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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Peaceful Afternoon
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A city bustling with people.
I stood on the rooftop of a building there, looking down at the streets below.
"Hmph..."
The wide-open sky, the skyscrapers adorning the landscape.
A common sight, seemingly no different from everyday South Korea.
But I knew this world was different from how it should be.
Because the world I stood in was none other than the one from the superhero comic, [Stardust!].
Yes. A world where villains launched attacks daily, and heroes with special powers soared through the skies. Into that world, I had been transmigrated.
"... "
The superhero comic, [Stardust!].
The day I finished the final chapter of that comic—the one I'd once enjoyed more than any other—I found myself dropped into this world without a clue as to why.
"Still, I did receive some powers..."
Perhaps the deity who tossed me here felt it would be too cruel to send me empty-handed, so they granted me a couple of superpowers: teleportation and telekinesis.
The problem, however, was that these two rather flawed abilities made survival in this world incredibly difficult.
The world I'd been transmigrated into was, among superhero comics, a particularly grim one. By the latter half of the original story, the power balance had completely shattered, with most heroes and villains possessing absurdly overpowered abilities capable of leveling entire cities single-handedly.
And I, with only two abilities—teleportation that drained my stamina proportional to distance, and telekinesis that came with a penalty after use—had to survive that latter half.
"Sigh, what's the point of complaining? Let's get to work."
Shaking off those thoughts, I cleared my mind.
Right. Time to work. This isn't the moment for dwelling.
That 'work' was, precisely, villain extermination.
More precisely, it meant preemptively eliminating villains who, in the future, would gain powers strong enough to level an entire nation.
Though my superpowers were weak, I did possess one unique ability that set me apart from everyone else.
Namely, 'knowledge of the original'.
I knew everything about this world, all thanks to the original comic. That meant I naturally knew the main villains' real names, where they lived, and everything in between.
And I would deal with them while they were still weak. Before they became too powerful to be confronted.
"...Alright, shall we get going?"
I checked my attire once again on the rooftop.
A black robe, a black cloak, and a white mask covering half my face.
...It looked somewhat like a cosplay outfit, but in this world, it was merely the average attire for an ability user.
Good, it's perfect.
Having finished my preparations, I teleported directly from the rooftop to the target villain's location.
And so.
It was time for the villain hunt.
***
A-Class Villain, Rhino.
A main villain in the latter half of the original comic, [Stardust!], and a quintessential example of an ability user capable of leveling an entire city single-handedly.
This man, who wore a rhinoceros mask and wielded the power to manipulate horns, terrorized the city. In the latter half of the original story, after his abilities fully awakened, he began to rampage uncontrollably. His attacks alone resulted in hundreds of casualties.
Therefore, to prevent such an outcome, it was imperative to deal with him while his abilities were still weak.
And now, in the early stages of the original timeline, was the perfect moment.
So, I teleported right into the middle of his house.
The moment I arrived, I saw him sitting in front of a sofa, holding a piece of paper.
He, who had been staring intently at the paper, sprang up in shock the moment he saw me, materializing in the middle of his living room.
"Wh-who are you?!"
"Mr. Rhino."
I offered a faint smile, uttered those words, then locked his body in place with telekinesis. Good, he wouldn't be moving now.
Then, I casually aimed a gun at the bewildered man and spoke.
"Farewell."
"What are you doing?! You son of a—"
-Bang.
And just like that, a gunshot echoed through the room.
"... "
"Hmph..."
I looked down at the man sprawled on the floor and let out a small sigh.
A villain who would one day plunge the world into terror had met such an anticlimactic end.
...But still, it's not easy.
Truth be told, this wasn't my first time dispatching a villain this way. It was already my second. Yet, the sensation that lingered after the deed was done was something I still couldn't quite get used to.
"Sigh..."
Farewell, Rhino. Still, I did enjoy your fight scene with the protagonist in the original story.
Turning my gaze away with effort, I picked up the paper he had been looking at.
...Department store blueprints. And right beside them, a detailed plan for a terrorist attack.
"Tsk, just as I thought."
I placed the paper, detailing his murderous plans, back on the floor, then casually walked into his room and opened the closet.
And there it was, as expected, hidden deep within: the rhinoceros mask he used for his terror attacks.
I retrieved it, returned to the living room, and casually tossed it beside where he lay dead.
This should be enough for the police or the Hero Association to instantly identify him as Rhino.
"What else should I do now..."
I muttered to myself, standing in the middle of the living room.
Rhino was already taken care of. Or rather, I had taken care of him.
The problem, however, was that this was, naturally, not legal.
All villains were supposed to be dealt with humanely through legal trials; vigilante justice like this was strictly forbidden. Anyone who dared to commit such an act would themselves be branded a villain.
That, however, held no importance for me. In fact, it was rather beneficial.
I intended to become this world's villain.
"... "
And so, I stood there, quietly gazing down at Rhino's cold corpse.
I needed to make it known to everyone that I was a villain. Especially to Stardus.
To do that, attracting attention was crucial. Once this corpse was discovered, I needed to ensure it was clear that a villain—specifically, me—was responsible.
What would be best...?
After a brief moment of contemplation, I snapped my fingers, a conclusion forming in my mind.
Right. This is how I'll do it.
If I leave it like this, it will undeniably appear to be the work of a villain.
With my decision made, I began to move my gloved hand.
***
The Korean Association of Superpowered Individuals.
Also known as the Hero Association.
