Operation HEARTBREAK

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[Part 1: Vertigo]

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"Start!"

The dragon pounces on me, wings outstretched, claws ready to tear me—No. That's a feint to distract me from the tail behind me.

It wraps from my left, so I dive right, under his arm, retaliating with a knee blocked by his wing.

Adaptability means embracing change. My opponent is over twice my size and has three extra limbs to work with, so my usual style of using mindreading to overwhelm at close range becomes impractical.

He restarts his attack, flying out of range and swooping around for an opening.

One beat. Seiryu disappears, discarding everything but his wings to turn his human body into a blue missile. As I turn to my blind spot, a coin is tossed in the air.

'(Right.)'

'Left.'

Which one is his read, and which one is the mental suggestion? I dodge right, his original instincts win over, and I elbow his face as he dives past me, darting away to avoid his sweeping claw.

Another beat. He comes even faster, and I can't dodge without making myself more vulnerable for the next hit.

'((STRIKE.))'

I decide where the hit will land. The training room spins around me, but I crash my back against the wall instead of my head.

Good. A glancing blow means I'm still in the fight. A hold means I lose.

He's already upon me again. The wall trembles behind me as his punch misses, allowing me to vault over his arm, land on his tail, and hop—

The tail disappears. I stumble.

His shadow looms behind me. I can't control the time it'll take to land and roll away.

"Unf!"

He catches me mid-air and slams me chest-first into the floor, knocking the wind from me.

'((LETGOFLYAWAYOPENYOURHAND—))'

His claw trembles but doesn't release me. I turn my head aside so my next words aren't muffled by the padded floor.

"... I give."

I'm back on my feet the next second, getting pat on the back by a human hand. In the background, Honoken gives us a little golf clap as we bow to each other. Leaving the floor to her and Orochi, I sit on the bench next to my sparring partner and hydrate.

"Start!" Seiryu calls. Flames burst from the center of the room, and I lean back, letting the cool water refresh me from the inside out as I nod to whatever he's saying.

"… How long have you been trying to condition me?"

"Few days," I murmur, twisting the cap.

People with too much combat experience eventually ignore my diversions and rely on their instincts. So I try to mess with them by telegraphing some moves in their heads and following through. When their instincts continuously fail, and my thoughts remain corrected, they mix up the two.

"What would happen if I followed your suggestions from the start?"

"I'd get hit. I only do that when I know my opponent won't listen."

"But now that I know about it…"

"You'll second-guess yourself next time. Ideally."

He huffs, amused for all of one second. "I shouldn't have to tell you, but this isn't something you should be working on during spars."

A sigh escapes me.

"I know."

It's a strategy that builds upon repeated encounters with the same opponent. It can't be applied to any villain I meet during patrol unless they escape to fight another day. And developing a fighting style that relies on failure leads to… well, failure.

"I guess I'm too competitive for my own good."

Before I knew it, I wanted to win against a pro hero instead of trying to learn.

"Competitiveness is fine. But don't focus on finding a formula to beat me—try to find one to beat everyone like me."

Easy to say. Even if I know all his moves ahead of time, my body still struggles to keep up.

Still, I nod along, looking up from my bottle to the fight in the center of the training room. Honoken relies on her flight and ranged attacks to wear down her opponent, and Orochi barrels through with regeneration.

"… maybe I should add projectiles to my repertoire."

"True," Seiryu hums, "Having options at medium range would help you against opponents who overpower you at close range..."

I grab my phone from the bench and open a few pro-hero forums for inspiration. Instead, I'm met with news on the Kamigami case. Since Highroller leaked our operation as soon as we captured her, the police were forced to release an official statement on the same day, with a list of Kamigami's remaining clones given by the original herself. The next day, our agency and other heroes had already taken down over half of them.

Seiryu took down the clones at Lady Astoria's Colosseum before they could make it to the wanted list, so Belmont wasn't affected by any scandals, as she'd hoped. But many other businesses weren't as lucky as hers.

I go from the general board to the hero comparisons board... and it looks bleak. Most heroes with telepathy quirks end up putting themselves in the backlines—as sidekicks for other heroes or the brains of a hero team. And while I don't mind working with others, I also want to excel on my own… like the hero on my screen.

Sir Nighteye. Retired Pro. Quirk: Foresight. While he solved most high-profile cases by organizing multi-agency team-ups, he was no slouch when facing villains alone.

His fighting style fits my ideal form—No, it surpasses it. Like me, he relied on knowing his opponent's next moves, but he could plan his counters minutes ahead, defeating them with martial arts and... seal stamps?

There. The projectiles I was looking for. Nighteye's hyperdensity seals weighed five kilograms each. Enough to leave a hole in a wall... or even hurt someone like Seiryu.

I could work with something like this. Maybe themed around my third eye... steel balls...? They could have an extra functionality to boost my quirk, too...

