The Villain's Sister - Chapter 49

“Don’t come any closer.”

“I have something I need to find out. Step aside.”

“You seem unusually sensitive today. Stand back.”

“Do you think those bastards are worth protecting?”

“Then who is worth protecting? A completely innocent victim? At least in this city, there’s no such thing. In a world where twelve-year-olds end up as drug mules in back alleys, trying to classify people is meaningless.”

“You’re the one talking too much. I promise. I won’t kill him. So move.”

Red Shadow lowered his body and showed a small ampoule bottle to the distributor.

A liquid with form rolled around inside the glass bottle. Judging by its properties, it looked like mercury, but its color glowed faintly gold.

“I found this in Two Star’s drug development lab. Looks like a new drug, what kind of effect does it have?”

“You raided them again?”

“They disguised a drug development lab as a psychological counseling center inside the Oglewarners Building.”

“Wow, those bastards. They really do all sorts of shit.”

Red Shadow shook the golden substance in front of the distributor’s eyes.

The distributor’s eyes trembled slightly, then he spotted Black Pistols.

“You know this guy has a nasty temper. Just talk nicely, spill it all, and go to prison with your limbs intact.”

“…It’s a drug Sunshine made before he went to prison. When injected, it puts the person into a coma… As far as I know, there are only three vials of it!”

“Three vials?”

“Yes! Sunshine was trying to enchant a failed batch of drugs and accidentally created it. One vial was used to make an antidote, another was… Big Bear took it…”

“Then this must be the one Big Bear left in the lab to replicate.”

“Y-yes! A-and the antidote… I heard Sunshine took it!”

Having grasped the situation, Red Shadow tucked the golden substance into his chest.

“Tell me about the wizard who cooperated with Sunshine.”

“W-wizard? What… I don’t know! Really! Please believe me!”

When Red Shadow flicked his finger, the bullet Black Pistols had fired earlier floated in midair.

The bullet whooshed back and forth rapidly, threatening to pierce the distributor’s heart at any moment.

“Don’t kill him! If you do, you’re dead too.”

“I really don’t know! I only know this much because I helped with odd jobs while Sunshine was busy! He always moved alone, I swear I don’t know anything else! Please spare me!”

As the distributor clung with tears and snot, the bullet grazed his ear and embedded into the wall behind.

Startled, the distributor passed out with a gasp.

Black Pistols, who had been listening, let out a deep sigh. “You know how hard it is to move a passed-out guy… Forget it. Not worth talking.”

“If you want help, say so. It’ll be tough to handle Sunshine and Big Bear alone.”

Unusually, Black Pistols didn’t reject the offer right away.

Given the situation, he briefly considered joining forces with Red Shadow.

But the way the other side phrased it stirred his temper.

“Shut up. You’re nothing without your magic, but I’m exceptional, so I can handle everything myself.”

“I didn’t know magic was all I could do. I believed I had talent in many areas.”

If speaking so long-windedly and elegantly was a kind of talent, then yes, he was talented.

After tossing a light non-joke, Red Shadow spoke to Black Pistols in a serious tone, “Raphael has weapons, and Big Bear has a lot of subordinates. No matter how outstanding you are, you’re just a normal person. You’ll need cooperation.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll take care of them my own way. I also don’t want Big Bear to expand her influence.”

Black Pistols scanned Red Shadow.

Though he didn’t like him, he couldn’t deny his skill.

While Black Pistols gathered intel through his police work and used it for hero activities, Red Shadow stirred up the city with his own power alone.

Teaming up with someone like that would certainly make things easier.

“Even though there are many hidden espers in this city, the underground world’s top dogs are just ordinary guys. Big Bear is an exception. But the important part is that they didn’t rise to the top because they were strong.”

Red Shadow lightly smiled beneath his mask.

How very Black Pistols-like of a response.

“They became top criminals because they had exceptional skill at committing crimes. So I’ll try handling it alone, too.”

“Fine. If that’s the case.”

“Hey. But I’ve felt this for a while now, haven’t I seen you somewhere before?”

At that, Red Shadow let out a hollow laugh.

They’d known each other for years—what nonsense was this?

“I meant, I think I saw you during the day.”

