My Hero Academia: Aura Farming

[The Synonym]

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[Assault]
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…

"Come on, hurry it up with those boxes. That's our last shipment for today. You finish that, and you get to go home, bunch of losers!" A man in a puppet body wearing a plague-doctor mask barked at the thugs carrying crates into the truck.

They didn't answer. They rarely did. He was, after all, the Shie Hassaikai's General Manager. A single word of his would get them killed. So, even with those sour looks on their faces, they had no other option but to pick up the pace.

He huffed, satisfied at the response, arms crossing as he supervised the loading.

A few minutes later, the truck was full. Someone slammed the back doors shut, and the vehicle rumbled off through the residence's gate.

The puppet-bodied man, Joi Irinaka, nodded in approval.

"Alright, go home, you bastards," he said, shooing away the men wiping off grime with rags.

Again, no answer. Only tired steps as they shuffled toward the exit. Irinaka clicked his tongue.

As he watched them leave, a voice approached from behind.

"You're working hard, Irinaka."

"Boss!" Irinaka spun around, straightening up immediately when he recognized Overhaul. He even saluted. "The last shipment of the day is done!"

"Good work," Overhaul said with a curt nod. "Is business with our clientele going well?"

"Like never before! Our version of Trigger is hitting it big!" Irinaka said proudly. "At this rate, all the resources and machinery you asked for will be here in a week at most! Ah, I can't wait for your research to finish, boss! We'll be swimming in money, and no one will dare look down on the Yakuza anymore, Kyeeee!!" He let out a strange screech at the last part.

Overhaul exhaled through his nose—something between amusement and acknowledgment.

"Go rest, Irinaka. You earned a break."

"Oh!" The little puppet raised his tiny arm in a cheer. "Right away, boss, just gotta make sure these bastards left everything up to code!"

"Then, I'll leave that to you." Overhaul gave him a little nod, turned, and walked inside the traditional-looking house.

Left alone, Irinaka looked out over the parking lot with smug satisfaction.

Another day of managing the Hassaikai's logistics perfectly. With progress like this, it was only a matter of time before the Yakuza reclaimed their spot at the top of the criminal world, just like Overhaul envisioned.

He lifted a fist and clenched it in pride.

"Well, I should finish what's left and go to sleep soon. Can't have any bastard looking down on me because I look tired."

Nodding to himself, he turned to leave.

"...?!"

But when he saw what lay behind him, he froze.

Without having made even the faintest sound or stirring the air in the slightest, a dark figure had somehow made its way behind him. Towering over his tiny puppet body, two dim, red eyes stared down at him like twin embers in the dark.

"W-who are yo— ghk?!"

The question was strangled out of existence as Irinaka was lifted clean off the ground by seemingly nothing. Something clamped around his throat with brutal force, crushing any possibility of sound.

His eyes, filled with tears from the asphyxiation, turned to his foe.

It was a hooded man in a dark coat, with a full-face mask that left nothing to see except his red, eerie eyes, which seemed to stare into his very soul.

Then, the man brought up a single finger—And let out a chilling hush.

Like a button being pressed, it brought a little composure to Irinaka, one that made him realize that no matter who he was, he wasn't here with good intentions.

And at nighttime, when everyone had their alert at the bottom, he presented a danger to Overhaul.

So, in maximum alert now, and not about to let anything happen to his boss, he decided to change his approach, realizing that as things were, he was gonna be knocked out without fighting.

"Ky-k-kyeeee!"

He groaned as much as he could under the pressure on his throat as his puppet body began being ripped apart, revealing his much bigger, true form: a muscular, very spiky-haired blonde, with a furious expression, veins popping on his forehead.

He opened his mouth to shout, expecting that transformation to have given him at least a second to escape from the invisible pressure—

"O—"

–Bam!–

Sadly, he was mistaken. Before his mouth could even finish the first letter of his sentence, his throat clenched again, and this time he felt a wave of pressure fall down on him, stomping him to the ground mercilessly.

Struggling, he lifted his eye to see the man once again looking down at him.

That was an unfamiliar appearance, but amidst the pain and pressure, his racing mind recognized the abilities currently pinning him down—thus, making the connection.

"T-that shitty vigilante... R—rockinesis.....!" he was able to exclaim—at a very low voice, not any bigger than a whisper.

After a moment of silence, the man let out a snort. "You figured it out, huh?"

Despite his realization, the pressure didn't ease.

"W-why are you a—attacking us?" Irinaka struggled to speak. "We haven't done anything to warrant your attention on us!"

The man knelt to his level.

"You've done plenty."

With those words, Irinaka suddenly found the pressure pinning him ease.

No—that was wrong.

It had inverted.

He was now flying up.

"...?!"

As he ascended, his eyes couldn't help but fall on their opponent one more time.
He stood there, eyes gleaming at him without the slightest bit of mercy.

He wanted to scream, to alert Overhaul and give him at least some time to prepare against the threat that had arrived unannounced.

But his throat didn't allow it.

Even as he then began descending at rapid speeds, his voice continued to be gone until the last moment.

His screams remained only to himself.

—Crack!—

A second later, his body hit the ground nastily, knocking him out as his body rolled limply after the hit. His eyes completely rolled out.

—Step, step, step—

As he lay there, unmoving, heavy, almost metallic-sounding steps drew closer.

Soon, the same dark figure from before now stood beside him, eyeing him with narrowed eyes.

"One annoyance less"

…

°

°

°

| Inside the house… |

…

"—That's the combination and the path to the girl's room, I swear!"

"So you were right, Rockinesis." Gentle said, stroking his moustache with a surprised expression as he glanced between a scared Yakuza and Taka. "I didn't think you were lying, but I'm still surprised you knew about it."

Taka didn't answer him. Instead, he continued glaring at the Yakuza.

"And Chisaki?"

The Yakuza answered without hesitation. "He always remains in his lab until late. We aren't allowed to enter it, but I know it's taking a turn to the left three times, and then another one to the right. From there, it's a straight line!"

"I see."

—Bam!—

A sudden force struck the panicking Yakuza, hitting his face and sending him rolling across the floor like a tossed rag doll for several meters.

Seconds later, he lay flat on the ground, knocked out.

"Not a shred of mercy, it seems. Even though he told us everything." Gentle glanced at the Yakuza's beaten body and commented wryly, before turning to him. "By the way, how did you do it? You didn't even need to hurt him. He began speaking as soon as you stepped up."

"I can be persuasive." Taka simply said, before turning and reaching for what appeared to be a memorial in the middle of the hallway they were on, pressing a combination of buttons hidden under a flower base.

Seconds later, a hidden door opened, revealing a path underground.

The three stepped through it, going down the stairs until they eventually reached the labyrinth that was the Yakuza's underground facility.

As they stood at the entrance, which split into several more paths, Gentle sweatdropped slightly.

"It seems we are here at last… Are you sure we are actually prepared for this? I remember one of your old combat videos where you fought three A-class villains, and you seemed to struggle somewhat… The Eight Bullets of the Shie Hassaikai are on a similar level to them—at least most of them."

A beat of silence followed, making Gentle even more nervous, thinking he might actually be right.

But then, to his surprise, Taka's figure began dividing into several others like him, each staring ahead without even the slightest doubt in their gazes.

Then, the original turned to him, gazing at him calmly.

"If it had been me from that time, maybe... But you've seen the difference between the recent footage and those from back then, right?"

Gentle blinked, then nodded with a serious expression.

Superhuman feats were hard to measure perfectly unless you were a scientist or physicist, or at least had some knowledge of such things, and even less through mere videos. But despite that, he could clearly tell.

He had, after all, seen the battle between him and the Nomu.

Taka was stronger than before.

How much, he didn't know.

'Maybe La Brava would know more about things like this.'

As he had such thoughts, all the Takas took a step forward, the original one narrowing his eyes.

"From here on, we separate paths."

"Hold on, we already know where the child is. Why would we…?"

"I said it before. Saving the kid is priority number one." He lifted a finger before lifting the next one. "Wiping out the Shie Hassaikai is the other."

At his words, all the clones began walking in different directions, each taking a different path.

As did Taka, leaving a few words behind for Gentle, who remained at the back.

"So from now on, take care of any Yakuza that remain here."

"Where are you going?" Gentle asked.

Taka's eyes gleamed. "What I came here for."

Then—he vanished.

…

°

°

°

| Chisaki's laboratory |

…

Sitting in a dimly lit room, back hunched as he stared into a microscope positioned above a drop of blood, Chisaki's eyes remained unblinking, with a maddening light that almost went unnoticed due to how brief it was.

After a few seconds, he leaned back, looking tired.

"Just a bit more, boss… The future you envisioned for the Yakuza, it will come soon…" His pupils fell and focused on the blood again, this time with the same maddening glint from earlier. "Soon, the illness of the mind that Quirks have brought to people will cease. Then, the Yakuza will reign as they did in the past…"

Letting out a short and faintly exhausted laugh, Chisaki stood up and picked up the glass slide with the blood on it, preparing to put it somewhere to study it later.

At least that was the plan—

—Rumble…—

—Crack!—

Until the whole underground shook, causing him to drop the blood along with the slide.

"...?!" Chisaki's eyes widened as his head snapped around for a moment, seeing dust fall from the ceiling at the unexpected seismic movement.

—No, this was no earthquake.

In a hurry, he walked toward the door, leaving the room and stepping into the hallway to see what was happening outside.

—Rumble…—

Once again, the whole base shook like an enormous fight was taking place above.

The lights flickered as dust detached from the ceiling before falling onto him.

He quickly batted the dust away with a disgusted face, groaning as he continued looking around.

Only to—as the lights flickered once more—see a figure clad in black, almost camouflaged with the shadows, suddenly appear at one end of the hallway.

His eyes widened for but a moment before a frown took over his face.

"Who the hell are you?"

The man, however, simply took a step forward, not answering.

Chisaki immediately took one of his gloves off.

"Damnit… I heard noise upstairs. What did you do?" Annoyance began creeping into his tone. He had been making so much good progress lately. Why did someone have to pick a fight now?

He expected the police to notice eventually, so he had prepared a few things to escape—but this was too early to be having problems.

Who was this? A rival group seeking a monopoly over Trigger?

Someone who held a grudge against him?

"You better not have damaged my equipment."

Saying that, he swung his hand—aiming to reach him and activate his Quirk.

Only—

"What...?!"

Once he did, nothing happened.

Even as he continued touching the man's chest, activating his Quirk—nothing happened.

"...How—?"

His eyes widened as he realized the truth.

He thought he had reached the man—but he was wrong.

He was touching something that he could feel—but somehow, what he was seeing contradicted that.

