[CENSUS A]
Let's see… Kota-kun loved that silly cute bunny in that shop downtown, right?
Or did he like the chocolate chip drink more near the mall?
'Shiki' or better yet Arcueid Brunestud skips happily down the street as she thinks about the many possible gifts she would acquire for her dear Kota, who was currently sad. Arcueid was very much surprised when dear little Kota found himself crying again even after she did her best to make him happy, but it ultimately made her feel disappointed that she couldn't do much at that moment to make him feel better. She understood of course, even if only through the concept of what 'trauma' meant to the human psyche, she saw it more than one time with her beloved Shiki, where she truly grasped what the concept meant as a whole.
And yet…
"…" she kicked a pebble down her way lightly in slight frustration.
She was still unsure of how to wholly respond or even remedy such an issue in the first place. She may have powers that nobody in the mortal coil could even dare understand or fathom, having been able to shape matter, introduce energies that would trump any sort of functional science mortals had, or even render reality itself within her domain to be whatever she thought of it to be…
"…hrm…" she kicked another pebble into the air, the force behind it shattering at about half before it sailed high into the air, just scratching the Mesosphere, where it would come down later and perhaps burn through the Earth's gravity into dust or sail back down into very small, barely recognizable pieces. A relative feat that was as casual as her controlled base strength when she was holding herself back.
…yet none of that power, distilled into one small existence likened closer to that of a human in appearance could change the complexities of the human mind and its varying emotions. No, not even hypnosis, or her ability to alter and even shift memories and the like naturally could hold a handle to how 'real' human thought, psyche, and souls behaved.
She was just too far removed from them. Sadly, if she were able to learn at all, in any significant capacity that transcended even her understanding and love for Shiki, it would still come off as lacking in the smallest, most subtle of details.
A fact that she was slowly starting to embrace as a wisp of sadness started to course through her. It had been quite a number of generations since she last saw humanity. A drip on the literal cosmic pond that was her entire existence when measured in years, but a significant enough change that while society still kept to the traditions and lifestyles of the world Shiki lived in, had been enough for Arcueid to feel as if the world was completely alien to her.
A strange and weird world that was allegedly 'peaceful', yet populated by humans with abilities that did not contain mystery flaunting their powers upon the waking, aging world. Their destruction and noise almost caused her to wake a few decades earlier, but even with the relative 'peace' that existed now, she still felt as if the shift from normalcy was just too jarring.
It made her wish for the days when people were quieter. When mundanity involved people coming and going living inconspicuous lives as they worked, they studied and lived it with joy and laughter through simple things. When the world wasn't a constantly and rapidly changing place where people cheered for chaos, destruction, and violence (mild or even strenuous) using the abilities that they now possessed.
It reminded her of the time when Mystery was at its peak. Where entities, phantasmals, magic, and other colorful paraphernalia graced the world. A chaotic mess that many living mortals or immortals had to endure just to get through the next day.
It was… strange to Arc that history seemed to loop around like this.
Gone was the overall quiet that she now missed from Shiki's time and was now replaced with this uncanny return of chaos in a very peculiar form. Gone was Shiki and everything that she loved in that part of her immortal existence.
Even the changed landscape of Souya City reflected that.
What was left was the park, partly unchanged where she and Kota now favored visiting, and the area where the Tohno estate once was, now replaced by an agency of a 'hero' that Arcueid couldn't care less about knowing the name of.
What heart and care she still had that was functionally close to that of being human now resided in her… bubbling care and love for Kota. A boy that in aura and essence reminded her of Shiki in some form, even if it was just through the sadness that they possessed deep inside.
A sadness that Arcueid herself wished to fix.
Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk she was skipping on, Arcueid looked upwards through the tree line of the densely packed flora that encompassed the Beast's Forest where the Pussycats resided. The road she was skipping along led to a city where she would hopefully find a good enough gift to make Kota feel better.
She could in theory just conjure said objects through thin air if need be, but it's the thought that counts most when it comes to humans. When it came to Shiki. Something authentic, something real to their senses that showed the care and love that one individual supposedly had for the other. A trait that Arcueid would wish to convey to her dear Kota.
"…" a heavy sigh left her lips as she saw the bright and sunny day shine down on her.
While optimistic in its visage, Arcuied felt as if the day itself felt a little pale.
The trees and the nature surrounding her felt off with what was happening.
Shaking her head knowing that those thoughts didn't matter, Arcueid instead wished to focus on the task at hand. She need not ruminate on such heavy thoughts for she still needed to help Kota regain his smile and she was determined to see it through.
So! Off she went with optimism and hope again in her eyes.
She was after all a Magical Girl for crying out loud! This was a test to get her adventure going, and what a fruitful and eventful adventure it was for the whole day…
…
They were too noisy. The stuck number of cars went as far as her eyes could see. The end of the traffic itself even stretched so far to the very tail end of the road that led to the Pussycat's Mountain territory. A rare commodity in the area itself as numerous trucks, public vehicles, and private vehicles were clogged in a myriad of car horns and alarms as the patience of the drivers wore thin by the minute.
Arcueid found them far too annoying, so she tried to drown them all out with a tune of an old song in her head that she grew to like while she skipped along. Wishing to not mind nor care much of the world around her as she continued to trek into the beginnings of the city before her.
It was a rather common yet a degree more hectic sight as at the end of an intersection, the root of the cause of the sudden clog was revealed. People of different quirks of various mutations that walked alongside her started to get rowdier as they took out their phones and hoped to try and film the incident. The incident involved twelve or so cars ending up in an accident.
Metal and material were scattered everywhere as bits of smoke were puffing into the air. The crowd of onlookers, watching with various conversations amongst themselves strapped with curiosity, frustration, and interestingly enough, confusion.
No, not confusion as to what caused the event, no…
"I can't get a signal. Can you?"
"Darn it, it's Kesagiri Man too! I was hoping to get a photo of him and post it."
"Please for your own safety, back off! This is a police and Pro Hero matter."
"How am I supposed to pay for this, man?! It's totaled! You're lucky my quirk enabled me to survive that."
