Disclaimer: Both Street Fighter and My Hero Academia belong to each of their respective franchises. I claim no ownership whatsoever.

"Where 'ya goin' Quirkless?"

Izuku looked up from packing his things into his bag and saw three of his classmates huddled in front of him. He was standing from his seat, still holding his notebook, when the one in the middle snatched it out of his hand.

"You're still writing in this thing, Quirkless?" The burly boy, Tsubasa, his wings protruding from his back through specially sewn holes, asked as he looked at the notes he was flipping through. His orange mohawk was spiky as always, and he grinned from ear to ear as he looked up at the shaggy-haired boy through circular shades.

With school having just ended, Izuku was quiet as he stared at the trio blankly, before he snatched his notebook back with surprising swiftness. "Yeah," he answered simply, carefully stuffing the item in with the rest of his things.

"Hey!" Izuku turned to the boy to Tsubasa's right, a baldheaded kid with a drill for a nose. "The boss wasn't done reading that!" He was the shortest of the three, glaring daggers in a manner that was barely intimidating despite his mutation.

"Yeah!" The boy opposite him was the taller of them, a humanoid chicken, his crest drooping down his face in place of hair. "Give us back your stupid notebook, Quirkless!"

Izuku rolled his eyes as he slung his bag over his shoulder after zipping it closed, stepping out from between his desk, only to be blocked by the three. "Not so fast, Quirkless!" Tsubasa said, adjusting his shades. "You haven't paid yet."

Izuku's brows creased lightly when he heard this. "Paid?"

"Compensation money," The kid with the drill nose, Kenma, said with a snide grin of his own. "Anybody here would have creamed your sorry butt, but we were the ones to claim dibs first. So, fork over the cash, Quirkless. It took a lot of work being your bodyguards. I mean, it's the least you can do."

"Damn right!" The chicken boy, Niwatori, seconded. "Consider it a graduation gift. To us!" All three boys laughed, and so caught up in their merriment, Izuku calmly slipped past them. He exited the classroom, barely making a sound as he quickened his pace and disappeared down the hallway.

"Wh-What the-? The hell'd he go?" Tsubasa squirmed too late, finding themselves in an almost empty classroom as the remaining students were leaving themselves. "Tch! Hey, Bakugo!"

Bakugo Katsuki, who was just about to leave as well, didn't react, barely giving the trio a glance as he casually walked past them towards the door. Tsubasa gritted his teeth, his mouth twisted into a scowl, some resentment bubbling up from the fact that he had been close to the blonde as a child until... the incident. Of course, washing his hands of the blonde wasn't out of any reluctance on his part. Being told by his parents was just an added incentive.

"Don't just walk away," Tsubasa called out, stepping forward with his hands balled into fists. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" To his surprise, the blonde did stop, but didn't turn around, his own hands buried in his pockets. "What's the idea, man? Are you just gonna leave us hangin' here?"

Katsuki didn't move, except that his eyebrows knitted into a scowl of their own, which anyone could have read as annoyance. "Look, buddy," Tsubasa began again in a more careful tone, "I know we haven't... really talked in so long, but I mean, you're going to U.A. and all, so how about we celebrate?" He waited expectantly for an answer, but when there was none, he continued sourly, "Oh, what? Don't tell me you think you're better than us now that you got into the most elite hero school in the country. Come on, dude, we were bros, right? Back when we were kids, remember?"

Katsuki's answer came as a silent step towards the door. "Don't tell me you and Quirkless are close now." He stopped, his hand inches away from pulling it open.

Tsubasa blinked, not really having intended on saying such a thing, but grinned nonetheless at finding some purchase, "I knew it! You and Deku are back to being buddies again, aren't 'ya?"

"Him and Quirkless?!" Kenma chimed in, sneering.

"I thought it was weird when I saw you guys walking together to the station a few months ago," Niwatori revealed. "What, are you two-?"

"Did you cocksuckers say something?"

A sudden pressure permeated the classroom, causing the three to freeze where they stood. A faint sound that quickly increased in volume reached their ears, and Kenma peeked to see that the glass panes of the windows were vibrating, followed by the desks and chairs.

