Chapter 42
Calm Before the Storm

"So, what did she look like?"

Yasukage rose his head at the question his friend had asked him."Reiko...why do you want to know now...?"

"What kind of question is that?" Reiko quirked a brow."Don't you realize that this is an excellent opportunity to provide as much closure as possible on Bloody Mary? People deserve to know she is very well real and what she is capable of."

"Reiko." He grabbed her arm. He scanned his surroundings, noticing the library was mostly empty."I was told not to disclose that...information. At least, not completely...Assuming you write on your blog about Bloody Mary...what if she finds out and...goes after you...?"

Reiko gave him a warm smile."I appreciate your concern. You're correct. Maybe it's better if I stay out of it until she has been arrested. Though it's certainly a bummer that I can't write about her. She's an actual real urban legend."

"I never said you couldn't write about it...as long as you don't post it online...But to be honest...I only saw her briefly. Nishikawi is the one who fought her..."

Reiko got up from her seat and grabbed her back."Then let us embark to meet him. An interview, of sorts. I'm dying to know what he experienced."

Nagito sighed at her rare enthusiasm but smiled."Okay..." He stood up, offering to carry her bag. The grey-haired girl blushed at this but complied and took the lead.

"Reiko..."

"Yes, Nagito?" She cooed. She enjoyed saying his name and she knew he liked it as well.

"I...finally spoke a full sentence without cutting off..." He confessed, lowering his gaze.

"That's wonderful!" She exclaimed, intertwining her arm with his."I'm glad you're beginning to feel more confident when you speak. I knew all those one-to-one reading sessions we've been having would aid you in boosting your confidence."

"But Reiko...I...I used my armor and covered my whole face."

"Oh, dear." She sighed, haunting her march and standing in front of him."It's okay. You must have been through quite the stress if you were forced to cover your face with your Quirk."

"I...I had to, otherwise I would have...died." He croaked, feeling as she gently rubbed his hair.

"It's alright. It's your power and it's something you should be proud of. I'm happy you at least took a step forward." She grabbed his cheeks and made him look at her face."If you were to use it more often, you would be the strongest in our class. The invincible shield and spear."

"But I don't...what if they become afraid of me...?" He trailed off, his shoulders stiffening.

Reiko hummed to herself, a finger pressed against her chin."Well, I doubt they would, for one. Everyone cares about you and they would never hurt you. Secondly, imagine how well you can keep everyone protected."

"Protect you too...?"

"Of course. With your Quirk, you can defend everyone from danger, no matter how bad it is. And I will do my best to protect you when you're scared. I will never leave you all alone."

"Reiko..." He felt the tears build up in his eyes."Thank you..."

Reiko gave him a kiss on his cheek before grabbing his hand."No need. You and I will always be together, right?"

The blue-haired teenager could only smile, forcing his tears to not fall down."I...I...Always. I will always be by your side, Reiko."


U.A Hischool, Class A Dormitories, Darby's Room

"Ah, this is horrible! I don't know what I'm reading!" Hoshi grabbed his hair as he cried out in frustration.

"It's really not that bad." Monoma scoffed."I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. Word problems are really simple once you break them down."

Setsuna grimaced at his words as she finishing taking a bite out of her sandwich."Why are you acting all high and mighty? You only got it down because Yui helped you with it."

Monoma chose to ignore his girlfriend's words and instead decided to crack open a can of juice."Regardless, thanks for agreeing in this small study session today. You too, Darby."

"It's fine," Darby muttered as he laid on Yui's lap on the floor.

"He just needed to distract himself from what's been going on recently," Yui informed them, hoping they would be nice enough to understand his predicament.

Hoshi audibly gulped."No kidding. That was one crazy night. I'd say it was more intense than when we fought those villains in Shirahama. And now, we're up against an even bigger threat."

"I thought you said you couldn't disclose that information." Ibara glared at him sternly."You need to mind your words, Matsuda."

"Right. Sorry." He pulled on the collar of his uniform awkwardly."Anyway, we should grab this up soon. Nishikawi and I have to go to the agency to get some training down. We're definitely gong to need it."

"You? Train?" Monoma grinned."I didn't know you were taking the initiative nowadays, Hoshi. Nice going."

"Well, Ibara suggested it would be a good idea and Nebula-san said she'd be busy until tonight. So we got the whole place for ourselves."

Yui frowned at the idea and glanced down at Darby."Are you feeling up for it?"

Darby stared at her cerulean eyes with his own."Yeah. It's best to stay in top condition. We don't know what is going to happen from now on, so this is a good thing to do. It's just..."

"Hey." Monoma sat up, pointing at him."You beat me, remember? It would be a shame to me if the person who took me down is mopping all day long."

