How to Take Responsibility

The terrorist attack at the large shopping mall near the academy had been resolved thanks to the combined efforts of the heroes and the police.

But inside the mall, innocent people were still dying.

"Guhhh… cough…"

"H-here!! We need support over here!!"

"Start CPR, now!!!"

"…This one's already gone."

The moment the terrorists were suppressed, emergency responders had rushed in—paramedics, police officers, heroes, firefighters, every available hand. All of them were fighting desperately to save whoever they could.

And sadly, there was nothing I could do to help.

Principal Baek Soa, who had been surveying the scene alongside me, must have noticed the bitterness on my face. She offered a word of comfort without missing a beat.

"It's only this manageable because of you, Maxwell."

"Hahaha… Thank you for saying that."

No one could have predicted a disaster of this scale. But this would become an absolute case study—proof of why heroes needed to exist in society.

Once the mall had been brought under some semblance of order, Victory and I received deep, heartfelt thanks from the heroes and police alike.

"I heard you identified Air Bomb's weakness on the spot, Maxwell. Because of that, none of my people died."

"…If things had gone wrong, far more would have been lost. And you—Victory, was it? You have my genuine gratitude."

"Even heroes feel powerless sometimes. Thanks to your help, the others can hold their heads high again."

With that, I had successfully forged a major connection to the forces of good. And judging by how happy Victory looked, she seemed to have realized that the outside world wasn't so bad after all.

Though for some reason, the strength with which she clung to me had only grown. Fortunately, she still regulated her grip carefully enough that I didn't have to stifle any pained groans.

Our group returned to the academy after that. All that remained was to head home…

"It's gotten terribly late."

The sun was already setting. I had warned Gloria and Liberty that we might be delayed, but I still had no idea how I was going to face them.

Victory, on the other hand, was loudly insisting we make it even later.

"Maxwell! Since we're already late, let's go even later!!"

"V-Victory?"

"Pfft. That child really does adore you, Maxwell."

Principal Baek Soa and her secretary watched us with thoroughly fond expressions. The principal instructed her secretary to prepare something, then told me to contact her whenever I had the time—and handed me her business card.

Perhaps because she was a Magical Girl, the card was extravagantly flashy. Principal Baek Soa, clearly well aware of that fact and already looking embarrassed, hastily changed the subject.

"Ahem!! Personal calls are perfectly fine, so please don't hesitate to reach out."

That was an open invitation for unofficial contact whenever I needed it—a solid bridge to the side of good. Satisfied with the rope growing steadily stronger beneath me, I exchanged farewells with the principal.

Victory and I boarded the vehicle bound for Pyongyang. Unlike that morning, her fear seemed to have largely faded; she was lively even inside the car.

"Victory, how was the outing?"

"It was really, really great!!"

So the closing ceremony trip had been a resounding success, then.

The moment the vehicle started moving, exhaustion crashed over me. But it wasn't long before the bodyguards riding with us received a radio transmission.

"…Maxwell."

"Is that from the security captain?"

The bodyguards nodded silently. I let out a quiet sigh and looked out the window. The sun had already vanished beyond the horizon, and the moon ruled the sky. The eyes reflected in the car window had gone cold enough that even I found them unfamiliar.

I stroked Victory's head as she stared intently at me, then finally opened my mouth.

"Driver? Please take us wherever the security team is directing."

"Understood. Fair warning—the road will be rough."

Whether we were heading back to Black Cell or somewhere else, it made little difference from my perspective. The vehicle turned away from Pyongyang and began winding into a remote forest.

While all of New Korea buzzed with talk of the massive shopping mall terrorist attack, time marched on into night. Deep in a mountain forest far from Seoul, someone let out a bitter howl of rage.

"This goddamn society!!! Damn heroes!!!"

Air Bomb—the bat mutant and named villain who had led the attack—could not contain his fury. His notoriety had soared, but he had lost every last comrade who shared his cause. Whether he could ever rebuild a group the way he once ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had was anyone's guess.

Still, his final companion's sacrifice had bought him a new chance.

"Never again… I'll never move so recklessly again!!"

Even a vicious villain could use failure as a stepping stone. And with his formidable combination of superpowers, other paths remained open to him. Multiple evil organizations had already extended recruitment offers—he could simply start over from the bottom with one of them.

So Air Bomb, having conveniently forgotten that he had slaughtered countless people for nothing, stewed only over his present failure and tried to steel his resolve. That was when it happened.

Rustle!

An alien sound cut through the trees. Air Bomb, who could manipulate ultrasonic waves, immediately sensed someone nearby. He had been planning to kill every witness until the investigation died down, so he lashed out with his telekinesis at once. A section of the forest was ripped clean away.

But something was wrong. Even a small animal should have burst like a blood bag. Where the sound had come from, there was nothing but shattered wood and overturned earth.

Air Bomb was just beginning to register that something was off—

———————————BEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

"GAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

An overwhelming blast of noise erupted from every direction. As a bat mutant, he suffered even more intensely—and the situation only got worse.

Rustle.

"W-who the hell are you people?!"

Unidentified soldiers materialized around him. Air Bomb tried to activate his powers to deal with them, but for some reason the abilities themselves refused to fire. Extreme terror seized him in that instant—

Thud!!!

