I’m Not That Villain - Chapter 74



73 – Black Mamba (1)

Is this the first time we’ve faced each other?

I confirmed that the numerous footsteps I heard from outside had faded away, and at the same time, I grabbed her hand.

“What, what are you doing…?!”

“Shh.”

I know who she is.

I’ve seen her in a photo once before.

The boss of Hundred Eyes…

Black Mamba.

When I first discovered her through the camera, I was truly startled. No way. Of all places to run, why did she have to run here?

I could have just turned my gaze away and pretended not to see…

But I couldn’t.

If she dies, this place will truly become the domain of the executioners.

So I rescued her for now, somehow managed to smuggle her out, but…

Ugh.

Now, how do I handle this?

“Wh-where is this…?”

I grabbed her bewildered hand and pulled her downwards.

Her resistance was weak. The reason was simple.

Her body was currently covered in wounds. The injuries were severe, and it seemed like she had gone through numerous battles on her way here, as her stamina appeared to be at rock bottom.

Moreover, something…

Her mouth was somewhat filled with vomit, should I say.

“Sit down.”

“Wh-why should I…!”

“I said, sit down.”

After forcing her into the chair, I wiped her mouth. If she were in her usual condition, I would have been the one flying from her small rebellion, but…

Not now.

Yeah. She’s weakened. Terribly.

But seriously, where did she sell off the special equipment I personally sent her by courier, and why is she wandering around alone like this? It’s beyond ridiculous.

How did I even make that thing?

This brat.

“Bear with the pain.”

“W-what are you suddenly… Ahk?!”

As the sting from the disinfectant set in, she winced.

Well, it’s only natural. Even those with abilities aren’t invincible. Of course. Ignoring all her reactions, I meticulously continued the disinfection.

At first, she resisted, but as time passed, she grew quiet. Occasionally, she would just grimace.

That was the extent of her reaction.

“……”

“……”

In the silence, I diligently moved my hands. I closed the torn wounds with adhesive bandages and carefully wiped away all the blood.

Still, though. Is she some kind of monster? Her regenerative abilities were unbelievably high. Most of the wounded areas were already scabbing over.

It’s strange. Really strange. She doesn’t even have regenerative abilities, yet she’s like this.

That latent ability from before, and this is really…

A unique vessel.

The king of mutants among mutants.

“…You.”

I broke the silence.

I couldn’t bear it any longer out of sheer curiosity.

“Why don’t you carry the special equipment I made for you?”

“…What?”

“You must have realized the moment you grabbed it. It’s far superior to any other special equipment. I hate to say it myself, but…my work is special. It’s on a different level.”

“…No way, you…that…?”

“If you had it, at least you wouldn’t be in this state. Why didn’t you carry it?”

Black Mamba’s eyebrows twitched.

“Because it’s weird!”

“What is?”

“It’s too weird! It’s just equipment, but it draws out my power as if it denies my entire existence! It felt like…like a drug! Once you touch it, you can’t escape! Did you make that?! Who are you?!”

With the barrage of questions, I pulled the bandage tight.

“An artisan.”

“…Are you playing word games with me?”

“If I gave it to you for free, just take it for free. Don’t ask questions. Do you really think it has drug-like side effects? As you said, it’s just equipment. Just some useful equipment. Using it won’t break you.”

“How can I believe that…!”

“Then don’t use it. Complaining even when it’s free. Seriously.”

I checked the external camera once more. Numerous people were caught on the screen, busily moving around as if searching the area.

The enforcers who hadn’t left this place. They must be looking for the suddenly vanished Black Mamba.

For now, the entrance is perfectly hidden. Covered with optical camouflage, the possibility of it being discovered is extremely low.

Even if the entrance were somehow found, the first passageway leading in is disguised as an empty underground warehouse. They wouldn’t think the facility extends this far.

I sat down and slowly rotated the external camera to check. They would continue searching this area for a while, so she had no choice but to stay here.

After going through all the trouble to save her, I couldn’t let it go to waste.

“Rest. Take care of your stamina. Grab something to eat from the fridge.”

“…What do you want?”

From noble mtl dot com

What I want.

I can’t say I want you to fight the enforcers valiantly and turn this place back into a lawless zone.

No, asking you to fight for me is no different. If my dark intentions were revealed, her abilities would target me first.

So I wiped my mouth clean. I answered, suppressing my true feelings.

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“Nothing. So just rest and leave when you’re ready.”

Black Mamba looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“You can’t possibly want nothing…? After making me such a thing…why…?”

“If I wanted something, I would have revealed my name from the start. I just…”

Ah. The reason.

There is no real reason. The end of the real reason is that I want you to fight for me.

But if I say that, I’ll obviously get stabbed. Who would like someone sayingfight for me instead?

…So…inevitably…

“I don’t want you to die.”

“W-what?”

I mumbled vaguely.

“Do I have to say every single thing like that?”

“…….?!”

Rather, I went strong, and her eyes widened.

Yeah. Just think I’m a crazy b*stard.

In the first place, saving you here wasn’t even planned.

Since it has come to this…I’ll just handle everything with improvisation!

. . .

I don’t want you to die.