"Sir, can we please calm down? I'm sure we can all calmly handle this once we get everyone to safety and assess the damage, then you can both argue about this later."
"I can't access my bank account at the moment, nor call my lawyer. What am I supposed to do now?"
The confusion continued on as Arcueid, deep in her own world which now transitioned into a soft hum briefly stared into the mess as onlookers started to complain more of the signal blackout. It was still a common enough sight that Arcueid found annoying in this day and age given the presence of powered elements needlessly and openly fighting or having altercations on the street.
Sometimes she even helped a thing or two when the particular problem was in front of her, and she was able to easily get away given how her hypnosis and other abilities worked.
Now, there was no need for that as she continued along on her path, not bothering to think about how the black-suited figure they called "Kesagiri Man" was going to fix that mess. Even with first responders coming in, only adding to the traffic, Arcueid figured that they would be there for quite a while.
The obsession of the local populace, the civilians, and the like over their 'mobile devices' and appreciation for heroes was something that she didn't truly understand. Sometimes even Mandalay, Kota's aunt was neck deep with her phone in circumstances where she managed to get calls from other people. Sure, communication was a great tool, but in her observation, the people around her were far too attached to it, so when a blackout of said communications occurred, they were now predictably clamoring for it, like a man depraved of thirst.
Huffing to herself, she continued to hum a volume louder with a carefree smile on her face even as the world around her seemingly grew wary and slowly annoyed at the sudden loss of one of their obsessions. A thing that would not bother her at all for this day, for she had an objective that was of utmost importance.
Best of all, she had her cute, red little handy bag with a particular Neko keychain dangling by her side to complete the look. She had enough in it to get Kota anything that he wanted, it may not be in a straight manner, money, but she had the goods to make every purchase count.
She would smile with a smug expression right at that moment as she continued to hum her tune until her senses forced her to stop when a man who had crocodilian mutations was about to zip in front of her in panic, but she was able to step back, before angling her foot just enough for him to trip. The action caused the entire street of onlookers close to her to watch the villain skid across the pavement, breaking a good enough portion of the road, before landing into the glass window of a shoe store.
She found herself grinning quite a bit to her mischief as she continued to hum away as people, instead of running away or calling for help cheered when one of the heroes, Airjet had zoomed into the scene at last. He awkwardly waved at the civilians as he was confused as to what happened while he tried to get everyone to back away as he tried to hail the police.
Of course, with cell services down, he had no means to, so like the commotion earlier with the car accident, he would be stuck there, for a while.
Arcueid however, fashioned herself away by using a slightly controlled perception filter around her, allowing her to get away unnoticed, even to technology, as she neared her first stop.
Only to once again have her relative peace be temporarily disturbed when she saw that the chocolate drink shop that Kota favored was closed, and near it was a line that nearly covered the joint when the local ATM stopped working. A long line of frustrated and growingly angry people were now yelling at each other with the people maintaining the machine (who was coming in for maintenance ironically) and it didn't look like it was going to be resolved soon.
Oh well…
The day was still young (even if it was coming by noon now) and Arcueid still had a lot more options to choose for Kota's wonderful gift. She just hoped that things were not as annoyingly similar to the other moments that day that caused her to pause momentarily in her mission.
She just had to hope that things would be fine.
Even if the world around her was starting to feel the effects of the song from above…
…
Things continued to be the same on the entire trip. From burning buildings due to TV's exploding, to more car crashes and minor villain appearances and even small instances of just Heroes wishing to calm the masses after an online charity event was postponed in a local kindergarten. It was a trend that happened all around the bustling city, which was now becoming more thronging by the hour.
"You're sold out of that manga?" Arcueid veined to ask as she looked at the tired clerk who was handling her inquiry. There was frustration in her tone of course, but given how used the tired clerk was to customers that came and went and complained about things being sold out, he was not really that bothered by the firmness in her tone. Which, strangely enough, was a trait that Arcueid herself admired out of the many people that had bothered her that day.
She even found it pointless hypnotizing him, given that the man was of the honest sort, and he wouldn't keep any copies at all in the back room for many different reasons. If the manga was sold out, it was literal.
Sadly, it was either she relented on going after another choice for her gift or she walked to the next city, which would take hours more and possibly the next day for her to get to, minimizing more time that she could just have to be with Kota. She had to make a decision fast on what to do, otherwise the whole day would be wasted.
"That's a shame." Arcueid relented. Truly, while she was not much of a fan of literature that humans liked, the particular story that Kota favored was something that she grew to appreciate. A refreshingly good-written story about a boy falling in love with a girl who was a monster, a monster who didn't understand humans. She at first found it to be something that was done to death, but what caught her attention was how much the monster tried to learn how to understand what it meant to be human. How to understand what it meant to be close to a person you love.
And vice versa for the boy. Who did his best to try and learn how to be a monster.
Arcueid looked at the poster of said manga by the empty rack that many copies used as space and sighed. The story spoke to her for many reasons and much as she teased Kota about it, he loved the story for how much it developed a very realistic, natural, and wholesome relationship between the two characters. Even if he found 'romance' as an icky subject, he liked how the bond of friendship was formed between them and it helped that his aunt was a fan of it as well.
It was one of those rare and few popular stories that didn't go heavy into the Hero Genre.
It made sense why it was quick at being sold out.
"Alright… will a shipment of the new copies come soon at least?"
The tired man shrugged. "Don't know really. With the internet and cell service down, I can't see updates on the shipment, nor can I call the publishing house that distributes it to us. Best I can say is try visiting tomorrow at least, or until services are back up."
"That's a shame." She said, mostly to herself before regaining her smile. She still had choices and hope after all. The sun was still up. She had time.
Eventually, she gave the clerk a very welcome goodbye to which the man merely returned with a wave, much to her chagrin. She hated however that the visit to the shop was a bust compared to all her other choices.
The grandpa that had that wonderful ice cream was nowhere to be seen.
The toyshop that Kota frequented to buy some of his favorite show's merchandise was closed due to the mall being attacked by a random group of thugs.
