—This... this... THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!! —Shigaraki screamed, his voice loaded with pure hysteria as his nails dug into his own neck.
Tomura, for his part, simply let out a broken and twisted laugh. He ripped off the hand covering his face in one pull, revealing completely bulging red eyes that couldn't hide the absolute fascination he felt at the scene of devastation unfolding before his eyes. It was magnificent! An exhibition of pure power, of uncontrollable violence... of catastrophe in its most perfect form!
The moment seemed eternal, suspended in that silent admiration... until "he" returned. Izuku landed creating a new crater, not far from where they were, the brutality of his descent made the ground beneath their feet tremble. He raised his head, and his green eyes, now dark and serious as blades, fixed on them. There was no joy. No compassion. Only a silent and absolute threat that froze the blood.
Tomura, for an instant, wished he could talk to him. Tell him how much he had enjoyed watching him fight, how excited he had been to witness such absurd force in action. But that imbecile Shigaraki ruined everything. Unable to contain his desperation, he released a string of screams loaded with pure frustration.
—YOU BASTARD!! —he bellowed with fury while scratching his neck with grotesque violence—. That Nomu had improvements to kill All Might!! That stranger improved it for us in the alley, told us it would be unstoppable!! AND YOU, YOU DESTROY IT LIKE IT'S NOTHING, DAMN IT!!!I WANT TO KILL YOU!!!
Tomura said nothing, only put the hand back on his face, as if trying to suppress the headache those words caused him. Then, without warning, he struck Shigaraki's head with all his force, making him fall backwards to the ground brutally.
—Are you an imbecile or do you just act like one?!! —he roared, his words full of contempt—. Why the hell do you reveal that important information out loud?!! Don't you have a working brain or what the hell is wrong with you?! Shut up!! That's the only thing you know how to do well!
—Tomura, Shigaraki... I recommend we retreat immediately —Kurogiri said, materializing beside them—. Although the students are weakened and with some minor injuries, they managed to defeat all the villains and have them gagged. Our chances of success have plummeted...
—Don't come at me with excuses, you useless cloud —Shigaraki growled, getting up staggering, wiping the blood from his face—. We can take them all! We're too strong! We just need to organize, use my Quirk to eliminate that damn green-haired bastard and...
—Didn't you see what just happened? —Tomura interrupted him, with a dry rage he could barely contain—. That student eliminated the Nomu as if it were a simple dry leaf. And although his clothes are destroyed, don't you see he doesn't have a single scratch?!! —he growled, pointing at Izuku, whose figure among the rubble seemed like that of an invincible warrior—. That guy... is monstrously strong. No matter how much we want to fight. Today we lost. Learn to retreat with dignity.
Tomura saw how Shigaraki closed his fists, trembling with fury and helplessness, while that Izuku kept watching them, without saying a word, without even moving. Like a lion watching its prey.
Then it happened.
—Die, you bastard!! —Shigaraki shouted, propelling himself with killer speed.
But his trajectory wasn't toward Izuku... it was toward his sister.
—If I can't finish you... I'll start with your horrible sister! Die!!
Shigaraki was insane with rage. He formed a knife with his Quirk, ready to murder her in a single movement. He was too fast. He was already only millimeters from her, the edge ignited by his homicidal madness.
—Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots resonated in the air... but long before the sound dissipated, three bullets had already perforated his body: one in the hand holding the weapon and two in the legs. Shigaraki screamed in pain just as Izuku appeared like a furious specter in front of him, delivering a brutal kick that sent him flying violently to his starting point, dragging across the ground like an old rag.
The dust settled slowly.
Tomura couldn't hide the humiliation he felt at that moment. His companion had ruined everything.
Izuku was pointing at them with what appeared to be an improvised cannon made of hardened black whips. His gaze was judgment. Serious. Cold. Uncompromising.
—Do you want to continue... or do you surrender already?
—We don't need any of that. We're already retreating —Tomura responded, raising his hand for Kurogiri to open a portal behind him.
As they prepared to leave, professional heroes began to arrive. However, Tomura didn't pay them attention. His eyes remained fixed on Izuku.
—I hope to see you again —he said calmly, making a slight mocking bow...
