"Prepare for a fight."

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

"Excuse me?"

I looked up from my research at the Evilus headquarters, tilting my head at Regalia’s sudden declaration. Prepare for a fight? What was she talking about?

Had an enemy appeared for the organization? Unlikely. With the Hero Association dismantled, the Evilus organization was already scrambling for a proper rival.

And more importantly—if there really was a powerful opponent threatening the organization, Regalia wouldn’t have delivered the news so nonchalantly. She would’ve called for war—no, annihilation.

“Is there a problem?”

“Well... there’s going to be an incident soon. No need for major preparations; just think of it as kids playing pretend.”

“Ah, so it’s something like that?”

I chuckled, realizing the situation wasn’t as dire as I’d imagined.

“Another one of those WWE-style shows?”

“WW... what’s that?”

“You know, the usual spectacle Evilus puts on.”

“...Prepare a little more seriously than that.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I didn’t fully understand what she was seeing or thinking. While she and I received the same information, I lacked her political intuition.

One thing was certain, though: her strategic foresight was unparalleled, a quality befitting a ruler of her time. If she saw something I didn’t, chances were she was right.

“A fight, huh?”

Like always, Evilus was preparing for a conflict. Though it might be a minor skirmish, it needed to be taken seriously. First, I had to figure out who the opponent was.

I began combing through the database, reviewing the information Regalia had examined. If I could understand what she saw, I might get a glimpse of her reasoning.

*****

Gaiza stepped into the headquarters of Chaos Group, a major corporation representing City C. He frowned at the crowd of people gathered inside—heroes who had joined the corporation before him, including some who could only be described as villains.

“This is S-rank hero Gaiza,” announced the executive who had brought him.

At those words, the crowd turned their eyes toward him, a mix of admiration, curiosity, and hostility flickering in their gazes.

Ignoring the introduction, Gaiza stepped forward and pointed at a few individuals in the crowd.

“Why the hell are these villain bastards here?”

“They’re not villains. These are individuals who were falsely labeled as such. Chaos Group supported them, and in return, they now work for us.”

“Ah, I see—what a convenient story.”

Gaiza smirked, lifting a corner of his mouth in a derisive laugh. Not villains? Sure, and pigs could fly. They’d clearly greased some palms to get out of trouble.

Still, Gaiza didn’t voice his thoughts. He remembered his real job here. Regardless of their pasts, these people were now his colleagues. Extending a hand, he offered them a handshake.

“Let’s work well together.”

“Screw you.”

One of the former villains spat and ignored his hand. Gaiza glanced back at the executive.

“Can I beat this guy up?”

“Absolutely not. They’re valuable employees of the company. ...However, I won’t stop you from settling the pecking order among yourselves.”

“Got it.”

Understanding the subtext—just don’t leave them too damaged—Gaiza turned back to the group. Before he could act, one of the former villains swung a punch at him.

Boom!

The sound was more like demolition equipment hitting concrete than a fist meeting flesh.

The villain sneered at Gaiza, who had taken the punch without flinching. Gaiza brushed off his shoulder nonchalantly and asked,

“Is that all?”

“Like hell it is!”

The villain launched a flurry of punches and kicks, a relentless barrage echoing like drumbeats in the room. Gaiza endured it all, dusting off his suit when the assault finally ceased.

“That enough? My turn now.”

“W-wait—”

Crash!

With a single hammer-like punch, Gaiza sent the villain crumpling to the ground. The blow didn’t kill him, but it left him incapable of standing anytime soon. Looking down at the incapacitated man, Gaiza smirked internally. What an idiot. Even back when I was active, few dared challenge me head-on.

As other employees carried the defeated villain to the infirmary, Gaiza turned to the remaining group.

“Alright. Anyone else want a piece?”

“...”

“No one? Feel free to go all out—I’ll only hit you once.”

“N-no thanks.”

“Really? If anyone complains later, you’re dead meat.”

With a single punch, Gaiza subdued the morale of his new teammates, smirking as he began offering handshakes one by one. Only then did the tension dissipate, and the team members started sharing their personal stories.

“I just got married, and being unemployed isn’t exactly ideal...”

“...I have a family member with a terminal illness.”

“That woman was a gold digger. I swear I got conned first.”

Of course, Gaiza took the excuses of former villains with a grain of salt—or rather, ignored them entirely. Listening to their justifications felt like dunking his ears in sewage; no matter how hard he tried to clean it, the stench lingered.

With the team now formed and Gaiza naturally assuming a leader-like position, they soon received their first mission from the executive.

“A mission.”

“What is it?”

“We’ve received intelligence that confidential research data from our company has been stolen. Your task is to retrieve it.”

The executive handed them a map, prompting one of the team members to frown.

“This is a factory in J City, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

“How would Chaos Group’s classified data end up in a place like this?”

“That’s none of your concern. If you’re unwilling to proceed, you’re free to leave at any time.”

Naturally, no one got up to leave. They all understood what it meant to become corporate dogs rather than part of a hero association. They knew exactly what it meant to sell everything for money.

Arriving at the factory in J City, Gaiza’s team swiftly neutralized the android guards and reached their objective. From there, the mission was simple: insert the provided USB, extract the data, and leave.

“Mission accomplished? Impressive as expected.”

The executive praised them upon their return. Bonuses were distributed—amounts far larger than anything they’d ever earned as heroes. The team celebrated at an expensive barbecue restaurant, treating themselves with the company credit card.

“This was a great choice, wasn’t it? The pay is amazing, and the missions are simple and just.”

“...Do you really think that?”

“Uh, isn’t it?”

Gaiza glanced at the naive team member with pity before taking a long swig of his drink.

The next mission, however, was far more gruesome.

“Your task is to neutralize all androids at this facility.”

“And then?”

“You needn’t do anything further. Our company’s androids will handle the rest.”

Although puzzled, the team carried out the mission. That day, they learned the real reason they had been hired.

[Eliminating all witnesses.]

“Wait, stop!”

[Eliminating all witnesses.]

“Wha—what the hell—why are they killing—”

Bang!

After destroying the security androids protecting the data servers, Chaos Group’s androids began slaughtering the researchers. The team members had neutralized the facility’s defenses, leaving no one to protect the researchers except themselves.

As expected, the team hesitated to destroy the Chaos Group androids, forced to watch helplessly as people were gunned down before their eyes.

Staring blankly at the massacre, the former heroes returned to headquarters and immediately voiced their complaints to the executive.

“I didn’t sign up for this!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Killing people?! This is the kind of thing villains would do—!”

“And who exactly defines a villain now that the Hero Association is gone?”

The executive’s response was bold.

“The Hero Association, which designated villains, no longer exists. That means no one can call someone a villain anymore.”

“That’s not—!”

“We disposed of defective products. A shame, truly. Perhaps if there had been heroes to protect them, they might have survived... Oh! Your next mission is to protect our research facilities. Other corporations might attempt something similar, you see.”

“...I’m quitting.”

“What, running away like a coward? Leaving others to die after failing to protect them yourself?”

The executive’s words made the team realize they were shackled. While the former villains on the team seemed unfazed, the others understood they had already crossed the line.

They were no longer just bystanders; they were accomplices. Without them, Chaos Group’s androids wouldn’t have been able to slaughter the researchers so easily.

“What a damn mess,” Gaiza muttered, exhaling deeply.

He had seen enough. This was all the proof he needed that corporations were now running private armies.