Being a Villain is My True Calling

What is a hero?
For Ice Queen, that word meant exactly what it said in the dictionary.

Hero.
A person who is admired by the public for accomplishing what ordinary people cannot, with extraordinary courage, talent, and wisdom.

Additionally, a hero was a righteous figure who protects people.

“Urgh..”

However, the work of a hero was inevitably more grueling than expected.
It was bearable for those who found fulfillment in saving people, but if not, it could only be more painful.

“Ugh..!”

Ice Queen was not a person who found fulfillment in saving people.
She was just the type who did hero activities out of a sense of duty.

She was someone who saw the people she couldn’t save rather than those she saved, and whatever sense of fulfillment remained had long since worn away, except for when she was a rookie.

“Haa, haa.. huu..”

Watching people die before your eyes is harder to endure than you might think.

Amidst loud noises, people’s shouts and screams are drowned out, and in the midst of it all, people crumble futilely.
It was common for someone you had a friendly conversation with yesterday to be covered head to toe with a white sheet this morning.

Even those who always gave off a good atmosphere and scent now emitted a strong stench as if covered in filthy sewage at the scene.

Those who didn’t die instantly shook their bodies as if being electrocuted, taking in Ice Queen as their last sight before their blood ran cold.

“Ah..”

When she arrived too late, only chunks of meat that were once living creatures had her in their sights.

“……”

Is what she’s seeing now the corpses of the present?
Or hallucinations of the past that have begun to appear due to madness?

‘It’s hell.’

Perhaps she had even arrived at a future called hell. Thinking this, Ice Queen moved her body.

To reiterate, she was not someone who found fulfillment in hero work.
She was simply someone who couldn’t bear to watch people die before her eyes, and someone who had deeper connections with people than expected.

Crunch!
Grrrr!!

Zzzap!!

She had to give up many things while doing hero work.

‘Ice Queen-ssi! Thank you for last time!’

‘If it’s alright, could I treat you to a meal next time?’

‘It’s fine.’

She treated people coldly to minimize personal connections.

‘Just because her hero name is Ice Queen, does she think she’s a real princess?’

‘Kick! She’s so unsightly!’

To reduce people’s attention even a little, she gave up her preferences and wore plain, androgynous leather pants and white shirts.

‘Did you see her smiling at men? She’s totally a fox.’

‘It’s not like hero work is child’s play.’

She erased her bright personality, meaning to just focus on the role of a hero, though she’s gotten used to it now.
In the end, all those actions were meaningless.

She gradually wore down while doing hero work.
It’s not that she never wanted to give up.

Beeeep-

The reason she still played the role of a hero despite this was that someone’s request was greater than her desire to give up.

‘Unni..! Unni!’

It was a child.
The first child she saved with her own hands during her first terrorist incident when she had just joined the Hero Association as a rookie.
A child who became close to her personally and was a great support during difficult hero activities.

A child who didn’t lose her spirit despite being sick.

“..Urgh.”

It was a good memory, but whenever she recalled it, the child’s last moments always came up together, making her feel sick.

To put it conclusively.. the child died after getting caught up in another terrorist attack.

‘Unni! Unni!! Help..’

This time because of none other than herself.
Letting the villain who committed the terrorism escape was the root cause.

‘..This won’t do. Unni and I are too far apart.’

‘…No, no no no!!’

‘It’s okay, Unni! I’m not resentful at all!’

‘There must be a way to save you! There must be some way to save you!’

‘Instead, next time you have to work hard and save kids like me, okay?’

For the reason of being close to her, who was a hero, and for being a weak human without power.

‘Thank-‘

Bang-
The child disappeared before her eyes with a loud explosion.

‘Ah..’

The loud noise ringing in both ears and the child who didn’t lose her smile even as she disappeared – each and every bit slowly, very slowly etched itself as an unforgettable memory.

Splat! Splat!

Pieces scattered on the sticky ground along with a pungent smell of burning.
The drizzling rain gradually erased traces of the fire, but it couldn’t erase her memories.

‘Urgh.. uweegh..!!’

After that, she caught the villain, but the lost connection never returned.

Beeeep-

A loud ringing sound enveloping both ears ate away at her thoughts, and her memories with the child transformed into trauma.

“Kyaaaaaaah!!”

Bang-!!

“Ugh..”

Beeeep-

After that day, Ice Queen developed auditory hallucinations where she would hear ringing in her ears whenever she heard loud noises, even if they weren’t close by.

Whenever she heard sounds similar to explosions, high-pitched screams, or citizens begging for help, without fail the ringing would come and torment her ears.

Because of this, Ice Queen naturally came to prefer only quiet and peaceful things.

“I heard screams from that direction.. I should go.”

Even Ice Queen herself thought she was gradually breaking down.
But she hadn’t stopped until now.

‘Instead, next time you have to work hard and save kids like me, okay?’

Because it was her last promise with the child she couldn’t save.

Zzzap!!

“Hurry.. haa.. run away.”

“Ah, ah.. yes. Thank you. But, your injuries are too..”

“Quickly!!!”

“Y-yes..!!”

An empty city.
Perhaps because she had come too far alone trying to save people who couldn’t escape, there were no traces of fellow heroes around.

“Haa.. what am I doing now.”

