Natsu returned home quickly, making sure no one saw him. He sped into his room and immediately took off his "hero" clothing. He took a quick look at them, damaged but still usable.
Natsu just kept the charred and slightly ripped clothes. He couldn't afford to keep buying new ones.
"Yakuto, hurry up. Your dinner will get cold!" A voice called out.
"Coming." Natsu quickly hid the clothes under his bag in the back of the closet and rushed downstairs.
The next day
The school day dragged on like usual, mind numbing classes before lunch. Natsu tried his best to pay attention, but the traffic outside the school building seemed more interesting. He placed his head over his palm and stared out. His mind kept drifting back to that last fight with the gas-wielding villain. It was a bit too close, If he had taken any more time, a hero likely would've shown up. Suddenly, a small object struck him in the forehead, interrupting his thoughts.
"Oi, Todoroki, you got some nerve. Not only are you not paying attention, you actually disrupting class with that incessant mumbling." The teacher yelled.
Natsu groaned, rubbing the chalk off his forehead. The class burst into laughs around him.
"My bad, Teach." Natsu apologized.
The teacher just mumbled something about listening and returned to his lecture. Natsu stared at the clock, still an hour left. He sighed.
When the bell finally rang, he bolted out of the class. He wandered to the cafeteria and sat down with his tray, eyes quickly scanning the crowd automatically until he spotted Itsuki Shou and Glowl making their way towards him in a hurry.
Itsuki sat down across from him, glancing around once before sliding his phone across the table, screen facing up. "We might have a problem," he said in a low voice. He looked panicked.
Natsu blinked, face stuffed. "Huh?"
Glowl leaned in, his voice a whisper. "Someone snapped this last night. It's making rounds on a couple online forums."
Natsu stared down at the screen. The image was blurry and dark, taken from a distance, but unmistakable: a figure in black, mid-air, It was taken as his fiery foot kicked the villain. His face was hidden, but he knew it was him. It was the gas villain.
His heart skipped a beat. "Shit."
"Yeah," Itsuki said, tapping the screen. "No one's put the pieces together. Yet. But the location tag was near Musutafu. That's really close. See!! I told you we shouldn't have been that close."
Glowl gave a slow nod, feathers ruffling a bit. "We need to be more careful. You need to be more careful. Don't do anything for the next few days. It's better to be safe."
Natsu leaned back, eyes narrowing. His fingers clenched around his chopsticks.
"I was careful," he muttered. "I even ran immediately after it happened. Plus, I had to use a bit more of my quirk to defeat him quicker or he would've hurt more bystanders."
Itsuki sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "We're not saying you were wrong. We're saying it's getting riskier."
Natsu looked back down at the phone, at the blurred version of himself.
"Let them look," Natsu laughed.. "Nobody can tell that it was me."
His friends seemed to be somewhat satisfied with that answer, but they were still slightly nervous. "Yeah, I guess no one can really tell who that might even be."
"Exactly, it's all fine. I think."
"You what?"
–
Natsu did as he was told for the next few days. They just acted like normal teenagers and didn't go out of town. It was difficult, but he managed.
But the calm ended quicker than expected.
It started with a low rumble that shook the street like a passing freight train. Then came the screaming.
Natsu, walking home from school with Itsuki Shou and Glowl, paused mid step as a crowd of pedestrians surged around the corner in a panic. He immediately became alert.
A distant crash echoed from two blocks away. There was screaming and running.
"That's... near the central bank," Glowl said, eyes narrowing. He gripped on his backpack straps tightly.
Natsu didn't wait for another word. He sprinted forward, ducking into an alley, his friends trailing behind.
"Yakuto, hold up!" Itsuki called after him. "That's in the city! You know how many cameras are around here? The heroes will be there any second. Let's just leave it to them. Please!!"
"Yeah, but they're not here now," Natsu shot back, already peeling off his school jacket and shirt. "People are getting hurt. I'm not just gonna stand here and let the guy just do whatever he wants."
He pulled out his usual gear: a battered, soot-stained black turtleneck with sleeves partially torn from past fights, black cargo pants, and no shoes. His feet hit the pavement bare. Last came the mask, a scorched black ski mask that covered everything but his eyes and mouth. The outfit made Natsu look like the villain.
"You brought those clothes to school? I thought you said you were going to lay low." Glowl was shocked.
Natsu laughed. "Yeah, well, I didn't. Plus it's comforting having it with me."
"You idiot, don't just casually carry those around. What if someone sees it."
"Keep an eye out. I'll change quickly." Natsu said as he went behind the dumpster. He walked back out fully dressed. He had gotten used to changing quickly.
Shou and Glowl reluctantly kept an eye out. Once their friend got like that, it was impossible to change his mind.
"Stay hidden, run away if you have to!!" he said, already halfway down the alley. "I'll meet you after. Take my shit"
Itsuki groaned, rubbing his temples. "One of these days, this idiot is gonna get caught…"
Glowl stared at the smoke rising in the distance. "Or killed."
