Intermission: Monochrome Bears Cannot Dream of Static Worlds.

"This is some sort of an elaborate joke, isn't it?"

"…That's not it. I do mean it when I say that―"

"No, no, I understand. The punchline is about to come, right?" Within the confines of what could be presented as an average office room, where it not for its decorations, a tall and smooth dark green-haired man with a grey suit hung on his last bits of composure to press with the narrative that someway, somehow, that ridiculous statement he had just heard was a prank. Not a funny one in the slightest, unfortunately, but one nonetheless. "Please do present it, I am eager to hear it."

Both for his sake and that of the man on the other line.

"I am not messing with you, Nighteye." Much to the suited man's dread, the seriousness within that voice killed any of his hopes. "I've made up my mind about it, and now I am merely making this decision known to you."

Mirai Sasaki, known by most as Sir Nighteye, had his lips shifted into a thin line as he processed what he had been told. It wasn't until he was confident that he correctly assessed the pros and cons of the information acquired, that he spoke again.

"Sir, with all due respect…" He tried to begin calmy, but the implications were too much for him to keep any hint of false calmness on. "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!? What kind of harsh and irrational decision is that!? Don't you see the repercussions choosing someone like him might have!?"

"You are making it sound as if I have made a bad choice."

"It is a terrible decision!" Talking to him like that felt like tasting sand in Nighteye's mouth, and yet, if that could help him make that person understand the gravity of what he was saying, then so be it. "Out of all the possible prospects, someone like that is by far the worst option."

"I am sorry to hear you think like that, especially given that you know my circumstances." That made Nighteye wince."I didn't make this call for you to be the final judge of my choice, even if no doubt it would've lifted a weight off my shoulders if you had approved of it." And that made what corroded Nighteye's body turn into full-blown shame. "It is true that I've reconvened with him only a few days ago, but―"

"Wait, you said days ago?" That made Nighteye's brows scrunch up. He began doing some quick math before his eyes widened in realization and his concern returned with vengeance. "That would only give you four months, perhaps five or six if considering less optimal alternatives, to prepare him. It is not enough for someone with no potential!"

Nighteye hoped that presenting such irrefutable truth could have a better chance of convincing him. Perhaps with him feeling somewhat insulted at Nighteye's blunt words, but again, a worth price to pay for the sake of making him see the truth in his words.

Hearing him letting out a light laugh was not among Nighteye's expectations.

"Ah, that is where you are wrong. My chosen one is no slouch!" There was a pause, and it didn't go unnoticed by Nighteye that some of the voice's mirth diminished by a degree or two. "I admit my reasoning for choosing him was nothing else other than his selfless heart. However," It was only that word that prevented Nighteye from snapping at him for making a decision of that magnitude with such low criteria. "He has surpassed each one of my expectations by leaps and bounds. Why, I would say he has as much talent as I had at his age!"

That made Nighteye's eyes rise in slight surprise. He knew the person on the other line wouldn't be lying about something like that in a feeble attempt of convincing him. He would've been fine with just that initial 'requirement' of his, irresponsible and foolish as that might be.

Nighteye was reluctant to admit it, but a statement like that made him go from hating what he was proposing down to just not liking it.

Obviously, that wasn't enough to be on board with the idea.

"I believe you…All Might," Nighteye began. Before the number one hero could take those words as a seal of approval though, his former sidekick continued with a grave voice. "However, that is not enough. The person you choose could have twice as much talent as you had, but with that fundamental part lacking, he will never be ready to surpass the standards you set. Even in the best scenario in which he turned out to be as good as you, we both know that an exact replacement will simply not do."

They never were able to confirm whether he was truly defeated or not. If their worst fears were to be confirmed one day, a second All Might would only lead to tragedy.

I will never allow that day to repeat ever again.

No, they needed more than that. Someone capable of being better than All Might was.

"…It is true that my successor requires the potential of surpassing me." That reluctant admission was all Nighteye had to hear for him to see a glimmer of hope.

Trying his best at making his point as clear as possible, he swallowed any unnecessary pride he had left and made his voice as pleading as possible. "Then please, reconsider this. If it is talent and goodwill you are concerned about, I assure you that I already got a far better alternative. He has each of them in abundance, an immeasurable amount of charisma, and with his own quirk into the mix, the potential of making him one, if not the greatest hero in history is at hands reach. No one could ask for any better than that!"

There were a few moments of silence between the two. Waiting with a bated breath, Nighteye's mouth began turning dry with the anticipation the lack of All Might's response was giving him.

When he was about to prompt for an answer one more time, Nighteye heard his idol speak.

Although the answer he received couldn't have been worse.

"Like I already told you, I am set in my choice. I have faith that once he takes the torch, he will kindle its embers into a dazzling and hopeful flame far brighter than I could ever dare imagine. No force in the world will make me think differently." There was a loud cough that made Nighteye flinch. Imagining the blood coming out of it making him grimace. "I don't see either of us budging out of our terms, and prolonging this discussion would only severe our already damaged ties. I…am sorry, but ending the call now would be for the best. Goodbye."

"All Might!? Wait just a―!" However, his words fell on deaf ears. Just like that, before Nighteye had to opportunity for one last attempt of convincing him, the symbol of peace suddenly cut the call off.

Slowly putting the phone in front of him, Nighteye gave it a long stare.

"Dammit!" In an untypical burst of emotions, he threw the phone aside before abruptly accommodating his head between his hands, meanwhile rubbing his temples. Trying and failing to calm himself down. "Why doesn't he understand that we can't allow sentimentalism as a factor for such an important resolution!?"

Despite his frustrated rant, part of him understood he was fighting a lost battle the very moment All Might told him about it.

