I Can't Cooperate with This

Chiffon was at Qi Cultivation Layer One, so his hearing was naturally extremely sharp. When he heard what the Professional Heroes said, his expression changed.

What the hell, are they planning to arrest me? Chiffon's face darkened. He had only been here for a short while and had not even begun to show off his skills before the Professional Heroes wanted him. This was way too ridiculous.

But he had to leave quickly. Once some powerful Professional Heroes arrived, he would not be able to get away.

Chiffon glided toward the riverside he had come from earlier. There were few people by the river, making it easier to escape.

Just as Chiffon reached the riverside, streaks of black shadows lunged at him. He altered the airflow to evade the attack, and only after landing did he see who had ambushed him.

"Kamui Woods?" Chiffon froze. Why was Kamui Woods here? Could the Professional Hero from before have been his subordinate or superior?

"Suspicious individual, give up resisting and come with me." Kamui Woods stood atop the sail of an abandoned boat, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"May I ask if I committed a crime?" Chiffon suddenly asked.

"Uh..." Kamui Woods paused, then said, "Although you have not done anything to harm the public, your behavior is suspicious. You need to submit to our investigation."

"Then sorry, I can't cooperate with that." What a joke. If Chiffon went back with Kamui Woods for questioning, everything would be exposed.

"Then don't blame me for being rough." Kamui Woods leaped up and swept his hands toward Chiffon. His fingers extended like tree roots, producing dozens of wooden vines that lashed toward him.

Preemptive Strike: Lacquer Tree Lock.

As expected of a newly risen Professional Hero, his strength was truly impressive. Brown thorny wooden vines rushed at Chiffon. Just as they were about to bind him, Chiffon swept his left hand, and an invisible force emerged. It was as though the air before him had solidified.

Kamui Woods's Lacquer Tree Lock could not advance, blocked outside the airflow.

"What is this?" Kamui Woods's expression changed. He had never heard of or seen such a method before. He had actually run into a tough opponent today.

Chiffon looked into the distance and saw three or four figures rushing over. He could not afford to drag this out. If more people arrived, he would not be their match either.

"Don't even think about leaving!" Kamui Woods's expression changed as he saw Chiffon suddenly turn and dive into the river.

But he was still a step too late. By the time Death Red Fist arrived, Chiffon had already vanished beneath the water.

Chiffon controlled the oxygen in the water, speeding forward along the riverbed like a fish.

Air Manipulation was not as simple as merely controlling air. Air contained oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases such as neon, helium, krypton, and xenon. Chiffon could create a vacuum around himself, generate powerful air currents, and even unleash air storms.

Put simply, elemental types were at a disadvantage against his supernatural power. He could extinguish flames in an instant, while he could use Air Barrier or airflow to block other elemental Quirks, creating a vacuum around himself and making himself invincible.

"Did he escape?" Death Red Fist stood by the riverbank, staring into the depths.

Kamui Woods suddenly said, "We seem to have a problem. This guy's Quirk is extremely powerful. He appears to be able to control airflow or manipulate wind. In any case, my Lacquer Tree Lock was useless against him."

Death Red Fist frowned. "When did someone this powerful show up here? Is he friend or foe?"

"Not sure," Kamui Woods analyzed. "If he had attacked me just now, I definitely would not have been his match. But he did not do so."

"Maybe he saw our reinforcements arrive and got scared off?" the Professional Hero standing behind them said.

"Impossible. With his strength, he would not flee in panic. Even if we all attacked together, we might not be able to take him down." Kamui Woods rated Chiffon highly, leaving the others surprised.

There were four Professional Heroes on their side, all of them quite capable. Ordinary criminals and enemies were no match for them. Had they encountered someone unusual this time?

"Let's return and report to the Police Department first. Then notify the major hero agencies. Things may not be peaceful lately," Death Red Fist said worriedly. Everyone returned to the agency.

Half an hour later, Chiffon came ashore in an uninhabited area. There was not a trace of water on him, as if he had never entered the river at all.

"That was way too close." Chiffon had not expected that he had gone out to do a good deed today, only to be targeted by Professional Heroes.

Still, dressed like this, it was only natural for people to suspect him.

The trip had not been without gains. Chiffon received "50 Salvation Points from Fujicha Saji."

He also received "50 Salvation Points from Kōyama Nana."

Fujicha Saji was probably the rooster-haired man he had suffocated earlier. He must have been scared out of his wits and would never dare do bad things again. As for Kōyama Nana, she was probably the woman whose bag the rooster-haired man had snatched. Now that it had been returned to its owner, the Salvation Points naturally went to Chiffon.

"Boss, one bowl of seafood ramen."

After taking off his cloak, Chiffon went to the Avant-garde Gate Ramen Shop, the ramen shop where he often ate. After all the trouble tonight, he was starving.

"Coming right up!" The plump owner brightened the moment he saw Chiffon. This kid ate ramen here often and seemed to be hooked on it. He had to add some extra toppings.

After taking his usual seat, Chiffon began recalling what had happened earlier. As a newly risen Professional Hero, Kamui Woods was indeed very strong. Although Chiffon had used airflow to block his signature move, it had still taken considerable effort.

Thinking about it now, he was still a little shaken. If Kamui Woods had bound him, he would have had to use Thunder God's Arrival. Once his Thunder Quirk was exposed, finding Chiffon would only be a matter of time. After all, there were currently only a few people with Thunder Quirks in Japan.

And U.A. High School had one, and he was even a Dark Horse. A simple investigation would reveal everything.

"Your ramen's here." The plump owner brought over the bowl with a smile. After setting it down, he said, "I didn't see you come by the past couple of days."

"Oh, hero school started a few days ago, so I was busy attending classes." Chiffon inhaled the aroma of the ramen. It smelled incredible.

Plump, tender fresh shrimp and smooth, juicy pork bone meat.

"Wow, you really got into U.A. High School? I thought you were bragging before." The plump owner laughed heartily and patted Chiffon on the back, sounding somewhat moved.

"Is that any way to talk?" Chiffon curled his lip. "Look at me. What part of me doesn't look like a U.A. High School student?"

"What part does?" the plump owner asked, feigning confusion.

"Alright, go make your ramen. I can't be bothered with you." Chiffon could not be bothered to respond to him.

"Hahaha, here, have a drink. Congratulations." The plump owner set a bottle of beverage on the table and went back to making ramen with a cheerful smile.

Chiffon actually knew that although the owner loved money dearly, he was truly a decent person. Chiffon had not taken his earlier words seriously either. He had only been joking.