Being a Villain is My True Calling

“So, where did I leave off in my story?”

A building without a single ray of sunlight.

A man wearing an elegant black uniform and a half-mask covering the upper part of his face smiled and tapped his thigh with his finger.

“……”

“You’re still not going to talk?”

“……”

“I’m bored.”

Despite the man’s prodding, his conversation partner remained silent, perspiring profusely.

“Hmm.”

Click

“Yes, yes! You mentioned that you were reincarnated into a novel you had read before! And that the world you’re currently living in is actually the world inside that novel! You said it’s a harsh world for citizens to live in! Ack!!”

As the weight of the heavy gun barrel pressed against his head, his conversation partner shouted with all his might.

Seemingly pleased, the man placed the gun on the desk and tapped his thigh with his finger again.

“Yes, the world of the novel. Isn’t it absurd? Not only were you kidnapped from your comfortable life and turned into a newborn baby, but you were also reincarnated into a place like this…”

The man who had been maintaining the conversation perspired as he thought about the half-masked man sitting atop him, with his arms and legs restrained in a prone position.

“Villains cause trouble multiple times a day, and the heroes who are supposed to fight them are derelict in their duties. The citizens bear all the suffering.”

Clink

The man picked up a teacup from the desk and took a sip.
As he raised the teacup, droplets of red liquid fell from it. However, as it didn’t get into the contents, the man put the teacup down without much concern.

“Ah… The citizens really have no way to live. If they’re unlucky enough to encounter a ruthless villain, that’s the end for them.”

“……”

“The heroes always show up late. As the story progresses towards the end, the citizens’ suffering only increases. And in the later part…”

The man’s previously weary expression vanished instantly, and he smiled broadly, crossing his legs.

“The reason I became a villain, you see. That’s why. I felt that if I remained an ordinary citizen, I would be crushed in the battle between giants.”

“Didn’t… you consider joining the heroes?”

“I did think about it at one point. But certain circumstances prevented me from doing so…”

Beep beep beep beep

In the midst of their conversation, an alarm interrupted the man’s speech.

The man sighed regretfully and stood up from his chair, which had also been his conversation partner, the young man.

“Ah, it’s time for me to leave.”

“Oh, I see! If you must go, then I can’t help it. I’ll see you…”

As the young man spoke while still in a prone position, his expression brightened momentarily as he looked up at the man.

Click

“…Huh?”

“I’m really going to miss you, too.”

The man had somehow pointed his gun at the young man.

“Why… why…”

“Ah, I really took a liking to you since I was able to reveal my true self for once.”

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
The trembling eyes of the young man and the now golden eyes of the man intersected.

“Why, why you bastard…!! I, I listened to everything you said!! You said you’d spare me if I listened to you!!!”

Seeing the young man trembling and screaming hysterically, possibly due to extreme agitation, the man scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, B-rank villain, Blue Scope. I had no choice but to do this to survive.”

“What, what does my death have to do with your survival? What’s the connection?!”

“Hmm…”

The man hesitated for a moment, then smiled and responded to his question.

“You, a former B-rank villain, are destined to accidentally ingest an S-rank elixir. It’s an elixir that explosively increases the amount of mana in your body. Don’t you realize how beneficial it would be for a former B-rank like you to approach S-rank?”

“You, you bastard, then…”

“Yes, I really want that elixir. A weak villain like me needs to consume something like that to survive.”

Upon hearing the man’s nonchalant words and bright smile, the villain Blue Scope’s face turned beet red.

“Bullshit!! You, you bastard!! You killed all my subordinates! How are you weak? How the hell are you weak?!”

“I merely drained the mana of a few C-rank villains at most to kill them. Even being generous, they were only close to C+ rank at best. If I had to use up all my mana just to eliminate them, wouldn’t that make me weak?”

“Shut up, shut the hell up, you bastard!!!”

As the man gradually placed his finger on the trigger, Blue Scope began to violently thrash around.

Was it because he was genuinely facing a life-threatening situation? The rage that had consumed him dissipated as he met the man’s cold, ruthless gaze, and he began to plead once more.

“Sp, spare me. If it’s the elixir, I’ll give it to you…”

“Farewell, villain Blue Scope. Thanks to you, I was able to reveal my secret for the first time in a long while.”

“…You insane bast-”

Bang!!

A loud gunshot rang out, echoing beyond the empty building.
In tandem, Blue Scope fell, blossoming a crimson flower.
The man, who had been watching him, turned and took out his smartphone to make a call.

“This is ‘Maker’, Mr. President. I have successfully eliminated the drug trafficking gang Blue Scope. And as evidence, I’ll take a few items and burn the rest.”

-…Good work, Maker.

“I can do anything for you, Mr. President.”

-…Again with the nonsense.

“Nonsense, Mr. President? You know how much I…”

Click

As the call abruptly ended, cutting off his words, the man who called himself Maker smacked his lips regretfully.

“It would be convenient if I could seduce the President. Isn’t that right, Mr. Scope?”

“……”

“Ah, you’re already dead.”

Scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, the man slowly walked forward.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Scope. As I said, I had no choice but to do this to survive.”

Behind the shining hero comics, the sacrifice of citizens was always necessary.
And the man, who was destined to become one of those citizens, didn’t want that fate.

“Tsk, you have to do whatever it takes to survive. Even if it means becoming scum, as long as you can live.”

That’s why the man chose the path of a villain.
Because in this world he knew, that was the most livable path.

“Ah, I found the elixir.”

With the sole goal of living as long and as comfortably as possible, the man would do anything.
Seduce women, commit acts of terror, or obtain the fortuitous opportunities mentioned in the novel.

By any means necessary.

The man walked forward.