Chapter
Sixty
Three
'The Decisive Collision'
"I wish I could explain everything to you,
I wish that conflict didn't exist in our world,
I wish that we didn't let this happen,
But I'll accept my responsibility in all this, so please,
Fight me with everything instead, for I will be doing the same,
Maybe we can end this with our lives?"
Sparks from our blades flew everywhere as we clashed.
Even though he wore a mask, I could feel Zero's expression changing as he backed off, twirling his blade in the air to parry my second strike. It was undeniable that Zero was on the back foot as I launched another set of attacks, pushing him and his blade against the wall before I summoned my Nimbus to coat my sword, slicing the wall behind him in half as Zero dodged out of the way.
Bang.
The sound of my sword against the wall sounded like a gun had gone off as the wall shattered.
"If that had hit me, most of the bones in my body would have been broken instantly," Zero observed calmly, his cape flowing in the wind. "You really are aiming to kill me. Hm. That's a pleasant surprise, a change from the boy I once knew who was afraid of death in every way possible. From the boy that swore to me he would never kill a single soul. Or perhaps are you a mere fragment of Sora's heart taken control of his body? "
"I just told ya', didn't I? I'm in control here, and if there's one person who is ever going to die from my blade - it's going to be you," I replied honestly. "And it's not 'cause I hate you or anything. It's because I respect you far too much to know that the only way I can beat you is through death. Because you won't give up, even if I break all your arms. Even if I break your legs, you'll always want to fight back. Because that's the type of person you are, Zero."
"...Likewise, I know that the only way I can beat you, Sora, is through piercing your heart with my blade," Zero replied. "That's how tenacious you truly are. Even after everything that happened to you as a Hero, you still came back to U.A. and are still fighting. How many people have you fought today? You still continue to struggle against the flow of destiny itself. You continue to struggle against the roaring tides of fate and for what? Pride?"
I chuckled at that.
"And I'll never stop struggling, Zero. It's not pride, I just want to decide how my life goes, not anyone else," I responded, raising my blade. "You're the only one I'll accept that can decide how it ends. The only one that can ever beat me, and I'm not trying to be 'macho' or anything. You've done so much for me, you've helped me when I was at my lowest and protected what I couldn't while I was weak and powerless. I respect you a lot. Even if you're supposed to be a villain."
Zero chuckled at that.
"...I merely did what I promised."
"And yet, it was because of those promises that I'm able to stand here today. I was weak and you tried to shield me from the world, you were the one telling me not to search for the truth because it would break me and you were right - In the end I was just a child in a world I didn't understand," I bitterly spat out. "And I hate myself for it. You tried to help me, even if you're a villain. No, because you're a villain you tried to help me. Because you saw it too, didn't you?"
"..."
"I'm not suited to be a Hero," I honestly told him. "I convinced myself that I was a Hero, but I really wasn't. I was a selfish boy trying his hardest not to lose because I didn't understand that the entire act of living means that you'll lose. You just have to pick yourself back up from those failures. To keep trying again and again, even if there are barriers in front of you, they can't stop you! That's something I've learnt from reflecting over myself and... Well, ever since I came back to U.A., that's another lesson I've had to learn."
"To never give up?" Zero asked me, but I didn't need to respond as he bobbed his head at me. The shiny visor from his helmet reflected my face perfectly, and there was not a single shred of doubt in me as I waited for his move. "I agree with you. Back then, you were a poor excuse for a Hero. As you are now, perhaps you may be able to repay the debt you owe me. But how exactly do you intend on repaying me for this? A good fight for once?"
"The only way I can repay you is to take you seriously and fight you until either one of us dies!"
I yelled as I sprung forwards, swinging my sword down with enough force to split his double-sided sword into two.
Snap.
Once the shock wore off, Zero responded in kind as he lunged forward holding one half of his sword, and I had to push it away using my blade else I would have had my heart crushed. I used that momentum to barge into Zero, with the two of us barreling across the floor, losing our weapons instantly.
While Zero used one of his summoned weapons to get up from the ground, I stood up using my Nimbus.
Click.
Zero summoned another sword as I formed a sleek katana using my Nimbus.
He jumped on me first with a strike that would have sliced both my hands off as I ducked to avoid the attack, throwing my own attack on him as he jumped over my chance to slice both his legs off, our blades clashing as this time I was the one that was pushed back. Sparks illuminated his dark costume and helmet, allowing me to see the reflection of my face on his dark red visor.
I had never seen my eyes look so focused before.
"Grah!" I yelled, ignoring the pain as I stepped forward. I could feel his blade piercing my side as I grinned, slashing downwards. I could feel the surprise and confusion radiating from Zero as he stumbled backwards, a thin but long cut appeared across his torso. I couldn't help but smirk, wiping his blood off my blade on the floor. For the first time ever, we had traded blows in a fair fight.
Not some monster inside me.
Not someone else entirely.
But me!
I managed to land a blow on him.
"I'm not the same bastard you once fought who didn't know how to hold a sword in his hands," I told him confidently. "I've learnt what it means to hold a sword. The weight it carries and the responsibilities it holds. I know what it means to fight with a tool used for killing, and I've accepted that. And I walk towards that future, because that's my fate when it comes to you."
"...So it seems."
Before Zero and I could continue our fight, the back door was slammed open as Cultists came in with their weapons. I nodded at Zero, who nodded back at me in response as we charged them, Zero slashing them up with no concern whether they lived or died as I knocked them out with as many minimal injuries as possible. Zero covered my back, dicing a man in half who tried to sneak up behind me while I stabbed a man who tried to aim a gun at him.
Rolling over his back, I kicked another weapon out of the Cultist's hands before Zero took care of him, and similarly, Zero disarmed a Cultist and threw him at me for me to use my Rasengan to blow the man through the wall and back into the corridor he had come from. What was made worse was when more civilians and Cult members joined our room, and I had to grit my teeth in annoyance.
"Zero! I'll clear a path for you!"
"..."
I ran to the civilians, deflecting a bat aimed to crush my head before I sliced the man across his chest faintly. The civilians, politicians and other important foreign ministers, all looked at me in shock as I escorted them across the room. I could see Zero taking on multiple Cult of Stain members at once as I took one out by surprise, making a large hammer construct from my Nimbus and smashing his face in. Zero nodded at me as I made it to the exit of the room, kicking it open to reveal the parking lot with the two Princesses of the royal family standing outside.
"Go outside and don't come back in!" I yelled at them, shoving them all outside before I shut the door and went back in to help Zero. I jumped into the action, pivoting around on my foot to slash one Cult member across his back before slamming the hilt of my sword on another's forehead. As I did that, Zero leapt up in the air and kicked a Cultist my way. I had to roll to the side to avoid being hit as I swept a Cult member's legs from under them and summoned my Nimbus to make a large fist construct, punching them right at Zero.
I watched as Zero elegantly rolled over the man I sent flying his way.
Crash.
The man had impacted against the wall so hard it cracked.
The final Cultist yelled in anger as he stormed Zero and I, and I could only pity the poor bastard. Zero moved faster than he did, slashing his right arm off as I leapt across the air to slice the Cult member's left arm off, the detonator to the bomb strapped to his chest falling to the ground with a clang. The Cultist scrambled to use his teeth to activate the bomb, but Zero stamped on the detonator with such force that it broke completely.
