"Sudo please just hear me out for a mom- I spoke with a serious expression on my face and a voice that matched it. This was a grave situation. I'm sure Sudo already knew that. But he needed to accept the truth. There wasn't any time to waste! Not when Kiyotaka Ayanokoji is in this very forest were all in! Not only that but he was sitting next to Matsushita on the bus! If he's still with her now (And he probably is considering their fake relationship) then when he makes his move (And at this rate I'm sure he will) he will most likely kill her! I couldn't let that happen! Not after how the lives he's taken! Too many have died!
However, if I were to approach Ayanokoji then he would suspect that I know his true identity and that Kanji Ike is dead. I might have thought we were friends. But Kiyotaka surely doesn't think the same way. There's only one person he would lower his guard for! And that would be Sudo since anything less would be out of character for Kanji Ike to do! He would have no choice but to accept Sudo casually walking up to him! That's why Sudo is the key to apprehending Kiyotaka Ayanokoji for his crimes! But that's only 'if' Sudo accepts this grim and unfortune reality. Though I wasn't surprised in the slightest when he cut me off before I could finish.
"BULLSHIT! THERE'S NO WAY IKE WOULD HAVE DONE ANY OF THAT SHIT! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!" Sudo declared with a shout at the top of his lungs while glaring daggers at me for even proposing that his friend was actually a murderer. But he didn't understand. There's 'proof' behind it! And both me and Koenji knew this. Except he wasn't going to accept any of this unless there's substantial evidence. And with the cat out of the bag, Koenji decided to reveal everything at last.
"Then if you don't believe in Midoriya… how about you check your call history!" Koenji replied with a serious look of his own while pointing at Sudo. But this caused Sudo's face to twist into a grimace as he became even more confused and this in turn made him angrier too.
"WHAT THE HELL DOES MY FUCKING CALL HISTORY HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?!" Sudo snapped back again at the top of his lungs. His veins were bulging from his head, and he was clenching his fists as hard as possible. He looked like he could explode at any second now. I've seen Sudo get mad a ton of times after knowing him for quite some time. But not like this. This was an unprecedented level of pure rage even for him or anyone else. I don't even think I ever saw Kacchan this mad before. It sent a shiver down my spine just hearing him. Though that didn't stop Koenji in the slightest.
"It's simple. If you were to look then I'm sure you would find a missed call from Matsushita from last month. She tried calling you to ask your opinion on if you thought Ike was acting weird. Except, you never answered that call. So, she no choice but to resort to calling a different pers- Koenji explained but he was ruthlessly cut off before he could finish by Sudo.
"SO FUCKIN WHAT?! EVEN IF SHE CALLED ME OUT OF THE BLUE DO YOU HONESTLY THINK THAT PROVES JACK SHIT? PLUS, WHO SAYS YOU'RE NOT AYANOKOJI?! YOU MIGHT HAVE TRICKED MIDORIYA! BUT THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL, YOU'RE TRICKING ME ASSHOLE!" Sudo snapped back once more at the top of his lungs. This was it. The straw that broke the camel's back. And the result was that Sudo charged forward in an attempt to let out his frustrations on Koenji! But before he could-
'BAM!' I intercepted him by grabbing onto his fist that was encased in steel! Sudo's eyes went a bit wide when he noticed that I was able to hold him back with a single hand. Or was it perhaps because the skin on my hand had been damaged a bit due to him not holding back at all? Either way, even though it hurt to the point that some of my blood was now on his fist, I didn't budge in the slightest! I refused to back down when there are innocent lives at stake! And I sure as hell was going to let him know just that!
"SUDO! LISTEN TO REASON DAMN IT! YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE A WORD THAT COMES OUT OF KOENJI'S MOUTH! BUT WHAT HE'S SAYING IS THE TRUTH! THINK BACK TO A MONTH AGO! THE DAY THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT SHINOHARA HAD DROPPED OUT WAS THE SAME DAY THAT IKE AND MATSUSHITA GOT TOGETHER! DON'T YOU THINK THAT'S MORE THAN JUST A COINCIDENCE?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs so that he would have no choice but to listen to my words. But even still he tried using his other fist to land a blow onto Koenji!
'BAM!' But I stopped him once more! I was now holding back both of his arms that were enriched in steel! Even though his arms had a ton of force behind them, I was able to withstand them both and stand my ground! This made Sudo click his tongue in annoyance. He definitely couldn't believe that I was being so adamant about pinning everything on the man he considered a precious friend of his. I thought the same thing about Sudo. And surely, he felt the same way about me. Though Sudo was stubborn and so was I. We refused to back down no matter what. We might as well have been the definition of an unstoppable force meet and immovable object. However, the two young women couldn't bear to watch this go on. One was forced to stay in place as there was nothing that she could do but bite her lower lip. And as for the latter-
'WHOOOSH!' And before Sudo knew it, Hiyori used one of her feathers to pull him backwards. He was only using steel on both of his arms, and not his entire body! Which meant that she was able to pluck him away like she had done with ease thus far! But the red-headed giant knew what was going on as soon as he noticed the distance between him and me was made apparent! And of course, he knew that only two people could have done this. Though since one of those people had run off that only left Shiina.
"SHIINA! LET GO OF ME!" Sudo yelled out with enough force to startle anybody. But Hiyori's body didn't even twitch! She cared for the both of us so much that she had no intention of letting this go on any further than it already has!
"I refuse! I know you're mad, Sudo. But please! Calm down!" Hiyori cried out but Sudo was too angry to listen. As far as he was concerned, his friend was being accused of many heinous crimes without any rhyme or reason behind them. That alone was enough for him to lash out. But even worse, if he were to go along with this then he would have to accept the fact that he associated himself with a murderer. Unintentionally or not, this would be a direct blow to Sudo's pride as a man. And he couldn't stand for it any longer!
