The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 41: How to Seize Victory in the Game

A small noise was quickly buried under the cheerful music.

As if nothing had happened, people continued to play with joyful expressions.

Once again, a happy and enjoyable time continued.

But not everyone felt that way.

The ominous warning left a tiny trace of doubt.

Once a crack forms in the heart, there is no going back.

A small portion, about one in a hundred, quietly slipped away as suspicion took root.

The children also glanced at Red with slightly uneasy faces.

Red smiled and reassured them that everything was fine.

The children's expressions brightened again.

As expected of Red!

With just a few words, she plucked out the seeds of doubt in the children's hearts. It made me realize once again what kind of existence Red was to them.

Well, she is the infamous Crime Killer, after all.

If anyone were plotting something here, they'd easily be crushed by her hands.

The moment the children turned their heads forward, Red's smile disappeared.

Her gaze took on a different atmosphere from before. She carefully observed her surroundings, not letting down her guard.

As the saying goes, "Even a stone bridge should be tapped before crossing." There was no harm in being cautious.

But something felt off.

At the moment, there were no signs of anything major happening here.

No trace of death, no scent of blood—there was no ominous atmosphere to be found.

Despite everything, I am someone called the Grim Reaper.

And yet, even I could not detect anything suspicious.

Right now, this place seemed like nothing more than an ordinary amusement park.

Of course, in a world like this, even the ordinary couldn't be trusted. So, just like her, I didn't let go of my doubts completely.

"Sis! Look over there, there's something interesting!"

Lena tugged at Red's sleeve repeatedly while pointing in a direction.

[The Machine That Paints the World of Your Imagination]

Oh~.

That was an interesting facility.

Curiosity was bound to rise when faced with something unusual.

The children pestered Red, asking her to go check it out.

“…Alright, let’s go.”

“““Waaaah!!”””

The children dashed toward the facility.

Watching their innocent backs, she let a faint smile form on her lips.

Did I just imagine that?

Just before she spoke, it felt like she glanced at me briefly, checking my reaction.

What was that about, all of a sudden?

"Come on, Lily, let’s go too."

Red took my hand and led me toward the facility.

I found her sudden shift in demeanor a little odd, but I quickly forgot about it and followed along lightly.

As we stepped inside, an android greeted us and slowly guided us in.

The android explained how the machine worked.

If you placed your hand into the input slot, which was just big enough for a single hand, the machine would read your mind, measure the data, and then illustrate your imagination.

A piece of paper would then be printed out.

I didn’t think it would be 100% accurate, but it was still an incredibly fascinating machine.

The children, intrigued by the machine, decided to determine the order by playing rock-paper-scissors.

The first turn went to Lena.

But when it was time to actually place her hand in, her face tensed with nervousness.

Still, she gathered her courage and put her hand inside.

Beep beep—!

The machine made a noise, and after a brief moment, a piece of paper was printed out.

Everyone gathered around Lena, looking at the drawing with curious eyes.

Lena’s image depicted a vast green meadow bathed in warm sunlight.

The refreshing atmosphere suited Lena perfectly.

The other children seemed to think the same.

"It looks warm."

"It's beautiful."

Next was Bada.

Bada's drawing depicted a dreamlike landscape filled with colorful clouds, rainbows, and various other elements blended together.

It was a world fitting for someone like Bada, who loved books.

One by one, the other children also took their turns. Though the scenery differed, the overall tone of the drawings was similar.

Bright, fresh, and full of abundance.

"Lily, you should try it too."

I had only planned on watching.

But the children kept urging me, each adding their own words of encouragement.

With no other choice, I stepped up to the machine.

"What do you think Lily's will look like?"

"I'm sure it'll be an incredibly beautiful picture."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Hmm.

Now that they mentioned it, I was a little curious too.

I didn’t believe in it 100%, but still, what would my world look like?

I placed my soft, small hand into the input slot.

In some movies, people who put their hands into holes like this ended up losing their wrists.

As I waited, distracted by such idle thoughts...

[#@!$!@$!@$@!$$#@$%$^]

The machine let out a violent noise, as if it were about to explode.

It was so loud that I wondered if it had broken. Just as I was debating whether to pull my hand out, the drawing was finally printed.

Phew.

So it wasn’t broken after all.

The children gathered around to see my picture, letting out a surprised "Eh?" in unison.

The machine must have malfunctioned.

There was no other explanation for this result.

Unlike the other children’s drawings, mine showed absolutely nothing.

Or more precisely, the entire front side was pitch black, as if someone had spilled black ink all over it.

"What is this?"

"It's completely black."

"Sis, look at this! I think the machine is broken."

The moment Red saw my drawing, her eyebrows moved ever so slightly.

After a brief pause...

She spoke in her usual tone, as if nothing had happened.

"...Yeah, looks like the machine is broken. I'll go let them know."

Red turned around and headed off to explain the situation.

I didn't know why, but for a fleeting moment, a hint of sadness and pity flashed in her eyes.

The children kept comforting me even as we left the facility.

They must have assumed I was upset about not getting a proper result.

Even when I gestured that I was fine, they wouldn’t stop.

Sigh.

After that, we resumed riding the attractions.

No matter how fun it was, all the constant movement had tired us out, so we took a break on a bench.

Red sat down beside me.

She handed me a synthetic ice cream, and I didn't refuse it.

Adjusting my mask slightly, I stuck out my tongue and licked the ice cream, letting the sweetness ease my fatigue.

Then, Red placed her hand on my head and gently patted it.

