At the center of the destruction stands Daiken, the Water Manipulator.
With a smirk, he extends his hands, streams of water jetting out from his palms, carving through the streets. He turns his head toward his partner, Gajin, the Size Manipulator, who is currently stuffing stolen goods into the back of a truck.
"Hurry up, Gajin!" Daiken shouts, his voice cutting through the crashing waves. "Grab the goods and get out of here! We ain't got time for this—move it!"
Inside the truck, meticulously labeled containers hold vials of blood samples, tissue specimens, and DNA extracts—all stolen from the local hospital's research facility. Each container bears medical identification codes and biohazard warnings. This isn't simple theft; it's a targeted collection.
Across the way, Gajin laughs wildly, his body suddenly expanding, growing two stories tall as he effortlessly lifts crates of the biological materials, tossing them into the truck.
"Relax, relax!" Gajin grins, his voice booming as he shrinks back to normal. "You know the boss wants this stuff perfect! Can't have the samples damaged, or we're both dead men."
Daiken scowls, his hands forming together, gathering an enormous amount of water.
Before he can launch his next attack—
"We're stopping you right here."
From atop a nearby building, Josuke and Mya land onto the flooded street, water splashing up around their feet.
Josuke narrows his eyes at Daiken, steam rising from his palms. His expression is colder than it used to be, a hardness in his gaze that wasn't there before Rei's transformation. In the weeks since the assassination attempt, something has shifted in him—the boyish enthusiasm replaced by a calculated intensity.
"I'll take care of the water freak," he says, his voice flat and emotionless.
Mya adjusts a small vial of perfume at her waist. "I'll back you up."
Bernard, standing slightly behind them, eyes Gajin, who hoists another crate onto his shoulder.
"I'll go after the big guy."
Without hesitation, Bernard dashes forward, blade in hand, toward Gajin.
From a rooftop in the distance, Shinjuu watches, his arms folded. He doesn't move. This is their fight.
His eyes track Josuke's movements, concern etched in his features. Three weeks ago, Josuke would have rushed in with a joke, maybe even tried to reason with the villains first. Now he moves with cold efficiency, his eyes focused solely on incapacitating his target. Not defeating—incapacitating.
Daiken immediately launches high-pressure hydro streams at Josuke and Mya. Both dodge, weaving through the surging water while closing the distance.
With a growl, Daiken slams his palms together—
A colossal blast of water erupts, flooding the entire street in a powerful wave.
Josuke leaps over it, his left hand grazing the water mid-air. "Contact. Freeze."
Instantly, the water solidifies into ice, trapping Daiken mid-attack.
In the three weeks following his near-death experience with Rei, Josuke has drastically improved his mana control.
- He can now instantaneously change the temperature of anything he touches.
- By saying "Contact" followed by a temperature, he forces the target to reach that point immediately.
Daiken's eyes widen. "What the hell?!"
Josuke lands, moving in for the capture. Daiken, in desperation, liquefies his body, slipping out of the frozen water. He stumbles backward, trying to flee—
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A small perfume bottle arcs through the air, landing near his feet.
A mist spreads around him.
Daiken inhales the fragrance before he can stop himself, his body stiffening as a partial freeze effect takes hold. His panicked expression softens—his lips curl into a dreamy smile.
"I...I must please my queen," he mutters, eyes hazy with infatuation.
Josuke reappears before him, his right hand glowing with intense heat.
"You're not escaping this time."
Josuke grabs Daiken's shoulder. Slowly, he increases the temperature.
At first, Daiken squirms uncomfortably, but soon, his body begins boiling from within.
The pain becomes unbearable.
"STOP! STOP! PLEASE!" Daiken screams, thrashing as his skin bubbles.
Josuke's expression darkens. Memories flood his mind—Rei nearly killing him, being called weak, being powerless. The humiliation of lying helpless as Hikito possessed Rei, mocking him, preparing to end his life. The realization that all his training hadn't prepared him for true danger.
Never again. He would never be weak again.
He clenches his teeth and continues boiling Daiken.
From the rooftops, Shinjuu's eyes narrow. Something is wrong.
"Josuke, stop."
Josuke doesn't move.
Shinjuu's voice hardens. "I said stop."
Josuke's hands tremble. He exhales sharply, then releases Daiken, who collapses, shaking.
