Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain-Chapter 100: Nihilus

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Chapter 100: Nihilus

Onyx Blade investigated the case further to check if any children had truly gone missing. The results showed that, on the same day, the number of missing children in the city didn’t match the supposed number of children killed in the incident.

She went to the battle site and used her visor to search for traces of human remains, hair, skin, anything. But instead, she found a large number of burnt mice.

Then... it dawned on her. Maximilian had used mice to bluff Ms. Photon Fury and restrain her.

As for the reason? He might have simply grown tired of Photon Fury’s arrogance and wanted to teach her a lesson.

As a result, Photon Fury turned over a new leaf and now takes her training seriously.

And now, with this most recent incident, Onyx Blade was certain, Maximilian wasn’t a villain.

He’s a hero who doesn’t care about protocol or methods.

He just wants to do what’s right.

Onyx Blade entered her personal locker room within the IHB. She removed her mask and helmet, and her red hair slowly shifted back to black.

This was her EF ability, it allowed her to change her hair color to red. Nothing more. It was a common EF found among the general populace in this new era.

She became a hero purely through her wits and skills. She was the one who had arrested many high-profile villains and sent them to Purgatory. That’s why she ranked in the top twenty.

Her face was the striking beauty of a mixed Asian and Caucasian heritage.

If Maximilian or Rebecca were here, they would recognize her as the food critic who harshly reviewed their butter cake at the café.

Kiyomi Kingsley, the heiress of the Kingsley Group of Triune City-State. She’s the Onyx Blade true identity.

{I need to do something. I need to find Maximilian... I wonder if his brother knows where he is.} Kiyomi thought to herself.

The first problem she had to face was locating Maximilian. Then came the second problem...

How could she break it to him that he was being thrown under the bus by the UEC, without making things worse? Would he take it as a challenge? Or would he see her as an enemy?

With these thoughts in mind, she decided to tackle the first problem first. She hoped that by the time she solved it, she’d come up with a solution for the second.

— An Hour Later – Strauss’ Office —

An hour after Kiyomi exited the office, Strauss sat watching the news on the TV screens in front of him.

Theodore was still lounging on the couch, sipping his third coffee of the day. Since last night, he hadn’t had much time to sleep. The caffeine was barely keeping him awake; it was starting to lose its effect.

Strauss continued cycling through four different news channels displayed on separate screens, checking to see whether each outlet followed orders to frame Maximilian as the villain.

"Mr. Strauss, I get that you don’t want to make more trouble for that black-armored vigilante than necessary; he did help us, after all, but..." Theodore gestured toward the TV screens.

"Isn’t omitting his name a little strange? I don’t mean his real name... I mean his villain alias."

"Hmm... You’re right," Strauss replied with a nod after listening.

"What should we name him then? It should be convincing enough that people can understand his power just from hearing it," Strauss asked.

"His power is controlling darkness, right? How about Master of Darkness? Or maybe Dark Master?" Theodore suggested.

"Master of Darkness is too long, and it sounds more like a title. As for Dark Master, there was already a villain with that name. He’s been sent to Purgatory. So, no," Strauss dismissed the ideas.

"What about Dark Spear Lord, then?" Theodore offered another suggestion.

"According to the report, his power isn’t limited to just creating dark spears. Besides, his CQC is top-notch, and he even gained the upper hand against Onyx Blade, a hero who relies entirely on her combat skill." Strauss rejected again and then continued.

"From the testimony of the three heroes, we gathered that his darkness, power, and ominous presence he gave off when fighting was overwhelming. They said it felt like facing absolute destruction... a force of nature. His name should reflect those traits," Strauss said thoughtfully, pausing to think.

"What do you think about the name Nihilus?" he asked.

"Sounds like you’re trying to create a symbol of fear rather than a simple supervillain," Theodore replied with a frown.

The name Nihilus is derived from the Latin word nihil, meaning "nothing" or "void." It’s closely associated with concepts of nonexistence, emptiness, and oblivion.

