I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The Strongest Partner (4)

‘Spiritas wants to take you as a sidekick. The Association has contacted us.’

At first, it seemed strange.

S-rank heroes are the most prominent figures on this continent, and their sidekicks must be exceptional as well.

But choosing someone who is only an A-rank on paper? Is that even possible?

‘Whatever it is, being chosen as a sidekick by an S-rank hero is a great opportunity. Vanguard, aren’t you thrilled?’

‘…I don’t have any particular thoughts about it.’

But Vanguard accepted the offer indifferently.

It wasn’t humility.

What he pursued was solely the ‘justice’ that society claims, and thus he always sought results rather than opportunities.

Supporting a top-tier hero was just another necessary step.

‘Yes, you always wished for only that. That’s why I decided to invest in you.’

But society is a gigantic machine made up of countless intertwined interests.

Pursuing a greater cause with a steadfast nature alone has its limits. To seize more opportunities, one must meet the expectations of those in power.

‘I hope you prove your strength in this raid on District B. The more you show your strength, the more it proves that I am on the right path.’

Yes, the strength he honed was borrowed from someone else in the end.

Therefore, meeting their expectations was in line with the path of justice he pursued.

Even if the one who realized the source of his power was the villain currently laughing maniacally.

“Puhahaha! I get it now. I understand everything!!”

The warehouse lay in ruins.

As Vanguard stepped through the wreckage, he faced Mantis, who had been knocked down by his counterattack.

His limbs were twisted, and his entire body’s bones were shattered.

Even the subordinates who had protected him moments ago were buried in debris. There was nothing left to protect his body.

Yet the eyes that looked up at him held no fear.

“Unbreakable Vanguard… you’ve also undergone the Multi Gift procedure…!!”

He had already accepted that his end would be insignificant when he became a villain.

It was just amusing.

That the one judging him was, in fact, someone who had taken the same deviant path.

“A hero who protects people gains strength by sacrificing others. What kind of hero is that? You’re just like me…!”

-Smack!!

A bloodied fist swung towards his mouth.

As the superhuman power violently surged out, the wreckage of the warehouse trembled, the balance shifted, and the terrain began to change.

“Don’t… treat me the same…”

The fist stopped only when the spasms of the shattered-headed corpse ceased.

Breathing heavily, Vanguard clenched his blood-stained fist and sobbed.

“I fight for justice…!”

He was different from villains.

He didn’t gain this power to pursue selfish desires like the corpse before him.

“Is Mantis down?”

As the pain from his wounds faded in his frustration, people began to gather around him.

Had Mantis’s subordinates escaped the debris?

No, they were A-rank villains, on par with Mantis.

‘So Mantis wasn’t the only one leading the riot?’

It made sense.

The riot in this city was initiated simultaneously by hundreds, maybe thousands, of insurgents.

The funds, explosives, surveillance evasion, manpower control, and drug supplies needed for the operation…

Mantis was merely a figurehead with the highest notoriety representing the force.

“Alright, who’s the next leader?”

“Whoever beheads that guy. If he took down Mantis, he must be skilled.”

“You never know. Maybe Mantis’s investor will offer us the Multi Gift procedure if we take him down.”

“I never liked that guy hogging all the benefits anyway.”

Even if they had felt some camaraderie as fellow travelers on the same path.

Even if they had felt some sense of camaraderie, there would have been a slight tremor in his clenched fist.

But that was a vain hope destined to lead to disappointment.

To one who made a living eradicating evil, this calm was all too familiar.

For there was too much evil in the world.

Giving a chance for repentance to those already on a deviant path meant ignoring the suffering of others.

‘So I must not discriminate in the means and methods to exclude them.’

With that, enduring the guilt that followed was also his responsibility.

As he tightened his fist to drive away the self-reproach.

-Boom!!

A beam of light shot from afar, colliding with the warehouse district and shaking the earth.

Debris and dust scattered everywhere.

Enduring the pain in his body, Vanguard stared at the intruder.

Another enemy?

“The white mask… Are you Vanguard?”

No, the intruder had his back to him.

As if taking over the fight on his behalf.

“…And you are?”

“I’m the one who came to take you as my sidekick. I believe you were informed in advance…”

Dressed in an outdoor coat and scarf.

Though she wasn’t wearing her symbolic pink dress, the star-like patterns in her eyes revealed her identity.

The unique lenses symbolized a hero known to everyone in this era.

“What’s with that woman? Is she a hero?”

“Whatever she is, just take her down…”

But the villains hadn’t realized her identity yet.

Arrogantly, they prepared to target her, spreading their malice.