The bookstore where she could alternatively get the manga from aside from the store she just visited was filled with angry customers that it became very hectic to even try a big enough gamble with her mental powers against humans, given the hassle with all of the eyes in the open.
Plus, she didn't want another incident where she had to edit the memories of almost an entire town down to nearly all of its lawmen, civilians, and heroes just because she beat a stalker to near death once. If anything, as annoying as mages, and the Church were, Arcueid somehow missed their ability to just clean things up.
With how open powers are and how different the landscape of law was now, their way of things slowly disappeared, and Arcueid since then had not seen the skank or her ilk ever since. Nor did she mages in the modern world too. She sensed some, but they were infinitely rare, compared to the more subtle numbers they had before.
Openly doing anything with her abilities would both jeopardize her current peace and would make needlessly complicated events happen around her and most importantly Kota. She didn't want that. Even if she had the power to brute force anything that she wanted, she didn't want Kota to be placed into a situation that reminded him again of the reason why his parents were gone.
Arcueid may not have teared up, cried, or looked emotionally resonant with how Kota's sudden panic attack affected her, but it did strengthen how much she was willing to go for the boy.
And how much she didn't want to see him in pain again after that…
"Hmph." She cutely pouted. She still had hope to finish her
With renewed determination, she headed to her next destination, which was a cute thrift store that had all the lovely charms and trinkets. The nekomata-looking woman that owned the store, which was coincidentally wearing casual clothes close to hers sold a lot of items and conjoined to said store was a café of sorts.
She forgot the name of it, but they were quite the popular spot, all things considered.
Hopefully said café was open.
She started humming that song or raindrops again to herself when she was about to come across another hectic scene again, with a ton of people watching. Three heroes were present, all ragged, tired-looking almost the same as their law enforcement counterparts who were stretched too thin given the communications blackout and the rate of issues both known and unknown increasing dramatically that day.
In this instance, just from watching at the edge of the crowd, Arcueid saw the giant woman with fake purple horns carefully dislodge a crashed helicopter that hit a residential building. Assisting her was a man who had a wooden-like theme to his abilities as his elongated tree branches added a bit of support to the destroyed aerial vehicle while another hero, one with enhanced strength eased a few living victims out.
The collected mass of onlookers was not as loud as before as she quickly noticed that the murmurs were subdued, just as the three heroes were amidst the fires and the destroyed building due to the crash. It was probably caused by the number of covered bodies strewn across the street while people tried to take pictures.
A small police presence was there, as well as just one ambulance, with most of the responders looking ragged, their clothes and visages dirtied but their determined, yet exhausted looks continued to keep them from giving up. Even the heroes looked the same, with Mt. Lady had sweat trickling by the side of her face, Kamui Woods' eyes having a strained look to them, and Deatharms stoic demeanor having small instances of frustration.
It seemed to be a common thing now outside of Arc's current misfortune with her odyssey to find that gift. Even the overall feeling for all the onlookers slowly started to evolve throughout.
If anything, the growing frustration she was feeling put her an inch closer to being tempted to just… 'produce' the gift out of thin air. But then, she was reminded of a certain sentiment that Shiki always had when it came to her.
That genuine love was going the extra mile for your significant other. To show your fondness, care, and feelings for something or someone means making sure that you give them the most authentic gift or sentiment from your heart and soul.
Taking the easy way out meant that Kota's existence to her was something to disregard.
Taking the easy way out just so she could reunite with Kota would mean that she didn't care for him, that he was just like every human, a meaningless organism to her.
Taking the easy way invalidated everything that Shiki stood for and everything that he ever did to show how much he loved her.
Shaking her head to rid her of any such thoughts of giving up, Arcueid merely felt more determined to see it through. Now…
If only she could find a way out of this crowd that she was now smushed in.
"Where's Backdraft? We needed him half an hour ago, damn it." Kamui Woods said as Mt. Lady shrunk and leaned against the full ambulance as paramedics were slowly loading some of the wounded into the three police cars present. They didn't even have a solution yet for the dead that were still strewn with white cloth near them, in front of Civilians no less who were not kept away much due to the dwindling and stretched-out police presence.
"We still don't have good comms sir, and this isn't the only place in the area that's got fires being put out… worse, I heard hospitals are reaching their limit already for today." A paramedic said as he finished helping one of the unconscious wounded into the police car.
"And I'm tired. This is the twentieth issue we had to deal with today and they just keep piling up." Mt. Lady moaned in frustration as the two heroes looked at her, but both were not denying that they were now reaching their limit.
"You think it's those League fellas? Ever since that son of a bitch Stain got famous on the internet, things have been a lot more active with all of the criminals and villains lately." Deatharms stated, one that the authorities and heroes present agreed silently.
"I just hope that things will be okay in the end. I'm sure we'll eventually get to the bottom of this, with All Might still active I think we'll be fine."
Deatharms huffed as he crossed his large arms together. "You're acting like All Might can solve every problem in the world… he's still human at the end of the day Kamui, and much as I agree with you on principle, even he has a limit."
"Don't be such a downer Deatharms… I'm sure everything will be right as rain tomorrow or in a few hours. They better be, because most of my cash is still in my account." Mt. Lady grumbled as another set of sirens echoed throughout the street, meaning another issue was afoot.
Even the energy around the civilians watching the scene felt subdued.
Except for a certain girl who finally found a way to get herself unstuck from the crowd.
They were too distracted after all with the rather harrowing scene by jumping out of it like a bunny. The perception filter assisted by the crowd and the heroes being distracted enough that it allowed her to sneak off without issue.
She even beat Mirko's jump height record with that casual stunt, and without minor property damage no less mind you (hehe). Nothing was going to stop her from achieving her goal…
Even if the world was slowly turning mad around her.
Kota still needed her after all.
ACK!
Toshinori found himself cursing both in Japanese and English as blood was ejected from his lips. The world still needed All Might, and now his limit had just cut that short. A limit that was drastically made him irrelevant and useless as time gradually passed.
Forcing through the pain did him no favors for he would just shorten his time as All Might further, making it a dangerous gamble, especially in instances where his help was truly needed. More specifically, when the day came that the man who haunted his dreams returned into the fold, perhaps stronger than ever which was a possibility he was both horrified and preparing himself to come to terms with.