'CRUNCH!' So, he used one of his hands that were made of steel to crush the feather that Hiyori was using on him. And with nothing holding him back anymore both metaphorically and literally he charged forward once more! And this time he encased his entire body in steel! So, Shiina wouldn't be able to stop him! At this rate, I knew that he would seriously injure Koenji! Nothing I say would be able to stop him from doing that! And even if he hates Koenji with every fiber of his being for giving me the determination to pursue the truth that his friend is actually a murderer who uses the form of a dead man in order to evade suspicion… even still! …
… EVEN STILL THERE'S NO WAY I'M BACKING DOWN!
'WHOOOSH!' Sudo's arm swung forward once more! It had enough ferocity behind it to tear through the air! If he were to land a blow on any regular normal human, they would surely be dead! But-
'BAM!' That doesn't include me! That's right! I didn't even try to block his fist knowing that there was no point in doing so! So, I took it head on and let him hit me right in the face! Because I could take it! After all, even though it hurts like hell this pain is absolutely nothing to hell I went through! Sudo knew that I went through hell and so did Hiyori as well as Sakayanagi too! But that didn't stop all of them from gasping out loud over what I just let happen! Even Koenji seemed to be a bit surprised as he whistled. Though Sudo didn't even register this as he backed away from me.
"J-Just how tough are you man?" Sudo asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. In response to that I spit out some blood from my mouth onto the wooden floor below me along with a tooth. I'd be lying if I said that it didn't hurt losing a tooth. But even still-
"… Don't you… underestimate me." I replied while grinning from ear to ear as blood dripped out of my mouth. But the utter sight of me smiling while I bled due to his actions made him lose it! He couldn't stand the fact that he was responsible for hurting me and that I didn't give a shit about it! And even worse I was smiling like I had just scored the final point that won the game for nationals! Combine this with the fact that I did the exact same thing not too long ago! It was all of these reasons put together that made him lose what little reason he had left!
"DAMN YOU! MIDORIYAAAAAAAA!" Sudo shouted at the top of his lungs with enough ferocity to shatter glass to pieces with his primal roar alone! I might have been knocked down by it before and winced in fear because of it! But not here or now! Because right now I've got to give him the only thing that can stop him!
"Then…" I spoke as my voice trailed off while Sudo ran forward straight at me, time seemed to slow down to a crawl. At the same time, adrenaline rushed throughout my body as I prepared myself for what would inevitably come next. And since words alone won't stop him… the only that will is-
"… GRIT YOUR TEETH!" I shouted at the top of my lungs right before uppercutting him in the mouth…
'SMAAAASH!' With my fist! But since his entire body was covered in steel including his face, it left a lasting sense of pain that wouldn't go away for quite some time. And the same thing could be said about him too.
'WHOOOSH!' The air might as well have shattered to pieces as he was thrown sky high by my fist until he hit the roof with an audible 'BAAAAAAAAAM!' Not only did this cause the roof to cave in on us but the sheer amount of wind that was shot forward completely eradicated the walls as well! After all the cabin was made of wood! It wasn't exactly sturdy! And with just enough air even the big bad woof can absolutely obliterate it to pieces! Speaking of 'obliterate' I wasn't even using that Quirk…
… I simply did this with my natural strength. But as I was caught off guard by that revelation that might as well have been earth shattering, I noticed the same thing was happening all around me. I attempted to reach out to Hiyori so that she wouldn't get hurt. But before I could-
"Huh?" I muttered as I noticed that I was outside. I then looked all around me to see that Hiyori, Sudo, Koenji, Sakayanagi, and even Hirata were around me as the ruins of the cabin could be seen too. Wait… HUH?!
"H-H-Hirata?! When did you get here!?" I asked with a look of utmost surprise as I couldn't believe he had returned so quickly! Only to remember right after that his Quirk allows him to do just that. He probably couldn't stand by knowing that a fight was bound to break loose and was surveying the cabin the whole time. Though this was my assumption. I couldn't ask him that because what caught my attention was the man slowly walking toward me. My jaw dropped when I saw him, blood dripping from his mouth just like what previously happened with me. Even still, he-
"You're pretty tough too. You know that Sudo?" I asked while smiling at the sight of him moving forward as the sun was setting behind him. It was so profoundly manly that if I was a girl I'd probably fall in love with him right then and there. But I already have a woman that I was in love with. And I stood in front of her with my fists raised. I knew full well that he wouldn't lay a hand on Hiyori. So, maybe I just wanted to look cool? I don't know. So much has happened so quickly that my brain was practically running at the speed of sound to keep up with it all. But even still like him I refused to back down.
"Damn right I am… Midoriya… cause as long as I… don't break… I can still keep going… and I will! That's why… I can't… I won't… lose to you!" Sudo declared while closing the distance between me and him. But Hirata must have realized that we had been fighting due to our injuries. That's why he placed Sudo roughly ten meters away from me. His voice is far quieter now compared to before. And even though he was no longer covered in steel and on his last legs, neither of those things stopped him one bit. It was almost like a reflection of what happened with Stain right before he succumbed to his injuries. Except the feeling that gave me was intense fear. But with Sudo it was the opposite.
"Well damn. After all this, I have no choice but to recognize your strength. So, come at me. Because no matter how many times you do, I won't be crumbling to pieces. I have to fight for what I believe in, same as you! Because even if the truth hurts you can't deny it anymore! So, let's finish this, Sudo!" I yelled out as I charged forward at him with no intention of using my full power given that there was no reason too. The same thing could be said about him too. He wasn't going to hurt me again even if he wanted to, there was nothing he could do but move forward in spite of it!
