Being a Villain is My True Calling

Heroes must not reveal their identities to civilians.
It was an unspoken rule that had persisted among heroes for a long time.

‘Incredible! The popular singer K has been a hero all this time!’

‘Haha, I’ve been exposed like this!’

From the past, there were always those curious about heroes’ true identities.

‘Son! You’re a hero?!’
‘Yes, father. Your unworthy son is finally revealing his identity.’

These days, cases of stalking heroes to uncover their identities are common, but in the past, heroes themselves would occasionally reveal their own identities.

‘Kyaaah! K is so cool!!’
‘Look this way please, J!’

Initially, they naturally attracted public attention and became popular icons.
Perhaps those who enjoyed that attention had even contemplated revealing their identities.

‘You, you…what’s your grudge against me?!!’
‘…Father?’

However, their fates were never good.
The moment a hero’s identity was exposed, their surroundings began to crumble.

‘Our child couldn’t even be saved, yet they live such comfortable lives…?’
‘- That bastard just has a flashy exterior, his inside is scum. Could tell from his shifty look kkk’
‘Heheh, is that J? Is it really J?’

From the families of victims they failed to save, to anonymous people envious of them, and even villains simply seeking entertainment.
Everyone tore the heroes down.
If they couldn’t go after the heroes directly, they would persistently torment their loved ones instead.

After a few such cases, the unspoken rule naturally emerged.
Never reveal your identity to civilians – that was the rule.

KOOOONG!! KWAAANG!!

“It seems like chaos is unfolding outside…?”

“……”

Kang Ian’s bewildered expression.

‘Oh no, what do we do…?’

Watching him, Chise broke out in a cold sweat.

She needed to rush out and save the civilians right away, but in this chaotic situation, she couldn’t just suddenly dart outside.

KWAANG!

‘If I recklessly run into danger alone in this situation, it’s bound to raise suspicion!’

Chise racked her brain, trying to figure out what to do.

Glance.

‘Need a little help here.’

Glancing at her plight, Kang Ian adopted a serious expression as he looked at Chise.

“Miss Tsukino. We should probably evacuate.”

“Huh, huh?”

“With that loud noise and all, it might be dangerous to stay here.”

-KRAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!
KWAAAAANG!!!

The roars and sounds seemed to have grown louder compared to before.
Though coincidental, it clearly meant an unidentified villain was drawing closer.

“…Y,yes, evacuating seems wise.”

Having assessed the situation, she nodded in agreement with Kang Ian’s suggestion.

“I know there’s an emergency shelter nearby. Let’s go together. Ga-yeon? You too, hurry.”

“Got it.”

Ga-yeon’s composed demeanor contrasted with Kang Ian’s grave expression.

Concerned that her behavior might raise Chise’s suspicions, but fortunately, Chise simply assumed Ga-yeon was too young to fully grasp the situation.

“Let’s get going quickly.”

Once outside, Kang Ian’s group found the usually quiet street teeming with people.

‘A chance.’

Kang Ian gave Chise a knowing look.

“There are more people than I expected. We might get separated.”

“Right, we might get separated.”

‘Doesn’t it seem quite likely you’ll get separated from your group by chance?’

Seeming to realize his implication, Chise’s expression brightened.
Her face clearly showed she thought, ‘This is my chance!’

“In any case, we should hurry since that villain could appear anytime.”

“I might get lost, hold my hand.”

“Alright. Don’t let go and follow me closely, okay?”

At Ga-yeon’s request, even in this situation, Kang Ian naturally smiled and took her hand, like a caring older brother looking after his little sister.

“……”

Observing this, Chise saw something familiar in him but quickly shook her head to refocus.

“Let’s go.”

Kang Ian’s group gradually merged into the crowd heading towards the shelter.
Though not completely packed, it was still quite crowded and chaotic.

After walking for a while.

“Did she leave?”

“Yeah, she’s gone.”

As if removing a mask, Maker’s solemn expression shifted to his usual casual smile.
After turning into an alley, he and Ga-yeon caught their breath.

“No one should see the spatial translocation here.”

“Okay.”

Maker instantly created his villain attire using Creation and donned it.
When he made clothes for Ga-yeon as well, she promptly pulled the hood over her head, becoming the villain Polia.

“Well then, shall we observe that Japanese heroine’s performance?”

Maker tipped his hat with a bright smile.

“Phew…”

Having escaped the crowd into a side street, she finally caught her breath.

‘I’m so sorry, everyone…!!’

By now, they were probably worried about her disappearance.
Chise figured those kind people would undoubtedly be concerned.

‘Instead, I’ll definitely deal with that villain!’

Without the aid of a perception-obstructing ability user, she felt a bit uneasy, but there was no choice.
She would have to be extremely careful not to let her mask slip off.

“Alright, ikimashō minna-san! (Let’s go, everyone!)”

Woooong-

As she prepared herself and activated her ability, a green light enveloped her entire body.

