The Fushimi Ward Incident
Mio's voice, edged with frustration, cut through the charged silence. "You idiot! Look at what you've done. This wasn't part of the plan!"
Sandatsu, his attention seemingly elsewhere, remained silent.
Mio, her patience wearing thin, stepped close. "You don't get it, do you? You're risking everything, and for what?!"
Sandatsu's response was a low growl, more guttural than human. His eyes remained fixed on some unseen point.
"You're actually retarded," Mio spat, "you can't see the mess you've created. The heroes are out there, and we're cornered."
Jugo shifted impatiently in the cool night air. He glanced at the building, a burning eagerness in his eyes. "This waiting is killing me. We should be doing something, not just standing here."
Suzuki Nene, easygoing as always, chuckled at Jugo's restlessness. Her cat-like eyes studied him with a playful glint. "Easy there,. Patience is a virtue. We can't just charge in without a plan. We don't even know what's happening inside."
Jugo ran a hand through his spiky hair, frustration evident on his face. "But what if they need help? What if there are people in danger?"
Nene's tail swayed lazily behind her as she spoke. "And what if there's a high-level villain in there? You charging in could make things worse. It's not always about rushing in headfirst."
The young hero crossed his arms, a pout on his face. "I just want to make a difference, you know? Be a real hero. And waiting out here this long doesn't feel like it."
Nene patted him on the shoulder, her tone reassuring. "You will get a chance to hit a villain or two. But being a hero also means knowing when to hold back. We have to trust the pros inside to handle it. We may have provisional licenses but following those with more experience is good."
Jugo sighed, relenting a bit. "I guess you're right. It's just frustrating." he paused for a second "I guess getting in there wouldn't be easy anyway." Jugo scratched his head, eyes fixed on the battered front of the building. The words "we have hostages" were etched into the structure, a stark warning.
「Charge Up!」+「Bloodthirst」+「Black Layer」+「Drugs」+「Evolution」+「Conduit」+「Death Empowerment」
The Evolution quirk worked its magic, stretching him into a towering figure, muscles bulging with an unnatural intensity. His once-human form warped into something more monstrous, accentuated by the elongated scaly tail that snaked behind him.
Then came Black Layer, covering him in a tar-like armor. Dark tendrils writhed around his body, forming an unsettling contrast to the patches of scales and quills that dotted his frame.
"Holy fuck now you are almost as disgusting on the outside as you are on the inside. Good job." Mio's insults echoed in the cavernous room.
Sandatsu, now an towering monstrosity, stood there in silence. The only response he offered was the occasional guttural growl, as if the insults were mere insects buzzing around him.
But before Mio could speak again, the air shifted. Black tendrils, sinuous and predatory, erupted from Sandatsu's form. Multiple arms, grotesque in their elongation, snaked through the air like hungry vipers. They ensnared Mio, wrapping around her with a deceptive gentleness that belied their monstrous appearance.
The tendrils moved with an unsettling grace, creating a cocoon around Mio. Black Layer was forming a protective shell that held her close to Sandatsu's transformed body.
The remnants of psychokinetic attacks were evident. Before the arrival of Nene and Jugo, the heroes and police outside the building had been subjected to psychokinetic attacks from a villain inside the building. The same psychokinesis had been used to carve the threat about hostages on the side of the building.
"Yeah. It stopped right at 40 meters. They've got a range, and they want us to know it." said Hijack as he approached both novice heroes.
"Hijack sensei!" said Jugo. First time on the field and I get to team up with you, hell yeah!" said Jugo.
"No 'sensei' here. We're all heroes in the field. Just call me Hijack." he said, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Got it, Hijack! Let's kick some villain butt! What's the plan?"
Hijack scratched his chin, eyes narrowing, his expression somber. "Listen up, you two. The building they attacked? It's the Hero Public Safety Commission. That means we're not calling all the shots. The government and the police force will be coordinating the plans. We follow their lead."
Jugo's face twisted into a scowl. "The government? Seriously? They're probably the reason those villains are running loose in the first place!"
Nene put a calming hand on Jugo's shoulder. "Easy, hotshot. We gotta play by the rules here. Let's see what they've got planned. We can still make a difference."
Hijack nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We might not like it, but we're part of a bigger system. Our job is to save lives and stop the bad guys. Now, let's go get the briefing and figure out our role in this mess."
