Chapter 70

*Creak!*

Phantom Luna, with a look of disbelief, touched the rope tied around her neck.

“W-what is this?!”

*Creak! Creak!*

“Untie me!”

“You said you were willing to sacrifice yourself.”

“No! Even if I said that, this… this is…!”

Panicking, Phantom Luna tried to untie the rope.

“Kyaah!!”

I easily stopped her by pulling the rope back.

“T-this is…!! Untie me right now!”

Perhaps embarrassed at being dragged around like a dog in this position, Phantom Luna looked up at me with a red face.

“Won’t you… be my pet…?”

I covered my mouth with my hand and gave her a pitiful look.

“No!”

“Then I guess I’ll have to kill the citizens.”

“Gah!”

When I removed my hand and smiled faintly, she looked like she was about to throw up.

“Ugh…! Just kill me instead!”

“You must have a very high opinion of yourself. Do you really think your life is worth more than all the citizens’ lives combined?”

“Ugh…!!!”

For a moment, I watched Phantom Luna, who was fuming with frustration, and then pulled the rope again, whispering closer to her ear.

“And… I’ve taken a liking to you.”

“W-what are you talking about?!”

“I wanted to keep you because your reactions are amusing.”

“…I’m not a toy!!”

When I smirked, Phantom Luna’s face turned bright red.

“Y-you…! Pervert! Idiot! Jerk!!”

She glared at me, muttering in Japanese.

“Anyway, this is your punishment. Be my pet for a while. It’s not like I’m killing you. If you endure a little humiliation, you can save both the citizens and yourself. What’s the problem?”

“W-what are you planning to do with me as your pet?!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Huh?”

Phantom Luna momentarily stopped talking.

*Glance.*

After briefly looking at the captured citizens, Polia chewing popcorn, and the camera she had set up…

“…Pervert.”

Phantom Luna closed her eyes tightly and screamed with a red face.

“You pervert!! W-what are you planning to do in front of everyone?!”

“……”

“Worst! Jerk! Idiot! I trusted you! Even though you’re a villain, I trusted you, Maker!!”

“…Uh.”

“Y-you’re planning to do something violent to me, aren’t you?! Like in those ero doujins!!”

“……”

“Like in those ero doujins!!”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Tch.”

Why is she self-destructing?

I looked at Phantom Luna with a genuinely dumbfounded expression.

“…Hic.”

Finally realizing what she had blurted out, she quickly looked around.

“What kind of delusions do you usually have…?”

“Honestly, that was a bit… embarrassing.”

“Totally embarrassing.”

“Did anyone record that just now?”

“Ugh…”

The hostages started whispering among themselves, commenting on the situation.

“That girl is a total pervert.”

“W-well…”

Polia glanced at the chattering hostages, then spat out a sentence while chewing popcorn.

‘And if you check the community right now, with the situation being broadcast live…’

– Bark bark bark!! Grrr!! Woof woof!!!! Grrrrrrr!!!

– Master, let’s do that thing today! Nya nya!!

– Grrr… I can’t hold back!!

– Let’s make a handle right now…! Come here!

As expected, these kinds of reactions.

Just from the reactions here, it seemed like she wouldn’t be able to handle it if she knew.

“Do you want me to act violently?”

Startled by my words, she looked up at me.

I smiled faintly, looking into her trembling eyes.

“Like in those ero doujins?”

“…Hic.”

Phantom Luna hiccuped and lowered her head.

And then, small droplets began to fall.

“I-I’m… I’m not a pervert…!”

Ah.

This is social murder.

Watching her being socially destroyed in real time, I couldn’t help but smirk.

***

In front of the airport.

“Welcome back, Ice Queen.”

A man in a suit bowed respectfully to a black-haired woman wearing sunglasses.

He then opened the car door for her, escorting her comfortably inside, and soon after, the man in the driver’s seat started the car and began driving.

“The Association President is also pleased with the news of Korea’s A-rank hero making a big splash in Russia.”

“……”

“Spreading Korea’s influence…”

Half-listening to the Association employee’s words, the woman checked her phone.

A news report was playing on her phone.

[I am now at the scene of an ongoing terrorist attack. The captured citizens are being reviewed for connections, and the hero deployed is B+ rank hero Phantom Luna. What could be the psychology of the A-rank villain Maker who carried out this attack…]

“……”

“You must be tired, so let’s head home first…”

“Turn the car around.”

“Huh?”

“I have somewhere to go.”

Ice Queen, now with her signature light blue hair, flashed her eyes and looked at the Association employee.

***

*Rustle, rustle.*

“D-don’t pet me…”

*Rustle. Slash.*

“I said don’t pet me…!”

Phantom Luna, with reddened eyes, avoided my touch.

Her reaction was so cute that I couldn’t stop petting her.

“I-if it weren’t for the citizens…! You…! You…!!”

“Shh~ Since when can pets talk?”

“I’m a person…! Not a pet…!!”

“Well, if you’re not a pet, then I guess I don’t need to keep the citizens alive. Should I kill them?”

“…Squeak… squeak…”

At my words, Phantom Luna immediately made a pitiful sound like a puppy.

It was so funny.

‘To endure such humiliation to save the citizens, in a way, she’s a true hero.’

Like Ice Queen, who was tormented by tentacles last time, the heroines really have a strong sense of duty towards the citizens.