With evidence mounting up that the League of Villains was connected to him, Toshinori had to remain vigilant. Practically, he needed to be more pragmatic at using his time as All Might. Even if it meant sacrificing his drive and will to save others or do the right thing like he used to do when he was still at a hundred percent efficiency. It was prudent that he must not waste what remaining time he had left by doing it on regular hero work…
Two police cars with sirens rushed by him as Toshinori paused while wiping the blood off of his lips. A frown appears on his face as curious and similarly frustrated onlookers watch with murmurs of worry.
...But it just wasn't in Toshinori's nature, or All Might's nature to not help. He was a hero after all. One that the world looked on to, an ideal of unrivaled beauty and kindness that his master championed, even at a time when the world was less peaceful than it currently was now.
His desire to assist, to support, to care, and to fight was ingrained within him, and no amount of physical limitations, dire or not could stop that within his soul.
"…" a heavy sigh left him as he looked at the city and the people around him.
Bright and powerful as his heart and soul were, he also had to face the fact that his physical body, his mortal flesh was far, far more fragile than how much he wanted to go further. Plus Ultra was one of his famous mottos, one that his alma mater championed, but he was still human at the end of the day. Much like any hero.
Take away the power, strength, and other qualities that revolved around him left a barely living husk of a man. A man who was easily exhausted and taxed daily by any action he partook as the Symbol of Peace.
In this one day alone, Toshinori was able to solve, assist, and take down nearly a hundred fifty random occurrences of varying kinds in that strained time limit of his. Most of them were emboldened thugs who wanted to take advantage of the recent communications and network blackout (which bothered him of their number) but he also helped solve more mundane problems amongst that number. One of them he even had to help a young crying child retrieve her balloon that was flying away.
To most Pro Heroes or civilians that number he achieved alone for the day was just astounding, and a record that few could hope to match (not even Endeavor on a good day can). Yet at the same time, to Toshinori it was far, far lower than his usual tirade.
It wasn't that he was trying to break any records, no…
It was that he truly believed that he had to push the extra mile, all in the idea that somewhere, someone out there truly needed his help. That even with his fatigue and oftentimes callousness due to the strain, there was a person out there who needed his presence, his smile.
Humble as Toshinori was, he had placed the world on his shoulders like Atlas had in the old legends of Greece. He didn't need to, but he wanted to, with consequences both good and bad, not just for himself, but for everyone that admired and hated him.
That's why it grated him when he was now forced back to regular ol' Toshinori.
And it bothered him that he couldn't do more for the day when this blackout had not only stretched every hero and first responder to the greatest extent all around the country. Almost mirroring his plight to a concerning degree.
If some of the heroes and civilians he heard talking and speculating about it were to be believed, an attack on this scale would be something that the League of Villains would orchestrate, or perhaps something bigger… something more sinister.
Yet despite the danger of the current blackout, one that he hoped the government, and even perhaps Nezu could fix quickly, he noticed that nothing seemed amiss. Nothing so far seemed as if this was a prelude to something greater. Something terrible.
It had been a few hours at this point now…
And while things were growing tense, Toshinori hoped that things would get better. Even if the more pessimistic part of himself seemed to disagree with that notion. Like a sixth sense, a feeling that his old mentor seemed to have as well back in the day.
The peace that he and many others fought for needed to be protected.
At the same time, his time as the Symbol of Peace was running out and his successor, proud as he was for the boy like he was his own son…
He wasn't ready yet for that responsibility.
The world wasn't ready yet for that responsibility once his time came to an end.
Sighing once more, Toshinori opted to take a break, and he was nearing his favorite noodle diner in this part of the city. One where he met his friend Tsukauchi, who at this point is probably as busy as everyone else.
Turning around the corner where the number of civilians walking down the street was thinner than usual (probably due to the loss of some services), he saw that the diner was still open. He was a regular to the point that the staff already knew him by a glance and an hour of just settling down to rest and fill his non-existent stomach a bit would do him some good.
It reminded him that despite how much he was trained by his mentor when he was starting to hurt himself via said training. She would quickly scold him to a painful extent by enforcing to him that he needed to take care of himself. He wondered what Nana Shimura would think of him now with all of his antics. He wondered if his old mentor was proud of him.
For he missed her with all of his heart.
The jingle of the bells welcoming him into the shop made him relax a bit better as he started to get in line to order at the counter. Thankfully there were only two people inside the diner aside from the crew. He and a young girl in young Midoriya's age range innocently ordered her meal.
It seemed like the blackout had caused most people to either go home or try to save whatever cash they had on hand. Thankfully, as an old-fashioned person, Toshinori still carried a wallet and actual money on his person. Not that he didn't believe in the system, and he was strapped enough that spending on something pricey wasn't an issue, but he still carried it, just on principle.
"I'll take them all, owner-san. And please pack them neatly as takeout." The girl in front of him said. The girl felt and sounded very bubbly, it reminded him of a certain blue-haired girl of UA's top three. The girl even felt the need to lean a bit further into the cashier's personal face (or in this case the owner) which the man didn't seem to be bothered by.
Probably a frequent customer no doubt.
"All of it? Are you really sure about that order of yours kid?"
"Of course!"
Her innocence allowed Toshinori to smile, if only the world was as colorful and innocent as her, and perhaps things that he experienced wouldn't be so bad.
"Fine… but do know that we can't accept cards for now. Only physical money. Machine's offline you see, and I don't know when it'll be back on."
"Oh, that's not a problem. I do still have these things…" she said as he watched her fish something out of her cute little bag, but he didn't truly expect what came out of it.
THUD!
To say that the very audible intrusion of the three objects placed on the counter was in line with Toshinori's surprise was an understatement. He didn't expect a girl like her to just casually place three gold bars on the counter as if it wasn't a big deal.
It then made him more concerned when the emotion the owner of the diner gave her was a simple sigh before taking one of the bars into his hand.
"Again, I must emphasize, this isn't something produced from your quirk right? Because the last time you produced paper money out of thin air almost had me call the cops on Mandalay because of that." The owner's exasperated feelings were conveyed clearly through his tone.
