I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Hero Land (4)

***

“…I don’t know.”

Despite the seriousness of the topic, I had no answer for her question.

Why did the continents on this planet collapse and merge into the continent known as ‘Pangea’?

Why did some of the survivors gain powers called Gifts?

“That, coincidentally, I don’t know either.”

And that was the same for her.

“It’s just that a being higher than me exerted their power, affecting this land… The conclusion I can draw isn’t any different from yours.”

The Great Cataclysm and Gifts.

In front of both, she was no different from me.

Indeed, hadn’t she also defined the power she wielded as a ‘Gift’?

Though it was immensely powerful when it existed, in essence, it was no different from human abilities if you exclude the scale.

She looked bitterly at her small hand.

Just by looking at her tiny hand, she seemed to realize her own limitations.

“I was just reminded of traveling through space when I rode that roller coaster. Compared to this vast universe, I’m nothing but a trivial being…”

“…A roller coaster isn’t a weapon, Boss.”

Does she see every rideable machine as a weapon?

Well, I could understand her perspective.

Everything she saw after landing on this planet was like that.

Her followers craved destruction, their hands always held weapons, and all the funds circulating in the organization were for crime and war.

If first impressions form most of one’s perception, then her impression of humanity and its creations would naturally conclude that way.

But doesn’t that also mean that the one I admired and hoped to follow was someone who reigned over such forces?

The organization collapsed.

She blended into human society under the guise of an ‘ordinary’ life…

Perhaps such a time was distancing her from the purpose she originally pursued, the mission to annihilate humanity as a messenger from space?

“Bread uncle~! Ms. Moa!!”

But such worries were mine alone.

When I returned to my senses, Nella was running towards us, waving and shouting brightly.

Time to put on the mask again.

“Alright, you’re back.”

“Thank you for waiting.”

“Don’t mention it. We should go back together.”

That was the request.

For now, I had to live as a member of society, as Ginger Bread, not a minion of Ouroboros.

“So, the sun is setting… What should we do? Should we have dinner here? Or head out?”

Therefore, I bore no grudge or ill will towards this girl.

Even if she inherited the blood of a detestable hero, from the start, my goal wasn’t to end the lives of individual heroes but to build a world where they wouldn’t be admired.

“Uh…”

As I was acting kindly, Nella hesitated and looked at me.

“Bread uncle, can I ask you a favor?”

“A favor? What is it?”

“Before we part, I have something I want to talk about with Ms. Moa. Just the two of us.”

Thud.

The calm I was trying to maintain wavered momentarily.

What did she just say? A private conversation with the Boss?

“Just the two of you…?”

“It’s a secret!”

“A secret?”

A secret conversation. What could she possibly want to talk about with the Boss?

Oh, right. She’s a girl too. What serious matters could a young girl have?

But still, asking to be alone with the Boss…

“Isn’t it fine?”

As I wrestled with the dilemma, the Boss stepped forward and faced Nella.

“But…”

“Don’t worry. The girl harbors no ill intentions.”

I tried to voice my concerns, but she patted Nella’s head before I could.

Even though she was meeting the girl’s eye level, her demeanor remained mature.

Nella blushed with embarrassment at the gesture.

With a faint smile, the Boss spoke to reassure me.

“And I am perceptive enough. Even if you’re upset with me, I won’t say anything nonsensical, so relax.”

“Ah, yes…”

Did she think I was worried she’d reveal her identity?

Well, that concern wasn’t entirely unfounded, but the Boss was smarter than I was.

“A Ferris wheel ride would give us about 30 minutes to talk.”

If she says it’s fine, then it’s fine.

Trusting that, I saw the Boss and Nella off to the Ferris wheel.

“Please board carefully.”

With the staff’s guidance, the two boarded the Ferris wheel.

For the next 30 minutes, they would have a space all to themselves. I sat on a park bench, watching their cabin slowly ascend.

Imagining what they might be talking about in there…

Well, since Nella initiated the conversation, it would probably be something at the level of a young girl.

And the Boss prefers listening to others rather than leading the conversation.

So it’s fine. At least, there’s no chance their conversation inside will expose our existence and mission.

If there’s anything to worry about, it’s that the Boss might develop ‘personal feelings’ for the girl.

