Chapter 51: The Self-Proclaimed Hero and the Greatest of Heroes

In the blink of an eye, I had completely underestimated my enemy and fallen right into the palm of his hand. Metaphorically and quite literally as well. I was frozen in place and couldn't even blink. But what I could do was think and see my surroundings. Everything was blue and it was as if my classmates were giants. I have experience dealing with this even though I never suffered the effects of this Quirk up until now. But I knew it. It was just like back then in the forest when that man in the mask showed up and kidnapped both Tokoyami and Kacchan. The villain Mr. Compress and his Quirk…

… Compress!

"The hell?! Midoriya just vanished!" Yamauchi blurted out loud as he couldn't believe the fact that I had suddenly disappeared. That was understandable since he didn't know anything about Quirks, much less the Compress Quirk in particular. No one would be able to comprehend it. Well other than my friends. But right now, they aren't here. I showed up roughly fifteen minutes early to class. Normally Hirata would be here, but he's still recovering in the hospital, same thing for Suzune. Sudo almost always comes to class with only a minute to spare. There's a high chance that Hiyori could show up in the next few minutes. But who knows if I'll even be granted that?! No, I probably won't. It's no use. I've been cornered and I'm on my own. Or at least…

… That's what I surmised.

"Wow that's one hell of a magic trick. Want to tell us how you did it?" Koenji asked with a smirk on his face as he was unfazed by it all. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen that guy worried about anything before. He's always been a carefree guy for better or for worse. Not that I could hear him, but his face was all too clear to me. So, I expected a response like that from him. But it's not as if he stood up from his seat to do anything in particular. I shouldn't expect him to do so. And even if he did, what good would come from it? Nothing. Nothing at all. I don't want anyone to get hurt.

'Sorry kid, it's not going to happen.' Those words that Garaki told me when I was four, still rang true. The world I was born in is a superhuman society where people couldn't do anything to change things unless they had power to back it up. And my new home is the exact same. Quirks are absolutely necessary for a person to be a hero much less do anything substantial against a villain.

'Pro Heroes are always having to risk their lives. Some villains just can't be beaten without powers. So, no. I honestly don't think you could become a hero without a Quirk.' That's right. I learned that lesson a long time ago. It's only been a year and a half ago or at least that's how long it's felt. But it feels like it's been way way longer. I still remember those exact words that All Might told me back then on the rooftop when I asked him if I could become a hero. That was his response. And he was completely right. I would never have been able to become a hero if it wasn't for him passing down One For All to me. I would have remained a Quirkless loser forevermore.

However, I've accepted that. I know that's what would have happened and no matter how much muscle I built up, I knew full well that wasn't going to change anything. But that's exactly why there's nothing that can be done. I can only hope that Hiyori can save me in time. That's all I can do. But even though that's the case… even if it amounts to nothing at all… even still I…

… I JUST CAN'T GIVE UP!

'If you really don't want to be a pathetic little wimp then use my power already.' Jokata's voice resonated in my mind as it was the only thing that was still audible. Though it wasn't as if I didn't think of that! But how am I supposed to use your Quirk when I can't even move a muscle?!

'How the hell should I know?! Figure it out smartass!' Jokata snapped back with a click of his tongue. Damn. That guy still pisses me off! But he's right! That's what I should be doing right now! So, concentrate! Concentrate and escape this stupid little marble! And…

… SMASH IT TO PIECES!

'BAM!' And as soon as I declared just that from within my heart, the blue world around me was completely annihilated. No. it was obliterated! I used Obliterator to destroy the marble I was trapped inside of! After all, that Quirk I have in my possession obliterates Quirks!

"GAH!" Yamauchi shouted at the top of his lungs as he was so surprised by me escaping the marble that he fell out of his chair and landed on his ass. Though I couldn't blame him. It probably looked like I teleported into the classroom. I mean who wouldn't be surprised by that?

"Aw, that's too bad. It looks like your magic trick blew up in your face. What a lousy excuse for a magician, you are, old man." Koenji declared with a smug smile on his face. But I was too focused on Tsukishiro to pay attention to the blonde-haired man behind me. But as for the 'old man' he heard his student as clear as day.

"… 'Old man?' Well, I guess I can't deny that. But… I never said was a magician. In fact… I'd rather just deal with my opponents in a way that they would never be able to defy me." Tsukishiro declared as he flicked one of his blue marbles into the air. And right when he finished speaking the contents of the marble were revealed, as it landed right into his hand, that being a gun. All the students in the classroom were petrified at the sight of the lethal weapon in the professor's hands, except for Koenji who didn't bat an eye in the slightest. Though I couldn't say I wasn't surprised by this sudden turn of events. Because I was. And Tsukishiro knew this.

"You see, Izuku Midoriya, I wasn't asking you to accompany me to go see Chairman Ayanokoji, I was ORDERING you to. In the words of a famous actor, 'It's an offer you can't refuse.' But don't think anything of it. This is all an act. It's not like I'm going to pull the trigger and splatter your brains all over the floor… not unless you give me a reason too. So, what is it going to be, self-proclaimed hero?" Tsukishiro asked as his eyebrows furrowed slightly though his creepy smile remained plastered onto his face all while the barrel of the gun was pointed right at my head. But I already knew my answer. He knew it too, so I didn't really need to say anything.

"Fine… you win. Just put the gun down. You're scaring them. You know that right?" I asked as I accepted defeat. It wasn't as if I couldn't dodge a gunshot. I could do that even without using Obliterator. But even if that's easy for me, I'd be putting my classmates in harm's way. I've already put them through too much pain, I may have even taken away their innocence. I certainly made sure that someone special was lost due to me not being strong enough. That's why I can't do anything. Because even if I don't deserve to be a hero anymore…

… Protecting the lives of my precious classmates matters fast more than anything else!

"I am? Even after I said this was simply an act? Hahaha… but good thing you're smart. You know it's nothing personal. I'm glad I didn't have to hurt a child. I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. Now, let's go. You and the Chairman have much to discuss." Tsukishiro replied with his fake smile while gesturing for me to move forward. But before I could-

"FAT CHANCE!" A familiar person yelled out at the top of her lungs. Me and Tsukishiro were caught off guard by her shout and looked toward that person only to see that a desk was hurtling straight at us! And more specifically Tsukishiro! The old man clicked his tongue out of annoyance before throwing one of marbles right at the desk and making it vanish from the world! And in its place the perpetrator was revealed to be none other than-

"Hahaha! It's about time I get to do something to show off a bit! Don't you think so, Hasebe?" Onodera yelled out with a mischievous grin on her face all while crossing her arms. I couldn't help but be utterly astonished that Kayano Onodera managed to pull off such a feat! But then again, I think she did something similar when she recorded me and Sakura! Who knew she was so strong?! But the girl she was speaking to couldn't be less impressed.

"Why are you asking me in particular?" Hasebe replied with a no nonsense look on her face. It was perfectly natural to do so. It was almost as if this were their signature comedy routine. But even though Hasebe didn't look all that surprised, she was secretly glad that her friend pulled off such a ridiculous stunt. Onodera knew that's how her friend felt and responded with a boisterous laugh before replying to her.

"Oh, I don't know… just buying him time." Onodera replied before muttering 'Tee hee!' with her tongue sticking out ever so slightly. And it was in that brief instance, that I managed to catch Tsukishiro off guard!

'BAM!' I disarmed him not even a second later and restrained him to the ground before his gun could even fall to the floor. Needless to say, it was all too quick for that old man to even comprehend what was going on before it was too late! But even though he was defeated, he still had that weird looking smile on his face. Just give up already! But before I could tell him just that, he beat me to the punch.

"Not bad. You're pretty fast on your feet, you know that? Not that I should expect anything less from 'All Might.' But who knew we had a gorilla in this classroom?" Tsukishiro asked with a grin on his face while looking at the so called 'gorilla.' But that only pissed her off.

"Gorilla?! How could you call a beautiful maiden like me one, you asshole!" Onodera snapped back with the ferocity of a wild animal as if her face transformed into that of a tiger. For a second, I almost thought her nails became dagger like claws that belonged to a lion. But it must have been my imagination.

