9 Cowards..

- Location: Japan, At a certain abandoned factory.

[POV: Third-Person]

"What was that?" Tanaka said as he stood up, holding his side. "T-tanaka... there's a ghost!" one of the villains said, pointing at the shadowy silhouette. Tanaka turned in the direction they indicated but saw nothing.

"Are you high or something?! There's literally nothi—" Before he could continue, his face was struck with such force that he fell to the floor again.

Fear suddenly gripped his mind as he couldn't see his opponent. But as soon as fear took hold, a black silhouette covered in bandages appeared right next to his face, squatting beside him.

The silhouette had a hollow face and seemed to stare at him, causing Tanaka to break into a sweat. "S-stay away from me! Call Kazekawa, you idiots!" He yelled as he grew his arm and used it to boost himself up in an attempt to escape.

"Don't you dare run." His body was instantly paralyzed as Jihye stood up from the operation table. "K-kill that brat!" He said as he finally managed to move his body.

Hearing this, the villains reluctantly attacked Jihye, and one of them stabbed her with their hand, which had turned into a jagged spike.

The spike pierced her heart as she vomited blood and fell to the floor. "JIHYE!" Henri yelled as she saw Jihye's lifeless body collapse.

SPLAT!

The villain who stabbed her suddenly fell to the floor as his arms were severed. "ARGH!!!" the villain screamed, and a pool of blood began to form.

"What's going on here?" The villain named Kazekawa exclaimed as he observed the scene in front of him.

"Kazekawa! There's a ghost!" one of the villains said. "Are you high or something?" Kazekawa retorted. "That's what I said at first, but there really is a black ghost! Over there!" Tanaka pointed, clutching his ribs.

"There is nothing there... Now, if you all would stop fooling around, tell me what happened." But as he said that, Jihye slowly rose to her feet. "Didn't you just stab her in the heart?" another villain asked, backing away as they saw Jihye eerily stand up.

Witnessing this in front of her, Henri was shocked, to say the least. In a brief moment of clarity, she remembered she had a necklace with her. She immediately took it out from under her shirt, and it began to transform into a saw.

"TAKE THEM DOWN!" Jihye yelled, paralyzing everyone as the black ghost moved swiftly.

SLASH!

Gradually but surely, the villains and their limbs were cut into pieces. "ARGH!" "F*CK!" Their screams echoed through the building as the black ghost relentlessly struck them down.

Observing all this, Kazekawa grew anxious. And as soon as he did, he witnessed the black ghost rushing around, severing them all.

"What is that thing?" He mumbled as he prepared for its attack.

All the villains near Jihye and Henri were now on the floor, bleeding. "Tch, damn it! Shoot it down!" Kazekawa commanded as he shot bullets through his fingers. His underlings followed suit, firing at the black ghost.

However, as the bullets made contact, they merely bounced off, failing to faze the ghost.

"What the f*ck!" Kazekawa yelled. "Kazekawa, I don't know what's going on, but I think it's that brat's quirk," Tanaka said as he weakly made his way toward Kazekawa. "Didn't you say her quirk was some sort of paralyzing shout?" Kazekawa questioned, looking puzzled.

"D-didn't she tell it to take us down?" As Tanaka spoke, it seemed as if Kazekawa realized something. He suddenly aimed at the girl standing at the center of the room.

BANG!

Jihye collapsed to the floor once again. Suddenly, the black ghost grew more agitated, sprinting toward Kazekawa. "Tch! It's mad! Brace yourselves," he warned, maneuvering to evade the black ghost's attacks.

SLASH!

One of his hands fell to the floor as he tried to block the ghost's claws. "F*CK!" he exclaimed, shooting randomly in the direction of the black ghost. The bullets pushed the ghost back slightly.

Observing this, Tanaka seized the opportunity to sneak away and escape. Seeing him flee, the other villains followed suit.

"Cowards..." Her voice was calm, yet it made everyone halt in their tracks.

Jihye stood up again, her entire body covered in blood. "H-how is sh—" Kazekawa's words were cut off in shock as the black ghost severed the only hand he had left.

Kazekawa crumpled to the floor, screaming in pain. He looked toward Jihye, drenched in her own blood. "M-mercy, please..." his eyes filled with dread.

Jihye gazed at him coldly, gradually opening her mouth. "Kill hi—" Before she could continue, Henri abruptly stopped her by embracing her.

"JIHYE! STOP! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Henri yelled, tears streaming down her face. Jihye's cold expression faded as her irises reverted to black.

Jihye began sobbing, clinging tightly to Henri. After enduring torture and repeated deaths, she had finally reached her breaking point, collapsing into Henri's arms.

"It's okay... Everything will be okay..." Henri tried to console Jihye through her tears, and their legs gave way beneath them.

Witnessing them both weeping on the floor, Kazekawa glanced back at the ghost, only to find it had vanished. "Now's the time! Let's get out of here!" He shouted, running toward the exit along with his underlings.

...

Outside the building, they felt relieved as they departed.

"STOP, VILLAINS!" A hero with blonde hair proclaimed, flashing a smile. "Injustice will never prevail, as long as I AM HERE!" The hero grinned, his teeth gleaming.

The villains froze, unable to move, for the hero before them was All Might, Japan's number one hero.