Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe - Kendrick Lamar.
One of my favourite songs ever.
And obviously, Kendrick is mine and Sora's favourite artist EVER.
"Feelings are a place to arrive at
So where does my journey take me next?"
"Hello madam, how may I help you today?"
"Hmm," The well-dressed foreign lady took the menu from my hands, heading straight into the alcohol section without so much as a pause to look at the food. She also spoke in English, despite it being heavily accented at that. "What wine do you recommend for me? I'm not a fan of white mind you."
"The pinot grigio rosé is excellent if I must say so myself," I politely replied. "Would a bottle of it suffice your tastes?"
"Make it two bottles. I have guests coming over in a few minutes - And for starters, do you serve bred with olives?"
"We do indeed."
"Bring three servings of them. And make it quick."
I bowed slightly, rushing off to the kitchen where I told the chef to prepare three starters for the table and went off to the back to pull two bottles of the wine she had ordered. After a few minutes, I watched her busy table with a smile on my face. The amount of money we were going to be able to get from them would be insane-,
Hm?
I squinted my eyes and looked at the back table in confusion.
It was just… a woman sitting there all alone.
She wore a jacket that was far too big for her, an oversized hat that covered most of her head, and not to mention she had dark shades and a fake moustache plastered across her face that was slightly at an angle. And what was most curious was the two bangs of her light blue hair at either side of her face, not hiding her real identity all that well.
A drop of sweat ran down the side of my face as I sighed and looked at Shigeo, who merely shrugged his shoulders at me. Looks like I was going to have to deal with this 'customer' myself.
"Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Hmm…" The woman said in a really bad Osakan accent. "Is there anything ya' can da' for ma'?"
"What?" I spluttered out. "Do you want a coke?"
"I ain' wanna' coke, wha' I wan' is for-,"
I turned my back to the customer and began to laugh aloud. It was rude of me, but I couldn't take it anymore as she kept on going despite the horrible accent. Who was she trying to convince?!
"Sorry, I had a coughing fit," I lied as I faced her once more. "Do you mind dropping the accent? I already know who you are."
Immediately, the woman's body relaxed as she sighed in disappointment.
"Man, I wanted to surprise you."
"You could never surprise me, Nejire," I replied, sitting down on her table as I watched her take off the shades and her fake moustache. "I recognised you from a mile away. You weren't being conspicuous either, staring at me like I was your prey not to mention I only know one woman with light blue hair that would use a disguise in the first place. Seriously, don't ever try that again."
"I thought it was clever," Nejire told me.
"It really wasn't," I told her plainly. "Anyways, how've you been? It's been a year since I last saw you, no?"
"Around about that, yes," Nejire nodded. "Well, I graduated from U.A. for one. I helped Tamaki get settled in with his agency, and now I guess I'm being a freelance hero trying to do my own thing. OoO! Do you sell chocolate-sprinkled cake here?! Can I have three slices of that please?!"
"...Uh, I guess."
"Great! Oh and Sora, make it four! You need to have one as well!"
"I'm currently working," I said to her, pointing at my outfit. Black jeans, a buttoned-up black shirt that was tucked in and even a white bowtie. It was super uncomfortable. "I'm not sure you understand what the concept of a job is."
"I do! You do things and get money!"
"That's… sure, let's go with that."
I turned around and made my way to the dessert section, giving Nejire the four slices of cake she ordered as I sighed to myself. Damn. Why did she have to appear on my shift? I took another glance over at her table, where I watched her wave at me with a big grin on her face, and I resisted the urge to just put her slices of cake down and kick her outta the restaurant.
"Trouble with that table at the back?" Shigeo asked me, concerned.
"Nah, not really," I responded, placing the plate on the counter as I added the total to her table on the till. "She's someone I used to know. Or still, know? I knew her back when I was… She was two years ahead of me. Nejire was also a part of the raid. She wasn't in my group or anywhere near me when Denji… She did help take care of Overhaul though."
"Ah, I see," Shigeo nodded to himself. "Why don't you take a break and catch up with her then?"
"...we have other customers you lunatic," I berated him. "How you manage to keep this place afloat is beyond my comprehension. God plays hard, but the Devil must play even harder to make sure you don't end up bankrupt by the end of the week."
"I can handle the customers, you just have some fun with your friend. She's very pretty you know," Shigeo winked at me.
"...She's also two years older than me. And I'm still seventeen."
"That didn't stop me when I was your age."
"Yeah, well when you were my age I bet laws weren't invented then, you pre-historic fossil," I joked. "Listen, I'll take a little break and speak to her. But I still have my shift to get through. No ifs or buts."
"Don't you have school tomorrow?"
I waved his concerns off.
"Who gives a shit, it's not like I learn much there anyways," I replied, doing up my shoelaces. "Plus I can't do hero stuff anyways, not until my application is fully sorted. I don't really have a 'mentor' to work under so to speak."
The old man groaned at that, clasping my shoulder tightly as he shot a look at me.
"You mean you haven't reached out to any heroes."
"I-, You-, I haven't had the time you shitty old geezer!" I whispered furiously at him. "Anyways, it's not like I care anyway. I can still go on patrols, albeit only once a week and with a staff member, so it's not like I'm missing out on much anyway. Plus it'll be a hassle if I have to travel every week outside the city in case I have to work under a hero that lives away from Musutafu."
"You mean you're too shy to approach heroes and ask them for a job."
"I don't need a job! This place is already good enough for me," I told him. "Stop snooping into my life and focus on yourself for once. Honestly. I'm just fine the way I am, so please don't worry about me."
Grabbing the plate of cake, I walked over to Nejire's table and placed it down with a fork for her.
"Wow! This looks extra tasty!" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down on her seat. "Compliments to the chef, I just want to eat this and die a happy death. You sure you don't want a slice of cake?"
I shook my head at that, sitting opposite her.
"Nah. I hate cake," I replied. "So, what brings you to this restaurant on a Tuesday night?"
Nejire stuffed her mouth with a whole slice of cake, which while quite amusing, was also impossible for any sane human to try and accomplish. Yet she did it with such a skill that told me everything I needed to know about what Nejire did in her free time - Opening her mouth wide and eating cake…
That sounded a lot more dirtier than I originally thought.
Huh.
"You actually," Nejire answered, pointing her fork directly at me.
I gulped.
"Me?"
"Yes, you! Can you get me some orange juice? Pretty please?" Another drop of sweat ran down the side of my head as I stared at her in confusion. Huh? "And can you add another slice of cake to the bill? It's really good, are you sure you don't want some? Come here, I'll feed you-,"
"I'm good, thanks," I budged my chair slightly away from Nejire. "So… you came here for some cake?" Nejire shook her head, taking another bite from a slice of the chocolate-sprinkled cake she had ordered.
"Nu-uh! I came here for you! It'd be funnier if your name was Yu, imagine all the puns Yu could make with a name like that! Haha," Nejire laughed at her own joke. "But honestly Sora, I want to speak to you. It's been a long time since we had a heart-to-heart."
"I wasn't aware that we ever had a heart-to-heart."
"Exactly, so why don't we change that?" Nejire asked me. "So, what are you doing working as a waiter here?"
"I owe a debt to the old man. His grandson was… he died during the raid, the guy I tried to save, so here I am working away in his stead," I answered her question honestly. "I guess you probably heard that I went back to U.A. Let me take a guess and say that you came here because you heard from Class A that I was back and you think I should leave, am I right?"
"Class A? I haven't spoken to them since you left. They weren't very fair to you after what happened - Not to say that you weren't a prickly, thorny friend to them either. But most weren't there during the raid," Nejire twirled her fork around. "I was. Before you… before he was taken down, I remember seeing you on the floor unable to accept what was happening before your eyes. The look of despair on Aozora's face was something I'll never forget."
I nodded slowly at that.
"Yeah… so, I guess you're happy with someone like me being a hero again?"
Nejire nodded at that.
"Mm-hmm. As a matter of fact, I came here to offer you a joint role in the hero agency I plan to open up."
…
"EH?!"
Chapter
Fifty
Four
'Azure Wishes'
It was ten past eleven.
My shift was just about to end, and the restaurant had no customers as I stood at the till, bored out of my mind.
"So, have you thought about my offer yet?"
"My answer is no." I immediately replied, turning to my right and shaking my head at Nejire. Sadly, she didn't understand what I was saying she jumped on the spot excitedly as if I had said yes. I sighed, rolling my eyes at her as I turned to glare at Shigeo, who merely grinned at me in response.
"Why don't you accept her offer?" He asked.
"Because I already have a job."
"But you'll have a job with me!" Nejire interjected. "Think about how much fun we'll have at the Happy Smiles Agency! We'll have water gun fights all the time, have a bunch of pastries and sweets in our office all the time and we'll order pizza, your favourite food! You'll be the co-founder of the agency."
I scoffed at that.
"Isn't that illegal? I still don't have my full hero license."
Nejire shrugged her shoulders at that.
"Pretty sure as long as I pay the bills and take full accountability of the agency we're in the clear. Come on Sora, think about how much fun it'll be!"
"I'm not joining an agency called 'Happy Smiles'. I think I'd rather take a nosedive off the nearest bridge than do that. What's next? I'll wear a pink costume?"
"That sounds-,"
"Denied," I immediately cut her off, turning to face Shigeo who was trying his hardest not to laugh at us. "Can't you just kick her out of the restaurant? Please, just ban her entirely from it. My answer is no, Nejire."
"...Young lady, say that the Happy Smiles Agency and this restaurant were to merge, would I be able to transfer some of my staff to the agency?" Shigeo asked curiously.
"Hmm, I think so."
