"Shameless. I've never seen anyone this shameless."
Big Horn's mouth hung wide open.
"Captain, isn't this going too far? He even launched a sneak attack on a kid," someone whispered.
"No," another retired soldier said thoughtfully, eyes sharp. "That's exactly why the captain values this. If it were an ordinary person, would the captain even bother with a sneak attack?"
"That's true. If the captain didn't take it seriously, attacking wouldn't make sense at all," the others nodded in agreement.
In the distance, the butler couldn't help sighing."Master… are you a veteran, or a street thug?"
The middle-aged man frowned slightly. After a moment of indulgent thought, he replied calmly,"It's good this way. Fighting has always been about schemes and traps. If Chihiro learns something from this, it will only benefit him."
Just as Iron Man was feeling faintly pleased with himself—
Swish!
His expression changed instantly. Without thinking, he activated his Quirk. In the blink of an eye, half of his body was coated in a layer of pitch-black metal.
Clang!
Sparks exploded outward.
A terrifying force slammed into his back, making Iron Man's body tremble violently. Cold sweat immediately broke out across his forehead.
"Instructor," a calm voice called out, "stay vigilant at all times."
In the distance, Yaoyorozu Chihiro stood up slowly. He brushed aside a strand of blue hair that had fallen across his eyes, his gaze chillingly cold.
Huh—
Chihiro burst forward like a wild horse breaking free. At the same time, his five fingers flicked sharply through the air, producing a faint, cutting hum that sent a tingling chill through everyone present.
"Kid, you learn frighteningly fast," Iron Man laughed loudly. "But that one really scared me."
As he watched Chihiro charge, a look of genuine appreciation flashed in his eyes.
A good seed.
In the law of the jungle, there was no morality—only survival. Only those who lived had the chance to become strong.
Iron Man swept the white soft sword behind his back and shouted loudly,"Boy, I'll teach you the second lesson today. If you want to become strong, the first thing you must learn is how to stay alive."
His expression hardened. He scanned the surroundings and barked coldly,"Brothers—together!"
There was not the slightest hesitation.
For soldiers, orders were absolute. Outnumbering an opponent was never something they would concern themselves with.
"Hah—hah—hah!"
More than a dozen rugged men charged forward simultaneously, including those with sound-based Quirks.
In the distance, Chihiro snapped his right hand outward. The silver-white soft sword streaked through the air and landed in his palm in an instant.
At that moment, every one of the uniformed men felt their hearts tighten. It was as if something unseen had locked onto them. Goosebumps rose along their skin.
"Get serious," Iron Man roared. "If you fall today, we won't have the face to see anyone ever again!"
As he spoke, his entire body gleamed black—neither iron nor silver, but something between.
[C-Class Quirk — Semi-Metallic: Grants defenses comparable to steel and overwhelming impact power.]
Facing the charging soldiers, Chihiro narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured,"You shouldn't have given me my soft sword back."
With a blade in hand, a swordsman was like a tiger unleashed.
The trapped beast had escaped its cage—who could stop it?
...
"Master, are you leaving already? Young Master Chihiro has just begun clashing with them."
The middle-aged man shook his head. As he turned away, the corner of his mouth curved upward into a subtle smile.
"I don't need to watch this battle. Chihiro… has never disappointed me."
"No—"
...
The fight raged fiercely, but the sounds echoing from the villa's back garden gradually began to fade.
"Captain, this isn't thorny—it's heartbreaking," one uniformed man groaned, clutching his bleeding arm as he retreated hastily from the battlefield. He stared at Chihiro wielding the soft sword, eyes filled with disbelief… like he was looking at a monster.
"My throat's about to give out," the man with the Amplified Voice Quirk croaked weakly, touching his aching neck. "This kid… how is he still fine?"
"He's not fine," a man specializing in analysis said gravely. "He may be beyond our expectations. When he started fighting seriously, he destroyed his own ears."
"What kind of joke is that? Destroying both ears yourself?" Iron Man shouted angrily, his massive frame holding back countless flashes of silver-white sword light.
"No, Captain. It's entirely possible," another man interjected. His investigative Quirk allowed his green eyes to see things others couldn't. "According to the old man's information… Chihiro's Quirk is self-healing."