My 'eyes' opened as I found myself back in the black abyss that exists within my own mind. There waiting for me with a thick black mustache on his face was a certain man wearing a green combat jacket with a large black collar and hair that matched said collar along with white streaks in his hair. Also like me he had scars on his face but while my face only had two scars on it, his face had several scars all over it, making it crystal clear that he had gone through hell throughout his life. I instantly recognized him as Jokata Nauji. My predecessor of the Quirk Obliterator.

I had only known this man for about as long as I did for the many of the people, I've come to know in this world that I had found myself in. But just like them, in the short amount of time I've got to know him, he's made an impression on me, though not for the right reasons. I've tried to understand the man named Jokata Nauji, but my attempts were futile and the more he interacted with me, he made it all too clear to me that he didn't like me at all.

And now, here we are, staring at each other in silence after the battle with that monster. But I had nothing to discuss with him. Not after I had lost Sakura for what felt like moments prior to this. But at the same time, it felt like I lost her long ago, and I had been asleep for a rather long time. These contradictory feelings plagued my mind, and I couldn't distinguish what was real from what was fake. But I did know this. The man standing before me is real, that became all too apparent when he took over my body. But as I was still horrified over what happened to the girl who confessed her love to me, he proposed a declaration of his own.

"I think that it's time… I tell you my origin, Izuku Midoriya." Jokata Nauji declared with a serious look on his face and a tone of voice that matched it. I didn't know it, but he had been planning to tell me his 'origin' for a while now. Ever since our last encounter within this wretched landscape. But even though he had helped me out in my darkest moment, I wasn't all too concerned with repaying the favor. I didn't even want to look at him, so I sat down on the cold, hard ground and hid my face between my knees. And then…

"Not interested. I don't want to be around you or anyone else for that matter. Just leave me alone. At least… let me grieve for her." I answered with a mutter as I could barely talk after everything that happened. It wasn't as if my vocal cords were damaged, (Nor was I even using them, because I was in my mind.) But Sakura's… death… has left me distraught. I've lost people before like Sir Nighteye and Midnight, but her death has left a wound on me that I don't think will heal anytime soon. But Jokata wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Even though you didn't love her?" Jokata replied and after hearing him my eyes shot wide open as I immediately stood up and walked over to him until I-

'BAM!' Punched him right in his condescending face! Jokata didn't so much as flinch at my aggressive attack. No doubt he had been punched many times before so he could take it. I hate to admit it, but in that aspect, we were all too similar. But I wasn't having it with him, not after losing someone so precious to me! And he had the audacity to say something like that?! What the hell is wrong with him?!

"Stop trying to paint me as the 'bad guy.' All I did was show you some common courtesy by helping you when you were utterly pathetic and could do nothing to save the girl who confessed her love for you. But even though she died loving you until her last moment, you did not feel the same way about her. You can't deny this. I can read each and every one of your thoughts even when we're not together like this. That's why I can with certainty that you NEVER once loved Airi Sakura." Jokata declared while maintaining his serious attitude.

'BAM!' In response, all I could do was collapse on my knees in front of him as tears trickled down my cheeks. I couldn't deny his words. It was exactly how he said. I… didn't feel the same way about Sakura. Realizing that fact made me feel like a monster. But I knew this for quite some time. I tried to convince myself over and over that I felt the same way that she did about me. But I didn't. I cared about her deeply. But only as a friend. That was the conclusion that I came to during my isolation in the three days I stayed at my apartment alone.

"And even after she sacrificed her life… you can't feel the same way about her. That guilt for not being able to give anything back to her even after her death, is eating away at you. It's as if she's right there behind you, gnawing on you, for denying her some 'meaning' to her demise." Jokata replied as his words might as well have been the truth because I felt so much pain and agony over losing someone I really cared about. It was just as he said, I'm unable to 'save' Sakura and that guilt is festering me. How am I supposed to live with myself? If only I died…

… Then maybe Sakura would still be alive.

