Gentle Ruthlessness
An endless expanse of dry, cracked earth laid out under a dark sky. What few rays of light that came from above had gathered on one spot- a pile of corpses all laid face down. A small, child-like Chihiro Mitsurugi approached the pile with no particular emotion. She was familiar with the sight. She'd seen it far too many times, an illusion born of her mind that visited her whether she was awake or asleep. Every body represented her sins, and surely their current state was symbolic of how sudden and unfair their deaths were.
The same as any other night, her small hands pulled a body off of the pile and dragged it away, laying it out in a more peaceful position. The act brought solace to no one, not even to the corpses, but the memories that swelled up within her reminded her of her guilt. She would have it no other way.
'Mr. Sumi. His wife always got along great with Mother...'
One by one she dragged the bodies out and laid them neatly into rows, as if planning out a graveyard.
'Big sis Yuzuki. Looking back, she was always holding back while sparring with me. To think I took pride in those victories...'
She knew every face by name, and remembered their deaths with perfect clarity.
'Mr. Inoue...'
'Hayato-kun...'
'Yuuto-kun...'
At the very core of the pile was her parents.
'Father... Mother... Please forgive your unfilial child and rest in peace...'
With her parents laid down side-by-side, this was normally where the dream would end, but tonight it seemed to linger. Had she forgotten something? No, every body was properly laid out, and she'd said goodbye to them all. Perhaps she needed to dig them proper graves? Doing that by hand in her current form would be difficult... but she had little else to do.
It was then that a slight abnormality caught her eye- the ground where all the bodies were piled up... wasn't flat. It was subtle, but the dirt was gently curved into a mound. Was something buried there? Thinking back, the bodies all originally faced towards the center of the mound. It was almost as if they were cradling the mound. As if they'd been protecting it all these years.
'Should I try to dig it up?'
As if to deny that thought, to declare that she should absolutely never do that, the dream ended then and there.
Awaking from her dream, her eyes remained closed while her lips curved ever so slightly down, as if she wanted to slip back into the dream. Ultimately, she could only accept defeat. Recent events had been... bad, to say the least. The change to her dream was more than likely just a sign of anxiety- she felt confident that Hoge would tell her as much. Knowing Inigo, he'd find a way to spin the tale into something fantastical and cheerful- as if it were a sign of forgiveness from the dead. Perhaps Sally would agree while Junichi would tell them both how stupid they are. Perhaps Orochi or Hifumi would be there laughing along or taking sides as well.
The thought brought a smile to her face. She found no point in dwelling on it further. The dream was only a dream- waking up and being with the people around her was more important. Clearly more vigor was needed! Hoping to start the day right, she tossed off blankets, jumped to her feet and tried to strike a confident pose! It wasn't terribly effective. Did Inigo act all dramatic just to put on a show, or was there some trick to enjoying it? Chihiro put aside the idea of vigor and quietly fixed her bed.
After a series of chores, her morning swordsmanship routine, a quick shower, and breakfast, the sun had rose into the sky and formally announced the start of the day. Familiar habits steadied her heart and ensured that not an ounce of anxiety showed on her face. If her time in the Popsy internships taught her anything, it was the power of positivity. It was needed now more than ever.
With her uniform on, her backpack filled, and the dojo locked up tight, she faced the well-maintained bamboo-lined path that led to town. She once again remembered- positivity! Vigor! She started with a light jog, but as her quirk breathed in the strength of the forest she sped up, faster and faster as the still morning air started to feel like a lively breeze. She felt every tree and blade of grass along the path, along with every little animal. The familiarity of the path and support of the forest gave her strength beyond just her quirk.
Before long she approached town and closed off her quirk, trading the forest path for a city street with other pedestrians. Once upon a time she'd thought she should stay away from town- that simply being there would be bad for others. Yet her distant neighbors didn't care at all. Some even waved- a fleeting sign of support from someone that still believed in Shiketsu and recognized the uniform.
Soon she slowed down her pace and joined up with her classmates.
"Good morning"
"Morning, Chi-chan."
"Good morning, Mitsurugi." "Hey." "'Lo."
