Hari Kurono, Chronostasis, was Overhaul's right-hand man.
After today, that might not remain the case, he believed, staggering forward as he walked out of the flames.
Hari's plague mask had fallen off, revealing his bloodied face.
A bloody face was the least of his worries, though. Even his left side, which was thoroughly burned, couldn't make him think of anything else but the greatest asset of the Shie Hassaikai—other than Eri, of course.
The Ninth Bullet—Kannagi!
Chronostasis's eyes landed on the small figure of the boy, sprawled listlessly on the concrete, fire and ash raging all around.
Even in the dark, Hari could see the blood that had pooled under the boy.
If Kannagi were dead, then…
No.
Hari dared not think of the consequences.
He looked down at his left side to take his mind off those dark thoughts.
The white greatcoat he had been wearing was gone, revealing the unsightly burnt appearance of his left hand and thigh. The pain itself would have been enough to make him pass out if it hadn't been for the task he had to accomplish as the assistant of the Shie Hassaikai's Boss.
The Pro had punched him hard, but that had not been nearly enough to inflict such horrific wounds upon him.
In fact, the punch hadn't even incapacitated him.
Hari had taken a few moments, but he had surely stood back up, he remembered.
Then, out of nowhere, something had struck the back of his head, something very solid, like a bat.
It was that strike that had knocked him out.
It was that strike that was the reason behind his bloody face.
Who knew how much time had passed before he regained consciousness?
However, the moment he could tell he was alive, he had thrown himself to his feet, with only Kannagi's safety on his mind.
It was then that Hari realized this entire matter was cursed.
First, the Pros, who shouldn't have even been aware of the trade, had arrived.
Then, it seemed, the mysterious Dr. Blessed had caught a whiff of the matter as well, like the dog he was.
Because the moment Hari stood up, his eyes had reflected a sight he couldn't have imagined playing out in his wildest dreams. Not tonight.
The black-skinned thing, who had appeared so strong only moments ago, had died.
A man wearing a hat and wielding a gun was fighting the Pro Hero who had punched him, standing over the Monocle's dead body.
And beyond those two, Hari had spied the black, clownish-masked figure wearing a white coat, reaching into… into a crate of drugs and taking out a vial.
Before Hari could make a move, though, he had seen something extraordinary happen.
The man wearing the hat had broken apart into bits of paper before appearing in the middle of the field, carrying the Monocle's dead body on his shoulder.
And, Hari still didn't know why, the moment he had seen that man take off his hat and bow, he had experienced an insane feeling, as if something extremely horrible was going to happen.
Before Hari could act on that horrible feeling, an intense noise had blasted his ears, lifting him off his feet and throwing him dozens of meters away—scorching his left side to a crisp.
It had been nothing short of pure luck that he survived the explosion, Hari believed.
It didn't matter now, though.
All the drugs were gone.
Most of the members they had brought with them had succumbed to the combined might of the Pro Heroes and later explosions; the rest had run away.
The robed figures who had arrived with the ship were down, too.
The only thing Hari could do now was to salvage the situation as much as he could.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to return to the Shie Hassaikai HQ and show his face to Overhaul.
So, despite his state, Hari had used his Quirk to immobilize the Pros.
Hari's Quirk was Chronostasis. He could freely lengthen the two clock-hand-like locks of hair on his head. If struck, the Minute Hand made the target pause for a minute, while the Hour Hand made the target pause for an hour. The only weakness it had was that he couldn't move while using his Quirk. Not something he had needed to be mindful of tonight, it felt, ironically.
Of course, knowing how powerful the blond Pro Hero, Lemillion, was, Hari had used his Hour Hand on him. With his Minute Hand, he had struck the clam-backed Pro Hero, who seemed to be protecting the girl.
If it had been any other time, then…
No.
Focus!
Ignoring the two Pros petrified in time, Hari dragged himself to Kannagi and put his fingers on the boy's neck.
"He… lives…" the Yakuza breathed out in shock, but also in relief.
Now, he just needed to take Kannagi as far away from the Pros as possible…
Hari tried not to think about how he would do that in his condition, instead focusing on throwing the boy over his right shoulder and turning around to leave.
It was then that he spied another figure rushing toward him.
It was the Bullet he had brought with him—Shin Nemoto—Kannagi's guardian, appointed by Overhaul.
Chronostasis thanked his lucky stars.
"How are you still alive?!" Shin hissed, hurriedly taking the boy onto his shoulders.
"I… managed it," Hari replied. "Listen. Take the boy and run… I… I will keep the Pros… here."
Shin paused, as if undergoing an immense bout of shock. "… are you… sure?" he asked after a while, nervously.
Hari grinned.
Getting the cue, Shin almost bolted, disappearing into the smoke within moments.
Sighing and preparing to fight a losing battle, Hari turned around to face the Pro who would be coming out of his Minute Hand's effect soon.
However, the moment he faced the Pros, someone again called out from behind.
"Where's Kannagi?" the voice asked feebly, forcing an urge within Hari to reply truthfully. "Why are you just standing here?"
Even before turning around, Hari felt dread fill his bones.
Then, frame by frame, he turned around and looked over his shoulder…
…and saw Shin Nemoto standing behind him, holding his broken hand and eyeing him in confusion from behind his plague mask.