The Councillor Hero

by A Basic Writer

Fate shifts, as Joker failed to catch Maruki in his fall. Maruki, who perished in his fall, was destined to be a part of the sea of souls. But a being unknown to Maruki saves him and proposes he starts over in another world. Maruki, knowing full well the being has ill intention in this exchange, accepts. Maruki enters a world of heroes, and he will save any soul crying in pain.

6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Square One

Maruki flew, flailing around in the air while Aizawa's scarf swayed in the wind after the launch.

The attempt to punch Aizawa's face like some enraged gorilla was all for null, as Aizawa took his scarf and sidestepped Maruki's incoming fist and wrapped it expertly. He kneed Maruki in the gut, leaving the man stunned as Aizawa built up momentum with a bit of spin before using his strength to cast Maruki far into the sky. Maruki did the best he could to balance himself in the air while waving his arms around in a poor imitation of a bird. Aizawa whipped his scarf and slung it out toward the airborne man. The precision of the throw had the scarf constrict Maruki's torso as Aizawa yanked down and brought Maruki back on the ground. The dirt field they stood on kicked up dust all around them as Aizawa regained his scarf and neatly placed it around his neck.

"Not the start I was expecting, but it's something..." Nezu started as he and All-Might observed from afar.

"Why yes, Dr. Maruki was quite too headstrong in his approach, but he didn't use his quirk. He must be looking for something with his reckless actions. How curious!" All-Might looked on in anticipation as the dust started to settle and reveal Maruki standing upright. He was wiping the dust and dirt he collected in his fall as Aizawa casually stood away with hands in his pockets, scrutinizing Maruki with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"I told you to go all out, so stop wasting our time and get serious," Aizawa mumbled out in annoyance at Maruki's weak approach of attack. Maruki finished cleaning what he could as he met the tired eyes of Aizawa with confidence.

"Don't worry, Mr. Aizawa. This is only the start of the session. I'm simply doing my best at collecting information about my opponent. That's what I assume all heroes should do against an unknown adversary," Maruki started while grabbing one of his shoulders and rolling his arm around to get a feel of the damage done to him.

"Is your quirk perhaps related to manipulating clothes in some way? That scarf of yours isn't exactly normal, and what's underneath them. Your goggles throw me off; I must be cautious of your eyes. For show or not, those goggles must have some application for your power." Maruki finished as Aizawa grew irritable with his talking.

"You're supposed to give me everything you got, not make small talk. Don't worry so much about my quirk, for you are the one that needs to showcase a quirk. You know that this match determines whether you'll get the job, right?" Aizawa asked while Maruki pushed his glasses up while holding eye contact with the man, never faltering in his confidence.

"I'm well aware, Mr. Aizawa. But I needed more information to understand what I'm dealing with. Don't misunderstand my blind charge as an ignorant attempt in engaging you..." Maruki paused as he raised his hands. He had them both open as small portals appeared on both of his forearms.

'Time to test this out...' Maruki thought as he took a deep breath and collected his thoughts, concentrating on what he has managed found in his last six months of training for this day.

"Equip: Striker Style!" Maruki called out as four black tentacles came out the portals for each arm as they morphed and twisted together. Two tentacles would come together and form a handlebar for Maruki to grasp. The other two shaped into a flat, solid brick shape at the end with blunt pyramid-shaped bumps poking out. They connected together through two small curved bars, making a weapon that was a mix of brass knuckles and a meat hammer. The thin blue lines running through the black weapon made it almost ethereal with its looks. The brick end of the makeshift weapon had blue essence splatted on it, looking as if someone threw a bucket of light blue paint on it. It looked like it was pulsing with how it would dim and then brighten again over and over.

'Think I cooked way too much meat over the year...' Maruki thought as he looked over the weapon he created during his months of training. Aizawa took an interest in the new weapon Maruki made as the blue light against the black gave a sinister air that Aizawa caught immediately.

"I think I've gathered enough information for an idea to take you on, so get ready, Mr. Aizawa! I'm not holding back!" Maruki yelled as Aizawa readied himself for another attack. Maruki charged once again at Aizawa, very similar to his previous attempt. Aizawa hardened his stare as he reached up and grabbed his scarf once again to counter Maruki's rush. The amount of focus and determination in Maruki's eyes made Aizawa scoff at yet another mediocre attempt in engaging the spar.

'How stubborn is this guy.' Aizawa thought as he started getting deja vu with how similar this all started to look.

Maruki went for the same straight strike toward the face as Aizawa cooly dodged it again. Aizawa went to wrap his arm again, only to notice the sound of something behind him as he turned his head to see a portal with a tentacle shooting straight out of it. Aizawa stopped and jumped far away from the tentacle's attempt at grabbing him as Maruki recovered from his strike and pivoted on his foot to chase down Aizawa in the direction he jumped. Aizawa leaped too high into the air, leaving him open and his landing predictable for Maruki to take advantage of.

Aizawa quickly realized his mistake, as he threw his scarf at Maruki to help put pressure on Maruki. The tentacle from before disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Maruki as Aizawa's scarf wrapped around it instead of Maruki.

'This couldn't be more perfect! He's right where I need him.' Maruki thought as he started shouting out another technique out loud.

"Equip: Rabbit's Feet!" Maruki yelled as portals appeared on his calves and created tentacles that took an uncanny resemblance to a rabbit's foot. Maruki then jumped mid-sprint as the extra appendages sprung him in an arc perfect for intercepting Aizawa's flying position. The speed Maruki was gaining was too fast for Aizawa to react with a proper retaliation, so he called back what little of his scarf that he could. At the same time, Maruki reeled back his right fist while plunging straight towards Aizawa. The latter was forced to block as he wrapped his arms with his scarf to stop the strike. The end of Maruki's weapon grew in the brightness of its blue color before hitting; the impact sent Aizawa down as he crashed on the ground while leaving cracks as he bounced away. Aizawa recovered from the shock of the punch and expertly regained his balance, and maneuvered his body to land on his feet while sliding on the ground to stop the momentum from Maruki's blow.

