Hello, and welcome to this week's new chapter, everyone! I check multiple times every day, and I still cannot believe that this story has finally made it to having over 500 Favorites and over 500 Followers. Thank you all so much for all of your support to help me reach this milestone. It may pale in comparison to some of the other stories that have been around far longer, both on this series subject, and those of others, but it still feels incredible to know that this story was considered good enough by that many people. Here's hoping I can continue to draw in and entertain twice as many people in the times to come.

I would also once more like to thank all of my beta readers, consultants and friends: Mizu, Jonny and Carlos; as well as the current roster of DA fan-artists: Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, effasempai, Eliza-Frost, Vanera-Taro and Yumake.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them.

A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian.

Chapter 121

Declaration

(Декларация)

Yuuei Academy, Monday, December 8th

After the emotional rollercoaster of yesterday; today had so far been proving a far smoother and ultimately much more pleasant one for Nikolay and his classmates. Not only were everyone's spirits and excitement consistently through the roof after Aizawa's announcement of their leaving for Nabu Island this coming Sunday for the Hero Work Recommendation Project, but his continuous work with the finger weights Momo had made him, had already been proving extremely beneficial in helping him to better control and resist the physical toll of his Kinetic Gatling Special Move, as Hero lessons today had ultimately proven.

But even that wasn't all, for today was also the first day wherein Maja Kieslowska would actually be attending class as their half-time classmate, as per the conditions of her attendance being her regular shifting with each day between Classes A and B. And for her first day with them, she was quickly proving to be quite the adept student, both in terms of regular schoolwork, and in their actual Hero training lessons as well. Right from the jump, she was proving to work best alongside Eijirou, but she was proving to be getting along quite well with many of her classmates as time had passed, all the way through when the final bell for the day had rung.

"I'm so happy for Maja-chan, she's fitting in like she's been here all year! Isn't it great, Kolya-kun?" Mina asked as she and Nikolay were finally making their way back to the dorms after having stopped behind everyone else to get something warm to drink. Truly, winter had officially come and settled in.

"Yeah, it really is. It's too bad she's not gonna be able to go to the island with us later, though. I know Vlad King-sensei said Class B would get to go on this whole Hero Work thing as well; I just hope it's not at the same time as us, or else she's really out of options. I seriously doubt she's going to somehow be given her condensed version of the Provisional Exams between now and Sunday." Nikolay admitted as they trudged through the light laying of snow on the paths to the dorms; he and his smiling pink girlfriend walking with their arms linked together.

"Yeah, hopefully she'll get that chance soon. It was bad enough when Bakugo and Todoroki-kun were left behind the rest of us. Maja-chan deserves to see just how exciting being a licensed Hero is." However, at Mina mentioning their classes' two former remedial students; Nikolay let out a shaky sigh.

"Well, before that, maybe let's just hope this assignment on that island will be enough to maybe cool Bakugo's jets a bit. All day he's been grinding his teeth, and I don't think I saw him unclench his fists once. His license already has him chomping at the bit."

By now they had finally made it to the 1-A dorms proper, but the moment they had stepped in through the front doors; the young couple suddenly found themselves being eagerly approached by Eijirou and Maja; the redheaded young man carrying a large package in his hands. "Hey, you guys are back just in time! Looks like you got something real special sent to you today, Kolya-san! This was just sitting at your door!"

While Eijirou eagerly forced the package into the surprised Nikolay's hands; Mina was simply observing the fact that he and Maja had come together, a distinct sharp glimmer in her eyes. "Were you two together the whole time when you found this, Maja-chan?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I asked Kirishima-san to show me the workout setup he's got in his room; maybe even Bakugo-san's, too; since they're easily some of the most ripped out of the whole class. The more I can build up my muscles, the more it can help the stores for my Quirk improve." Maja answered nonchalantly before getting right back to happily shooting the breeze with Eijirou about their respective training routines; all while Mina was watching the interaction between them with a quickly growing and excited smile on her face.

"ALRIGHT! IT'S FINALLY READY! Oh, wow, Power Loader-sensei even got the absorption/release mechanisms woven in the fabric improved! These should be able to handle the stronger vibration frequency just fine now!" Nikolay suddenly exclaimed, snapping his three friends to attention, just to find him holding up a full winter ensemble in his hands; composed of an olive-colored ushanka cap with ear flaps buttoned together on top, a thick olive-colored kosovorotka with a red trim running down from the left shoulder as well as running around the waistline, collar and the wrists, a dark green kaftan to take the place of his usual chakha over everything else, dark red pants, and what looked like thick dark brown woolen boots that could go halfway up his shins; and all rounded together with his usual goggles and brown leather gloves.

Seeing all this clearly thick clothing alongside Nikolay's excitement finally made it all click for his friends, as Mina excitedly asked: "Is that your winter Hero costume finally, Kolya-kun? Put it on, put it on! That's gonna look so cool on you! OH! Wait, let me get changed into mine! We gotta get a winter group picture! Maja-chan, would you wanna man the camera?!"

No sooner than Maja had nodded and was subsequently handed Mina's phone; Denki, Momo, Ochako and Tooru all came passing by; the invisible girl happily pointing out: "Hey, did your winter outfit finally come, Kolya-kun?"

"That's right, and just in time for the island trip, too!" Nikolay answered with considerable excitement; already in the process of slipping the kosovorotka over his uniform shirt.

However, Momo quickly chimed in observantly: "Actually, Bezpalov-san; Nabu Island is off the southern coast of Japan, where the weather is much more tropical year-round. You're going to want to stick with your original outfit if you want to avoid potential overheating."

"But don't worry, there'll be plenty of opportunities for you to see how well it protects you from the cold later on, I'm sure." Ochako noted when she could see the disappointment on Nikolay's face.

As he continued to at least get further dressed behind the cover of the kitchen counters; Maja finally noted the electric and acoustic guitars in Denki and Tooru's hands respectively; as well as the ukulele in Ochako's, and the folded up keyboard tucked under Momo's arm. "Hey, where are you all going with that loadout? There some kind of music club here that I don't know about?"

With an eager smirk, Denki answered: "Actually, ever since the School Festival, Jirou's been helping us to keep practicing like an actual band. You might wanna hurry back up and grab your bass, in fact, Kolya-san! We don't wanna keep her waiting!"

"Oh, right! I'd almost forgotten, with all the excitement for the trip! Hey, why isn't Tokoyami-kun with you guys?" Mina exclaimed, before just as quickly noticing the absence of their crow-headed classmate.

To this, Denki let out a disappointed sigh. "I tried calling, texting and even knocking at his door, but the guy either isn't in, or he forgot to charge his phone, because I haven't been able to get any answer."

"Well, I need to head up, change and get my bass anyway, so why don't we just go and check for ourselves together?" Nikolay casually suggested; the whole group (with even Eijirou and Maja included) soon making their way up to Fumikage's room, where Ochako quickly gave a resolute knock. "Tokoyami-san, are you in there? Your phone isn't broken, is it? You're gonna be late for music practice."

Alas, there was still no answer. Everyone else's initial assumption was that he really wasn't home, until Nikolay decided to put his ear to the door, just to be sure. "He's definitely in there; I can hear a muffled voice…maybe even two, but it's hard to tell."

"You don't think he actually holds conversations with Dark Shadow when he's alone, do you?" Eijirou innocently asked, just as a resounding click emanated from the door; the knob turning on its own, spurring everyone to take a step back and give Fumikage some space…until they could actually hear his voice as the door began to open: "No, don't open, Dark Shadow!"

But his Quirk apparently decided to ignore his command, as the door continued to open and spill light into his barely lit room anyway; allowing everyone to peek inside to a sight none of them had ever expected to see: that of a visibly flustered Fumikage sitting at a low table in the middle of his room, with none other than the cheerful little Eri on the other side; the two of them clearly in the middle of eating from a small platter of cleanly cut apple slices; the latest of which she was holding out, quickly being picked up and eaten by an audibly and visibly happy Dark Shadow itself.

"Eri-chan? When did you get here?" Ochako immediately asked upon seeing the silver-haired little girl, who now noticed the arrival of so many of Izuku's classmates, and was smiling just as happily at them as well. "Oh, h-hi, everyone! I-I wanted to see if Mr. Deku or anyone maybe wanted some of these yummy apples Mr. Aizawa g-gave me…but he w-wasn't home, and M-Mr. Tokoyami invited me to wait until he came back. Luckily, Dark Shadow really likes apples, just like him. Would you all like some, too?"

Naturally, the sight of the bright-eyed Eri holding out the apple platter their way in her tiny hands with a warm friendly smile on her face, was enough to get all four of the girls instantly swooning over her as they happily accepted her offer; all while Nikolay and Denki were both giving Fumikage a pair of sly smirks; the latter prodding at his classmate with his words: "Well, well, isn't this a surprise? Looks like our resident edgelord has a total soft spot after all."

With Dark Shadow too preoccupied with enjoying the apples with the girls; all Fumikage could do was send his two fellow boys a blood-chilling glare. "You tell nobody about this; neither one of you! Now all of you leave at once!"

Of course, none of the girls could bring themselves to feel intimidated after seeing the usually frightening young Hero in such a lighthearted position, no matter his demands or threats. In fact, the only thing Mina could think to do was to turn her attention back to Eri again. "Hey, Eri-chan; would you like to come watch your big Horn Sister and her besties play some fun music together?"

To all of their delight, just the idea seemed to really make Eri's eyes light up even brighter; before Fumikage suddenly interjected: "Did Jirou-san actually not let you all know? She's thrown her voice out and can't exactly speak too much today, so music practice was cancelled."

"Oh, goodness, perhaps I could provide some soothing tea for her throat." Momo instantly suggested, while the others all looked momentarily disappointed, and stricken with realization as to why Kyouka had been so quiet today. But just as quickly did the light of inspiration strike Ochako and Mina together: "Hey, just because Kyouka-chan can't sing doesn't mean she can't still at least play with us. All we'd need to do is find somebody to take the place of singer."

Instantly, all their eyes shifted to Nikolay, who already had his hands up. "Hey, I'm still getting used to the basics for bass; and with the music we're practicing, I know I'm not a good fit, even if I knew any English."

With all the girls, Denki and Fumikage quickly expressing the same issue; not feeling confident enough to tackle singing and playing together; their focus shifted to Eijirou, who after having listened to all of this conversation, gave an apologetic grin. "Sorry, everyone, but Maja-san and I wanted to try bouncing training regimens off each other, to try and get ideas on how to get stronger. Plus, with you all having practiced together this long, it feels like I'd be imposing, y'know?"