...Just before a bullet dangerously grazed his cheek. He remained motionless for a second, and smiled. That wasn't a threat. It was a warning.
Izuku wouldn't tolerate another stupid move.
At that moment, Tomura simply straightened up calmly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, and caught a bullet that had been fired at him. It was probably the work of a hero... more specifically Snipe, the professional with the appearance of an American cowboy, whose rigid body betrayed his bewilderment upon seeing how his projectile was stopped as if it were a simple insect.
Tomura sighed with disdain, without even looking at the others. Then he grabbed Shigaraki by the neck with one hand and threw him inside the portal as if he were a useless sack.
—What a nuisance... —he murmured.
Then, with brutal force, he returned the caught bullet, directing it with deadly precision toward Snipe's head.
But before it could impact, another shot crossed the air.
A black bullet, silent, deflected from Izuku's rifle, collided with Tomura's in the last second. No one saw when Izuku fired. To the naked eye, his weapon hadn't moved a centimeter. But he had reacted. And his message was clear:
"Don't you dare."
Snipe took a step back, surprised, falling to the ground because he didn't expect that action.
Tomura, for his part, only sketched a twisted smile. Izuku kept aiming at him with that improvised cannon made of black whips, as if he could erase his existence just by deciding to.
—We'll see each other later, hero Izuku. This time we'll kill the symbol of peace —Tomura said with a calm voice, before disappearing inside the portal. It closed slowly behind him, leaving behind only tension in the air... and an unspoken threat.
֎֎֎
When Tomura emerged on the other side, he appeared in his hideout: an abandoned bar located in a lonely neighborhood, hidden from the world. Although deteriorated on the outside, the interior was a comfortable and familiar place with its few lights and well-furnished. However, something pulled him from his usual routine.
And no, it wasn't that Shigaraki was lying on the floor, still agonizing, nor that Kurogiri seemed not to care in the slightest.
It was the corpse right in front of him.
A blonde with a build both thin and muscular, spiky hair and a face that showed he had been hardened by fury... with an enormous hole in the center of his forehead. Tomura raised an eyebrow, surprised for a second. Then he let out a small laugh.
—Well, I certainly didn't expect this.
At that moment, a screen at the back of the bar turned on, illuminating the environment with a faint purple glow. Where only a voice could be heard, his master, All for One.
—Did you complete the mission I assigned you? —he said calmly but firmly, showing his authority.
—Master, you were wrong!, the Nomus were useless. They were just a joke! —Shigaraki said, still on the floor but very angry.
—What are you saying? What happened to my beloved Nomu and the one that particular group lent us?
—THEY WERE ELIMINATED IN A MATTER OF MINUTES! Destroyed! Not an ounce of effort! —Shigaraki shouted, hitting the floor with helplessness—. That bastard tore them to pieces!
A second voice intervened, more anxious, more tense. It was the "Nomu Master," who was beside All for One.
—Was it All Might? Did he kill them? Impossible! I personally checked both Nomus! They were too powerful to fall so easily! Those two were designed to massacre him, to leave absolutely nothing of him!
—They weren't eliminated by All Might —Tomura said seriously.
—What..?
Tomura stopped in front of the body. He looked down and gently kicked the blonde man's head, as if confirming his identity. His voice sounded mocking and contemptuous.
—It was by the same one who murdered the six idiots who came with us. And also this useless bastard who called himself "Wrath," the supposed leader of the "Seven Deadly Sins of the End." Hehe —He let out a low laugh, almost amused—. What a pathetic name.
—This is very serious —the "Nomu Master" commented, visibly worried—. When they introduced themselves, they were truly peculiar individuals. I wish I had experimented with them... they had more than one quirk, and they weren't created by us. They're beings I really would have liked to study, how to torment to tell me their secrets.
—That's another matter, doctor —All for One intervened with a contained voice—. But... if they were all eliminated... where are their bodies? Didn't you bring them?
Kurogiri spoke calmly, though his tone showed some frustration.
