I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 64

Chapter 64

A Familiar Face (4)

“Ah, mister…?”

Nella recognized me immediately when I burst in.

Her confusion was understandable, but right now, I had more than one person to rescue.

While the Boss might not have an issue with getting lost, as Anatomy said, the same applied to the cyborg who could easily break an adult man’s ribs.

“Where is Isri?”

“She… we were trying to find her and go back, but she suddenly fell and wouldn’t move…”

Following Nella’s gaze, I saw Isri lying on the ground.

Did she fall and hit her head, making her lose consciousness? Or is her battery drained because she’s more like a robot?

-Kuoo!!

Whatever the reason, the bear wouldn’t wait forever.

The bear growled, ready to charge after assessing the situation.

I shielded Nella with my back and motioned towards the hill.

“Go to the teacher up there.”

“But what about you, mister…?”

“Run!!”

At my shout, Nella started running up the hill.

The bear seemed to notice Nella running and charged towards her, but I threw a stone I had picked up at it first.

-Kuoa!!

Yeah, come at me.

I dodged the bear’s charge and quickly moved between the nearby trees.

The bear, now infuriated, chased after me, but its large body got stuck between the trees, its claws swiping at empty air.

The growling was terrifying, but being trapped was a relief.

“Isri, wake up!”

“De-de-d…”

No matter how much I called, there was no response.

Isri lay on the ground, her head buried, her body trembling like a broken appliance.

And as I expected, she was heavy. Running with her was impossible for me.

-Kuowa!!

The bear broke free from the trees, aiming its claws at my head.

Damn it, I have to avoid getting my head smashed.

-Pow!!

I tried to block with my superhuman strength.

The claws collided with my arm, sending me rolling on the ground.

Damn, even with a guard, my arm twisted.

-Krrrr, Kuoa!!

The bear charged at me again as I grabbed my throbbing arm, its furious face making me involuntarily grimace.

Even an animal knows to protect itself.

It wouldn’t normally engage in a losing fight, but it was charging at me to the death.

It was likely protecting its cubs, making it more sensitive.

Anatomy’s comment about it being a mother bear was probably accurate. Damn, how unlucky can I get?

-Kung!

The bear rammed me, sending me flying.

I collided with a tree and saw its claws slashing towards my head.

-Kujik!

The claws scraped the tree, scattering splinters and tearing my skin.

Blood blurred my vision for a moment, and then I saw its furious face and sharp teeth.

-Crack!

My carotid artery was torn, making me dizzy, but the bear didn’t stop, twisting its head to tear my neck off.

-Crack!

But I wasn’t going down that easily.

My damn regeneration might be weaker than usual, but it prioritized vital parts.

The blood loss and shock were temporary.

As painful as it was, I could still move.

-Crack!!

I grabbed the bear’s head with both hands and used my enhanced strength.

Though only E-rank, at full strength, it could tear through flesh.

Even with a bear’s tough skeleton, its gums were vulnerable.

-Kuack!!

The bear backed away, unable to endure the pain of its jaws being torn.

I placed my hand on my bleeding neck and used my superhuman strength to forcibly reattach the flesh.

The wound quickly fused thanks to my regeneration.

“Don’t underestimate me, you bastard…”

I finished staunching the blood and pointed my trembling fingers at the bear.

“Even stronger foes couldn’t kill me. Do you think you can…?”

Not that I expected it to understand.

But at least…

I wanted it to know that I would leave a lasting mark if it didn’t back down…

-Kruwaa!!

Ignoring my threat, the bear roared, blood dripping from its mouth.

Motherly love driving the desperate roar was both tragic and beautiful.

“…This is why I don’t believe in religion.”

Ironically, I felt a sense of pity.

To resolve this situation, I would have to harm an innocent creature.

-Whoosh!

As I braced for another charge, something flew between me and the bear from afar.

It was the silhouette of a person.

Stopping a bear was unthinkable with a human body.

-Krrrk!?

No wonder the predator was bewildered.

The weak human it had charged at full force now stood like a wall.

“…You have your own life to live.”

The man’s voice was calm, proving he wasn’t bluffing as he held the bear’s head.

Facing a predator but showing composure.

He even seemed merciful.

“If you back down, I won’t harm you.”

Did the bear sense something from him?

It trembled, then slowly retreated, lowering its body and slinking away.

The man turned to me as the bear vanished into the woods.

The first thing I said was my impression.

“Are you a hero?”

He was around my age, in his early thirties.

He wore hiking clothes, but his face was hidden by a mask.

The mask was white with red lenses around the eyes and a V-shaped decoration on the forehead.

A mask that would typically be used by Sentai heroes.

“Yes, more or less…”

He didn’t deny it and looked at my neck.