To Tsubasa's growing dread, his body could only shake under a single, veiny eye that shot him and his cronies a glance, right before Katsuki departed without another word.

"Th-The hell was…that about?" Niwatori shuddered out after recovering his bearings.

Tsubasa tried to keep up a brave face, but his orange mohawk was already drooping, sweating like a pig from the terror that had come over him. WIth a shake of his head, he stuttered at the other two, "L-Let's just go to the arcade."

Kenma blinked twice before agreeing. "Y-Yeah…"

Later…

Izuku took the Koraku bento from his locker and took the time to make sure that it was in the same condition he had left it. When he was satisfied, he made his way outside and hailed for a taxi. "To the station," he told the driver.

With a nod, the man stepped on the accelerator. Once the vehicle was in motion, Izuku relaxed against the backseat and glanced idly at the rearview mirror in time to see Katsuki on the same sidewalk, flagging down a taxi of his own. He would have preferred that they just share a ride, and he did try to ask once, but before the suggestion could even leave his lips, he was forced to block a fast and Ki-charged mule kick. That naturally drew some looks, as they were still in front of the school, but just as quickly was it swept under once they realized who was making such noise.

When they arrived at the station, he paid the fare and thanked the driver. He entered the building and bought a ticket. He jogged next to the gate and queued patiently for the train to Gifu. He dipped his head when he felt Katsuki behind him, the two of them apart by four people. He held his breath as he passed the gate, only hurrying when he was the next one through the door. He winced as he remembered how belligerent the blonde could still be despite being in the middle of public transit.

Just like this morning, he sat down with the bento next to him and took out his phone. He checked the news cycle again, curious to see if there were any more bizarre news like the dead whale. Sure enough, he found some small mentions of the serial killer known as Stain, who had claimed two more victims in the past week. A slight frown creased his brow, "Maniac..." A disgruntled psycho with delusions of a perfect hero society, or so his manifesto would have people believe, which eventually went viral when it was shared online.

Public discourse was predictably divided on the subject, with some voicing that he had a point, while others myopically agreed with his rhetoric to the point of idolizing the madman. Unless they fully understood the consequences of such actions, their opinions were as worthless as dust in the wind. It would pass when a new trend came along, so it wasn't worth his time to mull over. There was nothing special or revolutionary with his spree of murders.

He kept his eyes on the phone, still ignoring Katsuki as he was, when he came across a strange article that made him stop scrolling. "Vampires?" Izuku mumbled as he tapped on it. As far as he knew, this was the second article this year about incidents where the victims were drained of their blood with the telltale puncture wounds on their necks. Both cases seemed to have occurred in Europe. He sighed through his nostrils with an arched brow. "It could just be a Quirk…but…"

His train of thought was interrupted when the train itself stopped, and a voice announced that they had arrived at Gifu. He pocketed his phone and took hold of the Koraku bento, scanning the terminal once he set foot on it. He passed through the gate and made it outside to once again ride a taxi. Another half hour, he arrived at his destination, a familiar flight of stone stairs up a mountain. He got out of the taxi, and not long after, a second one arrived, from which Katsuki stepped out of.

They exchanged a brief glance before Izuku went ahead, climbing up the stairs until he came to a closed gate, the thick double doors as imposing as ever. He pressed the palm of his hand against a panel, took a deep breath and pushed, feeling resistance, followed by the creaking of internal springs as it began to give way. He pushed on, stopping only when he was allowed to pass. He heard the door retract slowly behind him, marking itself closed with a loud bang.

He looked ahead as he strolled along the cobblestone path leading to the dojo to find another already there, standing in front of the wooden stairs. He was smartly dressed in a beige suit, his back to him, but his blond hair was unmistakable.

"All Might!" Izuku called as he sped up in his walk, and winced when the man did. "I mean…"

"N-No, no, Young Midoriya, it's alright," Toshinori said as he turned around, his hands in his pockets, his blue eyes and sunken face drawn into a small smile. "I was wondering when you'd get here."

Izuku beamed. "We still have some school left before graduating." He stopped next to his hero, his idol. "Uh, did you…?" He lifted up his gift with both hands, earning a flinch from the man.

"Well, knowing him, all I could really get him was..." He turned to a bag lying at his feet and unzipped it to reveal a wooden box. He carefully removed the lid before stepping aside to allow Izuku a look at what appeared to be a tea bowl, held securely by a specialized mold. "It's a real antique and believe me, it wasn't easy to get. I had to call in a few favors to find a dealer willing to part with it."

"A tea bowl?" Izuku repeated curiously, marveling at the antique bowl that was pitch-black except for a few white spots that could be seen at the edge. This was not the uniform make of current, but a true relic from the 16th century, with a distinct, uneven angle, carefully and perfectly preserved. It must have cost a fortune, but to someone like the Number One Hero, it might as well be another generous donation to his favorite police department or hospital.

"Tch, well look who's brownnosing," a voice called out from behind them. "As if he'll even give a shit about all that crap."

Both Izuku and Toshinori turned to see Bakugo Katsuki, hands in his pockets as he walked up to them, an unfriendly scowl painted on his face. "Now Young Bakugo, this is just a show of gratitude from us. Nothing more."

"Whatever, old man," Katsuki grunted under his breath. His eyes then shifted searchingly. "Well? The hell's rich boy at?"

Toshinori would be the one to answer. "Oh, uh, Young Todoroki couldn't make it. He's set to attend a function with his father later tonight."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Oh, so Mr. Better Than Everybody Else is gonna hobnob with a bunch of snobs than waste another second in the boonies. Typical."

Izuku shook his head with an appeasing smile. "I'm sure he would have-"

"Like I give a shit," Katsuki cut him off with a snarl. "He's already gotten what he wanted from us. Fuck 'im."

Izuku and Toshinori decided to let the matter drop, knowing that the blond boy was just upset that not all of them could make it and expressing it in his own way. After a minute had passed, they all flared their senses and realized that their Master was not at home. Without wasting another second, the three of them jumped up to the roof and crossed it at great speed before leaping over the fence. From there, they sped over the trees without making a sound, as if they were one with the wind.

Upon reaching the foot of the next mountain, they tumbled and soared over great ridges, crossing and closing the distance to reach the top. This, too, was part of their training, mindful not only of their surroundings but also of themselves, deftly making sure that no damage was done to the items they carried. They had climbed the mountains of Gifu numerous times, often on long training trips with little food and water, with only nature as their source of sustenance. Rigorous survivalist skills had been drilled into them, hardened by conditioning in the elements.

They all stopped to find who they were looking for, meditating on a ledge in a lotus position, practically skirting the edge of the cliff. Izuku smiled as he stepped forward, presenting the bento with both hands and said, "Shishou."

Gouki, dressed in a dark purple yukata, let out a deep humming sound without turning around, satisfied that they had made the climb in much less time than the last one, just as the sun was setting overhead, a sight that still awed Toshinori. "We come bearing gifts, Gouki," he said as he too stepped forward. "It may not be to your appeal, but this is simply a token of our gratitude." A growl reached him, and the lanky man could only grin meekly, his head sinking between his shoulders. "And to commemorate the boys graduating."

To their surprise, Katsuki came close as well, holding a flat cardboard box wrapped in stylized washi paper that he must have taken out of his bag. "Here!" He threw the box straight at Gouki's back, where it harmlessly bounced off and landed on the ground, drawing no small amount of dread from the other two. "My old lady insisted!"

All was quiet before another sound came from the imposing man and he slowly rose to his feet. He turned around, his red eyes fixed on each of his students present. "Just the three of you?" He sounded almost disappointed, but they knew he cared little.

"Young Todoroki is set to attend a party," Toshinori went with the same explanation he gave earlier. "It's the Prime Minister's birthday."

Katsuki groaned. "I fucking knew it. This is just his dad toadying up to that meathead, isn't it?"

Izuku snorted, not least because the Prime Minister's Quirk happened to turn everything he touched into meat, which only applied to truly inanimate objects. The downside was that the meat tasted exactly like the transmuted object, which made it hardly palatable to most. Still, there was no denying that it had its uses, albeit in times of desperation. Besides, his Quirk was more than welcome for the connoisseur of the strange and bizarre, some of whom happened to be influential people who had previously helped secure his campaign.

"Now, now, Young Bakugo," Toshinori addressed the lad. "Young Todoroki isn't like that."

"Er, Toshinori-san," Izuku said. "Shouldn't you be in attendance, as well?"

Toshinori sighed. "I've never been much for parties, Izuku. It was pretty sensational the first few times, I must admit, but the novelty wore off a little too soon for me."

"Just a bunch of parasites," Katsuki groused. "They'll fuck off when things start to go south."

Izuku hid a wince, because he didn't completely disagree with the blonde's words, but public relations was an integral part of a hero's image going forward, which was probably how All Might managed to get gigs like commercials and merchandising deals. In retrospect, it was better to build and maintain bridges than to burn them before they could even get off the ground. That didn't mean he wasn't going to be wary of the kind of bridges he'll build.

They all shortly returned to the dojo, with Toshinori brewing tea so that they could partake in the bento Izuku brought. Katsuki's gift turned out to be a new yukata, which was just Gouki's size, though the sky blue color was an immediate turnoff for the Grandmaster of the Ansatsuken School of Combat…which wasn't exactly how his students referred to the school openly, but details aside, what they had was a much quieter affair than the clinking of glasses and meaningless drivel Todoroki was likely enduring.

Gouki drank his tea with his usual cup, as the antique was far too old and valuable, with Toshinori displaying it proudly by a shelf in the living room.

"Your mother bought this, Izuku?" Toshinori asked as he ate sushi after dipping it in sauce. It was good. Probably as good as the sushi from some of the high class restaurants he visited or catered from. It seemed that Midoriya's parents had spared no expense.

"Dad was the one who pointed her to the restaurant. It was recommended by one of his coworkers, I think," Izuku answered after swallowing a kamaboko. "It wasn't exactly cheap, but not that exorbitant either. I can send you the address, if you want."

Toshinori nodded. "Hm. Do they do catering?"

"Not really sure, so you might need to ask them."

"Cheap or not, it's good, and that's all that matters," Katsuki chimed in, delicately dipping a slice of sashimi before slipping it into his mouth. "By the way, there's a ten month period before the entrance exam starts. Are we gonna be crunching in some more training?"

"Rest and light exercises should suffice, Katsuki," Toshinori motioned. "We already did plenty of training the previous summer. You should be at your best once the day arrives."

Katsuki scowled lightly, but he had to agree. The previous training for them had been grueling in order to draw out as much of their remaining potential, and while he was a hard worker, he still adhered to a strict rest period to let his body recover.

Toshinori suddenly paused midway as he was about to take a swig of his tea, closing his eyes before directing a look at Izuku. "Young Midoriya."

Izuku peered up from taking another sushi. "Hm?"

He made sure to look him straight in the eye and asked, "Have you...come to a decision?"

Izuku stared at the man with an unreadable mien, his mind whirring. He then looked out into the open courtyard, acknowledging Katsuki's attempts to keep his focus on the meal. Night had long fallen, giving them an ethereal view of the landscaping done by them as part of their training, and because their master had little interest in beautifying his home. Not that it had been a problem, but merely a thoughtful show of their appreciation. That had been a fun week.

But it was nothing compared to the eight years that had gone by.

Eight unbelievable years that had led them to this point.

Years ago…

"Doctor…"

Midoriya Izuku was seated next to his mother, his eyes fixed to the floor, a chill in the pit of his belly as he waited patiently for the checkup to be over. "I just want to know what's wrong with my boy. He…He's been experiencing these…headaches since…the accident."

Dr. Tsubasa was sitting at his own seat across from the mother and son, going over the child's test results. All normal. It had been days since he had last been in the hospital for injuries he might have sustained, but to the surprise of both him and his parents, he had made a remarkable recovery, if he had any injuries at all. "Hm...And you're saying that they happen more often?"

Inko nodded. "Th-The last two days. I…I've been monitoring his condition the whole time. C-Could it have been from that day?"

Tsubasa, filing the papers into a folder and placing it down on the desk next to him, eyed the shaggy haired boy carefully. He had done the tests, and even now, the young man had shown no signs of a Quirk Factor. Yet, from what he had keenly observed, he now seemed to show an…unusual vitality ever since his recovery from being severely bullied. By a child with an Explosion Quirk, no less. It was another one of his patients, Bakugo Katsuki if he so recalled.

"Madam, from what I could gather, there…doesn't seem to be anything wrong with your child physically. If anything, he's the healthiest I've ever seen him since the last checkup," Tsubasa said delicately. "Has he perhaps eaten anything that simply hasn't agreed with him?"

"N-Nothing," Inko answered, her voice hitching, beside herself with worry. "A-At least…none that I-I've been aware of."

Izuku shook his head profusely. "I-I haven't eaten or drank anything weird. I-I swear!"

Tsubasa stared at the boy once more, perhaps hoping to find something that might slip, but all he could see was the same Quirkless child he had diagnosed over a year ago. "Hm," the doctor nuzzled his chin with his thumb and index finger, his goggles shining under the light of the room. "The best that I can recommend for now is to watch over his condition. He should rest plenty, avoiding anything that might cause strain or stress. I also recommend having him drink ginger tea before sleep to help with the headaches. If that or any other abnormalities persist, well, that's when we'll be needing to keep him under observation here."

Inko nodded gratefully, though she still looked uncertain. "Thank you, doctor."

Tsubasa waved goodbye to the duo as they passed through his door, then released a sigh once they were gone. He took off his goggles and used the flap of his white coat to polish a lens. "There didn't seem to be anything unusual…" He glanced at the boy's test results on his desk, but refrained from double checking. With a dismissive shake of his head, he concluded, "Probably nothing." He was brought out of his thoughts by a faint buzz signaling his next appointment.

"Can't afford any distractions now."

Elsewhere…

"This is a bad idea."

Tsukauchi Naomasa was driving his car, and his two passengers in tow had been quiet for most of the trip. Well, one more than the other.

"I know, Tsukauchi, but..." Toshinori, reading from a document in one hand while holding a liquid food packet in the other from which he drank, started uneasily from the passenger seat. Both men did their best to concentrate on their respective tasks, as the very imposing presence of Gouki, who was sitting in the back seat, was tapping on their nerves the whole way. "If Gouki is to be believed, then that boy-"

"Toshinori," Tsukauchi cut him off with a sharp intake of breath, his hands releasing and gripping the steering wheel with a deep feeling of anxiety and frustration. "Do you have any idea what we're doing?"

Toshinori slumped in his seat. "You think I don't?"

It had been almost a week since Gouki had come into their lives, and those days had not been the least bit peaceful, with Tsukauchi suffering little sleep. There was some small comfort from Agent Guile, that Interpol wasn't lax enough to let someone as powerful and dangerous as Gouki out of their sights. They would keep a solid vigil over him via their satellites as well as the agents already situated in the country. Which would have been less of a headache for the Inspector if nothing else had arisen.

It would be when they had entered the house and found him in the training area that Toshinori had revealed a very unsettling matter. "Excuse me?!" Tsukauchi practically shrieked, earning a snort from Charlie.

Toshinori was anything but agreeable, looking just about ready to fall to the floor in a puddle of his own blood. "Gouki…well, it would be better if he explained it."

Guile stepped forward. "Would it have something to do with those kids he ran into?"

Tsukauchi had a sinking feeling. "Those children are to be left alone, Gouki. They have nothing to do with you."

To everyone's surprise, Gouki replied, "Only one of them, and he has everything to do with me. Or rather…what he carries within him."

"What is he talking about?" Naomasa turned to Toshinori with a hopeful arch of his eyebrow.

Toshinori was himself at a loss, but perhaps a certain Interpol Agent could shed some light on what Gouki had brought to him. "Agent Guile, what can you tell us about this…Satsui no Hadō?" The name sounded odd to him; 'Wave of Killing Intent' if interpreted literally. His eyes narrowed when it took a moment longer for Guile to reply.

The agent took off her aviators and stared at her reflection in the lens before shifting her gaze to her audience of two. "Has he explained anything to you yet?" Toshinori shook his head. She let out a deep sigh. "Gentlemen, from hearing that, I'm afraid Gouki's return was not merely on a whim. There is a reason, one that we at Interpol had considered in light of his... sordid past. That reason has now been revealed, but I will tell you that it gives us neither closure nor certainty."

Toshinori and Naomasa were now riddled with worry. Was there another reason as to why an entire agency was vigilant over Gouki? They now had a basic idea that he wasn't to be taken lightly, but what else could there be?

"The Satsui no Hadō," Guile began, "when spoken to those who know it, will either inspire fear…or reverence. It is, in the best way that I can put it, a dark and malevolent power."

Both Toshinori and Naomasa gaped. "We at Interpol came to know of this power from statements given by those that studied under the same school as Gouki. Specifically, those under the tutelage of his brother, Gouken."

"Ryu and Ken Masters," Toshinori recalled. The last name Masters had sounded somewhat familiar to him when he first read the dossier. Now that he thought about it, the Masters family had quite a bit of prestige in America, which barely encapsulated the raw influence they had in business and politics. In fact, of all the companies invested in I-Island where his good friend David Shield worked, over 60% of shares belonged to the Masters. That someone from such a prestigious family, perhaps even its founder, had actually studied under Gouki's brother raised other questions.

"What exactly is this dark power, Miss Guile," Toshinori asked, taking his seat on the polished wooden floor, as did the others. Naomasa was focusing his Quirk to the limit, his eyes and ears sharp for anything close to dishonesty.

Guile replied, "A wave or surge of killing intent, but taken to such a supernatural extreme, it might as well be primal in nature."

Both men reeled. "Is it some kind of Quirk?"

"A narrow perspective." All three turned to Gouki, who spoke from his position. "The Satsui no Hadō is far beyond that." His voice was deep. Deeper than previously thought.

"Speak plainly, Gouki," Toshinori said. "This power, if it is as ominous as it sounds, then we'll need to know everything. What exactly is it? And…is it dangerous?"

Guile closed her eyes. "Dangerous enough to wipe out all life on Earth."

A gentle breeze blew across the open courtyard, leaves and grass rustling peacefully as night fell, which contrasted the twilight on Toshinori and Naomasa's faces that painted their shock in a golden hue.

"Eh…?" The Inspector's hands were rendered numb, while the Number One Hero could only pick up the scrambled pieces of his thoughts.

"Wh-What are you talking about…?" Toshinori's voice sounded hollow, dripping with disbelief…and cold dread.

Guile was staring at them with what could have resembled sympathy, before her eyes panned to Gouki, which they followed. "For where there is light, there is darkness," the beastly man began knowingly. "One cannot exist without the other, as such, they harmonize. Co-existing in a balance of the natural order. This balance consistently exists for all life. Yet, there are those who are…imbalanced. And with that, are able to tap into the very darkness that permeates all things. Through such, they are granted access to strength beyond mortal comprehension."

Toshinori swallowed. The more he was hearing this, the more…his image was flashing across his mind.

"This power has been known by many names since time immemorial," Gouki explained. "As a test to complete our training, those of us who are disciplined in our art would be tasked with meditating in solitude for many days in order to achieve enlightenment."

"E…Enlightenment?" Toshinori echoed shakily.

"It is meant only for the elite. Those who are willing to go beyond the limits set. No food, no provisions, just the majestic purity of emptiness. Only then would you be able to reach a state that is everything and nothing, where mind, body, and spirit merge into one. My brother and I underwent this trial, putting our lives at the mercy of the elements. Through it all, we both came to our own understanding of not only ourselves, but allowed a glimpse through the fabric of what encompasses our reality.

"Yet...our paths could not have diverged more radically. Gouken chose the light, the Kyoi no Hadō. While I... chose darkness."

Toshinori swallowed, beads of sweat having formed above his brow.

"Yes," Gouki spoke with finality. "I embraced…the Satsui no Hadō."

Naomasa bit back a gasp, as did Toshinori, though it looked more like a clump of blood. "Now...now wait," Naomasa stammered as he struggled to his feet. He paced around, massaging his forehead as his brain was whirring to try and make sense of the bullshit he'd just heard, and trying valiantly to reconcile that it wasn't registering as bullshit at all. "What in the actual fuck are you talking about?!"

"L-Let's just calm down, Naomasa," Toshinori pleaded sheepishly. "Gouki just needs to clarify-"

"No!" Naomasa snapped, glaring daggers at Toshinori. "He starts talking in gibberish and we're supposed to take him seriously? I don't give a rat's ass about this Satsui no Whatever! What I want to know is what he intends to do with a kid!"

Toshinori's mouth opened and closed, before sagging his shoulders defeatedly. "He hasn't expressed any ill intent, Naomasa. I highly doubt Gouki is even that kind of man."

"If left to his own devices," Gouki began, "the boy will lose control."

"We don't know that," Naomasa argued emphatically. "In fact, we barely even understand anything about this so-called..." He was interrupted by a sudden jerking movement as his body was grabbed by Toshinori, who had quickly assumed his muscular form in order to gain some distance from Gouki. Charlie Guile had also retreated, crouching with her legs bent as if ready to move at a moment's notice.

Gouki, on the other hand, had not moved from his place, but that might as well have been trivial compared to the purple aura that now radiated from his form. Toshinori swallowed as Naomasa stood frozen next to him, his hands twitching to reach for his sidearm. The energy swirled and danced around like wild flames until a sudden burst sent a wave of energy at them that passed harmlessly.

Inwardly, however.

Toshinori immediately fell to his knees, his muscular form deflating at the same time as a heavy chill washed over him. No, it was as if an insurmountable weight anchored him down, and he hyperventilated heavily as his vision swam. Every cell in his body screamed with an agony he had not experienced since that fateful day. He lurched forward on his elbows, clenching his teeth as he tried to fight off the pressure, only to find to his horror that this was worse, a stab of sheer hopelessness unlike anything else, the environment around them awash with death.

Naomasa was little better, numb on his back and nearly suffocating from a weight pressing on his chest, his hands clutching his neck as he tried desperately to draw breath. Both of their minds were clouded by chaotic thoughts and images. Toshinori could swear that he heard voices ringing through his skull. Voices he could barely recognize.

Except for one, beckoning for him to get away.

"That's enough, Gouki!" Charlie Guile, now on her feet, stood bravely against such an oppressive aura, her own body radiating a faint glow of light. "You've made your point, so I implore you to stop!" She assumed a fighting stance, the glow around her hands intensifying as if ready to engage the man. Toshinori mustered up what strength he could afford, lifting his head to look up at her, and even in his state, he could read into the expression the young woman held.

It wasn't the least bit confident.

Fortunately, Gouki soon desisted, the miasma subsiding. The chaos faded and peace took its place, but the tension in the air remained, thick and only slightly less oppressive. Toshinori breathed heavily but slowly sat up, his knees folded parallel. Naomasa followed, the two of them disheveled, sweating and shaken to the core.

"Wh-What...was...?" It was Naomasa who found his voice again, his words fragile, his dry throat tight and painful. Both of his hands were now on his thighs, clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms as tears formed in his eyes.

Toshinori held down a cough, a hand pressed tightly to his mouth, with only a tiny trickle of blood escaping. All were silent as Charlie attended to them, and it would be later into the night that both men had regained enough of their bearings to continue where they left off.

"The Satsui no Hadō," Gouki began to explain once more, "is simply a name. Its true existence is the chaos that comprises our universe, the opposing force of order. It is only malevolent in the sense that it embodies death and destruction, in contrast to the Kyoi no Hadō, which represents life and creation."

"In other words, they are purely metaphysical," Toshinori mused. "It is not a Quirk in every sense that we know, but something beyond it." He sighed. "I suppose that's on us for getting it wrong. But, Gouki, how…are you even able to use such a power? Do you not…feel anything?" What was unsaid was how Gouki was even sane, provided he still fit the definition.

"I merely accepted it," Gouki answered. "Willingly."

