Chapter: 24
After hearing my plan, Ayle tilted her head in confusion and asked,
“… You mean we’re going to stomp around their territory? What exactly does that mean?”
“Remember what Vira said earlier? That guy is a speed freak.”
“Yeah. That’s true…?”
“So, Ayle, you’re going to become a speed freak too.”
“…Huh?”
Seeing Ayle cock her head as if she hadn’t heard me properly, I couldn’t help but smile. She was still inexperienced in dealing with lunatics, but having lived among crazies every day, I could easily understand the situation.
A madman must be subdued by another madman.
And it’s rare to find someone who enjoys speed genuinely pursuing just speed alone. All these speed freaks are people who derive a twisted sense of superiority from being faster than others. This world probably isn’t that different.
“You’re going to become a speed freak even faster than that villain.”
That’s it.
A defeated speed freak loses their madness.
And a madman who loses their madness has no reason to live.
Thus, one villain that had never been caught would vanish just like that.
However, Ayle still worried until the very end. She contemplated what would happen if Mospped didn’t repent and continued his villainous antics even after losing.
“…But what if I win and he still acts like a villain?”
“What if he keeps being a villain even after losing?”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, that scenario wasn’t something to worry about.
Because…
“At that moment, I’ll make him regret not giving up his villainy.”
“O-Okay.”
There was no need to show any consideration for a discourteous villain.
*
After planning Ayle’s speed freak operation, the first thing I did was gather information about that villain.
I needed to find out where he usually operated, when he appeared, and what type of vehicle he drove—everything about him.
Fortunately, he was a villain, and information about villains was available through the Hero Association. Searching for Mospped’s name on the credible association wiki revealed quite a bit of information already.
[Mospped]
A villain who first appeared in City M on XXXX-XX-XX…
He escaped pursuit with his exceptional driving skills…
The vehicle primarily used in his villainous activities is a red Rocket Spider 091…
The wiki provided everything from the date Mospped began his villainous acts to his usual locations, the vehicle he used, psychological profiling analyzed by the Hero Association’s analysts, and even a real-time tracking service created with citizen reports.
At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t been caught yet. I almost started doubting if this villain was just a corporate chairman indulging in villainy as a hobby. But surely, cases like our Evil Organization couldn’t be that common… at least, I wanted to believe it wasn’t.
“If that were the case, Vira would have known.”
Despite her appearance, Vira was an elite who had once worked as a bodyguard for a chaebol family and had earned the full trust of Regalia. She likely knew secret information that the general public was unaware of, and she probably had some insights about eccentric conglomerates like Regalia.
What if Mospped was actually a wealthy individual hiding his identity? If that were true, instead of encouraging me to go after him, Vira would have tried to stop me at all costs.
Yet, she didn’t even utter a word of caution.
“Which villain drives a supercar that I can’t even afford…”
I searched for the vehicle Mospped drove. Its market price was around $200,000. It wasn’t an outrageous amount, but it was still a hefty sum for an ordinary person.
The fact that this villain could drive something like that without batting an eye meant he wasn’t just an ordinary middle-class individual. While he might not be a billionaire, he was at least rich enough to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a vehicle casually.
What in the world had led to so many members of the upper class being dissatisfied with society…? It was absurd, but I pushed that thought aside for now.
“12,500 horsepower? Can anyone even handle that?”
Rocket Spider 091.
A monstrous machine boasting 12,500 horsepower.
A supercar made for heroes with exceptional physical abilities.
From what I gathered, it was said that if you just attached wings, it could probably fly. Naturally, no official vehicle could ever hope to catch something like this.
“So, we’re going to base our training on flying as well.”
“Huh—?”
Ayle, who had been dozing off while listening to my lecture on a villain she didn’t care about and cars she cared about even less, wiped the drool from her mouth and rubbed it on the hem of her skirt.
Of course, since she had been completely oblivious to the previous conversation, she stared at me blankly and asked,
“Flying? Who’s flying?”
“You.”
“…Me?”
“What do you mean, ‘now’? You used to fly just fine when you were a Magical Girl, right?”
“Well, that’s true…”
Ayle seemed to think that flying through magical powers and riding something that flies were two different concepts. She wore a rather reluctant expression.
I decided it was time to correct her misconceptions.
“Think about it, Ayle. What happens when a Magical Girl grows up?”
“She retires… and becomes an ordinary person, right?”
“No. When a Magical Girl grows up, she becomes a witch.”
“???”
“And traditionally, witches ride broomsticks.”
Thus, it was decided that Ayle would ride a broomstick.
