Villain Hides His True Colors

It had been about three years since I was given the nickname ‘Mad Demon.’

The Hero Association had officially declared withdrawal from all operations related to me.

[Currently, ‘Mad Demon’ has reached a level that humanity can no longer control. Therefore, as of now, we plan to stop all preemptive measures toward the Mad Demon and instead focus only on recovering the damages suffered by our citizens…]

Naturally, the citizens had strongly opposed the Hero Association’s decision. In what world do heroes turn a blind eye to a villain?

But I could understand their decision.

It was not surprising since the number of heroes who had disappeared while trying to subdue me so far had exceeded 1,000…

Well, looking at it from their point of view, they did as much as they could.

And in this regard, the Hero Association had added one last guideline.

[If you happen to encounter the Mad Demon, we ask that you avoid all engagement and leave the battlefield immediately with the aim of survival.]

Was this a sign of an apology for having troubled me all this time?

They had also asked independent heroes who weren’t part of the Hero Association to not bother me.

Thanks to this admirable consideration, I was able to enjoy every day in a pleasant environment for the first time in a long time.

I didn’t have to wear sunglasses when walking down the street anymore.

Even when shopping at a grocery store or watching a movie in a theater, no one came to pick a fight with me.

“Kyaa! A V-villain! Run!”

“H-hero! Where are the heroes?”

“Oraa! How dare you cause trouble! Give yourself up…Keuk!”

Oh, of course, sometimes there were heroes who hadn’t received the instructions, but that much could be said to be a small stimulus in my everyday life.

It had been a long time since I could relax. No, maybe it was the first peace I had felt in my life.

“Hmm…”

Ironically, I fell into panic.

Like a salaryman who was suddenly notified of his dismissal, I didn’t know how I would spend the day when I opened my eyes in the morning.

What did I want to do? What kind of person did I want to be?

Strangely, nothing came to mind.

Looking back on my life, all I had ever done was kill people and the heroes who had come after me.

Come to think of it, I couldn’t seem to remember taking the initiative in doing something.

Wasn’t I like one of those hardcore gamers who was only crazy about leveling up?

So after much consideration, I decided to enjoy a little more diverse content that ordinary people enjoyed.

“Ah, is the taste to your liking?”

“Hmm, it’s delicious. But…Why is the plate so big and the food so small? By any chance were you trying to save cost?”

“Th-that’s not it…W-wait a minute. If you wait, I’ll…Spare me!”

I visited famous restaurants and enjoyed the most exciting gourmet food.

“R-run away! The Eiffel Tower is falling!”

“Ah…! The symbol of Paris…”

Sometimes I would go sightseeing at a destination I had always wanted to visit.

For a while, I traveled around the world and enjoyed myself.

But, that also only lasted for a while. I soon got tired of it all.

In the end, there wasn’t enough content.

As if it was mandatory, I simply tried to enjoy this game, but in fact, I didn’t think it was fun at all.

I would terrorize government offices and buildings on a few occasions, but what the hell did those actions amount to?

It was like physical labor without any fun.

For a time when such things repeated, I even had the thought that the time when the heroes came after me was more enjoyable.

So I went to see the famous heroes in person.

“M-Mad Demon!”

“Run away at full speed!”

“I’m not a hero! I’m not a hero! I’m not a hero…”

They disappeared without looking back at me. And…As that happened, the smell of blood gradually faded from my body.

And then one day.

“Are you the human they call Mad Demon?”

“…Hmm?”

An unidentified portal opened in front of me and a very suspicious looking guy appeared.

A thick robe that covered the whole body, an ominous mana field that swelled from behind, and a strange whirlpool that rotated where the face should be.

It was a mysterious figure that was hard to describe in words.

“Ho~ As the rumors say, it’s a good level for a human being. To be able to stand intact even after facing this king.”

“…”

He praised me with a bizarre voice that was difficult to distinguish between genders. So I also observed him.

Even on a second glance he was still unsightly. The character design looked like something that had come from a Chinese game.

On top of that, looking at the whirlpool spinning around his face, for some reason it reminded me of a loading screen, so my mood soured.

“Human, this king has something to say to you…”

Swish–!