"Great," Shigeo grinned like a wolf as he shook Nejire's hand. "Congratulations, Sora. You've moved companies. And now I'm dissolving our merger so you can keep the worker I gave you free of charge."
"Yay!"
Huh?
"Woah, woah, woah, slow the fuck down you old fossil," I protested heavily. "I said I don't want to join her agency. I want to work here. What part of that don't you understand, you decrepit old fuck?!"
"He's quite mouthy," Shigeo ignored me. "But honestly young lady, he's a hard worker so don't be afraid to dump all your work on him at once. It's what I do when I don't feel like working at the restaurant."
"What about Denji?" I yelled at him. "Are you demented? Has old age really muddled your brains? I owe you a freakin' debt for murdering the last living relative, are you that stupid to think that only a year of working can ever repay the hurt I've caused you!?"
"Sora, it's okay," Shigeo told me calmly. "You didn't cause me to be hurt at all, so don't blame yourself for something that has nothing to do with you. This is for your own good-,"
"I decide what's my own good, no one else!" I banged my fist against the counter in anger. "Damnit. What part of that do you not understand? If I leave-, Damn-, I can't just go living happily ever after in my own world and forget about this place. That's exactly what happened last time, and what do you think happened? This is my responsibility-,"
"Stop burdening yourself with a lie you've placed on your own back, you silly child!" Shigeo laughed, grabbing my head as he ruffled my hair playfully. "The restaurant's going to be fine even if you don't work here. It was created long before you were born, and it's going to last long after you die. If you really want to take responsibility for the 'hurt' you've caused me, then leave the restaurant because you're the most horrible waiter I've ever had the pleasure of working with!"
Huh?
"You constantly smell of cigarette smoke, take alcohol from our storage, always frown and never greet the customers properly not to mention you can barely use a mop! Hell, do you know how many wine glasses and plates you've broken while you were employed here? Twenty! They aren't cheap to replace you know! And worst of all, you refuse to take your wages! You know if a government guy comes over and asks why you haven't been getting paid, this restaurant is going to shut down for good, right?"
Huh?
I watched as Shigeo grabbed a plate and threw it at me, and I managed to duck in time and watched it smash behind me.
"Now you've done it! I hand you a plate so you can pass it to the kitchen, but your anger issues cause you to smash it! You're fired, Sora Yamazaki!" Eh? I watched as Shigeo grinned, turned to Nejire and shook her hand once more. "No need for a merger, please just take him and go."
"Okay~" Nejire sang, grabbing my arm as she began to drag me to the door.
HUH?!
"You can't fire me!"
"I'm the owner."
"B-but-,"
"Sora," The grin on Shigeo's face disappeared as he chuckled and looked at me seriously. "Go. Seriously. You can't work here for the rest of your life trying to make things right for a dead person. Denji's death hurt me because the boy couldn't trust his friends and family - He thought it was his responsibility to make things right. To pay for my medical bills. Don't make the same mistake as him."
…
"If you really want to pay off this imaginary debt, then don't work here. Denji hated this place more than anyone," Shigeo told me with a sad smile on his face. "He always said that the waiters were too rude to him. Funny that. Work under this young lady and make sure that your agency is big enough where even I can see it, then I'll consider any debt you have to be paid off in full."
I-,
"C'mon, don't be afraid to let go. How else do you get the chance to move on?"
I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing.
Denji.
"Alright," I replied eventually. "I'll join your agency, Nejire. Just… Shigeo, you better take care of this place. If I hear you're going under don't think that I won't drop everything to make sure that this place stays afloat! Not to mention you better go to the hospital regularly, and if you need money-,"
"I'm not going to use your money, Sora," Shigeo cut me off. "I'm an old man, let me care about my own problems. Isn't that what you always try to say to me? I'm the adult here. If I needed you to take care of me, I wouldn't be able to run this place now, would I? Focus on your own life for once, Sora. Live proudly and happily, and go and be the best hero you can. Get it?"
"...Yeah," I slowly nodded at him. "Take care."
Shigeo winked at me.
"Make sure you get with a girl before I finally die! That's another wish."
"Fuck off you shitty old fart!"
…
"What are we doing here of all places?" I asked Nejire, a lit cigarette hanging from my mouth as I exhaled some smoke. "Aren't you a hero? This counts as breaking and entering you know."
"Relax, it's just a graveyard anyway. I doubt they'll care that much," Nejire waved my concerns off. "Plus I know the fellow who runs this place. He's quite nice since I give his daughter free merchandise, he'll probably just lie and say that he called me to make sure there wasn't a disturbance going on."
"Ah. Bribery. So heroic of you."
"Shush, I'm just trying to show you something-, Ah, here it is!" Nejire pointed to the grave in front of us. I immediately winced as I read the poor soul's grave that we were currently loudly talking on top of late at night.
Mirio Togata.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to make sure that you completely understand why I'm doing this," Nejire told me plainly, pressing her hands together as she prayed in silence for a few seconds. "I need people I can trust. After… Mirio's death, the world seemed less bright. Tamaki broke down. He's fine now, but he works exclusively under Fat Gum and has no interest in making his own agency. No interest in moving up in the world that killed our best friend, or the society that then heralded him as an icon to look up to. To emulate."
"...sorry to hear that."
"It wasn't your fault," Nejire told me, struggling with her shoulders as she placed a small slice of cake on Mirio's grave. "He loved cake. More than me, which was crazy. But it's because of his death that I left Ryukyu and decided to try things on my own, to pursue my own justice free from what the HPSC or even other agencies believe is right."
"So you want me? A murderer?"
"I've killed people too, Sora," Nejire said softly. "When I was in my first year, right after the sports festival, I interned under a now-dead hero in Okinawa. I used my Quirk and blew a hole in someone's chest. Their blood is on my hands. I didn't mean to do it, I just lost control. Funny that, it was declared only an accident but I feel responsible all the same. He was a rapist, already convicted, and was about to rape a small girl. Yet I can still taste his blood in my mouth nonetheless."
I nodded at her.
I watched as Nejire moved slightly to the left, and I saw the grave right next to Mirio's.
Mirai Sasaki.
"I already know how Nighteye died. Midoriya told me all about it," Nejire said. "How Nighteye was brave and heroic even in his last moments, unwilling to pass until the next generation of heroes arrived. Until you were able to arrive. But Midoriya didn't mention anything about Mirio, he wasn't there for his last moments… did he-,"
"Mirio died when Overhaul injected himself with the drug he created," I told Nejire. "I don't remember his last words, and by the time I awoke on the beach with Mirio laid out on the floor… he was already dead. I don't know if he had any free will of his own, if he was even aware of what Overhaul was doing - Or if he felt my attack on him. I don't think I'd want to know anyway."
"I see. Ignorance is bliss, is it not?"
"To a certain extent," I agreed with her. "There was nothing you could have done to save Mirio's life. He died because of me. Because I let Overhaul goad me into freeing him because I couldn't keep my temper in check. Mirio was the first to be absorbed you know, so it ultimately does fall upon me as well as everyone else's deaths. But the world remains ignorant of that because if the truth ever came to light about that day…"
"Do you think the world would blame a child?"
"I think the victims would demand justice from the one responsible who is still alive," I answered. "And I can't blame them. Their loved ones are dead while I'm still standing and trying to live. Ain't exactly fair, is it? But I suppose ignorance is bliss. I get to live freely without any cares, and they get to think that their loved ones have been avenged."
"You know, that kind of talk isn't allowed in our agency! We only trade in smiles and happiness!" I rolled my eyes at her. "Sora, the real reason I want you and not anyone else is because I value your experiences. The way you think and carry yourself. Class A… well, I'm not going to sugarcoat it - They're insufferable. They think they can endure what even All Might could not. It's disappointing to see them go down this path, especially when they were so promising not that long ago…"
Ah.
"Heh, that's my fault," I replied "I'm sure you heard from Mina or someone else how I left them. I thought it would be good for them, but I made them turn out exactly like I did. Nejire, I'm thankful for this opportunity it's just… I don't know. You sure it's a right fit for me?"
Nejire laughed loudly.
"Sora, even if your hair is different you'll still be like my little brother!" Nejire told me, wrapping one arm around me. "You were always my favourite in Class A. And time hasn't changed that, so let's just start fresh, okay? You can even call me 'nee-chan' if you want."
"...I won't."
"But you can!"
I chuckled at that.
"The agency ain't gonna be called Happy Smiles, over my dead body. We'll think of something else, alright?" Nejire pouted at that but eventually accepted that as she clapped my back loudly.
"Sora, this is the part where you whisper sweet nothings in my ear and tell me how you're never gonna leave our agency! How you and I are going to remain together forever!" Nejire yelled loudly.
"We should negotiate certain terms."
Nejire made a show of mulling it over. "I could start buying you extra-large portions for your dinners," she said, pursing her lips. "Might even consider bringing you out to eat like maybe… three times a week? OH, and I'll even give you my exclusive swimsuit pictures! Hey, I'll even be your little wingwoman, how about that?"
"Thank you," I said, as deadpan as I could. "I feel really valued at this agency."
"Great! This is the start of an amazing partnership! I can feel it in the air tonight. Also because I think our star signs align. Yay."
There was something oddly calming about rain.
Even as I was late for homeroom, I stood outside of my dorm and waited for the rain to stop - Only it never did. I sighed, staring at the time on my phone slowly ticking away and berating myself for waking up late. My coat was in the wash and I've never owned an umbrella in my life, a fact which I was starting to regret.
I sighed, taking off my blazer as I held it over my head and began to run in the rain, each step splashing my trousers and making me regret my choices in life as I continued down the trail from my dorm to the main campus, hoping that I wouldn't get too wet from the rain. That was until I nearly bumped into her.