—I don't have their whereabouts. When we were attacked with some kind of flood, the body of the Nomu they lent us disappeared. The other was launched through the air with a single blow, and until now we haven't been able to locate it. As for the six individuals who accompanied us, their bodies were also erased. We believe it was the same subject who took care of making them disappear... without leaving any trace.
A dense silence filled the room. The call remained active, but the only thing heard was All for One's agitated breathing. His growing anger could be felt.
And how could he not be furious?
Those seven useless bastards had appeared out of nowhere, assuring they would help assassinate All Might, that they would eliminate possible future threats and that they brought with them a creature similar to an extremely powerful Nomu... one that, as understood, only the Professor could create. Even those seven were individuals with impressive abilities that could have been useful... if only they had had the opportunity to use or control them.
But now they were without Nomus. Without soldiers. Without reinforcements. And without results.
The so-promising League of Villains had been nothing more than an enormous waste of time. Though, to be fair, no one expected too much from it... except Shigaraki, who remained on the floor, lamenting in silence, frustrated by the humiliation suffered.
Suddenly, a new call began to be received on the screen. Without delay, it was answered... and a voice they didn't expect to hear again broke the silence. He really didn't know he fucked up based on his cheerful tone when he answered them.
—Well, well... it seems the plan didn't work as expected... How unfortunate. Heh, heh... —the voice said with a mocking and irritating tone.
—You failed —All for One interrupted, with a coldness that froze the blood—. You promised us something useful, something that would reinforce our forces... but you only showed weakness. All your lackeys dead. Your supposed Nomu, destroyed. The League of Villains was a simple experiment. And you... aren't worth even that. I'm breaking all relations with you. Disappear.
The other side was silent for a couple of seconds. Then a laugh was heard... unbalanced, annoying, chilling. That guy was truly crazy.
—Oh, All for One... always seeing the superficial. I told you I would show you something important. And I did. Maybe it didn't turn out as I wanted, but something much more interesting appeared... someone more dangerous. A real enemy. And you have no idea of the scope of what's moving behind him.
Silence returned to the room, dense and charged. All for One didn't respond immediately. But when he spoke, his voice became icy, cutting, without a trace of patience.
—That's no longer your concern. You're nothing more than a thief who played at being the master, and failed. Your toys were garbage, your men, useless meat. Even the imitator you gave us ended up dead, because he's not here with us either. This will be the last time you hear my voice. Though I'm being benevolent, you stole from me. And I'm going to recover it. It doesn't matter where you hide, it doesn't matter who you have with you... I'll find you. And when I do, there will be nothing left of you. Not your name, not your ashes. You'll be exposed as a warning to those who try to do the same. Understood?
The other voice said nothing, just stayed silent for a few seconds, processing the threat made to him only to give a small laugh, demonstrating it didn't work on him.
From the other side of the line there were a couple of seconds of muteness. Then, a short, dry laugh... unbalanced.
—Alright... I'll leave you in peace for now —the voice said, still with a mocking tone, but without as much lightness—. But I repeat: the subject who caused this has a connection with someone much more dangerous. When you discover the truth, you'll come crawling to me. I'll be waiting for you... especially you, All For One.
And the call cut off, leaving behind a cold that not even silence was capable of dissipating. No one dared to speak. For an instant, the place was suspended in a heavy calm, as if something invisible were crushing them. Until, finally, All For One's voice broke the stillness.
—Shitsuren Shigaraki... and you too, Tomura. Despite the evident failure, not everything has been a loss. This inconvenience, though annoying, left us a useful lesson. Gather more allies, anyone who can serve. There's no rush. Take the time you need... because when the moment comes, I want the entire world to remember why they should fear you. Let the names of Tomura and Shitsuren be of terror.
Tomura looked up, doubt evident in his gaze. His voice was low, but loaded with concern.
—And what about that young man... the one who defeated us?
All For One kept silent for a few seconds before responding, as if weighing each word carefully.
—For now... we'll take the only thing that imbecile seller left us. One of his "allies" will serve. With that, the doctor will be able to create a true Nomu... one that embodies pure explosive destruction. The rest... we'll destroy it when its time comes.
