Hours passed.
The rain kept pouring, a big storm roaring over the city.
Thunder boomed, loud and sudden, shaking the alley.
Kirishima's eyes snapped open.
He gasped, sucking in wet air.
He never expected to wake up.
Not after bleeding out like that.
He blinked, rain dripping off his face.
No pain...None.
His back didn't hurt. His arm didn't sting.
He wiggled his toes—feeling came back to his legs. "What the…" he mumbled, confused.
He thrashed a bit, trying to sit up in the soaking dumpster.
His hands grabbed the edges, and with a push, the iron walls bent like paper under his grip.
A loud creak echoed as he warped the metal.
Kirishima climbed out, slow and shaky. He stood, leaning on the busted dumpster for support.
His clothes were drenched, sticking to him.
He felt around—his arm had a scar where Rize's kagune stabbed him, but it was healed.
He lifted his shirt.
The bite on his abs? Just a faint mark now, like it never happened. "What…" he said again, staring at his hands.
He tried to balance on his feet, wobbling like a newborn deer.
His spine wasn't fully healed yet—he could tell as slight pain was there.
His legs shook, and he tipped forward. "Oh crap!" he yelped, bracing to smash his face on the asphalt.
But he didn't fall.
He stopped—mid-air.
Kirishima was floating, an inch off the ground, his hair dripping water.
"Huh?!" He flailed his arms, bobbing like a balloon.
Thunder rumbled again, and he just hovered there, wide-eyed.
Kirishima hovered there, rain splashing around him as thunder rumbled.
He dug out his phone, the cracked screen glowing.
A message from his dad blinked up.
Where's the reconnaissance report on the Binge Eater? You're late.
That was it.
Nothing else.
He gritted his teeth, annoyed. "Typical," he grumbled. "All work, no care."
Then he swiped to his call log.
A missed call from Anteiku.
His face softened, and a small smile crept up.
Anteiku—he was a regular there.
Loved their coffee, even if he wasn't supposed to hang out with ghouls.
He was good friends with one in particular: a ghoul called Black Dog aka Kaya Irimi.
For once, Kirishima didn't jump to reply to his dad's message.
He stared at the screen, then shook his head. "Nah, not now," he mumbled. He closed the phone and shoved it back into his soggy pocket.
Rain dripped off his nose, but he barely cared.
This was all too weird. Too much to even crack a joke about.
How the fuck do you recover from near death? he wondered.
He'd been bleeding out, back broken, ready to die.
And now? He was floating in the air like the comic book guy.
His legs dangled, his spine still wobbly, but he wasn't falling.
Did I become a Kryptonite or something? he thought, picturing himself as a superhero.
He scrunched his face, focusing hard.
Squinted his eyes one way, then another. "Come on, laser vision!" he muttered, aiming at a trash can. Nothing.
No beams, no heat.
He tilted his head, trying again. "X-ray vision? See through walls?" Nope.
Just rain and a blurry alley.
He sighed, dropping his arms. "Lame.... Guess I'm not that cool."
Kirishima glanced at his broken quinque, the big axe lying in the wet alley.
He floated over, still wobbly in the air, and grabbed the handle.
Before, it was heavy—way too much for him to swing without stumbling.
But now? He picked it up like it was nothing.
Light as a feather. "Whoa," he said, holding it up with one hand.
"This is nuts."Grinning, he decided to have some fun.
He was floating, right? Time for cool moves!
First, he spun the axe like Zoro , twirling it fast between his hands while hovering.
Yeah, I'm badass! he cheered in his head.
Then he tried a Naruto vibe, kicking off the dumpster and flipping mid-air with the axe out like a ninja.
He landed—well, floated—grinning wider.
Next, he went for that spinning thing Levi did in Attack on Titan.
He gripped the axe tight, pushed off the wall, and spun like a tornado, axe slashing the air.
Round and round, rain flying off him. "I'm Levi! Take that, ghouls!" he yelled, feeling epic.
But then—crack. A small snap popped in his back.
A jolt shot through him, sharp and mean.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" he yelped, dropping the axe.
It clattered to the ground as he clutched his spine, still floating but wincing hard. "Okay, bad idea! Bad idea!" His legs dangled, and he groaned, rubbing his back.
Guess I'm not healed enough for that.
Kirishima grabbed his axe again, the weight still crazy light in his hand.
After those cool moves, he was getting the hang of this floating thing.
"Okay, let's try this," he said, kicking off the ground.
He flew up, wobbly at first, but smoother now.
Higher and higher, the wet alley shrinking below him.
Rain stung his face, but he didn't care—he was flying!
He pushed past the storm clouds, breaking through into clear sky.
The moon peeked out, and the clouds glowed soft below him.
"Whoo-hoo," he exclaimed, grinning big.
"This is awesome." He spun the axe a little, just for fun, feeling like a total hero.
Then a rumble caught his ear.
He turned—a plane zoomed by, not too far off. Its lights blinked, cutting through the night.
No one looked out the windows… except one kid.
A little boy, face smashed against the glass, staring right at him.
The kid's jaw dropped, and he pointed, eyes huge.
Kirishima smirked.
He floated closer, axe tucked under his arm, and mouthed slow and clear: "No one will believe you."
He winked, then zipped back a bit, laughing to himself.
The plane kept going, and the kid's shocked face faded into the dark.
After messing with the kid on the plane, Kirishima floated down from the clouds.
He aimed for his apartment, the city lights twinkling below.
As he drifted closer, a whiff hit his nose.
He stank.
Bad.
Like sixteen different kinds of trash—wet garbage, old food, and dumpster funk all mixed together.
"Ugh," he gagged, covering his face. "I need to bathe. Now."
He landed on his balcony, still floating a bit, and stepped inside.
One step. Two steps. Three.
Then it hit him—he was walking. No pain, no wobble.
His legs worked again, steady on the floor. "Well, that was fast," he said, blinking.
He flexed his knees, testing it out.
Solid. His spine had fixed itself in record time.
He sniffed himself again and groaned.
"Yeah, bath is first priority..."
Trash smell was never fun.
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500 powerstone for Bonus chapter...
Currently on release day I'll release as much as i want but after today it'll be one chapter a day.
Power Stones and Reviews please