It sounded menacing. The name captured the essence of someone who represented the void; his shadow control, domineering presence, and CQC ability could all be inferred from it.

"That’s the idea," Strauss said flatly.

"Is there a reason why you want to do this?" Theodore asked.

As a military leader and the acting governor of Arkadia City-State, he needed to know.

"Fear will make people wary of him. They’ll see him as a threat that needs to be eliminated. And an external threat brings internal unity. Besides, he’s already had run-ins with villains.

This will also make the villains wary of him. Better yet, some of them might choose to align with us or at least stop causing trouble."

"Why?" Theodore pressed further.

"Because of the war with the mutants. And you know it," Strauss said, pausing. "If we don’t unite, we’ll be reduced to livestock for them to harvest."

Strauss’s expression turned grim as he continued.

"Last time, we only won because Atlas helped us. He killed the mutant Khan, but he was injured in the process. Rumor has it he still hasn’t recovered from that wound.

Now, we know the mutants have a new Khan. And they’re negotiating, gathering their forces from every mutant tribe across the globe.

They outnumber us two to one. They’re stronger, and they can choose their EF at will.

We don’t have much of a chance... unless we unite and fight."

Theodore listened in silence.

"What are you going to do if he becomes Atlas’s counterpart? Someone whose name alone makes people tremble..."

"Then let him be Atlas’s counterpart," said Strauss.

"What the h—" Theodore was about to throw a fit, but Strauss raised a hand to stop him.

"Please, listen until the end, Mr. Monroe." He paused, then continued.

"We have his brother, who appears to be a blank, but is highly skilled in martial arts. From what we’ve observed, his brother just wants a peaceful, quiet life. He opened a café and doesn’t seem to be involved in anything else.

He won’t do anything too drastic, because it would affect his brother too.

Also, his brother is now living in a Blood Mongoose safe house, one that he seems to have received from Blood Mongoose himself. Despite hating complicated matters, he even joined the expedition to search for Blood Mongoose’s daughter.

This indicates that the relationship between the two brothers is harmonious, or at least without major conflict. That’s why Max Sterling Graham seems inclined to do Maximilian Sterling Graham a favor," Strauss explained.

"So, you’re gambling on their good relationship? That’s not a very foolproof plan," Theodore scoffed.

"No, Mr. Monroe, I’m not gambling on their relationship," Strauss said, pausing.

"I’m gambling on the fact that Maximilian Sterling Graham is human. And judging by his quote about society’s fear... he seems to know more about the darker side of things than he lets on, and is willing to act to correct it, no matter the cost," Strauss concluded.

"You almost sound like you revere him," said Theodore.

"I have my reasons, Mr. Monroe," Strauss replied curtly, without offering any further explanation.

— Evening – Maximilian’s Café —

In the evening, Maximilian stood behind the counter, watching the news, while Rebecca rested at the table near him, also watching the broadcast alongside the man she admired.

Maximilian now understood why criminals so often revisit the scene of their crimes.

Today, the news about his deeds from last night is all over the place.

He didn’t know about others, but for him, the feeling that his actions had caused this much disturbance, and provoked all kinds of reactions and fear among the general public, was somehow... refreshing.

It was hard to describe. Admiration? Not exactly. He knew himself well enough to say that if his actions had come at the cost of innocent lives, he would be feeling like shit right now, questioning his own existence.

That’s just who he was.

But under the circumstances, with no casualties, he felt... amused.

Yes. That’s right. This feeling... maybe this is what those nuisance streamers feel.

It was quite disturbing.

Maybe the personalities of all the villains whose experiences he had absorbed really were affecting him after all.

At that moment, the news on the screen changed, switching to the urgent news segment.

"Hello, citizens. We have urgent news from IHB-Arkadia City. Mr. Heinrich Strauss, the current director of IHB Arkadia City, is holding a press conference,"

The news anchor reported, before the screen transitioned to the press conference room.

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