A-Class Hero Shin Haru, alias Stardus, a member of the association.
She was currently observing the horrific scene in a private residence, her face grim.
"So, this is Rhino?"
"Yes, that's right."
The police officer beside her nodded, offering a brief affirmative to her question.
He then continued.
"...When we arrived, responding to a resident's report of gunshots, the situation was already concluded. The murderer appears to have fled, and there's a high probability that this is the same individual who previously used telekinesis to kill another villain before escaping. Especially considering *that* mark..."
The officer pointed. Beside the gruesome corpse, which looked as if it had exploded, possibly from telekinetic force, something was scrawled in red blood.
To you, Stardus.
The phrase, somehow, exuded an eerie sensation.
Stardus found herself murmuring, almost unconsciously, as she read it.
"You lunatic."
...No matter how villainous, no one deserved to die in such a manner. They should stand trial, face justice through a fair legal process.
"...'To Stardus.' Hah."
She didn't know why this individual had chosen to target her.
But if this was a provocation, she was almost impressed enough to commend him.
A villain who, at his own whim, defied the law and committed murder.
This man.
He would most certainly pay the price for provoking her.
With that vow made, she departed the crime scene, her expression resolute.
Whether the deceased was a villain or not, that wasn't what mattered.
What mattered was that a villain, one who harmed people, existed in this city.
And she would stop him, no matter who he was.
***
[Today at 7 PM, A-Class Villain Rhino was found dead in his home. He appears to have been murdered on site, and the identity of his killer has not yet been revealed. The Association has stated that the culprit is presumed to use telekinesis, and has officially announced him as an A-Class Villain.]
That night.
As I relaxed at home, I instinctively turned my head as my story began to play on the TV.
The screen displayed images of the house, then Stardus's face.
[...A-Class Hero Stardus has stated that the villain who targeted her is an unforgivable and lawless individual, and that she will do her utmost to apprehend him.]
Finally, the official news had broken, huh.
Now, the commotion I'd stirred up was finally public.
Confirming it, I switched on my phone and scrolled through the news articles. Even the comments nestled beneath the breaking reports.
[But if he's only hunting other villains, isn't he a hero? Why classify him as a villain?]
[Seriously, though, I like him. Villains just escape from prison anyway, so I fully support killing them outright.]
[I support that villain. Do heroes really have to catch him? He's better than them.]
...Huh, this isn't the reaction I expected.
"Hmm..."
I continued to scroll through the comments on the articles, a low hum escaping my lips. The general sentiment was surprisingly favorable towards me. After scanning various online communities, the reactions were largely consistent.
"... "
Perhaps it was because I'd only eliminated villains so far.
This was problematic. This approach wouldn't do. If public opinion of me continued to improve like this, it could negatively impact Stardus, who would be pursuing me.
Stardus.
My favorite character, and the protagonist of the original comic upon which this world was based.
The truth was, my entire endeavor of eliminating villains was all for her sake.
Though, she'd never know that.
My goal was to ensure she walked only on a path of flowers.
Rather than her personality being worn down by life-threatening battles, as in the original story, my wish was for her to live happily. Since I'd already been transmigrated into such a grim superhero comic, ensuring my favorite character's happiness felt like the least I could do to give my life some meaning.
Stardus, I would preemptively remove all the villains who tormented her. All those villains who destroyed cities, slaughtered people, and unleashed terror—I would clear them all out, ensuring our protagonist would walk only on a path of flowers...!
...However, the problem was that she was the protagonist of this world.
Which meant she was a being who grew stronger through facing trials.
If I removed all those trials beforehand, it meant she could never truly grow. Especially considering she needed to reach a certain level of strength to confront the original's final boss, her growth was an even more critical issue.
Thus, the conclusion I reached was this: I would become a villain.
I would become Stardus's arch-nemesis and confront her myself. Instead of me preemptively eliminating the main villains who killed hundreds of people, I would provide her with only the trials I could directly control.
This meant that, to achieve my goal, I needed to be unequivocally recognized as a villain.
...So, what should I do?
Was there a way to reveal myself as a villain to the public, and, in the process, help Stardus grow?
And I found a way.
It was for me to make my official debut as a villain: to reveal myself in front of the public.
Specifically, a terror attack.
Villains always established their presence through acts of terror.
Alright, what should I do?
What kind of terror attack could I stage that would cause minimal harm to people, make me appear sufficiently evil, and also boost Stardus's public image...?
Of course, as an ordinary civilian, what could I possibly do? But I had countless superhero stories from my previous life to draw upon.
In other words, referencing them would at least ensure a passable outcome.
"Alright, this is what I'll do."
With my decision made, I pulled out my phone and began dialing the accomplice I had already secured.
"Oh, Seoeun. What are you doing?"
So, now to acquire bombs, set up the devices...
It's going to be a busy time.
***
Korean Hero Association.
Stardus's office.
A staff member burst into Stardus's office, where she sat working, throwing the door open in a hurry.
"Ms. Stardus! Turn on the broadcast now!"
"What's going on?"
"That villain, the one who assassinated Rhino last time, has hijacked the airwaves and is broadcasting!"
"...What?"
At the staff member's words, she hastily switched on the TV mounted on her office wall, revealing the image of a man.
Against a black backdrop, the man, wearing a greyish mask that obscured half his face, opened his mouth and began to speak.
[Greetings, citizens.]
It was the moment the identity of the enigmatic villain was finally unveiled.