The Benefits Are Insane

The public recruitment drive for the villain organization wrapped up in no time. Unlike other major corporations, there were no stringent certification screenings or brutal interviews so intense they made the evening news. Those things simply didn’t exist here.

What the villain organization needed were people who didn’t care about society’s dirty looks for being labeled villains, and at the same time, people who had been pushed to their absolute limits. People with literally no other way to survive unless they became villains.

It was the villain organization’s role to take those people and readjust them into functioning cogs of society before sending them back out.

“Hail Evils!”

“Hail Evils!”

“From now on, you are all combat personnel of the villain organization…”

In the distance, I could see a semi-executive combatant—who had somehow remained a regular combatant for several years now—training the new recruits who had just joined.

I wondered if it made sense for a veteran combatant to exist as part of the welfare benefits, but surprisingly, these weren’t people who had lost in the competition and been cast out by society. They were elites who could make a living anywhere they went right now. Talented individuals who had earned all sorts of national certifications and even had their names appear in online news articles.

It was strange that people like them would work in a place like this, but the boss said they had been hired specifically to train the new combat personnel. Well, if it’s a job where you barely have to work but the salary is huge, it’s probably more common for people to just play mobile games and slack off instead of focusing on self-improvement.

“Ah, Interviewer?”

While I was watching the new recruits, a familiar voice called out to me. It was Sten, the retired former hero and family man. He immediately raised his hand in the villain organization’s signature salute before speaking.

“Thank you for selecting me. Really, I…”

“What did I do? You were chosen because your abilities are outstanding, Sten.”

“What abilities could an unpopular hero like me possibly have? It’s all thanks to you looking at me favorably during the interview…”

Sten seemed to view becoming a member of the villain organization as some kind of family honor. The wide smile plastered across his face and his exaggerated gestures made that obvious.

But once I heard about the welfare benefits and perks he received as a member of the villain organization, I could only think, Yeah, that makes sense.

“I never imagined that even a mere combatant would receive so many benefits… I was truly shocked.”

“What kind of benefits?”

“First, I was given a house. A massive one that’s more than enough for a family of four… And even though my child has only just started kindergarten, they said the organization will cover their university tuition as well. As long as I don’t cause any major incidents, these benefits remain even if I leave the organization.”

These were benefits I couldn’t even have imagined back on Earth. If a company like this existed on Earth, the world’s top university graduates would be lining up to join. What surprised me was that such a company would accept a retired former hero or a ten-year-old hikikomori.

I hadn’t known about these benefits either, but as an executive of the organization, I couldn’t react in a frivolous way. I simply gave a light chuckle and offered him a word of encouragement.

“Things will only get better from here.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

“Ah, and—one more thing I wanted to ask… Could you show me just a tiny bit of your ability, Sten? Just up to your wrist— Ah, yes. That’s enough.”

After confirming Sten’s ability, I smiled brightly and handed him a piece of candy. Sten tilted his head in confusion when he saw it.

“It’s candy. Eat it.”

“Ah, yes… Thank you.”

“Eat it right here, right now.”

“Right now…?”

Even though he clearly found it strange, Sten couldn’t ignore the words of his superior. He popped the candy into his mouth and began rolling it around. His expression suggested the taste wasn’t bad at all.

Since he’d already put it in his mouth, he wouldn’t be able to take it home to give to his child or pass it to someone else. After confirming that, I gave a small nod and headed back to the laboratory.

What the hell was that about…?

Rolling the candy—which had a slightly savory taste—around in his mouth, Sten kept tilting his head in confusion. The fact that the interviewer had suddenly given him candy made the man seem like a good person.

The fact that someone who looked so young could hold the position of interviewer also left a strong first impression. Sten already felt a great deal of goodwill toward the interviewer whose name he still didn’t know.

But that first impression didn’t last very long.

“Hm? You. What are you eating?”

“G-Galeum, sir! Hail Evils!”

On his way to the training grounds, Sten ran into an S-class villain. Galeum. The man had no record of harming innocent citizens or killing heroes, but his appearance and aura alone were enough to make anyone shrink back. And now he was blocking Sten’s path.

Sten looked around apologetically, searching for a tissue so he could spit out the candy in his mouth. Galeum simply shrugged as if to say there was no need.

“I’m not telling you to spit it out. I’m saying don’t eat while you’re exercising.”

“I-I’m sorry…! It’s something the interviewer gave me.”

“Interviewer? Who?”

“The male interviewer who was standing in the middle!”

“Oh—I see. So that guy gave it to you?”

