RUMBLE!
Just as the Five Fingers of the Hand felt victory was within their grasp, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Dust and pebbles rained down from the cavern ceiling, and a dull roar echoed throughout the underground space.
The ninja army besieging the Defenders froze. Everyone looked up. They were deep underground; if the ceiling collapsed, no one would escape alive.
BOOM!
The concrete slab at the bottom of the elevator shaft collapsed directly. Massive chunks of debris fell rapidly. The Five Fingers leaped away just in time, but several ninjas who failed to react were instantly smashed into bloody paste.
The Defenders secretly cursed that the villains weren't crushed, but they were grateful the entire cavern hadn't come down on their heads.
At that moment, a figure appeared at the entrance of the collapsed shaft, floating gently downward and landing slowly on a pile of rubble.
"Who are you?" Alexandra asked quietly, her eyes narrowing.
"Aizen Sōsuke."
His voice was very flat, casual. It felt like he was just making small talk, appearing extremely calm and completely ignoring the surrounding ninja army as if they were nothing.
Alexandra noticed that his brown eyes behind the rectangular glasses held no fluctuation of emotion. It was as if he were looking at insects.
Light Inksworth stared at the ninjas around him, then at Daredevil and the others he had met once before, his expression unmoved. His current appearance was calculated to hide his true identity.
His current appearance was a disguise.
He had used the Transformation Technique to change his hair, clothes, and facial features, though his genetic structure remained human. He looked exactly like the villain from Bleach.
He had taken all factors into consideration before setting out.
He couldn't just walk out swaggeringly as himself; trouble would come to his door if he did. Currently, his comics needed to be released on the market, and he couldn't afford to appear in front of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a vigilante.
He couldn't afford S.H.I.E.L.D. knocking on his door every day.
He needed a persona.
In order not to reveal his true identity, Light used the Transformation Technique to become someone who, in this world's history, had never existed before.
Since Bleach had only released one chapter so far, Aizen Sōsuke wouldn't appear in the manga for another two months. By the time S.H.I.E.L.D. realized the connection, it would be too late.
'Speak of the devil, and they shall appear', Light sensed movement above. A group of people was rappelling down behind a woman with wavy red hair. S.H.I.E.L.D. had already arrived on the scene.
Daredevil, however, felt a spark of recognition. His super senses told him through heartbeat and scent that the name "Aizen Sōsuke" was a pseudonym, and the man's appearance had changed.
In fact, he was the cartoonist he met earlier.
But Matt didn't say anything. Light was obviously here to help them; it seemed the Punisher had successfully brought in the heavy artillery.
"Japanese?" Alexandra asked, analyzing his name.
Her eyes condensed. This vigilant stranger who came from the unknown revealed extraordinary gestures just now. They had all used the elevator or ropes to get down because the height was significant, yet he floated.
Light ignored her. He walked slowly toward the Five Fingers.
The Hand ninjas moved like ghosts in the dark, their footsteps silent as they formed a red tide encircling him. They held katanas, kusarigama, and shuriken, aiming their sharp killing intent at Light's vital points.
They immediately identified him as the primary threat, leaving only a skeleton crew to watch Daredevil and his party.
"It doesn't matter whether the dust removed is one speck or two," Light said calmly, looking at the army with mild interest. "To the naked eye, it makes no difference."
As soon as the voice fell, he moved.
Shunpo.
He vanished.
In the next instant, he was standing directly in front of a ninja. The man's face twisted in shock; he hadn't even seen him move.
Light snatched the katana from the ninja's hand. A flash of cold light followed.
The ninja lost consciousness and collapsed, cut down before he could blink.
Then, the cold light began to dance among the wolves.
Slash!
Light moved through the army like a silver phantom. Each swing of the blade created a vacuum of air pressure, the force smashing bodies as if they were made of paper.
Screams filled the cavern. Limbs flew. Blood sprayed like crimson fountains. It was a slaughter.