I open the paint app to sketch something for the support department. Then, I get a text from Ashleigh, so that can wait.

"Imai."

I look up from the chat and meet Seiryu's eyes. Orochi sits by his side, pouring water all over herself.

"It's your turn again," he says, waving away the steam wafting off his cousin.

"... right."

I hurriedly type a message so Ashleigh doesn't think I'm ghosting her, then leave my phone on the bench to meet my next opponent.

"Ready, Lover Boy?"

Why is she getting in that boxing stance when we both know she'll fly out of range as soon as the fight starts?

Honoken laughs, and darn, I said that out loud. Still, the accidental taunt ends up helping me. She starts the spar up close and personal to make a point, and I get to land some hits until she gets serious, turning me into target practice.

I follow Seiryu's advice during this fight. Visualize a way to beat someone like Honoken, not Honoken herself.

It comes down to timing her descent. If she wants to fly out of my range, her hands can't throw fireballs at me, so she uses her propulsion for short leaps and attacks while losing height.

She surrounds me in a ring of fire at my suggestion, giving me less room to dodge. Then, I slowly tunnel her vision on my movements instead of her unchanging, burning surroundings.

I pretend to make one last desperation charge, and she casually backs away while raining flames. She doesn't notice she's cornered herself until I leap over a fireball and kick off the wall behind her, tackling her mid-air and bringing her to my domain.

I anticipate her blows a moment before they come and retaliate with mine, twisting her wrists away so she can't—

'Shounetsu Jigoku—!

I see red. I let go. I've sparred with Honoken before. I've run into burning buildings as part of my rescue training.

She incinerates those experiences. These flames revert me to the base instincts of a human dropping something because it's too hot. But even those instincts aren't fast enough, and the following explosion leaves me gasping on the floor.

When I finally blink past the heat haze, she's standing over me, looking sheepish.

"Sorry~!" She bows her head, pressing her palms together.

It's fine. I get it. Honoken was worried she'd never live it down if the other two saw her losing to an intern.

"Do you need a trip to the infirmary?"

... probably. These training clothes are fire retardant but they can only do so much.

"Imai-kun?"

Ah. I couldn't get any words out. Even breathing hurts. I try again, letting out a pitiful groan before nodding.

'(Yes.)'

While Seiryu scolds the sidekick for using her super-move at point-blank, Orochi carries me to the infirmary, where I get checked by the agency's one and only medical intern. But to be fair, I didn't even know Tabikawa-san existed until she arrived a few days ago; so it's not as if anyone has been seriously hurt during this internship.

Seiryu hiring her is a sign that he'll raise the intensity soon, to the point that Honoken's first aid skills won't be enough.

"You'll be fine," the resident medic tells me. "Your tracksuit and gloves protected you from burns, but you breathed too much hot air, so don't try to speak."

I nod, clutching the ice pack closer to my chest. Tabikawa gives me some painkillers, and the rest is a bit of a blur.

Orochi tries to console me by telling me I was one step away from victory. Seiryu and Honoken come into the room, the latter apologizing again while the former chats with Tabikawa-san about my condition. Eventually, the intern gets annoyed with them crowding up the infirmary and shoos them out, though not before Seiryu can leave my phone on the nightstand next to my bed.

With nothing to do but wait for my recovery, I return to my chat with Ashleigh.

There's a concerning gap in time between the first and last pair of messages.

"Hah..."

I hope it's not her sister again...

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[Part 2: Private Eyes]

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"I think I'm being stalked."

What?

Why?

Who?

Ashleigh looks back at me, and I force my body past the support studio's doors, joining her in the hallway.

"Sorry," she mumbles, brushing some of her hair. "That was a bit sudden, huh? I was trying to figure out a way to bring it up naturally, but—"

Great job, now she's feeling self-conscious. Idiot.

I step forward, holding her hand to stop her from scratching her arm nervously.

"I don't think there is a natural way," I tell her. "Let's... talk about it somewhere private."

She mumbles a yes, gripping my hand tight on the way to the courtyard. I pick a bench far away from prying eyes, where the early afternoon sun gets stuck between the trees around us.

Our legs brush together as we sit. Ashleigh looks blankly at the falling leaves before I squeeze her hand again, getting her attention.

"For how long?" I question. I still don't know if it's the right one. But I can't use the excuse of being caught off guard forever. She needs me right now.

"Two days ago."

... why am I only learning this now?

"At first, I thought it was you," she adds before I can ask. "During patrol, I kept seeing blonde hair on the corner of my eye, so I thought I was too lonely and my eyes were playing tricks on me."

"You called me that day."

A nod. "You didn't mention being in the area, so I didn't bring it up. I kept seeing it again the next day, but this time, Tanaka-kun noticed it too. He mentioned a blond guy in a black mask following us after a villain fight."

Blond hair isn't uncommon, but a black mask... This guy dressed like me on purpose. To lower her guard.

