Chapter 9: Justice When I Do It, Evil When You Do.
Chapter 9: Justice When I Do It, Evil When You Do.
“Well, look at this.”
I had been tailing the Hero speeding down the road on a motorcycle when I stumbled upon an unexpected sight.
Perched on a building’s rooftop, a woman was aiming a rifle. Her eye was pressed against the scope, her presence completely masked.
I watched for a moment, wondering if she was a sniper type, but it didn't take long to realize something was off.
There had been no evacuation order. She was aiming a sniper rifle right in the middle of a rooftop where civilians could easily pass by?
Was she a sniper from the Management Bureau’s Assassination Unit, targeting a Mutant hiding among the crowd?
That seemed unlikely; her movements reeked of something suspicious. The Bureau’s assassination squads weren't this sloppy.
While it was possible their standards had slipped since I left, they wouldn't be riding around on a motorcycle alone, practically announcing their presence to the whole neighborhood.
“Too suspicious.”
I muttered to myself, the silver rod clenched between my teeth. I needed to see exactly what she was aiming at.
I leaped toward the direction her rifle was pointed. The distance to the next building was significant; the force of my kick-off left cracks spiderwebbing across the rooftop.
I felt a twinge of guilt toward the building owner, but stopping a suspicious Hero took priority.
I soared through the dark night sky, the wind whistling past me.
Was this new outfit black specifically to help me blend into the night?
My black clothes and hair were easily swallowed by the shroud of darkness, and even my pale skin was obscured by Black Particles.
I had thought it was a simple change in appearance, but it turned out to be surprisingly effective for stealth.
It’s like this power knows exactly what I want, I thought as I continued leaping from building to building.
It didn't take long to find the sniper's target.
“Take this! The fist of justice! Iron Fist!”
A Hero was taking down a Mutant while shouting lines so cringeworthy I felt embarrassed for him. Is this really the trend these days?
Instead of wasting time on dialogue like that, he should have been throwing another punch or refining his form.
And shouting technique names? That’s just giving The Enemy a way to counter you. To make matters worse, he was accompanied by a cameraman, filming the whole thing as if it were a broadcast.
What a farce.
He was just another clown, forgetting the true mindset of a Hero to cater to the public eye.
Normally, I would have broken his limbs to teach him a lesson in true justice, but the situation was different today.
There was a woman I was far more concerned about.
Let’s watch for a moment.
He looked like a typical modern Hero, nothing special. Why would anyone want to snipe him? I hid between the buildings and waited.
As the scuffle between the Mutant and the Hero drew to a close and the Hero gained the upper hand—
“Ultimate Strike! Doomsday Blow!”
As if showing off his finishing move, the Hero leaned back deeply before lunging forward with a punch.
I could hardly bear to watch. It was just a simple dash followed by a ground slam.
At that moment, I felt a bullet fire from the distance.
A brief flash.
A bullet streaking past my eyes.
—Bang.
Then, the faint sound of the gunshot trailing behind.
It was a small sound, one that would have been buried under the city's cacophony if I hadn't been paying attention.
I sharpened my senses to the limit to trace the bullet’s trajectory.
Mana concentrated in my head, enhancing my five senses. Time compressed.
The flow of air as the bullet cut through it.
The arc of the small projectile flying forward.
The delayed crack of the sonic boom ringing in my ears.
My accelerated perception followed the bullet rapidly. Its predicted impact point: the Hero’s head. If left alone, his life would end right there with a bullet through the skull.
“I can’t just let that happen.”
No matter how much I disliked him, taking a life was a different story. I couldn't just stand by and watch a junior get killed.
Lucky bastard.
I bit down on the rod in my mouth and kicked off the building wall I was clinging to. The Wall shuddered from the impact.
The shockwave traveled through the structure, shattering windows and sending shards of glass fluttering into the air.
I leaped with everything I had to catch up to the bullet already in flight.
An evacuation warning had already been issued, so there were no people around, and I had the perfect excuse of saving a life. I let my power loose without restraint.
Boom.
