"We understand your reason for acting."
The middle-aged officer forced his tone back under control, though the strain was obvious.
"Now let's talk about how you subdued him."
He tapped the file again.
"If the information we've gathered is correct, that criminal's Quirk was extremely powerful."
Before his temper could snap completely, the man leaning against the interrogation room door finally spoke.
Kamui Woods pushed himself off the wall with a quiet sigh.
If he didn't step in now, he was genuinely worried the officer might lose it right here in the room.
As he spoke, Kamui Woods recalled the data he had reviewed earlier—the file on the shark-headed villain who had torn through four city blocks.
His gaze settled firmly on Shigaraki.
Serious. Focused.
"Unless someone has a direct counter to his Quirk," he said evenly, "even a Pro Hero cannot guarantee ending that fight instantly."
A brief pause.
"But you did."
His tone sharpened slightly.
"And you're still a student."
"Shimura Tenko… can you explain how you accomplished that?"
For a moment, Shigaraki looked like he was actually thinking about it.
Then—
he answered, completely seriously:
"I worked hard."
He nodded faintly, as if affirming his own effort.
"And I was already holding back a lot so I wouldn't accidentally kill him."
…
The room went dead silent.
Then—
"That's not something you can achieve with 'hard work' alone!"
The officer slammed his palm against the table, finally unable to contain himself.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
His voice cracked with frustration.
Staring at Shigaraki's calm, almost innocent expression, he felt his blood pressure spike.
Ever since this kid walked into the station, his composure had been slipping again and again—
more times in the past hour than in the last year combined.
It was like the boy had an instinct for finding exactly what irritated him most—
and pressing on it.
Hard.
What he couldn't understand was this:
Why?
Why was this kid so calm?
So relaxed?
This wasn't a casual conversation.
This was an interrogation.
He had used his Quirk in public.
Engaged in violent combat.
From a legal standpoint, that already placed him dangerously close to being classified as a villain.
Did he really not understand his situation?
Or—
did he simply not care?
"Inspector Inoue."
Kamui Woods' voice cut in quietly.
"Let's set aside the matter of his Quirk for now."
He stepped forward and placed a hand lightly on the officer's shoulder.
"Don't forget—whether he's concealing the true nature of his Quirk or misleading us about its capabilities…"
"…that's not the key issue we should be focusing on right now."
To be honest, Kamui Woods wasn't pleased with Shigaraki's attitude either.
But unlike the officer, he didn't allow that irritation to cloud his judgment.
He remained calm.
Measured.
Because he was a Pro Hero.
Inoue lowered his head, breathing slowly.
He thought about those words.
Then, after a moment, he looked up again.
"You're right, Kamui Woods."
His tone had steadied.
"Regardless of what his Quirk is—or how he used it to defeat the criminal—that's not the central issue."
His eyes hardened.
"The real problem is that he used his Quirk in a public space."
"That alone violates current law."
In this society, for the sake of order and control, nearly every country enforced strict regulations on Quirk usage in public.
Using a Quirk for combat—
that was a privilege reserved exclusively for licensed Pro Heroes.
Anyone without a license?
They weren't even allowed to use their Quirk for "good deeds."
Not even for self-defense.
So from a legal standpoint—
Shigaraki's actions had already crossed the line.
And crossing that line meant one thing.
You were no longer a law-abiding citizen.
You were a violator.
A criminal.
An enemy of the system.
"…Hey."
Shigaraki finally spoke again from behind the bulletproof glass.
He rolled his eyes slightly.
"Are you guys misunderstanding something here?"
His tone was casual.
Almost bored.
Like he was correcting a small mistake.
"You think I used my Quirk?"
He tilted his head.
"That oversized idiot blocking my path—what was so special about him that I'd need a Quirk to take him down?"
A faint, mocking smile appeared.
"That's a pretty insulting assumption, don't you think?"
The officer let out a cold snort.
Defeat that monster—
without using a Quirk?
This kid?
Impossible.
As for Kamui Woods—
he said nothing.
But the doubt in his eyes was obvious.
Shigaraki noticed it.
Of course he did.
And the corner of his lips curled upward slightly.
There was a trace of ridicule in that expression—
directed at everyone in the room.
"In this kind of superhuman society…"
He spoke slowly.
"…people like to believe that Quirks are everything."
His gaze remained calm.
Unshaken.
"But the reason I beat that idiot…"
"…wasn't because my Quirk was stronger than his."
He paused.
Then added, almost lazily—
"To be honest—"
"That criminal who destroyed four entire city blocks…"
Shigaraki's eyes half-lidded.
His voice carried faint disdain.
"…was pathetically weak."
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