"Tanaka-kun thought it was a fan, and I was just relieved it wasn't all in my head, so I bought it. Yeah, it could be a fan, or a journalist, or anything less creepy... but..."

She sighs. "But..."

"Something happened today," I guess, and she nods again with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"Mm. It was early in the morning. I felt like eating cereal, but Rosethorn didn't have any, so I left to buy some. While I was on the line, a guy approached me. He told me he and his best friend saw the tournament and were big fans. But his friend is shy, so he came alone to ask for a picture of both of them. And I was so happy to hear that because I still feel weird thinking about that fight with Kaylee sometimes..."

Her voice drops to a whisper. The grip on my hand becomes knuckle white.

"Then I saw him. On the convenience store cameras, all tiny and grainy, but I swear I saw him. Blond hair. Black mask. My face must have given it away because the other guy—he stops smiling and looks at the camera too. Then he apologizes. Starts running away. And I try to go after him, but the clerk yells at me to pay for my stuff first, and—and when I turn around—"

"Ashleigh," I call her, holding her shoulders, making her focus on me. "I'm here. We're at Shiketsu. You're safe."

I wait for her. Her chest rises and falls with deep breaths, and she leans closer to me, head resting on my shoulder. I wrap an arm around her in response.

"... When I turn around, he's not on the cameras anymore. I don't know why this got to me so much," she sighs. "I've been out there fighting villains. Mio's pulled creepier things as a prank."

"You shouldn't feel accustomed to this sort of thing," I say firmly, pressing us closer. "No one should."

She doesn't deserve any of this.

"Do you think she has something to do with this?"

She shakes her head slightly. "Mio's been... I wouldn't say nicer, but she hasn't been messing with me anymore. It's like she's too busy. Dealing with something." A small sigh escapes her lips. "But I don't know what."

That... doesn't bode well for the future, but it's enough for now.

"Have you talked to anyone else about it?"

"Mh-hm. Rosethorn-sensei. She told me the masked guy was probably after her, using me as a proxy. It makes sense, right? She's a top ten hero, and I'm... me."

"Ashleigh, you're..."

What am I even saying? That she's a wonderful girl, just as worthy of being stalked?

"That's no way to measure yourself as a person."

A hum of agreement. "... but sensei gave me one. I can either take a few days off while she finds out who the masked man is... or I can keep going with the internship anyways, but this time as bait to capture him."

She buries her face on my shoulder, muffling her words.

"... what should I do? I'm not afraid of getting hurt... I'm afraid of messing up because I'm too nervous to keep my act..."

I'm not sure how feasible Rosethorn's plan is. After today's encounter, the stalker will probably be on high alert.

Still... "You should help her. It'll be good for your confidence if you have a part in taking him down, and..."

Our eyes meet again, and I tell her with absolute confidence, "... You won't mess it up. This I know."

Because I've been training alongside her for months and looking at her all year. She is so much stronger than she realizes.

Ashleigh stares at me, silent. Taking in all of my sincerity. Finally, she sighs, burying her face on my shoulder again.

"... thanks. I think sensei was hoping I made this choice, too."

"Maybe I..."

I get a glimpse of those beautiful blue eyes again, and my mouth clicks shut. I want to be there for her. But by offering my help after what I said, won't it seem like I don't trust her to handle it alone?

"... maybe we could help?"

Adjust course.

"The Spring Dragon Agency, I mean. Seiryu's good at tracking people down."

"I don't know. As far as we know, the guy hasn't used his quirk, so technically this belongs to the police... but I'll talk to Rosethorn and get back to you. Besides, you've helped me plenty already. I..."

Her cheeks flush as she offers me a small smile. "I feel silly now, getting worked up over this."

... even with her joy back, she still subtly puts herself down.

"You were not silly. Like I said, no one should be used to this sort of thing. And now that you mention it, we're not even considering what kind of quirk that guy might have—"

Ashleigh pokes my cheek, giggling. "Are you trying to make me worried all over again?"

My goodness, I'm awful at this. "I'm just saying—"

The sound of a piano interrupts me, and I fumble to take out my phone, my finger hovering between accept and decline.

"That's your mom's ringtone, right? I can wait."

Ashleigh, the wonderful person she is, doesn't mind, so I answer the call.

"Hey, Mom. How are you doing?"

"Great! How about you? You're not in patrol now, are you?"

"... I'm at Shiketsu."

"Have you had lunch yet?"

"No."

Ashleigh and I were going to stop by the cafeteria... until she dropped that bomb on me.

"Great timing! Are you free to eat here? I know you've been busy, but it's a special occasion."

"What is it? You sound..."

Giddy. Excited. Euphoric. Never have I used these words to describe her. But that was fine. She's someone who shows few emotions, the same as me.

"You sound different," I choose, and she laughs.

