After a few minutes, Fuse managed to calm Granny Tanaka completely. He guided the still-trembling old woman to sit on the porch chair, then brought her a glass of warm water from the kitchen.
While waiting for the authorities to arrive, Fuse began weaving reality. He spoke in a low, gentle tone that carried undeniable authority, crafting a "script" of events that the two of them had to agree on. The old woman, who still saw Fuse as her savior hero, simply nodded obediently to every instruction from the youth.
Not long after, the silence of the night was shattered by the wailing of sirens. Red and blue lights spun, sweeping across house walls and the empty asphalt street. A police patrol car screeched to a stop in front of the fence, followed by the arrival of a pro hero who had been patrolling the area.
Hearing them come, Fuse—who stood casually outside the door—smiled in relief. His plan was running smoothly. He greeted the uniformed officers and Pro Hero Kamui Woods, who ran over with a wary expression.
Fuse was questioned briefly about the situation. Without saying much, he simply lifted his chin and pointed toward the black-clad criminal still snoring unconscious and tightly bound by the clothesline pipe.
The officers quickly secured the burglar. They removed Fuse's iron pipe bindings and replaced them with standard police steel handcuffs before throwing the criminal into the back seat of the patrol car.
Once the area was declared safe, a senior police officer with a small notebook approached Fuse. The real questioning began.
"Kid, your name is Fuse Yasushi, correct?" The officer tapped his pen. "How did you manage to find the burglar and subdue him?"
Fuse cleared his throat softly. He put on a serious, deeply concerned expression like a model citizen.
"I was walking home and had just reached my own front door, sir," Fuse said, pointing toward his house next door. "This neighborhood is usually very quiet—rarely anyone throwing parties or causing trouble at night. Then I heard a scream."
Fuse paused, letting the dramatic effect sink in.
"That voice was very familiar to me and definitely not a young person joking around. It was Granny Tanaka's voice. As a good neighbor, I immediately ran here to check and found her fallen in her hallway."
"And then?" The officer nodded, writing quickly.
"She looked very frightened and in pain," Fuse continued smoothly. "She was stammering when she spoke. Only then did she say a burglar had broken in. She told me the burglar had already run off when she screamed, carrying some valuables in a large black bag."
Fuse sighed. "But it seems the goddess of luck was on our side, sir. When I ran outside to chase him, the burglar had already collapsed on the ground. Maybe he panicked and tripped over his own feet, especially since his stolen loot looked very heavy. So, carefully and avoiding direct physical contact, I used my Quirk and tied him up with the clothesline pipe that was lying in the grass so he wouldn't escape when he woke up."
The officer nodded slowly.
Of course, it was all a big lie he had carefully fabricated. Fuse had already told Granny Tanaka to cooperate with this story for everyone's benefit.
It would be a long and troublesome matter if the authorities found out he had deliberately used his Quirk in public to attack and injure someone before obtaining a Provisional Hero License. Morally it was an act of self-defense and protecting others, but vigilante laws were strict. Better not complicate everything just because he wanted to show off his power in front of ordinary police.
After that, Fuse thought with a cynical smile, if the burglar wakes up later and starts babbling crazy things about flying nails that curved or a stolen bag that slammed into his own face… the police will just think he's insane.
The police would only conclude that this high-school youth happened to find a fallen burglar and tied him up. And that the burglar was too embarrassed to admit he passed out from tripping while escaping, so he made up a supernatural story about Fuse's Quirk to save face. But if the officers really suspected Fuse had used his Quirk to injure the criminal… well, he had tried to minimize the risk.
Soon, other curious neighbors had come out of their houses in pajamas after Fuse finished being interviewed. Those NPC extras also gave statements that they had vaguely heard Granny Tanaka's scream and the dog's barking, validating Fuse's story.
Kamui Woods stepped forward toward Fuse. Though the face behind his wooden mask wasn't clearly visible, the pro hero patted Fuse's shoulder and laughed a little in admiration.
"Good work, kid. Sharp instincts and smart restraining action. You did something very good today," Kamui Woods praised.
Of course, Fuse thought, barely holding back an eye-roll. I'm the main hero here. Your praise is simply the law of nature.
