Villain With The Absolute Evil Sytem
Chapter 61 - 59: Departure

Chapter 61: Chapter 59: Departure

The clinking of metal spoons and the soft hum of conversation filled the small ice cream shop. The air was filled with the scent of sugar and cream, but Shirley could barely taste the dessert in front of her.

She tapped her spoon against the rim of her cup, her mind drowning in last night’s memories. The heat of it. The weight of it. The way Lumian let her take control, let her decide and snatched it away

She clenched her jaw and shook her head. No. She wasn’t going to get lost in that.

She needed a distraction.

Her eyes flickered to Lumian, who ate his ice cream in silence, his face unreadable as always. It irritated her how composed he looked, like nothing had changed. Like nothing had happened at all.

She scoffed and leaned back in her seat. "I thought you said we had little time," she said, breaking the silence. "So why the hell are we here... eating ice cream?"

Lumian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he dropped his spoon onto the table with a soft clink and looked around the shop.

Shirley narrowed her eyes.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"I only found this place recently," he said, almost absently. "But it’s one of the few things I’ll actually miss about this island."

Shirley blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected sentiment.

She studied his expression, but as usual, it gave nothing away.

A strange feeling settled in her chest, but before she could dwell on it, Lumian continued.

"I’m going to join the Vanguard."

Shirley froze, her spoon slipping from her fingers and clattering onto the table.

"...What?"

Her voice was so loud that several people turned to stare.

She quickly clenched her jaw and straightened, lowering her voice as she leaned in. "What the hell are you talking about? After what we did at the school, you want to join them?"

Lumian gave her a pointed look. "After what you did," he corrected.

Shirley stiffened.

"You’re the one who killed everyone in that school," Lumian said, his tone casual, as if they were talking about the weather. "That was your revenge, after all."

"That’s not—" Shirley started, but then stopped.

She tried to recall a single moment where Lumian had killed anyone in that massacre.

But her mind came up empty.

Her throat went dry.

Lumian had been there. He had orchestrated things. He had guided her actions. But when it came down to the act itself, It had been her. Only her.

And if something had gone wrong, she would be the one to bear the brunt of it.

Her stomach twisted.

She exhaled sharply and slumped back in her seat. "Fine. Whatever," she muttered. "Why are you joining them?"

Lumian leaned back slightly, resting his arm on the table. "That’s how I knew Reinhardt was around," he said. "Because he’s the one who asked me to join."

Shirley’s eyes widened again.

"Reinhardt? That monster..." she repeated. "He asked you to join? Why you? I know you’re strong but you don’t strike me as the type to be a hero and we’re talking about THE Vanguard here"

Lumian tilted his head, amused. "Because I took down Voltstrike."

The words hit her like a slap.

Her mouth fell open. "You’re the one?"

She practically choked on the realization. "You’re the naked hero? The one who took down the mad hero Voltstrike?"

Lumian’s expression flattened. "Don’t call me that."

Shirley let out a breathless laugh, still in shock. "I can’t believe it. That was you? The whole island talked about it for weeks! I thought it was some crazy rumor."

"I’m not a hero," Lumian said flatly. "Heroes are a flawed concept. They can’t exist without hypocrisy, contradicting their very belief"

Shirley’s amusement dimmed at the serious note in his voice.

She nodded. "Alright. Got it."

Before she could say anything else, the shop’s front door swung open.

Shirley barely glanced up at first. But when she saw who it was—

Her breath caught in her throat.

She completely froze.

Her body went stiff, cold sweat forming at the back of her neck.

Her hand, shaking slightly, raised to point at the towering figure that had just entered.

Reinhardt.

And he was walking straight toward their table.

She couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

He stopped beside them, his imposing frame casting a shadow over the table.

"You’re just on time," Lumian said, his tone as casual as ever.

Reinhardt’s lips curled into a small smile. "I don’t like being kept waiting," he said. "So I wouldn’t want to make someone else wait."

Without another word, he pulled out a chair and sat down.

His gaze drifted to Shirley.

She felt like a mouse trapped under a predator’s stare.

Even her breaths were measured, slow and careful, like any sudden movement might get her killed.

Reinhardt studied her for a moment before turning back to Lumian. "And who is this?"

Lumian leaned back, unbothered. "She’s with me, My assistant," he said. "Sidekick. Among other things. She’s coming with me."

Reinhardt’s gaze flickered over Shirley again, as if assessing her.

Then he shrugged. "Fine."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "She doesn’t look comfortable. Is she well?"

Lumian gave her a glance, then smirked. "She was fine a moment ago. Probably something to do with the food." He tapped his temple. "Brain freeze, maybe."

