The Fallen Villain's New Beginning (1)
Life has a tendency to keep plummeting endlessly once the bad luck starts piling up. Someone once said that happiness and misfortune in any life ultimately balance out to zero. If something bad happens, something good is sure to follow, so relax. But if something good happens, brace yourself because the bad stuff can hit anytime.
But in reality, it doesn't work that way—or at least, that's how it feels to me. Once the misfortune kicks in, a nonstop parade of new disasters rolls in, with no divine intervention in sight. Not that a villain like me has any right to expect help from above in the first place. Or maybe this is just karmic payback for all the shitty things I've done...
But I thought I lived pretty decently for a villain.
A 'good villain'—that's a thing, right?
I called myself the worst of the worst, but I never crossed certain lines. Sure, I did bad shit, but I respected kids and the elderly—there were boundaries I wouldn't breach. There are way worse guys out there! Villains pulling off massive-scale crimes are living large, fat and happy. So why is this only happening to me?!
I was scraping by in a dead-end life with no other options until I became a villain, only to get kicked around by this asshole boss in this piss-poor organization, surviving on a pittance of a salary. I gritted my teeth through it all, built up a bunch of underlings, raised my name value a bit, and finally thought I could breathe easy. I was even secretly thrilled, fantasizing about some other outfit scouting me with a salary five times what I make now!
And then—bam! Why the hell did shit hit the fan like this?! This makes no goddamn sense!
"...That's the vibe I was going for with this appeal."
"And what am I supposed to do about it?"
In the office space of the villain organization Abyss's hideout, Villain No. 13 had returned that very dawn after wandering aimlessly for a while. Freshly showered, he'd been summoned personally by the boss and decided to get ahead of any scolding by thrusting his heartfelt appeal straight at her. Please read this first before ripping into me. She'd taken it with a displeased frown, sitting across the desk from him.
Boss Violet. The woman before him, younger than No. 13, wore thin-rimmed glasses as she slowly scanned the document, then fixed him with a look that screamed, What the hell are you thinking? It made his skin crawl. He was dead serious about this...
"No, it's just... couldn't you use your ability on me? With your all-purpose power, maybe you could fix my situation somehow."
"You're really grasping at straws, huh? Must've lost your mind while you were gone."
No, this wasn't some idle plea. Yeah, he was desperate enough to clutch at straws, but he genuinely believed her ability might pull it off. It'd been two months since he lost his powers. He'd holed up in the mountains for training, visited churches and temples he had no business at, tried every damn thing... but his abilities hadn't returned.
More precisely, he was still an Awakener, but his mana was bone-dry. No matter how much time passed, his MP bar wouldn't fill. He'd tried everything he could think of. Now, Violet was his last hope.
"First off, my ability isn't all-purpose. There are definitely things I can't do."
"C'mon, can't you just... push through with grit and effort?"
"Second, I've seen you relying on brute strength and acting like a hotshot. I always figured it'd bite you in the ass eventually."
"Wha—?!"
Violet sighed at No. 13's reaction. "Just a gut feeling, you know? Like, that guy's gonna get his someday. Isn't this that?"
"Karma? C'mon, I'm still your subordinate."
"You're a villain. Deserves it. If I were God, I'd have smited you a dozen times over by now."
"That's harsh..."
Violet sighed again at his mopey mutter. "...But No. 13, in this appeal, this 'asshole boss'—that's me, right?"
"Nah, could be someone else."
"Who else is above you, the organization's No. 2?"
"......"
"And waiting with bated breath for a scout offer...? Never mind. Forget I read it. You're not in your right mind anyway."
He didn't even remember writing that. He'd just spewed whatever came to mind to convince her. And sure, he was No. 2, but after losing his powers and vanishing for two months, the organization was in ruins. Assets were somewhat intact, but nearly all the members were gone—arrested by heroes or jumped ship. Now it was just the boss, No. 13, and two others.
"Still, Boss! Even if I join another group, I have no intention of abandoning you! Once I'm financially stable, I'd support you—that's my noble plan!"