When it came to decisions like these, Nighteye was well aware the symbol of peace truly meant when he said nothing will make him retract from his position. He was stubborn as he was strong.

Still…

All Might…how could you? Out of all the potential prospects, why was it that you chose someone like him? Someone with no―

"Here I am, making a powerful entrance!"

"There was nothing humoristic in that." Nighteye snapped, his face still looking down between his hands.

"R-Really? Let me try it again then..." The individual that recently entered his private room said. He disappeared through the wall, and no more than five seconds passed before he re-entered that same spot accompanied by a jovial voice.

"Here I am, making a powerful and funny entrance!"

Nighteye waited in silence. His posture not changing one bit, neither daring to give the other person a hint about whether he approved or not his barely altered second attempt.

It wasn't until he heard some beats of recognizable nervous sweat trailing down on the floor and the shuffling of feet, that All Might's former sidekick had his lips twitched upwards.

"That will do…for now." Nighteye conceded, earning him a sigh of relief from the person on the other side of the room.

"Phew, I guess I'm finally getting the hang of this…" That other person whispered, likely to prevent Nighteye from hearing him.

Such a shame he did so anyways.

Leaving that aside, it was then that Nighteye finally decided to give a proper look at his sudden visitor. Cowlick blonde hair, dot-like blue orbs, and a round nose that heavily contrasted with the bodybuilder physique he carried.

Admittedly, the sight of his protégé was enough to calm some of his previously acquired stress. Both because his presence alone gave him hope for the future and, paradoxically, his resemblance with the responsible for his most recent headaches.

I suppose I am kind of a hypocrite for complaining about sentimentalism…

"Lemillion," Nighteye began, doing his best in swallowing down those distracting thoughts. "Is there a reason for your abrupt entrance?"

The blue-eyed boy blinked a pair of times before letting out a gasp and planting a fist on his open palm. "Oh, right! Sir, Bubble Girl told me some people came to talk with you."

"Is that so?" Nighteye raised an eyebrow. "Did she tell you who they were?"

"Nope, but I caught a brief look of them. Judging by their uniforms, two of them appear to be officers." Lemillion said, not without frowning with a thoughtful expression afterward. "There is someone else with them, but because of the uniformed guys blocking him, I wasn't able to get a proper sight of him with Bubble Girl urging me to catch up with you, sir."

While on the outside he kept an image of perfect stoicism, on the inside Nighteye couldn't help growing curious about that last tidbit of information. Was there a hero with them? Or could it be that they brought a civilian as a witness for a case?

Whichever case was, there was only one way to approach this.

"Bring them in." If nothing else, there was no reason for him to reject the police and hear what they had to say.

"Sure."

"Not enough energy."

"Immediately, sir!" The blonde boy saluted before turning on his heels.

"One more thing." Only for the sudden call out making him to almost fall on his feet.

Swiftly recovering, Lemillion turned back to address him with a sheepish smile. "Yes?"

"Put on some clothes."

It only took for the dot-eyed boy to finally look down for a look of surprise to smear his fate as, sure enough, save for that specially designed underwear, he noticed all of his attire was missing.

"Ah! Shucks, it appears…my foresight is not up to your level yet, eh?"

"…"

"…I-I will get to it!" With that bashful declaration, the blonde boy hurried out of the room. Through the wall as per usual. His briefs too, much to his and everyone within the building's relief.

Some moments passed, and it wasn't until Nighteye was sure he was alone, that he dropped the stoic image.

And allowed a brief chuckle to escape his lips.

Mirio Togata…you truly are worthy of inheriting One for All.

No more than a pair of minutes after, which he made use to pick up his phone from where it landed and set it aside on his desk, he finally picked up the sound of someone knocking at his door.

"Come in."

With the doors opening, they quickly revealed a single member of the police force which, unfortunately, he wasn't a stranger to.

"Oh, it's you." Nighteye deadpanned.

"What? Not happy about reuniting with a familiar face?" The smug smile Tsukauchi gave him only made his eyes narrow further.

"Considering what dealing with a familiar voice did to my mood mere minutes ago, I doubt whatever you intend of talking with me is going to be an improvement," Nighteye said, voice still as dry.

Tsukauchi quirked an eyebrow, although that detective brain of his quickly put the pieces together, with his eyes exponentially widening as he spoke. "Wait…Are you serious? After all these years, you finally went and spoke―"

"It was him who called me," Nighteye quickly cut off. "I would prefer to not bring up the topic we talked about again. I am sure sooner or later he will tell you about it, anyway." The yellow-eyed adult shook his head before refocusing his attention back on the detective. "What are you here for? Also, Lemillion told me we had three people coming in. What about the other two?"

"That bad, huh?" Tsukauchi sighed. Noticing the look Nighteye was giving him, the detective raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I won't pry further. Regarding your questions, well, I didn't want to bring my partner and our…guest, before we addressed what I came to you for."

"And that would be…?" Nighteye asked, already feeling a headache for where was this coming to.

Taking only a brief pause with his hands clenching, which in itself were signals that made Nighteye more wary, Tsukauchi spoke up. "I need you to see into someone's future."

Tch, of course, it is about my quirk.

"…I am correct to assume my target will be this guest you brought up, right?" At Tsukauchi's nod in confirmation, Nighteye, with his voice giving nothing but absolute neutrality, continued with another inquiry. "Let's say that I agree, how far into the future do you want me to look at?"

"Well, a year, perhaps two would help in―"

"No." Nighteye quickly cut in, his voice barely containing the venom demanding to come out of his voice.

"What?" Tsukauchi almost sputtered. "Weren't you just considering it just now?"

