The Recognition I Earned (1)
Cleaning up corpses turned out to be a surprisingly specialized job. Lay the body on plastic sheeting, roll it up tight, stuff it into a body bag, then haul it away. Members of the organization, dressed in hazmat suits and masks, scrubbed furiously at the blood-soaked floors and walls. The harsh chemical smell that occasionally stung my nose was unpleasant, but it beat the hell out of the metallic reek of blood.
“Everyone’s working hard. Grab some cold drinks and take a break.”
“Ah… thank you.”
I moved among them in my own protective suit, carefully observing the scene. I needed to understand how she fought. What kind of cruelty she displayed. And exactly how strong she really was.
Bianca. An extra who exited the story early in the original work. Despite being a central figure in the incident, the only information available was that she was “strong.” I had to study this villain. For the sake of my next moves, if nothing else.
“…But what the hell did you do to the wall to make it look like this?”
The member who took the drink must have been thirsty; he gulped it down without pausing. Before him stretched a mark that looked like a massive beast had raked it with its claws.
“Ah. That… you’ll have to ask the Alpha directly.”
“Bianca?”
“Y-yes. It’s her ability, so we’re not allowed to speak about it carelessly.”
His unusually stiff reaction was interesting, but also reassuring. After absorbing Pocket’s members, I’d worried their loyalty might be shaky, but this put some of those fears to rest.
“…Impressive.”
And from that answer, I gained one more piece of information. The marks weren’t made by simple physical force. It seemed her obsession with “wolves” was directly tied to her power.
“Still. Can this even be patched up?”
“It can’t be restored to its original state. Patching is just a matter of filling it in.”
“Then how do you plan to compensate for the damage?”
“Compensate…? Oh, right. Boss!”
The member suddenly stopped talking and shouted down the stairs. A gray-haired man poked his head out, spotted me, and came rushing up in a hurry.
“Ah, I should have introduced myself sooner. Nice to meet you. I’m Han Yoon-sang, in charge of operations here.”
“You really don’t have to go that far.”
Taking off his hat and bowing deeply—what was that about? And the way he’d accepted the drink with both hands earlier. It seemed my status was unexpectedly high.
“If you could pass this along to the Alpha, I’d appreciate it.”
“Pass along?”
What was placed in my hand with a clatter was a bundle of key cards, each labeled with a room number.
“Why are you giving me these….”
“The Alpha purchased the entire building.”
…What? What the hell was—
“Work finished?”
The person who could answer my question appeared, slinging an arm around my neck. Rubbing her eyes, she ran a hand through her messy hair once or twice—
“Huuuaaaahm.”
Bianca let out a long, lazy yawn. The soft pressure against my back—what was that?
“We’ve cleaned the main entrance and first floor completely. We’ve also brought in tools for the renovations.”
“Good, good. I gave you the card, right? Make sure the kids get plenty.”
“Yes. I’ll handle it.”
She’d cut them loose completely. So that’s why everyone was working so eagerly. After getting beaten for not bringing in money, serving a big sister who handed over entire bundles of cash must have felt like winning the lottery.
“What have you been doing since morning?”
“Nothing much… everyone outside was working hard, so I figured I’d help.”
She glanced at the bag I was holding, then casually snatched a can of drink—wait, why were her nails gleaming so white?
“…?”
Without opening it normally, she lightly pierced the bottom of the can with her nail. Liquid began leaking from the hole. What kind of unnecessarily flashy way to drink was this?
-Pssht.
She put her mouth to the hole. As the top popped open, her throat began working in earnest. And, as expected, the contents spilled all over her body.
“Do you really have to drink it like that….”
Still, this told me everything. The reason behind those marks on the wall. And the nature of Bianca’s power.
“Is it okay to show off your ability so freely?”
“Huh? Ah, well, it’s you. Besides, everyone who needs to know already knows.”
So it was a slashing attack from a beast’s claws. She’d used it on people. In this narrow space. The victims yesterday who had screamed like they’d seen a monster….
“But maybe because I’ve been eating and sleeping well, that was the strongest output I’ve shown since yesterday. I didn’t expect it to turn out quite like that.”
“So you bought the entire building? You have that much money?”
“Pocket was sitting on a pretty fat stack. As expected from such a cunning ability. They’d siphoned off quite a bit of cash and gold.”
As expected, once you reach the top of a criminal organization, your sense for money grows dull. Or perhaps the position of Bulph’s leader carried that much weight.
“Boss! Boss!”
While I wiped away the drink that had spilled everywhere and tried to signal him, an urgent shout rang out. The sound of footsteps thundering down the stairs drew everyone’s eyes.