Maruki stayed airborne with the impact of his punch. He then summoned the tentacle mid-air to catch him and toss him up. Maruki then planted his feet on the floating tentacle as he observed Aizawa's recovery. Maruki couldn't help but smile in glee at how successful that had played out for him.

"That was a nice little interaction, right All-Might?" Nezu asked casually as All-Might didn't respond. All-Might was too focused on figuring out Maruki's quirk and at Aizawa. All-Might noted on the mysterious and wicked air Maruki's power had around it. It felt like there was another being alongside Maruki as he used his power. All-Might also worriedly observed Aizawa, as he was seen holding the arm that took the full brunt of the attack. His face still had the same tired eyes, but they were on high alert. It was subtle, but All-Might could clearly see how serious Aizawa was starting to treat Maruki's power, and All-Might couldn't blame him.

'He's powerful...too powerful for someone who only obtained a quirk this late in his life. It's almost on par with young Midoriya's power with One-For-All right now. Where does such strength come from? How could someone receive such power this late in their lives? Midoriya would be considered the exception, but I gave him the responsibility of One-For-All. I had to sacrifice my strength so that he could be the next successor. Yet this Maruki individual, he's different. He's something entirely else.'

All-Might would be more ecstatic to find someone with such great power that could help the people of the world, but the aura his quirk gave whenever it was displayed made all sorts of red flags go off for All-Might. It was something he didn't like focusing on. Many heroes' careers were crushed by the nature of how un-hero-like their quirks were. The general public couldn't accept them, so they never got the chance to shine. Yet, Maruki was in a different situation entirely.

All-Might suppressed his thoughts as he watched the sparring session as Maruki soon spoke out to Aizawa when he got close enough.

"Impressive, isn't Mr. Aizawa?" Maruki called out as Aizawa approached Maruki focused his eyes up to him.

"It's something alright. A little creepy for a hero's quirk but versatile from what you've shown. I guess you summon the things; it isn't just one tentacle you cast out." Aizawa assumed as Maruki nodded his head toward his theory.

"That's right, you're spot on," Maruki confirmed as Aizawa held one of his forearms more gently as his nose twitched at the sudden pain that went through it.

"Though you're a little too rough with the power behind that thing. I thought my arm was gonna break, even if I did block it with my scarf." Aizawa commented as Maruki held a worried expression.

"I'm sorry, I must've gone a little too far there." Maruki apologized as Aizawa kept rubbing his arm to soothe its soreness.

"Yeah, probably more than a little, but it's fine. Let's continue with the spar then." Aizawa finished rubbing his arms as he got in a fighting stance. "That was a good little move, but you only managed to do it because you caught me off guard. I'm going to need a lot more than that to accurately judge your quirk and your worth, so give me your best shot." Aizawa taunted a bit as he motioned Maruki to come at him with his hand. Maruki narrowed his eyes as he put up one arm across his chest. He felt the beat of his heart as he took time to prepare himself mentally.

'Better...I need to be better if I wanna be a hero. I need to show them my worth...' Maruki thought as he let his heart settle from the brief pressure it had. He then closed his eyes and focused as the tentacle he stood on shifted. Instead of supporting Maruki, the tentacle swung back while Maruki crouched down to ready himself. The tentacle then slung Maruki as he jumped off the last second to add an extra boost in speed as he went diving for another punch at Aizawa.

Aizawa wasn't fazed in the slightest as his stare hardened and anticipated the attack. At the very last moment, Aizawa moved and jumped a little in the air before Maruki crashed down like a meteor on the ground. The wave of power that came from the landing sent dirt flying everywhere, as even the trees far off from the field were shaking from the punch's force. A crater made itself into the ground as Aizawa sent one of the scarf's ends to wrap tightly around Maruki's arm, who looked to have frozen up by the power of the attack.

'This guy's going a little too hard. I wonder if that's intentional.' Aizawa then pulled himself toward Maruki as he delivered a kick to his face. Maruki didn't have time to recover as Aizawa started his assault on him. He got a good couple of punches in before Maruki finally regained his senses and started blocking the attacks. Unfortunately for Maruki, Aizawa was relentless with his offense. It was overwhelming with how fast and fluid he was striking; it was almost inhuman in Maruki's eyes. Maruki was forced to focus entirely on defense, not once making an effort counterstriking the man.

'This is a pro?! He's incredible!' Maruki thought as he did his best to keep up on blocking the attacks. He was sloppy compared to Aizawa. Maruki had no trouble keeping up with Aizawa. Still, his inexperience in a fight reared its head farther out the more it dragged on.

"You either really like taking punches, or you can't summon your quirk without some concentration, which is it?" Aizawa asked mid punches as Maruki kept back peddling while blocking all incoming attacks. The words must've gotten to Maruki as he got clumsier and slower in his reactions as Aizawa kept making sure to efficiently keep up the pressure.

All-Might saw some similarities in Maruki's stance and movements to Mirko. Still, they weren't refined yet, not even to the point to be deemed an imitation. Maruki wasn't prepared for this type of fight.

"He's not a fighter, not yet at least. He may have Ms. Mirko help him, but he truly does lack experience. His reaction, strength, and agility are good, but he's not prepared for a fight this fast or close." All-Might commented as he kept observing the sparring session. Nezu kept watching as worry started building up in his stomach. He focused on Maruki's expressions as Aizawa kept going at it. Aizawa wasn't the most physical hero, but he made sure to make his movements minimal and practical, ensuring that he would last in a fight if he had to. Maruki, on the other hand, only had raw physical prowess carrying him. There was no technique or finesse in his actions. He was relying on overwhelming offense and basic deception so far to get any advantage on Aizawa. Maruki's face grew more desperate and frustrated with the constant defense.