"Neito!" Setsuna hit the back of his head harshly."I'm sorry about that, Yui, Darby. He's a little-"

"It's fine, Setsuna-san." Darby waved her off."He's right. I can't let Haru's and Yuri's deaths prevent me from stopping the one responsible for everything. Haru Adachi. Yuri Haneyama. To be honest, they reminded me a lot of Yui and me. I felt so sad and upset when I saw them dead, hugging each other." He sat up, pulling Yui in a tight hug."That's why I have to keep going. In order to be strong enough to keep you safe. I know you're strong as well but..."

"I understand." Yui placed her finger against his lip."You have a heart of gold. You are such a caring boyfriend. I couldn't have asked for someone better than to be with. ANI never want to be with anyone else but you."

"Sheez, get a room already." Setsuna playfully teased the couple.

"This is Nishikawi's room, to be fair." Ibara pointed out. She heard a faint knock on the door and used one of her vines to open it."Yanagi? Yasukage? What brings you here?"

"I have a fair idea." Darby allowed a smile to grace his lips."You want the whole scoop on the myth that is Bloody Mary, don't you?"

Yanagi nodded, holding a notebook and a pencil."I must document it in my occult journal."

"I guess we have some time." Darby shrugged, getting up to his feet."I'm ready when you are." Darby proceeded to tell them the details that he could on the raid to the Salazar Mansion. Well, anything related to Bloody Mary since that was the main focus. He made sure to keep some details, as Ayushi had requested.

Reiko closed her notebook, her hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Woah..." Neito blinked, not knowing what to say.

"Were you scared?" Setsuna rested her arm on his shoulder."I mean, how does it feel to fight a serial killer like that?"

"You are forgetting I was also attacked by the Hero Killer." He pointed out, shrugging."Yeah, I was scared. But I was so angry. I was infuriated. She had no right to kill all those people like that. To end their lives. I almost went into a frenzy. But her ability to outclass me kept me in check. She was just too fast. Even in Chaos Mode, I could barely defend myself. I was lucky she wasn't going for the kill."

"Why do you think she didn't kill you?" Ibara inquired, gasping after she noticed what she had said."I am terribly sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Nah, I get it. To be honest, I have no idea. She had so many chances to cut my throat or something but she didn't. It's like...it felt like she was testing me. Like she was assessing my skills and my strength. She said we would meet again someday. And it was in my best interest to "cooperate"."

"What does that mean?" Neito pondered, rubbing his chin.

"No idea. Regardless, Ayushi told me to not worry too much. She is going to handle it. Anyway, the police are going to use my information to create a profile for Bloody Mary in their records. They are going to make it public that the Bloody Mary ritual is real and that she will kill without hesitation. Now, all we have to do is taken down the Seven Deadly Sins and everything will be over. Hoshi, Yasukage. Let's get going."

"Right." Both boys nodded as they followed Darby to the door.

Yui tried to stop Darby, but she wasn't able to reach for his hand.

"It'll be okay." Ibara put a hand on her shoulder."We have to trust them. They are in very capable hands. Although, I understand why you are hesitant about it. I'm worried sick about Matsuda. He tends to let others decide for him, so I'm afraid for the time he has to think for himself and is unable to."

"I feel the same for Nagito." Reiko confessed, hugging her notebook."He's very insecure. When he was younger, he was constantly being picked up for his Quirk and the fact he was an orphan. He is afraid of opening up to everyone because he fears he will be hurt again."

"You girls need to give your boyfriends some credit." Setsuna shook her head in disapproval."I saw them fighting before. They are more than capable in handling themselves. Plus, they got the whole Kachidoki family with them, right? They will be fine."

"Although it's hard to believe so with Kachidoki." Neito folded his arms."Remember that not to long ago he was against everyone. He may have changed, but he's still unstable."

"Hey, that's not nice." Setsuna glared daggers at him."At least he's giving some effort. Not everyone changes in a day. You changed as well. I remember you were the one who hated class A with a passion. If it weren't for Darby, you would still hold a toxic grudge against them."

"Darby does...have the power to bring the best out of those around him." Neito conceited, reminiscing of his fight with him."Seems like anyone he fights with is bound to become his friend. Who knows, maybe Bloody Mary is already friends with him."

"Don't even joke about that," Reiko muttered, feeling ashamed of how close she was to doing the ritual.


Musutafu Hospital, Psych Ward, Noon

Takashi waited patiently, sitting on a couch as he watched idly at the television.

"Well, well, well. LOOK at who came to visit me." A woman with long, raven-haired appeared into view."I SEE that you are keeping your promise, Taki-chan."

"Haruka-san, I'm glad to see you still have that dark sense of humor." He stood up, helping the woman sit on the couch and putting her cane on the table."It amazes how you can do these blind jokes while being blind."

"Hey, you have to look at things with a positive view." She excused herself."I can't be one of those people that complain about their disabilities all day long. The way I see it, this is just an obstacle for me to endure. I've grown accustomed to it. So I say I'm allowed to joke about it."