*Click! Click!*

‘Though the citizens they’re trying to save are treating the heroes like toys.’

Like Ice Queen’s tentacle incident, this terrorist attack would probably become an unforgettable dark history for Phantom Luna.

Speaking of Ice Queen, I wonder how she’s doing.

The tentacle… I mean, after the concert hall terrorist attack, she went to a hero exchange meeting. It’s been half a year, so she should be coming back soon.

‘She’ll probably try to kill me if we meet.’

That tentacle video spread everywhere, so she must have had a hard time.

…Hmm. Suddenly, I felt a chill.

‘It’s nothing, right?’

For now, I decided to think about her later and focus on the current situation.

“You’re quite diligent, Phantom Luna.”

“…Are you mocking me now? You told me to do this!”

“Not many people would actually do it if told. If it were me, I would have run away, regardless of people’s lives.”

“…I’m a hero.”

After hesitating for a moment, she looked up at me.

“Even if I have to do something this humiliating, if it means I can save them safely, I’ll do it as many times as needed.”

“…I see.”

Even though she was begging me to kill her earlier.

I barely swallowed the retort that was about to come out and calmed the mood by petting her head.

“Even if they did something wrong?”

“…Like I said before.”

Even if they’re villains or wrongdoers, I don’t have the right to arbitrarily execute them.

Like when I tried to stop the execution of B-rank villain Pumpkin, no matter how bad they are, I want to save them first.

“The price will be paid later. Through our competent hacker hero, we’ll thoroughly investigate their crimes…”

“So you’re saying to let them go now.”

Phantom Luna nodded silently.

‘What a kind person.’

I stroked her cheek with a gentle look.

If it were me, I would have abandoned those guys without hesitation.

Even though they’re criminals, she doesn’t want them to be unjustly killed.

Despite being wronged by the citizens and me, she remains unbroken.

I wanted to applaud her…

‘But it’s my role to bring her to the brink of collapse.’

It’s not enough yet.

She needs to think more about being a hero and grow stronger through it.

I stopped stroking her cheek for a moment and laughed as if I had heard something amusing.

“Isn’t that something you can say because you’re a third party?”

“…Huh?”

Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes weren’t.

Her voice carried a suppressed sense of disgust.

‘She definitely has a story, doesn’t she?’

I maintained my expression and tapped her ear with the hand holding the leash, giving a signal.

*Snap!*

And when I flicked my finger, the drones started moving.

They approached me and began projecting holograms.

‘As expected of Glitch. Truly an S-rank hacker.’

Now it’s all about timing.

“W-what is this…?”

“These are the malicious comments they posted.”

At first glance, it might not seem like much.

Anyone would frown at how serious it looks, but her opinion would still be firm.

But.

“And these are the malicious comments about you.”

“……”

“And they’re being posted in real time.”

What if, instead of punishing the perpetrators, you become the victim?

I slowly read the comments on the hologram.

[Live) That slut is whining in front of the villain lololol]

[Ah, damn, I’m so jealous of Maker. I wish I could have a turn.]

[No wonder they call it the AV nation, her ass is so light lololol]

[Honestly, she seems to be enjoying it lololol pretending to be forced while holding citizens’ lives hostage is so disgusting lol]

[Yeah, slut non-virgin~ Since she failed the virginity test, she’s definitely a slut non-virgin.]

…

And countless other comments continued.

“……”

“What…? Why are they like that?”

“Why are you showing this all of a sudden?”

“…Could it be.”

Some quick-witted hostages started turning pale, but it was a bit too late to take it back.

“……”

“How does it feel? To experience it firsthand?”

At my words, her body trembled.

Was it betrayal? Or anger?

She raised her head with reddened eyes and looked at the hostages.

Then, most of the hostages, realizing the situation, bowed their heads without a word.

She then turned her head and stared at me.

“Do you still want to save them?”

“……”

She didn’t say anything in response.

“Can you still embrace those who insult you?”

“…Stop it.”

I gently hugged her and stroked her back.

“Aren’t you angry? I thought you would be.”

“I-I…”

“Giving up is also an option.”

“……”

I wiped the tears from her eyes with a gentle voice.

“Huh? If you give up, everything will be easier.”

*Pat pat.*

Fall, and then rise again.

Stand up for your own justice, Phantom Luna!

Don’t give up!

While cheering her on in my heart, I didn’t stop tempting her.

“……”

“Do you need loyalty for those who don’t appreciate your help?”

“B-but…”

“Everyone is mocking you. They don’t know how hard you’re trying.”

“I…”

This is a kind of tempering.

The role of reforging something already completed, heating it up and hammering it to strengthen it.

So don’t break! Phantom Luna!

You can do it! If you completely break down, I’ll find a way to bring you back up!!

“I…!”

As I was thinking that, just as Phantom Luna was about to express her resolve!

*Boom!!!!*

“Huh?”

With a loud explosion, the door was blown off.

“…Ah.”

And then, slowly entering, was a figure.

‘Why is she here?’

With her always noticeable light blue hair and eyes, a beauty so striking that it’s hard to look away, but right now, I wanted to avoid her at all costs.

“Finally found you, Maker.”

She smiled faintly, but her voice carried a murderous aura.

“…Long time no see.”

Ice Queen.

Stronger than before, she had come to capture me.

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