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Also, happy actual 100th chapter, yeeey!
I sure took my time, eh? Sorry about that.
Eitherway, into the chapter we go.
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[Suzaku's Secret Backing]
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After Suzaku threw an improvised insult using All for One's name, silence filled the room for a few seconds, likely because the villain was caught off guard.
Or maybe just weirded out.
Eventually, though, he came back to his senses and let out a low chuckle.
{"Haha... I see you're just as quirky as you looked on TV."}
"That I am." Suzaku nodded, smirking.
{"I overheard a bit of your conversation with my student. If I may ask, why exactly are you so opposed to the vision he leads?"}
Suzaku tilted his head. "Didn't I make it clear? Because he wants to destroy everything, and I live in everything. That's a pretty good reason if you ask me."
{"You live in everything, you say? I wonder if that's really true."}
A frown formed on Suzaku's face. "What's that supposed to mean?"
All For One laughed.
{"A society that failed to rescue you when you were abducted at the innocent age of seven, only managing to escape once an unknown party—neither hero nor policeman—intervened. An attitude that borders on arrogance, as if the entire world were within your grasp. And… eyes that don't exactly have 'hero' written in them."}
Each point made Suzaku's frown deepen.
{"Tell me, do you really belong to the 'everything' you don't want Tomura to destroy? Do you truly hold dear this society that failed you once before, the one you perform tricks for, like a monkey, as a future hero? Do you really wish to stay as a mere servant to them, bound by their command and judgment like a slave?"}
Suzaku let out a scoff, looking defiantly at the screen without an image. "You sound like you think I have some grand ambition."
The voice behind didn't lose any confidence; rather, it spoke with even more amusement. {"You don't? Your eyes say otherwise. Eyes like those belong to people like me, capable of doing anything, or killing anyone, so long as it means achieving their purpose."}
Suzaku sneered, shrugging mockingly. "I'm not sure about the 'doing anything' part. Like, would you suck dick for all the power in the world? I wouldn't. Though I guess everyone to their own."
A brief silence befell the two. Whether the villain was taken aback by the comment or simply lost in thought, he was behind a screen, so it was hard to tell.
However, the silence made Suzaku's grin widen, like he had just won the argument.
At least, until the villain spoke again.
{"Perhaps I was wrong… Perhaps you truly don't have a great ambition like I thought. But that doesn't mean the same for those behind you, does it?"}
Suzaku blinked, startled, before tilting his head, this time looking genuinely confused.
"Huh?"
All For One's tone shifted, no longer condescending, but intrigued.
{"Perhaps you don't have an ambition of your own, and instead, your purpose is what those behind you want for you. Like a puppet, ready to be manipulated at will."}
Another short silence settled between the two. During which the redhead processed everything that was being told to him.
Then, Suzaku frowned and looked at the screen in disbelief.
"You squizo or something?"
The villain chuckled softly.
{"No need to feign ignorance. It took us some time to realize, but it became obvious the deeper we dug. They've done a remarkable job staying in the shadows, for we still don't know who they are… but the traces they've left are unmistakable."}
"..." Suzaku was at a loss for words.
The villain continued nevertheless. {"By now, the connection between you and the mysterious vigilante who ruined Tomura's plan at the Sports Festival has become undeniable. First, when he freed you from Garaki's laboratory. Second, when he killed the squad sent to kidnap you again years later. Third, when he interfered with Tomura's first plan at the Sports Festival. And fourth, now, during your little vacation to the mountains with your classmates, where he killed many of Tomura's associates. All of these, with the same individual who killed our own in similar ways every time, and with you involved in one way or another."}
Shigaraki's eyes widened, turning to Suzaku with a sharp, piercing stare.
Suzaku, on the other hand, simply stayed silent, his eyes downcast, as if he'd been caught.
All For One continued, his tone filled with curiosity and fascination.
{"Then there's the matter of the creature that's been on the public eye lately. A red monster whose body shifts between liquid and steel-hard, capable of growing and shrinking at will, and strong enough to defeat a top-ranked hero with ease. A true marvel of bioengineering, if our theory about it being man-made is correct. This creature, though sighted less often, has appeared whenever you were around. First, during your internship. Then, at your summer camp. Although two times aren't enough to be certain, I prefer to believe there are no coincidences in this world. Especially when it appeared in two places with no relation—except for you."}
This time, it wasn't just Shigaraki or Kurogiri who reacted, every other villain shifted uneasily.
None of them, besides Kurogiri and Shigaraki, had seen the unknown man slaughter dozens of villains, so their impression of him wasn't much beside what they had been told.
But the red monster, there's no way they didn't know of it. It was footage that had shocked the underworld and citizens alike.
A monster who took down Mirko as if she had been a mere kid.
And now, if that red-haired brat was somehow related to it…
What the hell had they just brought into their base?
Regardless of the villains' thoughts, All For One continued speaking.