The interview ended. The officers thanked him for his civilian bravery, and the patrol car drove off carrying the burglar to a detention cell, escorted by Kamui in the front passenger seat.
After making sure everything was settled, Fuse turned and went home. He walked slowly, feeling the last traces of adrenaline fade. He had acted like a shadow hero, securing his territory from pests without a single legal stain on his name. It was a good thing.
As he stepped closer to his porch, he saw his mother, Sakura, standing in the doorway. The woman had her arms folded across her chest, her eyes radiating unconcealed worry.
"Fuse, are you okay?" his mother called immediately. She stepped forward and grabbed his shoulders, turning her son's body to check for any wounds or blood.
"Relax, Mom. Everything's fine," Fuse gently brushed her hands away, smiling confidently. "There was just a little problem next door. But the burglar passed out from his own clumsiness even before I came to tie him up."
His mother stared at Fuse intently, eyes narrowing with doubt. Of course she didn't fully believe the story. Sakura knew her son's personality too well. This boy always wanted to be the center of attention in every incident, especially with his burning obsession to become the Number One Hero.
"Are you sure? You didn't try to play the fool hero and fight that adult alone, did you?" Sakura asked in a probing tone. "Mom heard the commotion. Mom almost called your father home from the office."
"I'm serious, Mom. When have I ever lied to you?" Fuse put on an extremely convincing innocent face. "I'm an intellectual hero. I wouldn't waste my energy fighting someone as clumsy as that. Let gravity punish him."
Sakura let out a long sigh, relief mixed with tired frustration.
"Mom just hopes you won't rush ahead and run there first every time there's trouble," Sakura scolded, her index finger lightly poking Fuse's chest. "You're still a first-year student! You don't have a hero license yet! You should call the neighbors or wake Mom first. The more adults who come to help, the better and safer it is."
Fuse rolled his eyes, unable to hold back any longer, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know, Mom. But Granny's scream blinded all that logical thinking," Fuse defended himself, uttering the dramatic poetic line he knew would melt his mother's heart.
In his head, however, he thought the opposite: It's not like the neighbors would be useful. Calling them would only create extra chaos. They'd scream, call the police earlier, and the criminal might panic and actually kill Granny Tanaka. Their crowd would only block my stage and ruin my original script.
"Besides," Fuse added arrogantly, "everything's over. Granny Tanaka is safe, her valuables are back, and that low-tier criminal will sleep behind iron bars. It's a total victory."
"Still, you gave Mom a heart attack," Sakura complained, lightly hitting Fuse's shoulder. "What if the burglar had a sharp knife? What if he had a deadly Quirk? Think about your own safety too. You just got out of the hospital this afternoon, for heaven's sake!"
"Heroes don't know the word rest, Mom." Fuse grinned smugly. "And as a true protagonist, I have thick plot armor. Danger will always avoid me… or I'll destroy it first."
"Stop that weird rambling," Sakura shook her head in resignation. She grabbed Fuse's arm and pulled him inside the house. "Thank goodness your father isn't home, or he'd give you a full-hour lecture on public law and safety."
The two of them walked down the hallway toward the warm living room. The smell of leftover dinner lingered, giving a comforting sensation after the tense day. Fuse was just about to drop himself onto his beloved sofa to relax when his mother's voice suddenly stopped him.
"Don't sit there."
Fuse turned, confused. "Why? I'm tired. Crafting a flawless interview script for the police drained the gray matter in my brain."
Sakura stood with hands on her hips, looking at Fuse from head to toe with disapproval.
"Future pillar or not, protagonist or extra, you now smell of sweat and street dust," his mother ordered firmly, pointing toward the bathroom hallway. "Go to the bathroom. Wash yourself with plenty of soap. Shower. Now."
Fuse groaned softly, his shoulders slumping instantly. Defeating a dangerous criminal and fooling the police turned out to be far easier than defying the absolute authority of a mother inside her own house.
"Fine, Your Majesty," Fuse grumbled sarcastically, dragging his feet toward the bathroom. "The future hero will go cleanse the dust of crime from his majestic body."
…
The light on the patrol car's roof had been turned off to avoid drawing too much attention from the resting residents nearby. Only the dim yellow glow of streetlights occasionally swept across the inside of the cabin, creating long shadows that flickered and vanished quickly.