֎֎֎
—Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shots echoed in Toshinori's head as if calling him back to reality. With effort he got up from his hiding place among the trees, still in his emaciated form, confused and annoyed. He didn't remember well what had happened, only fragments: the attack, the Nomu, the villains, and the clear image of Izuku sending the latter flying.
The urgency hit him immediately. He had to help him! In that instant, without thinking, he tried to transform. But something didn't fit. His body returned to its heroic form without resistance, without pain, even with renewed strength. He could feel it... as if he could maintain it longer than he thought possible. He didn't know how or why, but this wasn't the time to question it. What mattered was getting to where he was needed.
When he finally emerged to the combat zone, the scene left him speechless. It was as if a hurricane or a giant bomb had passed through the place. Destroyed trees, violently cracked ground, columns of smoke rising from burned zones. And in the center, Izuku. He stood firm, with a cold and determined gaze, holding his black whip rifle. There was no doubt: he had faced all the villains alone. Beside him, Izumi, unharmed, protected by her brother. Behind them, several students who had arrived late, watching the scene with astonishment. In front of Izuku were the enemy's remains. The villains were on the ground, defeated. Shigaraki, in particular, looked in very bad shape: his legs and his right hand were destroyed, possibly by Izuku's three direct shots that he could hear.
He truly had no words to be more surprised.
Toshinori prepared to move, he wanted to join, make sure they were okay, finish whatever remained. But before he could do so, he heard the metallic echo of a gate opening forcefully. The main entrance of the USJ. The teachers arrived as a group. Young Iida was at the front, followed by Cementoss, Snipe, Midnight and other hero colleagues. All ready to spring into action, but they stopped immediately upon seeing what was happening. No one understood well what was going on, it was understandable, the atmosphere was so dense that even they felt something didn't add up.
Snipe, by reflex upon seeing that Tomura was still standing, fired without hesitation. The bullet crossed the air at great speed, direct to the villain. But Tomura didn't flinch. On the contrary, he raised a hand and caught the projectile as if it were nothing. He observed it for a few seconds and, with the same calmness, threw it back. It wasn't a simple bounce. He threw it with precision, as if intending to kill.
The projectile went straight to Snipe, but something stopped it. No one saw what it was, only that the bullet deflected at the last second, hitting the ground without doing harm. Toshinori was relieved that his colleague wasn't hurt, but then he realized his mistake, when he refocused his gaze on the villains, it was too late. Kurogiri had already opened a portal and the two villains disappeared from the place. In seconds, not a single one remained.
The opportunity had vanished. Although the students began to celebrate the victory, Toshinori couldn't share that joy. They had won the battle, yes... but not the war. The real threat had slipped through their fingers, and what disturbed him most was the possibility that one of those villains had information or access to One for All. No one else seemed to notice it, but Toshinori did. During combat, the Nomu had shown strange signs. The villains talked as if they were unaware of its true power. If it was true they thought their creature only had a physical enhancer, then someone else—someone outside the group—had modified it. Someone with deep knowledge. Someone who shouldn't have it.
But well, what's done is done, at least he had to thank his student for saving the others. With a jump he reached his student, surprising the others with his appearance which made them very happy, he would check on them later but what was important was Izuku, so he approached him in a friendly manner without showing his favoritism, but showing his concern for him.
He had to find out as soon as possible. He couldn't leave loose ends.
Shaking off the pressure, he breathed deeply. Despite everything, he had to give thanks. After all, there was someone directly responsible for everyone still being alive. With a clean jump, Toshinori landed next to the students. His sudden appearance surprised them, and in seconds they surrounded him with expressions of relief and enthusiasm. Some wanted to hug him, others just to confirm he was okay. He promised to check on them later, one by one. Now, there was only one person he needed to see immediately.
He walked toward Izuku calmly, hiding his concern under his typical smile. Although he tried not to show favoritism, his eyes revealed otherwise. He stopped in front of him and spoke with a close, though formal tone.
—I'm glad everyone is well... although I admit those villains knocked me out quite quickly HAHA —he commented with a loud but brief laugh, trying to break the tension—. I sincerely thank you for your cooperation, young Himura. You saved many lives today. Your sister and yourself should be proud.
But there was no response.