"If you truly believe that then she really did die for nothing." Jokata replied with a voice as cold as ice. His words made more tears run down my cheeks as I couldn't help but cry over the loss of my departed friend. A part of me wished that this was some nightmare, and that Sakura would come back to me with a smile on her face. I didn't expect her to die. I've lost people but it has only been a select few. (And I wasn't really all that close with them, so I was able to get over it without spending all that much time grieving over them.) But Sakura's death just hits different.

"It's because you got lucky. Extremely lucky that people that you were close to such as Gran Torino and Katsuki Bakugo did not die. And even on the brink of death, they were able to pull through with such grievous injuries. But your luck has run out. It ran out the moment that you lost All Might. And now, in a world where everyone you know isn't anywhere close to your level, any of them could die whenever karma decides to foot you the bill." Jokata declared as I couldn't disagree with his words in the slightest.

I had gotten incredibly lucky countless times. Whenever someone I cared about was about to die, I was able to arrive in the nick of time to save them. And even when that didn't happen, they were able to survive through the skin of their teeth with the help of countless others who helped out along the way. I'm no exception to this as I came close to death more times than I could ever count. But even though I always wanted to be a hero ever since I was a kid, and that I knew the risks of not being able to save someone, even still…

… I was not prepared to lose Sakura. Not like this. I then heard Jokata scoff at me as I looked up at him to see an agitated look on his face.

"You see this is what happens when our world's 'heroes' send kids to war. There's no coming back from war without a laundry list of casualties. I know that better than anyone. After all, I'm a soldier. That's why I wholeheartedly believe that our world's way of making children into 'superheroes' was a mistake. I don't mean to be mean, but you're just a kid. Of course, you would be heartbroken after losing a friend." Jokata spoke before extending his hand toward me. I hesitated for a moment before grabbing it as he pulled me back up. And then…

"… You've lost people too? People… that loved you?" I asked in between sobs as Jokata nodded in affirmation before hugging me. This caught me off guard because he had never done something so kind before. Btu before I could say a word-

"Of course I have. I've lost too many people who didn't deserve to die. Look kid. I know you're going through hell right now. I'd feel the same way if I were in your shoes. But that's why people like us, people who lost others that they cared about, we need to stick together. So, allow me to show you my 'origin.'" Jokata replied while holding me close. I didn't understand why he was so persistent in showing me his 'origin.' And of course he knew this.

"I'm not saying it will make you feel better. But you could look at this tragedy from another angle. Perhaps you'll gain a new 'perspective' after seeing my 'origin' with your own eyes. But you don't have to if you don't want to. It's up to you. This is your mind after all. Whatever you say goes." Jokata continued as I contemplated for a few moments on whether this was the best course of action. But then again, I'm already feeling horrible over what happened to Sakura. I severely doubt that I can feel even worse. So, I nodded in affirmation.

'Snap.' Jokata then snapped his fingers as my eyes were forced shut and I was met with nothing but white as I opened them. This confused me and as I tried to move around I couldn't so much as blink. All I could do was stare into white vortex of nothingness until-

"Lieutenant Nauji! Your son has been born!" A doctor exclaimed as my eyes noticed him along with a woman in a hospital bed holding a baby in her arms. I wondered why I had found myself here, but he answered my questions a moment later.

"That's me, over there, in my mother's arms. My father's also here too. This was the moment of my 'birth.' As soon after this, I would be given my name." Jokata replied while he pointed at the baby expressing that it was him, before pointing to his father dressed in a military uniform. The latter of which then rushed over to his son and wife. And what happened after that was exactly as he said.

