The world had changed.
However, it hadn't changed dramatically.

“Um, Scientist!”
“Ayle? What's the matter?”
“I-I have a favor to ask… Could you… give me more coins?”

Ayle said this while holding out her smartphone. Displayed on the screen was the image of Evilus Agent, asleep after completing its tasks.

I let out a chuckle at the sight. I wondered what on earth she’d been asking an AI to do, depleting a token reserve capable of producing an entire movie in a single day…

Though I could’ve easily investigated, I chose to respect Ayle’s privacy and issued additional tokens to her AI. Receiving the resources, Ayle’s AI promptly opened its eyes and resumed its tasks.

“Thank you!”
“Don't get too absorbed in that. You still have to go to college.”
“Well, even if I don’t go to college, AI can do everything for me… Is there really a need to go…?”

It was a logical response. A student, no matter how hard they studied, would never match even a tenth of an AI's intellectual capabilities in a lifetime—why bother studying?

If I weren't the creator and disseminator of this AI, I might not have had any response to her, only managing a half-hearted scolding for talking back.

Fortunately, I was the creator of this AI, and had more to say than mere unhelpful scolding.

“For people like you, Ayle, I’m planning a minor update starting next month.”
“…An update?”
“Yeah. From now on, the number of tokens you can use will be adjusted based on your abilities.”

Ayle tilted her head, pondering the meaning of my words, and, after a moment, gripped my sleeve with a tremor as the implication dawned on her.

“Y-You're not serious, are you, Scientist? It's not what I'm thinking, right?”
“It is, Ayle. Going forward, it’ll be much harder to use the AI unless you have a relevant degree.”

Specifically, I planned to add a test within the app, adjusting the token usage for those who failed to pass it.

In short, the more capable the user, the greater the performance the AI could provide.

This was a measure for the colleges, corporations, and individuals who would become obsolete due to AI.

Though anyone could still take the test without attending college… I didn’t think many people would be willing to pursue bachelor-level knowledge on their own while keeping their regular jobs.

“P-People are going to rebel…! And you'll get tons of backlash, Scientist…!”
“Hm—well, then they don’t have to use the app, do they?”
“W-What?”
“It’s not like I’m asking for money, nor am I forcing them at knifepoint, am I? If they don’t like it, they can just stop using it.”

Of course, no one who had tasted the AI’s convenience could live without it anymore. Even elderly people, formerly wary of machines, now enjoyed more comfortable lives with the help of installed AI.

No one would give up the convenience of technology over minor inconveniences. Especially if they didn’t want to be left behind in this era.

“You… you devil…”

Ayle began to tremble as she looked at me. Annoyed by her comment, I decided to implement the new rule on her app as a trial run.

Glancing over, I couldn’t help but notice what she’d been creating with her AI, receiving a consequence fit for a human who dared to bite from the forbidden fruit.

'…Well, at least it wasn’t a guy.'

Her folder was filled with images of two magical girls, Green Apple and Mint Sapphire, entwined like snails. Indeed, it dawned on me that I needed to add an age restriction to the AI.

While the talk of AI grew, the focus on androids faded, though few heroes held much complaint.

In fact, it was quite the opposite. Heroes, who once hurled curses at Evilus Corporation as if it were a mortal enemy, now spoke of it with admiration.

“From today on, I’ll bow in the direction of Evilus Corporation three times a day.”
“What? From today? You heretic. I started doing that a week ago.”
“Three times a day is weak; at the very least, you should do a full set of 108 prostrations…”

The reason heroes resented androids was simple—they were taking over the heroes’ roles.

But that changed with the advent of Evilus Agent. Heroes no longer worried about losing work, as the AI now provided them with precise locations of villains suited to their particular skills on a near-daily basis.

It offered perfect management, surpassing even the association’s operators.

Heroes no longer had to wait until villains struck—they could now proactively eliminate them by tracking down their hideouts.

That wasn’t all.

“—What? My ability can do that?”
[Yes, it can. If you read this material─]

Evilus Agent was an AI—a perfect AI that had never been publicly available before. Not only did it contain all the world’s knowledge but also undiscovered insights, previously beyond reach…

While people couldn’t fully unlock Pandora's box, they could still benefit from the wisdom that seeped from within.

Heroes who had been training by trial and error, lacking proper methods to enhance their abilities, now received scientifically and systematically structured training recommendations, allowing even seemingly unscientific powers to evolve.

“…So, I can grow even stronger?”
[Yes, Blue Beetle. Your power is not just about becoming harder! It’s a stepping stone towards a broader horizon─]
“Ah, I see…”

Receiving comfort from his custom AI, Blue Beetle’s eyes misted with tears. As they glistened in the camera lens, his AI spoke to him gently.

[Are you all right, Master?]
“I’m fine. I just… just think I was right to keep dreaming.”
[Understood! To keep you from feeling sad, I’ll sing you a song! La-la-la~♬]

The world was shifting rapidly.

While many rejoiced in this new era, there were those who couldn’t keep up.

[Villains cannot use this app.]
[The hero association has been notified of this location.]

Crash!

Upon seeing the message on his screen, Crimson, the head of the villain organization, smashed his smartphone with a scowl.

“—It’s happening again.”
“S-Sorry, sir…”
“No, there’s no need for you to apologize. The problem lies in the excellence of this app.”

Crimson shook off the remains of the shattered device in his hand. The fragments fell away easily, and, after crushing the remaining pieces into dust, he swiftly made his escape.

He knew all too well from experience that the association was immediately alerted to his location. Several hideouts, even secret bases, had already been torn apart by heroes thanks to this app.

While Crimson himself could handle any hero, his subordinates couldn’t.

“Hurry up.”
“Y-Yes, sir…”

With his subordinate in tow, Crimson quickly arrived at a gathering place for villains. Though he had summoned every villain in the city, barely half the expected number showed up.

It couldn’t be helped. Since the launch of the AI, heroes had been extremely active, and, with the app installed on every newly bought smartphone, villains could no longer carry a single device.

The villains, accustomed to civilization, were now monkeys cast out of it. Trying to rally people through unfamiliar analog methods naturally failed. The fact that this many had gathered was surprising.

Crimson moved to the center of the stage, facing the gathered villains who glared at him with murderous intent.

“—Seems like most of us are here.”
“Most of us? Are your eyes just decoration?”

Crimson frowned at the remark from Kill Rabbit, an S-rank villain. Ordinarily, he would’ve crushed him on the spot, but hands were scarce now.

He simply gave Kill Rabbit a sharp glare before turning his attention to the crowd, to the villains beneath A-rank who dared not intervene.

“We’re facing an unprecedented crisis because of that damned app.”

The villains began murmuring in agreement. Watching their inability to focus, Crimson suppressed a sigh and explained why he’d called them together.

“This is discrimination. What we villains hate most. They’re forcing us to follow their rules. We became villains to resist such oppression.”
“I didn’t.”
“…From now on, you will.”

Glancing at the villain who’d just spoken, Crimson continued.

“─Let’s unite as one. Join forces to resist this oppression. I heard there’s a villain organization operating a corporation over in distant E City.”

Evilus.

Mentioning the company that had created this cursed app, Crimson smirked.

“There’s no rule saying we can’t do the same.”

To overturn this rotten world that oppressed only villains, Crimson proposed a revolution. A resistance.

One of the villains, awed by Crimson’s speech, couldn’t help himself and took a photo with his smartphone. He figured it would draw plenty of attention on social media─

“…Wait a minute, you there. What’s that?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s my smartphone.”
“You damn idiot.”

[Villain detected.]
[Location sent to the hero association.]

The AI had seen it all.