Night settled over N City.
The police headquarters was still running at full pace, lights on, officers moving in and out as if the day had never ended. Inside one of the offices, Inspector Inoue sat at his desk, sorting through the last of his paperwork before heading home.
He was almost done.
Then he saw the file.
"…Tch."
He pulled it out with clear irritation.
Shimura Tenko.
Just seeing the name was enough to sour his mood.
He flipped it open, his eyes landing on the attached photo. A blue-haired boy, relaxed, almost smiling like nothing in the world could bother him.
Inoue's expression darkened.
"What were those idiots thinking…"
"They actually listened to Eraser Head and let this kid go?"
He leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply.
"In my opinion, he should've been detained right there."
The more he thought about it, the worse it felt.
Earlier that day, he had let it slide. There were too many eyes, too many variables. It was easier to close the case and move on.
Now, it just looked like a mistake.
"A middle schooler interfering with police work… acting on his own… and he just walks away clean."
He tapped the file with his finger.
"Ridiculous."
Yes, the boy had taken down the villain.
But that didn't impress him.
Luck. That was all it was.
Did the kid even think about what could have gone wrong?
If the villain lost control, if civilians got caught in it, if things escalated out of hand...
Inoue snorted.
"Of course not."
"To him, it was just a chance to show off."
That was how he saw it.
Not bravery. Not responsibility.
Just arrogance.
He closed the file and set it aside.
"People like that are the worst."
"Call it justice all you want. It's still just violence."
And somehow, those types always got praised.
The media loved them. Civilians admired them.
One flashy act and suddenly they were heroes.
Meanwhile, the police handled real cases every day and no one cared.
"…What a joke."
He gathered a few documents and slipped them into his bag. Technically, that wasn't allowed, but at his level, no one was going to question it.
Even if they did, nothing would come of it.
He stood up, ready to leave, then paused.
"…Ah."
He opened his drawer and took out a flashlight.
"Almost forgot."
The streetlights near his apartment had been wrecked recently during a fight involving an electricity-type hero. Repairs hadn't been completed yet, so walking home meant dealing with darkness.
Another example, in his mind, of heroes causing as many problems as they solved.
With that thought, he stepped out into the night.
The streets were quiet.
Too quiet.
Only the sound of his own footsteps followed him as he walked, the beam of his flashlight cutting through the darkness ahead.
His thoughts drifted back to earlier.
"…That kid's way of thinking…"
He frowned.
"It felt familiar."
Something about it bothered him.
"…That man…"
The words slipped out without thinking.
"…Could there be a connection?"
"'That man'?"
A voice came from behind him.
Low. Close.
"What do you mean by that, officer?"
A hand rested on his shoulder.
Inoue let out an annoyed sigh.
"…Again?"
He didn't turn immediately.
"Aizawa, is that you?"
"You really need to stop showing up like this. One day you're going to scare someone to death."
He waved a hand.
"It's nothing important. Just talking to myself."
Then he turned.
And froze.
It wasn't Aizawa.
A young man stood there, face partially hidden by a black mask. Only one eye was visible.
Calm. Watching.
It took a second.
Then recognition hit.
Shigaraki Tomura.
The same person from the sludge villain incident. The one who had stirred up trouble just by opening his mouth.
Inoue's chest tightened.
No hesitation, he turned to run.
Because he understood one thing clearly.
He couldn't win.
He didn't even take a step.
A hand caught him by the throat.
Fast. Clean.
"—!"
His breath stopped instantly.
His body jerked as his back hit the wall behind him. His hands clawed at the grip around his neck, trying to pry it loose.
It didn't move.
Not even slightly.
Panic flooded in.
Real panic.
He tried to speak, but nothing came out. His throat was locked tight.
Shigaraki looked at him, expression indifferent.
Not angry.
Not emotional.
Just… done.
"Talking a lot earlier."
His voice was quiet.
"Thought you had more to say."
Inoue's eyes widened, fear finally breaking through whatever composure he had left.
Shigaraki didn't wait.
He tightened his grip.
The struggle lasted only a few seconds.
Then stopped.
The street fell silent again.
Shigaraki let go, stepping back slightly.
"Inconvenient people should be dealt with early."
He said it like it was obvious.
Like it didn't even need explaining.
No hesitation.
No regret.
He adjusted his sleeve, glanced once at the body, then turned and walked away into the dark as if nothing had happened.
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