Hero's Qualifications (8)
"Phew." I let out a sigh of relief. The plan was proceeding smoothly as scheduled. To move freely, I had to slip away from the hostages somehow, but thanks to that idiot villain bitch who fell for my taunt hook, line, and sinker, it was a piece of cake. Now I had a solid alibi. The other hostages probably thought I'd been dragged off by the villain and subjected to who-knows-what horrors. All I had to do was fake some injuries and collapse in a convenient spot once this was over, then get carted off to the hospital like an innocent victim.
Well, I never dreamed my chastity would actually be in jeopardy, but still.
"What a trashy bitch."
I dusted myself off and stood up. Aside from some light scrapes, I was unscathed. My purity remained intact.
Only then did I turn my gaze to her. Sleeping Bubble—no, Mimic Girl was frozen stiff, her eyes darting around in panic.
The character alert had changed. Vandal was the name of the villain organization led by Stingray. Fitting name, considering their penchant for destruction and pillaging. A villain with some brains, at least. Still repulsive as ever, though.
If I'd known she was just a D-rank villain, I would've hypnotized her right away. No need to play it cautious and almost get into real trouble.
I stared straight at Mimic Girl and asked, "Any other intruders besides you?"
Puppet Show is in use...
"No one else in the office for now... hngh!" Mimic Girl's mouth opened involuntarily, then her eyes went wide.
"M-Manipulation Authority...?! Then you're a superhuman...!"
"Just answer the question."
I said quietly. Too late for her to realize now. It had been annoying at first, but I was secretly glad to have acquired a manipulation-type Authority. If it'd been something like Cat's Eye's mimicry powers, I could've never passed as a civilian.
"Tell me the number and composition of the villains who invaded the office."
"Stingray went after Peerless... Aside from him, two A-rank villains, eight B-rank, and fifty-three C-rank..."
Despite her panicked eyes, Mimic Girl's mouth spilled the internal intel smoothly. I furrowed my brow hard. Cockroaches, always crawling in hordes. This could be a golden opportunity. Chances to wipe out an S-rank villain's organization don't come often. I'd let them all slip away in my previous life, but now I was the wildcard. Send them all to hell, and villains wouldn't show their faces around here for a while.
"...Out of them, one A-rank, three B-rank, and twelve C-rank went to the nursery."
"What?"
A certain word caught my attention. I halted the interrogation and pressed urgently.
"Why throw that much force at the nursery?"
"The nursery has orphans Peerless cares for... To protect them, she'd send her core forces... so the plan is to kill them all and slaughter the orphans too..."
"..."
I recalled the time before heading to the shelter. The nursery was guarded by just one person now: C-rank hero Psyche. Han Sua.
"Um, excuse meee..."
A voice called out again as I was lost in thought. Mimic Girl, her face still flushed, asked.
"Wh-what are you gonna do with me now...?"
"...You?"
"Yesss."
Her suddenly polite tone was somehow even more disgusting. She crossed her legs and rubbed them together, ignoring my glare.
"Y-you seem like a villain... right...?"
"..."
"Wanna join Vandal...? I can put in a good word with the boss... Or, y'know, just take me with you."
"Huh?"
"You need a woman... right...? I'm good... really confident... yesss...?"
Her sultry voice dripped with seduction. What exactly was she so confident about? A normal villain might've been tempted. Even a crazy criminal like her had a decent body, and groveling like that. But she misjudged me. Whispers from women never worked on me. Snake tongues all day wouldn't faze me. Inner beauty mattered more than looks. No matter how pretty, a psycho like Marionette was worthless. Honestly, she wasn't even that hot. Maybe from hanging around Yuha and Sua so much. Anyway, her fate as a villain was sealed from the start.
"...Mimic Girl, was it?"
"Y-yes! That's meee..."
The villain nodded eagerly, thinking her efforts were working. I scanned the surroundings. Scattered lab tools and glass vials suggested this was some chemical storage room where she'd dragged me. A blue liquid sloshed ominously in a bottle with a blatant skull label. I smirked and picked it up. Her execution method was decided.
"Drink."
"Y-yes...?"
I handed it to her with the cap off, ever so kindly. Doubt paled her sloppy face late. Fear filled her trembling eyes.
Puppet Show is in use...
Even then, the villain's shaking hand slowly brought the bottle to her lips.
"Finish it all, and I'll grant whatever you want. Let you live, whatever. Sound like a good deal?"
"Y-yes...? How are you... W-wait...! No, don't...!"
Tears welled in the villain's eyes. Utterly revolting. A lifelong brutal thug, now playing the sacrificial lamb at the end.
"Do your best."
I walked out into the hallway without looking back. A quick check and twist of my bracelet, and the familiar black Marionette suit shhhk—enveloped me.
