Kurogiri pressed a button on the console. The line went through and Giran’s voice filled the bar.
"Kurogiri. You there?"
"I am. Tomura Shigaraki is present as well."
"Good. We need to talk."
Tomura dropped back into his chair, expression already darkening. "This better be important. You know what it’s like out there right now."
"Trust , I know," Giran replied. "I’m calling from a payphone three districts away from my usual spot because every place I normally operate has eyes on it. Heroes, cops, HPSC agents ... the whole damn alphabet soup."
"So?" Tomura’s scratching resud. "Get to the point."
There was a pause on the other end. Followed by a weary sigh.
"The recruitnt initiative you asked to run? It’s not going well."
Tomura’s hand stilled mid-scratch. "What do you an ’not going well’?"
"I an it’s a disaster," Giran said bluntly. "I’ve reached out to every contact I have. Low-level thugs, mid-tier enforcers, even a few heavy hitters with actual reputations. And you know what I got?"
"What?"
"Six responses. Total. Out of forty-three inquiries."
"Six?"
"And three of those were imdiate no’s once I ntioned the League’s na. The other three? One wanted a signing bonus of five million yen upfront. One’s a psychopath who wants to ’bathe in hero blood’. His words, not mine—and the last one might be useful but he asked if you had life insurance."
"Life insurance?!" Tomura shot to his feet. "What the hell kind of .."
"The smart kind," Giran interrupted. "Look, Tomura, I’m gonna be straight with you because sugar-coating this won’t help anyone. I don’t see anyone joining your league anyti soon. Not with what’s happening right now."
"The underworld’s spooked. Rail lines locked down. Transport hubs crawling with heroes. Black markets getting raided left and right. No one wants to stick their head up right now. Especially not for you guys who started all of it."
Kurogiri’s eyes narrowed.
"This is ... Unusual. I assud there would be an influx of new recruits after our last Endeavor.
"The Yamanote Line attack? Not really. Yeah, it made headlines. Yeah, it scared people. But you know what it also did? Made every villain in Japan think twice about joining you."
The words hung in the air.
Tomura’s scratching intensified, drawing blood. "Explain. Now."
"Alright." Giran sighed once again. "I’ll dumb it down then. The villain underworld operates on three things: money, protection, and vision. You need at least one to attract talent. Preferably two. Ideally all three."
He paused.
"The League of Villains? You’ve got none of them."
"That’s bullshit," Tomura hissed.
"Is it. You’ve had three stints so far and two of them were failures. And what did any of that get you?" Giran cut him off. "Money? No. You’re not running a profitable operation. You’re not robbing banks or moving product or doing anything that generates inco. So anyone joining you for cash? Out."
Tomura’s hand clenched into a fist.
"Protection?" Giran continued. "That’s a joke right now. The crackdown is so intense that being associated with you is basically a death sentence. Every villain in Japan knows that if the heroes connect them to the League, they’re getting the full treatnt—raids, arrests, interrogations. So anyone looking for safety? They’re running in the opposite direction."
"And vision?" Tomura growled. "We’re trying to destroy hero society. That’s a cause."
"Is it?" Giran smirked on the other end. "Because from where the underworld’s sitting, it looks more like you’re throwing tantrums."
"What?!"
"Think about it, Tomura. USJ. You launched an attack on one of the most secure places in the country because All Might, the strongest person in the country, was there. Could have worked out if you achieved anything. Instead you got all your guys arrested and had to escape. Failed. Hosu .... you worked with the hero killer and deployed villains to kill Endeavor to make a statent. Failed. And Yamanote?" Giran exhaled smoke. "You dropped a train into the ocean because a sixteen-year-old embarrassed you in Hosu. That’s honestly more revenge than revolutionary. Most villains want to make money, gain power, avoid prison. Your brand of chaos? That’s a hard sell."
The table began decaying.
"Plus," Giran continued, "the kind of people you want. High-tier villains with useful quirks and actual combat experience. Those guys aren’t desperate. They’re not gonna join so upstart group just because you made the news. And for now the villain community doesn’t see you as a leader or a visionary," Giran said, his voice matter-of-fact. "They see you as a kid with a vendetta and access to dangerous resources. And nobody wants to hitch their wagon to soone who’s gonna get them killed settling personal grudges."
"I’ll kill you," Tomura roared. "I’ll turn you to dust right now ..."
"Well good luck with that," Giran said calmly. "I’m kiloters away on a payphone. And even if you could, it wouldn’t change the facts."
Kurogiri cut in before Shigaraki could say anything else. "Giran, perhaps you could deliver this assessnt with more... tact."
"Tact doesn’t change reality. Look, I’m not trying to insult you. You asked to recruit high-tier villains. I’m telling you why I can’t. So if you want to be able to do my job, you need to change the value proposition. Offer sothing they can’t get anywhere else. Protection? Can’t do that now. Money? You’d need to start running operations. Whatever you choose to do is up to you, but I need sothing to work with here."
CRASH! The table collapsed from decay.
"So you’re telling , that after all I’ve done, none of it matters?"
"Yep." Giran exhaled from his cigarette. "Don’t be mad at . I’m actually helping you guys more than you know. Screening trustworthy applicants ain’t easy. You’ve officially made yourself the most expensive target in the history of the underworld. Every snitch from here to Hokkaido is looking for a payday by selling your location. Hell, I’d almost be tempted if not for my good business ethics."
The line on the other end went silent. Giran raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "That aside, you’re asking for the impossible here kid. The kind of people you want? They aren’t on the streets. They’re locked away in places like Tartarus or the Shizuoka Ward."