It also made Toshinori realize that based on those words alone, the girl had a similar quirk perhaps to young Yaoyorozu. Another curious fact was that the girl presumably had a relationship of some kind with Mandalay of the Pussycats. One of the finest rescue heroes of the country.
"I assure you owner-san, these are legit." She then picks up one of the gold bars. "See? There's numbers and everything. I got them from my 'uncle' you see." She explains with a smile that made even the owner relent.
"You are aware that three gold bars are stupidly more than what you're paying for the food you're ordering right? Even if it's the entire menu."
"Yup! Think of it as charity. Your store is something my darling Kota-kun cherishes so I'm just helping along to support your establishment!" she cheerfully said, which finally made the owner of the diner smile. "Plus, I still got a lot of them back home too."
"Well… I don't know what to say kid, but thanks. I'm… glad actually that you like my humble little establishment. This is probably enough for me to do a lot to improve things around here and for my family." The owner said with a thankful gesture as he also bid his staff to start her order.
"Hehe… if Kota-kun deems it I can give you more, and thanks as well owner-san. You're a lifesaver to my little quest today."
"Quest for what?" the owner humored.
"To give my Kota-kun something that he will appreciate."
Toshinori couldn't help but smile from the exchange as the owner similarly felt a renewed sense of fervor for what was being asked of him. He watched as the man promised to give her extra quality with her takeout while the Symbol of Peace watched the most pure sentiment he had ever seen that day thus far. He wondered if the girl was an aspiring hero student like his successor, given she did have a very strong quirk, just from what he was hearing…
"Thank you, owner-san!"
Or even if she wasn't, that sort of kindness and altruism was rare. Especially with people with that amount of money in their pockets. With how the world was changing in terms of how heroes were perceived, he hoped that the coming generation rectified, at least in concept, the true meaning of what heroism was. Both Midoriya and this girl carried that spark, and he hoped that both would lead that into the next generation with hope.
Hope… he thought. Hope allowed him to feel a bit better even with his limitations reached for that day. He had faith still in his fellow heroes in the field. Faith that things would be better.
Faith, a facet of the Symbol of Peace that hoped the world still carried.
…
Toshinori nearly jumped in his seat as he was slurping his noodles when a caravan of a single ambulance and two fully armored police vehicles roared by outside the diner. He was mostly disturbed from his peace by the noise due to his proximity to the glass windows because of his table, but he did notice that they were loud enough that the entire street could hear it without issue.
It bothered him that it was becoming an increasing trend that day, with communications down Toshinori knew that law enforcement was currently uncoordinated, similarly with the first responders that dealt with fires, injuries, and the like…
Some hospitals he helped send injured people to were already at full capacity and couldn't accept any more which was a true rarity nowadays, one that had Toshinori now feeling a lot more subdued from his elation earlier.
With another slurp of his noodles, he knew that most of the students in the Hero Course were motivated to continue their training despite all the setbacks and unfortunate experiences with dangerous elements that they were too young to respond to. Their hope and determination pushed their burning spirits forward, regardless of anything hindering their path, an ideal that Toshinori both marveled at with a proud smile in his heart, but one that also made him feel scared for their future.
Said future was becoming rather unpredictable as the days passed and Mirai, his former loyal sidekick's premonitions was starting to slowly dawn on him.
Sadly, the same feeling swept over him despite all his efforts to train his successor…
"Young Midoriya isn't ready yet…"
Sighing, knowing that his 'training' barely amounted much compared to the rigorous but fair regimen that his mentor used to have, Toshinori knew that he had to amp young Midoriya's regimen outside of the training UA was giving him. He had to be more hands-on from now on.
Given that threats were now seemingly comi-
"Aaaaaaaa!" a nearly girly and uncharacteristic scream which Toshinori was surprised that came from his own lips erupted when a pair of crimson eyes met his own at very close proximity.
"You are a curious thing, skeleton-san."
A great sigh of relief washed over Toshinori, for it was merely the cute and innocent girl from before, still ultimately waiting for her takeout, which he could hear the owner of the diner barking at his staff to make it perfect.
Yet… relieved as he was, there was something strange in those deeply, crimson eyes of hers. It was as if she was peering into his very soul. It felt, uncanny. Even if the girl herself remained as harmless as she was.
She continued to persist staring at him in such close proximity until he moved his head a bit back and cleared his throat. Sadly, it didn't really deter her to stop what she was doing.
"Uh… excuse me young lady but what exactly do you nee-
"Very curious… skeleton-san." She said with a bit of mirth as she pulled back, smiling innocently again as she took a seat across him at his table. She then conjoined both her hands together, fingers mingling with each other as her smile disarmed him.
The aura around the girl was odd, yet he didn't seem intimidated or concerned about her presence. Add the fact that she vaguely said those words made him feel uneasy. He thought that the girl's quirk involved creating objects out of thin air as said by the owner of the diner in their conversation. Did she… also have a secondary quirk that thought and acted like Nightey-
"Can I ask you a question, skeleton-san?"
"Um… sure? But not to be rude young lady, why is it exactly that you approached me?" he asked, just to be sure. He was however greeted with the girl's smile becoming a bit deeper as she leaned her face forward, supporting her chin with both her hands and elbows on the table.
With how pretty she was, it reminded Toshinori of a certain niece of his, from David's.
"Well, I was a bit bored waiting for my order, and I caught sight of you… you're quite interesting skeleton-san so I approached you!" she said with a lovely giggle.
Okay, that wasn't the answer he expected but she seemed harmless and Toshinori had to admit that as much as he considered and accepted this part of his identity, he knew that he looked like a living ghoul, or as the girl would aptly call him, 'skeleton-san'. If anything, he expected people to be wary of him due to his appearance, but this one looked like it was the opposite.
"I see… well, I'm glad to meet you Miss…?"
She blinked, as if not expecting the greeting before smiling. She then without warning grabbed his hand and started shaking it. It was then that Toshinori quickly noticed that her grip was rather strong. It did not break his bones or break his arm altogether strong but being that he was experienced at holding back the strength that One for All was accustomed to when he was at full strength all the time, he knew how those with such exceptional strength held themselves back. Even in something as mundane as a handshake.
