Villain of Plague

Fake Power

I walk past the red luggage to look at another one.

The staff anxiously stares at my every move.

...

I then move back to the red luggage and inspect it. "Not bad," I mumble.

Caressing the exterior, I made it seem like I have made up my mind.

The staff walks to me and finally whispers. "Sir, I can give you a discount of 40% on other luggage, this is for your good."

"Huh?" I pretend to be offended. "Are you insulting my taste?"

The staff clicks his tongue. "No sir... If you really want that, I can comply. Apologies for my rude behaviour."

He brings me to the counter where I pay for the product, 4000 yen for this is worth it. Besides, this is Ayaka's money.

The staff bowed to me with a grim expression. "Thank you for shopping here..."
It's pity.

...

Is something going to happen to me?

Maybe someone will attack us when I enter some blind spots. Either way, I'm ready.

The staff turns to his phone and texts a person named "Carlo":

"A man took the product, tall and slim, wearing a brown windbreaker and T-Shirt, cap, and jeans. Black hair, blue eyes.

The girl beside him wears a ragged white t-shirt moulded with dirt. She has long black messy hair and eyes." The message says.
-------------------------
Jean and I purposely enter an alley. After looking around, Jean acts as a lookout as I take a look at the contents.

*click*

I swing open the luggage and find 20 vials of a bright blue substance. Many fluctuations and streams of energy explode out of the case.

*sniff*

My nose stings when I smell it, without a doubt, it is extremely condensed power poison. I hit the jackpot!

Suddenly, I manage to detect someone sneaking past Jean. From the corner of my eyes, she is still keeping an attentive lookout. She can't miss any intruder. Even the sound of the entity approach is none, this is...a power. I rub my fingers together as sparks of green dust appear.

A gun's barrel was placed against my nape. "Don't move."

!!

Jean turns her head in shock to see the mysterious man behind me. Another person sweeps in and pulls out a knife to place it at Jean's throat.

Both are wearing large grey hoodies.

...

"Move away from the baggage." The man says.

I sigh.

?

!!!!

"Uck!!" Sudden pain strikes his chest, forcing him to drop the gun to grasp it.

"What happened?!" The second man behind Jean exclaims. He disappears and appears once more behind me, thrusting the knife at my throat. However, I grab his wrist instantly, pulling him to me for a headbutt to his nose.

"ARGH!"

Blood spews out of the attacker's nostril. With the hood off, I can finally make out their facials. Both might be foreigners from their crooked accents when speaking Japanese. 

Gazing upon them with my overwhelming presence, they tremble. 

"F-Fuck, you don't scare anyone kid!!" The man screams. He grips the knife tightly and charges at me, sweeping the blade horizontally across. I step back. 

He follows up with another side slash, I step back again to avoid it. It became a barrage of knife attacks as I slowly retreated.

Strange...I definitely felt these two using powers just now, I can still feel the mist of energy seeping out.

*Thud*

My back hits a wall and the man smirks. "Now you can't run." 

He attempts to push his knife into my chest till the lighting of sharp pains bombards his body.

?!!?!

"ARGHH!!!!!" He cries in pain. I simply grab the knife and pry it from his loose grip.

His friend on the floor stares in horror as his accomplice twitches and jerks uncontrollably, falling to the ground as his eyes roll back.

Did I overdo it? I don't think an Enlightened should be this frail.

Something is off.

I throw a glance at the other man still conscious. He panics but cannot do anything; his entire body is sore from my virus. 

...

"Hey, where did you get your powers from?" I ask, walking to him.

"EEK! Please, I know nothing! All I was told is to secure the briefcase and-"

"Why are you not answering my question?" I say, raising my brow.

"I...don't know."

Veins erect on my face, I snap my finger and the pain spikes once more, forcing the man to squeal in agony. 

"Just kill me!... I will die if I answer anything either way!" He shouts. 

"You-"

"Master, I think some people heard of the commotion." Jean interrupts. "Some people have avoided this location and one even seems to be calling the police."

I click my tongue. 

Without any choice, I force all my virus into both men's heads, directly attacking their heads.

"AARGHHHH!!!" 

Ah right, one of them is still conscious. 

The poor conscious man grasps his head as he wiggles around on the floor. A few minutes later, he went out cold from the intense pain.

With this, I kill all viruses in their corpse to avoid suspicion and quickly escape the alley with the luggage. 
-------------------------
We go back to Jean's apartment. Due to the poverty of the neighbourhood, security is very loose around these parts; there are no cameras or anything around.

"Jean, how many new Enlightened appear in the world monthly?" I ask.

"How...many? I'm not sure but it should be the same as the rate before your death." Jean replies.

If that's the truth, one in one hundred thousand people is enlightened every month around the world. Enlightens should be small in number, very small. Yet I managed to meet 2 weak ones at the same time? They do not even have the body of a hero. 

However, I'm sure of it. One of them used the power of stealth, which is the man who attacked me, and the other that targeted Jean used the power of speed. 

Was it an artificial...power? 

!!!!!

Wait, I've heard of one particular group that was researching artificial power 5 years ago.

"Did those bastards from that supervillain research group succeed?!" I mumble.

One vial of the power poison is enough to send an S-Rank into at least a coma. With so many vials constantly being smuggled... are the villains...starting another war with the heroes?