I landed right in front of the Hero, the sidewalk blocks beneath my feet shattering and flying into the air. I saw the Hero’s startled face through the debris, but that didn't matter.
“A Hero Attacker…!”
Don't worry. You’re not the one I’m attacking today.
I raised my Pry Bar, aligning it with the bullet’s path.
Clang. Screeeeech.
The bullet caught on the head of the Pry Bar, spinning violently.
I felt the weight through my arm. It felt like the bullet might slip away if I didn't hold on, so I poured strength into my right arm.
Even though I’d swung the Pry Bar without much thought, the weight of the bullet almost knocked my hand back.
This wasn't an ordinary bullet.
It was a specialized round meant for taking down giant monsters or Mutants. That meant it likely had an additional effect.
—Vroooom.
Flames erupted from the back of the bullet, adding sudden propulsion.
Too late.
Maybe if I hadn't realized it wasn't a normal bullet, but now, it didn't matter. I twisted the Pry Bar, flinging the bullet into the air.
Whoosh—Boom!
The bullet, trailing fire as it soared into the sky, exploded and vanished.
Impact-enhancement magic, secondary propulsion, and an explosion. That must have been one hell of an expensive bullet. How many effects did they cram into a single round? As I watched the firework display of burning money—
“Hero Attacker! What was that just now?!”
The Hero’s shout came from behind me.
Hero Attacker?
I assumed he was referring to me. I gave him a dry smile and approached.
“Someone tried to snipe you, so I blocked it for you. Aren't you grateful?”
“As if I’d believe that!”
Believe it or not, then.
“In times like this, a brat like you should just say 'thank you.'”
I stepped into his space and drove my fist straight into his jaw. It was a dual-purpose strike: an injection of manners and a way to knock him out since explaining things was too much work.
Perhaps because I hadn't adjusted my strength properly, the Hero didn't even have time to react.
“Uh…?”
With that final sound, the Hero took the hit to the jaw and collapsed onto the ground.
Thud.
As the owner fell, the giant fists attached to the Hero’s arms hit the pavement with a heavy thud. He didn't get back up.
That takes care of this side.
I turned my gaze toward the direction the bullet had come from.
In the distance, I saw the woman who had fired the shot, looking flustered and attempting to flee.
I’d have to ask her who the hell she was.
I gave a bright smile toward the camera, then kicked off the dirt-covered road, leaping toward the woman.
The sidewalk blocks shattered under the aftermath of my jump, and packed earth scattered everywhere, but the Management Bureau would handle the compensation and cleanup.
What mattered to me right now was that woman’s identity.
* * *
Crunch. Clang.
Because I’d jumped without controlling my strength, I almost overshot the rooftop.
Fortunately, I managed to hook the building’s railing with the head of my Pry Bar, though the railing was ripped right out of the floor in the process.
Looking at the mangled metal railing dangling from the end of my Pry Bar, I had a brief thought.
I really needed to let loose more often; I hadn't used this much power in so long that I could barely control it.
I wondered if that Hero from earlier was okay.
I’d tried to hold back to some extent, but I hoped I hadn't actually shattered his jawbone.
“Hieee…!”
I looked at the terrified woman, ripped the metal railing off the Pry Bar, and tossed it into a corner of the roof.
Clang. Clatter.
Listening to the metallic ring of the distorted railing hitting the floor, I took a step toward her.
She seemed terrified of me, crawling backward with every step I took.
“D-Don’t come any closer….”
Her body trembled, and her voice was squeezed out in a frantic plea. Naturally, I saw no reason to listen.
“Who are you?”
I asked, stroking my chin with the Pry Bar.
“Ah… uh… ugh….”
She seemed even more paralyzed by fear, only able to let out strange, trembling noises.
“I’m not going to kill you, so why don't you speak up? I’m sure you don't want to take a free-fall off this roof.”
I shifted the Pry Bar to point at the spot where the railing had just been torn away. That spot’s wide open.
“R-Re…”
“Re?”
Just spit it out already.
“…Respect! I respect you, Hero Attacker-nim!”
