The Villain's Sister - Chapter 22

Bang!

Instead of answering, Black Pistols fired a shot that shattered the valve of the oxygen tank next to Red Shadow.

Ssshhhh―

Blue gas hissed out, and the fine particles sparkled like stars under the streetlights.

Despite its romantic shimmer, it was known as the deadliest drug to date.

Inhaling it caused permanent birth defects even in second-generation offspring, and the media had been in a frenzy over it for days.

Criticism of the police poured in: What had they been doing while this new drug was spreading? Even though the drug lord Sunshine was in prison, new drugs were being distributed—were third-party organizations now involved? The police were sick of hearing it all.

“Shut up and choose. Want a beating, or want to take down Raphael with me?”

“Death Adder?”

“Yeah. Their number two, Raphael Kapuzen. If we can find his little sister, we can track down where he lives. While Big Bear’s lying low, Death Adder is expanding with terrifying speed. If they get any bigger, we won’t be able to stop them.”

“Death Adder, huh? Taking them on alone would be suicide.”

They’d used machine guns during the turf war—who knew what hidden weapons they might pull out next?

“All we know is the name Raphael and his face. We don’t even know if it’s an alias or his real name, so how do we even start looking for his sister?”

“That’s why I’m saying we should work together. You’re good at finding people, aren’t you?”

“……”

“Top-tier informant Fog is nearly impossible to access without a code. That’s why it has to be you.”

Of all people, Black Pistols knew Red Shadow was searching for someone.

The reason was simple.

He’d met Red Shadow at night and wasn’t dead yet.

Red Shadow and Black Pistols weren’t exactly on good terms.

Red Shadow only hunted those who had sinned.

Unless someone was a villain, he wouldn’t threaten or try to kill them—even if they pissed him off. But if you were involved in a crime even slightly, he’d consider you a villain too.

Black Pistols was one of the rare righteous types, so Red Shadow didn’t harbor strong feelings toward him.

They ran into each other often, shared a common enemy, and exchanged information frequently. It was only natural that some things would be revealed over time.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten the code yet. More importantly, aren’t you the one who knows more about Raphael?”

He was referring to when they worked together last year to capture Sunshine.

A slightly roughened breath echoed inside the helmet.

“Jealous you got left out while we locked up Sunshine? Just say yes or no.”

“No.”

“Thought it was an appealing offer.”

“You probably think toppling underground syndicates is the first priority, but I don’t.”

“Really? Then time for a beating.”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets aimed at Red Shadow’s limbs.

Though the recoil should’ve shaken him, Black Pistols fired with perfect stability.

When the clip emptied, he quickly reloaded and fired again from a new angle.

The smell of gunpowder seeped in through the tightly sealed helmet.

The first bullet stopped midair.

The ones that followed advanced slowly toward Red Shadow.

He lunged at Red Shadow, pinning him down so he couldn’t move.

“Thaanks. Thanks to you, I’ve gotten really good at dealing with magic, you know.”

There are two common stereotypes about wizards:

That they’re physically weak, and that they’re all-powerful.

Having watched Red Shadow for a long time, he knew why those clichés existed.

Whish!

A powerful punch sliced through the air, whistling in the wind.

Red Shadow bent backward to dodge, and one of the bullets drifting in the air resumed its trajectory and flew forward.

“Kuh!”

A stray bullet grazed Red Shadow’s arm.

Three things are required to cast magic:

Magical power, immense concentration to wield it,

And finally, stamina.

The more bullets one controls, the more focus and superior physical strength are needed.

Red Shadow possessed a body so strong it felt unfair to compare it to a regular person’s.

His reflexes and movements clearly belonged to someone trained.

But he was a wizard.

And his opponent was Black Pistols.

Black Pistols was a hero who surpassed even Raphael, with a monstrous physique.

To cast magic while facing someone like that—no matter how much of a genius wizard Red Shadow was—was no easy feat.

“I’ve warned you again and again, haven’t I? Don’t kill people.”

A punch brushed past Red Shadow. The next one struck his mask.

Unfortunately, the mask must’ve been specially reinforced, as it didn’t break.

Being someone who also walks around with a tin can on his head, he knew it hurt more when it didn’t break.

Half the bullets dropped to the ground with a clatter.

Tough bastard. Both his magical power and focus were insane.

Even government-employed wizards could only control twenty bullets at most, yet this guy was handling twice that while still going hand-to-hand.

Why does someone like that live like this?

“Urgh!”

Black Pistols’ fist slammed into his solar plexus.

A strange glint flickered in Red Shadow’s blue eyes beneath the white mask.

One of the bullets still hovering in the air drew an arc and grazed Black Pistols’ arm.

“You bastard.”

Red Shadow grinned when he saw the blood spatter.

His mask hid his mouth, but from his eyes alone, it was clear he was having a blast—and it pissed him off.

The remaining bullets in the air went bang! bang! bang! into the oxygen tanks inside the drug dealer’s bag.

Blue gas burst out all at once, and Black Pistols instinctively pulled back.

Unlike Red Shadow, who could keep the gas from reaching him by sheer will as a magician, Black Pistols, monstrous physique aside, was just an ordinary person.

‘Damn it!’

As Black Pistols retreated, Red Shadow’s figure collapsed into the shadows.

‘Where did he go?’

The thought barely formed before Red Shadow emerged atop a nearby building.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

He fired quickly, but Red Shadow’s magical movement outpaced the bullets.

As the blue gas began to spread, he gave up aiming for Red Shadow and jumped onto his motorcycle.

“Disgustingly beautiful.”

It was a hue of blue with a drop or two of night sky trailing from the sunset.

Something shimmered within it.

On a cloudy evening, from the skyscrapers looking down on Mist Island, the world looked just like that.

A gloomy sky and the unending lights below.

From a distance, it was blindingly beautiful, but in truth, it was proof of a city steeped in rot.

A gas so lovely it could steal your soul, yet toxic enough to strip a person of everything that makes them human—such is the way of the world.

Black Pistols revved his motorcycle and sped into the dark road.

***

Red Shadow changed clothes at his safe house.

He’d caught a mugger on the way but only broke his leg instead of killing him—he wasn’t in great condition and didn’t want to overdo it.

The wounds from Big Bear were healing steadily, but his solar plexus, struck by Black Pistols, was badly bruised.

‘If I find that guy’s sister, I’ll figure out where he lives.’

Too bad for Black Pistols, but he’d already discovered Raphael’s residence a month ago.

Just because someone’s a crime boss doesn’t mean their address is known.

Figuring out where major underworld figures live is harder than tracking down politicians.

Few even know what Big Bear or Raphael look like.

Even Anti-Venom’s identity is still shrouded in mystery.

Only those like Black Pistols, who’ve fought on the frontlines countless times, know what they look like. Most police officers have no clue who’s who at the top of these antisocial organizations.

Johan learning Raphael’s address had been a stroke of unexpected luck.