“KRAAAAAAHH!!!”

On the now ruined street.

KWAANG! KWAAAAANG!

A man let out a roar as he viciously lashed a whip at a car, causing it to explode with a tremendous boom.

“KRAAAAHK!!!”

Despite the immense destructive force, the man scowled as if unsatisfied.
Just as he prepared to wreak more havoc on the street.

“Stop right there!!”

A woman blocked his path.

Donning a fluttering green frilly dress and butterfly mask.

“A… hero…?”

“That’s right, you foolish villain!”

In response to the man’s question, the woman flashed an arrogant smile.
With her hands on her hips, she boldly thrust out her chest.

“Today, you’ll deeply regret encountering me, the B+ rank hero Phantom Luna!”

Ohohohohoh!!

Phantom Luna let out that strange laugh.

Swish-!
PWAAAAH!!

The man briefly observed her before lashing his whip.
Amid the explosion and rising dust on the street.

“Stupid…hero…stupid…”

The man mocked Phantom Luna at the sight.

A foolish hero.
Letting her guard down only to die so easily.
Her idiocy was as unimpressive as her unremarkable final words.

“KRAAAAAAHH!!!!”

Just as the roaring man prepared to unleash more destruction.

Wheeeeeee-!

“Honestly, villains have no manners. Burē desu ne (How rude).”

A wind swept away the dust cloud, revealing Phantom Luna’s figure.

“Well done, Beary.”

-Beep!

And by her side floated a small creature that hadn’t been there before.

“So then, care to play with me for a bit, you unsightly villain?”

“KRAAAAAAHH!!!!”

With a mischievous grin, Phantom Luna taunted him.
Enraged by her provocations, the man charged at her with a roar.

“Huff…huff…huff…”

“Oh my, already over? You were weaker than I expected.”

Moments later.
The man panted heavily, embedded in a building wall, while Phantom Luna casually observed him.

“You…huff…ability…how many?”

Gritting his teeth, the man glared at her.

“Oh my, a lady has many secrets, you know what I mean?”

“KRAAAAAAHH…!!!”

Infuriated by Phantom Luna’s taunting, the villain lashed his whip indiscriminately.

“Oh dear, have you already forgotten the bare minimum of thinking? Really foolish…”

“Hu…hueng…”
“?!”

As she looked at him with a pitying expression, a child’s sobbing could be heard nearby.

“Hu…heheh. Hi…hero…stupid!!”

The villain contorted his lips in a ghastly grin.

“Abunai (Danger)! Bearbear! Help!!”

-Bear…!!

Pursing her lips, Phantom Luna activated her ability.
In a brief flash of light, an enormous stuffed bear instantly appeared near her.

“Please block that whip as much as you can!”

-Bear…!!!

Nodding in acknowledgment of her request, the bear extended its arms.
From its hands emerged smaller stuffed bear figures.

-Beep!
-Beep!
-Beep!

The swarm of miniature bears flew towards the whip.

“Eeek! Come out, bears!!”

Swish-!!
PWAAAH! PWAAAAH!!!

-Beep!
-Beeek!!
-Beep!!

“Ughh…”

As the small bears rapidly burst apart, she could feel her mana rapidly depleting.

‘Where is it?’

She needed to find the child before running out of mana completely.
Phantom Luna urgently scanned her surroundings.

“Hueng…”

‘Found it!’

A young child sobbing while curled up amid the rubble of a collapsed building.
Having located the child, she rushed over.

‘I have to go while Bearbear can still block at least one more attack!’

BANG! PWAAAH!! BOOM!!

Perhaps due to her dwindling mana, the number of small bears had visibly decreased.

‘Just hang in there a bit longer, Bearbear!’

Her depleted mana had also sapped her stamina, but Phantom Luna grit her teeth and pressed on.

PWAAAH! KWAAAANG!!

‘Just a bit more.’

KWAAAAAANG! BANG!!

‘Almost there…’

KWAAAAAANG!!!

“Are you alright?!”

Having barely reached the child, Phantom Luna felt immense relief wash over her.

“Be…behind…”

However, in stark contrast to her, the child had a deathly pallor.

“Behind you!!!”

Following the child’s frantic warning, Phantom Luna turned to see the whip descending from above.

Whoooooosh!!

‘Ah.’

She tried to activate her ability in a hurry, but her body wouldn’t respond, having depleted her mana completely.

The whip was already right before her eyes.

‘Can’t block this…’

KWAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!

A tremendous boom echoed through the street.

“Stupid hero!! Finally dead!!! Finally! Finally!!”

The villain cackled madly at the dust cloud before him.
However, as the dust cleared, revealing a figure, the villain’s expression froze.

“Ah.”

Brushing off the dust with a wry smile was the man.
The man was gazing not at the villain, but at Phantom Luna and the child.

“Good day, hero. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Y,you are…?”

“A villain, Maker is my name.”

Maker smiled at the dumbfounded Phantom Luna.