Aizawa then feinted a right jab as Maruki went to stop it but swiftly got socked in the jaw as Aizawa went in once he saw his commitment on blocking. This left Maruki open for a follow-up as Aizawa kicked him in the chest, sending him back as Aizawa threw his scarf at him. Aizawa wrapped the scarf around Maruki's neck as he pulled him back and headbutted him. Maruki's weapons disappeared as he fell back and laid on his back in confusion about how he got there. Aizawa took some time to recover himself, as the attack took a lot out of him to maintain. Aizawa then walked over and stood over Maruki as he looked down on him.

"You're alright hand-to-hand wise, but you've never actually been in a real fight, have you? You gotta at least take some risk, or else you're gonna be a punching bag to even the most basic of thugs." Aizawa explained as Maruki rolled over and get on his hands and knees. His head was swirling with pain as his chest hurt from the kick Aizawa gave him.

"Dammit..." Maruki seethed as he clenched his fist in frustration. Aizawa didn't notice this as he circled the man and kept addressing him.

"You at least can take and deal a punch, but you're receiving more than dishing out. You gotta change that. Your power is strong, I can tell you that much, but you need more time in the oven before actually doing any heroing. There's some potential, but right now, I don't think you're ready for anything special yet." The sparring session soon turned lecture left Maruki standing up once more and facing Aizawa with his head aimed towards the ground. His glasses covered his eyes as he reached up and pushed them up once more.

'Not ready? But I have to be ready. I can't let her down. Not now...I need to excel. I need to show him my power, our power. That's all they want, right? Then I'll give it to them.' Maruki thought as his mind raced and his heart tightened with what he was preparing for.

"You're right. You're absolutely right, Mr. Aizawa. I'm not ready. That's what it looks like right now, but I'll show you all. I'll make sure to hit no matter what. I'll show you I deserve to be a hero." Maruki calmly declared as Aizawa's eyes narrowed at Maruki's posture and tone. Nezu notices as well, while All-Might focused his gaze on Maruki.

"This is a spar, remember? You do remember that?" Aizawa asked, hoping that Maruki would respond. But what he got was a large portal appearing underneath them both as Aizawa went and jump to get away from the area. Maruki motioned his hand up as several tentacles sprouted from the ground as they went and tried to grab Aizawa. He did his best to hit them back and evade them, but the numbers were too great as they coiled around his leg and brought him right back into the portal's circle. They let go of him as he flew into a tentacle with a fist at the end, uppercutting him. Multiple tentacles again came and punched and slapped around Aizawa. He was left helpless from the attacks coming from all directions. Maruki focused on the man being pummeled mid-air as he stood still with one hand clutching his chest.

All-Might and Nezu, who weren't too concerned until this point, were now glaring in displeasure with what Maruki was doing. They grew more alert as the fight dragged on, but now they were considering stepping in at any moment's notice. All-Might specifically.

All-Might uncrossed his arms as he took a step forward, ready to end the session before Nezu stopped him.

"I know this may seem dire, but Aizawa should have this handled. He hasn't used his quirk yet, so he hasn't seen him as a threat he can't handle." Nezu tried rationalizing as All-Might contested. "That man is going too far with his power. A simple display was all we needed, and he's going all out with every attack he's done. This will end badly if we drag this on any longer!" All-Might attempted in reasoning with Principal Nezu as his resolve in not interfering deteriorated.

"A quirk like that gets completely countered by Mr. Aizawa's quirk. I think...it should be fine-!" Nezu stopped mid-sentence as an eirie pull got his attention. All-Might noticed as well and looked back on the 'spar' at hand.

Maruki lowered himself and bent his knees while drawing back one hand while holding his other forward openly. The weapon from before appeared and had swirls of black and blue energy swirl as the wind picked up and whirled all over Maruki's body. The energy oozed dread with its ominous presence. It was incomprehensible to describe the feeling overtaking All-Might and principal Nezu.

Aizawa was hanging upside down as a tentacle held his leg and dangled him above Maruki's readying strike. The tentacle soon let go and made Aizawa fall as Maruki screamed out before unleashing all the power he had been building up. All-Might sprinted toward the two, and just as he was about to get to them. Maruki let out one final cry before unleashing his wrath.

"Attack Position: God's Hand!" Maruki stared into the eyes of Aizawa as he was about to eviscerate him. Maruki made sure that Aizawa was seeing the power he was delivering to them. The strength that Maruki thought they wanted to see.

Soon Maruki felt pain take over his mind and heart as red eyes dug into his soul. Maruki's whole summoning portal below them collapsed as his vision blurred from staring into Aizawa's red eyes. Maruki went for the punch and missed by the smallest of margins. The strike sent shockwaves as a gust of winds were cast as by-products from the blow. Aizawa flew away from the sheer force of the attack as he landed on the ground covered in bruises and bits of blood running from his nose. All-Might, who was almost close enough to intercept the strike, had to put up his arms to resist the rapid winds. Maruki stared in disbelief that he missed and fell to the ground while suppressing to scream in pain. He held his heart as it felt like it got hit with a cannon. All-Might let down his arms as he ran over to Aizawa, who barely managed to stand back up on his feet again. All-Might was relieved to see him well and started making his way toward Maruki's sad state.

"Don't..." Aizawa caught All-Might's attention as he walked over and glared at the man writhing in pain on the ground, "I got this. This is between us...I got it all handled now." Aizawa panted out and walked over to Maruki, who now rested on his hands and knees once again. All-Might wasn't pleased but went over to principal Nezu, his face displaying a mix of fear and awe in his eyes.

Aizawa again stood in front of Maruki, looking down at him while observing his process of recovery.

"What the hell were you thinking back there? I thought we made it clear that this was a display of your power. Nothing else, nothing more." Aizawa began while Maruki kept his focus on suppressing the agony he was experiencing.

