Being a Villain is My True Calling

“Are you familiar with the history of Tartarus, Rinring?”

-Its history?

Seventy years ago, before Tartarus existed, marked the transitional era for meta-humans.

‘Candidate #10! Though unaffiliated, I’m a meta-human willing to dedicate myself to this nation!’

‘How could this company treat me this way! Denying my promotion just because I’m a meta?!’

‘…I failed again? Yes, because I’m a meta, I assume?…’

It was a period when the first meta-humans sought to ascend to prominent societal roles.

‘Meta-humans, begone!!’
‘I refuse to entrust my life to those monsters!!’
‘You shall be tamed, beasts pretending to be human!!’

Which sparked widespread protests from non-powered individuals.
An era plagued by discrimination against metas, conflicts, and unceasing terrorism.

‘What did we ever do wrong?! Is being born such a crime?!’
‘It hurts…I’m scared. I don’t want any more experiments…no more experiments!’
‘Fuhahaha! Fuheeh!…Alright, you bastards! We’ll gladly become the vile monsters you perceive us as.’

Defiantly rebelling against such a world, villains became increasingly emboldened as well.
Though a countervailing hero establishment gradually emerged, their woefully insufficient numbers rendered them frequently overwhelmed compared to the villainous threats.

‘…You want us to apprehend them? Why?’
‘Forgive me, but from my perspective, they are no different from the society that spawned them. Equally repulsive.’

From the meta-human perspective, it was only natural to resent the same society that had reviled them as monsters, now demanding their aid when convenient.

A world consumed by chaos.

The terrorists, not yet termed “villains” at that point.

While heroes reported for duty not in sleek costumes, but standard police uniforms under the “Special Meta-Crimes Suppression Unit” division.

In that era, anti-meta sentiments reigned as the predominant public opinion.

Consequently, the existing prison system became increasingly obsolete.
As even the strongest facilities proved susceptible to any sufficiently powerful meta’s abilities.

‘Keep arresting us, idiots! We’ll just break out again~’
‘Hey officers, don’t strain yourselves too much. We’ll slip out eventually anyway.’

Criminals no longer feared incarceration.
Meta-convicts could simply force their way out, while non-powered inmates exploited those opportunities to also escape.

Criminals evaded proper punishment, and law and justice held no sway over such brazen offenders.

-Couldn’t they just impose capital punishment then?
“If execution was a solution, villains would not exist today.”

Indeed, some nations did initially pursue death sentences or extrajudicial killings.

‘Execute them immediately! What rights do criminals deserve?’
‘The nation has no need for such rabid beasts!’
‘Show them the consequences of defying this country!’

Providing an expedient means to swiftly neutralize dissent seemed the easiest recourse at the time.

‘…But how does one truly contain the aftermath?’

Yet the catastrophic devastation wrought by meta-human retaliation forced a change of perspective.

‘Entire cities lay in ruins, dammit…’

The authorities ultimately realized the formidable potential meta-human resources represented.
If rival nations properly trained and weaponized their own metas, the resulting threat could prove exponentially more perilous.

Upon that realization, capital punishments rapidly declined.
For to eradicate one’s own meta-human citizens was akin to dismembering oneself.

‘Then how do we address these rampaging metas?…’

Further executions proved untenable, yet subjugating metas through present measures seemed equally infeasible.
A specialized facility to properly contain and rehabilitate them became paramount.

-Leading to the creation of…
“Correct.”

Tartarus, the world’s first dedicated meta-human supermax and most infamous prison, was thus constructed.
To confine the unruly, while utilizing those who demonstrated reform.

-But why bring this up so suddenly?
“To properly elucidate sublevel 6’s unique characteristics, the contextual background proves necessary.”
-?

Allow me to elaborate further.

“What impressions did you derive from the preceding sublevels?”
-Me? Well…a profound sense of stability, I suppose. Quite unlike my initial expectations.
“Hmm.”
-For the so-called ‘worst prison’, one might anticipate the inmates being considerably more unruly. Yet that did not seem the case.
“True, the guards hardly exuded an aura of formidable abilities either.”
-Exactly!

Indeed, an overwhelming aura of stability.
Excessively so, to warrant being dubbed the “worst prison”.
Despite the beatings and coercive measures, the inmates remained remarkably docile, while the guards seemed almost apathetic.

‘Rinring may be exceptional, but our infiltration proceeded far smoother than I anticipated.’

The underlying reason, however, is rather straightforward upon closer examination.