What kind of nonsense was this?
When I frowned, she began to babble even more frantically, her face pale with terror.
“Did you not like the term 'Attacker'? Or did I do something…?”
I locked eyes with her.
“I’m a villain who attacks Heroes. Isn't it a bit strange for a Hero to respect someone like that?”
The world usually calls people like me fallen Heroes or villains.
Despite saying she respected me, she was shaking so hard it looked like she might fall apart.
“I… I was deeply moved by your words that modern Heroes aren't acting like Heroes. But I’m not strong enough to take others down in front of a camera, so…”
“So you decided to snipe a Hero to kill him? To escalate the situation?”
“Yes. Right now, the media only mocks the Attacker; they don't talk about your ideology at all…”
“So you wanted to make it a bigger incident?”
“Yes.”
A Hero inspired by my ideology?
That wasn't a bad sign. At least someone appeared who understood my thoughts and wanted to cooperate.
“Not bad. You’re right. Modern Heroes are going about things the wrong way.”
“Thank you for understanding!”
Despite her trembling, she looked up and smiled brightly, seemingly thrilled to receive praise from me.
“But you see.”
I raised the Pry Bar.
“I have no intention of killing Heroes.”
I swung it down.
Crunch.
“AAAAAAAAAGH!”
Her right hand was crushed.
The sickening sound of bone shattering echoed. She rolled across the rooftop, clutching her right arm with her left, wailing in agony.
Quiet down. You sound like a screaming child.
After a moment, once she had barely managed to stifle the pain, she looked up at me.
“W… Why?”
“It seems you didn't quite understand. I don't hate these kids. Bright, shining Heroes? They’re fine.”
I met her eyes, which were shining with pure confusion, and continued.
“Hieee….”
“Heroes. They’re not bad. They work, they maintain social order, and they receive fair compensation. But kids these days don't know hardship. They think being a Hero is just a job where you shine brightly, make lots of money, and become famous.”
They don't know the battlefields drenched in blood and flesh. They don't know the people who died. They don't know the Heroes who were persecuted.
Without that, they can never become strong Heroes, perfect Heroes. That is why I bring hardship upon them.
“That’s why I… to give society a wake-up call…”
“Stop.”
I cut off her worthless words.
“The moment you tried to kill a comrade, you were wrong. That isn't justice. That isn't what a Hero does.”
She mouthed something, as if wanting to argue. Before she could speak, I continued to hammer my ideology into her.
“Their current status doesn't matter. What they do is necessary, and by society’s standards, they receive fair treatment. It’s not a sin worthy of death.”
I continued in a soothing tone.
“However, they must not call themselves Heroes lightly. Only those who have endured hardship, felt pain, and are willing to sacrifice can claim that title. It’s not a name for people to toss around like a joke.”
I raised the Pry Bar.
“So.”
I swung it down.
“If you want to keep spreading my ideology, make sure you remember my words.”
Raised. Swung.
Raised. Swung.
Since she had acted in a way unbecoming of a Hero, I took a leg, too.
* * *
“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”
I hummed a tune happily as I headed home.
The hunt had ended well, I’d saved a poor Hero, and I’d met a woman who understood my thoughts. Since I started this work, it was nothing but good news.
Feeling celebratory, I bought a large haul of snacks and beer from the supermarket and swung the bag as I walked.
Clink. Clink.
The sound of the beer cans clinking together was music to my ears. I felt so good that I could even forgive Un-ho if he’d eaten snacks and left crumbs everywhere. I opened the front door with a light heart.
“Un-ho, I’m home.”
“You’re late.”
Wait, that was a man’s voice. I stepped into the living room, hearing a voice that was strangely familiar.
“Where have you been wandering off to, Lee Ha-ram?”
“Hyun-seok? What the hell are you doing in my house?”
A man in a pristine navy suit, his hair slicked back with wax, exuding an air of pure elite authority.
Park Hyun-seok, the Korea Branch Manager of the Hero Management Bureau, was sitting in my living room, eating snacks with Un-ho.