"I'm here~ Egogo… ."
"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Spade. How was this mission?"
The base of the Hero Association's 7th Division. Spade, who had just returned from a mission, entered the base's waiting room and rest area.
My fellow hero club members, who were lying sideways on the sofa inside the break room and playing smartphone games, welcomed me with spades.
"It was nothing special. There were only a few, and it was all over in less than 10 minutes. "I wasted a lot of time trying to find the hideout and sneaking in to check on the situation."
"oh… ."
The club put down their smartphones and applauded lightly without emotion.
However, it was originally just a mission to monitor the situation, but it suddenly turned into a subjugation mission.
"Were there any awakened people?"
"There wasn't one."
"Who is subject to purge?"
"… "The number of people exceeding the standard is one."
"Did you kill him?"
Spade responded by taking off his gloves and throwing them away.
"I killed it."
The pitch-black gloves had strange stains on them. It is not difficult to tell that it is a blood stain.
――People subject to purge.
Among villains, this refers to dangerous people who are considered difficult to accept even if arrested.
They can be 'purged' at the discretion of the hero in charge.
This means that since we cannot accept it, we will kill it.
In addition, the standards for it are very different, so in most cases, it is up to the hero in charge of them to make their own decision.
In the case of the 7th Division, there is a detailed standard, so I memorize it and apply it to each mission.
In some units, there are those who do not have any standards at all and simply kill and eliminate villains.
In the past, there would certainly have been people who said it was too much and what about human rights.
Just a few years ago, the country was shaken by villain crimes on an enormous scale.
In this situation where the scars still remain and society is struggling, there were few people who wanted to question the villain's human rights.
In most people's minds now, villains are not human, they are just pests that need to be killed.
In fact, the government decided to clearly declare that human rights would be taken away from villains.
Even if a person on the street suddenly picks up a rock and smashes the villain's head, no one will be held accountable for that.
Of course, how many villains would be worthy of being attacked by an ordinary person walking down the street?
Anyway, villains have no human rights.
They are not human.
They are just pests that need to be killed and eliminated.
'that… Heroes too... .'
For a moment, a useless thought seemed to come to mind, but I shook my head to get rid of it.
That's because that unpleasant feeling still remains in my hand.
The villain who exceeded the purge threshold was killed on the spot by crushing his neck with one hand.
Whether it was the body temperature at that time or the feeling of my life slipping away in my hands, I still can't get used to it even though this has happened more than once or twice.
So, it's inevitable that I feel sad, but because of that, I can't act like a hero without being soaked in sentimentality.
Rather than that, let's think pleasant thoughts.
"What happened to the club, that Cheadle?"
"Those idiots from [Abyss]?"
"huh."
"I took out as much information as I could, and am currently listening to lectures in the basement rehabilitation room. "A 144-hour full course of EBS lectures from hell."
"wow… That's right... ."
It is a punishment that may seem light at first glance, but it involves watching the film continuously for 144 hours without a break under the supervision of the hero.
Since each person has a syllabus at their seat, they have to do their errands on the spot and read them without taking a break.
They are not allowed to sleep, and their meals are jelly-like energy supplements. If you don't watch it properly, it's a devilish torture that increases your viewing time by two hours.
Just thinking about it makes me shiver. Usually, around 30 hours, some people go crazy and say that it would be better to die, but around 70 hours, they don't have the energy to go on a rampage and become quiet, and once 144 hours have passed, most people will be reborn and become new people. It is a terrifying rehabilitation method that has been proven several times.
Wow, I'm scared.
Wow, that's terrible.
'But Mr. Apple will be watching... .'
General affairs world, D-level hero Apple.
He is a fellow hero with big glasses and a quiet style. He is soft-hearted and kind and cannot see others having a hard time.
A little while ago, I said I would watch EBS lectures for 144 hours without a break, but it is clear that there will be secret breaks or snack times in between.
It is almost an open secret that the villains arrested in this way are accommodated.
Nevertheless, the reason no one stops it is because the villains involved end up crying and calling Apple a "saint" every time.
There are big and small, but no one is exception.