"...Yes, you've already made that clear, Gouki, but that doesn't exactly answer…"

"Perhaps, Toshinori-san" Charlie chimed in, "you would gain more of an insight had you known Gouki in his younger days. Back then, he reveled in the high from the Satsui no Hadō's influence." This earned her a grunt from Gouki, but he did not reprimand her. "Far less restrained."

"Yeah…I can imagine," Naomasa deadpanned, drinking from a water bottle provided by Guile.

"And, yet, now, you seem more…peaceful? Calm?" Toshinori mused, rubbing his chin. "I suppose it is true that with age comes wisdom."

"I'm 37."

"Hm, I see," Toshinori nodded, as did Naomasa, who had to choose at that moment to take a swig from his bottle. Following the sound of a splash (and a cry from Guile), the Number One Hero got in front of Gouki's face and exclaimed, "That has to be a lie! There is absolutely no freaking way that you're 37!"

"Hm, that must have been how old he was when he disappeared," Guile mused, having just smacked Naomasa on the cheek, leaving a red welt in the shape of her gloved hand. "That would make you roughly about 160 by now."

Toshinori ran his gaze over Gouki. "Oh…well, you age gracefully." He then recalled that Gouki's picture on his file had red hair. "Is the white hair…natural or…" A low growl prompted him to drop it. "Anyway, what is it about…Midoriya Izuku, if I recall his name was."

"The boy was born with a natural attunement to the Satsui no Hadō," Gouki replied. "His kind are rare. Much rarer than those such as I. If he fails to assert control, not only will his mind be consumed, but his body as well."

"Will…he…?" Toshinori was already thinking of helping the lad provided Gouki was speaking the truth, and from a subtle exchange with Naomasa, he seemed to be.

"There is a possibility that he will die, yes," Gouki declared, to the other men's concern. "Or…"

"Or…?"

"Or he'll lose control, go berserk and start to wreak havoc," Guile provided.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Naomasa stated, which earned him looks from all others present. "Oh, like a child is even capable of that much damage."

"The Satsui no Hadō is strong in him," Gouki argued.

"He's a child," Naomasa insisted. "Besides, it can't be any worse than what you did-"

"Inspector Naomasa, what Gouki did to you and Yagi-san was nowhere near the destructive capacity of the Satsui no Hadō," Guile said. "If it had been, Gifu would be a smoking crater by now. It's only because of Gouki's fine control that it was diluted as it was.

Naomasa was already picking up his jaw from the floor, as opposed to Toshinori, who could only shake his head, using a hand to help weather through the headache that was beginning to brew. "Now, imagine a child, having an uncontrolled, unfiltered access to that kind of raw power, and what we have…"

"Is a ticking time bomb," Naomasa finished in surrender, feeling a level of shame at neglecting the possibility that harm or even death may come to the child.

Toshinori perked up suddenly. "By the way, Miss Guile." The Interpol agent looked at him. "How... were you able to resist Gouki's energy? We might as well have been incapacitated, but you still stood through it all."

"I simply unleashed my own Ki as a form of protection," Guile revealed to the amazement of the two men. "Nearly everyone in my family is a Ki user after William Guile established the practice. Even a number of Interpol agents have been trained.

"I see," Toshinori nodded in comprehension, when another thought came to him. "You…wouldn't happen to be…"

Guile smiled widely. "Uh-huh. Quirkless."

Silence then fell over the group, taking stock of what they learned and what actions to undertake. "So…how are we gonna do this?"

"We would need to do it as delicately as possible," Toshinori proclaimed. "Gouki's appearance no doubt spooked them. Seeing him again will only exacerbate that."

Naomasa nodded sternly, as did Guile.

Present…

"Yes?" Midoriya Inko answered the door and opened it. She wore a friendly smile even though she had just returned from the clinic and her son Izuku was resting in his bedroom. She had put her worries aside for now and put on a friendly front for whoever it might be at this hour.

"Good morning, Midoriya-san," Yagi Toshinori; with a very dead inside Tsukauchi Naomasa standing next to him, introduced himself jovially, trying his best to ignore the dark shadow that literally loomed over them, which completely captured the poor woman's attention, Inko's smile as frozen as her body.