"I knew something was up with your first attack, but I passed it off as you being a bit too excited. But then your second attack...that could've left some serious damage if I didn't anticipate you doing something so reckless. Then your last attack...I don't think I have words to describe how cruel that was. You could've killed me, you know." Maruki's body tensed at the end as he struggled to get on his feet. His body was starting to soak with the sweat he was building, and his glasses were covered in dirt and debris from the blast of his attack. Maruki looked to have run through a battlefield and back with how filthy he became.

"I...I'm sorry..." Maruki tried apologizing. Aizawa shook his head as he glared at Maruki, "Sorry, ain't gonna cut it. Do you know how easy it is for people with powerful quirks to upright kill someone? I might have had more experience than you, but that doesn't make me invincible. Your quirk is strong, there's no denying it, but you're a kid trying to play hero with how you carried yourself with it. Aren't you suppose to be an adult? I didn't think I'd be handling brats this early in the year." Aizawa's voice dripped with venom as Maruki could only accept the harsh words as he knew how badly things could've turned.

"You must know this already, but you're definitely not getting this job. So go and get lost. This evaluation is officially over, and so is this spar. I don't ever want to see you again. Tch, what a waste..." Aizawa finished as he turned to walk away. Maruki looked at his retreating form as he saw his future walk away from him. He knew that he messed up, and there was basically no way to recover from this. There was only one way, one so easy it almost slipped from his mind.

He could actualize. He could use his power to quickly help him with this situation. Such an easy cop-out that he didn't have to overthink. What if the being was lying? What if Azathoth's awakening wasn't such a bad thing? He could do it. There was no one saying he couldn't or shouldn't.

But how much of his accomplishments in this world would matter if he kept actualizing everything to make his reality perfect? Then he'd betray them. He'd betray what they so desperately fought tooth and nail for. Nothing would be gained in his confrontation with the Phantom Thieves, nothing of value earned through that final confrontation.

He'd be stagnant, the same person as he was in the old world. Maruki was just a thought away from preventing his suffering from all pain. Yet, he would lose everything if he didn't suffer if he didn't experience the real. He needed to suffer through the pain, to repent for what he had done in the world before.

"Mr. Aizawa," Maruki called out as the man stopped. He turned around and glared at Maruki as he stepped forward. A look of resolve filled Maruki's eyes, one of determination and helplessness, "If I may, I would like to request something from you. I need your help." Maruki started as Aizawa kept glaring at him. Maruki kept going when Aizawa didn't respond, "This sparring session we had, well I blew it. There is no right for me to ask for a second chance. I had it and fumbled through it the whole way. I don't wish to make up for it. I completely agree with your reason for not accepting me to work at U.A., but I would like to ask for us to spar again right here, right now. No holding back; use your quirk to its fullest. A pure bout between agreeing parties. Between adults. The job has nothing to do with it." Aizawa kept his scowl as he responded to Maruki.

"And why should I do that. You say it's not for the job anymore, so what is it then? What do you gain from getting your ass kicked?" Maruki smiled at Aizawa as he stood upright and stared directly into his eyes, "Well, it is a bit of a selfish request, but I must know my limits. You are the only person I feel I can rely upon to accurately help me with that. As you said, I'm a child that knows no better. I need the help Mr. Aizawa and what better way than from a teacher who deals with children?" Aizawa held his head as he felt like a vein was about to pop in his head. Maruki waited patiently for his response as Aizawa looked away and contemplated what to do next. All-Might was curious about their sudden conversation, as he and principle Nezu kept their distance to let the two men sort it out.

Aizawa responded kindly with cracking his knuckles and stretching out his arms as he glanced back at Maruki.

"Guess someone should put you in your place. I gotta make sure you aren't a menace to society and go accidentally killing someone." Aizawa went back to his fighting position as his eyes glowed red and sent Maruki's head spinning and his heart feeling like it'll collapse on itself. This time around, it wasn't as bad as before; Maruki kept his smile, he found satisfaction in the pain. He felt like he deserved this.

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa."

"Don't go thanking me. I'll make this quick." Maruki chuckled at the red-eyed teacher, "I'm sorry, Aizawa, but I won't."

Aizawa scoffed as he didn't let his eyes go of Maruki, "Don't think that your little tricks will work on me anymore. You should've stolen more techniques from Mirko, then maybe you'd stand a chance." Maruki smirked as he then raised up one hand while put his middle finger and thumb together. Aizawa stared in confusion as Maruki calmly chanted.

"Don't be so presumptuous, Mr. Aizawa...Support Position: Rakukaja," with the snap of his finger, a purple glow enveloped Maruki as a flash of light happened. The glow faded and left a faint purple aura to Maruki as Aizawa was thoroughly shocked at what had just happened. He couldn't believe that Maruki had just used his quirk.

'How is that...?!' Maruki interrupted his line of thought as he put up one hand out and motioned Aizawa to attack him.

"Remember, don't hold back, Mr. Aizawa. Give me your best shot. I've shown you mine; now it's time to return the favor." Maruki ticked a nerve in Aizawa as he charged and started wailing on the man. Maruki didn't attempt once to block the attacks. He took the hits head-on as he let Aizawa do everything he could to him. He punched, kicked, poked, headbutted. Aizawa did everything to Maruki, dealing the most vicious combos he could come up on the fly. Still, Maruki didn't once put up any fight as Aizawa grew frustrated. He then did an excellent spinning kick to Maruki's face, sending him flying as Aizawa took the time to regain his energy.

'How is he taking all of this? What the hell did this bastard do? He shouldn't be standing! Why is his quirk still working?!' Aizawa, throughout his attacks, kept his quirk up, making sure that Maruki couldn't once summon anything that would help him, but that didn't negate the mysterious effect he made for himself.

Maruki was lying on the ground as he stared into the sky. The effect he cast soon vanish as the purple aura around him diminished and left without a single trace. The pain he was feeling was still great, but he knew that he would've been knocked out cold by now if he didn't cast the move.

