Date- 9 August 2XXX
KLANG
KLANG
KLANG
Two figures clashed in a narrow alley, shadows jerking under dim streetlight.
A closer look revealed a boy hammering a man with a metal rod. The man took the blows, his movements crawling—like a video in slow motion.
"Damn, what are these scales made of?" the mechanical voice muttered.
"That should be my line. You're the one moving like lightning—or am I just stuck in slow-mo?"
Shigure stepped back, rod still in hand, putting a few meters between them.
"Why'd you kill him?" Shigure tilted his head, curiosity flickering behind his visor.
The masked, bulky man could now hear his voice on normal speed.
"Why? 'Cause he hooked up with a girl I was chasing."
"So? It's just segs. From how you framed it, it was consensual. Doesn't seem like a reason to kill someone."
"Hmph, you are just a kid. You won't understand. He took what was mine, so I also gave him what he deserved."
'Is he deluded... or just trying to sell his story?'
"Hmm... makes sense. Name?" Shigure nodded, as if buying the lie.
The man, initially caught off-guard, said after a few seconds, "Ryu... Ryu Watanashi. Anyway, kid, leave already before you get hurt. I don't want to beat up kids. I will ignore that you attacked me first."
Shigure stared silently, visor unreadable.
The man stared back at him.
He hadn't even asked, but Ki had already pulled up the file.
During such situations, no text boxes or even the map popped up in Shigure's vision for obvious reasons.
"Why did you kill him?" Shigure asked after a beat.
The man furrowed his brows behind his mask.
"Didn't I already—"
"I meant your boss."
"..." The man was left speechless by Shigure's words, not expecting him to know his past.
"Hahaaha, technology has come so far in this decade. It seems that your helmet is useful after all."
Shigure's silence said enough.
"Why are you interested in me? You could already guess why I did it by reading my files?"
"Curious about your perspective." 'It's my first time seeing such a unique case.'
"...Haven't you heard about the phrase 'Curiosity killed the cat.'?" The man said in a cold tone.
"Yeah. Have you heard the phrase 'The cat has 9 lives.'" Shigure retorted.
"Hahaha. Quite daring, I like it. Well, if you are interested in my point of view, then let me tell you about my journey. It's going to be quite lo—"
"Please keep it within 20 words. I don't have much time to waste on you."
The man blinked.
"Tch. These days, youngsters have no respect for the elders. Anyway, the reason I killed him is coz he fired me from my only paying job. It was unfair." The man's fist hit the nearby wall, creating a small crater.
THUMP
'How weird. I was expecting him to attack me. I guess his emotional regulation during such moments is good as he knows he can't touch me.'
"Didn't you sleep with his wife?"
"So? She was the one who initiated it, and it's not my fault that her husband cannot satisfy her desires."
'Hmm, let's try that.'
"It was not a one-time thing from what I could see. You slept with her for a few months. Hmm, how about this, what would you have done if you were the boss and found your wife sleeping with another man coz you can't satisfy her." Shigure took a few steps towards the man.
"Kill both of them." The man replied almost instantly.
"Ain't that hypocritical?" Shigure was now standing 5 steps in front of the man.
"It is. But in this world, the ones with power are the only right ones." The man said, punching towards Shigure.
'Slow Down' A backhead arrow appeared in Shigure's eyes, hidden from the world.
Everything in his domain slowed down, including the man.
'This one was unstable, like a cracked pipe under pressure... Let's move on to the next phase.' Shigure's eyes gleamed with a calculating edge.
"Well, I always wanted to try this." Shigure took out a spray bottle.
"Is that perfume?" The man asked in a confused voice.
His confusion didn't have to last long as he found the boy spraying the perfume on one part of his body, followed by lighting a fire with a lighter.
"Hmph. My scales wouldn't be penetrated by that lousy excuse of fire." He snorted, looking at the spray of fire being hurled at his pelvic region.
The man tried to hit the boy, but he dodged again easily while continuously spraying.
After a minute, Shigure stopped.
"Are you done with your meaningless struggle?"
Contrary to man's expectations, the boy brought another bottle from his bag, opened it and splashed its contents on the spot he tried to burn.
Water met the heated scales.
CRACK
"Huh?"
"Wait, it worked?"
Both Ryu and Shigure looked bewildered at the sight.
"Wait, you weren't expecting this outcome?"
