Chapter Three: Departure

By the next morning, the news had spread to every other resident of Tartarus; his son could indeed destroy the wards keeping them locked in. The news seemed to energize everyone: more bounce in their step, work done as efficiently as ever, and even quite a bit of whistling composed of the few tunes people remembered.

All for One still called for a population-wide meeting that evening, though. He doubted there existed a Tartarus resident so ignorant that they had no idea what was causing all the good cheer, but their escape wasn't going to be as simple as taking down the wards. They needed ships, they needed supplies, and they needed fighters; otherwise, their only escape would be death.

As a result of his choice, everyone on Tartarus stood in front of him, talking amongst themselves while they waited for him to start speaking. The only exception was Tenko, who stood beside him, looking far too uncomfortable for someone in his position. Maybe he just didn't like getting this much attention. He'd have to ask later.

As for now, though, it was time to get things going. "I presume you've all heard of Tenko's success."

The cheers that followed told him everything he needed to know.

"Now, we must prepare for our eventual departure. Until the time comes when these wretched wards will finally be destroyed, all of our efforts need to go toward ensuring our escape is a permanent one. Therefore, we'll need to alter the jobs we do quite a bit."

Fewer cheers this time, but the point still got across.

All for One spent the rest of the meeting going over some of the new roles that had now been made in response to this development. Rin would be leading a new group whose role would be to help grow trees that could then be used as material to make seaworthy ships. A handful of others would start determining how to best preserve food for the lengthy voyage from Tartarus that would likely ensue once they got off the island. Anyone else would begin training in combat, both magical and not. Some of Tartarus' prisoners might have been content to simply slither into the shadows and keep a low profile once they reached the mainland, but for others? This meant war, and they had to be prepared to fight it.

"Thank you for your time and effort," All for One said. "Now, we must make our final push. Tenko and I will make sure we escape this wretched island if it's the last thing we do. Now, back to work, everyone!"

Everyone did indeed return to work, although it took some time for everything to get moving again, everyone talking with everyone else about the things they'd do and see once they left this place for good. All for One knew not much would be accomplished the rest of the day at this rate, but he no longer cared. He'd waited two centuries, he could wait one extra day.

Only Tenko remained by his side. "Do you know how long it will take for everything to be prepared?"

"Exactly when, I don't know," All for One said. "I do know it won't be long from now."

No matter when these preparations ended, there was light at the end of the tunnel no matter what. He'd do everything he could to expedite the process, but in reality, all he had to do now was wait.

Matsumoto Yuma may have been content in the past, but until today he hadn't felt happy in a long time. While he remained unsure of where his real home was, having never stayed in one place for long even when young, the idea that soon he could go back to it added some much-needed cheer into his life.

He'd been a successful assassin in his youth; the ability to turn any random object into a bludgeon proved useful time and time again on the job. Unfortunately, he'd clearly burned through all his luck at some point, because a series of mishaps ultimately led to him being caught in the middle of the town square (which town, he could no longer remember), tried, and sent off to Tartarus, and the only reason he even found himself here was that the man who oversaw his case didn't believe in capital punishment. Someone else could have and would have killed him without even sparing a glance.

Fortunately for him, All for One was a fair master, if nothing else. While Yuma never called him that, he also knew he'd put himself on a chain the moment he swore his allegiance to the man. However, as long as he kept himself useful, which wouldn't stop anytime soon barring a major injury, he'd be protected from anyone who could hurt him.

Tenko still made him nervous sometimes, though for his potential more for his personality. He remained rather isolated from much of the island, he and All for One representing the only other souls he was consistently in contact with. Even after All for One had his way with him, Tenko was cordial if nothing else, and had yet to attack another human being. Still, many believed he was one bad day away from murdering half the island, which Yuma wished he didn't agree with but did anyway. It didn't matter in the long run, anyway: he was All for One's charge, and thus he had to be treated with respect.

Thus, when Tenko approached him that day, Yuma started the conversation as casually as possible. "What brings you to me, Tenko?"

"I want to get stronger," Tenko said. "Father said if I wanted to do that, you were the best person to ask."

