Before I knew it, I was in a world full of crystal-like fragments. This scenery, that purple sky, that small girl with a hair color that almost matched the color of the sky albeit, her hair was slightly darker, it was all so familiar. But it wasn't to say I was 'there.' Because I wasn't. I couldn't possibly have known it at the time, but I was actually there the first time I saw that place. However, now I was simply 'observing' this as if it were simply a dream. But even though my mind was foggy, and I couldn't quite piece together why I had ended up overlooking such a place, strangely enough that didn't matter all that much to me.
No. What had my complete attention was the young boy next to the girl with no name. The boy was kneeling on the ground and by his knees, were hundreds, perhaps thousands of these 'Fragments' shattered into itty bitty little pieces. But even though the number of how many of them might as well have been incalculable, that boy was picking them up. Skillfully so, as if he had done this exact same repetition for years, maybe even decades. That's why it was so concerning to me that this boy had that level of skill at such a young age. No matter how you put it, it just wasn't natural. And to my surprise, the girl had something she wanted to get off her chest.
"Just how long have you been doing this for… -?" The girl said with a voice that didn't fit her appearance in the slightest. Though while that was indeed concerning, what was even more mind boggling was that I couldn't hear what she said at the end all too clearly, the boy's name. It had alluded me completely almost as if I wasn't supposed to hear that name at this current point in time. But it wasn't just that, there was something 'familiar' about this kid. His dark black hair, every time I saw it, I thought back to-
'… 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.' The words of my dear friend, the first one that I had made in the world I currently live in. But why did I think back to those exact words in particular? Maybe because… that boy looked exactly like Horikita did back then when she was suffering over what was going on with Manabu at the time. And even though he isn't crying like he was before; I could tell that more than anyone else that boy had undergone a Fate worse than suffering in the depth of hell for a thousand years.
However, just as suddenly as I found myself overlooking this faraway place, I was now being forced to leave. This was a clear sign I was beginning to wake up. But I had a strong feeling that this wasn't going to be the last time I find myself 'seeing' that World of Fragments. And who knows…
… Maybe next time I'll learn just who that boy and girl are? And with that I woke up from a dream that seemed to last for a very long time this time around.
'Blink. Blink.' I blinked both of my eyes a few times as I found myself struggling to keep them open. Even though I felt like I had been asleep for so long, my body felt like it hadn't gotten any sleep at all. That contradiction concerned me for all but a moment until my memories of what happened before I drifted off to that faraway land came rushing back akin to a rushing current. And in no time at all, I remembered everything that happened on that fateful night, as well as the person I loved from the bottom of my heart who I had to fight in order to save and how I-
'I love you.' Said those words before kissing her on the lips. Just recalling it made my cheeks flush bright red. It wasn't as if I regretted it. Far from it actually. In fact, In quite enjoyed kissing the girl I was hopelessly in love with. But I didn't ask her permission to do so. Even if she liked me the same way I like her, that was crossing a line. I'm going to apologize to her about it the next time I see her. But even more than that… I want to see all of them, Horikita, Sudo, Hirata, the latter of which I'm even sure of his current condition.
'I hope he's doing all right.' I thought internally with a smile as I unconsciously moved my arm and came face to face with my hand. The face of the man who had injured him and was no doubt the traitor who had orchestrated all of these past incidents with Garaki was not one I would ever forget for as long as I lived. I do not know his intentions or what exactly he was trying to accomplish by working alongside the Doctor. But whatever it is, even if it's for the betterment of the world, I will NOT let him off the hook for that. He could have killed Hirata. And even if that wasn't his intention, he still hurt my friend. He was going to pay for that. That's why-
'BAM!' I can't stay sitting down doing nothing any longer. That was the conclusion I came to as I got off the hospital bed I was lying on. That's right. The place I'm currently in is a hospital. Quite possibly the same one I ended up in before after I fought the High-End Nomu. The mirror straight across from me revealed that I was wearing a hospital gown. No doubt because my school uniform was drenched with blood. But that didn't concern me in the slightest. I need to get in contact with my friends. Right now, I don't see my phone anywhere in this room. I need to find someone with a phone so I can call them.
"Good thing I memorized my friend's phone numbers. Hahaha." I muttered to myself with a cheeky grin and a bit of a chuckle as I made my way out of the room I was in. But just then I crossed paths rather unexpectedly with someone that I had not seen in quite some time. Nor did I expect to see around here. It was Manabu. He was carrying a bouget of flowers in his hands for some reason. But it wasn't as if he was going to confess to some girl. So, what gives? And why am I getting a bad feeling about this. But just as I recognized that strange feeling dep inside of me, he too uncovered a feeling that he had rarely let take hold of him. A feeling known as…
… Hate. An overwhelming amount of hate emanating from the sharp glare in his eyes. One that threatened to. Slice me to pieces if I so much as blinked at him. But I couldn't understand what had led him to feel that way about me. I mean don't get me wrong, I knew that he didn't like me. That much was obvious after the way he's acted around me since the night I met him. But just like how he didn't like me, I wasn't the biggest fan of 'Manabu Horikita' either. In fact, the only reason why I've put up with him for so long was because of Horikita…
… Wait a second… oh no… d-did something happen to Horikita?!
"Manabu is Horikita al- But before I could finish saying those words, he landed a blow onto my cheek with his fist. A ruthless attack that cut my lip. And as my blood slowly dripped down onto the floor below me the look on his face told me everything I needed to hear. But even still he-
"Don't you ever say that name… don't you even think of even going near her. Because I'll know. And if you do… I'll seriously make you regret it." Manabu declared with a voice as cold as ice. It was the same tone of voice that he has always used. Except this time, his words made it crystal clear just how serious he was. Though I didn't bat an eye when he struck me, nor did I evade my eyes from his face. I had done such a thing too many times before when I thought I was useless and pathetic. Especially when I didn't have a Quirk. But now, I must face this person head on. Because his sister is-
"Not going to happen. Hori-no… Suzune is my friend damn it!" I snapped back with a hostile glare of my own as I made it abundantly clear if he was going to try and prevent me from seeing her then it would end up leading to a fight. One that I was going to win! Even if it meant hurting him a bit! But he knew this too. That's why he clicked his tongue before grabbing the upper hem of my gown that was just below my neck. And then…
"You bastard. I'm going to kill you." Manabu declared with a voice even harsher than the one from before as he was just about to punch me again. But this time his attack would lead a more critical blow onto me. One that could prove to be lethal if I didn't defend myself. But before we could further engage with each other, a hand swooped in and grabbed hold of Manabu's wrist. My eyes went wide when I saw that it was none other than Sudo!
"Don't think I'm gonna let you do that. You try to kill him… then you're gonna have to do exactly that to me if you want to so much as lay another finger on him, dickhead." Sudo declared as he was emanating hostile intent in order to stop this from escalating any further. Manabu instantly realized that the chances of him prevailing with nil with both me and Sudo ready to fight. So, he had no choice but to withdraw. But before he did, he had one last thing to say to us. Or more specifically me.
"This is all your fault, Izuku Midoriya. Don't you EVER forget that." Manabu finished as he turned his head to look into my eyes. I once again saw that piercing glare just as he was submerging himself in one of the lower floors of the hospital with permeation. The only things left behind were his clothes and glasses. I had no doubt he would retrieve them soon enough. But I wasn't going to wait around to see him stroll butt naked. I had more pressing matters to attend too. I wanted to see Shiina. But first I had to see the sister of the man who had left the scene.
"Sudo… where's Suzune?" I asked with a look of resolve on my face as I was determined to see this through no matter the cost. But even still, I braced myself for the worst-case scenario. Sudo must have known exactly what I was feeling. After all, he valued her just as much as I did.