"Fair point." He relented, not wanting to get in an argument about morality.

"You sound tense. I mean, more than usual. Something wrong at school? Maybe your lady friend isn't giving you the attention you need?"

"Hey, cut it out." He frowned, his cheeks turning red."It's nothing like that. I'm just...nervous, I guess. I joined my family agency and we're going to go on a very special mission. I'm just afraid I'm going to screw it up for everyone. They say I'm one of the strongest, but honestly, I don't see it that way. Maybe power-wise, but mentally, I'm weak."

"You really need to stop attacking yourself like that, Taki-chan." Haruka pulled on his cheek."Didn't your dad raise you better than that? You're a Kachidoki. Show some backbone."

"But it's because I'm a Kachidoki that I'm scared. I...turned my back on everyone at the time because of my stupid desire for revenge on my father. Even now, I don't know why they welcomed me back. I've done too much."

"But you're trying your best now to make amends for it, isn't that right? You can't change your past nor change who you were. But you can change the things that are in front of you, today. I also have my share of regrets, you know. I wish I had gotten the chance of being a proper mother."

"Proper mother? Haruka-san, I didn't know you had a child."

Haruka closed her eyes, instinctively caressing his face."Yeah. But some mistakes in my life led me to be separated from my child. But I'm confident he's grown up to be a great man. So, I don't need to do much other than guide him on the right path. You'll understand one day when you have kids."

"No. I think I understand." Takashi nodded grabbing her hand with his."Say, do you ever feel like meeting your son? I...I still wish I had the chance of seeing my real mother. Guess it's a two-way thing."

"It is." She agreed."But I don't think it'd be a good idea. To show this late in my son's life wouldn't do him good. I'm sure he has people in his life that are giving him all the happiness he needs. As for you, I'm sure your mother is very proud of you, wherever she is. She's your guardian angel and she will always love you."

"I hope so." He chuckled, scratching the back of his head."Anyway, you ready to go outside? I'm looking forward to going to feed the ducks again."

"Pff! Boy, those ducks are all looking like turkeys with how much you feed them." She joked, slapping him on the back. She let Takashi helped her get on a wheelchair as he began pushing her through the hallways.

"I know this may sound weird, but I kind of miss this place." He confessed."I mean, everything is kind of mundane and the food is terrible. No offense."

"That's something we agreed on." She chuckled at his joke.

Relief, he continued."But at least I had time to learn who I am. Enjoy a little peace and quiet. Away from all the stress of the world."

"Well, we are somewhat disconnected from the real world, in a way. I guess this can be used for rehab." She scratched her cheek."Though you certainly took advantage of it."

Takashi smiled at the nurses at the reception desk and took the hallway leading to the patio."It was all thanks to Mami-san. I can't believe she helps people with talent alone and not a Quirk."

"Actually, she does use a Quirk. The Quirk to relax and bring comfort to others via her voice. That is why we feel so familiar around her and want to express our troubles to her."

"You know, Haruka-san, that reminds me, you never told me why you're here," Takashi said as they went past a door leading to the outside. It was like a park, except with more trees. There was a pond with a small bridge so people could cross it, birds chirping around as they entered wooden houses made for them, and benches for people to sit on."I mean, you look okay to me."

"Silly, Taki-chan." She pulled on his ear, causing him to help."Just because people ar in a psych ward doesn't mean they're crazy and unable to operate. I suffer from PTSD and I'm pretty much incapable of holding a normal job. Not to mention I'm blind. So, with the help of an inside friend, I managed to secure a spot in this lovely place."

"That sounds very dishonest. Though I can't complain."

"Well, I don't have any other relatives to take care of me." She pointed out, a sly smile on her face."Say, maybe you could take care of me. You must know how to take care of a lady, right? I'm sure you do your little girl some justice."

"I wouldn't say that." He chuckled sheepishly."I...well, we have a lot to work on. Haven't really talk with her much but..."

"All relationships are bound to endure some hardship. You'll be fine. Just give it time and you two will go back to normal." She offered some comfort."In fact, why don't you bring her here next time? I want to meet the woman who caught your eyes, see if she's all you crack her up to be."

Takashi smiled genuinely, nodding to himself."Yes. I will. I'm sure you two will get along just fine. In fact, I'll bring my siblings too. I want them to meet the friend I made that's helped me through my time here."

"Ah, you're too kind, dear." Haruka's voice cracked, covering her mouth."I'm sorry...I wish I'd been there."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"No." She quickly averted her gaze away from him."Just happy you'd thought of me that way. Thank you."

"Not a problem, Haruka-san." Takashi rolled her over to a bench and sat next to her."I should get going in a few minutes. I have to get some training done, you see."

"I know. I figured you heroes are busy. But can you stay a little while? I want to enjoy the fresh air as much as possible."

