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The two thugs immediately ran to their companions, who were knocked to the ground, lifted them up, and escaped as quickly as if they had an extra leg.
"I was in good form today. I handled it before they could use their Quirks. So, this is the end of what I can teach you." Itadori said, walking up to Momo.
Hearing this, Momo felt a pang of disappointment.
Did this mean they wouldn't practice together like this anymore?
"Let's go."
With that, Itadori turned and walked toward the tram station.
Seeing this, Momo quickly followed after him.
Unknowingly, she had gotten used to the feeling of trailing behind him.
---
About an hour and a half later, the two arrived at Momo's home.
"I'm back." Momo announced, as was customary for her.
"Momo, come here quickly! All Might and Officer Tsukauchi are here to see you and Itadori." Her mother's voice called from the hall.
"Huh?" Momo, who was taking off her shoes, froze at her mother's words.
Itadori also raised an eyebrow, knowing from experience that whenever the police were involved, it rarely meant good news.
The two soon sat down, with Momo beside her mother and Itadori on a single sofa opposite them.
"We're here today to discuss some mysterious fights that have taken place across the country in recent months." Officer Tsukauchi began, placing several photos on the table, photos he had previously shown to All Might at U.A, "Over the past months, we've noticed extremely obvious, even exaggerated, signs of battles appearing all over the country every so often. While no reports have been filed, the Hero Association and police have been keeping close watch."
As Momo looked at the photos, her heart pounded. She recognized two locations immediately—she had been there.
She suddenly realized… she might have broken the law.
Among the photos Officer Tsukauchi laid out, Momo instantly recognized two from incidents she'd been present for. Just as Itadori's usual style dictated, he had left the opponents barely able to move before departing. Since the "practice dummies" hadn't lost their ability to move, they had fled the scenes as soon as possible.
Maybe it was the old saying, "Birds of a feather flock together." After spending so much time with Itadori, Momo had gradually overlooked the "Quirk Management Act" that she had known by heart. Without a hero license or authorized supervision, using her Quirk without permission—even causing harm to others—was grounds for serious punishment.
Katsuki Bakugo, as reckless as he might seem, understood this rule too. No matter how much he resented Izuku Midoriya, he had never used his Quirk on him, only resorting to verbal insults.
Thinking back on the "training methods" she and Itadori had used in recent months, Momo felt cold sweat break out across her back. She lowered her head, her slightly trembling frame betraying her unease.
Bang!
Just as Momo was too nervous to speak, Itadori abruptly stood up, took her hand, and said to her mother, "I'm sorry, she seems a little tired. Would you mind if she went back to her room for a bit?"
Both Officer Tsukauchi and All Might were taken aback. With their experience, they had noticed Momo's discomfort right away. However, before they could start questioning her, Itadori had intervened.
Fortunately, Momo's parents didn't seem to sense anything amiss. Seeing that Momo did look unwell, they quickly instructed a maid to help her to her room.
This wasn't an interrogation, after all, so they couldn't stop her from leaving.
But they couldn't ignore how adept Itadori was at dealing with the police—it was far from typical for a high school student.
"Indeed, the traces of these fights are incredible." Itadori said, looking at the photos, "I'd guess only heroes ranked in the top 20 could cause this kind of damage, right?"
"Not quite, young Itadori." All Might replied, "This kind of power would rank within the top 15, maybe even higher."
"Really? That's intense." Itadori smiled faintly, "So, are you just here to remind us to be careful when we're out? Because if so, don't worry—I may not be as strong as you, but I can handle myself."
"Well…"
All Might hesitated, thrown off guard by Itadori's deflections.
Officer Tsukauchi interjected, "I heard that you, Itadori, have a strong Quirk. Could you possibly produce this level of power?"
His casual question caused Momo's parents to exchange concerned glances.
"Hmm, well…" Itadori responded slowly, drawing out the pause, "I don't know. I'm always pushing my limits. If I can't do it today, maybe I'll manage it tomorrow."
It was an ambiguous answer, just vague enough to avoid any commitment.
Itadori skillfully dodged every question Officer Tsukauchi threw his way. With no solid evidence, Officer Tsukauchi and All Might eventually had no choice but to leave. The wanted criminals that had clashed with Itadori had been very careful about covering their tracks, making them difficult to capture.
As they headed back to U.A., All Might resumed his frail form, looking concerned.
"Tsukauchi, do you think that young Itadori is behind all of this?"
"Doubt is part of our job." Tsukauchi responded, "But after meeting him, All Might, do you think he could be responsible?"
All Might considered it, "The muscle and presence he carries are completely different from a few months ago. He's clearly been through some grueling training. It's more intense than the training Midoriya has gone through."
"It seems you believe he could be capable, then." Tsukauchi said seriously.
"What will you do next?" All Might asked, frowning deeper.
"He's young, but he has potential. I'll be keeping a closer watch on him, just in case." Tsukauchi replied.
All Might nodded. This was likely the best approach, 'I hope you don't go astray, young Itadori…' He thought as the car drove toward U.A., the setting sun casting a warm glow over the horizon.
---
In Itadori's room at the mansion, he muttered to himself as he glanced at the calendar, "Less than two months until U.A. starts?"
The police were clearly suspicious of him.
With only about a month left, he thought, 'Why not treat this as a rare break?'
Once he entered U.A., given Class 1-A's reputation for attracting trouble, he wouldn't have to roam the country looking for "practice dummies." They'd come to him.
Knock! Knock!
"Itadori, are you still awake?" Momo's voice sounded from outside.
"Yes, Momo. The door is open." Itadori replied.
The door creaked open.
Momo, who usually wore her hair in a high ponytail, now let it cascade down, adding a touch of elegance to her usual look.
"What's up?" Itadori asked, glancing sideways.
Sitting at the small table on his balcony, he poured himself a glass of iced whiskey and gestured for Momo to sit across from him.
Momo sat down, pressing her hands together with a troubled expression, "So, did we… commit a crime?"
"If you mean breaking the Quirk Management Act, then yes." Itadori replied nonchalantly.
"I… I think I knew that." Momo clasped her hands anxiously, "I checked the penalties just now. For the amount of Quirk misuse and harm we caused, I could get up to a year in detention."
Itadori chuckled, "Were you researching my potential charges too?"
Momo looked up at him, biting her lip, "Considering the extent of what you've done, it'd be more like five years."
"Now that's terrifying." Itadori replied, leaning back with a carefree smile, as though entirely unafraid.