“Ah, Alpha…. I was just about to come find you!”
“Why is it so noisy this early?”
“Horn’s side is bringing his entire crew!”
…So it had come. Their movements were faster than I’d anticipated.
“Tsk. News travels fast. Take the kids and—”
“Wait.”
I immediately returned to my room, grabbed two bags, and came back out. I handed one to Han… Yoon-sang, was it?
“What is all this?”
“Open it and you’ll see.”
When he unzipped it, pipe bombs poured out. The more I made, the faster I got. Thanks to the recent warehouse bombing, my hands had grown quick enough to fill an entire bag.
“When did you make all of these?”
“That’s not everything.”
From underneath, I pulled out something shaped like a crossbow. Except instead of arrows, it had a small tube designed to launch pipe bombs. I held up the launcher.
“This should come in handy, right?”
Everyone stared in amazement, which gave me a sense of pride. Bianca, however, looked thoroughly unimpressed.
“What. Are you telling the kids downstairs to get caught in the explosion?”
“Of course not. If they bring a car, we use it on that.”
“…Good head on your shoulders, but your combat sense is garbage. Totally different from when you saved me.”
What was she talking about? Bombs? They might not match special ammunition, but they could deliver pure destructive impact.
“The ones Horn deploys for real combat are only those rated B-rank or higher. These guys are different.”
…B-rank or higher. The kind of opponents that ordinary vigilante groups couldn’t hope to subdue. Enemies who wouldn’t flinch at nailed bats or standard tasers.
“You think they’ll come in cars? Making a big scene? Down this narrow alley?”
“Then…”
“Put the bombs away. Before you end up hurting our own people.”
“So I can’t use them?”
I’d worked so hard on these. What did that make all my effort?
“Then what about this? On the bat—”
“Would a wolf fight holding a bat in its mouth?”
She headed slowly toward the stairs, wolves gathering at her side. Then she gave me what could only be described as a mocking laugh. Unpleasant.
“Just stay put. Don’t do anything stupid. Maybe prepare breakfast while you’re at it?”
“I’ll be back soon?”
The wink that followed was completely unnecessary. She hated being treated like a dog, yet had no problem doing it herself. My pride took a small hit.
“As if I’d just stay put.”
I went home, changed clothes, grabbed my weapons, and headed for the rooftop. My body was once again wrapped in flashbangs and smoke grenades.
The scene that greeted me was pure chaos.
…So Horn had chosen to eliminate her as quickly as possible while she was still weak.
“Where’s the big guy? You only brought the underlings? This is all you’ve got?!”
The street was packed with organization members wearing pale masks. Facing them were people in white protective suits. But… there was no sign of Horn himself.
“If you’re going to attack, then attack already. Stop hesitating. You’re wasting my time. I haven’t even eaten yet!”
Was that supposed to be impressive? Regardless, the battle began with that rather deflating shout.
However, perhaps due to the sheer numbers, while Bianca pushed forward… the rest fell behind. The members barely managed to hold the entrance, desperately trading blows. Some were even breaking the mops they’d used to clean blood and trying to stab with the jagged ends like spears. I told you to bring weapons—why didn’t you listen?
But…
“Weren’t they supposed to be B-rank villains?”
The ones facing Bianca were using their abilities. Though they still got knocked flying, some moved fast enough to leave afterimages. Others used hardening—one of the hallmarks of physical enhancement types—to turn their bodies as hard as stone before charging. A few even wreathed their fists in small flames as they punched….
The ones attacking the entrance, however, displayed none of that. They were simply larger than average with slightly stronger physical strength, nothing more. Just a chaotic brawl of brute force.
“Look at this.”
Were they underestimating her? Or testing her? Either way, the situation seemed to be flowing in favor of my weapons.
Just then, everyone except Bianca began getting pushed back into the building.
“Useless, huh… ha.”
I slipped the specially modified knuckles onto my hand and the bat onto my back, then climbed onto the railing. I couldn’t wait to test the performance of the weapons I’d poured my heart into creating.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
The black-and-white-haired woman spat out rough breaths, wiping sweat from her brow. Those surrounding her merely watched in silence.
“Hey. If you’re going to mess around like this, bring Horn himself. What the hell are you doing? If you’re gonna fight, then fight!”
Despite the provocation, they didn’t take the bait. The villains simply maintained a careful distance, calmly regulating their breathing.
“…Fuck.”
Her family had failed to hold the building entrance and were being pushed inside. Bianca’s eyes grew ice-cold as she watched.
“Really now.”
When she tried to move toward them, Horn’s subordinates blocked her path. Bianca felt her blood begin to boil.
