City G has the highest crime rate among the 26 city-states, primarily because of the overwhelming number of villains lurking within its borders.

These villains operated as if they had no concept of morality or ethics, frequently kidnapping, torturing, and even killing the families of heroes.

With public safety in shambles, the citizens could only live in constant fear—making City G a place brimming with anxiety and despair.

To the enemies of the world, City G was an irresistibly tempting target.

It was surprising they hadn’t appeared sooner, but when they did, they began to emerge explosively.

─#$%^DtvbF!

“What’s this freak…? Die, you bastard!”

Of course, the villains of City G weren’t ones to be underestimated. They were the very cancerous blight of the city, one that countless heroes had yet to eradicate. In fact, in City G, these villains held even more sway than the enemies of the world.

At first, the villains had the upper hand. Their abilities were specialized for killing, honed razor-sharp through countless battles. Even against the monstrous enemies of the world, their deadly precision couldn't be avoided.

However, as time went on, their advantage began to diminish.

─Gruuuuu-!

“Goddammit, when are these freaks going to stop coming?!”

Just looking at the grotesque creatures chipped away at one’s sanity. Each encounter left them feeling like a part of their soul had been worn away, and yet, there was no end in sight to these monsters.

They thrived on negative emotions like misfortune, misery, and stress—the very emotions that wouldn’t disappear as long as the villains existed.

As time passed, there were more enemies of the world than there were villains, and in certain areas, they had even achieved what no hero had managed—wiping out the villains completely.

“These things… maybe they aren’t so bad after all?”

“At least until all the villains are gone…”

As such thoughts began circulating among the heroes, City G’s corporations and the hero association realized something: the enemies of the world devoured the wickedness of the villains and the stress of the citizens.

“Chairman, take a look at this.”

“Hm—this can’t be real, can it?”

“Yes. At the very least, ever since the enemies of the world started appearing, the crime rate and the number of new villains have dropped dramatically…”

Recognizing that the enemies of the world consumed all negative emotions, the leaders of City G—the head of the hero association, the CEOs of the corporations, and the mayor—gathered to discuss how to take advantage of this.

It was too useful of an ability to ignore. If they handled it right, they might even be able to wipe out all the villains who had infiltrated City G.

That’s precisely why they declined the help of the magical girls and H Group when they offered assistance.

“What? You don’t need to capture the enemies of the world…?”

“We’ll handle the problems of our city ourselves. You just protect yours.”

“But capturing them is our responsibility, and we’re the experts. Who could handle it better than us?”

“Are you mocking our city’s heroes? Should I give the villains your home address?”

“…Why do you have to say it like that?”

In the end, H Group’s interference was effectively rebuffed. No matter how powerful H Group was, they couldn’t extend their influence into a city that unanimously rejected them.

While Karl Heinz, realizing the gravity of the situation, sat in his office, furiously tapping his fingers in frustration, something else went wrong in another city, involving the spirits.

─Lulu! Make a contract with me and become a magical girl!

“…Me? I’m in my thirties.”

─It’s fine!

For some reason, spirits that were now visible to ordinary people began breaking the established rules, offering contracts to anyone. It didn’t matter if they weren’t women, weren’t young, or weren’t pure.

Of course, the magical girls born from these contracts didn’t wield the same overwhelming power as before. Thankfully. But now that the public could easily come into contact with magical girls, it was only a matter of time before their secrets were revealed.

Around this time, Karl Heinz received a summons from the queen.

In the secret chamber beneath H Group headquarters, Karl Heinz arrived to find a beautiful woman with leaf-green hair already present. He gasped at the sight.

Standing before him was a goddess of such radiant beauty that it was hard to believe she belonged to this world.

“…Your Majesty, the Fairy Queen.”

─Representative of humanity, what is going on?

“That’s exactly what I’d like to ask.”

Karl Heinz responded with a question of his own. The contract he had made with the queen was supposed to ensure that the enemies of the world appeared only in City H. The queen had been delighted when she heard his request, saying that she had never encountered a person as self-sacrificing as he was.

The contract had been made in mutual agreement, and unless something unusual occurred, it should still be in effect. Yet, reality was proving otherwise.

“Why are the enemies of the world appearing in cities other than City H? If this continues, the entire planet could be in danger!”

─I was going to ask you the same thing. Why are they appearing outside of City H?

“…What?”

