Chapter 13: Wanting to Find the Truth
July 2, 3:10 PM
Advanced Nurturing High School
Student Council Room
It's been ten minutes since the last class ended for the day. Ten long minutes as I found myself facing my enemy, the same man who runs this corrupt school and is the reason why it has such horrible rules that only inflict suffering onto the innocent, Chairman Sakayanagi. I never would have expected in a million years that I'd be facing him just after meeting him. Especially not like this.
It was then that I took a glance at the person at the far end of the table that I was seated at, specifically to the right of me. A middle-aged man was sitting there with greyish hair. Though this was not the Chairman who was directly facing me, but instead a man named Kazuma Sakagami. Apparently, he's the leader of Class 1-C though I had only come to know that information a few minutes prior. His face was incredibly stern, and he looked rather annoyed. Only a few seconds later, he caught me looking at him, so I went back to staring at the ceiling.
Aside from Mr. Sakagami, I knew everyone else. Chairman Sakayanagi's daughter Arisu was sitting right next to him. I glanced at her for a second only to notice she was glaring daggers at me. I immediately looked away from her as a result. I decided on a whim to look at the person sitting to the left of me, which was Airi Sakura, she flashed me a nervous smile that only had the opposite effect of what she probably intended which was making me more anxious than I was before.
"Midoriya. You're sweating again. Take this." Suzune who was sitting to the right of me whispered while handing me a handkerchief. I immediately took it and wiped the globs of sweat off my forehead. Man, I'm so nervous I didn't even realize I was sweating! But I don't have anything to fear! After all, we have a witness! And even the culprit Daichi Ishizaki is here! (He's sitting at the far end of the table to the left of me) It should be enough to prove that the Chairman was the mastermind behind everything! But then why…
… Why do I have the sinking feeling that it's still not enough?!
"Mr. Sakagami, it appears that all of the necessary arrangements have been made. You do know I'm a busy man and quite frankly I don't have much time to be sitting here doing nothing to speak of. In fact, I have a game of golf that I plan to attend with some colleagues of mine in the next thirty minutes. I wouldn't want to be late so can we wrap this up already?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked in a passive aggressive attitude with a smile on his face.
"Y-Yes, Chairman Sakayanagi. Of course. I, Kazuma Sakagami will be the judge for this trial today regarding the accusation that Mr. Midoriya placed upon, um, Chairman Sakayanagi. This court is now in session." Sakagami replied nervously as it was obvious that he feared his superior.
'Bam!' Sakagami then swung the gavel in his hands onto the desk as the trial had officially begun.
"The prosecution is ready, Mr. Sakagami." Chairman Sakayanagi spoke while maintaining his confident smile. But upon hearing his words my memories of the last trail resurfaced as I thought 'Oh yeah! I know what I have to say next!' And then…
"The defense is ready, Mr. Sakagami." I replied with a smile on my face which only made Sakagami adjust his glasses out of disapproval. W-Was it something I said? I was genuinely confused until Horikita poked me.
"Don't you remember? You're supposed to refer to him as 'Your Honor.'" Suzune reminded me with a whisper. Wait a minute-
"Then why doesn't he have to do it?" I whispered back with what was definitely a dumbfounded look on my face as I titled my head out of confusion.
"Because he's the Chairman, baka." Suzune replied before stabbing (Poking) me on the side of my chest with her pen.
'Well. Guess I've got no choice.' I thought internally while sweat dripped from my face before I wiped it off with Horikita's handkerchief. And then…
"I apologize, I meant to refer to you as 'Your Honor' Mr-I mean J-Judge Sakagami." I replied nervously as I still wasn't used to this whole 'court' way of speaking.
"It's quite alright, Mr. Midoriya. Just don't do it again." Judge Sakagami replied with an understanding look on his face. In response, I nodded my head.
"Anyway, the Prosecution may give their opening statement." Judge Sakagami declared as the Chairman stood up with several documents in his hands.
"It has come to my attention that Mr. Midoriya had accused me of masterminding an incident of physical assault, cooperating with the aggressor, and forging evidence that kept the identity of said aggressor hidden, all while pinning it on another student, the President of the Student Council no less. Do I have all of that right?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked as she directed his attention toward me as I could only nod in approval.
"You do realize that these are all very serious accusations that could have me deprived of my position and even worse be sentenced to prison?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked as I nodded once more.