“During the day?”

“Why do you sound like that? Like someone who’s never stepped outside when the sun’s up.”

Red Shadow completely ignored the remark.

He had no desire to know Black Pistols’ identity, and even if they had met during the day, pretending not to know was the right call.

There were reasons both sides covered their faces.

There was not even the slightest intention of forming a personal bond.

Though camaraderie or a sense of connection may have formed after spending so much time in the same muck, they’d never shared anything like friendship.

They were not friends, not comrades, not anything.

So daytime identities didn’t matter.

If there was a sense of incongruity, it had to be swallowed, buried, and forgotten.

“I don’t care who you are or what job you have. What matters is what you can do while wearing that helmet.”

“Yeah. You’re right. That’s why I won’t join hands with that Raphael bastard, or with you. I’d rather work with the police if I have to.”

“Impressive sense of justice. Since you’ll probably keep pursuing Sunshine, I’ll say this—Raphael and his sister moved because of Big Bear. With his sister safe, Two Star and Death Adder will clash soon.”

“Do you know their location?”

“I don’t.”

When Red Shadow tried to end the conversation and leave, Black Pistols hesitated and called out to him.

“Hey. Not many people know this, so listen up.”

The smoke from the spatial magic he’d used to teleport dissipated in the air.

“Ha, Raphael is…”

Black Pistols scratched his helmet as he revealed the secret.

“Anti-Venom is Raphael. That bastard lied to the world. Used his wits to invent a fake identity and put it out there.”

“Is that true?”

“Why would I lie about that? I’m only telling you because I feel sorry for you—hey, you jerk! I was still talking!”

Smoke covered the spot where Red Shadow had stood, and the figure in a suit disappeared.

That guy… he looked seriously pissed off.

Black Pistols, unable to guess what Red Shadow was thinking, fired a signal flare to summon the police.

He figured it was time to wrap things up and go home to sleep.

“Ugh. This is so damn exhausting.”

Ever since he’d gotten into the habit of sleeping early, working nights felt especially draining.

***

Bzzz bzzz bzzz! Bzz! Bzzz bzzz bzzz!

Tristan shoved his face under the pillow and reached out to turn off the alarm.

Just five more minutes.

Please, just five more minutes…

He’d returned around five a.m., so he hadn’t even gotten three hours of sleep.

Right after turning off the alarm, his phone rang.

Aaaaargh!

He screamed and sat up to answer.

As soon as he picked up, a voice spoke urgently from the other end.

— Hello, this is Langfester Hospital. Are you Linda Lindbergh’s son?

His sleep vanished like cold water dumped on his head.

“I’m coming right now.”

Tristan hung up, hastily got dressed, and drove to the hospital.

When he arrived, driving like mad, he found his mother lying there as if dead.

Her chest rose and fell weakly.

She was thinner than last week. Even the faint vitality she’d had had drained from her skin.

“Tristan?”

Her voice was faint, like a candle about to be snuffed out.

Tristan swallowed the lump rising in his throat.

“I’m here.”

“You’ve been busy? Your face looks so worn.”

“Work’s always busy. How about you, Mom…”

What could he possibly say to a mother on the brink of death?

He sniffled softly, overcome by helplessness.

“You’re not bored?”

His voice trembled like an idiot’s, so he forced strength into it.

Linda rubbed the back of her son’s hand and said, “Not bored at all. I’ve been busy knitting a scarf lately.”

“Then I’ll wear the red scarf properly. So please, get well and finish it.”

“Yes. I should. How are things with Giselle?”

“We’re doing well.”

“She’s a good girl. She visited often when you weren’t around. Talking about you always made me happy.”

“You weren’t talking behind my back?”

“It’s always most fun to talk behind someone’s back.”

Tristan smiled faintly, eyes reddened.

He watched as his mother exhaled a tired breath.

The sight made it hard to breathe.

“There’s something I want to say to Giselle. Can you get in touch with her?”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Reality—that time was running out—pressed in tangibly. He wanted to sob like a child.

***

— Giselle Rodriguez? There’s no one here by that name.

When Tristan called the number Giselle had given him, a man answered instead of Maria or Giselle.