His laughter ca through the phone. "Hell, if you want high-tier talent that badly, you might as well just walk up to the front gate of a high-security prison and ask for a tour. It’s the only place left where the residents can’t run away from your recruitnt pitch. They’d probably be grateful for the rescue."
Kurogiri scoffed. "Be serious Giran."
"Hey, I’m just saying, if you want an instant army of people who hate heroes, that’s where you’d find them. Not that anyone’s crazy enough to actually ..."
"Hmm," Tomura interrupted. "Actually, that’s not a bad idea."
The line went silent.
In so payphone many kiloters away, Giran froze, cigarette halfway to his lips.
"You..." His voice was full of disbelief. "You’re serious?"
On the other end, Shigaraki’s eyes were shining with light.
"Yeah ... Yeah ... That could work. That could really really really work out ..." Kurogiri had gone silent.
"I have to say, you’re not so annoying after all. That’s exactly what we need. Experienced villains. People who hate heroes as much as I do. We need an army." He started pacing again, ideas sprouting left and right. "And what better way to get them, than liberating them ourselves?"
Kurogiri’s raised his hand. "Tomura Shigaraki, this is not a decision to make lightly. Prison facilities have layered defenses precisely to prevent these events. In the current situation, there will be high hero response. As well as ..."
"... All Might," Tomura finished. "Yeah, I know. I know.."
His eyes glead, carrying no trace of disappointnt. "In that case, I’ll just have to ask master for a little help."
Just then, the speaker on the wall crackled to life.
"Well, well." All For One’s voice filled the room, amused and approving. "It seems my student is learning."
Tomura straightened imdiately. "Master."
"A prison break. How delightfully ambitious." The tone was clearly pleased "Tell , Tomura—what do you hope to accomplish?"
_
[ALL MIGHT’S APARTNT – 6:00 PM]
Toshinori Yagi sat at his small kitchen table, phone in hand, staring at David Shield’s contact information.
He’d been sitting here for twenty minutes. "Alright. Just contact David. Explain the situation. Secure his help."
Simple enough. Except... ’How do I explain this?’
Toshinori ran a skeletal hand through his hair.
’David, hey. I’m not sure if you’re aware yet but ... One of my students was supposedly killed in a train incident. Turns out he’s alive and due to a series of events .. he is hiding in the Philippines because of The League of Villains, and I need you to harbor him and his family on I-Island for several months. Interested?’
He sighed.
"No. Be direct. David understands crisis situations. He’ll help."
Toshinori hit the call button. It rang three tis before a familiar voice answered.
"Toshinori! To what do I owe the pleasure?"
David Shield’s voice was warm, enthusiastic, exactly as Toshinori rembered.
"David. It’s good to hear your voice."
"Likewise, my friend! Though I have to say, you don’t sound like yourself. What’s wrong?"
Always perceptive.
"I need to ask you for a favor," Toshinori said. "A big one."
"Na it. You know I’d do anything for you."
"I need you to provide sanctuary for a student and his family. On I-Island. For several months."
"Sanctuary?" David’s tone shifted to concern. "Toshinori, what’s going on?"
"Have you been following the news from Japan? The Yamanote Line incident?"
"Of course. Tragic. I’ve heard one of the U.A students there was involved in ... no .. wait." David’s voice was filled with surprise. "Is this student? .."
"He survived," Toshinori confird. "Barely. He’s currently in Manila, recovering. But he can’t return to Japan yet. It’s... complicated."
"Complicated how?"
The next few minutes were spent explaining the situation.
"They dropped an entire train into the ocean to kill him. If he returns publicly, they’ll try again. He knows this, which is why he chooses to stay away to prevent any chance of that happening. But we can’t let him roam outside freely. He needs proper care, training, support. And his family needs protection too."
"I see. So you want him to co to the island."
"Yes. Sowhere the League can’t reach. Sowhere he can recover without putting others at risk."
"And his family?"
"His mother and younger sister. Both need dical attention for separate reasons. I-Island’s facilities are better equipped than anything we have in Japan right now."
"Toshinori..." David’s voice was careful. "I-Island isn’t a witness protection program. We’re a research facility. If the League of Villains is actively hunting this boy, bringing him here could endanger everyone on the island."
"I know," Toshinori admitted. "Which is why I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option."
"I see. Alright," David said finally. "Send the details. dical histories, quirk docuntation, everything. I’ll need to brief lissa and prepare accommodations. When were you thinking?"
"As soon as possible. Within the week, if you can manage it."
"I’ll make it work." David’s tone was resigned but warm. "You know I can’t say no to you, Toshinori."
"I know. And I’m grateful."
"Don’t ntion it. Just... be careful, my friend. If the League is escalating like this, things are going to get worse before they get better."
"I know."
They said their goodbyes, and Toshinori ended the call.
He stared at his phone for a long mont, then pulled up his email and began drafting the files David would need.
As he typed, a small smile crossed his gaunt features.
’You’re going to be safe, Young Akutami. I promise you that.’
__
Enjoying the story? Want to read ahead?
Support the novel and unlock early access to unreleased Chapters by joining my Patreon!
💧 WATER TIER (5$) – Read 3 Chapters ahead of public releases
🌍 EARTH TIER ($7) – Read 5 Chapters ahead, with bonus lore, author notes, and behind-the-scenes content
🔥 FIRE TIER ($10) – Read 8 Chapters ahead, get full access to all extras, and vote in exclusive polls for bonus content
📎 Patreon/Future805
Even a small pledge makes a huge difference — thank you for reading
User Comments
0 comments from readers