Before the Cultist could process what had happened, I aimed my hilt at the back of his head and hit him hard, knocking him out.
"Phew," I wiped some sweat off my forehead. "That was annoying, right?"
"Very. I'm glad we dealt with them," Zero's cape flowed in the wind which the new holes in the walls provided. "Are all the citizens safe? I don't mind postponing our little skirmish to ensure that there aren't any needless casualties. However, I must commend your skills. To say that you've improved is an understatement. You fight with such skill and ferocity that it's incomparable to how you once fought."
"Yeah, they're all safe. And, to be honest, once you get into a few life-or-death situations and it feels like you can fight anyone," I joked. "It's not like I can't tell that you're holding back, Zero. You're fighting with a duller blade than usual. Not to mention I know for a fact that you aren't using your other Quirks. If I'm going to pull out all the stops just to match you, aren't you going to do the same?"
The villain didn't reply as he stared at me, and even though he wore a mask I could imagine the look of surprise on his face as I said that.
"...I didn't think you'd pick up on that," Zero admitted. "Much like you, I have more than one Quirk. A gift from our 'creator'. Yet thus far, you've only encountered two of my Quirks. A weak version of mind control, and the ability to summon weapons and anything else I store out of thin air. I suppose you want me to use one of my other Quirks, don't you?"
I grinned at him.
"You won't win if you don't."
"So be it," Zero replied, and I could feel the air growing thicker as a faint yellow aura glowed from Zero. "I call it the 'Golden Gun'. It uses any oxygen I might breathe in the air to boost my speed and strength at the cost of me finding it harder to breathe the more I use the Quirk. It's not a Quirk I particularly enjoy using, so let's see if you can measure up to me now!"
…!
I couldn't avoid Zero's first blow as I was launched into the air. I coughed up blood as Zero zoomed towards me, twisting his body to kick me back into the ground. Whether it was the impact or the strength of his kick, I could feel multiple bones in my body breaking as the ground beneath me cracked. In the corner of the room, I saw Jiro fail to stand up to try and help me.
Tch.
I got up from the ground, gripping my sword tight, but Zero didn't even need to use a blade as he appeared in front of me. I didn't even see the punch he had thrown at me until I felt it, with the subsequent hits knocking me backwards into the ground. I wheezed as I tried to get back up, but Zero was there waiting for me.
Before another hit could connect with my face, my Nimbus appeared as it transformed into multiple spikes, surprising Zero who punched it with enough force to make my construct dissipate. Still, the armour on his knuckles was completely destroyed as it became a tangled mess with his blood dripping onto the floor. His hand was likely broken. I grinned, spitting out some blood as I used my sword to support my weight, getting up from the ground.
"How's your hand?" I asked.
"...how are your bones?"
I coughed up more blood, reaching deep into my pockets as I pulled out my cigarettes. And a lighter. Tokage had given me hers. I ignored Zero as I lit a cigarette for myself, inhaling as much smoke as I could.
"I've barely smoked today," I told him. "Nasty habit, I know. Mind if we take a break?"
"When will you stop holding back?" Zero asked me seriously. "You've barely used your Nimbus or any of your other Quirks. Don't tell me you think you can kill me with just a sword? You may be skilled with it, but it'll take more than just steel to put me down for good. Or are you that arrogant that you think now you've gained some swordplay you can take me on?"
I scoffed at that, shaking my head.
"They've changed. Yukari Aotsuki died to get my powers back, but they're different from before," I explained to him as I watched him listen intently, deactivating his 'Golden Gun' Quirk as the aura around him disappeared. "I can't control my Nimbus past a metre. My healing is more potent, but it takes a lot more time for it. My future-sight? Yeah, I could never control that."
"And what about your gambler's Quirk?"
I smirked at him, taking the cigarette out of my mouth as I blew smoke into the air.
"See, that had the most interesting change. Or rather, it hasn't changed at all," I told him, dropping my cigarette. We both watched as it slowly fell to the floor as I closed my eyes, entering my mindscape. Once again I found myself in front of that house with rain pouring down heavily, Shiro and Kurai facing me once more. "But I refuse to pay any cost that they might try to take from me. I'm forcing them to give me power."
They didn't say anything in response as I walked forwards and took even more power.
It's not like they wanted to say anything either.
Shiro and Kurai simply accepted the outcome.
"Don't get in my way," I told them. "I'm going to win this fight."
...
I opened my eyes to face Zero, feeling rejuvenated as I dashed forward and took a single swing at his head. Zero couldn't move in time as my sword collided with his helmet and he was sent flying back, crashing into a wall as I felt my body scream in pain. That was the second time today that I had forcefully stolen power without any drawbacks, and it was beginning to lash out against me.
My body was beginning to crumble as I coughed up blood.
Yet, I couldn't help but grin wildly.
A single crack covered Zero's visor as he shakily stood up, falling down on one knee as I couldn't help but stare at the crack proudly. And I didn't need to see his face to know that he was grinning at me too, clicking his fingers to summon his familiar double-sided sword to help him stand up. For the first time, Zero was stunned into silence, he was forced to accept the truth.
That I was strong.
"You cracked my helmet," Zero said in surprise. "No one's done that before."
"Well get used to it, cuz' I'm gonna break that helmet into pieces and see who you really are under there!" I yelled at him, bending my knees as I waited for him to come at me. Zero activated his 'Golden Gun' Quirk again as he came rushing toward me, but I could see him now. I summoned my Nimbus and waited for the right time, the moment he landed a hit on me, to summon more spikes.
"Inferno."
Zero couldn't avoid the ball of Nimbus that emerged from my body which grew into multiple thin spikes in all directions, a few slicing and stabbing Zero himself. Even if I was hit, I knew that I had also damaged him in response.
We were trading blows.
For every hit that he landed on me, I made sure that I'd give him two in response.
I used my old ultimate move 'Kmaui' to phase through his attacks, much like Mirio once did. My Nimbus cloud coating my entire body to create a double body of myself as I floated through his blade, landing another blow to Zero as he was stuck playing defence. If his attacks were more powerful than mine, then I'd make sure to increase how many attacks landed on him. I heard Zero click his tongue in annoyance, the number of wounds he had sustained were growing each time we clashed.
It was unavoidable to admit, and I could see that Zero didn't want to admit it.
The villain that was once more powerful than me wasn't so powerful after all.
I had caught up to him.
"...it seems we are evenly matched," Zero told me calmly, but even I could hear the excitement in his voice despite the modifier. "While I may possess more strength, you have greater skill over your Quirks than I do over mine. It's inevitable I suppose, yet don't think if you've one because you managed to draw some blood. Remember, I still have more Quirks I haven't used yet."
Tch.
"How about we stop this fighting, and let me ask you a few questions?"
"...Go on."
"Raiden Aostuki," I said, standing up straight as Jiro came walking over toward us. She had finally recovered, and despite her injuries, she looked at me sadly. "My half-brother. You said he was dead a while back, that you had killed him. But when I met with Yukari, before she died that is, Yukari said to me that Raiden was still alive and that she had seen him. So, as she died to undo what I had done to myself, I made a promise to her that I'd reunite our family. That's primarily why I came back. To find him. Do you know where Raiden is?"
