“Investigator. Starting tomorrow, don’t work anymore.”

“…What?”

A few weeks ago, Arte took Ha-Yul as a bodyguard, saying she was going to the beach with her friends.

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was around, Arte ordered him not to come to work.

The memory of being flustered and thinking she may have been displeased with how he handled his duties vividly resurfaced.

Not wanting to give up my work at Arachne, he had resolved to try to persuade Arte.

However, the conversation took a slightly different turn than I had anticipated.

“B, but I still have much to offer Arachne!”

“…Ah. Not the organization, I mean the Association. I’ve already contacted them.”

“The Association, you say?”

“Yes, the Association. I think you should take on some different duties.”

She flashed a smile at him.

Hair fluttering in the breeze and a bright smile.

A bikini that emphasized her figure like a girl her age.

No matter how you looked at it, she didn’t seem like the leader of Arachne, the one called the ‘nightmare of villains.’

When momentarily dazed by that sight, he didn’t properly hear what she said next.

…Ah, right. She said,

Help the students gain motivation.

Ensure their spirits aren’t broken by the villains.

“On the last day before vacation, many of you witnessed numerous villains shattering the peace.”

“…”

It was a story they had just heard from Claire as well.

But the students fell silent once more.

One’s first real battle is always dangerous and shocking for anyone.

That’s why students are sent into the field with as much preparation as possible.

There was no time to prepare this year, so even though the students had rested well, whenever that incident was brought up, they seemed to recall what happened back then.

…Well, it’s a good thing for him.

It was a headache that many students turned to villainy, but if it becomes a trauma for them, that number will decrease.

He didn’t want to see those kids dying while crying out for their mothers.

But that’s his personal take.

The academy and Association said they were quite at a loss.

If the students gave up on becoming heroes, it was obvious that the shortage of superpowered individuals in society would worsen.

On top of that, the number of injured teachers was considerable.

With some in critical condition requiring months of recuperation, there was a shortage of teachers.

“It must have been frightening. I understand. I was scared of the first villain I encountered, too. Wondering if I could beat that person. What would happen if I lost… But didn’t you feel any other emotion besides fear?”

That’s why the Association and Arte decided to make use of him.

Society was currently in a state of suppressing villains strongly, so there was some leeway for now, but it was like a powder keg that could explode at any time.

Even one more would progress that a little faster.

Blades were needed to excise the cancerous masses from society.

Even knowing the students may be in danger, deliberately conducting midterms this way was part of that.

The students’ trauma may be further triggered. They may face a daunting wall and collapse.

… That’s why Ha-Yul was the right person for the job. Why Arachne was the right choice.

Because as a member of an organization that hated villains, he could awaken the students.

Because he could overwrite their trauma with hatred.

“I heard a considerable number of civilians in the commercial district around the academy were injured, and some even died.”

“…”

“After fighting a villain for the first time, I felt fear like all of you. And I also felt rage.”

He could see the faces of a few students instantly fall.

Family? Or close acquaintances?

He didn’t know. However, he could at least infer that they knew the victims.

In that case, it’s simple. It’s easy to transform that sorrow into a different emotion.

“Why should we fear villains? Shouldn’t it be the criminals who need to be afraid? As someone who condemns villains, didn’t you feel anger towards them?”

“… I’m so angry. Why, because of those bastards, uncle…!”

“There was a kind lady at the store, but I haven’t seen her lately. Could something have happened to her…”

“…They were good people.”

Frustration and sorrow hung on their faces.

At the same time, they began to feel rage toward the people who made them feel those emotions.

“Ha-yul, what are you…”

“Remember that sorrow. And think of those who caused that feeling.”

He pried open the wounds in the students’ hearts that had begun to heal.

Ripping apart and exposing the wounds gradually healed by the medicine of time.

And showing it to them.

To the ones who hurt you,

Condemn them.

They may be stronger than you,

But don’t worry.

We’re here.

You will become even stronger.

“Feel fear, but also rage. And strive to bring down the hammer of justice upon them. I’ve come to help you with that.”

He glanced at Claire’s flustered expression from the corner of his eye.

She must be wondering what in the world just happened all of a sudden.

He felt a bit sorry, but he had no intention of stopping.