Takashi couldn't possibly deny her request."Sure. I'll be here as long as you need me."


Sir Nighteye Agency, Noon

"What the fuck do you mean I can't go!" Ayushi hissed as she nearly broke the desk in front of her.

"A-ah! Nebula-san!" Bubble Girl yelped, startled by the fuming blonde.

Sir Nighteye sighed, leaning forward and interlocking his fingers."You are not thinking clearly, Nebula. You are consumed by the desire of revenge, anger and betrayal. I understand what you're going through and I appreciated the information that you've shared with me. With it, we have more than enough evidence to put Chisaki and The Baron behind bars. But I think it's better if you sit this one out."

Nebula grimaced at his words, leaning forward as if challenging him."Well, it's too bad because my agency will go as well. We are involved in this just as much as you are. You were investigating Chisaki alone, weren't you? Well, I was investigating The Baron. To be honest, I don't give a damn about Chisaki or what he's doing or whatever. My sole purpose is to take The Baron down, so you leave him to us and we leave you to your stuff. I believe my agency is more than enough to take on him and the rest of the Sins."

"So you believe your agency can take on an unknown branch of the Shie Hassaikai? Do you know The Baron's Quirk? His subordinates' abilities? What they do and how they work?"

Nebula opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out.

Sir Nighteye rubbed his temples."Very well. I suppose we could use the help in catching Chisaki as well. If The Baron will be there as we theorized, he will be a very dangerous opponent."

"So our job is to hold off the Seven Deadly Sins while you guys get Chisaki and the rest." Nebula couldn't help but smirk."Sounds like a good deal to me. Anyway, I must be going. I won't be attending that meeting that you have planned with the other agencies. We don't need it. As I've said, I don't give two shits about Chisaki."

Bubble Girl opened the door for Nebula, who muttered a quick thanks.

"Nebula, before you leave..."

The oldest Kachidoki glared over her shoulder, waiting patiently for what he had to say.

"If you ever decide to back down, just give me a call. And after what I have to say, you will most likely reconsider. By the end of the raid...two members of the Kachidoki Agency will be dead."

Bubble Girl gasped while Ayushi remained stoic.

"I see. You can see the future after all." She recalled."However, you are not the only one who can change fate. Just so it happens we have a time looping user amongst our ranks."

"You are talking about your youngest sibling, Takashi. You think you can change the future that I see?"

"We will. You can rest assure on that." With that, she wordlessly exit the agency and proceeded to walk back to the train station. However, Sir Nighteye's words kept repeating insider of her head like a broken record.

"So...two of us are going to be dead? As long as two people die, the rest will be fine." She trailed off, glancing down at the ground."I'm not letting these kids die on me. I don't care what it takes.


Kachidoki Agency, Training Grounds, Noon

"Come, Takashi. Your strikes lack the confidence they once had! Nishikawi! Start hitting back!"

Nero sat on the bleaches, instructing his kohai as they continued their training.

"Easy for you to say." Both Darby and Takashi muttered simultaneously as they continued trading strikes.

"That is the reason why I paired the two of you up." Nero began explaining."You two have incredible potential. Probably higher than my own. By polishing two diamonds together, we'll get a better result."

"Glad to hear we won't be depended on as much." Hoshi confessed with a light smile."Can't tell if that's a compliment or not."

"You two are just as important as Hisashi." Nero shifted his gaze over to the trio. Hisashi was at a distance, firing neon blasts as both Hoshi and Yasukage, who used their Quirks to block."Our ultimate sphere with our ultimate shields. You'll grow as you increase the strength of your attacks."

"I guess that sounds logical." Hisashi nodded."Alright, you two! Get ready, because I'm going to kick it up a notch!"

"We're ready..." Yasukage drawled, his hands transformed into wood.

"Oh? Everyone is here?"

Nero turned to see his fiance walking over to him, taking a seat next to him."Yeah. Looks like they were antsy as well. Not that I can blame them. We have quite a mission ahead of us. Everyone is going to get the training that they need to be ready. How did it go?"

"As you would expect. He's a piece of work, but he accepted our aid." She nonchalantly replied, resting her head on her hand."We'll be ready. We'll be taking on the Seven Deadly Sins while the other agencies go after Overhaul."

Nero snorted at that."I prefer that way. I hate depending on numbers to defeat an opponent."

She giggled at his enthusiasm, gently punching his arm."So fearless. My knight in black armor."

"You feeling okay?"

"Nothing gets by you, huh?" She sighed in exasperation."I just...I'm worried. I don't want them involved, you know. But they keep on insisting to help. I'm just worried we won't be there to help them."