I saw Jiro's eyes widen as she smiled sadly at me.
"...Sora."
"I know," I nodded my head at her. "I'm an idiot. Of course, I'd help someone even when they're dying, I made a promise that seemed impossible. I already have a lead, but I want to ask you, Zero. I know you probably won't help me, but do you know where Raiden is? You said you killed him, but are you sure? All For One was a bastard. He played around with our lives for his own amusement. I'm glad that bastard is dead, you know. I just wish I could have done him myself."
"I don't," Zero answered. "I-, I killed him. Raiden is dead-,"
"Like I said, I have a lead. All For One probably lied to you, he probably forced you to 'kill' him to torture you. That's the sort of sick bastard he was," I said bitterly. "But I know that Raiden is alive. He has to be. I believe that he is. Even if you don't know anything about him… do you think you can keep your eyes open out for him?"
"Sora-,"
"I know," I cut Jiro off once more. "Asking for help from him is a stupid idea. I know that you're probably going to tell me that you won't help, but you won't get in my way either. But I can at least ask."
Zero laughed in response.
He wasn't mocking more, nor was he laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
It was a real, genuine and friendly laugh.
"Haha. You always surprise me in the best of ways, Sora," Zero replied. "You're right. I won't help you, but I won't get in your way either. Searching for your missing brother is a journey that will take a lot out of you, perhaps you'll never find him. Are you prepared for that?"
His aura flared again and Jiro took a step back.
I could only smile in response as I exhaled loudly.
I refuse to lose to him.
I refuse to lose to him.
I refuse to lose to him.
Kurai, Shiro and my voice all resonated at once as I felt more power surge through my body. Perhaps it was the fact that I felt it above my head, the clear blue sky filled with countless clouds, but I knew that this was it. A low rumbling could be heard in the distance as I raised my hand in the air, watching as the clouds above the sky all gathered, darkening the light above us.
"Sora… your eyes-, Their blue!"
Zero stared at me silently as he charged up as much power as he could, ignoring Jiro's shock as he ran towards me, his blade raised. He was planning to kill me with a single strike. Another rumble could be heard, but it was a lot closer as the sky flashed a bright blue.
Crack.
Before Zero could reach me, lightning struck.
It came in the form of a wolf made of lightning itself landed on my blade, dancing around assuredly as I ran as fast as lightning, tearing Zero's sword in half, electrocuting him as he was sent flying away. It's not like I was safe either as I felt both my arms crack completely. More then that, my lungs felt like that had been roasted alive as I fell to the floor in a pool of my own blood.
That was the price I had to pay.
"Raiju," I whispered. "Thunder beast. How's that for an ultimate move… you bastard..."
The wolf disappeared as I laid on the floor, blood everywhere as Jiro ran to me in shock and worry. I smiled warmly at Jiro, who had tears in her eyes as she held my head against her lap, those tears falling down onto my face. It was painful as my body began the process of healing itself with my Quirk, but the pain just wouldn't go away. I couldn't bear to look at Jiro's eyes.
They reminded me so much of the past.
The eyes of the one person I didn't want to see me like this.
"Idiot. Why the hell are you sacrificing your life to fight him?" Jiro yelled at me, her voice cracking at multiple intervals. "You-, You-, You said that you were different! How the hell is this different?! It's just the same antics in a different skin! All you're doing is being a self-sacrificial idiot once again! I don't need your help in protecting me-,
"I didn't do this do for you. I did it for me. Because…if I didn't, I'd regret it for the rest of my life," I replied, slowly getting up. "It's me being selfish. It's me accepting the fact that I love fighting, especially against Zero. It was him who started off my journey at U.A. here with the USJ incident, it was Zero in Hosu who lead me to Stain, Zero who during the camp trip opened my heart and led me to the truth. If I don't fight him here, then I'm giving up my own responsibility as his rival. As his one and only... friend."
Jiro's eyes widened at that.
Because that's exactly what Zero and I were.
Two sides of the same coin, wearing masks to protect our real selves. But I had shed my mask, even if it hurt I now allowed everyone to take a good look at who I really was. A detective, a Hero, or even just a dying teenager who made far too many promises that he couldn't keep. And Zero was exactly the same as me. For if I was a Hero, he was a Villain.
Even with both my arms broken, I grabbed the hilt of my sword with my mouth. I wasn't going to stop fighting until either he was dead, I was dead - Or we both kicked the bucket together. Rising from the smoke, his armour completely torn apart and limping heavily, Zero with his cracked mask emerged as he slowly made his way toward me sword in hand.
It wasn't over yet.
I got up from the ground and stumbled forward, ignoring the look Jiro gave me.
"Hold on! You can't fight like that-,"
"I can. And I will," I cut her off coldly, pushing past her. "Get the hell out of my way."
"Sora! You-, GRAH!" I didn't have enough strength in my body to avoid her attack as she punched me in the face. Amusingly, I watched as she also kicked Zero's arse, sending him to the floor with a single kick to the chest. "You're both idiots! A fight to the death? Is that all you two care about? Proving to the other that who's stronger? Who's right?! Is that all what you want your lives to mean in the end?!"
"You don't get it!" I yelled at Jiro angrily. "You never did. Zero's the only one who understands me, and in turn, I'm the only one who gets him. He's the opposite of me. He may work for the League of Villains, but he wants to protect them. In the same way, I wanted to protect you guys. We are sworn enemies. And I won't stop until I beat him, truly beat him."
"I refuse to lose to you, Sora Yamazaki," Zero whispered, his voice modifier glitching out and failing him as he sounded far more robotic compared to before. "Never forget that we both chose this path, and this is our fate. Maybe in another life, in a world without All For One things would be different. But this isn't that world. Kyoka… accept it for what it is. It's something we both have to do in order to cement ourselves as who we truly are."
As protectors.
Selfish creatures in the end.
People who used anyone and everything to get what they wanted.
But… Jiro couldn't accept that.
I could see it in her eyes.
"No DAMN IT! I refuse to accept this," Kyoka yelled angrily at us. "I refuse to allow you two to kill each other. Life isn't something you can play around with like this, Sora you can't just kill him. He's a criminal, he deserves to be punished. You're not even a Hero, for a detective if you kill him like this you'll be tried with murder! You'll spend the rest of your life in jail, do you really want that?! DO YOU?!"
I didn't reply as I watched her break down.
"Idiots… the pair of you. Throwing your lives away, for what? A bond that'll never grow into anything other than resentment, just knock it off already!" Jiro screamed. "I had to watch you two try and kill each other. Do you… Do you have any idea how much that hurts? Sora, what about your family? Tokage? Everyone else in Class A and B, Aizawa-sensei, Nejire-senpai and so many others. Have you forgotten about them? And you, Zero. Whoever you are under that mask, what of your loved ones? Have you ever stopped to think how they might feel if you go and kill yourself in a fight?"
"..."
"How can you call yourself a detective when you have so many things to do? What about your promise to find your brother? And your promise to make things right with Class A? Do you have any idea what that means to us?!" Jiro screamed at me, falling to her knees as she weakly punched my chest, tears streaming down her face. "Do you know how much I'll miss you? How we'll all miss you so much… You left once, I don't want you to leave again. Not like this."
My eyes widened as she said that, my eyes dropping low as I refused to meet her gaze.
"...She's one hell of a woman," Zero chuckled low enough for only me to hear. "You know, I can understand why you love her."
"I'm-, I'm not with her anymore," I replied awkwardly, refusing to meet either of their eyes. "But… I guess she's right. I just wanted to beat you to prove to myself that I was stronger. That I was right. I still want to beat you, Zero. Call it whatever you want, but I will prove that you're wrong. One way or another, I'm going to find out who you are under that mask. One way or another, that crack on your visor is going to widen, and soon enough every secret you've ever had will be shown to the world."
"...I too fought you for those selfish reasons," Zero admitted, staring at his hands. "I detest you, Sora Yamazaki. For many reasons. Reasons that I can't even explain to you. Yet I respect you immensely, more than anyone else in my life. Your determination, the way you live your life. Because when you stare at my mask, you stare at a reflection of yourself. Yet it also frustrates me… I don't ever want to lose to you. Not while I'm Zero. Not while I'm your sworn enemy."
Haha.
I laughed, wincing at the pain.
My right eye was starting to swell as it became somewhat hard to see.
"Yeah. Up yours too, buddy," I replied. "I still refuse to lose to you too. And wherever you show up, best believe that I'll be there, waiting to fight you. I won't let you win. If you value your life, then don't let it go this far again. Because I'm not going to give up. You and your plans with the League of Villains won't go anywhere, Zero. I'll stop them single handedly, as a Detective. And that's a promise. Because whoever you really are, I know that you're never gonna stop till I force you to."
Despite the mask he wore, I could feel Zero's grin.
"I see," Zero whispered as Kurogiri appeared. No words were spoken between the two as Zero barely managed to get up from the ground without the other villain's help, I had really done a number on him. "It seems like you'll never get what you want, Kyoka. After all, every great Hero has their rival. And it seems like we've met our match. Perhaps that's why this was the decisive collision of a lifetime, the stakes have never been higher. Whoever loses next decides the fate of this world. Is that acceptable, Sora?"
"Heh. I'l be eagerly waiting for the next time I kick your ass, Zero."
While he'd never admit it, this fight ended in a draw.
Yet, I watched as Zero paused in front of a portal presumably to their hideout.
"Don't lose that part of you, Sora. That earnestness. Seek the truth within, and you'll win. That's what I admire from you the most - The fact that you'll remain truthful to yourself until the end," Zero told me. "...I wish you good luck in finding Raiden Aotsuki. And also in solving your... issue so to speak. Perhaps the answers you may find aren't the one's you will be looking for. But you'll still reach out to the truth, much to my annoyance. In a sense, I wish could be like you. Living in a carefree manner... Oh well. It's too late for that now."
Zero stepped into the portal without any delay, disappearing completely with Kurogiri right after.
Damn…
I tried to sit up, but both my body and Jiro pushed me back to the ground.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
"Everyone else might be in danger," I winced, trying to get up once more. "I gotta-,"
"What the hell are you going to do?! You're injured. You can barely move as is, but you still want to fight? You're insane," Jiro whispered, punching my chest lightly. "I'm never going to forgive you for trying to throw your life away again. I don't think I could take it to see you dead. To never have you be a part of my life again."
"...I haven't been in your life for a while-,"
"Don't give me that bullshit," Jiro cut me off angrily. "Just because I wasn't in your life doesn't mean you weren't in mine. I was angry with you for so long, but I still defended you. I still respected you. But then you came back and I started to go around in circles, we all did. None of us really reflected on what happened that day, we never admitted how much we truly cared for you. How much your friendship meant to us - How much you meant to me. I really did love you, Sora."
"..."
My eyes felt itchy, but I shook that away.
"Why?"
"...Do any of us need a reason to have loved you back then? To still love you now?" Jiro asked me. "Because you were our best friend-, you're still our best friend. Because no matter what, you care so much about us unconditionally, so we'll do the same for you. Because your actions showed that you loved us, and our actions… We didn't ever really get the chance to show you that you meant the world to us. And when we did try to show you when you woke up from your coma, you left. And that resentment followed us until now."
"Why?!"
"Why what?"
"Why? What the hell did I ever do to deserve this compassion?" I yelled at her angrily. "I killed so many people that day. I failed to save Denji. Eri too. I ran away like a coward from accepting all that, I was happy to live away from you guys to have a 'carefree' life. I tried so hard not to reflect on what happened, blaming everyone including myself for it. I don't want your pity-,"
"This isn't me showing you pity, idiot!" Jiro cried out. "I know you hate yourself so much. To the point that it's suffocating. I get that now, we all do. But we still want to show you compassion after knowing what happened not because of pity, but because you do deserve to be happy. You do deserve us in your life. Why, you ask? Because you became a good man, Sora. That's what you did."
I felt my eyes widen as she told me that.
"You say that we never understood you, and that's true. But you never once tried to understand us either, Sora. You assumed we hated you and wanted nothing to do with you after what happened, but all we ever wanted was the truth about how you really felt," Jiro whispered. "And now I know. Hah. I got you, Sora. You can't run away from me or anyone else now."
"..."
"I know you feel like that guilt on your shoulders is never going to go away. It probably won't since I know how kind you are. But all any of us can do is stand together in the same place, side by side. And I know that makes you happy," Jiro said. "That's what I'm not asking you to forgive yourself, that's some you alone have to deal with. I'm asking you to accept us. Me. Accept who we are and our forgiveness."
…
…
…
"I'm the bastard son of a notorious villain, experimented on by the worst criminal this world has ever faced, abandoned by the woman forced to give birth to me. I have a nasty temper, one that's landed me in so much trouble and will always do so," I said plainly. "To top that off, I'm a murderer. A useless, good-for-nothing jackass, acting all smart and tough when I got my arse kicked by so many people… and despite that, you don't mind?"
"Not one bit," Jiro smiled happily. "I've known that about you for a long time. Since we went to middle school together you used to be a bully. Since you became my friend during that trip to Endeavour's agency, since we joined this school and became Heroes. And my feelings are never going to change. Everyone accepts that, and you know what? We were all worried for you. Momo, Mineta, Bakugo, Tokage, all of us. I'm not saying for you to come back to Class A, maybe you're right in that we haven't accepted you yet."
"Then what do you want from me?!"
"To stop withdrawing yourself, Sora. To stop pushing us away because you believe it's better that way," Jiro told me. "Because you can't fix a broken relationship because it's broken, you mend it because it's going to be stronger than before. You've come back to help us, but you didn't come back to join us. I know that we don't deserve you to just forgive us either. We hurt you. I'm starting to realise that with how we were back then it was only natural that you'd end up leaving. We weren't good enough. And we still aren't, not to truly help you."
"Maybe I can't be helped by you. I-, Save your tears, Kyoka," I said to her. "...I can't do everything alone. And I'm not. Tokage has got my back, Nejire is basically my partner-in-crime, Nanao helps me out with so much, and Aizawa's always going to be there for me to rely on. I have my own system. My own people. Maybe you can't help me because I'm already being helped."
