Malphegor

NYP: Dark Passenger

NYP Ch. 96

Kenji's sensory technique had been running at maximum capacity for the past hour. Every fluctuation or unusual signature got logged and analyzed. Most were false positives, like ANBU patrols moving through their routes, small animals in the forest, residual chakra from earlier techniques.

Then he felt it.

A chakra signature appeared inside the barrier.

He actually came, he thought.

"Earth Release: Earth Spear."

Before any of the ANBU could react, he was ...

OP: AMP Ch. 203

Marcus stared at the Goatman form the Shichiseiken had transformed into.

This had nothing to do with the original Goatman. That thing had been horrifying. You could've dropped it into a horror movie as the final boss and nobody would've questioned it.

But this?

The transformed Shichiseiken had facial proportions that were surprisingly... human. Big eyes, a perky nose bridge, small lips, and goat horns that actually looked kind of cute.

But the details were all wrong. I...

OP: AMP Ch. 202

Marcus watched as the Shichiseiken rejected the offer, then gently pushed the Goatman Devil Fruit forward a bit.

The result was predictable. A tiny ghostly hand formed from the sword's spectral energy and nudged the fruit back toward him. But this time, the push was extremely cautious, as if the blade was afraid to touch it for too long.

His expression turned from amused to fascinated.

"The so-called Goatman is a little story that's widely told in certain parts of the world....

OP: AMP Ch. 201

Marcus' soul drifted quietly through the laboratory, changing direction to test something.

The Goatman's gaze followed him perfectly, tracking every movement.

In his possessed state, nobody had ever been able to see him before. He was supposed to be completely invisible until the moment he initiated possession, when his target would sense something was about to happen.

So how was this thing tracking him?

Some kind of special ability?

He floated closer to get a be...

MCIM Ch. 132

"What exactly did you want to discuss?"

Mario showed no surprise that Batman knew his real identity. After all, both he and the Ghost Rider had appeared at the same time, spoken to him at the same party. He'd never bothered disguising his voice.

He lifted his glass and drained it in one smooth motion, then poured himself another. His gaze locked onto Batman's white lenses.

"I want to work with you."

Mario couldn't help but laugh. "You want to cooperate with me?"

...

MCIM Ch. 131

Steam rose from Gordon's body like he was a walking sauna. Mario watched from across the desk.

"You got anyone in mind for the remaining doses?"

Gordon's frown deepened as he stared at the case containing eleven more vials of serum. "Once I'm sure the serum's safe, I'll handpick a squad."

"And you're certain none of your people are working for the other side?"

The question landed like a bomb in the middle of the office. Gordon's gaze drifted to the IV bag drip-drip-dri...

MCIM Ch. 130

"Interested in facing your own judgment?"

Mario stared at Batman. Honestly, he wanted to know what the Dark Knight would see under the Penance Stare's effect. What sins haunted Gotham's greatest detective?

"Penance Stare."

Batman maintained eye contact, his training and instincts screaming at him to look away. But there was no chance for escape. He'd built his entire career on understanding his enemies before the fight even began, studying their weaknesses, exploiting their ...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 395

When that blazing figure appeared in midair, his whole body wreathed in fire, streaking across the sky, and shattered one Ringwraith after another, the very beings that inspired terror in all hearts, it was as though people beheld a radiant sun. The brilliance he radiated drove away every soldier's fear of Mordor. It was as if they had found an anchor for their hearts. Their morale soared, rising close to its peak. For he was the legend belonging solely to the Free Peoples. Though he had only...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 394

The banner of Rohan fluttered in the wind, upon it a white horse galloped across a green field, but Théoden rode even faster. He spurred his horse forward, and none could overtake him. The marshals followed close behind, the white plumes on their helmets streaming in the wind. The great host thundered forth like a white-crested wave surging toward a black shore, and at last, they crashed upon it. Hooves shattered spears. Countless orcs met their destruction beneath the overwhelming charge, u...

LOTR: TMCP Ch. 393

While the orcs were still assembling their siege engines, Gondor had already launched a preemptive attack. The defenders operated their catapults, hurling stones continuously into the orc ranks, aiming especially at the siege engines under construction or already completed, successfully destroying many of them. But it was like a drop in the ocean. The enemy's numbers were overwhelming, and their preparations were thorough. Destroy one, and another took its place, an endless tide.