Nobody was about to try forcing either Eijirou or Maja to take Kyouka's place, and with some options among the boys being out of the question (Shoto for simply seeming he'd have no interest; Kouji for overwhelming stage fright; Tenya for being way too rigid and intense; and Minoru for both having a terrible voice and wanting to lord a favor from the girls in exchange for his services), Nikolay decided to just pull any random name out of a hat: "Well why don't I go ask Shouji-san? I mean, none of us really know what any of his hobbies are, so he might be free, and with his voice being what it is, it could actually be appropriate for us."

Thankfully, this didn't seem to draw any doubt out of his friends, so with the promise they'd all meet up in Kyouka's room; Nikolay decided to head up to the fourth floor and see if Mezo would be remotely interested in joining. All the while, he was silently hoping he would say yes, as it would be far more pleasant than daring to ask Bakugo instead.

But just as he was about to step onto the fourth floor—WHAM! Nikolay found himself getting blindsided, only to get grabbed by the back of his collar before he could finish tripping; with none other than the same Mezo's voice calling to him from above: "Oh, I'm sorry, Bezpalov-san. I let myself get a little too wrapped up in reading to hear you. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright, Shouji-san; thank you. This is actually pretty convenient, since I was coming to look for you anyway," Nikolay explained as he brushed himself off and looked the towering masked student in the eye with a genuine smile; easily catching Mezo's curiosity. "Really? What for?"

"Well, me and the others who've been practicing music with Kyouka-san are getting ready for practice, but since she threw her voice out, and none of us are confident enough to sing and play our instruments all at once, I just wondered if you'd perhaps be interested in filling in for her. Given we're trying to practice some heavier music, I just assumed you'd possibly have an appropriate voice for it; especially since you have better English grades than most of us."

As Nikolay explained his proposition, he saw some clear reluctance in Mezo's one visible eye…but he could also make out a glimmer of genuine contemplation. "Well, it's not really like I have anything else going on right now, so I could at least hear what you're all doing and make a decision from there."

"That's all I'm asking." Nikolay answered with unmistakable gratitude. As he proceeded the rest of the way to his room to change out of his uniform, leave his packaged winter costume and grab his bass and amp, he absentmindedly continued: "I've never seen you distracted enough to risk bumping into anyone before, Shouji-san. I would've thought you'd just make an eye on one of your tentacles so you could still see where you're going. What could possibly have so much of your attention like that?"

As soon as Nikolay stepped back out in his more casual clothes, he immediately felt a much more tense air about Mezo; which quickly left him visibly regretting having asked. But nevertheless, the tall young Hero ultimately answered: "It's really nothing to worry yourself over. I just ended up being sent this article on my phone about the CRC and let myself get too wrapped up in it."

"The what?" Nikolay immediately asked confusedly; leaving Mezo in momentary embarrassment at his assumption that his foreign classmate would know what he was talking about. "The Creature Rejection Clan, CRC. They're a…*sigh*…they're an Anti-Mutant-Quirk organization that posits all about how people with mutant Quirks like mine, Tokoyami-san, Ashido-san or Kouji-san's are an abomination that needs to be removed, in preference for those whose Quirks keep them looking purely like normal human beings. They're one of the more sizable hate groups in Japan, even though they have a pretty small presence in big cities like ours…but you find them and their influence a lot more in the countryside…like my hometown, for example."

All at once did Nikolay recall the surprise heart-to-heart he and Mezo had shared previously, wherein he'd actually expressed heartfelt gratitude to the young Russian for his work in trying to lessen any kind of prejudice like he had done through Hokkaido, and how Mezo himself had dealt with his apparent fair share of prejudice, that gave him such a strong reaction back then. Now he truly did feel guilty for having made him bring this subject up at all.

But with an assured stride to his step, Mezo continued unabated; his tone showing no resentment for having had to talk about this: "But what I was reading wasn't about them having done anything especially heinous, so don't feel bad for asking, Bezpalov-san. In fact, it was thankfully the opposite. A lot of the CRC's activities have been at a total standstill for over two months by now, so hopefully that means they've disbanded."

With nothing more needing to be said on the subject, Nikolay continued after Mezo as they made the rest of the way to Kyouka's room; ready to try and enjoy what free time they and the rest of their classmates had together before their anticipated trip to Nabu Island in two days.

Over two months ago, October 22nd

Ever since their successful expedition through Russia, and their revenge against Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai; the League of Villains had been given no other choice than to go on the run and find a new place to call home, away from any prying Hero eyes. Much, much easier said than done in a place where Heroes were so damn plentiful, and especially after two high-profile actions back-to-back.

But by some insane stroke of both luck and sheer resilience, they had managed to avoid getting themselves caught up until this point, and their desperate trek for a new hideout, and new members to add to their ranks with their newly acquired wealth, had by now led them to a surprisingly remote stately home out in the forested parts of the countryside; the perfect setup for them to both live comfortably, and carry out any and all future operations without the threat of being under a giant microscope…at least, not at every waking moment.

But, of course, even settling into a place with this kind of promise just couldn't be easy…for they weren't the only ones to have set eyes out here.

On the night the League had finally decided to make their move and stake their claim, it was quickly apparent that this place was far from abandoned, as there had been actual candlelight inside to greet them once they'd stepped inside. Upon entering the main hall, they stumbled onto a scene that looked like it would've been more fitting in some cheesy horror movie about cults: about two dozen people in matching black cloaks with masks designed after human skulls, serving to completely obscure their faces.

"WHO ARE YOU?! HOW DID YOU ALL GET IN HERE?! Wait…THAT'S THE LEAGUE OF VILLAINS!" Judging by all of their intense flinching, they were clearly caught completely off-guard by the arrival of this small group, and just as quickly stricken with fear upon finally recognizing their intruders.

The members of the League stood silent and resolute before this unintended second party. But just as quickly as their fear was made palpable, so too was their disdain, as many could just feel their gazes shifting from the League as a whole, to Spinner specifically, who was standing in the back with his blades at the ready. "They have a Lizard with them. Disgusting."

Many of the League could feel their skin crawling with distaste at such hostility directed towards one of their own; but Vukodlak was keeping his ears open, as he could already hear more and more of these Creature Rejection Clan scum muttering in suspicion amongst themselves: "What the hell do they want? They're probably here to rob us. Didn't you hear about how much wealth went missing from Russia's coffers after what they did? How do we know they aren't here to just kill us? They had the guts to take on a whole police convoy on their own, after all."

Clap! Clap!

Suddenly, Mr. Compress brought his hands together, silencing the whole room as he boldly stepped forward. "You have no reason to fear us right now. We haven't come here looking for a needless fight. We only seek a roof to have over our heads while the Heroes and the authorities are actively looking for us. We are quite aware of who you all are, and your track record, as well. If we were to put our forces together, we could prove to be quite formidable, if I may say so."

No sooner than Spinner, Himiko, Twice and even Vukodlak looked to their magician comrade with disbelief; the apparent leader of the CRC likewise stepped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Spinner again: "If you know who we are, then you know that we will never ally ourselves with traitors that would willingly align themselves with a…a heteromorphic abomination like THAT! Quirks are a gift from God, and man was made in God's image! That one's very existence is a sacrilege! However…if you were to turn him over to us to face proper judgment, then we may be willing to make an exception for the rest of you. That is our price for negotiations."

WRAAM! KRKRKRAAK!

"Not a chance." In the blink of an eye, the leader was suddenly pounced upon by Tomura; his hand clasped firmly to the leader's face; disintegrating him into dust before the eyes of all his followers, just as several more were suddenly plowed into and crushed through the wall by one of Vukodlak's high-flying Air Shields; prompting the rest of the League to similarly leap into action, a fight to the death between the two groups now unavoidable.

As Spinner sliced and diced through every CRC member foolish enough to come after him directly; Himiko drove her knife and needle into one member after another; Mr. Compress turned the limbs or full bodies of others into marbles; Twice strangled, slashed or broke the necks of even more; Tomura decayed one after another with his fully extended and ready hands, and Vukodlak was similarly ripping apart each one he could get a hold of with his steel claws and razor sharp canines.

And all the while, the foreign Villain snarled while feeling the warmth of their blood splash against his face as he tore through flesh and bone with ease: "I've seen a thousand just like you lot; those so weak as to just follow some childish mindset of how the world should be, in a world that has no place for it anymore! Quirks or not, pieces of shit like you never change!"

Just as quickly as it had started, the battle was soon over; with Tomura disintegrating the last standing member of this CRC bunch in his hands; coldly muttering: "It's no great loss. Allying with the likes of you would've just weakened us instead."

Unfortunately, even with their enemies having been soundly annihilated, the violence had knocked over several candles, which ignited as many fires; inadvertently causing an inferno to break out through much of the main hall, which had already spread to the rest of the mansion. Anyone looking could clearly tell this place was beyond saving, and so it was with aggravation hanging heavy over their hearts, that the League ultimately had to go back the way they had come, back to the place they'd been forced to call their temporary hideaway:

An abandoned foreman's hut on the edge of a long-abandoned quarry in the middle of nowhere, a couple hours' drive away from that now long-since burnt down mansion. It was hardly ideal, but for the sake of being where they wouldn't have eyes looking for them 24/7, it was the best the League could hope for, until they could eventually find something better that wouldn't give them so much trouble to try and get it.

Upon having settled back in upon their disappointed return; Himiko decided to check on the tanks of blood she'd managed to fill through their little surprise fight; utterly ignoring the blood that was all over herself at the same time; only to let out a deeply crestfallen groan when she looked to her actual syringe. "Aww, my needle got broken! Tomura, can't we send some of that Russia money to Giran so I can get a stronger replacement? Surely he could be able to find a use for that in his dumb ol' market, and have reason to give it to me, right?"

While Tomura sat pensively on the only sofa in this miserable place, and Vukodlak stood vigilant at the door, looking out the opening in the raggedy curtains over the window; Spinner stood resolutely with his arms crossed before their leader: "Speaking of money, Shigaraki-san; exactly how long are we going to keep allowing ourselves to live like this, knowing the kind of cash we've accumulated even now, foreign or not? It doesn't make any sense to me."

The bangs of his hair hanging over his eyes made it hard for Spinner to tell what Tomura was feeling; as his raspy tone gave no better indication: "After word spread about how much we took, any government around would be keeping their eyes and ears open for a sudden huge amount of cash being spent that would come to anywhere near that amount. If we were to suddenly be buying up a large property to use as a hideout, we would kick up a lot of red flags; then we'd be screwed. What little of it we can afford to use right now needs to be converted, spread out and used slowly and carefully, and only towards the resources we know we'll need for later on."