"This is… the end of it!" Sudo snapped back as he used every ounce of strength he had left to charge forward one last time. We then both closed the distance between each other. At the same time, everyone else watched on the edge of their seat with bated breath with the exception of-
"You're right. It's over." Hirata said before getting between us before we even knew it with his sheer speed. He then pushed Sudo to the ground. He didn't even have to use any speed at all to do it. After all, Sudo used all of his strength to get back up and over to me one more time. There wasn't any last bit of strength he had in him left to keep going. But even though that was the case, the man named Ken Sudo was without a doubt strong. That I was sure of. He probably knew this too. Even still he-
"… Damn it… I… lost." Sudo admitted with what seemed like the slightest hint of a smile. Or perhaps it was the trick of the eye? Either way, he succumbed to his injuries and lost consciousness. It was then that I was at a loss for what to do next. I wanted to make Sudo believe in what I was trying to tell him. But he was too stubborn to accept any of it as the truth. And now, I have no idea on how to get close to Ayanokoji without him realizing that I figured him out. I then looked all around me to see that everyone was looking at me. Except for-
"W-Where's Manabu?" I muttered quietly as I was hit with the realization that I hadn't seen him in the past minute. After all, with the sheer amount of chaos that unfolded around me, how could I notice? And while the chaos had unfolded, he had slipped away right under our noses. And since he knew who Kiyotaka Ayanokoji really was now…
… That means he's heading straight for him.
Meanwhile…
"Haah… haah… haah…" Matsushita breathed in and out as she was struggling to hold back from urinating. Because if she gives in to the temptation, then she might as well be forfeiting her life. Even still it was becoming vastly difficult to hold on any longer. And she wasn't able to hide it any longer. So, of course the others around her took note of it, including her only remaining best friend.
"Chiaki, are alright? You look like you're in a lot of pain. Do you need to go to the bathroom, that bad? If so, why don't you- Maya spoke as she casually walked over to Matsushita but before she could reach her, the latter cut her off before she could finish speaking.
"Don't come any closer!" Matsushita blurted out with a shout unintentionally as her eyes went wide after realizing her mistake. She didn't mean to yell. But the pain from holding back her urges was almost unbearable. This along with the fact that the man pretending to be Kanji Ike was standing right next to her. So, if Maya were to get close to all she knew this might end with both of their deaths. Because as everyone around stared directly at her, it didn't take a genius like her to realize that she had made a grave mistake. And that mistake…
… Was about to cost her, her life.
"Hey. Why don't you just give up? I could make the pain go away very quickly. I'm sure you won't feel any semblance of pain. In fact, I highly doubt Shinohara felt any pain- Kiyotaka spoke but he was ruthlessly cut off before he could finish speaking.
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY HER NAME YOU BASTARD!" Matsushita shouted at the top of her lungs as everyone around her was taken aback by her sudden scream. Especially Maya who put her hand around her mouth the moment she heard it. So, it was sufficient to say that no one saw this coming, except for the young girl who let out her frustrations and the monster that caused her to feel such a way. And as for that monster-
"Oh, Matsushita. I'm not sure why you would say something so mean. Come on. Let's just out of here already." Kiyotaka spoke using Ike's voice. It was a pleasant way of speaking that was betrayed the moment she noticed the expression or lack thereof on his face. He wasn't happy, sad, angry, or anywhere in between. It was then that Matsushita realized how much of a monster the man disguising himself as the late Kanji Ike was. It was utterly horrifying for her to see someone with such a lack of emotions. But even knowing that along with that, she couldn't let that monster take away another one of her friends or anybody else for that matter. So, she-
'Step! Step! Step! Step! Step!' Ran away as fast as she could! Matsushita had the idea that if she were to gain enough distance from him then surely somebody would notice her and try to help her! But even if someone does that would only cause their untimely demise! Though what else was she supposed to do?! Where was Midoriya!? Or Sudo!? Or Hiyori!? Or Hirata!? Or anyone to help her and rid this monster from the world?! But as she ran deeper into the forest searching for anyone to help her, she found the one person that she did not want to find.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME! SOMEBODY! ANYONE! HELP ME!" Matsushita shouted at the top of her lungs as she fell on her butt due to Ayanokoji tripping her. Even still Matsushita tried to evade her incoming demise in whatever way she could. This caused her to throw whatever was around her, which happened to be small pebbles given that they were in the forest after all. Though this had no effect on the murderer in front of her. Ayanokoji felt no pain whatsoever from any of these futile attacks. Even still, this caused the monster before her to showcase the slightest hint of anger. And then…
"I already said this before, Chiaki Matsushita, but you have seemed to forget it. So, allow me to remind you of it. Whenever people are emotional are when they are at their most pathetic. No one is coming to save you. This isn't some fairy tale where you make it out alive because of some dashing prince. This isn't that kind of story. This is the story of how I achieved my dreams by destroying every single obstacle in my way. You so happened to be but a pebble in the road. And now… you will die." Kiyotaka declared as Matsushita tried to crawl away, but the monster's arm was faster and just as it was about to grab her-
"What?" Kiyotaka muttered just as he was about to grab Matsushita and end her life that he deemed pathetic and utterly worthless he noticed that something else was grabbed. That being his heart. Not in the romantic sense though. Quite literally his heart was pulled out of his body and held right in front of him. This caused him to tilt his head slightly and notice with his peripheral vision that the man standing behind him who had just stolen his heart was none other than-
"M-Manabu Horikita?! Where in the hell did you come from?!" Kiyotaka said as his vision was growing rapidly dark and his vocal cords were betraying him. After all, every human needed a heart to function. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji might have believed that he was a God. Except, he was nothing more than a human trying to desperately believe that he was. Of course, Manabu Horikita didn't know this. Nor did he know all that much about the man in front of him. Besides the fact that he was nothing more than a monster that is.