Bits of gossip and discussion was traded among the group, but Chihiro was content to simply hang in the back and follow along. She laughed along at Inigo's antics. She quietly waved at the new security cameras and wished the security guards a 'good morning'. She listened in as some of the nearby students were guessing who was dating who, yet failed to guess anything correctly. 'Hoge and Chris? Really?'
Although student attendance was dropping rapidly, her friends were still here. She was content with that. Even her friends in 1-E were still here, and unlike the incident with the boys in the gym, the girls from 1-E weren't hostile. Things really didn't seem that bad. At least not from her perspective.
All the more reason why what happened in class blindsided her. The shock and unease washed away everything else she'd seen or heard that morning when she heard those words: 'My name is Hissori Nyora and I am withdrawing my child from this death-trap of an academy, effective immediately.'
Thankfully, Hoge's parents were dissuaded, At least for the moment. The class banded together and everyone stood up for her. Even when the domineering adult used his quirk (likely illegally) to get his way, Inigo led the charge and everyone else followed after. If there was anything for Chihiro to complain about the outcome, it was her own actions. Or rather her lack of action. She hesitated far longer than she should have, and for that she felt ashamed.
Once Inigo left Hoge's side, likely to confront his future father-in-law, Chihiro took that chance to pull Hoge aside.
"Fuu-chan... I'm sorry- I-" Chihiro's ambush of an apology was cut short by Hoge giving her a flick to the forehead.
"Stop right there, Chi-chan. Before you apologize, tell me what you think you did wrong."
"...I feel guilty..."
"And what do you have to feel guilty about exactly?"
"...I wasn't sure if I had the right to step between you and your-" A second flick descended.
"Nonsense. For someone who barely makes facial expressions, you can't tell a lie to save your life. Tell the truth."
For a moment, Hoge's image overlapped a little with her fathers. If nothing else, that imperiousness seemed to be a family trait. Her quirk betrayed her however, as the outline of her figure had been blurry from the start.
With red eyes pointed to the floorboards, Chihiro gave in: "It's true that I wasn't sure if I had the right to step in between you and your parents... but in that moment I didn't really care. I mean- he wanted to take you away! I couldn't let that happen! But... what could I do about it? If I stepped forward... and he recognized me... wouldn't he only fight harder to take you away? When I realized that, my legs wouldn't move anymore. Looking back, I'm ashamed that I didn't think about what you might have-" Then came a third and final flick.
Contrary to Chihiro's expectations, Hoge was smiling and her blurry figure gained clarity: "That's nothing to feel guilty about. I didn't want to leave and you did the best you could to help me. You didn't panic. You calmly and rationally did what you could."
"...but..."
"No buts."
In spite of Chihiro's protests, Hoge was adamant about the matter. When faced with the oddly relieved Hoge, Chihiro had no choice but to give up and accept a concession of hanging out wherever Hoge wanted... The two of them would do that anyway however, so it wasn't much of a concession.
Truth be told, Hoge was putting up a strong front at first. Today's events took her by storm as well and it still wasn't clear how things would turn out in the long term. She even felt a bit of doubt at first- why was it that Chihiro hesitated? At first she assumed it was simply Chihiro's fixation with her own parents being projected- that Chihiro was too nice to put her friendship over the family bonds she saw as almost sacred, even if it was someone else's family. Instead it was the opposite. Chihiro put her friendship first! There may have been other details there, but that was the important part! Between her view of family bonds and Hoge, Chihiro chose Hoge!
Hoge knew Chihiro as a person practically defined by her trauma and obsession with the past. Bit by bit over the last year, the two of them had slowly gotten closer as friends, and it made it all the more obvious just how high a place her parents had in Chihiro's mind. For Hoge, today almost felt like her friend was willing to set aside the past for her sake.
The rest of the day was thankfully uneventful. Tensions were still high, but class went on as planned. No villains made any big moves. Inigo took Hoge into the sky, likely to help her relax. Chihiro returned home for afternoon swordsmanship practice before preparing dinner. If the deluge of angry stamps from Hoge was any indication, it seemed that Inigo did something especially stupid today... So stupid that Hoge seemed to forget about her parents entirely.