"Is that why you had me shrink down the bodies of Overhaul's lieutenants and have them sent over to where that Doctor of yours told you to send them? Or was that whole idea courtesy of that needle friend of yours still sitting in your pocket right now?" Mr. Compress suddenly asked; his choice of words easily contradicted by his gentlemanly tone.

But even that wasn't enough to keep the voice of Koschei the Deathless, emanating into Tomura's head from the sewing needle tucked securely within his pocket all this time; from expressing his own responding feelings of annoyance: "I suppose it would quell your allies' doubts if you were to tell them what I told you would happen once you've received my powers with those of your teacher…but in this instance, seeing the results with their own eyes will be the only thing to convince them...and unfortunately, the time simply hasn't come yet."

"I have to agree with Spinner-san on this, Shigaraki-san!" Twice suddenly chimed in; restlessly rocking back and forth where he sat. "I mean, we just dismantled a yakuza organization from within, and smacked the Heroes, police and a whole global superpower all in the teeth. Haven't we earned the right to a little celebratory luxury after all of those wins? Not at all, if you ask me."

Ignoring Twice's normal contradictory speaking; Mr. Compress similarly opined: "Pulling off some major moves like those have garnered us quite the following online, Shigaraki-san…so us continuing to live in squalor like this by our leader's choice is hardly an ideal look for us. At least if we'd continued our façade of working with the Hassaikai, we'd have gotten decent food on a regular basis."

"Is that supposed to be a joke? Not funny." Tomura muttered angrily; the usual raspiness to his voice making that anger even more chilling, even to his own allies.

SHHHF!

The sound of the only door suddenly sliding open normally would have startled anyone in their position; but with Vukodlak having been acting like their sentinel, and showing no sign of there being any approaching threat; none of them even flinched as Dabi had finally returned, observing all their body language of general exhaustion. "What, I guess your little real estate trip didn't pan out; and you're all just laying back? I guess I'm the only one really pounding the pavement for new recruits, huh?"

"Compress-san thought the people we ran into might've been worthwhile allies, until they asked us to fork Spinner-san over for a lynching. They were just a bunch of religious zealots too narrow-minded to see two inches in front of their own noses. They were more trouble than they'd have been worth." Vukodlak succinctly explained in response, while Twice had quickly pointed an accusatory finger at their newly returned comrade.

"Yeah. You got some nerve saying you're recruiting for us when all you ever do is just burn each one to a crisp before we can even see them, Dabi-san!"

But the masked Villain's accusations didn't even remotely faze the stitch-faced young man. "They were worthless; just a bunch of pieces of living trash living day-to-day with no real ambitions. More trouble than they were worth, like he said."

"Maybe you're just a bad judge of character. Maybe we should send Sensei out there to recruit for us from now on." Himiko teasingly suggested; to which Vukodlak rolled his eyes. "I can smell blood and bodily fluids, not character traits. We can't just recruit any middle-class Villain with a few robberies under their belt to join us. Not at this point."

With a wistful sigh to his answer; Himiko continued trying to massage her aching feet. "Things sure have been a lot tougher ever since Kurogiri-san got arrested, though. Hey, Tomura, didn't he say anything meaningful to you after we'd gotten back from Russia? Like, any idea what he was actually trying to do before he got pinched?"

Tomura took a bitter bite out of a biscuit; his red eyes tired and impatient as he answered: "All Kurogiri said was that ever since Sensei got captured, we needed to move up our schedule for his big plans, which meant him having to go and retrieve a little left-over power that he had left in wait for me, under his orders and my confirmation. But with how long it's been since then, maybe we oughta consider going out to get it for ourselves. The Doctor gave Kurogiri the coordinates, so he gave me a rough idea where he was going, anyway. That's about the best we can hope for, since he was the only one who could actually directly contact the man through the computer at the old hideout."

Grinning with realization, Himiko replied while Twice was busily taking it upon himself to massage her shoulders at the notice of her discomfort: "Kurogiri-san was like your babysitter, so you must really miss him a bunch by now, huh, Tomura? And what's so important about that Doctor, anyway? Like, other than when he had to draw our blood with his dumb remote machines when we all first got accepted, none of us have even been anywhere near him, right?"

Many of the others began to nod in agreement now that Himiko was saying what they'd all been thinking. But Tomura remained as outwardly distant as ever: "He's Sensei's personal doctor, and a very cautious guy. The main reason Kurogiri was the only one who could directly contact him for us, is because he's the one chiefly responsible for creating and managing the Nomus."

This further summation of just how out of options they were with Kurogiri's absence, only seemed to make the air weigh heavier on many of the League in no time. It almost felt like some kind of cruel cosmic joke, how after having achieved so many major personal victories, they could still find themselves reduced to a situation like this; Vukodlak hissing through his fanged teeth: "No matter how cautious the man is, you'd think he would at least have the courtesy of dropping a line to us to speak with him. One would almost think he doesn't give a damn about us without All For One around."

"Shigaraki-san didn't exactly deny missing Kurogiri-san, though." Twice muttered, as though he were a student whispering gossip to Himiko; who was likewise grinning mischievously from ear to ear: "Aww, so he really is like Tomura's babysitter, then! That's so cute!"

"Hey, Shigaraki-san, where exactly are we going with all this?" Spinner suddenly asked with exceptional intensity and volume to his voice; silencing all other chatter in the room, as the reptilian Villain and the League's leader locked eyes. "If we aren't going to do anything else meaningful and just sit on top of what we've already accumulated out here, then what's the big plan you're aiming for, here? Huh?"

Spinner's long-brewing impatience was becoming abundantly clear, as he swiftly turned to look to all his fellow League members. "Don't forget, I'm only here cause The Hero Killer: Stain inspired me to take action! I was born in a real backwater place, practically stuck in the Dark Ages! Around there, I was known as the Lizard Freak, and I just accepted it! That whole time, my heart…was totally empty!

"THAT IS, UNTIL I FOUND OUT ABOUT STAIN'S LAST STAND ON THE EVENING NEWS! HE WAS TRYING TO CHANGE THE WORLD ALL ON HIS OWN! That was the day I realized just how suffocating society really is! I just couldn't take it anymore! That's the only reason I joined up with you people!" With that, Spinner's whole body began trembling with countless overwhelming emotions, as he spoke through gritted teeth:

"I can't believe that none of you are as frustrated as me right now! I know you've all been continuously stomped on by society in your own ways for way too long as well! How is it you can swallow all of that, finally find a cause to fight for, and somehow be so calm when we're just sitting here doing nothing?!"

By that point, Vukodlak finally moved from his spot at the window, speaking empathetically to their purple-haired lizard ally: "Nobody here feels any different than you right now, Spinner-san; but expressing outright doubt to the person that has managed to bring us all together isn't going to help anyone right now."

The look that Spinner shot his way couldn't have looked more betrayed. "Society made us unwelcome outcasts, and destroyed your entire family and home, Vukodlak-san! You, of all people, should understand how important it is we take action to change things; should be frustrated that we're just sitting here!"

With that, he suddenly reached and pulled Tomura up by his collar, continuing to stare right into his red eyes: "YOU HEAR THAT, SHIGARAKI?! WE FOLLOWED YOU BECAUSE YOU MADE IT SOUND LIKE WE WOULD BE CHANGING THIS SUFFOCATING SOCIETY! I'M TIRED OF LIVING A HOLLOW LIFE! I WAS READY TO HAVE SOME NEW LIFE BREATHED INTO ME, TO BE INSPIRED EVEN MORE! WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT DRIVE THAT GOT US ON TOP OUT IN THAT FROZEN HATEFUL WASTELAND?! OR SECURED US OUR PAYBACK AGAINST THE HASSAIKAI?! ANSWER ME, SHIGARAKI! WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING?!"

By now, Vukodlak, Himiko and Twice had both gotten into their ready stances, having not expected Spinner to get frustrated enough to actually lay hands on Tomura; who by now looked just as annoyed with his subordinate alone. It was honestly unbelievable that they weren't seeing the reptilian Villain disintegrating into dust before their very eyes right now. "I already told you…we—

RRRRMMMMMMMBBBBBLLLEEE!

All of a sudden, the entire ground beneath their feet began to shake with an insane intensity like that of a major earthquake. With not a single word further needing to be said, Spinner unhanded Tomura, who quickly grabbed the disembodied hands he'd left sitting at his side; donning them as he and the rest of the League quickly sprinted outside to see just what the hell was going on (Mr. Compress taking the precaution of turning the safe containing all of their Russia and Hassaikai-born spoils into a marble, in case this was the call for them to finally hit the road and leave this spot for good).

As soon as the Villains all finally emerged out into the open, there was no immediate sign of intruders…until a booming and monstrous voice seemed to emanate from beneath the very ground itself: "I'VE BEEN LOOKING…FINALLY FOUND YOU. I WAS WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL."

BKOOOOOOM!

In an instant, the whole ground of the quarry exploded out from below, revealing a colossal beast-like figure with long spiky black hair, a spiky back that made it look as though it were half-made of stone, muscles to match its unbelievable frame, large tusk-like fangs protruding from its square jaw, and animalistic eyes staring them all down…and all with what looked like a large radio hanging from around its neck. "ARE YOU THE ONE WHO SUCCEEDED ALL FOR ONE?"

Dabi and Mr. Compress could both only look on with astonishment and confusion as to just what the hell this…thing was, while Vukodlak and Himiko both couldn't help but silently reel with the fact that even the foreign Villain couldn't sense its approach long before this moment, like he would have been able to with literally anyone else.

But among them, it was Tomura who could actually feel a sensation of pure elation in his chest, as he removed the hand clasped to his face so he could marvel at this physical embodiment of pure power standing before him. "Is this the power you alluded to, Kurogiri?"

Even the telepathic voice of Koschei couldn't help but speak with almost physically resonating confidence: "Oh yes…yes, a behemoth like this would serve our cause perfectly. Your teacher certainly left you quite the boon, Tomura Shigaraki."

Suddenly, the creature proceeded to remove the radio from around its neck, setting it down before standing up even taller than it already was; clearly measuring at well over twenty feet taller than the tallest among them; being Vukodlak himself. "I…DEVOTE MYSELF TO ALL FOR ONE. NOW, SUCCESSOR…PROVE THAT YOU ARE WORTHY."