"I can't tell you much because it'll spoil the surprise, but your sister's come from Osaka with a guest who's dying to meet you!"

Even stranger. Irina isn't one for surprise visits, and Mom has always been awkward around her...

"So, are you free?"

"I'm..."

"Is Katsuragi-chan with you?"

"... that obvious?"

Is that the only reason she could imagine me hesitating?

"Don't look down on a mother's intuition. You should invite her too. The more the merrier."

I let my phone down and face Ashleigh. "Mom's inviting you for lunch. There will be guests," I add, "My sister included."

"Oh."

"Don't feel forced to accept. She'll understand if I give the gist of what's happening."

Introducing each other to family always comes with stress to leave a good first impression. I don't want to put her on the spot when her emotions might still be raw.

As if to prove I'm just a pessimist, Ashleigh shakes her head, her smile becoming more radiant. "I'll be fine. Tell her I'm looking forward to it."

After setting our plans for lunch, we leave the courtyard with our fingers pleasantly interlocked.

"Honestly, I'm kind of doing this to meet your sister," she confesses. "You never talk about her, so I'm curious."

"There's not much I can talk about," I say in my defense. We're half-siblings who live in different cities and occasionally send holiday messages to each other. The last time we met, I was... still in middle school, training for my entrance exam.

Time sure flies. I wonder who she brought with her.

Maybe they're the one behind Mom's unusual cheer.

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[Part 3: Like Him]

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Everything is almost the same, but...

The door sounds creakier than I remember. The shoes lined up on the carpet aren't just Mom's—there's a pair of sleek leather loafers and sports sneakers near her sandals. As I hang my keys, I spot a fresh dent on the staircase to the second floor. A laugh drifts from the living room, and it's Mom, but... it's not that quiet chuckle I know.

"Imai-kun?" Ashleigh murmurs beside me, her voice low. "Everything okay?"

I nod. My eyes trace the dent again. The wood is splintered like something heavy hit it, but—

"Hitomi-san! They're here!"

As I step inside, Irina barrels into me with a hug that presses her horns against my cheek.

"Ow."

She only rolls her eyes at the grievous wound dealt to me. "It's your fault for looking down on me. When did you get so tall, anyway?"

"I think you would poke me on purpose if..."

I bite my tongue, but there is no burst of pain, only something cold that coils around my body from the inside out.

I understand it now. Why I felt like a stranger in my own home. Behind my sister, in the living room, lies a picture that should not exist.

Mom sets a salad dish on the kotatsu, her back turned to me. She is not alone. A blond man stands next to her, wearing designer clothes, silver jewelry, and—

That. Damn. Black. Mask.

"You must be Katsuragi-chan, right?"

Irina steps past me, introducing herself to Ashleigh. Like this is normal. Like he belongs here.

"Y-Yes, it's nice to meet—"

But Ashleigh notices how wrong this is.

"... you..."

Her eyes widen, darting between me and that man, connecting the dots.

He was not dressed like me.

He did not look like me.

I'm the one who looks like him.

Mom faces us, her eyes twinkling with so much joy that it makes me sick.

"You two came just in time—"

"Mom. What happened to your head?"

Her smile dips a bit. She brushes her hair slightly, fingers fluttering at the bandages peeking underneath her bangs. "Oh, it's nothing... only a little stumble when Irina and—"

That man steps forward, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Hitomi was so surprised to see me, she stumbled back into the stairs!" he laughs, shaking his head. "Good thing I caught her, huh?"

Mom blushes. My vision tunnels. I see her hands shaking as she burns old family photos. I see his face in old police reports I wasn't supposed to read. He's gone. She moved on. But when I blink, he's here, standing in our house, touching her, not even hiding how much he's enjoying my reaction—

"Why couldn't you just stay dead?"

"Imai!" Mom gasps. Scandalized, like my sister. Under his control, like Ashleigh could have been.

'There's a knife under my sleeve. Don't make any sudden moves or our dear Hitomi gets more than a bump in the head~'

'(Use your quirk.)'

Beside me, Ashleigh tenses even further.

'Imai-kun?! Is that man your—'

'(Kaishin Koimoto.)'

'(Quirk: Heartbreaker. He can brainwash anyone who makes skin contact with him.)'

'(Use your quirk. Be ready to cover me.)'

'... right.'

"... mad because he hasn't been present, but he was in a coma. The hospital staff couldn't find and call me because he lost his belongings during the accident...!"

I swallow the bile rising in my throat as the woman who raised me tries to defend this monster. Of course, the hospital couldn't track his family down. He never made it official with any of his targets. Soujyuuro. Ibaraki. Amanai-san, who took her own life when his quirk left her mind. And who knows how many more.

'((I don't care how you're here. If you don't get away from her right now, I'll make you regret ever coming back.))'

'That's rich. And I suppose you won't make me regret it if I let go of my hostage? Let's not start a fight. I just came back from an accident—not that you'd know since you're not listening to your poor mother.'

