Chapter 170 - Turning Over A New Leaf

A large, abandoned factory with holes in the ceiling letting sunlight filter through.

As the massive door of the factory where all our Ego-stream members were waiting was smashed open, the figure I had been waiting for finally appeared.

"Haha... Fuckers."

The woman who entered while cursing.

With her long gray hair, exotic appearance, and sharp eyes sending me a crazed look—she was the American S-class hero I had been waiting for today. Methel.

"Ha... Hahahahaha!"

"Oh my, they say laughter brings good fortune, and you're laughing so heartily! Hahaha!"

When I laughed back at her since she was just laughing as she entered, Methel's face suddenly froze as if she had never been laughing at all.

"Hmm... wow... her expressions change so quickly."

"...Shh!"

Seo Ja-young mumbled absentmindedly at the sight, and Choi Se-hee jabbed her in the waist to quiet her down.

While those two were doing whatever behind me, Methel smirked again, raising the corner of her mouth.

"Ha. Hahaha. You. Yes, how long I've waited for this moment."

Methel spoke with a confident face and a smile.

I stood still with a smile, quietly listening to what she had to say.

Well, there wasn't much time left to see her looking so confident anyway. I could spare some time to listen.

While I was thinking that, she continued speaking with that wicked smile.

"You all... really underestimated me, didn't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have called me to such a deserted place."

Looking around at the Ego-stream members surrounding me, she smirked as if she wasn't scared at all, as if she found it amusing.

As she shook her head and muttered "funny... how hilarious..." I threw in a comment of my own.

"My, you're looking quite confident. Good. That's good."

And since she'd probably keep going if I left her alone, I added a bit of provocation.

"But come to think of it, didn't you get completely wrecked when you came at me with this much confidence before? Hahaha! Haha..."

"Shut up!!"

As if I'd hit her trigger button, she shouted loudly, stomping her foot and releasing stones.

KABOOM—

Sharp rocks suddenly erupted from where she stood all the way to where I was standing.

Of course, since I had anticipated this, I easily dodged with a slight movement.

The menacing pointed rock that rose where I had been standing—while dodging wasn't difficult, it looked like it would have done serious damage if it had hit me.

Unlike the rocks she had thrown at me before, this one clearly showed murderous intent.

Sensing this, Choi Se-hee's expression hardened when she saw such a deadly thing rise where I had been standing, and she tried to rush forward in anger, but I grabbed her shoulder to stop her. It wasn't time to step in yet, not yet.

Regardless of what we were doing, Methel seemed to have calmed her momentary surge of emotion.

She regained her composure and smirked again with a relaxed smile.

"Right... right. No need to get angry. Well, today will be the last moment of your short lives anyway."

Such overflowing confidence.

Well, actually, her attitude wasn't unreasonable.

Because she had a secret weapon.

Methel, who had been smiling with her hand on her chin, raised one hand and made a grand declaration.

"I'm tired of this now, so let's end it quickly."

"Taste the judgment of the heavens."

As Methel spoke, enormous energy began to swirl around her.

Then, as she stretched her hand upward, the wind whirled and some invisible energy extended through the factory roof into the sky.

Rumble...

With the sound of something splitting in the sky.

A massive meteor.

Suddenly appeared in the sky above the factory.

KWAAAAAAAA—

It was like being at the center of the apocalypse.

A rock large enough to easily demolish this factory was falling from the sky with a tremendous noise.

As it fell with an overwhelming size, tinted red as it blocked the sun, I froze with a stunned expression.

Though she seemed to be struggling, clutching her right arm as if she had used too much power to summon the meteor, Methel raised one corner of her mouth and folded her arms.

She opened her mouth and whispered.

"Do you see?"

"This is the gap between you and me."

She spoke with supreme arrogance.

And indeed, her overwhelming ability made such arrogance completely reasonable.

The huge rock falling through the sky was a sight that would make anyone's knees buckle.

Seeing it from directly below was like witnessing the end of the world. When that thing hit the factory, the entire area would be completely devastated.

It was hard to believe that Methel, who had only been throwing small rocks until now, could create something with such overwhelming pressure.

How many villains had been helplessly swept away by this ultimate attack of hers?

It truly embodied the dignity of an S-class hero, as she had repeatedly emphasized.

And in such a cataclysmic situation.