Chapter 35: Jokata Nauji: Origin

"Jokata… that's your name. I'm your father. And that's your mother. We brought you into this wonderful world." Jokata's father spoke while expressing tears of joy in his eyes and a smile of happiness on his face. But in response, Jokata scoffed. I then looked over to him to see that he had become agitated again. But he quickly cooled down. And then…

"But there's nothing 'wonderful' about it." Jokata declared before walking away from the scene and before I knew it, the both of us were transported to someone's house. I then noticed a kid running past me with a smile on his face and a toy gun in his hands. I wondered who that person was. But just as I did-

"That's me. I skipped time throughout my 'memories' in order to get to this moment. I'll be doing that quite a bit so get used to it." Jokata replied bluntly as I wondered why he was showing me this memory of his in particular. I then watched him sneak up behind his father who was resting in a chair in the living room before firing his toy gun behind him. But then…

'BANG!' The father immediately spung up from his chair with a revolver in his hands and fired point blank at his son. My eyes shot wide open upon seeing this, as 'Kid Jokata' collapsed to the ground with blood oozing from his head. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed so I couldn't say a word. But I couldn't just do nothing so I ran over to the kid and tried to put pressure on his wound so that he wouldn't lose any more blood, only for my hands to go right through him.

"I appreciate the thought. But this is one of my 'memories.' This event has already taken place and for that reason it can't be changed. Think of it as a fixed point in time. Just like how you can't go back in time to save Sakura, I can't go back in time to prevent my father from shooting me. But that's just life. You wish you could constantly 'do over' things only to realize that you couldn't do the thing you wanted to after the fact. You end up regretting but after a while, you just think of it as 'it is what it is' and move on." Jokata declared while his father dropped his gun onto the ground and collapsed to his knees, further proving the point he was making.

"Oh god what have I done?! Honey, call the ambulance!" Jokata's father yelled out as he ran out of the room with a look of panic. But not a moment later, I found myself back in the hospital room from before. (Or at least one that looked like it.) I then noticed 'Kid Jokata' resting on a bed with several bandages covering his forehead, the same place where he had been shot. But to my surprise, the patient monitor that was tracking his vital signs was beeping ever so faintly indicating that Jokata had survived the gunshot. But how was that possible?

"There was an American railroad construction foreman of the name Phineas P. Gage. He's remembered for surviving an accident in which an iron rod was completely driven through his head. This destroyed much of his brain's left frontal lobe, but he survived for over twelve years after the incident. He didn't even die from the accident; it was from Status epilepticus, which was completely unrelated to his injury. But in comparison to him, I got lucky." Jokata explained while his mother sat in a chair right beside her son while the doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

However, the father was strangely absent from the scene. Just what happened to him? But as I thought this-

"It will be quite alright, madam. Your son will be alright in due time. He'll never have to see his father ever again. Not after I had him placed in a mental institution. That's why everything will be alright. After all, I'm here." The Doctor declared while Jokata's mother wept while muttering 'Thank you.' Over and over again. But in the midst of that, I noticed the doctor's appearance. Not only had he been the same one from before (Who was there when Jokata was born.) but he seemed oddly familiar. He had no hair on top of his head, but he did have a thick mustache.

'Just where had I seen this person before?' I thought internally but while I searched inside of me for the answer, I didn't notice the look of sheer hatred on Jokata's face while looking at the 'Doctor.' And before I knew it, time had passed by again and both me and Jokata had been whisked away to a room that was full of men. I looked around and noticed that at the center of the room was a desk where an older man in a military uniform was present and there was a line of many men hoping to meet him. I looked at the faces of each and every man until my eyes caught upon one who seemed all too familiar. Is that-

"You're starting to catch on. That's me a whole twelve years after I got shot. I was eighteen at the time and I was at the legal age to enlist in the military. So, that's exactly what I was here to do. I was going to become a soldier just like my father did and his father before him did. You see, I come from a long line of soldiers. Each of the men in my family lived for our nation even back in the day when soldiers sued to be called 'knights.' My family was there defending their land's people." Jokata explained and before I knew it, the younger version of him was at the front of the line.

"Name?" The older military officer asked while not even looking at the man in front of him and instead a document on the desk he was sitting at. And while this caught the young Jokata off guard for a moment, he quickly regained his enthusiasm.

"Jokata Nauji." The young Jokata replied but after he said this the older soldier in front of him looked up at him with wide eyes. Not even a moment later, the older man's face gained a smile before shaking Jokata's hand earnestly.

"Welcome aboard, cadet. Your father was a great man. It's a shame what happened to him." The older military officer said before the young Jokata replied 'it is.' While shaking the hand of his superior officer. This surprised me a bit to say the least, it's almost as if he died. But that can't be. I know Todoroki's mom was put into a mental hospital, but she survived and even got to leave and return home. (Albeit after a while.) But once again Jokata read my thoughts.

"That's because my father died. Not on the front line fighting for his country but in a place where no one respected him. If what happened before goes to show something, it's that he suffered from severe PTSD. That was a given after losing several of his comrades while fighting against other people who were ready to kill you at the drop of the hat. That's why when he heard my toy gun make a sound that was similar to the sound a 'gunshot' makes, his PTSD kicked into overdrive, and he felt like he actually was being shot at." Jokata explained.

"But it didn't end there. The 'doctor' from before had him committed to a mental hospital under the pretense of almost killing his son. I don't want to discredit what Todoroki went through but all that happened to him was that he was 'scarred.' If the bullet in my head went ever so slightly to the right of my head, I would have died instantly. Just like you I cheated death through dumb luck. But my father was left alone in the end with none of his loved ones beside him until the sweet release of death was finally granted to him. They wouldn't allow any of his family to see him. Nor did my mother wish to see him after what he did. So, you can guess what happened after that." Jokata continued as I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But he noticed this.

"I already told you not to pity me kid." Jokata replied and before I knew it the scenery changed, making it clear that time had been skipped again. This time me and Jokata found ourselves in a battlefield where the ground was littered with corpses and the sound of gunfire can be heard from all directions. I covered my ears instinctively and closed my eyes so that I wouldn't be able to see the gruesome bodies of the deceased. Jokata noticed this.

"Welcome to hell, kid. You've been to war but not this kind of 'war.' You see, when regular run of the mill humans fights each other, they don't pull their punches. They slaughter each other until there's nothing left. Except, that's what they 'try' to do. In most cases, they don't quite 'finish' them off and the result is 'this.' That's why there are no heroes and villains here as our society would deem them. There are just the living and the dead. That's what it means to enlist, kid." Jokata explained his philosophy while a man who looked just like him ran by while carrying a rifle.

"If only I could have realized that 'truth' sooner. It would have prevented a lot of sleepless nights." Jokata muttered with a regretful look on his face as he watched his younger self try to administer aid to the wounded soldiers.

'BOOM!' Only for the men that Jokata was trying to save being blown up by a grenade tossed their way. The young Jokata barely managed to evade the expulsion through the skin of his teeth. But looking back at his dead comrades only enraged him to his very core. And that feeling was exactly what made him do what he did next.

'YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" The young Jokata Nauji declared at the top of his lungs with a face full of hatred and a tone of voice that matched it before charging into enemy lines. And with his strength enhancing quirk he was able to close the distance between him and the enemy soldiers before-

'BAM!' Swiftly obliterating them to pieces. I watched how merciless Jokata was as he tore his enemies' limb from limb like a rabid animal. He could have simply one shot them into oblivion. But he didn't, he purposely made each and every single one of his enemies suffer before he ended their lives. And there was nothing that they could have done to stop him. With his Quirk Obliterator the man named Jokata Nauji was completely unstoppable on the battlefield. But there was just one thing that bothered me.

"How come they didn't use their Quirks to try and stop you?" I asked with a confused look on my face as I averted my eyes from all the savage killing because no matter how much I saw it, I would never get used to seeing people die without feeling sick to my stomach. Jokata heard me and paused for a moment before answering my question.

"That's because the time period we're in is at the beginning of everything. That super baby from China was only discovered a decade before I was born. People were just beginning to get Quirks and there wasn't an oversaturation of them just yet. You also have to think about it this way. Even if those people had Quirks, could they have been a match for mine? Probably not. Once again, I was extremely lucky. Or at least I thought I was." Jokata explained before walking away from the scene as everything changed once more.

This time I found myself along with Jokata in the officer of a prestigious person within the military. That was made clear with all the medals on his uniform and trophies in his office. But of course, he wasn't alone, there was a young Jokata with him. I peered at his face only to see that it was full of confusion on it. This too made me confused why he looked like that. Only for my question to be met with an answer shortly thereafter.

"You want to give me the rank of lieutenant? But the entire platoon I was part of were killed. I was the sole survivor. Not to mention, the mission was a total failure. There are far more suitable candidates to receive such an honor compared to me." The younger Jokata spoke with a nervous smile on his face as he was secretly ecstatic to have been granted the same rank as his late father. But evens still he genuinely thought that he didn't deserve it. His commanding officer noticed this and smiled.

"That's exactly why I'm giving you such an honor. What you did back there was simply marvelous. You tore through enemy lines single handedly and made a name for yourself. I heard our enemies have started calling you 'Obliterator.' That means there scared shitless of you. And that's exactly what we need to turn the tide of war in our favor. That's why I'm giving you your own squad of soldiers I handpicked. So, sit back, relax and have a beer. You've earned that much for serving our country." The commanding officer declared while maintaining his smile.

"Thank you! A-And I will, sir!" The younger Jokata replied while saluting his commanding officer. But I peered a look at the older Jokata who still had that same look of regret that he had from before. He then muttered 'You hopeless idiot.' Before walking away from the scene as it changed again.

'WHOOOSH!' This time to a boat that was moving very fast throughout the water while plenty of soldiers had their eyes on something in the distance. It was an island. Not only that but it was the dead of night. I don't understand. Why were they headed there at a time like this? But Jokata read my mind again and scoffed.

"Just watch." Jokata replied as I did just that for a little while and it didn't take long for my question to be answered. As what I saw next, was truly horrifying.

'FWOOOSH!' There was a small village on that island and the rustic houses there had been set ablaze along with the people inside of them. Countless people came running out who weren't even soldiers, they were just normal men, women, and children. And they were burning and screaming in agony because of it. Only to collapse not too long afterwards as their lives had been hopelessly extinguished. Just seeing this horror show made me want to projectile vomit, but since this was a 'memory' I couldn't even do that much. Jokata noticed this.

"Believe it or not, but those people over there burning were the lucky ones. Their suffering got to end quickly. Meanwhile the suffering that me and my troops had to endure had only just begun." Jokata declared while I couldn't stand the sight of what I was looking at, so I averted my gaze from the people dying to the people doing the killing. I noticed that those people had remorseful looks on their faces as it was clear to me that they hated doing this. Not only that but amongst them, I noticed both Kubo and Bruce and seeing them with looks of anguish further broke my broken heart. Jokata noticed this and the environment changed again.

This time I found myself back in the commanding officer's office as him and the younger Jokata were the only ones in the room. But this time, when I looked at his face he was not happy, not one bit. And he made that crystal clear with his next action.

"What were you thinking sending me and my men into a village that had none of our enemies in it?! They didn't have any weapons! And you made us kill them! Why?! What did they do to deserve such a horrific fate?!" The younger Jokata yelled out with a face full of rage. But even though he was clearly angry, there was also a hint of sadness, as under all that anger, the younger version of Jokata appeared to be on the verge of crying. I wanted to reach my hand out to him to give him some emotional support. But once again I found my hand going through him. But I then froze in my tracks when I heard the laughter of the commanding officer. But I wasn't the only one who heard the cackling of that monster pretending to be a man.

"What the hell's so funny, you bastard?!" Jokata snapped back as he couldn't stand the sight of the man in front of him laughing at his words when the former was full of anguish over what he was ordered to do. And then…

"What's so funny is that you don't see the bigger picture in all of this. What you did back there in that backwater village was a threat to any and all enemies to NEVER set foot on Japan with hostile intent. Our enemies have taken notice of it and now I heard that they are trying to sign a peace treaty with us! Can't you believe it? You ended the war! You should be happy. But instead, you're whining like some snot nosed brat because a few people died. Big deal. People die all the time. There's no reason to pity the dead." The Commanding Officer replied with a smirk.

"That… monster." I muttered under my breath as even I couldn't stand the sight of this despicable creature claiming to be human. But Jokata thought the same way. And what he did next proved it.

"You know what, you're right about one thing. People die every single day. So, who cares if one extra person dies?" The younger Jokata spoke before placing his hands on his superior officer's head. He then began gripping it tightly and pushing against it as the latter screamed in agony until his head exploded into several chunks and the monster's corpse fell onto the ground. The younger Jokata's face was covered with the blood of his deceased commanding officer. But he showed no remorse to him, even in death.

"And don't worry, I won't be pitying you, you're dead after all. What point is there to pity people who might as well no longer exist?" The younger Jokata muttered to himself before being swiftly detained by several military personnel who must have heard the screaming of their commanding officer, but they were too late. He was dead and the only person left among the living was the man who murdered him. But even though I thought the monster deserved to be punished for what he did, it didn't have to be like this!

"Oh, really? Then what would you propose? Lock him away deep below some fancy prison for the rest of his pathetic existence. Worked well for AFO, didn't it? It's not like he escaped and was able to wreak havoc and almost kill all the so called 'heroes' of Japan. Oh… wait. That did happen, didn't it?" Jokata replied while being his usual condescending self. But even though from a certain point of view he was correct, it didn't mean he was right.

"He could have faced trial and paid for his crimes! Then he would have been able to be punished accordingly and pay for what he did!" I snapped back while clenching my fists tightly. But this only made Jokata scoff once more in response.

"Oh, how naïve you are. Do you honestly think that he would have been 'punished' for what he did? You see, he was telling the truth when he said the war was over. To our country, he was a hero, and I was the villain. Ironic, isn't it. How our society deems certain people as heroes and villains. So, no matter what I did, he would have been given another fancy medal and trophy to add to his collection. Sometimes, you just got to get your hands dirty, kid." Jokata replied but I still refused to believe that he was right.

"Because you 'had' to kill Tomura Shigaraki and AFO. That you had no choice but to do so. Don't make me laugh. What you did and I did was the same. You could have had the both of them go back to that fancy prison only for them to break out again and the cycle repeats forever. You knew that would happen so you snuffed them out before that cycle could continue. And don't even try to say that you didn't want them to die. Bullshit. They hurt your friends, and you hurt them back. End of story." Jokata continued as his words pierced my skin like thorns as he really knew where to hit me where it hurts.

"Of course I do. I know what you're thinking of every second of every single day. Your happiness, your anger, your sadness and everything in between, I know it all. That's what happens when I was 'forced' to become part of you against my will. If I had it my way, I'd be dead without having to spend the rest of my existence inside of you. But we can't all be lucky, can't we?" Jokata finished before walking away from me as I stared at the ground out of regret.

Before I knew it the scenery changed again to a prison cell that contained the younger Jokata within it. But just as he was alone, someone approached him from within the shadows. He cocked his head to see who it was and to his utmost surprise it was the Emperor of Japan. He instantly recognized him and bowed his head along with the rest of his body toward him.

"His Majesty. To what honor do I have the pleasure for seeing you on today of all days?" The younger Jokata asked with a respectful tone of voice. But even then, he found it hard to ignore his confusion as he couldn't' understand why the emperor had shown up on the day of his execution. But it was exactly why he had shown up now.