A villain on a highway. A car crash. The white walls of a hospital. A phone lost in the wreckage.

'Why am I thinking about... oh? I thought you didn't care how I came back?'

No contacts. Reaching out to the closest family he remembered. Realizing the damage was so severe, he lost control of his quirk, which was supposed to last forever—

'Ah. You don't care about the how. You want to know why this house instead of the others. I must admit, it's favoritism.'

'You were the most succesful of the lot; I'm almost proud, really! Never thought my offspring would ever come close to a hero school.'

'I wanted to make this extra special by having your little girlfriend be here too—'

He's not trying to resist the mind-reading—he's pouring all his focus into avoiding the mental suggestion he knows is coming.

It doesn't matter. I will get those slimy hands off my mother. I will make him regret ever coming back here.

But not now.

Keep calm. Remember, you don't strike when you want to. You strike when the enemy's guard is down.

'But enough stalling. I'll have more chances to meet your Shiketsu friends later—'

'Step closer and grab my hand. Or your mother gets it.'

One step.

'No, wait.'

'Say sorry first. Your mother and sister are quite upset, you know?'

You don't strike when you want to.

I take a deep breath, failing to relax my jaw. "I'm sorry for lashing out."

The words taste like ash on my tongue and do nothing to lessen the frowns aimed at me. It's all a spectacle to make him feel better.

'You're sorry, what~?'

Two steps.

'(C'mon, easy on the glare—)'

'—You'll be calling me Dad soon anyway.'

That's right. Keep focusing on my defeated face. Three steps.

"Imai, did you even listen to what I had to say?" Mom sighs in disappointment. "You've been glaring at your father this entire time..."

"It's alright, dear," Kaishin says, stopping her from speaking further.

You don't strike when you want to.

"He has all the right to feel upset."

You don't strike when you want to. You don't strike when you want to. You don't strike even if you—

"But I'll show him how I can make up for all the time—"

I charge. Too soon. I'm not close enough. His guard hasn't been lowered enough. There's still half a minute until Ashleigh's quirk goes off—

But I refuse to watch this. He's already tortured her for years, and I won't let him have his way for another second if I can help it!

Four steps! Steel flashes from my pocket, then from his sleeve. A knife flies for my mother's ribs, but the prototype projectile from the support department slams into his wrist, breaking his grip.

Five step—

I stumble. My vision blurs at the edges. I kill my momentum and most of the power behind my swing, and it's still enough to send Kaishin sprawling onto the couch.

Frail. Sluggish. Untrained. One more second at close range, and I could destroy him. But I've already messed up my sneak attack. I need to take his hostage away before the action starts.

"S-Stop him, Irina!" he chokes out as I lift a shocked Mom over my shoulder. "He's gone crazy!"

Irina is already two steps away, with Ashleigh hot on her heels. Mom screams and pounds at my back.

"I-Imai!" she begs in a choked sob. "Let me go—!"

She's not herself right now.

Don't listen.

Keep going.

'He's going for the door—'

'(—His only option is to go right—!)'

I kick the coffee table at Irina and go left, avoiding her charge. Ashleigh does a one-eighty to keep up with me as I break for the front door, throwing a steel ball on my way out. It nails my sister on the chest, leaving her doubled over and wheezing.

"What's the plan?" Ashleigh asks as I crouch by the side of the house, holding Mom close and muffling her mouth with my arm so the neighbors don't make this messier.

"Imai, p-please... look at what you're doing to our family—"

Don't listen, don't listen, don't listen—

"Imai-kun!"

Someone shakes my shoulder. Ashleigh. Plan. Eliminate the threat of hostages.

"You need to take Mom away. Call the heroes, too."

"What about your sister?"

'(He can't use her as a hostage—)'

'(—That knife isn't enough to break her skin—)'

'(—And even his quirk has limits—)'

'(—He can't convince someone to keep still while he kills them—)'

"Imai!"

Irina steps into view, a heavy scowl on her face. I hand Mom over to Ashleigh, rising to my feet.

'(Go.)'

As they leave, I take a step forward, almost stumbling again. Irina's quirk is getting worse...

"It's called Drunken Brawler. I make everyone around me slowly get drunker and turn their intoxication into strength for myself."

Why is she telling me as if I don't know... oh, that's a memory. I only have over a minute before I start puking on the sidewalk.

So move.

"Imai, you have to stop," The Irinas from present and past tell me, "You're not acting like yourself...!"

"I'm sorry."

Irina told me about her quirk when I asked her for help in my entrance exam prep. Something about getting empowered by inebriation makes her prone to addiction. She's even suffered from teenage alcoholism before. It's why she never tried to enter a hero school like me and why we only sparred without quirks.

After I get rid of this brainwashing, she'll start feeling withdrawals again.