Tomura's momentary relief dulled his sense of alertness at this sudden declaration; leaving him temporarily confused. But the same couldn't be said for Vukodlak, Mr. Compress, Spinner and Dabi, who all simultaneously leapt into action with a barrage of vicious attacks; Dabi immediately letting loose with his blue flames, while Mr. Compress likewise tried to pelt the behemoth with marbles containing explosions, fire, ice, boulders, logs and vehicles and any other kind of weapon he could think of; all while Spinner was quickly trying to hack and slice away at its rock-like hide, and Vukodlak quickly changed into his wolf form; channeling his Muscle Augmentation and Air Shield Quirks to both try and stun the giant with an Air Shield Howl with added momentum plowing straight into its face, so he could then try and dig his steel fangs and rake his claws through its flesh.

But all of it was to absolutely no avail, as with not even a flinch of discomfort or even the slightest acknowledgment of any of their attacks; all four Villains quickly found themselves getting easily swept away with a swing of the behemoth's arms, sending them slamming hard back into the ground.

But instead of a bellowing angry roar to signify a continued assault while the four attackers were trying to recollect themselves…instead, the first sound to come next, was that of the giant weeping like an inconsolable baby. "WHY…? TELL ME WHY…? OH LORD, WHY?! WHY IS HE SO WEEEAK?!"

"What is going on?! He doesn't make any sense!" Spinner exclaimed as the gigantic beast continued to howl in clear despair; still unwilling to lower his guard after seeing how none of their attacks had even remotely inconvenienced it.

Tomura continued to stand his ground, by now having processed the fact that this apparent new gift of power was now making him fight for it. But as his mind raced after seeing how effortlessly it fought off so many of his comrades; his ears picked up a distinct electric buzz amid the howling…coming from the direction of the radio it had set down before.

And the moment he looked its way as the buzz and static grew louder, a familiar older man's voice suddenly emanated from it: "You seem to be at a loss, Shigaraki Tomura."

"Doctor…" Tomura muttered in recognition; earning a shocked flinch from all his fellows; with Himiko exclaiming: "Did you just say 'Doctor'? Like the one we were talking about just now? What kinda coincidence is that?!"

However, ignoring the young Villain's complaints, the old man's voice continued unabated: "Are all your pals there with you right now, too? How've you all been doing?"

Not even the Doctor's surprise presence could take Tomura's guard down, as he kept staring down the weeping giant before him. "We're fine for now, thanks; but we're about to become mincemeat, thanks to this thing."

No sooner than he had given this brief but incredibly accurate description of their fates; the colossus ceased its weeping, just to suddenly bring its powerful arms up overhead and bring them slamming down mercilessly into the ground like one devastating hammer; sending a forward shockwave that sent all the Villains flying through the air, annihilating the quarry and their old hideout; leaving the stunned Mr. Compress and others immensely grateful that he'd shrunken down their safe when he had.

And with that latest show of destructive power, the beast continued to cry out of utter anguish: "I WANT TO ACCEPT HIM! BUT…ALL FOR ONE, I…I JUST CAN'T!"

"WHY NOT?!" Tomura instinctively exclaimed with a momentary loss of emotional control; looking at this entire unfolding of events as though life itself were mocking him by keeping his best tool just out of his reach.

Amid the rubble, the sound of the Doctor's voice laughing from within the radio could be heard loud and clear. "I take it you've met Gigantomachia now? He's a big supporter of All For One. He even used to be his closest bodyguard. He's one of the people All For One trusts the most. With that extraordinarily durable massive body of his, he could handle multiple Quirks without even getting remodeled first. It's because Vukodlak's body was like that of any other regular person, that his having that same trait came as such a surprise to me, you see.

"When All For One was weakened by All Might all those years ago, he knew his defeat was inevitable, so he hid Gigantomachia away. Such careful planning! And all this happened just a few years after he picked you up, Shigaraki Tomura! No matter what might happen to him, he made sure his hopes and dreams would live on!"

"That's all well and good, but perhaps you could give us some ideas on how to subdue him before he kills us all?!" Vukodlak exclaimed once he was back on his feet, with Dabi now similarly visibly intense; his hands ablaze. "I have to agree, this doesn't exactly seem like that great a gift!"

"I'd say you're both right, Vukodlak, Dabi! Gigantomachia is loyal to a fault. So loyal, that it might as well physically hurt him to not see Shigaraki as All For One's equal." Before the Doctor had even finished explaining this, Gigantomachia himself looked to be gearing up to attack again. The sight of this immediately got Vukodlak bounding through the air, transforming back into the giant wolf mid-stride, while Dabi came sprinting alongside him.

"Then I guess we'd better go and show him we're worthy!" Dabi exclaimed as he hurriedly jumped onto Vukodlak's back; just for the giant white wolf to take off high into the air over Gigantomachia's head, before Dabi began throwing a multitude of fiery streams downward, just for Vukodlak to send the inferno propelling forward with another Air Shield Howl attack, sending all that fire and physical force slamming hard into their opponent's face.

"That won't be enough, I'm afraid…at least for now. Let's see."

To both Villains' shock, Gigantomachia seemed to just completely devour Dabi's Fire and Vukodlak's flaming Air Shield all in one, as though it were less than nothing; leaving them both and their comrades all wide-eyed with disbelief and desperation as to how they were ever going to get out of this; with Himiko actually exclaiming in fear: "DABI, SENSEI, LOOK OUT!"

"Machia…"

From out of nowhere, All For One's voice suddenly came emanating from the radio; his sudden addressing of the monstrous creature managing to extinguish every last sign of hostility the giant had, as he instead immediately leaned down to the radio, purring and nuzzling his giant face to it like the world's biggest and deadliest house cat.

As all of the League could only watch this miracle play out in stunned silence, the Doctor's voice returned: "For future reference, a recording of All For One's voice is just the thing you'd need to calm him down, even from the most infuriated state."

"We don't want this guy." Tomura immediately answered with such deathly seriousness in his voice, it could've given physical chills to the blood. So quickly had his enthusiasm turned into disdain, much like that of his fellow League members now that they had a moment to slow their racing hearts.

And it was with a similarly shocking air of similar disdain that the Doctor answered: "Oh, you don't?! Has your recent series of wins in Russia and against the Hassaikai inflated your head too much for your own good, Shigaraki Tomura? You really think a talking relic from a fairy tale and All For One's endorsement is all you need to become the successor he always believed you are? Don't turn your nose up to the gifts presented to you just because they don't work out the way you want immediately! Gigantomachia could be quite useful to you in the future! Kurogiri has truly been babying you for far too long! Open your eyes and accept the reality of your circumstances, boy!"

As Tomura once more removed the hand from his face; his scar and wrinkle-covered eyes reflected a murderous contempt for being spoken to in such a way from someone meant to be his ally. It was even worse than when Spinner had just scolded him minutes before. "That's harsh, Doctor."

"If there's no other way for me to convince you, then so be it. Just give me a second." The Doctor suddenly ordered with no patience to be heard, leaving the League in momentary shaken confusion; Himiko naturally being the one to break the silence: "A second? A second for what?"

"Whatever it is, we better not lower our guard. That wasn't smart, throwing his efforts back in his face like that, Shigaraki-san." Vukodlak took the chance to momentarily voice his own displeasure, and wariness of just what was about to happen, if anything.

"Whatever! He sent us this big dumb lapdog to help, and it won't even do it! I swear, if that old coot doesn't get to the point—urk! *BRRP!*" Twice's own ranting had suddenly been cut off, as though he were suffering from the fastest case of indigestion, drawing some confused looks from his fellows, while Himiko just rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, Jin? That's so gross—urp!"

In a matter of seconds, every one of the League of Villains suddenly found themselves nearly asphyxiating, as a thick viscous, gravity-defying black fluid came spewing from out their mouths, giving them no time to even try and gather what was happening to them, before they all found themselves being completely swallowed by the stuff. Among them, only Mr. Compress was able to maintain the wherewithal to actually recognize this phenomenon: 'Isn't this the same Teleportation Quirk All For One used back in Kamino Ward?! How?! Why?! What is going on?!'

And all the while this was happening, as all their senses were overwhelmed and their bodies taken by a momentary weightlessness in a pitch black void, the Doctor's voice spoke out defiantly: "I'm afraid you've given me no other alternative, you lot. Let's have ourselves a REAL chat."

In a matter of seconds, the black fluid/void dissipated, and the Villains soon found themselves turned completely around; now deep within the bowels of what seemed to be some kind of poorly lit, high-tech underground laboratory. The ground was running with tubes and wires almost resembling a network of veins or vines, and on both their sides stood an extensive row of large man-sized tubes; all of them filled with multiple variations of the creatures they all quickly recognized as Nomus; some with masculine body types, one with a female body type, and all ranging in various sizes in height, mass and muscle, with some even looking as though they were lacking heads entirely.

And at the end of the entire path between these tubes stood a multitude of blindingly bright computer screens.

Despite never having seen these creatures with his own eyes, Vukodlak had long since been filled in by his compatriots as to just what the Nomus were, hence he was able to take in these bizarre surroundings without the initial defensive panic any other newcomer would have felt when seeing themselves surrounded by so many of these things. All the while, the rest of the League likewise were quick to recognize just what they were looking at, and by extension, just where it was they had to be now.

"Nomus? But these don't look like any of the ones we've used before." Dabi noted with clear-as-day apprehension in his voice, as though he were just waiting for something to move that shouldn't have, so he could immediately burn it to a cinder.

Suddenly, the electronic buzz of multiple overhead loudspeakers came on to fill the air, before the Doctor's voice came echoing out: "Oh-ho, you can actually tell the difference? Once again, you prove yourself to be quite sharp, Dabi! It's true, these little ones are a far cry from the lower to mid-level Nomus you've had access to before! These are what I like to call High-End Nomu! I'd be tempted to say that they are the closest thing I've achieved so far to my masterpieces in all my years of research in the field of wielding multiple Quirks in a single body!"

However, Tomura was in no mood to listen to the Doctor ramble, or even to exchange pleasantries: "Doctor, I've been looking for you for a reason. I want you to see if you can replicate some bullets we've recently acquired; some test tube fluids as well."

The sheer level of casual calm the doctor was suddenly answering their leader's requests with was almost borderline insulting: "I see you've chosen to let your hair grow out, Shigaraki Tomura! How're your father and the others doing?!"

Everybody else was far too focused on trying to figure out just where the doctor could have possibly been watching them from within the shadows of this place, to notice how Tomura's eyes sank in disdain at this particular question; a hand instinctively reaching for one of the disembodied hands upon his neck. "Fine."

Suddenly, Vukodlak's head perked up at attention; quickly grabbing Himiko's and Twice's as a result. "Everyone, he's close. I can hear his heartbeat just about ten meters that way, left of those screens."

As quickly as he had said so; the heavy slamming sound of multiple steel shutters echoed through the lab, as though the doctor had instinctively sealed whichever doorway he was now hiding far behind. Had circumstances been any different, Vukodlak would've almost felt proud to have spooked this teasing old man so much.

"STAY BACK! I'm sorry to have to do this after having dragged you all here, but I would strongly recommend none of you get any closer. When we need to meet face-to-face, I'll come to you, I swear. And if any one of you even thinks of breaking this rule, I'll send you all back out to the giant meat grinder, and you'll all be well and truly on your own from now on."

Just as swiftly as the Doctor had retreated; so too did Twice suddenly stomp forward, angrily waving his fist towards the speakers on the ceiling: "What gives?! You're playing like we just intruded on you when you're the one that called us here in the first place!"

"That's true, but with the exception of Shigaraki, you're all fresh new faces to me this up close; my collection of your blood samples from your first days notwithstanding. Honestly, I feel I was taking far too much of a risk even doing that much with you then. But who knows; except for Vukodlak, there may be a chance any one of you might have come across me out in public without even knowing. Like Gigantomachia, I'm one of All For One's most trusted confidantes. Daruma Ujiko is the name I'm giving myself, for now at least."

A chilling chuckle immediately emanated from Vukodlak's throat at the mention of this; a wry smirk on his stubble-lined face. "'Ujiko?' The word for 'parishioners'? What, is that supposed to be us? You fancy yourself some kind of prophet of a new age, like a less sloppy Jim Jones-type, because of these creations of yours?"

While Himiko and Twice were looking at Vukodlak with incredulousness; practically bracing themselves to get sent right back to Gigantomachia for the slaughter; Ujiko's voice suddenly responded: "I should take offense at being compared to such a relic of primitive thinking, but I can always appreciate a man willing to educate himself enough to pick up on such subtleties.

"Anyhow, Shigaraki, I decided to finally summon you here out of respect for the boss. He and that talking needle of yours may have both promised you access to their powers in due time. However, until that time comes; my life, my tech and my little ones here; I offered them all up to the great All For One. Up to now, you've just been getting by with the scraps and leftovers from my work. Now, I've got nothing personal against you, you understand. I just need to judge for myself in his absence, whether or not you're truly worthy of having all this to access at your leisure."

Even without the Doctor being physically present in the lab with them, Tomura could just feel as though the old man was staring straight into him. "Because so far, you're nothing. You're just a 20-year-old kid palling around with the lowest dregs of society!"

STOMP! STOMP!

With two heavy and defiant pounding footsteps to the floor to try and break the momentum of this scolding; Himiko and Twice both suddenly exclaimed: "Stop spouting a bunch of mean lies, Old Bones! Because of Tomura, we got to have tons of fun and come out of a whole other country with lots of awesome stuff to make us stronger!" "That's right! And it's because of Shigaraki-san that we were able to avenge our Magne-neesan and put the Hassaikai in the dirt! Who do you think you are, calling him nothing? If he's anything, he's KING Nothing!"

At this point, Tomura was too consumed in his own internal anger to even shoot a threatening glare at Twice for his poor choice of words. That's when the Doctor finally responded: "You're both correct; Toga Himiko, Bubaigawara Jin. Those are both, indeed, noteworthy accomplishments the League of Villains has managed to get under its belt…and it's precisely because of that, that Shigaraki's lack of initiative or a solid next plan with which to use the resources you've secured is so disconcerting to me. In fact, as I recall Kurogiri informing me during the fact: the entire journey to gain your capital, resources and your new enigmatic benefactor in Russia, was entirely Vukodlak's idea, not Shigaraki's. That hardly sounds like the traits of the worthwhile future leader that All For One believes him to be.

"In my opinion; ever since your attack on that police convoy, and the subsequent delivery of those marbles containing the bodies of Overhauls' lieutenants to where I'd instructed; it seems to me that the lack of direct meaningful action on your part, Shigaraki, is born out of an undeserved sense of caution. Is it perhaps that you feel those two major successes in Moscow and against the Hassaikai have diminished the League's streak of good luck? Or is it perhaps a feeling of inadequacy, born from having supposedly two all-powerful benefactors promising you their power, only to say you're not ready for either one? And when they say you aren't ready, exactly in what sense do they mean…if not every sense?"

Tomura was keeping his eyes low, instinctively feeling at the disembodied hand in the grip of his left; the one typically attached to his face. His tired, dried out and deathly serious face betrayed no emotional reaction to the Doctor's insults…but anyone who would have looked him in the eye in this moment would have felt the chill of death upon them.

"So…I wonder just what it is you will ultimately have to show me to prove me wrong in my assessment, Shigaraki Tomura!"

Finally, with the open invitation to speak having been given, Tomura at last raised his gaze to the shadows above, feeling almost certain the doctor could somehow see him from there; his cracked and scarred mouth lifted into an ice-cold sneer. "I don't…remember much about my life before I met my Sensei and you, Doctor."

"I'm quite aware."

Looking down to the severed hand lying in his own, and from there to the multiple hands clutched around his neck, shoulders and arms…Tomura's own hands began to just barely tremble. "And yet, when I equip everyone all over me…my rage just boils over. I can't help it. I can't stand the thought of anyone else touching them, and yet I hate them all the same. It's been like that ever since the beginning…and I haven't been able to stop just thinking ever since that day."

He could easily recall the sheer agony his body was consumed by, all those years ago. Inside, he continuously felt as though he had been suffocating, trying to cry out for anyone at all to help…but nothing would come out, and nobody would come. And with time, all of that desperation and loneliness fermented into pure and simple anger, left to stew within him in the unforgiving, uncaring darkness of this so-called beautiful society's twisting alleys and underbellies.

And he could just as easily remember every moment of the day that this aimless and self-consuming suffering of his, finally came to an end…the day he'd finally been granted the rescue he'd so long desired by the one man who cared, where all the praised Heroes clearly didn't.

"No one came to save you. That must've hurt…right, Shimura Tenko? How scared you must've been. The suffering you've endured; you ran and ran, hoping to find help. How awful for you. Everyone just passed by, pretending not to see, thinking that some Hero would save the day. Who decided to make the world this way? You'll be okay now. I am here."

"All I can really remember is my Sensei holding me. Before then, I'd been an empty shell—completely hollow."

From the cold and merciless back alleys; he had been taken in by the kindly man that had taken him into his arms, and granted him the warm comfort of a place to call home. It seemed like such an alien concept that had gotten so far out of his reach, that even when being shown around, something about it felt so unreal.

"I'm sorry it's so cramped, but starting today, this will be your room…and I will be your Sensei."

"Sensei…? What…will you teach me?" Even all those years ago, his voice had a painful scratchiness to it that he couldn't hope to relieve himself of, but that was hardly on his mind even then. After everything he'd gone through already, to be shown such kindness as this didn't feel possible.

And it was almost as though this kindhearted man could sense the uncertainty within the child he had taken in, and was prepared to do anything and everything to do away with that uncertainty for his sake. "Doctor?"

At his request, the door to this new room of his creaked open, and what he had seen coming in was a short, bald, goggle-bedecked man with a thick bushy mustache, wheeling in a cart of preserved disembodied human hands. Such a sight should have terrified him; somewhere deep down, he should have known that…but looking upon them, he couldn't feel a single thing, even as the man who introduced himself as his new teacher spoke.

"This is what remains of your family. A rare variant Quirk manifested inside of you—unlike anything we've ever seen before. You murdered your entire family with your own hands. Do you remember?"

Like a flash, it all came rushing back then into his head; the agony, the horror, the despair, the blood, the destruction unlike anything he could've expected; so many emotions overwhelming his senses all at once. And in that instant, his whole face had become engulfed in this insufferable itching sensation, all while his stomach twisted and turned to the point that the only thing he could think to do was vomit out of sheer stress.

"It all came rushing back to me in fragments, like movie snippets. An inexplicable frustration so intense, it made me feel nauseous."

As he had felt himself compelled to try and touch these hands upon the table, almost as though they were silently beckoning him to do so; he could feel the sincerity and weight of his Sensei's words embedding themselves into his heart. "Even without your memories, I expect those feelings to remain in your heart. As your Sensei, I will teach you how to take those feelings…that frustration…and give it purpose."

With those memories having run through in his mind as he pondered the Doctor's question; Tomura felt an unbreakable sense of direction grasping at his heart like a vice; as though he could just feel the weight of All For One's guiding words just as powerfully now as he did then. "So when I have the whole family on me, I feel so sick that I want to vomit…but I also feel kinda at peace…it's so weird!"

All the while as he had explained all of these feelings and memories of his; Tomura didn't see how the expressions of many of his allies had sunken, as though they were all finally getting their very first glimpse of the real Tomura Shigaraki within; any semblance of frustration on Spinner, Twice or Vukodlak's faces now completely gone.

"All I have are these fragmented images, yet it's like there's a lump of lead deep down in my heart, providing an endless source of rage that bursts out! It's like…I'll never truly feel good at all again. Even if this Hero society comes crashing down…even if I rise up to rule the underworld…that weight on my heart is never gonna go away. It's why I hate everything. Every living, breathing thing just rubs me the wrong way. But maybe when everything this society, this world as a whole, values is destroyed; maybe whatever is made as a replacement can make it so that people just like me don't have to experience what I had to…and maybe that could make this feeling go away. I seriously doubt it, but why not try anyway? And if that doesn't change anything for me…well…why not destroy it all? Why not destroy everything then?"

Even if he couldn't see the Doctor, Tomura could somehow just feel that this statement of his was leaving the old man shaken; almost as though he could just sense it; and this feeling just made his confidence in his statement grow even more than it already was; which was nigh unbreakable then. "I know you see it, too; the beautiful horizon just waiting for us, one way or the other. So lend me a hand, won't you, Doctor? Heaven for the outcasts; Hell for the Heroes. I'll show it all to you!"