He then gestured for Shirley to speak.

Shirley audibly swallowed.

"...I’m Shirley," she said quietly, barely above a whisper.

Reinhardt tilted his head slightly.

Then he smiled.

The sight of it made her blood run cold.

"You look young. I may look tall and mean," he said, voice smooth, "but only villains and vile people should be afraid of me."

His smile widened slightly. "Like the ones responsible for that... heartless school massacre."

Shirley’s heart stopped.

Her stomach twisted violently, and for a moment, she thought she might be sick.

She could feel his gaze pressing down on her like a weight, waiting, watching, seeing if she would crack.

The ice cream shop suddenly felt unbearably small.

But before she could spiral any further, Lumian spoke, cutting through the tension.

"Let’s get down to business," he said smoothly.

Reinhardt’s attention snapped back to him.

A pause. Then

"I agree."

And just like that, the conversation shifted.

But Shirley remained frozen in her seat.

Because she felt like without a doubt Reinhardt was toying with her and she was dangerously close to losing the game.

Reinhardt handed Lumian an envelope as he settled, Shirley’s hands remained clenched on the table, her mind still processing Reinhardt’s words. Lumian, as always, appeared unbothered, casually flipping the envelope between his fingers.

Reinhardt leaned back in his chair, his imposing presence making even the bright, cheerful shop feel suffocating. He exhaled and began, his voice steady yet carrying the weight of grim reality.

"The school massacre, you must have heard about it on the news"he said, his gaze cold. "I was one of the first responders."

Shirley swallowed hard. She knew what was coming but hearing it from his perspective made it feel different, heavier.

"When I arrived, the entire school was unrecognizable. Blood covered the floors, walls... even the ceiling in some places. Burnt bodies, torn limbs—whoever did it wasn’t just trying to kill. They wanted to destroy."

He paused, letting his words settle.

"There were little to no survivors. None that mattered, anyway. The ones who lived were too scared to make a sound." Reinhardt’s jaw tightened."One kid eventually talked, told us what he saw. He said there were two people. ’The rabbit did all the killing but she wasn’t alone," were his words.

And he was right, when I got there I met two masked people. I chased them to the edge of town but lost them in the forest."

Shirley felt her breath catch. Reinhardt’s stare bore into her, but he didn’t call her out. Not directly.

"At first, we thought it was an attack from a terrorist group, but it didn’t match their methods. It was something... personal and these guys— these masked people, they weren’t just people. They had superhuman abilities too." His voice dropped slightly. "We never found any solid leads. Just a trail of corpses."

A suffocating silence followed. Shirley didn’t dare to move.

"I see, are you sure you don’t want me to stay and help you track them?" Lumian offered

"No, they are just two people. I’ll get them soon,"

Then Reinhardt shifted the conversation. "That’s why I have to stay on the island. There’s no active hero here, and until things settle, I can’t leave."

Lumian nodded. "So we go ahead."

"Yes." Reinhardt pulled another envelope from his coat and slid it across the table. "Everything you need is in there, travel documents, IDs, tickets. You’ll take a ferry to the mainland, then board a direct flight to New York."

Shirley’s eyes widened. "New York?"

"That’s where Vanguard Headquarters is."

Lumian opened the envelope, glancing at the contents. "Where exactly?"

Reinhardt smirked slightly. "You won’t have to look hard. The Vanguard doesn’t operate in secrecy. Their headquarters is in Midtown Manhattan. You’ll know it when you see it, it’s a massive skyscraper with our insignia plastered right on the front."

Shirley blinked. "Wait... they don’t hide? Like, at all?"

"Why would they?"Reinhardt asked. "The Vanguard isn’t some shadowy underground group. They’re the top hero organization in the world. They don’t need to hide."

Lumian smirked. "Bold."

Reinhardt shrugged. "They can afford to be."

Shirley leaned in. "And when we get there?"

"You’ll report to Trinity. She’s the second-in-command. Don’t waste time, head straight to the top floor and ask for her. She’ll be expecting you."

Shirley hesitated. "What’s she like?"

Reinhardt chuckled. "Sharp. Efficient. Uncompromising." He met Lumian’s gaze. "She’ll determine if you belong in the Vanguard or not."

Lumian closed the envelope and slipped it into his pocket. "I see, so I’m not entirely in yet"

Reinhardt stood, adjusting his coat. "Oh, it’s just formality, nothing to worry about." His eyes flicked to Shirley.

"I hope you get better, young lady." He turned to Lumian, "When next we meet, we will meet as comrades," With that, Reinhardt turned and walked out