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“Kyah!”

Thud, she flopped down after receiving her first slap.

Immediately, she looked up at me with wide, trembling eyes in disbelief.

“It’s just a slap, and she’s making such a fuss.”

I’ve only seen people collapse after a slap in dramas.

How sheltered must one be to react like that?

When I was young, I got spanked mercilessly by my parents.

It seems that living a life too precious isn’t always a good thing.

Seeing her unable to respond at all to being slapped like that…

The reason why our Saint, despite being a commoner, can receive treatment from those highborn nobles is probably because they can’t throw spit at a pretty person’s smiling face.

But me? I could spit even at a smiling face. Not only that, I could slap too.

No, if someone I dislike smiles at me, I’d be even more inclined to hit them.

“You! You! What did you do to our Saint?!”

“You cruel monster! How could you hit a woman!”

“Apologize to the Saint!!”

The students who were lining up immediately protested.

Our saint?

Wow, it seems like a fan club formed while I wasn’t looking.

I gave off a menacing aura to the protesting students, hinting I’d kill them if they kept it up, and they quickly shrank back into silence.

“Hey, Luna, did you see? This is the sad creature called a man.”

What a pitiful being.

They can’t even look in the mirror and instead mistake kindness for pity.

So I should’ve built walls from the start to prevent them from having weird thoughts.

Unfortunately, those idiots are already caught in the Saint’s web.

If she weren’t a Saint, but rather a succubus, by now, they’d all be turned to mummies.

“Don’t go around being nice to others.”

“You should tell that to Yui, not me.”

Well, Luna will manage just fine.

She has great learning potential and picks things up quickly after seeing them once.

“Hey, you crazy idiot! How can you hit someone who’s completely powerless?!”

Next in line to explode was the toilet, who had regained consciousness after receiving treatment.

But as expected of a Saint, her healing skills are impressive; in that brief moment, all her bruises vanished, and any lingering scars disappeared as if they had never existed.

This jerk thinks he can make the sub heroine the main heroine based just on looks.

But whatever, that’s the toilet’s freedom.

After all, she’s not my heroine, right? So I can hit whoever’s heroine without a second thought.

“If you don’t have strength, you shouldn’t hit people?”

When I said this as if I genuinely couldn’t understand, the toilet opened their mouth in confusion and couldn’t say a word.

No, isn’t it weirder to act tough when you’re weak?

Let’s take the classic example of a loser from my past life.

Imagine three punks huddled up in an alley smoking cigarettes, and a powerless loser wanders in, saying, “Students shouldn’t smoke!”

Do you think those punks would apologize saying, “You’re right, buddy! Sorry about that!” and quit smoking?

More likely, that loser would get a brutal beating for not looking the other way.

Just because he’s weak doesn’t mean they’ll take it easy on him.

It won’t be a one-on-one fight but three guys mercilessly stomping on him.

Sure, having a sense of justice is good and all.

But if it goes too far, it’s just meddling, nothing more.

“So you’re saying you can’t even kill a weak demon?”

Once a human becomes a demon, they can’t return.

I mean, they chose to become a demon with betrayal in mind; why would they willingly turn back?

That’s why it’s normal to kill demons ruthlessly. If we follow the toilet’s logic, we should spare all weak demons.

“That’s different!”

To me, it seems the same.

“And this jerk keeps talking back every time I say something irritating.”

“Ugh! Aah!”

So I hit him again.

If the bruises disappear, I can just make new ones, right?

“Wait a minute…! That person hasn’t done anything wrong!”

Suddenly, the Saint, who had been dazed until now, jumped up and blocked my way.

Sticking together like peas in a pod, causing quite the uproar.

These brainless cheerleaders have existed since my past life. Absolutely disgusting.

They should all be executed on the guillotine.

“Luke, it feels like we’ve become the villains?”

“Yep~ I can be the villain~”

Hero? Legend? No thanks.

That troublesome and uncomfortable role, I politely decline.

Being a villain is much better.

I’d rather be a villain who lives freely, killing what I want and doing what I please, than a hero who can’t even kill a villain due to being overly concerned about others.

If they were the protagonist, wouldn’t they be too afraid to kill anyone for fear of what other heroines might think?

All those losses pile up and create idiots like them.

Alright. Since I’ve become a villain, let’s corrupt someone.

“Hey, Angela. Come here.”

Angela.

Her real name, the one called a Saint.

“How do you know my name…?”

“That’s not important. I have a few questions for you starting now.”

“Questions out of nowhere…?”

Yep. Depending on your answers, something very interesting will happen.

*

Angela, the Saint, doesn’t think she’s always only seen good things in her cradle.

Like Arthur, she also has a commoner background and has seen the darker sides of humanity too.

If there’s one thing that sets her apart from others, it’s her unwavering belief.

That everyone commits wrongs; everyone makes mistakes.

From small lies to moments when one lashes out at others, and times when unavoidable circumstances lead to taking lives.

Everyone carries guilt and can reflect and repent for their wrongdoings.

Throughout her life, those she showed kindness and goodwill towards never expressed hostility in return.

Whenever she displayed kindness and goodwill, the other party reciprocated in kind.

That’s why she couldn’t understand the man before her.

He was different from the start.

He burst onto the scene, spewing curses, and immediately resorted to violence on her.

She had never experienced such treatment while doing good deeds.