Walking calmly in the rain while holding up an umbrella.
Jiro turned around to stare at me with a blank expression on her face as I stood still, my blazer held over my head as the rain kept pouring down harder than ever. Despite that, Jiro couldn't help but roll her eyes at me as she stretched out her arm holding the umbrella.
"Walk with me."
I nodded, putting my blazer back on as I walked alongside Jiro in silence.
…I tried my hardest not to look at her from the corner of my eye, but I think I failed as whenever I did so, I caught her staring straight at me. What should I say? Hell, what even can I say?! 'Sorry for everything I ever did to you, I was just an idiot who thought he knew better?' As if an apology like that would ever be accepted-,
Jiro's hand moved faster than I could react as she reached deep inside my breast pocket and pulled out my cigarettes.
"Do you have a lighter?"
I nodded, passing her a pink lighter that I had burrowed from God knows where.
Jiro chuckled as she took the lighter from my hands and lit a cigarette for herself, coughing as she took a drag from it. Just like she used to do when she was with me. We stood under the umbrella with the heavy rain falling around us for what seemed like an hour, or perhaps it felt like that because I was so transfixed with Jiro smoking in front of me.
"I heard you're working with Hado-senpai now."
"Where did you hear that from?" I asked.
"You know, a little grapevine here, a little grapevine there," Jiro replied, "It's great to hear that though. For a while, I was scared that you were going to play it safe and try to intern with Aizawa-sensei again."
I shook my head at that.
"The only reason I interned with Aizawa was because the two of us wanted answers, but we got those answers. Not only that but Aizawa works out of the spotlight, and Shinso suits that more than me. More than that though, I want to be my own person. Separate from the idiot that caused all the pain and suffering before, someone that can really do something good."
"Sounds like you're trying to be a real hero rather than someone who just protects who he thinks needs protecting," Jiro said. "You know, after our last conversation, I think some of my class got the message you were trying to say to them. That we weren't moving forward, just sideways. Even after leaving our class, only you and your words will ever be able to change our class."
"You're giving me too much credit," I replied. "Consider it a testament to how strong your class really is. In comparison, you lot never gave up like I did when times got hard. You endured far more than I could. But time doesn't heal all wounds, sometimes it makes them worse. And it's like you said, only some of your class got the message. I ain't done yet."
Jiro slowly nodded at that, placing the cigarette she had lit up for herself in my mouth as she winked at me.
"I know you're not. That's the type of person you are, who you've always been. So just keep going at it, Sora. I'm rooting for you until the end of the line."
I chuckled at that.
"Till the end of the line, huh? That's a helluva' a while away, Jiro. You're going to be kept waiting for a while."
"It doesn't matter, Sora," Jiro lowered her umbrella as she stepped inside the school building with a bright smile. I couldn't help but admire her because even now I was still attracted to her. A year had passed - but my feelings towards her hadn't changed one bit. "I forgave you when I realised you weren't here for us, but for yourself and whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. You always lacked that goal even when you were still with us."
"What about my 'carefree tomorrow'?"
Jiro shook her head at me.
"We both know that the only reason you ever fought for a 'carefree tomorrow' was to justify everything you ever did to us, not because you truly believed it. Did you really think that we'd accept a carefree tomorrow without you?" Chuckling softly at that, I shrugged my shoulders in response. "None of us were going to accept that. We still won't accept it, even if it means we have to…"
"Endure? Yeah, I know, I know. You all keep on telling me how much you've had to endure since I left like that changes a damn thing. I don't care about a 'carefree tomorrow' anymore because I know that it'll never come," I told her. "We'll always have worries and barriers ahead of us. How could you call that carefree?"
"You and I have two very different concepts of what a carefree tomorrow is, Sora," Jiro replied. "And that's fine. We all pursue justice in different ways, that's why we are heroes. That's what drives us forward - Gives us the will to keep on fighting, because all of us have our own ideas of what it means to be a hero. You haven't been back for long, but you'll soon see the true face of our society."
"...what do you mean?"
"I mean being a hero isn't easy work. Do you think you had it bad with Aizawa-sensei a year ago? It's a lot worse than you think," Jiro rubbed her arm as she briefly looked away from me. "The world is corrupt. More so than you'd ever think, and the average citizen has no idea. Or maybe they don't care. But it's up to us to protect the innocents, Sora. While you may have given up on your idea for a 'carefree tomorrow' - That doesn't mean it was a stupid idea."
"So you're the fool who chose to carry that banner now? Ironic, isn't it."
Jiro shook her head as she jabbed her finger into my chest.
Hard.
"It's not foolish to want things to change. You can think I'm a fool for choosing to believe and work towards a carefree tomorrow, that's your prerogative, but I think it's a beautiful dream that I will make a reality," Jiro explained to me. "That's my goal, Sora. You can mock it all you'd like, but watch me make that goal a reality. I've seen what this world can do to someone who cares, how it tears them down and changes them. I've seen what this world can do to good people, so I want to make sure it never happens again."
"...I'm not mocking you, Kyoka," I put out the cigarette she had lit up as I stared at the grey, unmoving sky for a few seconds trying to formulate what I wanted to say. "It's just-, I don't know what to say. Can this world even change? Do the people in this world want change? That's a question that doesn't have an answer; and even if it did, would it be one that we like?"
"Then I'll change that answer with my actions," Jiro told me. "You don't have to worry about my safety, Sora. Or anyone in my class. Hell, you don't even have to worry about Class B, they were completely fine on their own before you came. Focus on you and your goals, that's what matters. Don't forget that, alright? Because I won't forgive you if you turn back into the bastard you used to be. Don't use us as an excuse to put your life in danger."
I nodded at that.
"Yeah, I know. Old habits die hard I guess."
"It's been a year. You're the one saying we haven't changed, but I don't think you've accepted that in some ways we have changed," Jiro replied, smiling softly at me. "The same way you've changed in a few ways but are still the same kind of person on the inside. But it's not the inside that counts, it's what you do that matters. Anyway, we've spent enough time talking. We're already late."
"Yeah. See ya' I guess." I waved at her, watching her go inside the building.
The rain stopped around me, but I still felt like it was raining.
…
Man, I hate love.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO GET RID OF YOUR SUIT?!"
I winced at how loudly Mei screeched, swivelling around her chair as she pointed a wench directly at me. The way she was waving it around was bound to cause an accident, and I was sort of dreading what sort of thing Mei would bump into which would then result in a chain reaction probably blowing up the school in the process.
"I said I want to get rid of the suit we designed. It's shit," I replied. "It makes me look more like a vigilante and less of a hero. Not to mention we forgot to add a shirt under the damn jacket which exposed my chest. I swear, I had a cold for a week after I wore the costume."
"Are you sure it wasn't your cigarettes?"
"I was cold, okay? A simple knife or bullet would have pierced my skin."
"But it didn't."
"That's because I didn't go up against a knife or a bullet!" I reminded her, sighing as I slapped my forehead. "Listen. I need a good costume. I'm working with Nejire now, do you remember her?"
"Hm? Ah, who could forget her? Anyways, you got any ideas?" Mei asked me as she turned around in her chair and pointed at the small work she had done on our project. "I've started drafting materials to use for our magnum opus. None of them are particularly impressive, but I have another twenty metals coming next week. Maybe you should wear a metal costume? Like a knight or something."
I snorted at that.
"Nah. That's too much effort, not to mention it'll look tacky. Doesn't the Ingenium line have a trademark on knight costumes anyway?"
Mei shook her head.
"Pretty sure some new English hero called Charlus Tactica wears a knight costume. Or maybe that's just a movie character? I don't know English well so maybe I read the article incorrectly," Mei frowned at her phone. "I guess you're right, a big metal suit would look really tacky on you. I can't see you wearing something like that, not to mention you're too small to wear one."
"Oi. I'm five foot seven."
"One hundred and seventy centimetres isn't that tall, nor is it that short either. Probably around average height, maybe a bit less," Mei ignored me completely. "Ah! What about a classic design?"
"You mean like a full suit?"
"Latex?"
"Fuck no."
"What about spandex?"
"Bitch, don't kill my vibe! C'mon, do you really think my skinny arse would look good in spandex? Plus, won't people be able to, uh, you know-, Look at my crotch area?" Mei's eyes narrowed as she stared directly at my eyes.
"Are you… afraid of your-,"
"Not really. Pretty sure I'm average size down there, I'm a grower and not a shower so I'm not that worried about what others will think of me," I interrupted her. "Rather it's just a bit weird, don't you think? Can't you make it a little more baggier?"
"This isn't a fashion contest."
"I know. Just that I have to look good as well, don't I? Or else what's the damn point of making a costume that's function only. The public will hate me and call me boring or something. Do you want me to fail as a hero?!" Mei shook her head at that, and I sighed in relief.
At least I wasn't going to be wearing spandex.
"How about a more modern approach? Something like Deku's costume? Or Bakugo's? Reckon we could do something with clouds around your costume, what do you think?" I shook my head at her suggestion.
"It's too much like Aozora. I know some inquiries will be raised considering my Quirk and my position at U.A., but I don't want to make it obvious you know. I want to hide my identity for as long as I can," I told her honestly. "It's impossible for me to keep my identity hidden, especially since a ton of people know the truth about Aozora."
"Fair enough. What do you think about this?" Mei pulled out a few sheets from her drawer. "It was originally designed for the army. Lightweight kevlar. It'll stop a bullet, or maybe a knife. I can't remember."
Hm.
I stroked my chin as I took the papers off her hands and inspected them a lot more closely.
"Why didn't the army use them?"
"They didn't think a soldier's life was worth fifty-five million Yen. I can't say I blame them, it's not like it's even that good," Mei emphasised. "But, I have a few spares lying around. Want to tinker with it?"
"...in what way?"
"Well, you said you wanted to add more electricity to your costume and gadgets so you could draw from it for your Quirk, right? Well, this armour is special. It runs on electricity - In that without an electrical current running through it, the entire thing would disappear."
My eyes widened at that as I whistled at her.
"So, nanotech?"
"Not exactly. But that's not the important part, what I'm trying to get at is-, Oh my, that could actually work!" Mei bounced up from her chair in excitement as she ran to my old costume. The very first costume I had ever worn. It looked very much like a traditional samurai garb because that is what it ultimately was. "Sora, do you remember what your first costume's material was made of?"
"Uh… my Quirk, right?"
"Correct! Power Loader synthesised a material using your Quirk, while it's not identical, it allowed you to stitch it back up using your Quirk, did it not?" I nodded at her, wondering where she was going. "See for this armour, there needs to be a battery in place for the electricity to flow around and for the armour to be kept up. What if we replaced that."
"...With cloth?"
"No!" Mei snapped, pointing the wench directly at my face with a manic smile. "What if it was powered by your Quirk? We already know that your clouds conduct electricity - That means they pair well. We replace the battery with some of your work, and ultimately the electricity can theoretically never run out for as long as a piece of Nimbus, one that is electrically charged, is within the armour. Not to mention if the material around is the material-, Yes! I got it!"
"You do?" I asked in surprise. "I mean, of course, you got it! You're Mei Hatsume after all."
Mei grinned wildly at me.
"Sora. What if I told you that you would never run out of electricity to use?"
"Huh?"
"Even without a piece of Nimbus inside charging the armour, if I use the cloth made from your Quirk, it will still be able to conduct electricity. What I'm saying is that it will never run out of charge, even if it can't power the armour on," Mei told me excitedly. "I'm saying that we can make a shirt for you to wear that can be turned into armour at a moment's notice by simply using your Quirk to activate it. You'll never have to take your suit off."
I slowly nodded at that.
"Huh. That's actually… wait, and if the electricity is constantly there-,"
"You won't just need to rely on a stun gun to charge your attacks," Mei finished my sentence for me. "Precisely. You said your Quirk's changed right? You can't fight from a range anymore."
I nodded at that.
"Yeah. But with this, it'll add some range at the very least. Better than a stun gun ever could," I couldn't help but smile at Mei as I patted her back. "So what, I'll be wearing armour then? Like Ingenium-style armour? Or what?"
Mei shook her head.
"More of a cargo vest, but less bulky," She replied, walking over to another desk as she inputted a code and pulled out a thin green cargo vest. "It'll look like this, but it'll cover your sleeves as well. And of course, it won't be green."
I nodded at that.
"Right. And with these pouches, I'll be able to fit a lot of support items in there, provided of course by you," I picked up the vest and admired the beauty of it. "And I'll keep the same trousers as I had before of course, same with the boots. But you know what…"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Mei asked me.
"Oh yeah. This bad boy needs a mask."
"I thought you said you weren't going to wear a mask?"
Nodding, I put the vest down as I turned to look at her.
"Aye, I did. But I have an even better idea. Tell me, what's the number one thing a hero must be aware of when they want to make it big?" I asked Mei. She looked at me in confusion, scratching her head as she struggled to think of an answer.
"Uh… practicality?"
"Marketing," I corrected her. "Most heroes have a theme. For Endeavour, the flames on his costume go a long way in making him memorable. With just the vest I'll look cool, but it won't be enough. But if I add a cool mask that I'll sometimes wear, well then I'll be elevated. Of course, it'll fit even better considering I already have one idea for a theme to use."
"Oh yeah? Tell me."
I'll admit, I'm a creatively bankrupt person. But even then that didn't stop the pure happiness radiating from me as I thought about what I was going to say next. I guess I had to thank my old life for this because if it wasn't for Masashi Kishimoto, I'd be at a loss for where to go next.
"Oh yeah. Through in an old Japanese dog mask and you've got yourself a convincing Ninja Hero, don't you think?" I asked Mei. I had to admit, while it was quite lazy of me, it was also brilliant and a genius move-,
"Denied."
"Huh?! Why!?'
"Because Edgeshot is already the Ninja Hero. Don't tell me you forgot he existed…" I nervously laughed at that. Fuck. How could I forget Edgeshot!? "Why don't we just skip the mask for now and add some cool features to the vest making it a lot less generic and more unique."
"...Fine."
Damn you Edgeshot!
Damn, you!
"Sora-sensei."
"Please. Just Sora." I corrected Sai Yafuso, my mentee. We were currently 'meditating' in an empty classroom. I leaned back on the teacher's desk, raising my Weekly Shonen Leap magazine to cover my eyes as I tried my hardest to fall asleep.
"Sora-sensei, when should I open my eyes?"
"When you can… feel God? Yeah, that sounds about right."
"What if I ascend to Heaven?"
I waved away his concerns.
"Eh, you'll probably come tumbling back down to Hell-, Earth. I meant Earth. Anyways, meditation is an exercise to simply become attuned to oneself," I told my student. "Personally, I think meditation is simply incredible after having some 'alone time'. Really, it allows you to reflect on what you've done and the immorality of your actions."
"...I'm afraid I have no idea what you are babbling about, Sora-sensei."
"Cheeky bastar-, Nevermind. Do you know why we meditate?"
"Because you have anger issues?"
"Had. I had anger issues," I snapped back at Sai. "Hypothetical situation. Say you have a plan that needs to stick the landing else… I don't know, all your friends will die. Then everything goes to shit, and you don't know how many of your friends are dead - Let alone how many will make it out alive. How would you react to that situation?"
Sai looked at me blankly.
"I don't know."
"Exactly! Anger is quite justified in a situation like that, but you have to not lose your composure. I know that sounds silly. Be angry but still be in control? That's why you need a stress reliever always with you on the job," I pointed at the pack of cigarettes lying on the table in front of me. "Now listen, I ain't encouraging you to smoke. Or drink. None of that, just find your own way to destress on the job."
"Like…?"
"Do ya' really want me to spell it out for ya'?" I asked, sighing as the boy looked at me in confusion. "Alright, alright. Something called releasing, uh, liquids? Yeah. I guess that makes sense."
"You would have me masturbate in a dangerous situation?"
…
"Well, when you put it like that it does sound kind of odd, doesn't it," I chuckled nervously. "But no, I wasn't suggesting that. I was going to say force yourself to vomit or something, sure you'll feel rough for a few seconds but it'll clear the butterflies in your stomach. You'll be able to do a lot more if you are on an empty stomach because let me tell you - Sometimes you'll be up against an opponent who punches you so hard that you'll vomit out your breakfast."
Sai winced at that.
"Have you ever gone up against a villain like that?"
"No. But they do exist."
"I think… maybe I chose the wrong profession."
"Nah, you're good. Just design a smart costume. Trust me, I know all about that."
"All right."
Oh… Oh…
"Oh…"
Oh.
Oh?
Oh.
Hm….
Oh, fuck.
Nejire and I stood outside of our 'office'. A run-down building on the outskirts of Musutafu, compared to the other dilapidated buildings in the area it looked more shinier the longer I stared at it. I turned to stare at Nejire, who was spinning the keys around her fingers while jumping up and down excitedly. I turned back to face the building and sighed heavily.
If you observed the building for more than a few seconds you would be able to spot out a small sign stuck to the front.
"Nejire's Clear Blue Sky Agency… That's certainly a name."
"Well with your attitude, I thought I had to at least make reference to Aozora," Nejire responded, throwing me the keys. "Come on. Apparently, there is a special surprise waiting for us inside. Nezu insisted on not telling me, and I really want to know what it was!"
Nezu?
I narrowed my eyes at the building. Whatever that rat had in store for us wasn't going to be easy, or even wanted, he was a schemer but he did cover for my bullshit at the very least. Well, I did owe him one, so I might as well see what this is all about.
Opening the front door, much to my surprise, I was greeted with a set of glass stairs.
"Huh?"
"Oh my… Sora, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"...I don't want an aquarium underneath our stairs," I told Nejire bluntly. "Anyways, let's go up and see what else Nezu did." Walking up the first flight of stairs, Nejire and I were greeted with the first floor of our new office. It was sparkling new, which contrasted heavily with the outside of the building. I whistled, pressing my hand against the expensive and newly installed desks and chairs.
There weren't many, only five or six people, but that was more than enough.
Not only that but there are extra rooms as well.
A bathroom for the men and the women, as well as our own baths - Divided by gender. Not to mention our own kitchen, a small living room area with a TV and even a meeting room for some reason.
"This is insane."
Nejire sat on one of the desk chairs and began to twirl around with a big grin on her face.
"Sora! You have to try the chairs out!"
"Maybe later," I replied, going up the second flight of stairs to the top floor. It was empty, well apart from a briefcase sitting right in the middle of the entire floor. I walked over to the briefcase and chuckled as I saw who it was addressed to. "Sora Yamazaki."
I read out my name and shook my head, of course, Nezu would do something like this.
Right on top of the briefcase was an enclosed letter.
To Sora Yamazaki,
There is a saying. A wandering fool is never alone on his journey, but a man always reaching for the past will never reach his future. It doesn't make much sense to me, and I doubt it will make much sense to you either.
After taking a year-long 'break' you have decided to re-enroll back into U.A., illuminating our halls with your presence once again. And if I'm being perfectly honest, it is good to have you back. Not just as a hero, but as a student who managed to motivate both your peers and the staff into achieving greater things.
While the world may view Aozora as dead, that doesn't mean that Sora Yamazaki still can't save people. While I know U.A. is merely a stepping stone for your other issues, that doesn't mean that the staff at our prestigious school don't want to see you flourish.
A year has passed, and with that, there have been many changes.
It was I who asked Nejire to partner up with you and be your mentor, and I have many more plans involving you in the works. And that's simply because of your best attribute - Your determination.
I understand that currently, your relationship with Class 2A may be testy and that you are still a fish out of water largely speaking with the way our society really works. You barely had any experience as a hero, and any experience you did have was with the underground scene which you have decided not to follow through with.
Keep this determination in mind.
There are many barriers we all face, and that is why I have trusted you and your generation to finally be the ones to bring them down. But change can only begin once you understand what it is that must be changed, and that's partly why I have decided to gift you and Nejire this office.
Lavish on the inside, and dilapidated on the outside - How fun!
Not only that but with even more school 'assignments' coming soon, it will be fun to see how you handle the life of a hero. And don't be mistaken, that is exactly what you are. Even if you haven't decided on your name or even your costume, please do not fret about the former problem.
I have decided to make a costume for you with the help of the wonderful Mei Hatsume!
You may have questions, but I won't answer them now. As I understand it, the last time you were a student at U.A. you wanted to seek out the truth but disliked the answer you found.
I won't ask you to seek out the truth.
I'm asking you to discover what exactly is the purpose of all this. The truth is out there, all you need to do is figure out the puzzle, Sora Yamazaki. Show me the determination that I've seen within you time and time again.
Your principal,
Nezu
…
"Tch, that bastard," I couldn't stop myself from grinning as I chucked the letter on the floor. Nejire had come up the stairs and was standing next to me as she giggled at the latter and clapped my back in response. "I'm not going to open it."
"Don't be stubborn."
"Fine," I rolled my eyes at her and kicked the briefcase open. "I wonder what's inside."
"Wow," Nejire's eyes widened as we stared at the costume inside "That's very bold."
Aha.
"Oh, fuck."
"Look at you! Wow! WOW!"
This was… Unlike anything I had ever worn before.
Ever.
Well, it had some familiar design elements, as well as some completely new ones.
Mei and Nezu had completely scrapped any previous ideas of armour and had gone for an entirely different look, which while wasn't exactly bad was something I was going to have to get used to. Thankfully there was a mirror which allowed me to look at my costume and examine it a lot more closely.
It was a silver-coloured full-body jumpsuit with three belts around my thighs, two on my right as well as one on my left. The jumpsuit didn't have a design on it, only a few black lines running across it, and thankfully it was a little baggy instead of being skintight. It reminded me a little of Midoriya and Bakugo's costume if you squinted at it ever so slightly. I didn't want to be called a copycat after all.
Especially considering I had shoulder and knee pads as well.
Thankfully, I wore dark brown boots along with it to differentiate myself from them.
Somewhat.
I had another red suspender belt, this time across my waist which functioned to conduct electricity for me, somehow. I didn't really understand how it was crafted, only that it was what Mei had talked to me about before where I only needed to charge it using a little bit of my Quirk. Not only that, but it also functioned for me to carry my sword as well.
I also had a white overcoat with some blue highlights, which while on the nose, was quite useful. The collars were flared and on my shoulders were once again belt-like attachments, and the coat could be tied up with a belt, which was purple but I left it loosely hanging and to the sides.
The overcoat also featured a ton of pockets and had already included things like a taser, my old stun baton, a few stun and smoke grenades, bandages and even some cigarettes and a lighter. I also wore one fingerless black glove on my right hand which also had a special function.
The glove could be activated to conduct electricity with it, just like my belt.
Thankfully, my chokuto was exactly the same as Mei had just begun crafting my blade for me. After putting my sword in place, I turned around to see the final piece of my costume - The mask.
It was my old mask as Aozora.
A pure white mask with a small painted red slit for my mouth, as well as two black-painted curved eyes. It was far too small for me to wear, but I wasn't supposed to wear it. Right at the bottom of the briefcase was a small note from Mei.
Sora,
Armour wouldn't work on you. It doesn't suit who you are, and neither do darker colours. You are, and always will be a hero to me. Someone I look up to and support. So you got a bunch of lighter colours, and the jumpsuit to make you look more heroic!
The belts are there because I know you want to look stylish :)
Nezu helped with the overcoat though, as well with the boots, the belt and the glove. I was entirely stuck on those parts of your costume. And the mask was an old spare, I want you to carry it with you so you don't forget why exactly it is you are still fighting.
Your mechanic,
M.H.
"Hah, unreal," There was a small zipper in my jacket where I managed to slip my old mask into. "She just has to surprise me once again." I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but grin at the costume.
"I take it you like it?" Nejire asked me, already wearing her own costume.
"Yeah. This is… I certainly look like a hero. More than I ever did, and while the jumpsuit is a bit weird, I'll get used to it," I replied. "Now all that's left is a hero name and I'm set. Do you have any ideas-,"
"Whitelock!"
"No."
"Whiteshock?"
"No."
"White…sky?"
"Scrap the white," I told her. "I don't-, Gah, don't worry. I'll think of something soon. Just, uh, call me your partner or something. Nejire's friendly neighbourhood hero? No, that sounds stupid."
"I like it."
"You like anything so long as your name and friend are in it. You could be called Nejire the friendly child molester and you'd smile and call it brilliant," Nejire pouted at that, but she couldn't hide the amusement in her eyes. "So, what now?"
"Do you want to kick back and watch some TV downstairs?"
"We have a TV?"
Nejire nodded.
"Yeah. Seventy-inch, curved TV with 4K support and HDR."
"..."
"What?"
"Say, would you mind if I brought my console down here sometime?" I asked Nejire. "You know, just to see if the TV really works."
"There already is a console there."
"Nejire, I think I made the best decision of my life deciding to work with you," I told her plainly. "So, what's the agenda for today? Outside of relaxing in our new office that looks fucking awesome by the way. We even have one of those robot-controlled vacuum cleaners, isn't that cool? Nejire we don't have to clean."
"I know, I'm so happy! I'm such a slob. Also… can you make me some lunch?"
Huh?
"What do you mean to make you some lunch? Do you not know how to cook?"
Nejire chuckled shyly at that.
"I never learnt."
The sky was bright for a day that promised to be long and tiring.
"Sora!"
I sighed, pocketing my phone as I stared across the street to see Nejire walking around in her costume. I too was wearing my costume, but no one had run up to me and asked for pictures unlike the public did with Nejire. To be fair, I was still unknown. I mean this was my first public appearance as… Whatever hero name I was going to call myself.
Silver Lion?
Nah.
"Yes?"
"Help."
Nejire was being hounded by a bunch of kids, and while it was funny and cute to see, we were supposed to be on patrol. If patrol amounted to me buying myself ice cream and watching Nejire get tortured by little children begging her to sign their clothes and take pictures with them. At the very least I was thankful it wasn't fully grown men and women asking her for feet pictures…
"Fine, fine," I walked across the street and stared at the group of kids. They looked no older than five or six, so I did the best thing imaginable. I stared blankly at them for a few seconds. "Move. Now."
Thankfully the kids listened to me, even if they looked a little scared at me. Was it the glare? Or my sword? Probably both.
"You didn't have to scare them away," Nejire said to me.
"We have a job to do, whether we want to do it or not that's the truth of the matter," I replied. "So I'd rather we get this over and done with you know. Plus, we have to make our rounds around the damaged base of the Shie Hassaikai."
Nejire's eyes softened as I said that.
"We don't have to go, you know," She told me. "I'm sure we can just leave it for someone else to patrol. I shook my head at her, finishing off my ice cream. Strawberry flavoured with sauce on top, just the way I like it.
"It's fine. We're heroes and it's in our patrol area, if there have been reports of weird things going on there then we have to go there. It doesn't matter about any personal feelings towards the matter."
"You ready to begin then?"
I nodded.
"So, what exactly are we going to do?"
"Just follow my lead."
The outskirts of Musutafu were exactly that, the outskirts. Compared to the opulence and overall extravagance of downtown, and even the North, West and East districts of the city - It was only the South that was referred to as the 'outskirts' and for good reason. Most of the buildings looked run-down or were completely abandoned, the streets were dirty and there were tons of back alleys and areas filled with trash.
And I didn't mean literal trash - I meant the people themselves.
The outskirts had the highest rate of crime in all of Musutafu since before I was born, and it has only increased since then. And I was turning eighteen in just three months. Barely any heroes made the rounds here purely because of how 'futile' it really was, and the only one that did so had died just over a year ago during the Shie Hassaikai raid. Ever since Nighteye's death and the closure of his hero agency, the people living here lost the one shining light they had in their lives.
I didn't need to wonder why Nezu chose this place to be where our agency was located in, because I already knew why. It was a test. To see if I would stick to being a hero, or if I'd leave once again when shit hits the fan.
"Hello, do you mind if I borrow your time quickly?" I asked a group of teens around my age.
"Uh, who are you?"
"I'm, uh, well I'm a hero. Obviously. Listen I don't have a name yet, but you can call me… Sora? Yeah, just call me Sora I guess," I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment as the group looked at me unamused. "Have you heard any rumours recently about the remains of the Shie Hassaikai base nearby?"
"...fuck off."
Huh?
Much to my surprise, not only was I pushed aside by the teens, but they also looked at me scornfully. It was different to hate, more so that they distrusted me entirely - And what was worse was the fact that the other members of the public simply walked by with their heads held down.
"First you destroy buildings in our area and arrest people for no reason! And now you're planning on moving into our neighbourhood and keeping an eye on us? Hell nah! You can fuck right off, you government dogs!" One of the teens spat out. "I ain't gonna tell you shit. Why don't you crawl back into whatever rich district hole you came from, you arrogant prick? My sister died that day, and here you are demanding answers from me. Where were you when my ten-year-old sister was murdered?! I bet you've never lost anyone important in your entire life-,"
I cut him off as I stepped forward and lifted him by his collar.
"Say that shit again and I swear I'll break your fucking jaw."
His friends immediately backed off, especially as I glared at them. The lad I had grabbed by the collar had cooled off as he looked at me with fear in his eyes, and for a split second, I wanted to deck him hard in the face.
I let him go, scoffing at the entire group.
"...go, before I change my mind."
They scampered off without saying a single word, which only made me more annoyed. I turned to my left to see Nejire smile sadly at the spot on which they stood, and even if she didn't notice it, her arm was shaking. Tch.
"Don't listen to them-,"
"You nearly lost your temper on civilians," Nejire cut me off. "A hero doesn't do that."
"A hero also doesn't stand by and allow civilians to mock them and get in the way of their job," I replied. "If you want me to 'endure' I'm sorry to say that I won't be doing that. I'm not going to endure this pointless bullshit from people that don't know what they are talking about, or are so wrapped up in their grief that they forget other people know what suffering is as well. I'm a human, not a punching bag."
"Hero's are meant to endure-,"
"And what good is enduring when nothing ever changes? That's just taking pain because you think you deserve it. Because you feel like you want to be punished, and that's a feeling I know all too well," I looked at the sky guiltily as I said that. "...come, we might as well check the ruins anyways. Tch. I guess they were right, heroes really aren't well-liked anymore."
Nejire and I walked through the outskirts of the city until we reached the place that had taken everything away from me.
The building was completely caved in and was more of a ruin than a place you could visit, and despite that, there was still rubble with faded stains of blood on it. Compared to the other buildings around the area, the Shie Hassaikai hideout screamed tragedy. It was destroyed for a good reason, even if the reason was ultimately…
Yeah.
Even if I destroyed that reason and turned it into revenge.
"Come," I told Nejire, being the first to walk inside the familiar ruins. That was when we entered the building for the first time. As the two of us walked inside the dark and abandoned place, with our phones being used as torches, I could still remember the floor on which Aizawa and I fell down. Nejire and I walked down the stairs and we ventured deeper into the place.
Until we reached the place where everything turned to shit.
"Is this where-?"
"Yeah."
Something bitter came to the forefront of my senses as I walked around the small arena where Overhaul had been held captive. Even now, they hadn't covered up the hole in the ceiling after Overhaul had sprouted wings and flew into the sky, trying to kill as many people as possible. Sixty deaths.
"We should go-,"
"No," I said to Nejire forcibly. "Don't avert your eyes from what happened."
"You're just torturing yourself."
I didn't reply as I stepped forward, onto the small pool of dried-up blood right in the centre of the room. I knelt down and briefly ran my fingers across it, and remembered the small little girl that died right in this spot with a massive grin plastered across her face. Her lifeless eyes still haunt me to this day. Nejire put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly as I stared at it.
"W-what are you guys doing here?"
I looked up to see two little boys, probably around age ten standing on the opposite side of the arena. They had made a little hut using some rubble and broken pieces of wood and had even decorated a small flag that proudly presented the ruins of the Shie Hassaikai base.
I couldn't help but laugh at the situation.
A once-feared gang that experimented on children and sold drugs was reduced to a children's playground. It was ironic that the once proud Shie Hassakai that stood against modern society as we all knew it was now a relic of its time not even a year removed from their downfall.
"I guess you two are the reasons why there have been rumours about this place then?" I asked the two kids who were dressed up as heroes. "C'mon, let's get you home. I'll even throw in an ice cream or two."
"Why?" One of the kids protested. "This is our base. The Super Freinds Forever base! We can't just leave, especially to suspicious people like you! What if you steal our base?" Nejire giggled at that.
"I promise, we won't take your base! We already have a big base of our own!"
I rolled my eyes at her as I got up from the ground and slowly surveyed the area. Nejire was better at dealing with this situation than I was, and so I walked around and lifted pieces of rubble up. I thought they would have cleared this place out, but it looks untouched. I knew that they had found Denji's body, but he was buried under a lot of rubble elsewhere.
I guess even an arena like this was cursed.
"Why'd you pick a place like this to be your base?"
One of the kids stepped forward holding a toy sword. It flashed with different lights and was from a movie franchise I had never seen, but he held the sword as high up as he could as he faced Nejire and me.
"I heard from my brother that this was a resting place for all the people that died last year. That nasty people used to live here," He told us. "No one would look for us here. Even if there are ghosts or this place is haunted, no one disturbs us."
"Fair enough. You know it's a nice hideout," I pointed at their little hut. "I'm sure if I was your age I'd probably think it's cool as well, but you know this place isn't just cursed - I heard the souls of the departed latch onto living people that walk through here. At night you'll hear the screams of the people that died here looking for fresh bodies to steal."
The kids looked warily at me for that comment.
"Re-really?"
"Yeah. They are spirits that love to eat children's faces off and steal their bodies," I replied, trying my hardest to contain my laughter. "Isn't that right, Nejire? The friendly childhood kidnapper."
Nejire had the decency to sigh at that.
"You aren't helping my reputation here. Don't worry you two, Sora here is just joking."
The kids sighed in relief before they shot nasty glares in my direction. If it wasn't for the fact that they were kids, probably no older than nine, I would have found it annoying instead of cute.
"You know we aren't the only ones that stay here," One of the kids told us. "Some older kids come around here now and then. We hide from them cause they are terrifying, and when they see us they don't recognise us. Even though they've seen us before. But they always come in a group and talk about their next big 'score'. Whatever that means."
Hm…
"How about this then? My friend over here will take you two back home, and I'll search for these scary older kids. Then you can come back here and play in your little hideout for as long as you want, got it?" The two kids nodded at me as I turned to look at Nejire, who thankfully agreed with my plan. As I watched the three of them retreat into the building, I looked around the arena and tried to find more clues.
Hm…
I knelt and squinted my eyes at the floor.
Was that… mud?
I stood up and turned around, looking straight at the exit. If a group of older kids, probably teens, were to walk in here, where would they want to go? Standing right on top of the mud, it was clear to see that from the exit they had walked to this spot first. But then where would they go? I pivoted around the spot to face more of the rubble as I hummed to myself.
If I were a secretive person, where would I want to hide?
Bingo.
I walked forward towards a big pile of debris. From the outside, it looked like four of five chunks of concrete had broken off from the walls and mounted on each other - The only issue is that it covered an entire corner of the arena. That was impossible considering the walls in that corner were untouched and remained up. So where did it all come from? I walked closer to the mountain of rubble and chuckled to myself.
"You poor bastards," I whispered, tracing my hands across the concrete. "You thought no one would notice your hatch job? Then and again, I guess you didn't expect someone like me to show up who remembers how this place used to look like."
Paint.
They had painted over the concrete to make it match the nearby walls. I knelt and saw a small spot where I could place my hands underneath and lift the rubble. The group of teens probably had someone with a super strength Quirk, thus the entire thing could be set up and moved easily. I nodded in respect as I stood back up and summoned my Quirk to float me up into the air.
Sadly, it hadn't occurred to them that if they didn't patch up a hole in the roof of their little hidey-hole, it wasn't that secure. They thought people wouldn't look into their rubble that much, after all this place was subject to a raid. Naturally, rubble would be anywhere. But not in this room, at the very least my nightmares reminded me of how this room looked every night.
The only rubble this room had was destroyed by Overhaul during our fight.
I dropped inside the little hideout, and immediately I regretted it. Tons of roaches - And not the insects were littered across the floor. The ends of used-up cigarettes and joints were the first thing that I noticed, as well as empty alcohol bottles and used condoms right in the corner. Ugh. It made me want to vomit, but I ignored that area as I looked around the small place. Hm? I looked closer towards one of the walls to see that there were a ton of scratches on it.
No, it wasn't scratchings, it was markings.
What was that, fifteen… no twenty. Twenty-two markings had been made on the wall, and if were bothered enough to count the amount of used condoms on the floor, I reckon I'd probably get the same amount. Still, that didn't answer the question of what exactly this place even was. A little getaway for a group of teens to have fun?
So they smoked, drank alcohol and fucked in this small area.
Why?
What was the point, and why tally it?
…
Why keep it a secret anyway?
Realistically, you could do the same thing at a local park or a friend's house. Why go through all the trouble to do it here, in the remains of an old base from a famous Yakuza syndicate? A few kids making a secret base here, I understand. But teens doing all this just because they smoke and fuck? It's far too much effort for something that can be achieved with more secrecy for less.
This just screams shady.
And what was up with the tally?
The number of times they came here?
I squinted my eyes as I stared at the other empty corner, there was nothing there. It was empty, and it didn't take long for me to find out why. There were blood stains in that corner. I winced as I looked at the stains from afar, and suddenly something clicked in the wrong way. But I still didn't have any proof. I turned around on the spot, sighing to myself as I shook my head.
C'mon, I'm missing something-,
Aha!
I smirked to myself as I tilted my head slightly up and caught a glimpse of something pink. Now what would something pink be doing stuck in the middle of two pieces of rubble cobbled together? Either someone had lost it there, which was unlikely, or it was hidden there on purpose. I used my Quirk to float slightly up in the air to get closer to the pink item, only to click my tongue in annoyance as I got closer to it.
It was…
A pair of ripped panties.
Fluffy pink.
I winced at that as I floated back down and placed them on the ground. I guess everything was starting to connect now, as much as I didn't want it to. Now all I needed to do was piece together what everything meant and how it all fit together as a complete set rather than separate pieces of a puzzle.
