Chapter 51 – Saving My Enemy

The world dissolved into a flash of sterile white.

I still don’t know what happened. I was racing through the dungeon to stop my number one fan from murdering my number one scumbag. Then, suddenly.

Poof.

One moment, I was in a collapsing cave filled with the smell of ozone and death. The next, I was standing under a clear blue sky. The air tasted clean, scented with pine and damp earth. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the massive trees that surrounded us. We were back in the forest outside of Olvido. It was over.

My eyes took a second to adjust to the bright afternoon sun.

Reina was there, just a few feet away from me. Her hand was still raised, poised to strike. The pink, crackling energy of her destructive spell fizzled into nothing, like a dying firework.

Siegfried was on the ground directly in front of her. He looked like a cornered animal. His eyes were wide with terror as he stared at his own chest, then back at Reina, then up at the unfamiliar sky. He was breathing. He was alive.

My villain was alive.

A huge wave of relief washed over me, so intense it almost made my knees buckle. I had done it. I had saved my enemy from my ally. Operation: Preserve the Scumbag was a resounding success.

“What?”

Reina’s voice was sharp, a blade cutting through the peaceful forest sounds. She slowly lowered her arm. Her knuckles were bone-white from how tightly she had been clenching her fist. Her eyes were still locked on Siegfried, but I could feel the heat of her glare from where I stood.

“The dungeon.”

Her voice was a low whisper, filled with disbelief.

“It’s gone.”

Siegfried scrambled backward on the ground. He kicked up dirt and dead leaves, trying to push himself away from her. He looked like he’d seen a ghost. A very cute, very murderous ghost.

“It just… disappeared.”

I needed to take control of this situation. My precious villain was still on the menu, and the predator was still looking hungry. I stepped forward, deliberately placing my body between Reina and Siegfried. I arranged my face into its most clueless, innocently heroic expression.

“Is everyone okay?”

Reina’s head snapped toward me. The cold fury in her eyes melted instantly, replaced by a wave of frantic concern. The speed of that change was a legit superpower.

“Ryuuji! You’re alright!”

She rushed to my side. Her hands hovered over my arms and chest, scanning me for injuries she seemed certain were there. It was a little weird, but after all this time, I was mostly used to it.

“I’m fine, Reina. Just a little confused.”

I risked a quick glance over my shoulder at Siegfried. He was still sitting on the ground, his expression a perfect mix of raw fear and total confusion. He was looking at me now, searching for an answer. I gave him a subtle, almost imperceptible nod. It was a clear message. You owe me, pal. Your future villainy is mine to command.

He just looked more confused. This guy was hopeless.

“But… him.”

Reina’s voice dropped to a low growl. The warmth was gone, replaced by an icy rage. Her gaze shifted back to Siegfried, who flinched.

“He’s still alive.”

A dangerous, pink glow started to form around her clenched fist again. It was smaller this time, more concentrated. Crap. Round two was about to begin. I had to think fast.

I stepped fully in front of her, completely blocking her view of my future archenemy.

“Reina, wait.”

“He’s a threat, Ryuuji. He tried to hurt you. He tried to hurt all of us. He needs to be eliminated.”

She said “eliminated” with the same casual tone someone might use to order a sandwich. It was kind of terrifying.

“I know what he did.”

I kept my voice calm and steady. This was a performance. I needed to project that classic hero vibe, the one that was all about mercy and second chances. It was completely fake, of course, but it was my only play.

“But killing him isn’t the answer.”

Siegfried, who had started to slowly crawl away, froze mid-crawl. He stared at me, his jaw hanging open. He probably expected me to finish him off myself. He was a total amateur. A good villain needs a proper hero to torment. It’s basic storytelling.

“What are you talking about?”

Reina’s voice was sharp with disbelief. The pink glow around her hand pulsed with her agitation.

“He’s a criminal. A liar. He doesn’t deserve mercy.”

“Maybe he doesn’t.”

I let a small, sad sigh escape my lips. I made sure it sounded profound and world-weary. Like I carried the burdens of a thousand souls.

“But that’s not for us to decide. We’re not executioners.”

This was some high-level garbage I was spouting. I was pretty sure I’d heard it in an anime once. It sounded good, though. It sounded super heroic.

Reina’s magic flickered. She was hesitating. The cheesy line was working.

From the edge of the clearing, two figures burst through the trees. Kenji and Daisuke had arrived. The timing was perfect. I needed an audience for my big hero moment.

Kenji had his sword drawn, his face a perfect mask of heroic determination. Daisuke was right behind him, his massive fists clenched and ready for action. They stopped short when they saw the three of us in the strange standoff.

“Ryuuji! Reina! You’re safe!”

Kenji’s eyes went from us to the pathetic-looking Siegfried on the ground. His friendly expression hardened into a scowl.