There, his extended palm remained centimeters away from his objective, touching only air.

"A barrier type?!—Gakh!"

His voice was cut short as his throat was compressed, a tight force keeping it closed—then lifting him against his will.

He gasped for air, legs kicking in the air, eyes going wide at his enemy, and widening even more once he saw him not even bothering to take his hands out of his pockets for what he was doing.

That was enough for Chisaki to realize who this was.

There was only one such powerful telekinesis user in the present times.

'That vigilante..!?'

"—A—argh!"

Despite his shock, his fighting spirit remained.

As his legs touched the air, he continued activating his Quirk while trying to touch whatever energy was forcing him up and closing his throat.

But no matter how much he searched, how much he wanted something to be there, so he could disassemble it... There wasn't.

Gargling and gasping sounds came from him as air became scarce, tears leaving his eyes.

Eventually, his consciousness began fading due to the lack of oxygen. Helplessness settled into his heart as he realized he had met a counter to his own Quirk.

Was this how it was going to end? All his plans, the future he had envisioned, his boss's dream?

"Ghk—Haaaah?!"

His eyes snapped wide open as his vanishing mind recovered with a sudden influx of air.

And not only that, but soon, he also fell to the ground. Whatever force had been keeping him up there no longer applied.

He ended up on the floor, coughing and gasping, his chest rising and falling with the deep breaths he was taking.

Once he recovered enough for his mind to wander back to his current situation, he turned back to the man, eyes wide not with anger anymore—but pure terror.

And there he was, staring down at him, eyes narrowed into thin slits—revealing only a glimpse of red, murderous pupils behind the mask.

His mind became filled with confusion. Why had he not been killed? Why was he letting him go?

Had he not been here originally to kill him?

Sadly, he wasn't about to get his answers.

"Run."

The man only said that single word before his eyes gestured behind Chisaki.

"...!"

That was enough to get the adrenaline to kick in properly and snap him out of his trance.

In an instant, he scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping before bolting down the hallway in the opposite direction at full speed.

He had an evacuation route.

All he needed to do was reach it, and he'd live to see another day.

The Shie Hassaikai would live to see another day!

So long as he didn't die, he would rebuild everything in time!

With such thoughts, Overhaul, the feared Yakuza boss, ran away with whatever energy was left in him.

Meanwhile, the man didn't move at first. He simply watched Chisaki's fleeing back in silence.

Then, once it dissapeared around the corner, he let out a snort.

One filled with amusement.

—Step, step, step—

And then, began walking after him with complete calm.

Like a predator biding his time before starting the hunt.

…

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-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: I know Overhaul can heal himself, but the anime was a bit vague about its functioning, so I'm just gonna do my interpretation of it. Hope you don't mind. It will make the fight at least a bit more interesting.)

 

[The Synonym]

(A/N: Sorry for the wait, I sent my laptop to repair since the keyboard was faulty and caused me to always need an external keyboard if I wanted to use it. It's still on repair, but when it's fixed, I should be able to write even at university, where I feel like I lose a lot of time I could use in this. Though, I guess only time will tell if I'll be able to lock in.)

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[8 Bullets]
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…

"Who the hell are you?"

Rikiya Katsukame, one of the Eight Bullets, and a massive beast of a man wearing a plague mask, with muscles on his muscles and using metal gloves to add on to the imposing presence, frowned deeply as he stared down the hallway at the figure standing there with his arms crossed.

He had been in his room enjoying a good movie night, and he'd just stood up to grab a beer—

And then this guy suddenly appeared in the hallway.

"..."

"..."

Rikiya's eyes narrowed behind his mask as the man remained silent even after his question.

The silence stretched a bit more, with both men locking eyes with one another, hoping for the other to budge first.

Until Rikiya let out an annoyed sigh.

"What a pain… You're not a pretty girl, so whatever. If you walk away right now, I'll let this slide." He said, looking away, and waving dismissively at the intruder.

Yet the stranger didn't move.

An uncomfortable silence between the two stretched for a bit more.

Then, Rikiya snorted, turning back to him.

"Well, I was lying anyway. Good job not believing in me."

With an annoyed sigh, he began walking toward the man. Each step picked up speed until—

—Thunk, Thunk, Thunk!—

—he broke into a full charge, the massive difference in size making it look like a truck barreling toward a teenager.

"Hrgh!"

And as he entered combat range, Rikiya groaned as he wound up a punch, putting his full weight behind it as the stranger remained perfectly still.

Then, he struck.

—BAM!—

As the punch echoed in the hallway, its force more than clear enough with the thunderous sound the collision had made, Rikiya's eyes narrowed in delight as he saw his victim still standing there, meaning he hadn't missed.

Though once he paid closer attention, some of that delight wilted quickly.

He had reached his foe, yes. But his hand had been caught by the intruder's palm, making all the force he put into his punch earlier look like a joke.

However, while he was disappointed he hadn't sent him flying, Rikiya didn't feel worried in the slightest.

"Hoh? Man, you've got better reflexes than I expected, but—"

Tssssss…—

Suddenly, orange energy began oozing from the stranger and flew into Rikiya's body.

"—letting me come into contact with you was your last mistake."

The energy poured into him.

His muscles swelled, his frame expanded, and veins bulged beneath his skin—Within seconds, he had grown even larger.

If he had looked like a truck before—

Now he was a damn train.

"Hell yeah… that hits the spot." He let out a satisfied sigh before setting his confident gaze down at the hooded figure now dwarfed by him. "Now then… where were we, little man?"

"Hah."

But to his surprise, the intruder simply let out an amused snort.

Then their gazes met, two glowing red eyes staring straight through Rikiya—eyes that didn't hold a single shred of regret for his earlier "mistake", nor worry despite the apparent difference in power.

Having a bad feeling, Rikiya—whose fist was still caught in the man's palm—winded up a punch with his other hand.

But as he did, for the first time, the intruder spoke.

"I was curious how your power would work on me…"

Ignoring the man's talk, Rikiya's released his punch—but as he did, he met gazes with the man one more time.

Then, the intruder spoke again.

"Turns out it's nothing special."

"...!"

The energy flow abruptly stopped.

At the same time, Rikiya had felt it—something had pushed his caught hand centimeters away from the man's palm, nullifying his Quirk's further absorption.

"The hell—?"

Then—

—BOOOM!—

An invisible shockwave exploded outward, blasting him backward and sending him skidding several meters across the floor.

He dug his feet in before he flew too far, breathing heavily as he steadied himself.

After a quick glance over his body, he looked back at the intruder with a far more cautious expression.

"That's one weird Quirk… I didn't even see what hit me." He cracked his neck slightly. "Now you've got me curious."

Uncaringly, the intruder tapped the floor twice with his shoe.

His red eyes glowed behind the mask.

"Keep that curiosity to yourself."

Then—

He vanished.

His body became a blur of black and red streaks slicing through Rikiya's vision.

In an instant, he was already in front of him.

Then the fists came.

—TATATATATATATATATATATA!—

Rikiya couldn't even react.

Fists crashed into him from every direction, each blow landing with brutal precision.

The man flickered across his vision too fast to track. One moment he was in front of him, the next he vanished—only for another punch to slam into his ribs, his jaw, his gut.

It was like being caught in a storm.

A literal rain of fists.

Only after what felt like an eternity did the barrage stop.

Rikiya dropped to one knee, coughing violently as blood splattered inside his mask.

"Y-you hit pretty hard… for a scrawny guy whose energy I just drained…"

Behind him stood the masked man, leather gloves faintly smoking as he faced away from the fallen giant, not bothering to look back.

"And you resisted more than I accounted for."

Right after the man's words left his mouth—

Rikiya collapsed completely, his enormous body slamming into the floor.

Thus, one of the Eight Bullets was down.

…

°

°

°

| Somewhere else… |

…

"...You… you seem interesting."

Kendo Rappa stared at the figure now standing over the unconscious body of his boring partner, Hekiji Tengai.

They had been doing their usual chores around here, although he was leaving most of the work to his partner, while he lounged around, passing time.

Then, suddenly, that hooded guy appeared and attacked. Despite his partner's Quirk allowing him to create barriers harder than steel, the stranger had simply fired a laser from two fingers and shattered it in an instant—using that brief opening to knock him out without effort.

And thus, that now left only him and the hooded man.

Yet, despite the obvious predicament, Rappa could only feel the rising tension making his blood boil with excitement as he stared at the imposing figure before him.

"Hey…" he called out, eyes gleaming with a maddened hunger. "...Let's fight to the death."

The figure slowly turned toward him.

Then he raised a single fist.

"Come. I saved enough energy for you too."

"HAHAHAHA! THAT'S THE ATTITUDE!" Rappa roared with laughter as he lunged forward without hesitation.

The figure moved at the same time.

—RATATATATATATATAT!—

A storm of fists exploded between them.

Their punches blurred like twin Gatling guns firing at point-blank range, each strike crashing against the other before it could reach flesh.

Small shockwaves rippled through the hallway as their fists collided again and again in a relentless barrage.

And amidst all that, Rappa's surprised eyes widened slightly.

The exchange lasted less than five seconds.

Yet in that brief window, more than a hundred punches were thrown between them.

Then, almost simultaneously, both fighters jumped back, creating distance as the clash finally ended.

Rappa rolled his shoulders, breathing hard but furrowing his brows behind the plague mask he was currently wearing.

"Y-you… why aren't you shooting lasers as you did against that bastard?" He jerked his chin toward Tengai's unconscious body.

The masked figure answered calmly.

"It'd be less fun that way, wouldn't it?"

Rappa blinked.

Then he chuckled like a kid who had just found his favorite toy.

"You get it… You truly get it."

He shook his hands once.

His metal gauntlets that had been covering his fists until then immediately cracked apart and fell to the ground in pieces—the earlier exchange had completely destroyed them.

"THEN LET'S ENJOY OURSELVES TO THE FULLEST!"

Now unrestrained, Rappa lunged again, thirst for battle burning in his eyes.

The masked man moved as well, red eyes flashing beneath the hood.

—RATATATATATATATAT!—

And then, another storm of fists erupted.

But this time, the punches didn't stop at merely five seconds.

They broke through, going on for much longer.

Blows slammed into ribs, jaws, and shoulders as both fighters traded hits in the middle of the hurricane of punches.

Both figures were knocked back again and again, each sending the other sliding across the floor, neither willing to give an inch.

"HAHAHA! To think you'd keep up with my punching speed… just what the hell is your Quirk?!" Rappa shouted as the exchange continued.

His opponent didn't answer.

Then, inevitably, because of the nature of Rappa's Quirk, he had to pull back for a moment.