“Keuk!”

So without a second thought, I split his body in half.

Blood poured over the asphalt and the bisected body fell to both sides.

It was a clean cut.

I nodded with satisfaction. It had been a while since I felt such a great sensation coming from my hands.

As soon as I was about to go home feeling refreshed, I heard his voice from behind.

“Keuk…Th-that felt like getting bit by a bug.”

What happened?

When I quickly came to my senses, I had a thought. The guy I had just split in half, wasn’t he still standing in front of me?

He was also treating me like a bug.

It was my first time experiencing this. What kind of ability was it?

Because I had seen him split in half, I didn’t think it was the kind that could nullify attacks.

However, it couldn’t have been a recovery or resurrection skill because my attacks had an irreversible modifier.

“…What? You’re still alive?”

“Human. Don’t be so afraid. This king isn’t your enemy.”

Swish–!

“Keuk!”

I didn’t know what it was, but I killed him again because it was fascinating.

This time, to make it a little more certain, I cut him into several pieces.

Head, heart, spine, eyes…

In games, there were monsters who would only die when a specific part was destroyed, so I removed everything that seemed even a little probable.

But…

“Heuk, heuk…H-human, it’s itchy.”

He appeared in front of me again. This time, I was paying close attention just in case, but like earlier, I couldn’t figure out how he had recovered.

“Hmm…Weird.”

“Human. Stop attacking! This king just wants to talk to you.”

“Do my attacks not work on you?”

“Th-that’s right. You’re a smart person! You managed to figure it out. So stop this useless struggle.”

Was what he said true? I suddenly became curious.

The spirit of experimentation was one of the important virtues of gamers. So I decided to test if what he had said was true.

“All right. Let’s have a real conversation…”

Swish–!

“Keuk!!”

I cut the body of the man in half as he was tidying his clothes.

Then, my senses instantly peaked and I cut him into countless pieces in the next second.

The moment my senses were heightened, I realized that his body was back to normal again.

Swish–!

I immediately fired a series of attacks.

“H-Hold on! Don’t misunderstand…”

Swish–!

Let’s kill him when he recovers.

“How dare you! You’re a human! Do you know who this king is…”

Swish–!

I killed him again when he recovered.

How long has it been? Unlike in the beginning, he stood in front of me in a somewhat polite manner.

“S-stop! I don’t know what it is, but it’s all my fault! So, please stop…”

My attacks seemed to be of no use.

A camouflage technique that could even hide from my skills, and a mysterious ability to recover no matter how many times I kill him.

Suddenly, I became interested in him. So I picked up my sword and asked.

“Why did you come to me?”

“A-are you finally willing to listen to what this king has to say?”

For some reason, I felt like his voice was indignant, but it was probably my imagination. There was no way he would be hurt after being attacked by what he found to be just an itch, right?

I looked at the restless man for a moment and nodded slowly.

“Hmm…I think it’ll be okay if it’s just for a moment.”

“Th-thank you! Thank you very much!”

He called himself ‘Purson,’ the 5th devil who ruled a part of the demon world.

Various dimensions have been confirmed in this day and age and it was commonplace to see otherworld existences on Earth.

‘Beast’ species with hair all over their body like an animal, or the ‘Dwarf’ species like the ones from fairy tales.

Coincidentally, my mother was of mixed blood, so there was nothing strange about the sudden appearance of a devil.

More important than that was his purpose for approaching me.

“This king wishes for your cooperation.”

“Exactly what do you want from me?”

“Help this king conquer Earth.”

Conquer Earth. The ambition that countless villains had dreamt of came out of his mouth.

Originally, I wasn’t interested in such childish power-play, but suddenly I thought it would be fun to conquer Earth.

Even if it wasn’t fun, I was suffering from a lack of content…So this was great.

And, gaining new achievements was the fate all gamers strived towards.

I quickly made up my mind.

“If you help this king, I’ll give you the authority to colonize this place on behalf of this king after Earth is conquered. And if you want power, this king will bless you…”

Purson listed a series of benefits I could get if I joined the Demon Army. Having already made a decision, I interrupted his speech.

“Okay. Let’s do that–”

“Also, if you want a girl…Hmm? What did you just say?”

