At U.A. High, a chilling rumor spread. The tale of "the student possessed by the Grim Reaper" circulated through the Support Department.
"If you see the green-haired boy smiling at you, holding a round sphere in his hand... don't hesitate—run immediately!"
They said the aura of death had darkened his hair, and the shadow of the Grim Reaper loomed behind him. If you failed to flee, the stench of hell would drag your soul into the abyss...
"...What is this nonsense?"
"So? Isn't this campus legend amazing?!"
Hatsume Mei grinned happily as she spoke. Midoriya Izuku massaged his temples, his headache worsening.
"No wonder people have been looking at me like I'm some sort of monster. Turns out it's because of *you* spreading these weird rumors."
"How is it weird? Takeyama, Uraraka, and I saw it with our own eyes!"
Hatsume giggled mischievously, leaving Midoriya even more frustrated. He thought scaring the three of them would make them keep their distance, but instead, she turned it into a story that spread across the school.
"Forget it... I have something serious to ask you."
Midoriya handed a sealed black box to Hatsume Mei.
"Can you destroy this for me?"
"Huh? What is it? Why destroy it?"
Curious, Hatsume reached out to open the box, but Midoriya quickly pressed his hand firmly on top of it.
"This isn't something that can be shared freely... but I have to tell you."
Midoriya's face was deadly serious.
"Recently, probably because of my mood, there were some mistakes in my research... and I ended up making something really dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
Hatsume tilted her head, puzzled. Midoriya nodded and carefully explained.
"This thing... I estimate it could affect an area the size of an entire city. As for what exactly it is, I think it's best if I don't go into details."
"......"
Hatsume Mei's face turned deathly pale. Her hand, trembling uncontrollably, hovered over the small black box as she asked with difficulty:
"Midoriya-chan, you're not joking, are you? How could it possibly be the size of a city?!"
"I'm not joking... As for why, I'm not sure. It just ended up this way without me noticing."
Their conversation came to a halt as Hatsume Mei tried to process the reality of the situation. How could such a destructive item end up in her hands?
"Since you made this... can't you destroy it yourself?"
"I can't..."
Midoriya Izuku sighed, explaining to Hatsume Mei. His skill points were all allocated toward creating and inventing; his gadgets were designed to be consumable tools. Who would even think about making something for safe disposal?
"In any case, I'll give you the formula for it. I can't figure out a safe way to destroy it right now... so I'm leaving it to you."
"Alright... Just my bad luck..."
Hatsume Mei sighed helplessly. She decided to store the thing in a safe place for now and deal with it when a solution came to mind.
---
In a dark, quiet room, a man known as All For One was amusedly reviewing the latest intelligence. The young man he had been watching had turned out to be full of surprises, far beyond his initial expectations.
"So, he's given up on his dream of becoming a hero... Quite the decisive resolve."
According to the report, Midoriya Izuku was now attending U.A.'s support course, having withdrawn from the hero course. This clearly meant he no longer aimed to become a hero.
All For One tapped his temple thoughtfully. If Midoriya had stayed in the hero course, he had planned to use the media and societal pressure to force him into a corner. But that seemed unnecessary now.
"This just proves what a rotten society we live in. The heroes who sacrifice the most to protect civilians end up being the ones treated most harshly."
He chuckled to himself. In this hero society, there was a law everyone knew:
Civilians could use their quirks in emergencies to protect themselves, even if it meant killing their attacker.
Police could shoot and kill enemies in critical situations, and it would be deemed justified.
But heroes? They were absolutely forbidden from killing their enemies. Their only role was to capture them.
Ridiculous, wasn't it? Yet this was the rule every professional hero had to follow.
"Chaos ends with the heroes, but it is heroes who bring about new chaos."
A black portal suddenly appeared in the room, swirling and condensing into Kurogiri as he stepped forward.
"Master, is there something you need of me?"
"How are they doing now?"
Instead of issuing a command, All For One crossed his hands and asked.
"They're behaving themselves. After witnessing what happened to the defiant man, they've all officially submitted to the League of Villains."
"Is that so?"
All For One didn't seem particularly interested. Any disobedient individuals could simply be turned into Nomu. For him, minions were easy to replace whenever needed.
"Now then, I have a task for you."
"Understood, Master!"
Kurogiri bowed, listening intently. He was determined to carry out the task perfectly.
"Have you heard of 'Shie Hassaikai'?"
"I've heard of it. It seems to be a yakuza organization..."
As someone responsible for gathering intelligence, Kurogiri was well-versed in Japan's various groups, large and small. Still, he found it odd that his master would take interest in such a low-level group.
"I've heard that the young leader of this organization has been conducting experiments involving the old boss's granddaughter recently. The methods they're using are said to be extremely cruel."
All For One's face twisted into a sinister smile as he continued:
"I've been thinking about something recently. If Midoriya-kun risked his life for Kouta, what would he do if a little girl who had suffered terribly asked for his help?"
The implication in All For One's words was clear. He gave an order to the Kurogiri before him:
"Go and bring that little girl here. When the time is right, throw her in front of Midoriya-kun."
"As you wish, Sensei!"
After bowing to his master, Kurogiri prepared to leave. Just as he was about to act, All For One added two more instructions.
"Wait. Be sure to erase all evidence of 'Shie Hassaikai's' crimes. Also, have those high-ranking individuals cover for their young boss's wrongdoings."
"Though it may seem disgraceful on the surface, the Yakuza is still a legally recognized organization in Japan. We can't afford to take actions that make us look like their enemies this time."
"Understood, Sensei!"
Disappearing from view, Kurogiri began to carry out All For One's commands.
"Even if you've given up on your dream of becoming a hero, I doubt you could ignore a situation like this."
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