The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 7: Did you see it, see it, see it?!?!

Before the Grim Reaper appeared to avenge the dessert, in a remote location.

Thirty Problem Solvers were gathered there.

They were Problem Solvers assembled to subjugate a criminal organization.

Occasionally, Problem Solvers collaborated temporarily to complete a request.

The organization they were to subjugate was called the “Three-Headed Dragons.”

It was a fairly well-known organization.

“Three-Headed Dragons. According to the data, it’s an organization led by three Lizardmen brothers who claim to be descendants of dragons.

Born as mutants, they possess physical abilities far superior to their kin, and their violent temper causes constant trouble.

Each brother is classified as an A-grade threat. If all three are together, their danger level rises to something equivalent to S-grade.”

Red silently listened to the explanation given by Stal, her Orc companion.

She was smoking a cigarette, gazing up at the night sky.

However, her thoughts were elsewhere.

A moment later, Red muttered softly.

“I can handle it alone.”

“I know. You could easily take them down on your own.”

Stal chuckled lightly at Red’s confident attitude.

He also took out a thick cigarette and started smoking.

The Problem Solvers gathered here had been called in considering the threat posed by the Three-Headed Dragons.

Each had considerable skills, but they were insufficient to face the Three-Headed Dragons alone.

Even after assembling a team to enhance their strength, they were barely enough.

But she was different.

For her, defeating the Three-Headed Dragons would be easier than eating porridge.

She might finish everything before finishing her cigarette.

Stal exhaled a long breath of smoke.

The white smoke dispersed into the air.

“Still, if you act, the hostage could be in danger.”

In truth, Red wasn’t part of the group participating in the subjugation.

The reason she was here was that a child from an orphanage she supported had been kidnapped by the Three-Headed Dragons.

The reason was unclear.

A grudge? Money?

Whatever it was, Stal thought it was foolish to mess with the orphanage Red supported.

There must have been some reason behind it.

“We won’t act rashly. If we move according to the plan, the child will be safe. So, don’t act on your own and cause unnecessary commotion.”

“I’ve heard it enough times. Stop saying it. That’s the tenth time now.”

“With your personality, it’s not strange if you suddenly charge in. That’s why I keep reminding you.”

“That’s ancient history. I’m not who I used to be.”

“Yeah, yeah. But, once again—”

“I got it!”

Time passed like that.

Just as they were about to move into position for the operation, everyone felt a tremendous pressure.

The wind blowing around turned ominous, and an eerie chill ran down their spines.

The Problem Solvers tensed up, beads of cold sweat forming on their faces.

They all knew this sensation well.

The feeling of death, something every Problem Solver experienced at least once.

Realizing the source of the anomaly, startled voices erupted here and there.

“Wait a second! This is different. The Grim Reaper?! Nobody told me about this.”

“Sh*t. We need to cancel this immediately….”

“Who the hell would go up against that?!”

Even the seasoned Stal showed signs of panic.

“Hey, hey, hey! Are you serious? Why is that thing here of all places…?”

The bringer of death.

While everyone was in disarray at the Grim Reaper’s appearance.

Only one person remained calm.

Red threw her cigarette to the ground and crushed the remaining embers with her foot.

“Hey, Red! Where are you going?”

“I’ll deal with the Grim Reaper somehow. You rescue the child in the meantime.”

With those words, Red sprinted forward.

Her pace quickened.

The closer she got to her destination, the louder the thunderous noises grew.

The ground trembled violently, as if gripped by fear.

Red’s heart pounded.

She felt her heartbeat quicken.

She thought she had grown numb, but it had been so long since she last felt this sensation.

To throw herself into a place where death ran rampant.

Even so, there are moments in life where you must take on an unavoidable responsibility.

And now was one of those moments.

To buy time to save the child.

Red’s stride didn’t falter for even a moment.

*

Tsh!

Red and I simultaneously leaped back, widening the distance between us.

I knew the Problem Solvers were gathered nearby.

Whether they were targeting the organization or there for another job, I wasn’t sure.

If a commotion broke out, they would undoubtedly come running.

I had planned to leave before they arrived.

But I didn’t expect them to show up so quickly.

And of all people, it had to be Red.

I never imagined Red would appear here.

The world is truly small.

To think we’d meet again in a place like this.

And at a time when I’m in my “Grim Reaper form.”

“It’s fine. There’s no need to panic. She hasn’t discovered my identity. If I subdue her and leave, it’ll be over.”

I just needed to knock her unconscious and disappear.

That’s how I’ve handled others I didn’t want to hurt so far.

I’ve even done this against skilled Problem Solvers.

It should be fine this time too.

However, I was slightly tense since I didn’t know Red’s exact abilities.

“…The Grim Reaper. You’ve certainly caused a lot of chaos. What’s your goal? Why are you here?”

My goal?

I came to avenge the dessert.

But such an absurd answer wouldn’t be believable.

Not that it matters since I can’t speak anyway.

In my prolonged silence, she tightened her gloves.

Then she took her stance.

“I don’t care. I didn’t expect you to answer in the first place.”

She didn’t seem inclined to back down.

My objective was already achieved, and I didn’t want unnecessary conflict.