"Yeah, I had seen this feat somewhere online, didn't think it was real." Shigure shrugged.
Ryu couldn't believe that the scales he was so proud of were broken so easily by a boy.
WHISTLE
Before he could fully process this outcome, something moving through the air was heard.
Due to still being in the domain where time was slow, he couldn't react.
Crack
"Aghhhhhhhhhhh" The man shouted, landing on his posterior on the ground, clutching his pelvic region where the boy struck the metal rod.
"Wow, your screams are quite tamer compared to the last guy. I wonder if you could shout as loud as him." Despite the mechanical voice, Ryu could feel the amusement in his voice.
At that time, he realised one truth.
He was not dealing with a brat having an overpowered quirk but rather a psychopath.
Shivers ran through his spine at the realisation.
"Wh-What do you want?!" Ryu asked, trying to buy time.
Shigure cracked his knuckles, twirling the staff with his right hand "Balance."
"W-What?"
"You have two. Seems unfair."
"..." Ryu was stuck speechless by the boy, wondering if he was serious.
His initial assumption of dealing with a psychopath only solidified in his mind.
"You're not normal... You're just pretending." Looking back at the conversation with the boy, Ryu realised that it was odd for a person to take his explanations for his actions at face value. He now realised that something was wrong with the kid.
Shigure didn't flinch, just tilted his head.
"So are you. That's why you wear the mask."
"Huh?" Ryu tilted his head.
Before he could retort—
CRACK
The staff hit him again in the groin.
"Ughhh..." He tried to recreate the scales in his groin area, however, he realised the rate of recreation was quite slow, suspecting the boy was using his weird quirk on that area.
"Please, don't disappoint me."
What followed was the longest, most painful stretch of Ryu's life.
He never imagined pain like this.
The boy had experience with where and how to hit, such that even after several hits, he didn't lose his manhood, which Ryu thought was impossible until now.
What he didn't know was that in the last month, many people had been in the same position as Ryu, but unlike him, they were not lucky enough to face an experienced Shigure.
Midway through this torture, Shigure had broken scales on multiple areas of his body, similarly to before, and started hitting him there too.
Each unexpected hit to the groin carried with it the weight of anticipation, not just pain—he never knew when it would come again.
Instinct took over—Ryu rolled onto his stomach, trying to protect himself.
"Smart move... you're too heavy to flip over anyway," Shigure said, his breathing roughened.
Only the man's groans broke the alley's silence.
'This shouldn't be enjoyable. Yet, here I am.' Shigure's heart pounded.
"You know what? I'm done. Had my fun. Mission's complete." The boy cleaned his staff with a tissue paper before putting it in his waist bag.
He took a few steps back.
Ryu didn't believe it at first. He waited, tense, then slowly stood—ready to drop again if it was a trick.
"Also." Ryu stopped, his breath stuck in his throat, hearing the mechanical voice.
"I won't feed you some bullshit about turning over a new leaf. We both know that's not happening."
Blink.
Ryu blinked behind his mask.
He turned, eyes landing on the boy's visor.
"Just don't let me catch you again."
A shiver ran through his spine for the nth time.
He bolted, fear overriding pain.
Shigure watched him go, unreadable.
"CM."
"That's a terrible coping mechanism. Can't believe I've actually turned into a sadist." Shigure muttered, half in disbelief.
"Yeah… sorry." Shigure turned and started walking out of the alley.
To his surprise, someone was standing at the exit.
The man was still—like a freeze-frame. Average height, but the way he stood filled the alley. Relaxed shoulders. Chin tilted just enough to seem unbothered.
His hair, ash-blond and messy, swept back in natural arcs, like wind had always been part of his styling routine. A few front tufts stood out defiantly above his forehead, forming soft spikes that added to the sense of motion even in stillness.
Golden-brown eyes—sharp, birdlike—watched without judgment. Just understanding.
Faint stubble shadowed his chin—not messy, not intentional. Just there, like shaving wasn't a priority.
His black shirt shimmered with thin gold waves—like ripples in water. Over it, a tan jacket trimmed in white fur, open just enough to show the shirt. Slits at the shoulders made it clear: this wasn't just for fashion.
Brilliant red feathers peeked from the slits—folded, compact, impossible to ignore.
He had studs in his earlobes, giving a delinquent-like feeling.
Shigure didn't need to be informed by Ki who the man in front of him was.
It was none other than Hawks.
***
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