'BAAAAAAAM!' Manabu then crushed the heart belonging to the monster completely as blood splattered forward onto Matsushita. And as the blood painted her face crimson, she lost whatever will she had left to hold herself back. Matsushita then peed herself. Though she would have probably done the same thing considering she just saw someone's heart get ripped out of their chest and destroyed right in front of her. Even still she didn't scream. In fact, she felt an odd sense of satisfaction. Though that made sense since her friend was killed by that monster. But at the very least eh paid for his crimes at last…
… Or that was what both Manabu Horikita and Chikai Matsushita foolishly assumed. The monster then slammed his hand onto the ground as he fell to his knees. Ayanokoji didn't necessarily rose from the dead though he might as well considering what happened to him would have killed any human. But Manabu didn't seem all that surprised considering he had seen something similar happen before.
"Damn. So, you have the same power as that monster. Regeneration's such a pain in the ass." Manabu commented with a grimace as the monster's wounds quickly regenerated in front of his eyes. But this made Kiyotaka click his tongue out of annoyance.
"Oh please. Did you honestly think that by pulling the same trick that you used on High End that it would end up working this time? You'd have to be an utter buffoon if you thought that I wouldn't have a plan in mind for just that. You're going to have to do much better than that if you actually want to kill me, Manabu Horikita. Though I've got to admit, you certainly came far closer than your pathetic little sis- Kiyotaka replied before he was cut off before he could finish speaking by-
'BAAAAAAAM!' Manabu hurtling his fist forward before he could even blink! Even Kiyotaka Ayanokoji was caught off guard by this sudden amount of speed. Not that he could comment about it considering that what part was punched was his mouth. Horikita literally knocked his jaw off. This caused Ayanokoji to collapse to the ground as his mouth began regenerating. But even though this wasn't nearly as bad as having his heart ripped out and crushed. It still hurt more than any pain he had ever felt in his entire life.
"H-How on earth can you move so fast?!" Kiyotaka muttered as his lower jaw regenerated quickly with each tooth materializing one after another until it was completely healed. But as soon as that happened-
'BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!' Manabu Horikita unleashed a flurry of blows that Kiyotaka Ayanokoji could do nothing to dodge against! As each blow landed one after another in quick succession, Kiyotaka couldn't help but think how this was actually happening. He knew that the Permeation Quirk allowed the user to move far quicker than any regular person due to the user being able to propel himself forward. Except that's not what was happening! Manabu was only propelling his arms forward! But something like this should have been impossible! Not even Mirio Togata was able to accomplish such a feat!
'BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!' Except that's exactly what was happening! One after another the blows rained upon Kiyotaka Ayanokoji without missing a beat! Not even for a single millisecond! And each punch had the strength of a cannon ball going a hundred miles per hour behind them! So, not only were they fast but incredibly lethal too!
'What the hell?! It's like he stopped time!' Kiyotaka thought internally as he was being punched faster than his Regeneration Quirk could keep up! Even though the pain would be too much for any regular person to bear, he withstood it quite easily. He had a high pain tolerance after all. (Though the added benefit of having a Quirk that lessened the feeling of pain helped dramatically.) It still hurt though Ayanokoji wasn't even focused on the pain in the slightest. What had his complete attention was Manabu Horikita! And that he must have not, unlike his sister have achieved what's almost nigh impossible!
'A Quirk Awakening?! Him too?! Just what are with the Horikita siblings?! How are they able to accomplish this!? Do they honestly have that much potential?!' Garaki thought internally with a horrified look on his face! Even though he wasn't being hurt in the slightest (He was technically dead after all) what was happening before his eyes was all too concerning! Though what he assumed might not have been entirely untrue, that didn't mean he was right either. Both Manabu and Suzune Horikita may have had the potential to evolve, the same thing could be said for any human being.
So, what gives? What sets Manabu Horikita apart from the rest of humanity you say? Well, just listen to the man himself-
"In the end you lost for just one reason, Ayanokoji. Just one simple reason… you pissed me the fuck off." Manabu Horikita declared before giving Kiyotaka Ayanokoji one last punch to the face that sent him flying away with an audible 'BAAAAAAAAM!' That's right. He did achieve a Quirk Awakening. But not because of potential or anything of the sort. He was so pissed off that Ayanokoji had hurt his sister and his girlfriend that his Quirk evolved to compensate for his overwhelming amount of pure white-hot rage!
'BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!' And the result spoke for itself, as Kiyotaka was slammed into tree after tree after tree until he landed onto the ground. At the same time, the trees that he had been thrown against collapsed with him. The dust had settled with Kiyotaka Ayanokoji on the ground defeated, and Manabu Horikita standing proud as the victor of their bout. Or at least…
… That's how it would have gone down if the monster hadn't already gained the ability to cheat death. Because even though Ayanokoji had been punched with the absolute power of a cannon ball moving faster than sound, it didn't stop him from rising back from the dead! His internal organs that were annihilated by Manabu regenerating one after another in the span of more seconds! And with his consciousness restored back to its proper state, Kiyotaka grabbed the soil at his fingertips and quite literally clawed his way back up!
"So, you're not done yet. Of course you aren't." Manabu said with a serious expression with his bare chest showcasing his chiseled abs. (Though he still had his pants on since he only used Permeation on his arms.) Even still he wasn't too surprised though considering that he had destroyed the monster's heart. But the same thing couldn't be said for Matsushita-
"W-What the hell are you?" Matsushita muttered under her breath. She might as well have been speechless over the sight of the monster that she despised with every fiber of her being come back from being launched into several trees. Not only that but all of his bones must have been broken beyond repair! His internal organs should have been destroyed too! And yet… and yet he's still alive?! No human could have survived the onslaught of attacks that Manabu had rained down upon him! Except, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji is no man…
… He's a demon who had emerged from the pits of hell to enact his devilish plans for the world! So, even though he should have died a hundred times over by now, that was not enough to rid the demon from this world!
"That's right. If you really thought your pitiful punches would have been enough to kill me then you are sorely mistaken. So, no matter how many times you try to kill me it won't be the end for me. But I do have to congratulate you, Manabu Horikita. I never thought that anyone on this planet would have been able to damage me to such an extent aside from Homelander. Though you have achieved what I thought was impossible. Congratulations." Kiyotaka replied while slowly clapping his hands.
"I recognize you from somewhere… that's right. You were there when Ujiko promised to give my sister and her friends their powers. You introduced yourself as his grandson. But that was a lie to hide your true identity, wasn't it? Kiyotaka Ayanokoji?" Manabu asked as Matsushita's eyes went wide. Of course she had no clue what that murder's name really was. But even with her impressive intellect she would have never guessed that this man was related to the Chairman! Could he be his son?! If that's the case, then has Chairman Ayanokoji been puppeteering everything behind the shadows?! Including all of the murders?! Matsushita couldn't respond in the slightest. All she could do was tremble out of fear as Ayanokoji nodded.
"So, you really have figured me out. I can't say I'm too surprised after you tried to kill me. But how on earth did you figure it out? Did Koenji tell you? No, I doubt that he would do something like that. He is many things. Though he seems to be a man of his word. I would suspect Matsushita of doing so if I had not been watching her this whole time. Perhaps she told you prior? Hmm… but why would she choose to tell you and not Izuku Midoriya? That doesn't make much sense." Kiyotaka muttered to himself as the answer to his perplexing question eluded him completely. His disguise as Kanji Ike had been shattered to pieces revealing the monster within. Though Ayanokoji knew this.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter how you realized the truth. What matters is that you don't say a word regarding my true identity. I don't really care about hiding it anymore except from a single person. That person must NOT learn who I really am, or they surely will try to kill me. That's why…" Kiyotaka continued as his voice trailed off after he had put his hands in his pocket and took out a small vial. The distance between Horikita and Ayanokoji was roughly twenty meters due to the former's attacks sending the latter flying away. Manabu still had his glasses on. But even still he had to squint to notice the contents of the small bottle in the murderer's hands.
"… Blood?" Manabu muttered to himself while realizing that the vial contained blood. But Kiyotaka did not intend to respond and instead twisted the cap off the small bottle in his hands and ingested the contents of it. And then…
"… I will assume the identity of the man that he must think I am at all costs. It's a shame that my strength and speed are vastly limited in this form. But… oh well." Kiyotaka spoke as his voice changed to that of a man much older than him. His entire body also changed to compensate for this sudden transformation. That's right. This was a transformation using the Quirk of the same name. And the person he transformed into made Manabu and Matsushita's jaws drop. They couldn't believe their eyes! Except, no matter how many times they blink to try and deny it, this is reality. The reality that…
… Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had suddenly become his father Atsuomi Ayanokoji! Now, Matsushita was even more confused! Was the demon's form earlier a lie and this his true identity?! But this would mean that the Chairman had been behind all of the murders! Except that can't be right! He did say his name was Kiyotaka Ayanokoji after all! And even if the Chairman wasn't the one who killed her friend and several of ANHS students that doesn't change the fact that he's responsible in some shape or form! Has her entire school life been planned out for her to die to this monster?! Could the Chairman be dead too?! Just what the hell is going on? None of these questions were answered. Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had no intention of answering them. All he did was snap his fingers.
'FWOOOSH!' And not even a second later a purple vortex materialized out of thin air. A few seconds passed by, and a hand emerged from the portal, a hand that was unmistakably human. And soon the rest of his form was revealed to them as none other than-
"Y-Y-YAMAUCHI?!" Matsushita yelled out at the top of her lungs as her eyes went wide as she recognized the person who came out of the vortex as her classmate! Though she wasn't exactly happy to see him considering that he had sold her out to the devil. Even still Chiaki Matsushita felt surprised more than any other emotion to see Haruki Yamauchi pop out of that portal. It was so bewildering to see him of all people. But this only confirmed her suspicions that the man or more accurately 'coward' was working for the monster who had killed their classmate without a hint of mercy whatsoever. And she was right.
"…" Yamauchi stood there in silence without saying a word while averting his eyes from Matsushita out of shame. His face was immediately recognizable. But the rest of his body wasn't. This was because he was wearing something vastly different than the ANHS school uniform or tracksuit had had worn on numerous occasions. Instead of his usual attire, his current one was a black gakuran school uniform that was commonplace for majority of Japanese students to wear, particularly young men. Not only that but he had what appeared to be two oxygen tanks strapped to his back like a backpack. And in his hands were a… gas mask? Matsushita nor Manabu could understand the purpose of such an item. But they were just about to find out.
"Yamauchi. Execute Operation: Gas Chamber." Kiyotaka ordered with a whisper and without a hint of remorse on his face whatsoever. But Yamauchi trembled as his face was the exact opposite of Ayanokoji since it was full of emotion. This made the demon's face twist into a bit of a grimace as he closed the distance between them and whispered the name belonging to the young man beside him. Even still Yamauchi couldn't stop trembling in the slightest while gritting his teeth. He contemplated putting the mask on. But he knew what would happen the second he fulfilled Ayanokoji's wishes. And just when he was about to give in-
"Matsushita! Why did you run off?!" Maya yelled out as her friend's eyes went wide. Matsushita had forgotten all about Maya considering all the events that had transpired one after another! But even though so many insane things had happened before her eyes, barely two minutes had passed since she ran off. It's no surprise that Maya was able to catch up with her. But she wasn't alone. Several of their classmates had accompanied her too. And noticing them, Yamauchi dropped to his knees.
"I… I can't do it! I just… can't." Yamauchi spoke while putting his hands on the dirt while sweat dripped off of his forehead and onto the soil below. At the same time, his classmates recognized him and were confused, rightfully so.
"What's Yamauchi doing here?! Teach said he was sick with the flu!" Onodera yelled out of sheer surprise. Hasebe was just as shocked but not just because of their classmate's sudden appearance.
"And that's the Chairman. Why is he here?" Hasebe asked no one in particular as her confusion was made apparent by her words alone. The same could be said for their classmates who all looked forward with bewildered looks on their faces. Yamauchi felt their stares as if they were daggers stabbing him in the chest. They made him want to scream. But his words didn't come out of his throat. He was too scared to say anything in the event that Ayanokoji decides to kill him for it. As for Kiyotaka, he looked down on him just like the rest of humanity with utter contempt written on his face. But even though that was the case, he felt that Yamauchi was especially worthless. He was a coward to the bitter end. However-
"Hey. What are you doing? On your feet, Yamauchi. Did you honestly forget the reason why you're here? You are my ally. My 'friend.' And as your friend I gave you a special gift. Are you this quick to abandon your responsibilities? You have such great power… and yet you lack any and all responsibility to use it? But if you won't use your gift then perhaps… I'll use mine." Kiyotaka declared as Yamauchi's eyes shot wide open. He knew what that last part meant. Though he had no clue just how many Quirks Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had under his possession, the amount didn't matter.
What mattered was the only one that he had seen him use other than Warp Gate, which was the Bomb Quirk. If he was to use that on any of their classmates, then they would share the same fate as Shinohara without a shadow of a doubt. They would be killed! And Yamauchi imagined just that as if he could see the heads of his classmates explode one after another after another after another until he stood up and put on the gas mask. This made Kiyotaka grin in satisfaction though to everyone around them it appeared that the Chairman was smiling for some reason. But before they could share a word about it-
"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yamauchi let out a mighty roar from the depths of his very soul as he unleashed the 'gift' given to him by the devil beside him! Seconds passed by as everyone's eyes (Besides Yamauchi and Ayanokoji) went wide out of bewilderment as the air seemed to change color. Was it the trick of the eye? It was getting really dark as the sun was being replaced by the moon. Though even in the darkness of the night that purple air did not disperse it only increased until it-
"A-A-A- Matsushita reached for her throat as her eyes went wide as she could no longer breathe properly! This made Manabu's eyes shoot wide open as he noticed her gasping for breath as her eyes blinked rapidly until she collapsed. It was then that Horikita realized that the purple fumes that had been released into the air were toxic gas! Was Matsushita just killed?! Manabu pressed his hand to her chest and felt her heart beat albeit slowly. But not before intaking the gas into his throat!
"Shit!" Manabu shouted before using Permeation to submerge himself into the ground with a 'WHOOOSH!' By getting inside of the ground he would no longer have to breathe in any of the toxic gas! Though this was a double-edged sword, since he had no ability to breathe when using Permeation! This meant that he had to come back for air like a swimmer going back to shore to take in a breath of fresh air. And when he did Ayanokoji was waiting for him!
"Ayano… koji… you… bastard." Manabu weakly muttered until he could do nothing but collapse as the toxic gas went through his lungs once more, making him pass out in the process. Kiyotaka didn't have to do a thing either as the students of Class A fell into a deep slumber one after another like lemmings jumping off a cliff. This didn't last long at all as everyone in the vicinity had collapsed onto the ground and wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. Though this didn't include Yamauchi or Ayanokoji who were both wearing gas masks. Except, the demon had no intention of stopping here. After all, not even twenty students had been put to sleep. Which meant that there was still well over two hundred to go. So, Ayanokoji turned to Yamauchi. And then…
"Yamauchi… disperse the gas." Kiyotaka ordered as Yamauchi's eyes shot wide open out of sheer surprise. He thought for sure that he was about to be ordered to put everyone he had been around for the past year into a deep sleep. Except he had been ordered to do the exact opposite. But for what purpose? Yamauchi had no clue. Even still tears slid down his cheeks as he thanked whoever made this possible. He didn't want to do any of this. Though the fear of him being killed made him cooperate perfectly. This was all according to Ayanokoji's calculations. And since his calculations dictated that they would be arriving soon then they would be here right about-
'WHOOOSH!' The air currents ripped apart as Kiyotaka looked above him to see the angel in mid air as the moon hung behind her. Though she wasn't alone. Not by a long shot. Right next to Hiyori was Midoriya. So, was Sakayanagi. And Koenji happened to be there as well proving that he had betrayed him for Midoriya. Though surprisingly Sudo was nowhere to be seen. Could he have learned the truth and was pushed to his breaking point? Yes. That must have been it. Because if that hadn't happened then surely, he'd be here too. Now, there was just one person left to be accounted for. (But he was probably watching from the sidelines waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.) Even so, the time was now…
… For the curtains to rise for what was about to happen next!