"… You know, I was just on my way to see her. So, you can follow me." Sudo replied as he walked past me. I did as I was told as I followed him down the fluorescent hallway that hurt my tired eyes. But even still I pressed forward until we eventually made it to another room in the hospital. There in the center of the room was a hospital bed. And the person on it was none other than Horikita! She's alive! Thank God! But just as I was beginning to feel relieved, the sound of a machine along with the clear mask on her mouth alerted me to the fact that she was currently receiving oxygen. And right when I heard it, I rushed over to her.
"Horikita! Can you hear me!? Are you alright?!" I yelled out but no matter how loud I was, my voice didn't reach her as her eyes were completely closed off from the rest of the world. It was then that my eyes shot wide open when I saw several bandages on her neck. No doubt about it, her neck must have received a nasty wound if she can't breathe properly without this machine supplying oxygen to her. But even though that much was obvious even without needing to be explained given I had seen this exact same thing in some movie I saw way back, I couldn't help but wonder who the hell could have done such a thing to her? But just then…
'I'm… All For One.' The face of that man I'll never forget suddenly resurfaced within my mind. It couldn't have been Garaki who hurt Horikita because I was facing off with him back then on the rooftop. He was in no shape to even escape much less land such a ghastly wound onto Suzune. Furthermore, Shiina's memories had been restored, Nagumo was unconscious due to Hirata knocking him out and even if he were to regain consciousness why would he attack Suzune of all people? Even Ryuuen who had a clear reason to kill Horikita if he wanted to couldn't have done something like this because his flames would no doubt burn her alive.
This all led to one ultimate conclusion. That the only person out of the list of suspects who could have pulled off such a feat and vanish as if he were never there to begin with was 'that man.' The man with the name 'Kiyotaka.' The current holder of the AFO Quirk! Without a shadow of a doubt the person who had done this was him. I don't need to be told to know such an obvious fact. But before I do what I do next, I need to know the extent of Horikita's injuries and how bad they are. And the person who could explain all of that is right next to me. I turned around to face him and I didn't need to say another word for him to know what I wanted to hear next.
"It was on the night that you fought that old man, me and Horikita rushed over to wherever that explosion was. It was there we found that flame bastard. He had used those flames of his to destroy a car's engine, that explosion was the result. I'd like to say I beat him, no sweat. But it took everything I had to just knock him out. So, I didn't see what happened next, but when I came to, she was already lying right here. By the way, it's been two weeks since that night. Today's November 2nd." Sudo explained swiftly as I was able to piece together what happened that night to a good enough extent. But that wasn't all I wanted to hear. And he knew that.
"As for her injuries, I was filled in on them by one of the doctors here. And don't worry, none of these people who work here seem to have anything to do with that old fucker. In fact, that piece of shit is six feet underground." Sudo continued while pointing at the ground just as he finished as my eyes went wide out of sheer surprise.
"Wait, what?! G-Garaki's dead?!" I shouted as I couldn't contain my sudden outburst. Of all the things that I feel like I have successfully predicted, this was not something that I could ever even consider. I just couldn't believe it. The monster that I had been pursuing for quite some time, the same one that was responsible for the demise of people I held dear to me, was dead. But how could that be!? D-Did Shiina… no. That's impossible. I refuse to believe that Shiina would have done something like that. It just isn't in her character. She's too sweet and pure hearted to be capable of murder.
Then if I were to come up with an answer, it would have to be that he must have overexerted that Speed Quirk of his. After all, when I last saw him, he was breathing pretty hard and looked like he was about to pass out. But never in my wildest dreams could I have foreseen that it would have killed him. But as much as I don't want to admit it, perhaps this is a good thing. Without Garaki around, the brains behind all of these incidents are rendered obsolete. That should only leave Kiyotaka, Ryuuen, and Nagumo to deal with. I wasn't so much as concerned with the latter two since my friends handled them without too much trouble.
However, Kiyotaka was a completely different story. This man, no. This 'monster' has proven to be capable of injuring my friends to such a degree that their survival is a miracle in and of itself. I can't hold back against someone that ruthless. I should have finished him off back then on the roof of the karaoke building when I had the chance. Horikita's current condition is proof of that. It was because I didn't want to kill anyone else that I allowed this to happen.
'This is all your fault, Izuku Midoriya. Don't you EVER forget that.' It was just as Manabu said. It was all my fault. But I've learned from my mistakes now. So, I won't be making that same mistake twice. But even though I was sure of myself now, what concerned me was that I still didn't know the details of Horikita's injuries. That's what I needed to know above all else. So, I allowed Sudo to continue. But before he could, I was surprised that Jokata hadn't commented on what happened with Garaki, given the former's grudge against the latter. But before I could dwell on that thought, Sudo began speaking once more.
"Anyway, the doctors gave me everything I needed to know. So, I'm going to tell you exactly what they told me. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it, that's your one and only warning. Do you still want me to continue?" Sudo asked as I nodded in affirmation.
"Right now, Horikita is in a coma. This is due to her neck being cut open. The result was that she was deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time. Your girlfriend brought her here as quickly as she could. But it wasn't fast enough to prevent her from going into a coma. Though if it was a second later… she could have died. Her life isn't in any danger right now. But she's not out of the woods yet. Luckily, her spinal cord nor her carotid arteries were damaged. But what did take a hit was her vocal cords." Sudo explained while putting one of his fingers near his neck in order to illustrate what had happened to me. But this only fueled my rage even further.
"And what they said, the doctors I mean, was that it could be weeks, maybe even months before she wakes up again. And when she does, the chances of her being able to speak again are fifty fifty. It could really go either way. I'd like to hope that I'll get to hear her voice again… but for now there ain't a damn thing you or I or anyone else could do about that. Oh, but that isn't all. Her body incurred internal bleeding, though the doctors weren't able to figure out how that was possible. But what they were able to figure out was that she received blunt trauma to the head after being hit aggressively. This could have played a factor into her current condition." Sudo explained as my rage was reaching a boiling point. And he was counting on that.
"You're really smart, you know that? You could find solutions to problems of a bunch of shit I couldn't even begin to figure out without a cheat sheet. So, you should know damn well why I'm telling you all of this. Also judging by the look on your face you have an idea of the guy who did this. Am I right to assume that?" Sudo asked as I nodded in affirmation. I withheld the information that I had gathered because I thought it wasn't the time for them to know anything about it. But I wasn't thinking too far ahead, and what happened with Horikita was the result. If I could have warned them about the type of guy Kiyotaka was then I could have prevented this. That too only fueled my anger even more. Sudo figured this out, but he wanted to hear me say it.
"So, what are you going to do when you find him?" Sudo asked with a serious expression on his face. It was painfully clear that he was feeling just as much rage as I was. But he wasn't alone in this sentiment. Manabu felt the same way. And so, did I. That's why I gave him a decisive answer.
"I'm going to kill him… that's what." I declared with a serious expression of my own as I was prepared to kill the monster known as Kiyotaka no matter what. I didn't want to take the lives of others. But he's already gone far past the line. He could have killed Horikita. Not only that but with his power he could have simply knocked her unconscious or even outright killed her. But that's not what he did. It was just like Sudo said. Suzune was aggressively beaten, and that only proves that whatever that monster was trying to accomplish was not as important as making her suffer. And that's something I'll never be able to forgive him for. But Sudo was surprised by this.
"You sure? Look, I know that you don't want to do something like that. Even to the piece of shit that did this. So, if you'd just rough him up a bit then I will be the one to finish him off. That's how this is going to go, it's better this way." Sudo replied with a voice that showed the slightest bit of empathy as I knew deep down, he still cared about me enough to not make me go through with something that would only guarantee my suffering. Those were his true feelings. Though revenge certainly played a part in his actions, his compassion still got through to me. And it made me smile, albeit briefly.
"You're a really good person, Sudo." I replied as Sudo averted his eyes from me and muttered 'What makes you say that?' Under his breath. But I heard him clearly.
"The thing is I told Horikita the exact same thing once upon a time. Both you and her are really good people. I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. Which is exactly why I have something that I need to get off my chest. It's something that you've misunderstood about me. Not just you and Horikita but countless people ended up not realizing. I think you probably won't realize it unless I say it straight up. So, what I have to say is this… I'm not a good person." I replied with a serious look on my face as my smile long since vanished from my face. Sudo could only blankly stare back at me while tilting his head out of clear confusion. I knew it.
"I should have seen that coming. It might seem that was completely out of left field for me to say. You might be thinking what makes me 'not a good person.' Well, here goes. I've… killed people. Sure, they were villains hellbent on destroying everything I held dear. But that gave me no right to take away their lives. Only a murderer would think what they did was justice. But I'm worse than that. I knew that it was wrong to kill people. But I still did it anyway. Those villains might have been horrible reprehensible pieces of garbage! And yet! And yet… I still killed them!" I spoke as my voice grew louder until I ended up shouting my frustrations at the end.
But I didn't stop there.
"No matter how terrible they were, at the end of the day they were living, breathing people! And I snuffed them out! I could have tried harder to save them! I should have tried harder to save him! But no matter what I did! No matter how much I tried to do what was right! I killed them! I might have saved an immeasurable number of lives! Innocent lives! But that doesn't excuse me for what I am! A bad person! Nothing can change that! No matter how many lives I continue to save, it will NEVER be enough to redeem myself of the horrific act of murder I committed!" I yelled out as I had reached my boiling point.
Except that was wrong. I had long since been put on the path of no return. I was simply lying to myself. My efforts to start a new life here, thinking that I might have been freed from what I did back in the world I was born in, was just a foolish lie I cooked up and served on a silver platter for myself. And I ate it up without a second thought of what I was doing. But it's not that I hate myself over it. Once upon a time I certainly hated who I was. But that's not the case anymore. Because I accepted it. I accepted what I am wholeheartedly. My days as a hero were long gone. But that doesn't mean I can't do anything. I can still be what I am…
… A murderer.
"… But… You tried to save them. You failed… but it was the effort that counts, Midori- Sudo spoke but I cut him off before he could finish with a decisive rebuttal.
"Then tell me Sudo! Why the hell am I accepting this!? That murder is the only course of action! Do you honestly think that you can kill somebody!? Don't make me laugh! You can beat the hell out of people, sure! But killing them is an entirely different matter! It's not something normal, good people can just do without batting an eye! But that's exactly what I did! I didn't struggle on killing Shigaraki when I had my chance! I took it and ended both him and AFO! I ridded the world from them once and for all! And you know what was the look on my face when I did it?! Just try guessing! I dare you!" I continued to shout as I closed the distance between us quickly until our chests were practically touching each other. But he bawled up his fist. And then…
"HOW THE HELL SHOULD I KNOW?!" Sudo snapped back at me at the top of his lungs before pushing me to the ground. But upon doing so, he flinched. And I saw that clear as day from the cold hard floor. I then quietly chuckled to myself before standing back up.
"And there's your answer. I'm sure that you can't kill a single person Sudo. Not even the bastard that put Suzune through hell. Heck, even if you had the power to do so, you wouldn't be able to so much as land a wound that may be fatal on him. But not me. That's why I got to be the one to do it. Because even right now I'm picturing all of the ways that I could kill Kiyotaka. Should I punch a hole through his chest and rupture his heart? No. That wouldn't be enough if he has a Regeneration Quirk. So, if I use Air Force and destroy his head that probably won't work either. In that case… I'll completely annihilate him off the face of the earth." I declared with a look on my face that sent shivers down Sudo's spine. No one had seen this side of me before.
However, that changed in the blink of an eye when I said what I was about to set out to do. I could have used Air Force back then on the karaoke's rooftop and finished things right then and there. But I held back. Why? Out of a sense of honor? No. Out of it not being the right thing? No, no! I held back because I was afraid to kill! To accept what I am! But… I just can't hold back anymore. I have to murder Kiyotaka. That is the only way to ensure that Shiina, Sudo, Suzune and everyone else makes it out alive! I already tried saving them all the hard way and look what happened to Sakura?! And now look what happened to Horikita! If only… if only…
… IF ONLY I WASN'T SUCH A DAMN FUCKING COWARD!
"Haah…" I quietly breathed a sigh of relief as I had come to terms with exactly what I am now. And now there wasn't anything else holding me back. But just as I was about to leave the room, I stopped in place. There was just one last thing I had to say to prove the point I was trying to make.
"You know, back then on the rooftop of that karaoke building. If Hirata didn't show up when he did… I would have killed Nagumo. At the time, I thought he was trying to kill Shiina. But that doesn't excuse me at all for what I am. You see, Sudo, that's why I'm a really bad person who is not normal in the slightest. So, just stay away from me from now on, got it?" I finished speaking without so much as looking back at the man I considered a precious friend for even a second. It's exactly because he was so precious to me that I had no choice but to cut things off between us before he ends up following me. Cause if he does, I may not be able to save him…
… And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I got another person, I held dear to me killed. That's why it was better off if I did things alone. Or at least that's what I genuinely thought at the time. But just as I was about to leave the room, I was greeted by the person who had ended up listening to my entire conversation. Just seeing her again made my eyes go wide. And as for her eyes they were bubbling with tears. It was clear as day that the person that I was in love with, Hiyori Shiina, and judging from her reaction, she heard every word I said. Good. That saves me the trouble of repeating myself. After all, I took advantage of them. I'm nothing more than a parasite. So…
… I'll detach myself from them by any means necessary. But before I could I heard her mutter my name, or at least the one she had called me by up to this point, 'Deku.' And I just couldn't help but lash out.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" I snapped back at the top of my lungs as she flinched over how loud I was. But I couldn't help myself. I had let her call me Deku again and again. Even after I long since abandoned that name. Why did I do that? I'm not Deku anymore. There was never a hero known as Deku in this world after all. Not that I even deserve to have that title any longer. So, I'm just Izuku Midoriya from this point on. Though I might have been loud enough to alert some of the doctors to our location. I better make sure to end things before they can delay me from tracking down Kiyotaka and killing him. Which is why I have to be as decisive as possible. And I know just how to do it.
"Shiina. It's alright. There's no need to waste your tears on an awful guy like me. You must realize now that it was a mistake for you to fall in love with me. I can't blame you because I feel the exact same way. It was a mistake. Plain and simple. I should have never gotten involved with you. Because the day I realized how much I loved you was the same day you were kidnapped for it. So, the same goes for you too. Stay away from me. Don't ever even think about so much as looking at me again. Maybe then… you can find someone who actually deserves to be loved by you. Because it sure as hell isn't me." I declared with a voice lacking any emotion whatsoever.
