Chapter 235: War
The Association President frowned and raised his cane to push the sword away.
No, he tried to push it away.
Kuuuuk―
The sword Ho-cheol aid didn't budge.
He, too, was once a powerhouse, a hero counted among the nation's best.
But that was a story from half a century ago.
The difference in their capabilities now was clear.
The Association President clicked his tongue, looking at Ho-cheol, who wouldn't withdraw his sword.
“You know I'm a clone, don't you. This sword is a aningless threat.”
“It'll at least let vent.”
Ho-cheol had no intention of removing his sword until he heard the answer to his question.
A battle of wills continued for a mont, each glaring at the other's weapon, but in the end, the one holding the hilt was Ho-cheol.
The Association President gave up on removing the sword and planted his cane on the ground again.
“If it's the answer you want, first, it's none of those three. How could it be for such selfish reasons.”
The President declared shortly and firmly.
His purpose and principle of action were always singular.
“Everything is for justice....”
“Ah, right. Justice is great. But here’s the thing.”
Ho-cheol stomped his foot nervously.
Kwaang―!
A massive crack ford in the floor, shaking the entire building.
“The point is, what is that damned justice that you get to endanger a friend at your leisure. So you'd better be careful with your choice of words from now on. Sa goes for trying to gloss things over.”
His voice didn't rise, but Ho-cheol's irritation and anger had already reached a critical point.
Normally, he would have just played along, or conversely, gently provoked the other person.
But not today.
Watching Ho-cheol, who was rarely genuinely angry, the Association President continued.
“If we officially acknowledge Agent Han So-hee's kidnapping, we have to form a rescue operation. In that case, all related information is registered in the Association's database. That list would, naturally, include information on the culprit.”
At that mont, Ho-cheol frowned.
It was a reaction closer to instinct, not through any thought or intention.
Until now, he had acted as a villain, as a professor, and faced nurous evil people.
And a stench more terrible than any 'evil person' he had faced so far seed to be wafting from the Association President.
“Smiley's resurrection and turn to villainy is information that must not be known to anyone.”
Regarding Smiley's resurrection, the people within the Association who knew the full story were the President, the Bureau Director, and a handful of powerful people, a number you could count on two hands.
“Have you ever anticipated the chaos this society would suffer if that spread to the public in any way?”
Just from [Eclipse] turning from hero to villain, society was greatly shaken.
The cri rate soared, and there were even those who retired from being heroes.
The citizens' hero approval rating also drew a downward graph for the first ti.
It was only because the governnt and the Association desperately denied the turn and controlled the dia, and because he suddenly stopped his activities, that it ended there.
Moreover, even as a fellow S-rank No. 1, Smiley's influence was greater than Eclipse's.
If it beca known to society that she was not only resurrected but had also committed cris, the ramifications would be uncontrollable.
“It's a serious matter, enough to make not just our Association, but the entire system of heroes, stagger.”
“……So you buried it?”
Ho-cheol asked back, as if he genuinely couldn't understand.
There was no verbal reply.
But an answer was returned.
Uncontrollable chaos.
To prevent that, the life of one agent... could readily be given up.
The firmly shut lips, the resolute expression of the Association President, seed to say just that.
Only then did Ho-cheol realize the source of this stench.
He just acted as if he wasn't, as if he was clean on the outside, but the old man before him was, in essence, not much different from the evil people Ho-cheol had faced until now.
Ho-cheol lowered his sword.
It wasn't because he was convinced by his explanation.
Rather, it was a crazy statent that far surpassed his imagination.
He had been worn down as a villain, and thought himself more wicked than anyone.
But compared to that, he was nothing more than a re troublemaker.
His expression as he looked at the Association President was as if he was looking at sothing truly repulsive.
“Number 3 would have been better. You've so easily surpassed what I thought was the worst-case scenario.”
His expression remained fully contorted with disgust.
“I finally understand why I despise you, the heads of the Association.”
Until now, he had just considered them a hypocritical bunch, but couldn't clearly explain why.
He would just say that he viscerally disliked them, and didn't like every single thing they did.
But only now could he clearly put it into words.
Ho-cheol also pursued justice and good.
“My justice is for the people, it moves with good intentions.”
The Hero Association also pursued justice and good.
“There are no people in the justice you speak of. What you're trying to protect is the system itself. You have no interest in how much human blood flows to grease the cogs that move for power.”
The justice and good each of them thought of were completely different kinds.
“The definition of justice is inherently different for everyone.”
At a concept that was embarrassing to even call hypocrisy, Ho-cheol seed rather fed up.
“I... really can't understand you people at all. I don't want to understand. No, it's reached the point of being frightening.”
Villains are clear.
Even those who harm others just for pleasure, isn't what they pursue at least clear?
The process may be bizarre, but the destination is clear anyway.
But they were different.
They hide the process, and even hide the purpose.
A life of deceiving oneself, not others.
What aning could that possibly have.
“From what I see, the order and justice and system you talk about are all just a ploy for you all to keep holding power. It's a cancerous mass that needs to be smashed and torn out right away.”
“So, you've heard the answer you wanted. What are you going to do? You said war. So are you going to get rid of , the Hero Association?”
The President asked, as if mocking.
“The existence of heroes is already essential in this society. They hold a value and symbolism greater than the police, than soldiers. If they disappear overnight, can you handle the chaos and damage?”
His main body was in a safe place anyway.
