Recognition Earned (2)
The ranks of villains and heroes are designated by letters. The highest is S, the lowest is F. Between them lie A through D. F essentially meant no different from an ordinary person. Even if they possessed some ability, it was still on par with a civilian. An F-rank telekinetic, for instance, would collapse from exhaustion after moving a single cup. Starting from B-rank, they far surpassed the realm of ordinary humans. Their bodies could withstand bullets, and a B-rank telekinetic could deflect incoming gunfire. Even higher was A-rank. At that level, crumpling several vehicles or turning a person into a bloody pulp was child's play. And S-rank… had no upper limit. It was a rank created to somehow fit the unfittable into a system. There were only a handful of them in the world, each matching their monstrous power, and nearly all of them were under strict government surveillance and control. In exchange, they received enormous privileges and pensions that flowed in just for breathing.
“Huff… huff… huff…”
Even now, I could tell this body wasn’t F-rank. If it were, I wouldn’t have been able to handle so many opponents at once.
“My eyes! My eyes…!”
“Fuck… aaagh…!”
That didn’t mean this body was particularly impressive. My heart and lungs were pounding as if they might burst, and sweat poured down like rain. I wanted to rip the mask off my face right then and there.
“Hey.”
The shadow that quietly settled over me belonged to Bianca, her lips curled into a wide grin. The way she leaned in deeply, reaching out with her hand… well, it made it very difficult to know where to look.
“…What?”
When I turned my head, her expression instantly twisted into something fierce. But when I tried to speak, my mouth was too busy gulping down air. So I simply pointed with my finger—at her soaked tank top, its neckline slightly stretched out.
“Ah, aah. Heh, pffft, ah… how cute. Why? Does this bother you?”
When I nodded, she immediately yanked off her hood and ruffled my hair wildly. The neat style I’d managed earlier was now a complete mess.
“Get up. The hero of the day can’t be sitting on the ground like that.”
She seemed incredibly pleased. Of course she would be. She’d fought twice and won both times in spectacular fashion.
I took her outstretched hand and stood. Only then did the surroundings come into focus. Her subordinates were forcing Horn’s fallen men to their knees one by one and lining them up. Seeing them with their protective gear half-removed and tied around their waists made me want to throw off my cloak too. The trapped sweat made me feel like I was being steamed alive.
“Go upstairs. I’ll clean this up nicely.”
“…Can you manage without me? Huff.”
“Stop acting tough and go inside. I know you pushed yourself.”
This time, there was no mockery in her gaze. Instead, she looked at me with genuine… pride. Like a parent watching their child.
“Pushed myself… my ass.”
Yes, I was exhausted. Still, I had no intention of leaving things like this. Just like with Pocket, I needed to maintain proper control. I couldn’t afford to be left in the dark about anything.
“I know you want to look good in front of me, but you’ve done more than enough. Go inside. I’ll count this as one more debt you owe me.”
Was this really the same sharp-tongued wolf from before? The way she kept stroking my hair and huffing through her nose made it seem like I’d somehow become very pleasing to her.
…Wait. This is basically treating me like a dog.
“You told me not to treat you like a dog.”
“Hmm?”
I finally brushed away the hand that kept messing up my hair and pulled my hood back on. Bianca clicked her tongue in clear disappointment. What the hell was with her?
“You there. Hand me that phone, will you?”
“Ah, yes. Here it is.”
I slipped away from the woman who had been loosely holding onto me and headed toward the group organizing the confiscated items. I picked up a white phone. The lock screen was already disabled—looks like they’d worked on it during the seizure.
Let’s see… Ha. Of course. They’d saved the contact as “Big Bro.”
I pressed the number immediately and pressed the cold screen to my ear.
— Trrrring.
After a few rings, the other side picked up. I cleared my throat once to steady my rough voice.
“Is this Horn?”
“…And you must be the grey mask who called the office last time. The one who supposedly saved Beta.”
A deep, resonant voice. It carried a weight that seemed to press my ears all the way to the floor.
“You know what it means that I’m using this number, right?”
“…”
Was he trying not to be underestimated? Or was the situation good enough for him to act relaxed? After sending so many of his men?