"Don't be embarrassed. That was pretty neat, gorilla girl." Koenji spoke with his usual smirk. It wasn't as if he was being sarcastic. In fact, Onodera performed one heck of a feat that made her the strongest girl in the classroom. Sure, it wasn't as if Koenji believed she was stronger than him, but so what? It was still pretty cool. But Onodera didn't take it as a complement.

"I WILL SMITE YOU!" Onodera declared at the top of her lungs while clenching her fist tightly. It was almost as if thunder echoed in the distance. But that must have been my imagination too. Either way, it was all over now. And I wanted Tsukishiro to know that.

"It's over. You can't make me see the Chairman if I don't want too. And there's nothing you can do to change that. I'm stronger than you. You can't win. So, just give up already." I replied with a serious look on my face as I had him on the ground and restrained in a similar way to how Uraraka subdued her enemies. After all, I caught her performing Gunhead Martial Arts on numerous occasions. I was just copying it and using it to my advantage. But it proved effective as there was nothing that Tsukishiro could do to escape. Or so I thought.

However, even though I had my hands on him, and I was in the middle of trying to Obliterate his Quirk, it wasn't working! I have my hands on him so what gives?! Wait a second... in my previous fights where I Obliterated the Quirks of my enemies, (The Sludge Monster and the Nomus) I was either touching their skin in the case of the latter or holding onto their Quirk in the former's case! Could the reason why Tsukishiro's Compress Quirk isn't being Obliterated is the fabric of his clothes getting in the way?! That has to be it! Damn it! I should have thought about that earlier! I have to touch his skin before it's too late! But before I could do just that, the Magician had another trick up his sleeve!

"Yeah. You're certainly stronger than me. I mean how couldn't you be? You're a Bonafide superhuman. And I'm just a man. Just a mere mortal… with only his wits." Tsukishiro replied with his devious smile before flicking one of his marbles at me! I thought he didn't have any more in his hand! But I couldn't have been more wrong!

'Crap! I jumped the gun! I've got to get off of him!' I thought internally as I did just that but in the process of doing so the marble hit me right on the cheek. It was…

… Empty? Wait why didn't it do anything? … No! Could that have been the marble he just used that contained the gun?! It must have been because nothing happened! It would have been easy for him to do so because the marble probably fell right next to him when I restrained him on the floor! Damn it! I miscalculated it! And Tsukishiro knew this.

"I take it back. I might just be a magician. And now for my next trick… I'll make you disappear!" Tsukishiro declared while looking at me before tossing his marble at my classmates! I had no choice but to leap forward and take the brunt of the attack! But if it's anything like the first marble then I'll only be contained within it like I was before! I can easily escape it by using Obliterator to obliterate it without a trace! But just as I was show of my theory-

'WHOOOSH!' Instead, the marble unleashed a gust of wind when coming into contact with me! It was so powerful that was knocked backwards until-

'CRACK!' I was propelled against the glass of the nearby window! The result was that I smashed through it and was forced outside of the building! But as I was in midair, I instinctively unleashed an air bullet of my own that sent me right back into the classroom from the exit I unintentionally created!

"You're not the only one who can use wind-based attacks to your advantage!" I yelled out while landing back onto my feet and charging right at him! But Tsukishiro was unfazed by this. Almost as if he had figured I would perform such a feat! Was this all just a play to him!? And we were just actors entertaining the audience i.e. my classmates?! Screw that! I'm going to make him wish he was sorry for trying to mess with me!

"Huh. I guess not… not like I need to defeat you in a contest of strength anyway." Tsukishiro replied before tossing another marble into the air! This time I was ready and was in the middle of charging an air bullet to counterattack! But just as the marble revealed its contents, I couldn't be more surprised to see a certain girl with lilac colored hair and a beret on her head falling right at me! I recognized her immediately! After all, how could I just forget about her?! I hadn't seen her in a while, but I knew exactly who she was with nothing more than a glance! Arisu Sakayanagi!

