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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Egotist's Game
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Beneath the clear blue sky, a grand river flowed quietly through the heart of Seoul.
What appeared to be a peaceful scene, with cruise ships and boats drifting along, was suddenly plunged into chaos.
"Greetings, citizens. I am the villain Egotistic. Pleased to meet you all!"
The sudden news of a villain's terror attack sent the city into a panic.
He had hijacked all terrestrial channels, broadcasting his own video nationwide, identifying himself as Egotistic.
That alone was shocking enough, but the villain's subsequent words, delivered with a smile, further terrified the populace.
"To briefly explain my resume, I'm the one who eliminated the previous villains, Enzodiac and Rhino! But, let's stop with such trivial talk for now... Shall we move on to something more interesting?"
"Do you see the three boats on the river down there?"
His face on the screen shifted to the side, revealing the Han River below.
Then came his shocking declaration.
"I've installed bombs on all of them!"
And his words, spoken with a laugh, were naturally transmitted to all passengers via the TVs inside the three boats.
"What in the world is he talking about?!"
"Th-that means... there are bombs on this boat?"
"Captain! What are you doing, turn the boat around!!!"
The ship's interior erupted into pandemonium.
And, surprisingly, hidden cameras seemed to be everywhere on all three boats, broadcasting the entire scene on TV.
"Haha, it's quite a commotion, isn't it? Oh, don't worry too much. You might just make it out alive!"
Having said that much, he flashed another wicked smile and addressed the screen.
"Alright, then. Let the game begin. On that note, I'd like A-Class Hero Stardus to join us. Doesn't a game need at least one hero to liven things up? If you don't come, I'll just blow everything up, I guess."
With that, he shook something resembling a detonator held in his hand.
And then.
"Stardus!"
"Yes, understood."
At that very moment, Stardus, who had been watching the entire scene on screen at the Hero Association, quietly nodded, lost in thought.
...A villain had appeared.
Then, there was only one thing for a hero to do, wasn't there?
After discussing with the association agents and completing all preparations, she immediately leaped out the nearby window.
But instead of falling, she floated in mid-air.
Thus, Stardus soared directly towards the confirmed location of the villain.
To confront the newly emerged villain, Egotistic.
***
"Phew..."
After making the terror announcement, I was resting for a moment, having turned off the broadcast, with the camera floating in mid-air via psychokinesis, on the rooftop of a building overlooking the long river.
While I was doing this, the TVs would be showing the situations on the three boats. The cameras I'd installed beforehand would be showing the panicked passengers inside the cruise ships and boats.
"...This is harder than it looks, really hard."
I sighed and muttered to myself. Even carrying out a terror attack isn't easy. It makes the villains in movies seem amazing.
"...Haha."
I deliberately forced a laugh.
...My villain concept itself is that of a madman, slightly unhinged, whose next move is unpredictable. To create that atmosphere, laughing frequently is best. Committing acts of terror while laughing—it clearly looks dangerous.
It was a cold, calculated move, quite villainous in its own way, to inflate my own image beyond my actual capabilities.
Anyway, now that I've stirred up this much trouble, Stardus will be here soon. She, the protagonist of this comic and an A-Class Hero.
...I'm a little nervous.
To actually see Stardus, my favorite character and the protagonist of this world, in person. Of course, well, we're adversaries, so she'll probably glare at me as if to devour me whole the moment she sees me. Can't be helped, I guess. Still, seeing her directly is something.
Anyway, before meeting her, I checked my outfit once more.
Black robe, black pants, black cloak, all matching my black hair.
And a white mask covering half my face. Perfect.
Now, all that's left is to wait for her, the hero, to arrive.
Just as I was thinking that, in the sky far beyond the rooftop where I stood, something could be seen flying towards me.
That long-haired blonde figure, flying with her hair streaming behind her, must be Stardus, the protagonist of this world.
Alright, time to turn the camera back on.
A moment later.
*CRASH—.*
With a thud, Stardus landed on the rooftop, her blonde hair billowing.
Wow! A Hero Landing!
My heart pounded seeing this scene, which I'd only ever witnessed in comics, in real life.
While I was having such leisurely thoughts, the hero strode purposefully towards me.
Seeing her, I naturally pulled out the detonator from my pocket, shook it in front of her, and spoke.
"Whoa, hold on a second! I have the detonator in my hand! Please stop."
She paused briefly at my words.
Then, she assessed the distance between us, her eyes seeming to ponder something, so I added, to deter any rash thoughts.
"And besides, my subordinate, who is watching this broadcast, also has a switch for the bombs, so if you touch me, everything will explode!"
Perhaps because I went that far, Stardus finally resigned herself, stood still, and crossed her arms.
Standing before me, she glared and opened her mouth.
"...Egotistic."
"Yes, that's my name. You remembered?"
"Disarm the bombs right now. Then, I'll just beat you up a few times and take you in."
"Haha. As if I'd do that, right?"
At my words, her expression twisted.
...Though even then, she was still dazzlingly beautiful.
"Now, now, don't make such a grim face. I clearly said on the broadcast, didn't I? That I'd let everyone make it out alive."
I said that and winked at the camera that was filming us and broadcasting this scene nationwide.