“I was actually on my way to you. We’ll talk about the details in person.”
…What? He’s coming? In person?
“What do you—”
The call cut off. Then came the loud screech of brakes.
“Looks like he decided to pay us a personal visit,” Bianca said from beside me, having listened quietly. She grinned, cracking her knuckles. She seemed thrilled at the prospect of another fight. Even though both her subordinates and I were already drained.
And then—
— Gurgle.
“Ugh, my stomach’s a bit empty… Maybe I should go grab something to eat first.”
She hadn’t eaten properly since morning and had been fighting nonstop. She looked tired, regardless of how much she enjoyed it. If she went up against Horn’s main force without even proper armament… Damn it. This was bad. I’d already used up all the tools I’d prepared.
— Step. Step.
Whether we wanted it or not, we were finally facing each other. A man in an impeccably tailored suit walked toward us slowly. His presence alone dwarfed every thug we’d fought until now. And the people surrounding him were on an entirely different level.
…Right. These were real B-rank villains and above. So the ones we’d faced earlier had just been a scouting party to test our strength.
“How about it? Ready for round two?”
“Are you kidding? Against the real deal?”
“Exactly…?”
Her hand gently touched my chest, then pushed me back with surprising force—enough to make me stumble.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“You said you were overworked.”
So she was planning to face him alone? Against a villain who had fought on equal footing with the original protagonist?
“Go. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’d be better if I buy time while you go eat something. Our odds would be higher that way.”
“I’m not joking.”
I grabbed the hand that had shoved me. Even though I knew my strength couldn’t match hers.
“Neither am I.”
“…?”
I had already bet everything on Bianca long ago. With no other options, there was nowhere left to retreat.
“You said you’d treat me like family. Don’t families live and die together?”
The kind of loyalty you only saw in gangster movies. In reality it might be different, but this was inside a story.
“…You.”
“I’m counting on you.”
I picked up the broken handle of a mop lying on the ground. Should I stab with it? Or swing it? Either way, could it even hurt Horn, who could sprout horns from his body?
“Ha, heh, hahaha, ha— You’re seriously insane.”
I turned at the heavy slap on my back, but the touch quickly softened into a gentle stroke. My body trembled slightly. It was nice that our intimacy level was rising, but I almost wished she’d just glare at me instead.
As I felt her body slowly pull away, I faced the approaching Horn. I wanted to steady my breathing, but doing so felt like my head might explode.
…Please don’t look down on me.
“It’s been a while.”
“Indeed. Since the previous Alpha’s funeral, I believe?”
“Yes. I apologize for not visiting sooner. Things have been quite busy.”
Was this a formal greeting? If so, Horn’s attitude seemed strangely…
“The welcome party feels rather lukewarm, doesn’t it?”
“I heard you had a major incident. I sent some fresh meat to help you loosen up. Did it suit your taste?”
“No venom, no spirit. Stahlleder’s bunch was a bit more exciting, at least.”
It was lukewarm. He showed no sign of using his abilities. He simply watched his battered subordinates in silence before turning his gaze back to us. What was going on here?
“…Speaking of which, I heard Stahlleder has been stirring up trouble since yesterday, harassing the nearby Deltas.”
“Really? Hah, well, that guy’s temper is something else.”
What? So yesterday’s attack hadn’t been aimed solely at us? From the atmosphere… it seemed Horn’s side had been attacked as well. That’s why he’d come here like this.
“But you didn’t come all this way just to exchange pleasantries, did you?”
“No.”
“Then why are you here?”
I gripped the weapon I’d prepared just in case, but the tension in the air was clearly easing. In front of Bianca, who was growling sharply, Horn slowly lowered his puffed-up fur and knelt—like a submissive beast.
“I remember the previous Alpha saying that the next seat belonged to Beta. Although in his final years, he passed without leaving any clear words.”
“Hmm.”
“Therefore, though it is quite late…”
Horn, along with his subordinates, knelt. Then they pressed their foreheads to the ground.
“Please accept us into your pack.”
““Please accept us, Beta!””
…Shouldn’t I be suspicious? Considering his ability, this could be the perfect moment for a surprise attack. With those massive horns that could pierce the earth.