‘An otherworlder considering a human a friend.’

That might give a reason for her identity to be revealed…

I worried for a moment but then laughed it off and shook my head.

Even if she’s an otherworlder, isn’t she someone who seeks to understand humans?

In the organization, she just went with the flow. Now, this opportunity to act on her own volition might be a good change for a ruler who leads people.

Only I couldn’t fully partake in the everyday life she was trying to enjoy.

Yes, in the end, it’s all an act.

I’m just playing the role of a father and living an ordinary life to fulfill her wishes.

That mindset is something I can’t change, even if it takes a lifetime.

No matter how sincerely I live in the present, the past shapes who I am now.

‘Aaaahhhh!’

Even now, just close your eyes, and you can hear it.

‘Aaaahhh! Mom! Mommmmm!!’

Children screaming in despair, unaware of anything, swept away by circumstances.

Those children, who no one saves, will never find solace, no matter how much time passes.

Remembering that, I remind myself repeatedly.

This world is too twisted to move in the right direction, so let’s break everything and think from there.

Even if it deviates far from my ideals.

Even if it means blending into a peaceful life, I resolve to never lose my edge.

– Boom!!!

Just as I was about to solidify that resolve, a loud explosion resounded.

“…What?”

I instinctively turned my head at the sound.

What I saw was a massive shadow flying toward the bench I was sitting on…

– Crash!!

***

“…Damn it.”

How long had I been pinned under the debris of that gigantic object?

As I finally felt my crushed body recovering, I used my super strength to push against the weight that pinned me down.

It was terribly heavy but not impossible to lift.

It just took longer because I needed to be conscious to use my super strength.

Damn it, what’s the use of regeneration if getting crushed impairs my thinking?

– Rumble.

…Anyway.

It’s better than dying instantly.

“Aaaaahhhhh!”

So, what now?

– Boom! Boom!

Pushing aside the debris that pinned me, I emerged to the sound of explosions drowning out even the screams.

In front of me and as far as the horizon, everything was burning, crushed, and shattered.

A terror attack had struck Hero Land.

“Hah, what the hell is this?”

The situation was not just bewildering but incomprehensible.

This was Hero Land.

A place considered one of the safest in Pangea, second only to the Hero Association itself.

Heroes had been performing here until just recently.

Launching such a massive terror attack here meant the perpetrators must be insane.

“Kihahaha!”

And figuring out the details right now seemed impossible.

I turned towards the source of the vile laughter. Beyond the wreckage of rides and buildings, a figure approached.

A burly man wearing a ragged leather hood, holding a butcher’s knife.

An unmistakable villain.

And judging by the bloodstains on his body, he had already killed quite a few people here.

“Oh, there’s a survivor here too!?”

“…Ah.”

Give me a break, I barely understand the situation.

Villain to villain.

“Let me carve you up and display your body in the streets!”

But the villain, not knowing telepathy, lunged at me with his knife.

Even if he could read my mind, the outcome would be the same.

For a hero, another hero is a rival and comrade, but for a villain, another villain is just another enemy.

Frequent turf wars and slaughter were common. That’s why joining an organization with a pledge of non-betrayal is a top survival rule in the villain society.

I belonged to Ouroboros, and he was from an unknown villain organization.

That’s enough reason to be hostile.

– Slash!

As I recollected that fact amid the chaos, my arm was severed by his knife and flew into the air.

Blood spurted from the cut.

At that moment, the glee of the murderer under the leather hood was apparent.

“Fine, I’ll give you an arm.”

I steadied my body and thrust my fingers into his neck.

“In return, I’ll take your life.”

“Guh!”

Super strength-enforced fingers could pierce a human body in an instant.

Had he not expected me to counterattack?

Choking and spitting blood, the villain was caught off guard.

It wasn’t enough to dismember him, but it would be a fatal blow unless he had undergone body modification.

“Gah, urgh…”

The villain clutched his neck, wheezing.

If my super strength were higher, I would have decapitated him, but I didn’t want to ease the suffering of someone who attacked me.

“I’m taking back my arm.”

Let him die in agony if he must.

Turning my back on him, I picked up my severed arm and reattached it to the stump.

End of Chapter