“The inmates populating the upper levels are not particularly significant individuals.”
Sublevels 1 through 3 house mundane delinquents who hardly comprehend how they ended up here.
Levels 4 and 5 contain slightly more noteworthy offenders – serial killers or gang affiliates, at best.

In villain rankings, they would barely qualify as B- class dregs at most.

“The truly formidable criminals reside here.”

Wookt! Drrllik. Woodddrrukt!! Drrllik!

As mentioned earlier, sublevel 6 differs fundamentally from the preceding areas.

Krraak! Drrllik! Pkrraak!! Drriik!!

-…What is that noise?
“……”

To encapsulate sublevel 6 in a single phrase, well.

Fshoosh! Fwaaak!!!!
-…Chunks of meat..?
“Assessing the external situation, I presume? A rather uncivil reception.”

The principle of “the strong devouring the weak” would be most apt.

[Who are you?]
[Not a guard, are you?]
[A new plaything, perhaps?]

Thud…thud.

A mangled, pulpy mass that was once human, forcibly stuffed through a minuscule food slot.
Observing the etched markings, I chuckled dryly.

“Feel free to disengage the video feed if you find it disturbing, Rinring.”
-…What? Hold on, big bro!

Resting my hand upon the sturdy iron door, an unsettling sensation arose – as if my meta-abilities were being suppressed.

‘Definitely sublevel 6, then.’

The influence of a Vestige of Mystery.
Specifically, the power-dampening effect uniquely present within Tartarus.
Such measures were essential to properly contain the inmates here.

-Big bro, are you certain we should proceed? Those maniacs stuffed an actual person through that tiny slot!!
“We can hardly turn back now, can we?”

Repeatedly placing and withdrawing my hand from the door, I gauged the extent of the dampening field’s impact.

Hmm, so it seems to weaken meta-abilities akin to my own by amplifying the strain required to manifest them?
This degree of suppression did not appear overly prohibitive.

-But still!

Prior to entering, I had preemptively generated a firearm, ammunition, and a few grenades to safeguard against potential contingencies.

“Have no excessive concerns, Rinring.”

Surely I would not perish here?
With my preparations complete, I once more utilized my abilities to fashion a key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it 180 degrees.

Click.

-Brooooo!!!!

It opens quite readily.
Nonchalantly draping the baseball bat over my shoulder, I pushed the door open.

Thump! Kugugugugu…

In many ways, sublevel 6 represented Tartarus’ primordial origins.

Seventy years ago, when this facility was first constructed, certain concerns were raised.

Doubts regarding the ability to properly contain criminals here, or the potential risk of them combining forces to orchestrate a mass breakout.

In response, the inaugural warden, a former hero, proposed a simple stratagem:

‘Why not just let them slaughter each other?’

Even then, did the precursors to modern villains not exhibit predominantly individualistic tendencies?
While some arose in defiant retaliation against meta-human oppression, others undoubtedly engaged in terrorism for mere self-interest or amusement.

‘A simple misunderstanding will suffice. These wretches cannot coexist.’

Furthermore, the warden’s own meta-ability was hypnotic mind control, eminently suited to sowing discord and mistrust.

‘Even without misunderstandings, fear not. I shall manufacture them.’

The warden confined all inmates within a single confined space.
Villain classifications hardly mattered back then.

‘And if we introduce one jester into the mix? No, let’s make it three?’
‘……’
‘You see? Our task is already complete.’

Thus began the hellish spectacle that unfolded.
A pandemonium catalyzed by merely manipulating three individuals.

‘One in the highest echelon, another among the lowest dregs, and the final one as a lone troublemaker sowing strife between the two factions.’

Those three orchestrated the fracturing of the criminal collective into warring trifurcated groups, pitted viciously against each other.

Consequently, the guards’ roles devolved into passive observers, merely providing sustenance to their combatants.
Separate levels were established to segregate relatively minor offenders, while this sublevel 6 was designated for the most severe transgressors.

‘In this microcosm where infighting has become the societal norm, reconciliation or unified resistance is rendered inconceivable.’

And within such an insular domain, an external intruder would undoubtedly provoke hostilities.
Ensuring they would inherently perceive me as an adversary.

“Didn’t I instruct you all on how to treat our guests?”

“”We were told to extend the utmost courtesy!””
“Then how would stuffing meat wrappings through the slot put them at ease?!”

“”Our apologies, Boss!!””
“Speak up, damn it! Louder!!!!”

“”We’re soooo soooorryyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!””
“……”

…Pardon?
I had fully anticipated outright hostility, had I not?