Villains Have No Rights (1)
It's bewildering. I hadn't done anything wrong, yet it felt like I had—like I was the one at fault.
What the hell is this? As I ran after Yoon Isun, I berated myself for my own actions.
If I'd known it would come to this, I never would've gone along with the mood and transformed! I'd recklessly pulled off that second-stage transformation, stirring up a weird vibe among the students.
"We're living in the age of the great riders right now."
From what I'd gleaned through Yoon Isun, the students' minds were utterly lost in the characters from old tokusatsu shows. The ones most obsessed were...
Beep—!
A horn blared from behind.
"What's that noise?"
"Teacher! Watch out!"
As I whipped my head back, Yoon Isun grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward her.
Whoosh—!
Something streaked past with a sharp whistle of air—it was definitely a motorcycle. Not a bicycle or scooter, but a proper exhaust-belching bike.
"Sorry! In a hurry!"
Riding it was a Doji Rider, his cape fluttering dramatically.
"Is that... an insect?"
"A stag beetle, too."
The rider, styled after an insect motif, kept gunning the engine in his steel suit. It was absurd enough seeing him speed off with just a single apology, but even more ridiculous knowing he was a hero charging to take down a rampaging villain.
No wonder there are protests condemning heroes in those American dramas.
There was this one hero who could run insanely fast. For some reason, he tore through the streets at breakneck speed, and the shockwaves and impact vaporized pedestrians, leaving not even bone dust behind. Worse than getting hit by a train—they ended up as bloody pulp.
We'd nearly had a repeat just now.
"You okay? That must've scared you."
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Sorry. This is all because of me."
"No, no. You saved me. And evacuating civilians is part of the faculty's job anyway."
Sejong Academy faculty had a duty to protect the vulnerable at all costs whenever villains appeared or students went berserk.
"I'll handle disciplining that student through the student council later."
"That'd be... appreciated."
Beep—!
As I pulled myself together to press on, another motorcycle roar erupted from behind.
"Whoa!"
This time, a young guy on a bicycle—wearing a motorcycle helmet—pedaled furiously past. Not super fast, but quicker than a car cruising city streets.
"No bike license, so he's using a bicycle...?"
"And it's not just him."
Yoon Isun pointed back, where five ability users in color-coordinated outfits ran in perfect formation, single file.
"And what are you lot?"
"We are!"
"The nation's!"
"People's!"
"Protectors!"
"Patriotic warriors!"
""""""Obang Special Squadron!""""""
Dressed in skin-tight tights in red, blue, yellow, white, and black, helmets on, they charged ahead.
"Don't tell me they're influenced by Dokkaebi too?"
"Exactly. They all saw Dokkaebi and got inspired."
"Unbelievable."
I never imagined my antics would lead to this.
Sorry, world. I've unleashed poison on this country.
I'd casually suggested to Yumir that she try reshaping her armor into a new form, and this mess ensued.
Horrifying.
It was beyond cringe—enough to make me want to issue a national apology as the culprit.
"Isun. You planning to transform like that too?"
"Transform on the spot? Without a suit?"
"Well, obviously..."
Whoops.
I'd nearly spilled Dokkaebi's top-secret trick: mana suit transformation.
"...Heroes are supposed to wear suits under their clothes, right?"
"Some do, but not me. Unfortunately."
"Then..."
"We scout the scene. It's not student council business, but as a hero aspirant."
What noble resolve. No wonder she'd led Sejong Island's students as president for years—she already had the makings of a full-fledged hero.
Though that didn't mean I saw her as a hot-pink Doji Rider.
"President!!"
Mid-run, a bespectacled male student emerged from an alley opposite.
"You alright?!"
"I'm fine. What brings you here?"
"I heard you were grabbing food nearby, so I rushed over! ...Who's that with you?"
"This is Teacher Do. Librarian from the library."
"Never seen him..."
"Basement level 2."
"Ah."
He shot me a that figures look—cocky kid.
"President, I've already called the police. You don't need to step in."
The vice president—your standard glasses-wearing everyman—blocked our path.
"The cops will handle those Dokkaebi knockoffs. No need for the president to—"
"Are you an idiot?"