"You're underestimating these kids." Nero pinched her cheek."Their growth is incredible. And they're only first years. They will be fine. I mean, look at the Salazar fiasco. They handled themselves pretty well." He noticed she was still silent so he wrapped an arm around her frame."Hey, it's okay. We'll protect them. We won't let any harm come to any of them, won't we?"

"Yes...we will." She quickly wiped a tear off her cheek and coughed in her hand."Boys! You hungry?! I got some food!"

A collective groan was heard as they all collapsed on the floor.

"It's not beef bowls! Today, we celebrate! I got us pizza!"

Nero rose his brows in surprise."That's new. Not that I don't welcome the change in our menu."

"I figured they get tired of eating beef bowls." She shrugged as she watched them rush out of the training area."They deserve something nice for kids their age."

"Suppose so." Nero relented, not seeing the point in questioning further."By the way, now that I have the chance to ask you, why have you been eating a lot recently? Throughout the years that we've known each other, you usually just eat in small amounts, but lately, you're overeating."

"Rude much? You don't tell a lady what she can or cannot eat." She huffed, folding her arms indignantly."I just want to enjoy what I've been missing out by being picky."

"So, you don't want to tell me. That's fine. I guess there are things that each of us needs to hide. Your dad always said that to me, you know? Never knew what he meant, but given the circumstances at hand, I guess I see his point."

"Oh? And what do you have to hide?"

"That I was a former villain." Nero answered, followed by a tired sigh."Though at this point, I'm sure everyone knows. That's why the credibility of the Kachidoki Agency isn't as big as it formerly was. And since your father isn't here to make up for it..."

"Then we'll have to do it. You're not a villain anymore, Nero." She placed a hand on his shoulder."My dad took you in knowing that because he wanted what was best for you. Sure, he didn't often show it but that was because he was concerned for me."

"And the fact we were all chummy with each other." He gave a dry chuckle."Guess he wasn't wrong after all, huh. At least I didn't have to see Takashi going the same path I once did. I got lucky. Really lucky."

"But you've also saved people. A lot of them. I think you've done more good than bad."

"That doesn't justify my actions. I know not to dwell on the past, but those are sins I have to carry for the rest of my life. However, I will continue striving to be a hero fit for the Kachidoki Agency. I won't leave your side. Ever."

She winked at him playfully."Well, look at you being romantic all of a sudden. What a nice change."

"I guess I'm just worried. Not of what we could face, but what can happen. It's given me a reason to value the little things."

"I see. So is that why you agreed to train them?"

"More like coach them." Nero corrected her."As I said, they're a strong bunch. Especially your siblings. They've come along way since I first met them when they were just kids. And their friends are just as exceptional."

"Right. Nishikawi is the one who saved Takashi. Our family owes him a lot."

"Nishikawi...He's an interesting one, I'll say." Nero rubbed his chin in thought." Normally, his Quirk isn't that remarkable, but with that second ability he has, it goes off the scale. I can see why he was able to overcome the "strongest" Kachidoki."

"Hey." She pulled on his hair."Stop acting like my dad. I'm the strongest sibling. He's still has a long way before he catches up to me. Okay?"

"Fine, fine." He rose his hands up in defense."Overprotective older sister. So, how are we going to do this? We basically know nothing about the enemy or who the enemy is. We know The Baron and Chisaki's little brother is involved. Along with that woman who attacked Takashi in Hosu. But except for her, we don't know anything else."

"There is also whoever has a Quirk to alter memories. The one who made the League of Villains and Takashi forget about crucial information. That's why we'll be relying on going in groups. Sure, there are seven of us are seven of them, but we can expect them to be incredibly strong. And they are still young and inexperienced."

"What if they gang up on us?"

She pulled out a piece of paper from her pouch."I kept this hidden from Sir. It's basically a secret exit located in the back of their hideout. Assuming they initiate an escape plan, they'll most likely go there. Not all of them, but Overhaul will."

"I thought you said Overhaul wasn't our objective?"

"If Overhaul escapes, he will most likely be accompanied. And if he wants a successful escape, he will most likely take Baron with him and his brother. If we take out those vital pieces, the rest should fall accordingly.

"I see. I guess that's a good plan. So, all of us are gonna fight The Baron at the same time?"

"Not exactly. I'll take him on alone."

"Are you insane?" Nero frowned at her words."We don't know what he's capable of. It's suicide to jump him without a strategy."

"Exactly. My whole plan is to keep him busy while you guys go after the rest. Nero, I want you to handle Overhaul's brother. He's the younger brother of the young head of the Shie Hassaikai. He is bound to be strong. The others can take of the rest."

Nero yawned, stretching."We might be screwed for this, you know?"

"I know. But it will work. As long as we do it, I'm prepared for any punishment." She leaned on Nero as he wrapped his arm around her, bringing her close."Can we stay like this for a bit?"

Nero hummed, stroking her hair."As long as you need."


