“Haa, haa…”
Han Sua gasped for breath, struggling.
Around her, the floor was littered with the corpses of villains whose heads had exploded from her psychokinetic power.
“Cough, cough…!”
Blood streamed down her jawline.
Though it was an ability dubbed the power of a god, it did not mean she could unleash it indiscriminately.
While proficiency could be honed through training, there was still a finite amount of power a physical body could contain.
Monsters like Judgment, the current number one hero of South Korea, might fight for three days and nights unscathed, but for Han Sua, still merely a promising rookie, she had long since pushed past her limits.
“You… b*tch from hell…!”
The A-class villain, Baron, gnashed his teeth and cursed.
He clutched one arm, blood gushing profusely.
Beyond him, more than half of the villains remained alive, projecting their hatred toward her.
It was a miraculous, impossible feat for a C-class hero to have achieved alone, yet…
That only made it all the more regrettable.
“Psyche. How dare you betray us…! You won’t die peacefully…!”
“Haa, haa… laughable…”
Han Sua panted, yet a full sneer curved her lips.
“It’s a hero’s natural duty to subjugate villains… What betrayal are you talking about… Pfft…”
“This… woman…!”
The Baron, who had been spewing venom, instantly changed his expression.
“It seems you’ve gone delusional. To genuinely believe you’re a hero.”
“Haa, haa…”
“I’ll admit you fought rather well. But you’ve lost, Psyche.”
“Haa, nonsense…”
Having regained his composure, he slowly continued.
“We still have half our strength preserved. But what about you? It appears your ability to unleash your powers is also reaching its limit.”
“…”
Struck by his words, Han Sua bit her lip tightly. The villain, not missing her reaction, curled his lips into a sneer.
“We will hold you accountable, Psyche. You won’t die as a hero. We’ll expose to the media that you were a spy.”
“What…!”
“Hwaryeon’s side would tolerate this much, surely. Isn’t it self-defense? Ah, and of course, after we kill you, the orphans will also be exterminated as planned.”
Han Sua cried out in horror. The sinister smile on the Baron’s face only deepened.
“How unfortunate, Psyche. You betrayed us, yet gained not a single thing you desired. The lives of the orphans, your honor as a hero. You will have nothing.”
“Ugh…”
Han Sua’s eyes were gradually losing their light. Though she tried to appear calm, a dark despair enveloped her with each passing moment.
Death itself was not what she feared.
Still, she harbored a small wish for her efforts to be acknowledged.
She had only wanted to protect the children and, in the end, be remembered simply as a hero.
Just when she thought she had finally found her path, fate refused to lend her a hand.
“Let’s end this farce here. We’ve already wasted too much time.”
At the Baron’s gesture, sharp feathers sprouted from his back. The villains surrounding Han Sua likewise prepared to unleash their abilities upon her.
There was no escape. Han Sua found herself letting out a bitter laugh.
‘…Is this the end, then?’
Perhaps her current predicament was a punishment, Han Sua mused.
A punishment for living aimlessly, for deliberately turning a blind eye to the evil before her.
A punishment for indulging in the excessive desire to be remembered as a hero, despite such a past.
If so, perhaps she had no choice but to accept it.
With that thought, Han Sua closed her eyes.
****
Then, a voice echoed.
“Why did you do such a thing?”
“Huh…?”
It was the unexpected presence of someone unfamiliar.
Everyone’s attention fixated on the newcomer, and Han Sua, too, instinctively opened her closed eyes.
She stared straight ahead.
Thump, thump.
The footsteps were slow, yet each one exuded an imposing presence.
The enigmatic figure who had suddenly appeared in the midst of it all was clad head-to-toe in a black suit.
A mask concealed his face, making it impossible to discern his features.
His confident demeanor left the villains speechless, unable to even contemplate speaking, as they merely stared blankly at him.
He strode past the bewildered villains, eventually arriving before Han Sua.
He simply stood there, silently looking down at her.
“Answer me, Han Sua.”
The roughly modulated voice asked again. Though it was her first time seeing him in the suit, she immediately recognized his identity.
Kim Woojin.
That is, Marionette.
The mastermind who had bound her and plunged her life into ruin.
“Why, why are you here…?”
Han Sua’s mouth opened in bewildered astonishment. Kim Woojin’s appearance was entirely unforeseen by her.