I tilted my head in confusion.

With a warm smile, Red said,

"I couldn't help it because Lily is just too cute. Do you not like it?"

Hmm.

The touch felt a bit embarrassing.

But I left it alone.

She had gone through the trouble of bringing me here, so rejecting it would be rude.

The gentle patting on my head continued.

Just as we were about to get moving again, an announcement echoed throughout the amusement park.

[Dear visitors of Squid Amusement Park, are you having fun?]

Was the speaker the park's manager?

A young voice continued speaking.

[I can feel the excitement even from where I am. Of course, you're already having plenty of fun, but it's not over yet. The most popular event of Squid Amusement Park is still ahead.]

I'm already satisfied.

But the news of an even more exciting game had people bursting with excitement and anticipation all around.

[You are the luckiest people alive. This game will completely change your lives. Say goodbye to your old selves! For those who win, waiting ahead is power! Money! People! You will gain absolute strength to fulfill the desires you never even dreamed of in this city!]

Red's expression froze coldly.

I also sensed something unusual.

[Now, let’s begin! The greatest game that will change your lives!!!]

As soon as the broadcast ended, the ground beneath the people began to glow.

Geometric patterns rose, filling the entire space.

Excitement, anticipation, and confusion spread across the faces of the crowd.

The murmurs grew louder.

At that moment, I suddenly recalled the warning given by the Beastman.

Right after that, the entire amusement park was engulfed in a bright light.

I looked around.

After being swallowed by the light, we had been transported to a strange place.

It was an enormous plaza, vast enough to accommodate every person who had been at the amusement park.

One by one, people began opening their eyes.

As they awoke, they looked at each other and started talking.

Where is this place? What happened? What kind of event is this?

Some observed with interest, some trembled in fear, and some smirked in excitement—each reacting differently.

The murmuring grew louder and louder.

Of course, the children were anxious, and Red reassured them.

Time passed.

As dissatisfaction started bubbling up and people demanded an explanation for this situation, a strange sound echoed through the plaza.

Then—

A massive number of unidentified people carrying firearms, along with giant robots, appeared and surrounded the crowd.

And on the stage, figures wearing bizarre masks began to stand.

A large hologram turned on above the stage so that everyone in the plaza could see and hear clearly.

A person wearing a black mask spoke, their deep, distorted voice mixed with static spreading throughout the plaza.

[You are now participants in the game prepared by Squid Amusement Park.]

As if reading from a prepared script, they began explaining the current situation and the game's rules.

To summarize, the rules were as follows:

First, all participants must take part in every game prepared by the hosts.

Second, only those who clear all games will be allowed to leave this place.

Third, the final survivor will receive an enormous prize.

The crowd grew even more chaotic.

People protested loudly, and some started objecting to being forced into a game without their consent.

"Why should we follow your rules?!"

"Yeah! I'm not playing any stupid game!"

"Just let us out of here already!"

When one person spoke up, driven by mob mentality, others followed suit and raised their voices as well.

With this many people, I wondered if they might just overturn the game altogether.

Despite the crowd’s intense protests, the masked people standing on the stage remained unfazed.

Rather—

[You do not have the right to refuse the game.]

The moment people exploded in anger and rushed toward the masked figures—

The person in the black mask raised a hand, and gunfire rang out into the air.

Those who had been about to charge froze at the sound.

When the surrounding gunmen and giant robots aimed their weapons at the crowd, all the momentum disappeared, and everyone quieted down.

Most of the people here were ordinary civilians, far too weak to fight back against those numbers.

There were a few Problem Solvers mixed in, but they didn’t seem to be particularly strong and were merely observing the situation.

Once it fell silent, the masked figure continued speaking.

[Look up at the ceiling. This is the prize money that the final winner will receive.]

The people’s gazes shifted upward.

There was a massive piggy bank hanging from the ceiling.

The moment it was filled with cash, the look in people's eyes changed completely.

[Additionally, the fewer participants remain, the greater the prize amount will be.]

At those words, the glint of desire in their eyes deepened.

"This is dangerous."

I agreed with Red’s statement.

Just moments ago, these people had been protesting in frustration, but now I could practically hear their minds racing, scheming how to walk away with that money.

"Oh well. Kids, I’ll be right back. Stay put until I return."

The children nodded.

Red took a step forward.

[Now, let’s begin the first—]

Before the black-masked figure could finish speaking, their head exploded.

Instead of brain matter, mechanical parts scattered through the air.

At some point, a red-haired woman in a black coat had appeared on the stage.

The masked figures and giant robots lunged at Red.

But instead, she easily crushed them all.

Even bullets couldn’t leave a scratch on her body.

Now, Red stood alone.

She picked up the microphone on the stage and began speaking.

She declared who she was and that she would personally take care of this entire situation.

And then, she issued a warning to everyone.

"From this moment on, no one here is allowed to do anything. If you follow their orders, I will personally kill you."

Some people still couldn’t let go of their greed and grumbled under their breath, trying to stir up mob mentality.

"Silence."

One word was all it took to completely shut them up.

The greed festering in their hearts was completely crushed by the overwhelming pressure Red exuded.

She really was incredible.

I silently applauded her fearless actions.

There was no need to participate in the game or aim for victory.

In fact, winning the game would be the true defeat.

If one truly wanted to win against the creators of this twisted game—

The only solution was to flip the entire game board.

For most people, that would be close to impossible.

But for Red, it was more than enough.

Go on and overturn the game.

I'll stay here and eliminate the lurking malice while you take care of everything else.