I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Those Who Know Love (4)

Of course, idols are supposed to stay away from relationships, but that’s just an unspoken rule.

To assert that out loud is something far removed from her world.

No, it even feels a bit rude.

“Still, I might be mistaken. So, if possible, I’d like to hear it directly from you.”

Despite the subject matter, his demeanor was incredibly serious and solemn.

“Lady, I, Bykontrast, ask you. Have you never loved anyone?”

In a way, his polite question only deepened the sense of incongruity.

But such confusion was only momentary.

“…I don’t have to answer that.”

Spiritas removed her hand from her forehead and glared at him.

She even discarded the polite tone she had previously maintained.

“Is silence your answer?”

“I didn’t come all the way here to answer such trivial questions.”

Moreover, it seemed utterly ridiculous to have such a conversation amidst the ongoing chaos.

The city is burning and collapsing.

People are dying.

Survivors are searching for escape routes, and those who can’t find one are climbing onto rooftops, hoping for rescue, or being driven toward the city center.

“Do you think it’s a trivial question?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

Virginity or whatever.

In a situation like this, such topics are irrelevant to the fight between heroes and villains.

“But I am serious.”

Still, his demeanor remained unchanged.

Along with his almost affectionate feelings toward her.

“Serious about what…”

To some, it might seem like an absurd personality trait.

“Do you think someone who has never loved another can truly love the world?”

Bykon had never once been ashamed of his stance since becoming a villain.

“…What?”

“Let me rephrase the question.”

The conversation and questions so far…

And this question, which encapsulated his life, was why he became a villain.

“Do you believe that a hero who has never confidently professed love for someone can genuinely exhibit a sincere sense of justice in saving others?”

“…”

“At least I don’t think so.”

To the silent hero, he continued.

“And in this era, there are too many who call themselves heroes without knowing how to love.”

Bykontrast.

The reason he became a villain was because he hated those who pursued only honor and material gain more than anyone else.

“As a hero, you must have felt it too.”

And the one who felt it most acutely was not him, a villain, but the hero working directly in the field.

“Why do those whose duty it is to save people rank themselves?”

As if to say that having a weaker desire to save people is a sin.

“Why do those who do good deeds feel ashamed if their names are not remembered?”

As if justice is merely a means to reveal their existence.

No, even if it started with a sense of justice, society’s system for those who pursue justice induces and forces them to have such a mindset.

“Why does this society assign qualifications and ranks to the feelings one should naturally have as a member of society?”

Competition and contempt. Superiority and inferiority predetermined by birth.

This era claims to need hope, but it overlooks those who strive to become that hope and abandons those who are weeded out.

The betrayal of heroes involved in the Heroine Contest was an incident where such embers spread.

“…Of course, I know that what I am saying is the way it must be in this era. And even more so, in a society where humans live.”

Yes, the world doesn’t consider individuals.

In a world that prioritizes the majority, it’s inevitable that more capable, stronger, and supportive individuals will be spotlighted. Bykon had no intention of denouncing the system itself unconditionally.

Just one thing.

Even while adopting such a system, he wanted to confirm one thing.

“At least that’s why I’ve judged the conditions of those adapting to such a system. Whether the hero before me has ever loved someone before claiming to love everyone.”

He had fallen into villainy because society could not encourage even that…

Some might find it extreme, laughable, or mad, but Spiritas felt a resonance in his words.

‘Someone who becomes an idol for everyone must first know how to love someone.’

That was the teaching emphasized by the hero who passed on power to her, someone even more fitting of the name hope than herself.

Ironically, the man called the most heinous villain harbored the same sentiment as ‘that person,’ an idol to all.

“…Is that why you joined Pandemonia?”

“It was merely a trigger.”

Yet why did they walk such different paths?

Why is it that this man contributes to the cries of everyone on this land, unlike the one who became everyone’s hope?

“From society’s perspective, I am undoubtedly an evil being. So, hero, your anger is justified. I oppose the system defined by this era, making me a clear target for exclusion.”

He accepted his fate calmly despite the bitterness.

No, he emphasized that walking this path was his choice.

“But even so, I will say it. An era led by those who speak of justice without knowing how to love is wrong.”

Even if that path led to a tragic end, he would have no regrets about the road he had traveled.

Because he held such noble ideals, he rejoiced in encountering ‘true justice’ according to his standards.

“In such times, meeting a hero who knows how to love is a rare delight.”

“Then…”

“But!!!!”

The joy quickly turned to rage.

-Boom!!!

As he stomped with emotion, the surrounding buildings visibly shook and scattered debris.

A little more force could cause a tectonic shift, collapsing the entire area.

The murderous aura radiating from him revealed his proximity to evil.

“Feeling ashamed of that love and hiding it also makes you a target of my wrath. A hero must always claim nobility. Hiding something means fearing that it will appear as evil in someone’s eyes.”