"...Stardus. I'm quite interested in you. Yes. Very much so."
Regardless of what I said, she remained silent, only glaring at me. She must have decided to at least hear me out.
So I continued to speak to her.
"Stardus. One of South Korea's few A-Class Heroes, a person who firmly believes in her own justice and convictions, and who never compromises with any evil. Isn't that the ideal image of a hero? Honestly, Stardus, I respect you quite a bit. Haha."
"...If you're just going to spout nonsense, shut up. What exactly do you want to say?"
Right. I just wanted to praise you while your image was being broadcast nationwide. To make you appear as a figure so righteous that even a villain is awestruck!
Anyway, that's enough time for a fan. Now it's time to return to the main event, the show.
"Yes! If the passengers look at the center of their boat, they'll see a detonator with a large red button. The detonators I've installed on the three boats... are devices that will blow up *other* boats. That's right! Devices that blow up boats other than their own."
As I said that, Stardus's expression hardened again.
Yes. She's smart enough to understand what I'm getting at.
I smiled and slowly began to speak.
"The way for everyone to survive is simple: no one presses the detonator."
"You have a time limit of 30 minutes. All you have to do is make sure no one presses the detonator during that time."
"However! If even a single boat presses the button during that time... once time runs out, the other two boats will all go *boom*!"
Having said that much, I smiled, as if I'd just granted a divine favor, and added,
"But what if you're still uneasy? So, I'll even give you one more concession."
"The boat that presses the button, I guarantee, will be saved 100%. Yes! Even if another boat presses the button, if your boat also presses it, it won't explode! Wow, you're guaranteed to survive just by pressing the button. Isn't that an incredibly generous offer?"
"So, even if all three boats press the button, I'll save everyone. Haha. At this rate, wouldn't it be harder to die?"
As I said that, her expression became ambiguous.
Right. She probably thinks people won't press this button, does she?
I smiled broadly at her and said,
"Our justice-loving Stardus."
"I hope you realize just how evil and selfish humans can be, this time."
I said that, clapped my hands, and declared,
"Alright, it begins now! The time limit is 30 minutes. Good luck, everyone!"
With my words, the camera filming us turned off.
Soon, my broadcast, which was being shown nationwide, began to display the interiors of the three boats.
And on the rooftop where we stood, the broadcast was also playing on one wall via a projector and speakers I had prepared beforehand.
"So, Stardus. Shall we watch it together from here?"
"...Hah. Do you really think people will act as you intend?"
She remained with her arms crossed, watching the broadcast on the wall, and shot a glance at me as she spoke.
I just smiled faintly at her and said,
"Well, you'll see, won't you?"
As I said that, the broadcast officially began.
And as the situation inside the boats appeared on the screen, Stardus's indifferent expression gradually began to harden.
[Surely, it's better not to press it, everyone?]
[Yes. That's right. There's no way the other boats would press it, right?]
Boat #1, where everyone seemed to have no intention of pressing the button, maintained a pleasant atmosphere, but then there was...
[...If everyone survives by not pressing the button, why would anyone need to press it?]
[What are you talking about! What if others press the button? We all survive if everyone presses it anyway, right? Especially what if some lunatic on that shabby boat in front presses the button on their own? Don't gamble with our lives, just press it!]
...Boat #2, where those who wanted to press the button were clashing with those who didn't.
And then.
[Everyone, let's just press it, shall we?]
[Yeah. Surely everyone else has pressed it by now.]
[Logically speaking, that's the right thing to do.]
[...What if someone hasn't pressed it?]
[Oh, come on. Is there really a boat like that?]
Boat #3, where opinions were similarly divided, but were gradually leaning towards pressing the button.
Right. Everyone survives happily by not pressing it? Is that as easy as it sounds?
Humans are fundamentally safety-oriented. If pressing the button guarantees 100% survival, it's not easy to gamble by not pressing it and leaving it to others. Especially when there's an option that alleviates guilt, where everyone survives if they all press it.
Yes. However, just like Boat #1, there are peculiar sorts who have strong faith in humans not pressing the button.
And these are the ones who are about to be sacrificed.
"...Stardus. Doesn't this seem a little different from what you expected?"
I chuckled and said that to her, who was watching the broadcast on the wall with a hardened expression.
Alright. The show's about to get interesting.
***
"Helicopter! Is the helicopter ready?"
"Yes! It's already set up to move as soon as the boats explode!"
"Phew, is there anything else?"
"Other B-class and lower heroes have also been deployed near the Han River!"
"They probably won't be much help... Hah, with Stardus caught up there, there's no solution."
The Korea Hero Association Control Center.
In that place, where countless agents bustled about, the 50-year-old chairman of the association wiped the sweat from his bald head with a towel.
He had thought peaceful days would continue for a while recently, but why was something like this happening?
Still wiping his sweat, he muttered, watching the situation in the ship's cabin displayed on the screen.
"It's still a complete mess in there. Haa..."
[Press the button!!!]
[What if there's a boat over there that hasn't pressed it?!]
[Are you crazy?! Get out of the way! I'll press it!]
[Is that person insane? Everyone, stop him!]
Egotistic. The scene inside the ship, as broadcast by him... was still utter chaos.