Unlike the first beasts, the situation reversed when beasts with somewhat melted-looking appearances appeared.
Unlike before when they only knew how to use their heads, their strength increased dramatically from the original, and they seemed to have gained infectiousness, as even ordinary beasts and insects had to be dealt with.

Thanks to this, she too was covered in injuries, with her clothes torn here and there.

‘..How long do I have to fight?’

To be honest, she was scared.
How could she not be scared?

Just because she was an ability user, a hero, didn’t mean she was invincible.

When injured, it hurt, and in times of crisis, she felt fear.
Sometimes she resented the citizens who turned their backs and ran away, but also envied them.

‘Should I just give up everything?’

Though she never showed it, she was more tired than she thought.
The tired her began to compromise with herself little by little.

Yes, I’ve saved a lot of people so far.
I may not be S-class, but I’ve become a fairly recognized A-class hero.
I’ve endured other people’s mistreatment steadfastly.

Isn’t this enough?

Isn’t it okay to give up now?

Grrrr..!

“Ah..”

A wolf pack that appeared just then.
As if knowing Ice Queen was strong, a large number had somehow surrounded her in formation.

“..I can’t block this.”

A deep sense of defeat and despair, along with trauma, all mixed together and wrapped around her body stickily.
It felt like her heart was sinking deep into the abyss.

“Ha..”

Ice Queen stared intently at the wolf pack.
And one wolf, perhaps the leader of the action, leaped forward first and charged at her.

Just as Ice Queen was giving up and about to let the beast right in front of her tear into her body.

Click! Bang-!!

A man hiding her with his large back.
Wearing a thick winter coat and uniform, he had a somewhat familiar appearance.

“You..!”

“It’s been a while, Ice Queen-nim.”

And the man’s voice heard softly.
Strangely, upon hearing his refreshing voice, the ringing in her ears faded and it felt like the fog enveloping her head cleared brightly.

“Maker! How did you..”

“I came from Eclipse for situation reconnaissance. Then it seemed to be getting more dangerous so I was about to return, but I came to help because some fool looked like they were about to get caught while spacing out.”

“..Wait, is that fool possibly me?”

“Is there another fool here?”

At the sight of Maker smiling faintly, Ice Queen’s blood rushed to her head for a moment.

“I’m not!”

“What else would you call someone who was about to be ambushed while spacing out if not a fool?”

She exploded in anger at his words and quickly rebutted.

“I-I knew!”

Of course, she realized it halfway through, but it was true that she noticed the beasts coming before being attacked.

“Then why didn’t you avoid them?”

“..That’s because my mana..”

“Even if you’re low on mana, you should be able to go to where your comrades are.”

“……”

As if struck right on the mark, Ice Queen tightly shut her mouth.

Bang!

Maker shot and killed another beast that was slowly approaching, then looked at Ice Queen.

“Or could it be. Were you trying to commit suicide?”

At his following words, Ice Queen stiffened her body.

‘Crazy..’

Maker sighed as he realized his assumption was correct.

I don’t remember Ice Queen having a self-destructive tendency.

The wolf pack that stopped in their tracks and was staring at us.

-Master!
-Wow! It’s Master!
-Master came to see us!

Pant pant pant!
Perhaps because Roy had transferred control authority to me, the creatures’ eyes were full of goodwill towards me.

-Master, pet us!

..Ignoring the illusion that I could somehow hear them speak, I fired a few shots at the ground.

‘This way, it will look like they can’t approach because they’re wary of the gun.’

I turned my head and looked at Ice Queen.

“Are you crazy? No matter how little there is to do, are you trying to die?”

“……”

Ice Queen made a complicated expression at my words.
It was quite a sight to see her looking dumbfounded as if to say “You’re one to talk,” yet still keeping her mouth shut as if she had nothing to say.

‘What should I do with this crazy lady.’

She should just eat well when given a meal, but this was beyond flipping the table – it was like throwing it out of the house entirely.

“Would you rather defect to our side?”

“Defect?”

“Yes, since you said you’re fed up with the Hero Association, how about coming to Eclipse as a villain?”

Of course, it was closer to a joke.
Should I say it meant something like “Don’t think nonsense and focus on your duties”?

For the sake of growth efficiency, it was right for her and I to be in opposing organizations.

‘And above all, Ice Queen would refuse my words too.’

Unless she’s a complete idiot-

“..That doesn’t sound bad?”

“What?”

Woooong-!

As soon as I expressed doubt, a cold wind began to swirl around Ice Queen.
Ominously, it started creating black ice particles and continuously scattering them around her.

Moreover, her clear light blue hair was changing to a pitch-black color that made it hard to see even a speck of light.

‘As if she’s corrupting, huh? Corruption?.. Oh shit-!’

A red warning light suddenly lit up in my head.

Whack!!

“Kyaa!!!”

Without time to say anything, I grabbed the barrel of the pistol with my hand and swung the grip like a hammer, smashing it right on her head.

Woong-

Fortunately, the cold wind disappeared and her ice and hair color returned to their original light.

‘This crazy woman was trying to do a dark evolution when I told her to awaken!’

I barely wiped away cold sweat and rubbed the back of my neck.

“Phew.. nothing’s going right.”

“..?”

What is she, some kind of contrary frog? Why is she acting like this?
I forcefully swallowed the various words that were about to burst out and just let out a sigh.