"Just making sure. Oh, and if you aren't able to prove that I committed all of those nefarious crimes I just mentioned, I'll expel you on the spot. That sounds like a worthy punishment, yes?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked with a gentle smile on his face that only clashed with his choice of words.
'NOT AT ALL!' I screamed internally as my eyes bulged out while my jaw dropped to the floor! Well, this just went from bad to worse! If I can't prove that the Chairman was responsible, then I'm expelled! No ifs or buts to speak of!
But then again, perhaps this is fine? If I'm able to prove that the Chairman was the one responsible of everything then he will undoubtably convicted just like he said! Sure, if I fail, I'll never be able to be alongside my classmates and my friend… but… even still…
… I must give it my all so that justice is served!
'Slap!' I slapped my cheeks together incurring a 'EEP!' from Sakura and a 'What the- from Horikita but it wasn't like I was intentionally hurting myself! No! I was taking back my resolve! 'I'm going to prove that the Chairman is the mastermind for all those crimes no matter what!' That's what I vowed to myself at the time. But…
… I would come to regret those words later on… I just didn't know it yet.
"Yes. That is an appropriate punishment, Chairman Sakayanagi. But mark my words, I'll prove you committed all of those crimes." I declared with the most confident look on my face that I could muster while Arisu glared daggers at me, and Horikita looked at me in disbelief. Suddenly the air grew heavy as if it had the strength to push me down all while the Chairman was looking at me.
"My, my. The fiery passion of youth. I do hope you have the proof to back up your choice of words, Mr. Midoriya." The Chairman spoke as he stared into my eyes but even though the air was heavy and his stare was intimidating, I stood firm in my beliefs as I nodded in affirmation.
"Of course. For my first piece of evidence… TAKE THAT!" I yelled out as I pressed play on the video recording on Sakura's phone. (Thankfully avoiding her lewd pictures of herself this time.) The Chairman then watched the contents of the video until it finished.
"And how does this prove that I committed any of the crimes you have accused me of?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked with his usual confident smile as he wasn't disturbed in the slightest to seeing the footage. Not going to lie that kind of unnerved me but I'm not finished yet!
"I-I still have more! As for my next piece of evidence, Horikita will you do the honors?" I asked with a smile as I noticed that she was way ahead of me and had already pressed play on the projector showcasing the footage that was captured by the security camera! We all then watched the footage until the very end where the culprit's appearance of Sudo, specifically his hair color (Sudo's being red of course) reverted to the color of black!
"That right there is an obvious contradiction when compared to the footage captured on Sa-I mean my witness's phone! What do you have to say to that, Chairman Sakayanagi?" I asked while pointing at him but this time nothing happened as he stared back at me with the same look on his face that he's had up to this point, overwhelming confidence.
"Nothing." Chairman Sakayanagi replied.
"N-Nothing? … That's it?" I asked while sweat dripped profusely from my forehead when I was wiping it with Horikita's handkerchief.
"Of course. After all, you haven't proved anything to speak of. I know what you're trying to say, that's 'Only I could have committed the crimes of manipulating the footage.' And you would be right, if there wasn't a second person who could have done it, and might I add, certainly did. You all know him quite well, Mr. Manabu Horikita." Chairman Sakayanagi replied as he already knew where I was going with this.
But for a second, it almost looked like the look on his face changed when saying Horikita's brother's name? Was it a trick of the eye? Yeah. I must be delusional. Even so, I pressed on, knowing full well if I lose it means my expulsion and even worse a sentence for Horikita's brother that could last years! I can't let either of those happen!
"Of course, he's my fr-I mean assistant's brother. I've met him twice so far. Though both times weren't exactly for long." I admitted with a serious expression on my face as I reflected back onto my encounters with Horikita's brother. Yeah. I hadn't known him for all that long. Roughly thirty minutes. And most of that time we hadn't exchanged any words with each other.