"I'm sorry."

From the bottom of my heart, I hate you, Kaishin Koimoto.

Her figure blurs into doubles, charging at me from every angle. But her thoughts cut through the haze, telling me where the real one is.

I dodge, barely, feeling my world tilt around me. Irina's mind screams her oncoming swipe, and I weave between her hands while everything else darkens.

She doesn't want to hurt me. She only wants to pin me down while Kaishin calls the police. He's sneaking around the house with no intention of doing that. He knows I'll crush him if he shows up without Mom as a shield.

Irina lunges, telegraphing herself again. I sidestep, catching her wrist and twisting—

Something slams into me from behind. Another pair of hands grab my arms.

"Imai, stop!"

Tabito-san from next door. And his son.

Kaishin's work. I was too sluggish to get past Irina and stop him from controlling more people.

If I win against these numbers, he still has enough time to go into hiding. If I lose, he'll show up to brainwash me.

But this fight was over before it even began. Irina staggers to her feet, her eyes glassy, her fists clenched.

"Imai... stop," she pleads, voice cracking.

I can't.

Not yet...

Not until...

'((LET GO.))'

I swing my head back, crushing Suigetsu-san's nose. An elbow to the gut and a knee to the jaw knocks out his son.

Irina stops mid-step, her expression blank.

"I-Imai?" she stutters, looking at our surroundings, giving me time to distance myself from the unconscious neighbors. "What the... why are we outside?"

"There was a villain attack. Ashleigh accidentally hit you with her quirk."

I would be doomed without her.

"Everyone else has been evacuated," I tell her as I get up, "So don't worry."

"Is Dad okay—where are you going?!"

"I'm going after the villain. Just... stay here and wait for the heroes, alright? Everything will go back to normal soon."

I don't wait for her answer. The villain is already close to leaving my range, panicking after getting his mind wiped. I chase him down the block, light as a feather now that Irina's quirk isn't affecting me.

'One minute! How the hell am I here after one minute!?'

'It doesn't matter. If I can get to the streets before they get me—'

'(It's no use.)'

'Get another hostage and use it to flee—'

'(You lost the moment you thought about coming here.)'

'Get out of my head—!'

As I'm one step behind, he halts, whipping around with a desperate swing. I block with my right arm and counter with a left straight, cracking his mask and sending his back against a wall. He clutches the pieces before letting them go, revealing the scars on his forehead, nose, and cheek.

'(You're a mess. You got taken out before by being near a hero battle. What made you think you could come after a hero student? Or even infiltrate Shiketsu?)'

"Hah... hah..." he laughs breathlessly, leaning on his knees. "What's this? Am I not worth wasting your breath?"

'You're listening in, right? Then you should know only I can turn Heartbreaker off.'

'If you let me go, I'll make sure your mother doesn't weep over me for another decade.'

'(So you can play house somewhere else with your quirk?)'

'(No. This ends here and now.)'

"Ha... hahahaha...!"

'Well have fun with that! Even quirk erasure only stops me from targetting more people—'

"How... how do you think she'll react when she sees me in a police car? Do you think she'll spend the rest of her life scared I'll come back again? You know you should have seen the look on her face when I showed up behind your sis—"

'((SHUT UP.))'

A knee to his chest makes him double over. I step aside and let him fall face-first on the ground.

He spits a wad of blood on the pavement, still laughing.

"T-There is one way to cut my quirk off... to make sure I can't do it ever again...!"

'... but you won't kill me, will you, Imai? If you had that in you, we wouldn't be in this position.'

'(You're right. I won't.)'

'(But I don't have to.)'

'(It only took a coma last time, didn't it?)'

That finally cracks his smile.

'((GET UP.))'

The command pierces through his dazed mind. He scrambles to his feet, and I stomp the back of the head, sending him down again.

'((GET UP.))'

And again.

'((GET UP.))'

And again.

'((GET UP.))'

As many times as it takes.

'((GET UP.))'

For Mom.

'((GET UP.))'

For Irina.

'((GET UP.))'

For everyone he's hurt.

'((GET. UP.))'

I stomp again, but there's no weight of a skull underneath me, no wet thud of a bloodied face against the concrete.

A raised boot prevents my shoe from going lower.

Seiryu.

Why is he stopping me? ... Why am even I asking that? And why do I want to push him away and keep going? Why won't this rage go away?!

It's all because of him! Why did he have to come back into Mom's life?! Why did he enter her life in the first place?! Why does he have to ruin everything he touches?!

'... because it's easy.'

Kaishin takes the opening to roll over, laying on his back. He looks disgusting, with skin caked in blood, tears, and dust. A busted lip, missing teeth, bent nose... and yet, he's gotten off lightly.

'Hell, it's natural.'

'Do you think I couldn't have taken the same path as you? Became a hero and made all the criminals walk into their cells with a smile?'