Shie Hassaikai Hideout, The Baron's Office, Noon

The Baron sat in his chair, examining the room. His subordinates were sitting in their respective seats around the table, waiting for his words.

"Before we begin the meeting." The Baron leaned back on his chair, taking his time to say what he wanted to say."We've been played."

"Damn right." Envy hissed."We've been hit hard with this. We lost the majority of our finances. Thankfully, we've switched cash to cryptocurrency to avoid leaving a cash trail behind."

"But it's likely that they know that we were behind the drug deal with Salazar." Pride chimed in."At least, they might think the Captain is involved, since the robots left behind are similar to the ones in our battle against Vermillion Ray."

"Speaking of Salazar, my dear, where is he now?" Gluttony inquired.

"The Boss interrogated him with Nemoto's help." Pride answered, closing her eyes behind her mask."However, we took measures into hiding a tracker inside of him. The Boss destroyed his body and reconstructed him with it inside. If he does anything funny, we'll be sure to track him down."

"That, and we are hoping to find if he has any connections with the bitch that sold us out." Taichi cracked his knuckles in his left hand."Bloody Mary. Teema, what do you know about her? When the preppy mentioned her name, you were acting strange."

"I..." The Baron couldn't think of what to say."We'll leave that for last. For now, we have to ensure to plan our next move. Overhaul is infuriated with our failure but gave us time to recuperate the lost money. Which means, we'll have to be taking more jobs."

"W-w-what about the League of Villains, s-s-sir?" Lust stuttered uncontrollably ."Maybe we can make use o-o-of t-t-them?"

"Currently, they are an unknown factor." Maria, who was standing next to Envy, spoke up."Overhaul is testing them to see if they are indeed reliable assets for us."

"And what about the rest of the League of Villains?" Sloth, who was currently in the body of a mechanic cat, yawned."We could simply threaten them or trick them again into doing our bidding, right, Captain?"

"For now, we need to work with what we have." The Baron cleared his throat."First, we need to recognize what are we facing. Who invaded Salazar's territory and made the raid possible?"

"Kachidoki Agency." Maria responded."I hacked into his phone and I analyzed some of his messages to his former peers. Apparently, the Kachidoki agency were the ones who responded to the call."

"Sloth, who are the people currently employed in that agency?"

"Computing." Sloth stated before jumping on the table."Current boss, Ayushi Kachidoki. Her employees are Darby Nishikawi, Takashi Kachidoki, Hisashi Kachidoki, Nagito Yasukage, Matsuda Hoshi, and Nero."

"Nero? No last name?"

"I know him." Taichi grinned."I've heard of him. He's the famous hero that was formerly a villain. I read about him when I was young. Yugo Nakahara. If Sloth has no more details on him, it means they cleared his file somehow. Maybe it was because of Vermillion Ray's influence."

"Be that as it may, we know our targets." Pride folded her arms under her chest."I fought Takashi Kachidoki when we recruited him and he was a mere weakling. If he's any weaker than his siblings, they aren't a threat."

"We shouldn't take them lightly." Gluttony chided her."I thought I taught you better than that, Megumi. Takashi Kachidoki is no the same person you once fought. Remember, he has that second ability we awoke for him. And he fought his sibling, bloodlusted, and he came out alive from that. They are definitely stronger than you think."

"Not to mention Nishikawi is also a rare specimen." The Baron mused."I saw his fight with Takashi and he did surprisingly well. Sure, he had outside help, but to be able to outlast him is a great feat."

"That only leaves Nero and the other two." Maria surmised."Not much information is available, really. One can create shields while the other absorbs the material of anything he comes in contact with. It should be a breeze if we were to fight them."

"Then why don't we do it?" Envy growled under his breath."We are the Seven Deadly Sins! Professional assassins that never fail a mission. We've been made fun of by a bunch of nobodies! Are we really going to let them get away with this? And what about Bloody Mary? She somehow got all the information on our operation and gave it away! How did she even get her hands on that?!"

"Calm down." Pride was visibly agitated by his words."Do not say that. An empress such as myself cannot be fooled. We first need to determine where she got the information from. As I recall, there was a file created in order to keep track of all the information available. Sloth, can you check if there was anything abnormal activities in our servers?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sloth's feline eyes began changing colors as he began processing."It appears there was a valid download of the files a few days ago."

"Valid? But that can only be possible if they used The Baron's password." Gluttony was intrigued at the discovering.

"If that's the case, they must have used my computer." He glanced to the left, his laptop closed."But no one in this world knows the password but me. It must have been when I left the room and left it on. But even then, I keep it locked at all times. The only one Bloody Mary could have gotten in is..." He stopped, a cold sweat going down the back of his neck. He stood up, carefully looking behind him.

"The mirror." Envy narrowed his eyes."Of course. She must have a Quirk that lets her travel through mirrors or some shit. Okay, I say we do the stupid ritual right now and call her in. And when she appears, we toast that bitch!"

