Her eyelids twitched on the floor.
"Did you have to volunteer it?"
"S-sor—"
Squelch.
"Don't be sorry."
"...Woof!"
"Good girl."
Elizaveta stroked Leviathan's head. Red tears leaked from the eye socket gouged by the stiletto heel.
"Why do something you'd be sorry for? I went out of my way to get you a water-type body. For my sake—and thinking of summer—try not to get 'captured' till then."
"...Woof!"
"That's right. Good luck."
Elizaveta sat on her 'chair' and fiddled with her phone. Marian, was it? Ah, found it.
"Don't move. You're shaking the screen."
"...Woof!"
On a rooftop with a distant view of the Han River Bridge, a black-haired woman chattered in front of her phone stand.
"You guys are gonna freak when you hear my rank? It's a full S! This body's an S-rank villain!"
Her red eyes twisted at the chats.
"Ugh, I am real S-rank, okay?"
"How do I verify?! I already terror-notified! If I go, I just die!"
"Capture my ass. Who doesn't know you die if you go?"
Marian smirked bitterly. But one chat caught her eye.
"...Reformatory?"
The rumors grew more specific. ...She didn't like it. Felt like they were defending those bastards.
"Alright, friends! Got a good crowd now, so shall we start?"
Clapping enthusiastically shifted the chat flow.
"I'm S-rank, so I won't die?"
As she switched to the prepped camera—
Marian's eyebrow twitched. She tried to delete the last one, but—
"You fucking assholes!"
She exploded.
"I didn't even swear! Why delete it?! I swore, not him!"
Villain chat? Meant the chatter got villain-designated. A hero was probably already en route to 'capture' them. ...Fuck, another innocent died because of me. This was supposed to prevent that.
"If you're pissed, take it out on me!"
The chat had frozen long ago. Viewers watched Marian vent what they'd wanted to say.
"Fitting for cowards playing word games with 'capture'! I don't get why you keep calling them heroes? Why not just call 'em Celestial Dragons?"
In the end, everything—kill them all.
All heroes dead. That was this world's only salvation.
Grind.
She ground her teeth to breaking and checked who dared declare they'd kill her.
Hero "Mirror": F-rank
"...?"
F-rank. Made sense. Heroes wanting salary-thief villains picked any scrub. Hero Association assholes kept villain ranks secret anyway. Unheroed villains got F'd and culled—no one bought it.
...But too kid-like?
Age 20. Photoshop overload?
...Whatever. Kid, granny, anyone—heroes all die.
As she steeled herself to switch screens—
Bang!
The door flew open.
"Who the hell now!"
"Marian. I've come to capture you."
A kid appeared. Middle-schooler at best.
"The sinner should submit meekly."
Platinum blonde to her shoulders. Hero with star-like sparkling blue eyes.
"Why not surrender and find salvation?"
She was urging Marian to suicide.
"Nah, ugly brat."
She shot back. Kids that age flipped at a scratch.
"Stealing daddy's suit? Not embarrassed?"
"This is the garb bestowed by my warm, grandmotherly big sis. Refrain from baseless slander."
"Oh yeah? Sis is busy anyway. Mind leaving? Cancel the dedicated hero too."
She'd planned to kill all, but offing a real kid? Hesitation hit.
So Marian shooed Mirror away.
"Sorry, can't do that."
The cheeky brat wouldn't budge despite the mercy.
"Marian, I can't leave till I capture you."
"You...!"
She swallowed her rage. Felt like losing somehow.
"Friends~"
Instead of snapping, she turned to the stream.
"Let's get back to wha—"
"Marian. One request: don't cross that river."
"Argh, why keep butting in! Should I sew your mouth shu—"
"Yacht."
Marian's eyes widened.
"Never touch the yacht, Marian."
"How...?"
How'd she know about the yacht terror prep? Marian upped her guard on the brat hero. Even young, heroes were heroes—not to underestimate.
"The yacht isn't for the likes of you. Only a startled duke from the western galaxy could wield it."
"...Brat. Fix your speech first? 10k watching your dark history rn."
"Dark history? You mean the one you'll make? Crumbling utterly before me."
"Cheeky little...!"
Marian wrapped her fist in Black Flame. The inky black fire absorbed all light, like holes punched in reality where it burned.
"Friends. Hold up. Appetizer: brat education first."
"Appetizer... Careful. You might not even reach Minyardi level."
"Argh, fuck!"
Whoosh!
Marian thrust her fist. A flame shaped like it flew.
Roar. Black Flame hit Mirror, engulfing her in fire.
The chat freaked. That flame's hue was otherworldly—they all figured Mirror was toast.
No F-rank blocks that.
"...!"
Marian bit her lip, face crumpled. Fist clenched till blood dripped, pupils quivering faintly.
"Hmm, lukewarm. Marian, this an attack? For effort's sake, I'll call it decent eye candy."
Marian fired again. Full power.
Attack that ashed S-rank heroes. Ashed her self-proclaimed dad...!
"Hm. Try a lighter? Might work better."
"H-how...!"
She spat the line she'd avoided. Sounded like a third-rate villain. But facing unscathed foe? Couldn't hold back.
Flame broken?
No. Ground around hero melted, heat haze rising.
Marian's flame burned hotter than ever.
Issue? The opponent.
"You faked your rank...!"
"No. I did nothing. Rank either. Or now."
"Don't bullshit!!"
If truly F-rank? Impossible.
"No way...!"
Meant opponent sinned never.
"Pitiful. Can't believe your eyes."
Marian felt fear from the hero's smile.
Phew, it worked.
"Die! Just die!"
I took Marian's mad Black Flame blasts to the face, feigning calm.
First hit? Thought I was goner.
Knew from lore it wouldn't kill, but up close? No joke.
Distant fist-wrap made sweat pour—what about direct?
Mana drained fighting bank robbers. No magic? Toasted defenseless.
Gambled on canon alone.
"Why won't you—die!!"
Success. Jackpot.
"Death, eh? Fits Black Flame wielder. I'll dub you specially: Death Des Marian. Like it?"
"Shut—up!"
"Death Des Marian. Respect me. I'm your one dedicated hero."
"Shut up! Noisy! SHUT UP!"
No matter her frenzy, couldn't burn me.
I committed no sins.
Marian's Black Flame scales on human targets by her sins judgment.
Criterion? The flesh.
Novel-inserted me? Sinless.
New girl body's pure innocence.
—Grandpa pushed cart hard for today.
"Please, die!!"
"Regrettably... tough ask, Marian. Your flames... can't kill me. Other requests?"
"Fuck! Cringe chuuni brat!"
"Correction: chuuni fits Death Des with Black Flame more—"
Crack.
Marian cracked knuckles.
Really pissed now.
"...Fire won't work? Then punch."
"W-wait..."
"Die!"
Teased too hard...?!
Marian charged, eyes ablaze. I dropped the pose, bolted.
My body? Frail kid. Her? Taekwondo black belt.
Caught? Dead.
"Gotcha!"
Smack!
Chase over in 3 seconds. My stubby legs vs. her trained bod—tragedy.
Pain exploded back of head with liquid flow. I yelped "Gack!" and crumpled.
Blurring vision caught flustered Marian's legs.
"Wh-what?! Not S-rank?! So frail?!"
Soon she fled. I blacked out.
That night, hospital room awakening brought...
"Mirror. Loved today's stream. Specially, gym class waived for now."
Dark history clip traded for weekly 1-hour freedom. Small comfort: Marian's villain name locked as "Death Des".
"Yay, thrilled..."
"Right. Candy?"
Crunch.
Mint flavor.
"This is special leniency, okay?"