"So that's how effective that is...amazing...!" Maruki spoke to himself as he struggled to get up again. He may not have felt the full power of Aizawa's attacks, but that didn't mean he was immune to any damage. Maruki watched as Aizawa panted with exhaustion.

"You...you're not normal..." Aizawa started as Maruki grinned at the man, "You were holding back...this entire time, weren't you?" Maruki shook his head as he responded, "That isn't true, Mr. Aizawa. I didn't hide my strength, so my attacks that you felt were my absolute best. I simply didn't show you my full deck. But you've shown me yours." Maruki once again put a hand up and readied to snap his fingers. Aizawa forced his quirk to work in overdrive as his blood-red eyes pierced through Maruki, who reached to cover his heart with one hand. Maruki continued smiling as Aizawa opted to blitz his standing form to stop whatever he had planned next.

"You really put me through the wringer Mr. Aizawa, but I am truly sorry for what I'm about to do. It must seem unfair, but I need to test my limits, and I'll use every advantage I got!" Maruki yelled as he snapped his fingers as he cried, "Support Position: Energy Stream!" White and green swirled Maruki as Mr. Aizawa threw a punch that Maruki swiftly dodged and jumped away from.

Mr. Aizawa kept his distance to observe what new change Maruki had gone through, and he swore his eyes must've been playing tricks on him.

'He looks...refreshed. It's like he didn't even fight at all!' Maruki stood with his dirtied clothes and glasses, but his skin cleared up, and the bruises and cuts he had almost all but vanished. There were a few stragglers, but Maruki looked to be as good as new. All-Might and Nezu didn't take all these surprises from Maruki well, as All-Might quickly noted out loud, "Maruki doesn't have a regular quirk. This power is something entirely different! Aizawa's quirk should be able to neutralize a quirk like Maruki's. Still, he keeps using it despite Aizawa's erasure ability...and this man just awakened to his quirk?!" Even the great All-Might couldn't help but admire the display Maruki was finally providing.

Aizawa's fist was swiftly dodged by the rejuvenated Maruki as he went to snap his fingers one last time before announcing his final trick.

"Support Position: Tarukaja!" Maruki yelled as intense red flares envelop him as he countered Aizawa's blow and delivered his own. The strike was quick, yet the power behind it left Aizawa staggering. He was at a complete loss on how such a quick jab hurt him that badly. Maruki and Aizawa played a very similar scene from before as the roles had switched up. The pressure Maruki gave as Aizawa did his best to stand his ground from the assault was humiliating. Aizawa, who had to deal with a nearly restored Maruki, had no way to keep up as his body was getting to him. Aizawa long since ditched on using his quirk, he found that it was useless if Maruki could bypass the erasure ability altogether. Aizawa knew he had to find some upper hand in the exchange as he took some sly jabs here and there to get some momentum going on his side, but that made Maruki up his strength as he quickly summoned his weapons from before and pounded at Aizawa with them. Maruki didn't want to out-skill Aizawa, he knew he couldn't. He wanted to completely overpower him

Aizawa took a risky swing at Maruki, who reacted in time to duck low and have Aizawa wide open. Maruki reeled back his fist as he prepared to end this once and for all.

"Attack Position: Lunge!" Maruki blasted Aizawa away as his weapon faintly lit up before Aizawa ragdolled across the dirt ground and sailed away. Maruki stayed in his position of one arm outstretched with the other close to his face. The pain in his heart wasn't as bad as his mind. He felt his brain-frying with using all those skills to buff himself. Skills that he discovered by accident when recalling his fight with the Phantom Thieves.

'Those six months did me good, but I've got more quirks to figure out with this power.' Maruki got over the pain as he made the portals disappear, along with it was his weapons. Maruki ran toward Aizawa's lying form despite his head suffering from massive amounts of withdrawal.

"Mr. Aizawa! Are you alright?" All-Might was already carrying Aizawa on his shoulders as principal Nezu examined the man to check for any severe injuries.

"Hmm...nothing recovery girl can't fix, but she won't be happy to be working so soon..." He commented as Aizawa sighed in defeat at the thought of bothering her.

"It is what is. I didn't think I'd be the one getting their ass kicked. What a pain..." Aizawa yawned as All-Might watched Maruki getting closer to the group. Aizawa tried motioning All-Might to take him away as he dreaded staring Maruki in the face now. He felt like a total loser.

"Mr. Aizawa! I'm glad you're fine, I thought I would go overboard with that last strike, but I managed to control it. Thanks to you, Aizawa. I think I'm getting used to holding back my power when striking at the moment. Thank you."

"Glad you successfully used me as a punching bag. I knew you were packing power, but you were holding out on...shit, I don't even know what that was. It was like magic, basically." Maruki gawked at Aizawa nervously at how close he was to the truth.

The power of a persona was spiritual technically, but there was no differentiating it from magic. Both actions are practically identical.

"Indeed, your quirk, if we were to still consider it one, is full of vast amounts of potential. It's almost eerie with how much you can do now from such a short time with it. Who knows what you could accomplish with the years to come." Principal Nezu noted as his worry was still placed on his face.

"Anywho, I must go now. I must inform recovery girl of our little... 'incident' here." Nezu quickly walked away, leaving All-Might, Aizawa, and Maruki standing silently in the dirt field.

"Who are you?" Aizawa was quick to not let silence befall them all as Maruki's face contorted into discomfort.

"I...don't know. This power I have, this... 'quirk.' It's not normal, it seems."

"You can say that again," Aizawa butted in as Maruki winced before continuing, "But I intend to use it for good. Despite how odd my situation might be, I must acknowledge the power I have now and make sure that I use it for good." Maruki finished as Aizawa kept his gaze away from the man. All-Might, on the other hand, kept observing Maruki. He looked into his eyes and saw willpower like never before. The same feeling he got from Midoriya that fateful day where he chose the next successor for One-For-All. Maruki's power was odd and very dangerous in its current state, a too convenient of a parallel for All-Might to dismiss with his new protege.