“You’re not moving? I’m not doing this half-assed, you know?”
Her physical condition was excellent. Better than it had been in a long time. Unlike the old days of skipping meals, starving, being dragged around constantly, and never sleeping soundly out of paranoia.
This lukewarm excuse for a fight was simply pissing her off.
“…Huu.”
With someone looking after her, the wolf had regained her claws. They possessed clear, intense cutting power. The beast’s weapon revealed unconsciously alongside her rage.
“I told you to move.”
For the sake of the person waiting at home. For the sake of the man who wore a mask and wouldn’t even tell her his name. She was prepared to spill the blood of those who had once been her family. After all, they were worse “family” than the masked one.
But then.
A sound like an empty can being crushed and dropped hit the floor. What rolled across the ground was a cylindrical object with a burning fuse—
“Ah.”
Realizing it was one of the things she’d seen inside the building, Bianca immediately pulled back and covered her face with both arms. The others turned their heads too late.
-BOOM.
A powerful shockwave erupted with scorching heat. Bianca, who had planted her feet firmly, shook it off and stood immediately. The others weren’t so lucky. Horn’s wolves were bleeding, blankly tapping their heads, or collapsed on the ground.
And among them, something else fell. A flashbang with the pin already pulled.
“Laugh—”
Bianca moved faster than the rest. Because these were the tools used by the person who had saved her life. That’s why, unlike the others, she could see everything clearly.
-Thud.
Among the suffering villains, the one who landed spectacularly in a black cloak and gray mask was one of them.
“I told you to stay home.”
“….”
He silently pointed around with both hands spread wide. At that, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
However.
“Hey, hey!”
When she saw a bleeding villain charging from behind, her expression hardened. The moment his fist was about to connect, her foot slammed into the ground.
-Whoosh.
But her steps began to slow. Because a gray mask had lightly dodged the attack and driven his fist hard into the opponent’s stomach.
“…Huh?”
Yet her heart grew impatient. The villain who had missed his punch—as if he’d struck a wall—remained frozen in that exact posture.
“What is this? Is this all you’ve got?”
The large man stood straight, looking utterly dumbfounded. Beneath him, the gray mask remained motionless. Whether from fear or something else, the attacker stayed frozen with his fist extended.
“If this is a joke—”
“It’s not a joke.”
The moment Bianca clenched her fist and stepped forward, the words cut off. The gray mask slowly raised his head.
“Since it’s my first time making them, I must have miscalculated.”
“What calculation?”
The villain’s lips curved into a smile. Bianca’s expression crumpled. But that lasted only a moment. Because with an explosion, the massive body flew across the street, tearing through the thick smoke.
The organization members at the entrance, still dazed from the shock and flash. The B-rank villains who had withdrawn and watched everything. And Bianca, grinning widely as she brushed dust from her body.
All eyes focused on one place. Toward the man who tossed aside his smoking knuckles and lightly shook out his hands.
“This guy.”
“Fucking—!”
Low-ranking members and B-rank villains immediately charged. But once again, the sound of a can hitting the ground rang out in front of them.
-Bang.
In the time it took Bianca to blink, the gray-masked man had pulled a wooden bat from his back. He swung it precisely at the back of an opponent who had turned away—
-CRASH.
Another explosion rang out as one went down. Along with the strong smell of gunpowder and the broken bat.
“…Look at this.”
Bianca felt her heart pounding. Watching the man who dodged swinging fists by a hair’s breadth, shoved a flashbang into someone’s face and detonated it. Who stabbed charging bodies with what must have been a modified taser, emitting a vicious sound and the smell of burning.
“Kyaaaaaack!!!”
An opponent whose face she didn’t know. An opponent whose villain name she didn’t even know. They hadn’t exchanged real names yet. But he was fighting. Together with her.
“…No. No, no.”
That’s why she blocked those trying to approach him. She closed the distance in an instant to the one who had faltered and drove her fist into him.
“You guys are supposed to be my opponents.”
The Alpha who, while wandering the back alleys and living day to day, had said that family meant protecting each other. But after joining Bulph, it had always been her protecting the members. It had always been her taking the blades.
The rights earned through desperate battles. Under the name of family, the Deltas had taken all the benefits for themselves. What remained after fighting hard was a cold room, a scrap of cloth that could barely be called a blanket, and empty praise from Alpha. Along with the promise to hand over the organization.
The betrayal that occurred the moment she finally tried to claim that promise. That’s why the word “family” had lost all meaning.
“Shouldn’t you be looking over here?”
It had been that way until she met the masked man.