[A/N] This will be another time skip chapter, by the end we will be at the exams! Yay!

Emotions. Yuuma lost touch with that term as time went on, to the point the very concept became foreign to him. He knew he felt them before, it wasn't all that long ago. He knew he understood them before, he knew he understood himself before, but now? Now it was difficult.

A five year old does not have a good grasp of their emotions, and in Yuuma's case, he had to re-learn how to understand them. He referred to his emotions as Pandora's Box back then, inside it were things that shouldn't be let out, and so he would keep the lid closed. It was around this time that he was still afraid to smile, laugh, or cry in fear of hurting his family. But after he'd decided to put all of his emotions in the box, it was no longer that he was afraid to.

It was he didn't know how to anymore.

And It didn't take long for his aunt to notice.

-Almost 6 years prior-

"Yuuma, come here for a moment." Airi said, her voice firm and unyielding. Her son, Ritsu, had already gone off to school, so it was just him and his aunt at the house. She was in her office, her face neutral as Yuuma made his way there. His eyes held no shine, there was no smile on his face. The sunshine he used to emit on the daily was replaced by something null and void, and his voice held no feeling anymore.

This was what concerned Airi at the moment. Over the two years that he had been living with them, Yuuma had completely closed himself off. What used to make him smile did nothing. What use to make him laugh did nothing. He didn't cry when he was sad, no... he didn't even let it be known that he was sad anymore. He didn't get angry or frustrated, he never showed his fears.

Even when he woke up screaming at night which caused the house to creak and shake because of his overwhelming power, he didn't let his feelings show. He kept his distance from everything, even when they were training his control.

Airi got up, making her way to her small statured nephew. As she knelt down to him, he met her gaze with his own dull orbs.

"Yuuma... how are you feeling." She asked, but it wasn't a question.

"I'm fine." He replied immediately, as if it were rehearsed.

"No, you aren't."

"I don't have any physical injuries, Auntie. I'm fine." He said again, the same empty tone in his voice.

"I'm not talking about your body, Yuuma. What are you feeling right now. I know that you're hurting, but you never show me. I wanted to give you time, hoping that you'll eventually open up to me but something is wrong, isn't it." She said again, hiding the fact that her heart was sinking into her stomach. "You don't have to hide anything from me, you know that, right? I'm here for you." She said softer, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

There was a small shine in his eyes, so small in fact that Airi almost missed it. He looked down again, and Airi could see he was contemplating what to say to her. And when he finally came up with an answer, her heart dropped to her feet.

"I... don't know anymore." He finally said after a long moment of silence, a dreaded realization dawning on his face. It was the first sign of any emotion he'd shown her in months. "I don't know what I'm feeling. They're all gone, Auntie..." His eyes went wide as he gazed at her.

His voice went quiet. It was unsure and shaky, his realization sinking in. "I'm... not fine, am I?"

"No, Yuuma. You aren't. But we'll get through this. Together. Okay?"

"...Okay."

-10 months until exam-

Yuuma remembered how hard that day was. Wow, he really has come a long way from then. Now he could smile, he could laugh, and he could cry. Now he knew when he was happy, when he was frustrated, and when he was nervous. He still had trouble in some areas, but he was getting better.

Ritsu and Aunt Airi were the best. And now, he was actually chasing his dream. He still wasn't sure how well he could do, but he was now sure that it was something that he wanted. It took him long enough to figure out. And thus, his training began in earnest after he did.

Since Yuuma was 5 years old he'd been training with his aunt. It was a simple training that consisted of him having precise, accurate control of his quirk. It took him two years to properly manipulate and fluctuate it. He could lift at least three cars by that time and constantly use at least 5% o his power output at all times. This, however, did not include his occasional outburst when the frustration and overwhelming emotions that built up became too much.

It was one of the consequences of putting all of his emotions in that box. Sometimes they just became too much, and this outburst was the result. He was terrified whenever it happen, but Aunt Airi helped him through it.