It was obvious that the world would become chaotic from now on.

The students who would fight villains and evil on the front lines had to grow up strong.

‘Like you and me, they can’t be crushed by mere trauma.’

“Let me introduce myself once more. I’m the former head of metahuman criminal investigations, Lee Ha-Yul. I will teach you how to subdue and transport criminals, basic legal knowledge, and the fundamentals of combat against humans.”

Clap, clap, clap.

A few students who were deeply moved by my speech began to applaud, and swept up by the atmosphere, other students started clapping as well.

‘…Good, looks like I’ve fastened the first button properly.’

Drawing out trauma, displaying it. And then pointing to the cause and redirecting the arrow of rage.

Now, he just needs to keep adding fuel so that anger doesn’t die out.

Emotion is what drives people. The more intense and powerful it is, the more it moves people.

If he manages that emotion well so it doesn’t fade, it will be of help to the Association.

He felt a sense of pride at the sight of Arte’s smile, as if saying he had done a good job.

“Ha-Yul!”

“Ah, Claire. Long time no see.”

“You, you. Just what did you…!”

Claire seemed flustered but also had an air of wanting to reprimand him.

Well, it’s understandable. From her perspective, it was an unexpected action. Even if the Association ordered it, she probably wouldn’t accept it.

Claire had always been so righteous that it felt stifling.

Obviously, she would think it wasn’t right to stimulate the students this way.

“I know, Claire. You want to say something like, ‘How can you agitate the students like this, right?'”

“You did it even though you knew?! Do you even realize what you’ve done…!”

“I know. I know very well. I’m well aware that you really hate this method.”

“What if they get seriously hurt because they’re swayed by emotion!”

“…Is being swayed by emotion always a bad thing?”

“What?”

Claire blankly asked him back. It was an expression that showed she hadn’t expected him to oppose her.

…Honestly, he was surprised too. He had also thought the same way.

Him talking back to Claire. How many years had it been?

Since our student days, the three of us always hung out together.

The two often fought because their personalities didn’t match well.

Claire, who pursued moderation, and Ha-Yul, who tried to gloss over everything, didn’t get along.

She would always reprimand him, and he would brush it off. Angered by that, Claire would reprimand him again…

The smile that would stop them was nowhere to be found.

“I met the criminal who killed ‘him.'”

“What?! Th-That’s…! That guy got out?! Wh-Where is he right…!”

“Don’t worry. I already killed him.”

“?!”

As he said it out loud, it felt like he could vividly recall that moment, and a smile lingered on his lips.

That bastard wasn’t even worth using his ability on.

With his own hands, directly.

His neck was so soft.

Ah, how ecstatic that agonized look was.

“Y-You…! You killed him?! That’s…!”

“A villain? No, it’s different. It’s different from that.”

“How is it different!”

“That was revenge, no. Punishment. The rightful sentence was given to a despicable sinner who hadn’t paid for his crimes.”

Someone once said.

Revenge breeds revenge. To break the chain of revenge, you need to know how to forgive.

Revenge isn’t sweet, they said.

Wrong.

He can assert that it was the first time he had felt that happy since he died.

He’ll never forget that moment when he cut off that bastard’s breath with his hands.

“I’m sorry, Claire. I wanted to leave your share too, but… Since there’s only one life. The first one to take it is the owner, right?”

“You, you…”

“Are you going to tell me revenge isn’t right? But you know, all heroes are avengers.”

Heroes always appear only after villains emerge.

This has been an unchanging fact for hundreds of years.

But that’s why heroes always take revenge.

To protect society, to realize justice.

A hero is an avenger who punishes villains who have committed crimes.

“Things won’t get as extreme as you think. I have no intention of creating criminals. After all, that would increase my workload.”

“Ha-Yul… You’ve changed.”

“Of course I’ve changed, Claire. It’s been years since then.”

Realizing that no matter what she said, he wouldn’t accept it, Clair looked at him with complicated eyes, and he smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, Claire. I’ll definitely make your students strong.”

‘So no one will feel the pain we went through.’

Author’s Notes

I received some cool fan comics and pretty fan art! Hurray!

You can check it out in the announcement! I think it would be good if everyone took a look!

I’m just grateful for all your love!