'Does he do it on purpose, or...?'
Tonight's dinner was simple and cheap. Just miso soup and rice crackers. The boar population was still recovering, and the deer had gotten wise to Chihiro's hunting routes. Perhaps it was time to switch to fishing? As she pondered the bounty of nature, she felt someone approaching the dojo.
After a pause, she felt the her guest's energy was familiar: 'Odd, it's a bit late to visit. I wonder if Sally's in some kind of trouble.'
Lately she'd begun to feel like her close friends felt slightly different to her quirk. How exactly it was different, she didn't know. It was a strange sensation. Had she just never noticed that energy could be different until now? Regardless, she hadn't the time to ponder. Sally had already arrived and knocked on the door. Upon opening the front door, Chihiro was greeted to a heartbreaking sight. Sally clearly had tear marks running down her face, and the way she looked absently into the woods made it clear the poor girl just wanted to run away from it all. From top to bottom she looked physically and emotionally drained.
"Good evening, Sally-chan."
"H-Hi.. Uhm.. I kinda.. messed up my apartment and was wondering if you had... a spare futon.."
"Yes, I have a spare futon. I was just about to sit down for dinner and would welcome company"
From the way she entered the house to the way she sat down for dinner, Sally was acting less like her usual self and more like a native Japanese, as if she were subconsciously doing everything in her power to be even a little less noticeable.
Initially she hoped to let finish eating first, but Chihiro decided not to wait any longer: "Sally-chan, If something is wrong-"
"Everything's wrong Sensei! School's a surveillance nightmare now! I had that... that fucker Desolator give me his business card so he could..." It almost looked like just saying the words was enough to make her throw up. "... to 'help me' "
Chihiro couldn't help but wish her other friends were here. Surely they'd know just what to say. However they weren't. The only person here to help Sally was her, so she needed to do her best.
Nodding gently, Chihiro reached out to put a hand on Sally's head, trying her best to give advice in a way that Sally would feel comfortable- perhaps phrasing it in a religious way would be best: "I understand. This dilemma is stressful, and making a decision is hard. I can only offer you my own thoughts on the matter..."
Thinking back to her own origins, Chihiro wanted to draw from experience. She'd gone too far to ever truly forget the past, but for that exact reason she knew how painful it was to live like that: "...You can overcome your sin: you only stole 2 lives. I stole many more. I may be irredeemable, but if there is a chance of you finding peace and redemption in this life, then you should take it..."
Sally was constantly living on edge. On one side was her mistake, not unlike a chasm waiting to swallow her whole. One wrong move and she'd be dragged down where light wouldn't shine. On the other side was a group of friends that supported and cherished her, but also reminded her just how much she stood to lose: "...However, you will have to walk the border to a world of darkness. Take care not to let it consume you..."
Sally gulped for air and tried to steady herself: "But... Chris... Chris would never forgive me if he knew.."
Chihiro herself wasn't entirely sure what Desolator's 'help' entailed. Even so, she had some understanding of him thanks to Inigo and Junichi. The man wasn't a saint, but he wasn't a psychopath either. Whatever the case was, inaction wouldn't solve anything. Living in the woods for 8 years taught her that much- the guilt only became stronger over time. If Sally was going to recover, she needed to take action: "...Sacrifice is needed to cleanse the soul..."
Not quite sure if what she wanted to share was properly communicated or not, Chihiro warily backed off when Sally nodded her head. Chihiro didn't want to overwhelm her. Sally was still scared and tired, but the look in her eyes was a little different. They were looking for a way forward rather than a way out, and that was enough.
The two barely spoke a word after that. Sally was clearly deep in thought. Before long Sally was all set up in the guest room. At the very least she looked a little better after dinner and a bath. It was only when Chihiro was about to leave her alone that Sally rushed over for a hug. Chihiro was happy to lend her shoulder.
'It'll all be alright Sally. Think back to this morning. If someone really tries to take you away, we'll all be right there to protect you.'
With Sally finally settled down, Chihiro was once again free to attend her own business. She quietly departed from the dojo in her black kimono and fox mask, with Sally none the wiser. She had agreed to meet someone tonight. Once out of earshot, she activated her quirk to the limit and drank deep from the power of the forest- she was already a bit late, so she needed to hurry.
