"What the—?!"
The people nearby stared in shock.
It wasn't that the monster was terrifying—everything had just happened so fast that no one had time to react.
In a matter of seconds, both Shin and the creature had vanished down the street.
"What was that?! Was it a villain?"
A middle-aged man in a suit craned his neck, trying to see what had happened—but the street ahead was already empty.
"Call the police! I think that thing grabbed a kid!"
Another passerby frowned, pulling out his phone.
"Yeah. Let's report it."
"Hahaha! What a nice body you've got there, kid."
In a dark alley, the green sludge monster's slimy tentacles coiled around Shin's neck, tightening, rubbing against his skin.
"Too bad you ran into me. Better luck in your next life!"
As it spoke, the monster stretched a slimy tendril toward Shin's nose, then his ear.
Shin narrowed his eyes. His dark pupils shimmered—and began to change.
Just as the red glow of his Sharingan began to flicker—
"HEY! You—sludge monster!"
A voice rang out, sharp and angry.
Both Shin and the creature turned toward the sound.
A kid, about Shin's age, stood at the end of the alley. His pale blond hair caught the light, and his eyes burned with fury. The aura around him practically screamed don't mess with me.
"Huh?"
The sludge monster stared, then smirked.
"Thought it was a hero or something. Just another brat."
It sneered, tightening its grip on Shin.
"I'm busy, kid. Get lost."
"Then come through me first."
The boy lifted his chin slightly, his fists clenched as sparks crackled in his palms.
"Hold on—I'll get you out in a sec," he said to Shin, voice dripping with confidence.
"…You?"
The monster laughed, as if it had just heard the dumbest joke of its life.
A kid? Save someone? What did he think he was—some kind of Pro Hero?
Shin recognized the boy immediately.
Bakugo Katsuki.
A hothead, but quick-thinking, with huge potential.
Quirk: Explosion.
His palms secreted a nitroglycerin-like sweat that he could ignite at will. In the summer, when he sweated more, his explosions were stronger; in winter, not as much.
"You looking down on me?!"
Bakugo's eyes blazed as the sparks in his hands flared brighter.
"I'll show you what hell looks like!"
"…They're both ignoring me now."
Shin glanced from the sludge monster to Bakugo, blinking in mild amusement.
With most of the creature's focus on Bakugo, the grip of the slime around Shin loosened.
At this point, even without Madara's strength, he could break free with a bit of effort.
"Nice Quirk you've got there," the monster hissed, eyes gleaming greedily.
"If I can take that for myself, I can finally settle the score with him…"
Consumed by his ambition, the creature forgot all about Shin.
The slimy tendrils unwrapped from him as it lunged toward Bakugo instead.
"Perfect!"
Bakugo's lips curled into a smirk.
The sparks in his hands flared hotter, excitement burning in his chest.
BOOM!!!
Bakugo channeled all his power into a punch, his fist slamming into the monster.
Flames burst out in every direction, explosions rocking the alley.
The noise drew police officers and curious onlookers.
Someone in the crowd gasped.
"It's that sludge villain from before!"
"I thought All Might caught him—how's he out again?!"
"Who's fighting him now?"
"I can't tell… it looks like—just a kid?"
"Hey, look—there's another kid over there!"
A sharp-eyed girl pointed at Shin, who was calmly watching the fight unfold.
"Where are the heroes?! Have they been called?"
"Yeah, they're on their way!"
"Damn it… Why didn't it work?!"
Bakugo gritted his teeth, using the wall behind him to push off and put distance between himself and the monster.
He'd given it everything he had, but the villain looked unharmed.
It wasn't even a defensive Quirk—it had just shrugged off the blast.
The realization made him scowl.
"…He tanked that?!"
The monster oozed closer, its voice low and eager.
"I like you more and more, kid…"
Bakugo kept up his attacks, but his stamina was flagging.
"Run! Get out of here—go hide somewhere safe!"
Bakugo shouted to Shin, seeing him as just some helpless bystander.
Shin glanced at the burning wreckage around them and spread his hands, helpless.
"Where exactly am I supposed to run to? You've set the whole place on fire."
"Then find cover or something!"
Bakugo didn't look back as he launched another explosion.
BOOM!
The flames roared higher.
Shin exhaled slowly.
"…Thanks for the tip. But I don't need to hide."
His eyes flickered shut—and when they opened again, they glowed scarlet.
Three black tomoe spun slowly in the depths of his Sharingan.
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A/N: Please Leave A Comment Or Drop A Powerstone It'll mean alot to me...