The debriefing took place in a quickly assembled command center near the building. It was a tense symphony of shuffling papers and hushed whispers as the government official took center stage. He adjusted his tie, cleared his throat, and began, "Ladies and gentlemen, we find ourselves facing an unprecedented threat. An attack on the Hero Public Safety Commission building."
Nene, her catlike eyes sharp, scanned the room, recognizing familiar faces amidst the sea of costumes and serious expressions. Her attention zeroed in on a group of third-year students who had seamlessly integrated into the ranks of the pro heroes. Specifically Naga Sanchō, with Jīnsè Seishin standing besides him.
The screen behind him flickered to life, displaying images of the shattered building. "Judging by the amound of different quirks witnesset during the first attempt at entering the building we're dealing with a highly coordinated group with motives that, at this point, remain unclear."
The heroes listened intently, their expressions a mix of frustration and readiness.
"With the limited information we have, we're assembling a specialized strike team," the official continued. The screen displayed a roster of heroes, each chosen for their close-range combat abilities and utility quirks. "This team will breach the building swiftly, striking the villains hard and fast. Their primary objective is to extract hostages while neutralizing any immediate threats."
Naga nodded, his mind already calculating possible scenarios. Jugo's eyes gleamed with anticipation; this was the kind of action he had been waiting for.
"The rest of you," the official continued, addressing the broader assembly of heroes, "will act as a safety net. Be prepared to catch any fleeing villains and fill in the gaps as needed. We're dealing with a formidable adversary, and flexibility will be key."
Then it happened.
The front of the Hero Public Safety Commission building erupted into a chaotic display of destruction. Chunks of debris scattered in all directions, carried by a shockwave that radiated from the inside, where the villains were.
The heroes at the front, quick to react, threw up barriers of all shapes and sizes, creating a makeshift shield against the onslaught of power. The shockwave reverberated through the barriers, sending ripples of strain across the defenders.
The impact echoed through the city as Sandatsu careened into another building on the other side of the street. The speed from「Death Empowerment」more than matched the discarded「Slowmo」quirk, but it lacked a lot of precision in comparison, and the result was a violent collision that sent shockwaves through the urban landscape.
His form, a distorted blur, tore through the heart of the city. People, caught in the crossfire of an unfolding nightmare, ran for cover. Some, frozen in fear, could only watch as the calamity approached. The heroes, overwhelmed by the speed and scale of the destruction, struggled to coordinate a response. With one exception.
The air echoed with the thunderous beat of leathery wings as Saurus, now resembling a pterodactyl , caught up with the villain. The hero quickly changed form again. now resembling a massive crocodilian creature, clamped his powerful jaws onto Sandatsu's form. Saurus, with a ferocious determination, executed the quintessential move of crocodilian predators—the death roll. The spin, a whirlwind of raw power, aimed to disorient and butcher the villain.
Sandatsu, determined to break free, lashed out with his stolen quirks. As Saurus initiated the death roll, spikes of inky blackness pierced through the hero's jaws.
The descent was tumultuous, an unrelenting freefall that plunged Saurus and Sandatsu toward the ground. In a daring move, the villain tore at the hero's formidable teeth with his bare hands, ripping them free from their sockets. He thrust the serrated teeth at Saurus's snout, but the death roll continued!
The metallic taste of blood mingled with the acrid scent of asphalt as they felt the impact.
Saurus, now transformed into the formidable figure of a triceratops, charged with the unbridled force of a prehistoric juggernaut. His massive horns, pierced the air.
Sandatsu, having just extricated himself from the earth, found no respite. The ground trembled beneath the oncoming onslaught, and before he could react, Saurus's triceratops form was upon him. The villain, momentarily disoriented by the fall, met the full brunt of Saurus's charge.
Horns punctured through Sandatsu's darkened defenses. The violent collision sent the villain hurtling through the air.
Midair, the intervention of Nene's fireballs disrupted Sandatsu's trajectory. The other heroes were catching up to him.
As Sandatsu neared the ground, a familiar roar signaled the return of Saurus, still in his triceratops form. The prehistoric behemoth charged again, aiming to gore the villain with unrestrained brutality. Saurus, collided with Sandatsu. Horns met flesh.