The intruder didn't let up.

He lunged forward and unleashed another storm of punches, forcing Rappa to raise his arms and block.

—RATATATATATATATAT!—

By the time it ended, his body was battered beyond measure, and the sheer recoil of the barrage eventually sent him rolling backward across the floor.

But as he recovered and looked up at the already approaching hooded figure, Rappa's eyes shone with pure ecstasy.

He dashed forward again.

And another storm of punches erupted between them.

Plenty of hits landed on his opponent—but just as many slammed into Rappa's own body.

Blood burst from his mouth mid-exchange, splattering across his mask and staining his flying fists in the process.

Soon both fighters' hands were slick with blood, leaving red streaks across each other whenever a blow connected.

It was a brutal, savage sight.

Yet exhilarating.

Until at last—

—BAM!—

The hooded man drove a final punch straight into Rappa's ribs.

The impact folded him over and sent him tumbling across the floor.

Seconds later, his back slammed against the hallway wall, leaving him slumped against it with both arms hanging uselessly at his sides.

Broken.

For a moment, he didn't move.

But he wasn't unconscious.

"Hehehe…" he chuckled, blood gargling in his throat as he did. "You… you're an amazing guy…"

The hooded man walked over and stopped in front of him, looming above the defeated fighter.

Both fists were still red, the blood on them beginning to evaporate from the heat and friction of the earlier exchange.

Rappa lifted his head and met his gaze.

"Now do it… finish it. End this fight to the death."

The figure didn't answer.

He simply raised a fist.

Then—

—SMACK!—

His punch crashed into Rappa's face, something cracking loudly on impact.

Rappa's body slumped to the side, unconscious.

The hooded man flicked his hands, shaking the blood off them.

"Sorry," he said flatly. "I'm not into that."

That made two less of the Eight Bullets.

…

°

°

°

| Another room of the underground facility… |

…

Gentle stood before three opponents, his eyes narrowing as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"To think I'd run into three of the Eight Bullets…"

Ahead of him stood Toya Setsuno—a lanky blond man whose Quirk allowed him to pull objects from others into his hands—Yu Hojo—a bald, stern-looking man capable of generating a sturdy, diamond-like material from his body and shaping it into weapons—and lastly, Soramitsu Tabe—a man draped in a mantle stitched tightly over the place where his mouth should have been, whose Quirk allowed him to eat anything with monstrous jaws.

"Who the hell are you? And how did you get in here?" Toya asked, glaring at Gentle.

Yu paused for a second. His eyes narrowed… then widened in recognition.

"Hold on. I've seen this guy before. He's that dumb idiot who uploads videos on YoTube doing crimes while trying to look cool."

Toya stared at him blankly for a moment before turning back to Gentle with a mocking grin.

"Don't tell me he thought it'd be a good idea to attack the Shie Hassaikai? Talk about stupid!"

Soramitsu said nothing.

But from the fixed, hungry look in his eyes… nothing good could be passing through his head.

Gentle sweatdropped slightly.

It truly seemed he had gotten himself into quite the predicament.

"But I suppose I can't leave everything to Rockinesis…"

His gaze briefly shifted to the camera he had placed earlier when he noticed the fight was inevitable, positioning it so it could capture everything.

A stationary camera wasn't ideal for filming combat, and La Brava often couldn't keep up with the speed and fierceness of some battles. That was why he usually cut his videos right as the fights began, only showing the aftermath of his victories.

Partly to avoid letting the authorities deduce his identity.

Partly to hide the tricks he kept in reserve for when he was outmatched.

And partly because he thought showing himself dispatching several of his enemies without showing the violence was pretty cool—very gentlemanly as he'd call it.

But this time…

This might be the most important video he had ever recorded.

He couldn't let Rockinesis be the only one stealing the show, even if he could only have a stationary camera to record it.

"Hoooh…" He exhaled slowly, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the three opponents ahead of him. "Very well, gentlemen… let us do what we must."

As he spoke, he tapped the earpiece hidden beneath his hair.

"And I'm counting on you, La Brava."

{"Gentle… don't lose!"}

At once, a pink energy began to surround him.

His hair spiked upward.

His moustache followed suit.

A confident smirk spread across his face.

"I won't."

…

°

°

°

| Evacuation path… |

…

Chisaki ran desperately down the hallway.

Sweat streamed down his forehead, and the sound of his hurried footsteps—along with his ragged breathing—echoed through the empty corridor.

Every few seconds, he slowed just enough to slam a hand against the walls beside him, activating his Quirk and raising thick barriers of stone behind him to block his pursuer.

But no matter how many walls he raised… No matter how thick they were… No matter how long he ran…

The footsteps behind him never stopped.

Each wall shattered with a thunderous crack.

And after every collapse, the same calm, steady steps resumed—like a hunter patiently chasing its prey.

"Damn it…" Chisaki hissed between breaths. "I can't let it end here. The boss's vision… I can't let it die with me!"

With every passing second, those footsteps grew closer.

So did the panic clawing at his chest.

At one point, he even reshaped the corridors themselves, tearing open new paths and sealing others behind him in an attempt to confuse the intruder.

But it made no difference.

No matter what he did… He couldn't lose him.

'What are those idiots doing?! Why did I even bother raising them into sacrificial pawns over this past year?! Can't they hold off a single intruder?!'

His mind went back to the Eight Bullets. In paper, and to the rest of the underworld, they were his henchmen. People worthy of carrying the name of the Shie Hassaikai.

But that wasn't the whole truth.

They were pawns he was ready to discard if it ever became necessary when the police discovered what was happening here, or when something else that risked the whole operation arose.

They were there to assure his escape, and with it, the survival of the Shie Hassaikai.

He and the boss.

So long as both existed, even if everyone else died or got imprisoned, the Shie Hassaikai would live on, and so would their ambition to rise to the top of the underworld.

That's why those eight existed, to ensure the core of the Hassaikai would remain.

And yet, despite the fact that he had been running like a madman for so long, none of them had shown up to sacrifice themselves.

Not even his more valuable pieces outside of the eight, like Kurono or Irinaka, had shown up.

Had something happened?

Had they all been wiped out before he became the target?!

'Fuck… FUCK!'

Frustrated to the limit, Chisaki kicked up the pace once again.

The chase dragged on until his lungs burned and his legs trembled.

Finally, he staggered to a stop, bending over with his hands on his knees as he sucked in desperate breaths.

He was close.

So close.

Just a hundred meters more…

And he would reach the hidden exit he had prepared as an emergency escape route.

He just needed to catch his breath.

Just a moment.

Then he would stand and—

"Why did you slow down?"

"...!"

Chisaki flinched violently and jumped away from where he stood.

He spun around, searching frantically for his pursuer.

But the hallway behind him was empty.

"Did you hear something?"

The voice came again… Right beside him.

Chisaki snapped his head to the side.

There—clad in black—stood the same figure from before, upside down, suspended in the air as if gravity meant nothing.

—Watching him with the same cold gaze as before.

Chisaki's hand shot forward instantly.

"Kgh…!"

But just like before, his palm stopped centimeters from the man's face.

The invisible barrier blocked him completely.

"Ack—!"

-Thud!-

Then, the same unseen force suddenly exploded outward, slamming Chisaki into the corridor's wall with crushing force.

Before he could recover, the masked vigilante was already standing in front of him… Blocking the only path forward.

He was cornered.

Taka had caught him.

"I thought you'd run faster if your life depended on it," Taka said calmly, looking down at him with clear disdain. "Guess there's a limit to what even desperation can achieve."

"Why…?" Chisaki snarled, fury and desperation bleeding into his voice as his carefully built plans collapsed around him. "Why is a bastard like you doing this?! Didn't you retire?! Why are you here?!"

"You should know yourself," Taka replied plainly.

That answer snapped Chisaki out of his anger.

'I should know?'

He had never met Rockinesis. He had only heard of him.

What's more, the vigilante had never even appeared in this city during the times he had been active.

So what the hell did he mean?

Was it the Hassaikai's crimes that had drawn his attention? There were dozens of organizations like his—and plenty far worse.

Then what?!

What could possibly—

Chisaki's eyes trembled as the answer finally surfaced.

"That kid…?"

"So you do know." Taka's voice carried a faint hint of amusement.

"How… how could you possibly know about her?"

There was no record of her existence, no documents, and no trace of her birth.

Chisaki had made sure of that.

And it had been a long time since she escaped—long before this vigilante had even begun operating.

So how?

A leak?

No, that was impossible.

He had personally explained to every subordinate what would happen if information leaked.

In detail.

Graphic detail.

He had made sure none of them would ever dare talk, no matter what their puny conscience told them.

Then how?

How—

-Pat-

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance.

"No need to rack your brain over it," Taka said calmly. "You didn't do anything wrong in covering her up."

He paused.

"You were just unlucky."

—BAM!—

"Au—urgh…!"

A brutal punch slammed into Chisaki's stomach, folding him instantly.

Saliva spilled from his mouth as the air was violently knocked from his lungs.

Before he could recover, he felt himself lifted by the collar like he weighed nothing—

And tossed aside like trash.

He slammed against the metal floor and rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.

Coughing, he looked up.

The dark-clad figure was already walking toward him.

"There's a saying that no good deed goes unpunished…" Taka said with a quiet sigh, shaking his head slightly. "Of course, the same can't be said about bad ones. Plenty of bastards get away with whatever evil they're willing to commit."

He crouched down.

His face stopped mere centimeters from Chisaki's.

Red eyes gleamed through the mask as they locked onto him.

"But that's not your case."

He straightened again, looming over the sprawled villain.

Then he raised a hand.

A sphere of light formed above his palm, radiating heat intense enough to make Chisaki shield his face.

"I came here personally to make sure you don't get away unpunished. So, goodbye, Overhaul."

"No…" Chisaki muttered.

For a moment, time seemed to slow down. The heat and light were blinding him enough to bring a strange sense of calmness.

One that allowed for frustration and anger to no longer blind him to the truth.

That this… might be where it ends.

The Shie Hassaikai.

His plans.

His boss's dream.

All of it—ending here, at the hands of a damn vigilante.

Another deluded madman corrupted by Quirks… playing hero while deciding right and wrong for the world.

That's where the calm ended.

A vein bulged across Chisaki's forehead, and his eyes, afraid until then, shot at his enemy with a hatred so deep that it might as well burn like the energy in his hands.

Then—

"NO!"

His Quirk activated.

Both palms slammed against the floor—

—BOOOOM!—

—and everything changed.

…

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: Time to begin with the full fight. Hopefully you guys like the action.

Also, I'm moving the self-promotion down here cause of evil reasons.)

Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

patreon.com/TheSynonym

 

[The Synonym]

(A/N: Kinda forgot to upload this after waiting for the laptop. Still, now you won't need to wait for the second part of the fight since it's a double release)

────────────────────────
[Showdown 1]
────────────────────────

…

It all happened in an instant.

The narrow, dark corridor suddenly expanded like a balloon.

Within seconds, it had turned into a massive arena.

Amid the violent transformation of the environment, Chisaki had already moved away from Taka. Now he stood at the opposite end of the newly formed space, his expression twisted with determination and rage.

He no longer trusted in his escape plan.

He no longer believed he could outrun the man before him.

Now he understood the reality of his situation—and what he had to do if the Shie Hassaikai was to survive.

He had to fight.

Cling to life like a cockroach.

Hold on until his nails tore off… and if that wasn't enough, bite down with his teeth and refuse to let go.

Nothing else—no plan, no subordinate—would save him now.

His eyes narrowed as he stared toward the place where Taka had stood moments ago. When he reshaped the corridor, he hadn't only created more space.

He had launched his attack at the same time.

"Tsk."

Unfortunately, that part had failed miserably.

Taka still stood exactly where he had been before.

But now, a massive amount of spikes lay around him, aimed directly at him—only, all shattered at their ends, having been unable to fully reach him in the end.

Taka remained at the center of the failed murder attempt, his gaze fixed coldly on Chisaki.

"So you finally stopped running."

—BAM!—

An invisible force ripped through the remaining spikes, shattering the ruined encasement around him, freeing him fully.

"Then let's not delay this any further."

Without another word, Taka moved.

His figure blurred.

"...!"

Barely reacting in time, Chisaki—already crouched with his hands on the ground—raised a massive wall of concrete filled with jagged spikes between them.

—BAM!—

A second later, the entire wall exploded apart.

A figure burst through it as if it were papier-mâché.

Even then, Chisaki didn't hesitate.

He was already sprinting away, having expected the wall to fail from the start.

As he ran, he slammed a hand against the half-crumbled remains of the barrier.

Dozens of concrete spikes erupted from the debris and shot toward the approaching Taka.

But with simple punches—and sometimes without even bothering to strike—Taka tore through them all.

His pursuit never slowed.

Within seconds, he was already upon Chisaki.

"You—Aack!"

The shout was cut short as Taka crashed into him like a meteor.

The impact slammed Chisaki into the ground.

—Crckcrckrkc!—

Taka dragged him across the floor mercilessly, the villain's body scraping through shattered debris as pained grunts and screams tore from his throat.

Broken chunks of concrete gouged his back as they slid across the arena.

Then, as if growing bored with it—

Taka's invisible force detonated forward.

Chisaki's battered body was launched at terrifying speed toward one of the arena's walls.

—BOOM!—

A massive cloud of dust erupted as he crashed into it.

Then, walking into the cloud, Taka waved a hand. His aura swept the dust away, revealing Chisaki embedded in the wall, his eyes threatening to roll back.

—Cough!—

A second later, a mouthful of blood spilled from Chisaki's lips, clear evidence of the damage he had taken.

Then the cracked wall holding him in place finally gave way, loosening and letting the gravely injured man fall to the floor.

Yet, somehow, at the last second, he caught himself—still awake despite the damage he had taken.

He coughed again, staining the concrete floor beneath and the surrounding debris with fresh blood.

"Hgrh…!"

—And then, in the next moment, his injuries repaired themselves.

Broken bones exploded, only to regenerate and realign themselves into proper shape.

Torn skin got ripped apart, before knitting back together with precision until he was flawless again.

In no time, Chisaki had gone back to top form.

Then, with both palms touching the ground, Chisaki activated his Quirk again.

"BEGONE!"

A wave of jagged spikes burst from the floor and surged toward the slowly approaching Taka, fast and powerful enough to impale anyone.

But the moment they reached him—

—Crack!—

—Bam!—

—Shatter!—

Not a single one remained intact.

Taka continued walking forward without slowing. Every spike shattered the instant they approached even remotely, the broken fragments lifting into the air and floating around him as if caught in an invisible current.

During all this, Taka's red eyes continued dead set on Chisaki, uncaring of the storm of attacks coming his way.

Gritting his teeth, Chisaki activated his Quirk again.

This time, the floor beneath him transformed into a rising pillar that launched him upward at tremendous speed, buying him distance and time from his relentless pursuer.

Taka reacted instantly, shooting after him.

As he ascended, vicious tentacle-like spikes erupted from the concrete pillar, lashing toward him in an attempt to pierce or at least slow him down.

But just like before, they were useless.

The dark figure of Taka's costume rose through the storm of spikes without hesitation. Concrete shattered around him as if he were an unstoppable force.

Before that overwhelming power, Chisaki's resistance meant nothing.

Within moments—just as the pillar reached its limit—Taka floated in front of him.

Chisaki trembled with fury at the sight of the man he couldn't even scratch.

"Why won't you die?!"

Desperation flooded his voice.

His hands slammed against the pillar again, and a barrage of spikes shot toward Taka one after another in a relentless assault.

Each one failed, shattered the instant Taka punched them.

—Crack!—

—Bam!—

—Shatter!—

Before long, the attack barrage ended, revealing a still unmoved Taka, looking at him from above with eyes that seemed to ask, "Is that all?"

Chisaki stared at the unmoving figure before him with wide, desperate eyes, his breathing ragged.

"...Why?"

—BAM!—

A fist answered him.

The punch blasted Chisaki off the pillar.

He shot across the arena and slammed into one of the distant walls.

Ironically, that actually saved him—allowing him to break his fall by creating a ramp to roll through, rather than plummet to his death.

Still, the force of the landing rattled his brain.

He bounced and rolled down the wall in a chaotic tumble, crashing against the ramp unceremoniously several times before finally landing sprawled on the floor below.

Slowly, he pushed himself up. A few times gravity almost dragged him back down, but in the end he managed to stand again—though only barely.

Then, once more, his injuries healed.

Yet even though his body had returned to perfect condition, his eyes told a completely different story.

Weariness.

A kind that simply reconstructing his body could not fix.

He was mentally exhausted.

To heal himself, he first had to disassemble his own body.

That process filled with pain, combined with the damage he kept sustaining—and the fact that despite everything he had done, he had not injured his opponent even slightly—was pushing him closer and closer to his breaking point.

—BOOM!—

The next second, Taka descended like a meteor. Concrete cracked beneath his feet as he landed only a few meters away from Chisaki.

Most of the lights in the corridor—now transformed into an arena—had already been destroyed during the fight. Only a handful still worked, barely illuminating the battlefield.

Even so, the entire place was swallowed by darkness.

And in that darkness, Chisaki saw him.

The figure clad in black, standing there completely unmoved by everything Chisaki had tried.

Red, eerie eyes staring straight into his soul—glowing even through the gloom.

Something inside Chisaki finally broke.

"Why?" he repeated.

He began walking toward his opponent.

Slowly.

Then suddenly—he ran.

Desperation and raw hatred burned in his eyes.

Mid-run, he crouched and brushed his hand against the floor, causing dozens of spikes to erupt from the ground and shoot toward Taka.

But the teenager simply punched, dodged, and walked through them without difficulty.

Still, Chisaki didn't slow down.

His hand struck the ground again.

Even more spikes surged forward.

Once again, they failed.

Fragments of shattered spikes floated through the air around Taka, like silent proof of his overwhelming power.

Tears ran down Chisaki's face as his teeth ground together in rage.

He grabbed a jagged piece of debris floating nearby, reshaped it into something sharper with his Quirk, and swung it desperately at Taka.

"Why are you so strong?!"

—Crack!—

The weapon shattered the instant it struck.

"...!"

Chisaki's hand remained frozen in the air, suddenly empty.

That was when he finally understood.

He was powerless.

And what angered him the most was something else entirely.

Until now, he had been allowed to fight.

No matter how he looked at it, the man before him could have ended the battle from the very beginning.

Yet he had been allowed to attack. Allowed to run. Allowed to heal himself.

To the man standing before him, this had never been a real fight.

He had simply been playing with his food.

That's when he understood it.

He never stood a chance.

And with that understanding came the realization of his reality.

His dream—no, the boss's dream—was going to end here because of the whims of someone with a powerful Quirk.

Once again, all of it because of the disease that Quirks were… and the madness they brought to people.

His fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms until blood began to seep out.

The Yakuza's bright future—rising beyond a decaying criminal group into one that would hold the world in the palm of its hand—was ending today.

All because of the deluded bastard standing before him.

—BAM!—

Mid-grief, once again, an invisible force struck him.

Chisaki was sent flying, crashing straight into a nearby wall.

Something in his back cracked on impact, blood spilling from his mouth as he crashed.

A moment later, he slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor, like a puppet without strings.

All the strength in his body was gone now.

Of course, he could stand up, heal himself, and try again.

But what was the point?

No matter what he did, he couldn't defeat that monster.

No matter how hard he struggled, the future he had envisioned was ending today.

There was no escape.

'I'm sorry, boss… In the end, I wasn't capable of carrying on your vision…'

Chisaki lay on the floor, barely lifting his head to watch his opponent slowly approaching.

Like death itself, calmly coming to collect what it was owed.

Chisaki finally gave up.

His head lowered again, eyes falling to the cracked floor beneath him.

Was he going to kill him?

Or capture him?

Considering the man was a vigilante, not bound by law or popularity, Chisaki leaned toward the first option.

Either way, it meant the end of the Hassaikai today.

He had failed.

'Boss…'

As his consciousness began to fade, the first person that surfaced in his mind was the boss.

The man who had taken him in.

The reason he had done all of this for.

Only the two of them were needed for the Hassaikai to continue existing.

But today, Chisaki would be gone.

'I'm sorry—'

The thought halted midway.

His eyes suddenly widened as despair crept into them.

Realization struck.

If he died here…

If he were captured…

What would happen to the boss?

He had put him into a coma so that when he finally woke him up again, he could show him the results of his plan.

Show him that he had been right all along.

But if he died right now…

Who would wake him up?

Who would bring him out of that coma?

The realization hit like a shot of adrenaline.

His eyes snapped wide open, strength surging up from somewhere deep inside despite his battered body.

And then, as if fate had answered that desperate will—

Two figures stepped through the entrance of the arena.

"Overhaul!"

Two men wearing plague masks rushed inside, searching frantically for their boss.

One of them was Shin Nemoto, whose Quirk forced people to speak the truth—even if they didn't realize it themselves.

The other was Chronostasis, Chisaki's right-hand man. His Quirk allowed him to drastically slow someone down by touching them with two strands of hair shaped like the hands of a clock.