"Your power is based on your emotions. It's okay to be overwhelmed, it's okay to not be okay. But, you can't let it control you. Take a breath, clear your head, and look around you." She'd said. Yuuma had never had another episode after that, so he never got to try it to see if it would work. Honestly, he never wanted to have to try it ever. What if that wasn't enough? What if he hurt someone because he couldn't control it? Wasn't that the whole reason he put his emotions in a box in the first place?

He put those thoughts on hold. Now wasn't the time for that. It was time for his first day of real hero training! He clenched his fist tightly with anticipation. His aunt was kind when she was in "Aunt Airi" mode, but when she was in "Lt. Kageyama" mode she could be ruthless, strict, and maybe even slightly sadistic?

The shiver that went down his spine wasn't small as he made his way to their training room. It was a massive space full of training equipment, custom equipment Airi had ordered. They may not of been filthy rich, but they had money to spend. It was Yuuma's first time in the room. For the past six years his training has consisted of his quirk's overall control and basic body training.

You know, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and running on the daily. They would go to a quirk gym that had various materials to test how much he could lift and control with his telekinesis. He did this everyday without skipping, even when Aunt Airi would be gone due to work and they would stay with their grandmother.

So, when he came into this room full of equipment ranging from disposable lifelike dummies, a legit obstacle course that wrapped around the perimeter of the room, and an open large mat at the center, Yuuma could feel his nerves skyrocket.

This... this was going to be hell an experience.

-Month 1 (Izuku 3rd Person POV)-

After he started training under All Might at the beach, he'd of course been tired. It was hard not to sleep during class because of how exhausted he'd be from training. But even though all of that was going on however, it did not mean he missed that a certain 11 year old that was also in his class and one of (his only) friend was seemingly the same.

Yuuma would come to school obviously exhausted, but when he asked about it the child only said he'd started exercising with his aunt in earnest and that it was normal for him to be tired.

He sounded so sure and determined that Izuku left it at that. It was almost like what he was doing, just not with the number one hero.

He didn't know that Yuuma's Aunt was arguably more ruthless, instilling her teachings into his mind, body, and soul in a training that never ended. He even has training he does within school that involves a part of his quirk he'd discovered recently. Aunt Airi had planned out everything, even down to the amount of hours he slept.

Down to the second.

And even then, he was training in some way, shape, or form using the facets of his quirk. When it wasn't his body being trained, it was his quirk. When it wasn't his quirk, it was his mind. When it wasn't his mind, it was his very soul as she instilled every teaching into him daily and without remorse.

Although she made sure to not hurt him when she could avoid it, it couldn't always be avoided. It was a good thing that his grandma, Airi and his Mom's mother, had the psychic healing quirk. So when their training ended a little rougher than usual and Lt. Kageyama went immediately back into Aunt Airi mode, she took him to his grandma who had decided to stay with them because she knew of the training.

Who do you think trained Airi and her sister when they decided to go down their respective careers?

It was The Devil his grandma.

And now the task was passed down to her spawn her daughter.

After the loss of her youngest daughter to the dangers of hero work, she didn't want the same to happen to her grand-son, and thus agreed to his Aunt, whom had extensive training which she had branched off into her own style, to train him since he felt so sure he wanted to try. She would make sure her little dumpling wasn't pushing himself and would heal even the slightest scratch she found on the boy.

The Psychic Healing ability was wonderful for other people, but completely useless on themselves.

Even though she knew that this training was necessary, that did not mean she liked having to heal. But for her grandsons and their dreams, she was willing to help however she could.

There was no way for Izuku to know any of that though.

-Month 3 (Katsuki 3rd Person POV)-

That brat hadn't been as tired as he was at the beginning of his said "training with his aunt", whoever the hell that was. He said his body had finally gotten used to the upped level of difficulty and that she was truly starting with his training now. When Katsuki asked him what he was doing, in a spur of his own curiosity, Yuuma winced.

He winced.

What the fuck?

Katsuki was instantly two feet away from "Kill Mode". Was someone hurting him and calling it training? Who did he have to kill? He wanted a description, an address, so he could go on the hunt. Yuuma wasn't looking at him, getting his things ready for school, so he hadn't noticed the murderous presence Katsuki was leaking out and continued to explain further.

