Greed That Was Born
The police in this world aren’t all that incompetent. With their fairly well-organized personnel and generous funding, they make a genuine effort to maintain strict public order. They respond to any crime that crosses a certain line with such decisiveness that even bribes don’t work. Isn’t that only natural? In a world of heroes and villains, wasn’t the police always just a measuring stick for combat strength? Well, even so—that competence only applies to the surface world.
The underworld has long since been abandoned to its own devices. Even when civilians get caught up in it, everything is swept under the rug by unspoken rules. People’s perceptions have hardened over time. The only ones who ever shattered that perception were Justice.
“Yeah, put that over there. You’re in charge of the weapons and explosives. Manage them properly.”
That’s why the distribution of all sorts of ‘dangerous’ goods wasn’t even considered a problem. The materials I needed were now all handled through Bianca’s connections, so I didn’t have to spend a single cent of my own money. Even the assembly was completely taken over by the organization’s manpower.
So that’s why everyone’s so desperate to climb higher. Of course, supervision was still necessary.
“This assembly is wrong. The wire needs to be attached here.”
“Ah, right.”
“I’m pointing it out lightly, but if the connection is wrong, this thing will explode while you’re assembling it in the field. You’ll be the one getting hurt, so be careful.”
“Yes, understood.”
After selecting people with decent heads on their shoulders, I shared the knowledge I’d learned from the tutorial. Of course, not everything. Some only learned how to connect the wires. Others only learned how much gunpowder to pack in. I split every single step and assigned them separately. I also gave them separate training and didn’t recruit too many people. If I wasn’t careful, they might start thinking about making bombs for themselves and scheming something else.
Even though I made them work in a room with cameras and monitored them directly, I couldn’t watch over every single second of their remaining time. The final assembly of the parts was done by me personally. Thanks to that, the production of bombs, flashbangs, and smoke grenades—which should have taken several full days—was finished shockingly fast.
…Even so, the recipe would probably leak eventually. But then again, in a world where pistols and rifles are floating around if you just want them badly enough, was this really an issue? There were even ability users who could detonate flashes in their own hands.
“Look at the quantity. There’s a ridiculous amount.”
“Of course we need this much if we’re going to shake up Stahlleder and the rest of the executives. Has there been any contact from Kerberos?”
“Still nothing.”
Tsk. If she were here, I wouldn’t even need to use bombs. I’d asked Horn, but it seemed he was struggling too. What if Stahlleder had already succeeded in making contact first?
“In the end, the priority is to accumulate damage on Stahlleder.”
“You could just cut off the branches. You know I don’t care.”
“Yeah. I’m just trying to make the work a little easier, so I’m thinking about it.”
“…”
Wait, was being considerate something to be that embarrassed about? Even if she wasn’t used to kindness, this was a bit much.
“Anyway, let me ask one more time. The other rebel executives—”
“I have no intention of taking them. They were the worst of the worst. If it were their underlings, maybe, but no.”
“That’s true… but their abilities are such a waste.”
Stahlleder, the best among those with hardening abilities. A werewolf with beast transformation powers that perfectly suited the name Bulph. A titan that could grow up to five meters tall and boasted extraordinary destructive power.
“Those executives were the ones who kept the organization running while I was gone.”
Given that there had been no answer to my messages so far, it was probably best to assume persuasion was impossible. Even if I could reach them, Bianca would probably just bite their throats out, and I had no desire to stop her. After all, my ultimate goal was to bring Bulph completely under my control and twist the original plot in a more interesting direction.
“Do you really regret it that much?”
“No. If the boss wants it, I’ll follow.”
“I can listen to your opinion. I owe you, don’t I?”
“I’m trying to make you the boss. Leaving any embers behind would only hinder my goal. If you don’t want them and see them as a threat… then it’s better to eliminate them.”
Above all, Stahlleder definitely needed to be killed for good. The uncontrollable ferocity he’d shown in the original story would clearly never be helpful.
But…
“Lately, you’ve been staring at me a lot, haven’t you?”
“Ah, um, uh, well—that’s because… I’m trying to think more deeply like you do, and they say you should make eye contact when talking, so…”
You? Thinking deeply? Well, I suppose there’s no law saying people can’t change.
“A-anyway! I’ll think more about the purge plan. Right. The disruption. Tell me how we’re going to split those three. Are we raiding the warehouse again?”
“No, security’s been tightened too much for that method to work anymore. Instead… I was thinking of trying a different approach.”
“What kind?”
If my memory was correct, Stahlleder was a drug addict. The reason he’d been crushed by Justice was because he’d gone on a rampage from drug-induced hallucinations, exposing an opening and getting taken down.
“Do you know where the drug production happens?”
“…That’s something that shouldn’t be touched. The backlash would be no joke. Especially right now—”
As expected. Even a villain with her level of notoriety was hesitating. Touching a reverse scale.