{"Two entities. One, a man of reportedly unremarkable appearance, yet possessing multiple abilities that could easily be mistaken for multiple Quirks. And the other, a giant creature of immense strength and speed, with a biology that defies logic, and an aura so foreboding it left those exposed to it terrified for days, according to testimonies. Both entities that seem nearly impossible to exist, even in a world of Quirks and their chaotic variations… Unless, of course… that they were made, much like the Nomus."}
The more All For One revealed, the more the villains around began shifting uncomfortably. They had thought they'd just abducted a normal student… but it turned out far worse than they could've imagined.
Shigaraki, in particular, eyed Suzaku with narrowed eyes.
His mind drifted back to the day they first met, at the mall. He'd dismissed the redhead's threats as nothing more than the arrogance of a kid full of himself… but had they really been?
If Suzaku had attacked that day with genuine intent to kill, what would have happened?
Would the man who'd once thwarted his plans have appeared again… and killed him?
He remembered that ominous sensation right before leaving, the distinct feeling that he was about to die, a feeling that vanished the moment one of Suzaku's acquaintances appeared.
That day, he'd been alone. Without Kurogiri.
That day, he could have actually died.
'This kid… is dangerous.'
His eyes glinted with murderous intent, and his fingers twitched, itching to move the instant his Sensei allowed it.
But instead, the man continued speaking.
{"Now, the question is—why would you, a seemingly ordinary student from U.A., be involved with the kind of entity capable of producing such powerful beings?"}
Before Suzaku could answer, another voice joined in through the same screen, one that made his entire body tense.
{"For the same reason I once tried to kidnap you, Suzaku Suzuki."}
His pupils shrank. For once, his relaxed demeanor faltered into sharp alertness.
"It's you."
{"Hoho, you remember me? We barely met a few minutes back then, and it's been years… yet it seems I left an impression."}
There was a brief pause before Suzaku smiled faintly.
"Yeah, I remember you. You're the only person in the world I'll take my sweet time killing, Psycho Doctor."
{"How scary."}
Garaki's laughter echoed through the speakers, completely unfazed.
{"But you're not capable of such things, are you? Your Quirk is pitiful, if anything, and I highly doubt your martial arts will take you very far through our forces. But your body, on the other hand… That's the reason you've got such backing now, isn't it?"}
He sighed, almost wistfully.
{"What a waste. At the time, I thought I was the only one who noticed the anomaly your body was, and what it could mean for my research. But I was wrong. Someone else noticed it too, and they snatched you away before I could do anything. How regrettable."}
Then, as if flipping a switch, his tone brightened, disturbingly cheerful.
{"But even if I was a little sad to lose you, I was also curious. Whoever took you was capable of creating the wondrous beings that were the two who we have noticed to have been around you. Beings of incredible power, yet still conscious and intelligent, unlike my Nomus, whose mind collapses pretty quickly once additional Quirks enter their body. So, I couldn't help but wonder… what would that brilliant mind make of you, someone whose body might be able to hold an unprecedented number of Quirks at once?"}
He paused, his tone dipping again, disappointed this time, but building frustration with each sentence.
{"And yet, you remained the same. They left you to live your life, merely watching and protecting you. Why? They had the perfect mold in their hands. All they had to do was use it!"}
There was a brief silence. Then Garaki spoke again… almost enlightened.
{"Then I realized it. They're saving you, waiting until they have the finest materials and Quirks at their disposal, so when the time comes, they make you into their ultimate piece. And you… The reason you look so calm, so unworried… is because you're accepting it. Like my friend here said, those eyes belong to someone ready to do anything to achieve his goal, even if it means becoming the subject of an experiment to obtain peerless power."}
He laughed, building up momentum for the end of his theory.
{"You are to become their ultimate creation."}
As his final words fell, the room was swallowed by cold, tense silence.
The villains were too shocked, swallowing all the information that had been revealed all of a sudden, to say anything.
Meanwhile, Suzaku…
He sighed, then he slowly raised both arms, a wry smile showing on his face.
"You got me."
That snapped the villains out of their thoughts, making them flinch visibly. It was the confirmation of the accusations, and the confirmation that they might be dealing with some dangerous entities here.
As they processed it, Suzaku sneered, lowering his arms as he glared straight at the camera, a cocky and daring smirk on his face.
"So? What are you and None For Two gonna do about it?"
{"We want to make you an offer."} Garaki's voice came through, excitement and greed bleeding into every word. {"Give up on them, and allow us to perfect you instead."}
"Seeing how you handle your 'Nomus,' I'm not sure that'd be a smart decision," Suzaku remarked.
{"While I admit they were ahead of us in knowledge and technology years ago—when we tried to abduct you and they took you away—it's not the same anymore. Our tech is improving, and the Nomus are getting better."}
Suzaku sneered. "It didn't look that way; the one you brought didn't seem too bright to me."
{"That's because most are manufactured soldiers for now, created solely to give us an army of powerful, obedient fighters. But our best subjects have retained sentience, and their strength has skyrocketed. In your case... it might even reach All Might level."}
Suzaku's eyes narrowed. "And what would you gain from making me that powerful?"
