Chapter 45

Today was supposed to be a normal day.

“Bro, you’re here.”

“Yeah, yeah. How’s the collection going?”

“Thanks to you watching our backs, no problems.”

As usual, I gathered a few lackeys to squeeze some money out of people.

“Ugh. Man, I ate well.”

“Hey, kid! Wait! You gotta pay this time!”

“Ah, I’ll pay you later, ma’am~”

“How can I trust you?!”

“What? How can you trust me? That’s so disappointing!”

*Crash!*

I went into the usual restaurant and ate some food.

“Ha, just spare a penny…”

“Ugh! Where did this beggar come from?!”

I also took care of some annoying guy in the slums with my fists.

I don’t know if everyone was dissatisfied, but it didn’t matter.

At least where I was, I was practically the king.

“Pfft! That’s why no one dares mess with a B-rank villain, right? Huh?”

B-rank villain.

After my flashy debut on Halloween, I immediately earned that rank.

Not some lowly C-rank or slightly stronger C+ lackeys, but a full-on B-rank!

I didn’t join any organization either, earning the B-rank purely through my own influence, which means I’m a legit villain.

“With this, I can pretty much act like a king, right?”

“Did you mess up or not?”

“I-I didn’t do anything wrong…”

“Oh, this punk wants to taste Pumpkin’s fists, huh?”

“Eek!”

It was definitely a normal day like any other.

The weaker ones groveled, and those who didn’t know their place were dealt with harshly.

I only did what I always did, nothing that would catch the attention of higher-ranked heroes or villains.

It was just a regular day…

“Ah, found it. Useful trash.”

“Huh?”

*Squelch!*

“What the hell are these disgusting tentacles?!”

Not only was I suddenly kidnapped by some guy in a uniform, but when I came to my senses, I was being dragged through the middle of the bustling city.

“Damn it! Hey! Let me go! Do you know who I am?”

“I do. You’re B-rank villain Pumpkin, right?”

The guy looked at me with cold eyes.

His outfit and tone felt familiar, but it must’ve been my imagination.

“Right, right. If you know, then let me go already.”

It felt off, but I had to escape.

I struggled, but…

“Ah, unfortunately, I can’t let you go, Pumpkin.”

You’re about to be executed.

At those words, my body froze completely.

“Huh?”

And just as he said, I was dragged onto the guillotine of this witch hunt.

***

I looked down at the B-rank villain Pumpkin struggling below.

“Robbery, murder, arson, incitement to murder, special assault… You’ve done a lot, huh?”

“I didn’t do any of that!!”

“I know, I framed you.”

I held back a laugh and looked at him with disdain before turning to Phantom Luna.

“Phantom Luna. Is it wrong to eliminate trash like this who’ve committed so many crimes?”

“Damn it! I’m innocent!!”

“It’s wrong, very wrong, Maker! Even if the person you’re trying to eliminate is irredeemable trash who’s no help to anyone, you don’t have the right to kill them!!”

“You bastards! Can’t you hear me? Hey!!”

Phantom Luna glared at me, furious.

“Hmm… Then should we leave it to the citizens to decide if I have the right to kill or not?”

“Huh? What are you…”

I turned to the crowd surrounding me and Phantom Luna.

After taking a deep breath, I raised my voice.

“Everyone! There’s a villain here!”

“……”

“This man is the B-rank villain Pumpkin, who first appeared on Halloween. He’s killed people, extorted money, and committed crimes without a second thought. What should we do with him?”

“Kill him!”

The citizens shouted without hesitation.

Some even smiled, as if they found it amusing.

“The citizens have spoken.”

“What is this…”

Phantom Luna looked at the crowd in shock, her eyes trembling.

*Murmur murmur*

‘You shouldn’t be gathered here!’

‘Step back! Please follow the villain appearance manual!’

Heroes could be seen among the murmuring crowd.

I can’t drag this out much longer.

“Still, this is wrong!”

While my attention was briefly diverted, Phantom Luna started shouting at the citizens.

“Everyone! This is outright murder! Since when is there good murder and bad murder? What’s so just or fun about this?!”

Please come to your senses and evacuate to a safe place!

Phantom Luna pleaded with genuine sincerity.

“……”

A brief silence fell between Phantom Luna and the citizens.

Some seemed to feel a pang of guilt at her sincere voice, bowing their heads.

But.

