Chapter 52
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Efficient Resource Management
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"S-Spare me, please!"
"Please get me out of here, please!"
The villain group, fully entering the basement, beheld a truly gruesome scene.
There were people locked up.
Some were infected with a virus, pus oozing from various parts of their bodies. They could do nothing but gasp for breath.
Others were trembling in cages with monsters. The beasts lay snoring contentedly in the corners, their bellies full, but the copious bloodstains and remnants of what had once been human told the tale of what had transpired inside.
Some writhed in half-monstrous forms, their limbs grotesquely swollen from mutations.
It was hell.
"How could this...?"
"Well, slums have more than a few homeless folks, right? Kidnapping a few wouldn't draw the cops."
Kalea bit her lip hard and pressed forward.
"No choice. We can't free them right now anyway. The chainsaw kid's dead."
Her powerful electric chainsaw was still there, of course, but without the awakener's ability to wield it, it wouldn't change a thing.
"Still... damn it!"
The hammer-wielding villain slammed the wall repeatedly, but it only cracked slightly—no real change.
If there'd been just one person to save, nonstop hammering might have freed them.
But there were far too many to rescue. That method wouldn't save even one percent of the captives here.
"Our goal's securing evidence anyway. Let the heroes who follow handle the rescues!"
"I know. I know, but..."
In truth, few among the villains here feared death itself like Jenny. Sure, everyone dreaded their own end, but plenty wouldn't flinch at seeing comrades or strangers gunned down.
No matter their extenuating circumstances, they were villains at heart. Every criminal has their sob story.
No matter how harsh society or how the world pushed them to crime, plenty lived honorably in the same conditions without resorting to it.
They were villains through and through. Yet even they couldn't help but waver at the atrocities before them.
"Let's keep moving!"
Walking endlessly onward, they found a room that looked even more suspicious than the rest.
"Control center? Or an office?"
"Well, rip it open and see."
The villain who'd awakened hacking abilities stepped forward and pulled out a USB drive.
Plugging a USB into a heavily secured computer to access its data sounded like fantasy, but they were mostly awakeners.
Just as heroes could snap their fingers to unleash massive flames, some villains could hack with a mere USB insertion.
Countless data streams lit up the monitor. The other villains watched in awe.
"Seeing anything?"
"Yeah, got the gist. Looks like a lab. Not the control tower."
"Bust? Gotta search elsewhere?"
"Eh. This alone's plenty of crime evidence. Details on what they did to the kidnap victims—all here. Not where they sourced them, though."
"Hoo... yeah, labs would have that."
"Sickening."
The hacker let out a deep sigh.
"This is good enough here. Let's move on. Nothing else to do till heroes arrive anyway."
"Yeah. No researchers around means they fled. Catch those bastards, hold a knife to their throats, and we might get fresher intel."
The villains moved out. Soon after, the windows to the subject-holding rooms sealed shut with steel walls.
"Wh-What's that?"
"Control tower's still up, so they're mounting some defense."
The underground corridor, noisy with captives' screams moments ago, fell silent.
The villains felt an eerie unease. To shake it off, they chatted idly.
"Heroes coming soon, right? Hope they brought meds."
"Some healer type'll show. They hate casualties. That girl's life'll be spared."
The pistol-shot villain glared at them, wheezing, but could do nothing.
"Heroes... facing the ones who nabbed me'd be awkward as hell."
"Y'know, you went on a real rampage before capture. They see you, might gut you on sight."
"Hearing that makes me nervous. Should I cover my face or something?"
They chuckled as they trudged through the basement.
"Where're they hiding...?"
Regrettably, their time ran out before they found more Clearbrand staff.
The heroes had arrived.
"Hey! You heard, right? We're on the same side!"
The smiling, hand-raised villain's body erupted in flames from the hero's palm.
"Huh?"
Terror spread.
"Hero comms went dark."
The old man flew into a rage at the report.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Healthy heroes' signals cutting out?!"
Diana sighed deeply.
"So it came to this after all..."
They hadn't set up comms with the villains.
No helping it—this was a surprise op.
Intercepting comms was tough, but detecting 'external contact' wasn't. For villain safety, real-time links were impossible.
Heroes were different. Securing comms with U.S. Hero Association heroes deployed here wasn't hard, given the group's political clout.
"You knew it'd go down like this, Diana?"
"I worried. But it's only natural."
"What do you...?"
"Heroes on standby around Clearbrand HQ, ready to deploy on cue. Company wouldn't ignore them."
The old man shook his head.
"I know Flame Man and his crew a bit. Not the type money sways."
"No need to bribe into accomplices."
Diana gave a bitter smile.
"Building ties is simple. Package it as 'a small token for our guardian heroes'—gifts, drinks. Nothing odd. Stack personal rapport, and..."
Clearbrand was legit. Despite the bad rumors.
"In a pinch, they believe someone else over us. Easy."
"We're issuing official orders through the U.S. Hero Association!"
"When do heroes obey so well? And 'don't attack villains invading the company'... not easy to swallow."
"...Fine. Water under the bridge. Time for countermeasures. Deploy more heroes."
"Security gaps incoming. Gotta bear it."
"Damn it all..."
America had plenty of heroes. But needs always outnumbered them.
The force sent to suppress a giant like Clearbrand was substantial. Now seen as foes, it'd take overwhelming heroes to take them all.
"If it escalates too far... might need the last resort. I'll reach out. They might move."
The old man nodded wearily at Diana's words.
Humanity had its deus ex machina.
"Thanks, Flame Man! They're trapped rats now! Keep pushing before civilian casualties!"
"...Got it."
Hero Flame Man bit his lip.
'Hate getting tangled in messy shit.'
He idolized comic heroes. And to some extent, he lived like one.
Help the innocent, smite evil villains. Simple, effective good deeds—no brainpower needed. Earned admiration.
But now, he couldn't grasp the situation.
"Stay firm. Hero Association brass is in bed with villains."
Clearbrand security—cybernetic armor-clad, high-tech rifles in hand.
"I know. Understood."
Association colluding with villains for gain? Hardly new. The scene before Flame Man looked anything but simple.
'Definitely villains, though.'
Setting aside the oddly beautiful ones gathered, everyone he and his team downed in these halls were villains. Heinous ones who belonged in prison, not here.
Some shouted 'We're not enemies!' but Flame Man rarely trusted villain words. He'd seen too many comrades die believing them.
'No overthinking. Just advance.'
Pretty or not, villains were villains. Sparing hot villainesses while killing uglies? Against his code.
No need to heed villain lies or Association orders defending them. Evil must perish.
Flame Man strode forward unflinchingly. He, his team, and Clearbrand guards' bullets felled villains nonstop.
"Almost got 'em! Two left!"
"Yes. They might go out swinging, so stay sharp till the end—"
As he spoke, a small iron ball rolled to his feet.
"Huh?"
That was his last memory.