How was Katsuki suppose to know that his Aunt's training was just that mind numbingly difficult for an eleven year old boy to go through and that it could arguably be the same training that is given to a special military task force?

"It's a type of scenario training. I have to get the dummy out of an obstacle course." He does not mention that these obstacles are booby traps and military style obstacles. "The obstacles are hard to get passed though..." He said, looking visibly defeated. He doesn't mention that his aunt is among the obstacles. "But I'm gonna win." He ended firmly. "Heroes always win, right Katsuki-nii?"

"Damn straight." He answered without missing a beat. He reeled in his killing intent faster than you could blink as the younger boy looked up to him burning determination. He still had half a mind to find and murder whoever his aunt was, but Yuuma looked so determined and happy that he was thinking otherwise.

Over the past three months the brat had been visibly changing. He could see that he was slimming out a bit, finally losing his baby fat. He still looked like a bowl-cut chibi, but a more defined bowl-cut chibi.

But the sparking explosions in his hands didn't care about that. "Is someone hurting you, brat? Who needs to die." An explosion put emphasis on that specific word. But Yuuma was quick to dismiss his assumption.

"No no no! Aunt Airi is the best! Yeah, the training is hard, but it's nothing I can't handle! And she never does more than I can handle. She's used to training people! She said she does the same thing with her police force, and that I'm even better than they are! She said what I'm doing is a easier version of it made specifically for me. She has total confidence in me, I got this!" He says, the determination burning in his eyes. "Even if I still don't win today, I'll win tomorrow, and if not then, then the day after that. But I will win!"

"Wait. Wait. Back the fuck up. Did you say it was the same training she gives her police force? Military?"

"Yeah. A watered down version modified for me specifically."

"And what exactly does that mean, Bowl-Cut."

"It's difficult but not something I can't do."

"And what is your definition of difficult?"

"Something that I have to try hard to accomplish."

Katsuki facepalmed in frustration as he knew that this was not going to go anywhere. "...You are sure about this?" He ask calmly after a moment of silence.

"I'm gonna win." Yuuma says firmly. "If I win, I get to have my favorite Ice Cream. I will not lose. Giving up does not exist." Yuuma's eyes almost literally blaze with determination, a stark contrast to his normally timid self. "The Ice Cream will be mine." He said with finality.

It's too fucking precious, so Katsuki averts his eyes so he isn't blinded by the incoming sunshine. He is still debating if that shit was part of his quirk or not. After spending more time around the brat he became very easy for the explosion user to read, and right now?

Mine mine mine mine mineminemineminemine ICECREAM. MINE.

That was all that was written on his usually neutral now demonic face right now. Any argument Katsuki would have put up to however it was he was training died in his throat. He made a mental note to never give this kid vanilla ice cream. Yuuma currently looked like a predator aiming for his prey. It was... unnerving. Even for Katsuki who be damned if he was scared of anything.

...But he will never promise this kid ice cream, ever. That look on his face screamed "I will kill for it if that's what you ask." as if vanilla ice cream was the holy grail of all comfort foods. He was actually relieved those cult fucks did not know of this... discovery. It would have been the end of all things.

So he kept a careful eye on the kid after that day, or at least he tried to. He too has his own training that he has to concentrate on for the Yuuei entrance exams 7 months from now. The kid is smart, Katsuki was sure he'd be just fine. And if he was that, um, determined, what could go wrong?

But the moment he feels something is off, someone will be dying.

-Month 7 (Ritsu 3rd Person POV)-

Ritsu was sure he could hear explosions and feel small earthquakes coming from the basement room of his home. He was sure he could hear his mother's strict voice carry through the vents, constantly repeating phrases and instructions to his older cousin as she trained him.

Training? It was the equivalent of hell.

It was on a day he'd caught a cold that he decided to see what the heck was going on in the lower levels of his home. That was when he saw the madness that was wrongly dubbed 'training'.

Before school started for the day, he was to go through body training to increase his body's durability and stamina in the instance that he did not have access to his quirk. At the first look, it was normal exercises. Sit-ups, push-up, squats, and run for a certain distance. It wasn't much different from what he had been doing since he was seven, albeit now it was more intense. Yuuma had gained muscle, but it didn't take away from his childish charm.