"Guh?!"

The silent soldiers drove something into his body. The moment the cold stake pierced him, Air Bomb thrashed in agony. But a weak current ran through the stake, locking his body in place. Completely subdued, he was dragged away.

Through his steadily blurring vision, Air Bomb searched desperately for any way out. The world, however, had no more chances left to give him.

The sound of a vehicle approached from behind. The soldiers hauling him fell into neat ranks. Someone stepped down from the car and walked slowly toward them.

"Maxwell. The target has been successfully subdued."

"Excellent work, Captain."

Receiving the crisp salutes of the perfectly aligned soldiers, Maxwell himself stepped into view. Air Bomb, who had no idea what was happening behind him, could only stare in confusion. Confirming that every last one of the villain's abilities had been sealed, Maxwell accepted something from the security captain and began walking around behind him as he spoke.

"I've lowered the sonic frequency enough that you can hear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me. But as you already know, with the ambient sound waves and that stake in your body, you won't be using your powers."

"W-who the hell are you?!"

"Me? I'm simply someone who wants to hold you accountable for this terrorist attack."

Maxwell demanded responsibility from the man who had massacred innocent civilians. Even in extreme pain, Air Bomb refused to acknowledge his own wrongdoing and began blaming everyone else.

"What gives you the right to talk to me about responsibility?! Everything that happened to me is society's fault!!!"

"Hmm… So that's how you see it. Ordinarily I make it a firm policy never to converse with fools, but I'll make an exception this once."

Maxwell accepted one more item from the security captain standing at his side and continued.

"You asked what right I have to speak of responsibility. It's simple. I carry the same kind of sins you do."

"W… what?"

"But there is a decisive difference between us. Have you ever heard this before?"

Maxwell glanced down at what he held in his hand and gave a bitter smile.

"Of course, everything I'm doing here is pure self-satisfaction. And no one knows what waits at the end of this twisted, warped road. But just as we continue to wear the symbol of Black Cell, we simply keep moving forward. We do not run from the responsibility of the things we have set in motion."

Click!!!

"You, however, have arrived at the terminal station called the present. So now… it's time to take responsibility."

"W-what did I even do wrong?! Is being born a mutant a crime?! Is it?!!!"

Maxwell leveled the handgun with one hand, stating that those who lived in darkness least of all could afford to flee from their sins and their responsibilities. Air Bomb, still shoving every scrap of blame onto others, thrashed and screamed—but the special operatives around him tightened their hold.

And then…

Bang!!!

A single lead bullet was fired on an unnamed mountain somewhere in the night. The space had been sealed off from the outside world by the operatives' abilities and Black Cell's equipment. Only the memory of someone thrashing in desperation settled into the silence.

Maxwell had returned so late that he was currently receiving a peculiar look from Gloria. Meanwhile, the man who had served as his security captain entered the Security Director's office at Black Cell.

"Director Yoon. Reporting the security team's return."

"I heard about the operation. You did well, Deputy Director. Were you found out?"

"Honestly, he doesn't seem particularly concerned about our true identities."

In truth, the security captain was one of Security Director Yoon Carter's closest confidants—planted at Maxwell's side. And the reason for this entire exercise had been simple.

"Is that so? The others are still singing his praises as well."

"Hahaha… How could they not?"

It had all been to determine what kind of man Maxwell truly was. The deputy director recounted everything that had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happened and let out a sigh.

"The things he said on that mountain almost felt like he was comforting us. At any rate, he's a man who has no business being in a place like Black Cell."

"Coming from you, Deputy Director… though I find myself agreeing."

After listening, however, Yoon Carter argued the opposite—that a man like Maxwell was exactly what Black Cell needed.

"Have you heard the saying about one loach muddying the whole pond?"

"Of course. But you're saying this is the reverse."

"Exactly. He's like a lotus flower."

A lotus does not magically purify filthy water. Instead, it slowly revives the water where its roots take hold, breathing life back into a stagnant pond.

"He's also the person Lady Aileen needs most."

"…I can't deny that for a second."

As members of the Blackrock family charged with Aileen Blackrock's protection, both the director and the deputy director understood her temperament better than anyone. And since Maxwell's arrival, they had watched her grow markedly more amenable.

Looking forward to the future, the Security Director smiled faintly and showed the deputy director a certain document.

"Th-this is…?"

"The Chief Researcher has been making quite a fuss."

"I understand that Dr. Cain will do anything to avoid meeting Lady Aileen, but isn't this a bit fast? He's only been here a year, and they're talking about making him Vice Director?"

Dr. Cain had submitted a petition to the core executives requesting that Maxwell be promoted to Vice Director. If approved, Maxwell would become a shield for Dr. Cain—who was terrified of Director Aileen—just as Dr. Cain currently served as Maxwell's shield against outside scrutiny.

Naturally, the Security Director had signed the document long ago.

"Aren't you curious too, Deputy Director? About how Black Cell is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠going to change from here on out."

Even within the group, Black Cell was a particularly filthy and dark place. Yoon Carter hoped Maxwell would become a milestone—that the organization might improve even a little. The deputy director could only nod in agreement.