Villain Proxy in the Blink of an Eye
In the literal blink of an eye, a storm grabbed me and yanked me into the sky.
"Mm! The air up here is so refreshing! Down on the ground, it's all stuffy, you know?"
"L-let me gooo!!"
She flapped her enormous wings, the complete opposite of her tiny frame. Sure, the air was crisp. And the view was wide open... but it was scary!
How high had we climbed in that split second...!
"Huh? You really want me to let go? For real?"
I felt the strength drain from the small hands gripping my shoulders. If she let go now...
"N-no! I mean... ca—"
Whoosh.
"Uh-oh."
My upper body, reliant on Red Wing's hands, lost balance. My whole body tilted, and with a stinging rush of wind, freefall began.
"Gyaaaaah!!! Take it back, take it back! Grab me againnnn!!"
"Kyahaha! Sorry, sorry!"
Thwack. Red Wing swooped in again and scooped me up effortlessly.
"Hah... hah... a-are you insane?!"
"Huh? What about?"
"I almost died!"
"Psh, dying from something like that? This body used to play this game all the time with Mama when I was little."
"That's child abuse."
"Gasp... that's a low blow!"
Red Wing pretended to toss me away again.
"S-sorry...! I mean, my apologies!"
"Hehe, now you get how amazing this body is, right?"
"Hooaaah... amazing or not, can we just land already?"
"Why? Isn't it nice and cool?"
"Cool? I'm freezing. You might be fine wrapped in scales under your clothes."
"Huh? I'm wearing something under it, though?"
She unzipped her leather jacket with a ziiip, revealing a bikini top that barely covered a palm's worth of area.
"This body runs hot anyway!"
"Ah, yeah... zip that back up, it's embarrassing. Anyway, I have something to say, so let's land first."
"Okay! Oh, right. We were on our way to the villain proxy dealer, yeah?"
"Yeah. That's what I wanted to talk about..."
"Close your eyes tight! Wait, no—this body will cover them!"
Red Wing pulled me into a princess carry and stretched her tail over my eyes. I worried about the sharp spines, but the scales were surprisingly soft and warm. I could almost understand why dragon-slayers fall for them. Like, 3 percent?
"But why the eyes... fwaaack!!"
In that brief moment, gravity felt multiplied several times over, and a ferocious wind tore at my skin like it wanted to shred me. Actually, it was high-speed flight at that velocity slamming into me. Now I got why she covered my eyes. Staring into that wind bare-eyed might've blinded me...
...
We arrived at the Mountainside Pavilion amid the raging storm. It was a remote spot few hikers visited, and without maintenance, cracks spiderwebbed everywhere.
"We're here! If you're gonna puke, use this plastic bag!"
"...I'm fine. I'm not that fragile."
I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat and steadied myself. That line about not dying without Lumion around—I thought it was just a joke. But this dragon... no, this person was stronger than she looked. Hundreds of meters in mere seconds. The strength to lift and toy with me effortlessly. I couldn't gauge her direct combat power without seeing it, but...
A hero with this level of skill should've stood out, yet I'd never heard of her. Kinda suspicious.
I'd meant to tell her we didn't need the villain proxy dealer anymore, but... my curiosity was piqued. Better to observe for now.
"Is this the right spot? The meeting place with the villain proxy dealer."
"Yup! But didn't you have something to say?"
"You only remember when it's convenient. I'll tell you after we meet the dealer. Go talk to him."
"Huh? Okay, sure."
Red Wing tilted her head for a moment, then grinned brightly and scanned the surroundings. Soon, a figure approached from afar—hood pulled low, screaming shady black-market deal.
"Is that him?"
"Hm! Looks like it? Matches the description perfectly!"
'Please find the suspicious liaison wearing a suspicious hood.'
Like it was a drug deal or something... Well, drawing civilian attention would be bad, so caution made sense.
"Go chat with him. I'll hang back."