"Do we leave and meet him later." Shou said
"No way! We gotta make sure he-" Glowl was interrupted as a few police sirens blared near them.
"You know what. He can do this, let's meet him after." Glowl said as he turned and headed away.
Shou gave a quick look at the cars and followed after him. He made sure to grab Natsu's bag and take it with him. "Hey, wait for me!"
–
The marble floor was cracked. Ceiling tiles lay scattered across the ground. The air stank of dust, and scorched electronics.
A slow, heavy thud… thud… thud… echoed from deeper in the vault lobby.
Then the source emerged: an enormous villain stomping over shattered desks. Almost Eight feet tall, barrel-chested with thick, grey, rubbery skin like armor. A curved horn jutted from his forehead, stained at the tip. His eyes were small and wild beneath a flat brow.
He muttered, voice like grinding gravel, "Where's the next vault door…"
Thud.
"Yo." Natsu dropped from the ceiling ledge behind him, landing lightly on his feet. He snuck in when everyone was rushing out the front, hiding amongst the crowd.
The rhino villain froze and turned with a snort. "The hell are you supposed to be?"
Natsu tugged down his ski mask slightly, revealing a wide, cocky grin. "I'm the Great Demon Lord Dragneel," he said with mock theatrical flair, spreading his arms.
The villain blinked. "...Huh?"
Then charged, no hesitation.
Natsu's eyes gleamed.
Rhino Guy lunged, arms wide. A full-body tackle.
Natsu quickly moved.
With a tiny whoosh of heat from his soles, he slipped just under the beast's charge, skimming the floor. No visible flame, just residual steam from where his foot hit the tile. He pivoted and slammed a palm into the villain's side mid-slide.
It felt like hitting a wall. The guy didn't even flinch.
"Damn, back to these animal quirk users huh..?" Natsu muttered, backing off.
The rhino roared and swung an arm this time, a massive forearm like a pillar. Natsu ducked low, spun behind him, and drove a sharp elbow toward the back of the villain's knee. The villain hardly budged.
"Seriously?" Natsu frowned.
A backhand came flying. Natsu flipped backward, narrowly avoiding it. His foot skimmed the air and caught a spark, just enough heat to launch him in reverse.
Rhino Guy stomped forward, unbothered. "You're fast, but I got armor. You're just a bug."
"Big talk for a guy who uses all of two moves."
This time, Natsu darted in first, just raw speed. His training was paying off. Even without his quirk, his physical powers had increased tremendously. He slid between the villain's legs, popped up behind, and drove a fist into his stomach.
A loud thud. No reaction. Natsu grit his teeth.
He zipped to the left and planted a clean side-kick to the villain's ribs.
Still nothing. His hands stung. Despite his strength, the villain's hide was too thick.
"Okay, yeah, you're annoying."
Another charge. This time, Natsu didn't move. At the last moment, he bent his knees, gritted his jaw, and burst forward, flames visible under his feet, the ground cracked faintly beneath his foot. His uppercut connected cleanly under the rhino's chin, lifting the villain half an inch off the ground.
The villain staggered back], shocked. His lip split.
"You're strong," the villain growled.
"Is that all you got, big guy??" Natsu provoked him.
Before Rhino could reset, Natsu vanished low and right, pivoted off a broken filing cabinet, and brought his heel crashing into the villain's face in a tight, flaming arc.
The villain staggered, visible burn marks all over his face. Another hit. Another. Then-
The villain staggered back, clearly dazed. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and his footing wobbled slightly, but he was still upright, snorting heavily.
"You-!!" he growled, shaking it off. "I'm not–"
Natsu didn't wait for the speech. "You talk too much."
He blurred forward again, faster this time, low and fast, heat rippling faintly off his bare feet as he closed the distance. In a blink, he was right in front of the rhino.
Before the villain could raise his fists, Natsu grabbed him with both his hands gripping the sides of the Rhino's head.
Rhino's eyes widened. "What—"
"Sorry, I want to fight longer, but I have to end this fast.."
Natsu's arms ignited, twin streams of flames jetting out, tight and focused. The fire flared outward from his forearms like curved wings. It was enough to sear the villain's front and knock him off his feet with explosive force, but not enough to scorch the bank around them.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack."
A blast of heat and force surged through the villain's body. The fire slammed into him like a sledgehammer from both sides, searing his armor-like skin and hurling him backward. The rhino crashed into a support beam, splitting it clean down the middle. Dust and smoke kicked up.
He didn't get back up.
Natsu exhaled once, lowering his smoldering arms.
Then the sirens grew louder. The hero was also arriving.
"Shit, I took too long.!!" Natsu panicked. He looked for a back exit but there was none. There was only one way out.
"Crap."
He turned, sprinted toward the lobby and slammed shoulder-first through the front doors. The glass and frame cracked violently as he burst out onto the street. Pedestrians shrieked and ducked for cover, too startled to process what they saw. To them, it was just a blur in black with steam curling off his body.