The best course of action was to resolve this without a fight.

To convey that I had no intention of fighting, I planted my sword into the ground.

I then crossed my arms and gazed at the sky.

This was my way of showing I wanted to leave.

Did my intentions get across to her?

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here with me.”

So this is how it turned out.

Well, I’m someone from the underworld, and she’s a Problem Solver.

We’re naturally positioned to clash.

On top of that, there are rumors that she’s merciless when dealing with underworld figures.

I have no choice.

I’ll have to stick to the original plan—knock her out and escape.

“It’s going to hurt a lot, but bear with it.”

I tore a chunk of the ground and hurled it at her.

As expected, the large concrete debris shattered easily against her.

But that was just a distraction.

The moment I threw the debris, I kicked off the ground, quickly closing the distance between us.

Emerging from the fragments of debris, I swung my sword with enough force to knock her unconscious instantly.

“Tch.”

But my sword was blocked by her fist.

If one attempt doesn’t work, you just keep attacking until it does.

I twisted my wrist, changing the trajectory of my sword.

She countered by throwing another punch.

Thus, our exchange began.

Each time her punches collided with my sword’s blue streak, space seemed to scream, and the air tore apart.

The ground beneath us cracked, and the air exploded, sending debris flying.

“Is it even possible for fists to block swords? Well, in this world, it’s not impossible. But still, this is my sword we’re talking about. It’s no ordinary blade.”

What made it worse was that Red wasn’t recklessly charging in.

She stepped nimbly, twisting her body to dodge what she could and exploiting openings to land precise, powerful punches.

Her hands never stopped.

She was fast and accurate.

Judging that brute force alone wouldn’t work, I mixed in martial arts I’d learned and continued swinging my sword.

But she matched my moves perfectly, retaliating accordingly.

Fortunately, my armor absorbed the impact of her attacks.

If it hadn’t, I would’ve been in serious trouble.

“She’s really as strong as the rumors say. Honestly, I didn’t think she’d be this powerful.”

I had the upper hand in strength, but her skill far surpassed mine.

I wasn’t cornered, but I wasn’t in an advantageous position either.

“Ugh, I hate this. She’s the worst kind of opponent for me.”

Someone I didn’t want to kill but was too strong to subdue easily.

It was such an annoying situation that my focus inadvertently wavered.

Red wasn’t one to miss such an opening.

A wide grin spread across her face.

Her predatory gaze sent a shiver down my spine.

Even as I tried to focus on the fight, it was too late.

“Found an opening.”

Red pivoted, using her leg as a pivot point, and delivered a spinning kick.

The impact knocked my sword from my hand, sending me flying.

Seizing the chance when I was without my weapon, Red closed in and unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.

I couldn’t defend or counter.

I had to admit it—I couldn’t escape her assault with the martial arts I’d learned.

There were no gaps in her offense.

Fortunately, my armor was absorbing the brunt of the blows.

But I couldn’t keep taking hits forever.

With my lackluster martial arts, I needed to try something else.

To escape the rain of punches, I gathered magical energy into one spot and detonated it.

Sensing the danger, Red halted her attack and leapt back.

In that moment, I quickly summoned my sword back to me.

As she landed lightly on her feet, I swung a horizontal slash in her direction.

The sharp blue energy from my blade sliced through the air, forcing Red to bend backward to dodge it narrowly.

The wall behind her wasn’t as lucky, as it was left with a long diagonal slash.

Moments later, the upper part of the building began to crumble.

“If this keeps up, we won’t reach a conclusion. Should I increase my output? But what if she dies?”

No, no.

She won’t die just because I up the power.

It’s horribly clear she hasn’t even shown her full strength yet.

How much power will it take to subdue her?

It’s hard to gauge.

There was one thing to be thankful for.

“It seems like she’s not fully focused on the fight either. I wonder why.”

I realized it as we fought.

Just as I was trying to focus on escaping and subduing her, she seemed distracted by something else too.

At the very least, her goal didn’t seem to be defeating me.

It felt more like she was trying to restrain me.

Well, that works for me.

A good idea struck me, and I acted immediately.

I infused magic into my sword and drove it into the ground.

The sword began to emit a loud rumble.

Blue flames erupted from the blade, gradually taking form.

The flames grew into a giant as tall as a five-story building.

“This… no way!”

Realizing my intent, Red charged at me, but the flame giant blocked her.

“Grim Reaper! Where do you think you’re going?! Get back here!”

Sorry, no can do.

Go play with that thing.

I’m out of here.

Bye-bye.

Without hesitation, I left the scene.

*

After reaching a place devoid of people.

I took a moment to catch my breath.

“So, the nickname ‘Crime Killer’ was real. Ugh, terrifying. I never want to face her again in my Grim Reaper form.”

Crack.

“Damn it. My armor’s cracked. How strong are her punches?”

I dispelled my Grim Reaper form.

The armor dissipated into mist.

As I was about to cover my face with a mask and hood.

Rustle.

I suddenly sensed a presence and turned my head in a hurry.

My eyes widened in shock.

“Wow~ an angel!”

Standing there was a young girl with bright yellow hair, her eyes round with wonder.