Izuku didn't react, didn't even blink. He remained motionless, in the same position in which he had faced the villains, with the black whip rifle still in hand, pointing slightly forward. His gaze remained fixed, nailed to the empty space where the enemies had left.
Toshinori noticed it immediately. Something wasn't right.
He glanced at Izumi, who was nearby, still protected by her brother's extended arm. Even she seemed confused, as if she didn't fully recognize that expression on Izuku. It was as if his mind were trapped elsewhere.
And that... was too worrying.
—Young Himura... are you okay?... Watch out!
As soon as he touched his shoulder, Izuku lost the rigidity of his body and fell forward. If Toshinori hadn't reacted instantly, his student would have crashed face-first into the ground. He caught him firmly, lowering him carefully, while bewilderment hit him full force. Izumi's expression changed instantly.
—Young Himura!!
—Oni-chan!!
Both knelt beside him, desperate. But Izuku didn't respond. His body was completely inert, his eyes closed, his breathing weak and slow, barely perceptible. He didn't move. Toshinori felt his stomach turn. He had no visible injuries. There were no signs of extreme exhaustion. It was as if something had completely disconnected him.
He had to take him to the infirmary. He had to get him out of there immediately.
But he couldn't take a single step.
His entire environment changed in the blink of an eye. The bustle of students disappeared. Izumi, the teachers, the sky, the rubble... everything vanished. Now there was only him, with Izuku unconscious in his arms, surrounded by a black void that extended infinitely in all directions. There was no ground, no walls, no air. Only darkness.
And a cold. A thick, dry cold that chilled to the bones. It was like being inside a nightmare without form or logic. Toshinori stood up slowly, without releasing Izuku, looking in all directions with his body tense, on alert. He knew he wasn't alone.
Then he saw it.
A distant figure. Human, but distorted. Small and thin, covered by a dense black aura that seemed to move like thick smoke around its body. It walked slowly, without haste, as if it knew exactly where it was going. And on its face... a white mask, smooth, expressionless, that glowed faintly in the middle of nothingness, with empty black eyes he couldn't stop looking at.
Toshinori froze.
He knew it.
He didn't know how or when, but he had seen it before. That mask... that presence... wasn't new to him. Maybe in some buried memory, in some ancient nightmare, but he was sure of one thing:
That figure was dangerous.
Fear seized Toshinori with an intensity he didn't remember feeling in years. The figure was already in front of him. He tried to step back, move, do something... but he couldn't. His body bent without control, forced to kneel as if an invisible pressure crushed him effortlessly. Izuku remained in his arms, unconscious, but the creature—or whatever that thing was—didn't look at him. It leaned slightly, observed the young man for a few seconds, as if evaluating him, recognizing him... or perhaps confirming something.
And then, it turned its head directly toward Toshinori.
Its eyes were hollow, without shine, like wells of emptiness that didn't reflect light, nor soul, nor any humanity. And yet, that simple eye contact made the former symbol of peace feel a brutal chill rise up his spine, leaving him completely paralyzed.
The presence of that thing wasn't just evil, it was something more... it was as if it represented a concept itself of destruction, released from all reason.
Then, without changing its tone, without raising its voice, it spoke.
—I have been released... beware.
It was barely a whisper. But it sounded like a sentence. Like a final warning.
And without more, the figure straightened and disappeared out of nowhere. Without flash, without sound, without portal. It simply ceased to be there.
Toshinori blinked once, confused, and everything returned.
Suddenly, he was back at the U.S.J. Izuku still in his arms. Beside him, Izumi looked at him worried, with eyes almost on the verge of tears.
—All Might! What happened? —she said with a tense voice—. You froze for a few seconds. Are you okay?
Toshinori didn't respond immediately. He breathed deeply, still disturbed, looking around. Everything seemed normal again. But he knew something had broken. Something... had changed.
Had he truly gone crazy?
֎֎֎
Izuku found himself on the roof of his house, leaning back in a metal chair, with his eyes fixed on the sky tinted by the orange tones of sunset. The sun descended slowly between the clouds, as if it too needed to rest after a long and hectic day. He said nothing, just observed, in silence, with his mind reliving everything that had happened at the USJ.