After a few moments the dust and debris settled, by the time they looked up again, the figure was gone..
"What the heck just happened? Who was that??" Someone asked.
The citizens mumbled around when suddenly-
A sharp creak echoed through the air as a tall figure landed gracefully in front of the ruined bank. .
He was wearing a dark blue bodysuit that clung tightly to his compact but muscular frame. His uniform was functional yet distinct, adorned with wooden accents: a polished belt, reinforced knee pads, and wooden-soled shoes that clicked softly against the cracked pavement. A small bundle of roses swung gently at his hip, tied delicately to the side of his belt, an odd touch.
His mask obscured his face, revealing only the puffy red, leaf-like tufts of hair that stuck out from beneath his helmet. His mask also had a stylized wooden texture.
He stepped forward, his gait swift and measured, as he scanned the scorched ground and the unconscious villain slumped in the rubble. His head tilted slightly at the sight of singed cement, a faint shimmer of lingering heat still warping the air.
"Look, it's Kamui Woods." some yelled. A few already pulled their phones toward him to take pictures.
He looked at the damage.
The smashed entrance. The scorched smell lingering in the air. The unconscious villain slumped in the rubble.
Kamui narrowed his eyes behind his mask.
"...I was told this was still active," he said. "Which hero got here first?"
A police officer walked up to him. "We don't know who it was, sir. The individual was wearing full black clothing and a ski mask. They just burst out of the door then ran away. We couldn't catch up.
He stepped forward slowly, inspecting the cratered ground and the blackened trails on the concrete.
"Scorch marks," he noted aloud, crouching to touch one. "Unfortunately, many people have a fire based quirk in Musutafu. Especially in Endeavor's agency. Have you notified him?"
"No sir," The policeman answered.
"Notify him, and send over some of the reports. See if he can help us identify the masked assailant. An-" Just as Kamui Woods was talking a low groan echoed behind him.
The massive figure of Rhino stirred in the rubble, a cracked chunk of concrete rolling off his shoulder. His thick limbs twitched, muscles still sluggish from the earlier beating and visible burns on his body. Kamui's eyes narrowed behind his mask.
'No... he's not done yet.'
Without hesitation, wooden tendrils erupted from Kamui's limbs, whipping forward with pinpoint precision. They lashed around the groggy villain's arms, chest, and legs in a blur of motion, binding him to the ground before he could even fully lift his head.
"Binding Lacquered Chains Prison," Kamui murmured, voice low.
"Wow, it's Kamui's ultimate attack." someone in the crowd cheered.
Rhino let out a half-snarl, his body twitching against the binds. His head lolled to the side, blood running down the corner of his cracked horn.
"Damn… Demon Lord… Dragneel…!!" he slurred out loud. His voice booming. .
Kamui's gaze sharpened. 'Demon Lord Dragneel? That a name? A call?'
Before he could shut it down, a sharp clatter of shoes echoed behind him.
A reporter had slipped through the line of officers, recorder already out. "Wait, what did he say? Who took down Rhino Horn? Who's 'Demon Lord Dragneel'?"
Kamui Woods stiffened.
"Stand back. No statements are being made at this time," he said firmly, stepping between her and the restrained villain.
But it was too late. The name had slipped into the open air, and it was already being repeated down the line by the reporters and bystanders beyond the tape.
"Demon Lord Dragneel…"
Kamui exhaled slowly, turning back to Rhino, who fainted once again.
The police finished binding and taking him away. However, it wasn't long before a storm of voices erupted the moment
"Who's Demon Lord Dragneel?!"
"Is he a new Pro Hero?"
"Was he working with the police?"
"Is he another vigilante?!"
"Who does your hair?!"
Microphones, smartphones, and cameras surged forward, closing in on Kamui Woods like a rising tide. The hero stood still, arms folded, wooden bindings still rooted in the concrete beneath him. Behind his mask, his expression was unreadable.
"Kamui Woods! Did you hear what the villain said?"
"Do you have any comment on the identity of Demon Lord Dragneel?"
"Was he the one who actually defeated Rhino Horn?!"
Kamui glanced over his shoulder at the still-groaning villain, then back to the frenzied press. He sighed quietly.
"We don't know who it was yet, but when we do, you will be the first to know.." he said at last, voice firm but dismissive.
"Do you think he's a Vigi-"
"That's all I can say on the matter. The situation is under control. Please clear the area."
Without waiting for further questions, Kamui turned sharply on his heel. Wooden extensions sprouted from his limbs again, vaulting him up toward a nearby rooftop. A flash of movement—and he was gone.
Below, the reporters buzzed with speculation, voices overlapping.
"'Demon Lord Dragneel' what kind of name is that?"
"Maybe he was delirious? Another commented.
"Maybe not, he said it like he was pissed. Someone else was here before the heroes."
"And he has a fire quirk…"