“Stop talking nonsense…”

“Huh? What did you just say…”

“If we don’t kill that guy, he’ll just commit the same crimes again, right? Even if he keeps going in and out of prison, if he doesn’t change, isn’t it better to just kill him?”

At one person’s clear voice, the citizens began to agree.

“Yeah, it’s fine if villains kill, but if we do it, it’s a crime?!”

“Then just lock him up?! He’ll just escape again or bribe his way out!”

“Just kill him, Maker!! Make sure that bastard never commits crimes again!!”

The citizens were consumed by madness.

Phantom Luna stared at them in disbelief.

“But, but…”

“Don’t get in the way if you can’t do anything, you useless hero!!”

*Whoosh!*

A wad of paper flew and hit her head.

It probably didn’t hurt much since it was poorly made, but the emotional impact would be greater than expected.

“E-Everyone…”

Phantom Luna’s eyes shook violently, seemingly in panic.

I calmly spoke to her.

“Do you understand now?”

How wrong this country is?

*Click.*

I aimed the gun at his forehead again.

“Damn it! Let me go! Let me go, please!!”

As if sensing my mood, Pumpkin struggled even more.

He tried to untie the ropes, but the more he struggled, the tighter they became.

‘It’s made using the properties of the whip, so you won’t escape easily.’

“P-Please, spare me…!”

Finally realizing what I was about to do, Phantom Luna rushed toward me.

But.

‘It’s already too late.’

*Bang!*

With a deafening gunshot, a fountain of red burst from his forehead.

“Waaaaah!!!!”

The crowd, consumed by madness, screamed at me.

No one ran away; instead, they cheered for me.

“…Ah.”

The sight of someone dying because she couldn’t protect them.

Phantom Luna’s legs gave out.

The cheers continued in the background.

But she felt alone, disconnected.

I leisurely walked over to her and knelt on one knee.

Then, as if looking at a beloved, I smiled with honey-dripping eyes and gently stroked her hair.

“Now you understand who’s wrong and who’s right, don’t you?”

Phantom Luna trembled.

“I heard you’re a hero from Japan… So you must’ve come here through the Association’s exchange program, right?”

“……”

“Please, I hope we don’t meet again during your remaining time here. Just quietly continue your hero work and return to your country.”

Wouldn’t that be better for your sanity?

I genuinely seemed concerned, urging her to give up.

“……”

Phantom Luna hung her head low, trembling.

‘Now… the highlight.’

I’m not sure if she, still green as a hero, can handle this situation.

She might break down or, as I suggested, quietly return to Japan like a dead mouse.

But.

Knowing her as the original heroine and a righteous hero.

A hero who doesn’t tolerate injustice.

“Are you telling me to run away? Don’t talk nonsense!!”

‘As expected.’

I knew she’d give the answer I wanted.

“Who’s right and who’s wrong? I know very well!”

She was trembling. Not from fear, but from unbearable anger and frustration.

“From start to finish, everything! You’re the one who’s wrong!!”

Phantom Luna glared at me with blazing eyes.

Then, as if unable to contain herself, she stood up and pointed at me.

“You want me to live like a dead mouse and return to Japan?”

“……”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll never agree to it!”

Her emotions boiled over, her eyes reddening and her breathing becoming ragged, but she didn’t stop pointing at me with her trembling hand.

“I’ll never give up.”

“Is that your answer?”

She showed me her choice with her unwavering eyes.

‘Success.’

I smirked and looked at Phantom Luna.

With a hint of madness and a bit of interest.

“This is fun.”

*Snap!*

I smiled brightly and flicked my finger.

*Pat!*

“Oppa.”

Suddenly, Polia appeared and clung to me.

“Good. I thought this would be over after seeing it once, but it seems we’ll meet more often.”

Well, this is already the third coincidence, so maybe it’s fate?

At that, Chise scoffed and glared at me.

“If I could catch you right now, I would!”

“Hmm. Even with the situation like this?”

I glanced around and looked back at Phantom Luna.

You can’t even use your abilities properly in this situation, can you?

Her abilities are powerful, but they’re often area-of-effect attacks.

Meaning if she uses them, the surrounding civilians will get hurt too.

That’s why Phantom Luna hasn’t been able to use her abilities until now.

“You can’t catch me, can you?”

“Tch…!”

“Then, good luck.”

“Just wait! I’ll definitely catch you! You idiot! Villain!!”

She ranted at me in Japanese, and I waved at her with a smile.

Ah~

Another fulfilling day of terror!

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