{"You, of course, become our associate. A partner that can lend us your great strength in times of need."}
That didn't quite sound like the full truth to Suzaku, just an embellishment of their true purpose, just like Shigaraki had done.
-Sip-
He took another sip of his cola, the pause drawn out, then his usual smirk slid back into place.
"And what if I don't?"
This time All For One's voice answered, his tone a drop more serious and less amused. {"I suggest you don't. Though those 'sponsors' of yours want to protect you, you're currently out of their reach. If we can't make you join us, it'd be better to nip you in the bud before they turn you into something troublesome."}
"Nip you in the bud, huh?" Suzaku said aloud, tone lazy and unbothered. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea…"
He gulped down the rest of his drink, then—
-Shatter!-
—crushed the glass in his hand and smiled widely.
"Sure, I'll do it."
An amused, pleased chuckle filled the room through the screen. {"... I knew I hadn't mistaken that look in your eyes. You truly are like me."}
"Yeah, I suppose the hero life might not be for me," Suzaku replied, mimicking All For One's amused tone—though none of those present felt the warmth of his amusement.
{"Then it is agreed. Garaki will prepare his new lab for you."} The man announced. {"For now, however, make yourself acquainted with Tomura and the others. You'll be associates from now on."}
Suzaku gave them a quick glance, disdain evident in his look. "We'll see. I can't just associate myself with scrubs, can I?"
{"You're an amusing one indeed. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you grow into... Tomura, I'll leave him under your care."}
"... Yes, Sensei." After a small, hesitant pause, Shigaraki answered, not pleased, but not about to refuse.
{"Good. Until we meet."}
Then, the transmission cut, and the bar fell back into the stunned silence of the villains.
Until Suzaku broke it.
"I'll do it."
His red eyes shone with a familiar light, one that only appeared when someone was about to have their neck snapped.
'Nip you in the bud, that is.'
…
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| All for One's medical care room |
…
"It truly is a wonder, isn't it, Garaki?" All For One muttered, his gaze fixed on the still-live footage of Suzaku and company—though his voice was no longer connected to the transmission.
The old man laughed, scribbling something down on a notepad. "Indeed. All that time preparing Shigaraki Tomura to become your vessel, and yet, at the very last moment, a new one appears—more powerful, with shocking potential. It's like the world itself is mocking us."
"Or showing us the better path…" All For One mused. "You said his body could achieve twice the results Tomura's could have?"
"Yes. His physiology is a marvel. With the proper treatment—although it will take time—it could result in a truly godlike vessel."
All For One's grin widened, twisting into something sinister. "Hahaha… It stirs the greed within me. A body so powerful—imagine how many Quirks I could hold, the combinations I could create… The only shame is that his hatred is minimal. With such weak hatred, it's unlikely he'll ever be able to usurp One For All for good."
"That can be fixed, can't it?" Garaki said, adjusting his glasses. "All we have to do is guide him properly over the next few months, and he might soon surpass even the progress we've made with Shigaraki Tomura."
"Hahaha, I can't wait. He had friends in that class of his, didn't he? They might serve as the perfect ingredients to bloom that hatred into what we need."
Garaki nodded, moving to adjust one of the machines supporting All For One. "What about the organization behind him? With him gone, they're bound to act. The two individuals we know of possess terrifying power—it could be dangerous for Tomura and our forces."
All For One laughed softly. "They are powerful, yes, but not invincible. During their confrontation, Tomura mentioned the man dodging attacks. That means he is not invulnerable. His offensive power may be extraordinary—able to kill everything he injures through a Quirk we still haven't identified—but if we overwhelm him, that will be his limit. As for the monster… we could always create a Nomu designed specifically to deal with it. And if that fails… I might step in myself."
"I wouldn't suggest direct combat in your condition," Garaki warned. "We should wait until our new vessel evolves into what we've planned. Then, our victory will be absolute. No human alive will be able to stand against you."
"But for that," All For One said, leaning back with a faint chuckle, "time is needed."
"Indeed."
"Then we'll wait," All For One murmured, a sly smile curving beneath his mask. "Eventually, everything will unfold just as we've prepared."
He laughed quietly to himself.
"So long as we have Suzaku Suzuki in our hands, victory is already ours."
…
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-To be Continued…-
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(A/N: Quite shocking, eh? Who could have thought Suzaku could have had such a powerful backer? Even I didn't know that. AFO and his troupe sure are smart to have figured it out.
On all honesty, I came up with it on the spot as I wrote, and thought it was quite funny, so I left it. Especially since it helped with a few things I have planned for this arc.
Eitherway, I hope you enjoyed this chap. It was a bit short, but not every chapter is gonna have that much detail explained, or that many things happening.
Also, 100 CHAPTERS, YAY!
And it inaugurates with the official first talk between Suzaku and the big bad. How perfect.
Arrow)
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