-Boom!!

Before they could even prepare, her body transformed into an afterimage with a loud noise.

By the time they realized she had moved, her fist was aimed at the leader’s chin.

“Wh-what…”

-Boom!!

The uppercut sent the villain flying dozens of meters into the air.

As everyone watched him soar, her feet lightly touched the ground again.

With a thud, the reversed gravity seemed to slam into the ground, lifting the villains into the air.

“What the hell is happening…”

-Boom!!

She didn’t give them a chance to comprehend.

The afterimage struck the airborne villains mercilessly, sending them crashing into the ground, battered and broken.

Even villains on par with those who had attacked Vanguard helplessly fell.

But her movements, though brutal, showed restraint.

Despite her ruthless and aggressive actions, she left them barely alive, a sign of her confidence.

‘That’s an S-rank hero.’

Vanguard couldn’t take his eyes off her.

For someone who had always focused on honing himself, it was a shocking sight.

‘That’s the pinnacle of what I have to pursue…’

To see a hero so overwhelmingly defeat evil.

To know that even in this seemingly hopeless era, there existed such a powerful hero against evil.

‘Ah, yes. I… I…’

The Star Maiden, Spiritas.

The woman everyone pointed to as the hope of the next generation.

Vanguard realized at that moment that it wasn’t an exaggeration.

‘To think such a strong hero chose me.’

He didn’t know why she chose him, but she did.

It was as if she had discovered a value in him that even he, who had always pursued justice, didn’t know.

‘I was not wrong.’

With that, his unsettled heart gradually calmed.

At least he felt that the path he pursued wasn’t wrong.

That belief grew stronger.

“Why is an S-rank hero here?”

“And it’s Spiritas? We stand no chance!”

Conversely, the villains who realized her identity began to despair.

Spiritas noticed it, but by then, they were already at the warehouse entrance.

Despite having the strongest hero behind them, they smiled confidently, as if they still saw an opportunity.

“Ha! Even if she’s S-rank, she’s still just a hero. Mantis gathered hostages here, so if we take them, we can escape…”

“Of course, your thinking is obvious.”

A voice came from inside the door as it opened.

As they wondered, an iron pipe emerged from the crack, striking the villain who tried to enter.

“Gahk!”

“Damn it, what now!!”

“What do you think? Just a salaryman who stopped by.”

-Clang!

The intruder struck a villain’s head with the iron pipe.

Then, from the crack emerged a man with a breadbag over his head, glaring at them.

“You bastard! Do you know who we are!”

The A-rank villains prepared to use their gifts in anger at the blatant provocation.

The man with the breadbag chuckled, shaking his head.

“Oh dear, A-rank villains have the leisure to care about an E-rank worm? I’m flattered.”

-Boom!!

A powerful vibration sounded from behind them.

Turning around, they saw Spiritas grabbing their hair with a smile, her grip tightening.

“So why did you come here again?”

“W-wait…!”

-Boom!!

The two villains’ heads collided violently.

The impact was strong enough to make their eyes roll back, and their bodies went limp.

As the notorious villains who terrorized the public were subdued effortlessly, the man in the breadbag removed it, bewildered.

“Aren’t they dead?”

“Oh no, they won’t die from that~ They’ll just be out of their minds for a while.”

“They’ll be rotting in a mental institution for life, not just a while.”

“Well, we’ve solved one problem. Good job, mister!”

Spiritas cheerfully patted his shoulder.

A thud echoed, and his body hit the ground miserably.

“…Hey.”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I didn’t control my strength.”

“It’s not about strength control. Do you even realize I’m a patient?”

“Um, yes. I just forgot for a moment…”

“There are things you shouldn’t forget.”

“But you insisted on following me despite your injuries! It’s easy to forget when you’re so confident.”

“I knew you’d just stare blankly if I left you alone.”

“Well, that’s true. If even one guy escapes, people will be in danger.”

Spiritas’s gaze then turned to the inside of the warehouse, towards the people gathered there.

They were kidnapped by the rioters for brainwashing. But considering the instigators, they were likely at risk of being sold to human trafficking gangs.

Even if stopped, there might not be a small number of casualties.

To a hero who still considered herself immature, having someone to protect them was a great help.

“Really, I’m glad you’re here.”

Her words came from a sincere heart.

At that moment, an S-rank hero felt gratitude towards a civilian who couldn’t even become a hero.

“…Why.”

But Vanguard couldn’t move towards the scene.

It was as if his growing expectations had been shattered.

“Why is someone weak like you… beside the strongest hero?”

All he could do was watch the two with a hollow gaze.

End of Chapter