“Don’t worry. Even if we do it, they won’t have time to pay attention to us.”
“You have a way?”
I did. Of course I did. Though she probably wouldn’t like it.
“What do you think about getting the police involved?”
“Ha?”
“I’m not saying we’ll report them. I’m not claiming to be the police’s informant either. I’m just saying we should completely exhaust Stahlleder.”
“I don’t really get it.”
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say.
“What if the drugs coming from Stahlleder… ended up on the surface world?”
“Huh?”
“It doesn’t matter if no actual crime is committed. It doesn’t matter if no one even uses them. But what if one of Stahlleder’s couriers gets arrested by the police?”
“You think that’s possible? You think a courier would be crazy enough to head to the surface? And what could catching one courier even accomplish?”
“Just hear me out.”
When I subtly stood up and tried to move closer, Bianca flinched and stepped back. What’s with her?
“W-what are you trying to do?”
“I have to whisper the plan. There might be ears listening.”
“…This place is, um, just the two of us… you know.”
“True. Still.”
Was she sick or something? Why was her face turning that bright red?
“It’s not going to be a long explanation anyway. I’m just going to drop one line and be done. Is that so difficult?”
“No—it’s just—”
She was being strangely hesitant in the weirdest places. Where was the girl who used to swing her fists and threaten me?
“Your ears are sensitive, and you have a nice voice—ugh—”
I left the muttering girl behind, sighed, and tapped on the newly prepared tablet. I drew a simple diagram with the stylus.
“Ah, okay, I’m ready—”
I shoved the completed plan right in front of her. She stared at it with a blank face.
“…Eh.”
“You said you didn’t like whispering.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”
“Just read it.”
Why was she glaring at me like that? Even when I went along with what she wanted. Seriously, I could never figure her out. But…
“Ha. Hah, hahaha, you really are a genius.”
Her face quickly brightened. She let out a low, pleased growl. A smile naturally formed on my lips.
“We’ll need the guys and me. Anything else you need?”
“Nothing. Just hit the warehouse fast and scatter.”
After all, I would be controlling the rest of the variables. The reason I’d prepared so much explosive was for moments like this.
“Keep their mouths shut.”
“Just tell them it’s a raid operation. Say we’re going to fuck Stahlleder over once.”
The only two things the subordinates needed to know were combat and retreat. The real intention only needed to be known by me and the Bianca in front of me.
“Ah… but seriously, you’re not going to be called a villain? A terrorist act of this scale is more than enough to qualify.”
“I told you I’m not. There won’t be any civilian casualties.”
But why did she keep bringing this up to me? Was Bianca originally the type to have this much greed for people? She was a character who died at the very beginning, so I didn’t know much about her.
“…If you need money, I can give you some.”
“It’s not because of money, you know that. If it were about money, I would’ve made you pay for the food—”
“Want to die?”
I couldn’t even speak properly. If she knew how much the food bill came out to every day, she’d be shocked too.
“Hm, hm, then… are you trying to become the boss of the organization? Are you scheming to stand above me and order me around?”
“If that were the case, I would’ve accepted your offer to become a Bulph member as is.”
“…Then what’s the real reason? It’s not money, it’s not the organization… ah.”
What now? Why was her face turning red again?
“Pervert. Crazy bastard.”
“What?”
Why was she suddenly acting like this? And why was she covering her body?
“You… were interested in me?”
“What?”
Did the meat I used today go bad? That shouldn’t be possible.
“After piling up so much debt, you’re trying to make me do all sorts of things. You’ve been stopping me from paying back the debt all this time, ah, ugh—”
If she hated it that much, she should cover herself properly. Why was she wrapping her arms around her ribs like that, only making her figure stand out more? And was she always this kind of character?
“I knew it from the moment you said I was pretty. No one had ever called me pretty before. Your tastes are quite unique, huh?”
“…Sigh.”
I left her squirming on the bed, placed my hand on the doorknob. It seemed I’d picked the wrong person. Was Bianca really this kind of character?
“I-it’s not like I couldn’t—”
I heard her mumble something, but it was buried by the loud sound of the door slamming shut.
“Hey!!!”
A voice loud enough to make my body flinch burst out from behind me, but I didn’t bother turning around. Seriously, I could never figure her out. Let’s just get to work. Work.
“What the hell is it, then.”
Bianca, facing the closed door, spoke while trying to calm her burning body. The powerful heartbeat and hazy mind she had felt right before dying—she was experiencing it once again. Only this time, it wasn’t accompanied by pain. It was a thrilling sensation that made her body tingle with excitement.
“Why did you save me? Why are you treating me so kindly?”
The electrifying thrill she felt every time she dodged a blade. The ecstasy of beating an enemy, throwing them down, and crushing them beneath her feet. The wolf who had believed that was all there was to pleasure placed a hand over her chest.
“Everyone was always so busy running away.”