"Chairman Ayanokoji… what have you done?!" Midoriya yelled out with a face full of anger as he took in the results before his eyes! Almost all of his classmates were lying on the ground! For all he knows they could be dead! And that idea is making him glare daggers right at me! That's right! Look at me just like that! Izuku Midoriya! Ahahahahahaha! I couldn't contain my laughter anymore! I just had to take over! I couldn't let this grand stage that he set for me go to waste! So, now I'll be the leading actor-
"Haha… hahaha… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT'S RIGHT! WHAT EXACTLY HAVE I DONE, IZUKU MIDORIYA?! WELL, WHY DON'T YOU COME DOWN HERE AND FIND OUT!? JUST TRY TO SAVE THEM, HEROOOOOOOOOOO!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as I, Kyudai Garaki, was enjoying every second of being the leading actor on such a magnificent stage! And the look on that despicable wannabe hero's face was the cherry on top of the delicious cake at my fingertips! And I'm going to gobble it all up if it's the last thing I do! Ahahahahahaha!
"What?!" Midoriya yelled out as he instantly realized that Atsuomi Ayanokoji was acting out of character. Since when had he been one for such theatrics?! Sure, he tended to act as if I and everyone else were beneath him. But this is different. The way he was speaking was very familiar. It was almost as if he had been possessed by another person! But that's impossible! There's no way that he could be anyone but Atsuomi Ayanokoji! Except, it wouldn't be the first time that I had seen something like this. When I fought against Tomura Shigaraki, AFO took over and as a result it was as if he became a completely different person.
He might as well have been since both of the men with the name Shigaraki were two different people with different goals and personalities too. It was sufficient to say that while their goals may have aligned in some form, they were completely different people. But if I'm being reminded of that then… could it be… that's not actually Atsuomi but-
'Hahaha… that look of immense anger… I had been waiting to see it for quite some time. Because that's exactly how I felt when you took the life of my only friend! How does it feel!? To know that you'll never see the lives of any of those pathetic pieces of garbage pretending to be heroes ever again?! I'm itching to know! So, why don't you just tell me how you feel Izuku Midoriya?!' The way he was speaking was just like-
"… Garaki… GARAKI!" Midoriya shouted from the depths of his soul as I smiled right back at him in the most cruel and twisted way I knew how! While I laughed! He was about to touch the ground! And when he does, oh when he does! I'll finally be able to show him everything that I had kept hidden from him! How will he react!? Oh, I'm just itching to know! That's why I won't wait any longer! The time has come at last! Izuku Midoriya may have his band of misfits waiting to pummel me into next Tuesday! But…
… So. Do. I.
Chapter 64: To Me…
"To me…" I spoke as my voice trailed off as I snapped my fingers with a loud 'SNAP!' And at the same time the purple vortex created by Warp Gate materialized out of thin air! And who came out of it were-
… My League of Villains!
"… MY LEAGUE OF VILLAINS!" I declared with another shout from the top of my lungs to match how Midoriya yelled out my name from a moment earlier! At the same time his eyes narrowed when they revealed themselves at last! My League of Villains that I assembled for this glorious night of nights! All so I could see the look on his face when he saw them again! They may not have been the ones that he had known back when he was but a novice back at UA. But they will do just nicely. After all…
… I purposely made them resemble the ones that he had become so acquainted with!
"No way." I muttered as I took in the horrific sight before my eyes. It was like a nightmare straight out of hell itself. I didn't want to believe it. But they were unmistakably modeled off of them. I didn't see Ryuuen or Nagumo anywhere. Though in their place, were people that resembled the group of villains that I had fought time and time again back in my old world as the hero Deku. They didn't say a word as they emerged from the portal. Even still, they looked just like them… the League of Villains.
Two of them were wearing clothes that were identical to that of Mr. Compress and Twice. The same could be said for the Spinner look alike. Except, this person was clearly female. She was smaller than the reptile man I had come to know, and her hair was blonde. I was sure that I had seen it somewhere before. But my mind was going into overdrive trying to process everything. I didn't have time to pinpoint where exactly I saw her. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a man wearing a school uniform that wasn't from ANHS and a gas mask. There was a villain who was part of the League named Mustard if I recall correctly. (I didn't fight him personally, so I'm going off of what Kendo and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu told me on one occasion.)
There were three others. The first two I recognized immediately. One was no doubt, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. The second was far more surprising, it was Albert! Why was he here!? And just like Ayanokoji he wasn't wearing anything that made them resemble the members of the League of Villains. However, the last one made me swallow my spit. Garaki must have thought the League wouldn't be complete without him. And there he or should I say 'she' was. The woman resembling Tomura Shigaraki with a hand covering her face. It was because of that I wasn't able to tell her identity. But even though she was a girl, she looked just like Shigaraki to the point that it made my blood boil. Though I was the only one who felt this way.
"A-Albert?! Why would you join a group of villains?! How could you?!" Hiyori cried out as I recalled that she used to be classmates with Albert back when she was part of Class C before she switched to my class. I was too focused on the League that I didn't see Hiyori's face. But her words alone told me that she was in distress over seeing a person that she had trusted go down such a dark path. And that person stood there without so much as taking a look at her. But he must have heard her words! So why is he just standing there!? Was he manipulated by Ayanokoji into doing his bidding?! Wait…
"Who… are you?" I asked while looking at specifically Atsuomi. At the same time, Hiyori looked my way. Probably with a concerned look on her face. But I wasn't having a lapse in judgement. I knew who that person really was. Kyudai Garaki. It couldn't be anyone but him considering that he had brought back the League of Villains from the dead. Though if that's the case then why would Garaki have used Transform to become Atsuomi of all people? The answer is that he wouldn't.