What was that supposed to mean? Karl Heinz asked. The queen responded in an eerily calm voice.

─By my power, I ensured that the enemies of the world would only appear in your city. I trusted your resolve.

“Then the enemies of the world currently appearing in City H…?”

─Those are not of my doing. They are enemies of the world created by you humans.

Enemies of the world created by humans? He didn’t understand what that meant at first.

But Karl Heinz, who had once tried to militarize magical girls, quickly grasped the implication.

“Someone… created the enemies of the world?”

─Yes. And the only one who could have done so is you, Karl Heinz.

“That, that’s not true, Your Majesty! Why would I do such a thing…!”

─Then are you saying that someone outside your organization analyzed and replicated the enemies of the world that only appeared in your territory?

“That’s…”

It was too far-fetched. The queen’s reasoning was sound. Even Karl Heinz realized it. It was more plausible to suspect that someone within his own company had secretly studied the enemies and sold the information to other cities.

Realizing this, Karl Heinz groaned. It was logical that the problem lay with him, not the queen.

─I trusted you, trusted humanity, and refrained from using my full power in this world. By conserving my strength here, I could save more worlds elsewhere.

Hearing this, Karl Heinz began to grasp what was coming. The contract was going to be terminated. It seemed that evidence had been found that he hadn’t upheld his end of the deal, and the queen was going to cancel the contract.

That couldn’t happen. Startled, Karl Heinz cried out in a panic.

“Your Majesty! Please reconsider…!”

─It seems I can no longer trust the people of this world. You’ve worked hard. Now, I will use my power to cut off the enemies of the world completely from this realm…

Zzzt—!

Suddenly, the image of the Fairy Queen began to distort.

Seeing this, Karl Heinz tilted his head in confusion.

─M-my power… cut them off… cut off…

“…Your Majesty?”

─Cut off… cu#$gd#œ$#$ff

The beautiful figure of the Fairy Queen began to warp, revealing something hideous beneath. As soon as Karl Heinz caught a glimpse of it, he felt his legs give way as he collapsed to the floor.

Just seeing it drained him of the strength to stand. The monstrous form bore a striking resemblance to the enemies of the world.

“Ugh… Uuugh…?”

─!@!fs$%^cmy… How unfortunate.

The creature that had posed as the Fairy Queen wiped its face and let out a groan, as if it didn’t understand how things had ended up like this.

But now that its true form had been revealed, it seemed to have no more reason to hide. Its grotesque hand reached out toward Karl Heinz. The way it squirmed as it moved was utterly revolting.

Just as he was about to faint, the creature’s sinister energy held him captive. It felt like not just his mind, but his very soul, was being toyed with. Even when he closed his eyes, the image of the monster remained vividly imprinted in his brain.

─I’m not sure what happened, but now that you’ve discovered me, there’s no turning back.

The queen’s hand slowly wrapped around Karl Heinz. The sensation was horrifying beyond words, and Karl Heinz found himself desperately praying for salvation.

Even those who had never been religious would call out for a higher power in a situation like this. Karl Heinz was no exception.

As the unspeakable creature began to caress his body, characters made of zeros and ones suddenly began to flicker wildly.

: : : There you are : : :

─What…? Arrgh! Kraaahhh!

The text floating in the air crushed the creature’s body. As the sudden scream rang out, Karl Heinz opened his eyes to see a flickering mass of light and the creature writhing in agony.

It was as if a god had answered his prayer. Karl Heinz stared at the scene in awe.

“O-Oh, God…”

As he gazed blankly at the pillar of light, the Fairy Queen—or rather, the creature that had pretended to be her—vanished as if expelled. The light, having fulfilled its purpose, hovered over Karl Heinz briefly before disappearing.

In the now-empty chamber, Karl Heinz realized he had just witnessed a miracle.

Beep beep!

Hearing the alert from my laptop, I stretched my arms.

“Trying to mess with me, huh?”

I saw Karl Heinz on the screen, looking dumbfounded as the creature from another dimension vanished before his eyes. Did he really think he could act so arrogantly because he trusted that monster?

Now that the creature had been banished from this world, I wondered if he could still hold his head high.

‘I wonder how it feels to be beaten by a bookish nerd who only knows how to wield a pen.’

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. He was probably feeling utterly humiliated.

Knowing that the person who had taken everything from him was the very nerd he had looked down on.