The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 41

The brief disturbance was quickly drowned out by the cheerful music.

As if nothing had happened, people went back to smiling and playing, the joy and excitement of the park resuming without a hitch.

But not everyone was so quick to forget.

That ominous warning had planted a tiny seed of doubt.

Once a crack forms in the heart, it’s hard to go back.

Out of every hundred people, maybe just one—or even less—quietly slipped away, unsettled.

The children, too, glanced nervously at Red.

Red smiled and reassured them it was nothing.

Their faces lit back up immediately.

Of course—it’s Red.

With just a few calm words, she plucked the growing doubt from their hearts. It reminded me, once again, of what Red meant to the kids.

Well, she is that famous crime killer.

Even if someone was plotting something here, they'd be crushed in her hands before they could do anything.

But as soon as the kids looked away, Red's smile faded.

Her eyes no longer held their usual warmth. She scanned the surroundings with quiet intensity, tension never leaving her posture.

Better safe than sorry, after all.

Still... strange.

There were no signs that anything serious was going to happen here.

No scent of blood, no ominous shift in the air, nothing.

And I should know—I’m the so-called Reaper.

If there was anything to suspect, I’d feel it.

Right now, this place just looked like a perfectly normal amusement park.

Still, in a world like this, “normal” is never reason enough to let your guard down. Just like her, I kept my suspicions close.

“Big sis! Look over there, that looks so cool!”

Rena tugged on Red’s sleeve, pointing enthusiastically toward something.

[A Machine That Draws the World Inside Your Mind]

Heh~.

Now that’s a cool facility.

New, interesting things always spark curiosity.

The kids immediately started begging Red to let them try it.

“...Sure, let’s check it out.”

“““Yaaay!!”””

The kids took off running toward the building.

Red watched them go, a faint smile on her lips.

...Was I imagining things just now?

Right before she said yes, she’d glanced at me for a split second. Like she was checking my reaction.

What the hell was that?

“Come on, Lily.”

Red took my hand and led me along.

Her earlier reaction was strange, but I let it go and followed her casually.

As we stepped inside, an android greeted us and gently guided us forward.

It began explaining how the machine worked.

You insert your hand into an opening just big enough to fit a palm. The machine reads your mental state, analyzes the data, and prints an image that represents the world inside your mind.

I don’t believe it’s 100% accurate—but still, it’s an amazing concept.

The kids were fascinated. They decided the order by playing rock-paper-scissors.

Rena went first.

As she stepped up to the machine, her face turned slightly tense.

But she gathered her courage and placed her hand into the slot.

Beep-beep-beep—!

The machine whirred, and a moment later, it printed out a sheet of paper.

Everyone gathered around Rena, eager to see.

Her drawing was a sunlit green field under clear blue skies.

It was bright and fresh—just like Rena.

The others must’ve thought the same thing.

“It looks warm.”

“So pretty.”

Next up was Ba Da.

Her image was like a dream—colorful clouds, rainbows, stars. A whimsical, magical landscape.

So fitting for Ba Da, # Nоvеlight # who loved books and stories.

The other kids took turns, one after the next. While the scenery varied, the feeling in all their pictures was the same.

Bright. Peaceful. Overflowing with warmth.

“Lily, you try too.”

I wasn’t planning on it.

But the kids were insistent. They each added their voices until I had no choice but to walk up to the machine.

“I wonder what Lily’s world will look like?”

“It’s gotta be something beautiful.”

“Yeah, super beautiful!”

...Who knows.

Honestly, I was a little curious, too.

I didn’t trust the thing completely, but—what would my world look like?

I placed my soft little hand into the machine.

In some movie, people stuck their hand into holes like this and got their wrists sliced off.

Morbid thoughts like that ran through my head while I waited.

[#@!$!@$!@$@!$$#@$%$^]

The machine let out a terrible, chaotic screech—like it was about to explode.

It was loud enough to make me flinch. For a second, I thought about yanking my hand out.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

But then, the machine finally spat out a print.

Whew.

Guess it wasn’t broken after all.

The kids ran up to look at the result.

“...Huh?”

They all made the same confused noise.

The machine was clearly malfunctioning.

That had to be it.

My image was different from everyone else’s—radically so.

It wasn’t even a picture.

Just a black, ink-like stain spread across the whole sheet. Like someone had dumped dark water all over it.

“What is this?”

“It’s pitch black...”

“Big sis, look at this! I think the machine broke!”

Red’s eyes shifted when she saw it.

Just slightly. Barely perceptible.

After a moment of silence, she spoke in her usual calm tone.

“...Yeah, looks like the machine broke. I’ll go report it.”

She turned and walked off to find someone.

But for just a second, I saw it.

Sorrow. Regret. Flickering in her eyes.

The kids kept trying to comfort me as we left the building.

Maybe they thought I was upset the machine didn’t work right.

Even when I gestured that I was fine, they didn’t stop.

Sigh...

After that, we went back to riding more attractions.

But even playtime tires you out eventually. We ended up resting on a bench.

Red sat beside me.

She handed me a synthetic ice cream, and I didn’t say no.

I shifted my mask slightly and licked at it lazily, letting my body relax.

Then Red reached out and gently patted my head.

I tilted my head, curious.

Red gave a warm smile.

“You’re just too cute, Lily. Did you not like that?”

