Kirishima's breath hitched in Dark Shadow's grasp—ragged, stubborn, refusing to fully give in. Each weak groan made Tokoyami's shoulders stiffen, his stride unconsciously quickening.
"Remain with us, Eijiro," Tokoyami said quietly, more command than comfort. "Your story does not end in a crater."
Dark Shadow hovered low, its grip uncharacteristically gentle, as if afraid that one wrong movement might shatter the red-haired hero completely.
"Easy… easy," Dark Shadow muttered, voice softer than usual. "You humans are ridiculously fragile when you turn the toughness off."
Before Tokoyami could respond, a shrill mechanical screech cut through the street.
Red cylinder drones—five of them—rolled into view from a side alley, sensors flaring as they locked onto movement.
Shoji moved instantly.
His body unfolded into motion, extra arms sprouting and extending as his frame widened. He didn't waste energy on brute force—each strike was precise. Two fists slammed into a drone's joint plating, cracking the casing just enough. Another arm followed, driving into the exposed circuitry. One drone collapsed before it even finished turning.
Thud—crash—metal shriek.
Shoji flowed from one target to the next, creating weaknesses before exploiting them, his blows landing like controlled artillery. Within seconds, the street was quiet again, broken only by the hiss of dying machinery.
Shoji straightened, breathing steadily.
"That's the last I've seen for a while," he said, scanning the surroundings with newly formed eyes. "Most of them are moving toward the industrial sector. Heavy production zones."
Tokoyami followed his gaze—and then saw it.
A massive structure rose ahead of them, its façade untouched by the chaos around it. Clean lines. Reinforced glass. Emergency lights were glowing a sterile white.
A large red plus symbol glowed above the entrance.
Hospital.
"There," Tokoyami said. "Fortune favours the observant."
Dark Shadow let out a low hum of relief.
"Finally. A place that smells like disinfectant instead of impending doom."
They approached quickly, urgency outweighing caution. But as they reached the front plaza, Tokoyami's steps slowed.
The entrance was sealed.
Thick metal shutters covered the doors, layered and reinforced—clearly designed to withstand riots, villains, or worse.
Tokoyami tilted his head, shadows pooling faintly at his feet.
"Shall we destroy them?" he asked evenly. "Medical infrastructure is resilient. Repairs can be made."
Dark Shadow cracked its knuckles eagerly.
"I vote yes. Smashing things is very therapeutic."
Shoji, however, didn't answer.
Instead, he simply walked past them.
Tokoyami blinked.
"…Shoji?"
The multi-armed student broke into a sprint, then leapt—scaling the wall with effortless momentum. His limbs reshaped mid-climb, gripping edges invisible to the naked eye as he vanished around the building's corner.
Dark Shadow leaned forward.
"Should we be… concerned?"
Tokoyami adjusted his stance, calm returning.
"No. Trust in one's comrades is fundamental to heroics."
Several seconds passed.
Then—
Whrrrr—clank—hiss.
The metal shutters began to rise.
Shoji stepped back into view, lowering himself effortlessly to the ground as the entrance fully opened. He dusted off his hands as if he'd simply unlocked a door.
"Not all access points were sealed," he said plainly. "The flaw of living on an island believed to be untouchable."
Dark Shadow stared.
"…I don't know whether to be impressed or offended."
Tokoyami allowed himself the faintest hint of approval.
"Well done."
Without another word, they moved inside—Kirishima still breathing, still fighting—into the sterile light of the hospital, unaware that this quiet success might soon draw something far more dangerous to their doorstep.
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[Auther: Yo! Been a while, eh?]