Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain-Chapter 105: Manifesto
Rebecca, the successful and wealthiest CEO on Earth, looked at her beloved butler, who was placing the coffee and butter cake on the tea table with a gentle smile.
"You guessed what made me happy," Rebecca said as she reached out to touch her handsome butler’s face, tilting it slightly as she admired his flawless features.
"It must be your victory against that rival of yours—Kiyomi," the butler replied with a knowing smile. He had served his lady ever since she rescued him from poverty.
"Hmmm... smart boy. Tonight, I’ll indulge you," Rebecca said, hiding her primal desire behind her eyes as she leaned in and passionately kissed her butler.
—
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Rebecca suddenly screamed in excitement and embarrassment, her face flushed red. Her military-grade prosthetic arm slammed against the counter, startling Ricardo, who was sitting nearby.
"What the hell’s wrong with you, you metal-armed idiot?!" Ricardo snapped, glaring at Rebecca as she continued to flail in embarrassment from her own imagination.
"Oi... Max, should I call a therapist? Your employee seems to have a few screws loose," Kiyomi whispered, glancing at Rebecca’s sudden antics.
"It’s... okay, Ms. Kingsley. I think she just imagined something weird in her head," Maximilian replied with a wry smile. He was no stranger to this kind of scene.
In his past life, he’d had several fujoshi acquaintances who would suddenly scream after writing some spicy BL fanfiction or while discussing who was on top and who was on the bottom. They acted exactly like this when their minds spiraled into vivid fantasies.
He couldn’t help but wonder who Rebecca was imagining just now... He hoped it wasn’t him x Ricardo.
(Author note: Fujoshi (腐女子) is a Japanese term that literally means "rotten girl." It refers to women who enjoy boys’ love (BL) content, which features romantic or sexual relationships between male characters.)
They were funny folks, really—as long as they didn’t start shipping him with another guy, he could get along with them just fine.
— Meanwhile - UEC Central City —
A man in a red and gold combat suit with a flowing crimson cape strode down a long corridor. The hallway led to a single, large room that occupied the entire stretch; no other rooms were in sight. A checkpoint guarded the entrance.
Seeing the man approach, the guard straightened and politely nodded.
"You here to see the leader, Mr. Manifesto?" he asked.
"Who else would be in that room besides the leader, you idiot? His mistress?" Manifesto snapped irritably.
The guard paled and quickly bowed. "My apologies, sir!" He stepped aside without another word.
"Hmph," Manifesto snorted in disdain before entering the room.
Inside, a middle-aged man with neatly combed hair and a trimmed mustache lounged behind a massive desk. On the TV, a news broadcast played. Beneath the desk, a scantily dressed female hero was on her knees, clearly engaged in something inappropriate. The man’s expression was one of pure euphoria as he watched the screen.
"Didn’t think you’d actually be with your mistress, Leader," Manifesto said with a smirk.
"Say your piece and f*ck off. Didn’t I tell you I’m busy? Ahh—oooh, that’s it, dear... good job," the Leader moaned.
"I’m heading to Arkadia City. There’s a big name over there I want to capture. If I bring him down, I’ll be promoted to the number one hero," Manifesto declared confidently.
"You mean Nihilus? Ahh... slower... slower..." the Leader moaned again, then added, "The guy with the EF that lets him control darkness?"
"Yes, that one," Manifesto confirmed.
"I see. While you’re there, can you take care of something for me? Strauss, that damn watchdog, he might’ve found some dirt on me. He’s been laying low in Arkadia. If he has a stash of evidence, find it and destroy it."
"Oh? That Level 9 agent? You want me to do that for free? That’s pushing it, even for you. Killing a Level 9 might put me on Atlas radar," Manifesto replied flatly.
"Didn’t you say you weren’t afraid of Atlas? That one day you’d surpass that old relic?" the Leader said, trying to poke at Manifesto’s pride.
Manifesto sneered. "Heh... do I look like I was born yesterday? If you want me to do your dirty work, make it worth my time. Goading won’t cut it."
"Ahhh... that’s good," the Leader moaned again, then patted the female hero’s head. "Alright, you can stop. Stay here a while."
"Yes, Leader," she replied, standing up and swallowing something unidentifiable liquid before cleaning her mouth.
"I’ll give you an EF booster shot... alien grade," the Leader offered.