...
On the far side of the forest and a bit further into town was a shady part of Kyoto. It was just outside of a red-light district and home to a number of restaurants and food stalls, all making their living of off the traffic coming in and out of the brothels, casinos, and similar establishments. Thankfully the other party was still sitting at a ramen stall with a small pile of bowls next to him. He was Junichi Takagi, a friend of hers and one of the people that joined her dojo this last year... As well as a member of Inigo's vigilante group, a member of Legion, and a part timer with the Horrific Five. Honestly it was impressive how much he got around.
She sat down on an empty seat on Junichi's left, prompting her grouchy friend to complain: "What took you so damn long? The food here's good, but I don't have the money to keep eating forever."
"Sorry for the wait. There was a bit of a situation." There was no need for her to order anything- if she sat down then she was here to eat. Those were the rules. The chef simply made whatever he felt like.
Chihiro accepted the bowl of ramen and Junichi had yet another bowl forced upon him. A third person approached the stall and asked for a bowl- perhaps that was why Chihiro wasn't saying anything. She probably wanted to wait until no one else was in earshot... That said, the shop owner sure made quite the expression. Was the new customer some big shot? Whatever the case, the shop owner backed away from the stall after handing over the ramen. This big shot clearly wasn't the popular kind.
Feeling the newcomer sit down directly to his right, Junichi looked over and nearly choked on his meal. There sat the newest superstar of the villain scene, Sandatsu Owari. His face uncomfortably close, only a few inches away. He was unblinkingly scanning Junichi up and down.
With a confident grin, Sandatsu addressed Junichi: "Hey, there. You're... uh... Marrow. I had a moment so I was curious what my senpai was like... I thought you'd be more impressive, but I guess Sam sees something in you that I don't."
Junichi honestly wasn't sure what to say to that. Part of him wanted to get angry for the way Sandatsu came out of nowhere and just started to trash talk him. The rest of Junichi liked living. "I- uhh...-"
"-It's fine. You can just do your thing. I've got what I wanted already." Sandatsu's dismissal was both a relief for Junichi and frustrating at the same time.
Of course, Sandatsu had also noticed Chihiro sitting on the other side of Junichi. He simply didn't care. They'd hung out together once, a long time ago. She was shockingly boring for a girl with a background like hers. The only thing of note was her quirk. Since she's here, should he just take it now and save a trip later?
Something finally registered in his mind- She seemed to be ignoring him? He'd barely paid any attention until he thought of her quirk, but it did seem like she was ignoring him. It wasn't like he hadn't met any of his former classmates until this point- Kaylee, Orochi, Hiro, and Genma were among the first. They all turned hostile on the spot. While it was annoying that they thought themselves capable of beating him, the stupidity of it was endearing. Ultimately it was how he expected 1-D to act.
Yet here was one of them, calmly eating ramen as if he were any other stranger off of the street. Feeling his gaze, she returned it briefly. She met his gaze directly and calmly before returning to her meal. Somehow it made him curious: "Normally you guys start frothing at the mouth when you see me. Not going to draw that sword of yours?"
Taking her time to properly chew and swallow, she replied: "Even if I did beat you up, I can't stop you from running away."
"It'd never happen, but I guess you're not wrong. You really can't stop me. Still unexpected, I was thinking 1-D didn't have anyone afraid of death."
For some reason, the mention of 1-D made the face of a certain girl cross Junichi's mind. The thought of her pissed him off a little, but the conversation around him didn't wait.
Chihiro hummed to herself: "You're unexpectedly stupid for the leader of a villain group."
"So I'm often told, but I don't think I'm wrong this time." Despite the insult Sandatsu nodded along.
"I'm still inexperienced in many ways compared to the rest of the class, but fearing death isn't one of those ways. Death is only going home after a long journey." She wasn't lying either- in the eight years she spent alone, the thing that kept her alive was the belief that she wasn't worthy of death. Her views on the topic were long since twisted beyond what was healthy.
Sandatsu wasn't sure what to think of that perspective. He got the sense she was probably crazy, but talking to crazy people was fairly normal for him.