"Yeah, and although looking into people's future whose actions I have no idea of assure beforehand is something I am vehemently against, because it was you, I was willing to make an exception by some days, perhaps even a week or two," Nighteye said, allowing his voice to show some irritation. "A year, though? It is madness. The consequences of doing so at such a large scale have the potential of being catastrophic. I don't have to remind you that not even once I have failed in seeing the future correctly, do I? Whatever I get to glimpse on that person's future, it will become an incorrigible reality."

"Look, I understand the risks, but―"

"Oh, do you, now?" Nighteye interrupted him one more time, with no hesitation in the slightest. "While calling us each other friends would be somewhat preposterous, we have known for a long while. Long enough for you to know there isn't anything you can use to convince of pulling a similar stunt like I did all those years ago."

While Nighteye wouldn't precisely consider himself vindictive by nature, there was an ounce of satisfaction at seeing Tsukauchi wince.

Good. That meant the man at least understood this was dangerous territory he was dealing with.

After he laid out his stance on the matter, Nighteye waited in silence. Daring the detective to prove him wrong.

Minutes passed, and with nothing else coming out of the detective's mouth, Nighteye was all but assured that there was nothing else to be said.

At least he thought so until Tsukauchi landed the lowest of blows.

"…Even if this involves All Might's safety?"

It took all of Nighteye's will to only raise his brows by a small margin and suppress a gasp of surprise. However, in exchange for that, his eyes narrowed shortly after while sending an unamused glare at Tsukauchi.

"I truly hope you have something in your hands to back that up. Otherwise, I am afraid this meeting has come to an end."

"I do," Tsukauchi said, voice and eyes reassuring this wasn't a desperate stunt, at the very least. Rummaging through his jacket, the detective eventually brought up a folder stacked with a decent amount of paperwork and handed it to him. "Tell me, have you heard about the crime wave that surged in the south-central area of Japan?"

"I haven't followed it in its entirety, being busy with my operations, but I have the gist of it," Nighteye admitted, eyeing the folder in his hands with a critical eye. "It was a weird period. While yes, there was a sudden increase in Villains acting in plain daylight, the victims were…I suppose minimal is a way to put it." His voice was impassive, but soon enough his features turned into a grimace. Only allowing the show of weakness because he was, indeed, only in the company of a familiar face. "Don't get me wrong, those losses were a tragedy, but when one compares them with the number of incidents, even the most optimistic expert would've assumed for those numbers to be far greater. Admittedly, the whole case is strange. More so when last I heard, they have recently receded without a clear explanation. Although I…suppose All Might's involvement helped in that."

And wasn't that a bitter pill to swallow?

To see that, even during what should have been the greatest era to live in, the Symbol of Peace still was a key piece in keeping a modicum of stability in their society.

"I would say that last part is an understatement."

"…What?" Not only the statement in itself was what caught Nighteye's attention, but how Tsukauchi said it, the concern in it, that made his stomach churn in confusion and wariness.

"What I mean is…look, you should check those files and see for yourself. Some details are missing, those that I've kept only to myself, as an additional measurement. However, I am willing to share them if you see fit."

Nighteye gave Tsukauchi a look, but once he confirmed he wasn't going to get anything else out of the detective until he looked at the folder's insides, he put himself to the task. Gazing down upon the folder's cover one last time, Nighteye adjusted his glasses with his free hand before flipping the container open.

One of the many benefits that being All Might's sidekick granted him was dealing with Japan's most requested Hero's accountability and general desk work. As such, he had enough experience that devouring the folder's contents with scrutinous detail was a matter of few minutes.

And yet, the very moment he finished the last page, he went back to the first one and began reading its contents all over again.

Two, three, and it wasn't until the fourth time being done with the files that Nighteye confirmed he didn't imagine anything of what he had just read.

He long since had theorized they were dealing with a recently founded villainous group.

He knew All Might was involved in the case.

Nevertheless, what he had discovered was far worse than he could've imagined.

For the past months, Nighteye and his agency became involved with a case regarding a Yakuza group known as the Eight Precepts of Death. The investigation was in its earliest steps, however, just that much granted them enough data to suspect something big was brewing in the shadows.

And it has, only I've looking at the wrong side this entire time…

It was as such that, save for his intern, Nighteye and his sidekicks have been putting most of their efforts into the case while relying on different news outlets to keep up in date with the ongoings around the world.

What a grave mistake that was.

"Is it true, then?" Nighteye asked, eyeing Tsukauchi with all the gravity this was worth. "Rather than a participation rate of thirty-five percent like most outlets made it seem, All Might has been involved in every single one of those incidents?"

"Yeah," Tsukauchi affirmed, his voice solemn. "Don't blame yourself for not knowing. That All Might has at least a major participation in every attack hasn't been made public. Not even in the Hero Network. Only a scant few underground heroes that have been helping in our investigation have been made aware of the full details, and even then, it was disclosed in a manner that didn't compromise One for All."

Nighteye didn't feel reassured by that. Rather, he was grinding his teeth while frustration bubbled in, and the implications of what he had been made aware of dawned on him.

While the fact that his idol didn't trust him enough to share this information was gnawing him from the inside out, what truly mortified him was all that extra effort All Might was forcing upon himself.

Effort that dwindled bit by bit what remaining power he had left.

All Might, you stubborn fool...

Nevertheless, after gulping down his distaste, Nighteye hummed in understanding while a mask of professionalism covered his features. It wasn't ideal, but he was beginning to get the picture and with it the benefits of keeping anonymity about this.

Like avoiding the growing panic at the fact that someone had All Might, and the police force for that matter, in a morbid equivalent of a wild goose chase.

Besides, with this information in hand, it was painfully obvious that the mastermind behind these incidents aimed precisely for having All Might involved in all of them. Making it seem as if things weren't going according as planned could've incited the villain to move things up, possibly giving the police and heroes an opening.

At least that was how it should have occurred in theory. In reality…

"You guys haven't made any progress, have you?"

There were a few moments of hesitation on Tsukauchi's part, but soon enough he let go of it with a heavy sigh. "…Besides some superficial stuff, no, not really. Two months ago, we thought we had something," The detective paused, then shook his head in frustration. "However, the only result we reaped out of that were three corpses found in an alleyway, and even then, it is only because of one of them that we can confirm we didn't meet a roadblock. We know that something happened that day, but nothing about what in particular was meant to occur beyond the murders. However, considering that around a month later, the incidents that coincided with the usual pattern had a sudden halt, and we have no longer found any other victims of the brainwashing quirk, I suspect that whatever the mastermind wanted to achieve…she succeeded at it."

That was both good and terrible news.

On one hand, this person not pushing a strategy that was working on exhausting All Might's time limit, meant that the secret of his powers was still that, a secret.

Maybe they thought they had been exploiting All Might's unrelenting desire to always save everyone whenever possible. Making the Number One Hero wary of overextending for any possible hunts at the risk of compromising the lives of civilians. It wouldn't be precisely a false assumption, besides…otherwise, it wouldn't make any sense.

No one is anywhere near figuring out their identity, much less their hideout, and they have no reason to believe that isn't the case. They could've exploited these attacks for far longer and definitely would have if they knew what effects is having on him.

On the other though…Nighteye couldn't begin to imagine how was it that three murders were that important for someone capable of messing with the Number One Hero without being given a swift accommodation behind bars. Hell, he couldn't guess how could that require half as much of the time they bought with those attacks.

That is definitely only the tip of the iceberg, but then…what is that person hiding underneath it?

He could make theories all day, but just like with Tsukauchi, it would be the same as poking a fish in hopes of hearing it bark at some point.

I lack too much information to make an educated guess. I…suppose I will have to take Tsukauchi's words for granted and ask for any details he might leave unsaid in this briefing or the reports.

Smart, patient, capable of developing multiple-layered plans, ruthless, and a powerful quirk to back up their already worrisome strengths. It was like a recipe for the worst villain imaginable.

Subconsciously, that made way for a newfound worry.

"She," Nighteye repeated the word, and for a multitude of reasons, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Are you sure this is a woman we are talking about? I know that the reports suggest so, but…have you considered that perhaps all of this is a signal that he has returned? Based on what I've read, that person fits the profile just as well."

"We never confirmed his death, that is true." Tsukauchi conceded. "That being said, knowledge of the villain's gender is one of the few details me and anyone else working in the case is the most confident about."

"Oh, how so?"

"Remember how I mentioned a lead we acquired some months ago?" Tsukauchi began. "Said lead came in the form of a journal belonging to one of the victims found in the alleyway that day. While most of its contents consist of blabbering which we haven't managed to make any sense of, something that showed consistency was the reverence to a figure for which the owner of the notebook always referred as either Ultimate Despair or Goddess."

"Goddess?" Nighteye quirked an eyebrow. While Ultimate Despair he could understand for a villain moniker, and he didn't doubt that person had such high delusions of grandeur to consider himself a holy figure, a female euphonism was weird even by his standards.

Still, that wasn't the same as saying he wouldn't take unorthodox methods for the sake of his nefarious plans.

The look on Tsukauchi's face told Nighteye he shared his sentiment on the matter. "While that wasn't concrete evidence to make any conclusions, we decided to run an experiment with it. The basis for it consisted of separating a group of brainwashed victims into two separate rooms, secluded and apart enough that the experiment didn't run any risks of being polluted. For those in the first room, we began calling names such as Ruler of The Underworld, King of Darkness, and various similar titles one could relate to him. For the other group, we worked in a similar manner, only the used monikers referred to someone as a woman, and the word despair was always involved. Goddess of Despair, Queen of Despair, among many others."

"I am assuming the experiment brought up some results, yes?" Nighteye inquired.

"It did," Tsukauchi confirmed. "While the victims of the first room didn't do much beyond continuing with their usual struggles or attempts of muffled screams through their gags, with those of the second one the reaction was always instant. A few had their vacant eyes gaining a glimmer in them. Some gazes turned intense. Their wild struggles soothed while snapping their heads in the direction of whoever called out a title, and some went as far as…well, making clear their ecstasy at hearing us addressing the responsible of their situation. Disturbing as they might be, those were the first semblances of responses we have gotten out of the victims in half a year. It couldn't be a coincidence."

"I…see," Although that didn't quit the feeling of nausea coursing within Nighteye.

Perhaps it truly isn't that person, but sure as hell it appears she's interested in occupying the vacant he left.

"So, to summarize this entire mess," Nighteye spoke again, bringing both arms up to the desk while resting his chin on the back of his hands. "We have running wild who should be considered at least a Rank-A villain, possessor of the most powerful brainwashing quirk known in recent history, using said quirk indiscriminately to turn their victims into dispatchable despair-obsessed minions, with the intent of throwing them at the Symbol of Peace like meat to a grinder, which by the way, with the consistency in attacks until just recently and lack of opposition she is facing so far, in her eyes it appears he's nothing but a minor annoyance she temporarily wanted away from her true and still unknown ambitions, ambitions that either she had already accomplished or was in her way of doing so…am I missing something?"

"…Actually, there is one more thing." At that point, Nighteye had to make use of all of his will to not groan like a petulant child. "It is also kind of why I finally decided to recur to you for help."

"Just…what is it now?"

"It is about the attacks," Tsukauchi said. "The accuracy at which this villain sets them up to always coincide with All Might being in the vicinity to react to them is not a coincidence, nor normal in any matter. Whether we are talking of a collaborator or another victim that succumbed to her quirk, our mysterious villain appears to have the help of someone capable of predicting All Might's position during his patrols. Out of the many quirks we have theorized, one capable of precognition is our most likely candidate."

A brainwashing quirk in combination with a precognition one? Sure, the latter was a theory rather than a fact, but seeing that it was the least outlandish possibility someone like Tsukauchi could have come up with, that reaffirmed that dealing with this upstart villain was of the utmost priority.

Seriously, I can't even decide if I should be terrified or just straight-up mad at the pile of problems this mysterious woman is responsible for.

"Look, I understand now that you want to cover all bases," Nighteye began. "And it doesn't take a genius to see this supposed guest you brought here to use my quirk on is one of her victims. However, how is it that seeing their future would help us figuring the past, which is where the needed information could be found at?"

At the sudden smirk replacing Tsukauchi's previously concerned face, Nighteye could admit he grew curious at what the detective had between his hands.

"Well, that is because it is the future I am interested in." At Nighteye's confused stare, Tsukauchi elaborated. "We have tried all sorts of methods to rehabilitate those affected by the quirk. Whether it is therapy, knocking them up, or going as far as to use other brainwashing quirks to overlap the effects. None of that has worked so far, at least not yet." A determined expression crossed Tsukauchi's face. "I refuse to believe there isn't a solution out there, and I am confident that it is a matter of time before mine and everyone else's efforts pay off."

"So, if I am getting this right," Nighteye drawled, with a voice that didn't reveal whether agreed or not with what the detective had in mind. "You want to gamble with a person's future in hopes of finding a way to restore their sanity, and then proceed to interrogate them about what happened before losing their will."

"There is also the risk of not finding anything," Tsukauchi added for him. "Cementing the possibility of not having a way of restoring the minds of any of the victims."

'Yes, that among many other things that could go wrong when dealing with something as hazardous as seeing the future…' Nighteye left unsaid. Even if they weren't already long-time colleagues, he had already chided Tsukauchi enough for the detective to understand that this was a delicate matter.

That being said…a villain like the one they are dealing with can only grow in threat the more they give her breathing room.

Even if it was only to act as a nuisance, she already had All Might in her sight for some months. Who's to say she won't be making a return, this time…just perhaps as a real menace to his life? Nighteye was yet to meet a villain worth their salt that didn't saw All Might's demise as a priority. It will be a matter of when rather than if before she makes her move.

Letting the heaviest sigh he could conjure and pinching the bridge of his nose, a suddenly exhausted Nighteye turned back to address Tsukauchi.

"…Tell me you have at least the proper documentation to legally proceed with this?"

The way Tsukauchi got up from his seat and out of the room like a child on Christmas was all the reply Nighteye needed.

Is it weird that I am already regretting this?

No sooner than Tsukauchi left the room, the detective came back along with two new individuals.

A quick glance told Nighteye that the first of the newcomers was one of Tsukauchi's peers. A subordinate of sorts judging by his young looks and less ostentatious uniform.

What truly deserved most of his attention, though, was the second individual.

While his flat nose and dark sclera covering his crimson eyes were notable traits, what truly stood out about him was the multiple shackles, chains, handcuffs, and all sorts of restraints that covered his body from head to toe.

Strange sight as it was, Nighteye didn't question it. Thanks to the report file given to him, he was aware of what these people would try to do to themselves if given the chance. How even the futility of it wasn't impeding him from continuing his struggles and releasing those seemingly feral growls only reaffirmed the benefit of keeping those gadgets.

A few feet into the room, Tsukauchi shoved a knee into the back of the detained adult's thigh, bringing him down and with the help of the detective's peer, properly securing his posture.

Taking his prompt, Nighteye set himself out of his chair and strode towards the handcuffed man. The churning feeling in his stomach never leaving him.

Once in front of his target, Nighteye heard Tsukauchi speak up.

"Are you ready for this?"

The last time Nighteye used his quirk at a range as extensive as he was about to do now, he condemned his idol to suffer the most despairful of deaths.

Not once in his entire life had his quirk been wrong about what it allowed him to see.

Suffice it to say that no, the truth of the matter was that he wasn't ready, not in the slightest.

"Yes, let's get this over with." However, he wasn't in any position to protest about it with what was at stake. "I am warning you though. This is only looking ahead for a way of rehabilitating the victims. Nothing more. I am not budging on that."

Tsukauchi and his companion gave both firm nods which Nighteye had no option other than taking for granted.

Crushing down any remnant of hesitation, All Might's former sidekick ignored the protests of the individual in front of him, touched his forehead, and then locked his deep crimson gaze with Nighteye's own.

A tingling sensation began spreading through Nighteye's body, and he could practically feel how the sclera on both eyes turned black while his irises took the shape of a gear and their tint morphed from golden to violet.

No sooner did he established the connection, Nighteye activated his quirk and began rummaging through the captive's future.

It began like it always did. Images began rolling through a movie tape, showing Nighteye through a third-person perspective the incoming series of events that made his target's future life. While the depiction was accurate, the images shown were more like colorless drawings rather than a perfect replica of events.

The first set of pictures was somewhat strange…and admittedly made him cautious. Not worthy of being considered a red flag, at least, not yet, but cautious nonetheless.

Following that though, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about what he saw for a long while.

