(AFO)
The duo now reside at the bar where Tomura insists his base be, and I think that the time is now right. Obviously I intend to take the boy's quirk for myself. Even with it being unable to heal my old scars, coming back to life hours after having been thought killed is too valuable to leave in the hands of another.
Of course, this rests on the caveat that I can take his quirk. I cannot take or give quirks from the dead, the Nomu Doctor Garaki is working on are a small technical difference which allows the transfer. Even then it is not a sustainable process yet, it is likely that it will not be for a long while yet.
But as for the boy, he has died. There is no point debating that when I completely destroyed the top half of his body in order to fully test his quirk. It certainly had nothing with him calling me Potatohead. I am above such petty trivialities, after all. Nor was I offended at their flirting in my presence. I am the most powerful man alive, should I wish for a relationship I would have one.
But that is unimportant, what is is the fact that I am currently using a quirk to ensure that the boy and girl won't wake up while I take his quirk. Given that his analytical skills would greatly benefit Tomura's growth, I'll likely grant him one of the regeneration quirks I possess.
After ensuring that the boy won't wake up when my quirk enters him, I stretch my hand through Kurogiri's portal and grip his head.
And that's where things go wrong.
I do manage to find his quirk successfully, which means that it hasn't become cemented as a part of his soul. But when I grab a hold of it, instead of me pulling it out, it somehow pulls me in. In where? I am unsure, but that is the sensation I have.
An odd feeling envelops me, though it seems more focused around where my eyes used to be, and the world briefly turns blank, the various observation quirks I use having stopped functioning for a brief moment. One in which I now find myself in another location. I turn my head, seeing nothing but darkness outside of this small circle of light-
I pause as realization hits me harder than All Might did. Slowly, I raise my hand in front of my face. And I see it! Somehow, my sight has been returned! And as I run my hands over my head, I find that they aren't the only thing that's been returned to me. My smooth silver hair is back as well! Not only that, but the scar tissue that covered the majority of my head is nowhere to be found!
I'm pulled from my astonishment by an unexpected voice across from me. "Well now, this is unexpected."
I'm startled to find a woman suddenly sitting across from me, dressed in a professional business suit. Immediately I curb my expression, adjust my posture to project my superiority, and tilt my head just enough so that, while they are aware they have my attention, they are also intimidated by the fact that I am looking down upon them. Intimidation and manipulation is an artform, one that I've worked quite diligently to cultivate over my two centuries of life.
Contrary to my expectations, she does not react to my sudden change in pressure, seemingly unaffected. Deciding to test her more, I utilize a quirk I obtained that enhances negative emotions such as fear or hate.
Or at least, that is what I intend to do.
Confused, I look down at my chest as the quirk fails to activate. I try again, obtaining the same result. 'Perhaps the woman is preventing its activation', similar to Eraserhead's quirk. But then who was the one to bring me to this place?
She coughs, drawing my attention back to her. "As I was saying, normally mortals are assigned their handlers at birth, and as such are incapable of falling under the jurisdiction of another. But it appears that the boy's quirk has managed to supersede the proper channels."
With the mention of a quirk, I realize what is happening, though I find it difficult to believe. "So then, this is the afterlife."
But she does not confirm it, instead her response is the slightest of shrugs. "While not entirely accurate, I have no interest in explaining this process once again. More to the point this is quite the rare treat that has landed on my desk."
She smiles, but it's no ordinary smile. While I honed my villainous smile to induce an optimal sense of inferiority in those who are faced with it, hers is a disturbing thing that cuts her face in half. The top half of her head swings open and a long, scaly tongue shoots out, piercing my chest before I can react.
But there is no blood. I am uninjured. It zips back into her mouth as quickly as it exited and her head swings back to normal. Now frowning, she rubs her cheeks with her hands. "That is quite an unpleasant experience. I am very glad that I rarely am assigned those who require using it. Though it seems that it was ineffective this time. Another discrepancy the boy's quirk has caused."
