Chapter 15: Power Beyond the Hero Killer
The moment Stain finished speaking, he suddenly vanished from where he stood.
His speed was now more than twice as fast as before.
However—
In Izuna's eyes, it was still nothing more than slow motion.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
Under the dim streetlights, Stain's blade flashed repeatedly through the air. Silver reflections flickered across the alley as his sword strikes rained down relentlessly.
Within just a few dozen seconds, Stain swung his blade hundreds of times.
Every single strike landed on the blue skeletal structure surrounding Izuna.
Yet to Stain's shock—
He couldn't harm Izuna at all.
Not even a single crack appeared in the defense.
Only then did Stain begin to realize how serious the situation was.
His Quirk, Bloodcurdle, allowed him to paralyze anyone whose blood he consumed. The paralysis duration depended on the victim's blood type.
But now—
He couldn't even break through Izuna's defense.
Without drawing blood, his Quirk was completely useless.
During his long life as the Hero Killer, Stain had encountered very few defenses he couldn't break.
Izuna's was one of them.
"Have you finished?"
Seeing that Stain had stopped attacking, Izuna finally spoke.
"Is it my turn now?"
"Damn it…" Death Arms, who lay behind Izuna, was still struggling to move his injured body, but it was pointless.
He had to admit that Izuna's Quirk was powerful.
But without proper training or combat experience, even a strong Quirk could easily amount to nothing.
"I told you to go find a professional hero!!!"
Death Arms practically shouted the words.
But Izuna acted as though he hadn't heard him at all and continued walking forward calmly.
Death Arms felt like he was about to collapse.
"Heh… kid."
Stain's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Izuna.
"I admit your Quirk is powerful."
"But if you want to become a hero, you're still too naive."
"Because you don't have the consciousness of a hero!"
"Who said I wanted to become a hero?" Izuna replied calmly.
His hands slipped casually into his pockets as the scarlet glow of his eyes intensified beneath the moonlight.
"What do you mean by that?" Stain frowned.
"Exactly what it sounds like."
Izuna glanced briefly toward Death Arms behind him.
"I just think he's someone worth saving."
"So I decided to help."
"That's all."
"You—!"
Stain's teeth clenched as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"Originally I only planned to cripple you."
"But now…"
"I have to kill you."
Izuna's words struck directly at Stain's beliefs.
Among all the things he despised most were heroes who acted without true conviction.
And in Stain's eyes—
Izuna wasn't even a hero.
That alone was reason enough for Stain to kill him.
"Whoosh!"
Stain's body suddenly bounced rapidly between the walls of the alley, creating a series of dark afterimages.
The movement was meant to disrupt Izuna's vision.
But to Izuna—
The entire display was almost laughable.
With the Mangekyō Sharingan, every motion was perfectly clear.
"Whoosh!"
The blue skeleton surrounding Izuna suddenly dissolved.
In the next instant—
Izuna appeared directly beside Stain.
With his right hand, he grabbed Stain by the collar and threw him violently across the alley.
"Bang!"
Stain's back slammed hard into a wall.
The dull impact echoed loudly.
Just hearing it was enough to make someone's spine tingle.
Stain slowly forced himself to stand again, staring at Izuna in disbelief.
"How… is this possible?!"
How old was he?
Fifteen?
Even someone who trained every single day couldn't possibly possess such overwhelming physical ability.
Could it be… a composite Quirk?
Stain's thoughts raced as he tried to figure it out.
Ahead of him, the blue skeletal aura surrounding Izuna reappeared, glowing like a pale flame in the darkness.
With every step Izuna took forward—
The pressure on Stain grew heavier.
When Izuna was about ten steps away, he suddenly stopped.
The two locked eyes.
Stain tightened his grip on his dagger, preparing to attack again.
But before he could react—
Izuna disappeared.
In the next instant, he reappeared right in front of Stain, only a single step away.
"I'm not going to kill you today," Izuna said calmly.
"But I'm taking Death Arms with me."
Before Stain could respond, Izuna turned slightly and threw a punch toward the wall beside him.
"BOOM!!!"
The impact shattered the wall instantly.
Chunks of rubble exploded outward and scattered across the ground.
Stain's pupils shrank.
He instantly understood that the raw power behind that strike was far beyond what he could handle right now.
"Are you alright?" Izuna asked Death Arms.
"You dare!"
Even though he knew he might not win, Stain prepared himself for another attack.
It wasn't about strength.
It was about his principles.
"Objection denied."
Before Stain could even react, Izuna's figure flickered again.
In the blink of an eye—
He was already standing beside Death Arms.
Izuna positioned himself in front of the wounded hero and turned slightly.
His Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan stared directly at Stain.
"Remember my name."
"Izuna.Uchiha"