"KYAAAAH!" Sakayanagi screamed as she was falling to the ground! Even from such a small height, there was no way she would be able to land properly on her feet! After all, she needed her cane to walk! But even if she didn't need it, I was going to catch her no matter what! And that's exactly what I did.

"I got you!" I yelled out while holding her in my arms all the while she stared back at me as if she were a deer caught in the headlights. But in that brief moment where I saved her that couldn't have lasted more than a second, it was all over.

"Checkmate." Tsukishiro declared while pressing the barrel of the gun onto the back of my head. Even though I could easily dodge bullets, there was nothing that I could do when the gun was literally pressing onto my head. Not even I can dodge that. And Tsukishiro knew it. That's why he declared that it was 'Checkmate' because to him the game had come to a decisive conclusion. And even though I wanted to prove him wrong more than anything. He was completely right. Even if I was able to dodge the bullet at point blank range, it would surely end up hitting Sakayanagi. That's why there was nothing that I could do but comply.

"… You win. But don't think that gives you any right to hurt Sakayanagi. Because if you do… I'll make damn sure you regret it." I replied while staring at the window in front of and seeing the reflection of me, Sakayanagi, and more specifically Tsukishiro who still had that smile plastered onto his face all while holding the gun right at my head. That's why I didn't notice Sakayanagi staring back at me as she muttered 'Midoriya' with a whisper that fell on deaf ears. But my threat, made the old man laugh once more before responding to me.

"You sure are one feisty kid. But you can relax. I won't lay a finger on the little girl you're carrying. Though that doesn't mean you can just let her go. Any sudden movements other than walking, and I'll pull the trigger. That I can assure you will happen if you try to pull anything. Now, come quickly. Class will be starting in the next thirteen minutes and fifty-two seconds. I intend to have this all taken care of so I'm able to make it back here before the bell rings." Tsukishiro declared while ushering me forward as I was forced out of the classroom while my classmates could only watch. The same thing could be said for Sakayanagi.

'This is so embarrassing. Just what gives him the right to… carry me like this?!' Sakayanagi thought internally with a face that was as red as a tomato. It wasn't as if she wasn't appreciative of me coming to her rescue. It was the position that I was carrying her in that was the problem. I didn't really notice because I was too concerned with obeying Tsukishiro's orders. But I happened to be carrying her bridal style. For a girl whose Sakayanagi's age, who hasn't even held hands with a person of the opposite sex, this couldn't be more embarrassing for her. But before we both knew it; we made it to the Chairman's office.

It was then that I heard Sakayanagi gasp, unlike her blushing before (Which I had no knowledge of) That caught my attention. Though it was too be expected. After all this is the Chairman's office. The same one that formerly belonged to her father. It's probably bringing back a whole plethora of memories that she'd rather not think about all concerning her father.

'The day right after I learned Hajime died my daughter was diagnosed with a rare heart disease that made damn sure she's never walk properly again effectively making her a cripple for life. Meanwhile Hajime's children were perfectly healthy while my daughter was cursed to be a fucking cripple for the rest of her life! Even her brain wouldn't be able to salvage what her body lacked! What an utter disgrace!' I still remember vividly the choice of words that her father used when describing his own daughter. It made me sick to my stomach. I might not like the girl I'm holding in my arms all that much. But at the end of the day, she's undergone her own share of suffering. I wanted to comfort her in some way, but before I could, that man beat me to the punch.

"Welcome. It's been a while, young Midoriya." Chairman Ayanokoji said with a smile on his face while sitting at his desk near the back of the room. Even though he was smiling it couldn't have been more fake than his lackey's grin. But it wasn't just that that irked me about him. I noticed it the moment I met him for the first time, but his voice has an uncanny resemblance to All Might's. Just hearing him speak made me want to cut off my ears. He even chose to address me the same way All Might did. Though that was probably not intentional. Ayanokoji calling me 'young' was definitely to belittle me. Even still, it made me really angry.

"Just what is it do you want with me?" I replied bluntly as I had no intention whatsoever of letting this conversation go on any longer than necessary. The last place I wanted to be was near the father of the man who hurt my friends so much. It was taking all of my willpower to stop myself from closing the distance between us and smashing him to pieces. But I kept the distance between us intact knowing full well that it wouldn't do any of us any good. I'd only be letting Sakayanagi die. Even if by some miracle, I defeated the Chairman before one of Tsukishiro's bullets pierced her, if I were to punch Ayanokoji without holding back enough…

… I would without a doubt take his life. Though if I were to hold back to a significant degree, a single punch could instill lasting damage onto him. Either scenario wasn't something I wanted so I couldn't attack him. Apprehending him is a no go while Tsukishiro is around too. And with the gun pressed against the back of my head, it's not like I could do anything even if I wanted to. So, whether I liked it or not, the ball was in Ayanokoji's court, and he can hold it for as long as he wants, the ball being me of course. But what is he going to do with the ball? Throw me into the net and expel me so that I wouldn't be able to thwart is son's plans? Very likely.

"I see you're a boy who likes cutting to the chase. I like that. I have more important things to do so I won't be wasting your time. In fact, I have a proposition for you. What would you say to… joining forces with me?" Chairman Ayanokoji asked as his smile vanished and was replaced by a stoic look on his face. My eyes went wide the instant I could tell he was being serious. And his words, they made want to scream at him. Join forces with him?! The same man who was working with Garaki and had his son hurt my precious friends?! Screw that!

"Like hell I'll ever join you. I'd sooner die then work for a madman who thinks of nothing of human lives!" I snapped back as I was just barely containing my immense rage for the man before me and more specifically his son. Just seeing him made me see Kiyotaka's face. It was almost as if the psychopath who put Hirata and Suzune through hell was the only thing I could see in my line of sight. So, I had no choice but to look elsewhere. And since I was still carrying Sakayanagi in my arms, I unintentionally looked at her. Our eyes locked with each other for a moment before she looked away.

'That's what you said, and you were right. I know that feeling of betrayal far more than I ever thought I would. So, it's okay. There's nothing for you to apologize for. Because I lost everything. Congratulations, Sakayanagi… you won.' She probably still hates my guts for what I said to her. But even though my feelings for her aren't much different, I wanted to bury the hatchet between us. There was no point for the cycle of hatred to continue. And even if my words amount to nothing, I had to at least try to apologize to her. Especially after how cruel I was.

'Then… will you let Sakayanagi know that I want to talk to her in the not-so-distant future. Preferably sooner than later. And in person.' In fact, I've been wanting to apologize to her for a while now. But the very next day after I told Katsuragi my intention of talking with her, I pulled into a series of events that put me in the hospital for two whole weeks. So, even if Katsuragi tried to get me and her to meet once more, it wouldn't have been possible with me being bedridden. There was nothing I could do about it until I returned to school. Though I didn't expect to meet Sakayanagi again so soon and especially in the middle of my fight with Tsukishiro.

But even still, I want to make my feelings known. It's the only thing I could do to make amends for how horrible I was too her. But that comes later. I have to figure out what I'm going to do next. But just what am I going to do!? I'm not going to join him, that's what! But as soon as I declared those feelings, the black mechanism placed onto the back of my head made its presence known as I heard an audible 'Click.' All Tsukishiro would have to do is pull the trigger and I'm good as dead. And Ayanokoji knew that. But even still he-

"That's enough Tsukishiro, put the gun down." Chairman Ayanokoji ordered much to his lackey's utmost surprise.

"B-But sir, if I do that then he will surely- Tsukishiro spoke but he was interrupted before he could finish by his master.

"I said that's enough! I'm ordering you to drop the damn gun NOW!" Chairman Ayanokoji snapped back with an unexpected level of ferocity that I hadn't seen from him up to this point. I then heard Tsukishiro click his tongue. Undoubtably out of annoyance, but he did as was requested. Because the next thing I heard was the gun landing onto the ground in anticlimactic fashion. But even though I knew that was what happened. I just couldn't believe it. Ayanokoji had the ball in his hands! Why would he just drop it and end this so-called game with his loss?! It just didn't make any sense! But he knew what I was thinking as if it was written on my face.

"You really don't get it? You know, I expected more from someone as intelligent as you. But oh well. I guess I'll have to explain my intentions in detail so you can understand them. First, you have a choice. You can either join me… or you can be expelled on the spot. The choice is yours though I think we both know which one seems more fitting for a young kid who has lots to learn about this world, now do we?" Chairman Ayanokoji asked with a twisted smirk on his face as I expected as much from him. In the end, he was simply giving me the option to join him or be expelled. But even though I had no intention of working for him…

… I can't just abandon my friends! Not when that psycho is on the loose! Which means that it really is just as he says. Damn it! But even still, if he means to do what I think, he wants me to do then-

"… If by working for you… you mean to use me to harm any innocent lives, then you can forget it and expel me now! But be warned! You're going to regret not putting that bullet in my head if you do!" I snapped back while gritting my teeth as I had no intention of being used as a tool of destruction. But even though that was the case, I couldn't help but consider Ayanokoji's offer in the back of my mind. It's not that I want to get expelled. That would only put my friends in danger. But if he's going to put others in danger, I can't abide by that! Even if I can't consider myself to be a hero anymore…

… Making sure that the students of AN and everyone else can continue to live is what I'm going to make sure of! Because protecting innocent lives is what I'll always want to accomplish no matter what!

"M-Midoriya." Sakayanagi muttered as she stared at me with a look of astonishment as she couldn't believe that I was threatening the Chairman right to his face. Tsukishiro was also just as surprised even though he got a taste of my attitude just a few minutes ago. But I couldn't help it. It's not that I wanted to be angry. I just was. I felt like I was practically boiling over being in the same room as the father of that monster. But as for that father, his reaction was surprising to say the least. Which was him clapping with a look of satisfaction on his face. Was he congratulating me? Why on earth would he do such a thing?! But before I could inquire further-

"To tell you the truth, I wish that my son had that kind of rage inside of him. Too bad, the kid's been emotionless since the day he came out of his mother's womb. I have never even seen him crack a smile, not even once. No joy, sadness, anger, just… nothing. I mean don't get me wrong, it makes him useful. But at the same time, it's kind of disappointing. I'd almost like to see him snap at me just to see anything resembling how a human would act. Though I guess he never was human to begin with. You know what I'm talking about. Right, Arisu?" Chairman Ayanokoji asked as my eyes went wide as I looked at Sakayanagi out of disbelief. Of course he noticed this.

"Oh, you didn't know? She didn't say a word about how she knew my son for a rather long time now. When did they meet? I want to say it was about… eight years ago more or less. They were both kids. And their meeting was rather brief. But even I could tell that she took a liking to my boy. The way her eyes lit up every time she looked at him made her feelings quite obvious. Perhaps if my son attended this school, they might even be dating. That would have made things much easier if that were the case. But that's not possible now. Now that you know my son's true identity, young Midoriya." Chairman Ayanokoji spoke with a smug smile before focusing intently onto me. But intense focus made me look away from him.

I just couldn't believe it. Sakayanagi knew Kiyotaka! And going by Ayanokoji's words she liked him?! That monster who's never smiled frowned or shown any hint of hostility but has still toyed with lives of my friends and who knows how many countless others for no reason at all? Who the hell could like someone… so… so… inhuman?! But as I thought this the pot containing my immense rage was at risk of coming off and in the meantime, I was unintentionally trying to clench my fists out of anger. But in doing so I-

"A-A-Augh!" Sakayanagi let out a groan of pain as my fingers dug into her skin. I immediately realized what I was doing and stopped hurting her. I then checked if my fingers did any damage to her skin, particularly her thigh which I was holding onto with my left hand. Thankfully there didn't seem to be any lasting damage, her skin was just a bit red. Hopefully it won't leave a bruise. But either way I need to know if she was okay.

"Sakayanagi, are you ok?" I asked with what was undoubtably a look of worry. Intentional or not, I hurt her. I was responsible for hurting her again. And I felt horrible about it. But it didn't seem that she was too concerned with me. She wasn't even looking at me. Instead, she was staring at Ayanokoji. I couldn't fathom why she was looking at him right after I just hurt her. But before I could say anything more-

"Let go of me already!" Sakayanagi snapped back with a shout as she tried to free herself from my grasp. In the process of doing so, she even kicked me in the side of my chest a few times, albeit unintentionally since she had difficulty controlling her legs. But after all the pain I put her through, I had no intention of doing anything but to abide by her request.

"Of course. I'm sorry for hurting you." I replied before putting Sakayanagi back on her feet. Though since she needed a cane to walk, I was still holding her hand, so that she wouldn't fall. But she didn't want that. She didn't want anything to do with me at this moment in time. And her next action proved it.

"I told you to let go of me!" Sakayanagi snapped back once more while pulling her arm aggressively from me until I had no choice but to let her go. She then stumbled but quickly regained her footing. All I could was stare at her back and watch what was about to unfold.

"What do you mean when you said, 'much easier?' Don't tell me… that you planned for my father to be relieved of his duties as Chairman!?" Sakayanagi asked while slowly advancing toward Ayanokoji, all the while the latter remained seated without a care in the world. It didn't take long for the man who was partially responsible for birthing a monster to chuckle to himself. And shortly after that he responded.

"Did it seriously take you that long to figure it out? That I was the one who made sure that Narumori could no longer perform his duties as Chairman? Oh, Arisu. I knew you wouldn't be able to lead this country into the new era that awaits it, but I thought you at least had half of what made your father the intelligent man he was. That's too bad. Guess I was wrong." Chairman Ayanokoji replied with a twisted grin on his face while Sakayanagi bit her lip till it started bleeding. And then…

"My father died… all so that you could take his place as Chairman!? You were that petty that you made sure his reputation tarnished to the point that he had no will to live anymore! All so you could take the last thing he loved away from him!? Why the hell would you do such a thing?!" Sakayanagi snapped back as she collapsed to her knees while tears dripped down her cheeks. I couldn't bare to watch her look like she was in such pain, so I averted my eyes from it. But for Ayanokoji, seeing the daughter of his dearly departed friend look so utterly pathetic, was a wonderful sight to behold.

"When you put it like that, you make it seem like I'm some kind of monster. But… well… yeah. I guess I might as well have put the final nail in his coffin." Chairman Ayanokoji replied while maintaining the sinister smile on his face. It was the last straw for Sakayanagi as she couldn't contain her immense rage for the man before her any longer. She then stood back up and tried charging at him, but she soon collapsed to her feet and barely closed any of the distance between them. There were still ten feet left, and she had no intention of quitting. Not when the bastard who was responsible for her father's demise was right there in front of her!

"I'll kill you! I swear to God, I'll kill you!" Sakayanagi yelled out as she began crawling toward the monster before her eyes. Even while sitting, Ayanokoji towered over her. To him she was nothing more than a mere insect. Not capable of doing anything but being an annoying pest. Though at the very least, she was a bit entertaining. But the entertainment factor was already losing its flavor. So, he thought it was best to have her exit the stage.

"Tsukishiro." Chairman Ayanokoji said with a grimace on his face. Not even a second later, Tsukishiro closed the distance or lack thereof, between him and Sakayanagi and just as he was about to land a blow that would put her unconscious-

"Don't even think about it. If you so much as touch her… I'll break your arm." I declared while holding the arm that Tsukishiro had by his side. The latter flinched over my threat and how merciless I must have looked. Ayanokoji must have noticed it too. Because what he did next was a gesture that made Tsukishiro clench his fist before grabbing his arm away from me. He had no intention of hurting Sakayanagi anymore, that much I was sure of. So, even though there was nothing that he could do to escape my grip, I let go of him. I then turned my attention to Sakayanagi who was still muttering 'I'll kill you.' Over and over again like a broken record.

"Please… just stop that. Nothing good will come from killing him. It will only make you suffer in the long run. And… you've already gone through too much of that." I whispered into her ear while helping her stand back up again. All she could do was stare back at me and mutter 'Midoriya.' But this made the monster watching us chuckle to himself like the inhuman creature he is.