It takes much more effort than it usually does to keep my emotions in check. I have no clue as to what just occurred, but I am fully aware that had it succeeded, it would not have ended well for me. But I shall not allow my panic to show.
"That was quite an unusual quirk. Given how I seem unable to use my own, I am quite curious about it."
My observation is quickly rebutted, however. "That was no quirk. Simply a tool assigned to each of us handlers to deal with troublesome mortals who try to escape from what is in store for them. It is quite amusing. They do not realize that even those who we deem fit to punish have a better fate than the ones who touch the darkness."
I cast a wary glance around us, put on guard at her words. But alas, there is nothing I am able to do about it now. Instead I clear my throat. "And I am unable to use any of my quirks because…?"
"The reason for that is two-fold." She holds up a finger. "One: quirks that are not mutations are unable to be utilized here. Even if they seem to break the laws of physics, they are still things of the mortal realm. This is not the mortal realm.
A second finger joins the first. "Second: they are not your quirks. You are aware of how quirks reside in both the body and the soul." It's not a question, she seems aware of my own interest in the subject, which has led to my plan for Tomura Shigaraki should he fail to meet my expectations.
Still though, it is only polite to respond, so after I give a nod she continues. "Here, souls usually are unable to interact with any except their handler, and since quirks are connected to souls…"
"The quirks, as well as the connected soul, are with their respective handlers." I finish, a slight worry making its way into my voice. One that's easily picked up on by the strange being in front of me.
"Do not worry, each of the quirks you've collected are tethered to your own soul. So the only ones you will lose upon returning will be those who's connection has frayed. In other words, those you have not utilized for more than ten years."
While frustrating to lose any of the quirks I've collected, it is much preferable to losing all of them. I am simply satisfied to lose only that which I have not needed since before my battle with All Might.
"Still though," she continues. "I would recommend not trying to steal the boy's quirk. It appears that any who touch it will be sent here, to me rather than their proper handlers."
"I see. So I am incapable of taking the quirk for myself?"
"That is correct. Though even if you were able to take it, the boy returns here every time he dies. Eventually one of the higher ups would develop a way to counter its protection and force his stay. There is simply no benefit to doing so for a simple snack."
"A snack?" I question, confused at the sudden turn of conversation.
Frowning, she taps an hourglass on the desk. "That is correct. You see, we handlers and our supervisors require sustenance just as you mortals do. But for us, that sustenance comes in the form of a mortal's memories. Their personalities. Everything that made them, them during their lives. And once they have all been consumed, they are returned to the mortal realm to repeat the process."
"Interesting. So there is no true afterlife, eternal bliss vs eternal damnation?" I cannot help but find that amusing. I suppose I will not be meeting all those I killed in hell like they claimed.
"As I said, I will not be explaining that. Though as it appears we are running out of time, I will leave you with a word of advice. Your soul will become fractured if you continue with your plan for Tenko Shimura, or Tomura Shigaraki as you named him. This means that your handler - who absolutely hates you, by the way - will be able to force you to suffer twice before your soul is returned to the mortal realm. And they in particular have a rather large mean streak."
She looks up and I follow her gaze. Above us are what look like countless shooting stars, rapidly falling towards us. She speaks again, her words having gravitas as well as the familiar tone of a manipulator trying to get what they want.
"But given that you've somehow managed to encounter a different handler, despite that not supposed to be possible, there is an alternative." She meets my eyes and I feel a chill run down my spine. "Give up on your dreams of immortality and world domination. Care for your charges. Treat them as your children rather than pawns. Do this, and when the time comes I will be able to claim your soul and make the process for consuming your life's experiences… neutral."
I chuckle as the lights above grow brighter. "Neutral? That is a rather interesting offer."
She shrugs. "I will not make your stay unpleasant, but neither will I work to make it pleasant. I will allow you to roam free in the space where I send mortals assigned to me. You do not need to tell me your answer now, I will know based on how you live the remainder of your life."
The light is nearly blinding now, though the darkness around us has failed to be pushed back. I glance up and see a multitude of people falling towards me, all with furious expressions on their faces. 'Ah, the quirks I've stolen', I idly remark.