Yuma nodded. "I can't disagree there."

Yuma didn't have enhanced strength like All for One did, but that arguably made him better for the job: all his strength had been hard-earned through years upon years of physical conditioning. At forty-one, the day would soon come when he could no longer maintain his body the same way, but that day was not today, and even then, he still knew as much about conditioning as anyone else here.

"So," Yuma said. "What do you want to start with?"

"What do you think makes the most sense?"

Well, that left Yuma with a choice to make, although it was fortunately not a complicated one. "I'd say we start with your upper body, since your legs have already gotten stronger from all that running. Watch the movements I make, then try to copy them."

Yuma dropped to his hands and knees, extending himself into the push-up position he'd assumed probably a hundred thousand times throughout his life, then pulled one off with ease. "This one's called a push-up. Let me see you try."

Tenko attempted to follow Yuma's motions. His first push-up was unsteady, but at the same time, it was still a push-up.

"That's not a bad start," Yuma said. "You're going to want to be a bit flatter, though, it'll make the exercise more effective. Try doing ten of them, then we'll see what to do from there."

Tenko followed Yuma's instructions with ease. Yuma had him do ten more after the first ten, then introduced him to a handful of other exercises and repeated the same process as with the first one. After those had finished, he'd sent Tenko off to run, and that concluded things for the day, at least as far as he knew.

So went the first training session. It'd be far from the last one.

One chilly spring night, Tenko lay awake well after the rest of Tartarus had gone to sleep, save for a few token guards.

The hour was late and the island silent. Thus, no one bothered Tenko as he stole from his bedroom, making sure to close the door behind him as All for One slumbered on.

His path illuminated only by the moon and the stars, Tenko strode away from the makeshift village. With the island relatively flat, his destination was immediately obvious, the cluster of trees sticking out like pimples. He didn't follow a straight line there, because some of the harvest fields were in the way, but he always kept the trees in his sight, right up until the moon disappeared behind them and turned his surroundings pitch-black.

After a bit of stumbling and tripping over several roots, his path became illuminated by the moon once again, and from there he didn't have much ground left to cover. The trees began to thin out, and on the other side of the cluster sat the ships.

Tenko had only ever seen a single ship before; namely, the vessel that took him to Tartarus. However, these ships looked nothing like that one, a fact which eased Tenko's fear. While the former had been intimidating in all aspects, all harsh angles and black paint and darkness, these ships had a certain homemade look to them; the wood rough and unpolished, the shape not quite symmetrical, the planks uneven and sometimes even splintering. While they couldn't be anywhere near finished at the moment, meaning what he saw was a prototype at best, that didn't alter the ship appearing to be held together with nothing more than spit and good intentions.

He'd gotten so entranced he didn't notice the man behind him until they were almost touching. Tenko whirled around, ready to either attack or flee from the intruder, but then he saw their face and sighed in relief. "You could have just said something, you know."

"I could have," Yuma said. "Wouldn't have been as much fun, though."

Tenko hadn't had nearly as much fun with that, but he kept that under wraps. "Why are you even here at this hour, anyway?"

Yuma smiled. "I'm part of the security detail for the ships to ensure they don't get damaged. Everything else we have a surplus of. These, we don't."

While not nonexistent before this initiative, trees had been a rare find on Tartarus before recently. With the help of Rin and a few others (but mostly Rin, whose green thumb remained unmatched even after all this time), they'd set up a plot for the sake of growing trees, needing wood to build their ships. They'd gotten big enough to be useful almost instantaneously with Rin's help, allowing another team to cut down many of the trees, which now found themselves represented in the ships before Tenko and Yuma.

Tenko's breath hitched. "Are you going to kick me out? Because I'll just leave if you don't want me here…"

"Don't worry," Yuma said. "I'm not going to do anything to you. I won't even tell your dad."

Tenko breathed a sigh of relief. All for One gave him some leniency as his son, but still, you never wanted to cross him if you could help it.

With his fears quelled for now, Tenko decided the best course of action would be to actually speak with Yuma. "How are the ships coming along?"

"I'd be lying if I said everything was going perfectly," Yuma said. "We've actually finished a few ships, but all of them sank almost instantly. We're trying to figure out where we went wrong with them."

