When Villains Fall, Giantification is National Rule (1)
Before I could say a word to Yoon Isun, a freak in casual hanbok appeared.
There's an old joke about that. If there's a high school teacher wandering around in casual hanbok, odds are they're the type among the faculty rumored to be a 'villain'. No need to spell out the specific "misdeeds" they pull on students, but the guy who just showed up calling himself Du Eok Sini wasn't even in the realm of fashion anymore. The mana radiating off him was immeasurable, and jumping into a fight recklessly would mean no guarantees on who came out on top. He looked like a madman who pulled eccentric stunts on the surface, but the power and combat prowess hidden under that mask toyed with even top S-rank heroes like they were nothing.
And now this nutjob had pulled out a Devil's Seed and chucked it right at Yukgi Bong's body. No time to react.
[Grrr, grrr...]
The doppelganger's body swelled past two meters in an instant, grinding its teeth like a lycanthrope gone berserk under a full moon. Du Eok Sini bowed deeply from behind it.
"I'd love to take you down right now, Dokkaebi... but first, we deal with the 'Traitor to the Nation'."
[Traitor to the Nation? The doppelganger?]
"Yes, indeed. This one's committed utterly heinous acts. Deeds so shameful they make me blush to share a race with it. How could it... claim a villain's outfit as its own?!"
Du Eok Sini threw his arms wide and bellowed.
"In an age where stealing from others gets you punished, to steal from a villain! This scum, pilfering not the real thing but its appearance to rake in massive cash—it's the devil of capitalism! A sprouting demon writhing with malice in its heart! That's why I'm turning this devil into a complete one, so it can never die as a human ever again."
Fwoosh.
Something like a parasitic organism burst from the center of the diagonal gash across the doppelganger's chest, extending tentacle-like legs to root itself in place. Before, it had just been devilish eyes gleaming; now even those pupils were infected, fully transforming into a monster.
"Heh heh heh. This thing sullied the honor of the Korean people. It painted us as filthy, pathetic parasites living off stolen patents from others. Oh, what will the world think? That we're a nation of thieves and copiers? So this one deserves death!"
Du Eok Sini flung his arms out again, head thrown back.
"But simple death is too merciful. I'll recycle this corpse in the most beneficial way for humanity. Like this."
Tok, tok tok.
Du Eok Sini drew two more Devil's Seeds from his robes and scattered them onto the doppelganger, which looked one step from rampaging.
"You'll be experience points for the heroes. Haha ha!"
Fwoosh.
From the diagonal chest wound, a lump of mana burst forth like severed veins, unmistakably shaped like human eyes. Even with the central cluster of tentacles already sprouting an eyeball, two more emerged alongside it—a sight that forced gasps of horror from onlookers.
And worse—
"Grow even larger, you fiend. To atone for your original sin, for the endless peace and prosperity of those living on this land, you must sacrifice yourself."
[Grrrrr...!!]
With two more Devil's Seeds shoved in, the doppelganger's flesh began inflating massively. Not just swelling—the tentacles spewing from its chest wrapped around its entire body, forming a spherical membranous egg. It had sealed itself inside its own shell, like it was metamorphosing into something new.
"G-Go, attack—!!"
One of the heroes barked the order in a panicked voice. Ranged attacks rained down from the group, trying to shatter the egg, but it didn't even scratch. The thing kept expanding—five meters, pushing ten—and I gripped my club fashioned from the Dokkaebi Bat, ready to step in, then held back.
[Du Eok Sini. What the hell are you?]
"A patriot."
[You, a patriot? Don't make me laugh.]
"I have no desire to hear that from someone spitting English skill names on Sejong Island. And one more thing."
Du Eok Sini pointed at me with a gloved hand.
"Where do you get off using casual speech with a stranger? In the Land of Eastern Courtesy, you use honorifics with first-time acquaintances out of mutual respect—don't you know that?"
[No need for honorifics with someone carrying items that turn villains into devils, and devils into even bigger ones.]
"Ha...! Entertaining. Very well. As expected from a villain of the Organization, the type who shouts skill names in English."
Du Eok Sini raised both hands and bowed again, head still tilted back to glare at me, then lightly tapped the ground with his geta.
"Then, why don't you face that traitorous devil."
[Hey, before you bail—one question.]
I pointed at the near-rampaging doppelganger.
[You make a monster like that, primed to slaughter people and rampage if left alone, and call it 'patriotism' or 'atonement'? How?]
"...Heh heh."
Du Eok Sini gestured to the crowds and heroes filling the area.
"The value of a traitorous devil that damaged our national prestige is singular: a 'foundation' for heroes to grow stronger. Of course, if they can't climb these stairs because they're too high, they all get weeded out and die."
[I see. That's your ideology, huh.]
"My ideology, and that of the group I belong to. Heh heh heh heh, Dokkaebi. What will you do? Flee? Or jump into the fray with the heroes? I'll watch quietly for your answer."
Flutter.
His jeogori flapping, Du Eok Sini vanished in a flash as a magic-circle-like formation glowed beneath him.
[...Tch.]
I'd tried drawing him out for info, but he just monologued and split without giving up anything useful.
'Where'd he make the Devil's Seeds? How many more does he have? Any other functions besides powering up devils? Spill something worthwhile or shut up.'
I'd played along, and got zilch. Next time he pulls that, I'll smash his pottery mask with the Dokkaebi Bat before he starts yapping.
[All talk, no substance.]
He's probably watching from somewhere right now. Next time I see Du Eok Sini, I'll make sure to say it to his face—something that'll make him hit the panic button and flip out.
[Kiiiiiishaaaaaaa—!!!]
Transformation complete, the devil doppelganger roared in all directions. It shredded the shell encasing it, bursting from the giant membranous cocoon to brutally announce its existence to the world.
[A 10-meter humanoid wolf. Disappointing—I figured it'd get even bigger.]
I'd braced for maybe 50 meters. Good thing—or bad—it stopped short. Otherwise, I'd have had to summon some nonexistent mecha for a transformation combo, or grab a spoon, thrust it skyward, and spend three minutes as a giant of light slugging it out in melee. The others might want that spectacle, but it'd drain my mana dry and leave me naked post-transformation. No point going that far.
"Um, excuse me!"
Yoon Isun called out urgently from behind.
"As a hero, asking a villain for help is humiliating... but will you assist in 'saving' Student Yukgi Bong from that devil?!"
[Saving?]
"...At least ensure it doesn't kill anyone in that state. Grant it peace."
Yoon Isun pointed to her Taeguk Watch with a heavy voice.
"One of the hero rules: Subdue ability users turned devils by any means, no matter who they are. And for those too insane to reason with... end them so they can't kill again."
[Death can be salvation too. From the perspective of avoiding the karma of slaughter.]
"...Will you help?"
[KYAAAAAOOOO—!!!]
It bellowed in triumph, celebrating its full rebirth. The doppelganger's estimated rank, glaring around: near S-rank. Why did Sejong Island—where students studied—keep spawning A- and S-rank villains left and right? Simple: the power of the Devil's Seeds. Deals with devils brought gifts beyond human imagination... and exacted horrors beyond measure.
[No reason I can't help. But no need for me to step up personally.]
I pointed skyward.
[The strongest hero's here now.]
No sarcasm. Dead serious.
[No matter how much mana you dump with three Devil's Seeds, it can't beat a pure S-rank.]
From the sky.
[Finally.]
White snow began to fall.