He leaves after crying and pleading that he will never have bad feelings again and that he will never hurt Apple's feelings.
In some ways, she is the 7th Division's biggest mystery and the scariest woman.
Anyway, I was thinking that if Apple was in charge, those villains would be happy too.
"No, senior. Mr. Apple is on vacation right now. "I'll be back tomorrow."
Spade's comments were denied as the club resumed playing smartphone games.
"okay… ? "Then who is in the rehabilitation room right now?"
"It's Coco."
Oh my.
Even though they were villains, I felt a little sorry for them.
Coco is a little… wow… What should I do… It's terrible... .
Former people of [Abyss]… cheer up… If you're alive, something good will come someday... .
* * *
Shoot...
'The villain organization [Abyss]… .'
Accommodation floor on the upper floor of the base.
Spades' room, that bathroom.
Spade was lost in thought as he washed his body, which was dirty with sweat and various dirt, with water from the shower.
A group of perverts who always commit trivial crimes and are busy annoying people.
Nevertheless, the villain organization was judged to be of high risk due to the high level of its executives.
However, starting two months ago, that organization began to disintegrate to the extent that it could be called a fall.
Not long ago, the club was almost completely destroyed with the arrest of its last remaining members.
After interrogating the people they captured, the only ones left were the four top executives?
That level is truly devastating. There is no hope.
Even one of them seems to have been reduced to a completely incompetent person.
'No. 13.'
The villain, who had a bad relationship in many ways, was beaten half to death by Spade during an encounter two months ago and barely escaped.
An irregular who is called an awakened person even though he is a man.
I chased after him several times, but I could not win even once and only ended up being defeated.
His pride as a promising A-class hero was gradually trampled and he ended up in a miserable situation.
I chased after No. 13 very desperately to somehow restore my honor.
And it came to a very meaningless conclusion.
I don't know why, but from what I saw in person, Spade seemed to have fallen into an incompetent, non-awakened state that no longer had any abilities.
This is consistent with what was heard through interrogation.
Shootaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~
"Something… "It's vain."
Even though I chased after him for so long and beat him to the point where I felt sick to my stomach, I still felt like something was missing.
Should we call it incomplete combustion?
Should I say that something is lacking?
… Anyway, I feel bad for some reason.
Maybe that's why I have no motivation for anything these days.
"Hey, what are you saying?"
Spade muttered lamentably while wiping his wet hair.
Anyway, even if Villain No. 13 has completely lost his powers, he has not been arrested yet.
If you suddenly lose your strength, you can regain it just as suddenly.
So, make sure to arrest him.
This time, I will arrest you.
And if I kill him with these hands by breaking his neck or pulling out his heart...
At that time, I had a premonition that the whereabouts of this uncomfortable feeling might finally find its place and be completed.
* * *
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...
When I came out of the bathroom after washing away the sweat and fatigue with warm water, the smartphone I had left on the table was vibrating and ringing.
Oh my, I didn't even know there was a call because it was on vibrate.
I hurriedly reached for my smartphone, but it was cut off just as I hit it.
When I checked the absence history, I couldn't believe it, I had called three times.
Oh my god.
'Apple Cine?'
He must be on vacation.
If he had called three times, he would have been able to come to the room in person, but since he didn't, it seemed like he wasn't at the accommodation.
I wondered why Mr. Apple called me, but I couldn't figure out the reason.
I tried to walk in the opposite direction to see what was going on, but the smartphone I was holding in my hand started ringing again.
I've called four times about this. I thought I had some important business to attend to, so I quickly touched the screen and answered the phone.
"hello. "I received a call."
As soon as I received it, I felt a strange presence coming from beyond the speaker. It felt like I was flustered, like I was nervous and took a deep breath.
"Apple? It's a spade. "I received a call."
Something was strange, so I tried saying it again, but there was still no answer.
Did I get it wrong? But since I called four times, I don't think that's the case.
While I was thinking and wondering, I heard a couple of coughing noises that did not suit Apple.
[--long time no see. How are you, Spade?]
For some reason, from Apple's number, I heard someone else's, a thick male voice that was not Apple's.
[: