The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 33: The One Who Wants to Be a Hero vs. The One Who Wants to Save a Child (1)

Red arrived at the abandoned orphanage and opened the storage space of her handcuffs, taking out a pouch inside.

She pulled out a cookie from the pouch and took a bite.

It was a cookie made by the children.

A gentle smile appeared on Red’s lips.

Though the shape and taste were inferior to those made by professional bakers, to her, it was the best cookie.

After finishing one, she reopened the storage space, put the cookie pouch back inside, and stepped out of the car.

The building was much larger than the orphanage Red sponsored, and the yard was as wide as a school field.

But now, it was an abandoned building.

Red remembered its former grandeur.

She once believed that all of it was Isaac’s dedication to providing the best environment for the children.

But after learning the truth, she was filled with disgust.

She broke down the entrance door and walked steadily across the yard.

Someone was standing in the middle of the yard.

Recognizing the figure, Red frowned slightly.

In contrast, Isaac was grinning brightly.

Isaac raised a hand in greeting.

Red was appalled by his friendly demeanor.

"It's been a long time since you’ve been here, hasn't it? I’d love to give you a proper welcome, but as you can see, there’s not much here. There’s a quiet café a little further away—why don’t we go there and talk?"

"…."

Red glared at him fiercely.

Isaac scratched his cheek with a troubled expression.

Letting out a dry chuckle, he said,

"Don’t look at me like that. I already know why you’re here, and I completely understand how you feel. But if you knew my circumstances, you’d understand why I did this too."

"Understand? You expect me to understand after what you’ve done? Seriously?"

Isaac placed a hand on his hip and nodded.

His face was calm.

"If you hear me out, you’ll definitely understand."

Red sneered.

"There’s a lot I want to ask you, but I’ll save it for later. Let’s get straight to the point. Where is Lily?"

Isaac’s smile vanished.

As if truly irritated, he covered his forehead with one hand and let out a long sigh.

Then, his eyes widened as he stared at Red.

"I just want to clear up our misunderstanding quickly. Is that really so important?"

"That?"

"What do you even think that child is?"

Red’s brows knitted together.

Isaac continued in a frustrated tone.

"She’s a bug. Something that shouldn’t exist in this world. Do you know what will happen if we let a bug remain? The world will crumble. That’s why she’s better off disappearing. More importantly, right now—"

Isaac’s words were interrupted by a deafening roar.

The sound came from Red kicking off the ground.

She charged at him at an incredible speed, throwing a punch straight at his head.

Her fist was blocked by a suddenly appearing wall of ice.

"Haha, good thing I prepared in advance."

Just as Isaac’s lips curled up, large cracks formed in the ice wall, and with a loud crash, it shattered effortlessly.

Isaac’s eyes widened in shock, and just as he belatedly tried to move his hand—

His throat was seized by Red’s grip and lifted into the air.

“Ghk….”

When Red tightened her grip, Isaac’s eyes narrowed.

His arms flailed helplessly in the air, struggling as he choked.

His face turned increasingly blue from the lack of oxygen.

Yet, his lips still held a smile.

As Isaac's smirk deepened, his body gradually turned into an ice statue.

Just as his flailing hands reached out to freeze Red’s arm, she tightened her grip on his neck.

Crack!

His neck shattered, and his body and head dropped to the ground.

Red looked down at the broken Isaac with indifferent eyes.

She did not lower her guard.

What had crumbled before her was merely a clone.

It wasn’t over yet.

Swoooosh—!

Before she knew it, thick fog filled the yard, obstructing her vision.

Isaac’s voice echoed from within the mist.

Red quickly scanned her surroundings.

There was no silhouette, no presence—nothing.

Yet, she remained completely calm.

"Did you really think I’d just sit here waiting for you without making any preparations? I’m not an idiot, and I know your personality all too well."

Isaac’s voice was full of confidence.

He was absolutely certain of his victory and spoke leisurely.

"You’re strong, I admit that. Even if I go all out, I might still fall short. But you know what? Strength isn’t everything in this world. I know you well. You will never beat me. This is a fight I cannot lose."

Hiding within the mist, Isaac watched Red.

There was a hint of pity in his eyes.

After all, she was fighting an unwinnable battle.

Isaac knew Red’s skills and patterns inside out.

He understood how she attacked and the way she fought.

At first, he didn’t, but after memorizing her patterns, he had easily overwhelmed her in every event battle within the game.

"I just want to talk. So could you ease up on that terrifying killing intent?"

He sincerely pleaded, not wanting to hurt her.

But the aura radiating from Red only grew fiercer.

A refusal.

Isaac’s expression turned regretful.

"I really don’t want to hurt you. So…"

Isaac moved.

The mist he had cast was special.

It concealed not only his magic and presence but even the sound of his footsteps.

He casually walked behind Red, as if taking a stroll, and gently placed his palm on her back.

"Let’s clear up this misunderstanding through conversation."

Sensing Red about to move,

Isaac issued a warning to stop her from making any reckless actions.

"It would be best if you didn’t move. You know very well, don’t you? What makes up 70% of the human body. What do you think would happen if I used my power here?"

"…."

Red let out a small sigh.

"Fine. Go ahead and explain. What grand purpose did you have for doing all this?"

Isaac hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"To save the world."

Isaac began his explanation.

That this world was headed toward destruction, and he was moving to save it.

That everything had been going smoothly—until an anomaly appeared and disrupted his perfect plan.

"And just who exactly are you talking about?"

"You know him well. The Grim Reaper. That guy is the one who could bring this world to ruin."

"…."

"The Grim Reaper, who interferes with my ideal plan, must be eliminated."

"So that’s why you did all this? Just to defeat the Grim Reaper?"

"The Grim Reaper is strong. You, who have faced him directly, should know that better than anyone.

If everyone joined forces, we might be able to defeat him somehow, but there would be heavy casualties, and the balance of the city would naturally collapse.

You already know what would happen after that, don’t you?"

"…."

"We need to eliminate the Grim Reaper without disrupting the balance.

That’s what all of this preparation was for.

It’s all to protect the world, to protect our friends."

"Saving the world… That’s truly a noble ambition."

"Right?"

Isaac’s face lit up.

He seemed to think Red had sympathized with his cause.

But when she added her next words, his expression twisted into a frown.

"It’s absolutely ridiculous."

"What…?"

"Didn’t you hear me? Should I say it again?

Everything you just said is utter nonsense.

I thought you were trying to seize power or gain strength, but this? This is even more absurd."

"Are you serious? How can you say that?

How could you, of all people!!"

Isaac snapped, his voice filled with disbelief.

Red scoffed, as if she found his reaction pathetic.

"You really don’t get it, do you?"

"What don’t I get?"

"People should be honest with themselves.

Do you really believe that what you want is peace and love?"

Isaac was momentarily speechless.

It was a question that made no sense to him.

He had always believed that every action he took was for the sake of the world.

Even now, he thought the same.

Just as he was about to affirm his beliefs, Red spoke first.

"I didn’t realize it when we were close, but after we drifted apart, I started to see you more clearly.

The truth is, you don’t actually care about the world or your so-called friends."

Isaac was charismatic and sociable, easily getting along with others.

But Red had always sensed a faint unease in his demeanor.

At first, she dismissed it as mere paranoia.

But on the day they held the funeral for the children, that unease became crystal clear.

And now that she knew everything, she finally understood the source of that feeling.

"Tell me, did you ever truly see your comrades… or the people of this city… as real human beings?"

Back when Red and Isaac had worked together,

She remembered everything from those days.

Isaac gathered the people he needed, used those connections to his advantage, and discarded even his allies if they were useless or became a threat.

Every action he took was astonishingly efficient.

But he never cared about how his comrades fared in the process.

He was obsessed only with results.

Even though many felt uneasy about Isaac’s methods, they didn’t dwell on it too much.

After all, the world was ruthless, and compared to others, Isaac seemed relatively mild.

More importantly, his strategies always produced incredible results, regardless of the cost to his allies or the collateral damage.

‘That’s what it was. That’s what it had always been.’

Isaac had always treated people like pieces on a game board.

Even now, nothing had changed.

As Red spoke with him, she wanted to see what emotions he carried.

But she couldn’t sense a single shred of guilt in him.

His expression, his gaze, his tone—none of them contained even a hint of sorrow or regret.

He was simply frustrated that his plans had been disrupted.

"World peace? Protecting your comrades? Don’t make me laugh.

All you want is to win.

You just want to beat the game and claim your rewards."

Red tilted her head and flashed him a sweet smile.

"Stop pretending to be noble.

At this point, just be honest with yourself.

You’re nothing but trash.

Filthy garbage that can’t even be recycled."

She felt the palm on her back tremble.

His breathing turned rough.

She didn’t even need to see his face to know.

"And I’m the janitor who takes care of trash like you."

Negotiations had failed.

Silence filled the air.

The only sound was the ragged breathing of a man within the mist.

With a voice that trembled as if he were suppressing something,

"…Then, I have no choice.

You brought this on yourself.

It will hurt, but bear with it."

The plan to resolve things through conversation had failed.

That meant it was time to move on to the next step.

Restrain Red.

Rummage through her mind.

Then, erase everything and make it as if nothing had ever happened.

The outcome was already decided.

No matter how tough her body was—

As long as he activated his magic here…

Thud!

"Urk…?"

For a moment, his thoughts stopped.

Because he couldn’t understand what had just happened before his eyes.

His hand that had been placed on Red’s back—no, his entire arm—was twisted in a bizarre direction.

Just a second ago, Red had her back turned to him.

But now, she was facing him directly.

Just as the delayed pain crept in and he was about to scream, a sudden, overwhelming impact struck his abdomen three times in rapid succession.

"Ghkk!" Isaac staggered back several steps.

"Ugh…!"

His body lurched, and he vomited up whatever had been inside him.

As he gasped through the unbearable pain and managed to lift his head—

A fist crashed into his face.

A tooth flew into the air.

His body was launched backward and tumbled across the ground multiple times.

With each roll, he coughed and gasped involuntarily.

"Urgh…! Ghaaack…!"

Isaac, now completely beaten, twitched on the ground.

And then—

Familiar footsteps approached his ears.

"We don’t have time to waste. Let’s end this quickly."

Red rolled her shoulders and loosened her fists.

Isaac realized something had gone terribly wrong.