"At ease. I'm here to offer you a chance at redemption. If you choose to take it, then you and your family name will be relieved of the crimes that you have committed. I take it this offer entices you?" The Emperor asked with a serious expression and a tone of voice that matched it. In response, the younger Jokata nodded. The older Jokata then walked away while muttering 'Dog of the military until the very end.' Before the scene changed completely and I found myself in a completely different place. One that appeared to be a nice home but has decayed and was a shell of its former self. It was there that I saw someone that I thought I'd never see again.

"Y-Yoichi?" I muttered out of genuine surprise as the first user of One For All was on his knees on the ground while he was looking at someone in the distance. I then looked over to what Yoichi was looking and to my utmost surprise, it was the younger Jokata who had a rifle pointed at the former. I was so confused and Jokata knew this.

"The 'chance' at redemption that the Emperor of Japan offered me was a mission where me and my elite squad were tasked with taking out AFO. The Emperor was able to obtain some intel regarding the location of AFO's childhood home and that's where we came in. Our mission was simple, take out AFO, no questions asked. This was when he had not yet taken over Japan, and the Emperor saw him as a threat that needed to be 'obliterated.' So, they sent in the 'Obliterator' to finish the job. But instead, of AFO it was this pasty looking kid." Jokata explained.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." The younger Jokata spoke as he dropped his gun. It then became clear to me that he was tired of killing and he wasn't going to kill someone uninvolved, not after what his commanding officer made him do in the past. However, that was his fatal mistake.

"Oh, but I will." The voice of someone that I instantly recognized as AFO replied as he appeared through the purple vortex made by the Quirk Warp Gate that belonged to the villain Kurogiri. (Though it was no surprise to me that AFO was the original owner of said Quirk.) The younger Jokata noticed him immediately and leaped at AFO, pushing back into the vortex along with himself in the process. The purple vortex dispersed. And shortly after that-

"Lieutenant?!" Kubo yelled out as he made his way to the room where Yoichi was along with Bruce. That was the beginning of what I saw in the past and needed no further explanation. So, the scene changed around me to that of a laboratory. But this was no normal lab used by doctors to create new medicines to help people. No. This place was only used to inflict suffering onto others. And Jokata Nauji just happened to be the latest arrival. His screams pierced my ears as he was tortured relentlessly by AFO while Doctor Garaki watched with a horrifying smile.

"Where did you and your men take Yoichi?" AFO questioned with a voice full of hostile intent and a face that matched it as he stuck his fingers inside the younger Jokata's body and ripped out a few of his bones and internal organs while the latter coughed up blood. This surprised me, not just because of how ruthless AFO had been even back then but since he also had a Permeation Quirk. Could this Quirk have been the same one that was passed down to Manabu? But before I could receive an answer to that deduction of mine-

'Sploo!' But in doing so, Jokata spat some of his blood onto AFO's cheek. In response, AFO took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his face.

'BAM!' Before slamming his fist into Jokata's mouth again and again while knocking several of his teeth out in the process. But even though he was withering in agony over the abuse that he had gone though, in spite of that Jokata kept a wide grin on his face much to the displeasure of AFO. And then…

"To be honest, I have no idea. All we were ordered to do was kill you. So, I have no idea where my men took 'Yoichi.' And even if I did know, there's no way I'm ever going to tell you. So, if you want to kill me, just go ahead and get it over with already." Jokata replied while maintaining his smirk. But this made AFO laugh in response. Which only confused the younger Jokata, but I could see where this was going. And I didn't like the direction where this was going.

"Kill you? No, I don't think so. Not after what you did. You see, to me Yoichi was someone 'special.' He was my brother and now you have tainted him by having him coexist with others. For that, I will have you suffer a fate far worse than death." AFO declared with a sadistic smile on his face while grasping the chin of the younger Jokata before letting it go.

"He's all yours, Doctor." AFO finished before walking away from both the younger Jokata and his right-hand man, while the latter stepped forward and cracked his knuckles. What happened after that was a series of torture sessions where Garaki would ruthlessly make Jokata scream in agony. I don't even want to describe them (Nor could I because I didn't want to watch something so horrible.) That's why I'll leave that up to your imagination of how that went down. But this didn't last for days or months. For years, Jokata was tortured every single day, until-

"Surprise! I don't know if it's your birthday, so let's just pretend it is. Happy Birthday!" Doctor Garaki spoke with a smile on his face before handing a box to Jokata. Though the latter couldn't open it with his hands in chains. So, Garaki did him a favor and opened it himself only to reveal that the decapitated head of Kubo was inside the box. Upon seeing it Jokata screamed out of anger on another level.

"Yes! Your screams are music to my ears! More! Scream more! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Doctor Garaki continued before laughing hysterically over Jokata Nauji's suffering. I knew that Garaki was a horrible person who used kids as guinea pigs to make into his abominations but seeing him torture someone in such deplorable ways made me realize that he was far more of a monster than I gave him credit for. Kyudai Garaki was truly just as horrible as AFO was. But I wasn't the only one who thought this as the man being tortured held similar feelings of resentment.

"You may think you'll get away with this, but you won't. Because no matter how much torture you put me through that will only fuel my hatred for you. Hatred that will live on through others after my dead and gone. But even if other people try to stop you. That won't satisfy me. That's why I'll keep living even if it feels like I'm going to die. Because one day, I will have my revenge. Just you wait. So…" The younger Jokata spoke with a voice full of unadulterated hatred that sent shivers down Garaki's spine even though the latter had the upper hand in this situation.

"No matter how long it takes… I will KILL you Garaki!" The younger Jokata declared while Garaki let out a scream before falling onto his butt. Even though he had no reason to feel threatened when there was nothing that Jokata could do to hurt him in this situation, Garaki still felt an intense level of fear that was incomparable to anything he had ever felt before. And it was all because of that man that he had felt fear on a scale that Garaki thought it was impossible for him to experience. Jokata knew this because it was written all over the Doctor's face.

"And before I knew it, that guy killed me, not before taking my Quirk. After that he used my Quirk for several experiments where he gave it to several of his 'Nomu.' But the result was the same every single time because I never once cooperated with those foul abominations. But to my surprise, after I died, I discovered that a part of me was now alive again within Obliterator. But since there was no way that any of those monsters would betray their master, I lied dormant within the Quirk. That was until I met you, kid." Jokata explained as the scene reverted back to the black landscape of my mind. It was then that I collapsed to my knees.

'Time to deliver the final blow, sorry kid. But I'm doing you a favor. You'll thank me in the long run.' Jokata thought internally as unbeknownst to me he had an ulterior motive for showing me his memories. It was all in an effort to make me see the horrors of humanity all so that I would give up being a hero. And now here he was, to end my hopes and dreams, once and for all.

"And now you know that there are no 'heroes' or 'villains' in this world. Just… people. Some good, some bad, and some who are monsters. You may have thought that there was some higher purpose to you going out of your way to save people but there never really was a point. You did it all because you admired All Might and stole his ideals. You're no hero. You couldn't even save a girl who loved you. All you've been doing is pretending to be one." Jokata finished. I didn't have any willpower to prove him wrong. Because I agreed with him.

That's when I realized that my days as a hero were over. No. They had been long gone for a while now. All I've been doing in this world was mimic the man I used to be. Because I'm…

… A monster who has just been wearing the shell of my former self.

"You're right. I couldn't even save Sakura. Someone who was right there in front of me when she died. I don't have any right to call myself a hero. So, don't you worry. I'll never pretend to be a hero ever again." I declared with a serious expression on my face and a tone of voice that matched it which surprised Jokata. He was probably half expecting me to propose an argument, but I had no motivation or drive to give him that. So, in response he nodded. Soon after that I felt a tingling sensation which made it clear that I was going to wake up soon. And when I did…

… I would learn just how long I had been asleep for.

To Be Continued…

Next Chapter: Deku No More!

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