Duth-duth-duth.
Duth-duth-duth.
Hideki Sato leaned entirely out of the helicopter door.
The harsh wind whipped his hair and tie around, but he didn't care at all.
"Are you getting this?!" Sato scread into his headset, grabbing the edge of the open door. "Tell you have the shot!"
"I still have it!" Nagi shouted from the back seat.
He held the heavy broadcast cara steady on his shoulder, aiming the lens straight down into the ruined city block. "The feed is still live! The whole world is watching!"
Sato looked down at the massive crater. Hero X was gone.
The fight was over.
Sato grabbed the pilot's seat.
"Bring us down!" Sato ordered, pointing wildly at the dirt below. "Land right in the middle of it!"
"Are you crazy, Boss?!" the pilot yelled back over the engine noise. "The ground is unstable! There's debris everywhere!"
"I don't care! Do it!" Sato yelled. "This is the biggest scoop in human history! Get down there right now!"
Down in the dirt, the heavy dust was finally settling.
All Might stood completely still. He looked down at his massive hands.
Sitting right in the center of his palm was a crumpled ball of paper.
SWOOSH.
Thud.
Captain Celebrity landed heavily on the broken concrete next to him.
The Arican hero dropped his aerodynamic shield.
HUFF-PUFF.
He let out a long, exhausted breath and wiped a thick layer of sweat and dirt from his forehead.
"I have to say it, All Might," Captain Celebrity panted, shaking his head slowly. "That guy is an absolute monster. Back at Sky Egg concert, I knew he was very strong but not this unreasonable."
All Might didn't answer right away. He just stared at the paper.
Carefully, using just the tips of his thick fingers, All Might started to un-crumple the tight ball.
FWIP.
He slowly flattened the paper out onto his palm.
"Look at this," All Might whispered. His voice sounded genuinely stunned.
"Hmm." Captain Celebrity leaned in close to look.
It wasn't just a static drawing.
The 2D figures of All For One and the Seven Crowns were literally moving around on the flat white paper.
TAP. TAP.
The tiny, two-dinsional version of All For One was pounding his flat fists against the edge of the paper.
He looked furious. His mouth was moving fast, like he was screaming at the top of his lungs, but no sound ca out at all. He was completely trapped.
Captain Celebrity blinked hard. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, making sure he wasn't hallucinating.
"Damn! He folded him with style." Captain Celebrity muttered, staring at the paper. "We just spent half an hour fighting for our lives, and he folded the most dangerous man on the planet like a grocery receipt."
_-_-_-_
Location: The Quirk Plane
The mist was completely still.
Daigoro Banjo just sat down on a rock. He covered his face with his hands and started laughing.
It wasn't his usual loud, happy laugh. It was a nervous, hysterical laugh.
"Hahaha... I can't believe it," Banjo wheezed, shaking his head. "We fought this guy for decades. We literally died fighting him. And that Hero X just crumpled him up and threw him."
SIGH.
Kudo crossed his arms. He let out a long, tired sigh and looked up at the vestige sky.
"There is still soone who is more dangerous than All For One after all," Kudo said quietly. "That guy is terrifying."
Bruce stood next to Hikage. Both of them just looked completely dumbfounded.
"All that planning," Bruce muttered. "All those quirk combinations and kinetic limits All Might trained for..."
En pulled his high collar up a little more. "Tactics don't matter against soone who just ignores reality, Bruce."
A few feet away, Nana Shimura covered her mouth.
She was crying softly, her shoulders shaking with pure relief.
The nightmare that ruined her family was finally sitting in a piece of trash.
Yoichi Shigaraki sat in his chair. He didn't look shocked. He just smiled gently and stared up at the sky.
"It's over, brother," Yoichi whispered softly into the mist.
_-_-_-_-_
Location: Ground Zero – Ruined City Streets
BZZZT. KRRSH.
A voice crackled straight into All Might's earpiece.
'Toshinori, can you hear ?' Sir Nighteye asked. His voice was shaking with adrenaline.
"I hear you, Mirai," All Might answered quietly, keeping his eyes on the paper.
'He didn't just save Japan,' Nighteye said quickly. 'The WHA just sent the data. Hero X anchored the entire planet's tectonic plates. He locked the earth's crust in place for a split second to stop the earthquakes everywhere. It is a literal miracle.'
HUUUF.
All Might took a deep breath. He carefully closed his hand, keeping the paper safe in his grip.
WHIRRRR.
The loud chopping of helicopter blades hit them.
Sato's news chopper touched down hard on a flat piece of concrete just a few yards away.
SLIDE.
THUMP.
The side door slid open. Hideki Sato jumped out before the blades even stopped spinning.
Nagi was right behind him, the heavy cara resting on his shoulder.
"Live feed! Keep it rolling!" Sato yelled, sprinting straight toward the two massive heroes.
Captain Celebrity saw the red recording light blinking on the cara.
Even though he was battered, bruised, and exhausted, the Arican hero instantly turned his swagger back on. He puffed out his chest, flashed a bright smile, and stepped right in front of the lens.
"Don't worry, folks!" Captain Celebrity announced loudly, flexing a bicep. "The Symbol of Hope is still standing! We held the line!"
Sato completely ignored him. He ducked right under Captain Celebrity's arm and shoved his microphone up toward All Might's face.
"All Might!" Sato shouted, his eyes wide with crazy excitent. "The whole world is watching this live! What just happened?! Where is the leader of the League?!"
"..." CC
All Might looked at the cara lens.
He didn't strike a victory pose. He didn't laugh loudly. He just stood tall, looking incredibly serious and calm.
"The threat is over," All Might's deep voice echoed through the microphone.
He looked directly into the cara, speaking to the millions of terrified people watching from the evacuation dos.
"You do not need to be afraid anymore," All Might declared firmly. "The leader of the League of Villains has been completely defeated. He was stopped by Hero X."
Sato gripping the microphone tighter.
"The villain is contained," All Might continued, raising his closed fist slightly. "The global disasters have been halted. Please remain calm and wait for the local authorities. The heroes will handle the cleanup. We are safe."
_-_-_-_-_
Location: World Hero Association Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Ti: 6 Hours Later
The massive circular assembly room was absolute chaos.
Life-sized, flickering holographic projections of world leaders and Hero Commission Presidents filled the seats.
Everyone was talking over each other. They were arguing in a dozen different languages, waving data pads, and shouting across the room.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The WHA President slamd his heavy wooden gavel against the podium.
"Order!" the President yelled into his microphone. "Everyone sit down! We need to go through the reports right now!"
The room slowly quieted down. The holograms stopped pacing, but the tension was still choking the air.
"Let's start with the disaster bombs and the inventors," the President said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Arican Representative. Status on Italy?"
The Arican Representative pressed his mic.
"Star and Stripe secured the Italian base," the Arican rep reported. "Valdo Gollini and his mafia faction have been completely captured. The production line there is dead."
"Not all of it."
The HPSC Madam President's hologram flickered. She looked completely cold and serious.
"According to the intelligence gathered by Kaito Arisaka, there was a co-inventor," the Madam President stated flatly. "His na is Flect Turn. And he is gone. He slipped away during the mafia chaos."
The room erupted into loud murmurs.
"Put out a global warrant imdiately," the WHA President ordered, typing on his console. "Classify him as a highest-priority international terrorist. Next topic. The unidentified creatures."
The European Representative stood up quickly. He was sweating.
"These monsters," the European rep swallowed hard. "They didn't revert back to normal flesh and blood. When Hero X sent that wave across the planet, they flattened into two-dinsional paper drawings. They are literally scattered all over our cities."
"Then clean them up," the French rep scoffed. "What is the problem?"
"The problem is we don't know how this works!" the European rep shouted back. "We have sanitation workers sweeping them up with regular brooms! What if the power wears off? What if a piece of paper suddenly turns back into a monster in the back of a garbage truck?!"
"....."
The room went dead silent. That thought terrified everyone.
"Issue a global containnt protocol," the WHA President decided imdiately. "Hazmat teams only. Gather every single scrap of paper and lock them in maximum-security, quirk-suppressing vaults. Do not take any chances."