"Eh...? W-weren't you gonna negotiate for me?"
"Me? Why would I?"
"...... Ahem! This body, a noble dragonkin, can't just casually talk to some shady human of unknown status! I'm specially granting you proxy rights..."
"Can't you order delivery on the phone?"
"Gasp! H-how'd you know?"
"Can't complain at restaurants?"
"Eek!! Mind reader...?!"
Like she was on guard, Red Wing crossed her arms in an X and glared at me.
"You talk fine at the office. What, are you a total loner?"
"L-loner...? How dare a mere human speak to a dragon like that!"
"Sigh. Whatever..."
I glanced down at the ground. Her red tail, layered with dragon scales, spines sprouting menacingly. Intimidating look, but from touching it earlier... surprisingly soft. Like rubbing your face on a thigh...?
With that in mind...
Smack!!
"Kieeeek!!!"
I stomped her tail hard, avoiding the spines, and a pterodactyl-like screech echoed through the mountainside. Birds fled in panic, squirrels and chipmunks scattered with bugs in a frenzy.
Dragon roars carry innate magic and fear effects, so a pounding headache hit me like a knockout punch—but I endured. Mental fortitude is one of my few strengths, despite my weak body.
"A-are you crazy??? And how'd you know the tail's my weak spot...!!"
"Shh. Dealer's coming."
"Eek!! G-go quick! Handle the deal for this body and come back!"
"We'll see."
I smirked, opened my palm. Calmly gathered mana, projecting the optical camouflage blueprint from my mind onto my fingertips.
Illusions from Materialization of Imagination lack physical force. But they're visible. Purely visual effects, fully exploitable. Complex tech eats mana like crazy, but for a bit? Fine.
As I swept my hand over Red Wing's eyes, light warped oddly around us. A refractive barrier cloaked me perfectly, and Red Wing whipped around frantically.
"H-huh?! Where'd you go?!"
"Right here. Be quiet—the dealer's coming."
She jolted at my voice from thin air, puffed out her chest to pose... but her trembling knees gave her away.
The hooded man entered the pavilion, eyed Red Wing's horns and tail, then spoke in a modulated mechanical voice.
"Client Red Wing? Villain proxy service, as contacted."
"Y-yes! A-ahem! You're the villain—this body's prey, right?!"
Red Wing coughed and replied. The man casually pulled a heavy metal case from his coat, set up a device on the pavilion floor.
"Before the contract: for realistic staging and actor safety, we'll run a threat assessment. Hit this mana barrier with your average attack. We'll gauge the reading and assign actor grade accordingly."
A translucent blue formation curtain unfurled in the pavilion's center. Heavy mana waves—serious-grade magic barrier.
"Heh heh heh! Wonder if your human toy can withstand this body's power."
Her tension eased, lips curling up. She raised her right fist slowly, and the air heated instantly. Air particles sucked into her fist, building massive pressure.
'That looks dangerous.'
While the dealer fixated on her, I slipped out and hid behind a thick tree.
Moments later, Red Wing's fist swung lightly at the barrier.
BOOM!!!
A eardrum-shattering explosion shattered the blue curtain like glass. The generator melted into slag, slamming the floor. One pavilion pillar crumbled from the shockwave.
"......"
Silence fell. The hooded man backed away. Sparks hissed from the dying machine.
"Um... client?"
"Mm! Human toys are so flimsy!"
"Deal's off. That's beyond what we can handle."
"Wh-what?!"
He grabbed his bag hurriedly.
"Our barriers are built for standard 3rd Grade hero attacks. You shredded it like paper. Our actors would die in one hit... Ahem! We're a proxy service, not a suicide squad."
"Eeeh? Th-that wasn't even full power! Don't be a wuss!"
"W-was that not full power? Reading off the charts—unmeasurable. Can't risk actors without safety guarantees. No charge for the gear; goodbye!"
He bolted into the woods like a civilian spotting a villain.
