Fated to Be Loved by Villains

A few days before the fight between Dowd Campbell with a certain giant mecha-dinosaur with a laser cannon started.

Inside Professor Borris Laitman’s workroom.

“Ehe...ehehehe...ehhehehehe...”

The woman with disheveled hair put down a tool on her work table while letting out a laughter that displayed no dignity nor sanity.

It was like a declaration that another masterpiece was about to be born under her hands.

Wrench, nut, bolt, and small steel pieces.

Those objects made up joints, arms, legs, and pointy teeth and tail.

All of those were components to make a complete model of a ‘dinosaur’—a creature that was known to have lived in the Paleozoic Era—that she was working on.

Unlike the actual creature though, it was completely made of steel.

“So cool...”

Her eyes were sparkling as she said so.

Most of the Magic Tower Professors’ knowledge in various fields were beyond the knowledge that simple ‘great scholars’ had. It was just, ‘what’ they researched on was something that was completely at their own discretion.

In the case of Professor Borris, it was this.

“It’ll be cooler if I make it bigger...”

Her wish was so that one day...

She could see the life-sized enormous steel monsters roaming around.

It was a cherished dream she had always had in her heart ever since the day she fell in love at first sight with the creature called dinosaurs.

As she laughed in a way that completely forsaken her dignity while daydreaming, the doorbell outside her laboratory suddenly rang.

“Excuse me, is Professor Borris inside?”

“...Ah, P-Professor Mobius...!”

She called out as she got up from her seat, breaking in a cold sweat.

Meeting with other Magic Tower Professors was already a high enough hurdle for her, but the hurdle of meeting this person specifically was on a whole different level.

As she opened the door, the man greeted her with his usual mysterious smile that was plastered like a glass mask on his face.

“Is there any problem?”

“N-No! Nothing...!”

If it wasn’t obvious already, Professor Borris was extremely bad at dealing with people.

What people said about how the more someone studied hard, the less sociable they were, most of the time was actually true—although it felt almost like prejudice.

Then again, it was only natural. Since they spent most of their time studying, they’d have less time to meet with others. As a consequence, they had less chance to establish their place in society, as communication was an essential part of that.

Nevertheless, to look at the great Magic Tower Professors with such a prejudice would be offensive to say the least.

Although that rule didn’t apply to a single person.

Professor Borris Laitman right here.

Ever since she was born, studying and researching were the only two things she had ever done in her life. Let alone romantic relationships, she never even made proper friends.

“...”

As her body stiffened, and she was thrown into a fluster—a natural reaction for her.

Professor Mobius—who had entered her workroom—stared at the mechanical dinosaur model she had made.

And right after that...

A disgusted look—mixed with contempt—flashed across his face for a moment.

As if he failed to understand why she wasted her energy and mental strength in ‘something absurd’ like this.

“...”

Seeing this reaction, Borris bit her lip until it bled.

Indeed.

She knew well how her ‘goal’ in quest for knowledge was treated.

A freak’s delusion, and a useless obsession.

That was why she was always treated as a loner freak inside the Magic Tower.

...Even though knowledge and research are useful in itself...

She believed that knowledge didn’t need to have a practicality.

As long as it could make people happy and enrich them...

Such knowledge could just become the future and dream for someone.

-It’s so cool, Borris!

Her mind traced back to a certain day in the past.

To a certain someone who had sympathized with her...

And listened to her delusional rambling with sparkling eyes.

...Professor Astrid.

As she thought of that name...

“I came to hear your reports on your research’s results for the quarter.”

A horrible topic was brought up to Professor Borris.

“R-Results...?”

Hearing Professor Mobius’ words, Borris’ eyes shook as she asked that question.

Even though she wasn’t sociable and had bad communication skills, she understood what this person was trying to say.

Ever since Professor Mobius took control of the Magic Tower, all the researchers in each department had to produce a certain amount of ‘results’ for them to receive the materials needed for said research.

“Honestly, it’s looking a little dangerous for you.”

In that sense, what he said afterward was almost like a death sentence to her.

“Both the previous quarter and this quarter... The mechanical engineering department you’re in charge of has been showing the smallest amount of numbers in the eyes of the ‘sponsors’.”

“B-But, all the sponsors are asking for is weapons to kill people—”

“They, Professor Boris, are people we should be grateful for. After all, they’re the ones who willingly funded the Magic Tower’s research. Hence why we should repay them in kind.”

“...”

Knowledge...

Isn’t supposed to be used in things like that!

Professor Borris’ body trembled as she struggled to say her next words.

“I-I don’t want to make something like—”

“What I want is results, Professor Borris.”

He said in a cold tone, prompting Borris’ whole body to flinch again.

“Yes, research is important, but knowledge which practicality hasn’t been proven is completely useless.”

“Um—”

“Have you forgotten why Professor Astrid was ‘disciplined’?”

“...”

Borris’ body began to shake even harder.

She was very well aware of what happened to Astrid when she tried to oppose Professor Mobius.

Professor Mobius’ artificial eyes—which colors resembled that of reptile’s—rolled.

“You don’t want to become like her, right?”

“...”

The sound of her swallowing dryly echoed unusually loudly.

“...I’ll do better.”

“As you should.”

Hearing her answer, Professor Mobius smiled again.

Of course, there wasn’t a single hint of human nature in his expression.

Matching the structure of his body itself, that had deviated from a human’s body.

The Magic Tower was full of lunatics who used their own bodies as test subjects, but seeing all the things this person did to his own body sent shiver down Borris’ spine every time she saw him.