It had been an intense day. After the chaos, the heroes arrived quickly, evaluated the situation and took control. Most of the students were treated for minor injuries or contusions. The villains who were still conscious were arrested as soon as the police appeared. From there on, it was all questions, investigations and protocols. The priority was to determine the attackers' relationship with high-ranking criminals and, especially, their objective: to kill All Might.
Izuku, on the other hand, didn't participate much in that. He had fainted as soon as the fight ended. According to what his sister and Recovery Girl explained to him later, it wasn't from physical damage, but from the excess load on his body and mind. He had no serious injuries, but brutal exhaustion. The energy used, the stress, the intensity of his decisions... all of that pushed him beyond his limit. His body was resistant, his quirk formidable, but his mind still needed time to adapt to that level of combat. Using such a destructive weapon with such precision and coldness wasn't something just anyone could mentally withstand. Even if it was him.
Izuku didn't care much about the explanation. He just rested in the infirmary, staring at the ceiling without saying a word, waiting to recover enough strength to leave on his own. Sometimes he closed his eyes, not to sleep, but to try to empty his head of all the voices, screams and memories that spun like a storm.
Of course, not everything had been serious. There were important moments too. For example, Toshinori-sensei seemed to have felt a strange change: he said he felt stronger, as if something inside him had ignited again. Izuku said nothing, but he noticed it, it seemed his attempt at transferring embers that occurred to him did work very well, maybe he could use it later on. And then there was Izumi, his sister, who finally learned the truth about All Might's real state and his relationship with One for All. Her reaction was as loud as expected.
—Mr...Mr. All Might! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!! —she screamed horrified upon seeing him in his thin and emaciated form.
To which Toshinori only sighed with resignation before responding with his typical forced smile.
—You see, young Himura... that's a true reaction to my state. Not like yours, with your senseless ramblings —he said, addressing Izuku with some humorous reproach, he didn't care much about the scolding.
And there he was now, at home, far from the bustle. Alone on the roof, watching the day end. Even with the peace of the moment, he knew this wasn't the end. Something inside him had changed. He felt something darker had awakened... and he wasn't referring to the quirk.
The first seal had been broken. And that wasn't just anything. Although no one else understood its meaning, he did. Perfectly. That seal wasn't a simple psychological barrier: it was a warning built with everything he had left of rationality. Its purpose was to contain what shouldn't come out yet. But something had failed in one part. The sudden increase in limiter from using 0.0000001% to using 0.0001% had overloaded him. What before was 10% of the quirk now felt like 100% or much more. That's why he could kill a being that had that quirk or appeared to have it. His body could withstand it. His quirk amplified it. But his mind... his mind was beginning to fracture.
The black whips were no longer simple extensions. They were mutating, responding to emotional impulses with surgical precision. Possibly creating new varieties of forms. And the smoke screen, which he hadn't used before but knew served to blind the enemy, could now energize whoever inhaled it if it was charged with One For All. He had seen it: All Might had recovered. His wounds stabilized, and even his active time seemed to extend. All of that had occurred without him planning it. It just happened. And if that's what he could do with a minimal fraction, what else would he be capable of causing unintentionally?
It wasn't time to keep thinking, but he couldn't ignore it either. Because he knew very well what it meant that that seal had been broken. He knew what was hidden behind it. He had felt it. And he wasn't planning to share it with anyone, not yet. Because that side of himself wasn't for others. It was his. And it was dangerous.
Just then, a smoke portal opened behind him. He didn't turn around. He knew who it was, or rather knew who they were.
—Well, well... what do we have here? This is truly alarming —said the familiar voice, with that carefree tone while his fingers moved quickly over a notebook he always carried with him. Accompanied behind by Shirakumo in his original form.
It was "Literate." He didn't like being called by his name, Izuku knew what it was but didn't do it out of respect for his character. He only accepted that nickname, as if it were part of a game only he understood. And as always, he entered writing and without looking at anyone in particular.
His appearance wasn't threatening, but it was strange. He wore a black mask that completely covered his face, with no openings for eyes or mouth. Smooth, like a blank page. But it didn't transmit terror, but strangeness, as if he hid more for style than necessity. As if it were part of a character he himself had created.