"What about the League?" the Latino rep asked. "Is All For One dead?"
The Madam President shook her head.
"No. He is alive," she confird. "But he is contained. All Might is currently holding him inside a folded piece of paper. And our intelligence just confird another detail. Those Seven Crowns fighting alongside him? They weren't followers. They were highly advanced clones of All For One himself."
"Dio mio..."
The Italian Representative buried his face in his hands. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack.
WHA President continues "Now, onto the damages."
The next ten minutes were a nightmare.
Representatives from the Arica, Asia, Africa and Europe read off staggering reports.
Trillions of dollars in global property damage.
Cracked coastlines.
Destroyed bridges.
Flooded ports from the massive tectonic shifts. The bill was going to bankrupt entire cities.
"And the casualties?" the WHA President asked softly, bracing himself for the worst.
The Arican Representative looked down at his data pad. He blinked a few tis, looking genuinely shocked.
"It's a miracle," the Arican rep said, his voice shaking. "We have thousands of injured heroes and civilians from the evacuations. But... zero civilian deaths. Nobody died on the coastlines."
PUUUFF.
A massive, collective sigh of relief washed over the entire room. Leaders slumped back in their chairs. They just survived an extinction-level event.
"Alright," the WHA President said, standing up a bit straighter. "Let's look at the combat data. Head Scientist, the floor is yours."
The WHA Head Scientist walked up to the podium and plugged a hard drive into the main console.
BEEP.
A massive video feed played on the center screen. It showed satellite footage of Ground Zero in Japan.
"Look at this seismic and wind pressure data," the scientist pointed at a graph next to the video. "This is All Might and All For One clashing. The sheer kinetic force of their punches literally split the cloud cover from Japan all the way across the Asian continent."
The world leaders stared at the screen in pure awe.
"We are officially classifying All Might, All For One, and Star and Stripe in a completely different tier of power," the scientist stated. "They are beyond normal Pro Heroes."
The WHA President took the microphone back.
"Which brings us to the man responsible for All Might's current state," the President said. "The Golden Manager. Kaito Arisaka."
BEEP.
The screen changed, showing Kaito's profile picture.
"Look at All Might's combat data from six months ago compared to today," the President pointed out. "Before he signed with Arisaka, All Might was strong, but he was within biological limits. After Arisaka trained him, his power spiked to a terrifying level. He broke the laws of motion today."
The President leaned forward over his desk.
"And there is sothing else," he added grimly. "The secret global network used to coordinate today's raid. Arisaka built it. A single civilian from Japan created a program that bypassed the national cyber defense firewalls of over a hundred countries in this room without triggering a single military alert."
Loud argunts instantly broke out.
The delegates were completely embarrassed and terrified by the security breach, but also amazed by the sheer brainpower.
"We already decided to draft him last ti right?!" the French rep asked.
"Yes.. Contract with top 10 pro heroes of every country!" the Russian rep yelled, slamming his hand on his desk. "So what is the current status then?"
"Absolutely not."
The HPSC Madam President's voice cut through the noise like a knife. She glared at the Arican rep.
"You will do no such thing," the Madam President replied. "Kaito Arisaka is a civilian. He is a citizen of Japan with absolute free will. He is not a soldier, and he is not your governnt pawn. He has the legal right to decline any contract he wants. And right now, he is in an exclusive contract with All Might. You cannot force him to do anything."
"...."
The Russian rep opened his mouth to argue, but the WHA President raised his hand to stop him.
Sigh.
"She is right," the President sighed. "We can't draft a civilian. Let Mr. Arisaka choose a hero he wanted to contract with. I heard that Salaam went to Japan personally to et Mr. Arisaka."
"Yes, Salaam recieved a confirmation from Kaito Arisaka before the global raid even started." The Egypt rep answered.
"Then let's move to the final anomaly." WHA President continued.
The scientist pressed another button on his console.
BZZZT. KRRRSH.
The graph on the screen completely glitched out. The red lines shot straight off the chart and scrambled into static.
The scientist pulled up satellite clips of Hero X.
It showed him flattening the Philippine ga-tsunami into cardboard.
It showed him turning Indonesian magma into cherry blossoms. And finally, it showed him slamming the earth in Iceland.
"What is his quirk?!" the Argentina rep asked. "How did he stop the planet's rotation?!"
"He didn't stop the rotation," the scientist said bluntly. "He unleashed a global kinetic anchor. He flooded the tectonic crust with energy and glued the fault lines together for exactly one second to kill the earthquake montum."
The scientist looked directly at the Argentina rep.
"And to answer your first question," the scientist continued. "It isn't a biological quirk. The amount of raw power required to do that defies everything we know of entirely. It is pure reality manipulation."
"....."
The room went totally quiet.
"Isn't New Order also a reality manipulation"
"Yes, New Order is a reality manipulation but the power of this quirk is entirely another league on its own. Star and Stripes confird it herself when she personally t Hero X." the Arica rep replied.
"So what is our protocol?" the WHA President asked, looking around the silent room. "He saved the world on live television. Every citizen on Earth saw him do it. How do we handle him?"
The Madam President from Japan stood up.
"Japan has already made our official policy," she stated calmly. "We classify him as an Unregistered Mythical-Class Asset. We will not investigate him. We will not try to arrest him."
She looked around at the holographic projections of the most powerful leaders on the planet.
"We leave him alone," she finished. "And we pray he stays on our side."
The Arican rep slowly nodded. The French rep agreed.
Within seconds, the entire room of terrified global leaders unanimously agreed to adopt the exact sa policy.
_-_-_-_-_
Location: Shizuoka Prefecture – Arisaka Residence
CLICK.
The heavy front door unlocked. Iwao stepped into the hallway.
He looked completely exhausted. His hero suit was covered in dust, and a thick bandage was wrapped around his arm.
But despite looking like he just survived a war, he had a massive smile on his face.
"I'm back!" Iwao called out.
"Dad!"
Tamao ran down the narrow hallway. She tackled him, throwing her arms tightly around his waist.
Iwao's wife was right behind her. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his dusty shoulder.
"You're okay," his wife cried softly, her voice shaking.
"I'm safe," Iwao whispered, holding them both tight. "The city is secure. It's over."
The living room was completely packed, noisy, and warm.
On the floor, Kimiko and Kenji were huddled together under a thick blanket.
Kenji kept kissing Kimiko's forehead. Sitting between them, baby Emi was happily gnawing on a plain biscuit, completely unaware of the global panic that just happened.
On the couch, Koichi was wincing. His mother was aggressively scrubbing a dirt smudge off his cheek with a wet tissue.
"Ow, mom, that hurts!" Koichi complained, trying to pull his head away.
"Hold still!" his mom scolded him. "I told you not to get too close to the falling debris! Look at you, you're covered in soot!"
Nearby, Kazuho and her mother were sharing a large mug of hot chocolate. Kazuho just leaned her head against her mom's shoulder, closing her eyes in pure relief.
The television was on in the background, but the volu was completely muted. Nobody wanted to hear the news anchors anymore.
They just wanted to hear each other.
BZZZ. BZZZ.
Makoto Tsukauchi was sitting on a stool by the kitchen island when her phone vibrated.
She looked at the screen and saw her brother's na. She stood up and stepped into the quieter hallway to answer it.
"Naomasa?" Makoto asked softly.
"Hey," Naomasa answered.
His voice sounded completely dead. He sounded like an exhausted older brother who hadn't slept in three days.
"Are you okay? Is everyone safe?" Naomasa asked, taking a heavy breath over the line.
"We are all safe," Makoto smiled, leaning against the wall. "We are at Grandma Saki's house now. How about you?"
"The police station is an absolute madhouse right now," Naomasa groaned. "We are dealing with all the logistics and the cleanup. I probably won't sleep until next week. But... I just needed to hear your voice. I needed to know you made it."
Makoto's expression softened. "I'm right here, big brother. Drink so water, okay? Don't pass out on your desk."
"Yeah, yeah. See you soon, Makoto."
Makoto put her phone in her pocket and walked back into the living room.
Grandma Saki walked out of the kitchen. She was carrying a large wooden tray filled with steaming mugs of coffee, hot chocolate, and a fresh plate of biscuits.
"Here you go, everyone," Saki smiled warmly. "Drink up. It will help calm your nerves."
As the families reached for the mugs, Kazuho's mother looked around the crowded room.
"Where is Kaito?" Kazuho's mother asked innocently. "Shouldn't he be here? With you Saki-san? I figured he would co check on us."
COUGH. COUGH.
Koichi violently choked on his hot chocolate.
Kazuho froze entirely. A biscuit stopped halfway to her mouth.
Sip.
Iwao just drank his coffee silently.
Both of them looked at Makoto for help.
Makoto didn't miss a beat. She smoothly slid into her professional manager persona.
"He is completely swamped right now," Makoto lied, letting out a very convincing, sympathetic sigh. "All Might just had the biggest fight of his career on live television. Because of that, Kaito is trapped at Might Tower. He is drowning in PR paperwork and damage control for the WHA. He probably won't be able to leave the office for days."
The parents nodded, completely buying the excuse.
"That boy works way too hard," Kazuho's mom said, shaking her head.
Grandma Saki chuckled as she set the tray down on the coffee table.
"He does," Saki agreed warmly. "But you know, he actually already called ."
Kazuho's mom blinked. "He did?"
"Yes," Saki smiled. "Right in the middle of all that chaos, he called .
_-_-_-_-_
Location: Tokyo – Might Tower
The tower was quiet. The chaos of the outside world felt a million miles away.
David Shield was sitting on the long couch, staring hard at his laptop.
TAP. TAP.
He kept scrolling through the tectonic data sent over from the WHA.
"I just don't get it," David muttered, scratching his head. "The sheer kinetic force needed to lock the entire Earth's crust... it breaks every law I know. It doesn't make any sense."
Sip.
Kaito sat in the armchair across from him. He took a slow sip of his coffee. He made sure to put a slightly surprised look on his face.
"It's definitely crazy," Kaito lied smoothly. "Let's just be glad the guy is on our side, David."
Gran Torino chuckled from the corner of the room. He was leaning on his cane, looking out the large windows.
Principal Nezu sat right next to him on a small stool, quietly enjoying a cup of tea. He just arrived shortly after the students in UA was properly handled.
DING.
The private elevator doors slid open.
All Might walked in, followed closely by Sir Nighteye.
Both of them looked completely exhausted. Nighteye was rubbing his temples and adjusting his tie.
"The lobby is an absolute nightmare," Nighteye sighed, walking over to the kitchen island to pour himself a glass of water. "There are at least three hundred journalists down there."
"How did you two even get past them?" Gran Torino asked.
"We didn't," Nighteye said, taking a sip of water. "Captain Celebrity volunteered to stay outside. He is currently flexing for the caras and soaking up all the dia attention so we could sneak into the private elevator."
"Typical," Torino snorted.
All Might smiled tiredly. He walked over to the seating area and sat down heavily on the couch next to David.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
He looked down at his reflection in the glass coffee table.
For a long mont, All Might didn't say anything. He just stared at the graying roots on his head and the deep lines on his face. He reached up and rubbed his chin.
"I'm almost fifty-three years old," All Might said softly.
Nighteye looked over, sensing the heavy tone in his friend's voice.
"I have been fighting for thirty years," All Might continued, still looking at his reflection. "Thirty years of carrying the Symbol of Peace. And now... All For One is sitting inside a piece of paper in a glass box."
All Might looked up at the room.
"I think it's ti," All Might said. "I think my era is finally over. I need to step down."
"....."
The room went completely quiet. Nobody argued with him. After what he just went through, he deserved to rest.
All Might turned his head and looked directly at Kaito. His expression turned incredibly serious.
"But the world still needs a pillar," All Might said. "I need a successor."
HUUF-PUFF.
All Might took a deep breath.
"Kaito-shonen," All Might said, his voice full of deep, genuine respect. "You rebuilt . You understand this power better than anyone else in the world. I want you to take One For All."