Left alone, Red Wing flailed at the air in dismay.
"N-nooo!!"
More chaotic than expected... but perfect. No need for me to intervene—the deal tanked itself.
I dropped camouflage and approached. Seeing the crumbled pillar and wreckage sent chills down my spine. Could she take on Lumion? Nah, stupid thought. I shook my head.
"Whoa... Red Wing, you're way stronger than I thought."
"R-right? This body is amazi—w-waaah! But so what? The dealer ran off!!"
"Heh heh, now's the time for that original talk."
"Original... talk?"
"You saw my euneng earlier, right? When I vanished."
"Oh yeah! What was that? Invisibility euneng? Invisible man?"
Her eyes sparkled like she'd found something fascinating.
It wasn't that impressive...
"It's called Materialization of Imagination. I can manifest stuff from my head into reality. No physical force, so useless in direct combat."
"Oho...? Sounds like trash. Can't beat villains with that!"
"Haha, yeah. But..."
I gathered mana at my fingertips. Pulled up my strongest mental image—the toughest human I knew.
Red Wing's breath froze. White shadows tangled like thread, forming a familiar high school memory: a girl in a crisp uniform, silver-white hair, gazing indifferently at the world.
The era's sole pinnacle hero: Lumion.
"E-eek?! L-Lumion?! Why's she here!!"
Her dignified air vanished; she shrieked and toppled backward. Tail rigid, she butt-scooted to the pavilion corner in panic.
"Calm down. It's fake—my euneng."
"F-fake? But that pressure's real! Look at those eyes! That creepy face!"
She still couldn't meet its gaze, trembling.
Well, the more detailed my mental data, the more realistic the illusion. Having faced Lumion myself, even I felt my legs shake.
"Just a super realistic fake. This phantasm can't hurt you or vice versa. No matter how hard you hit what I make, it won't die—it's intangible. Meaning: fake villain hunts without hurting anyone."
I flicked my finger to puppet Lumion as I explained.
"No real damage, but I'll control it from the side for perfect acting—like real hits. No 'feel' of punching flesh... but you didn't become a hero just to beat people up, right?"
"O-of course not! What do you take this body for?! I became a hero because...!!"
She twitched her lips indignantly, then shook her head and trailed off.
"Ahem! Excellent, villainous euneng! I can make super-strong villains or beasts and 'defeat' them! The whole world will notice this body!"
"Hmm...? Well, not on that scale, but close. But once this is done, you complete the program properly?"
At "program," her face turned meaningful.
"...Hey, what if—"
"No."
"Eek! I didn't even say it!"
"Faking one villain takedown—once. No more favors later."
"Y-you...! Reading this body's mind!"
"Eh, not really..."
No mind-reading needed. Unemployed heroes I help all react the same. Pity, but I'm not wiping asses for deadweights forever.
"Anyway, get up. Even in a remote spot, this mess'll cause issues. Let's clean up..."
"Huh? G-get up? Now?"
I extended a hand indifferently to her on the floor. But instead of taking it, she blushed furiously, rubbing her thighs together.
"Don't wanna hold my hand? Get up yourself."
"No, it's not that...! Turn your head away for a sec!"
"Why suddenly?"
"B-because...!!"
A strangled voice, then a low groan.
"P-panties got... soiled..."
"Huh?"
"L-Lumion popped up and I got s-scared!! Why am I even telling you this?!"
Steam rose oddly warmly from between her smooth thighs under the short denim shorts.
"Red Wing. How old are you...?"
"No! It's, uh... dragon's unique self-defense! When threatened, we liquify high-density mana inside and release it...!"
"That sounds even weirder."
"Eeeeek!! D-don't look! I said don't look, you insolent human!!!"
"Ugh..."
A intense dragon roar boomed. At this point, it felt deliberate...
"That won't knock me out, so quiet down. You messed up—why take it out on me?"
"Hic... s-so mean!!!"