In a surge of desperate strength, Sandatsu tapped into the strength of his 「Death Empowerment」 quirk. Gripping the horns of Saurus's triceratops form, Sandatsu spun with the force of a cyclone, sending the hero flying through the air crashing into a distant building.
Sandatsu seized the opportunity to break away. His monstrous form, moved with an otherworldly fluidity.
But fate had more cards to play in this battle.
Enter Floor. Despite being a sidekick, his help had been specifically requested as his quirk could prove incredibly useful in this situation. Floor activated his quirk. The very pavement beneath Sandatsu's monstrous form became an obstacle, asserting its dominion over the villain's movements. For a fleeting moment, Sandatsu's colossal form slowed, caught in a battle against the unseen force tethering him to the earth.
Sandatsu, his resolve unbroken, tried to overcome the restraining influence. With a thunderous roar, he surged forward, moving slowly but surely.
Floor's satisfaction manifested as a wry smile. Slowing down Sandatsu was their objective, and the ghostly fireball from Nene's Bakeneko quirk found its mark — straight into Sandatsu's eyes. The villain roared in frustration, momentarily blinded.
At the same time, Sandatsu felt a series of quick slashes targeted at the weaker points of the Black Layer armor. Kaga, empowered by the effects of pure oxygen, had closed the distance with remarkable speed.
Sandatsu tried to fight back. His colossal form swung wildly, the black tendrils and spikes flailing in all directions. With impeccable timing, Jīnsè intercepted Sandatsu's arm.
The hero's roar echoed alongside Sandatsu's, and with a a burst of energy, Jīnsè executed a flawless shoulder throw. Sandatsu, caught off guard by the sudden counterattack, found himself hurtling through the air.
Sandatsu needed to get rid of those annoying heroes to get away.
「Charge Up!」+「Embers」+「Psychokinesis」+「Conduit」
However, his swirling combination of quirks wasn't realeased instantly, as Sandatsu felt something. Hijack had joined the fight while he was blinded, and he had managed to grace Sandatsu. In that instant of connection, the stolen quirks fell under the influence of Hijack's dominion.
In that fleeting moment, he acted on instinct. Focusing on his inhuman speed, in barely a second with a swing of his arm he created a curtain of dust and debris that engulfed the immediate vicinity. Amidst the tempest, Mio, wrapped in a piece of Sandatsu's cloak, hurtled through the air, crashing into the skeletal remains of a ruined building.
Sandatsu's calculated move was not an act of callousness; it was a desperate bid to ensure Mio's safety.
After that fraction of a second, Hijack's quirk took effect. The deadly amalgamation of quirks that Sandatsu was about to unleash had been redirected by the hero.
The battlefield erupted in a searing burst of power. Sandatsu became the unwilling recipient of his own destructive creation. The energy, once harnessed for obliteration, now turned inward with merciless intensity. A shockwave rippled through the air. The towering figure of Sandatsu convulsed within the maelstrom of his own unleashed might.
[https://youtu.be/qW3JanrF2rY?si=RTuzKAnOZU04Y_oe]
Amidst the wreckage, Mio lay still. Blood, dark and viscous, oozed from the gash on her forehead, tracing a path through her matted hair. Her senses danced on the edge of consciousness, tethered by the thinnest of threads. Dizziness gripped her with a nauseating intensity. Each heartbeat reverberated through her skull, a drumming rhythm that threatened to drown out any semblance of coherent thought.
Sandatsu was still standing in the battlefield, a grotesque visage of agony and defiance. The once mighty figure, now charred and blackened, swayed on unsteady legs. The cloak that had once billowed with sinister elegance now clung to his seared form, a macabre visage of burnt fabric fused with flesh.
Thanks to the empowerment loop from「Conduit」 Sandatsu's quirk had proved too much for Hijack to take control over completely. But even if he couldn't shut down 「Quirk Reaping」completely, the hero still had seized control over Sandatsu's stolen quirks.
In an instant, the stolen embers quirk ignited around Sandatsu. The villain, wreathed in the blaze, felt the searing pain as the embers clung to him like vengeful spirits. Hijack had nullified Sandatsu's rewind quirk, ensuring that the damage inflicted by the relentless flames could not be regenerated.
His body barely held itself together.
But there was hope. Hijack was still having trouble shutting down his stolen mutant quirks
Mio clung desperately to consciousness. Her surroundings seemed like a fever dream.
