The Villain’s POV in the Academy

Chapter 38

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

The man turned to look at me with an indifferent face and asked about my well-being. His golden, sharp gaze swept up and down my entire body.

There was something strange about that gaze.

It was the kind of look that could make even someone who had done nothing wrong shrink back.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t seen him in a while, but for some reason, he carried a completely different atmosphere from when he usually looked at me.

Because of that, I couldn’t answer right away and could only hesitate. But the situation didn’t wait for me.

"Tsk."

Aaron glanced sideways and clicked his tongue as if annoyed.

"I have a lot to say, but—"

I should deal with that first.

Saying so, Aaron suddenly flicked his gloved fingers lightly. At that signal, my body was pulled straight into his arms.

"Ugh!?"

I reacted with surprise, but Aaron paid it no mind and firmly grabbed my shoulders.

In that state, he abruptly stretched one arm out to the side—like he was ready to catch a ball with one hand.

And then—

KWAaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—!

A massive shadow fell over us.

A tremor shook the city as if it might completely collapse.

The gust that followed blew away every drop of rain in an instant, making it impossible for me to breathe. All I could do was curl up and cover my head in Aaron’s arms.

Before long, the violent shockwave subsided, replaced by pounding rain and wind.

I carefully raised my head—and what I saw left me speechless.

‘W-What is this…?’

Above me was the gray sky pouring down rain and the massive hand of a giant. And there was Aaron, calmly blocking it.

‘T-This is impossible…’

I was stunned.

The Titan’s hand alone was easily more than ten times Aaron’s size—an overwhelming difference that shouldn’t be surmountable.

But how…?

The moment I questioned it—

Aaron muttered, "Lower your head."

"What?"

The moment I asked back, Aaron swung his arm wide through the air. At the same time, the ground beneath us began to shake.

Ddddddddduk—!

The sound of steel beams bending.

Telephone poles snapped, and cracks opened in the ground like an earthquake had struck. Aaron frowned, biting his lip as if even he was straining.

"A tougher one than I thought."

The giant’s arm began to slowly pull away from us, as if being dragged by something. At the same time, Aaron’s unseen grip trembled with frightening force.

‘W-What is happening…?’

Just then, light from neon signs in the city center pierced through the rain and revealed the hidden truth.

‘Threads…?’

Hundreds—no, thousands—of threads filled the space. It was like stepping into the heart of a spider’s nest.

The threads spread out from Aaron’s fingertips, stretching across ground and buildings alike.

They split, tangled, and entwined—then converged again toward the giant’s arm.

Like a cocoon, the threads tightly bound the Titan’s limb. Despite their thinness, they didn’t snap—instead, they dug little by little into the giant’s thick skin.

They were unbelievably strong.

And then—

CHwaaaaaaaaaaaak—!

After a long struggle against the Titan, Aaron clenched his fist with force. At once, thousands of threads sank into the skin like sharp blades.

Sssshk!

The Titan’s arm split into thousands upon thousands of pieces. Blackish-red blood and chunks of flesh splattered in every direction.

"■■■■■—!"

The giant’s roar.

It was like the sound of a ship’s horn, but steeped in pain so deep it made my ears ring. The Titan clutched its severed arm and collapsed to the ground.

Kwagagagagagagaga—!

Several shabby high-rises stood where the Titan fell. Though tall enough to make one crane their neck, they couldn’t withstand its weight and crumbled instantly.

The deafening crash echoed through the storm.

Through the pouring rain, clouds of dust and bursts of fire rose. Somewhere nearby, sirens wailed frantically.

But Aaron didn’t stop.

"Hup!"

With a short shout, he swung his arm again. The motion dragged the Titan’s body toward him once more.

Strength beyond belief for a human.

The giant, now regaining its senses, tried to resist being pulled—but it was useless. When Aaron clenched his fist again, this time both of its legs were neatly severed.

CHwaaaaaaak—!

A second fountain of blood shot upward.

The Titan’s blood, mixing with the rain, flowed down the drains like a river. Its body toppled forward, while the severed legs crashed into and demolished surrounding buildings.

"■■■■■■—!"

It cried out again in agony. Now, only its left arm remained.

In other words—

A prey that was easy to finish.

"…It’s over."

Aaron flicked his fingers one last time, sending a razor-thin flash straight toward the Titan’s neck.

Seok.

The sound of something being sliced.

The back of the Titan’s neck split wide open, and a flood of red liquid gushed out like a waterfall, pouring into the drains along with the rain.

That was the end.

The giant twitched a few times—maybe a death spasm—but showed no sign of getting back up.

The turrets atop the city walls ceased firing. Thanks to the downpour, the fires were quickly extinguished, and the shrill sirens that had been piercing my ears soon went quiet.

Only the sound of rain remained.

The storm poured down relentlessly, drenching both of us—making it feel as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a dream.