'What's with my luck with finding these kinds of people?' All-Might thought as he pondered on what to do with Maruki.

On the one hand, a man held power that no person in their right mind would want to associate with. The innate wickedness it produced from its existence made it an already tricky task of being a hero even more improbable. The public gravitated toward quirks that were easy to understand and confide in. Seemingly magical elements like fire or electricity were accessible for the civilians to accept. Still, more obscure and personal quirks such as infecting people with a virus or brainwashing were taboo for them to consider to be used for good. The line of good and evil was clear to the people, and they would never want to make exceptions.

Perhaps Maruki could be made an exception, and if successful, pave the way for more people with 'evil' quirks to be heroes.

All-Might thought of how he could use his influence to help the man; Maruki had power that All-Might would be more than glad to accept to the ranks of heroes. Still, it was already hard enough to have to play favorites for Midoriya. To also skew the people around him even more to accept someone like Maruki with his power, that was going past the line and painting over it like it never existed in the first place.

'He's an adult, a man that had a normal life up to this point. I don't believe one bit that he could fall into evil, but that odds are never one-hundred percent. It's a risk, one that can cause major consequences down the line. But there isn't much time left. If I want to secure a better future after I'm gone...then I have to take that risk. I will see that the both of them will prosper, even if it means to lose everything.'

"Welp, you should head home. You'll be getting some mail from us soon, so look out for that, I guess. Though you already know what our answer is, it's still formality to go through the due process." Aizawa spoke up as Maruki nodded his head solemnly and bowed down to All-Might and Aizawa.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I would've liked to have exhibited a better performance, but it seems I'm not cut out for it yet. Thank you for the time. I'll be leaving." Maruki then started to make his way out as Aizawa and All-Might stared at his retreating form.

"Damn, what a waste, huh? Maybe if those tentacles were white and gold or something, then he'd make a great hero. But it's all uphill from here for that man." Aizawa commented while All-Might turned to him and spoke with conviction.

"Mr. Aizawa, If you don't mind, can you stand on your own?" Aizawa raised an eyebrow and shrugged at the man. Aizawa pushed off of All-Might and stood slouching with his arms over his stomach.

"Yeah...I guess?" All-Might nodded at the response and called out to Maruki.

"Dr. Maruki! One second if you will." Maruki quickly turned around and had confusion spread over his face as he made his way back to the two teachers.

'If I go through with this, then I must make sure that I've made the right decision.' All-Might thought as Maruki came to stand in front of the hero.

"Yes?" Maruki inquired as All-Might went and walk past Maruki. He made it farther into the center of the field as he looked over his shoulder and asked Maruki.

"If you don't mind. Will you please strike me with your full power?" Maruki got whiplash from the request while Aizawa glared at All-Might, wondering what has gotten into the man.

"Excuse me, All-Might sir, but did I hear you correctly?" Maruki asked as All-Might then turned his gaze forward, looking away from Maruki and Aizawa.

"Yes, you heard correctly. It is odd, but I need to figure out something, and I need your help with it. Will you kindly assist me in my self-indulgence?" Maruki had no words to say as he thought what the number one hero would gain from this. No matter how much thought he put into it, it didn't add up to him, but Maruki had nothing to lose and almost nothing to gain but to test himself. If anyone to test his strength on, then someone like All-Might was the perfect person for the job.

"If that is your request, then I'll happily comply." All-Might turned to face Maruki as he bent his knees and formed an X with his arms.

"Right in the middle, Dr. Maruki. Apply every little ounce of might you got in you, and unleash it upon me. Use that aura from before with Mr. Aizawa; I want you at your best." Maruki complied as he put his fingers together and recited one more time.

"Support Position: Tarukaja-!" The metaphorical spike that jammed through Maruki's mind made him stumble in pain as he reached up to nurse his head to soften the shock.

"Three, huh? That's how much..." Maruki noted as he shook his head in satisfaction before addressing All-Might.

"Sadly, I can't go all the way. My limit with those enhancements goes to three times a day. However, I can use my most powerful attack, but I'm sorry that it won't be at its utmost capability." All-Might dismissed Maruki with a curt nod as he kept himself readied for the strike.

"Don't fret, doctor. Do your best, go plus ultra!" Maruki's blood started pumping as he took a deep breath and summoned his weapon from before. The same malicious radiance from earlier came in full swing as black, and blue energy engulfed Maruki. Aizawa's stomach dropped as he felt the total pressure of Maruki's power.

'This is what he was going to hit me with?! How the hell did I not notice this...this...this evilness?!' Aizawa fell down and sat on the floor as the area around them all darkened as the light was getting swallowed up from Maruki's energy. Seconds felt like hours as Maruki struck without warning. All-Might was more than prepared for the blow as the clash between Maruki's fist, and All-Might's arms sent waves and waves of energy all over. The dirt field and trees kicked up again as the branches and leaves from the trees were blowing off while the dirt started piling around in different mounds all over the area. Maruki gawked in awe at how immovable All-Might was. The winds around them stop as the light from the now evening sky returned, leaving the two standing in the orange glow of the afternoon.

'This is my limit...' Maruki's fist slid downward as he too fell with it. Face first did he hit the floor as All-Might stood still with his arms out. All-Might stayed in that position before finally undoing the X and looking at his shaking arms.

"The youth these days...guess I really am getting old." All-Might clenched his fist to stop the shaking as he looked at Maruki's unconscious state.

"And that's why I'll make sure people like you will be there, for when I'm not..."

---

Maruki recovered later that day in the nurse's room of U.A. Recovery girl insisted that she'd heal him just like she did Aizawa, but he politely refused and made his way home before there was any more room for them to protest.

All-Might and Aizawa sat down on chairs at opposite ends of principal Nezu's office door as they waited for him to finish some school-related calls and business before going about the due process of Maruki's job application. All-Might now adorned a yellow business suit with stripes running vertically; a blue tie also fit snugly around his neck. On the other hand, Aizawa was wearing a more casual outfit that consisted of a simple gray-tee, blue joggers, and running shoes.

They waited in silence as All-Might sat looking down on the floor while having his hands clasp and elbows propped on his thighs. Aizawa laid back as he rested his neck on the chair's top and stared into the ceiling. Aizawa enjoyed the slow and quiet night environment the school had after hours, for as much as he'd like to be home sleeping, this was an excellent time for him to just lose himself in comfort and let his mind wander. Maruki was all he could think of, for the feeling of his power left such an impression on Aizawa. That the indescribable feeling that he couldn't explain left him stumped.

'A quirk that I can't nullify? What a prospect. If it were a simple body augmented quirk, then I'd understand, but he was summoning those things, and summon type quirks were one of the few types that worked under my quirk. And he completely ignored it...what a pain...' Aizawa sat up and peeked to his left to see what All-Might was doing.

He almost had a heart attack as he met the face of All-Might intensely staring at him with the most severe expression he has ever seen.

"Gah! What's your deal?" Aizawa asked while leaning back away from All-Might's intense gaze.

"I apologize, Mr. Aizawa. I didn't know how to get your attention, so I thought if I looked at you long enough, then you would notice."

"Really? And how long have you been looking at me?"

"The entire time." Aizawa rubbed his face with both hands as he shook his head while All-Might straightened up and adjusted his position to sit up-right with both hands resting on either side of his lap.

"You got my attention now, so what gives? You need something?" Aizawa started asking. Before All-Might said anything else, steam rose from his body as he sighed and let himself genuinely rest. The once almighty symbol of peace was now replaced by a gaunt and angular short man that had the business suit fitted for a great man now rest on him baggily. At the same time, he wiped the blood leaking from his mouth. Aizawa wasn't surprised at all. He was actually quite sorry for the man. All-Might looked forward out the glass window, staring into the dark abyss of the night that had dots of lights litter over it.

"Yes, I was going to ask you about your decision of Dr. Maruki's job application." Aizawa chuckled as he leaned back onto his chair again.

"You already know that answer, so why ask? Unless...you were thinking of accepting him." The sudden hostility in Aizawa's voice didn't go unnoticed as All-Might kept his gaze on looking into the outside.

"If I were to say that I was, what would you say?"

"I'd say that you should retire effective immediately, cause clearly, you're developing some illness if you want to add that amateur to the staff." Aizawa bluntly laid out as he, too, stared through the windows. He saw the infinite darkness that rested outside. The unknown that was covered in darkness.

"You felt it, didn't you? How could you even consider a person with that...villainous air to associate with heroing, let alone help others on being a hero when he isn't even one himself?" Aizawa questioned as he looked to his side to observe All-Might. He didn't move an inch as he continued looking outside. The dark of night filled his vision while he thought of what to say to Aizawa.

"There is truth to what you say, Aizawa, but you should know not to judge a book by its cover alone."

"Yeah, okay. Well, I guess the next time the book tries to kill me, then I should take my time understanding why the curtain was blue instead of saving my life." Aizawa looked out and swore the darkness grew more significant as he stared into the abyss once more.

"There is no good that his power can bring. It can do many things, yeah, I admit that. It can heal, help enhance one's abilities, be flexible, and change with the user's imagination. It's nearly perfect the more I think about it. But that doesn't excuse it, for it's hiding something. The air it gives, the power it holds, the look even! It's too good to be true, and you know it." Aizawa felt like he was sitting in front of the window by now with how big the darkness was. It almost overtook his vision.

"And what say you? You can't deny all those things you know, so why are you so damn adamant about this?" Aizawa looked away from the window and stared at All-Might. Not once did he take his gaze away from the window as he intently observed the outside.

"I say...that if you look past it all, the power, the energy it produces, the abilities it can perform, then you'll see past all of it and find what is truly important. The man behind it all." Aizawa sighed as he looked back out the window to stare into the emptiness again. He looked at the tiny dots of light that littered the night. Small they were, but still present.

"I don't know if you saw the 'sparring' session, but the whole time that man was looking to do some damage. I could've died with that blow he did at the end before I used my quirk. So who are you to say that the man behind it all is even good? I think he revealed his true self blatantly out there."

"Yes, and he learned from that, or did he hit you hard enough in the stomach that you already forgot?" Aizawa was starting to get annoyed at All-Might's insistent behavior to still consider accepting Maruki.

"No, but I'm starting to think you took that punch to the head the more you talk."

All-Might sighed, "I apologize. That was uncalled for, but hear me out, Mr. Aizawa." Aizawa reluctantly listened as All-Might started.

"This man, he only recently acquired his quirk. Up until that point, he was a normal person, a man with goals besides any sort of heroing or villainy crossing his mind. He chose a job to help people because that's what he wanted to do. Suddenly, he has this responsibility and wishes to apply it in the safest environment to do so. Why not help him with that? Why not assist a young man that is willing to carry the weight so readily. He isn't ready in the sense of his practice using it, but his mentality is, and that is the first step of the path of a hero." All-Might kept admiring the bright lights the danced around on top of the dark background of the night sky. He could only see them; nothing else intruded his vision.

"His resolve, acceptance, and pure passion for pursuing it would make it a disservice for us to not help him succeed. I think you know better than anyone that quirks such as his, one's perceived to be 'evil' are not welcomed, but what if he was the example? The first of many that can truly be appreciated and shine with the rest?" Aizawa looked out and saw the lights on the outside. He didn't want to admit to agreeing with All-Might in any aspect, but he knew just which buttons to press for Aizawa to meet him on the same wavelength.