The ones who had tried to touch her as a child had all been torn apart by her teeth. The ones who had pestered her after she grew up had been trampled so brutally they could no longer function as people. So that no one would see her as a woman. And yet this man was the same gender as those ‘bastards.’
Moreover, he didn’t even know her face.
“Why… why are you risking your life to protect me like this?”
Silently covering her food expenses with his own money. Taking on all the annoying household chores every single day. Bringing her everything she needed for training right on time and even wiping away her sweat. And above all, standing proudly beside her when facing an enemy.
“If you’re not seeing me as a woman, then what are you doing?”
Everyone else had always lowered their gaze or avoided eye contact when she looked at them. The masked man was doing the complete opposite of all of them. And she herself had begun to see him differently.
“…Fuck, my head hurts.”
The answer had always been simple—obtained with her fists. But this opponent was different. He was a benefactor she couldn’t hit, and when she saw him injured, her heart had tightened so painfully it hurt. …That was why her ‘claws’ had unconsciously sprung out.
—Ziiiip.
The sound of a zipper opening came from outside. He must be getting ready.
“…”
The hand that had unconsciously reached out stopped in midair. The cold response of the door slamming shut after a single sigh replayed in her mind once more.
So…
“…Ha.”
A bitter taste lingered in her mouth. She had even pushed out her chest—her only pride—and yet Mask had left without sparing her a single glance. When she had reached out her hand, he had gestured for her to cover her chest, which clearly meant he did see her as a woman, but—
—Thud.
With a heavy sound, the front door closed. Before she could even muster the courage, the man who had turned her mind into a complete mess had left just like that.
“Haa…”
It would have been nice to have someone to talk to at times like this. If only there was someone she could rely on when she felt this confused—
“Really, really, really—ugh.”
The fact that there was only one such person made her face twist even more. Someone whose real name and face she didn’t even know had, in an instant, become an incredibly important person to her.
…And that was why one thought crossed her mind. The perfectly natural thought that she must not disappoint him.
—Riiing. Riiing.
Lying on the bed, she made a call. She gently touched the chair he had been sitting on and felt the faint warmth still lingering there flow across the back of her hand. That had been the trigger.
“…”
She quietly sat up, placed her arm on the seat where he had sat, and rested her chin on it. Maybe… maybe when he had touched her wound, he had also gently stroked her cheek. She thought such things.
“Alpha? Are you there?”
What shattered that pleasant thought in an instant was a gravelly voice. It belonged to Horn—the one who had once been a relatively ‘good’ traitor, completely different from his.
“…Damn it, you scared me.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. You weren’t answering.”
“Hey, call some of the kids over.”
“How many do you need?”
The tablet he had touched was still on. Looking at the operation map, she forced her heavy head to move with sheer willpower.
“Make it loud, like last time when we caused a ruckus.”
“Are you planning a big raid? The kids are still injured from—”
“Just make it look loud. I’ll be the one beating them all anyway.”
“Understood. Um… may I ask why you need them—”
His request. His plan. The things he was doing for one person. And that one person was… precisely…
“Just call them. I’ll explain the details when we meet.”
“Yes.”
The beast who had never listened to anyone’s requests before lowered her ears with a soft flop. Then she wagged her tail, swish, swish.
“Hmmm.”
She hung up the phone roughly and immediately pressed her cheek more firmly against the chair. Roughly. And surely.
“Crashing a truck full of drugs into the city… Puhuhu, seriously. How does he come up with ideas like that?”
Thoughts she could never have had. Pictures she could never have drawn. Above all, the very picture of herding prey like a wolf.
“Where exactly do you see yourself as not being part of Bulph?”
That was why she coveted him. That was why she wanted to possess him. The organization had taken everything from her, whether she liked it or not. So she wanted to at least secure one thing she had come to like within it.
—Riiing. Riiing.
True to her nature of only caring about eating, her ringtone was set to the default. However, her reaction was anything but ordinary.
“Oh, oh. Maska. What’s up?”
“Move out. Everything’s ready.”
“Yeah, um, what should I bring?”
“Bring weapons if you need them. Your steel claws are in my room. I’ve finished maintaining them.”
And that too was anything but ‘ordinary.’ That was why her heart was pounding like crazy. Even as she looked at the gleaming weapons.
“Ha, seriously…”
“Sorry if I touched them without permission. That thing earlier too.”
“That’s—”
She wasn’t angry. If she had been angry, she would have wanted to punch him, but the reason her heart was racing was completely different.
“That’s…”
“What?”
But could she dare say that reason out loud? She, who had never once presented herself as a ‘woman.’
“Never mind. I’ll be down soon.”
In the end, she brushed it off. Then she stared blankly at the disconnected call.
“…Yeah.”
It was clearly an object that had grown warm because she had used it. It must have been because it had been sandwiched between her cheek and hand. And yet, clearly displayed on its screen was the name ‘Maska.’
“Huu.”
Her cheek rubbed against it once more.