I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 67

Chapter 67

The Strongest Partner (3)

This is an era where evil runs rampant.

Wherever you go on the continent, it is filled with those harboring malevolence. Thus, those who pursue a greater cause must devote themselves to eradicating these villains.

Unbreakable Vanguard.

The man who entered the warehouse at this moment had long regarded this simple truth as his calling and belief.

“Are you the mastermind behind this terrorist attack in the city?”

A man sat alone in a place filled with countless stacks of cargo.

Removing his sunglasses, the man gave Vanguard a mocking smile.

“Well, aren’t you asking the obvious? Judging by what my subordinate reported, it seems you made quite a ruckus outside. Didn’t you already know before coming here?”

“…Mantis Slayer.”

Though he spoke mockingly, Vanguard wasn’t skilled in keeping conversations going.

“Confirmed to have committed 88 heinous crimes, involved in nearly 10 large-scale organized incidents of facility terrorism… The Association designated you an A-rank wanted criminal three years ago due to your danger.”

Moreover, his opponent wasn’t a civilian but a villain.

There was even less reason to engage in conversation.

“Oh, you’ve done your homework, huh? Did you come here chasing the bounty on my head?”

“…I merely verify information on A-rank or higher wanted criminals.”

He was merely mentioning one of the many pieces of information he had confirmed.

Yes, Vanguard was already aware of how heinous the criminal before him was.

What he was curious about was why such a criminal was involved with the ‘Liberation Front,’ a group opposed to the current government.

“Why would a heinous criminal like you incite such a riot?”

“Is there a reason? I just threw out some bait and stirred things up, and a bunch of losers followed, so I thought it would be fun!”

Mantis felt the same curiosity.

As he stared at Vanguard, a sense of curiosity began to grow.

“But coming this far means you’re not just any hero… What’s your name, hero?”

“…Unbreakable Vanguard.”

“Never heard of it. If you’re A-rank, I would’ve heard your name at least once. Are you B-rank at best?”

He chuckled, but Vanguard merely assumed his stance in silence.

Regardless of what villains or the public thought.

He only focused on continuing his efforts whenever the opportunity arose.

“So, you’re intent on having a serious fight, huh?”

Mantis laughed as he got into position.

There was no sense of crisis in his demeanor.

Given that a villain’s rank implies that it would take five heroes of the same rank to subdue them with minimal damage, coming here alone made him seem like an overconfident rookie.

“But you’re not expecting a fair fight, are you? Coming alone into enemy territory?”

There’s no obligation to fight by the book in real combat.

-Boom!!

At that moment, a light flashed between the containers in the warehouse, and something struck Vanguard’s head.

It was a gunshot.

But the power was akin to that of a cannon.

“I may have come alone, but I’m not complacent. You need more than average power to take me down.”

An anti-tank sniper rifle.

Among the most powerful firearms of the old era, it could pierce through an A-rank hero’s superhuman durability.

If his opponent was merely B-rank, he would have died instantly.

“But in my experience, those who come alone always have something up their sleeve.”

Surviving an anti-tank shot implied one thing.

The opponent was not only at least A-rank but also possessed a ‘defense-type’ ability that could withstand anti-tank weaponry.

-Clang.

The deformed bullet fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, Vanguard’s masked head remained intact, only slightly shaken.

It was enough to show he wasn’t a pushover.

“Everyone saw that? The opponent is at least A-rank, so stay alert!”

At that shout, Mantis’s subordinates, previously hiding in the warehouse, began to reveal themselves.

Or rather, Mantis’s men who had joined the Liberation Front.

Unlike the Liberation Front’s minions, these were skilled individuals who had committed countless atrocities even before today’s riot.

“All of you, attack!!”

Each of them at least B-rank.

Unlike the uncoordinated minions, they knew strategy and teamwork.

Moreover, having abandoned morals and ethics, their targets could expect no mercy.

-Crack!

Nevertheless, Vanguard was unfazed by their numbers and ferocity.

He simply focused his strength throughout his body.

“Unbreakable…”

With a low murmur, a massive iron hammer struck his body.

The attack, aided by a gift that granted momentary superhuman strength, could shatter its target instantly.

-Boom!

Yet, Vanguard’s body didn’t budge.

It stood firm as if rooted to the ground.

Instead, the attacker suffered from the recoil for failing to push him.

“Ahh! My arm…”

“Move aside!!”

A villain’s sharp knife thrust followed.

Accelerated by a gift, the knife moved almost three times per second.

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

But even that couldn’t penetrate his body, breaking the knife’s blade instead.

“What the… Gah!”

Vanguard withstood their attacks and countered, sending those who were hit flying.

Realizing the urgency, more of them swarmed him.

But weighty strikes, slashes, all of it was meaningless against overwhelming durability.

No matter how many they sent, or how strategically they attacked, it was the same.

To someone with unmatched durability, all means that couldn’t inflict damage were irrelevant.

-Bang!

And that meant he could attack them unilaterally.

