Thud!
Deep in the alley, Shane stopped and turned around. He was ready to properly meet the first supernatural creature he'd encountered since transmigrating.
But instead, he turned around to see a scene straight out of a comedy sketch.
Uh… let's rewind.
He turned around to see a tall blonde girl tackling a guy in a leather jacket to the ground from behind.
What's going on? Someone's kill-stealing???
"Hey, watch yourself in the future. Not everyone treats money like dirt the way you do, and not everyone is that kind."
Olivia blew a strand of hair out of her face and shot a warning at the boy who looked stunned, seemingly unable to process what had just happened.
She had witnessed the entire tipping incident with Becky in the restaurant. Most rich people were scum, and money was the root of all evil, but this guy's actions had been interesting. There was no arrogance or charity in it—instead, it felt genuinely kind and touching.
That was why, when she noticed someone tailing him, she followed them out. She decided to step in and handle the danger his kindness had attracted.
She didn't consider herself a good person. But precisely because of that, she believed good people should be rewarded, and kindness should be treated with gentleness.
"Thanks."
Shane, guessing roughly what had happened, flashed a brilliant smile. His gaze swept over the girl's hands, and his smile widened as he pointed at the guy who was already scrambling up from the ground.
"But you'd better step back. That thing isn't so easy to deal with."
That thing?
Olivia was surprised by his choice of words. Then she saw the guy she'd just taken down lunging at her with a savage expression.
Olivia's face went cold. Calmly, she pulled a pistol from her waist. "You'd better cool off. I don't want to waste a bull—"
Before she could finish, her expression changed sharply. She dodged to the side with agile grace, then leveled the gun downward and fired decisively at the man's leg.
Pfft!
The gun was fitted with a professional silencer, so the shot was muffled.
The man screamed, but his expression only grew more ferocious. Like an enraged beast with zero fear, he lunged at Olivia again.
"Dammit!"
Olivia cursed and stopped holding back, firing several shots directly into his torso.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The man collapsed, body convulsing. Blood slowly pooled from his wounds. It looked like he was done for.
"Go, now. I'll handle the rest. Remember, this has nothing to do with you. No, you don't even know this happened. Got it?"
Though Olivia was annoyed, she wasn't panicked. She had experience dealing with situations like this.
Shane wasn't panicked either. Not because he was experienced or worldly, but because he knew the guy wasn't dead.
A normal person taking that many bullets would definitely be dead and chilling in the afterlife. But this was a shapeshifter. Unless it was silver, minor wounds would heal, and major wounds just meant shedding skin. After that, they'd be good as new.
If the shapeshifter actually died, then Shane would panic. If someone stole his kill, the mission would fail.
Transformation Jutsu might be the most basic of the three academy techniques, but in this world, its utility surpassed most high-level combat jutsu.
"He's not dead yet. Why leave?" Shane shook his head slightly and pointed at the guy again.
"He's about to be. He took multiple shots, there's no way he survives… liv… ing… What the fuck is that?!"
Olivia, who had been cool and confident since her entrance, finally broke character.
The body that should have been lying there dying was eerily sitting up. His hands grabbed his own head and literally pulled off a layer of skin.
The grotesque, horrifying sight was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.
Even Olivia, who had seen her fair share of bodies, jumped back like a startled cat.
"Shapeshifter. A supernatural creature that can take on anyone's appearance. Usually, only silver can kill them."
Shane took a few steps forward, pulling Olivia behind him. He tilted his head back slightly, inhaling deeply, while his hands formed seals with blurring speed.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Heat surged in his throat. He opened his mouth, and a stream of intense flame erupted toward the shedding shapeshifter.
BOOM!
The stream expanded into a sea of fire, instantly swallowing the shapeshifter and the entire alley.
Flames roared to the sky. The air evaporated rapidly under the intense heat, and crackling sounds filled the inferno.
A wave of heat blasted outward, blowing Olivia's bangs and long hair back. Her slightly baby-faced cheeks flushed red and hot from the scorching temperature.
The heatwave. The firelight. The dancing sea of flames. The smell of burning carried on the hot wind.
And the culprit standing in front of her, responsible for it all.
"Wh… what is this…" Olivia murmured, collapsing onto the ground.