There was something odd with this girl.
"Shiki! Call me Shiki."
Oh, one of his suspicions of her being a foreigner was correct in a sense. Not just because of her looks, but the fact that even with her perfect Japanese, she wasn't using honorifics. A trait that Toshinori himself also seldom used, given his time in the United States when he got back to Japan.
"Toshinori then. You have a good grip there young Shiki… I thought your quirk was item creation or something like that?" he asked politely.
"Oh, you mean my powers? No… no… explaining it to you would be very complicated and your head might explode in the process. So just think of me as a magical girl!" she said, subtly deflecting his attempt at trying to get a good gauge at her. But that one line at the end struck him.
"You're an aspiring hero student then?"
"Nope!" she quickly said, before he even had the time to finish words. The denial and firm stance at that juncture halted him immediately.
"I see."
"Can I ask the question now, skeleton-san?"
He nearly wanted to vomit blood again for that new moniker of his, coming from her. Not that he denied it, he just didn't prefer it. Something also tells him that the girl's antics were in fact more literal at her being innocent. In fact, how she acted right now, made him think of her as being like a child.
Toshinori didn't notice that while he had… resistance to certain gestures and subtle subliminal influence from the girl's eyes, it wasn't foolproof. In addition, what vestiges of One for All that was left in him were also similarly struggling to resist its effects.
The leading figure in the 'innocent' conversation between them was already hewn and pronounced clearly at the start, and through casual means no less.
"Alright then. What is your question young Shiki?"
"Why do you do it?"
The odd question made Toshinori pause. "Pardon?"
"Why do you save people in the first place?"
Toshinori suddenly felt scared. Even through the aura that was making him comply that he did not notice in the slightest. It was a great fear of him of course for people to know this early. For people to know that he was All Might given the circumstances that led to his current state.
Did this girl know?
Was she in any way, shape, or form related to-
"You have the same look as any hero out there. Like Mandalay-san and the Cats. Like any other person out there wearing colorful costumes as you deal with any sort of threat or response that's happening out there."
She then smiled at him with curiosity and interest. "That look where you don't hesitate at all at coming to the aid of others, regardless of how dangerous or unknown the situation is."
She then started drawing circles on the table near his bowl of noodles…
"I guess I just want to know, why you're motivated to do such things, even at the expense of your own health. Even at the expense of your own lives. My darling Kota-kun's parents were the same, and it cost theirs… perhaps I just want to know why that certain drive exists in the first place… and why this world propagates the endless cycle of conflict of people with exceptional powers, fighting against people with exceptional powers."
Her image of a young, innocent, and hopeful soul nearly evaporated at that instant. Her gaze, was filled with complex emotions that bordered on confusion, curiousness, and frustration, not wholly transfixed at him, but to the world. Like an adult unsure and confused over the quickly changing cultural and socially favored landscape that their offspring's generation leaned to when compared to their own youth.
A sort of thinking that certainly felt very odd with the girl before him.
But beyond all of that, Toshinori already had an answer.
"Because that's what heroes do." He simply said with confidence and no underlying doubt in his words. One that the girl blinked at in response.
Toshinori looked at his bowl of noodles, and eventually towards the city through the windows. His memories from his quirkless past, his time as All Might, and his mentorship of young Midoriya all come back to him and he still had the same ideal that he carried all throughout.
"Because it's the right thing to do. It's my responsibility to enact it, for the good of all and for the good of the entire world."
"I don't think that's an answer." She quickly said.
Toshinori found himself smirking. "And what kind of answer do you want, young Shiki? Because even with the changing times, even with the limitations of my own body, I still hold onto the belief that to be a hero, means doing everything in your power to make sure of a better future. Even if said future doesn't contain oneself. To be selfless in the face of adversity. To do things in service of others and the greater good, no matter the context."
The girl merely stared at him, as if his answer, honest as it was, felt wrong to her in some way. Not in a disagreeing stance of course, but one that seemingly felt like how his master would frequently tease him for how 'long that stick up my ass' was.
The sight of her being in that neutral, intimidating enough pose eventually gave way to a pout.
"That's the boring answer and… I really doubt that's what you truly feel about that subject."
She didn't even call him Skeleton-san. Toshinori didn't know how to feel about this change. So far, however, she didn't seem to be aware of his true identity. For now.
Scratching the back of his head, Toshinori thought about it deeply. Unaware of the subtle influence that the girl was giving him, he actually found himself digging for that self-reflective answer. The kind that he would only share with anyone that he trusted to the utmost degree.
At the same time, airing the words he was about to speak, felt… relieving.
"Because it's the only thing I know how to do…"
Young Shiki tilted her head slightly to his answer but found herself smiling for his honesty.
Toshinori heaved a heavy sigh, feeling… oddly free from that statement of truth. He then looked away from her as he stared into the window, the city and its many people of Japan and more that he had saved across the decades. His actions sparked a consequence of peace that lasted for a good while all because he drove his fists into All for One, thinking it would end there.
He was a kind soul, yes. One who actually believed in the cause of Good even if that same sentiment was what made him callous, sometimes unfeeling at his job as he went from one rescue and issue to another. Inspiring beacon of hope was a title and name that both felt rewarding and foreign to him, for Toshinori was just a simple man. A man who did his job, admittedly better than others, for the greater good.
There was no other deep-rooted cause as to why he became a hero.
If anything, his quarrel with All for One was him lusting for vengeance for what happened to his master and that to him, proved to Toshinori that he was human. That he was as flawed as any person, hero, and villain out there and not the tentpole of greatness that many considered him to be.
Hell, he didn't even care about the fame that came with it.
He just did what best he knew with what he was good for. To fight.
To fight for what was good.
"Young Shiki, will you allow me to tell you a story?" he asked the girl.
"Sure." She said as she leaned a little bit closer.