How this was possible only the author can understand.

After this, however, is when the madness truly began.

The Obstacle Course, as it was so plainly named, was a race against time faced with obstacles at every twist and turn. His mother had explained that the purpose of the course was to instill into Yuuma that danger could come, and would come, from any and everywhere possible if he wasn't vigilant. He had to use all five senses and his body's reflexes in the cases where his quirk would be useless to him.

The goal? Save the Dummy before the timer ran out. If he used his quirk at all, he would immediately lose, and he had to also use his head to plan his and the 'victim's' escape from the same obstacle course. Just because you've gotten to the victim didn't mean that they were immediately saved, and that victim could be in any manner of situation that would have to be dealt with on site before escape can even be thought of.

This was a test of his wit and physical prowess. All in the instance that his quirk is rendered useless or too dangerous to use. No one seems to care to admit that situations like these exist but they do, and his mother made sure Yuuma knew that.

In the beginning months, when Yuuma was first introduced to this challenge, he did not excel at it. Frankly, he was horrible. It wasn't his ability to think of ways to get to and escape from the obstacle course type 'villain headquarters' that was lacking, however. It was his inability to carry out said plans because his own body was for too inexperienced and frail for it.

The first teaching in the Kageyama family is that their quirk did not make them better than anyone else. Without their quirk they are the same as the person next to them. The Kageyama way is to better every aspect of their being so that they have more than one thing to lean on if a situation called for it.

And the first of these aspects that can be improved as practiced by their too many greats to count grandfather Shigeo Kageyama, was the body. Thus this type of training which combined common sense and physical improvement.

One can imagine how difficult this was for Yuuma, who's body wasn't the strongest, like, at all. When he was younger it was normal for him to get sick more often than not. But after coming to live with Ritsu and Airi, he became noticeably stronger. This fact was indeed because he was training his body.

Ritsu's mother had a theory that Yuuma's quirk was adjusting his body along with the training, which was probably why he picked up things faster after repeated practice. This was most likely why after a few months of struggle, he eventually got the hang of this part of the training.

And then came the next part, which at this time he would be at school. It was admittedly much more lax than his training to take into account that he was at school. So it was simply to spread his psychic energy out, as thinly as possible, and pinpoint things around him. On the one day they got off from school, in which he would take a break from the training as to not overwork his body, he was to rely on his sixth sense to get around.

Airi had theorized that if he was able to 'see' the energy in living and inanimate things, that he could use that to navigate and track. And as always, her hunch was correct. When she discovered this, she thought it was an invaluable skill. And it helped that it was similar to her quirk, Mind's Eye, which worked the same way if not more powerful.

It is also great when you constantly lose the car keys. Or lose things in general, like the author does. So yes, invaluable skill to have.

So while he was at school, he would passively train this skill, and actively train it on his day off from physical training.

And then there was the part of his training which was the reason Ritsu called it "Hell".

The obstacle course would be the first thing, but this time it would be with the use of his quirk. One would think that that would make the training easier, right?

Wrong.

Why?

Because the obstacles weren't only inanimate traps that were arguably more vicious than the beginning of the day, but the added obstacle: Lt. Airi Kageyama. The goal isn't just rescue anymore, it was battle and rescue. On even days, Yuuma had to get to the victim and avoid Lt. Kageyama, who was bigger, faster, and stronger than he was.

On odd days, he would have to get to the victim while also fighting her.

Of course she was holding back on the child. What adult would go all out on a child? No, she held back considerably. During their sparring, in which she was teaching him her own martial arts style as she had with both Yuuma and Ritsu since they were young, she would point out the flaws she would see and correct them. This was training, not a beat down. She was there to teach him, not beat him up.

ENDAHOE, I'M LOOKING AT YOU BITCH

Yes, he would have bruises here and there, but she would never hurt him just to be hurting him. As soon as their training was over, both during the day and in the afternoon, she was take him to his grandma's to be healed up as good as new immediately. If he became sick, they did not train that day, and she never over worked him.

And the healing also didn't mean she went harder on him than she had to. The mentality 'It'll get healed later so don't worry about it' is absolutely toxic and Airi refused to have such thoughts in her household. His grandmother's psychic healing also replaced a bit of stamina lost. But this did not mean they continued.

When training was done for the day, it was done.

And as a treat, she would take him out to have his favorite vanilla flavored ice cream for a job well done at the end of the week.

If he managed to get pass her at any time, she would give him a two whole scoops.

The way Yuuma lit up made Ritsu feel like an angel had fallen for the devil's tricks, but his mother never lied when she said that she was going to get him something if he reached a goal. She knew that vanilla ice cream was his favorite, but that he'd limited how often he ate it after he lost his parents. It was what they gave him when he accomplished something, and it had become sacred to him.

The smile on his face when he reached his goals and earned his favorite treat were heaven sent.

BUT.

That did not change that fact that it totally looked like an angel fell for a demon's trick, that demon being his own mother. Did he feel remorse calling his mother a demon? No, not at all. The training ground looked like the underworld and she was most definitely its sovereign. Have you seen the sadistic smile she has on her face when she sees Yuuma trying his best in the training? Have you seen the way her smile creeps up until it's at her ears when she thinks of how her little Yuuma would obliterate the other kids?

Even demons in hell would shiver at the sight.

So no, Ritsu did not feel any remorse calling his mother The Devil.

This is probably why the hero image would not work for her. No wonder she and Aizawa got along so well. When he'd stop by to see them training he had the same creepy grin on his face. Two peas in a pot.

They were too alike in this since, it was hard to think they weren't related. His mother wasn't always tired or giving off a hobo look on a daily basis, but their presences felt similar when they were on the job.

No nonsense.

That terrifying grin that just screams "Your suffering shall entertain me greatly."

Loves to leave unsuspecting students in the dark to get a kick out of their suffering later. In Airi's case, it was her soldiers, her team on the force. Poor souls they were.

Subtle signs of support that proves that they aren't as bad as they seem (in Airi's case this was openly shown to Yuuma and Ritsu) and that they do actually, genuinely care about your wellbeing and aren't just demons looking for entertainment through your pain.

And their ready and willingness to protect their charges no matter what.

Yes, these two got along well, very well. How they really weren't related has been debated by many. He'd been around the kids since even before they were born, so to them he might as well of been part of the family. He didn't come around all the time, but as the official family friend, he checked in when he could.

Bluntly, curtly, but still.

It was a few weeks later that she was called to a meeting and had to cancel training for that day. When she got back she had an unnerving grin on her face like she just ended someone's career permanently.

Ritsu was sure she had. Poor, unlucky soul who was foolish enough to get on his mother's bad side.

How Ritsu knew this? His mother was The Devil ruthless and terrifying whenever she was not in "Mom" mode. He had gone to work with her one time, and saw the way her team looked at her.

Like she was the spawn of Satan (not all that wrong if they ever saw their grandma upset, and her anger wasn't even directed at them! Terrifying.), evil incarnate, but above that was a level of respect that ten year old Ritsu could and couldn't understand. Was it her achievements, something they experienced first hand? How they got results from her teachings? He didn't know. It didn't change the fact that when she said they had punishment training later that afternoon because she noticed they'd been slacking off, they visibly, even audibly, winced.

Ritsu could only shake his head in sympathy.

Poor, unfortunate souls. And now Yuuma was one of them, even if he gets his favorite ice-cream for his efforts and is cared for almost dotingly compared to these men. Well, they weren't the cute, precious Yuuma and her nephew. They would not receive mercy and care and ice cream.

Yuuma was an angel being trained by the devil.

Poor, unfortunate souls they all were. But Ritsu was going to make sure that even through all of this training, Yuuma-niisan would not be corrupted. Even if in battle he became as ruthless as his mother, outside of that he would remain the sweet niisan who loves to make him happy. He would remain the same niisan who held his hand when he was scared to sleep and the same niisan who helped him with his homework.

Even in the clutches of a demon, Yuuma was still one of heaven's purest angels.

Just now he was an angel that could kick all the bad guys butts! His Niisan is the coolest ever. Thanks to his mom trying to explore what his quirk could do he was even able to create a new ability! It happened when they were simply playing around with his psychic energy on his break day, and he linked his energy to his and Ritsu could hear him.

Thinking.

And he could hear Ritsu.

They could hear each other.

.

.

.

That day they both got double scoops of ice-cream, and Ritsu had another thing to add to his "Yuuma is the greatest Ni-san ever because—" list.

-Month 10 (Airi 3rd Person POV)-

Yuuma had improved so much since the beginning of his training, Airi couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. She had put him through a watered down version of the same training she gave her team, of course without the life-threatening parts or parts where he'd beg and wish for death for relief. Their struggle was entertaining to watch Yeah, no. Her nephew was 11. He was going into a school full of would be heroes. Training he needed. Training meant for military officers meant to be ready for war at any and all times? No.

But something mildly similar.

He had a solid base for her martial arts, a stronger, leaner body rid of any baby fat he may of still had. He had fantastic stamina, drastically different than when he'd fist came to live with her. For an eleven year old, he was up to par with those three to four years his senior. Not that he realized this.

But that wasn't what she was most proud of. No. What she was most proud of was his ability to adapt to situations and use his wit to quickly think of solutions. His ability to use his surroundings to his advantage, and how even without using his quirk he can strategize.

Airi had taught him to reign in his emotions during battle. She'd taught him to never take his eyes off his target. She'd taught him to focus and observe the surroundings. She'd taught him to use all of his senses, not just his quirk, to solve the problems he comes across. She taught him basic battle tactics to which he built upon on his own to create his own style of fighting.

And the kid had soaked it all in like a sponge over the past ten months.

Yes, quite terrifying.

Airi was extremely pleased her angelic demon turned out so well~

Yeah, there were days where it was hard, and there were times when his frustration would catch up to him. But he never gave up, and that was something she admired about her little Yuuma. He never gave in, ever, even when the odds seemed against him.

Just like his mom, her little sister. He was so much like her.

Airi wondered how proud her sister would be of her little sunshine and how well he was growing up. Lord knows Airi was damn proud of him. All of the hardship, all of the sadness, he pushed through all of it to get to where he was right now.

It's really been almost seven years... Airi couldn't help but reminisce about how things used to be, when her sister and her husband doted on their son non-stop. When he and Ritsu would have the cutest playdates and wear matching outfits... 4 year olds that didn't have a care in the world.

Now they were growing up. A sad, far away smile graced her face.

"I really wish you were here to see him, Aimi. He's become so strong." She whispered to no one. Today was the last day of the training she was giving him, and it was the same as always. Testing his limits, testing his reflexes, testing his wit, and seeing how far he's come compared to when he first started this upped version of his usual training, with the added obstacles and sparring.

Airi had no doubt in her mind.

Yuuma was ready for this.

-Present Day-

Today was the day of the exam and Yuuma was preparing to leave home to take it. He looked in the body mirror in his room, gasping at the changes he noticed. Ten months have passed since his aunt had started going harder in their training. He was now a bit taller, standing at a proud 4'2" and his baby fat had slimmed considerably! He even gained a bit of muscle, though it wasn't as significant as he'd hoped it'd be.

It was something about his quirk readjusting his body to fit its needs? Even though he trained under Hell's drill sergeant for the past 6 years, he noticed how his build never became bulky. It wasn't much, but his body was still stronger than it used to be. Because of that, he could use his power more without the strain. He was happy, but at the same time he was kinda frustrated.

He was still tiny.

But then he disregarded that frustration.

He was still only 11.

An 11 year old boy who was stepping through the entrance gate to the most prestigious hero course high school this side of the country to take their exams.

Taking a breath to try and calm his nerves, which does not work by the way, he steps through the threshold and onto the campus. A step to affirm the answer to the question he'd had in his heart. His parents had told him, his aunt had told him, his cousin had told him, and even his friends had told him, but he needed to answer the question for himself:

"Can I become a hero?"

It was time to find out.

-Unknown Location, A few years prior-

For centuries he was dormant. His mind wandered aimlessly in an endless void, collecting itself slowly, gradually. How long had it been since he was awake? How long had it been since he ate? He felt abnormally weak, and this did not sit well. Why was he here? What had happened? As his mind became clearer, the questions began to answer themselves.

For years he'd built up his power through the death of others. He gathered their lingering souls into his own, and they fueled his power. The feeling of another's life adding to his own was intoxicating, so he continued to gather and collect the souls. This "power" he had was one of the few that had begun to appear, and he was ostracized for it. He was feared for it. He was hated for it.

Thus he was abandoned and tormented. He ignored this pain, and continued to gather the souls of the departed that aimlessly roamed the graveyards, the forgotten that roamed the fields, the spiteful who hated the world. He reaped them all, endlessly, to keep himself alive. Without them, he knew he would not survive. Why was he born like this? Why was he cursed?

After decades, he no longer cared. If they wanted to hate him, let them. If they wanted to hurt him, let them. They will get their due; death comes to all.

But soon this was not enough. The souls of the long dead were too weak, he needed fresher prey to feed upon. If he did not reap stronger souls he would die and disappear. He did not wish for this to happen. His tormentors would not let him be, he could not last like this.

So he began to kill for himself. Kill who hurt him, kill and live. Kill and Reap their miserable, lowly souls. He finally broke and went on a long, vengeful spree. At first, this was not easy. But he could not go back to how things were before. He could not stop, he did not stop. They would feel his wrath, his hate, his spite. And the more he absorbed the twisted, demented essence of his torturers, the more he enjoyed it.

He bathed in their screams of agony and reveled in their despair. He enjoyed the look on their faces when they found out death was not the end of their torment, and relished the feeling of reaping their helpless pathetic souls. Decades went by like this. He became more powerful, more ruthless, more twisted.

More arrogant.

He completely lost sight of the person he used to be, the one that simply put lingering souls to rest. No, he was different now. He went from being the hunted to the hunter, the prey to the predator. Their power mixed into his soul and deranged it into what could only be called malice.

But he was still aging. His mortal body could not keep up with his growing power, and began to decay. Was all of this for naught? Was his fear of death irrational? As his dying days came closer, he realized that it was. There was no need to fear death.

Death came to all eventually, and death was not the end. It was a beginning.

So, he reaped himself, expelling his soul from his mortal vessel. It was then that he finally achieved true immortality. He no longer needed to eat, to sleep, or to physically kill his prey anymore. He was no longer a human, he was something else, something darker.

And his only remaining desire was to Reap. Kill, absorb, become strong, and exist.

More decades passed, and these strange powers started to become normal occurrences and was chocked up to human evolution. But they still could not catch or stop the killer that had been running rampant for longer than they knew. Was it multiple people? How did they even enter the victims house? How did the victim die if there were no wounds? How were these monsters doing this?!

It was simple. He was not touching their physical forms at all anymore. As something that was beyond the veil of the living, he could touch what could not be seen. He could take what normally could not be touched, and he could use it even more so than when he was alive and were one of the "chosen few" with what was now being called a "quirk".

And that was when espers and strange happenings began to become more well known, more normal than abnormal. These souls tasted different, they were stronger, they were harder to reap, harder to break, yet more satisfying to devour.

He lost track of how long he'd existed. He had become a being of death, and he reached a point he no longer needed to absorb the energy within wayward souls or even living souls. He was no longer just a wandering, evil spirit. His mind became clear again, but had lost any purity it might of had prior to his death.

Time went on, and he soon found himself forgetting what his life was like before he ascended. What was his name? He did not know anymore, and he did not care. All he cared for was sustenance and quelling his boredom. All he cared for was power. Why did he need power again? He could not recall. All he cared for was to continue to exists. He existed to reap the souls of the living. He existed to take. But why did he need to take? He did not know, nor did he care. He knew that at one point it had been important. He knew that at one point it had been needed in order for him to live, and that he desperately wanted to live past death.

But after he chose death everything became clear, everything became easy, and what had once been a matter of survival had simply become an enjoyable pastime. He found it amusing how humans are so afraid of death, yet are surrounded by it. So he continued his silent blight, he killed unnoticed by man. A mystery, an enigma.