The moment they spotted him lying on the floor, both of them ran toward him.

'Nemoto… Kurono… Good timing.'

A faint smile appeared on Chisaki's lips.

"What the hell are those idiots doing…?" Taka turned toward them, his aura already gathering as he prepared to knock them aside before finishing with Overhaul.

But then—

—BOOOOOM!—

Enormous walls erupted from the ground, instantly surrounding him.

The source was Chisaki.

Both of his palms were pressed against the floor.

And the walls weren't the only thing he created.

The entire structure of the arena began shifting again.

Taka was pushed as far away as possible, while the two men rushing in were pulled closer.

"We received your alert and came as fast as we could," Kurono said, bearing a grave look.

"Overhaul, are you alright?!" Shin asked, staring at his boss's condition with alarm.

"Like never before."

Before, Chisaki might have fought alongside them.

But not now.

There was no more space for plans or useful people to make his allies.

There was only survival, and the boss.

So—

—Grab!—

His hand shot forward, seizing Shin and Kurono, who flinched in shock.

"You two will give up your lives for me, yeah?" Chisaki asked, a cruel grin spread on his face.

"Huh?"

In the next second—

—BAM!—

The disassembly began.

And so did the reassembly.

Soon, an entirely new figure was born.

"HAHAHA!"

...

────────────────────────

-To Be Continued...-

────────────────────────

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────────────────────────

(A/N: Was wondering whether to make Chisaki take Trigger, fuse with his subordinates, or both. But in the end, I decided on the fusion only. It didn't make much sense for the provider to rely on the drug... At least, that's what I think. Giving it to the henchmen was fine, but not himself.)

 

[The Synonym]

────────────────────────
[Showdown 2]
────────────────────────

…

—BOOOM!—

Debris and rubble were sent flying violently as a wall was blasted apart, the impact making the entire arena rumble.

-Step, step, step-

From the cloud of rising dust that rose upon the wall breaking apart, a figure stepped out, cracking his neck to one side, then the other.

"This isn't what we agreed on... but I guess I should have seen it coming," The figure muttered, sounding mildly annoyed as it finally stepped out of the dust, revealing Taka, who stared forward with a collected gaze.

His gaze settled on the shifting figure at the other end of the arena, tons and tons of vapor emanating from it, and swallowing it completely.

Even so, the faint remaining lights around the arena allowed him to make out the general shape of what was happening.

The silhouette inside the vapor was changing.

What had once been a human figure was rapidly becoming something monstrous.

The body swelled in size, bones cracking and reshaping as its frame expanded into a towering form. Six massive arms unfolded from its torso, thick and uneven, each one ending in claw-like fingers. From its back, jagged appendages spread outward like twisted wings.

The violent and gruesome change continued for a few seconds more—until, at last, everything went to a still, silence completely taking over the arena in but an instant.

That's when Taka saw it.

Two golden eyes burned brightly at the center of the huge vortex of vapor, their murderous shine piercing through the haze and locking directly onto him.

"ROCKINEEEEESIIIIIIS!!!"

Chisaki's—No, Overhaul's distorted and ferocious roar rang out, powerful enough to fill the entirety of the arena in no time.

A quiet huff escaped the teenager.

"I suppose I have no other option but to play by it, then," He muttered, grin widening beneath his mask as his eyes took on an excited glint.

With that, he began walking forward.

At the same time, on Overhaul's side, the cloud of vapor that had formed burst outward in a violent rush.

The monstrous form of Overhaul emerged from within it, walking forward with furious stomps.

—Thunk!—

—Thunk!—

—Thunk!—

Before long, his stride broke into a full sprint, each step forward cracking the floor below and allowing him to reach a superhuman speed.

Taka did the same, slowly building up momentum—until he was speeding ahead too, his figure blurring amidst the dark surroundings.

A trail of destruction, product of their sheer speed and momentum, followed them as they charged against each other, like two titanic beasts about to pounce on each other.

Until, at last, the two collided.

—CLANG!—

The shockwave alone cracked the concrete beneath them and hurled both fighters several meters apart from the recoil.

—Crckckckck!—

As Overhaul was sent backward, both his hands slammed onto the floor and left a trail as they dug into it to stop his momentum.

And while he did, his Quirk also activated.

Suddenly, dozens—no, hundreds—of razor-sharp spikes burst forward, shooting across the arena in an enormous wave of stone.

Compared to Taka, the storm of spikes looked like a tidal wave ready to swallow him whole.

But even in the face of such an overwhelming attack, after recovering from the clash, Taka merely accelerated.

And as he dove inside it without fear, his body began moving through the chaos as if it belonged there.

He twisted left and right mid-flight, slipping between spikes that shot past him at lethal speeds. When one was unavoidable, he struck it aside, shattering it instantly. At other times, he used the sheer density of the attack to his advantage, redirecting spikes so they collided and shattered against one another.

He made surfing through that storm of blades look almost effortless.

And in no time—

He was already in front of Overhaul.

The Yakuza couldn't react.

His own forest of spikes had blocked his vision, and before he realized it—

—CLANG!—

A rising kick slammed directly into his enormous body.

The impact launched him skyward like a bullet.

But as Overhaul rocketed upward, Taka followed just as quickly.

Before the monster could reach the ceiling—

—BAM!—

"Ack—!"

Taka appeared above him, his leg crashing down in a brutal guillotine kick that slammed directly into Overhaul's stomach.

The force reversed his momentum instantly.

Both of them plummeted downward like a comet.

—BOOOOOM!—

Soon, they smashed into the ground together.

The impact carved a massive crater into the arena floor, causing fissures to spread around the point of impact in a single instant.

Then, as if that brutal exchange had only been the beginning, movement stirred within the rising dust. A moment later, it was blasted away, revealing both fighters already trading blows.

"I'LL TEAR APART THAT BARRIER OF YOURS! AND WHEN I DO, I'LL MAKE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR HEAD INTACT SO I CAN HANG IT FOR OTHERS TO SEE!"

Overhaul's enraged roar echoed as his six arms lashed out relentlessly, each strike powerful enough to create shockwaves on impact.

Taka dodged most of the attacks, blocking some and returning blows of his own.

Even so, the advantage of numbers began to show.

Soon, several strikes slipped past his defenses, threatening to land cleanly and shatter the barrier keeping Overhaul's quirk from reaching him.

At times, some of Overhaul's hands slipped away from the fight to touch the surroundings and send more spikes and other formations to interfere with Taka's rhythm.

Even though he was holding his ground, the sheer volume of attacks was forcing Taka beyond his current capabilities.

Recognizing the danger, Taka forced a time-out, releasing a burst of raw aura in Overhaul's face.

—BOOM!—

Instantly, the explosion of raw energy produced a shockwave that forced Overhaul backward several meters, his six arms and legs clawing at the ground to stop himself.

At the same time, however, Overhaul didn't let Taka take as much of a breather as he could have liked. As his hands clawed at the ground, he also used his Quirk to morph it into massive pillars that shot like massive hammers toward Taka.

"...!" Reacting quickly, the teenager simply tilted his body aside, letting the pillars graze past him as they sped by.

Then he used them.

The flying pillars briefly blocked Overhaul's vision, and in that instant, Taka launched himself forward, crossing the distance between them almost immediately.

Taka rammed straight into him, using his aura to form a barrier in front of him, allowing him to act like a literal shooting star that ran over the unsuspecting Overhaul.

—CRKKCKRKR!!!—

"AAAARGH!!"

With Taka's speed and momentum, Overhaul had no escape. He was rammed by Taka's vertiginous figure and dragged across the arena floor while Taka continued advancing mercilessly, carving a massive trench through the concrete that dug into Overhaul's back.

Throughout the entire movement, the villain clawed wildly at him, striking again and again at the invisible barrier protecting Taka from his deadly touch.

The teenager's eyes narrowed, feeling the barrier he had made beginning to dwindle in front of Overhaul's strikes.

Thinking quickly, he seized Overhaul's body with his aura and lifted him into the air.

Then he spun.

Using centrifugal force, he began swinging the villain faster and faster. Overhaul's massive body began whipping through the air like a spinning top—

Until Taka let go.

Overhaul shot away like a projectile.

—BOOOOOM!—

He crashed into the arena wall, smashing straight through it and triggering a massive collapse of debris.

Taka hovered in the air for a moment, catching his breath as small beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

Then—

"ROCKINESIIIIIS!!!"

Overhaul's distorted scream echoed across the arena once again, making Taka wince slightly.

Moments later, the mountain of rubble from the crash exploded outward.

A furious Overhaul burst from the debris.

Then, grabbing huge chunks of rubble with his oversized hands, he hurled them forward at tremendous speed.

Of course, before such slow attacks, Taka dodged them easily.

But when one large piece flew straight toward him, and he began to evade—

Overhaul's massive figure suddenly appeared from behind it, having used the debris as a distraction.

Thus, the distance between them vanished instantly.

'Here we go again.'

Thus, the clash resumed.

Fists and kicks by the dozen flew in every direction, debris and dust rising just from the rhythm of their fight, as their sheer speed and momentum while fighting seemed to drill into the very ground.

They, however, didn't stay put in a single spot during all that.

Time and time again, shockwaves erupted between blows, hurling them across the arena from the recoil.

Yet, no matter how far they got separated, they always lunged back to each other without delay.

Neither seemed willing to give the other time to breathe.

As the battle grew in violence, with debris previously there turning into mere dust from the sheer intensity of their fight, their bodies ricocheted across the arena at terrifying speed, slamming into the ground, walls, rubble, and pillars as shockwaves exploded in every direction while the brutal clash continued.

"RAAAGH!"

"..."

At one point, much like many times already, the two rushed each other again, diving back into the fray as dust and debris exploded beneath their feet.

They separated for a brief instant—then lunged at each other once more.

Taka weaved between the incoming attacks, slipping through gaps in Overhaul's relentless barrage and striking whenever an opening appeared.

As the rhythm of dodging and counterattacking settled in, Taka's body instinctively began tapping into another reserve of power.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
[Let's Dance] (ACTIVATED!)
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

His movements changed immediately.

Dodges that had once been rough and slightly desperate became smooth and deliberate. His body moved only as much as necessary, each motion calm and precise as Overhaul's attacks suddenly seemed slower—clearer.

Every time Overhaul struck, Taka slipped past the blow with effortless grace before retaliating with even greater force.

Somehow, six arms attacked him at once, and all six were handled with ease.

The sight only made Overhaul's fury grow.

But rage didn't make him stronger; it only made him sloppier in Taka's darting eyes.

As the fight dragged on, mistakes began appearing in his movements—small openings born from frustration and desperation.

Taka exploited every single one.

—BAM!—

—BAM!—

—BAM!—

Blow after blow slammed into Overhaul's battered body.

Then, when one of Overhaul's claws lunged too far forward, Taka slipped beneath him.

—CLANG!—

His leg shot forward.

The monstrous kick launched Overhaul across the arena in an instant.

But Taka didn't let the punishment end there.

With explosive speed, he shot after the reeling Overhaul, reaching him almost immediately.

And with the villain still stunned from the previous hit—and with no ground beneath him to properly defend himself—

—TATATATATATATATATATATA!—

—Taka proceeded to subject the villain to a relentless and ferocious assault. Overhaul's body convulsed under the barrage as hundreds of fists hammered into him without a single moment of respite.

All of it was happening while they were still flying through the air.

In seconds, they approached one of the arena's few remaining intact walls.

—At least, it had been intact until Taka decided to end the assault with a final punch.

One charged with every ounce of his physical strength.

—CLANG!!!—

The sound of bones cracking echoed through the arena as blood burst from the point of impact.

Overhaul's body blurred as he was launched toward the wall with unprecedented speed.

—BOOOOM!—

The entire wall—and much of the surrounding structure—collapsed under the force of the crash. Causing a large portion of the arena to crumble away, and many of the remaining lights to flicker out, plunging the facility into near darkness.

'Did that do it?'

Breathing heavily but steadily, Taka descended from the air and began walking toward the wreckage. His footsteps echoed through the now-silent facility.

Moments later, he reached the massive pile of rubble where the wall had once stood.

He watched it carefully, his eyes calm but alert.

Then—

—Swoosh!—

Taka tilted his head slightly as a small yet incredibly sharp spike shot from the debris, aiming straight for him.

It missed by centimeters.

The spike immediately retreated back into the rubble.

But Taka didn't let it go.

He extended a hand, and in tandem, his aura surged outward, spreading across the wreckage and pushing rubble aside as if it weighed nothing.

Stones shifted, metal screeched, debris rolled away.

Eventually, Overhaul's body was revealed.

He lay buried among the broken concrete.

Most—if not all—of his arms were broken. Bruises covered nearly every inch of his body, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He looked so battered he might pass out at any second.

If he hadn't already.

Seeing him like that, Taka scoffed.

"In the end, even with a second chance, you still weren't up to the task," he mocked. "What a sad existence you are, Overhaul."

There was no response.

Overhaul's gaze remained vacant as he lay completely still.

Several seconds passed while Taka watched him silently, as if expecting a final desperate attack.

But nothing came.

Taka sneered.

The villain was still breathing faintly, but it seemed the last barrage had actually finished him.

'It was about time he went down. How many hits was that? This guy can really take a beating.'

He shook his head wryly.

Truthfully, he was running on fumes.

His aura reserves were still decent, but his body was thoroughly exhausted.

That fight had been harder than it needed to be.

'Though I guess that's partly my fault.'

Shrugging the thought away, he stepped forward.

Then his gaze turned cold as a cutting aura began to form along his arm.

'Luckily—or maybe unluckily for him—I'm still not at the point where I can kill someone…'

The energy sharpened.

'But that doesn't mean I can't take away his Quirk.'

His eyes settled on Overhaul's arms. The source of his quirk factor.

Once those were gone, Overhaul's power would disappear with them. Forever.

And with them gone, only a sad vestige of a man would be left.

Narrowing his eyes, Taka slowly raised his arm, like an executioner lifting an axe, about to deliver the finishing blow.

To end Overhaul, and with it, the Shie Hassaikai.

'Enjoy being powerless for the rest of your life, Chisaki.'

With that thought, Taka moved.

Then—

—Squelch!—

Blood sprayed, bursting, and covering the floor and debris around them.

"...!"

... But it wasn't Chisaki's

It was Taka's.

"Damn."

His pupils shook as his gaze fell on the culprit behind the splash of blood.

There was an incredibly sharp spike peeking out of his chest, having sprouted from the floor behind him, and piercing through his back until his chest.

"This sucks..."

As those words left his mouth, Chisaki's eyes, which until then had been blank and completely still—moved, locking onto Taka with maddened delight.

"Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!"

Loud, unrestrained laughter echoed through the ruined arena.

Slowly, Chisaki stood up, staring at Taka's wavering frame with eyes curled in manic joy.

"In the end, I survived… HOW'S THAT, ROCKINESIS?!" he shouted triumphantly. "The Shie Hassaikai lives on while you and your delusions die here!"

Taka, meanwhile, slowly raised a hand toward the hole in his chest.

His fingers touched the wound.

Then he looked at the blood staining them.

'So even the points I put into defense just in case weren't enough… huh?'

He scoffed. The motion forced a spurt of blood from his throat.

Staggering, he took a few unsteady steps back, a self-mocking sneer forming on his face.

"How the hell did I fall for the oldest trick in the book…?" he muttered.

He kept retreating until his back bumped against a massive chunk of wreckage.

Slowly, he slid down and sat against it—leaving a trail of blood on the rock—before staring at Chisaki as blood continued to seep from his chest.

The Yakuza approached at a leisurely pace, savoring the sight.

When he spoke, his voice carried both mockery and simmering anger.

"You mentioned you came looking for Eri, didn't you?"

He stopped a few meters away.

"Normally, I don't bother holding grudges against people who aren't the main source of my hatred… but you…"

His grin widened.

"Just for you, I'll make sure to enjoy taking that kid back. I won't even bother pretending to care about her feelings anymore while I cut her apart for the sake of my future empire. She will live and die for my research, nothing more and nothing less."

He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.

"Die there, Rockinesis—knowing that because of you, that child will be going through a living hell from now on."

Taka didn't answer.

He simply closed his eyes, his head slowly lowering.

Chisaki frowned.

The calm reaction irritated him; he had wanted to see the despair of having failed in his "heroic mission" pass through his opponent's eyes. To make him feel even a tiny bit of what he had made him go through in the past hour.

But while he wanted it more than anything—he knew not to waste time.

He was not going to miss this chance to survive.

So, he raised a hand and prepared to reach forward and activate his Quirk at last.

Unfortunately for him—

He never got the chance.

—Squelch!—

Blood burst into the air.

Several heavy thuds followed as things struck the ground with wet, sickening sounds.

For a moment, Chisaki didn't understand what had happened.

Then he looked down.

And saw the cold reality.

All six of his arms—

Were gone.

"AAAAARGH!"

A scream tore from his throat as he collapsed to his knees, agony overwhelming him.

His eyes darted toward the man he had supposedly defeated.

"...?!"

Yet the body lying against the rubble hadn't moved at all.

That was when he felt something drape over his shoulders.

An arm.

"Looks like we both fell for the oldest trick in the book."

Chisaki's tear-filled eyes slowly shifted to the side—

And widened in horror.

Standing beside him, casually slinging an arm around his shoulders…

Was Taka.

Another one.

'How...?' Chisaki's mind struggled to comprehend reality. Until he recalled the thing that actually made Rockinesis blow up online in the first place.

Clones.

"You really messed up at the end there," another voice said from the opposite side.

A second Taka approached, looking toward the one lying against the rubble.

Then, another appeared, looking at them from on top of a nearby pile of debris. "Honestly, I can't believe we had to bail you out against Chisaki of all people."

Chisaki's eyes frantically darted around, terror spreading across his face.

"Well, at least now we know," another Taka said thoughtfully as he caressed his chin from some meters apart, "that we should blast enemies with a finishing attack before walking up to them… even if they look unconscious."

"I guess having the memories of all the power the original has makes us overconfident," another one who appeared from nowhere added. "Even though we're way weaker now."

"This is what happens when we rush things before developing a proper detection ability." Another Taka, standing behind Chisaki, commented.

As the seconds went by, more and more figures began to appear around him, each and every single one having the exact same appearance and the exact look in their eyes.

Disdain.

Despair slowly filled Chisaki's eyes.

But then—the voice of the fallen Taka echoed from ahead.

"To be fair, all of you. I'm not an expert on brain activity, so it was hard for me to know for sure. Plus, I only have a part of the original's power, so my reaction speed is also slower."

"You..."

Chisaki slowly turned his head back toward the body he had believed to be dying.

Only to be even more shaken when he saw his injuries healing at a rapid speed.

That, added to his words from just a moment ago...

"… You were a clone all along?" Chisaki asked, his voice trembling.

...

A small laugh escaped the fallen Taka.

"I think I left it pretty clear..."

"...?"

"I came here for the girl," Taka—no, the clone, said calmly. "You were merely secondary."

Soft snickers spread among the surrounding clones. Furthering Chisaki's broken state.

Then, the clone spoke again, his voice final and somewhat amused.

"You—no... your people, your henchmen, your boss, you yourself... The entire Shie Hassaikai you were so proud of…"

He stood up and walked up to Chisaki, before staring down at him with the same piercing crimson eyes that seemed to see everything.

"... Wasn't even important enough for the original to deal with personally."

…

°

°

°

| Underground facility, minutes earlier… |

…

—Rumble—

"Those guys sure are going wild…" Taka—the real one—muttered as he glanced around after the entire facility shook for unknown reasons.

After a small shrug, however, he turned forward again, gulping nervously as he stopped in front of a door.

'Alright… how the hell do I do this?'

Seiji had taught him how to fight, along with many parts of hero work, back when he had still been Quirkless.

But this…

This was something he hadn't been prepared for.

Talking to traumatized children.

Should he just tell her outright that everything was over and that she was safe?

Or was there some kind of tact he was supposed to use here?

-Scratch, scratch-

Frustrated, Taka scratched the back of his head before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Whatever. I'll figure it out on the spot."

And so, without further ado—

He opened the door.

…

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-To Be Continued...-

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Join my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll help me make ends meet while doing so.

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──────

(A/N: Alright, and that concludes the arc, except for Eri's part.

How was the revelation? Had you already figured it out, or did I manage to fool you, even if only for a bit?

Hopefully, the revelation helped make the struggle the clone went through against someone like Chisaki feel worth it.)

 

[The Synonym]

(A/N: GAAAA, I'm losing my consistency! Activate super author mode 3!

Anyway, sorry for the wait, procrastination and university don't mix well together, and they make me very efficientn't)
────────────────────────
[He Must Be A Hero]
────────────────────────

…

—Creeeeaaak—

The door opened slowly, the dim light from the corridor quietly spilling into the room.

Eri, who had been half-asleep, slowly fluttered her eyes open.

For a moment, confusion spread across her face, drowsiness clinging to her mind at such an unusual hour.

Then, she noticed the light hitting directly onto her bedframe.

Her body snapped upright instantly, fear seeping in as she turned toward the door, expecting him to be standing there.

All traces of sleep had vanished by then.

But as her eyes landed on the doorway—

"...!"

They widened.

The figure standing there… wasn't the one she expected.

A tall silhouette clad in dark clothing, a long coat draping over its frame, stood at the doorframe. The light behind it obscured its features, leaving only a shadowed outline.

All except one thing.

Its eyes.

They were fixed directly on her.

Then—

—Step—

The figure stepped forward.

Eri flinched immediately, the grip on her sheets tightening as her expression grew fearful.

—But at the same time, the figure flinched as well, stopping right in its tracks.

""...?""

The mirrored reaction left both of them momentarily startled.

Then, the figure glanced down at itself before lightly slapping its own forehead with the lower part of its palm.

Right away, its hand reached for the hood currently projecting a shadow over its face. But the moment its hand caught it, the figure visibly hesitated for a moment.

But after a second or so of doubt, it just pulled its hood up, revealing a black full-face mask that seemed to resemble a skull slightly.

It then reached up and removed the mask covering its face.

As soon as he did, a young face came into view.

Black hair, sharp features, and far younger than the people she was used to seeing every day.

It was Taka.

Seeing a face, and not that cold, faceless mask, Eri relaxed slightly.

Only slightly.

Human faces didn't really mean safety to her.

Still clutching her pillow tightly, she watched as the teenager slowly approached.

Before long, he stopped right in front of her.

Silence lingered between them.

For a moment, it almost seemed like he didn't know what to say.

But then, he knelt down, lowering himself until he was beneath her eye level as she sat on the bed.

"Hey, kid," he said, offering a small, careful smile.

Something in his tone—soft, uncertain, but gentle—made Eri's guard lower just a little.

But the moment he extended his hand toward her—

Her body tensed again.

"...!"

—Only for that hand to land gently on her head, ruffling her hair.

She blinked, clearly confused.

She was not unfamiliar with the gesture, but it had become almost foreign since she got here.

The people from this place sometimes tried to act kindly because of Chisaki's orders, smiling falsely, or bringing her toys she didn't really play with.

They never did something like this. Which only made Eri more confused.

Her eyes lifted to Taka, inspecting his smiling face, wondering if he, too, was doing this because he was being forced to.

But then—

"...Hm?"

Her eyes widened slightly.

A warmth spread from where his hand rested, a soft aura flowing over her and wrapping around her small body.

It was cozy, almost soothing.

Like how her mother used to make her feel, long ago.

As the feeling settled on her, the tension in her shoulders naturally eased, a few tears escaping her unintentionally.

For some reason, through just that, she was able to understand.

This wasn't fake. This person wasn't like the others.

Slowly, she looked up at him again, her expression shifting into something more curious—though the worry never fully left, it shifted to something else.

Despite her age, she understood enough about her own situation.

People like him, actually caring for her… weren't supposed to be here.

Chisaki wouldn't allow it. She just knew he wouldn't.

And if he wouldn't, then the person in front of him was in danger.

As she parted her lips, determined to urge him to escape—

"It's over."

His voice cut in, calm and steady.

Eri tilted her head. What was over?

He stood up slightly, though his hand remained resting on her head.

"I came to an agreement with Chisaki. You won't be experimented on anymore."

"What…?" she asked, her face blank with innocent confusion, unable to process his words.

He looked at her, his smile widening ever so slightly.

Then, he spoke clearly.

"You're free, Eri."

…

Eri opened her mouth—then closed it.

A moment passed.

Then she tried again.

"Free?"

There was no excitement in her voice. Not even disbelief.

Just confusion.

As if the word itself didn't quite exist in her world, or at least, it had lost its meaning.

But after a brief pause, she spoke again, more hesitantly this time.

"I was… allowed to leave?"

Even as she asked, her expression betrayed her.

She didn't believe it. Not even a little.

Taka's eyebrows creased slightly upon seeing her like that. But he didn't stop.

"Well… not exactly," he admitted. "But I'm a very persuasive guy."

Despite his clearly cryptic way of talking, Eri seemed intelligent enough to get the grasp of the underlying meaning of it, making her eyes widen as panic flooded her expression.

"You can't! You have to run! He—he'll hurt you…!"

She scrambled forward on the bed, grabbing onto Taka's coat tightly, her small hands clutching the fabric as she looked at him with desperate urgency.

—Rumble…!—

Her desperate pleas were cut short as the entire facility suddenly trembled, like distant explosions were echoing through the walls.

Eri flinched, her body tensing as fear surged again, her mind clearly taking it as a sign of Chisaki's anger.

And while she wasn't entirely wrong about that—

Taka's hand soon ruffled her hair again, calming her down the next second, as she froze before the soothing touch.

"No need to worry," Taka said calmly.

"But—"

"I know he seems invincible, but the truth is…" he cut in, voice steady and confident, "he doesn't stand a chance. He's fighting me, after all."

Taka stood up, giving her a small grin—one he usually kept to himself.

"And I'm the strongest."

That seemed to halt her panic.

Her worried gaze softened, a faint spark of curiosity appearing within it.

"The strongest…?"

"It means no one can beat me."

He let out a short laugh, then suddenly picked her up.

"Eep—!"

Before she could react further, his aura gently lifted and stabilized her, settling her over his shoulder.

She stiffened for a moment, confused—but didn't resist.

Instead, she looked around, still wary, but no longer panicking.

She didn't want him to get hurt… But if he really was as strong as he said…

Could it be that she was actually free?

"Since we are clear on that, let's go."

Still lost in thought, she felt him begin to move, and before she could say anything—they stepped out of her room, onto the corridor.

She shut her eyes tightly for a second, like scared of getting out without permission.

But as Taka's hand fell on her head once again, her eyes opened, and her beating heart calmed down.

No Chisaki was waiting for them. Only a long, long corridor, leading to the exit.

She looked around.

No Yakuzas, no Eight Bullets, no alarms, no shouts.

Only silence.

She had walked out… and nothing had happened.

She stared around in amazement, still not appearing to believe it fully.

Regardless, Taka didn't allow her to dwell on it for too long.

Soon, they took off again, retracing the path Taka had taken to get here.

Silence accompanied them along the way, broken only by distant rumbles and the faint hum of failing lights.

Eri glanced around.

Figures lay unconscious along the hallway.

Some lights flickered overhead, some completely dead by whatever battle was going on in a distant spot.

As she glanced at it, she couldn't help but be struck by the sight.

The once cold, unchanging, unbreachable, and inescapable place now felt… way less so.

No longer was there fear in her heart as she glanced at the tall walls surrounding them.

Now, only a feeling she had forgotten since long ago remained, slowly rising unbeknownst to her.

Hope.

Maybe…

Just maybe…

The teenager wasn't lying… and she was finally going to leave this place.

"..." Her gaze shifted back to him, curiosity quietly replacing fear.

Who was he, and why had he come for her, she couldn't help but ask herself.

Right away, she arrived at the most reasonable answer.

'He must be a hero.'

Unaware of the thoughts going on in Eri's head, Taka continued walking through where he came from. Before long, they reached the exit of the underground facility.

But just as they were about to leave—

Taka stopped.

Someone was waiting there.

Eri noticed too, flinching slightly—only to cautiously peek over Taka's shoulder when she realized she didn't recognize the face.

A man stood there, bruised and a bit bloodied.

—Yet still standing.

Gentle.

His suit was scuffed, his face marked with injuries, but despite it all, he carried himself with a certain pride.

So, they made their way to him.

"You got a bit hurt," Taka's voice rang out as they got near enough.

Gentle straightened immediately upon noticing them, puffing his chest out.

"Rockinesis!" he declared, before clearing his throat. "Ahem—They were formidable opponents… perhaps the strongest I've ever faced. Their teamwork nearly proved my undoing."

He placed a hand over his chest dramatically.

"But in the end, they could not prevail against the combined efforts of La Brava and me."

Then his gaze shifted to Taka's shoulder.

To Eri.

"So this is the child you came to rescue…" he said, his expression softening slightly. "To think such ruffians would resort to using someone so young for such atrocities… truly, they lack even the most basic sense of gentlemanliness."

He clenched a fist, shaking his head in theatrical indignation.

But as he kept with it, Taka watched him quietly. His eyes squinted faintly upon noticing what Gentle was hiding behind his current act.

The guy was injured, dead tired, and it probably wouldn't be a surprise if he collapsed at any moment now.

And yet—

He had still waited here for both of them.

'Damn.' Taka nodded faintly in approval.

Feeling a bit guilty that he had left the guy to deal with all that, while he himself didn't really do much fighting—aside from some random Yakuzas he'd smacked on the way to Eri's room—Taka extended a hand, pointing at Gentle.

In tandem, his aura flowed out, wrapping around the man's body.

—Then he activated his healing ability, following it up with Clean.

In an instant, Gentle's injuries and bruises faded away. The stains of blood and dust vanished as well, leaving him spotless under both his and Eri's astonished gaze.

As the healing and washing finished, Taka spoke.

"Thank you for helping me in this."

Gentle blinked, clearly surprised more by the sudden gratitude than by the magical abilities.

And it was no wonder. Since they met, Taka had carried himself with a slightly superior air, as if everything were under his control—and, truth be told, Gentle himself had wondered whether Taka had even needed them at all.

Perhaps, in truth… he hadn't. But if he was thanking him…

'At least, we were still able to help,' Gentle thought, a small smile forming.

Just that thought gave him an incredible peace of mind. Something he himself hadn't expected.

His mind went over the day everything went to hell. The day he tried to help a person in danger recklessly, only to worsen everything in the end, sending both the victim and the hero who appeared at the last second to the hospital.

At that time, he was cursed, persecuted, and scorned for what he did.

And perhaps he deserved it.

But the thought that he had been wrong for wanting to help—for wanting to do good—never left.

But now… now at least, he felt that perhaps the feeling in itself was not wrong.

His new thoughts strengthened once his gaze fell on Eri again.

Today, he had actually helped do good.

Even though he still was, and planned on being a villain. His goal to make the world remember his name still hadn't ended, after all.

But perhaps he could be a bit more flexible with his criminal acts from now on?

As Gentle fell silent in thought, Taka suddenly took out his mask, putting it back on with a hiss. Then, he grabbed his hood and pulled it down as well, covering his face again, despite the mask doing roughly the same function.

Once that was done, he turned to Gentle again.

"You should leave. The police will be here any minute."

Gentle frowned slightly. "Hmm? How is that possible? I'm fairly sure our infiltration was perfectly stealthy."

"There's someone I need to come. Someone within the law."