During...

PIG V2 Ch. 19

Cobblepot's "get well soon" bouquets lined the windowsill, sent by people who probably hoped he wouldn't get well at all.

Marco stood at the foot of the bed, peeling a tangerine. The bodyguard, some thick-necked enforcer whose name he had never bothered to learn, stood in the corner looking.

Cobblepot's eyes fluttered open. The bruises on his face had yet to fade. He tilted his head slightly, registering Marco's presence, and forced a weak smile.

"You came. Sorry I wasn't aw...

PIG V2 Ch. 18

Edward braced himself with a green walking cane, stepping across slick rocks carpeted with moss that felt more like slime than vegetation. Beneath his feet lay the accumulated filth of decades.

His brow was furrowed in concentration as he held a notebook, stopping every few meters to jot something down or sketch a quick diagram.

"Too dirty," he murmured. "This isn't normal, Otis. Body dumps usually happen in places like landfills because they're convenient and remote. But every si...

PIG V2 Ch. 17

Three box trucks sat bumper-to-bumper along the curb outside Express Movers. A group of armed men were hauling crates and duffel bags out of the stairwell and loading them onto the vehicles.

Marco barely had time to register what he was seeing before one of them spotted the police vehicles.

"Cops!"

Several of the gunmen loading the trucks immediately swung their weapons around and opened fire.

Bullets hammered into the E350's armored plating, throwing off showers of sp...

PIG V2 Ch. 16

"Didn't I tell you cops don't get weekends?"

Marco looked up from the case file he'd been reviewing and raised an eyebrow at Darnell, who was slouched in a chair looking like he'd just rolled out of bed. Which, knowing Darnell, he probably had.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who insisted on coming back to work."

"Yeah, well..." Darnell yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. "Beats sitting in my apartment staring at the walls."

Marco was about to respond...

PIG V2 Ch. 15

Marco woke up to the persistent throb of pain in his side.

He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling.

Fuck it. I'm too fragile for this city.

The ache had been reminding him of that all night, breaking his sleep again and again. The system still had unused cards. Part of him wanted to roll the dice and see what he'd get. Maybe he'd get lucky. Maybe something like invulnerability, or enhanced healing.

But that was wishful thinking. Gambling was never re...

MPCW Ch. 17

Qingxue's consciousness drifted as she pushed her spiritual energy through Alexei's body, mapping the pathways. And then, between one breath and the next, the treehouse disappeared.

She stood in a vast, open landscape under a perfectly square sun. The ground beneath her feet was made of blocks, grass on top, dirt below, visible layers like a cross-section of the earth itself. In the distance, a rough humanoid structure rose against the horizon. Its head was a perfect cube. Its body, arm...

Arcane: TTB: Ch. 148

One punch.

That's all it took.

Vander's uppercut looked ordinary enough, the kind of basic strike you'd see in any boxing ring. But when his cybernetically-enhanced fist connected with the air itself, a crimson tornado of raw kinetic force erupted from the impact point, spiraling upward and outward in a vortex. The technique, Cyclone Counter, converted the rotational energy of the punch into a whirlwind.

Riven's Wind Slash slammed directly into the spinning wall of crimson a...

NYP Ch. 95

Some months later...

Kenji still didn't know that Kakashi had joined ANBU, just like in the original timeline. Right now, he had more immediate concerns.

Honoka was pregnant.

Two lifetimes, and this was the first time he was going to be a father. The news hit him like a lightning jutsu to the chest, leaving him standing in his workshop completely frozen while Honoka watched him with an amused smile.

"Kenji? You okay?"

"I... yeah."

He'd confirmed it himself ...

NYP Ch. 94

Over the next few weeks, things shifted in ways Kenji couldn't quite identify.

It started small. Honoka had always brought him food when he worked late. But instead of leaving a plate on his workbench and retreating, she'd pull up a stool and eat with him, asking about his progress while they shared the meal.

"How's the chakra flow issue?" she'd ask, and wait for his answer.

He'd explain, half-expecting her eyes to glaze over like most people's did when he got technical. But...

NYP Ch. 93

Two days after the training ground incident, Honoka knocked on Ikkaku's door.

