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At first glance, they could tell this was a violent crime.
Judging from the condition of the car and the blood scattered around, it was clear that whoever committed the crime was ruthless.
However, the police soon discovered numerous signs of a struggle at the scene.
The surrounding concrete ground, farmland, and trees all showed extensive evidence of fighting and destruction.
In other words, there was a high probability that a battle took place between heroes and villains—or possibly even between two villains.
According to the investigating heroes, it would require a hero ranked No. 30 or lower to cause such extensive damage. However, some believed that even heroes ranked within the top 20 would struggle to do this kind of damage.
The police, shocked by this assessment, began contacting heroes ranked below No. 30. Their findings were consistent:
None of these heroes had been in Aichi last night. In fact, none had even been nearby.
So, was it a fight between criminals? Or perhaps a powerful Quirk user without a hero license?
Perplexed, the police and local heroes in Aichi Prefecture could only continue their investigations, hoping to uncover the truth.
Meanwhile, the two central figures in the incident were nowhere to be found.
One of them was beaten half to death and abandoned in the deep forest, about ten miles from the incident site.
The other one, wounded but alive, had already boarded a train back to Shizuoka. Under his brand-name clothes, his body was covered in scars.
In the original story, this unqualified fighter would have been defeated instantly by Itadori's intense power.
The attack range and destructive capability of [The World] still needed further improvement.
At present, Itadori's comprehensive ability with [The World] template was almost identical to Dio's, save for his lack of time-stopping abilities, which hadn't yet awakened.
"But I need a higher breakthrough." Itadori thought, clenching his fists, his eyes growing sharper.
Pressure—he still need to face more challenging and dangerous opponents to truly awaken [The World].
___
Several months later, at U.A. High School…
"Tsukauchi, what brings you to see me suddenly?"
In the reception room, Toshinori AKA All Might, now in his usual skeletal form, looked at the visitor with curiosity.
Tsukauchi was one of the few who knew about All Might's health condition and assisted him in investigating matters related to All For One. He didn't need to shift back to his muscular form around him.
Despite having already begun training Izuku Midoriya as his successor, All Might continued to act as a hero.
This morning, after handling some routine matters, he returned to U.A., surprised to find a visitor waiting for him.
"All Might, are you aware of the recent mysterious battles happening across the country?" Tsukauchi asked, sitting across from him.
"Hmm?" All Might raised an eyebrow and nodded, "I've heard a bit about them. It seems these intense battles began a few months ago. Each time, when the police and heroes arrive, the combatants are gone without a trace."
"Exactly." Tsukauchi nodded solemnly, "The police struggled at first, but it's clear that whoever's behind this knows their tactics. They've been doing this for a long time."
"However, after months of investigation, we've uncovered numerous clues."
He handed All Might several photographs taken from the scene of one of these battles. The devastated woods and abandoned factories reminded All Might of his early days when he had just inherited One For All.
Pointing to one particular photo of a large, abandoned factory, Tsukauchi explained, "Look at the factory walls. The steel pillars and iron walls are all twisted and punctured."
"A one-meter thick iron wall with holes punched through it…" All Might murmured, studying the photo carefully, "Only a handful of heroes, like Endeavor, Gang Orca, or maybe even Ryukyu in her dragon form, could manage something like this."
"We've questioned these heroes, and they have no knowledge of this," Tsukauchi said, frowning, "Is there anyone else who comes to mind, perhaps a villain you've encountered?"
All Might fell silent. Most of the criminals he'd encountered had been put behind bars. But then, he suddenly remembered a name, 'Could it be... him?'
'No, that's impossible.' He muttered to himself, 'Although Itadori has potential, his progress in just a few months couldn't be this drastic.'
Nonetheless, Tsukauchi pressed, "I think it would be prudent to confirm who you're thinking of."
All Might nodded after a moment, "Alright."
---
Two hours later, in the spacious lobby of the Yaoyorozu mansion.
Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu sat across from the newly arrived Tsukauchi and All Might.
"Mr. Yaoyorozu, Mrs. Yaoyorozu, thank you for meeting with us." Tsukauchi greeted, shaking hands with Mr. Yaoyorozu, whom he had known for some time.
"It's our pleasure." Mr. Yaoyorozu replied, glancing somewhat nervously at All Might, "We never thought All Might himself would visit us."
In this age, where strength was paramount, even as one of the world's wealthiest families, the Yaoyorozu respected heroes of All Might's caliber. If Mr. Yaoyorozu represented financial power, then All Might symbolized military strength.
After pleasantries were exchanged, Mrs. Yaoyorozu asked with a smile, "What brings you both to our home today?"
"We were hoping to speak with Itadori. Do you know where he might be?" Tsukauchi inquired.
"Itadori? He went out with our daughter, Momo, early this morning." Mr. Yaoyorozu replied, surprised by the question but answering quickly.
"With Miss Momo?" Tsukauchi's brow furrowed slightly.
Mrs. Yaoyorozu smiled warmly, "For the past few months, Itadori has been training Momo, and she's made remarkable progress."
"Oh? I'd be interested in seeing these training methods firsthand." All Might said, flashing his signature grin.
"This... we aren't sure of the details." Mrs. Yaoyorozu admitted, "Momo hasn't shared much with us."
"Would you like us to call them back?" Mr. Yaoyorozu offered.
"No need." Tsukauchi replied, raising a hand to keep them from revealing his purpose too soon.
---
Meanwhile, in a chaotic area of Kanagawa…
Itadori leaned casually against a wall, observing as Momo faced off against four thugs.
She deftly blocked one of their blades with a staff she had just created in her right hand. Only a few months prior, creating such a weapon would have taken her several seconds, but now it took less than one.
In the next instant, Momo twisted her wrist, disarming the thug and hitting him hard on the shoulder, sending him to his knees with a cry of pain. Seeing this, the remaining three rushed at her.
Previously, Momo might have panicked in a situation like this. But now, she remained calm.
She spun and threw her staff, knocking one thug down by his ankle, then sidestepped the remaining two and summoned two small pistols into her hands with a faint pink light.
In one swift motion, she pressed the pistols against the backs of their heads. The entire sequence had taken only seven seconds.
The thugs, feeling the cold metal against their skulls, stammered nervously, "U-um... We're done! We're leaving your woman alone; please let us go, big brother!"
At their words, Momo's face turned bright red.
Without a word, Itadori waved his hand dismissively, signaling the thugs to leave.