“I said okay.”

“J-just like that? Ah, no. That’s an excellent choice, human! You’ll never regret what happened today! Hahaha!”

As if he was relieved, Purson chuckled to himself while looking at the sky. Then, as if he had come to his senses, he coughed and adjusted himself.

“Hmm, th-this king was out of shape for a while. Forget what you just saw.”

“Yeah. I understand.”

“Hmm! Good. Humans these days have manners. Okay, let’s move to the Demon Army…”

Swish–!

“Keuk!”

Taking advantage of his carelessness, I cut his body one last time. As expected, the sensation I felt from my hands was good.

“Hmm…”

But it wasn’t effective this time either. After his body quickly returned to its original state, he asked in a trembling voice.

“Wh-why this time?”

“Nothing. Just to be sure.”

“…”

And that was how I had joined the demon army.

* * * * * * * * * *

Purson’s skill was greater than I had thought.

He had used the allure of blessing power to recruit superhumans one by one.

It was like when a person got a taste of meat they would be hard pressed to go back to eating grass.

Superhumans born with stronger power than others in the first place couldn’t easily resist the opportunity to become stronger.

As a result, most of the villains on Earth had joined the demon army, and even top-ranked heroes, who were well-known, had begun to betray humanity.

It was said that the devil’s specialty was seduction…Looking at this, it seemed the saying was true.

However, human resistance was also formidable.

Just as hope was hidden in the word despair, righteous heroes who had yet to fall were willing to sacrifice their bodies to protect the peace of Earth.

And those who were impressed by their dedication finally united beyond race and ideology.

“Let’s get rid of the demon army!”

“We won’t lose!”

“Raise your sword for mankind!”

With the thought that even if their life ended today, if they could just pass on tomorrow to the next generation…

No one hesitated to give up their lives.

The heroes who survived up till now that stood at the forefront,

The ones who didn’t have power but were willing to hold guns,

The ones who didn’t even have that but fought with stones in their hands.

A mountain of corpses piled up every day, but step by step, mankind moved forward.

***

[ Translator – Yasi ]

[ Proofreader – Karane ]

And finally, humanity’s Allied Forces succeeded in reclaiming the ‘Hero Association’ headquarters, which stood as a symbol of Earth.

“Waaah! We can do it!”

“We can do it!”

“Let’s use this momentum to get rid of them!!”

The morale of the Allied Forces was higher than ever, and on the contrary, the superhuman who had betrayed humanity became agitated within the demon army.

Purson spoke to me in a relaxed manner.

“Human. It’s your turn to step up.”

“Okay.”

I visited the key heroes that made up the coalition one by one and killed them, and as a result, the Allied Forces, which had resisted so much, collapsed completely in less than a month.

Eventually, the demon army conquered Earth.

It was a little empty ending that was different from what I had expected, but I thought it was pretty good content that had soothed my boredom.

If I had to rate it, I would give it a 5 out of 10.

Anyways…

As it turned out, there was more content after that.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Human. You’ve done a great job so far.”

The 5th devil, Purson, said.

His swirling face still felt unpleasant every time I saw it.

I opened my mouth looking at that kind of face.

“No. It was a contract in the first place, so it’s obvious…Is this the reward for my hard work?”

I stared at the red portal behind him.

Through the portal, the main base of the demon world that existed in Hell was constantly pouring over.

In addition, the traitors of mankind, who had been flattering me, stood side by side next to them as they besieged me.

How should I interpret this? Did I get betrayed?

That seemed to be the case from the way they were snickering. I guess this kind of development was inevitable.

“Haa…”

I sighed without realizing it.

I’ve betrayed people many times, but I couldn’t believe there would come a day when I get betrayed like this.

And this time, other devils and high-level demons, who were very determined to hide even in the war against mankind, were also coming over through the portal.

Because of the magic power they gave off, even just standing here was making my skin itch.

Would I be able to win if I fought them?

I quickly measured their strength in my head. The answer could be seen without having to think for a long time.

This…was going to be hard.

Perhaps if I bear with some sacrifices, I might be able to deal with about half of them.

It was too much no matter how long I thought about it.

However, even if I choose to run away, it was only a temporary measure.