I.

Simply grinned.

"....? Why are you smiling?"

To Methel, who looked at me as if thinking "this guy's lost his mind in the face of danger"—

I clapped my hands while smiling and told her:

"Methel, that's amazing. Truly amazing. Meteora! I'd heard about it, but seeing it in person is really spectacular."

"Ha. You still have the spirit to smile, I see."

In the swirling wind and already-perceptible heat,

I stood with my cape fluttering and continued speaking to her, who still looked confident.

Smiling, I continued:

"Well, meteor or meteora, that's fine. But..."

"In the end..."

"Isn't it just a rather large rock?"

"What nonsense..."

Methel asked me with a frown.

No, Methel, Methel. I understand you're an impressive S-class hero.

But we already have four A-class villains and two S-class villains here.

Did you think we wouldn't prepare for something like this?

"Everyone, fire."

With that thought, I spoke to the Ego-stream members waiting behind me.

And at that moment.

FLASH—

"What the fuck..."

As Methel muttered that.

Everything I had prepared in advance began to activate simultaneously.

WHEEEEEE

BOOM. BOOM.

The small missiles that Han Seo-eun had attached to the factory walls, brought from Weapon Master's storage, were launched through the roof.

"...Hup."

As Eun-wol's prepared magic activated, a massive magic circle appeared in front of the meteor.

"HAAAAH!"

Choi Se-hee's enhanced lightning struck the meteor directly above the factory.

And.

ZIIIIING.

PACHINK—

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

The sounds of continuous explosions from above, like being in the middle of a war zone.

Simultaneously, a yellow light flashed in the sky above, casting shadows over everyone.

KWAAAAAAANG—

And.

BOOM.

BOOOOOOM.

With a tremendous rumble that shook the earth.

That huge meteor was completely shattered.

The massive rock that had been falling from the sky was now gone.

Instead, small rock particles were falling like snow.

I turned my head again to look at Methel and grinned.

"So... what else do you have?"

Smirk.

I asked Methel with a smile and curved eyes.

She stared with wide eyes, as if unable to believe what had happened, trying to understand what had just occurred.

Finally seeming to grasp the situation, she glared at me with fire in her eyes again and said in a trembling voice:

"Y-you..."

"Hmm? Don't you have anything else?"

"FUCK!!!!!!"

Almost screaming the curse, she tried to summon another meteor.

But of course, after summoning something so massive, she couldn't possibly create another one of the same size right away.

KWAAAANG.

The rock summoned in the sky, half the size of the previous one, was naturally intercepted and neutralized by Eun-wol's magic circle and Choi Se-hee's lightning before it could get far.

She continued to tremble, glaring with eyes that couldn't comprehend what was happening.

...Look, I get that your meteors are powerful, but it's 1 versus 6 right now—did you think we'd go down that easily?

Of course, befitting an S-class hero's ultimate attack, it took our maximum firepower working together to barely destroy it.

Anyway, the conclusion is that Methel's ultimate attack is now useless. And while she's somewhat drained, we're still fine.

Hmm, but Meteora. I hadn't thought of it before, but it's not bad. This might be useful for Stardust. Not Methel's modest rock that could destroy a factory district, but one big enough to destroy an entire city. Wouldn't Stardust's power grow stronger when stopping it? If she could stop an airplane, why not a meteor?

While I was having such carefree thoughts, Methel trembled in front of me, then began to charge at us in a fit of rage, spewing rocks.

"FUCK YOU!!! I'm gonna kill you all!!!!"

As she rushed at us with a terrifying momentum.

I just smirked and said to our Ego-stream members:

"Now. Everyone attack!"

"Hmm... are we finally fighting?"

With my words, Seo Ja-young rushed forward spewing fire.

Choi Se-hee charged in, wrapped in electricity.

Desik emerged from the ring, laughing "HAHAHA!" as he rushed in with a greatsword.

Eun-wol activated the magic circles laid on the ground, beginning the real fight.

Han Seo-eun targeted all the weapons she had set up nearby at Methel, starting her offensive.

"AAAAARGH!!! You vile creatures! Come at me all at once!!!!"

And so.

The all-out attack of the Ego-stream members against a single hero began.

When fighting an opponent you can't beat alone... you call your comrades to fight together—that's villain "common sense," right?