Justice must be noble.

Therefore, hiding one’s flaws out of shame is itself a sin.

A society that relies on concealment cannot truly be based on justice.

Blinding oneself and allowing inevitable disasters called evil to occur is no different from neglect.

“So tell me. If you claim to be a true hero, prove it to me.”

Yes, this disaster in the city was merely the result of pursuing only concealment.

The evil that chose to judge such a society asked the follower of justice with arrogant pride.

“Can you confidently say that you are honest about your feelings?”

Strong beyond all others, yet still a sprout.

This immature hero must prove whether she can become an incorruptible figure to lead this era.

“…”

In the face of such sincere questioning, Spiritas stood silently.

Simply standing there quietly.

-Boom, crash!

The sound of collapse all around was forgotten.

She repeatedly reflected on his words deep within.

‘…Love.’

The emotion her opponent mentioned.

Rethinking the greatest emotion she currently harbored.

‘What was love, again?’

She knew its dictionary definition.

The strongest emotion directed at someone. Not only romantic but also familial, friendly, neighborly, extending to all of humanity or the world.

And the most beautiful concept expressed by humans, valued above all else.

Mentioned frequently in arts like music and paintings, it was familiar to her as an entertainer.

Especially since the hero who led her down this path had emphasized it.

‘But in the end, it’s abstract.’

Shouting it to the crowd on stage versus confessing it to someone you face…

The words were vastly different.

Among them, love was perhaps the most difficult to speak of.

Being shapeless made it ambiguous to explain, and because of its perceived nobility, it might be the hardest thing to discuss in everyday life.

“…Even if I’m honest.”

So maybe?

At this moment, the girl who had just become an adult found herself feeling a bit envious of her opponent.

His ability to speak the word so freely. Though one might call it shameless, he at least didn’t shy away from defining his emotions.

“…Even if I’m a hero.”

Yes, she didn’t know what he saw or how he discerned her feelings immediately, but still…

There was no point in making excuses to someone who spoke so confidently.

“Even as an idol to all, should I be honest about my feelings?”

So she decided to acknowledge it.

As he said, she was in love.

If she had to name this emotion, it was undoubtedly love directed at someone.

“…Your gaze has changed.”

Just putting it into words made her hesitate, and a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

There was some regret, but that wasn’t all she felt.

Bykon had already discerned that fact.

“Yes, the emotion I see in your eyes is troubling you?”

“…Yes.”

Wasn’t it a foregone conclusion?

As long as she followed this path, her feelings would never even begin.

‘Before loving someone, I inherited a mission from someone.’

The intense feeling she had when taking on that mission was now prioritized above all else.

She had no choice but to prioritize the greater good over her individual feelings.

“So I always think, if. If by any chance… I stop being a hero, maybe I can be true to this feeling.”

If she made an effort, perhaps she could express this feeling.

But for now, she had to hold onto it.

“Then why are you here?”

To the conflicted hero, the villain spoke.

Having idolized love more than anyone and fallen into evil due to hating those who didn’t know love.

“Why do you roam here with that feeling?”

Despite the torment of an unexpressed feeling, he asked the follower of justice, ready to step forward.

Maybe asking a question that might not return.

“…Because this feeling makes me strong.”

But the answer had already been decided long ago.

“If…”

Yes, still.

Still, she didn’t know how this feeling would end.

“If, by any chance. If this world no longer needs heroes.”

Even if the conclusion seemed obvious, it was still just a prediction.

No one knew what the future held, so assuming failure at the outset was wrong.

“If all that is called evil in this world can be eradicated… If such a world is created, maybe I can be honest about this feeling.”

Still, just in case.

Even if it was a form of self-torture, holding onto that hope could be her trial.

“That’s an excessive desire.”

The villain coldly evaluated the woman making such a plea.

“I know that better than anyone.”

But the hero did not falter.

Call it bravado if you must.

The origin of her feelings lay in admiring a man full of bravado.

“If I can endure it, I can become much stronger than I am now.”

The man who stood up even when covered in blood and on the brink of death.

Her feelings of admiration were built on such a man, full of bravado.

How could she discard the responsibility she had taken on, deeming it meaningless because she might not achieve it?

“So be prepared. I will.”

So she would hold on and move forward.

Her first experience was intense.

And the feelings that bloomed from it continued to grow uncontrollably.

“In order to realize my feelings…”

Even if being blinded by that light was foolishness, she would willingly accept that and continue on her path.

She would consider it an indelible symbol in her life and pursue greater strength.

“I will take you down here with all my might.”

Spiritas, the star girl.

In this disaster, she was more radiant than anything else.

More than the flames engulfing the surroundings.

More than any star scattered across the night sky.

End of Chapter