"Sora?" I heard Nejire call out my name.
"In here," I yelled, and within seconds Nejire floated over the debris and landed right next to me as she looked around the area in confusion. I waved the pair of pink panties at her, a grin on my face. "Look at the treasure I found!"
"Gross. What even is this place?'
"I'm figuring it out, but if I have to guess a den of debauchery," I replied, "Hey. Do you mind counting the amount of used condoms in the corner over there? I have a bad feeling about this."
Nejire nodded at that, picking up a rock as she separated the number of used condoms all piled up and eventually replied with a number a few minutes later.
"Forty-four".
I nodded at that.
I had everything I needed.
"So, the kids said that a big group of teens come here sometimes talking about 'scores'," I then turned to the tally on the wall. "So I reckon these must be the scores, and since you counted the used condoms to forty-four - A multiple of twenty-two as seen with the numbers on the tally, then at the very least there were two people who used these condoms. That means that the condoms, the tally and the scores are all correlated - And in this context, it probably means sex. And with a pair of torn pink panties, then surely it means one thing."
"That it was at the very least two guys and a girl?" Nejire asked me.
I nodded in response.
That certainly was the group of teenagers the kids told us about.
They probably didn't want the kids to overhear them doing their 'business'.
But why?
Why come as a group to this area just to smoke, drink and fuck?
Why tally it?
Ah.
Of course.
"Considering the empty alcohol bottles on the floor, as well as the roaches and ends of cigarettes, they got the girls with them either drunk, high or most likely both. They probably then counted on the fact that the girl was intoxicated to move her to the corner and… fuck," I winced as I thought about it. Damn. "Realistically, the tally is less of a counter for them to know how many times they've been here but more of a badge of honour. Creeps like this like keeping tallies, something about a memento gives them power."
Nejire blinked at me in surprise.
"How'd you manage to piece that together so quickly?"
I waved the ripped-up pink panties on one finger before pointing to the blood stains on the floor.
"The most damning evidence of all. Say even if a girl still rejects them, they'd probably get a little violent. It explains the ripped-up panties and the blood - Even if the other girls 'willingly consented' how the hell can you explain this? Either way, these scumbags are getting girls cross-faded and having their fun with them in a place they think no one will look because of what happened last year," I growled at the situation. "This is just a fucked situation."
"That's good intuition."
"In all honesty, considering the corner of blood and these torn-up underwear, they most likely raped the girl that came with them. They probably lured her into this spot with the promise of free alcohol, cigarettes and even drugs. Perhaps they are dealers?" I paused, thinking to myself as I shook my head. "It doesn't matter what they are, point is that at the very least it's two dudes. One of them must have a super-strength Quirk of some kind to have put all this together, but then the other guy, what's his deal?"
"Maybe just extra precaution?" Nejire asked. "Like in case something goes wrong."
I shook my head at her.
"Like I said, one of them has to have a super-strength Quirk to even engineer this little place. I hate to say it, but there's no chance a gal is getting out of this unless she also had a similar Quirk - And something makes me think that these scumbags don't target girls who they know can kick their arses," I explained with a scowl. "If they do lure and rape girls here, then why tally it. Why hide evidence like this?"
I pointed at the ripped-up panties.
"Furthermore, how come there haven't been reports? It's almost like everything happened but they forgot-, Son of a bitch," I turned to look back at the tally, thinking back to what the kids said. The teens see them every time but don't recognise the kids, despite having met them prior. "I see. Crafty sons of bitches. Just wait until I get my hands on those cocksuckers, I'll make sure they pay."
"Sora?"
"Nejire, do you remember what the kids said about the group?"
"That… they never recognise them?"
I nodded.
"Specifically they don't recognise the kids but have seen them before. I don't know about you, but that seems fishy to me. Why? Why even keep a tally in the open like this? I understand that criminals sometimes like to showcase their crimes almost as if they are trophies, but a tally? What does that prove?"
"The amount of times they've done this?"
I shook my head at Nejire.
"Nah. That's too obvious, but that's also probably the wrong answer. We've already counted one of the teens as having a super-strength Quirk, why should we rule out the other teen having a Quirk as well?" I asked Nejire. "If we were just dealing with teens raping girls, there should at least be a trail. Someone must know about it, a parent or even a police officer. Something like this would have made the news whether we wanted it or not."
"What are you suggesting, Sora?"
"If no one can remember anything, the tally isn't more a trophy of the crimes they've committed but a refresher for them to know how many times it's happened," I explained my theory to Nejire. "Think about it like this. You have a super strong guy who can build this area and a guy who can wipe memories clean of a specific event. Or something along those lines. It would make sense why no one has come forward - why there hasn't even been a single whisper of something like this, only rumours."
"That's…"
"Unlikely? Maybe so, but even if someone knew something they aren't going to go to heroes like you or me and tell us what's happening," I replied. "And the police? God, they're more useless than us at times. What's your theory? That we got it all wrong? Look at the blood-stained corner, now I don't know about you but that's pretty damning evidence. And also why they hid this," I pointed at the pink panties, "Up there. They were hiding evidence. This has to be it."
"So what, this is some kind of crazed sex dungeon where they grab girls and get them intoxicated, rape them then wipe the memories of everyone there only to do it again and again to avoid suspicion?" Nejire sighed heavily. "That's messed up. Aren't we dealing with teens as well? Realistically, they are all probably your age Sora. At the very least they are second years, and worst case scenario they are even younger."
…
"They are due for another 'session' soon," I told Nejire. "The blood in the corner is dried up yeah, but it still looks fresh. Not to mention some of these cigarette butts look freshly smoked - And I'd know everything about that. Realistically, they'll probably want to come back here and discuss their next target before they do anything."
"So you want us to do a stakeout?"
I nodded.
"Sora, we can't do that. We don't have any proof that a Quirk was used, and if we can't prove that then a Hero can't conduct an investigation, that's what the new law says," Nejire told me. "Let's just call the police and explain it to them. They're the only ones who can investigate this legally-,
"I don't care, I'm going to catch these bastards and make them regret the day they were born," I whispered angrily. "With or without you. Fuck the law, and fuck whoever tries to get in my way. I decide what I do."
Before Nejire could reply, the two of us heard voices outside.
I couldn't believe my luck.
"-and Himari's arse is like this big man. Imagine how it would feel hitting that ass? C'mon, we should invite her over," One boy said wistfully, making my skin crawl as he said that. Fucking creep.
"Nah. I'm pretty sure we took Kaede out last week considering that's what everyone said, but I don't remember shit. Not like I remember anything thanks to your Quirk. But anyways, I think we should lay low for a bit," The other boy replied. "Why don't we just relax for a bit you know? Oh, you got the weed."
"Yeah, man of course."
"Sick."
Slowly, the rubble covering the entrance to this place was lifted up as Nejire and I came face-to-face with two teenage boys that looked about my age. The one lifting up the debris was big and burly, easily above six while the other kid was a weedy, thin-haired kid with tons of freckles.
"Uh…"
I didn't give them any time to respond as I rushed forward, wrapping my foot with some Nimbus as I kicked the big and burly guy in the gut sending him tumbling backwards while I unsheathed my sword and pointed it directly at the blonde boy.
"Sorry to parade on your 'fun', but you're coming with me," I told the two of them. "You're under arrest."
"For what-"
"For what? Oh great, we have a fuckin' comedian over here," I snapped angrily, drawing the blade closer to the weedy boy's throat. It would be so easy. And deserved. "You think it's alright to rape girls who are heavily intoxicated and wipe their memories clean? Do you think that makes you cool or anything? Nah, you're just scum. Get on the fucking ground now before I slit your throat."
Why were they smiling?
"Why? We haven't done anything wrong?" The weedy blonde kid told me with a bright grin on his face. "I don't remember anything-,"
I couldn't hold my temper in as I stabbed him in the shoulder.
"ARGHH!"
His screams filled the arena, and I wasn't going to lie to myself - In some baseline way, it did please me. I twisted the blade stuck between his shoulders as I scoffed at him. This is it?
"After all the things you've done to those poor girls, this is how you react? You're under arrest-,"
"Sora."
Nejire's hand on my arm calmed me down.
"...what?"
"Let them go."
Huh?
I turned around to face Nejire who was glaring at the bastards hatefully, but I could also see the pain in her eyes as she told me the words I dreaded the most. Let them go? Why!? Why the hell should I let these fuckers go? These fuckers that hurt innocent people?! Nejire read my mind as she patted my arm once again.
"Sora, we can't convict them."
Huh?
"If we take them in now they'll be out within the evening. We didn't catch them in the act, nor do we have any substantial proof tying the crime to these two," Nejire told me. "Not to mention none of the victims can remember anything."
I turned back to stare at the bastard who was still grinning at me.
Imagine if it was Miwa?
Wouldn't you be angry, Sora?
Wouldn't you want to find who was responsible and kill them?
What about Jiro? Tokage? What about-,
I ignored Kurai's voice, shaking my head as I grabbed my sword and pulled it from the boy's shoulder angrily. Fuck. I didn't say anything as the two boys got up and left the place, leaving only Nejire and me all alone. Fuck. That's fucking bullshit-,
"This is how our system works, Sora," Nejire told me. "Most crimes never get reported or are even resolved. And it's because of Quirks like these. Unless we catch them in action then nothing can happen, and I'm pretty sure you spooked them into never doing something like this again. At the very least that's one positive outcome."
"What about the victims that were violated?!" I screamed in anger. "Where is the justice there? Are you telling me our world is so far up its arse that we can't make the world a little safer? That those two criminals get to walk our streets with their heads held up high because of their fucking convenient Quirks?! How is that fair!?"
