Yaoyorozu Chihiro was not surprised by the sudden appearance of data related to the big man's Quirk in his mind. Similar situations had occurred many times before, ever since the Smart Chip had awakened. However, the information that appeared this time contained three words that instantly seized Chihiro's full attention.
"Can be strengthened?"
He murmured the words repeatedly. After confirming that he had not misread them, Chihiro's gaze toward the big man suddenly became strange—like a researcher staring at a laboratory test subject, curiosity burning deep in his eyes.
[Strengthening: Execute]
Without hesitation or explanation, Chihiro made his choice.
At the same time, the grip of his fingers around the man's neck loosened slightly—carefully controlled, just enough to avoid killing him outright, yet ready to tighten instantly if anything went wrong. Anyone who had tried to kill him deserved no mercy, and now this man had become nothing more than experimental material.
[Data Link Established]
The moment those words appeared in Chihiro's consciousness, his mind erupted like a thunderclap.
The sensation was indescribable—language itself felt inadequate. It was as if he had stepped into another dimension entirely.
From the outside, something impossible was happening. Chihiro's eyes gleamed like stars, and upon closer inspection, streams of data-like light flowed endlessly within them.
Meanwhile, the man in his grasp began to convulse violently, his body twitching as if seized by a severe epileptic fit. His eyes rolled upward until only whites remained.
Time lost its meaning.
After what felt like several centuries—but was in reality only moments—a soft ding echoed in Chihiro's mind.
"Strengthening failed."
The words left him momentarily stunned.
Yet before he could dwell on it, the fine hairs on the back of his neck rose instinctively. A powerful sense of danger surged from deep within his instincts.
Trusting that warning, Chihiro cast one final glance at the white-eyed man and retreated swiftly.
Only seconds after he withdrew, lightning tore through the sky.
Chihiro narrowed his eyes and leapt back again, relief flickering through his thoughts.
Thunder roared through the narrow alley like the cries of a thousand birds.
The man was now wrapped in crackling electricity, his hair standing straight on end, his body radiating a terrifying, unstable aura. If not for his vacant, unfocused eyes, Chihiro might have believed the enhancement had succeeded.
Electric light flashed.
A jagged, Z-shaped bolt carved through the air. Chihiro's pupils shrank as the man appeared before him in an instant.
Yet—unexpectedly—the man did not attack.
Instead, he hunched forward like a wounded beast, staggering. His face twisted with struggle, and within his dull expression, raw instinctive fear surfaced.
The next moment—
"ROAR!"
A desperate, animalistic scream erupted from his throat. The man spun around violently, transformed into a streak of lightning, and shot toward the city center.
[Quirk: C-Level Electric Explosion — Enhancement Failed. Entered Runaway State.]
"I knew it wasn't that simple," Chihiro thought calmly.
He picked up the metal case from the ground and stepped out of the alley. As for the countless banknotes still scattered across the pavement—he left them where they were.
His fingerprints were on the case, but none were on the money.
Walking through the bustling streets, Chihiro tilted his head slightly, listening. As expected, distant screams and explosions soon echoed through the city, followed by the wail of sirens.
"A Quirk user in a runaway state isn't so easy to deal with," he mused.
Recalling the subtle threat he had sensed earlier—the aura that had made even him cautious—Chihiro concluded that the berserk man possessed destructive power comparable to that of professional heroes.
"An unexpected delight," he thought. "Even a failed enhancement has its uses."
Beneath the black robe, Chihiro's lips curved into a satisfied smile. His appreciation for the S-Class Smart Chip deepened. Artificially induced runaways… truly had the potential to become the root of future calamities.
Unnoticed, he returned quietly to the villa. After removing his robe and washing up, Chihiro turned on the television with faint anticipation.
"The latest report: Thunder-related criminal activity has been detected on 415th Street!"
"Professional Hero Mountain Giant has engaged in a fierce battle with the thunder criminal."
"Hero Turbo Pilot has arrived on the scene to provide emergency support!"
"After seventeen minutes and forty-two seconds, the thunder criminal was subdued through the joint efforts of two professional heroes. Our Hero Tracking Channel will continue to bring you updates."
Watching the footage—skyscrapers reduced to rubble, smoke rising into the night sky—Chihiro couldn't help but sigh.
The terror of a Quirk runaway was undeniable.
No wonder the government's regulation of Quirks was so strict.