"Ha… haha…"

With the fight ending as swiftly and absurdly as it had begun with Aaron’s arrival, all I could do was let out a hollow laugh.

My legs gave out along with the tension, and I collapsed to the ground with a thud. Seeing me like that, Aaron spoke.

"Now we can finally talk a bit. How do you feel?"

Aaron asked after my condition.

And my emotions began to swell.

Ah… you finally came back.

The heat that threatened to burst out without my realizing it felt like it was warming my cold body. I began carefully choosing my words, wondering how I could thank him.

But then—

Aaron asked a new question.

One that stopped me from speaking.

"While I was gone, how did you feel? When you were on the brink of death, what was it like?"

For a moment, my thoughts froze.

What… what did I just hear?

For him to ask that… meant Aaron knew about my situation. It wasn’t that he couldn’t come to help me due to unavoidable circumstances—he knew everything and still stood by.

No—that couldn’t be.

It couldn’t…

"W-Wait… what are you…?"

"Did you not understand me? I’m asking if you enjoy ‘throwing yourself into danger.’"

"What is that supposed to mean?! A-Are you saying I wanted to be in this situation?!"

"Isn’t it so?"

"Of course not!"

I exploded in anger.

But his reply was cold.

"Then answer me this."

"Answer what?"

"You must have been attacked by villains once before. That moment eventually brought you to the point where your life was at risk now, didn’t it?"

"…!"

He was talking about the module.

Aaron already knew that much. Instinctively, I touched the back of my neck.

"Why did you provoke those villains back then? Even knowing it would put you in danger."

"I-I never provoked them! They were the ones who tried to take my brother’s keepsake first!"

"Yes, that’s true. But they were weak enough to realize mid-act that they’d gone too far and ran away. You could have seen that and avoided pushing the situation into danger."

"T-That’s…"

I couldn’t answer.

Aaron continued speaking.

"And since then, you must have had dreams several times. Dreams where, on that day you were attacked, your brother appeared out of nowhere to save you."

"H-How… could you possibly…"

"And lately, in that dream, I must have appeared instead. Replacing your brother—saving you in his place."

"W-What are you talking about?! No! I’ve never had a dream like that…!"

I was shaken.

How could Aaron know exactly what was in my heart? I couldn’t understand. I didn’t know. The warm gaze he had always given me was now cold as ice.

"Admit it."

Aaron spoke.

"That is reality."

Reality.

The word sank heavily into my chest.

But I didn’t know why. I couldn’t explain this turmoil in my heart—not even to myself.

"W-What do you mean, reality…!"

"You wanted to be saved."

"T-That’s ridiculous!"

"More precisely, it’s the manifestation of your desire for salvation and your urge for self-destruction tangled together. Am I wrong?"

Aaron’s voice was ice.

"I’ll say it again. You wanted someone to save you. You dreamed of someone changing the reality you were in."

"A-Are you saying my head was full of such flowery nonsense? That I’m that empty-headed? No matter who you are, that’s—!"

"Then why do you act like that?"

He asked.

"Why do you throw yourself into situations you know will turn bad? Why choose the path to ruin and corner yourself?"

"I’ve never done that!"

"You haven’t? Think carefully."

My hands began to tremble.

My body felt unnaturally cold, my shoulders hunched. It wasn’t just the chill.

It hurt.

Why? Why?

I forced down my questions and tried to change the subject. I felt like I had to get out of this situation somehow.

"T-This isn’t the time for this! Because of that giant, other students are dead—we have to do something about this area—!"

"Answer me, Iri Elisbell."

But Aaron didn’t let go.

"On the first day of entrance, why did you treat me so rudely after hearing the name ‘Aaron Stingray’? Did you not think that with a single word, I could have you disappear from this city?"

It was about the first time we met.

And he was right.

Doing that to the Crown Prince of this city wasn’t something anyone in their right mind would do—unless they truly had a death wish.

"T-That’s because I knew you were a bad person! You reeked of blood, so terribly it was sickening!"

"No, you knew—even if I was a villain, you were sure a man showing such unusual favor from the first meeting wouldn’t kill you."

"That’s not true!"

"You just found me fitting to play the ‘villain’ in your little roleplay."

"That’s not it!"

"And it wasn’t just that time."

Aaron’s words pressed on.

"Why did you ignore my warnings and pick fights? I told you many times not to cause trouble."

"T-That’s because he started it first…!"

"Why, right after the [Showcase], did you make a rude gesture to the audience? They, too, are the city’s power players. You must have known it was an act of tightening the noose around your own neck."

"That’s because those people were staring at me with strange eyes…!"

"If I hadn’t stepped in, one of them would have made an example of you. You’re not foolish enough not to understand that."

"W-What do you know?!"

My protest was fierce.

Huu—

Aaron let out a short sigh.

"Before I left, I clearly told you that if anything happened, you should rely on Ciel. And yet, why didn’t you rely on her?"

