Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Investigation Results: Appears to be Crow's Planned Crime
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"Oppa, I'll come see you again real soon. Or more precisely, in exactly three days. So hang in there just a little longer."
Ten minutes flew by in a flash.
The alarm blared like it was trying to rupture my eardrums. I had to leave the visitation room before the guards dragged me out.
"Yeah. See you again."
Justice left first, abandoning me behind.
But Lily stayed seated right there, etching my image into her eyes until the very end.
Her eyes, reddish like late autumn leaves, were moist and glistening.
Lily sometimes made it impossible for me to read her true feelings, leaving me at a loss.
But the emotion she showed me as I departed was pure, unadulterated longing, without a trace of falsehood.
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[I'm on your side, Oppa.]
I could no longer hear her voice.
But just seeing her small, soft lips was enough for us to communicate.
[No matter what.]
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Dragging my reluctant feet, I returned to Wing C. The villains who had finished exercising were changing into casual clothes or showering off their sweat.
"Kyaa— Pervert!"
It wasn't a particularly pleasant smell, so I grimaced and headed straight for my room. But even in that brief moment, they wouldn't leave me alone.
"Don't look! No compromising with heroes...! Just kill me instead!"
Some villains mimicked my lines in ridiculous voices, making a huge fuss. God knows what was so funny— even those standing far off were cackling and clapping.
"Mr. Crow, this bitch is resisting? Should we just beat her ass until she reflects properly?"
"Nooo— I have to do it first with the one I love...! Justice! I'm sorryyy!"
But today's mockery felt especially low-quality. Maybe it was because I'd just seen Lily, making me extra sensitive.
"Nah, maybe he prefers that creepy bitch? What's her name? Lil..."
"Lily, right? The crazy one with red eyes."
Hearing the names of people I cared about mixed into their taunts brought an indescribable disgust surging up.
"Oh, yeah, looks like it. The bastard just flinched."
"Mad? Didn't expect you to be into that type."
Normally, I'd just close my eyes and let it slide.
But this time, I couldn't stay quiet.
"...Haa—"
Instead of opening my door, I turned and headed for the common area.
Right after exercise time ended, the place was chaotic. My footsteps and the TV noise rang out especially loud amid the clamor.
"Huh? What's that?"
Even if it caused trouble, I planned to snap back at them hard at least once.
Even if it meant suffering a few more days, I couldn't ignore those crude insults and mockery aimed at the people precious to me.
"That's Justice?"
"Ah, shit. Put on something with hot guys at least."
But then,
my steps halted midway.
The villains who had been idly flipping channels
suddenly fixated on a news channel they usually ignored, and I was no exception.
A familiar voice rang out.
The voice of the woman I once loved...
📰 Breaking News
"The unfortunate terrorist incident within the Hero Association appears, based on the investigation so far, to be a planned crime by Codename: Crow."
The news captured her image.
Unlike her refined and elegant blonde features, her face was stiff and tense, enveloped in a grave atmosphere.
"The Association has ordered swift and precise investigations and responses to the incident, both internally and externally."
In that instant, everyone fell silent.
We all had to look up at the TV screen mounted overhead.
"First, regarding the REP plan that spread via the internet and SNS on the 28th, our investigation has confirmed it to be factual."
Justice had just handed down my death sentence.
Every word she used clearly and definitively admitted my crimes.
"Crow carried out the REP plan, immediately murdered the Director upon execution, and attempted to flee but was apprehended. He is currently imprisoned in the Superpowered Terrorist Detention Facility."
Stories completely at odds with the truth kept pouring out. My head throbbed like it might split open. Standing on my own two legs felt impossible.
"The Association will use all available means to ensure such terrorist acts never recur..."
I could no longer hear Justice's voice. Instead, tinnitus started ringing in my ears, followed by a wave of dizziness.
Nausea welled up. My vision turned red. A few laughed at my state. One even slung an arm around my shoulder.
"What now... She really dumped you good!"
She leaned in close to my ear and chattered away, and only then did her voice register. She sounded thrilled beyond belief.
"It's fine. Forget a bitch like that. First loves always hurt, right? We've got plenty of big sisters here— what makes her so special?"
She was one who hung out especially close with Creep. Probably second in the pecking order among the group.