'But why should I? Why should I spend three years studying combat, rescue, evacuation, and every other bullshit, all while being surrounded by a bunch of people who're too scared to shake my hand?'

"Imai," Seiryu calls, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's over. Your mother and sister are safe. We'll reverse what he did."

He raises his boot further, and I'm forced to step away or fall.

'For justice? For doing the right thing? To prove I haven't been evil since I was four? To earn their respect? I can already get all the respect I'll never need.'

'Do you know why I was never caught by a hero? It's because I never stole. I never killed. I never hit any of my women! I lived my best life, and I was left alone for it!'

The dragon hero covers my vision, making me look into his eyes, shining with concern.

"Stop listening to his thoughts," he whispers, "Nothing good will come of it."

'YOUR MOTHER LOVED ME!'

I lunge past Seiryu, hearing his disappointed sigh before a claw pins me against a wall.

'THEY ALL DID! AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT FUCKING ACCIDENT, YOU'D LOVE ME TOO—'

A blue tail cracks down at Kaishin's neck, and his eyes roll to the back of his head before fluttering shut. The claw turns back into a hand, and I fall to the ground.

I press my palms into my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. It doesn’t work. My ribs feel too tight, my hands are too shaky. The world tilts again, but this time, it's not Irina’s quirk. It’s just me. Falling apart.

Seiryu leans against the wall and slumps beside me, holding one knee close to his chest. Is he waiting for me to say something? Isn't this the part when he tells me off for what I've done?

"... how are you going to turn Mom back to normal?"

I don't care about any of that. I did what I did for a reason.

"If quirk nullification doesn't work—"

"It doesn't."

"Then we get someone who can copy quirks to brainwash Koimoto and convince him to turn it off."

"..."

Why didn't I think of that...?

Because I'm angry?

Because he goaded me?

Because deep down, I wanted to get rid of—

"Don't beat yourself up over this."

Slowly, I turn to face the man beside me.

"You saved your family. But they'll still need you right now. That's what matters."

".... Seiryu, I... I almost..."

My throat closes. I can't say it.

"You weren't trying to kill him, Imai," he says, seeing through my worries.

How can he know that? Even I'm not sure anymore...

"I've seen crimes of passion. I've seen cold-blooded killers. And I saw you checking his breathing as you lifted your foot. You let out your anger on him. But you wouldn't take the last step. Don't doubt that."

I wanted to put him in a coma. No, I still do. He's not alive because I stopped myself. It's because Seiryu stopped me.

"Imai-kun!"

Ashleigh runs towards us, skipping over Kaishin's dried blood and skidding to a stop before me. Her hands hover near. Afraid to touch me.

"Are you okay?"

I open my mouth.

Nothing comes out.

Her face crumples, and then her arms are around me, pulling me into a hug so tight it hurts. I don't deserve it, not after what I almost did.

"You saved them."

"You stopped him. That's what matters."

She tells me the same things Seiryu did, and for a moment, I let myself believe in them. It's the only way I can get up. Seiryu hefts Kaishin over his shoulder, and his bloodied face stares at me all the way home.

There's a crowd of people on my doorstep. Orochi. Honoken. They ask me if I'm okay. I tell them no. The police ask for a statement. I tell them what happened in the last few minutes.

Mom and Irina sit in the back of a squad car, wrapped in blankets, their faces blank.

They don't look at me.

I step closer. Ashleigh squeezes my hand.

One of the officers stops me before I can reach them.

"They're not cleared to talk yet. The brainwashing's still in effect."

I know. But I still hoped—

"Imai."

Mom's voice.

I turn, heart pounding.

She's looking at me now. Crying.

"... why did you hurt him?"

What can I say to that?

He's not my father.

He's a monster.

He was going to hurt you.

But none of that matters to her right now. Because to her, he's family. And I'm the one who ruined everything.

Ashleigh's grip tightens. "It's not your fault," she whispers.

The officer ushers me away, promising they'll be taken care of and that the heroes will find a way to break the brainwashing.

I nod.

I don't trust myself to speak.

Because the truth is, even when they're free...

This won't be over. It might never be.

---

[Part 4: Veteran Of The Psychic Wars]

---

The knife in my hand moves methodically through the vegetables, dicing them into neat, even pieces. Mechanical. Predictable. A rhythm I can control when everything else feels like it's slipping through my fingers.

The rice cooker hums softly on the counter. The broth simmers. The doorbell rings.

Huh.

I wipe my hands and head to the door. Another officer asking questions? Another neighbor offering awkward condolences? I hope it's Ashleigh...

But no. It's Yuusei, dropping in at the same time as yesterday. He's not in costume, and Honoken isn't with him, so I guess they didn't patrol today.

"Hey," he says, awkwardly raising a stack of papers. "I brought your homework."

My internship is supposed to be on hold. But I've been asking Yuusei to bring me the reports for the things I've missed. Surprisingly, he agreed.