His nerves had been replaced by nano kevlars that Borris made herself, while his eyes had been replaced by artificial eyes that were compounded with Professor Astrid’s bioengineering. There were also his magically engineered prosthetic arms, the Holy Relics that replaced the organs in his whole body and so on...

...H-He said that his goal was to reach evolution or something...?

Professor Borris thought.

Seeing what he had done to his own body, she could see his insane obsession with his goal of developing something that he dubbed as the new-mankind.

He had no qualms on spreading the Magic Tower’s artifacts to the outside world, just so that he could greedily gather all the resources he needed to fulfill his goal.

That was how much he refused to die within the framework of a ‘human’.

“...”

And she could tell just by looking at his eyes.

That he was a monster.

A monster who’d do anything possible to pursue his goals.

“...In that regard, I have a suggestion for you, Professor Borris.”

And what he said after...

Reflected that assumption clearly.

Professor Mobius grabbed the small dinosaur model from her work table with his fingers before continuing.

“I’d need you to ‘handle’ a certain person thoroughly.”

“...”

“As long as you do that, I’ll support you in everything you need for the research, or anything really, regarding this...toy.”

While saying so...

Professor Mobius slammed her model right into the trash bin.

While Borris had no choice but to watch the sight silently.

●

And then...

A miracle happened.

Borris couldn’t help but describe the situation in that way.

“...Huh, this is really well made.”

“...”

“This is a Tyranno, right?”

The man in front of her asked with sparkling eyes after he saw the debris of her model—the same one that Professor Mobius had slammed into the trash can.

O-Oh my...

Seeing how he was showing such a passionate response to the model of a creature that ordinary people would just stare in disinterest made her stare at him in disbelief.

“...I-It is a T-Rex, y-yes...”

Eventually, she managed to stammer out a response.

Dowd Campbell.

The biological son of Professor Astrid, who was close with Borris.

Just a while ago, he openly opposed Professor Mobius, and as a result, the professor requested her to ‘trample’ on this man as thoroughly as she could.

Right now, they were meeting for a simple briefing before the fight between him and the ‘masterpiece’ she had prepared for the data collection regarding the Demonic Aura.

But, that goal was immediately forgotten as the moment he came in, he immediately scanned around her lab with sparkling eyes.

“I loved T-Rex. This level of details for a miniature is really crazy. Just how much did you research for this?”

“R-Really? Can you see how amazing it is?”

“Yes. I mean, just look at the details of the arms—”

Indeed.

This man...

“...”

Liked dinosaurs more than she expected.

He was literally nerding on her right now.

Like, he mentioned every single detail of the miniature that Borris had meticulously put.

W-We’re on the same wavelength...!

Of course, this revelation made her favorability towards him increase by a lot.

It felt as if she finally met a companion who understood her ‘job’ that no one understood.

She felt like tearing up.

“...”

But, there was a problem.

She had to crush such a man with her own hands.

And she had picked the most terrible invention of hers as this man’s opponent for the upcoming ‘experiment’.

“By the way...”

As she was having such thoughts,

Dowd suddenly approached her.

“Your expression turned dark since earlier. What happened?”

“Huh? O-Oh?!”

Surprised, Borris bent her body backward the best she could.

As someone who never had a friend, let alone a lover, for a member of the opposite sex coming up so close to her was an extremely unfamiliar experience.

Blood rushed up to her face. Her head felt as if it was boiling.

“N-Nothing! I-I’ve always worn that kind of dark expression—!”

“I know what kind of words have been hurled at you.”

Seeing her reaction, Dowd calmly backed off and continued.

“That punk Mobius had said so many nasty things to you, right?

“...”

“Professor Astrid told me that you aren’t someone who’d want to cooperate with him.”

“...”

Borris’ lips moved slightly.

His words were spot on.

However, how could she disobey Mobius? She already knew very well what would happen to her if she did.

In the first place...

That was why...

She was about to corner him into a dangerous place she had created with her own hands.

As her eyes trembled from such thoughts...

At that moment...

“No worries, it’s okay. I’ll endure whatever you’ve prepared.”

He said in a light voice.

“...Hm...?”

W-Where did he get all that confidence from?

As she thought so while looking at him...

“In return, promise me one thing.”

“P-Promise?”

“If I succeed in overcoming your experiment, spend a day with me.”

“...”

To that, Borris was left speechless. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.

“...Why...?”

“So that I can seduce you.”

“...”

That response only worsened her reaction.

J-Just what...

W-What the heck is he on about?!

“...W-Why—I-I mean, what the heck do you mean...?”

“I’ve thought about this thoroughly. This is the second time I got genuinely angry at someone like this. I’ve ripped apart the first punk that got me this angry, but I can’t do that this time, so I’m a little bit frustrated...”

What is he even talking about...?

As Borris thought so while blinking her eyes...

“So I’ve made an estimation to see when I can achieve that goal of mine.”

“...”

“I think it’ll take approximately five days.”

“...”

“And for that to happen, I’d have to seduce you first, Professor.”

“...”

“...Was that a bit hard to understand?”

To that, Borris passionately, with such intensity...

Nodded her head.

Seeing that, Dowd Campbell stroked his chin while making a ‘Hm’ sound.

He seemed to not understand why she didn’t understand.

“So, what I’m saying is, I’ll beat the bastard called Professor Mobius to death in five days.”

“...”

“To do that, I’d need your help, Professor. I need you to fall in love with me first—”

“...”

Even after that explanation...

She still didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Everything just didn’t make any sense for her.

However, Borris knew one thing for sure.

Ah...

This man...

Was way crazier than Mobius in a way.