Upon hearing that, Galeum grinned and stood beside Sten, watching him closely. The atmosphere grew so tense that Sten could barely breathe. Overwhelmed by the pressure, Sten gulped—swallowing the candy whole.

“Did you finish it?”

“Y-Yes? Yes… I finished it.”

“Good. It’s rare for him to give something to someone.”

“…Um, could you tell me what kind of person the interviewer is?”

“You ate it without even knowing? That guy is our organization’s scientist. A mad scientist who creates all sorts of horrifying and terrifying things.”

Galeum burst into loud laughter as if teasing Sten. But from Sten’s perspective, this was no laughing matter. A mad scientist? Someone who mainly creates horrifying and terrifying things?

That was straight out of a movie or comic—a mad scientist!

And he had swallowed something that person gave him. Suddenly his stomach felt queasy and nauseous. In the end, Sten ran to the bathroom and dry-heaved over and over. Even after all that retching, the candy he had swallowed never came back up.

Oh no…!

Not knowing what exactly he had eaten—what the mad scientist had fed him—cold sweat poured down his back. Sten clutched his trembling chest and threw himself into training with everything he had.

He lifted heavy iron weights, practiced stepping up onto boxes with one foot and coming back down, and learned how to fall safely so he wouldn’t get hurt when heroes attacked.

All of it was training meant for supporting characters and extras rather than protagonists. As a former hero, he probably should have felt insulted, but he didn’t. Unpopular heroes didn’t receive even this much attention.

Those were the days.

“Sten. You said your ability makes your body tougher, right? Exactly how much can you block?”

“If it’s just me, I won’t even get a scratch from a bullet! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I’ve never been hit by a cannon, but it should be about the same!”

“Good. Would you like to come along?”

An opportunity had come. A chance to be dispatched to the newly established Z City. Sten, along with several other combat personnel who possessed abilities capable of protecting themselves, was selected. Simply accepting this opportunity would promote them to elite combat personnel, more than double their current salary, and—if they wished—allow them to work for the villain organization for life.

Naturally, no one turned down the chance. Sten was no exception.

“Everyone, put on your elite combat suits. These are special products made personally by the scientist.”

Following the senior combatant’s instructions, they changed into the combat suits and let out gasps of admiration. The suits that covered their bodies looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. According to what they’d heard, the suits not only assisted their physical abilities but could withstand most attacks without so much as a scratch.

Sten, who had been wondering about it, activated his ability and tried to move his hand. Unfortunately, even with the suit’s power, moving his own hand was impossible. Well, moving something as heavy as a lump of iron couldn’t be that easy.

After putting on the suits and boarding the vehicles, they listened to the mission briefing in a state of high tension.

“What you all have to do is simple. It’s what the villain organization does best.”

“What the villain organization does best…?”

“Cleaning.”

According to Galeum, who had boarded first, although Z City was now half-owned by Evils Enterprise, it had been illegally occupied by criminals.

Their job was to suppress those criminals and drive them out. It was, without a doubt, far more dangerous than playing house with heroes in E City.

Not to mention they would have to take lives with their own hands…

“Ah, you don’t need to kill them. The guns we issued are strictly for suppression. Use them to subdue the criminals and hand them over to the police.”

“…I heard Z City is a place where even the police don’t do their jobs.”

“That’s why we’re cooperating with the international police this time. All we have to do is suppress them.”

Fortunately, they wouldn’t have to kill anyone. At those words, sighs of relief escaped from Sten and several others. After all, even though the villain organization was a villain group, not many people had joined prepared to actually take lives.

The same went for Sten, a former hero. He had applied after researching what kind of organization Evils was. If it had been like the villains in G City who killed people left and right, he never would have even considered it.

After some time had passed in that tense atmosphere, the vehicle finally came to a stop.

“—Disembark.”

Galeum, standing at the very front, shouted the order and got off the vehicle. The combat personnel followed, pouring out one after another. They immediately began advancing slowly toward the operation area while staying on high alert.

During this, Galeum—perhaps trusting his own hide and skin—walked at the front without any concealment or cover, unlike the other combatants.

He’s going to get himself killed—

The moment that thought crossed his mind, a massive pillar shot toward them from afar. It looked like a missile as it slammed straight down on Galeum.

“G-Galeum, sir!”

“Crazy—! Take cover!”

While the combatants panicked and dove for cover, Galeum, who had been crushed beneath the pillar, let out a bold laugh and stood up. The enormous pillar that had been pressing down on him toppled over to the side.

“I’ll go catch that thing, so the rest of you head to the operation area. Got it?”

“Y-Yes!”

With those words, Galeum disappeared. With the departure of Galeum, the strongest member, tension and anxiety settled over the combatants, but they moved exactly as they had been trained.