I just wiped under my nose, thinking that.

Yes. This is what a first-class villain does.

And so, the 1 versus 6 battle began in earnest.

***

As expected of an S-class hero.

In a fair fight with no surprise attacks, Methel was incredibly strong.

Even though she must have been tired from using her ultimate attack, she was amazingly fighting six people simultaneously.

However, even that eventually came to an end.

"Haa... haa... got her..."

"Wow, she's fucking strong."

"Nngh... get your hands off me, Fuckers!!"

After an intense battle, Methel was finally restrained on the ground.

She tried to resist, but the exhausted hero had no way to escape. She had already used her abilities to their limit and couldn't do anything more.

"I'll kill you all!!"

She continued to rage.

Regardless, I looked down at her and quietly fell into thought.

Methel.

She was a major variable that wasn't in my plans.

As an S-class hero sent from America, the center of heroes, her danger level was maximum.

Additionally, she already harbored strong hostility toward me, so who knows what she might do if released.

On top of that, according to Lee Seol-ah, she was even hostile toward the Korean Association, including Stardust.

But I couldn't eliminate her here.

If I did, the American Association might intervene, and reducing hero forces by even one would not be good for the future.

So, the best solution here is:

To make Methel voluntarily leave Korea and never think of attacking Ego-stream again.

To thoroughly crush her and send a warning to America.

To show them that we're living well here on our own, and unnecessary intervention would only result in casualties.

In other words, to protect the Republic of Korea.

I need to completely subjugate Methel right here.

"Good work, everyone. Mist and Electra can go rest. Only our Moon Priestess needs to stay."

"Okay... I'm leaving. Oh, I'm so tired."

"Now, Methel, shall we have a look at you?"

"You..."

She glared at me with blazing eyes, then shouted with a determined voice:

"Whatever you do, I, Methel, will never surrender!!!"

"Yes, yes."

She shouted at me like a true warrior of justice.

Hmm. She's so stubborn. This might be difficult.

But I have no choice. To send Methel back in one piece, I need to fix that personality of hers.

And so, the first "Reforming a Difficult Hero" project began.

"....Nnnngh!! You think I'll yield to this?!!!"

"AAAAARGH!! You bastards, I'll kill you all!!!!"

"Ugh. You Mother Fuckers!!"

".........? What are you... AAAAAAAARGH!!"

"W-wait........ just wait... Wait..."

"Hey. Um, wait a moment. Let's. Let's resolve this through dialogue, shall we...? Wait... EEEEK!"

"....I, I'm sorry. I think I was w-wrong, please forgive me, ugh??"

"Sorry... I was w-wrong... sob, since I was wrong..."

***

And so, time passed.

With tears in my eyes, I did my best to restrain the American hero threatening my homeland for the sake of the Republic of Korea.

After the first hero education session had progressed to some extent, I kindly asked Methel, who was now looking up at me with fearful eyes:

"Now, our Methel. What should a hero do when there are hostages?"

"Eek! Uh, that. A h-hero, when there are hostages, First of all... should prioritize rescuing the hostages, and if that's not possible, should e-escape with the hostages."

"Very good. And before confronting a villain?"

"Th-they should thoroughly assess the villain's capabilities, study the villain in advance to find the best solution, and not rush in recklessly."

"Good. And what about the Republic of Korea?"

"Korea? Oh. I-I should never think about invading the Republic of Korea again and I will quietly continue my hero activities in America. No, I w-will. Quietly, sob, live..."

Hmm, is this enough?

I tilted my head, looking at Methel who was speaking well despite trembling.

"Now, your hand."

"M-my hand...."

When I stretched out my hand in front of her, she reflexively placed her hand on mine, even though she didn't know why.

Still anxious, she looked up at me with trembling eyes, and I thought to myself:

Hmm... I think this is enough?

While I was thinking that, Han Seo-eun, who had been watching this scene from behind, quietly whispered to me:

"Um... oppa. Hasn't this person's personality changed too much...?"

To Han Seo-eun, who seemed to be asking if this was really okay, I answered:

"It's fine. She needs to change this much for Korea to be safe. Right, Methel?"

"Yes? Y-yes! Of, of course!"

Looking at Methel answering so promptly, I quietly nodded. Good. This is enough.

Finally, our delinquent hero has become nice!

I felt proud.