For but a few unbearably tense moments, there wasn't a single sound of response to be heard from the Doctor's end. But as Tomura awaited to see what would happen, he could once more feel Koschei's voice in his head, resonating with a well-intentioned chuckle in response to his heartfelt statement: "Very well said, Tomura Shigaraki. Clearly, the visions of yourself, your teacher and myself truly do all align. You may have doubts, but I can simply feel it; destroying this society whose shadows you all have grown within will be the most crucial step towards making the world that even one with as heavy a heart as you can breathe peacefully in. When this is all said and done, and All For One and I have given you our gifts in full; no matter how much you have to destroy; the world you make in its place will be a veritable paradise for you and all those like you, and all those who remain. Suffering will become a thing of the past."

Just then, the entire lab echoed with an uproarious, nigh hysterical laughter from the Doctor; momentarily making Tomura's bone dry skin tingle with indignation that he was being mocked for his honest feelings.

"WHAT A CHILDISH DAYDREAM! SAYING ALL THAT WITH SUCH A STRAIGHT FACE WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE! VERY WELL, SHIGARAKI TOMURA! I"LL HELP YOU OUT, SO SHOW ME YOU MEAN IT! PROVE TO ME THAT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR VILLAINOUS PIPE DREAMS A REALITY!"

As the Doctor continued to cackle as though he was about to give himself a heart attack; the rest of the League could only look on in genuine uncertainty as to how this whole confrontation would play out; Vukodlak muttering to Mr. Compress and Himiko: "I think this might be the first time Shigaraki-san has ever shared thing one about himself in front of us."

"Yeah, he seems totally disturbed, now that I heard it..wait." Himiko's instinctive response suddenly shifted; and her eyes suddenly narrowed, as though she were an attack dog getting ready to strike at a moment's notice. "Tomura…are you saying you want to destroy the things and people I love, too?"

Truth be told, Vukodlak hadn't wanted to get aggressive right from the start, but he'd similarly felt his skin crawl with apprehension as well after hearing Tomura's declaration. "That's right; I told you before that my goal is destroying all the Heroes, not the people that get stomped down on by them and their society. Are you saying you're going to kill them too? Because you know I won't let you take away my goal for the sake of yours."

Tomura didn't even turn to address his two unsettled subordinates; but his voice thankfully didn't have the same murderous icy edge like it just had before: "My allies and their wants are exceptions. I just want everything this world represents and values to be destroyed. You guys should all get what you want out of life."

Vukodlak let out a deep sigh of relief that they were once more on the same page, while Himiko was happily jumping up and down with peppy energy. Finally, the Doctor continued, having ridden out the last of his boisterous laughter: "Very good. You've passed with flying colors after all, Shigaraki."

"You were testing me?" Tomura immediately asked with a frightening anger just barely tracing his confused words. Clearly, the Doctor had made the smart choice keeping himself distant from the young Villain at this moment.

"Sure. I'd wanted to see how much you'd truly grown through your experiences without All For One to guide you by the hand! As a man of science, I'd even begun to fear that finding something as absurd as an over thousand-year-old talking needle might have risked misdirecting you from your intended path with unwarranted flights of fancy, or even worse, prophecy…but clearly, I was worried for nothing. I'm tempted to ask you to lend the thing to me so I may study it for myself, but All For One has dissuaded me from taking such action since your return from abroad, so I must set my professional curiosities aside…at least for now. But be assured, the plan was always to help you out, and my little ones all around you will be the first thing to do just that…as well as some other research I've put together, all to grant you the power you've so patiently been working towards and waiting to obtain."

As Tomura stared in the direction he'd heard the old man's safety doors shut; he could hear Koschei's voice echoing in the back of his head: "The old man gives me far too much credit. Prophecies are a fool's comfort. I can't see the future of myself any more than that of anyone else. I simply can sense the inherent strength, not just in body; but in mind and spirit as well; in others after having lived as long as I have so far…hence what drew me to you in the first place, my boy. But I must admit I'm just as curious what he has to offer on top of everything else waiting in line for you."

"But I can't give you that second thing just yet, because without a doubt, you're all weak! You'll need to prove yourselves, first! The big guy; simple as he is; is a different story. Unlike me, he hasn't accepted you yet, Shigaraki!"

Any offense the League felt at being called weak after everything they'd done, was quickly replaced with a heavy sense of dread and violent preparedness once they'd heard and figured out just where the Doctor was going with this. "That's right, Shigaraki…make Gigantomachia submit to you, and everything I have will be yours to use as you see fit!"

For the first time in days, Tomura's mouth began to form into something akin to a smile of anticipation. "Right…this sure has been one loooong tutorial, Doctor."

"Do whatever you want, Mr. Leader, but I ain't helping with this." Dabi suddenly interjected, sounding as though he couldn't have cared less about any of this; drawing disbelieving eyes from many of his comrades in response; Himiko prodding teasingly: "Aww, you're just pouting cause your Fire didn't work. You don't see Sensei acting all bratty, do you?"

But Dabi didn't remotely back down: "Shut up, you lunatic. I've found a good potential ally, so I'm putting my time towards that instead. I'm not about to needlessly go out in some blaze of glory beside our leader here. I just decided to come along with you guys abroad cause it sounded like it could've been fun. Make no mistake; at the end of the day, I'm looking out for myself, got it?"

Tomura didn't even grant Dabi more than a sideways glance; a surprising show of restraint in the face of such outright defiance. Twice and Vukodlak both were left uncertain as to what was about to happen between the two, and whether or not they should intervene. Tomura was still their leader, but Dabi was an undeniably effective ally to keep onboard.

"Bring this ally of yours, then. I'll be waiting." That was all Tomura had to say, effectively easing all tension in the air between himself and Dabi, leaving the others all visibly relieved.

"PERFECT, DABI! YOU CAN HELP ME TEST OUT ONE OF MY HIGH-END NOMUS, THEN! VUKODLAK CAN EVEN STICK AROUND AS WELL! YOU'RE BOTH EASILY THE SHARPEST OF THE GROUND-WORKING BUNCH, AFTER ALL! I KNOW JUST THE ONE! THE PERFECT MATCH FOR YOUR RESPECTIVE…LET'S SAY, AESTHETICS AND BRUTAL EFFICIENCY! YOU THREE WILL GET ALONG GREAT!" The Doctor's sudden enthusiasm was so spontaneous, it almost felt like he'd switched personalities entirely; leaving Vukodlak noticeably intrigued, and Dabi visibly annoyed, as though everything he'd just said had been completely ignored.

"I have to interject to that, Doctor. You can go ahead and send us back, but you said I'm the one that needs to get Gigantomachia to submit, right?" Tomura suddenly stated and asked, all with no room for conjecture. "I have jobs for everyone here to do, in order to keep us from getting caught all together, and to help us out in the long run. Dabi-san is currently our most active recruiter, and Vukodlak-san, Toga-san and Twice-san are our best tracker and infiltrators respectively; all roles we need in order to build ourselves up and establish any kind of foothold from here on; namely a place to call home. It's not exactly like we can stick around the area you sent your overgrown pet to, since he went and leveled the whole damn place.

"And besides, there are resources I'm in need of, for when you can finally get me ready for both Sensei and Koschei's powers together; and Vukodlak-san's skills are the best for getting them for me." With that, he shifted his chilling gaze to Vukodlak; who was visibly at the ready. "What is it you need, Shigaraki-san?"

Tomura began to pat knowingly at his pocket for emphasis. "Dirt. Soil samples; whatever you wanna call them. Our old-timer friend here has been suggesting I collect them from as many countries as I can. The thought of receiving Sensei's power is exciting enough, but I'm also pretty curious to see just what the scope of whatever this power of his is when that day comes. Knowing you three, I have no doubts you'll be able to get all this for me in as much time as we have, right?"

With no hesitation, Vukodlak and Himiko both took ready stances. "As soon as we find a safe place to do so from, consider it done." "If it means finding a place with actual beds to sleep on, and it can lead to more ways for us to have fun in the future, then I'll go along with it, too!"

In comparison, Twice was keeping his arms crossed; the eyes of his mask communicating clear doubt. "I can't see what playing with dirt will get us besides a big dry cleaning bill…but I'll give you my all for as long as I feel like, Shigaraki-san!"

Tomura's face didn't give any indication of satisfaction with his people's loyalty thus far, although a passing glance did help him to see that Spinner was clearly looking at him differently than he had been before. But that wasn't at the forefront of his mind, as he then brought his attention to Mr. Compress. "Get the safe marble out. We may have a safety policy by being here."

As the top hat-wearing Villain quickly produced the marble containing their safe from out his coat; Tomura turned his attention back to the direction of the Doctor's safety door. "Doctor, before we leave, perhaps you wouldn't mind holding onto our war chest for safe keeping. I feel I can trust you to keep it safe while we look for a new roof to put over our heads."

A mechanical whirring suddenly echoed from the darkness in response, just before an opposable metal arm descended from the shadows above, producing a small box containing seven small circular objects that looked like earpieces. "Certainly, Shigaraki. Take those with you so we can all remain in contact with one another, and then place the marble in there. I'll even provide a tiny one-time allowance for each of you while you're out there; enough so that converting it and spending it won't draw any suspicion your way, so long as you do so smartly."

As soon as the Villains all took their respective earpieces, and Mr. Compress placed the safe marble inside the case in their place, and the arm retreated back up into the darkness; the Doctor's voice continued, sounding as though he were speaking to someone entirely different: "Alright now, Johnny…back to Gigantomachia they go!"

In a matter of seconds, they all felt the same sickening sensation of the black liquid rising up their throats and out their mouths; completely consuming their bodies, and almost instantly spewing them back out into the same ruined quarry as before, where Gigantomachia was still huddled protectively next to the radio.

But this time, the sight of their gargantuan obstacle, didn't strike any of the Villains with dread like before, as Tomura stepped forward; a confident and malicious grin on his face. "Hey! It's the return of the future king!"

The best barely turned his head to acknowledge Tomura's presence or his words; but the young Villain could still feel its overwhelming gaze fall upon him in response. "A KING…MUST INSPIRE DREAD. MUST BE ADMIRED. MUST BE STRONG."

But even with the resonating gravel of his voice listing all the things Tomura would need to prove himself to be; he didn't feel even a shred of doubt in his ability to do so, and not simply because he could feel Koschei's voice speaking out in response: "He's right. The perfect king can inspire eternal loyalty and admiration from his subjects, no matter the circumstances…but he must also be able to back up his words and his presence with true strength, not just towards his subjects, but to his enemies, especially…and what better way to demonstrate that strength than to render those enemies helpless with fear? You have all these traits to make you a truly worthy king of the perfect future world…that and so much more. All For One…he taught you how to harness the emotions that once blindly drove you nowhere…and now we both shall ultimately help you to combine those with the powers you will soon inherit, so you'll truly be unstoppable. I must one day personally thank your teacher for providing you these manual tools with which to prepare yourself when your ascension comes, Tomura Shigaraki."

