Devil's Seed (4)
The criteria for defining a villain organization are remarkably vague. Those dreaming of world conquest qualify as villain organizations, as do those reveling in all manner of illegal acts for personal gain. Naturally, this includes anti-government factions and forces aiming to overthrow the state—whether by toppling the national system, exposing the country's dirty secrets to plunge it into chaos, or simply wanting to watch the nation burn.
This group called Hwalbindang wasn't so much about outright state subversion as exposing the scandals of those in power. They uncovered corruption among government officials and sought to drag graft-mongers down from their lofty perches. A radical outfit that spared no means or methods to achieve their ends.
It was an organization from the original story too. From the protagonist's viewpoint, they could be called "comrades" or "fellow travelers," but regrettably, they were a world apart from me, the villain.
"Why did you kill Jeon Yubin?"
Malttugi paced in a circle around me as he questioned.
"Even if killing is something you can do anytime, couldn't you have killed her in a better way?"
Good method?
"Yes. For example... recording a video."
Malttugi struck a ridiculous pose, mimicking filming with a camcorder.
Rustle. He swept a hand over his face, and the mask changed—to one resembling Jeon Yubin sprawled beneath me.
"I became a devil, but they dragged me underground and experimented on me by force!"
A woman's voice. Eerily similar to Jeon Yubin's—so much so that, had I not just spoken with her, I couldn't have told them apart.
"They violated my body... sob sob... At least one video would have been nice."
Planning to spread that online?
"Not necessarily right now. The more evidence videos like that, the better. Isn't maximizing your hand the strongest play?"
Overstack your hand, and half the time you discard cards you can't even use.
I leveled my bat at Jeon Yubin, her breath long stilled.
You come here for her corpse, at least?
"...Gotta salvage the body. Couldn't snag the live Jeon Yubin, unfortunately, but the dead one's coming with me."
Malttugi aimed a long, pipe-like stick at me.
"S-grade villain Dokkaebi. I know you're strong enough to toy with other S-grades, but I—hey!!"
Whoosh.
Hey?
"Ah, no! What the hell are you doing? Stop it!"
Pass.
Roar. Golden flames erupted from the bat's tip, latching onto the devil's flesh and devouring it.
Devils don't end with a kill. Gotta erase them completely—no corpse left. Like you said, can't let the bigwigs run more experiments on a devil body.
"Fair point, but...!"
You're no different.
Once Jeon Yubin's body was well ablaze, I swung the bat toward Malttugi.
You lot planned the same with her corpse. Dig up experiment scars, film it as evidence.
"Spot on! But we're not like them!"
Nope. Same from where I'm standing.
"Hwalbindang... a villain outfit?"
Malttugi's voice grew steely.
"Us, with our noble cause, lumped in with those murdering scum?"
Didn't say that. Got some inferiority complex bubbling up? I just meant corpse-desecration's corpse-desecration.
"......Can't talk sense into you."
Malttugi gripped his stick like a sword.
"'That one' thought highly of you, said we should recruit you to Hwalbindang. But you're straight-up 'villain'."
Government sees Dokkaebi from the society or Malttugi from Hwalbindang? Same villain trash either way.
"Defending the government now?! The ones pulling these ugly strings?!"
Touchy.
I had his type pegged now.
Pathetic fool, lost in his ideals.
"......!!"
Malttugi froze solid.
Dunno Hwalbindang's deal, don't care to. Whatever ideals you've got in your head, I'm just doing my job as a society member.
Whoosh. As the golden flames faded, nothing remained of Jeon Yubin but black ash.
Kill Jeon Yubin. Leave no trace. Mission accomplished.
Flames fierce enough to deny even bones—I'd wiped her existence from the world.
Take the ashes if you want; won't stop you. Me? Business done. Time to bail this facility.
"...Can't let you walk."
Malttugi halted his circling.
"You'll be a massive roadblock for Hwalbindang's future. Time to cut you out."
Got the chops?
"Obviously...!"
Rustle. Donning a yaksha mask, Malttugi two-handed his stick and charged.
?!
Blinding speed. I planted my bat vertical, body twisting aside—his stick grazed it, veering off.
"Hut!"
First strike whiffed, but he smirked at my sloppy guard, spinning on his heel to whip his arm wide inward.
Reverse grip on the stick, end thrusting at my face.
Speed no normal person—not even most A-grades—could track.
Crack!
The stake slammed my mask. He whipped his head back, eyes mocking me.
"...?!"
Then panic hit. Dead-on strike, zero damage to the mask.
Hands off the handsome face.
I lunged a foot into his lower back.
Boom—!
Mana-charged kick hurled him flying, tumbling across the floor.
"Guh, hack...! How...? Hit clean...?!"
Tank'd it.
I straightened my slightly askew mask.
No-kill attacks? Not worth the dodge.
"Wha...!"
Going for the mask, right? That's why you grazed instead of stabbing straight. Flick it off.
No murder in his swing.
Sucks, but I've survived kill-or-be-killed fields. Know how many've tried for my head?
"...Couldn't care less."
Malttugi reclutched his stick, rising.
"Was gonna unmask you, leverage the face... pity."
One person's ever peeled it off.
"Who?"
Our great, mighty, beautiful Chongsu-nim, naturally.
Only she stripped it through sheer skill.
Counter-offer: join our society?
"What?"
Strong blood's always welcome. Left an opening, sure, but few exploit it. You're minimum A-grade... higher, I'd say.
Hiding my power too—and he was too.
Dunno your name or face. But that strength? Fits our society better than Hwalbindang.
"Absurd. Think I'd team with indiscriminate killers yelling world conquest?"
Green. Scout offers? Take the card at least. Guess ability users skip social graces. Anyway...]
Whirr, whirr, whirr. The base hummed with vibration.
Water. They're flooding the joint.
"Ah...?!"
Seawater roar in the distance. Probably submerging the base, frying all electronics.
"Th-this...!"
Would've ghosted before this normally, but chit-chat held me up. Drowning underground now.
"Ngh...!"
Malttugi wheeled toward his entry—different path from mine, but water gushed that way.
"Th-this...!"
Tab later.
I bolted after, bat cracking his nape.
Wham—!
Massive swing thudded home; he pitched forward, out cold.
Dunno how you synced entry with mine, but questions after escape.
I rope-bound the ragdoll Malttugi tight, hoisted him over my shoulder—
......?
Something. Wrong texture I shouldn't feel. Hallucination?
Nah.
Has to be.
Whoosh. Facing the exit's seawater torrent, I steadied my breath.
Escape first, sort later.
I charged straight into the flood.