But I knew exactly what I was doing. How cruel and merciless my words were. Though I chose to say them anyway. Because it was the quickest way to end things between us before Kiyotaka could end up targeting her again. As long as he believes that I have no emotional attachment to Shiina anymore he'll just leave her be. Especially if she stays out of the way. I know this because I think I can understand him a bit better now. Because we're the same. We're both murderers driven to protect our way of life. Hirata proved to be a threat, so he tried to kill him. The same could probably be said about Suzune. And that's exactly what I'm going to do now to him. It's really as simple as that. But even still…
… Without saying as so much as a word, Hiyori Shiina blocked the exit of the room. It was made abundantly clear to me that she wasn't going to be letting me leave here as if her life depended on it. But this surprised me. Did I miscalculate? I thought that if I was as horrible and mean spirited as possible then my words would have gotten through to her. Though that wasn't the case at all. I just couldn't understand. Why… why even after seeing my true colors… seeing me clearly for what I am… why the hell is she…
… So damn nice?! But as I was riddled with pain and grief over looking at her dead in the eye and seeing how much emotional turmoil, I was causing her, I was beginning to crack. And Shiina witnessed all those tiny cracks beginning to form on my body as she began to calm down. And to my utmost surprise even her smile returned.
"You liar… you know full well that's not what you want. I know just how much you don't want to lose me. But you should know that's not going to happen. Because we've both got each other's backs. So, when you're fighting, I'll be protecting you as well as vice versa. But that's not all. Loving someone means being there for them in their time of need, especially when they are at their lowest. And well… I love you… Izuku." Shiina said while showering me with nothing but affection. I just couldn't believe it. I thought that I closed off my heart. That no matter what she said, nothing would work. Because I'm just a murderer… I'm not even human…
… And yet, I collapsed to my knees right in front of her. She didn't use her Quirk to overpower me even though she certainly could have. Instead, she used her real power to best me in whatever this could be called. Her genuine and pure love for me. That's right. I was completely and utterly defeated by the power of love. The love that she felt for me and the love that I felt for her. There was nothing that I could do but accept this part of me too as tears slid down my face. Tears that I held back when I saw Suzune so helpless. Tears that I held back over saying such awful things to Sudo and her. They all just came rushing out. I said it before, and I'll say it again.
I was hopelessly in love with a girl named Hiyori Shiina. And that same girl successfully closed the distance that might as well have been the equivalent of an entire solar system. But she traversed through it all with utter ease as she put my head onto her lap. But this genuine act of kindness and love made me break down even further.
"Shiina! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I yelled out as my throat was quickly becoming hoarse and strained over me not using it at all for the past two weeks combined with my shouting from before. But even as I was crying my eyes out onto her lap, Shiina let me rest my head onto it for as long as I needed it. All while saying, 'I forgive you.' Over and over to match the number of times I apologized to her. That was the relationship we had. Because it was then that I realized that I wasn't entirely correct when I said that I was hopelessly in love with her. Because the truth is…
… We were both hopelessly in love with each other. And what she said next only ended up proving this.
"I promise to stay by your side from this point on. Not just because I love you. But because I don't want to lose you just as much as you don't want to lose me. So, we'll stick by each other no matter what. Doesn't that sound nice, Izuku? You don't mind me using your first name, right?" Shiina asked with a whisper into my ear as I muttered back 'Of course not.' In the end I was defeated by her. I genuinely thought that my hatred for Kiyotaka and killing intent defined me for what I was.
But that's not the case. My outlook was too black and white. Just as it's always been. Saving people equals being good. Killing people equals being bad. Both of these were applied to heroes and villains respectively in my world. But that's the thing. That only applied to my old world. The place I am in now is not defined by good or bad. It's so… grey. I can barely tell who's good and who's not. Though what I can tell above all else is that the girl I was in love with was a genuinely good person. And the same goes for my precious friends. Being by their side. That's what matters right now.
For now, finding Kiyotaka can wait a bit longer. I don't have any leads right now so all I can do is wait until he shows his face. So, when he does, I'm not going to be alone. I'll be right there, standing alongside the people most important to me in my new life. Because now I've accepted that too. I'm probably never going to be able to return to my old world, the world that I was born in, and the same one that had so many people that were important to me. But that's okay. Because this world for all its flaws is enough for me now. This world, and all of the people in it…
Chapter 49: Home
… Is my home now.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: The Harsh, Dark Grey Sky
Go Beyond!
Plus Ultra!