"Back in my youth I once saw a poor little child stare at the windows of a party shop almost the entire day just to get a glimpse of a blue balloon that he cherished so much," Toshinori explained as that memory came to him in vivid detail. "He didn't care if he was hungry, if he was tired, or any of that. He just simply stared at that balloon as people passed him by."
"Did you help him, skeleton-san?"
Bitterly he chuckled with guilt but also with nostalgia. "Would you believe me in saying that I was one of those people that walked by? I did try to help once, but I didn't know how."
"Then what happened to the child, skeleton-san?"
He smiled deeply as those memories got to him.
"My master came by that shop. Bought the kid the balloon and spent the day with him. One simple act of kindness changed that boy's life. My master didn't need to do that. Most heroes would just feed them, leave them to the shelter or in the hands of child services, but no… my master staked her whole day making sure that the boy had a good time. That the boy would finally get his wish. That boy grew up to be an aspiring paramedic and died happily through old age with his family because my master gave him hope."
He still remembered that wonderful smile his master gave the little boy.
And he still remembered that on the next day, he would finally have the guts to ask her about training him. Even if it meant just being better at dealing with the world while being quirkless.
"Sometimes young Shiki, you don't need a very deep answer on why people choose to be heroes. Sometimes just putting a smile on someone's face is enough to endure all the pain and suffering and continue on…"
Toshinori then found himself smiling with genuine affection even through his gaunt face as he turned to the girl. "Sometimes, being a hero is to say, 'I AM HERE' and that's enough for them to have hope… to smile for a better, brighter future."
The girl thankfully smiled back.
"So… you don't exactly know or describe why exactly you do it but do it nonetheless because you truly care about the people you save… yes?" she asked.
"Absolutely. Look kid, I'm not the smartest tool in the shed, I… know that; much as my other mentor reminded me day after day. And I do acknowledge that I'm not a perfect hero, I don't think anyone can be, because at the end of the day, while I try to be inspiring, the only thing I'm ever truly good at is fighting. Having a reason to fight, simple as mine is, is what I think makes it worthwhile."
"Even at the cost of your own self?"
The girl's question made him pause, but his answer was still the same.
"Yes."
The girl then started to giggle. "You're truly interesting, Skeleton-san, and far more nuanced despite your simplistic ideals."
He managed a giggle himself too as he felt better. The conversation while strange, felt rewarding to him, even if he couldn't describe why.
"I don't know if I share your sentiment about caring that much over every stranger you meet. Good or bad." She said as she leaned back in her seat. "I only truly care about my loved ones and maybe like you said, that's enough of a reason to keep on smiling. To make them similarly smile and feel good in the process."
He nodded.
"Maybe that's enough." He said as he thought about young Midoriya and his future, as well as the world and people around him.
"Maybe that's enough…" Young Shiki echoed.
Arcueid knocked on the door of Kota's home. The sun had finished setting and the ambient sounds of crickets singing against the night entered her ears. Carrying her quarry, which was all the takeout from that wonderful diner that her dear Kota frequented, she thought about that interesting conversation she had with the skeleton.
She was admittedly uninterested and even confused with some of his ideals…
But it all circled down to one simple fact.
It was that genuine, humane, and caring sentiment against others, or even for one person is a concept that humans can't really describe. An abstract concept that seemingly transcended many things, even her own existence as sometimes. It was correct that 'loving someone' meant doing everything in your power to make them happy, even if you can't explain it yourself as to why you're motivated to do it in the first place.
Sometimes, simply feeling one's own heart being elated is a reason enough.
After sharing and gushing a bit more about Kota, the skeleton and her parted ways. With him hurrying along as a burning passenger plane flew above them towards a certain direction in the city. Arcueid didn't really mind that as she felt decently fulfilled that day…
She had, after all, finished her quest.
Carrying her gifts for her lovely little charge, Arcueid finally arrived back at Kota's house after such a long day. So long that the moon had finally appeared and shined its light on her. Reinvigorating her strength and joy as she waited for Mandalay to open the door.
She was excited to show these presents to Kota so that he could feel better again after-
"Where have you been, young lady?!"
A ragged and worriedly sick-looking Shino Sosaki greeted her at the front door before the woman quickly grabbed her into a very deep embrace of relief and concern. There were some tears at the edge of her eyes as the elation, fear, and
"W-What? Shino-san, what is-
"I'm so glad that you're alright! We've been worried sick… we don't know where you went, we didn't know how to call you, we thought something happened and we-
The woman continued to spill out words filled with absolute fear and concern as she checked Arcueid thoroughly while tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She didn't understand what was happening and why Shino was like this.
"Damn it all… d-don't you realize that you're already a part of this family?! A-And if something were to happen to you Kota would… w-we would…"
Shino Sosaki then suddenly paused in deep guilt, pain, and sadness as she slowly unraveled emotionally to Arcueid who looked confused and shocked. She felt the woman's tears wet her sweater as the woman clung to her, almost helplessly.
"Shino-san… I…"
Both suddenly paused as through the shadow of the doorway across the hall, stood Kota Izumi. The boy, clinging onto the doll of their favorite cartoon like a lifeline, while riddled with tears. Eyes full of betrayal. Emotions going from hate, to relief, and depression.
Arcueid's inhuman heart may not have responded to Shino's concerns…
"K-Kota… kun?" she whispered.
…but seeing Kota's face made her feel a deep-rooted emotion that she had never felt s-since… since she parted ways with her beloved. On that lovely day, by the classroom, where the sun's setting light touched them both.
Kota's eyes and emotions held the same amount of weight. The unbridled sorrow.
What she didn't expect next was Kota bursting into a painful sob while running at her. Crashing into her arms as he pressed into her as hard as he could while his Aunt watched beside them. Arcueid remained stunned, she didn't even notice that she had dropped her plastic bags full of her takeout as she stared into Kota who continued to grab desperately into her sweater.
"Kota-kun…"
"You said you wouldn't leave me!"
Angry, sorrow-filled fists hit her chest.
"Y-You said you would s-stay! You said… you wouldn't go away… l-like mom. L-like dad."
Kota screamed as he let the anger take over him. He angrily tried to slam her fists into her chest, even if it had no effect as Arcueid watched in silence. Kota's tears flowed freely as he continued to relentlessly hit her as the adrenaline coursed through his veins.
