· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
Translated by BiasNil
· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
A show must be meticulously planned.
That's why the terror I orchestrated this time was, from the very beginning, a grand show with every detail arranged.
Since falling into this world, I've had only one goal:
Stardust—my favorite character, slandered and persecuted in the original work—to make sure she walks only on a flower path.
That's why my terror was planned from the start to fail at Stardust's hands.
In fact, even the detonators were fake. Did you really think I'd actually kill people? If I did, Stardust would be sad. I'm doing all this to raise her up and prevent future disasters so people can be saved—what would be the point of killing anyone?
Anyway, thanks to my efforts, the show was finally reaching its climax.
The passengers on the boats all survived through faith without pressing the button, and the villain panicked at the unexpected turn of events.
…Truthfully, if anyone had pressed the button, I had a Plan B. But no one did, which was a relief. As expected, Stardust's speeches really move people's hearts. This moment appears later in the original work, so I included it, knowing how well she speaks.
Time to focus on my acting again.
With a flustered look in my eyes, I began to speak once more.
"…This can't be, this can't be happening!"
On the rooftop where the cold wind blew—
I looked down at Stardust, laughing emptily while my hands trembled as I shouted toward her.
"Humans, humans aren't this altruistic. I was certain at least one person would press the button, but why…!"
As I said it, something "clicked." I paused, looked at her, and muttered:
"…Ah."
"It was because of you."
Having said that, I began to praise her in that roundabout way—like those third-rate villains who sound like they're cursing the protagonist but are actually complimenting them.
"After hearing your speech, everyone suddenly united… Haha. Hahahahaha!"
Before continuing, I forced out a madman's laugh.
…Doing this stone-cold sober in front of a camera was embarrassing, but method acting must go on.
When I glanced over, Stardust was looking at me like I was insane. Sigh. Do you know what it feels like to have your favorite character look at you with contempt? It hurts.
Still, she wasn't rushing me yet; I still held the detonator. Until everyone on the boats disembarked, she couldn't let down her guard either.
"That's right. I underestimated you. I never imagined that with a simple speech, you could enlighten so many people in an instant… Haha. Miss Stardust, the more I see you, the more interesting you become."
…Having said enough, I realized it was time to leave.
I'd raised my recognition, promoted Stardust, and successfully completed the terror.
Now I just needed to escape. When you're a villain, you obviously leave at the last moment.
I threw out the classic villain's farewell:
"Next time, I won't be defeated so easily. Well then, see you next time, everyone!"
"You bastard…!"
As she lunged, I smiled brightly at both Stardust and the camera.
I wrapped my cape around me and prepared to vanish along with the devices I'd brought, using teleportation. The area would be swarming with police, so I'd go straight home.
…Ah. If I teleport this far, I'll be bedridden for about three days. That's bad.
Sigh. Life isn't easy.
With that thought—
My body disappeared from the rooftop.
At the same time, the broadcast cut off.
And that signaled the end of the terror that had shaken South Korea throughout the day.
***
[Midday Terror That Set the Peninsula Ablaze—No Casualties.]
[Who Is A-Rank Villain 'Egostic'? In-Depth Coverage.]
[(Breaking) Hero Association Statement: 'Villain's Abilities Appear to Be Telekinesis and Teleportation.']
[Broadcast Hijacking in These Times… Is Korean Broadcasting Security Really Okay?]
[Who Is the Hero 'Stardust' Targeted by the Broadcast-Hijacking Villain Seen by All Citizens? Let's Look at Her Achievements.]
[(Exclusive) Interview with Citizen on Terror-Site Boat: 'We Survived Because We Trusted Each Other.' Tears…]
On the day of Egostic's terror, articles sprouted nationwide like bamboo shoots after rain.
The extraordinary intruding into the everyday.
Unlike other incidents that target a specific area or person, this terror was broadcast to all citizens nationwide, making it vastly different.
In other words, it drew an enormous amount of aggro.
