The One Eyed King

All might?

Naomasa Tsukauchi stood in the sterile hospital hallway, the dim overhead lights casting an oppressive glow on the stark white walls. The scent of antiseptic clung to the air, mingling with the quiet hum of machines and muffled conversations. He glanced down at the clipboard in his hand, filled with reports, charts, and the same haunting images he had seen earlier in the interrogation room. His heart felt heavy, weighed down by the grim nature of this new case.

Beside him, Kenji Tsuragamae, the Chief of Police with his canine-like features, stood in silence, sipping his coffee, his expression unreadable. They both stared through the glass window of the ICU room, where Kamui Woods lay motionless on the bed. Tubes and wires were connected to the wooden hero's body, the monitors beeping steadily, each sound a reminder that he was clinging to life by a thread. Bandages wrapped around the gaping hole in his abdomen, where the boy's kagune had pierced him with monstrous force.

Tsukauchi let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "It's worse than I thought," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

Kenji's ears twitched slightly, his sharp eyes still fixed on Kamui Woods. "We've seen a lot in this line of work, Tsukauchi. But this..." He shook his head, taking another long sip of his coffee. "I've never seen a villain do something like this to a pro-hero. Not like this."

Tsukauchi couldn't help but agree. The footage from the civilians' phones had gone viral. Thousands of views within hours, images of Kamui Woods being skewered by a monstrous red appendage, thrown like a ragdoll into a building, his body limp and broken. The attack had been swift, brutal, and merciless. The fact that Kamui Woods was even alive right now was nothing short of a miracle.

"What did the doctors say?" Tsukauchi asked, breaking the silence.

Kenji glanced down at the clipboard in his hand, his snout twitching as he read over the details. "Massive internal bleeding. Several broken ribs, punctured lung, and the hole through his stomach... they're still not sure if he'll make it. He's stable for now, but..." His voice trailed off.

"But it could go either way," Tsukauchi finished grimly.

They stood in silence for a few more moments, the weight of the situation hanging over them like a dark cloud. Tsukauchi couldn't shake the image of that boy... no, that monster, from his mind. The video footage had shown everything. The way the boy had dodged Kamui's attacks effortlessly, like he wasn't even trying. The cold, emotionless expression on his face as he unleashed that grotesque, red weapon. And the laughter... that haunting, crazed laughter that had echoed through the street before he struck.

"This isn't just some run-of-the-mill villain," Tsukauchi said, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is something else entirely."

Kenji nodded, his eyes narrowing as he thought back to the footage. "I've seen some strange quirks in my time, but that thing... whatever it is... I've never seen anything like it. It's more than just strength. It's more than just speed." He paused, his expression darkening. "It's... predatory."

Tsukauchi glanced at him, catching the unease in his voice. "Predatory?"

Kenji turned to face him, his canine features tense with thought. "Think about it. The way he moved. The way he attacked. It wasn't like he was just trying to defeat Kamui Woods. It was like... he was hunting him. Like some kind of animal."

The words sent a chill down Tsukauchi's spine. He hadn't thought of it that way before, but now that Kenji mentioned it, it made sense. The boy hadn't just fought Kamui Woods; he had stalked him, played with him like prey before delivering the fatal blow. It wasn't just violence, it was something far darker, something primal.

"What's even more disturbing," Kenji continued, "is that he didn't seem to care. Not even a shred of remorse. After he impaled Kamui, he just... ran away. Like it was nothing."