He dressed in elegant clothes, almost like a classic author straight out of an old novel: long dark brown coat with worn edges, cloth pants with suspenders crossed under the coat and somewhat dusty boots. But what caught the most attention were the metal pins attached all over the chest and arms of the coat: small shiny portraits of heroes and villains. All Might, Bakugo, Tomura, Hawks... and even Izuku himself, with very prominent green clothing. A complete collection as if they were miniature action figures, carried with almost childish pride.
Under the coat, he wore a simple black t-shirt with large, flashy letters that said "Boku no Hero Academia," as if he were just another fan at a hero convention. Ridiculously out of place, but, coming from him... it made sense.
In one hand, his notebook. In the other, his cellphone, where he wrote with the same intensity as if what was happening now were just another chapter that needed to be documented.
He was strange, yes. But he was an old acquaintance. And in his way, someone Izuku could trust... though he was also someone who knew too much.
—You knew this could happen, right? —Literate said without looking at him, still writing—. It wasn't time for the first seal to break, but there's no going back now.
—It wasn't in our plans —Izuku responded, without taking his eyes off the horizon—. I thought I would fight a normal Nomu... not a being that had a trapped soul and overwhelming power. That young man didn't deserve that.
Izuku slightly turned his head toward Shirakumo, with a serious and authoritative look.
—Shirakumo... what did All for One say about his relationship with them?
—Relations were broken, sir —he responded with a firm tone—. It's obvious he distrusts them, thinks they stole from him. But there's a possibility they'll reconnect. He also managed to keep Wrath's body... and his plans with it aren't exactly good if they discover what that body holds.
Izuku narrowed his eyes, serious.
—But... you took it from him, didn't you?
—Of course, sir. I'm not foolish enough to leave them something so powerful —Shirakumo affirmed with a small smile, then threw a red sphere toward Izuku.
The boy caught it without problems, and in a matter of seconds, a dark hand emerged from his shadow, like a living extension of his will, took the sphere and dragged it into the abyss of his interior.
—Truly... —Literate murmured, finally stopping writing and raising his gaze behind his strange mask without openings— I can't get used to that.
—That thing... has no relation to them —Izuku responded, calmly but firmly.
—What...? —both said, Literate and Shirakumo in unison, surprised.
—The Nomu I fought had an implanted device. At first I thought it was the work of the "Apocalypse Fan" group, but no. It's something different... it was cruder, more technical, as if someone were testing things. Nothing to do with their methods or style.
—Are you saying we're facing two sides now? —Literate exclaimed, returning to frantically note in his notebook—. Perfect! As if it weren't enough that the "Apocalypse Fan" people had the poison from the ruined dimension of Boku no Hero. Now we have someone controlling Izuku souls to power creatures?
—It's not an organization, it's more like an individual —Izuku explained—. When reviewing the remains, I noticed the Nomu's device was connected to a potato. As if that thing were its energy source and control center. It's the same pattern we saw that time, in the ruins universe, when we faced the decomposed All Might.
—So, we're dealing with a... "psychopotato"? —Literate commented, comically not believing his own joke—. Great. As if we didn't already know enough crazy people.
—In that case... —Shirakumo said, taking the floor while crossing his arms—. I'll gather the rest. I think Miss Hinpan-Toga will be delighted to assist you, master. She mentioned she'd arrive tomorrow afternoon, ready for action and for you, her dear "Darling."
He allowed himself a slight smile, though not so relaxed. The atmosphere felt dense, and not just because of the sunset falling over the city.
—If those lunatics keep insisting on stuffing in monsters, warping realities and ruining our plans, then they're going to learn the hard way what it means to cross that line. Interfering with you wasn't a mistake, it was their sentence —he said with unusual seriousness—. Honestly, they'll wish they hadn't existed before facing you. Isn't that right, master?
Izuku remained silent for a few seconds. The wind blew gently on the roof, but his shadow stirred as if it had a life of its own. It was an instinctive reaction, like a reflection of the weight of decisions not yet spoken aloud.
—Exactly... —he responded firmly, without looking up—. They don't know who they messed with.
End Chapter 10