"Who said I'd let you support me, idiot? And I make more than five times your salary."
"...Isn't this a bit stingy for the organization's No. 2?"
"Hmph. Be grateful I'm paying you at all."
Violet frowned, tapping the desk with her finger. Her face was flushed, annoyed but something else too.
"(What kind of marriage proposal is this...)"
"Boss, you said something small. What was that?"
"Shut up. Anyway..."
Violet slid a single sheet of paper across the desk. "Read this."
This must've been the real reason for the summons.
"...From the Villain Alliance..."
Abyss organization: Notice of potential expulsion at next meeting.
Failure to demonstrate value may result in unanimous vote for removal from alliance protections.
The Villain Alliance. A massive coalition including No. 13's Abyss and various other villain groups across the country. No single organization dominated; all had equal say, with leaders meeting regularly to maintain the alliance. Member groups enjoyed perks like funding, hideout setups, fake IDs, info manipulation for protection—essential for any villain to survive.
"Expulsion...?"
That's what the letter said. He read it again in shock, but it didn't change.
"It's just pending for now. But without some move by the next meeting, it'll happen."
Losing alliance protection would be disastrous.
"It's only natural. Our org's young, no connections. Our track record was barely holding us, but now... And above all—"
Her sharp eyes flicked toward him through her glasses. He knew exactly what that meant. Speechless, he stayed silent.
"Next meeting's in a week. No results by then, and we'll be voted out on the spot. With heroes on the rise, no reason to carry dead weight."
"Then."
"Just stating facts. Not pinning it on you."
Violet removed her glasses, swept back her purple hair, and replied casually, as if it were no big deal—like he shouldn't worry, in her usual calm tone.
"This week, I'll pick a fight with the 7th Squad, stakes be damned. Without alliance cover, no future anyway. Might as well go down swinging, take a hero with me."
—Do whatever you want.
—No need to follow me.
Without demanding or begging anything, Violet simply sent No. 13 out of the office.
Everything felt suffocating. He knew why, but the helplessness weighed heavy. While he'd been off chasing mountain retreats, prayers, power stones, and waterfalls, this happened. Losing his power tanked the whole org—unfair, but undeniable. More importantly, what now? Above all, he had to save the boss, no matter what. That was genuine.
"That's why, help me out, Dorothy-mong!"
"Who the hell's Dorothy-mong? Thought some beggar wandered in—it's been a month, and first thing you do is spout that crap?"
Short, curly bob in a white coat. Striking dark circles under her eyes on a youthful face. Dorothy. Not a foreigner—her family name 'Do' and given name 'Rosie' just suspiciously screamed poor naming sense. Abyss's brilliant doctor and scientist, also an Awakener. Her powers mostly fueled her genius brain, churning out inventions centuries ahead... but her physical specs were average or worse. Not all Awakeners were combat monsters. Even the boss's cheat-level ability wasn't ideal for fighting.
"Get off me! You ditched for the mountains to 'absorb heavenly energy' a month ago, and now you're clinging to my leg like a leech! Aren't you embarrassed?!"
"Please, please save me~~~!! You're my only hope! Boss can't do it! You're the genius scientist with the weird brain—only you left to beg!"
"Who're you calling weird-brained?"
Dorothy stomped his face with her slipper-clad foot, demanding he let go. But he couldn't.
"Please... c'mon, Dorothy! It's us—you and me! No one else to cling to!"
He desperately stroked her slim leg in thin denim stockings, yelling. This couldn't end like this. He couldn't let the boss die!
"Don't pretend to be serious while groping me! Hands off my leg! I'll kill you for real?!"
"Help me before I start licking your stockings! Please!"
"You're such a pathetic mutt!"
Thud! Thud! Clinging to his last lifeline—the white-coated genius—he hung on desperately, dignity be damned.
"Fine! I'll help—just get off, you perv! Get off!!"
Only after Dorothy surrendered did No. 13 finally release her leg.