The impact shook the street.
A burst of golden fire and shadow detonated as Reiji landed between Overhaul and Eri, his cloak flaring behind him like wings. Pavement cracked beneath his boots as energy rippled outward, sending a shockwave through the alley. Dust and light scattered in all directions. Car alarms wailed. Civilians screamed and ducked for cover, fleeing the scene in a panic. Several nearby storefronts had their glass shattered, raining down in jagged pieces as the sheer force of Reiji's entry disrupted everything within range.
Overhaul took a measured step back, arms still relaxed at his sides, but his golden eyes behind the ornate plague mask narrowed, his body tensing like a coiled serpent. The calm in his voice didn't match the way his fingers flexed beneath his gloves.
"You're not part of this conversation," he said coolly, voice muffled behind the beak of his mask.
Reiji straightened from his landing, golden Hellfire swirling off his shoulders like mist. His shadow flickered unnaturally, trailing behind him like a living thing. His golden eyes locked onto Overhaul without a blink. "You touched her," he replied coldly. "That makes it my business."
Just a few feet away, Midoriya stood frozen, disbelief written across his face. His hands clenched and unclenched. The sheer violence of Reiji's entrance had shaken him. He hadn't expected the older teen's sudden intervention, nor the overwhelming force behind it. For a moment, he looked between Reiji and Eri, unsure which one needed him more.
A blur of red wings landed with a hard gust behind Reiji. Hawks stood tall, his expression taut with irritation and something else—concern. "I told you to wait," he said under his breath. "We had no confirmation. Now we're exposed."
Reiji didn't turn around. His voice stayed steady, unwavering. "We had blood. That was confirmation enough."
Behind him, Eri had fallen to her knees in shock, her wide red eyes fixed on the ground. But her tiny hands found Reiji's coat and clutched it tightly. She didn't speak. She didn't cry. But she didn't run either. Her trembling fingers dug into the fabric, as though clinging to the first solid thing she'd found in a long time.
Overhaul stepped forward slowly, his tone deceptively calm. "She's mine. You're interfering in family matters."
Reiji met his gaze with burning defiance. "You're not her family."
The standoff simmered. Tension rose like heat off asphalt. Hawks' feathers fluttered slightly behind him. Midoriya lowered into a cautious stance. The civilians had all but vanished now, and the street lay eerily still. The only sound was the hum of flames licking at Reiji's fists.
Then—without warning—Overhaul moved.
He dropped his gloved hand to the ground—
—and the earth ruptured.
Jagged spikes of stone erupted like spears, targeting Reiji's position. With lightning-fast reflexes, Reiji shoved Eri to the side just as a spike tore through the ground beneath him. One of his clones surged forward and took the brunt of the strike, vanishing in a splash of black energy.
Hawks snatched Eri mid-roll, lifting her out of danger with a powerful beat of his wings. "Got her!"
Reiji hit the pavement and rolled, dust and debris exploding around him. He skidded to a stop near a shattered delivery truck, coughing through the smoke. Flames coiled off his back as he righted himself.
Midoriya snapped into action, jumping into the fray with full power. "We have to separate him from the girl!"
Reiji wiped blood from his mouth and nodded. "Then let's cut him off."
He surged forward again, summoning two shadow clones that split from his sides and darted forward. The clones coordinated, their footfalls silent, their timing perfect. One slid low, the other high.
Overhaul responded in a blur, ducking one and smashing the second clone with a devastating palm strike. The clone exploded violently into spiraling shadows.
Overhaul's hand touched the ground again—another eruption of the street, a cascade of stone and cement that nearly struck Midoriya from behind.
But this time—
Reiji was ready.
Using a timed clone leap, he propelled himself into the air. His body spun in a corkscrew, golden Hellfire building around his fists. The heat distorted the air, the ground below warping from the intensity.
"Infernal Crash!"
His flaming fist smashed into the pavement, shattering a portion of the street and forcing Overhaul to leap back, arms raised. For the first time, his movements weren't casual. He landed with a hard thud, his boots grinding against broken concrete.
Reiji narrowed his eyes. "You're quick to hide behind the ground. You afraid of a straight fight?"
Before Overhaul could answer, a shadow emerged from the alley—a tall figure in a business suit stepped into view. He wore tinted glasses and surgical tubing wrapped along his arms. His presence was cold, calculated, clinical.
"Chronostasis," Hawks muttered from above, still holding Eri protectively in his arms.
The man adjusted his gloves and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Overhaul doesn't need to waste energy here. Let me handle this."
Reiji dropped into a low stance, fire and shadow coiling around him like twin serpents. "Another one of yours? Fine. Let's see if you last longer."
Chronostasis gave a faint, emotionless smile.
"You won't even know you've lost."
In an instant—he moved.
A blur of motion, barely perceptible. The surrounding air rippled, and the world around Reiji suddenly felt... off. Sluggish. His vision swam as if he had been submerged in thick molasses.
The system flashed a red warning.
[Time Distortion Detected. Combat Tempo Shift Imminent. Reaction Sync Required. Initiating neural compensation...]
Reiji's heart pounded in his chest, not just from fear, but from the challenge.
Chronostasis raised his weapon.
Everything around Reiji began to slow.
And then—
He struck.
End of Chapter 55
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️