A beat of silence. Then I step aside, letting him in.

The kitchen smells like ginger and soy sauce. Seiryu glances at the half-prepared meal, then at the empty tray sitting by the hallway—right outside Mom's room.

"How are you holding up?" he asks, leaning against the counter.

I return to the cutting board. "Fine."

A lie. He knows it's a lie. But he lets it sit between us.

"And your mother?"

The knife stills.

"... Still won't come out."

Not since the brainwashing broke three days ago. Not since she woke up screaming, then sobbed for hours when she realized what that man had done—what he almost did.

Now, she... stays in her room. I leave meals at her door. Sometimes the plates come back empty, sometimes they don't.

Yuusei exhales slowly. "Any progress on talking to her?"

"No. She can reply to the therapists just fine. But with me..."

Not a word. Not a sound. There's a chasm between us. It's even worse now that Irina returned to her place in Osaka. And I know why. It's my face. My hair. My eyes. The way I remind her of him.

Yuusei watches me, his gaze too knowing. "It's not your fault. If anyone did anything wrong that day, it was us pro heroes who never captured him. Who let it get to this point."

"No." I shake my head. "Don't say that," I beg, grabbing his shirt. "Don't agree with him."

Kaishin could have gotten a fresh start somewhere else if he didn't decide to come here. He could have brainwashed more women in another corner of the country, and I'd be none the wiser.

"I... I never thought heroes were supposed to be all-seeing."

At the end of the day, they're people, just like the ones they save.

"But... even if they can only look in one direction at once, I thought... once you become a symbol, everyone else can see you. So they can reach out and make you look in the direction you missed."

But Irina didn't reach out. Neither did the people who nursed him during his coma, who got brainwashed before they could warn the police.

They couldn't reach out. They couldn't recognize they needed a hero.

"If you can't see their suffering, and they can't reach out, what do you do? How do you stop him before it gets to this point?! Do you have to wait until they get too greedy and make a mistake? What if they don't make any mistakes?! What if they keep hurting the people around them right under your nose?!"

"Everyone messes up eventually. If they were flawless, they wouldn't be branded as villains."

"I get that! But... if I didn't get lucky that day—"

"Lucky?" he repeats, his brows furrowing.

"With his idiocy, with Ashleigh by my side," I explain, "If it weren't for that—could I have stopped him? Would any hero have—"

"Imai. Would you say the accident that ended Koimoto's quirk was a stroke of bad luck?"

"Yes."

"But if he was trained, he could have escaped relatively unscathed. Couldn't he?"

"... yes?"

"And if you weren't trained—if you never decided to become a hero and he came into your house today... you would have lost, wouldn't you?" he doesn't wait for my answer. "Would you still say you got lucky, then? That of all the households he could target, he chose yours?"

"... what are you trying to say?"

"There's no denying that chance and coincidence played a part in your lives, but it didn't dominate them. You did not get lucky. You made your luck as a result of your training. And your mother isn't scared of you. She's guilty over how she treated you when she was brainwashed. Taking responsibility for something she had no control over. Just like you."

He tilts his head, red eyes boring into mine.

"You'll always have more in common with her than him because she's the woman who raised you. Never forget that."

The rice cooker beeps. He leans back, letting me set the meal for Mom.

"... thanks, Yuusei," I tell him as we walk to the living room.

"No problem."

He sits on the couch, and I take the armchair.

Silence.

"... when can I go back to the agency?" I ask after a minute.

"Four days at minimum. I've tried talking to the school about it, but they're adamant about giving you a full week of rest... and honestly, I'd be inclined to agree. Are you sure you want to be on the field this soon?"

It's his third visit and the third time he asks. For some reason, I recall what that man said as I was killing him slowly. His thoughts on hero schools, about proving he hadn't been evil since he was four, and how people were too scared to shake his hands.

Once upon a time, we were probably the same.

"... actually, I changed my mind. I'll wait as long as it takes."

I wanted to put on the costume. I wanted to recapture the feeling I was making a difference in the world. But most of all, I wanted something to distract me from this house, and the pain I feel every time I open that door. And I told myself Mom would feel safe to leave her room if I was gone.

But I'm a hero now. I must reach out to those in need, even if they're not out there.

Even if it hurts.

Yuusei smiles at me. "... I'm glad. Being able to face your past like that... you're unbelievably strong, you know?"

Then, his smile shifts into a half-grimace.

"But truthfully, if you were cleared for internships, I don't think you could return to my agency specifically. A villain set a bounty on my head, and it's been tough to patrol with Orochi even with her regeneration..."

Huh. It sounds like the world outside is also in dire need of help.

"How do you always get into these situations the moment I stop looking?" I wonder.

Yuusei raises an eyebrow. "I could ask the same to you."

"... touché."

I hope these battles with psychics aren't setting a trend on my hero career...