Naturally, she never expected to be met with violence in return for her kindness.

At that moment, as she spaced out briefly, he continued to assault Arthur without hesitation.

‘W-Why…?’

How can one be so cruel without batting an eye?

Isn’t he witnessing Arthur’s anguished cries of pain?

Doesn’t it hurt his heart? Is he some sort of monster devoid of empathy?

Honestly, while responding to violence with violence is wrong, how many times must one be hit for Arthur not even to consider fighting back and continue taking hits?

“Hey, Angela. Come here.”

Leaving the collapsed Arthur behind, he called for her.

“How do you know my name…?”

She definitely has no memory of revealing her name; how does he know?

Have they met before?

No, there’s no way. If she had known someone with those unique traits of black hair and red eyes, she would never forget them.

“That’s not important. Now, let’s get to the first question. In front of you is a hurt demon begging for its life, saying it’ll live kindly in the future. What will you do?”

A demon who took a wrong turn might have the chance to repent if it’s aware of its missteps.

As long as it hasn’t been demonized, it’s just like any other person.

“Well… I’d probably give him a chance.”

“No way, no way!”

-CRACK!

He suddenly stomped on Arthur’s arm, breaking it right then and there.

“AAHHHH!!”

“W-What are you doing?!”

A shocked Angela hurriedly healed Arthur’s arm.

Luckily, the gift bestowed by the heavens, her ability to heal was remarkable, gradually restoring Arthur’s arm to its original state.

Immediately after, she glared at him, questioning his actions, but he responded with a nonchalant expression.

“Isn’t it sad? The demon you saved is killing a person like this?”

“Was it just for that…?”

“Come on, ‘just’ isn’t the word here. You’re that kind of person because you don’t see it firsthand.”

What in the world does she have to feel guilty about?

As she tried to comprehend, he wasted no time in posing the next question.

“Now, the second question. Your party is in battle against demons, and your front line receives a severe injury. What will you do?”

Isn’t the answer obvious?

“Of course, I would rush to heal them!”

“MUDA MUDA MUDA!!!”

-CRACK! CRACK!

“AAAHHH!! AAHHHHHH!!!”

This time it was his arms.

The spots she had just healed became mangled again, twisting in ways they were never meant to.

With that, Arthur cried out in pain.

For someone who prides herself on having empathy, simply witnessing this was torturous for Angela.

“Hey, Angela! Don’t you feel sorry for this jerk?! Do you have any idea how many people have died because of him?!”

“W-What are you saying…?”

“There’s no dumber act than a healer charging into the front lines! Do you think you’re some kind of Tsunade? Can you even use the Byakugo?”

He rambled away with no coherence. Angela thought to herself.

Ah…

This person, there’s definitely something off about him.

He’s someone with whom normal conversation is impossible.

“Next, the third question. The demons invaded the Empire. You’re alone, cornered in a building by demons. What will you do?”

What could she possibly do when cornered by demons? Especially when those demons are insanely powerful.

With no strength at all, the only thing she could do was pray.

“I would pray…”

“Pathetic!! Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic!!”

-SLAP!

“Kyah!”

This time, she was the one who got hit, not Arthur.

No, at least that’s what she thought.

Unless it were for the sound that followed.

-CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

“AAHHHHHHH!!!!”

This time, both her arms and legs were gone, unrecognizable.

Arthur faded away, incapable of protesting anymore, as his consciousness dulled under the enduring pain.

“How will you handle this? Had you not foolishly prayed to some nonexistent god, maybe this wouldn’t be happening! As a saint, you just sit there and watch, void of any reaction?!”

“A… Aah…”

Tears flowed from Angela’s eyes.

Why is this happening…?

She had come to heal those who were hurt and suffering, just trying to make things right.

Why…?

“Alright, let’s move on to the fourth question.”

As his voice continued, Angela looked up at him with trembling eyes.

What she saw then was nothing short of shocking.

‘Why… why are you doing this? Assaulting a person like this…’

Is he… smiling…?

The sight of him, completely unaware of how he appeared, made Angela shudder.

*

Angela was at the point where she had thrown in the towel and couldn’t respond to my questions at all when Luna, who had been watching silently, finally asked from behind my shoulder.

“Is it okay to do that to a student…?”

“Breaking a toilet’s arms and legs is no big deal.”

After all, he’s the protagonist, right?

With protagonist buffs and chosen by you, they should endure.

“And Luna, there’s a saying in the place I came from.”

If there are no witnesses, it’s assassination.

This is akin to a resolution to kill everyone who saw it and make it look like an assassination.

What I’m doing now is similar.

“As long as I silence any witnesses, nothing will happen.”

“Is it that easy…?”

“Of course. Anyone who tells would end up dead.”

Luna, I’ve mentioned it numerous times.

People prioritize their lives above all else.

No matter how much of a bystander one is, if their chances of dying exist even a little, they’ll freeze in fear.

The thought of killing everyone made Angela shiver fiercely and break from her stupor.

Even in her daze, she carried out her duty, elegantly healing Arthur.

As if to leave, she turned her body, saying just barely audible, “I hope we never meet again…”

“Same here.”

I don’t intend to get tangled up with a pile of sweet potatoes.

But there’s something you seem to have forgotten.

We’re set to meet in four days at the competition, you know?

Look forward to it.

“Hehehe.”

I chuckled as I watched Angela walk away.

 

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