Shinjuu watches carefully. The boy he took under his wing is changing—and not for the better. Where once there was enthusiasm and empathy, he now sees calculation and cruelty. Josuke had always been impulsive, but never malicious. This willingness to inflict pain... it's troubling.
Shinjuu makes a mental note to have a serious talk with Josuke after this mission. The trauma of nearly dying at Rei's hands has clearly affected him more deeply than anyone realized. If this continues, Josuke risks crossing the line that separates heroes from the very villains they fight.
Bernard sprints toward Gajin, blade drawn, but his target shrinks down to the size of an insect.
Before Bernard can react—
A massive fist slams down from above!
Bernard is crushed under Gajin's fist.
Gajin cackles. "You gotta be faster than that, kid!"
But Bernard isn't done. He regains his footing and vanishes in a burst of speed, dashing toward Gajin again. Gajin shrinks again to dodge any upcoming attacks.
Expecting this, Bernard rolls his die.
The digital display lands on Paladin.
A sleek, holy armor materializes over him. His sword vanishes, replaced by a shield decorated in sacred symbols.
Tiny magical swords hover around him—Hunter-Seeking Blades.
Gajin again attempts to escape. The swords respond immediately, tracking his position.
Realizing he's about to be impaled, Gajin is forced into his monstrous, massive form.
He roars, "Your little magic tricks won't work on me!"
Gajin launches a barrage of massive fists toward Bernard.
Bernard sidesteps smoothly each fist, another golden sword forming in his grip.
Dozens of small, yellow knives surround Bernard, launching toward Gajin on his command. Gajin tries to block, but the blades are enchanted—stunning him upon impact.
Bernard raises his final weapon—a blue energy sword growing larger as Bernard holds it within his hands.
With one decisive strike, he impales Gajin through the chest. Blood spurts from Gajin's mouth as he begins shrinking back to normal size.
Mya arrives at Bernard's side. "Did you kill him!?"
Bernard exhales. "I should've missed his vitals... but it's hard to tell with his size shifting."
Shinjuu approaches with Daiken tied up. He watches his team carefully. They've grown stronger, but there's more work to do.
"You all handled yourselves well." His voice is even. "But we're not just fighters—we're heroes. We minimize damage. We do not kill."
Josuke and Bernard remain silent.
Shinjuu examines the stolen goods in the truck, his expression growing more serious as he catalogs the containers of blood samples and DNA specimens.
"This is the third raid on medical facilities this month," he notes, his voice low. "Ever since Kage's team uncovered Jumba's activities in Shibuya, we've seen a pattern emerging. Hospital break-ins, blood bank robberies, targeted theft of genetic material and medical samples."
He looks at the team. "Something bigger is happening in the underworld. These aren't random thefts—they're coordinated. But I can't piece together why blood and DNA would be so valuable to them."
Daiken coughs, laughing weakly. "You should've killed us. Our boss... He'll make you wish you'd have killed us."
Shinjuu's eyes narrow slightly. He studies Daiken's face, searching for clues. "Who do you work for? What does he want with these medical samples?"
Daiken's smirk fades slightly, fear flickering in his eyes. "I... I don't know. We just follow orders. Deliver the goods. Don't ask questions."
Shinjuu sighs. "The investigation team will take it from here."
As the authorities arrive to secure the scene, Shinjuu pulls Josuke aside, his voice low.
"What happened back there? You were about to kill him."
Josuke doesn't meet his mentor's eyes. "I was just making sure he couldn't escape."
"By boiling him alive?" Shinjuu's tone is sharp. "That's not what heroes do, Josuke."
A tense silence hangs between them.
"I won't be weak again," Josuke finally says, his voice barely audible. "I won't be helpless."
Shinjuu's expression softens slightly. "There's a difference between strength and cruelty. What you experienced with that brat Rei...it would traumatize anyone. But you can't let it change who you are."
Josuke finally looks up, and for a moment, Shinjuu glimpses the uncertainty behind the hardened exterior—a boy still processing trauma, trying to armor himself against future pain.
"We'll talk more about this," Shinjuu says. "For now, let's secure the scene and get these samples cataloged."
From a rooftop nearby, a large figure with a propeller hat watches.
A portal opens behind him.
Without a word, he steps through.