But… each hit was weaker than the last despite his anger. Each hit and scream had him unraveling in utter despair as he sobbed continuously.
"Y-you promised! You p-promised me… y-you promised that you…"
Kota's voice trailed as he finally lost all the strength to do anything else.
Their eyes met as Kota continued to cry.
"Don't go… please… d-don't leave me too." He echoed weakly as he closed his eyes. Arcueid felt herself losing all her strength and joy as Shino and Kota embraced her. A realization dawned on her as she stared listlessly at Kota.
She had made a mistake.
…and she understood it to her very core.
Washington DC, USA
7:46 AM
It all started when the birds quickly flocked in droves to desperately leave the airspace.
Despite the relative issues regarding the loss of satellites, communications, and the like, the air and aura of the nation's capital were tame. Even with the incohesive mobilization of military arms and Pro Heroes close to the district, average civilians and workers were doing their day jobs…
Until the sounds of the shrieks that the birds gave out caused the busy district to look up in silence. Men, women, and children, whether they were lawmen, military, or Heroes felt a sudden chill coming up their spines as they watched groups of these avians rush away amidst the early morning clouds. Their number almost made them look like grim and dark clouds as people stared.
Then pets of various kinds started to panic.
Dogs howling and trying to break out of their cages. Some bite their owners in sheer desperation despite their tame nature like wild canids.
Cats started to freak out, attacking everything in their sight as their senses were being tampered with.
Rodents started to squeal, even violently killing each other as they tried to flee through the sewers. The waste and muck evolved into a sinister scene as blood started to flood the drains.
All because of a foreign, heavy form of pressure starting to bear down on everyone as even those within the Capitol building and the seat of the President looked up.
High above, the clouds were parted in a circular fashion. So bright, so large, and so… intense was the object that felt like it was being greeted by the Earth itself to land upon the surface of the planet. Even far away from the likes of New York people could see it.
Like a deity overseeing the world, it was immense in size.
Hovering before the capital, it existed as a colossal forty-kilometer or more, humanoid shape wrapped in an unrelenting yet hauntingly beautiful expanse of black, photon gas. An aura of extreme gravity was imposed around it, which parted the clouds like nothing while it willed such forces in an immense radius around it.
Its presence seemed to coil and break the surrounding reality by having a distorted effect upon visible light hitting its form. Making a haze that seemingly hid its true, theoretical size and its truly, horrific constitution.
The tidal forces around it, the sheer magnitude of the laws of the universe that curved and bent upon its form. For deep within the confines of perilous, destructive layers of void-like gasses and matter was what could only be described as an artificial sun. The core that produced the existence of such a being that dictated its presence upon the world.
Even at the height it hovered over the Western continent of the Americas, the stunned and frozen populace of the district could only watch as it bore a loud, thundering horn as if announcing its arrival until it had enacted its will.
The phenomena described could only be understood at a simple, yet complex enough description.
When exposed to external pressure from crushing depths within the sea, a poorly made submarine craft can undergo the process of implosion.
A phenomenon so fast, so… intense yet sudden that would render the human mind unable to perceive or yet alone feel the horror of what followed. A demented form of mercy that released the cumulative energies of the craft crushing into itself within less than a fraction of a second.
That's what happened to the US Capital. All sixty-eight point thirty-five square miles of land had been crushed by the colossal amount of gravity being exuded upon it. The energies and heat of such an event causing matter, living or non-biological to cease existing due to being vaporized just by the forces involved.
Creating a crater nearly four miles deep as water from the nearby ocean started to flood the newly formed basin.
There wasn't even a sound that followed for how abrupt and sudden it was.
There was only a catastrophic shockwave that tore down every man-made structure and human population of the surrounding states near the district that was once the Capital.
The worst part?
The Black Aristoteles of the largest planet in the Solar System did not waste its energy by making it an attack.
No, the sovereign of Jupiter was merely introducing itself to the denizens of Earth.
I-Island
2:36 AM
"This is absolutely immaculate! The flavors! The sweetness. The loving mix and blend of everything. It's… it's truly perfect." The girl, who Melissa now called as V said as she slurped her second pint of cookies and cream-flavored ice cream. She watched with interest and confusion as the girl seemingly rejoiced and loved the fact that this was apparently her first taste and discovery of such a product, implying as if she was a hermit of all things normal in society.
"And you're telling me there's other flavors?!" she said with intensity as her eyes twinkled.
It made Melissa smile due to her cuteness.
"Yeah. We can have a strawberry one if you would like?"
"Really?" the strange girl asked innocently.
"Yeah, really. Just so long as my dad arrives."
"You have my appreciation! And oh dear, I cannot thank you enough for this treat."
"You're welcome," Melissa said in good faith.
If there's anyone that knows about this strange girl, it's probably her dad. I mean, why would she get access to his functionally impregnable lab in the first place if not for him?
Plus, it helped that the girl wasn't a threat, or perhaps she was a kid of her dad's colleague?
For now, she enjoyed the very wholesome exchange between them as V continued to devour her ice cream with extreme satisfaction.
For now, she was sure that the girl meant no harm.
Hopefully.
TO BE CONTINUED…
AN: Melissa POV and V/V chapter next time…
As for the TYPE that appeared in this chapter:
"黒いアリストテレス [type:jupiter] kuroi aristoteles
The Black Aristoteles
An Aristoteles that appeared in the western continent. A black giant several dozen kilometers in size. Its form was pretty close to a human.
It was actually a group of black photon gas, and theoretically its size can expand infinitely. It carries a unknown core in its center that can only be described as an artificial sun, and the gases are emitted from this object.
Of the 8 Aristoteles, it eliminated the most living things. The western continent went on an all out battle, and it wiped them out without a scar. ... Although there's probably no such thing as a scar to this Aristoteles.
After this incident, a team of Knights were sent to the western continent. After a fierce battle, it was sliced into half by the demonic sword of Knight Edem, the Slash Emperor. The chopped artificial sun went berserk and burned the whole western continent."
- Angel Notes