Tenko nodded. He couldn't swim, so being trapped on a sinking ship sounded like a nightmare come to life.

"Have you made any progress with that?"

A smile. "The more recent models have lasted longer. At the very least, that should mean we're moving in the right direction."

Tenko managed a smile as well. Progress was progress no matter how you sliced it. Despite that, though, he couldn't help but want things to move faster. "How much longer do you think it's going to take for the ships to be ready?"

"If all goes well? Probably four months. I'd guess it'll be closer to six, though: we need to make sure our ship isn't going to sink the instant we get in the water, then once we get one that works, all we need to make the rest is time and effort. How much time we need all depends on how long it takes to build something that floats."

"Six months is nothing," Tenko said, even if he didn't believe it. "It took me nine years to get this far. I can wait six months. And that's not counting how long All for One's been here."

"It's nice to finally get some optimism out of you," Yuma said. "Normally you're all doom and gloom."

Tenko said nothing after that. For a few minutes, the two of them fell into a basic line of conversation, one which he'd already used about fifty times but remained an excellent distraction in the event he needed to pass the time. However, soon Yuma cut him off, saying that he needed to start moving again before any of the other guards saw him slacking off.

"I'd recommend you get some sleep, Tenko," Yuma said. "We're starting to plant our harvest for the year soon, and I don't intend to stop pushing you while that happens. Be prepared."

"I will," Tenko said as he turned to leave. Yuma faded into the darkness as he began the trek back, mind buzzing so much it'd be a miracle if he ever got to sleep.

The weather had turned hot once more as Yuma trained alongside Tenko, the two of them matching each other's movements almost perfectly.

Tenko had yet to gain a six-pack, but he'd bulked up significantly in the six months since they'd started. Exercise routines that would have left him a puddle on the floor at the start of this routine were now completed without a second thought. Even outside of these workouts, Tenko's strength and agility made him far more useful than many of Tartarus' adult residents in the fields, meaning this year's harvest had just gotten that much easier.

That didn't mean Yuma went easy on Tenko, though. If anything, he pushed him harder. Today was no exception.

After one of the longest workouts Yuma could ever remember doing, Yuma managed to coax his body through the last few stationary stretches, putting in more effort than he needed to so he could ensure he finished. Tenko copied his moves, sweaty and tired but not out for the count. Yuma couldn't necessarily say the same thing, though: after he finished the very last stretch, he remained standing, even though all he wanted to do was collapse. Tenko

"You've come so far," Yuma said. He couldn't say much more, he was too out of breath for that.

"I know," Tenko said, panting. "Thank you, though."

The two of them just stood there for a few minutes before both of them began walking back towards the village. Their legs hurt, but their throats hurt more, and water wasn't going to materialize in front of them if they wished hard enough.

Once both of them had made it back and drank their fill, Yuma finally had enough breath back that he could start talking normally again. "I'd recommend you take tomorrow off. You can still help with the harvest, but I wouldn't do another serious exercise routine."

Tenko didn't seem convinced. "Are you sure about that?"

"Overworking yourself is just as bad as not working hard enough," Yuma said. "That's how you get hurt in ways we might not be able to fix."

At the very least, that got Tenko to relent just a little. "Okay. I'll take it easy tomorrow."

"And I mean it," Yuma added. "You don't have to be perfect all the time. You can take days off."

"I still have to do everything I can," Tenko said. "I need to take down the wards. It's all I've ever wanted. If this is how it needs to happen, this is what needs to be done."

"I'm sure you have what it takes to destroy them," Yuma said to try and alleviate his fears, even with the topic swerve throwing him off his game. "You've put in more than enough work. Nothing should be holding you back from your dreams anymore."

Tenko nodded, the motion shaking sweat off his face. "When the time comes, if there was something I could have done and didn't, I'll never forgive myself if I can't break them down."

