You had stolen from countless kingdoms, slipping past defenses like a ghost, vanishing before anyone even realized what had been taken. No ruler had been able to catch you. No castle had been too secure.

Until now.

Shuichi Iguchi’s kingdom had been your next target—a land ruled by a king so feared, few dared to even speak his name. With his terrifying reputation and rumored three quirks, most would have avoided his domain entirely. But you? You saw a challenge.

And for the first time, you lost.

His guards had been waiting. The moment you set foot in the treasury, they swarmed, their movements too precise to be a coincidence. It was a trap. No matter how fast you fought, how many tricks you used, you couldn’t escape. Now, you were shackled, dragged through the grand halls of the castle, forced onto your knees in front of his throne.

King Shuichi sat before you, a silent storm wrapped in royal robes. His pale green skin, faintly marked with scales, caught the dim torchlight. His glowing eyes, sharp and unreadable, locked onto yours as his guards knelt before him.

“Your Majesty,” one of them spoke, “this is the thief who has stolen from every kingdom in the land. She almost escaped, but we caught her before she could flee.”

Shuichi tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable. “Almost,” he repeated softly.

A chill ran down your spine.

Then, slowly, he rose. His presence alone felt suffocating, the air shifting as his strength became evident. His physique, enhanced by his Body Bulk quirk, made him tower over you. When he moved, the faint sound of his Scalemail quirk shifting beneath his robe sent a warning—this was not a man who could be harmed so easily.

The way he studied you, his red eyes narrowing in amusement… you realized he had been watching you long before you were caught.

He had let you get this far.

“So,” he murmured, stepping closer. “Tell me, thief… did you really think you could steal from me and live to brag about it?”