Seeing the panic on Shigaraki's face—
that helpless, trembling fear—
the two thugs exchanged another glance.
Then, almost at the same time, their expressions twisted into something filthy.
A silent understanding passed between them.
Jackpot.
This one's a prize.
That delicate face… that slight build…
Dress him up, and he'd look better than most girls.
And the best part?
No consequences.
No risk.
Just pure, disgusting indulgence.
They had already decided—
even if they had to get rough—
they weren't letting this one go.
After all, this alley was deep enough, quiet enough.
Even if he screamed himself hoarse—
no one would come.
"Hey, hey, little guy… don't be scared."
The green-haired thug crouched slightly, wearing a fake, syrupy smile.
"We're good people, you know~"
As he spoke, his hand reached out—
slowly—
toward Shigaraki's face.
And right on cue—
the fear in Shigaraki's eyes deepened.
"D-don't come closer…"
He flinched back, then suddenly raised his hand as if mustering courage—
and weakly slapped the thug's hand away.
The strike carried no force.
Barely even a sting.
Then, baring his teeth, he tried to sound fierce:
"I-I'm really strong… you'd better not mess with me…"
For a split second—
there was silence.
Then—
the alley erupted in laughter.
"Hahahahaha—!"
"This kid's adorable!"
They were delighted.
No—
more than that.
Excited.
Because this kind of resistance—
weak, futile, desperate—
was exactly what they liked.
It made everything more entertaining.
More stimulating.
But what they didn't notice—
was the shift in Shigaraki's eyes.
Beneath that trembling, fearful surface—
something cold flickered.
Something amused.
He'd had enough fun.
He was just about to end it—
when suddenly—
a voice cut through the alley.
"You… what are you doing?!"
The voice was low.
Unsteady.
But it didn't break.
At the alley entrance stood a girl.
Messy black hair.
A standard middle school uniform.
A backpack slung over her shoulders.
Her entire presence felt… dim.
Gloomy.
Like a shadow clinging to the edge of light.
Her face was pale—
so pale it looked like she might collapse at any moment.
And yet—
despite the fear written all over her—
she had still spoken.
Still stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
Her legs trembled.
Her voice nearly gave out.
"L-let him go!"
The two thugs paused.
Annoyance flickered across their faces.
Who the hell dared interrupt them now?
But when they turned—
and saw her clearly—
their expressions changed again.
This time—
into something even worse.
"…Oh?"
"Well, would you look at that."
"A bonus."
They grinned.
"Today must be our lucky day."
"First we find a pretty little boy…"
"And now a cute little girl walks right in on her own?"
They exchanged a glance.
Their smiles grew wider.
Filthier.
As seasoned lowlifes, they knew one thing well:
Pick your targets.
Avoid threats.
Exploit weakness.
And this girl—
no matter how you looked at her—
was weak.
No presence.
No confidence.
No power.
Not even a hint of resistance.
If it had been someone intimidating—
someone radiating danger—
they might have backed off.
But her?
She was nothing.
The green-haired thug stepped forward again, his eyes roaming over her without restraint.
"Well, little sister…"
"You want us to let him go?"
"Sure. No problem."
The girl's eyes flickered.
Hope.
For a brief second—
hope appeared.
But the next words crushed it instantly.
"You can take his place."
The grin on his face widened.
"Since you care so much about him…"
"…you don't mind playing with us instead, right?"
As he spoke—
he suddenly took a heavy step forward.
Aggressive.
Closing the distance in an instant.
As if to grab her right then and there.
"Ah—!"
The girl's composure shattered.
Her already trembling legs gave out completely.
She stumbled backward—
and fell hard onto the cold, dirty ground.
Her pupils shook violently.
Filled with raw, unfiltered fear.
The two thugs saw that—
and their last trace of caution disappeared.
So she'd just been bluffing.
Pathetic.
Completely harmless.
With that confirmed—
their mood soared.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
"Look at that!"
"She's terrified!"
Finding one victim was already good luck.
Finding two—
and both completely defenseless?
That was a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
Even Shigaraki, who had been watching from the side—
felt a flicker of… disbelief.
Seriously?
If you had strength, that'd be one thing.
But you clearly don't.
And you still charged in?
Trying to play the hero?
Are you kidding?
Is this what they call—
delivering yourself to the wolves?
One wasn't enough—
so you brought a second along?
He exhaled softly.
Annoyed.
But not indifferent.
Because—
no matter how foolish it was—
her intention had been genuine.
She had stepped in to help him.
She had chosen to act—
despite being afraid.
And people like that—
shouldn't be crushed by trash like this.
Still—
that didn't mean he approved.
Helping others required the ability to actually help.
Otherwise—
you just dragged yourself down with them.
This kind of "bravery"…
was just another form of recklessness.
"…Honestly."
Shigaraki lowered his gaze slightly.
"Learn your limits first."
Then—
he moved.
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