Not a wooden one, of course, but one made of metal with two wheels and a handlebar, but still.
“Here you go, this is your broomstick.”
“…It’s clearly a motorcycle.”
“No. Seriously, where on earth do you find a flying bike? This is a broomstick, I tell you!”
“T-There’s no such thing as a flying broomstick…”
“Here it is!”
As Ayle glared at me as if I were spouting nonsense, the hovercraft that could fly was completed.
Or rather, the Witchcraft.
In reality, making it wasn’t that hard. It was just a matter of buying a motorcycle from the market and modifying it.
“The rest is easy; just take apart that bike and add boosters and flight capabilities…”
Looking at her two-wheeled “broomstick,” Ayle asked cautiously,
“Uh… Scientist?”
“What’s up?”
“Usually, things like this are controlled by AI for perfect driving and stuff. Is this one…?”
Seeing Ayle trying to play the lucky card with her idea of AI taking care of everything, I shook my head vigorously. Sadly for her, this bike didn’t have an AI.
“Ayle. If you were going to entrust everything to an AI, what’s the point of seeking revenge?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“People need to think about achieving things through their own efforts. You can’t start cutting corners already.”
“…Y-Yeah. My bad.”
Seeing Ayle deflate like a punctured balloon, I gave her a reassuring pat on the back.
“You can win even without that AI, Ayle! Cheer up! You’re an evil Magical Girl, after all!”
“But… I don’t even have a license…”
“What does not having a license matter?”
“…Huh?”
“We’re villains, Ayle. Have you ever seen a villain obey the law?”
Ignoring Ayle’s disbelieving look, I began her training. Not having a license wasn’t a problem, but she needed to learn the basics of motorcycle riding.
She needed to know what the accelerator was, what the brakes were. The only problem was that I didn’t have a license either, so I couldn’t give her driving lessons, but fortunately, Vira was there to help with that.
“─Alright, Ayle! Don’t be scared! You won’t fall!”
“I think I’m going to fall…!”
“With the core muscles of a Magical Girl, you can balance a bike at a 90-degree angle! Stop with the dramatics and stand up!”
Vira taught Ayle how to move forward, how to stop, how to corner, and everything else—really, all the essential motorcycle riding skills.
In just a few hours, Ayle became skilled enough to boast about having ridden a bike somewhere. Now, all that was left was revenge.
“Ayle, next Friday. It’s going to rain.”
“…Perfect.”
The showdown was set for a week later.
On a rainy day, just like the day she first met Mospped.
*
Vroom-vroom!
The engine roared with 12,500 horsepower.
The Rocket Spider 091, letting out a deafening sound as if it would swallow the world whole, surged forward with its massive frame.
In an instant, the stagnant surroundings vanished behind him in the blink of an eye. This moment was the most exhilarating for Mospped. The feeling of his soul being ground down by gravitational acceleration was the only thing making him feel truly alive.
“Alright. Just how far should I go today?”
Even while driving at speeds well over 300 kilometers per hour, Mospped hadn’t collided with anyone nor brushed past anyone. As a skilled racer, causing an accident would be a significant shame.
Even when the road was congested with vehicles, it hardly mattered. Just look—the sidewalks were empty, weren’t they?
Having crossed through two cities in the blink of an eye, Mospped began to feel a sense of boredom and turned the steering wheel. For some reason, the thrill of driving today just didn’t feel right.
Was he getting tired of this insane race? If even reckless driving couldn’t give him a dopamine rush, then how would he…? Mospped was already feeling a weight on his chest.
Fortunately, his worries were unfounded.
Vrum-vrum!
“…Huh?”
At some point, a motorcycle had pulled up beside his Rocket Spider 091.
A sleek, all-black futuristic motorcycle adorned with spikes resembling a robot.
“Is she crazy?”
Mospped chuckled at the sight of a woman in a black dress speeding alongside him. Even if he shouldn’t be the one to say it, wearing an extravagant dress that could expose her underwear while driving at 300 kilometers per hour was definitely crazy.
And that crazy woman was starting to irk him. With a swift motion, she glided in front of him without the sound of an engine and turned her head, flicking her fingers.
Flick-flick.
“─A crazy lady!”
The meaning behind that gesture was clear.
If you can keep up, try to catch me.
A provocation that struck against his pride.
Mospped grabbed the gear lever and floored the accelerator. His red Rocket Spider exhaled fire as it surged forward.
“It’s a showdown!”
The woman on the sleek black motorcycle eagerly pulled the throttle to keep up with him.
Moments later, two streaks of light crossed the road.
End of Chapter.
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