Recruiting the Genius from the Future
"How did you know?"
Makina asked with a face full of genuine curiosity, but I just curled the corner of my mouth and played it cool.
"Know what?"
"What do you mean, what! I mean the Core Relics going berserk! I didn't even know the storage latch was broken, so how did you know and wait in advance?!"
Her shrill screech was as pathetic as a baby bird threatening me out of anger. It was so funny I nearly burst out laughing, but I forced a serious expression—
"W-Why are you laughing?! And smiling like that just proves you're a villain!"
Ahem. Guess the grin slipped onto my face anyway. And hearing "villain" again pissed me off a bit, but I reminded myself not to react to every word from this kid. Patience, I etched into my mind.
"—Hoo. Listen up, Makina. What I know isn't the point."
"Not the point?! It's the most important thing in the world to me…."
"And that 'most important thing in the world'? You almost lost every last one of them just now."
"Eek…."
She clamped her mouth shut at my sharp jab.
Core Relic. Straight out of Transformation Rampage, these gadgets let the protagonist transform and unleash total devastation—masterpieces central to the story. They could let even an ordinary person overwhelm most heroes or villains. And uniquely, they had their own egos.
Makina might chalk it up to the life-support on her capsule putting her in stasis, but you think those things would just sit quietly after being crammed in a tight space for years, fully conscious? Fat chance.
"If it weren't for me, every Core Relic would've broken free and ended up in some random bastard's hands."
"M-Maybe, but… they could've gone to a good person…."
"You think all nine of them would luck out like that? And even if they did, what if just one fell into a villain's hands?"
"…."
Makina wanted to stay optimistic, but she had no comeback. She knew her own words sounded forced.
In the original story, eight of the nine Core Relics scattered across Japan—save the one that resonated with the protagonist—and contrary to her hopeful dreams, they all ended up with villains. Stopping those powered-up monsters was the bulk of part 1, causing massive casualties.
"Makina. Right now, you can't protect the Core Relics. Hand them over to me."
"Eek…."
Instinctively, she backed up—but the capsule blocked her. Cornered, she wrapped trembling arms around her chest.
"Th-The Core Relics… only the chosen one can use them. Even if you took them, they'd be useless junk to you!"
Her final act of resistance was meaningless.
"Me, use them? Ha! As if!"
"What?"
"You think I'd squeeze into some wimpy suit like that? Too damn embarrassing!"
"…Hey! You calling that wimpy?! Apologize to heroes worldwide right now!!"
Outraged by my nonsense, she exploded despite her earlier trembling. Whatever.
"Not my problem."
"Argh! Then why do you need the Core Relics if you're not gonna use them? What, you know who the chosen one is this time?"
This kid was sharper than she looked. Sure, I knew the aptitudes, locations, everything from the novel.
"Nah, no clue?"
Like hell I'd spill that. Why else would I go through all that trouble fishing her out of the ocean? Not to do someone else a favor.
"You totally know something."
Damn, perceptive little brat.
"Hmph. Even if I did, I'm not handing them off to anyone else."
"Knew it!!"
Just like that, her fear vanished as she grinned smugly—then drooped her head.
"You're right. I can't protect the Core Relics. Without you, I'd have lost them all."
But when she looked up again, her eyes burned with resolve.
"Still, I have a mission to deliver them to the chosen one. Only they can…."
"Defeat the Absolute Evil, right?"
"…Yeah, exactly."
No point arguing now. Fine by me if she stopped whining.
"I don't know how much you know, but the Absolute Evil villain kills countless people and destroys nations…."
"Yeah, yeah, spare me. Reciting facts I already know is just boring and pretentious."
I cut off her rambling and shoved some reality in this clueless kid's face.
"More importantly, do you even know what year it is?"
"Huh?"
She blanked for a second, then whipped around to yell at the capsule: "What year is it now?!"
A dry mechanical voice echoed inside, and the front hologram displayed the current date. Her pupils shook violently as she read it.
"N-No way…! How did so much time pass?! H-How many years was I stuck in this capsule?!"
"Dunno the details, but here's one sure thing." I held up three fingers and listed the doom ahead.
"Exactly three years from now. That's when your 'Absolute Evil' wipes out South Korea. And sadly, that 'chosen one' you're hunting? They can't beat it."
"H-How do you know that? Did you see the future or something?!"
"Future? Think logically. The kid's barely out of middle school, dozing in class—think they'll put up a good fight?"
"Th-That young?!"
Her face was priceless. Didn't expect the chosen one to be that green, huh? Still, she clung to hope with a shaky voice.
"B-But we still have three years…! With rigorous training and prep, maybe…!"
"Sorry, can't bet my country's fate on maybes."
Not out of patriotism. Just can't let that bastard Tanaka-kun get his wish—Korea falling. No way I'd watch that smug fuck win. I'd stop it no matter what.
"You botched a single coordinate input, wasted years at the seabed, and nearly lost the Core Relics right after I pulled you out. And you think you can pull it off?"
"…."
Her face flushed beet red; she just worked her lips silently.
For a "future genius," this kid was missing more than a few screws. Blame Tanaka-kun for writing her this way, though. Not her fault—all the author's doing.
"Then…."
"What? Can't hear you over your tiny voice, shorty."
"Argh! So do you have some genius plan?! Can't give them to the chosen one, won't use them yourself—what am I supposed to do? Just hand over the Core Relics with zero explanation?!"
She glared daggers, snapping back. Come to think of it, I'd been too busy teasing her to explain my plan.
"What for, you ask?"
A bit late, but I tilted my head and leaked part of it.
"I'm going to create a new hero—the protagonist."
"A new what? What does that even…."
Instead of explaining, I held out my palm.
Suddenly, the pouch in her arms started shaking.
"Wh-What?! What's it doing now…!"
She realized something was up with the Core Relic pouch, but too late—the whole thing flew into my hand.
"How?! Why would a Core Relic react to you? Don't tell me you're the chosen…."
"As if."
I cut off her wild assumption. "My power is Resonance. I can control speechless beasts—what's a hunk of metal to me?"
Calling it scrap metal made it vibrate in protest: Whirr! Whirr!
"Resonance? That's possible?"
"Why else could I grab it?"
I declared it to the dumbstruck Makina like a nail in the coffin.
"With this power, I'll deliver the Core Relics to the hero I choose. A perfect one, way better than your half-baked chosen kid."
I knew how insane this sounded. Handing the protagonist's cheat items—not to the lead or a side character, not even to myself, but to an extra villain who exits in one chapter? Worthy of a straightjacket.
But screw the original plot. My goal was simple: fuck over Tanaka-kun. Step one: turn extra villain Nova into the protagonist.
"Sure, she's raw now, but unlike your shaky crap plan, mine guarantees she won't lose to the Absolute Evil—or any villain."
"Don't call my plan crap!"
She bit hard on any slight against herself. Tempted to tease more, but no need to ruin the mood.
"And for that plan, I need your help, Makina."
"M-My… help?"
"Yeah. Can't do it alone."
I extended my hand.
"So, help me witness the birth of a new hero?"
She stared at my rough palm with trembling eyes, then slowly took it.
"…Fine. I'll see this hero of yours with my own eyes. If they're crap, I'll backstab you—be ready."
"Heh, won't disappoint."
Still sulky, but she was an ally now—time to lighten up.
"Name's Kang Jinwoo. Nice to work with you."
"You already know, but Makina here. Looking forward to it—for now."
And so, I recruited the goody-two-shoes genius from the future—Core Relics and all.