Yoon Isun shoved him aside.
"An academy student turned monster is threatening public safety, and we just sit back waiting for the authorities? No way."
"President!"
"I'm going. Not as student council president, but as a hero in training."
She brushed off his pleas firmly.
"Teacher, let's go!"
"...Right."
"Wait, why are you...?!"
"You?"
I paused, smirked at the vice president, and tapped my Taeguk Watch.
EMERGENCY. All faculty: Do your utmost to evacuate students. Provide swift support per manual.
"Deploying faculty to incident sites is the duty of faculty—the adults. Rookie."
"Guh...?!"
I schooled the vice president on adult responsibility, then dashed after Yoon Isun.
"Adults... What a resonant word."
"You're a college student too, aren't you an adult?"
"Society sees college kids as adults, sure. But the world doesn't view ability users that way yet."
As Yoon Isun said, society still saw ability users as kids—or at least wayward teens. Even the oldest, born in 2000, were just fresh grads playing the newbie role in the workforce by 2025 standards.
"Still, seeing them like that makes 'em feel like kids."
Adults-to-be, even full adults, succumbing to the inexplicable allure of tokusatsu—
Roooar—!
A massive roar boomed from behind. I glanced back and saw—
"Sorry! Out of the way!!"
A 2.5-meter iron behemoth lumbered forward. Not just scrap—it was the Mech-Tyranno from that movie I'd seen recently, sprinting on two legs. And someone was definitely piloting it.
"What the hell is that?"
"A masterpiece from the engineering club's tech department. They burn through student council funds, but they deliver results."
Thud, thud, thud!
The Mech-Tyranno charged ahead. Slower than bikes or runners, but bulldozing the road without crumbling it—that presence was...
"...Kinda getting the vibe."
I could sorta see why they idolized Dokkaebi. To me, it was madness, but that madness was, in other words—
"Romance to the students."
"Romance, huh."
Romance, literally. Becoming the hero from your childhood favorite—or the one that blew your mind. That was the true path to strength for ability users, the heroic ideal.
"Dokkaebi made us rethink: Who's the real demon? The villain? Just because the look screams villain doesn't make adopting it villainous."
"Of course not."
Running alongside Yoon Isun, I got it—their feelings. Yeah, that vibe. Like seeing the science teacher drop a pentakill in pro esports and wanting to try it yourself.
Think positive.
I'd just mashed up designs from my old world anyway.
Once they all start wearing suits, their lives'll be safer. Positive spin.
This nationalism—no, the rampant "Doji fever" on Sejong Island—was temporary. They'd snapped into Doji Rider mode briefly; any new S-grade hero or villain would shift trends. Like dalgona lattes exploding nationwide after the trend hit—pure fad.
So...
"Isun. Gonna chase that romance and transform?"
"Depends on the situation."
We reached the scene. Transformed hero-wannabes already faced off against the rampaging villain. Honestly, Yoon Isun jumping in might look like overkill.
"What's that villain's goal...?"
"Kuhahaha! This form is mine now!!"
The freak—a palette-swapped (red) version of my transformation—screamed in mania.
"No one can copy this anymore! Why? Because...!"
The villain.
"I'm the copyright and patent holder of this design!"
"......Insane."
Utterly horrific—a true villain.
"This design ain't called Doji Rider anymore! It's mine, Yuk Kibong's!"
"......."
Wait.
"From now on, call this design 'Kibong Rider'! Anyone wanting this costume pays me, Yuk Kibong, royalties! Otherwise... plagiarism!"
"Shut up! It's Doji Rider! Dokkaebi's!"
"Dokkaebi? Oh, that guy?"
Yuk Kibong spread his arms wide in Doji Rider pose.
"Do villains have human rights? No rights, no other rights either. Question: Do villains have... copyrights?"
Flutter.
"I've already registered the copyright—faster than anyone! Patent office notified, just awaiting review! In five minutes from now! The instant approval hits... you're not Doji Riders anymore...!"
Yuk Kibong whipped his mana cape, striking a pose that almost seemed legit.
"You'll be Kibong Riders! Kuhahaha!!"
Ah. Transformation time.