As he pondered, Chihiro added one more thing: "I haven't especially lost anything to you. Perhaps I'd be more eager to fight otherwise."
"How cold. Not like I'm really one to talk- I'm the guy that killed... uh... Bike guy. Even if he's basically a stranger, shouldn't you hero types be a little angry?"
"Probably? I'm honestly not much of a hero. If you were causing trouble somewhere else in the world, I don't think I'd really care. I only really want to kill you because you're in my way."
She liked it when 1-D was happy- when Hoge's parents didn't interfere and when Inigo was telling jokes to be funny, not to cover up the gloomy mood of the room. When Sally's outbursts weren't a panic attack. Happy days where the people around her were smiling from the bottom of their hearts- that's the ideal world she wanted for herself. In that sense, Sandatsu was indeed in her way. Ever since he ran off and became a villain, things started to change. When Genma was killed, that change was amplified ten-fold.
While she left a lot unspoken, Sandatsu understood that kind of ruthlessness just fine. He was much the same- it didn't matter who or why, if someone was in his way then he'd remove them. What kind of future she was reaching for didn't matter however. The world was his and only he had a say in where it would go.
Regardless, he had a different opinion of her now. "Who knew you were actually interesting? I thought about taking your quirk since you were here and all, but that seems boring now. I kinda want to see how you'll react if everyone around you dies before you do."
As dramatic and bloody as his declaration was, Chihiro treated it like a passing breeze. "That big blue guy is one of yours, right? I still have business with him. Any chance you'll tell me your address so I'll know where to mail his head?"
Being physically in the middle of that exchange was... profoundly uncomfortable for Junichi. He felt like he was sitting between a fearless tiger and an all-powerful dragon.
Thankfully her threat didn't phase Sandatsu in the slightest. Perhaps he felt no need to worry that his companion might lose. With a joking sigh he turned to Junichi again: "...Women. There's no point arguing with them. Marrow, you get what I mean, don't you?"
Junichi was just getting used to being ignored when the conversation suddenly turned back to him again: "...Uh... Fuck if I know... Depending on the woman, maybe an argument isn't that bad every once in a while?"
A certain face flashed through Junichi's mind once more as he said that.
Sandatsu hadn't expected a reply, but it brought a more sincere smile to his face- it was the first change to his expression since he arrived: "Hmm. Yeah, I get that. You've got good taste. You should really take Sam's offer. I don't really want your quirk, so it'd be a shame to kill you." Having said what he wanted, Sandatsu looked away from Junichi, showing no interest in any potential reply. Instead he turned to Chihiro: "Anyway, I'm leaving. Say hello to the boys for me. Oh, and no need to give me any gifts..."
Sandatsu quietly vanished into one of his portals, leaving his words to echo out from within: "...If you somehow succeed... I'll be right there to pay you back... You won't have to wait at all."
...
With a customer having left, the owner of the stall was rather disappointed to see that there was nothing left behind. Sandatu had even taken the bowl with him! Unable to do anything about Sandatsu, he glared at Junichi like this was somehow his fault for luring that monster to his stall.
After an awkward pause filled by the sound of noodles being slurped up, Chihiro held up her bowl and polished off the soup from her ramen. With little else to do, she decided to get straight to the point: "Inigo said he's got everything ready. All that's left is signing some paperwork and meeting with the staff. Are you ready?"
'Is he ready to join Shiketsu'. If he was being honest, the shit going down these days was intimidating. At some level, deep inside, he was still the guy from a year ago, an angry minion. His day to day was cracking the skulls of idiots that barely knew how their quirks worked, not dealing with the five, the Night Parade, or the new group made by that freak of nature Sandatsu. Not to mention all three of them seem to be rubbing shoulders now. Frankly it was a terrible time to be on the side of the law... and yet something about this conversation made it clear that waiting around would be a bad idea.
...For the third time that night, that girl's face appeared in his mind... He steeled his resolve as that face played side by side with the threats that Sandatsu made tonight.
He said words he didn't think he'd ever get to, not since he was turned down a year ago:
"I think I'm ready to be a hero."