Nothing Yuma said would have reassured Tenko, so he remained silent, even though he believed Tenko was simply being needlessly cynical. As tests, All for One had worked with others to continue creating wards of increasing complexity, just to ensure the rise in Tenko's physical strength resulted in similar growth of his magical potential, at least in this sense. Fortunately, they'd been right in that regard: Tenko continued to take down larger and larger wards as his strength grew: he'd destroyed one the size of a farming field with relative ease a week before. Having blown through every practice test sent his way, the real deal seemed just a smidge less threatening than it might have been otherwise.

Whether or not Tenko's efforts would be enough to provide them with an escape remained an open question, but Yuma and All for One all remained optimistic. After all, if Tenko couldn't get them out, chances were no one could.

Today, Tenko had gone out to where the ships were being built once more. Unlike most other times, though, he had company: namely, the entirety of Tartarus.

When the sun had reached its peak in the sky that day, both Yuma and Rin had charged into the middle of the village, grinning like maniacs. When everyone else turned to face them, likely trying to figure out what madness had taken two of their hardest workers, both loudly proclaimed that all the ships had been constructed. All for One had been the only reason a stampede hadn't started right then and there.

The journey there had almost become boring, Tenko had made it so many times, but today it was a mad rush, everyone hurrying along with just enough grace not to trample whatever crops were left. Before anyone, least of all Tenko, was ready, the ships were clearly in view, especially with most of the trees having been reduced to stumps in the pursuit of wood. While they still looked makeshift, almost thrown together, and Tenko still couldn't say he was fully comfortable having it be the only thing between him and drowning, it looked like a finished project.

Unlike most speeches, this time Yuma took the lead, All for One standing aside as he watched the crowd. Tenko met his eyes, but it didn't take long for him to look away.

"Our preparations are complete," Yuma said, gesturing wildly with both hands as he did. "Two dozen vessels are at our disposal. All of them have been extensively tested and deemed seaworthy in both fair and foul weather. Now, we'll be able to take everyone who wishes to leave off the island, and if I have anything to say about it, none of you will ever have to return!"

A chorus of cheers and shouts came in response.

"With our harvest for the year complete, nothing is holding us back anymore," All for One added. "Tomorrow seems as good a day as any: better to set sail before the ocean begins to chill."

Almost everyone else seemed to agree: while there were a few naysayers in the crowd, that was to be expected for just about any opinion. Tenko was sure All for One could live with a bit of dissidence.

"There's not much else left to say on the matter," All for One said. "Everyone who wishes to undertake the journey should meet in the center of the village tomorrow at sunrise. We'll be carrying supplies to the best on the westernmost point of the island all morning, and from there, we can leave Tartarus behind, forever."

This time, All for One refrained from telling everyone to get back to work, though it was implied. With All for One done with his speech, everyone dispersed rather quickly, though in a similar manner as when Tenko had finally approved his abilities. Both close friends and relative strangers got involved in animated conversations with each other, whatever work had been in progress stopping for the time being.

Tenko and All for One just watched, quietly drinking in the scenery for a few minutes: even they weren't immune to the mood All for One had brought out of Tartarus.

"I can't wait for tomorrow," Tenko said. "I bet no one else can wait, either."

"Most of them, anyway," All for One said. "Everyone close to us is coming. As for the others, I don't know, but I'm sure the majority of them want to leave just as much as we do."

Not everyone would be making the journey with them: some of Tartarus' residents wished to stay behind for one reason or another. What reason, Tenko couldn't fathom, but he ignored them for now: none of them were people All for One considered important, and it meant more supplies for everyone who was leaving.

Although everything had stalled for a short time while Tartarus' population absorbed the news, things quickly sprung back to being livelier than ever. Everyone, even those who planned to stay, worked hard all that afternoon to make things easier for the departing, Tenko and All for One included. Most of that was just ensuring all the supplies being taken were gathered somewhere with easy access, and none of it was very complicated, but the help was still greatly appreciated by all who received it.

That evening, their poor imitation of a village was a ghost town. No work, but no play, either. Everyone seemed content to confine themselves to their shacks and prepare themselves for the day to come.

"I was expecting a lot more celebration," All for One said. "Looks like everyone here has more sense than I thought. Prevents the possibility of someone's stupid antics destroying something we need to get out of here."