"What a cute couple you'd be if there were any feelings of love. You are a lucky kid, Midoriya. You've had plenty of girls fall for you in such a short amount of time. Not even my son's mother gave a damn about me. So, I can't help but feel quite envious. Unfortunately for you Arisu, no one has ever loved you. They only obeyed you because you were in a position of power. Well, I suppose that's something we have in common." Chairman Ayanokoji admitted with a smug grin on his face. I noticed Sakayanagi staring at the ground as tears continued to drip from her eyes. The sight of her and the monster's cruel words enraged me to no end.

"You bastard! How could you say something so cruel?! You honestly think I'd work for someone like you!? You know, you two really are father and son! You both have a complete disregard of human emotions!" I snapped back while gritting my teeth to the point that they could break. But Ayanokoji's expression didn't falter.

"That may be true. But you haven't even let me finish yet. We're both short of time, so I'm just going to tell you how it is. What I want from you is to find my son." Chairman Ayanokoji asked as my eyes went wide out of sheer surprise.

"Your son?! Shouldn't you as his father know where he is?!" I snapped back once more as I couldn't believe what I had just heard. The reason why Ayanokoji wanted to have me work for him was so that I could locate his son?! There's no way I would believe such an obvious lie! But Ayanokoji knew that, so he continued.

"Perhaps. But it's the truth. I haven't been able to contact him a single time in the past two weeks. It was as if he disappeared off the face of the earth. Conveniently it was the same night that you confronted Ujiko. I haven't been able to contact him either, so I'm sure you killed him. But I highly doubt even someone as capable of you could kill my boy. Because if he was serious about fighting you… well, you'd already be dead." Chairman Ayanokoji replied as I didn't detect any hint of a lie coming from his tone of voice. Then again, I've been wrong before. But it seems that he's telling the truth. Plus, there would really be no reason for him to lie.

"So, if you agree to find him for me then I'll let you remain here for as long as you like. It's not like you could actually foil my plans. You may be strong from what I saw of your fight with Tsukishiro, but you're going to have to be a lot stronger than that if you want to kill my son. Not that you have a chance in hell of doing so. You should just me win. That way, I'll save all of Japan. You look up to heroes, don't you kid? Let me win and I promise you that I will become the greatest of heroes." Chairman Ayanokoji continued as it became crystal clear to me that Tsukishiro really was sent there to test me. And I must have passed the test, if Ayanokoji is going to trust me with finding Kiyotaka. And since I was already going to be doing that sooner than later, I guess I have no reason to refuse. But even still…

"Greatest of heroes… my ass." I replied while knowing full well I said that out loud. Yeah. Just had to say it. Anyway-

"Fine. I'll do it. I can't promise results. But I'll actively search for him from this point on. Will that be enough to satisfy you?" I asked while doing very little to hide my animosity toward the Chairman. Ayanokoji nodded before responding to me.

"Yes, that will do quite nicely. I'm not expecting all that much. But surely you can do better than my elite squad of professionals that aren't suited to detective work in the slightest. You have a good head on your shoulders so if anyone can find him, I'm pretty sure it will be you." Chairman Ayanokoji replied with a gentle smile that couldn't be more fake. But even though that was obvious I couldn't believe he complimented me. Though it didn't make me feel good, just really annoyed.

"I told you to not expect anything from it. But if that's all you have to say to me, I'll be leaving now." I replied before picking up Sakayanagi into my arms and walking away from both Ayanokoji and Tsukishiro. But she couldn't be more suspired over me suddenly picking her up again.

"W-What?! Let go of me!" Sakayanagi snapped back with a pissed off expression. But I didn't budge.

"This is easier. So, just put up with it for a bit longer." I replied while ignoring Sakayanagi's protests to the best of my ability. But it certainly wasn't going to be the last I would be seeing of her. Because it wouldn't be long before I finally had my chance to apologize to her about everything. And then who knows? Maybe…

… We can finally make amends between each other? That would be nice.

To Be Continued…

Next Chapter: Izuku Midoriya and Arisu Sakayanagi

Go Beyond!

Plus Ultra!