In less than a minute, a third of the ninja army—hundreds of trained killers—lay dead. Tattered corpses were scattered everywhere, and the pungent smell of iron filled the air.
Blood gathered on the floor, forming a stream that flowed toward the excavation pit.
"A life not commensurate with strength is just a waste," Light said, flicking the blood off his stolen katana.
The Five Fingers stared with dignified horror at the carnage.
Madame Gao's eyes turned cold. "Useless trash. I will do it myself."
Although it wasn't clear what Light's upper limit was, in their opinion, he was just fast and skilled with a sword.
But they were the Five Fingers. They possessed the secret Chi techniques of Kunlun, honed over centuries. They were masters of all martial arts, East and West.
The remaining ninjas bowed their heads in shame and split apart to create a path for her.
Madame Gao moved swiftly for an old woman. She filled her body with Chi and rushed out like an arrow from a bow. Her palm glowed with a faint white light as she aimed a lethal strike at Light's chest.
SNAP!
A crisp, resounding slap echoed underground.
Madame Gao felt a severe pain in her face. The world spun. She flew backward like a whipped top, crashing through several of her own ninjas before skidding to a halt.
"Blargh."
Madame Gao spat out several teeth and a mouthful of blood. A bright red handprint was branded onto her face.
The pupils of the other four leaders shrank to pinpoints. They looked at Light with growing dread.
Only then did they realize: the man in front of them didn't have a single drop of blood on his white kimono, despite slaughtering a hundred men.
"Let's go together," Alexandra said in a low voice. "He is only one person."
Murakami, Sowande, and Bakuto nodded. Madame Gao shakily got to her feet, realizing her Chi was useless against raw speed.
The five of them surrounded Light, keeping a cautious distance, looking for flaws.
"Why keep your distance?" Light asked, adjusting his glasses. "If you want to hit me, you should approach me. Or are you afraid that if you get too close, I might disappear from your sight?"
The Five Fingers sneered, preparing their weapons.
"If that is the case," Light continued, "it is just an unnecessary annoyance. Fighting distance only has meaning when the opponents are equal in strength. Therefore, the distance between you and me... carries no meaning at all."
As soon as the voice fell, Light appeared in front of all five of them simultaneously.
Afterimage Clone.
Five Light Inksworths swung their blades at the same time.
Slash!
The powerful force split the air.
"Uh..."
The Five Fingers' eyes went wide. They wanted to make a sound, but their throats wouldn't work.
A thin red line appeared on each of their bodies.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One after another, the leaders of the Hand fell to the ground, cut down in a single stroke.
Light had never considered them a threat. They weren't even worth using a real Super Move on.
The remaining ninja army fell into a stunned silence. Then, a collective roar erupted. They were dead men walking. Without the Fingers, they had no purpose. Revenge filled their minds.
They charged.
At that moment, the S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical team finished rappelling down.
"Don't move!" Black Widow shouted, aiming her pistols.
But no one listened. The ninjas ignored the agents and rushed toward Light like a tsunami.
"Fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents opened fire. Muzzle flashes lit up the dark cavern. Bullets tore through the red-clad assassins, but the ninjas kept crawling toward Light even as they were shot.
Within moments, the entire army was dead. Not a single ninja surrendered.
Hawkeye frowned, lowering his bow. "That man... he didn't dodge."
The agents' guns didn't have eyes. Light was in the middle of the crossfire. Even if they didn't aim at him, stray bullets had definitely hit him.
But Light still stood there calmly, looking at the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with a faint smile.
He raised his hand and opened his palm.
Clatter.
With the sound of metal on stone, a handful of flattened bullets fell from his hand to the floor.
The sound shocked everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. He had caught them? Or had they simply bounced off his skin?
"Since you want to join the party," Light said, his brown eyes gleaming behind his glasses, "then let's have some fun."
He waved his hand.
"ROAR!!"
A loud, bestial roar echoed in everyone's ears. No creature appeared, but everyone clearly felt a massive, invisible presence manifest in the cavern.
Summoning: Hollow.
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Word count: 1569
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