The most he could do here was hurt so people and collapse a building.
If it were an ard fight between organizations, a precise comparison would be needed, but if he caused trouble so blatantly, at least public opinion would decisively lean toward the Association.
As long as Ho-cheol was carrying on Smiley's will, and wasn't a real villain... this war was a flow unilaterally advantageous to the Association.
Ho-cheol said he was starting a war to take down the Association, to take down himself, but because of it, their power would only beco more solid.
Such a foolish guy.
Villains always think they're endangering heroes and those in power, but that was all just an illusion.
Villains were, truly, the sacrifices for heroes.
Ho-cheol didn't say anything.
Instead, he was caressing the area around his mouth, covered with one hand.
Between the lips hidden under his palm, his low voice leaked out.
“‘Everyone lived happily ever after.’ ―I don't wish for that kind of happy ending. Just because I was in prison for a few years, and taught so brats, does that make all my sins disappear?”
He let out a faint sigh.
“But that's no reason for the people around to be unhappy. The guys by my side, every one of them, fully deserves to be happy.”
And then, he tilted the hand that was caressing his lips to the side, spreading his thumb and forefinger to make a gun shape.
“I can't help them getting caught up in accidents and getting hurt to so extent because of , but to see them beco unhappy just for being by my side... For that, it seems you all can't stay at the top.”
He declared.
“Let's do it. War.”
Ho-cheol raised his sword high.
***
On the mountainside of a rugged, deserted mountain range, a single, out-of-place house existed.
It was one of the safe houses Smiley had prepared in several places while active as a hero.
Unlike what Ho-cheol worried about, the kidnapped So-hee's life was not hanging by a thread, nor was she in such a rough spot.
While not V.I.P. treatnt, her safety was guaranteed, treated as a guest.
The wind blowing outside the window continuously beat against it.
Smiley ca out of the kitchen, holding a mug steaming with warm vapor in both hands.
Handing one cup to So-hee, she tilted her head.
“The Association or Hocheol probably found out you were kidnapped, so it must be chaos right about now.”
So-hee, who received the mug, blew on the steam, hoo hoo―, and muttered as if puzzled.
“Would Ho-cheol really go that far, really tear apart the Association just to save ?”
The formal language was still awkward.
“You've watched him from the side for months, and you still don't know?”
Unlike the very doubtful So-hee, Smiley was clearly enjoying this.
There was no other person who knew Ho-cheol as well as Smiley.
She was certain.
Ho-cheol would quickly deduce she was the kidnapper, but he would also quickly turn his suspicious gaze toward the Association.
If those two got tangled up, it would just go boom― on its own.
He was clearly going to do sothing.
But just how enormous a stunt would he pull?
That much, even Smiley couldn't know for sure.
Just how far could Ho-cheol go for a friend?
Predicting that was one of the pleasures of this boring mountain life.
“Look at this.”
She lightly tapped the old-fashioned television she had installed over 10 years ago.
The noise on the screen disappeared, and real-ti news began to flow.
News that Ho-cheol had half-annihilated the Hero Association began to stream.
[Villain Organization Attacks Hero Association]
It was a matter serious enough to stop the regular broadcast and co out as breaking news.
“Wow. He's brutal. Look at that smashed building.”
Smiley looked back and forth between the news and So-hee, as if it were funny, and as if she were a little envious.
“He must like you a lot. Enough to just smash sothing like the Hero Association?”
So-hee, who was watching the news, hung her head low.
Her entire face, from cheeks to ears, turned clearly red.
It was unfortunate that he was causing trouble, but hearing it was for her made her heart flutter.
“Oh, he's coming out.”
At Smiley's words, So-hee's head snapped up.
Ho-cheol was walking out from between the collapsed building's outer walls.
As always, brave... no, reporters who didn't value their lives, continuously pressed their shutters toward him, wearing his white mask.
Ho-cheol in the screen lightly swung his sword, shaking off the blood.
A few drops of blood spattered onto his white mask.
He very slowly raised his remaining hand.
His hand, which grazed past his navel, his solar plexus, his chin, soon gripped the mask covering his entire face.
At that sight, not just So-hee, but Smiley too, had the smile disappear from her face for the first ti.
That was not a posture to simply wipe the blood splattered on the mask.
“……Ah? No way? That can't be. Wait!”
Smiley, genuinely flustered, tried to stop the Ho-cheol on the screen.
But there was no way her shout could reach him.
Ho-cheol took off the mask.
The bare face of the villain Jeong Ho-cheol, revealed to the world for the first ti.
Looking around at the few caras, he slowly opened his mouth.
“Citizens, who have been building up the sin of being 'others' in your safe world.”
The Association President intended to use even this attack to further solidify his power through a dia war, but Ho-cheol had already seen through his intentions to so extent.
The way those in power think is all the sa.
His goal wasn't the Association's collapse anyway, but the fall of the completely rotten upper brass, and an environnt where they couldn't obstruct his future moves.
For that, there was no need for the blood of the innocent to flow.
All that was needed was a bit of the truth, so disgusting it made you sick just to say it, and his bare face.
“You all are still not mature enough, nor firm enough, to hear the truth. But I stood here before the caras because it is too miserable for you to live your whole lives in ignorance.”
Ho-cheol flicked his wrist, the one holding the sword, up and down.
“I'll tell you. The Hero Association you all rely on and believe in so much. What they have done, and what they are capable of doing.”
His quietest war had begun.
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