Within a day, everyone knew about it: the villain Egostic who orchestrated it, and the hero Stardust who opposed him. Both instantly became the center of attention.
It attracted foreign press as well.
The Korean Hero Association announced that "thanks to A-Rank Hero Stardust's efforts, the terror concluded with zero casualties," and praised her; other releases followed suit.
The full video shot to #1 in YouTube's real-time views—sensational.
Analyses and summaries of Egostic poured out everywhere.
Naturally, among those analyzing him was the Korean Paranormal Ability Association.
***
"Well then, let's begin the briefing."
Korean Hero Association.
On the top floor of the building, a meeting was underway.
"Yes. The newly appeared villain who gave his name as Egostic. Male, presumed Korean, appearing early-to-mid twenties."
The man at the front presented the incident summary.
"His identity and residence are unknown, but given that his incidents have all centered on Seoul, there's a high probability he resides in Seoul. As for appearance—please see the materials in front of you."
The handouts showed front and side profiles.
A look unified in black from head to toe.
A black robe like a long coat, a black cape.
And a mask covering half his face. Despite covering only half, it was difficult to clearly identify him—caption notes: presumed recognition interference capabilities.
"Before this terror, he directly killed two people—one A-Rank and one S-Rank villain. Both appear to have been killed via telekinesis and a gun. With no external injuries elsewhere, we speculate it was an ambush. The telekinesis itself appears weak, based on what's been revealed so far."
After basic personal info, he moved to the core topic.
"Yes. While those two villains are the only ones Egostic has directly killed… judging by today's large-scale terror, it appears he intends to massacre ordinary citizens as well."
A heavy silence fell. They were here because of yesterday's incident, after all.
"…I'll explain yesterday's event in earnest—the 'Han River Cruise Bomb Terror Attempt.' First, the bombs appear to have been attached in advance; upon disarming, they were confirmed to be high-performance bombs with power to half-destroy the boats. Where they were obtained remains unconfirmed."
"Any leads on the broadcast hijacking?"
"…No. How he penetrated top-tier security to hijack and transmit remains a mystery. There are no remaining logs, and the cameras were also moved by the villain, making verification impossible."
"However," the presenter continued, "some speculate he might have broadcast-related abilities. But since no information-technology ability users are confirmed, and there are no paranormal users with three abilities simultaneously, it's just speculation. He may have accomplices."
"Accomplices…"
"Yes. What's certain is that Egostic can freely hijack broadcasts from the three major networks. Also, the broadcast didn't stop because we blocked it, but because Egostic ended transmission himself."
"Right, I understand. I think I've heard enough."
The Association President, who had been listening quietly, cut him off.
The presenter bowed and returned to his seat.
The President's voice echoed across the long table:
"To summarize: this villain is methodical and possesses extensive intelligence. He knows the whereabouts and identities of A- and S-Rank villains, and can hijack broadcast networks at will. Anything else?"
"…If I may add one more thing."
The briefer raised his hand again.
"For now, it appears he keeps his word. He actually let everyone go when no one pressed the button. And most importantly, he seems to be obsessed with Stardust."
At that, all eyes turned to someone at the far end of the table—
To Stardust—Shin Haru—who was attending the meeting.
Under everyone's gaze, Stardust answered quietly:
"Yes. That's correct. For some reason, the perpetrator left a message directed at me at the scene where he killed a villain, and in this incident as well, he specifically called me out."
"Do you know why, Stardust?"
"I don't know either."
"…Strange."
After her response, the President nodded and moved on. Should they elevate Egostic to S-Rank—to make him a Top-Priority Wanted target? Then came opposing voices: No, he's only attempted civilian murder; he hasn't actually killed civilians yet; we don't know the extent of his telekinesis—granting S-Rank would be premature. Debate continued deep into the night.
***
At that same time.
In a small studio apartment several kilometers from the terror site—
"Ugh… fuck, I'm dying here."
I lay in bed, groaning.
Living as a villain wasn't easy…