However, Baron smashed the mirror into pieces, catching everyone off guard."A problem at a time, Taichi. We will deal with her once we deal with the problem at hand."

"She is the problem, Teema! Why are you acting so weird? Do you know her or something?"

"It's not her that I'm...uneased by. It's what she represents."

The other sins exchanged puzzled looks amongst themselves."What do you mean, Captain? What does Bloody Mary sabotaging our mission mean?"

"No matter. I am close to fulfilling our goal." He took a deep breath."All we need is the remaining stones that the Kachidokis possess. Once I get them, I can use the power of the Crown to grant our wish. We will save the world from the curse that is Quirks."

"That's right." Megumi nodded.

"We'll save the world, no matter what." Taichi solemnly stated.

"I'll follow my master to the end of the world if necessary." Maria put a hand on Taichi's shoulder.

Sloth hummed in response while Gluttony and Lust nodded in unison.

"What are we going to do about Salazar? You named him as Greed, but can we really count on his cooperation?" Megumi brought up a valid concern.

"The sin of Greed is an amusing one. We saw with Kachidoki and the first Greed that they are bound to have their own agenda. Pride..."

"Right." Megumi allowed herself a slight smirk."I will take care of the traitor and the possible traitor, just like how I killed the last Greed. You know I have never lost a fight in my life and certainly, this will not be the beginning. I've already beaten Takashi Kachidoki quite easily before."

"Good. I'm glad I can count on you to handle any situation, Megumi." The Baron sounded pleased at his second in command."However, I will ask you to leave the Kachidoki remanents to me."

"Captain?" Megumi was bewildered at his request, then she remembered."Ah. I see.

"You want to eradicate the Kachidoki lineage." Gluttony chuckled as he crossed his legs."Of course. I doubt Megumi would want to deprive you of that right."

Megumi glanced at her boss, who was unmoving. She decided it would be best to leave him to his own devices."If that is your command, Captain."

"Either way, what is getting the stones from them going to accomplish?" Taichi laid back on his chair, feet on the table.

The Baron sighed, hands behind his back as he began to pace around the room."According to the documents I've found when I killed Vermillion Ray's father, there is a special artifact that was found during an excavation in Egypt. Or so it is said. See, Terunosuke Kachidoki was indeed a liar. He changed the documents to say that it was their ancestors the ones who created the Crown."

"That sounds plausible, actually. Quirks have been a thing for a long time now if I'm not mistaken." Gluttony added to the explanation."Why is those crown so special?"

"It harnesses the power of the Neon Stones into one. From what he wrote into his old notes, the hieroglyphics read that once enough power was stored into the crown, it will give you power beyond human compression as well as the ability to gain the power to fulfill your so desires dreams."

"Sounds...a little too good to be true..." Lust stated, unsure of whether he said a good thing or not.

"I can see why you seem unsure." The Baron surprised Lustr but placing a hand on his shoulder."Sure, why would an ancient relic be able to grand a wish? How are the Neon Stones connected to them? Your reaction is a valid one. I must say, I was awfully doubtful myself when I first found out myself. Why would the Neon Stones even be required to activate the Crown?"

"Uh...Why?" Taichi didn't want to ask, but he was sure curious.

"To be honest, I don't know the specifics. However, Terunosuke Kachidoki did believe that the Crown could awaken to a new power. He tried this by using his Neon Stone. Ah, before I forget, I suppose I should explain what Neon Stones even are. Essentially, from what I understand, they spawned randomly. Most likely it indicates when a prodigy or a powerful child is born since they are born with them. I suppose it's more accurate to say members of the main family possess them. Unfortunately, I killed Kaburo before he had any children. So I never saw stones from his side of the family. However, the Neon Stones represent one's essence. Basically, they are a reflection of their owner. Of course, if the stone is harmed in any way, it won't reflect the owner."

"Okay, but what does this mean?"

"In short, the stones are a representation of the Kachidoki in question." He surmised."They reflect the state they are currently in."

"But how can you be sure that this "Crown" thing you keep mentioning is even legitimate? Even if it is, what makes you think it will grant you godly power? You just said it right now, Terunosuke Kachidoki was a liar. Couldn't he have lied about that too?"

"I thought so as well." The Baron eventually sat back on his chair, taking a breather."However, from what Takashi told me about back when he was working with us, it was his grandfather who had initiated all these family regulations that they have. From the top of my memory, I can name the one that sticks out the most in my opinion. The fact that they can only marry Quirkless people, presumably to preserve their Quirk through generations. Now, why is that? You would think that it would be more beneficial to try and combine their Quirk with another. Similar to how Enji Todoroki produced offspring with both fire and ice. However, they preferred to keep the QUirk as natural as possible. Why is that?"

