Villain: Supreme Parasite System in Another World-Chapter 38: The Nail That Sticks Out

The blonde man lifted his chin slightly, his confidence showing in the way he carried himself.

"It might be outside our jurisdiction, but we’re here under a direct order from the national government."

"National Government?" she repeated.

Samantha and Lex both understood what it meant.

The Defense Force had operated on its own terms, like a separate pillar of power.

For the government to openly move against Lex like this meant something bigger was happening behind the scenes, and they were simply using this incident to pin him down.

Even if the Defense Force wanted to protect him, it wouldn’t matter anymore.

This was no longer just a disciplinary matter. It was turning political.

Slowly, the other regular agents backed out of the area, keeping distance from both sides. None of them wanted to be caught between the two opposing parties.

"Do you have the document at least?" Samantha asked, trying to salvage the situation.

"Here." He handed her a piece of paper marked with the Capitol’s insignia, then gave a small, calm gesture for her to fall back behind the others.

She read the document and gave Lex a look confirming it was real.

He nodded back, signaling for her to step back.

Harry began reading the charges, continuing one after another.

"Lieutenant, you are under arrest for breaking protocol, insubordination, endangering civilian lives, abuse of authority, suspected corruption, and murder."

Samantha’s brows slowly pulled together. For a second, she even wondered if he was describing a different person.

However, she knew the Four Horsemen’s reputation.

Individually, they might not match Lex in raw destructive power. But together, they were highly efficient.

Lex stood motionless as the charges piled up. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you," Harry said, ending the warning.

"So," Lex trailed off. "The government is going to throw me under the bus, huh?"

A faint scoff followed as he rolled his shoulders, the tension in his body slowly rising.

"Funny," he added, eyes sweeping across the four of them. "After everything I’ve done for this city."

His grip tightened around the spear, but he didn’t raise it. Not yet.

"Lieutenant," Harry shook his head. "You can’t blame us for this. You’ve been disregarding orders for far too long."

"And a nail that sticks out..." he paused, his lips curling upward,"...has to be hammered down."

"Nails that stick out?" Lex let out a chuckle. It started low, then faded into a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Oh? And you think your hammer is strong enough?"

"Be careful..." Lex added. "You might be the one nailed to the ground if you don’t watch your mouth."

The silence stretched, brittle and dangerous

Nearby agents instinctively stepped back. Samantha also felt the tension settle in her chest.

Lex stood still at the center of it all, watching the four, waiting for the first mistake.

Harry didn’t react. But the faint smile on his face faded a little.

"Lieutenant, you might be strong against large monsters, but we four are specially trained to deal with human fighters." Harry warned. His hand rested near his sword.

"If you don’t stand down now, we will have to take you in by force."

Others would probably be wetting their pants right now if they heard a threat like that from the infamous Four Horsemen. But their opponent wasn’t just anybody. He was above all that.

Lex stepped closer. The spear dragged slightly as he moved, scraping faintly against the broken ground.

"I spent my whole life working for the Defense Force. I saved more lives than you can even imagine. I did things—horrible things—so ungrateful people like you wouldn’t have to fight on the front lines."

With each word he spoke, his eyes glowed brighter.

"And this is how you repay me? Because I took justice into my own hands?"

Harry clenched his fist. The veins on his hand tightened as he held back his temper.

"You are not the law," he uttered with contempt.

Both of them held their own ground. Neither looked away.

The floor beneath them began to vibrate, fine cracks spreading outward in thin lines.

Lex’s spear gave a low vibration.

Harry’s sword responded with a faint hum, as if it too was eager for blood.

"The law failed me, so I became my own justice," Lex responded.

"Are you really sure you want to end it like this?" Harry asked, his stance lowering by half an inch as his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.

Then—

Both sides swung their weapons at the same time.

No signal. No warning.

Just instinct meeting instinct.

BOOOM!

The ground beneath them shattered instantly. Concrete groaned and vaporized under the sheer weight of the collision. Rebar snapped like toothpicks as the structural integrity of the wing vanished in a cloud of pulverized stone.

Samantha closed her eyes. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Get back!" she shouted.

It was too late.

The second impact hit harder.

BOOOM!

The entire area erupted. Floors collapsed, support beams twisted, and the surrounding structure blew apart.

Samantha was thrown back. Her body slammed through the air, losing control as debris and dust swallowed everything.

The other agents were sent flying in different directions, crashing through walls and barriers without being able to brace themselves.

When the dust settled, nothing in the immediate area remained intact.

Only the clash continued at the center.

Harry, the sword user, took the front line.

The blue-haired man moved like a shadow, dagger already angled for close-range kills.

From the perimeter, the woman’s fingers danced, unleashing a hail of knives, while the fourth member bridged the gap with the heavy rotation of his metal staff.

Four angles.

Four styles.

One target.

Lex didn’t let them keep momentum. He used his attack speed to cut through their rhythm, landing clean counters with tight, precise movements.

One technique followed another, each one forcing a brief opening and pushing them back a step at a time.

Harry was forced to adjust his footing.

The dagger user lost his angle.

The woman’s knives missed their timing window.

The staff user had to pull back to reset his stance.

Lex used that gap, vaulting upward and smashing through a weakened section of the structure as he launched himself out of the building.

Mid-air, he twisted his body and ran along the outer wall, feet striking the surface as if it were flat ground.

Behind him, the Four Horsemen followed.

The fight didn’t stop.

It only changed stage.

They landed on the rooftop almost at the same time.

Lex slid back into stance immediately, spear leveled.

The Four Horsemen spread out again, forming a loose circle.

"Is this really your answer, Lieutenant?" Harry casually moved his wrist, swinging his sword once. The blade cut through the air with a snapping hiss.

Lex took a deep breath. "Why are you even surprised? We both know the dirty secret the government is hiding. I would be a fool to surrender."

"You knew, and you still tried to resist us," Harry sneered. "You will reap what you sow."

"Maybe." Lex shrugged. "But you’re all too weak to even dream of stopping me. The government should have sent an entire army."