"Hey, you lot! Don't just stand there— grab something! This bastard's really gonna puke. And comfort him too."
My heart pounded wildly. I glimpsed the tiles on the floor as I sprawled there, but it was so revolting that my fists clenched involuntarily.
"Or you take a shot. You're blonde too anyway. Hey, Crow. Look up. What about her? She's kinda like Justice, right?"
Someone grabbed my hair. Blood rushed to my head. Pain shot through. I gritted my teeth.
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Crunch—
"Aaagh—!"
A normal punch makes a simple thud. But if it lands squarely around the mouth, it produces a brutally violent sound.
This was that. I slammed my fist with all my strength into the mouth spewing that filth, and two of the bitch's front teeth flew out.
"Grab him! What are you doing!"
Only then did Creep's gang swarm around me. But that was even better. No need for me to go to them— I just smashed my fists into the faces of every visible bitch.
Two,
no, three.
As three more dropped into combat incapacity, fear began creeping into their faces. In the end, they only outnumbered me— few truly wanted a real fight with me.
"Fuck...! Someone get restraints!"
Of course, that didn't mean my rebellion would succeed. If they all piled on, I'd be overwhelmed in a one-against-many brawl and subjected to a one-sided lynching.
But still,
I had to take a few more down.
At least three more.
I needed to drag those fucking villain bastards with me.
"You shitty bastard...! Thinks he's hot shit just 'cause we're playing!"
Kicks flew in, and some grabbed my limbs and back to pin me. I couldn't back down yet. Once I'd thrown the first punch, I had to swing until true justice was served.
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And then,
as I drove my elbow into the temple of the bitch grabbing me from behind like a back hug,
"Huh?"
"What?"
Orca and Creep entered Wing C.
Orca must have personally escorted Creep back after medical aid.
It made sense. Since Creep had killed a guard before, a correctional officer probably stepped in instead of the others.
"Everyone, disperse."
But it was bad news for me.
Until then, I'd been dominating the fight,
with Creep's gang barely managing to suppress me,
so comparing the patients strewn on the floor
with my still-vibrant state, what conclusion did Orca reach?
"Disperse, I said!"
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The floor froze solid. We, tangled in the brawl, were pinned by Orca's ice, rendering us immobile.
Thick, hard ice constricted our bodies. No human could resist it barehanded.
"Th-this bastard! This bastard started the riot. We didn't...! Look at the kids' conditions!"
One battered villain sniffled to Orca. As she said, the scene only had elements unfavorable to me.
"...Crow."
"Yeah, perfect timing again. We fought a bit. Is that such a big deal? Just say villain fought villain. Right?"
Still, I didn't feel wronged.
"I'm not at fault. This is the right thing. Even locked in a dump like this, my innocence doesn't change. No matter how much everyone slanders and incites against me, they can't make me a villain."
Compared to the Director's assassination or REP involvement, this was nothing to feel hard done by.
"This is my justice. I won't crumble to villains. So don't stop me. Got it? I'm the same as before, now. I didn't become a villain. The ones who changed are you, Justice, and all those yapping outside."
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That day, Orca disciplined me directly in front of all of Wing C's inmates.
CCTV covered nearly everywhere, but to a correctional officer, such footage meant nothing.
The world hates villains,
and correctional officers exist to hate and punish them in turn.
Orca could swing her baton freely,
and use her ability.
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"Correctional Officer...! Eek!?"
The other guards tried to stop her
because Creep and Scardi had called them, fearing I might actually get beaten to death.
"Correctional Officer! Calm down!"
For summary execution, a gun or ability would suffice,
but Orca kept beating me relentlessly with her baton and opposite fist.
"Oh, erase today's CCTV footage. From 11 to 12, note it as a glitch with no backup."
"Y-yes...! Got it!"
"Correctional Officer, calm down, I said!"
She had authority to handle dangerous inmates,
but executing unavoidably versus beating to death were distinctly different.
The guards desperately pulled at Orca, but
"Back off, all of you!"
she seemed far from appeased.
Red didn't suit Orca well,
yet her face was flushed bright crimson.
It was so ridiculous
that I burst out laughing without realizing.
"Crow, solitary for a week."