With a leap, releasing his superhuman strength, shockwaves spread around him.

His solid body transferred the force accurately to the ground.

-Boom!

As his fist swept through the unbalanced crowd, pushing everything in front of him back, not a single scratch appeared on his body.

He was like a human tank.

“You can’t break me with your power.”

Vanguard had no interest in those who couldn’t overcome his defenses.

His focus was solely on one.

The confirmed mastermind of this incident.

“It’ll be the same for you, Mantis Slayer.”

“…Impressive confidence.”

Mantis laughed and signaled his subordinates.

They glanced at each other and slowly moved away from Mantis.

“Alright, I see what you’re capable of… I’ll face you myself.”

Mantis stepped forward confidently.

Though a smug smile played on his lips, Vanguard didn’t mind, taking the time to recall his strengths.

‘Mantis’s ability is Hand Blade. He generates sharp and sturdy blades from his palms.’

Two reverse-curved blades, strengthening their sharpness and adjusting their form by condensing immense superhuman strength.

With inadequate defense, one’s body would be dismembered in an instant.

‘But that level can’t cut through my body.’

His body, with hardness surpassing alloy, could withstand attacks from even S-rank ability users to some extent.

-Crack!!

Such confidence was shattered when his blade struck, and blood spurted fiercely from Vanguard’s body.

Despite enduring attacks from anti-tank guns and numerous B-rank abilities, his body…

“What the… nothing special.”

Each strike from the blade drew blood.

For now, it was just superficial scratches, but only because they were probing attacks.

Once he succeeded in gradually weakening his enemy, he would switch to aiming to cut his throat.

“…Rank-Up?”

Vanguard’s muttered in surprise, and Mantis laughed, raising his blood-stained blade.

“Rank-Up? That’s for amateurs.”

None of his subordinates, including Mantis, used Rank-Up.

While it could provide explosive power, afterward, their physical abilities and gifts would weaken.

It wasn’t something to use unless they were desperate.

“You still don’t get it. Surprised by my strength, even though it’s different from the information you had?”

Despite his overwhelming disadvantage, Mantis laughed, shaking off the blood from his blade.

He showed no hesitation, even while preparing to cut Vanguard’s neck.

But despite the dire situation, Vanguard felt no fear.

He was only curious about the secret of the blade that cut through his body.

“…Ultrasonic Vibration.”

Yes, that was the reason the blade could cut through his body.

By vibrating the blade at ultrasonic speeds, it enhanced its grinding power.

In theory, if the blade could withstand it, it could cut through anything without applying much force.

“Oh, figured it out? Impressive~”

Mantis praised Vanguard’s insight.

But even though he figured it out, Vanguard couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

The Mantis he knew could adjust the length and thickness of his blades, but generating ultrasonic vibrations was beyond him.

“Now that you’ve figured it out, you must be wondering. Hey, how can you create an ultrasonic effect with just the ability to make blades?”

Mantis grinned, vibrating his blades even more intensely.

“It’s simple! You just use another gift that can vibrate blades at high speeds!”

A person can only have one gift.

That’s common knowledge, but what he mentioned shattered that norm.

“…Two gifts?”

“Yeah! While you heroes were wary of Rank-Up, something else emerged in the shadows. A procedure that provides additional gifts by modifying the body: ‘Multi Gift’!”

Multi Gift.

A technology that adds a new gift to one’s body for a price.

Although these gifts were weaker than usual, skilled users could overcome that limitation.

It wasn’t a far-fetched dream to modify existing gifts or amplify their power, as he had.

“Unbreakable Vanguard? The unbreakable shield?”

By cutting through the so-called strongest shield, he realized his power could rival that of S-rank threats.

“Sorry, but even ultra-alloy is like paper before ultrasonic blades! A-rank durability won’t save you!!”

The two fiercely vibrating blades aimed at him again.

Knowing they could break his defenses, Vanguard stood firmly.

“Indeed…”

A gap in the shield made it no better than a scarecrow.

Even so, Vanguard stood there, staring at his approaching foe.

“I used to be just an E-rank.”

He simply accepted the incoming attack.

That was what he had trained for.

That was all he could do.

-Bzzz.

But the world wasn’t lenient enough to eliminate all evil by just focusing on one thing.

He needed to change.

The plasma forming on his body was born from that desire.

“What the…”

By the time Mantis noticed, his blade was already swinging.

But unlike before, the blade didn’t penetrate Vanguard’s body.

It merely shaved off skin, erupting blood.

-Bzzz!!

Conversely, plasma emanating from his body grew stronger.

As if responding to the damage piercing his body.

No, as if absorbing that power and making it his own.

“You…”

But by the time he realized the anomaly, Vanguard’s fist was already aimed at Mantis’s face.

The vibration in that fist was beyond what his hardening ability could achieve.

Like his own power.

“Are you really a hero?”

By the time he noticed, the punch had already landed.

-Boom!!

With a spreading shockwave, everything in the warehouse was overturned.

End of Chapter