"He may be a bit stubborn, but I suppose that is par for the course of starting out. He wants to do all, but he knew to test his limits, so as far as I'm concerned, he's already better than over half of the heroes operating right now." Aizawa scoffed as he admires the lights of the city night.

"Stubborn, eh? Just like a certain bunny, that's also his sensei of sorts. Fitting, I suppose." All-Might laughed a bit as both men enjoyed a new comfortable silence as they stared into the night, unafraid of what it was holding.

"So... your answer?" All-Might asked as Aizawa took time to find his answer. He didn't know what to think anymore, but he was sure of one thing, and that was the feeling he felt from Maruki. Even after talking with All-Might, there was no shaking that indescribable sense of...nothingness from Maruki. Aizawa had, to be honest, he could be swayed with everything else, but that feeling devoured him.

"Sorry, but it's still a no." Aizawa took a chance glance at All-Might as he saw the small man finally leave his eyes from the window and get up. He made his way to stand in front of Aizawa as he bowed deeply in front of him.

"Please," was all he said as Aizawa's pity for the man grew. It was hard enough to reject the wishes of a man like All-Might. Still, for him to bow to him in this form, in such a vulnerable state, Aizawa had no choice but to feel like the scum of the earth. Even if he didn't see eye-to-eye with All-Might all the time, he still had respect for him, for what he is, for what he stood for. Yet, he stuck to his guns, he couldn't shake that gut feeling, no matter what.

"How much...how much are you willing to risk? You already cut your time short with the kid, but now this? You could lose more than just your power. You could lose everything you are. Your reputation, legacy, what you are to the people. Are you willing to risk that? All for one boy and man that barely know what they're doing?"

"Yes, and I'll do it a dozen times more if there are more people like them. My time will end, and what I built and leave behind will be all that's left to help protect and inspire people. They will be next, all of them, together." Aizawa wanted to jump out the window; he had no choice but to go along with All-Might at this point. As much as his gut was telling him not to, he had have been convinced now, no matter how small that time frame might be, it was enough to get what needed to be done.

"I'm gonna hate myself in the morning...but I guess that's a problem for future me to deal with." All-Might raised from his bow as he put his hands together and thanked Aizawa, "I am in your debt, Mr. Aizawa."

Aizawa sank into his seat as he already started lamenting his decision.

"Please...don't mention it...ever." After that, principal Nezu bust through his office door with a smile across his face.

"I'm glad we all came to a conclusive decision! It took us long enough." Aizawa and All-Might stared at the creature with confusion as Aizawa was the first to speak up.

"Hold on, you heard all of that? What happened to your work?"

"Never had it!" Nezu cheerfully exclaimed as All-Might and Aizawa stared at the thing with slight annoyance.

"I didn't know what the mood was in Dr. Maruki's case, so I decided to go with the majority, and it seems we're all good in accepting him. What a successful conversation we all had together." The two men didn't bother to argue with the principal as they decided to let him handle paperwork as they head home.

Aizawa got outside and looked up to the stars that shined down onto the lit city. His uncertainties only grew as the void of the night gave him a feeling of dread.

"Yep...definitely going to regret this one. Oh well, time to ignore it until the new year starts."

---

I awoke to the sound of loud banging coming from my humble shack's door as I heard a car speed away soon after. I awoke with my whole body being sore. My mind was still on the fritz, but it was manageable at the very least. I opened the door to find that my mailbox had the red indicator sticking up. I went over and got the mail as I went through various bills and ads that came with my drop shipment of mail.

"I feel like rent is getting more expensive...is the property value actually rising now?" I sorted through most of it until I came across a fancy envelope with a big U and A printed on it. Its sheen and perfect quality had me admiring it as I took in the texture, even the smell it had on it. This was the most important and premium mailing I've ever had.

"The trash yooou go." I threw it in the garbage can as I sorted through the rest of the left junk. I went about my day as usual as I did light sets and didn't exert too much at the gym. I cut myself short and browsed the internet while lying on my bed to rest my body. The nagging feeling of the letter being...well, there, left my curiosity begging me to open it. I was expecting a week to get anything from U.A, but it was the day after, and I just got it this morning. Either the due process is insanely expeditious when rejecting applicants, or they particularly didn't want to bother with me. Night soon came, and I tossed and turned in bed as my mind kept wandering to the letter. It got so bad that I jogged at least three times to try and wear myself out.

"This is killing me..." I sat up and rummaged through the trash to get the letter as I stared at it again.

"Like a band-aid, just swiftly tear it, and you'll feel nothing but disappointment." I did precisely that as I opened the envelope to find a little round electronic device tucked away inside.

"What the...?" The device soon came to life and projected a video of All-Might standing sleepily in a studio set.

"Is the coffee ready yet? I'll take black at this rate...huh? It's on? It's on!" All-Might quickly got his act together and started doing throat exercises while people were combing his hair and wiping lint off his suit.

"This is a bit excessive, don't you think? I thought only students got this kind of video...what do you mean I have to do this with all events! Even holidays!" Ultimately, the workers ran off after finishing up on All-Might as he straightened his tie and put one hand on his hip with the other saluting.

"Yo! Dr. Maruki! We are happy to inform you that your application to be the school's counselor has been rejected-! Rejected? What is this script?! He's ACCEPTED, not rejected...what do you mean you were only prepared for a rejection video?! How cruel of you to assume so!" The video was cut short as a bit of animatic of a banner came across the screen with a "You're Hired!" placed in the middle.

The hologram cut short as I stared at the wall of my shack while falling on my back bewildered.

"Alright...time to go shopping for some new clothes then." A new high hit me as I reveled in it. I was about to call Rumi, but it was too late into the night for her to possibly be up. I decided the next best thing to do was to sleep and hope this wasn't some fever dream.

Either way, I knew that my life in this world had indeed started at this moment.

I was back, back to square one.