Heroes’ Schemes

[In the wake of two consecutive global disasters—the Brazil Wave and the worldwide invasion—the international community has been thrown into turmoil. As fear spreads, public safety around the world has become increasingly unstable, and villain attacks have grown more frequent. In response, the government has decided to issue travel advisories for Japan and several other countries.]

[Meanwhile, South Korea remains remarkably peaceful. The Hero Association has credited this to "efforts to stabilize the social atmosphere." Netizens have responded by remarking that they didn't realize Ego Stream was the Association...]

South Korea was at peace.

Of course, it was only South Korea at peace. The rest of the world was on the brink of going straight to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hell.

[Controversy continues to brew as voices in the U.S. Congress call for a comprehensive investigation to register all ability users with the Association. As unregistered ability users are often the ones who turn into villains, the proposed law would force all citizens with abilities to be registered, with penalties for noncompliance...]

While governments overreacted, the International Association drowned in work, and corporations collapsed—

Some people were actually profiting in the middle of it all.

"Executive Director Choi, did we buy them out?"

[Yes. The acquisition was successful. We plan to proceed with the name change, from Nihon Tech & Loss to Yuseong Tech & Loss moving forward.]

"Thank you. Please keep up the good work."

[Would I do anything less?]

—Click.

"Phew..."

Lee Seol-ah let out a sigh as she hung up the phone.

Busy, so busy. Even ten more bodies wouldn't be enough.

Amid this untimely global crisis, Lee Seol-ah was doing better than anyone.

Corporate values overseas were steadily falling amid repeated breakdowns in public order and terrorist attacks.

South Korea alone remained peaceful, so she was using the capital she had stockpiled to shop for foreign companies. She had bought so many through every trick available that she was nearly out of ammunition.

"Guess that about does it?"

Having more or less wrapped things up, she leaned back in her chair. She let out a long exhale, but even so, a satisfied smile spread across her face. She didn't know if an opportunity like this would ever come again, but for now, she'd done what she could. Of course, since South Korean companies had been hit less hard and held their stock prices better, she hadn't been able to acquire many of those... But still, not bad.

"What would I have done without Dain?"

Lee Seol-ah found herself muttering the words without realizing it.

Egostic. She was nothing but grateful, since his advance warnings had allowed her to prepare and plan for all of this.

...And beyond that, wasn't it a relief that South Korea alone had avoided catastrophe thanks to him in the first place?

...But seriously, what if Egostic hadn't been there?

Even just thinking about such a hypothetical was horrifying.

For one thing, Seoul would've been destroyed by Behemoth and Han-eun Group, with Moonlight Church landing the finishing blow right after for a clean end. Seoul would've been completely ruined, and Busan might well have become the new capital.

"Wait... that actually sounds good?"

If the Blue House and the National Assembly had moved to Busan, she might've already taken control of the government and then some. Since Yuseong Group's main base was in Busan... maybe South Korea would have been in the palm of her hand long ago.

"...Still, no, not like that."

But she shook her head. What Lee Seol-ah wanted was to take hold of a whole and intact South Korea, not a country already in ruins.

If she'd easily taken over a South Korea without Egostic in the world...

...she probably wouldn't have been very happy in that world.

Without a goal to strive for, she'd have just been miserable instead, wouldn't she?

Well, it was all absurd speculation anyway.

Fortunately, Egostic did exist, and because of that, South Korea was still ticking along just fine today.

'...Egostic.'

Truth be told, when Egostic first appeared, she hadn't paid him much attention. She'd thought he was just another run-of-the-mill villain.

But as time passed and she watched what he did—

she changed her mind.

And now, she genuinely thought he was remarkable.

He knew things even she did not, gathered powerful ability users, and built a force from nothing. It was exactly the sort of thing she should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠learn from. And had he not already stopped crisis after crisis in South Korea?

She didn't know why someone who seemed more determined than anyone to protect the country would call himself a villain, but that probably had its own deep meaning, too. Dain seemed to know almost everything, after all.

The problem was that his attention was so completely fixed on Stardus.

"..."

...Of course, she had once thought that, given enough time, she could make him look her way instead of Stardus, who didn't even know where he lived.

But on top of that, all those villain women who stuck close to his side...

Still, forget all that. The biggest problem was that she'd made that huge mistake last time and he'd ended up disappointed in her.

"...Right. For now, let's just keep quiet."

