I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The Hero of the Monarch

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“…What?”

Evil can never be redeemed…

The girl’s eyes widened, not understanding the words.

But the transcendent did not blame her for her ignorance.

Simply being ignorant is not a sin.

“You’ve been taught that justice is always right. Regardless of the reason, you firmly believe that you should live your life blindly believing in what everyone calls justice.”

She was merely teaching her.

Gently caressing the girl’s face with small, delicate hands, just as her own hand hung powerlessly by her side.

“But the justice I understand is not merely upright. It’s closer to a symbol of human imperfection, created by excluding what they cannot accept.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“If you try to bear even what you cannot handle, you’ll eventually collapse.”

“……”

“…Nella.”

The transcendent called the girl’s name again.

“There may be some among those currently causing trouble who, like the one your father beheaded, are participating out of perceived injustice.”

Her voice was as gentle as ever.

Standing before her was still Moa Bread.

Even now, unlike herself, who was gradually falling apart, she was maintaining her composure.

“Those who harm others and break the law may have their reasons. Some might have followed the law but were betrayed by someone’s malice, falling into misery. And while facing such people, it’s understandable to think society is incompetent and wrong for excluding them. You might even think your father’s actions were wrong out of pity for them.”

The cruel truth being taught with such a composed face slowly began to sink into the ignorant girl’s heart.

She didn’t have the knowledge or experience to understand it all.

“But the world has no obligation to cater to individuals.”

Yet, the weight of every word coming out of her mouth was embedding itself in her mind.

“Even if the civilization on this earth has been built over a long period, it’s the same. Even if a perfect system is established, as long as those using it are not perfect, errors are inevitable.”

Such errors must be tolerated, and the irregularities created by them excluded to maintain society.

“As more people are excluded because they can’t be accommodated, conflicts in this world will never cease.”

The separation of good and evil in the face of great societal justice.

It’s an inevitability arising from human imperfection, a fate all humans must bear.

“Therefore, those born as humans must make a choice. To give up something to save something else, or to despair over the inability to embrace everything and turn away…”

Yes, the world doesn’t cater to individuals.

So those who refuse to conform should never be sympathized with. Those who refuse to conform should never be understood.

The cries of lament in this cruel world will only bring about deeper despair over the unchanging reality.

“Therefore, those who live conforming to society should never consider evil as something to be redeemed.”

The conclusion was cast upon the girl.

Though her face was shrouded in shadows, Nella couldn’t look away from it.

“Those who betray society… should never expect to be understood by anyone.”

She couldn’t see her face.

But meeting her gaze made Nella feel something stirring deep within.

It must have been empathy.

A glimpse of human emotion on the face that had always been composed…

Yes, at this moment, the girl empathized with the transcendent who was voicing her realization.

Though she couldn’t fully understand humans yet, she grasped part of the transcendent’s ‘sorrow.’

-Crash!

But why such emotions were stirring…

This harsh world didn’t even give her time to find the answer.

“Hahaha! I knew you’d be here!!”

The door of the Ferris wheel was suddenly torn off.

With that, their private space was dragged back to reality, and their eyes turned toward the entrance.

The one who tore the door off had steel wings on his back. The crow-shaped gas mask on his face was a symbol associated with a certain villain on the news.

‘Villain—Dead Sky.’

An A-Class villain who committed crimes from the sky.

“Found my prey~”

As his eyes gleamed beneath the gas mask, a ‘bang’ echoed.

The bomb attached to the Ferris wheel detonated, causing the structure to shake violently.

“No, no!”

As the cabin tilted, Moa began to slip toward the torn-off door, and Nella screamed, reaching out her hand.

In the moment she managed to grab the doorframe to stop her fall,

But the weight pressing down on her was too much for the young girl to bear.

“…You’re being reckless.”

The transcendent coldly spoke to the girl, who was holding on with all her might.

This girl was too weak. Even if her body had shrunk, she couldn’t support this weak body.

“Let go.”

“I can’t!”

Yet, the girl didn’t let go.

Even though it was obvious that letting go was the sensible thing to do.

“If you stay like this, you’ll both fall.”

“I don’t want to. Please, don’t say such things.”

Releasing her grip on the doorframe that supported her weight, she used both hands to pull with all her might.

But the balance was precarious.

The Ferris wheel, once tilted, showed no sign of returning to its original state. The more she resisted, the more it swayed.

“For the first time…”

Still, the girl didn’t let go.

No, she cried out.

“For the first time, I’ve made a friend…”

The conflict that arose from having to grow up too quickly.

In a society that worships heroes, she had no one to share her doubts with, enduring her loneliness alone, until someone appeared who provided answers.

Yes, this person would accept even her.

Even if she didn’t fully understand the words, she would learn gradually.

“Please… Please, someone help! Anyone, please… save my friend!”

But all the desperate, weak girl could do was cry out.

“I hate this!!”

Hoping someone would come at her scream.