"That’s because you…!"

"No. It’s not my fault. It’s simply that in the ‘picture’ you wanted, an android didn’t fit. You always have an excuse, Iri Elisbell. Isn’t it about time you admit it?"

Aaron’s voice was cold.

"Saying that won’t bring your brother back."

"Take that back!"

In the end, I couldn’t hold back my anger and rushed at him. But before I could land an attack, Aaron effortlessly subdued me.

"It’s the same even now. From the fight earlier, you must have realized I’m someone you can’t possibly defeat. And yet, why charge at me?"

"Shut up!"

"A cornered stray dog barks to call its pack. It’s saying, ‘I’m here, I’m threatened, come save me.’"

"Stop it…!"

"But you know yourself. No matter what you do, your brother won’t come back. Yet because you can’t accept reality, you keep making excuses and putting yourself in danger."

"I said stop…!"

"In the end, you’re just looking for an ‘excuse’ loud enough to howl, so that your brother will come save you."

"Stop…"

"But he will not return. And…"

Reality.

Aaron thrust the heavy truth before me.

"I am not your brother either."

Iri Elisbell was a stray dog.

The harsh life of the Fallen had turned her speech and mannerisms into something wild.

She must have had her pack.

Other strays she could trust and rely on.

Especially Peter Jones… her brother, who was her staunchest ally.

But her brother died.

And she couldn’t accept it.

So she began throwing herself into danger—

—hoping her brother would return.

Because he had always saved her from danger before, she believed he would again. She made excuses, created crises, and wished for her ‘savior’ of a brother to return.

I’m here.

I’m in danger.

Come back and save me.

But reality doesn’t change.

Her brother will not come back.

Her desperate cries only met with cruel silence. And in that process, Iri’s longing slowly twisted into obsession.

Save me.

Someone save me.

And then, someone appeared at the right moment. From a few experiences, she judged him suitable to take her brother’s place.

That person—was me, Aaron Stingray.

Half-hearted salvation only makes things worse.

As I’ve said before, Iri’s story in Part 1, Act 1, was a cliché salvation tale.

But if you fail to read the foreshadowing hidden in subtle descriptions, or the warped truth hidden beneath her ‘excuses,’ you’ll only get a half-baked outcome.

Iri would only grow more obsessed with her savior, relying on them even more. Extending a hand to her with shallow understanding would only deepen the distortion inside her.

I could have left her alone.

I have the knowledge of the original work.

I have overwhelming power, wealth, and influence.

Even without perfectly solving Iri’s problems, I could keep her in a safe cage, care for her, and easily deal with any problems that came her way.

Maybe that would have been good for Iri too—since the distortion in her came from her harsh life.

Her life had been steeped in enough pain to deserve that much reprieve.

And yet—this way is better.

For her.

For me.

I wanted to see it.

Not Iri the stray dog reduced to my pet, but Iri awakened as a hunting dog.

I wanted to see her grow and fight like in the original—standing up to persecution and danger, overcoming it on her own.

I wanted to see—not the pet that wagged her tail only for me—but the Iri who surpassed the original.

So this choice is my greed.

Even though I could easily keep her safe, I would deliberately push her onto the battlefield of life.

"Stop… stop…!"

"This is reality."

I spoke coldly.

In defiance, Iri asked,

"Why are you saying that? You came to save me… then why…!"

Our eyes met.

For several seconds, I looked into her violet eyes, and they began to glisten.

And then—

"…Then why did you save me?"

Iri asked.

It was a short question, but I could tell it carried many meanings—along with many misconceptions and misunderstandings.

"…"

I chose my words slowly.

If I were the original protagonist, what would I say? What would be the most efficient and effective line for what lay ahead?

But I soon stopped thinking.

In the end, there was only one reason.

Even if I made something up, Iri would sense the falsehood immediately. So these words, at least, had to be mine—spoken as myself.

"…Think about it yourself."

At that moment—

A soft breath slipped from Iri’s lips. Her sharp instincts must have immediately caught the meaning behind my words.

Her expression twisted.

Her lips quivered, unable to form the words.

"I… I…!"

Eventually, she tried to say something—but couldn’t finish. Even so, I already understood what she was feeling.

—I’ve been struggling all this time.

Yes, I know.

Better than anyone else in the world.

But I won’t let her say it aloud.

To the girl who couldn’t finish her sentence, I extended my hand once again. She hesitated, her face doubtful, but eventually took it and stood.

Then I let go and started walking.

Affection and hostility.

Trust and distrust.

Like those ambiguous emotions and our relationship, she followed behind me, keeping an uncertain distance. It felt a little too far, and I regretted it slightly—but to close it now would be greed.

The important thing was—

She was following me of her own will.

So…

For now, this is enough.

For now, this will do.

[Notice]

*Part 1, Act 1 has ended.

*Rewards will be given.