But Bianca—
“Pff, heh, hahaha, hahahahaha!!!”
…She was dying of laughter. Horn’s side remained perfectly still and silent.
“Are you serious? Horn? Did you eat something weird? Why?”
“Don’t both legitimacy and justification belong to Beta? Moreover, how much have you contributed to the organization until now—”
“Stop barking like a dog and speak properly. What’s your real motive?”
I’d thought she would just accept it, but she was asking all the right questions. Had she learned that from me, or…?
“After treating me like a bullet sponge all this time, why are you suddenly kneeling? It’s disgusting.”
So there was resentment. And it ran deep enough to have taken root firmly. Right. In the critical moment, he had turned his back.
“…I am well aware of my shamelessness. However—”
“Enough.”
Was she going to end it here? If it led to a fight now, it would be bad. It would be better to make him withdraw on his own…
“I have nothing to say to you. And you probably have nothing to say to me either.”
“…”
“If you really want me to accept you, talk to him instead.”
A hand gripped my shoulder. Wait, me? She wanted me to talk to Horn?
“…You mean the one who saved… Beta?”
“Yeah. Talking to you just pisses me off.”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned toward me. …If I hadn’t been wearing a mask, I might have stopped breathing entirely. It had been a long time since I’d received this much attention—since that presentation back in school.
“Handle the cleanup yourself. And take care of the kids.”
“Yes. I will do so.”
The way Horn obediently accepted even that—something urgent must be going on. Otherwise, there was no way he’d be this submissive.
“Hey.”
“…Leave it to me.”
No matter how burdensome it felt, I had no intention of missing this opportunity. Since it was a chance to influence the future of the organization, taking an active role would raise my standing. If so, perhaps I could prevent Justice’s appearance without even needing to step forward myself. While Justice struggled, I could handle everything with a single snap. Using the name of Bulph.
Not a bad idea, actually?
But then.
“No, that’s not what I…”
“Are you hurt?”
She approached me with a surprisingly serious expression and leaned in. The strong metallic scent of blood and sweat hit me.
“You—”
I quickly grabbed her stomach, and that’s when the sound came. A loud, violent rumbling.
“Food.”
Oh, come on. You scared me.
“…I knew it. Go get some chicken breast or something—”
“I want the food you make.”
“Ugh, then at least heat up some frozen—”
“The food you make tastes the best.”
Horn’s entire group was standing right there, watching and waiting. And she wanted me to cook for her… Well, I suppose I had to.
“Eat first! Eat first!”
At her shout, the large group began to scatter in all directions. Only Horn slowly followed behind us and quietly stood in front of the door.
“Once you’ve finished your meal, I would be grateful if you could call for me. I will wait here.”
Wait here? With that massive body standing like a motionless roly-poly, it was going to bother me even more.
“…Have you… eaten yet—?”
“Why are you using honorifics all of a sudden? It’s been bothering me. You don’t speak politely to me, but you do to everyone else?”
“That’s because…”
That’s because… what should I say? Right. I’d been using polite speech with the subordinates until now. Wouldn’t that undermine the boss’s dignity?
“…Fine. I owe you more than one or two debts. If I can’t even allow this much, I’d be trash.”
She grumbled, but considering how wary she had been at the beginning, we really had come a long way.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, I will speak casually, Alpha-nim.”
“Ugh, gross. Just go back to how you were.”
She shuddered even as she said it. Why did she even try, then?
I sent Bianca in first, then turned to Horn, who was quietly watching us from behind.
“Come inside, then. I’ll prepare a meal for you.”
“…”
“She said it’s fine. Serve him properly.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Me, her, and you. If you so much as bare your teeth at him—”
“Yes.”
Was the hierarchy finally established? And had I somehow earned her recognition?
The treatment had changed completely from the beginning, and I couldn’t help but feel a little proud. Where had that wolf gone—the one who used to jump around wildly, insisting she didn’t owe me anything?
“What are you making today?”
“Hmm. Maybe Chinese?”
“Then this time, make it fried!”
“Sure, sure.”
Now all that remained was a wolf pup panting eagerly at the thought of food.