Same As Her

Hiroto stared, disbelieving, at the clean line drawn by his knife. It sliced through flesh, yet no blood welled. A frown etched on his face. Beneath the torn skin, another layer stretched firm.

"What is this?" he rasped. "...There's no blood…"

As several thoughts swirled in his mind, a single thought slammed into him like a wave.

'...is that a mask?' he thought.

He locked eyes with the boy. The boy's gaze held an unnatural intensity, devoid of human warmth. A cold dread snaked down Hiroto's spine. He lurched backwards, his hands trembling with fear.

An oppressive, unseen hand squeezed Hiroto's chest. However, he clenched his jaw, refusing to show fear in front of a kid. With great effort, he stilled the tremor in his hands. But as his gaze met the boy's again, a primal dread washed over him, cold and suffocating. Panic clawed at his throat as a chilling question echoed in the dead space of his mind.

'What is he?'

The weight of the desperate need to summon Kiba and Nozomu settled on his chest.

'I need to call them…'

The boy remained silent, his gaze, a bottomless well of secrets, observed the man. After mustering every ounce of control, Hiroto called them.

"Kib–"

Hiroto's desperate call died in his throat, replaced by a gasp. A searing pain flowed through his neck, momentarily blurring his vision. His gaze fell, landing on the boy's hand. The space between thumb and index finger, a bony weapon in disguise, slammed on Hiroto's neck with sickening force.

Saliva ran down his chin, his hand weakening the grip around the blade. The boy took a stance and ran forward attempting to deliver the pain at the same place.

Watching the boy, an urge to fight clawed at Hiroto. He released his blade and his hands like vice tried to wrap themselves around his neck in a futile attempt at defence.

The boy, a blur of deadly grace, turned his gaze towards the blade dancing in mid-air. In a split second, he turned to the blade, grabbing it before falling. In a single, fluid motion, he swung it upwards, the glint of metal catching Hiroto's gaze before plunging it under his chin. The defiance in Hiroto's eyes flickered and died.

*Thud*

A thud echoed through the alley as Hiroto crumpled to the ground. A puddle of blood started to form, surrounding his body.

Kiba and Nozomu turned back as a familiar voice hit them. However, what lay before their eyes shocked them to their core. A flicker of surprise crossed their face as they watched Hiroto, lying crumpled on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. Several mixed emotions filled their heart. Their gaze, wide and unblinking, blinded by a fog of confusion, watched the approaching figure.

In a swift motion, however, Nozomu surged forward. With practiced ease, he drew his silenced pistol, the black maw aimed directly at Shin. The boy froze, his gaze pinned on the weapon. But defiance flickered in his eyes before, in a blur of motion, he lunged, ignoring the gun trained on him. One hand shot up, a shield against the incoming bullets.

A feral grin stretched across Nozomu's face. Victory, swift and brutal, seemed assured. He squeezed the trigger. The gunshot, a muffled whisper in the night, unleashed a silent projectile. The bullet streaked towards Shin, a harbinger of death. But in a heartbeat, the impossible unfolded. The bullet struck Shin, a dull thud echoing as it met his flesh. Yet, Nozomu's grin faltered. There was no spray of blood, no hole in Shin's body. The bullet simply fell. It clattered harmlessly to the ground, leaving Shin unscathed.

A stunned silence descended, broken only by Nozomu's ragged gasp. His eyes widened in disbelief as he roared "What the fuck is happening? Why is he not dying? Fuck!" his voice filled with a mix of fear and fury.

Suddenly, a transformation ripped through Shin. His shoes shredded, revealing a black metal plating beneath. A sickly yellow energy pulsed through intricate lines etched into the metallic skin. Each thunderous step left a deep gouge in the pavement, the boy's form morphing into something unprecedented. Bullets rained down, each one sparking harmlessly off the metal before clattering to the ground. The shirt clinging to his frame became riddled with tiny holes, glowing embers of the same yellow energy pulsing from within.

With a surge of inhuman speed, Shin bridged the distance between them. Nozomu, dwarfed by Shin's shadow, emptied his clip in a desperate attempt to stop him. The final click of the spent cartridge echoed in the tense silence

*Click*

Panic flared in Nozomu's eyes. Before he could react, a blur of a hand slammed into him from the side. A sickening crack echoed as two teeth shattered in his jaw. The force of the impact sent him flying into the wall, crumpling to the ground in a heap.

Kiba's hand instinctively snapped to the hilt of his knife as Nozomu crumpled to the ground. A growl escaped his throat, a challenge and a threat rolled into one. But as Shin's gaze flicked towards him, a cold dread slithered down Kiba's spine.

A flicker of movement on the other side caught Shin's gaze as he turned to look at the now-fallen body of Nozomu. He, narrowing his gaze, thought in his mind.

'...still conscious…'

 Then, with a swift brutality that sent shivers down Kiba's spine, Shin grabbed Nozomu and slammed his knee into the man's face. A sickening crunch echoed in the alley, followed by the crimson stain dripping from Nozomu's nose. But Nozomu, to Kiba's horror, stirred. A strangled groan escaped his lips.

"Ugghh…"

He, then, slammed Nozomu's head against the wall repeatedly, the sickening thuds reverberated by Nozomu's weakening moans. The brick grew slick with blood, a gruesome testament to Shin's rage. Finally, Nozomu went limp, his body slumping to the ground.

*Thud*

Shin turned back. His gaze locked on Kiba. It was a predatory stare, sending chills down Kiba's spine. However, a chilling realization struck him. The monster he was facing now, it was eerily similar to the creature they'd faced before.

'He is the same as her.' his mind screamed the horrifying truth.