Before they meet me and presumably send me back to the waking world, the woman says something that manages to break my composure.
"Oh, and do not inform the boy of this event, neither of what we've spoken of nor that you attempted to steal his quirk. Should you do so, you will suffer unimaginable horrors the likes of which even your assigned handler would cower from. Goodbye, Setto Shigaraki. I hope to see you again."
The quirks slam into me and I am once again engulfed in nothingness. Once it clears I am back in my chair, my hand touching the boy's head. It appears that no time has passed at all since I've been gone.
I withdraw my shaking hand, idly dismissing Kurogiri to rest as I do so. Once he is gone I bring it up to my breathing mask, gripping hard enough that I can feel the glass fracture. Though that is a negligent detail given I can quickly repair it with a quirk. No… there is something far more important.
.
Setto Shigaraki.
Somehow, that woman knew my name. I had long cast it aside when I decided to follow the path of a demon lord as inspired by the manga I read. But more than that, after I'd taken the mantle of my quirk, All For One, I'd forgotten it.
It has been one hundred and seventy years since I have heard that name, and the memory of that time flows through my mind.
I stand atop a skyscraper, facing Yoichi Shigaraki, my brother who is dressed in a torn patchwork outfit that is meant to symbolize hope, justice, and all that those with naive ideals extol.
He glares at me with such anger, but of course he does. For this is the last building standing in what was once the most populous city in Japan. Now it lies in ruins, the battles between both our forces having left a desolate hellscape behind.
It is something that neither of us wanted. I wished to rule the city, while Yoichi wished for it to be a place of peace where people could follow their dreams. Of course, he does not approve of my own dream, so it would never welcome me.
This is what he fails to understand; no matter what lengths he goes to, there will always be villains who seek to control or kill others. Under my rule, all would know who those people are and avoid them! Or perhaps I will establish a sort of coliseum, such as the ancient Romans did where one's bloodthirst could be slackened.
But I'm pulled from my plans by my brother's words. "Are you happy now, brother? Now that you've slaughtered a city, ARE YOU HAPPY!?"
I sigh, having long accepted our fate. Neither of us will stop the pursuit of our dreams, each that opposes the other on a fundamental level. One of us will have to die, and I have no intention of being the one to do it.
"This was never my intention, brother. Had your allies not ambushed my own forces this city would have lived on under my rule. You are just as responsible for this as I am."
I see in his eyes that he does not believe me, but of course. While I admired the demon lords in stories growing up, he always admired the heroes who would bring them down. I suppose keeping him locked away to avoid getting killed in my inevitable conflict with the world only reinforced his view.
"But it matters not, for you will fall here, and I will be reclaiming the quirk I'd given you." I raise a hand, the slightest pang going through my heart knowing that he will die here, that we will never reconcile. But it is quickly banished by his laughter. It is a laugh full of mockery, one that I never expected to hear from him.
"Did you know, brother? That I had a quirk?" Shock flows through me, but he continues without waiting for a response. "You have the ability to take quirks from others. I had the ability to give my own."
"Had?" I question sharply.
He nods happily, a tension leaving his shoulders. "That's right, had. I've passed it on now. Just as they will pass it on. And it will continue to be passed on until you are defeated."
He turns away from me, stepping to the ledge in order to look out over the burning city with a sad expression before turning back with his arms spread. "There will always be a hero to defeat the demon lord, Setto. We both know this to be true. But now, I'm tired, so just promise me one thing."
My throat tightens, and an unpleasant feeling grows in my stomach. "What, Yoichi?"
He smiles. "The world will always need heroes. Even if they don't make an attempt on the final boss, the people need protection. So make sure they have them."
And he lets himself fall backwards with a smug grin on his face.
I could have stopped him.
I could have used any number of quirks to fly down while he fell and stop him.
I could have saved him.
Instead, I decided to honor his last wish. A world of heroes, ruled by a demon lord. One among them will rise to fight while the others keep his kingdom safe.
He always did do all the side-quests in his games…