David Shield gasped softly. Nighteye's eyes went wide.
_-_-_-_
Location: The Quirk Plane
Inside the vestige world, the mist stopped moving.
Daigoro Banjo's jaw literally dropped. "Wait... the manager?"
Kudo crossed his arms, his eyes wide. "If he got our power... with his brain? He would be an absolute nightmare for villains."
"He can't," En interrupted quickly, looking panicked. "Did you forget? He has a quirk! It will kill him!"
_-_-_-_
Kaito didn't look shocked. He just smiled, swirling the coffee in his mug.
"I really appreciate the offer, All Might," Kaito said casually. "But I have to say no. I'm twenty-three. I have a great job. And honestly, I refuse to end up a single, stressed-out bachelor for my entire life like you."
"HA HA HA!" Gran Torino barked out a loud, wheezing laugh.
Ack-haughk.
All Might coughed, his cheeks turning slightly red from embarrassnt. The heavy tension in the room instantly vanished.
"But jokes aside," Kaito continued, his tone turning serious again. "I literally can't take it. I'm not suitable to be the symbol of peace. And you can't give it to any top pro hero, either."
"Why not?" Nighteye asked, walking over.
"Because the quirk reached Singularity," Kaito explained. "All Might, do you rember the fourth user? Hikage Shinomori?"
All Might eyes went wide. "He died young."
Kaito said flatly. "It was the quirk. One For All burns life force. You survived holding it for thirty years because you were born Quirkless. You were an empty cup. Hikage already had a quirk. The cup overflowed, and the pressure cracked his body from the inside out."
Kaito pointed a finger at his own chest.
"I have a quirk," Kaito reminded them, "If you give One For All now that it is so dense, my cells will literally rip themselves apart in less than a year. It's a death sentence."
"....."
All Might stared at him, letting the hard truth sink in.
"So..." All Might whispered. "My successor really has to be Quirkless."
"Exactly," Kaito nodded. "You need to find another empty cup. A kid with a heroic heart, just like you."
Sip.
"That is quite rare these days," Principal Nezu chid in, taking a sip of his tea. "But if you are looking for heroic teenagers, a high school is the best place to start. You should co teach at U.A., All Might or any other hero schools. It is a very safe environnt to look for a successor."
All Might looked at Nezu and slowly smiled. "I think I would like that."
Clap.
Kaito clapped his hands together once, breaking the serious mood.
"Good. Then it's settled," Kaito said cheerfully. He stood up from his chair. "Since the villain is in a box and the war is over... as of this exact mont, my managent contract with you is officially complete, All Might."
All Might stood up.
He walked over to Kaito and wrapped his massive arms around the young manager, pulling him into a tight, rib-crushing hug.
"Thank you, Kaito-shonen," All Might said quietly. "For everything."
"Alright, alright, put down before you break my spine," Kaito laughed, tapping All Might's arm.
Just as All Might let him go, the heavy wooden doors to the dining room were opened by the hotel staff.
Carts full of hot food and drinks were rolled in.
FWOOSH.
The glass balcony doors suddenly blew open. Captain Celebrity flew right into the room, landing smoothly on the expensive rug.
"Haha. They finally ran out of cara batteries!" Captain Celebrity laughed, brushing so dust off his cape.
He walked right over to the dining table and grabbed a plate.
"Listen up, guys," Captain Celebrity announced. "My two-year stint in Japan is officially over. The Arican Embassy just called. They are recalling back to the States."
Captain Celebrity turned and pointed a finger right at Kaito. He flashed his signature arrogant grin.
"Hey, Kaito!" the Arican hero yelled. "Since you are a free agent now, I'll pay double whatever pro hero gave you! Co back to Arica with and sign a new contract!"
Kaito picked up a plate and grabbed a piece of bread. He looked at the Number One Arican hero and just shook his head.
"I told you last ti, Christopher," Kaito said casually. "You were already the best version of you, the Symbol of Hope."
"And besides, instead of asking . Why don't you ask your own wife?"
HA HA HA HA.
The room filled with loud laughter and the clinking of glasses.
.....
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