Red Square, Moscow, November 26th

With Konstantin Khodamchuk's declaration/imploring of the remnants of the Russian government and the Russian people as a whole, to do away with their Anti-Quirk policies, in order to allow volunteering Heroes and Quirked people as a whole from neighboring countries to come in and provide aid for the repairs of over half of Moscow, and all the other places that the League of Villains had destroyed in their wake; it was naturally quite easy for many more kinds of people to slip in virtually unnoticed amid the throngs of volunteers.

And this was precisely why, in the dead of night in the cold of November; someone had managed to slip into the cordoned off ruins of the Red Square when the night shifts of repair crews and law enforcement had their backs turned; and had left something deep within that would go unnoticed until well into the following morning: a display that would horrify those that immediately found it, but ultimately leave authorities and the remnants of the government, including Konstantin Khodamchuk himself in the end, utterly perplexed and ultimately forced to turn to the aid of their neighbors to try and find some kind of answer to.

A single severed human finger tucked inside a fancy leather shoe stained with blood.

December 3rd

"WEEEEAK!"

For the past month-and-a-half, Tomura's attempts to try and whittle Gigantomachia down to submission had been ceaseless…but none of them any more successful than the first time. Even with having his fellow League members rotate every few days to fight alongside him to the very best of their abilities, it was continuously proven ineffective. It was like the monstrosity was less any kind of living organism, and more like a manifested force of nature, effortlessly blowing away anything and everything in his path.

At some indeterminate point, Tomura had stopped thinking about Koschei's words of confidence in his ability to succeed; instead opting to act with his own self-confidence burning in his veins, at the very least trusting his allies to try and divert Gigantomachia's attention so he could find an opening.

But even this proved a worthless strategy, for it was as though he had been programmed to only focus on Tomura himself, which provided some respite for the others; but still left their penultimate objective no closer to being achieved.

Tonight was proving no different, as Tomura had come sprinting through the woods after having another of his assaults deflected; only for his next charging attack to be prematurely cut off by Gigantomachia bursting from the ground; swinging his massive hands upward with enough force to send Tomura flying in two pieces...pieces that immediately began to dissolve into a very familiar black ooze.

Fortunately, this Tomura Decoy of Twice's was enough of a distraction to allow him and Mr. Compress to come diving down from above; both their own attacks all prepared to be unleashed in full force on the giant's exposed back; the two Villains practically screaming with a frantic desperation after having been trying to fight this thing for the last several hours: "IN MIDAIR, YOU'RE OPEN TO ATTACK!"

"WEAK!"

With incredible speed and precision for something his size, Gigantomachia instead proceeded to grab a handful of boulders and fling them straight at his attackers, pelting them away in midair, sending them both dissolving as well, thus negating two more of Twice's clones he'd made in preparation for this latest dead end of a round.

A few kilometers away, tucked within the safety of the thicker woods; Vukodlak, Himiko and a surprisingly casually-dressed Spinner had just arrived as per Tomura's orders; undoubtedly to swap places with Twice and Mr. Compress, to see if they would somehow have any better luck in helping him take down Gigantomachia once and for all.

And from the devastating rumbling impacts they could feel all the way from here, there was no doubt in all three of their minds as to just how things had progressed since their last attempts; Himiko muttering bluntly: "Our future king's in real trouble, huh?"

"Same as always," Spinner agreed; in the process of putting on the white cloth mask he'd always worn over his eyes in preparation for the conflict to come.

As they continued trudging their way through the woods, Vukodlak asked: "It's been a while since the last time I went for it. So far all I've been able to get is that his skin is damn near impervious, he's much faster than he looks, and he can somehow mask his scent and sounds when he's underground; which I still can't believe is actually possible. Have you or anyone else been able to pick up anything about his limitations, Spinner-san?"

The ragged sigh that the reptile Villain initially opened with didn't exactly fill his two allies with confidence: "Nothing we can use to our advantage, if that's what you're asking. So far, we've managed to clock the time limit with which he can continuously attack without breaking a sweat at 48 hours and 44 minutes. After that, he sleeps for only three hours before he's fully recharged. Believe it or not, his body can actually grow even bigger when in combat; somewhere around 63 meters from the last calculation I heard; and he's somehow always able to sniff out wherever Shigaraki-san is hiding. His ears are no less sharp, either; as every attempt we've made at a sneak attack has been a total failure, even while he was sleeping. He just swats us away and then comes right after us."

Vukodlak's purposeful stride came to a sudden stop; earning a surprised glimpse from Himiko and Spinner when they looked back. "Hey, what's up, Sensei? You got a tummy-ache or something?"

Vukodlak's typically stoic face gave a momentary twitch of annoyance, as his hands clenched into tight fists; his steel claws drawing blood from his palms. "So he's got super-enhanced hearing and smell, too, eh? I imagine his sense of sight must have the same bonus, too. I'm starting to feel old hat around here."

The last thing he wanted to hear after such a painful admittance, was the sudden sound of Himiko giggling sweetly to herself. "Aww, don't get all jealous, Sensei! It's not a good look for you! Yeah, that huge dummy might have heightened senses, but I'll bet he can't track people across the planet by their blood like you can! Plus, that on top of all your other Quirks you've gotten put together; I still think you're totally cool!"

Considering the surprising heartfelt confession she had leveled at him yesterday; to hear her say something like this at the sight of his own faltering confidence, had Vukodlak smiling at her with genuine appreciation.

"Agreed, you heart-stealing bastard! Nice new duds, Toga!" Twice's voice suddenly proclaimed from just around one of the trees behind Himiko's back; startling her, Vukodlak and Spinner with his sudden appearance, before she began smiling again at his notice of her new salmon-colored jacket and spotted scarf. "Thanks, Jin! I slow down when I'm cold, so something this toasty was just perfect! I just love how cute A-line cuts look on me!"

"Are the others with Shigaraki-san right now?" Vukodlak quickly got down to business; much to Twice's visible annoyance as he began ushering his three returning comrades to follow him. "Yeah, except Dabi's being a total slowpoke in coming back right now. I got some of my Clones trying to whittle the big guy down while we get a breather. This way."

As soon as they began to follow him to wherever Tomura was resting; Spinner suddenly spoke up: "Hey, Toga-san; you and Vukodlak-san share the same ideal of getting rid of Heroes in order to make your lives easier; but Dabi-san initially joined up because he was inspired by Stain's ideals like me, right? When was the last time any of us could possibly say that there was any semblance of that ideal in what we're doing? For all we know, couldn't it be possible that he just decided to pack it in and head out on his own?"

"If that's the case, then why is it you're still here with us right now, Spinner-san?" Vukodlak immediately countered; earning an annoyed and doubtful flinch from him. "I could ask you the same, considering just how similar your ideals are to Stain's in the first place, Vukodlak-san. I'd have thought this slow pace of ours would've gotten on your last nerve by now."

Before Vukodlak could respond to that assumption; Himiko spoke up while she was grinning in manic excitement to herself: "It's not just because I wanna live freely without all those dumb Heroes getting in the way, Spinner. I love Sensei. I love Izuku, Ochako, Kolya and Mina, too! And I wanna become everyone that I love! If Tomura wanted to destroy all the people I love, then I wouldn't be hanging out with him anymore, either. But he isn't, so it's all good and swell, right?"

Vukodlak didn't miss a beat behind his student's explanation before answering for himself: "And my ideals are considerably different from those of Stain, Spinner-san. I thought you understood that back there. I just want a world without Heroes that can be turned on those that just want to live their lives in freedom without fear, like us. It's far from an easy goal to reach, so I'll wait as long as it takes for Shigaraki-san to get what power he needs to make that happen. Perhaps you should consider looking at yours and Stain's ideals the same way."

While Vukodlak and Twice could both only look at her with astonishment and admiration respectively; Spinner simply bowed his head in thought. "You're both so free in your convictions…must be nice."

Finally, cresting over the final hill, they happened upon the small clearing in the woods, wherein the real Tomura and Mr. Compress were together; visibly battered and bruised; the sight of which had Himiko immediately breaking the uneasy peace in the air: "Hey, you still alive, Tomura?"

As he lifted his head in response, there was an unmistakable air of exhaustion about him…but there was also an anticipating energy about Tomura's body language; his mouth still bearing an ambitious smile; with his red eyes bearing a similar fire. "Yeah! And that thing's slowed down a lot. I'm getting way closer each time, compared to the beginning! I'm definitely gonna trip that gorilla up sooner or later!"

While Spinner could only marvel at the intensity of Tomura's eyes ("They're definitely like those of a child chasing a dream"), Vukodlak was honestly perplexed at how Tomura could look and sound so confident when in such roughed up shape. "Has Koschei perhaps given you any hints on how to do that, or at least any details on why he wants you to have all these global dirt samples? We got a good number of them, but it'd still be nice to have some kind of idea. Better yet, have All For One or the Doctor gotten in touch with you at all?"

But Tomura gave a resounding shake of his head. "No, I'm not about to stoop to the point of cheat codes or asking for help in order to get my rightful power-ups…and I'm definitely not about to start looking up spoilers, either. I need to earn what he and Sensei are giving me all on my own. All Koschei has given me so far, are assurances every now and then that he can feel me getting stronger. With how much closer I can already feel I am to bringing that big ape down, I have no reason to argue."

VRRRM!

Before any of them could ask Tomura any further questions; a distinct humming suddenly sounded from the back of Twice's suit; prompting him to hurriedly pull it out (from where, Mr. Compress could only dread to ask), and fidget with surprise when he saw the caller ID. "Huh? It's a call from Giran-san!"

"That man hasn't been picking up any of my calls lately!" Mr. Compress exclaimed; for once losing his sophisticated patient demeanor. "These fights with Gigantomachia are only getting more intense, and I want to know if there's any worthwhile armor he can get me to put under my suit! I'd really rather not risk dying in the process of a grinding session!"

But in comparison, Vukodlak was much calmer, but noticeably suspicious: "Why would he suddenly be calling us out of the blue? We've left recruiting duties to Dabi-san, ever since his and my meeting with his special recruit three days ago. You don't think he might be trying to get some kind of access to our funds, do you?"

To this, Tomura folded his hands together; his once eager eyes now narrowed with contemplation. "No…he's not the kind of man who would allow himself to get in that desperate a situation."