Once Earth’s takeover fully started, it was clear the demons would regain their original power more and more.

Then the odds would be even lower than it is now…

It was indeed a dilemma. I gave another quick sigh.

Purson, who was staring at me, soon took the initiative to shamelessly bow his head.

“I’m sorry about this. However, this was inevitable, even for this king.”

“What’s the reason? I definitely made it clear that I wasn’t interested in ruling the world.”

“It’s not because of that. Rather, this king had insisted that you be entrusted with the position of ruling Earth.”

“Then what’s up with this? There must be a reason.”

Perhaps it was difficult for him to speak, but he hesitated for a while before slowly opening his mouth.

“…That’s because you’re too evil and dangerous.”

“Me? That’s incomprehensible.”

Who the hell was he talking about? I never imagined that I would hear such words from the mouth of the devil who had wanted to conquer Earth.

However, he, perhaps not thinking so, suddenly screamed back.

“Y-you abominable bastard! Why are you pretending to be innocent? Have you already forgotten about the past?! How many allies do you think you have killed because you were bored?”

In response to his words, the demons and villains surrounding me shook their heads as if sympathizing.

Unbelievable.

I had worked so hard. Should I be treated like this just for killing a few people?

This was why I hated team games. The moment I let my guard down, I became a victim of politics.

So I kindly reminded them of one important fact that they seemed to have forgotten.

“Isn’t my contribution worth more than that?”

“Th-that’s true but…On top of that, didn’t you play tricks on this king every night? Like saying how your hands felt good. H-how dare you say such rude things! This king isn’t your toy!”

“It’s like an itch from a bug to you anyway. No way…Are you going to kill me for that?”

“…”

His body shook and his head dropped as if he had nothing to say.

Soon, he spoke in a voice that had regained its composure..

“In fact…there’s another reason why you must die.” 

“What’s that?”

“Even now, I’m sure you’re still growing stronger. The limit to your power is unknown. Nevertheless, we still don’t even know the identity of your ability.”

“So. Are you going to spare me if I tell you what my ability is?”

“I’m sorry, but it’s too late. With the troops here, Evil God had ordered me to remove you. So you’ll surely die here today.”

He said firmly. The faith in his voice was so firm that it sounded as if he was proclaiming the Earth to be round.

And I realized, everything I had done in this game up to here will end.

In the end…was that the only way?

It wasn’t the ending I wanted, but it might be a good stage to finish this game.

Only to kill me, so many troops had gathered.

But…

That was also a different matter.

I had always tried to enjoy my life.

Rather than complaining, I looked at the world positively, and thanks to that, I was able to laugh at most things without getting angry.

But if there was one thing, if there was something I couldn’t stand–

That was, people who disturb me when I’m enjoying my games.

Like those standing in front of me right now.

And until now, such people who had no respect for games had never been kept alive.

It had been a while since I felt this way.

I controlled my boiling anger and spoke.

“Then, I have one last favor to ask of you.”

“Anything except sparing you.”

“Purson. I want to know who you are. I’ve never seen your face.”

Purson, who had heard me, seemed shocked for a moment, but soon nodded calmly as if he had understood something.

“Okay. If that’s your last wish, I’ll grant it.” 

He slowly took off the hood of the robe he was wearing.

White hair flowed down like snow through the peeled hood.

And as he touched the vortex on his face, the constant swirl began to subside.

“You had that kind of face.”

His face…No, her face looked much younger than I had thought.

A girl with dark brown skin like coffee and purple eyes like my mother.

If it weren’t for the small horns on her forehead, I might have thought she was an ordinary girl.

After arranging her pressed hair, she greeted me in an elegant manner.

“Let me introduce myself again. This king is the 5th demon to inherit the title of devil, the one called Purson.”

I stared at her in detail to capture her image in my head.

“That face. I’ll never forget it in my next life.”

“Is that so…? Yes, you deserve to resent this king”

“No. That’s all right for now. More than that, don’t you want to know what my ability is?”

“…What is it?”

Purson widened her eyes and leaned forward.

She had acted as if she didn’t need to know it a while ago, but I guess she was curious about my ability.

“I call my ability Gamer.”