They suppressed people who appeared ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to be criminals and gradually cleaned up the operation area.

There were occasional resistors, but most of their resistance couldn’t penetrate the suits’ defensive power and failed to harm the combatants inside.

This is… easier than I thought?

The moment that thought occurred—right as the combatants stepped into a new building—something flew in from afar and crushed the foot of one of the combatants.

“Aaaaaagh—?!”

“Take cover!”

“Pull him behind the pillar!”

Now quite familiar with the procedure, they dragged the injured combatant behind a pillar, fed him a red pill to treat the injury, then aimed their guns in the direction the attack had come from and swallowed nervously.

Before long, a single man slowly walked out from inside the building. He kept tilting his head in apparent confusion.

“Strange… Only one foot? I was planning to blow off his entire lower body…”

Just from the way he spoke, it was clear he was a villain. The combatants immediately opened fire on him. Non-lethal rounds flew straight at the man, but he casually raised his palm forward.

With just that, he blocked all the bullets. Looking bored, the man ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠snapped his fingers. The bullets that had been fired reversed direction and flew back at several times their original speed.

“Aaaaaagh—?!”

“Ugh!”

As the combatants screamed from the unexpected counterattack, Sten swallowed hard. This was someone they couldn’t handle. They needed Galeum, an executive, to return before they could do anything…

There’s no telling when he’ll be back. In that case…

He had to buy time. Having made up his mind, Sten immediately stepped forward. Seeing Sten reveal himself, the man let out a surprised exclamation.

“Oh—pretty bold. Let’s see—”

Before the man could snap his fingers, Sten activated his ability and wrapped it around his entire body. It was an ability that turned him into an immobile sandbag, but at the very least, he was confident he could be the best sandbag in the world.

Even against that absurd ability, although the suit crumpled in various places, it didn’t draw a single groan from Sten’s lips.

Sten slowly walked toward the villain, watching for the right timing. One step. Another step. So that the villain wouldn’t realize he couldn’t move once he used his ability…

“You’re pretty tough… But this should do it.”

Although the villain hadn’t realized he couldn’t move, the low mobility was obvious. The man immediately slammed Sten down into the floor. Buried in the concrete with only his head sticking out, Sten was trapped.

Damn it…!

Now that he couldn’t move, the villain left Sten for later torment and flew straight toward the other combatants behind him. Even though each of them had abilities that could protect their own bodies, screams rang out chaotically.

Of course, if their abilities had been outstanding, they wouldn’t have needed to become combatants for a villain organization. They all had flawed abilities that weren’t enough to work in the mainstream.

They weren’t strong enough to show off in front of a villain who could casually deflect bullets.

…No. Not like this again—

This situation. Sten recalled past events. The time he had gone out with fellow heroes to arrest a villain. How his ability, which could only turn him into a sandbag, hadn’t been any help and had only held his comrades back. Those nightmares that still remained as trauma became PTSD and stimulated his mind.

But.

—I don’t want to regret it again.

The stress stimulated Sten’s body, craving evolution. The gene sphere remaining inside his body sensed that need and began to evolve. In that instant, Sten realized the concrete that had been wrapped around his body had moved far away, and that he could now walk out of the concrete floor.

And that’s exactly what he did.

“Stop.”

“Huh—? What? How did you get ou—t?”

“By walking.”

Having moved behind the man, Sten spoke and reached out his hand. The man activated his ability as if to say give it your best shot, but Sten ignored even that.

The space itself tore open and seized the man’s body. The startled man tried to escape from Sten’s grasp, but once space had been caught, it didn’t ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠let go easily.

“W-What is this!? What the hell is this—?!”

“—My ability.”

In that moment, Sten realized the true nature of his ability. After all, it had been strange that he couldn’t move at all just because a lump of iron was heavy. If it had simply become heavier, his body should have rolled across the floor. How could it make sense that he simply couldn’t move in his altered state?

His real ability wasn’t just becoming tougher.

“I’ve caught you along with the space itself.”

“What the hell are you doing to me…!”

“Hero.”

“…What?”

Sten unconsciously answered the man’s words. But realizing it was a mistake, he corrected himself.

“Former hero. Current elite combatant of the villain organization. You piece of shit.”

And then. After completely freezing the space and stopping the man entirely, Sten let out a sigh and looked at his comrades. The comrades who had been rolling on the floor were staring at him in disbelief.

Seeing their dumbfounded expressions, he felt a sense of fulfillment he had never experienced back when he was an E-class hero. The pure satisfaction of saving people.

Although he had retired from being a hero, Sten let out a hollow laugh, feeling like he had finally become a true hero.