"It's not fair," Nejire agreed with me. "And you're not the first person to mention this."
Huh?
"You don't keep up much with the news, do you?" Nejire asked. I shook my head in response. "Just like those other teens before all of this, many people are fed up with heroes. With the way our system of justice works, and with cases like these, it's no wonder there's been more protests for things to change. For heroes to be illegalised. And I can certainly empathise and agree with that cause."
My eyes widened at that.
"You mean-,"
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. Even if we arrested them or tried to make a big public announcement about it, the end result would be that it backfires on us. Because of the law, and the way the system works, we aren't allowed to move. We aren't allowed to pursue justice," Nejire explained to me. "It means bastards like them get to walk free. That's why our office is here, on the outskirts of this city."
….?
"Sora, why do you think Nezu told me to try and convince you to team up with me? It's not because of my bubbly personality. It's because I want to try and change all of this," Nejire told me passionately. "After Mirio's death, I was lost. I tried to ignore the protests and throw myself at my work, at being a hero, but I was met with case after case that all resembled this. I realised how truly restrictive our system was."
"You-, you mean you planned this?!"
Nejire shook her head.
"No. I wanted to show you the failings of our system, of how bad things truly are compared to when you were last around," Nejire answered. "And that's what Nezu wanted to show you as well. To make you reflect on our system, and what it is we heroes do. We support and defend the system that allows for criminals to walk because of the absurdity of Quirks because there is nothing we can do to prevent that."
…
"So what, you telling me that you want to take down this system? Our government?"
Nejire shook her head at me.
"I'm saying that you shouldn't put all your eggs on just being a hero," Nejire replied. "Once again, it's all thanks to Nezu that I'm even able to ask you of this. To even be a part of something that'll make us do the things we wish we could, able to arrest those scumbags and make them pay."
"What are you talking about?"
"For far too long heroes haven't been able to do what they want to do - help people. We're burdened by the system and the corrupt politicians that add more and more laws that weaken our powers and investigations, it's why many heroes hate working with the HPSC," Nejire told me. "You may not be aware of it, but ever since our new Prime Minister Yamaguchi was elected, the HPSC has been split into two factions. Their corruption is starting to spill out onto the streets, Sora."
"How does that tie into you and me?"
"Heroes can't perform stakeouts, we can't lead investigations if there isn't any evidence that Quirks were used - That's only available to police. Heroes work with the police, but even then we aren't privy to everything," Nejire told me. "Conversely, most arrests are performed by heroes. Since the Police Act was signed a hundred years ago, most policemen and women aren't allowed to be on the front lines and make arrests of criminals using their Quirks. That jurisdiction falls under heroes only."
"What are you suggesting?"
Nejire smiled at me.
"Well, it's not what I'm suggesting. More so what three highly intelligent people all working together thought of," I looked at her in confusion. "Principal Nezu, Prime Minister Yamaguchi and one Chief Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi. They've all reflected on our current society and what's wrong with it, how change is needed but change won't come by protests or heroes solving crimes. Not with the amount of corrupt politicians in public reducing the power we heroes have, as well as what power the police can do."
"So what? Are they going to be merged or something?"
"That would be far too costly, and not to mention it would take far too much time for the benefits to be shown. But if we take one person, someone who functions as a member of the police and a hero, someone that can lead investigations and can make arrests - Someone that can arrest pieces of crap like that, then perhaps things can finally change," My eyes widened at that. "Do you understand now?"
"...You all want me to be that person."
Nejire grinned at that.
"Precisely. You have strong intuition, not to mention in the entirety of your year you are easily the most suited for this type of work. How many people in your year in Class A or B would have entirely shut down from investigating something like this? Because they aren't ready, it's as you said. They simply just want to endure, but what's the point of enduring if nothing ever changes?"
"...I have my own goals-,"
"I know, you didn't come back to U.A. to simply be a hero again. That much is clear, but that doesn't mean you can't achieve them while doing this," Nejire said to me. "You said it yourself, you're stuck on your hero name and what type of hero you want to be. This is your chance. If you really want things to change, to be someone different, then this is it. Detective Sora Yamazaki, you can be a hero with the jurisdiction of a member of the police. That's what Nezu wants."
"And thats it?"
Nejire shook her head once again.
"No. You'll have your own team, of course, one that you lead. The Special Reinforcement Group, or the S.R.G. The office you just walked into? That'll be your office. You'll be on your own, a new and separate division of the police filled with heroes. Naturally, I'll join as your support! And whoever else you think will make a good fit can also join. The only one that'll be above us is our supervisor and co-founder of the S.R.G., that being your friend Nanao Iori herself."
Hm.
I chuckled loudly.
"Man, you guys thought this one out, didn't you? You really want things to change, don't you Nejire?"
She nodded at that.
"Mirio's death wasn't my fault, nor was it yours. He and everyone else died because of our corrupt system that keeps on hurting innocents, and you were hurt by this system as well. But we can't continue going on like this, it's like you said change has to happen, we can't endure this anymore," Nejire raised her hand out for me. "So what do you say, Sora? Do you accept?"
…
Was this what I wanted?
Yeah, it was.
I wasn't a hero, nor did I come back to be a hero. To be like Aozora, and even wearing this jumpsuit felt odd. It felt foreign - Because I had never once been a traditional hero. I never once tried to be a hero, I simply wanted to protect what I wanted to protect. But this? This was what I wanted. A chance to do what I thought was right, to investigate and protect what I value the most.
To find out where Raiden is.
To find a cure before my body falls apart.
This was my only chance - One given to me by Hachi, the Prime Minister of the country who knew and respected me. From Nezu, the principal of my school and even Aizawa and the rest of the staff who know my strengths, the strengths given to me because of my previous life. And because of Naomasa Tsukachi, for whatever reason he trusted me with this role.
There was only one answer for me.
Only one path that I could take.
Everyone in U.A. was right, I didn't deserve to be a hero. I was dragging my feet trying to find someone to intern under for a few weeks because I truly didn't know what I wanted to do. I was so stuck on my hero name and costume because ultimately I didn't give a shit about being a hero, I was back at U.A. doing what I wanted. Everyone knew that, that's why I was given this offer.
Because I was the outlier.
The one who left it all behind.
Aozora was dead, and that was a fact. I couldn't just show up and be a different hero, I wouldn't have learnt anything. But this was different. With how the law on heroes currently was, and how public opinion treated them, there was no chance that at some point if I continued down this road I wouldn't have broken the law to do what I wanted. Even if it was selfish, it was true to myself.
Nezu was banking on that.
He was banking on me being me in his game of chess against this world. So, there was no other option for me.
If it meant that I could get these scumbags in jail.
If it meant I could find Raiden and find a cure.
If it meant that I could protect what I wanted to protect once again.
Then there was no other option for me-,
"I accept!"
Now I know some of you will be confused.
Huh?
What's going on now?!
Where will this story go!?
And that's because this is an unexpected twist, I wanted it to be that way. Say what you want about him, but Sora isn't your traditional hero. He'll never be like Midoriya or anyone at U.A. I've highlighted how bad the system is for a while now, even in Part 1 with the Decide Arc focusing in on Aizawa and his links with the underworld. With the murder and corruption being rampant, and how that affected someone like Sora who refused it to the end.
Sora isn't someone who accepts how things are, he's always been someone who shakes up the formula and follows his heart. He follows how he thinks should be, he has always pursued his justice instead of what the system wants him to do. His consequences are exactly that, if he followed his path of being a hero his anger and temper would get the best of him.
And he'll break the law once again.
That's led to a dark side of him, Kurai, someone who's unhappy with the way things are. Someone who does what he wants, and that's the parallel between them (even if they are the same person technically.) Sora's indecisiveness on what hero he wants to be is examined in this chapter, and it concludes.
This is the next logical step for Sora, his character arc and his growth. And it allows me to do plenty of fun things with the plot and characters that simply wouldn't be able to happen if it wasn't for the introduction of the S.R.G. After all, I think I've made it clear that one of Sora's biggest strengths is his mind. How quickly he can think through situations and make a plan, how he's relentless and doesn't give up.
Now I would argue that these are the skills of an ace detective, something Sora's been showing to you the reader for a long time now.
Seriously, this fits the current Sora a lot more than a hero.
Aozora was more of a childish dream, the naivety Sora held that he could protect everyone and build a carefree tomorrow by himself. He was proven wrong by his own decisions. Sora being a detective now is a more mature response to everything he's done, an act of responsibility. Aozora had a mask and anonymity to fall back on when the raid turned to shit.
Now Sora doesn't have that.
If he fucks up, he'll be responsible for it with no way out. Again, I didn't originally plan for this story twist - It just wrote itself when I first wrote this chapter and ever since I've been so glad with its introduction to the story which has shaken its foundation entirely. Nejire too. I love her dynamic with Sora as an older sister and younger brother type thing, which leads to a lot of comedic scenes.
This all feels a lot more natural than what I originally wrote (Sora becoming an edgy hero). Looking at my original plan it feels far more juvenile and half-baked, of course when Sora comes back to U.A. a changed person he's going to pursue justice and his goals in a different way.
Plus, Detective Sora Yamazaki sounds cool as shit.
So I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the many more to come!
Part 2 is only just getting started!
The-Tobi:
Get some rest, seriously. These chapters will still be here after a long, nice sleep... Now I want that too.
Animeman309:
Battle scenes always make me nervous, either I think I have written way too much or way too little (Something I think I may have previously discussed?) so I'm glad you enjoyed the battle scene! Sora IS happy again, and even if there are some things he wishes were better, his life is on the upward trend and this chapter should show that.
...
As for when Kurai and Shiro will show up? Hehe.
It won't be far from now.