'… Midoriya… I know I shouldn't be asking you this… but… please believe in him. I know you don't like my brother… but he's not a bad person. He hasn't done anything wrong. That's what I believe. So… please… help me prove that everything wasn't his fault.' To be honest, I didn't really like the guy just like Horikita said, but even so if she believes in his innocence then I'll just have to believe in her! After all… she is…
"That doesn't seem like nearly enough time to get to know his true character. And yet you still defend him? What a joke. You're throwing your education at my prestigious school away all for someone you barely know, just who do you think you are?" Chairman Sakayanagi asked as he glared at me with his gentle smile that betrayed his choice of words yet again. But I didn't let that stop me nor the overpowering pressure he's placing on me! After all, Horikita is my-
"Horikita is my friend! So, of course, I'm going to defend her brother!" I declared with a face full of resolve. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Horikita being completely taken aback by my words. And then…
'… Midoriya.' Suzune muttered with a melancholic look on her face indicating that she was regretting dragging me into this again. But it wasn't her fault. Not in the slightest. I'm here… because I want to be here! That's all there is to it!
"Pathetic. To throw everything away for a girl you barely know. Absolutely pathetic. Much less someone as worthless as her." Chairman Sakayanagi replied as my eyes shot wide open. How could he say something like that?! To one of his own students?! He said, 'who do you think you are?' I could say the same thing back to him just…
"… Who the hell do you think you are?!" I unintentionally snapped back as everyone stared back at me in utter disbelief! Even the Chairman was caught off guard by what I said! But the person who was most surprised was without a shadow of a doubt…
'OH CRAP! I SAID WHAT I WAS THINKING OUT LOUD AGAIN!' I screamed internally as my jaw fell to the floor and I slumped back into my seat as I could already see my expulsion coming from a mile away. But to my utmost surprise-
"Hahaha…" I heard laughter coming from someone all too familiar, my eyes shot wide open as I noticed him. I genuinely couldn't believe it. Horikita was surprised and so was Sakura and Judge Sakagami. Even his own daughter was staring at him with a dumbfounded look on her face. And then…
"… Hahaha! It's been a while since someone said something like that right in front of my face! That hot-bloodedness! I like it! Then allow me to introduce myself…" Chairman Sakayanagi spoke before pausing for a few seconds to stand up until-
"… My name is Narumori Sakayanagi. I'm the Chairman of this prestigious school. I already know your name many times. After all, my daughter can't seem to stop talking about you. But I think you know full well that it's not because she has some unrefined crush on a boy utterly below her…" Chairman Sakayanagi continued before suddenly I felt a sense of overwhelming dread, just like Arisu would make me feel from time to time. But this time…
… It was even more overbearing than all of those other times I encountered her! It was truly comparable to the criminal mastermind All For One! And just like hearing AFO, hearing the Chairman made me utterly sick to my stomach to the point where my appetite vanished completely! Even worse, I felt my will, the determination to prove him guilty greatly diminished as I didn't know what to say or do. And Chairman Sakayanagi knew this.
"… It's because she finds you absolutely pathetic like I do. After all, if you weren't a worthless piece of garbage then how did you end up in Class D? Make no mistake that all of the students in there aren't deserving of the luxuries that life has to offer, much less deserve to attend such a esteemed school such as this one…" The Chairman continued as the sense of dread grew more and more.
"… But… we allow such ingrates to attend so that they can be ruthlessly crushed. They don't deserve to try and fail and repeat the process until they end up at some dead-end job. No. This world is far better off without them. Only humans with the strength and mental capacity to truly succeed in life are worth living…" The Chairman continued before landing the finishing blow.
"… Everyone else are much better off six feet underground. Perhaps then their graves will be a constant reminder of where their lives were always going to lead to." Chairman Sakayanagi finished as he glared daggers at me. But not just me, but Horikita and Sakura too. He viewed us as less than humans, as dirt that deserved to be obliterated off the face of the earth. And that…
… Made me want to return the favor to him as the words of Jokata Nauji 'Do you wish to obliterate him?' echoed throughout my head. But just as I was about to answer him, I felt Horikita place her hand onto mine as she gripped it tightly. I then looked at her as I noticed that she had been looking at me all this time with a worried look on her face. Once again, I almost lost control. Thankfully, my friend was here to keep me in check. But what do I do…
… When she's not by my side?
"Hmph. Now that's a good look on you. If you really want to prove anything in life you have to use emotions such as anger and resentment toward another person to actually gain anything you want. Friendship is utterly worthless in this world and won't get you anywhere, believe me. To truly accomplish your dreams, you must stomp your opponent with your foot until there is nothing left of them." Chairman Sakayanagi declared as he shared his beliefs with me. But he was wrong.
"You're wrong. My friends, each and every single one of them, if it wasn't for all of them, then I wouldn't be standing here right now. It's because of them… that I will never back down to you or anyone else. So, get ready, Chairman Sakayanagi, for my last piece of evidence." I replied before turning my attention away from the Chairman and onto the most valuable piece of proof I had in my possession. He's been here the whole time, and I waited precisely for this moment to use him. That moment…
… IS HERE!
"Mr. Ishizaki… is this the man who told you to physically assault those students from your class?" I asked with an undoubtably serious expression on my face as Daichi nodded in affirmation.
"Ha! What a joke! You expect anyone to take the word of a hooligan from Class C over me?! Did you actually think that I was going to confess like on some mystery show?! What a sick joke, indeed, Mr. Midoriya! That statement proves nothing when there is no proof to back it up! Clearly, this is some scheme to pin everything on me when the obvious mastermind without question is Manabu Horikita!" Chairman Sakayanagi snapped back as he still had that smile on his face. But he was beginning to get noticeably agitated.
'Yeah. He definitely didn't see Ishizaki confessing to his crimes coming, much less pinning it all on him. I'm getting closer to the truth… I can feel it! But it's not enough! I still need more than this! Because even though I hate to admit he's right! There's no way anyone is going to take someone like Daichi seriously! Especially when he's accusing the Chairman of all people! I need something more decisive, or he'll get away!
"If that's really all you have then it means jack squat. You've got nothing on me, Mr. Midoriya, and you know it! Your thirty minutes are officially up! I'm going to go golfing with my colleagues now! Oh, and don't worry I'll make sure your expelled by tonight so get ready to pack up your things because you aren't coming through these doors ever again, Izuku Midoriya!" Chairman Sakayanagi declared with a wide grin on his face as he stood up and made his way toward the door!
'No! Not now! I was so close! So close to proving that he committed all of those crimes! No… oh who am I kidding? It's like he said. I couldn't prove anything. If I only had something more decisive. Decisive proof that would prove that everything was the Chairman's doing… but I don't. I'm sorry Horikita. It's all ov-
"Midoriya!" A voice yelled out as my train of thought was broken. I recognized that voice! It was from Horikita! I looked at her only to see she was pointing at me! No, wait! She was pointing behind me! I then looked to see Sakura holding a flash drive while pointing at it with a serious look on her face! But that only made me more confused, what does this have to do with anything? But Sakura noticed that and pointed at Ishizaki. Wait… is this something from him?
'Creak.' But it was then that I heard the door creak! My window of opportunity was closing both metaphorically and literally! That's why I just have to do this right here right now!
"HOLD IT! Chairman Sakayanagi!" I yelled out as I pointed at him while showing him the flash drive in my hands! The Chairman noticed it and was confused.
"A flash drive? And what will that prove against me? For all we know it could just be a bluff. In fact, I'm sure that's all it is. Well, it's too late for that. I'm leav- Chairman Sakayanagi spoke only to be cut off before he could finish by none other than-
"Are you really just going to leave?! Right when I have decisive proof against you?! Or is it… you're scared? Scared that someone as absolutely pathetic as me could prove that you committed all of those crimes?" I replied with a nervous smirk on my face as I figured that my only way to get him to stay was bluff and bait him too! Sure, I wasn't used to lying and sweat was dripping from my forehead. But even still, if this is the end… then…
… I MIGHT AS WELL SAY WHAT'S ON MY MIND!
"M-Midoriya." Horikita muttered out of sheer disbelief at my choice of words. Sakura was too nervous to say a single word. Arisu was appalled and glared daggers my way. Even Sakagami was taken aback by my words! And as for the Chairman-
"What did you just say to me, you insignificant insect?!" Chairman Sakayanagi asked as his tone of voice completely changed while he glared daggers at me! But I wasn't scared! Not anymore! I have people precious to me by my side! So, I'm going to show him that anger and resentment mean nothing in the face of friendship!
"You heard me! So, are you going to let me prove it or not?! It's like you said Chairman, if you want to stomp on your opponent until there's nothing left of them you got do it with your foot! So, if I'm really just an insect to you then get over here and try squashing me already!" I snapped back with a shout as I pointed right at him with my index finger!
"How dare you talk that way to my father?! You should- Sakayanagi spoke only to be interrupted by her father before she could finish speaking.
"That's enough, Arisu. And Mr. Midoriya… I accept your challenge. But be warned by the time this is over, you're going to wish you stayed quiet, I'll make sure of that." Chairman Sakayanagi declared while walking back to his seat as I stood there utterly speechless.
'Holy Crap?! That actually worked! Maybe I should be more demanding with others!' I thought internally with a satisfied smile on my face while crossing my arms.
"Don't even think about it." Horikita whispered before stabbing (poking) me with her pen again as if she read my mind again. But I didn't mind! The poke only made my convictions all the stronger as I made the preparations to prove the Chairman of his crimes! (By inserting the flash drive into the computer that was in the room)
"Huh. There's a video in that file." I unintentionally commented out loud as Horikita stared at me for saying something like that. I then clicked on the video as it started playing for everyone to see. And then…
"I-I-Impossible! H-H-How did you acquire that?!" Chairman Sakayanagi yelled out while stuttering as he pointed at the video playing on the computer which was footage showcasing him and Ishizaki interacting with each other! But the way the Chairman was speaking, it almost sounded like-
"It sounds like I shouldn't have this. Like you managed to get rid of this somehow?" I asked with a serious expression as my tone of voice matched it as I was intentionally baiting him.
"Of course you shouldn't have it! I deleted it! AH!" Chairman Sakayanagi snapped back before realizing his fatal mistake with an obvious gasp! And he took the bait! Hook, line and sinker!
"P-Papa?" Arisu spoke with a confused look on her face as if she genuinely didn't see this coming. Her father heard it and glared at her before coming up with another half-baked truth!
"This proves nothing! I could have simply been conversing with him! That's right! I remember now! He was asking if I could open the room to Class C so that he would be able to retrieve his belongings! That's all it was! How could I not show common courtesy to one of my students, after all. In the end you still have nothing on me, Mr. Midori- Chairman Sakayanagi spoke only to be cut off before he could finish by-
"Then what if I turn up the volume?" Suzune asked as the Chairman's eyes went wide while Horikita tapped on the keyboard to louden the footage. Suddenly the video was audible and what was heard was-
"Here's my proposal, Mr. Ishizaki. All you have to do is mind your own business and just let me take care of everything. We both desire revenge, right? You hated that boorish red headed boy. I believe his name is Mr. Sudo? An ingrate like him deserves nothing but punishment for his existence. As for me…" Undeniable proof from the Chairman no less but he was interrupted by himself no less.
"Turn that off right now! I refuse to listen to any more of this tomfoolery!" Chairman Sakayanagi declared as he attempted to reach for the keyboard to turn down the volume but before he could I grabbed his hand!
"U-Unhand me this instant! You pathetic pest!" Chairman Sakayanagi yelled out as I refused to let go of his hand!
"Never! The truth must be heard! Confess the truth! Because if you won't than the video will tell us everything we need to hear! Either way…" I spoke but paused for a few seconds before delivering the finishing blow-
"… YOU'RE GUILTY CHAIRMAN SAKAYANAGI!" I finished with a shout at the top of my lungs with a voice full of conviction that was even louder than the chairman's voice! And then…
"As for me my revenge concerns Manabu Horikita. No. Not just him, but the entire Horikita family. His little sister, their deceased father, and anyone else with the name Horikita is quite simply my natural enemy." The voice of Chairman Sakayanagi admitted in the footage that was playing on the computer.
But it was then that everything froze. No one moved a single muscle. Not even a single whisper escaped anyone's lips. It was as if time came to a standstill as the sheer weight of the confession stopped everything from moving forward. It genuinely felt like it lasted for minutes. But in reality, it was only about a few seconds. Each second passing by with the feeling that an entire minute had been extinguished until-
"P-Papa… please tell me that was some joke. It was a joke, right?" Arisu was the first one to speak as she stared at her father with pleading eyes. It was then that I realized that she was completely in the dark over her father's crimes. Up until the very end she believed that Horikita's brother was guilty one and that 'truth' shocked her to her very core.
"…" I then glanced at Suzune who was utterly dumbfounded to the point of speechlessness. I couldn't blame her in the slightest. I mean how could I after the Chairman's hatred for her and her family was revealed to everyone in attendance. I just had one question on my mind. It was the obvious one. Which was-
"… Why?" I asked as I stared at the Chairman out of sheer disbelief as he just stood there. I unintentionally lost my grip on his hand and he immediately broke free of the hand that I placed on his wrist before using his hand to cover his face as unbeknownst to me, he came to terms with this confession that would inevitably cost him everything. That's when he realized…
… What else does he have left to lose?
"You know, I honestly told that little rotten punk the truth on a whim. I had no intention of letting him blab to anyone regarding it. If he did, I'd give him a far worse fate than a mere expulsion. You asked 'why' Mr. Midoriya, did you not? Allow me to answer everything that has undoubtably confused all of your simple minds." Chairman Sakayanagi spoke as he began his confession.
"The Horikita family, oh they've been the bane of my existence as far back as I could remember. Specifically, their father, Hajime, which can mean 'beginning.' I think that's a fitting name as he was the root of all of my problems when I was growing up. It all began back when I enrolled in this school roughly thirty years ago." Chairman Sakayanagi continued.
"You see, I was quite talented given the fact I was far more intelligent than my peers could ever hope to achieve in a million years. But that only included the majority of the students that attended the school at the same time I was enrolled. One of those exceptions was Hajime Horikita." The Chairman continued.
"Me and Hajime were in Class A for each year, up until graduation and throughout that timespan he was the only person who had been a consistent pest. He always managed to obtain higher grades than I did. Even after countless nights of getting little to no sleep I always found myself lagging behind me by but a single point. Each and every single time." The Chairman admitted.
"But it didn't stop there. My father was utterly furious that his son always managed to take home the silver medal in everything while some utter commoner took gold. He found me and utter disgrace to the point where he struck me in my back with his belt for each and every one of those times I lost to Hajime." The Chairman continued.
"Six hundred and eighty-seven times throughout those three years. My father never forgot to hit me for even one of those times I lost but a single point to Hajime. So, forgive me if I hold a deep resentment for the man though I don't expect any of that coming from his own daughter, not that I could blame her." The Chairman continued.
"But you know what? The day that I learned Hajime died suddenly out of the blue by a severe case of food poisoning was the single greatest day of my entire life. I genuinely thought that maybe things were going to get better for me from here. Oh boy how wrong I was." The Chairman admitted as Suzune could barely hold back her tears.
"The day right after I learned Hajime died my daughter was diagnosed with a rare heart disease that made damn sure she's never walk properly again effectively making her a cripple for life. Meanwhile Hajime's children were perfectly healthy while my daughter was cursed to be a fucking cripple for the rest of her life! Even her brain wouldn't be able to salvage what her body lacked! What an utter disgrace!" The Chairman continued.
"P-P-Pa- Arisu interjected while stuttering uncontrollably but was harshly cut off before she could even finish saying the name that she called her father, by the same man no less.
"Shut your fucking mouth, Arisu! Your father is talking right now! So, you're going to wait until he is finished, you understand me?!" The Chairman snapped back with a voice that resembled a demon as even Arisu was caught off guard by it and can only nod her head in affirmation to not incur the wrath of the Oni wearing the mask of her father before her. But that was a lie. This was her father's true colors…
… He was just finally letting them out after thirty years of pent-up aggression.
"But even after that it just didn't stop! My wife passed away in a car crash! But get this! There wasn't a single car on the road! She had mistakenly swerved off the road and the car went and tumbled a few times until it was an utter wreck! She didn't even make it to the hospital and was announced dead at the scene! I lost my wife, and I might as well have lost my daughter in the same week, can you even believe that?!" The Chairman continued.
"And even after all the torment and suffering I had to endure alone it just didn't stop! I was diagnosed with Werner Syndrome! For those of you unaware and believe me even I hadn't heard of it until the doctor diagnosed me with it! I then learned that now after all of that I was going to age rapidly until I would die before I reach fifty guaranteed!" The Chairman continued.
"I'm only forty-five years old and I look like I'm fucking seventy! My existence, my entire family, the Sakayanagi name had been cursed! Meanwhile, Hajime Horikita's children were both living carefree lives in their nice villa all while I was going through an unspeakable amount of suffering, and you expect me not to blame them for my hardships even a little bit?!" The Chairman continued as he turned his attention to his natural enemy, Suzune Horikita.
"And everything! All of it! If it wasn't for your father, I'd be living a happy life! My father would respect me! My daughter wouldn't be a pathetic fucking cripple! I'd probably even have my wife with me! Who knows I might not even look like I'm about to keel over and die! Everything… It's all…" The Chairman continued as he raised his hands into the air as his fingers twitched over and over until-
"… The Horikita family's fault! If you did not exist, I wouldn't be a dead man in five years you useless piece of shit! But you're not useless! In fact, with your potential you would have been in Class A for sure! But there was no way in hell that I was going to let my flesh and blood go through the same hardship I did! You hear me, Hajime?! Wherever you are, your daughter is going to join you!" The Chairman declared as he ruthlessly gripped Horikita's neck as everyone hopelessly watched aside from me who was trying to push him off of her until I had enough.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I shouted at the top of my lungs before slamming my fist into his head! It was then that the Chairman stumbled and let go of Horikita. In the process Horikita collapsed to the ground and gasped for breath over and over. In the midst of that, Chairman Sakayanagi regained his footing and turned his attention away from Horikita and onto me. Even though I punched him, he looked utterly unfazed. And somehow, he was even smiling! Just what the hell-
"What the hell am I? Didn't I already answer that question for you Izuku Midoriya? My name is Narumori Sakayanagi. I was the Chairman of this prestigious school until you ruthlessly destroyed any hope of my career sustaining itself for even a single day longer. So, you know what? Let me tell you of the man's who going to inevitably take my place." The Chairman spoke as he glared daggers at me while grinning widely.
"That man, I revered as a sensei. A true teacher who never once hit me unlike my father. But don't be deceived, he's a cold, calculating, and ruthless man, far more than I ever was. You could have had it easy with me if you just learned when to back down and know your place but no! You just had to take the last thing that mattered to me away from me?! How did it feel!? Destroying my very last pleasure in life?!" The Chairman continued as I couldn't find the strength to respond to him as I felt unintentionally backed away from him as he pressed forward.
"But you don't have to answer that because no matter how much I beg and regret my life choices my career has been without a shadow of a doubt irrevocably obliterated! All thanks to a kid who couldn't just let his friend's brother rot in prison for the pathetic excuse of space he and the rest of his family are!" The Chairman continued as I found myself remembering the Hero Killer Stain. It was as if he had been possessed by him because just like way back then when he gave me that speech on that night, I couldn't say a single word in the slightest out of fear…
… And that's the exact same feeling I got from the Chairman as he pressed on forward again and again as I couldn't escape him or ignore his words. Not even for a second as if they were being burned into my skin.
"But getting back to the topic at hand, that man is coming, mark my words! And there will be nothing you could do to stop him! He has big plans, believe me! Plans that will change everything! But once you realize what those plans are you will already be dead! Dead without a chance of survival! The world that he seeks to create won't allow a single one of you not deemed worthy to exist! Not even for a second!" The Chairman continued.
"But as you're dying in some gutter, remember my words, Izuku Midoriya! You've just DOOMED this entire school and all of its students who will be used as sacrificial pawns for his new world order! A world that will be ruled by people with intelligence and strength! A world that will have no place for people that are as utterly pathetic as you ar- The Chairman finished abruptly before suddenly keeling over.
"PAPA!" Arisu shouted at the top of her lungs as she attempted to run only to fall onto the ground. Mr. Sakagami then rushed over to the Chairman and put his ear to the latter's chest. Not even a moment later he-
"H-He's having a heart attack!" Mr. Sakagami yelled out as security guards rushed into the room immediately after. It didn't take them long to rush the Chairman out of the room. Everyone around me was speechless at what happened. Especially Horikita who was still in shock over what she had just heard. The only exception was Arisu who was crying her eyes out over what happened to her father.
But all I could think about was 'what the hell did I just do?' I really didn't realize it at the time, but Chairman Sakayanagi's words foretold the 'storm' that would eventually engulf all of AN. And it was in my pursuit for justice and the truth that I had unknowingly opened pandora's box. It was for that reason I would come to regret this day in the not-so-distant future. There was one other reason why I would regret this day, but I didn't know it yet…
… I just had no clue what I was coming and what I had inadvertently unleashed by knocking the Chairman off his pedestal. But it would be just like he said, he would only be replaced by someone far worse than him. I had genuinely wanted to be a hero all my life, but I had unintentionally given the chance for a villain to take control of everything around me…
… And I alone was to blame for it.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Superhero
Go Beyond!
Plus Ultra!