"I don't have the energy for celebrating, anyway," Tenko replied. "I'll need it all for tomorrow."

All for One nodded. "Indeed."

One would think the anticipation would fill Tenko's head with enough distracting thoughts that he wouldn't sleep a wink, but fortunately for everyone involved, the opposite happened: they tired him out within minutes of crawling onto his mattress. The transition didn't take long: one minute, he was awake, and the next, he was asleep.

Vivid, beautiful dreams of the world he'd be able to finally see chased each other through his head all night, the future he'd always imagined ready to unfold before his eyes.

All for One stood where the grass gave way to the beach he'd found Tenko all those years ago, a triumphant smirk upon his lips.

Everything had finally come together, years upon years of preparation manifesting before his eyes. Row upon row of soldiers stood at attention on the beach, all ready to aid him in his quest for vengeance. Two dozen ships laid in front of them, spacious enough to accommodate everything and everyone All for One would ever need. Crate after crate of supplies was hoisted aboard the ships by those staying behind, representing enough food, water, tools, and weapons to get them through any disaster. Yet, none of that held his attention for more than a brief moment. Before long, his focus shifted to Tenko.

His finest work. Ten years of training. Ten brutal, agonizing years of waiting, failure after failure after failure plaguing him at every step.

Now, though, it would all be worth it. Shimura Tenko had been reborn with one purpose in mind, and the time had come for him to serve it.

Tenko himself sat beside All for One, trying to conserve his energy for the main event. All for One had burned through a considerable portion of his own energy ensuring everyone here would be protected when the wards exploded: he didn't want unnecessary injuries or casualties if he could help it. Protective magic was easier than wards, but not by much: anyone else would have given out long before All for One had finished.

Tenko stood up rather suddenly, beginning to march toward the wards. "I'm ready. Tell the others."

"That means the time has finally come," All for One announced to everyone else as he followed Tenko. No one obviously looked like they were slacking, but there were quite a few people who noticeably jerked in place once All for One raised his voice.

Perhaps All for One would have been better served by giving a moving speech about how much this meant to him and everyone else there, but he didn't want to build things up too far in the unlikely event this all backfired. Thus, All for One only had one more thing to say before the final stage of his plan came to life. "Now remember: we must act with the utmost speed. The wards may not stay down long, and if we cannot escape before they return, we will have lost our only chance."

Everyone seemed to hear and understand that. They steadied themselves, preparing for the events to come. All for One and Tenko reached

"You know what to do, Tenko," All for One said. "Show me what you're worth."

He saw Tenko take a deep, calming breath, stretching out both arms as he prepared for the pain to come. It would be intense, but All for One had confidence in him; he'd take it for the good of every last person here.

Shimura Tenko pressed both of his hands against the wards and pushed.

The wards keeping them prisoner were old and powerful, but Tenko's magic was relentless. At first, they only grumbled and groaned, repairing the hole made by Tenko's hands just as quickly as it was made, but before long, they started trembling in place as he increased the power channeled through his hands, the perforation he'd made starting to spread wider and wider even as the ward desperately struggled to stay standing.

A mighty crack like lightning rippled through the air, the wards starting to visibly splinter under so much strain. Then another. The cracks spread like those of a frozen river being bludgeoned with a rock; slowly at first, but speeding up by the instant. They raced each other around the perimeter of the island as Tenko kept at it, the others all marveling at such a powerful, hated construction being broken down just like that.

Tenko's hands almost glowed as he kept straining with all his might, a sickening burning stench emitting from the place he made contact. A groan he'd been making for a while finally became audible, increasing steadily in volume until it was just shy of shouting as his posture began losing its rigidity, all of his energy sucked into the void that was the task in front of him. He was still making progress, but the rate had begun to slow.

"No," All for One whispered under his breath. As Tenko began to wobble in place, nearly losing contact with the wards as he did, All for One ran up to him to keep him steady. "You're almost there, just a little bit longer…"

Even with All for One supporting him from behind, Tenko nearly collapsed as a snap like that of the largest twig in existence echoed across the island. In one last show of resistance, he let loose a feral scream and slammed his whole body against the barrier—

Then, with a shriek capable of driving any lesser man who heard it to insanity, the wards collapsed, emitting a violent pulse of combined energy and magic as they did. Anything protected by magic, including Tenko and All for One, merely got flung backward, wind howling in their ears. Anything else disintegrated almost instantly.