Black Mamba stared at him, wondering if she had heard wrong. But he desperately tried not to meet her eyes.

Usually, when people lie, they do that. Most of those who try not to make eye contact are like that.

Liars.

…But…

There are also other cases.

Black Mamba secretly recalled the romance comics she enjoyed. It was exactly like that there.

A woman who secretly likes the male lead…

Acts just like that.

“…….”

Love.

It is love.

It must be love.

Why? Because there’s no other reason to act like that.

If money was the goal, she would have revealed her name long ago.

The same goes for fame. The same goes for power.

It would have been easier to guarantee all of that by revealing her name and approaching him openly.

But…

She sent the work anonymously, giving up all of that.

Thinking back, it makes even more sense. Didn’t I feel it when I held the special equipment tightly?

A strange feeling as if every small sensation matched perfectly. The compatibility was so perfect that it even felt like an obsession.

Using that special equipment felt so good. Just holding it made me feel so good…

In the end, I moved with it left at home.

A thing that makes you feel good just by holding it, giving you a sensation as if wings sprouted from your body, can’t be normal.

An unidentified object with a strange feeling that is suspicious no matter how you look at it.

But now, I know for sure. Just by seeing through one reason, all those suspicious things make sense at once.

…The other person.

This nameless artisan…

They have a crush on me.

So much so that they create equipment perfectly tailored to me!

“…Ugh…!”

Black Mamba recoiled, almost involuntarily.

That, that custom gear…

It was a perverted creation, the kind you couldn’t make unless you were truly obsessed.

The grip fit perfectly. Like something handcrafted stitch by stitch just for her.

It even unearthed fragments of her ability that she herself was unaware of…

Wasn’t it that kind of perverted thing?

Honestly, she should be disgusted. It was like some stalker’s item. To create something like that without my knowing…

Ugh.

I, I hate it… I *should* hate it…

“……..”

The fact that the sender had remained anonymous,

and had made no attempt at contact using it as leverage, only registered belatedly…

The feeling that should be turning sour… isn’t, for some reason.

So… a pure expression of affection? It kind of feels like that, doesn’t it?

That, that’s it, isn’t it? Without wanting anything from me…

Just unilaterally…

Expressing one’s heart…

A gift of purest purity… isn’t it?

“…Ugh…”

It’s not that I’ve never received affection.

On the contrary, I’ve received it like crazy.

But was there ever a time when purity was mixed in?

No.

Never.

Not even once.

They desired my body or demanded attention. I didn’t particularly have any feelings for them, but they did absurd things just to get my attention.

Moreover, when combined with my background, only those who tried to use it surrounded me.

People are not to be trusted in the first place.

Isn’t it myself who knows that best?

Black Mamba cleared his throat for no reason. He raised one eyebrow and asked him.

“Hey, don’t give me a vague answer, tell me now. What do you want?”

“Nothing.”

“…If you want money, I can give it to you. Ten billion? A hundred billion? Just say the word. As soon as you leave this place, I’ll transfer it to your account.”

“Money would be nice, but…”

He turned his head.

“I swore to myself that I would never accept it in that way.”

“What?”

An incomprehensible answer.

A vow? What vow?

“What nonsense?”

“Don’t waste your energy. You have only one thing to do here.”

He turned his gaze towards the hologram screen.

“Rest enough, conserve your strength, and then leave this place. You have a place to protect, don’t you?”

“……”

“Then forget everything. I won’t contact you again. As for the special equipment I gave you… if you don’t want to use it, don’t. Just know that there won’t be any side effects. If there are, you can send someone to find me later.”

“…Why…?”

“I told you.”

He spoke without even looking back at me.

“I just don’t want you to die. That’s all I want. So, it’s okay to forget me. It will be good for both you and me.”

This, I’ve seen this scene.

I saw it in that romance comic!

The woman who is about to leave for the sake of the male lead…

Calmly saying such words…!

“You, you care about me that much…?”

I’ve seen many men who just talk big.

There were more than a truckload of people who said they would even pluck stars from the sky for me.

But to this extent…

No one had ever shown it through their actions.

“…….”

And now.

This man understood his situation better than anyone else.

He must have seen the execution agency chasing him. As such, unless he was a fool, he would surely know that the current state of Hundred Eye could collapse at any moment.

In other words, despite the fact that there was nothing to gain and he would become an enemy of the execution agency…

He helped.

Me.

Out of simple affection.

“You, you…”

Ah, no!

I haven’t fallen for him! Absolutely not!

From the beginning, I’m not someone who falls in love easily! And I’m not a pushover either!

I, the Black Mamba of Hundred Eye…

There’s no way I could be a woman who would feel affection just because of a single gift?!

So, this feeling I’m experiencing for the first time in my life is just a whim…

There’s no way I could like a stalker…!

BOOM!!

A loud noise exploded above my head.

Suddenly, all the lights in the facility went out.

Darkness descended. The entire facility fell silent in an instant…

An endless darkness devoured the entire field of vision.

Black Mamba’s face turned pale.

It wasn’t because of the unexpected situation.

Darkness.

Darkness was closing in.

Just like that terrible, avoidable past.