Mm. Her touch was a little embarrassing... but I let it be.

She did bring us here, after all. Refusing would be rude.

The gentle patting continued.

Just as I was about to get up and start moving again, an announcement rang out over the entire amusement park.

[Dear visitors of Squid Amusement Park, are you having fun?]

The voice must’ve belonged to the park’s manager.

Young. Cheerful. It continued.

[I can feel the heat of your energy all the way from here! But even though you’re having fun, it’s not over yet. Squid Amusement Park’s most popular event is still to come!]

We were already having a great time...

But the mention of an even more exciting game sent ripples of excitement and curiosity through the crowd.

[You are the luckiest people alive. This game will change your lives. Say goodbye to everything you’ve known—because those who win will gain people! Money! Dreams! The ultimate power to fulfill your deepest desires—dreams you couldn’t even imagine in the city!]

Red’s expression turned ice cold.

I felt it too—something wasn’t right.

[Now, let’s begin... the greatest game that will turn your lives upside down!!!]

As the announcement cut off, a light glowed beneath the feet of everyone standing.

Geometric patterns surged up from the floor, filling the space.

People’s faces began to shift—excitement, confusion, anxiety.

The murmurs grew louder.

And in that moment, I remembered the beastkin’s warning.

Then—

A blinding light engulfed the entire park.

*

I looked around.

After being engulfed in light, we’d been transported to a strange place.

A massive plaza—large enough to hold everyone who’d been at the amusement park.

People slowly started to open their eyes.

As they looked around and saw one another, whispers and chatter spread through the crowd.

Where are we? What’s going on? Is this part of the event?

Some people observed with interest, others trembled with unease, and a few smiled nervously, excitement glinting in their eyes.

The murmuring grew louder.

Naturally, the children clung to each other in fear, and Red reassured them gently.

Some time passed.

As more people grew agitated and demanded an explanation, a strange sound rang out.

Then—

An enormous number of armed figures and towering robots appeared, surrounding the crowd.

Masked individuals began stepping up onto a platform.

A massive hologram lit up above them so that everyone could see clearly.

When the figure in the black mask spoke, their deep, distorted voice echoed across the plaza.

[You are now official participants in a game prepared by Squid Amusement Park.]

It sounded like a rehearsed speech.

They began explaining the current situation and the rules of the game.

To summarize:

All participants must take part in every game prepared by the organizers.

Only those who survive all the games can leave this place.

The final winner will receive an enormous cash prize.

People were thrown into even deeper confusion.

Voices rose in protest. Some began shouting angrily, outraged they’d been forced into this without consent.

“Why the hell should we go along with this?!”

“Yeah! I’m not playing any damn game!”

“Let us out! Now!”

Typical mob mentality—once one person stepped up, the rest followed, growing bolder.

With this many people, it felt like they could maybe overwhelm the organizers and stop this madness.

But despite the angry shouting, the masked figures on stage remained calm.

Worse—

[You do not have the right to refuse.]

The crowd exploded. Several rushed the stage, ready to attack.

The black-masked figure raised a single hand.

Gunshots rang out.

People froze.

All the weapons and mechs trained their guns on the crowd, instantly crushing the uprising before it could begin.

Most of the people here were civilians.

A few fixers might’ve been mixed in, but they seemed hesitant to move—either because they weren’t confident or they were still waiting to see how things played out.

Once the noise settled, the masked speaker continued.

[Please look up. That is the prize awaiting the final winner.]

Everyone looked toward the ceiling.

A massive transparent vault full of money hovered above.

As it slowly filled to the brim, the crowd’s expression changed instantly.

[Additionally, the fewer participants remaining, the larger the prize pool becomes.]

That statement caused an unmistakable shift.

Now, their eyes gleamed with greed.

“This is going to get dangerous,” Red muttered.

I agreed.

The same people who were just screaming in protest were now quietly scheming how to win that money.

“How troublesome... Kids, I’ll be right back. Stay right here, and don’t move until I return.”

The children nodded quietly.

Red turned and stepped forward.

[And now, for our firs—]

The voice was cut short.

The head of the masked speaker exploded.

Instead of blood and brains, metal parts scattered into the air.

A red-haired woman in a black coat now stood on the stage.

Red.

The remaining masked figures and robots charged her, but—

They were destroyed in an instant.

Even their guns couldn’t leave a scratch on her.

She stood alone, unscathed.

Stepping forward, Red grabbed the stage mic and spoke.

She calmly declared who she was, and that she would handle this incident personally.

Then, she issued a warning to everyone present.

“From this moment forward, no one is allowed to do anything. If you so much as follow their instructions, you’ll die by my hand.”

Some people, unable to let go of the prize, started murmuring complaints or tried to sway others with peer pressure.

“Silence.”

Just one word.

That was all it took.

The greed growing inside everyone was crushed beneath the weight of Red’s presence.

Incredible.

I silently cheered for her—this fearless, overwhelming presence.

There’s no need to play this game or win some fake prize.

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In fact, entering and winning is the same as losing.

If you truly want to win this game—if you want to defeat the ones who created it—

Then flip the board over.

Normally, that would be nearly impossible.

But for Red?

More than possible.

You go ahead and break the game.

I’ll stay here and take care of the filth lurking around us while you tear their world apart.