“And you. I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you.”

He raised his sword, pointing the gleaming tip directly at Siegfried’s throat. Oh, for crying out loud. Not him too. Did everyone in this world have a murder boner?

Siegfried made a small whimpering sound.

I held up a hand, a universal sign for “chill out.”

“Kenji, stop.”

Kenji looked at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. He was a simple guy. He saw a bad guy, and he wanted to hit the bad guy with his sword.

“But, Ryuuji… he’s the enemy. He almost got us all killed.”

“I know.”

I stepped away from Reina and walked toward Kenji. I gently placed my hand on his sword arm and pushed it down.

“But look at him. He’s defeated. He has no power here. What purpose would killing him serve?”

This was my moment. Time for the big speech. The one that would cement my status as a hopelessly naive hero and save my future archenemy from certain death. I took a deep breath.

“Justice isn’t about revenge. It’s about what’s right. And killing a defenseless man is never right.”

I glanced back at Reina. The dangerous glow around her hand had completely faded. Her expression was complicated. It was a mix of intense frustration and… adoration? Gross.

Kenji lowered his sword completely. He looked at me with wide, shining eyes. He was totally buying it. Every last word.

“You’re right, Ryuuji. Of course, you’re right. Your wisdom is… profound.”

I had to physically restrain myself from rolling my eyes into the back of my head. My “wisdom” was a desperate attempt to keep my personal web novel plot on track.

“He speaks the truth.”

Daisuke, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke. His voice was a low rumble, like rocks grinding together. He nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on me with unwavering respect.

“Killing him now would make us no better than him.”

Score. I had the whole party on my side. Three certified heroes, one very confused villain, and me, the secret mastermind pulling all the strings from the shadows.

Reina walked over to stand beside me. She still looked salty, but she wasn’t actively trying to vaporize anyone. I counted that as a win.

“So what do we do with him?”

She crossed her arms, her posture stiff.

“We can’t just let him go.”

She had a point. A loose-end Siegfried was a useless Siegfried. I needed him somewhere I could find him later. Somewhere he could stew in his hatred for me and plan his inevitable, dramatic revenge.

“We take him back to Olvido.”

Everyone looked at me, waiting for the rest of my brilliant plan.

“We hand him over to Mayor Pedro. Let the town decide his fate. That is the just way.”

It was perfect. Mayor Pedro, my other pet “villain,” could lock him up in a nice, dark cell. It was like creating my own little rogue’s gallery. This whole being a hero thing was getting good.

Kenji nodded enthusiastically, his golden-boy optimism restored.

“An excellent idea, Ryuuji! A truly fair and noble solution.”

Siegfried just stared at me. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. He looked like a fish. A very handsome, very pathetic fish. I think I legitimately broke his brain.

I walked over to him and offered my hand. It was a classic hero move. The ultimate show of magnanimity and forgiveness.

He flinched away from my hand as if it were a snake.

“What… what are you doing?”

“Helping you up.”

He continued to stare at my hand with suspicion. He didn’t take it. Fine by me. I was just doing it for show anyway.

I withdrew my hand and turned back to the others.

“Let’s get him tied up. We’ve got a long walk back to town.”

Daisuke, ever the prepared one, produced a length of rope from his pack. He and Kenji hauled the still-dazed Siegfried to his feet. They tied his hands securely behind his back. Siegfried didn’t resist at all. He just kept looking at me with that same weird, unreadable expression.

As we started the trek back to Olvido, Reina fell into step beside me.

“You really believe he can be redeemed?”

Her voice was quiet, for my ears only. She was testing me. She wanted to understand my “profound” reasoning.

“Everyone deserves a chance to change.”

I said the line with a perfectly straight face. It was so cheesy it made my teeth hurt. But it was exactly what she wanted to hear.

She gave me a small, genuine smile.

“You’re too kind, Ryuuji. That’s why I have to protect you.”

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. That sounded less like a promise and more like a threat.

The journey back to town was quiet. Kenji tried to make small talk for a while, but no one was really in the mood. We delivered our prisoner to the town guard at the main gate. Mayor Pedro met us there, his naturally villainous face twisted with what looked like genuine concern. He clapped me on the shoulder and praised our group’s heroism.

He assured us that Siegfried would be held in a secure cell until a proper trial could be arranged. Perfect. My scumbag was safely tucked away, ready for future plot developments.

That night, I lay in my bed at the inn, staring at the rough wooden ceiling.

Everything had gone completely wrong today. My plans had exploded in my face. And yet, somehow, it had all worked out. I now had a certified villain who was obsessed with me. I had a party of powerful heroes who thought I was a saint. My cover as a naive good guy was more secure than ever.

My plan was a total disaster.

But my story was just getting started.