A Reaper.

And it was then that he met a man that would put a stop to his reign of silent terror. One born with the only quirk that could touch him, that could hurt him, that could erase him. After endless years of doing whatever he wanted, he found himself hunted by this person. To end his blight on the world. It took him years to finally succeed and rid the world of his evil.

The man who finally did so was none other than Shigeo Kageyama.

He remembered anger. He remembered pain. He remembered a vow. A vow to return the favor. A vow of vengeance. He promised he'd return one day, and he would face him again. He promised that no matter what this was not the end.

Death was only the beginning.

Endlessly, he wasted away in the void. But he could feel that someone had been gathering his scattered self and using it for their own means. Years became decades became centuries once again, and slowly he became more aware.

Aware of his desire that had been repressed.

Aware of his want, aware of his need.

He became aware of the world, and his want to see it burn.

Aware of his promise.

Aware of his rage.

He was in a different age.

An Age of Quirks and Heroes and Villains.

But he was weak once again. Everything that he'd gathered was lost once again. He would disappear again. He did not want this.

And thus this situation he now finds himself in.

He was in some type of lab, contained within a special tube which seemed to run on a special form of energy. It was sustaining his form, as well as injecting his energy into other places. These other places were full of test subjects that had long since lost their souls. Their brains exposed, their bodies varying degrees of mutations. Most were dead, others were barely alive, and some were functioning like puppets with no will.

How... interesting.

But he would take interests later. He needed sustenance first. And the scientists he assumed ran this lab seemed to be enjoying using his lingering spirit energy to fuel these beast.

"Since you have had your fun using my energy, I assume you are prepared to pay its price, correct?" His deep, disembodied voice startled them out of their steady working pace. How cute.

Not that it was going to save them.

Their machines which surprisingly didn't improve much over the centuries did little to stop him in his rampage. As soon as he made contact with them, he sucked them dry like a vampire to blood. Their bodies aged and aged until they became dust that scattered to the wind.

He found that they tasted odd. They must have these "quirks" deeply rooting into them. So much so that it has become part of their soul. Since he has eaten it, what will that mean for him? He would think on it later, he was famished.

The lab filled with screams and sadistic laughter.

Until he got to the very last scientist in the room. He was a round man who reeked of vile intentions. How intriguing. Just as he was about to reap his soul as sustenance, a screen came to life with a strange man on the other side.

"What has happened, doctor?"

"T-the specimen we acquired... the strange energy we've been using for the Nomu Project... It's alive, sir!"

"You will return what you have stolen with your very soul, human." He said. His down right demonic voice echoing through the now silent and lab.

"W-we did not know that you were even alive. Please, forgive our impertinence."

"You use my energy and expect me not to collect my compensation for such insolence? How very silly of you." He inched his shapeless black mass of a body closer to the poor doctor, only for the voice over the monitor to speak up again.

"I can offer you whatever you like as long as you spare him." The monitor spoke confidently. He was amused. "What ever energy you require, I am sure I can gather it for you. Can we come to a deal?"

"Hm... you are a very interesting human." He said, still before the doctor who had paled considerably. "I like you. What do you call yourself?" He asked, but it sounded more like a demand. The man behind the monitor replied with a laugh.

"I've since discarded my name, but you may simply refer to me as All For One. And you?" He inquired politely, but the wariness was still present.

"Hm... call me... Grim. Don't disappoint me, All For One. As long as I get what I want, I do not care."

And that was how their partnership had formed.

Yes. That was all that mattered to him. He needed to replenish his power, he needed to regain his form. Then, he could seek out his vengeance. Humans did not live long lives, so... if the one he was after has long since passed and vanished, then...

The next best thing is to go after his descendants, right?

[A/N] WOW this chapter was long, anyway, DUN. DUN. DUUUUUNNN! WE ARE HEREEEE! Wow, this chapter was kinda long. Did you enjoy it? But before that I wanted to update you all on Yuuma's current skills. Thus after this chapter there will be another info chapter. What did you think of this new someone? I will explain how he came to be in the info chapter! See you there!