“Gamer?”

I activated my ability. A translucent hologram window came into view.

Status window. A unique ability that only I own and could see on Earth.

It was filled with numerous achievements that I had gained so far. In itself, the status window was the history of my life.

It was a shame to die leaving all of this behind.

As I manipulated the menus in the status window, I spoke without concern.

“Gamer literally means people who play games. Oh, you may not know because you have only lived in Hell.”

“If it’s a game, then this king knows. Isn’t it a toy that humans play with? But apart from that, I don’t know what you mean even after hearing that.”

Purson frowned as if it was difficult to understand.

I kept rummaging through the status window while ignoring her. And soon after, I was able to find the skill I was looking for.

Classification: Special

Grade: EX 

Description: Turn off the game and start over.

*1 Available use left.

After gaining numerous achievements, I was barely able to obtain a bonus life.

Originally, I was going to enjoy my life until I was 100 years old and use it before I die, but now I had no choice.

Because I didn’t have to stall any longer, I looked at Purson and smiled.

“If you’re really curious, it would be a good idea to experience it yourself.”

“W-wait, human! What are you trying to do?”

Perhaps Purson had felt something from me, but she immediately launched an attack. But in the first place, she wasn’t my opponent.

The flames of hell she had created with mana were blocked by the transparent barriers I had created and disappeared.

“E-everyone, attack him right now! We have to stop him!”

She shouted urgently, and the demons on standby rushed at me.

But it was already too late.

[ Do you want to use the skill One Coin? ] 

[ By using the skill, one use will be deducted. ]

“Use it.”

[ The game will now restart. ]

At that moment, the sky turned black.

And…

As if a TV had been turned off, the world began to erase quickly from the edge of my gaze.

“R-run away!”

“We’ll disappear if we’re touched by the darkness! Run at full speed!”

“S-save me! Kyaak!”

The demons who came over from the portal, and even the villains who were blessed by the devils fell.

Everyone became fine dust and disappeared. I spoke leisurely while looking at such a sight.

“Wow, this is spectacular.”

“Y-you crazy bastard! Are you trying to die together?”

Purson stood in place, trembling.

It was my first time using this skill, so I had only vaguely guessed the effect. I didn’t think there would be such a wonderful show.

I felt relieved to see the people who had betrayed me screaming. With a smile from the bottom of my heart, I spoke.

“I’m looking forward to the day we meet again.”

“Death is fair to all beings, so what do you expect after death?!”

“Nothing.”

“You’re crazy! It was this king’s mistake to have involved a dangerous human like you in the first place!”

“Is that so? I’m so sorry to hear that. From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly grateful to have met you.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you set a new goal for me? I was bored because I had run out of content. Because of this, I think I know what I should do in the next game to have fun.”

“Human…Like I thought, you’re crazy.”

Purson disappeared after saying that.

“She’s gone. I didn’t even get to thank her.”

Lastly, I wanted to cut her body again, but it was a pity.

And in fact, what I said to her was sincere.

It was a pity this had happened, but thanks to her, I had realized one thing.

Why had I never thought of becoming a hero?

There were so many villains in the world.

Rather than waiting for heroes to come to me, I think there would be much more to enjoy if I went after the villains instead.

If I was a hero…I could kill villains at will.

It was legally true.

Not only could I take revenge against those who had stabbed me in the back, there was even the large-scale content called the demon invasion…

My heart began to throb for the first time in a while.

Although this game didn’t end in the form I had wanted, wasn’t it good if a more interesting sequel awaited?

In the end, whether I was a hero or not, the game just needed to be fun.

Was I looking forward to this?

When I looked down, the darkness was also encroaching towards my body. Looking at the place where Purson had disappeared, I spoke to myself.

“Let’s meet again. You and I.”

And so, that was how everything disappeared.

The world returned to complete nothingness and everywhere was colored with darkness.

It felt like my eyes were closed. In such a state, I carefully lifted my eyelids. 

Then, with the familiar scenery of a basement, I could see myself standing in front of a mirror.

“I’m really back.”

The second round had begun.

And…

I thought perhaps the genre of the game this time was like a true RPG, the one where the hero defeats the villains.