That's right. Garaki was a proud arrogant monster who had no desire to change his appearance in any way. He kept the same look he had ever since I was four years old with the purpose that I would remember him the instant I saw him. That's why there would be no reason for him to suddenly change his whole look into that of Kiyotaka's father. Not only that but Garaki died. That I'm sure of. I don't think there's any way that he could have survived those injuries of his. Then if Garaki's dead how on earth could he be alive right here and now!? And how in the hell did he acquire Warp Gate too?! I highly doubt Ayanokoji would just give it to him! This doesn't make any sense! And the man inside of me knew what I felt.
'It's hard to believe… but what if… Garaki survived the same way I did? His soul could have bonded with his Quirk much the same way that happened with me. If that's the case, then someone would have to have stolen his Quirk so that he would be able to come back. And there's only one person that could be.' Jokata replied internally as he analyzed the situation commonly even though he must have been riveting with anger over his mortal enemy still being alive. From a certain point of view, I couldn't discredit his theory. In fact, since we shared the same body, it's not impossible for another person to have someone else inside of him or her. But if that's the case then…
… Who the hell is the person who looks utterly identical to Kiyotaka Ayanokoji standing beside the League of Villains? That was the main counter argument that went against Jokata's hypothesis. Either way there was so little information I had that it was best to leave it at that for now. There were more pressing matters to deal with. The League of Villains. I was going to have to defeat them to save everybody that I can. But if each of these people cosplaying as those villains are students of ANHS much like Albert is then fighting them might be the wrong way to go about things. That being said, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to stop them, except for killing. That I won't budge on. Even still, maybe, just maybe I can reason with the-
"Huh?" The man cosplaying as Mr. Compress muttered to himself while looking at me. Unbeknownst to me, this was actually Tsukishiro under that mask that was identical to the one that Compress wore. I didn't notice him nor put together that his true identity was my teacher. But this didn't stop him from hearing me say 'Who are you?' to Atsuomi. And this made him wonder what I meant by that. Though before he could press me on the issue further, one more figure emerged from the vortex as it dispersed right behind him. That person was wearing a hood and a white checkered mask that concealed his identity. I couldn't even begin to guess who he was. Not that I had any time to do so. Because before I knew it-
"GAH!" I yelled out as someone wrapped their arm around my neck and pulled me backwards! At the same time, I noticed my friends stared back at me with looks of absolute surprise! It all happened so quickly! There was simply no time for them to react! But that didn't stop Hiyori from trying to save me. And before she could…
… I was already gone.
"DEKU!" Hiyori screamed my name at the top of her lungs as I had disappeared from the scene as if by magic! But this wasn't one of Mr. Compress's magic tricks! Because I noticed what was happening as I was pulled backwards! The purple vortex that I saw was identical to that of Warp Gate! That's what caused me to disappear! Except, I didn't vanish! I was brought to an entirely different part of the forest! Around me were no villains or students or anyone else except for a man that I hadn't seen for quite some time. He had blonde hair and was wearing a tuxedo. It was-
"Hahaha… surprised to see me, Midoriya?" Nagumo asked with a sadistic grin on his face! So, that's how it happened! Nagumo copied Warp Gate and used it to get me here! Damn it! I've got to get out of here! I can't waste any time here while my friends and everyone else are in danger! But just as I was about to leave-
"Just where do you think you're going? Did you seriously forget what my power is? Let me remind you. I can 'copy' any 'Quirk.' Including… yours." Nagumo admitted as if an exclamation mark appeared right on top of my head. It wasn't as if I had forgotten. But I didn't realize when Nagumo pulled me through the portal that he copied my Quirk! Not only that but Monoma was able to copy up to four Quirks! So, that means not only does he have Obliterator and Warp Gate, but he also has two others that I don't know about! You've got to be kidding me?! Am I actually going to have to fight him too?! But just as I clenched my fist-
"Wait! Nagumo! Don't!" I yelled out as I realized just how perilous the situation had become! If Nagumo uses Obliterator he won't be able to control it! The result will cause his brain to be destroyed! And that means he will-
"Oh, please! Do you really think you can reason with me!? Did you forget that I threw your girlfriend off a building?! Well, how about I jog your memory!" Nagumo snapped back with a gleeful look on his face while he hurtled his arm straight for me! No! Please don't!
"You'll die!" I shouted but Nagumo laughed it off while glaring daggers at me! Damn it! He's not listening to me! I have no choice but to defend myself! But as I raised my arms to my chest to block the incoming attack-
"Die?! Like hell I'm going to di- Nagumo snapped back at me once more! But before he could finish speaking a hand emerged from the purple vortex that Nagumo had carelessly left open along with a figure. And that person grabbed Nagumo's head. And before he or I knew it-
"Die." The Masked Man spoke as not even a second later Nagumo's head exploded with a massive 'BOOOOOOOM!' That knocked me off the ground! I struggled to regain my footing before digging my feet into the ground. And that was when I realized the result before my eyes as Nagumo's corpse fell to the ground. His head blown to pieces. Scattered chunks of his brain were on the ground. And so was one of his eyes. It was a grotesque display that made me want to puke the instant I saw it. Before I could-
'Whoosh!' The Masked Man threw his hood back and his checkered mask off as it was blown away into the wind never to be seen again. And that was when I saw his face. My eyes shot wide open the instant that I saw it. I thought that I couldn't be surprised again after so many unexpected things have happened one after another. But this takes the cake. I could never forget that spikey blonde hair and that feisty grin. But even though it was unmistakably him to the point that he even said 'die.' Why would he… how could he…
… HOW COULD HE MURDER SOMEONE IN COLD BLOOD?!
"… How could you… KACCHAN?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs while clenching my fist! I then charged straight at him!
"FIGHT ME! DEKU!" Kacchan snapped back with a shout that matched mine as he ran forward to close the distance as round three was about to begin.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Deku Vs. Kacchan: Part 3
Go Beyond!
Plus Ultra!