Things with Kenji had become a bit awkward. They'd had breakfast together, but the conversation had been stilted. He'd asked if she was feeling better. She'd said yes. He'd nodded and gone back to his tea.

Neither of them mentioned the abrupt exit from the training grounds.

"Come in," Ikkaku called.

She stepped inside to find the usual setup: tea already prepared, practice materials laid out ...

NYP Ch. 92

Two weeks after Minato's inauguration party.

"Much better."

Ikkaku set down his tea cup and nodded approvingly as Honoka successfully completed a complex chakra flow exercise without wavering. The green glow around her hands remained steady for a full minute before she let it dissipate.

"I can feel the difference now," Honoka said, flexing her fingers. "The control is smoother."

"That's what happens when you stop overthinking it." Ikkaku refilled both their cups. "You'...

NYP Ch. 91

The workshop was quiet except for the soft scrape of metal on wood and the occasional click of mechanisms being tested.

Honoka stood in the doorway, holding a tray with rice, grilled fish, and miso soup. Steam rose from the bowls.

Kenji sat hunched over his workbench, a puppet arm disassembled in front of him. His hands moved quickly, adjusting internal joints with tools so small they looked like they belonged to a jeweler rather than a ninja.

She'd been standing there for m...

NYP Ch. 90

Given the timeframe, this is the best I could come up with. Romance isn't my strong suit, so this may be a bit cliché and possibly cringey for some. For those who'd prefer to skip this, Chapter 96 is where the story from Chapter 90 (OLD) will continue. I'll work on that tomorrow.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

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The celebration at Minato and Kushina's apartment was in full swing when Honoka nearly caused a disaster.

She'd been helping Kushina bring out more food fr...

NYP Poll (Spoiler!)

Spoiler! You gave me some good arguments. I never intended for Kenji to have a FL, but I don’t mind changing that. If you want him to have a kid who joins Naruto, the best option would be Honoka, because they already know each other.

My current plan was Kenji caring for Ryota. The first plan involved some tragedy, but the Naruto world already has enough of that.

As for Honoka: she had feelings, how could she not? He rescued her. But she saw that he treated her as a friend, and o...

NYP Ch. 90 (OLD)

This is the old version.

There are some important changes. You can visit the NYP poll to see the general changes. Read this chapter only if you are curious.

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The celebration at Minato and Kushina's apartment was in full swing when Honoka first really noticed him.

She'd seen Ikkaku around before, of course. He was Kenji's neighbor, the one who'd helped out when Kenji was recovering from his injuries years ago. They'd exchanged polite greetings in the hallway....

NYP Ch. 89

They'd been traveling for two hours when Kenji called for a halt.

"We'll rest here for a bit," he said quietly, scanning the small clearing they'd entered. "The Konoha camp is still several hours away, and we need to coordinate our story before we arrive."

Kakashi nodded, his eye showing exhaustion despite the adrenaline that had been keeping him going. Rin didn't respond vocally, just shifted the weight of her "corpse" on her back and moved to sit against a tree.

Kenji's se...

NYP Ch. 88

Time ticked by, second by second.

The chakra flowing from the Kiri ninja's palms grew weaker. When the final wisp of chakra merged into Rin's body, his figure went completely slack. His eyes rolled back, showing only whites. The chakra that had been sustaining him throughout his adult life simply stopped. His body collapsed to the cave floor.

All signs of life were gone.

On the operating table, a faint heartbeat echoed from Rin's chest. Weak at first, but it grew stronger wi...

Arcane: TTB: Ch. 147

Vander's fist came up in a wicked hook. The shockwave rippled outward, yanking Teneff, her four warhounds, and even Marit on her struggling mount straight toward him.

They had maybe half a second to register what was happening before he was already moving again.

His follow-up jabs blurred into afterimages.

Teneff's head snapped back from three quick hits to her jaw. One of the warhounds yelped as a strike to its skull sent it crashing into its packmate. Marit tried to raise ...

PIG V2 Ch. 14

From the darkness along Dixon Docks came the mournful cry of a foghorn.

A figure in black leather moved through the abandoned factory, slipping between corroded steel beams and shattered windows without making a sound. She scaled the side of the main warehouse building, finding handholds, and finally slid through a third-floor office window, one of the few that still had intact glass.

Selina landed in the center of the room, straightening slowly. She took in the scene: four armed ...