She had expected him to be carrying out some wicked scheme elsewhere by now.
But why…
“I told you to answer.”
His insistence continued.
Han Sua coughed violently, yet cast a resentful gaze upon him.
“Wh-what exactly do you want me to answer?”
“I asked why you blocked the villains.”
“…”
‘A mere villain acting so presumptuously.’
‘Is he putting on another pathetic act?’
The man seemed to be asking as much. Considering his consistent attitude toward her, it was likely.
Han Sua fell into thought, her eyes vacant.
Now that she thought about it, her entire life had begun to unravel since this man sought her out.
She felt nothing but fear and anger. If even her final moments were to be treated like discarded trash, she felt she wouldn’t be able to close her eyes in peace, consumed by indignation.
She thought.
‘At the very least, I wish to depart as my true self, found at last.’
“…Of course.”
Han Sua, having made her decision, finally spoke. There was no point in lying to him anyway.
“I am… a hero.”
“…”
Han Sua thus laid bare her heart. A wave of relief washed over her, and she let out a light laugh.
Han Sua awaited his reaction. Yet, Kim Woojin, who had silently listened to her words, merely murmured softly.
“…Is that so?”
Suddenly, a question arose in Han Sua’s mind.
Why had he come here?
Was Kim Woojin also planning to attack this orphanage? He didn’t seem to have any connection to the Half-Moon group.
Though he was a similarly heinous villain.
If so, was he angry that she had interfered with his plans?
Strangely, she felt a sense of satisfaction that he was angry.
As if she had managed to strike a blow against that detestable man, even if only at the very end.
“So… that’s what it was.”
His face remained unseen behind the mask.
For a fleeting moment, she thought she sensed a strange hesitation, confusion, and a hint of subdued magnanimity, but Han Sua quickly shook her head, convinced it couldn’t be.
Since he had his answer, it must be over now.
Even though she felt she had said all there was to say, Han Sua still felt a pang of regret.
She had at least wanted to protect the children inside.
“…You, what kind of bastard are you? You don’t look like a hero in that outfit…!”
The Baron, having regained his composure, roared in utter fury. Kim Woojin stood unmoving, not even turning to look.
“If you intend to interfere, you’ll die with us!! Attack…!”
And just as the Baron’s mouth was about to utter his final command.
-Snap!
Faster than his words, a familiar sound rang out—the snapping of fingers, one Han Sua knew well.
“No…!”
“Wh-what is this?!”
“My body, my body won’t move…!”
Cries of alarm erupted from all directions. The Half-Moon villains were frozen in place like grotesquely twisted trees, their mouths agape, gasping for air in bewilderment.
“Oh…?”
Han Sua, still slumped on the ground, murmured in astonishment. She raised her hands, alternating her gaze between them. She could still move her body without any restriction.
Then Kim Woojin slowly turned.
He stood tall and silent, merely gazing at the villains.
Finally, a deep, rough voice boomed from behind the mask.
“Commit suicide, all of you.”
-Snap!
And once again, the sound of snapping fingers echoed.
Han Sua blinked.
Before her eyes, a raw, unadulterated hell unfolded.
“My arm, my arm is moving on its own…! What is this suddenly… Ugh…!”
“Grrrk…”
“No, not yet…! Cough…!”
Flesh tore and blood spattered. The villains were unleashing their powers upon their own bodies. The sight of their unhesitating movements mixed with terror-stricken faces was utterly overwhelming and deeply unsettling.
“You son of a b*tch…!”
The formidable A-class villain, Baron, cursed, his eyes bloodshot and blazing crimson as he glared at Kim Woojin.
“How dare you do this to me…! I’ll never let you… Ugh…!”
Yet, he too was no exception. As his own raven feathers pierced his throat, the Baron gurgled blood-flecked foam from his mouth and collapsed to the floor.
Kim Woojin remained unmoving, merely gazing impassively down at the Baron’s corpse.
“Ah…”
By then, a profound silence had settled over the surroundings. Han Sua found herself letting out a trembling gasp.
Her fevered mind vehemently rejected any rational thought. She simply could not comprehend it.
Why he had killed the villains.
And why he had spared her.
It was as if… he were helping her…
“Get up, hero.”
Then, a low voice spoke. He merely looked down at her, calmly stating.
“Your work isn’t finished yet.”