The piece of Sandatsu's cloak felt coarse against her trembling fingers.
Pain radiated from every inch of her battered form, but in the haze of agony, a singular determination burned within her. With grim resolve, she targeted the memories of one of the heroes within the range of her quirk. She made a single change before the hero was too far away.
The rest of her focus was directed at Sandatsu.
Mio's voice echoed through the recesses of Sandatsu's mind.
"Get up, you worthless idiot," her words reverberated, a mix of anger and desperation.
The charred figure lay still.
"Wasn't the world supposed to be yours? You lost everything, and now I'm stuck here because of your incompetence."
In the desolate landscape of Sandatsu's mind, fragments of memories flickered like dying embers. The scenes of battle, the stolen quirks, the relentless pursuit of dominance—all seemed to mock him in the stillness.
One moment, he found himself in an empty classroom. Memory Mio stood before him.
"Get up, damn it!" Mio's voice quivered with a mix of frustration and fear.
The setting morphed again, this time to a tranquil riverside bank. The gentle flow of the water whispered tales of bygone days. Memory Mio, bathed in the soft glow of sunset, stared out into the distance.
"Pathetic."
The final transition brought them to a dimly lit street, shrouded in the cloak of night. Sandatsu walked purposefully, his silhouette moving toward the part of the street where the streetlights had surrendered to shadows.
Memory Mio materialized before him, her eyes reflecting the dim glow of distant city lights. She stepped into his path, a determined look on her face.
"Don't you dare go there," she said, her voice edged with urgency. "I'm not letting you die like this. You got me into this mess. Fix it."
Memory Mio's hands gripped his, an unspoken plea in her eyes.
"I don't want to die here."
In the recesses of Sandatsu's battered consciousness, a dormant memory, summoned from the remnants of his stolen 「Death Empowerment」 quirk, flickered to life.
The scene unfolded in the aftermath of a dangerous mission. Shihai, bearing the scars of a recent battle, stood alone in a dimly lit room. She absentmindedly touched her stomach, reflecting on the fact that, at some point during the mission, she had protected it unconsciously.
The heroes, frozen in their pursuit, exchanged glances, uncertainty etched on their faces. The burnt husk of Sandatsu wasn't moving, but there was a sort of pressure building up around the villain.
A sound, soft and barely audible, escaped the remnants of Sandatsu's burned lips. It was a weak, raspy vocalization.
"...ⁱⁿᵉ.."
In an eruption of frenzied determination, Sandatsu, his burnt form seemingly animated by nothing more than a surge of willpower and bloodlust, lunged at Hijack with a terrifying. One of his legs crumbled under the pressure and strength he used.
Sandatsu, bereft of his emitter and transformation quirks, channeled the remnants of his mutant-type abilities into a violent onslaught, black tendrils and spikes erupting from his charred arm.
With a casual disdain, he dispatched Floor and Jīnsè, their forms sent hurtling away as if they were inconsequential obstacles in his path. His focus then shifted, the burning gaze of his surviving eye fixating on Hijack.
In a blaze of fury, the charred villain closed the distance between them. The hero, caught off guard by the sudden ferocity, found himself unable to evade the impending assault. Black tendrils lashed out like vengeful serpents, impaling Hijack with a merciless precision.
The buildings crumbled under the force of their collision. Debris and dust painted the air as the two adversaries became a living wrecking ball.
As Sandatsu stumbled over debris, his weakened grip couldn't hold onto Hijack any longer, letting the hero fall to the ground.
It dawned on him like a revelation – the persistent misfortune he had experienced throughout this encounter was not merely coincidence. Nene's quirk had been affecting him throughout the battle.
He turned around to face the duo of heroes. Kaga was already coming at him, wielding a piece of rebar. The rebar, driven with force, pierced through Sandatsu's torso. It should have been a decisive strike, a culmination of heroes converging against a formidable villain.
Yet, Sandatsu, fueled by his indomitable will, pushed through. As Kaga's momentum carried both of them to the ground, Sandatsu's relentless assault took a shocking turn.
In a desperate bid for survival, Sandatsu's jaws closed around Kaga's neck. The air was filled with the sickening crunch of bone and sinew as the villain's formidable bite found its mark. The hero's agonized gurgle was drowned as the weight of Sandatsu's monstrous form pressed down on Kaga.
Amidst the chaos, Nene's ghostly fireball found its mark, striking Sandatsu. As he released his grip on Kaga, the hero crumpled to the ground.
Sandatsu's eyes scanned the distance, locking onto Nene, who stood resolute, struggling to carry the tall form of the unconscious Jīnsè.
Then Saurus, entered the scene again. His injuries were severe, but the strength he emanated hadn't diminished one bit.
"Can you move?" Saurus bellowed, his voice a thunderous command.
Nene nodded, determination etched on her face. Saurus, recognizing her resolve, issued orders with the precision of a seasoned tactician. "Wait for the opening. Grab the others and get to safety. After that come back to the fight. I'll hold him off for as long as I can."
As Nene prepared to execute her part of the plan, Saurus roared, a challenge hurled at the menacing figure of Sandatsu. His voice echoed through the battered city streets.
"ROUND TWO YOU BASTARD!" Saurus bellowed, his words dripping with contempt. "YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU WERE EXTINCT AFTER I'M DONE!"
Internally, Saurus maintained a calm analysis of the situation. His eyes keenly observed the villain, noting a crucial detail—the absence of regeneration. It was a valuable insight, suggesting either a limitation in the villain's powers or the possibility that Hijack was still alive.
His foot transformed into a razor-sharp velociraptor claw, cleaving through the air and slashing across Sandatsu's form. Blood sprayed as the villain staggered backward, reeling from the attack.
With relentless momentum, Saurus followed up with a punishing lariat that sent shockwaves through the air. Sandatsu, already wounded and disoriented, was thrown off his feet, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
But Saurus wasn't finished. In a swift metamorphosis, he became an ankylosaurus, his massive tail rising high before coming down with brutal force, crushing into Sandatsu's torso. Bones cracked, and the villain's pained howl echoed through the desolation.
Hijack, his body battered and broken, dragged himself away, each movement agonizing.
Hijack, blood-soaked and on the verge of collapse, managed to put some distance between them. Every labored movement etched a trail of crimson on the pavement.
His throat, constricted by pain and blood, rendered speech impossible, yet his eyes conveyed a resolute determination. He,perhaps sensing the impending doom, gritted his teeth in a silent show of defiance. He knew the potency of Sandatsu's regeneration, and in his weakened state, preventing it was a battle against time and his own failing strength. He maintained his quirk effect with a tenacity born of desperation, determined to deny Sandatsu the healing that could spell their defeat.
Fifteen meters — a number etched in his memory. That was the range of the villain's quirk. He clearly remembers it, from when he first hijacked his quirk factor.
Ten meters, the distance that seemed both immense and agonizingly short, separated Hijack from the relentless clash between Saurus and the villain. He struggled to crawl away. Just a little bit more. He would hold as many of the villain's quirk at bay for as long as he could. And by putting enough distance between them he was making sure that he wouldn't steal his quirk after he died.
Because he could feel it. The injuries he had sustained were severe. The pain he had felt when he first started crawling was gone. His body was going numb.
He pondered the path he had chosen, the sacrifices made in the name of heroism. His quirk, a coveted tool among the hero community, had made him a valuable asset in many operations against villains.
Yet, a lingering question lingered in the recesses of his fading consciousness – had he done enough?
"Teaching... yeah, that was the best part." he thought.
A fleeting smile touched his lips.
"Maybe... no, for sure, they'll be great heroes."
As his consciousness waned, memories flickered like the dying embers of a fire. Faces of eager young minds flashed before him.
"Damn, they grew up so fast. Faster than I noticed. Kids, really, they were kids when we started."
Regret laced his thoughts.
"Damn, I forgot... to grade... the essays. The last ones they submitted. Sloppy teacher till the end, huh?"
With newfound strength, he unleashed a devastating psychokinetic blast, sending Saurus hurtling into a mound of debris. The mountain of rocks and wreckage trembled as the hero's massive form collided with it.
For a moment, all that remained was the settling dust and the distant echoes of destruction. Sandatsu, fueled by the amalgamation of quirks, surveyed the aftermath with a predatory gaze. The stolen power of Hijack had seamlessly integrated into his own.
Saurus, amidst the wreckage, groaned as he pushed himself up. His eyes widened as he witnessed the villain's regeneration. The burnt husk that moments ago seemed on the brink of demise was now slowly but surely restoring itself. The black armor, a defensive barrier that had cracked under Saurus's relentless assault, was now mending.
But there wasn't time to mourn; the battle demanded his attention.
Then, the villain's resurgence was interrupted.
Jugo descended from the sky, a tempest of righteous fury. His eyes blazed with intensity as he landed with a ground-shaking thud, a kinetic shockwave rippling from his impact.
Jugo didn't waste a moment. He lunged at Sandatsu, fists wreathed in swirling ki. Every strike aimed to be a finishing blow.
His mind was a tempest of conflicting emotions. The responsibility of a hero had been drilled into him, yet the instinct to confront the menace head-on screamed louder. He was supossed to assist in evacuations, but he had ditched his post and now he was diving headfirst into a chaotic battle.
Sandatsu tried to put some distance between them to regenerate, butJugo hit the ground running, literally, as he barreled towards him. His fists clenched, radiating energy. Saurus, still recovering from the psychokinetic blast, joined the charge, the ground shuddering beneath him.
The first clash was swift, brutal. Jugo unleashed a barrage of quick punches, each one leaving a trail of flickering afterimages. Sandatsu blocked with his armored forearms, the impacts reverberating through his body.
Saurus lunged from the side, his massive claw slashing through the air. Sandatsu ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack, but Jugo seized the opportunity. He propelled himself into a spinning kick, aiming for Sandatsu's midsection. The villain staggered back.
Saurus, now in his theropod form, snapped his jaws at Sandatsu, who deftly evaded the deadly bite.
Sandatsu, his black armor slowly regenerating, faced the dual threat with grim determination. He gathered embers in his hands, creating an aura of crackling heat that distorted the air around him. Jugo launched himself forward, while Saurus charged from the side. Both heroes impacting at the same time before Sandatsu could release the fiery wave.
Jugo's fists blazed with energy as he struck with blinding speed. Each punch, a miniature ki explosion on impact, left scorch marks on the villain's protective layer. Saurus, with a lunge of his powerful hind legs, swung his tail like a battering ram.
Sandatsu, reacting with surprising agility, ducked under Jugo's onslaught and sidestepped Saurus's tail. In a swift counter, he unleashed a psychokinetic wave, a surge of invisible force against both.
Jugo was sent sprawling, but Saurus, quickly adapting, morphed into a stegosaur form. His tail now bore a battering ram of spikes.
Sauru swung his tail with bone-crushing force. The spiked appendage connected with Sandatsu's midsection, creating a sickening crunch. Before he could react, Jugo descended like a comet, delivering a powerful downward kick that smashed through the weakened armor on Sandatsu's back.
Saurus, resolute in his assault, bellowed at Jugo. "You're not supposed to be part of this, hotshot, but damn if you ain't backing me up fine!" Jugo, grinning through the ferocity of battle, replied with a thumbs-up, a burst of energy propelling him back into the fray.
「Charge Up!」+「Psychokinesis」+「Conduit」
The explosion tore through the battlefield, a maelstrom of energy that left destruction in its wake. Saurus, momentarily shielded by his own armored hide, weathered the force of the blast, though he was thrown back like a ragdoll. Jugo wasn't as lucky, as he had been caught mid air, and was sent further away.
He crashed near Hijack's lifeless form, his shock mingling with the pain of impact. The reality of the situation hit him hard, and for a moment, he remained frozen in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Saurus, shaken but undeterred, pushed himself up. His saurian eyes scanned the chaotic scene. Countless shapes were shambling towards him. The realization struck him like a physical blow. The civilians that had fallen victim to Sandatsu's rampage were now rising, their lifeless eyes glowing with an unnatural fervor. They stumbled towards Saurus with an unsettling, zombie-like gait.
Amidst the chaos, Sandatsu, still wreathed in the remnants of his destructive quirk combination, stood tall. His regenerative abilities were rapidly healing the damage inflicted during the blast. The black armor that encased him reformed, its surface crackling with latent energy. He noticed a figure standing in the distance.
Sandatsu, in the midst of the chaotic battlefield, locked eyes with Drekus. The mutant villain stood tall, feathers gleaming in the eerie light. The burden on his back, shielded by steel plumes, revealed a delicate arm. Sandatsu's heart skipped a beat as he recognized Mio's frail form nestled amidst the protective layers.
"Comrade!" Drekus shouted, giving a robust thumbs up. "Big sister is taking care of heroes. Drekus takes care of little devil child!"
The sentiment, delivered in broken yet endearing language, resonated with Sandatsu.
"Drekus," A genuine smile crept across Sandatsu's face. "You're my fucking hero."
Sandatsu prepared to make his escape. Yet, before he could ascend, a frenzied figure intercepted him mid-air.
Jugo, consumed by a berserker's fury, soared through the night like a vengeful spirit. His eyes, normally vibrant with life, now glowed with an unsettling rage. Sandatsu, acknowledging the incoming threat, spoke with an air of detached indifference.
"I don't have time for you," His words fell on deaf ears as Jugo, propelled by unbridled fury, closed the gap with terrifying speed.
"Get lost." said Sandatsu before unleashing another psychokinetic wave to push the young hero down. But Jugo pushed through.
Driven by the ghostly image of Hijack's lifeless form, Jugo, his eyes ablaze with an uncontrollable rage, unleashed slicing ki waves that cleaved through the air. These ethereal blades seemed to pursue Sandatsu relentlessly.
Sandatsu, normally composed and calculating when his head was clear, felt an unfamiliar pressure as the projectiles homed in on him with almost supernatural precision.
The slashes caused by the ki waves were quickly healed, but Sandatsu couldn't help but feel the hunger inside him grow. This wasn't just brute force, and Jugo had never displayed abilities like these; maybe his quirk was awakening? Evolving under the duress of grief and anger?
If Jugo's quirk was indeed awakening, the potential benefits were tempting. A smirk crossed Sandatsu's face—stealing it was so tempting.
However, the risk was substantial. Jugo, now a maelstrom of unchecked energy, could prove unpredictable, and Sandatsu didn't really want to delay his escape more.
Yet, as the confrontation reached its zenith, a pivotal moment shattered the relentless rhythm. Jugo's attack, a combination of ki wave and physical strike, sliced through Sandatsu's black layer armor, revealing the visage of the villain. The revelation echoed in the air, momentarily freezing Jugo in disbelief.
"What the hell...?" Jugo's mutter hung in the air.
In that suspended moment, Sandatsu, driven by the insatiable hunger within him, seized the opportunity.
「Quirk Reaping」+「Hijack」+「Conduit」
「Prototype Ultimate Move」
Sandatsu stood before the door of the secluded villa. His body writhed in agony, his stolen quirks conflicting within him. With a grimace, he extended his hand towards the entrance, aiming to break it open using「Black Layer」as a battering ram.
Instead of the anticipated quirk, a grotesque mass of arms sprouted forth.
The limbs, distorted and nightmarish, collided with the door, breaking it.
As the door gave way, a man and a woman inside recoiled in terror, their faces etched with the dread of an unexpected intrusion. Before their screams could pierce the air, Sandatsu attempted to assert control with his psychokinesis.
Yet, once again, the his quirks betrayed him.
Instead of the intended restraint, his 「Embers」 quirk ignited the couple on fire.
Drekus, who entered after Sandatsu received a command. Sandatsu, through gritted teeth, ordered him to bring Mio inside. The hulking figure nodded.
As Drekus moved into the house Sandatsu looked at the civilians, who writhed in agony. Frustration fueled his next actions. He approached the screaming figures, and with a grim determination, he finished the two civilians with his own hands, unwilling to tempt the unpredictable nature of his stolen quirks.
Sandatsu's eyes fluttered open, the world around him slowly swimming into focus. A dull ache permeated his body.
His gaze darted around the room. The bed where they had treated Mio met his searching eyes. It was empty, and the sheets were still bloody.
Instinctively, he sought her presence, a magnetic pull that led him to the balcony overlooking the desolate coast.
There she was, a silhouette against the brooding horizon. The sky was grey, and the waves were fierce. She had changed her clothes, probably taking them from the now deceased owners of the property.
"You fucked everything up..." Her voice sliced through the quiet.
"You messed it all up," she spat, her words cutting through the stillness. "My escape, my chance at a normal life. All of it."
He remained silent.
"You're always so damn confident," she continued, each word a lash. "But look where that confidence got us."