To his surprise, it didn't last very long, the initial wave representing the only one. In seconds, the maelstrom had gone calm, leaving everything still and silent once more.

Tenko's expression became a smile for a few seconds, becoming delirious with joy, then he keeled facedown, obviously spent if not outright dying. All for One wasted no time in scooping him up like a much younger child, charging for his ship as the rest of his soldiers did the same. "The wards have fallen! Go, go, go!"

As soon as each person on the beach regained their bearings, they raced for a ship, either helping right it and get it sailing or reloading any supplies that the explosion had knocked off. All for One was no exception there, almost hurling Tenko bodily onto his ship before hurrying off to help the others with supplies.

The next few minutes were a blur as he hurled crate after crate onto the ships even as they started to sail away; for all they knew, forces beyond their control were working to restore the wards even now. They didn't get everything, for a handful of crates had either burst open from the explosion the wards had created or otherwise been scattered to the four winds, but they'd gotten most of it. All they could do was hope it would be enough.

All for One was among the last to leave. He looked back to the island with an expression that might have been described as fond, then threw himself into the surf and started swimming. He'd gained enhanced strength from another prisoner long ago, their name long forgotten and their body buried somewhere on Tartarus, so while he only had a minimal idea of how to swim, it still didn't take long for him to catch up to one of the slower-moving ships, allowing someone on board to throw a rope down so he could climb up.

Once he pulled himself onto the ship, a little out of breath but otherwise unharmed, he took a few seconds to just gaze out at the endless sea in front of him. So simple, yet so beautiful, for so many reasons. Then he turned back to face Tartarus, or at least the fuzzy smear in the distance it was starting to become.

Finally, All for One addressed his soldiers. "What do you say, now that we're out of here?"

A wave of raucous noise erupted from his army, each of its members crying and screaming and cheering, a thousand voices blending into a primordial noise that threatened to rupture All for One's eardrums. Once things finally began to calm down, All for One reentered the surf, swimming a few ships further upward to the one which he knew had Tenko onboard. Once he pulled himself onto the deck for the second time that day, he saw Tenko finally beginning to twitch a little, although he appeared in no condition to fight anytime soon.

All for One waited for quite some time before Tenko finally rose and All for One could share the news with him. It had taken longer than he would have liked, but Tenko had finally come to, a smile still locked on his face. Even though he looked fine, All for One made sure to heal him anyway: he wasn't a doctor, but even with magical protection blunt force could still badly injure a person in ways that weren't always visible.

The wind ruffled Tenko's hair as he spoke. "We did it?"

"We did it, son," All for One said. "We're off the island. And as long as I'm still breathing, we'll never have to go back there again."

Tenko let out a whoop of triumph, one that was soon echoed across the half-dozen or so ships leading the armada, then followed up by everyone on the ships sailing behind them, the noise probably carrying for miles. All for One didn't care at the moment: even on the off chance some kind of invisible patrol had been stationed around the island that he'd never learned about, he knew he could take them down. He could take down anyone in his condition.

Thus, he continued to spread the fervor. "Where do you all want to go?"

His statement spurred quite a few responses. "Back home!"

"To find that bastard, Ryuji!"

"I don't give a damn, as long as it isn't Tartarus!"

All for One didn't ask the question of Tenko, he already knew the answer. Instead, he asked a far different question. "Are you ready to make the world ours?"

"I'm ready, Father," Tenko said.

Just like that, All for One's army left their former prison behind, ready to reshape the world that had locked them away or die nobly in the effort.

And with that, this story is complete, at least in a sense. I missed my self-imposed deadline by a few hours, but I'd still say this came out more quickly than usual.

I may dip my toes into this alternate universe again, but for now, this is the end. Hopefully, you got some enjoyment out of reading this: I know I sure had fun writing it.

Thank you for sticking with me through all this, and I hope to see you again soon!