...Even so, she was the only hero who knew his identity, so there was still a chance. Probably...

Just as Lee Seol-ah was comforting herself with that thought—a sudden idea crossed her mind and her face stiffened.

"...Come to think of it, Shadow Walker—that guy..."

When the Moonlight Church monster had awakened, Stardus had almost figured out that Egostic was the one who defeated it.

While Lee Seol-ah ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠herself had been inwardly panicking and desperately trying to cover it up.

At that moment, Shadow Walker had firmly testified that he hadn't seen anyone, and he'd successfully led Stardus to believe otherwise.

"...Did he really not see him?"

Egostic had definitely been there. If Shadow Walker had looked around, there was no way he wouldn't have seen.

...In that case, why had he insisted so adamantly that he hadn't?

She stood, took a wine bottle from the display cabinet, filled it with grape juice, and took a sip while she cooled her head and thought it through.

"Could it be..."

She'd been too busy to think about it back then, but now that she did...

What if Egostic had approached him, too—just like he'd approached her?

It was a real possibility. After all, Egostic had approached her first in the beginning...

"...I'm going to need to have a talk with Shadow."

That was what she decided.

Let's see, where was Kim Ja-hyun's phone number again...

***

[...Right. So, it's highly likely that Egostic was conducting backroom negotiations with Latis. Whether he just happened to stumble onto it and avoided the terrorist attack, or whether Egostic predicted everything and planned for it, I can't say.]

"What do you mean, 'can't say.' Obviously, it's thanks to Egostic."

After seeing his girlfriend home—

Shadow Walker Kim Ja-hyun was eating kimchi fried rice alone at his place because he was hungry.

He muttered as he watched TV.

Since he already knew Egostic was a hero, the news didn't particularly surprise him.

It was common knowledge that the terminally ill villain Egostic was sacrificing his own body to protect South Korea.

"Agh... Egostic, what the hell ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kind of man are you."

Remembering Egostic bleeding during the broadcast with Stardus, Kim Ja-hyun let out a lament without realizing it.

When the rumors about Egostic’s failing health began to trend, he felt that the inevitable had finally arrived. Did people know? Egostic was not merely unwell—his remaining days were already numbered.

And rather than despair, he was devoting what remained of his life to the country.

"...Egostic, should you leave this world as a villain, I swear I'll reveal the truth and restore your honor. As one man to another, on my word."

He made the vow to himself.

For now, Egostic didn't seem to want to reveal his identity for some reason, so Ja-hyun hadn't said anything.

He hadn't understood why at first. Later, after reading Egostic’s wiki, he finally realized.

"You bastard. You're in love with Stardus."

Egostic had debuted against Stardus and still sought only her out.

Seeing that, he understood. Egostic was in love with Stardus.

But being terminally ill, even if his love were returned it would be brief, so he killed his own feelings and lived on regardless.

"Agh, this kind of pure and selfless devotion... a true man..."

Having more or less accepted his own speculation as fact, Shadow Walker Kim Ja-hyun firmly believed Egostic was a terminally ill, love-stricken hero.

It was then that he got a call.

"...Lee Seol-ah. What's she calling me for?"

Puzzled, Kim Ja-hyun answered the phone—

[Kim Ja-hyun. You've met Egostic before, haven't you?]

The statement Lee Seol-ah gave him over the phone was startling.

".....Um..."

[Don’t be on guard. I’m on the same side as him. So tell me.]

".....Fine. How’d you find out?"

[I thought so... Since it has come to this, let’s meet and talk.]

"Why?"

[To help Egostic, of course.]

"Ah. Well, if that's it—sure."

He agreed readily.

If it meant he could help Egostic, then of course.

And so.

Of the only three A-rank heroes in South Korea, two had now set an unofficial meeting.

In order to help an A-rank villain.

***

"...Someone must be talking about me."

"Big bro, quit digging in your ear."

"Dain, would you like me to clean your ears for you?"

"Huh? No, I'm fine."

Soo-bin had said it with a kind smile and a joking tone—or so I thought. That was how I answered her.

"I wasn't joking."

"Haha..."

Guess she'd been serious.

Anyway, that's not what's important. The next plan is what matters.

And so, I quietly started to ponder as I ate the peach Soo-bin had sliced for me.

"..."

...My head hurt. Maybe I would manage the Stardus fan cafe for a while before thinking any further.