—Kyaaaah...!
A scream of agony faded faintly. Followed by a wet splat of something hitting the floor. Probably her guts melting out. Whatever. None of my business.
I hurried on. Time to check Han Sua's choice.
Psyche—Han Sua—was surrounded by at least dozens of villains. Their faces oozed leisure, as if victory was assured.
"Hero, you think you can take us all alone?"
"Heh, let's finish her quick."
Mocking snickers filled the air. Han Sua gritted her teeth.
"Urgh..."
These weren't street punks; they were notorious villains with massive bounties. Vandal, infamous for heinous crimes the past few years. No chance for her, as they said.
"Hold on."
One stepped forward. Han Sua recognized him instantly: coat, bowler hat, cane—a gentlemanly guise. Vandal's executive under Stingray, A-rank villain Baron.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're Hwaryeon's Psyche."
He halted the charging villains and greeted her politely. Han Sua, still wary, replied coldly.
"...You know me?"
"Of course."
He nodded.
"No need to pretend anymore. We've known about you for a while. Can't have the sponsor's bloodline harmed, after all."
"What...?"
Han Sua's guard slipped momentarily. Their "sponsor" meant Hwaryeon—the villain conglomerate behind Vandal's attack.
"Let us in. Do your job, and we're good. Drop the annoying hero act."
"Ngh..."
She bit her lip at the villain's toothy grin. Annoying hero act. It stabbed at her core, her endless torment. Hwaryeon: a sinister group plotting world upheaval. And she was born into it. Her innocent childhood was fleeting. Once she understood good and evil, she knew the truth—but too deep to escape. She'd dreamed of feeble resistance once, but gave up. Hwaryeon was a colossal evil beyond her alone. She'd submitted. Never killed directly, she told herself—but pathetic self-consolation. Yoram's 3rd-year top student, future pillar of justice, hero Psyche. Yet truly a wicked villain. Otherwise, why hack the database for intel? She ignored Hwaryeon's atrocities, excusing herself: inevitable, powerless alone. Countless innocents died under her tacit approval. Yet she clung to the hero facade, landing here. But she realized: fake heroism was clownish farce. That man had mocked her rightly.
"..."
Her arms went limp. Baron nodded satisfied.
"Let's go."
The villains passed her, guards down. Han Sua hung her head, letting them. This was right. Time to quit the ill-fitting hero play. Or so she thought.
A doubt crept in.
"...But what about the kids?"
"Kill 'em all."
"What...?"
She chewed her lip at Baron's casual reply.
"No need to go after kids...! What'd they do...!"
"Who says you need guilt to die? Stingray's orders, anyway."
"Orders...?"
"Boss hates Peerless. Wants her worst death."
Despite "unavoidable," his lips curled smugly.
"Smash those orphans' heads before her eyes... Pfft, even I'm curious. What face will Peerless make? Kuhuhu..."
"..."
The villain shrugged like it was a joke. Han Sua's fists clenched, trembling. But again, she bowed her head in resignation. Nothing she could do—a villain, not hero. Maybe death was mercy for the kids in this harsh world.
"Hurry and finish."
"Kill everything inside and burn it?"
"Annoying... I wanted to fight heroes..."
Han Sua slowly raised her limp head behind the bantering villains. Perhaps a shred of mercy to witness their end. But the sight made her eyes widen.
The nursery kids clustered at the windows, watching her intently. Fists clenched like they were the heroes cheering her on.
-Don't give up!
Their tiny mouths surely said that. Something seized her gaze: a crude flower crown woven from weeds in a girl's hand. Memories flooded: that day of pretend play. An eternally peaceful afternoon.
'Ah...'
Han Sua gasped softly unbidden. Silence enveloped. Time slowed, scenes crawling. At her wavering's end, she finally knew. What she'd truly yearned for all along. And what she must do now.
No—what only she could do.
"Alright, then... Gurk!"
—Splat!!
The rhino villain stepping into the nursery had his head explode like a watermelon. Crushed by invisible hands. Headless body twitched, then slumped limp.
The leisurely villains snapped to attention.
"What the hell!!"
"Ambush!!"
Footsteps approached amid their shock. Han Sua stood, fist clenched in midair. Her eyes blazed red with Authority active—proudly claiming the kill.
"You bitch... daring to betray us...!!"
Baron's rage-filled voice rang. Undeterred, Han Sua held firm. Vitality surged through her like never before. She'd die after this—too many to handle alone, no backup coming. Yet she smiled. She'd found what to protect, even at death's cost. What she must do. Why? Simple.
She was a hero, not a villain.
"Hero Psyche."
She spoke low and calm.
"Villain subjugation begins now."
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.