He waited for any possible guesses his underlings could have but received no answer."I believe Terunosuke didn't lie about the Crown simply because he wasn't the one to come up with that idea in the first place. From the documents I've collected, I came to the conclusion that he was simply following the conditions that he had to meet. He needed to collect a certain amount of Neon Stones, as he had heard presumably from his ancestors, to be able to awake the power of it. Which means everything was caused by his own greed and satisfaction. He had hoped to one day produce enough "pure-blooded" children to be able to get their Neon Stones and use them to fuel the Crown to have the power for himself."

"I see." Maria bit her thumb."That will explain the spread out outter family members that they have. They were discarded once they were found to be of no use. Which would make the main Kachidoki family extremely limited. Which begs the question, who discovered the Crown and its purpose?"

"That is beyond me." The Baron eventually answered, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice."Turns out Terunosuke wasn't certain himself. But he had hope enough that the Crown would solve all his problems. He was sure enough to the point where he bet everything, even his own family's future."

"So, what?" Megumi chimed in."Are you going to go on that bet as well? Or do you actually know for certain this will work?"

The Baron remained silent for a few seconds, his head lowering slightly."I will admit, I am going on a mere idea here. Hence why I have yet to tell Overhaul of this side experiment of mine. I don't want to put everything over a plan that might as well fail."

"It's not like you to do that, Teema." Taichi glanced at him in concern."You are putting our success into a plan that you're not even sure about? And assuming this actually works out, can you even use that Crown? I mean, if it's powered by the Neon Stones, wouldn't a Kachidoki be the only one to be able to use it?"

"That's..." The Baron was at a loss for words.

"But then again, he has "that" now." Gluttony waved his hand around."I'm sure everything will work out nicely. This is our Captain we're talking about. If anyone can save this world that's our leader."

"Right." Megumi's face was stoic, but there was conviction in her voice."I trust in your abilities, Captain."

"I-i-if the Kachidoki family is a prime e-e-example of the families who have s-s-s-suffered d-d-d-u-ue to Quirks, it's only right for us to help by..."

"Cleansing them." Sloth purred in his cat-like body as he landed on Megumi's lap.

"Right." The Baron nodded."It's too late for them to be saved. The only salvation I can give them is the release of death. Their curse has plagued this world long enough. They will be the first to be saved by us. After that, we will eradicate the Quirks that have chained humankind to doom. We will prevent anyone else to suffer like we have suffered. I ask of you to lend me your strength. Help me form a new world. A world clear of impurities. A world where people can belong again. A world where we control everything with justice."

Immediately, all Six out of Seven Deadly Sins stood up, bowing to their leader.

Pleased with their reaction, The Baron removed his mask slightly to breath in some fresh air."How wonderful. Regardless of how much they struggle, they won't be able to stop us. You are all dismissed. Maria, make sure to break all the mirrors around the hideout. Sloth, call in some men to clean up the glass.

As everyone left the room, the only ones remaining were Taichi and Baron.

"Did you want to talk about something?" The Baron inquired, curious as to why the young man had stayed behind.

"Teema." Taichi addressed him, closing the door."Nobody is here. I want you to be honest with me. What the hell is actually going on? You're being too vague. Do you know something we don't?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't act dumb." He narrowed his eyes, slamming his hands on the desk."When Salazar brought up Bloody Mary, you went silent. And whenever we asked you about her you gave us half-assed answers. You also kept talking as if you knew her somehow."

"It's under control." Teem put his hand up."I assure you, you and the others have nothing to be concerned about. As long as we fulfill our objective, there is nothing that can stop us."

"Fine. If you don't want to tell me what you're hiding, it's cool." Taichi sighed as he headed for the door."It's just...after all this time we've known each other, I thought that maybe you trusted us enough to tell us about your life before this. I know...maybe you went through some tough shit. Shit that made you into who you are today. But we believe in you. So whenever you're ready to open up...we'll be there."

With that, the younger Chisaki left the room, leaving The Baron to his own devices.

'Trust, huh?' He snorted at his thoughts.'No such thing is needed for someone like me.'


I wanted to give more depth to the Sins without forcing another chapter like the one where Taichi raided an Italian restaurant. Good idea on paper, but not good for adding to the story. The Seven Deadly Sins "welcomed" Salazar into their ranks because, at the end of the day, they have a common enemy now. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. But there is also mistrust going around, especially Taichi and The Baron since they go way back. In Taichi's eyes, Baron is someone who is always in control and keeps his cool, so his recent behavior when Bloody Mary was brought up causes great concern.

Also, more information about the Crown is available. It's The Baron's end goal. A goal originally inherited by Terunosuke Kachidoki, Takashi's grandfather. Unbeknown to them Kachidokis, they are walking into Baron's hands since he now only needs three Neon Stones more to make the Crown work. Or will it? Next episode, the battle for revenge will begin.