“…You’re badly injured.”

“I’m fine. I have regeneration, so I won’t die.”

I removed my hand from my neck to show my wound.

The delicate parts like blood vessels healed quickly, and the wound had closed due to my forced grip.

Though I had lost a lot of blood, it would be reabsorbed by my body over time.

I wouldn’t die from such an injury.

“…It seems your abilities are not very strong.”

However, the hero looked at me with a puzzled expression.

He wasn’t mocking or ridiculing me, but rather giving a sincere assessment.

As if to say, wasn’t it reckless to act with such limited power?

Such assessments were common, so I wasn’t offended.

“Are you a hero as well?”

But his next evaluation was something I couldn’t ignore.

A hero? Me?

-Tap!

Just as I was about to retort, something flew past him and landed in my arms.

My weakened body collapsed, but I felt relieved.

“Bo…”

“Again.”

As I instinctively started to call out, the Boss buried her face in my chest, gripping my bloodstained suit tightly.

“Again, you acted recklessly.”

Her voice trembled, as did her body.

Though I couldn’t see her face, I knew that, in the eyes of a human, she looked genuinely worried.

“Didn’t I tell you before? You can endure pain better than others, but you’re not immune to it.”

But was it really just an act for the sake of appearances?

Even when we were alone, she always showed this side.

‘Are you trying to play the hero in your thirties?’

Of course, she may look like a young girl on the outside, but inside, she transcended humanity, almost like a god.

So, it wasn’t a delusion.

Just like humans can’t feel the same emotions for an ant, her feelings for me weren’t human.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Even if the emotions were different, she still had feelings.

And those feelings could be heavier than what humans could comprehend.

Realizing that, I unconsciously stroked her head and back.

“…Sorry for worrying you, Moa.”

Ah, her body may be small, but her heart was vast.

As I realized her vulnerable side, I felt her small body tremble.

***

After the commotion on the mountain, I returned to the camp for some first aid and decided to get proper treatment in the city at the foot of the mountain.

The camp and school allowed me to leave temporarily due to my injury.

Though I could function despite the pain, the Boss insisted I get professional treatment.

Anatomy, in his role as the health teacher, could provide basic care, but…

“Sorry about this. I’d treat you myself, but the Association contacted me about Isri. They’ll be sending people over, so I can’t leave the camp for now.”

“We should thank the Association. At least they’re not subjecting her to live experiments.”

“Watch your tone.”

“Swear on your conscience.”

This was the same guy who performed surgeries without anesthetics when he was in the organization. Would I trust my body to him?

Anatomy had his reasons, and the Boss needed to stay with the frightened Nella, so she stayed behind.

Though I had to handle my injuries alone, driving wasn’t an issue.

“So, earlier…”

As I approached the rental car in the parking lot, I saw a familiar face…

No, a familiar mask.

“Are you also heading to the city?”

“Yes, I was planning to drive down for treatment.”

Though I usually avoided heroes, this man had saved a helpless civilian and protected a lost child in the forest.

“Would you like to ride with me to the city?”

I had plenty of reasons to offer him a ride.

“Yes, I’d appreciate that.”

He accepted immediately, and I led him to the car.

As I started the engine, he looked over at me.

“…Bread.”

“Yes?”

“That girl introduced me. Moa Bread… Can I call you Bread?”

“Yes, please do.”

Knowing his name seemed appropriate now that we were acquainted.

“By the way, I haven’t asked your name yet. What’s your name?”

He averted his gaze before replying.

“Vanguard.”

“What?”

“I’m A-rank hero Unbreakable Vanguard. Call me Vanguard.”

“Nice to meet you, Vanguard.”

Vanguard.

That was the name of the hero I had coincidentally encountered.

An A-rank hero, just below the top S-rank.

Considering he could hold off a bear with his bare hands, his superhuman strength was impressive, but I thought he was B-rank.

I hadn’t heard of him before.

“Vanguard, if you don’t mind me asking…”

An A-rank hero would be featured in articles and on TV often.

But I had never heard of Vanguard.

“Wouldn’t it be better to take off that mask?”

Maybe he was hiding something. Perhaps Vanguard was an alias.

Seeing his face might clear up my doubts.

“Sorry, I have reasons not to remove my mask.”

But he immediately rejected my suggestion and turned to the window.

It was clearly an unnatural reaction.

“Reasons?”

“Yes, in front of you…”

He trailed off.

“No, it’s nothing.”

He finally spoke again after a while, but it wasn’t a proper answer.

He kept his mouth shut, indicating it was a sensitive topic.

“Well, if that’s the case.”

There was no need to pry into a hero’s personal matters.

I was just traveling with someone who had many secrets and discomforts.

And that was enough for now.

End of Chapter