One week later, only a few days before the start of UA's new term, All Might retired.
Even before the news of his retirement shook the world, the internet had been abuzz with trending news about his weak form.
Speculations had already been made that the villain had heavily injured All Might during the fight. Even though the Symbol of Peace had shown a stronger front in the end, by assuming his usual, muscled appearance, that had been nothing but a show, it was said.
When people saw the news of All Might's retirement, these speculations finally began to become reality.
Meanwhile, several significant events also took place that week.
The matter of Luke and Nyx suddenly catching a fever reached the Class 1-A students two days after the fight.
At first, the students had just been worried about them. However, when they learned that Luke and Nyx hadn't woken in the last two days, they knew the matter was more serious than they had thought it to be.
It all made Recovery Girl's job even more burdensome.
Best Jeanist, Gang Orca, Tiger, and Mt. Lady had gotten away with minor injuries.
However, Endeavor, Kamui Woods, Edgeshot, and Alexander Becking had been wrecked by a transformed All For One, needing hours-long sessions with Recovery Girl.
Speaking of Alexander Becking, the Japanese Government awarded him the Nation's Highest Heroism Medal. Before him, the only foreigner who had received the same was Captain Celebrity, who, by the way, kept appearing on the news to speak less about Alex and more about how good friends they were.
What neither Christopher nor the Japanese Government told them was about the USA's call to the Chairman of Japan's Hero Public Safety Commission to send the three Heroes back to the mainland.
But there was one matter that surpassed all these things, matching All Might's weak form, and later his retirement, in popularity.
Who was Mr. Fool that Dr. Blessed had preached about?
Were his words merely the ramblings of a doomed, fanatic villain, as the governments, heroes, and police had put it? Or… was there something more to it… some truth?
An even bigger mystery was why Dr. Blessed had claimed that All Might himself would be a testament to Mr. Fool's benevolence?
A conspiracy theorist, called S&M, using screenshots from the publicly available video of All Might and All For One's clash, theorized that All Might's regaining of his muscle form was because of Dr. Blessed. If he hadn't appeared and prayed to Mr. Fool for that miracle, then All Might… might have lost.
No matter how many hate comments this S&M received, he just didn't budge from his theory, giving even more evidence and raising questions, like… why hadn't All Might made a public appearance since then?
…
In a roadside cafe in Tokyo, Kazuho winced as she saw hundreds of comments by this S&M on her mobile.
These two fools… She shook her head, thinking of Shield and Mushroom. What kind of name is S&M? Tch! The Leader's gonna be so mad…
"… Are you feeling okay?"
Kazuho looked up and saw Koichi staring at her.
Blushing, she put the mobile away. "Yeah… just shocked a little…" Kazuho said.
Koichi nodded. "It is shocking. Who knew I would see All Might retire the only time I came back to Japan after going to America?"
Kazuho smiled, knowing well how big of an All Might fan Koichi was. "I mean… I am shocked they didn't give you that super important medal."
This time, it was Koichi's turn to go red.
"No, no…" he threw up his hands. "Mr. Alexander was the one who truly held off the Villain and continued to fight even later. I didn't do much…"
"Bullshit!" Kazuho scoffed. "You did plenty. I saw…"
"Huh?"
"I mean…" Kazuho said, her face looking like a cherry. "I saw on the news. You saved people. Isn't that all this is about?"
Koichi scratched his chin wryly. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess."
They ate their ice cream, letting the silence reign for a while.
Koichi took a furtive glance at her, remembering the girl before she had gained the eyepatch on her left eye. "You know…" he said. "You would have made a very good Hero…"
Kazuho smiled. "Yeah?"
"Hmmm…" Koichi nodded. Then, he nodded again, more solidly. "Do you… miss it? Your Quirk?"
Kazuho looked outside, her gaze reaching the sky.
The smile on her face bloomed, Koichi zoning out opposite her as he looked at her face.
"A little…" Kazuho admitted. "But… It's alright. Quirks aren't the only miracles in this world. Right?"
Koichi kept looking at her before nervously throwing his eyes here and there as she looked back at him. Then, taking a deep breath, he nodded. "You… have grown, Kazuho."
Kazuho looked at him and… sighed. "Do you really have to go back?" she asked. "People have already forgotten about your debts, you know."
Koichi smiled wryly. "I am not sure about that. Haha…" he joked. "But, yeah. I do need to go back with Christopher. I… suggested staying, but they need my help with something."
"Of course," Kazuho rolled her eyes. "You are such a popular hero in America…"
Both of them ended up laughing over that…
… their hands slowly sliding over the table, touching the tips of each other's fingers.
…
In the little Saionji Mansion near U.A., where the Saionji children stayed during school days, groans echoed like the dying cries of an animal.
Inside his bedroom, Rikuya Saionji twisted on his bed, holding his stomach.
"Stop crying!" Bakugo's voice exploded from the kitchen. "It will take one more minute!"
Rikuya kept groaning, though. It was like he had drunk several bottles of whiskey last night and was now experiencing a severe hangover, and this feeling had been making his life hell for the last week.
"Fuck you…" He groaned, gasping. "Fuck you, Luke!"
Outside, in the kitchen, Bakugo frowned, because even if he hated that Birdshit, he didn't hate him nearly as much as Rikuya did, it seemed.
And they are supposed to be brothers! Bakugo scoffed inwardly. Mom was right. All rich bastards are just nutjobs! Tch!
Rikuya grumbled out something from the bedroom.
"That's it, you bastard!" Bakugo snapped. "… You are coming with me home!"