Kyoka nodded at that.
"Good. But that doesn't mean that we still can't help you with other things. School, with your happiness, and so much more. Sora, please, can you just stop withdrawing yourself from us? Because we'll never be better if you do that. If you never truly allow everyone to see how we hurt you. You're never going to mend our friendship if all you do is try to teach us lessons you learned yourself. None of us want a lecturer, Sora. We just want our friend back. To try again. I know that not everyone wants that, but what about those of us who do?! We aren't some hidden faction. We aren't people you can just ignore."
...
"...Alright," I sighed, smiling at her. "I'll try and stop doing that. Avoiding you guys."
"You… will?"
I nodded in response.
"Yeah, surprising isn't it? For me to fold so quickly," I laughed at her shocked expression. "I'm not that stubborn you know, I can admit when I'm wrong. I'll try and make things right with you guys soon the right way, I promise. You know… I didn't expect for this to happen. But deep down, I think this was what I wanted. The thing I was yearning for ever since I came back, just one chance to make things right before I... Graduate I guess."
Graduate from life.
After all, that was what death was.
"Really?" Jiro asked me. "Really? You'll make more of an effort with us?"
I nodded at her.
"Yeah. I came here for other reasons, ones that are still more important to me, but I guess I've slowly started to realise I had a duty to you guys. I ruined you. One way or another you guys can still be better, but because of me you've sort of flatlined," I bitterly told her. "I have a responsibility to fix that. I want to fix it. But not your way, I can't come back to Class A. Not with how I am."
"...You can. You just don't want to stop torturing yourself."
"Maybe," I shrugged my shoulders at that. "But my point still stands. I'll stop withdrawing myself, but until I can forgive myself, I can't rejoin Class A. I can't just let it go, there's not a single part in my body that'll allow that."
It was the truth.
And until those feelings went away I'd always be withdrawn from them.
Close enough to them where some happy memories can return, but far enough where nothing will ever truly go back to how they once were - An in between that no one is happy with.
Shota Aizawa POV
Shota screamed as he fought against Kurogiri.
They traded blows one after the other.
"GAHH!" Shota yelled, wrapping his weapon around Kurogiri as he pulled him close, kicking him in the chest before he launched himself forwards, punching the villain so hard that his metal container loosened up. "How… Is… that…?"
Shota felt exhaustion claw at his body as he fell on one knee.
His left eye was bleeding from his injuries, despite that Shota stood up as he watched the villain that masqueraded around as Oboro stay on the floor for what seemed like an eternity.
"...Behind you-,"
Shota's eyes widened as he turned around only for a piece of ruble to come flying at him, and he couldn't block it in time as it hit him square in the face, sending him tumbling backwards as Kurogiri didn't give him a single second to breathe, teleporting on top of Shota as a pole was launched at him. Wrapping his weapon around the pole, he managed to diver its destination away from him, a pole that was launched at such high speeds that it would have killed him instantly.
Shota stared at the villain as he simply floated.
"...I suppose it's time I take my leave-,"
Without even needing time to think, Shota got up from the floor as he chased after his friend, tackling him to the ground. Even if he was nothing more than mist, there was still a small part of Oboro that was solid, still connected to this world. The two of them began rolling around on the floor as they fell down multiple slopes created by the rubble, before they inevitably found themselves back in the main hall.
Mountains of corpses seemed to be piled up as the giant picture of All Might was desecrated. If it wasn't the blood that covered the picture, blood which created a pattern as if the Hero was crying in the picture, perhaps it was because in front of his eyes was the summarization of the peace his life had achieved.
One that had been quickly undone after his death.
"...Let's call it a draw," Shota coughed out as he rested his head against a broken chair. "Is that alright with you, Oboro? What's the score now, twenty to me and nineteen to you? You're catching up."
"Twenty to nineteen? Did that fall addle your brains? It's more like twenty to forty," Oboro returned. "But you do know that no matter what, I'm not coming back. I tried not to kill you in this battle-,"
"That proves that there's still some good in you-,"
"Don't be a child, Shota," Oboro cut him off. Shota wished he could see his best friend's face, oh how much he missed him. "I'm a villain. My crimes can't be excused, they won't be excused. Just because I'm Oboro Shirakumo doesn't mean the good times we had in high school are going to come back, we're adults now. We missed out on it, the process of growing into the men we are today together. It's time we accept it and move on."
Shota snarled at that, shaking his head furiously.
"You think that's what I want?! I know that even if you give up they'll place you in Tartarus, hell they might even throw you in a blacklist-site and try to figure out how you even exist-, But surely that's better than this!" Shota yelled, pointing at the carnage around him. "Surely it's better to die with some dignity than be hunted for the rest of your life by your friends?! I've seen what they do to villains like you, I don't want that. I don't want that, Oboro. I don't want you to be hunted, killed and buried like a dog!"
Shota closed his eyes as he stared at the sunlight which peaked through the broken roof.
"...I won't allow you to die like that."
"My death wasn't your fault-,"
"If only I had been better, you wouldn't have turned out like this," Shota cut him off. "It was my fault. Even if I say otherwise, even if I put on a front that it doesn't hurt, it still does. It doesn't even feel like I'm an adult, I'm just a kid who's scarred for life. And you're the same, aren't you?"
"..."
"I'm going to take you down. No. Next time we fight like this, I'll put an end to all of it," Shota told him. "I'll put an end to the scarred kids inside that still want things to be better. I blame your son, he's turned me into an optimist. Even if he's the kid with the most scars, he still manages to achieve the impossible. In contrast, we're pathetic aren't we, Oboro? The least we can do is just kill each other for the next generation."
Surprisingly, Oboro laughed.
It sounded exactly the same it did over a decade ago.
Even if it was… different.
"You'll kill me and I'll be aiming to kill you. You know, it reminds me of our time at school, Shota," Oboro replied. "Weren't we all gunning for the top spot? You, me, Nemuri, Hizashi - How many of our classmates have died on the line of duty since then? How many have retired because of career ending injuries, and how many were implicated in a scandal that ruined their lives? I really wonder. In a world without Heroes and Villains, would we have all remained friends, or would tragedy have stricken us once again."
Shota didn't have an answer to that.
"Call me selfish or an idiot, but I want to create that world. A world where my death isn't a statistic but it means something," Oboro told him. "That's why I've stayed with the League of Villains. Because I don't view myself as a Villain for wanting things to change, and I know that you want things to change too. So why are we fighting? Why don't you join me, Shota. We can change this world for the better, together. Like we said we would in school, all those years ago."
Shota couldn't help but laugh at the offer.
"...You know the answer to that. I won't betray everything I've worked hard to protect because I somewhat agree with you. If there's something I've learnt from your son, it's that true change can only start from within, after reflection," Shota said. "I'll change this world the right way, Oboro. I'll make a world where kids like us aren't forced to die, where we can all be friends till we die of old age."
"That sounds nice."
"It will be nice," Shota agreed. "And I'll watch that stupid nephew of mine find love, I'll watch him have a family and live a happy life. I'll watch him live the life I could never have. I can't find it in myself to love others when I'm afraid they'll die, Oboro. Those are my scars. And you're afraid to live your life because what if no one loves you because of who you are now, those are your scars. And isn't it funny that it feels like the kids we picked up on our journey's have followed us?"
"...Zero is an unreasonably foolish child," Oboro hummed in agreement. "And I suppose so is Sora, for you. You know, they're fighting right now. Probably to the death, just like us. Shouldn't we stop them?"
Shota shook his head at that.
"Nah. I think they would both be so pissed off at us that they'll team up and beat us up. They're close, you can just tell from the way they speak about each other, right? For Sora it's all about proving to Zero how strong he is, how much he's changed. Almost like a younger sibling trying to convince their older one that they're an adult… Right?"
Oboro simply floated in response.
"..."
"..."
"It is tragic," Oboro eventually replied. "But you should know that Zero killed his brother. I saw it with my own eyes. Maybe I was deceived, maybe I saw it wrong, but I can only tell you what I saw."
Shota sighed at that.
"Go make sure that the kids don't end up killing themselves."
"You're afraid they'll do something stupid?"
"Sora looks up to me, and it's clear that Zero dresses and acts similarly to you," Shota replied with a smile. "It's funny, maybe we have a generational curse? From the two of us to them. I just wish that they could…"
"Stop fighting?"
Shota nodded.
"Yeah."
"Zero… He won't stop," Oboro replied. "Or maybe it's because Sora won't stop that he won't. They're just like us, Shota. Two hotheads not willing to compromise on how they want to live their life. Someone so stuck in the past that they can't live in the present, and someone who thinks and acts so much for the future that they sacrifice their present for it. Isn't it ironic?"
Shota watched as his friend vanished and could only smile sadly at him.
"Yeah. Just a twisted Greek tragedy."
Shoto Todoroki POV
Staring at him made Shoto realise just how much he had missed out on his life.
On getting to know his brother.
Yet, as his father and Touya stared down at each other, heavily injured, it was up to Shoto to step in. Even if he was nervous, Shoto didn't let his emotions out as he tried to remain calm and composed.
"Shoto-,"
"Get the Hell out of my way," Touya-, Dabi snarled at him. "Unless you want to join in and get burnt to death too, stand down. This doesn't concern you. We can have our fight to the death another day."
Shoto scoffed at that.
"Another day huh? You're willing to kill our dad and then kill me?"
"I'm willing to burn everyone in our twisted family down," Dabi yelled hatefully. "I've severed our bonds, the only thing ties us together is the blood of that man and the weak woman that's our mother! If it wasn't for you, the idea of you, Shota, everything would have been fine! But you ruined everything!"
Shota stared down at the floor as he said that.
"Don't listen to him!" His father yelled. "...Shoto, you aren't the-,"
"SHUT UP, FATHER!" Dabi screamed in anguish. "You always strived for perfection. When it was clear that I was too damaged to be a Hero like you wanted, you just threw me aside. Both you and mother abandoned me. These scars? You think they exist for show? No, they represent the love that you both gave me. Just because you're sorry, you think that'll heal the scars?!"
"NO!" Endeavour replied, shaking his head at Dabi. "Touya… I don't think or want that. I'm doing what I think is right for the future, not to make up for the past. I can't do that. Natsuo will always reject me, Fuyumi will always try to mediate, Shoto will never fully accept me, and Rei and myself will always blame our own weaknesses. But you don't have to keep on going down this path, I can help you! I was always trying to help you, I just didn't want to see my son burn himself to death-,"
"IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT!" Touya shrieked, blue flames dancing wildly around him. "You replaced me. You threw me to the side. Maybe to discourage me from being a Hero to protect me, maybe because you wanted to work on Shoto, maybe because staring at me was just a reflection at your own insecurities of never reaching the top. At one point, you may have been a good father. But you failed. All you ever did was grow worse, and that anger inside you leaked out to the rest of us."
Endeavour's eyes crinkled at that.
"...I know, Touya. Because looking at you is like staring at myself," Endeavour replied. "So, if you want to kill me, do it. But leave everyone else out of it. Your grievances are with me, no one else-,"
But Dabi vehemently rejected that.
"I'm going to burn this world down, I'm going to keep on killing Heroes, Villains, civillains, I don't care. I like it. I'm good at it. Brand me a terrorist, I'll still change this world by building a new one on top of the ashes of the current world I reject," Dabi replied. "You know Shoto, you look just like our father. Protecting the world that forced our family to be the way it is. I've always wondered, if our positions were reversed, if you had been born first, would our family have ended up this way? If Father had been given the respect from the world he always wanted, would our family have been better? Maybe in another world, without Heroes and Villains, we'd still be a family."
Shoto sighed at that.
"I don't know. But I don't deal with what if's or buts, I deal with what I've been given," Shoto replied. "Sure, I can continue to stare at the past with one eye, but what's the point? You remind me of my friend, Touya. He's an idiot, just like you. You don't care about punishing our father for his misdeeds, you don't care if he atone's in his own way, frankly you don't care if the anger you've held onto ever fades away. All you care about is hurting everyone around you because you're so trapped in your own hurt you can't understand why no one is with you in the depths of that despair."
Dabi clicked his tongue in anger at that.
"So what? You're going to help him stop me for our family?"
Shoto paused.
"No," Shoto honestly replied, standing in front of Endeavour. "I'm going to get you the help you need. Because you need help. Because all of us are trying to move on and be better, when you're the only one content with staying the same. If there's anything I've learnt recently it's that as humans, we're fine with being angry and allowing ourselves to never change. Because reflecting on everything we've done, on everything that's happened to us, is the hardest thing anyone can do. But I saw that he could do it. I saw that father could do it, and my friend did it, and so can I. Which means that you can do it too."
…
Dabi stared at him in confusion.
"That's your answer?"
"I'm not fighting you because I think you're wrong, it's not because I think your anger is justified or not. I'm fighting you because if I don't, you'll just kill yourself trying to prove a point that doesn't apply to anyone anymore," Shoto replied. "Our father is a different man to whom he once was, so I'll judge him for how he is now. Our mother is the same, I don't judge her or think of her as the 'weak willed woman' who snapped and made a mistake, I view her for how she is now. And likewise, you're not the kid who 'died'. You're the criminal in front of me that's murdered innocents and will continue to do so."
Before Dabi could attack, a familiar portal opened in front of him, taking him away without any other words. Shoto sighed as he sat down on the floor, the day's events took a large toll on him.
Man, I just want to sleep.
"Shoto…" His father began. "Is that how you-,"
"I said it before, and I'll say it again. I won't forgive you for what you did. But I also recognise that you've changed, you're not the same man that mercilessly ripped our family apart after Touya's 'death,'" He told him. "You've changed. The current you is someone worthy to be called my father. And I'm proud of the journey you've gone on. We all are, even Natsuo even if he'll never admit it. And while I don't know or agree with what you're planning on doing working under the HPSC, that doesn't matter. You've changed, and if Touya accepts that then I'll force him to accept that before he murders someone I've grown to love."
…
Shoto watched as tears welled up in Endeavour's eyes.
"What have I done to deserve this kindness?"
"By changing into the man you always could have been, a man you were before tragedy struck," Shoto answered. "So keep on being the man you are, father. Keep on reflecting and changing for your own sake. Because I'll be right behind you, ready to help you up every time you stumble. Now come on. I think it's finally over."
Izuku Midoriya POV
When Izuku woke up, it wasn't the sound of his girlfriend or the sound of the birds chirping.
It was the sound of gunfire and screams.
"Come on, it doesn't sound like things are going good-,"
"They aren't, but we have to stay here. We can't just leave your friend unattended."
"But-,"
Izuku shot up right away, rubbing at his eyes as he took in what was happening around him. Iida and a familiar blue-haired detective were standing guard around him as they argued, the fighting while having quietened down was still going on.
"Midoriya!"
"So, you're finally awake," The woman replied with a smirk. "That makes things easier then. We have to-,"
"Do I… know you?"
"This is Nanao," Iida introduced. "Back in Hosu, she was the detective that kept me detained and lied on my behalf. She said that I wasn't trying to kill Stain and the whole thing was a misunderstanding. She's also Sora's friend."
Nanao laughed at that.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call us friends, but we are close," She replied, helping Izuku up. "Don't worry, everyone should be fine. The only one left on the battlefield is…"
Argh!
Izuku clutched his head in pain as Danger Sense flooded his system, his body screaming at him to run away. To get as far away from him as possible. And there was only one person who could elicit such a reaction from Izuku - Only one villain who could make him react like this.
"Where is he? Where is Shigaraki?"
Iida cringed at that.
"Izuku, we're still injured from our fight with Stain and Yozora-,"
"So what? That gives me a free pass in not fighting when it's my duty? Iida, I didn't stop you from fighting Stain. You can't stop me now," Izuku replied. "Please man. What if he has Ochako? Or something else? You let Sora go, but you're not going to let me go?! What kinda logic is-,"
Smack.
Izuku watched as Nanao smacked him across the face.
"Grow up. You don't think Iida doesn't want to rush to find everyone else too? You don't think I want to make sure everyone I care about is safe too? My father was a part of this event, I'm sure you've met him before considering he was All Might's best friend," Nanao told him, Izuku's eyes widening. "Yeah, that's right. I'm the girl Naomasa Tsukauchi adopted, and if you don't think I don't want to leave you two here all alone to look for him, then you're wrong. We're all suffering right now from not knowing what's going on, not just you."
"..."
"I'm not saying not to go, but don't use everyone else as an excuse. You just want to go and fight Shigaraki because he's the opposite of you," Nanao told him while whispering. "I know all about One For All, don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I don't blame you for wanting to go and beat up that bastard, but don't pretend you're worried for anyone else's safety. You're all strong Heroes, and no one's going to die today."
Izuku sighed at that.
She was right.
Without even thinking, he used his Black Whip to latch himself onto the ceiling as he left the two people who had guarded him while he was knocked out, despite Iida's protests. I'm sorry, but there's no way I can't not go to him! As he swung forward into the chaos, it didn't take long to notice them - Hawks, Best Jeanist, Tokage and Monoma were trying their hardest to keep Shigaraki at a distance-,
But it wasn't working.
Tomura Shigaraki was grinning as whatever attack they launched at him he easily dodged and punished them back, reducing their efforts to nothing. Whatever came his way decayed.
"SHIGARAKI!"
One For All Full Cowl: Sixty Per Cent!
Izuku used the momentum from his Black Whip to launch himself at Shigaraki at a blistering speed, his fist connecting with the villain as they were both sent hurling backwards, and for the first time in a long time, the battlefield stood at a standstill.
"Holy shit-,"
"Midoriya?"
"Hey, someone get the kid out of his range-,"
Thankfully, a pair of floating hands helped him up from the ground as Izuku shot Tokage a grateful look. He quickly rejoined the rest of the main Heroes fighting against Shigaraki who started to laugh loudly.
"Well, well. I didn't think I'd see you today."
"You'll see me every time you think you can appear and get away with it, Shigaraki," Izuku replied angrily, his hands balling into fists. "...You of all people know what it means for you to appear at All Might's funeral. What's next, are you going to mock the world for his sacrifice? Are you going to claim that he failed you? What's next, Tomura Shigaraki?!"
Yet the villain simply shook his head in response.
"Personally, I don't care. I came to this funeral to kill the royal family, and knowing my friend, he probably succeeded in that," Shigaraki replied. "Twice and Toga stayed behind, they wanted to be the one's to tell the entire world of the misdeeds our royal family had executed. A failsafe of sorts. All in all, I'm just waiting to leave this place. It's funny how came crawling back to me-,"
Izuku yelled angrily, but he did nothing as a purple portal appeared in front of the villain.
There wasn't even a point in them fighting!
He growled as Shigaraki laughed at him.
"...So, I suppose this a goodbye for now, Izuku Midoriya. We'll meet again," Shigaraki told him with a cruel smirk. "And when we do, there won't be a single place on Earth that can protect you from me. Everyone you love, everyone you've ever cared about is in danger. So hide them, forcefully tear yourself away from them, because if you don't, I'll kill them just to spite you, Deku. After all, that's what makes us Villains and Heroes, no? That's why you're the one chasing me? Because at the end of the day, we're just two men used by our masters for their own battles. It's about time we make our own."
Izuku could only scream in frustration as he disappeared.
Damn it!
This was all so wrong.
And no one said anything to him, even as the fighting seemingly stopped for good. Because no matter how much time he spent alone, Izuku couldn't help but reflect. This happened because he was weak. Because they were all so weak. And there was nothing he could have done to prevent it-, Nothing he could have done to stop this chaos.
The bodies of the fallen mocked Izuku.
Their faces seemingly smirked at him, as if they knew the truth.
Was this how Sora felt?
Not even Ochako's soothing voice could change how he was feeling.
"Hawks," Izuku felt his voice call for him. The Hero. "I-, I have a question for you."
"Hm?"
"...The HPSC. Would they have been able to prevent this?"
Hawks hummed in response.
"As they currently are, no. After all, considering the recent laws passed by our government and the public backlash against Heroes, we had no jurisdiction in running this event. That was left up to the police," Hawks told him. "But, the world is changing. Labels such as 'Heroes' and 'Villains' are starting to become more obsolete, you can see it with your own eyes. Why do you ask?"
"..."
The truth had never been more clear for Izuku Midoriya.
There was no other option.
Even if everyone hated him for it, he had to do it.
Not just for them - But for himself.
"I want in. I want to stop all of this from ever happening again."
Ugh.
I sighed as I opened my eyes to face the ceiling of my dorm room. All Might's funeral was yesterday, and while today was a Saturday, I couldn't help but feel like shit. Recovery Girl had basically warned me that I shouldn't do any strenuous activities for a few days as my body healed itself, my injuries were so extensive that I didn't have enough energy in my body to heal them all.
According to her, it was the first time she had ever come across such a problem.
'If I had to guess, your Healing Quirk is running damage control on both your body breaking down and your injuries. It cannot focus on both tasks at once so it deals with both half-heartedly. With every fight and injury you get... the closer you are to being past the point of no return. But you don't care about that, do you? Troublesome. Kids these days really should listen to their elders.'
My response was the same as always.
There was no way I was stopping here.
Even if I died from it.
I grinned as I slipped on my shoes and made my way downstairs where the rest of Class B were huddled around the TV. Pouring myself a glass of water, I walked over to the TV which was covering the latest news - All Might's funeral. But it was a speech Hachi, our Prime Minister, had prepared. Pouring myself a bowl of cereal, I tuned in as Hachi continued her speech outside of the DIET building.
Reporters from all over the world were in attendance.
And so was every free Hero in the country, for extra protection considering yesterday's events.
"Residents of Japan, no, our world. I am addressing you today not just to discuss the lives lost by this tragedy, but to mention the brave men and women who fought to prevent even more blood from being spilt," Hachi told everyone. "I've been told to refer to them as U.A.'s finest. While they are resting, no doubt injured and tired from their Heroic acts, I'd like to give a massive round of applause for Classes A and B, as well as detective Sora Yamazaki for their exemplary actions. It's hard to move on and grow from tragedy, but we can do it together! Step by step, we'll build a better and kinder world. A carefree tomorrow. We can keep on building bridges between one another, and I will work hard alongside the Heroes of this nation to see a world one day where we can be open with anyone! A world where our hearts will no longer be closed off!"
Heh.
Such lofty ambitions.
I chuckled at her speech, watching as everyone turned to look at me with curious looks on their face.
"What?"
"Dude," Monoma's eyes radiated admiration. "You managed to convince the Prime Minister to declare your dream on live TV. She said the words. A carefree tomorrow."
My brow twitched at that.
"That's not my dream-,"
"Sora just shut up and take the compliment," Tokage cut me off. She had changed her hair colour to a light blue. "Why do you have to be so difficult sometimes? Tch. Even though you're injured, I really want to kick you in the balls. Actually, knowing you and your masochistic tendencies, you would probably enjoy that? Or would you rather twist my nipples? That's right. I know for a fact that you're a sadist.
Huh?
Why me?!
I sighed, shaking my head at Tokage.
"Haven't I told you a billion times already? I don't stick it in crazy!"
This chapter has obviously done a lot for the story, wrapping up half of one side plot. Class A and Sora. I think it's fair to say that Class A has been distant from Sora when eh first came back, but over the course of this arc they slowly began to understand the new Sora as well as why the old Sora left. However, it can also be said that Sora has been so stuck in the past that he can't see Class A as anything other than the class he failed most.
Not people who have grown into men and women serving their country as Heroes.
He still thinks of them as people that need to be guided rather than people he can rely on, and he took steps to address that in this chapter. The old Jiro would never have gotten herself involved like that, but the new Jiro? And that goes for everyone in Class A helping him and trusting him over the last few chapters, the same Class A that kept on proving him wrong.
Things aren't perfect yet.
After all, Sora still hates himself and feels guilty over his actions towards them to truly make that step forward, regardless of whether he can be friends with everyone again. But as always, it's little steps that make a full character arc.
But more than that, we have some development for Sora's self-acceptance.
He's starting to accept more parts of himself bit by bit. It's a slow journey, but it is happening and it'll continue to develop. I won't lie, we are about 1/4 of a way through Part 2. Nearly twenty chapters in and we're not that far off from the conclusion to be honest. I know it sounds crazy to say this, but as I'm writing this chapter I am 19 chapters ahead of this one (Chapter 82) and am still writing more.
From here on out, the arcs are going to vary in length.
But it'll all make sense because they'll be arcs that are focused on a specific villain/key point.
Each are themed of course, the next one being on forgiveness and the one after being on scars. But they all build up Sora and his character arc which is essentially addressing the mistakes he made as a younger teen and growing up into an adult, it includes some tough and difficult conversations as well as some unhappy endings.
Because sometimes you don't always get closure.
And finally, I would like to touch upon Sora and Zero's rivalry. I always find it stupid that rivals in Shonen anime have 'hatred' or something to fuel them. Vegeta v Goku, Naruto v Sauke, which is why the respective conclusions to their rivalries (At least in terms of the original run of Dragon Ball and GT for Goku and Vegeta) hit so hard when the rival admits how much the other means to them.
I want to tackle that issue right away.
Whether Sora and Zero eventually do kill one another because of their rivalry, or whether they manage to get over that and genuinely share a strong bond is something I want you, the reader, to think about. Are they rivals or friends? Where does the line blur, and where do the characters stand on the line? It's something the story itself will comment on from time to time, as well as the characters.
But as I said, (for me) Sora and Zero's rivalry is the beating heart of this story in one way while Sora's relationship with his loved one's is the other beating heart. Yet I promise you, the two halves do correlate and will intersect in a satisfying manner. I'm not trying to sound arrogant. It's just that I genuinely believe it's the best writing I'm ever going to produce, like it'll be my peak.
If I fuck that up, then I really am a shit author lol.
So please look forward to reading more of this story!
And of course, Aizawa and Kurogiri's fight was tragic in the opposite sense. Two friends whose paths diverged a long time ago finally realising that in order for their adult lives to be complete, they need to let go of the other permanently. A different departure from the plotline canon has set up between them which as of writing, still hasn't been resolved.
A plot point canon did resolve, although one I think Horikoshi personally hasn't still completed it yet nicely is the Todoroki family. I think Dabi is hauntingly beautiful as an antagonist, a force of hatred that won't stop until everything is burnt down to his level - And that's an immature and frankly horrific thing. Sorry Dabi fans, but I'm not on his side.
The Endeavour of the past and the Endeavour of the now are two different people, anyone can see that. From the historically angry and distant Natsuo to even the victim (And somewhat perpetrator of Dabi's anger) Rei herself. Being forgiven isn't the point of Endeavour's arc, it's the chance he gave himself to grow and change as a human, and I think Shoto facilitating that and protecting him is really cool and interesting.
And somewhat of a difference from canon.
I want to take the Todoroki family plot point and give it a different twist, it's not about stopping Dabi from killing everyone or trying to redeem him, it's about making Dabi understand that change. Maybe I need to re-read their final fight and flashback, but it left me very confused on what Dabi was as a character and the abuse the Todoroki family suffered under Endeavour - If he was a good father and slowly became rotten, with Touya's death being the catalyst for it, then Dabi is mistaken.
Either way, I'll expand on this point a lot later.
And finally, Izuku v Shigaraki… This chapter didn't have this fight. Well, not really. Because I'm taking both characters in a very different path than canon, because their 'final fight' in canon is more focused on their respective journeys they've taken from children in a world that rejected them, to the adults they are now representing chaos and peace.
I like that, but I won't rehash it.
Personally, I want them to represent something else in this story. And the new character arcs they'll take will reflect that more than anything, because while Shigaraki will be influenced by Zero - Who will Midoriya be influenced by? He's said his goodbye's to All Might, and while Sora is an important person to him, he's more likely to ignore him than anything.
Because since when did Midoriya ever sit back and reflect when there are people out there to save? There's a point in his canon character arc that sticks out to me, his Vigilante Deku arc that was cut way too short. Now, I'm not going to turn him into one - There isn't a need for it.
But I do think the idea of an Izuku who isn't on Class A's side has so much potential.
So, you'll see how it turns out!
See you soon!