As time went on, save for the monotony of the environment making it harder than usual to assess how much time was passing, what Nighteye saw was among his initial expectations. Along with the surroundings of his vision keeping the exact same, the surrounding people and their duties kept themselves on a routine with no signals of suffering from any altercations.

Which, considering that it was precisely some sort of change that Nighteye was looking for, it meant no progress was being made. Much to his chagrin.

I've looking far deeper into the future than what I've done in the past years combined, and things are still looking just as bleach for the victims. I…I am sorry, Tsukauchi, but this is as far as I―

However, just when he considered enough time had passed and saw no reason to keep looking further into the future, something caught his attention.

The days turned into months, and while he was far from acquiring the answers Tsukauchi was looking for, he began noticing certain details. Small tidbits telling him something was occurring from the sidelines.

Again, nothing grandiose at first glance, but it was turning clearer with each passing moment that events of grand importance were taking place in the outside world.

Even though there were no voices, noises, or any sort of sound in his vision, Nighteye could feel there was some tension growing in the environment.

It was as such, reluctant as Nighteye could have been to admit it, that curiosity got the better of him, prompting him to keep looking even further.

And around what was more or less the year mark, Nighteye regretted ever agreeing to Tsukauchi's plead.

Because he saw what should've never been meant to be seen.

An incorrigible mistake from which he could never back off.

The indefinite proof of everyone's damnation.

What else but that?

The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic, and Despair-Inducing of all futures.

Deep inside an unknown location, furtherly hidden within the confines of an even more secret hideout, a lone male figure hummed in contemplation.

The responsible for bringing such a mood on him was none other than the only source of light within the unmeasurable dark room he called his abode.

In front of him, a series of holograms rolled down thousands upon thousands of words.

For multiple reasons, properly reading all of that should've been a daunting task. What with how quickly the words were scrolling and…well, the lack of eyes in the first place.

By any means, unless one possessed a quirk that either transferred the shown information directly to their brain, that granted non-retinal alternatives in combination with enhanced reflexes, or allowed the passive capacity of turning words into vocal noises, it should be impossible for him to do anything about it.

How lucky of him to have multiple quirks capable of dealing with those issues, huh?

But going back to the holograms themselves, each one of those screens displayed a series of files containing, admittedly speaking, quite some educating information.

Ah, the good doctor. Genetics might be his specialty, but extracting some classified reports from the police without them batting an eye was mere child's play for someone like him.

Indeed, what had so intrigued whom the world now waved off as a bedtime story to make their children behave, was a bunch of reports for a case the police had been investigating for some months now.

The thing was though, that these files were not an ordinary thing. Neither was the case they talked about for that matter.

Admittedly, he wasn't interested in paying much attention beyond registering the correlating occurrences back when news began bringing hints of it into the light. And only because the attacks involved All Might.

After all, what worth there was in being concerned over watching the equivalent of tossing coins into an endless hole in hopes of a miracle happening?

Even when their recurrency became apparent, he didn't consider them worthy of his interest.

Things took an unexpected turn when his, uh…ah yes, his successor didn't let those incidents pass by.

He began ranting about that annoying new 'guild' joining the 'server'. How unfair it was that they turned the genre from a 'Single Player RPG' to a 'Competitive PvP'. The only complaint he could make sense of without much effort was about those 'Noobs doing a shit job at farming their reputation'.

Nevertheless, confusing as most of that might have been, he was able to get the gist of what the inheritor of his will meant.

A new piece had joined the board.

It wasn't much of a surprise, really. He had known for quite a while of other pieces and hidden players. The latter at least he recognized them as such when they were the only ones with enough brains to not discard his existence as a myth, all the while keeping enough caution to bid their time until after he was to make his move.

Commendable, but futile nonetheless.

That being said, when it came to that new factor, well, it was obvious they eventually gained enough credit to warrant some attention. If nothing else, to assess how to make use of them.

And that's when things got interesting.

What at first sight might have appeared to be a relatively large assortment of rookies joined together with more ambition than brains, throwing themselves into the maw of the lion on each and every occasion, eventually gave to the suspicion for the possibility of, just perhaps, something far more sinister hiding in the shadows.

How repeatedly there were casualties from this new group, and yet that didn't refrain them in the slightest from going at it over and over again.

Their growing infamy despite the news all but swearing there wasn't anything suspicious about these attacks.

Most intriguing of all, as confirmed by his successor, the doctor, and agents for his own use 'And only his…', there was a noticeable number of disappearances on the villain's part occurring through the past months.

Disappearances beyond the ones he was responsible for, mind you.

It came to the point that, they of all people, began turning wary of moving through the night.

Amusing as that twist of irony was, it only took some grey matter to put the pieces together.

Someone was hunting down villains, and someway somehow, by the time they reappeared, they all were loyal soldiers willing to give it their all for a blind cause.

He couldn't help growing more and more eager the further it went on. Wondering where all of that was leading. It was almost like traveling back to his youth, awaiting each day the next issue of his next favorite comic.

Until suddenly, that was no longer possible.

There wasn't a progressive decrease in the attacks, nor some big event or any hint for that matter, of the heroes taking care of the root of the issue.

One day the attacks keep at it like usual, and the next they didn't.

Something didn't add up there. He refused to believe things ended without a proper conclusion. Whoever was at the very top of these incursions clearly had a decent head on their shoulders. Surely they couldn't have been gone without making any noise.

How else could they have made such brazen movements for entire months uninterrupted?

No, once again, he knew that wasn't the entire picture of the ordeal. And, well, what better means to get rid of that cloudy interrogative than some assistance from a group that could offer a different perspective from his own?

All of that brought him to this very moment, with his mind getting the last bits of information from the latest records coming straight out of Japan's Police Force's classified archives.

Like he had already summarized from the case. It was informative. It was unique.

Although most important of all, it was quite revealing.

Rather than a piece, he had to concede she was a player in her own right.

Intellect, resources, and, of course, a quirk worthy of validating her presence on the table.

Ah, and what a quirk that one is.

He wasn't foreign to brainwashing quirks. He himself was the owner of a pair of them, and one of his former agents, Dictator, possessed one as well.

That being said, there was a sad truth in the fact that these types of quirks, more often than not, came with their issues.

Whether it was the need of keeping constant contact for it to function, a minimal range one had to maintain for it to not lose its effects, or the always aggravating damage threshold that allowed for the targets to regain their free will. No matter how, there was always a weakness that limited such quirks.

Except hers.

Based on the files he had just made himself aware of, it was obvious that this mysterious woman didn't suffer from any of the usual weaknesses that everyone else in her position did.

He was all but sure there was a mechanism of sorts around the sentiment of despair with how much it seemed to be involved around her targets and general handiwork. Given the numbers of missing people accounted though, from both villains and civilians alike, clearly there hadn't been an impediment to control however many people she wanted.

It might not be his or his brother's, but there was no doubt he was talking about a grade A+ quirk.

Truly, a quirk like that in his possession would be… ah, where was he getting at?

Oh right, what made her worthy of something beyond mere interest.

While the aforementioned were feats worth recognition, there was one thing above all of them that made her stand out.

And it was the fact that she was one of the few individuals on the entire planet that knew the days of the Symbol of Peace were numbered.

Sure, there were thousands upon thousands of 'peers' who hoped for the day the Symbol of Peace breathed his last breath. This woman, however, knew he was growing weaker with each passing day.

Understandably so, he was skeptical when the possibility came to him. However, the more he put the pieces together and began comparing specific details, it became obvious that was indeed the case.

For the sake of never committing the same mistake from all those years ago, he had been keeping a close eye on his nemesis' activities ever since their…confrontation.

A minute. That was how much it usually took the Number One Hero to take care of a common group of mooks. Might seem impressive, but there was a time in which was a matter of a second or two, and even so, a year ago, he never surpassed the half-a-minute mark.

But alas, that wasn't what mattered. Not now at least. What was important, though, was how much it took that man to deal with her mooks.

Between ten to twenty minutes.

There wasn't anything special about the individuals she used, most certainly not their quirks. A minor power enhancement over here, a literal gun for a hand over there. The lowest scum of society. Cannon fodder. However else one might want to call them.

Really, nothing impressive about any of them.

Yet, so long as they played on the defensive, using whatever dirty tricks one could come up with regardless of how 'wrong' they might be, worked around the idea of buying time rather than deluding themselves with the idea of actually hurting All Might, much less defeating him, and fulfilled their specific roles accordingly, they were capable of lasting far more than most Rank-A villains could hope for.

He might the lack the exact numbers, but he was confident that after receiving his own parting gift from their fight, every minute of just existing was precious for that man.

Ah, the wonders one can accomplish with followers that don't bother their master with trivialities such as self-preservation, free will, or morality. I can't wait for the good doctor to finally show results regarding that project…

In any case, that told him two facts.

One. She was well versed in the exercise of correctly using the pawns one has at their disposal. However insignificant they might be.

Two. She actively and purposely played a war of attrition against the Symbol of Peace. And the only way she would've been so bent on keeping at it for as long as she did, was if she knew it was affecting him.

He was sure that the heroes and their lackeys won't see it that way, at least not until it becomes more prominent. Oh, it might occur them as a passing thought, but going from that to putting a real effort into considering the possibility? No, even those scant few who had seen their false god bleed with their own eyes will refuse the idea of someone besides him having the means to repeat such a feat.

Granted, I do not believe she has any hope of defeating him no matter how good of a plan she has on her head. However, there was no reason to not praise her use of skepticism on her favor.

No matter how self-aware, pragmatic, or wise any of them might claim to be, they still are part of an era that loves looking the other side whenever an inconvenience appears before them.

Those who live it, all have forgotten what true fear was.

Their offspring? Not a single one of them knows what it was…and what it will be.

They will deny it. Come up with conveniently 'logical' excuses. No matter how close it could be to punch them in their faces, they will do anything but lock eyes with the despairful truth.

The single pillar of their society was not invincible, and had an expiration date.

That being said…

It comes all over again to the fact that she suddenly dropped all efforts.

"Why would she do that when she still held enough advantage to keep pushing for more?" He couldn't help muttering out loud. It was a genuine mystery to him.

Why stop when your ultimate goal, like every other villain with some degree of ambition, was to defeat the Symbol of Peace?

Unless…

Unless…she had far more ambition than he was giving her credit for.

She was cunning enough to figure out All Might was getting weaker…

Unless furtherly weakening All Might was never the main objective, not even a secondary one. Just a favorable bonus.

Who's to say she doesn't know more than that…

Unless the idea of confronting him, or defeating him in the orthodox sense of the word, neither was on her agenda.

How can I be sure she doesn't know about…

Unless she was aware of how futile of an endeavor that would be.

Futile? No…no, it's impossible. The only way that logic could work was if she knew about One for All and how it functions. Meticulous as she might appear to be, there is a world of difference between analyzing data, figuring patterns, and putting it all together to conclude that the Number One Hero is growing senile and the possibility of this random upstart knowing one of the biggest secrets this world possesses. There is no way she is aware of such important information.

…But what if she was, though?

That brief instance of doubt was all the incentive required to release an irked scoff and made his instance on the matter clear.

He knew that most people in his position, no matter how open-minded or rational claimed themselves to be, would've shut the idea down, laughed it off, and moved on.

All for One wasn't most people.

He didn't see the dawn of quirks, subdued Japan into an age of darkness that lasted decades and lived with the intent of doing it a second time, only to risk it all at the expense of discarding a potential threat because of how implausible might seem.

He wasn't like those oafs with capes.

Only a third-rate Demon Lord would leave such loose ends unresolved.

The Symbol of Evil quickly began rummaging through his brain. Making scenarios, calculating their chances, and classifying them based on the likeness of turning into a real possibility.

Eventually, among the vast number of plots and schemes that occurred to him, one scenario called for some extra attention.

He tapped the right side of his seat, such action causing another screen to appear. Wasting no time, he raised his right hand and from one of his digits, it launched ahead a black and red tendril that plugged into the projector below in charge of the frames.

Through a series of mental inputs, his most recent screen eventually came to reveal a map. Through the connection made, he commanded a close-up of Japan's south-central region.

Photographic memory.

Neural Process Acceleration.

Boosted Analysis.

He called forward every single quirk in his arsenal that granted any sort of upgrade to his cognitive skills. Once satisfied, he began recalling the news, each tidbit of information within the police reports, even the most insignificant rumor.

Every single detail, so long as it helped him pinpoint All Might's movements for the past six months, was of utmost importance.

As most of his mind occupied itself accounting for the data, he spared the rest of it to make use of the map. Tracing routes, bookmarking locations, drawing lines between connection points. Slowly and methodically piecing together a scenario that…reluctant as he might be to admit it, wasn't so amusing.

Half an hour later, after marking the last relevant spot, All for One was looking at his handiwork.

At first glance, it looked like an inverse and convoluted pentagram of sorts. A lesser mind would most likely stare at the form with no small amount of confusion while wondering what nonsense were they staring at.

That assumption couldn't be any more wrong even if they tried to.

Whenever the tracings darted from Shizuoka towards Musutafu, a constant yet subtle shift occurred that turned the routes east or west, towards either Hosu or Kofu.

When it was from Hosu toward Musutafu, All Might changed course towards Shizuoka. And so on whenever that man intended to travel towards Musutafu. Yes, there were some exceptions, with the man traveling to either Aichi or Yamanashi, but from what he had assessed, those were only fortunate coincidences for the one behind the attacks.

Even within the scant occasions on which he patrolled Musutafu, there were incidents that prevented the Number One Hero to venture too deep into the prefecture. Those were the hardest to notice, as they were far too subtle and seemingly random looking that if he wasn't purposely searching for them, he would've been none the wiser.

While figuring all that was a rather recreational exercise for the brain, it was the conclusion that mattered to him.

There was a stationary target that both All Might and that woman had their eyes on within Musutafu, with the brainwashing user doing everything in her power to prevent the Symbol of Peace from reaching it for almost half a year.

Was it her location? No, I am sure she doesn't lack the resources to move however she pleased. Additionally, that man would've long since warned the police and some other heroes about it.

With how persistent he was about it, there was no doubt in his mind that it was something of great importance.

Has he finally figured out what occurred to his predecessor's legacy and was on the hunt for leads about it? Neither. In the now surely impossible chance that woman knew about it, she didn't gain anything in preventing him from reaching whatever it is he could've found. Besides, I can think of a pair of people he would've confided in such a task.

No, it was something both invaluable and so personal that he didn't trust even his closest confidants to reach for him.

Something he felt an irrational sense of obligation to deal with for himself, didn't suspect anyone would know about it, and thus, didn't feel desperate enough about it so as to sacrifice some lives for the sake of it.

There was only one piece that fit those parameters and made sense of the puzzle that were her actions at the same time.

As the implications dawned on him, the temperature in the room raised. Some veins began popping above his forehead. His fists clenched and unclenched. His jaw tensed while the teeth worked against one another.

If he wasn't alone, the quickly accumulated pressure in the air would've already choked to death any lesser being present.

It reached the peaking point, threatening to make him unleash his accumulated fury with the dozens of thousands of lives in the vicinities of his hideout…

Only for his wrath to be gone in an instant.

As quickly as it came, the bubbling anger dissipated without any hint of ever existing.

There were a few cautious moments of silence within the room, until suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, it was interrupted.

With his own laugh.

All for One laughed and cackled. His jovial chortle echoed within the empty and seemingly unending walls that surrounded him, keeping at it for however long he pleased. Whether minutes or hours, it didn't matter.

However, as it began to recede, in its place, the melody meant to break the spirits of his victims, past and future alike, that came out of his mouth shifted into a quiet smile. Growing and growing with each passing moment.

Until a cheshire smile threatened to split his face in two.

When and how was this woman capable of figuring out the existence of One for All?

How did she managed to reach the ninth with no one being the wiser about it?

Who was she?

Where did she come from?

How did her mind work?

What made her tick?

All of those questions…

Were too much of a fascinating mystery!

One thing was sure.

I am sorry, All Might. It appears…your expiration date will come sooner than anticipated.

Screw all that talk of pieces, players, heroes, other villains, or anything else!

The only thing that mattered was the true throne, and knowing which of the two Demon Lords aiming for it will end up laying its claim.

There is no doubt about who will raise victorious, but I can't allow myself to not entertain such an amusing scenario. After all, issues that derived from the standard Good vs. Evil never failed to bring me some joyous smiles.

The Emperor of Darkness against, ah what was she called in the reports? Oh, of course, The Ultimate…

"Despair, eh? Ufufufu, what an interesting choice for a theme~."