At the mention of the alien-grade booster, both Manifesto and the female hero’s eyes lit up with greed.
The EF booster shot was a drug developed by the UEC to enhance a worthy hero’s Evolution Factor. Its effects ranged from temporary power boosts to permanent upgrades.
The alien-grade version, however, permanently enhanced one’s EF without any side effects, something both heroes and villains would kill to obtain.
"I want two," Manifesto said immediately.
"You think alien-grade boosters grow on trees? I can only spare one!" the Leader snapped.
"Then one alien-grade booster and 100 million," Manifesto negotiated.
"One alien-grade booster and 50 million." The leader countered.
"One alien-grade booster and 75 million."
The Leader stared into Manifesto’s eyes, then chuckled.
"Deal," he said, rising and extending his hand.
Manifesto didn’t move.
"For f*ck’s sake, can you at least wash your damn hand first?" he said in disgust, eyeing the mysterious fluid on the Leader’s palm. He then conjured a hand made of light and shook with that instead.
The Leader pursed his lips and shrugged, waving Manifesto off.
"Oh! Before you go," the Leader called just as Manifesto turned to leave.
Manifesto glanced back.
"Clean up the room for me," the Leader said with a smirk, his gaze shifting to the still-smiling female hero beside him.
Manifesto didn’t reply. Instead, he manifested a sword of light and hurled it at the woman.
Pierce!
The blade struck her squarely in the heart. She looked at the Leader in disbelief, unable to comprehend why she had to die.
"Next time, kick your mistress out before saying something sensitive. This is the fourth time you’ve switched mistresses," Manifesto said coldly before storming out.
He felt insulted—using his power against someone whose only asset was her looks.
— Central - Training Ground —
On the vast open-air training ground, scattered pieces of robotic training bots lay across the compact dirt surface. These bots, made of hardened alloy, had all been sliced apart by a superheated, blade-like energy.
Some of the parts still glowed red-hot, having only just been cut moments ago.
At the center of the field, a beautiful blonde woman in a black training tank top and pants moved with intensity, battling a group of incoming bots. She took several punches and kicks but slowly adapted, dodging attacks and countering with precise slashes from an energy blade she manifested using her power.
"Good! Feel the flow of battle and keep moving! Don’t stay idle when you’re overwhelmed!" a man shouted from the sidelines. He wore a white training robe and observed the woman closely, analyzing her movements for mistakes to correct.
If Maximilian were present, he would have recognized her as Photon Fury—Pamela Diamond, the female hero he once fought in Arkadia City-State.
But this time, there was no arrogance or self-importance in her eyes. She trained with complete focus and listened earnestly to advice... even from a man.
At that moment, Manifesto strolled onto the training ground.
"Oh boy~ Looks like the sun’s going to rise from the west tomorrow!" he said loudly, but Photon Fury ignored him.
"You’re training? And even listening to advice from a man? What, did losing to a guy make the thing between your legs all wet and—"
ZAAAPPP!
A photon beam fired at hyper-speed toward Manifesto, who was caught off guard. He hastily manifested a light shield in front of him.
BOOOOM!
The beam exploded on contact, and cracks formed across the light shield—evidence of the beam’s destructive power.
"This b*tch!" Manifesto cursed.
The beam kept pouring onto the shield for a few seconds longer before finally fading out.
Photon Fury glared at him coldly.
"Sorry. My hand slipped... You know I’m not great at controlling my power, and you just happened to walk into the training ground," she said with a deadpan tone. The arrogance and smugness that once defined her were nowhere to be seen.
"Why are you here, Manifesto?" asked the man in the training robe—the Central HQ instructor known for training many heroes.
He was an old man with white hair, of Asian descent. Once a hero, he had lost part of his lung as the cost of rescuing someone. That’s why he now serves as an instructor.
"Old man Murasaki! I’m here to let you know—I’m heading off to capture Nihilus," Manifesto announced, his eyes fixed on Photon Fury.
He knew Photon Fury had lost to Nihilus once. He had come here specifically to spite her.
The moment she heard Nihilus’s name, Photon Fury clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. But then, slowly, she loosened her grip as she processed what Manifesto had just said.
"HAHAHAHA!! Hahah—HAHAHAHAHA!" she burst into laughter, as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