"What about our identities?" she pressed on, her words now a relentless assault. "You think those heroes and the damn authorities won't figure it out? You might as well have painted a target on us. Brilliant move, genius."
"You incompetent fool," she hissed, the venom in her voice palpable. "Thought you could play villain, huh? You're nothing but a fuck-up."
"You couldn't even handle those heroes properly," she spat "And that teacher's quirk? You only got that because of me."
In the midst of her rage, Mio glimpsed his memories. She saw how he had struggled to mend her injuries. "You might've wanted to save me, but all you did was drag me deeper into your mess."
"I regret ever meeting you. You're not human. You're a fucking monster."
Sandatsu remained stoic against the verbal onslaught without flinching.
"You're sick. I bet you enjoyed every moment of it."
"Didn't you?" Sandatsu's voice, hoarse and worn, cut through the silence.
She hesitated for a bit, until a reluctant "yes" escaped her lips.
"I enjoy seeing others suffer," Mio spoke the words with an unsettling calmness. She had already seen Sandatsu's memories of the battle. And she enjoyed it. She even had a favorite part, that being when Jugo saw Sandatsu's face. His expression had been great.
She leaned against the balcony railing, the sea breeze tangling with her disheveled hair.
"You know," she began, her voice a low murmur, "I've always liked messing with people. Seeing how much it takes for them to give up who they are, and then to push them some more to see how much they can degenerate and then I want to revel in their misery."
As she talked, her voice became more and more cheerful.
"Whenever I'm having a bad day I want to unleash my frustration on anyone I feel like. I want to be able to ruin someone's life on a whim. I want to be treated with the utmost respect, worshiped even, while I treat everyone else like trash. Even the people I torment should be thankful that I am paying even the slightest attention to them."
She turned around, and Sandatsu's eyes met Mio's. The stormy seas roared behind her, and the darkened clouds above painted an ominous backdrop. But on her lips was a smile, serene and full of an unsettling bliss. For a moment, time seemed to pause. Sandatsu couldn't help but be captivated by the sight before him. The wind tousled her hair, and raindrops adorned her skin
And then, breaking the silence, Mio's voice sliced through the storm. "That's the world I want. Will you give it to me?"
"AAUUGH!" she exclaimed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "What was I thinking? It sounded like a fucking confession!"
Mio recoiled, a visible cringe contorting her features as the memory of her conversation with Sandatsu replayed in her mind. To add to her vexation, she couldn't shake off the irritation at Sandatsu's reaction. "Sure. Didn't ask though..." his nonchalant response echoed in her mind, and it fueled her annoyance.
Mio seethed as she recalled the details from Sandatsu's memories. He had pumped her full of painkillers from his「Drugs」quirk when he was treating her, but she knew se couldn't entirely blame chemical influences for her outburst.
"Ugh... that idiot..."
"What?"
Mio jumped, startled by Sandatsu's sudden arrival. "Don't sneak up on me like that you ape!"
"You're way too distracted."
They had returned to the safehouse, and were suppossed to be planning their next move. But everything felt so awkward, and they didn't even know what to do. The nerves from having pro heroes suddenly storm the house after learning their identities didn't help. In fact, Mio was actually scared of going to school, or even returning to her home with his family.
She crossed her arms, her blue-tipped hair cascading over her shoulders as she shot him a withering glare. To fight against the awkwardness, she had the ol' reliable "just talk shit" method.
"So, let me get this straight. You, in your infinite wisdom, tried to pull off some grand move, and what did you accomplish? Butchering your own quirk factor!" Mio's tone dripped with sarcasm as she paced around Sandatsu "You went through all that trouble, putting yourself at risk, and for what?"
Sandatsu was now paying the price for trying such a risky move.
If he focused intently, he could manage to access the right quirks, but the process was a delicate and time-consuming effort. That meant that combining several quirks like he used to do was out of the question.
What's more, the act of stealing additional quirks was impossible for him now. The very essence of his quirk factor had been compromised in his reckless pursuit of power. The once-automatic process of assimilating new abilities was now agonizingly slow, if not entirely halted.
Mio scoffed, unable to resist a mocking laugh. But Sandatsu had a new tool against her at his disposal.
"So, are dating for real now?" he said.
"AAUUGH!" Mio cringed again.