Hoping her tears would evoke sympathy from the malicious.

“What a tear-jerking friendship.”

But ironically.

The one extending malice toward them was already beyond redemption.

Even if there’s no such thing as evil without reason, those who abandoned consideration for others in their desperate circumstances had forgotten kindness.

“But this guy here loves to disrupt such situations. It’d feel great to shoot you right now…”

As his malice grew into incomprehensible madness, hesitation began to creep into her tightly gripping hands.

It was just painful, scary, and confusing.

All she wanted was for this moment to end.

“Don’t worry.”

Yet, the transcendent still sought to reassure even this weak girl.

Nella, awakened by the gentle voice.

In her blurry vision, she saw the kind smile always shown to her.

“Even if you let go, our fate won’t end…”

Yes, even if she fell from here, she wouldn’t die.

Though she had weakened since that day’s war, her strength hadn’t completely disappeared.

If she used the power granted by the one who gave her a ‘revelation,’ she could escape from here.

Of course…

Of course, using that power would prolong the fulfillment of the revelation, but at least she could avoid the immediate danger.

‘So it’s okay.’

Unlike before, she had a reason to live now.

She reminded herself of that as she flicked her hand to unleash her power.

-BOOM!!

Something flew in from the ground, striking Dead Sky, who aimed the gun, and knocking him away.

Dead Sky’s body staggered from the impact.

His gaze fell to the object that had crashed into him.

“What, what…?”

“You bastard.”

A domineering voice.

The afterimage returned to its original form, and Dead Sky finally saw the figure gripping his neck.

A ridiculous figure with a bread bag on his head.

But the eyes glaring at him from inside held an intense killing intent he had never encountered before.

“Who are you laying your filthy hands on…?”

Who was this?

Who dared to fly into his domain in the sky and threaten him?

“D-Damn it!!”

Unable to withstand the aura, Dead Sky activated his device.

Turrets appeared from his chest.

Using a cyborg Gift, the bullets fired from them were imbued with superhuman strength, capable of tearing through barriers.

-Ratatatata!

But the man hit by the bullets didn’t back down.

Despite being torn apart, he clung to Dead Sky and punched him repeatedly.

Blow after blow landed, producing a grinding sound as Dead Sky’s internal machinery was damaged.

When the delicate mechanisms embedded in his body were damaged by the impact,

“You crazy bastard!! If this keeps up, we’ll both fall… Aaaah!”

“If anyone’s falling, it’s you!”

Before he could recover his broken flight gear, the man hanging onto him kicked him away.

Dead Sky fell in an arc.

But the man’s focus had already shifted.

“Boss!!”

From a height of 100 meters.

The fierce leap aimed directly at the helplessly falling girl.

-Thud!

The man caught the girl and collided with the Ferris wheel’s support.

The rebound and gravity pulled them away.

Though he grabbed onto a support, the man’s arms were too weak to withstand the pressure.

-Snap, crackle.

His arm bent backward, spilling blood.

Clenching his teeth against the pain, the man finally let go and leaped forward.

To a lower cabin, still intact from the series of explosions.

-Crunch!

Glass shattered, and his body bounced several times in the confined space before finally coming to rest against the wall.

“B-Boss.”

The impact wasn’t light.

The man, struggling to stay upright, looked down at the girl in his arms.

The girl curled up in his arms.

A relieved smile spread across his face as he confirmed that her face bore no injuries.

“Glad you’re safe…”

Was that enough?

His head then dropped to the floor, his body going limp as if he had lost consciousness.

The girl looked at the man after some time had passed.

“…Bread.”

Fortunately, he was still breathing, but his body was battered.

His broken arm and bullet-riddled body…

No, his muscles were all mangled or injured.

“What a reckless act.”

Unfortunately, he didn’t have the power to leap from the ground to this height.

The girl, his master, briefly looked outside the Ferris wheel to assess the situation.

Heroes belatedly arriving to handle the situation. Amid the clash between them and the villains, one figure stood out.

A woman in pink clothing…

Seeing her taking down the forces below single-handedly, she felt a power comparable to the ‘executives’ who once served her.

Did he desperately ask her to throw him with all her might?

Of course, covering 100 meters in one leap would exert significant force on his body.

“Like you, I’m just a speck in this vast universe… Why would you go to such lengths to protect this small body?”

She felt her hands tremble as she touched his wounds.

He didn’t die.

This weak body had risked everything to save her.

“But still…”

Wasn’t it all from the heart?

“I’ll forgive you for scolding me this time.”

Reading the sentiment behind his wounds, the monarch gently pulled his head toward her lap.

Removing the bag from his head, she stroked his head while he slept soundly.

“Thank you for coming, my…”

Whispering into his ear.

Without any grand pretext.

To the man who saved the one born as evil.

“My only hero.”

From that day on.

She vowed to spend her life with him, expressing endless gratitude to her companion.

End of Chapter