But Twice gave no indication he was even listening, as he hurriedly hit the accept button: "That old broker's been looking out for me ever since he introduced me to the League! A real swell guy! *beep* YOU THERE, MAN?! WHY DON'CHA PICK UP THE PHONE WHEN COMPRESS-SAN CALLS YOU, YA JERK?!"

But the voice that answered from the other end was nothing like their old supporter: "Ah, I'm afraid that would be our fault. I assume I'm speaking to Bubaigawara Jin, the Villain known as Twice?"

This unknown voice had everyone's ears immediately open, with Mr. Compress keeping his voice to a hushed whisper: "Since when did he ever need to use a voice changer? You don't think he could be under police surveillance right now, do you?"

"Who is this? And where's Giran-san?" Twice wasted no time tossing theories; his grip on his phone starting to tremble with a subtle anger at the very thought of something having happened to the League's broker.

"Say…why don't you check the news? Right now, if you can!"

With everyone's nerves already being as tightly wound as they now were; it took no further coercion for Mr. Compress to immediately pull out his phone, and opening the very first headlining video that caught his eye, the voice of a news reporter quickly speaking out:

"Breaking news! Just one day after yesterday's incident; another human finger has been found!"

A deathly chill instantly shot through everyone's spines as the report continued: "One week ago, a severed index finger was reportedly discovered in the middle of the ruins of the Red Square in Moscow, Russia. The fingerprint was confirmed to not match that of any individual in their national census or criminal records; but upon cross-referencing with the respective records of other cooperating countries, it was ultimately found to match an individual on Japan's criminal database. Then, four days ago, a severed big toe was discovered at the doorstep of the Kamuron Hero Agency in Erubi City! Then, outside the residence of the leader of the Shie Hassaikai group; a registered Villain organization; a severed middle finger was discovered! Then, in front of the Hosu City terminal, a second index finger! Yesterday, a ring finger appeared on the Central Highway, where a prisoner transport convoy was attacked several months ago! Then, at Ground Zero in Kamino Ward, a thumb! And just moments ago, in Central Fukuoka, at the site of Endeavor's fierce battle that is still fresh in our minds; a pinkie finger!

"The fingerprints on each of the recovered parts are all confirmed to be from the same single person. In addition, a scarf, a shoe, sunglasses and other items of clothing believed to be the personal property of this individual were discovered at all of these scenes. Police are considering these actions to be the collective statement of some unknown Villain organization."

Underneath his mask; Twice was looking as though he was suffering from intense nausea with each passing second; while Vukodlak, Mr. Compress, Spinner and Himiko were all either intensely nervous, or deeply angered, or some nearly blinding combination of the two emotions. And among them, Tomura's narrowed eyes betrayed neither one; no matter how heavy the realization of this pattern hit everyone else when Mr. Compress finally confirmed it with a graveness to his voice: "Those are all places in which we've committed our dirty deeds. Who on earth would be able to do these kinds of things so spread out in so little time?"

And with perfect timing, the unknown voice on the phone finally responded with a skin-crawling air of authority and melodrama: "Greetings, League of Villains! You are speaking to the Grand Commander of the Meta Liberation Army: Re-Destro! I'm so happy you managed to catch the whole story in time; that first drop-off was quite time-consuming; I would've hated to have it be for nothing."

Whoever this stranger was and whatever organization he was in charge of, might as well have landed on deaf ears for many of the listening Villains…but to Tomura, all he could respond with was a scowl of utter disgust. "First the yakuza, now the Liberation Army…all of these outdated retro freaks are trying to make a comeback by riding our coattails. Is this cause of that stupid book that came out a while ago? Are you actually trying to ride that puny wave all the way to the front page headlines?"

The amused laugh that this apparent Re-Destro answered with was nothing short of blood-boiling before he spoke up: "How well-informed you are! But no, it's the other way around. We created the wave. The Liberation Army was the first time Metas of all walks of life, including Villains, banded together in an organized fashion, to work towards a grander goal: liberation from the shackles of society! If anything, the League owes its very existence to us!"

Twice had long since run out of anymore patience, as he quickly spat back: "Well, good for you! Now where's Giran-san?! And whaddya want?! You better not have hurt a single hair on that wonderful man's head! You hear me?!"

Vukodlak placed a firm, disapproving hand on Twice's shoulder; grimly shaking his head that now was not the time to start losing their tempers, no matter how much they clearly wanted to. Another wry chuckle from Re-Destro was the immediate response: "Oh, he's here, alive, of course; don't worry. As for what we want, it's the same as our Army has ever wanted: we seek to Liberate all Metas in the world. We will tear down the existing framework and rebuild this world as a place where people are free to be themselves and use their Abilities as they see fit."

Himiko instinctively looked to Vukodlak to see if he was able to weed anything suspicious out…and when he shook his head, she could feel her stomach twist, while Mr. Compress bluntly whispered: "Our end goals seem to line up almost perfectly; even with your stated ideals, Vukodlak-san. I really don't see any reason we should oppose that."

"So are we gonna lend them the League's rep like we did with the yakuza?" Himiko exclaimed in momentary shock, while Vukodlak was keeping his arms crossed; able to feel she was asking him even more than anyone else, even Tomura. To him, it was only typical of a student to ask her teacher such a thing in a situation like this. "I would normally agree with Compress-san here…but if our goals do align this well, then why would the Army go to the length of mutilating Giran-san like this…unless it's a declaration of ill intent towards us? I can't shake this feeling in my gut. I don't like it. Their idea of Liberation could very well mean they stand at the top of the food chain, stomping down on people like us just the same as Heroes and their own society do already. And if they'd have the stones to do it to us, then who knows what that would mean for people even lower and weaker? For them, the status quo remains the same; just as suffocating."

Himiko looked visibly uncomfortable; her yellow eyes darting back and forth as though she were in an internal struggle with herself; trying to figure out if she should vote for the League backing up the Army, or if she should stand in opposition with her most trusted Sensei.

Ultimately, Tomura answered personally: "How about you liberate our broker and then ring me again. I'm busy right now. As soon as I finish my personal business here, I'll be happy to listen to you and your merry band of revolutionaries."

"That kind of attitude could really turn against us." Mr. Compress muttered primarily to himself…and the fact that Re-Destro's voice still sounded so unperturbed was almost genuinely unsettling.

"Take a break and hear me out, why don't you? Because first of all, we will not Liberate our hostage. From him, I've come to learn just how truly tight-knit your people are. Your broker is truly an impressive man; someone who takes a lot of pride in his work; someone able to sink into the shadows, always sure to evade the attention of the police and Heroes alike. Too bad for you, he was unprepared for an attack from those very same shadows. I must commend him for deleting his list of clients before we got to him. And when we started severing fingers, the man not only refused to give a single one of you up, but he wouldn't even cry out in pain!"

Now that burning anger within their chests had ignited into a white-hot inferno; as though they could just see the snide grin their detractor was wearing as he mocked them like this.

"Alas, we were able to recover his client list in the end. That's why we're even having this conversation right now, as you can see. I commend his resistance, though it was futile in the end. Because you see, we Liberation warriors have prepared long and hard over many generations for this moment! We've bided our time and spread our roots far and wide across this country; manifesting within some of the greatest companies, political parties, publishers and widely-followed artists of our time, through which we can spread our manifesto that much farther!

"'A merry band of revolutionaries', you say?! I'm no fan of such jokes. There 116,516 of our fellow Liberation warriors lying in wait, ready to rise to action! I would be loath to make such a self-deprecating comment, League of Villains!"

Even if he wasn't expressing himself through anger; there was no longer any denying that Tomura's dismissive words had indeed stricken the wrong chord within Re-Destro. Exchanging wary glances with his comrades, Spinner was hesitant to express the one semblance of hope he could think of: "This guy must be bluffing, surely."

And no sooner than Vukodlak had regrettably shaken his head; his ears listening as closely as possible through the phone for any semblance of falsehood in Re-Destro's words; the man himself suddenly continued: "Hm, it seems you're all currently in Niigata? Perhaps deep in the mountains?"

"HOLY SHIT!" Twice instantly exclaimed in knee-jerk shock; tossing his phone across the ground in the blind assumption that this would have changed anything, while Re-Destro continued to boast: "Too late, I'm afraid! We have a lock on you via satellite imaging! Wherever you think to run, we'll have eyes on you, the notorious League of Villains! Endeavor, Hawks, Mirko, Crust, Edgeshot; all those Heroes would be upon you with just a single phone call to the authorities!"

Tomura was still staring at the phone like he was trying to make it Decay with just his mind as he answered: "So generous of you, giving us an advanced warning like this. What do you really want?"

There was only a single moment of silence; for which Vukodlak and Twice especially could only imagine Re-Destro was fighting the urge to gloat; before his voice came back: "Destro's memory, his image, must be the one to lead the Army's revolution…and the League's reputation and following is getting in the way of that, especially after your gutsy little soiree abroad. You've effectively stolen the Army's chances to gain an international following with that little stunt. YOUR DESTRUCTION AT OUR HANDS WILL SIGNAL THE LONG-AWAITED SECOND ADVENT OF THE META LIBERATION ARMY!

"Consider those body parts as proof of our resolve. No need to draw matters out, right? We will fight to Liberate the Metas of this world, so make your way to Deika City in Aichi Prefecture at once! THAT IS, IF YOU HOPE TO SEE POOR GIRAN-SAN FREED! AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF TRYING ANYTHING CLEVER WITH YOUR VUKODLAK'S FANCY DISGUISE OR VOICE-CHANGING ABILITIES! WE HAVE ALL THE MEANS IN PLACE TO SNIFF HIM OUT, AND THEN YOUR ANNIHILATION OR CAPTURE WILL BE SWIFT AND MERCILESS!

"THOSE ARE YOUR ONLY TWO OPTIONS: STAND AGAINST US AND BE DESTROYED, OR DO NOTHING AND BE CAPTURED BY HEROES! THE CHOICE IS YOURS, SHIGARAKI TOMURA!"

Click!

And with that indisputable declaration of all-out war, Re-Destro mockingly hung up, leaving Tomura and the League to suffer the resonating shockwaves of dread settling in all their bodies at what a situation they now found themselves in.

And there's the new chapter for this week. I hope you all enjoyed it, for what additions and changes included were ultimately worth in the long run. I'm certainly excited to eventually get to the payoff of where some of these plot threads will ultimately lead to and diverge.

I hope you all have a good rest of your week now that the weather seems to finally be warming up; and I will see you all with the next chapter on 04/15!