Taichi, a police officer, gripped the steering wheel with both hands. His gaze stayed fixed ahead on the empty asphalt road. Beside him sat Kamui Woods, who had joined to escort the suspect that night. Shinji stared out the window warily, his wooden helmet reflecting the streetlight.
In the back seat, separated by thick, sturdy iron bars, lay the earlier burglar. The black-clad man was still sound asleep, snoring softly in an uncomfortable position. His head occasionally bumped against the barred window every time the car hit a slightly uneven patch of road.
"Pretty strange night, huh?" Taichi finally broke the stiff silence inside the car. He glanced at the hero from the corner of his eye.
Kamui turned, letting out a soft sigh. The wood on his shoulder creaked faintly. "Yes, Taichi-san. It's been an exhausting day."
Taichi nodded silently in agreement. He was just about to open further conversation about the recklessness of today's high-school kids when everything shook.
Suddenly, a large shadow leaped from the roof of a building beside the road!
The figure landed with a heavy thud right in the middle of the road, directly in the path of their patrol car. Under the car's headlights, the figure looked like a giant man whose entire skin was made of sharp, jagged stone layers.
"Die, you fake justice!" the stone villain roared. He swung his fist—size of a washing machine—toward the ground, brutally creating sharp stone pillars that erupted from the asphalt!
"Shit, watch out!" Taichi shouted on reflex.
He yanked the steering wheel and slammed the brakes. But the stone pillars shot forward too fast. They slammed into the underside of the police car's chassis with tremendous force.
The car lifted into the air, lost balance, and rolled hard. Glass shattered everywhere. Metal screeched painfully as the patrol car skidded several meters before finally stopping upside down, white smoke pouring from the hood.
Inside the overturned cabin, Kamui reacted quickly. He had used his wooden vines at the last second to create cushions around Taichi and himself, preventing fatal injuries from the crash.
"Taichi-san! Are you all right?!" Kamui unbuckled his seatbelt and kicked open the dented door.
"I-I'm okay," Taichi groaned, holding his bleeding head from the minor impact. "Ugh… my head's spinning…"
"Stay inside! I'll handle this villain!" Kamui shouted.
The wooden hero crawled out of the overturned car. With agile movements he leaped onto the hood, extended his wooden arms into whips, and immediately charged the stone villain who was preparing to attack again. A fierce battle broke out on the once-quiet road.
Inside the car, Taichi forced himself to stay conscious. He fumbled for his seatbelt, unbuckled it, and fell onto the roof that was now the floor.
His breathing was ragged. He crawled with difficulty out the door Kamui Woods had opened. The cold night air swept across his bloodied face.
"Ah… our prisoner," Taichi muttered in panic. He remembered the burglar they were transporting.
With still-trembling legs, Taichi stood up. He limped around the wrecked patrol car toward the rear door. The window glass was completely shattered, and the iron bars were badly bent from the impact.
Taichi poked his head into the overturned back cabin.
Empty.
Taichi's heart seemed to stop beating. The steel handcuffs lay broken on the car roof, but the black-clad man was nowhere to be seen.
"N-no way… Where did he go?!" Taichi spun around in panic, eyes darting wildly across the dimly lit street. In the distance, Kamui was still busy slamming the stone villain.
Suddenly, an unnatural chill crawled up Taichi's nape.
A hand wearing thin leather gloves reached out from the darkness at his blind spot. Without any sound of footsteps, without any detectable killing intent… the five fingers gently touched the back of Taichi's neck.
Tap.
Taichi froze. He tried to shout for Kamui Woods, tried to reach for his weapon.
But the moment his skin made contact with those fingers, Taichi's world exploded into millions of black fragments. His vision blurred instantly, turning into layered haze. All his strength drained away like water spilled on hot asphalt.
There was no pain. Only an extremely extreme drowsiness that forcibly shut down his entire central nervous system in a fraction of a millisecond.
Taichi collapsed limply. His body hit the asphalt without any resistance, eyes tightly closed.
Before his consciousness completely vanished, in the remnants of his hearing he caught a soft laugh slowly fading into the shadows of the night.
…
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