Gentle blinked, then glanced at Eri before nodding in understanding.

"I see."

Given La Brava's investigation months ago which he had kept on his mind, he knew who Taka was talking about.

So, after giving Taka a dramatic bow, he used his Quirk to bounce away in place for a few seconds—before bouncing at high speed toward the exit and turning into a blur, leaving Taka and Eri behind.

With that meeting done, Taka ruffled Eri's hair once more before turning forward, his gaze hardening as he climbed the stairs out of the Shie Hassaikai's underground.

Before long, they reached the upper floor, then slowly made their way toward the main gate.

There—

"Rockinesis, get your hands behind your back!"

—A horde of policemen, just stepping out of their cars, awaited him with guns raised.

It didn't take long for them to notice Eri.

"Hold your fire, he has a hostage!"

'Look at these guys, pinning crimes on me for no reason at all,' Taka thought with a wry smile.

As that crossed his mind, several figures stepped through the police line, moving to the front to face him.

Nighteye, along with several of his sidekicks—one in particular being a blonde guy Taka recognized, but chose to ignore.

The others were pro heroes from the city, called in for the situation.

And lastly—

"There you are, you punk…"

Seiji stood at the front, wearing a thoroughly pissed-off expression that practically screamed: "You know it took me a whole hour by train to get here, right?!"

'They sure went all out of what they could afford,' Taka noted.

An entire apprehension squad had gathered to take him in, once and for all.

Unfortunately for them, that hadn't happened before, and it wasn't happening today either.

Suddenly, Nighteye stepped forward, adjusting his glasses as he fixed Taka with a stern gaze.

"So you are that famous vigilante from recent times… Rockinesis. I thought you had retired, given your lack of activity outside the digital world… and yet, here you are."

His eyes drifted briefly to the Yakuza compound behind him. It looked intact—but judging from Taka's spotless appearance despite infiltrating it, and his obvious monstrous power, it had likely been anything but peaceful.

His gaze returned to Taka, narrowing slightly.

"Not only did you sneak into a criminal base unprovoked… You also contacted a professional hero to come after you once you were done… why?"

As those words left him, Seiji did his best to look uninvolved off to the side.

Of course, his eyes still flickered toward Eri on Taka's shoulder, already forming his own conclusions regardless of the answer.

Taka, however, didn't respond immediately.

Instead, he set Eri down, then knelt to her height.

A barrier of invisible aura formed between them and the police—thick enough that even sound would struggle to pass through.

With their conversation now private, Taka muttered loud enough for only her to hear, resting a hand gently on her head.

"I'm sorry, Eri. While I said I was the strongest… I'm also not exactly a law-abiding citizen. So I can't take you with me."

She tightened her grip on his coat, her small hands trembling.

"Don't go."

In such a short time, Taka had become the only person Eri could bring herself to trust. Even if they had barely known each other, he was the only one who made her feel safe now that her world was shifting—and the only one who seemed to care for her after what she had done to her parents.

"Don't leave me alone." Tears ran down her face.

The only hero she had ever met, who dared to help her.

Suddenly, her head was ruffled again, that same warm feeling spreading through her, making her pained look ease.

"I won't leave you alone. You can be sure of that." Taka said, his voice full of certainty.

He turned slightly, glancing toward Seiji. "See that guy who looks kind of dumb? The one with the tail?"

Eri followed his gaze and quickly spotted Seiji. She nodded.

"I want you to go with him. When I leave, I want you to go to him and say you want to stay with him. If you do that… we'll meet again," he said gently, before flinching slightly. "Ah—don't mention the part about meeting me again to them. That's supposed to be a secret."

Eri looked a bit lost, but she still nodded, his certain tone managing to convince her, even if she hadn't understood completely why of all that.

"Smart girl."

With that, Taka stood up and waved the barrier away, allowing sound to flow freely between both sides again.

Nighteye's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Finished your conversation?"

Taka gave a brief nod.

"Then answer," Nighteye pressed, the stamps between his fingers rustling faintly.

"You asked why I came here?" Taka said, jerking a thumb behind him. "It's because these bastards thought it was fine to experiment on kids. I came here to put a stop to that."

Nighteye adjusted his glasses.

"There are proper procedures—"

"Spare me the lecture. I know about laws. I just don't care about them."

Nighteye's eyes narrowed further.

"Even if that makes it harder for us to properly imprison the Shie Hassaikai for everything they've done?"

"Prison or not, they won't amount to anything after today. And if they do…" Taka paused for a brief second before his tone turned colder. "I'll make sure to stomp them properly this time. No second chances."

Several heroes visibly flinched, understanding the implication.

Even Seiji's expression grew more serious.

Taka let out a quiet sigh. "I'm sorry if I'm making you all look bad. But that hardly matters to me if I can ease someone's pain sooner instead of waiting for procedures."

A few glances shifted toward Eri, connecting the dots between the jab of just now and the mention of experimenting on kids.

"Even if doing so worsens your already existing crimes?" Nighteye asked, sounding more intrigued than angered.

Taka met his gaze evenly.

"I wouldn't be here if that was a problem."

Silence stretched between the two sides. Eri looked back and forth, worry creeping into her expression as the tension thickened.

Until—

"I suppose you're right." Nighteye sighed.

"So we finally understand each other." Taka snorted humorlessly before speaking again, his gaze relaxing slightly. "Anyway, thanks for dropping by, all of you." He eyed the multiple heroes with a calm gaze.

Then, a smirk took over his face beneath the mask.

"I'll be taking my leave now," Taka said suddenly, drawing several frowns.

"I don't think we can allow that," Nighteye replied, his stance subtly shifting, ready for combat.

"I wasn't really asking for permission."

—Step—

—Step—

—Step—

As those words left him, several figures began stepping out from inside the Yakuza compound, surrounding him, and lining up at his side.

Rockinesis… multiple of them.

A ripple of unease spread through the police ranks.

"Which one's the real one? You decide." Taka gave a small shrug.

And then—

—SWOOOSH!—

All of them, including the original, shot off at once, moving faster than most heroes could even react to. Thus, leaving the police and heroes behind, momentarily stunned.

The police captain glanced at Nighteye, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. "Uh… should we—?"

"No need. Even I can't tell which one is real. For all we know, we might have been talking to a clone from the start, while the real Rockinesis was never here to begin with."

Then his gaze shifted to Eri.

"For now… let us do what we must, as heroes."

...

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-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: And thus, the arc it is truly done.

Next chapter: Consequences once again. They are everywhere.

Hope you liked the chapter.)

 

[The Synonym]

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[Consequences]
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| The next Morning… |

…

"I'm completely sore…" Jiro muttered, glaring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her mood foul.

She reached up to her earphone jacks, gently massaging them—only to wince as a sharp sting ran through them.

"My poor earlobes…" she half-laughed, half-whined. "Why did I even listen to that guy? The only thing I'm training like this is my pain tolerance…"

With a sigh, she let go, then straightened slightly, her gaze hardening as she stared at her reflection—almost as if she were looking at Taka himself.

"When classes start, I'm telling him I'm doing my own training. No way I'm sticking with this weird routine anymore. At this rate, I'm gonna lose my Quirk because my jacks are going to snap off!"

She huffed, nodding firmly to herself before turning and leaving the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she stepped into the living room, where her parents were already seated, breakfast waiting.

"Good morning, Kyoka."

"Did you sleep well, honey?"

"Yeah," Jiro gave a small nod as she walked over and took her seat.

As she settled in, she poked at her food, her expression somewhere between moody and thoughtful.

"Something on your mind, Kyoka? You're not looking very rockin' today," her father asked, glancing up from his plate with a curious look.

She let out a tired sigh.

"It's just the Sports Festival. I was watching recordings from previous years, and… there aren't many events where I can really stand out."

"Your Quirk is great, Kyoka," her mother said, turning toward her. "I don't see why you're so worried."

Jiro rested her cheek against her palm, looking drained. "I know it's not bad. But the way the events are set up makes it hard to show what I can actually do. At this rate… getting an internship is going to be rough—"

Her voice slowed near the end, like there was something else she wanted to say.

She hesitated, then took a breath, looking away with a faintly annoyed expression before continuing.

"Though… a classmate's been helping me train. So maybe I'll figure something out with him before the festival starts."

"A classmate?" her mother asked, intrigued.

Jiro looked troubled by the question. "Yeah, he, uh…"

"HE?!" her father shot upright, his head snapping up from his food, outrage written all over his face.

Jiro stared at him flatly.

"Chill out, old man."

"You didn't tell us you had a friend." Jiro's mom covered her mouth, trying to hide her amusement.

"And a boy at that!" her father added, clearly outraged.

"Half of my class are boys. What the hell are you getting so worked up for?" Jiro shot back, her annoyance growing.

"You don't understand, Kyoka. Boys are all wolves!"

"…I'm just going to ignore you."

With that, Jiro pulled out her phone, effectively tuning out her father's ongoing rant.

She idly scrolled as she picked at her breakfast with her chopsticks every now and then, eventually opening YoTube to pass the time.

What she didn't expect, however, was the bizarre thumbnail and even stranger title that greeted her the moment the app loaded.

{"Super Vigilante/Villain Team-Up! Goes Very Wrong (For Our Enemies)!!!"}

The thumbnail showed a hoary—though not particularly old—man in a flamboyant costume, posing dramatically with his arms crossed, cape billowing behind him.

Beside him stood another figure, positioned slightly behind due to the camera angle.

Yet, despite not being at the center, she could affirm that the person drew far more attention.

Clad in a tight, sturdy-looking coat that hugged his frame, the figure's physique was evident even beneath the fabric. The coat extended into a hood that cast his face in shadow, while a mask beneath it concealed everything except a pair of sharp, determined eyes.

'Is that…?'

Despite the change in outfit, she recognized him instantly.

Rockinesis.

Whether it was the way he carried himself—even in a still image—or the overall simplicity of his gear, reminiscent of his earlier appearances… there was no mistaking it.

Without thinking twice, she tapped the video open.

If it turned out to be clickbait, she could just close it.

So she watched.

Minutes passed.

And she didn't move.

Her attention was completely locked onto the screen, her breakfast all but forgotten.

Eventually, even her parents noticed.

"What's wrong, honey? You haven't touched your food at all," her mother asked, pulling Jiro out of her trance.

Jiro blinked, snapping back to reality.

"Uhm, it's just that there was something interesting. I'm eating now."

Right away, she paused the video and went back to her breakfast, as if nothing had happened.

Minutes later, after helping her parents with the dishes, she returned to her room.

There, she grabbed her phone again and, without wasting a second, threw herself onto her bed to check on the video again.

It turned out she'd been right—the figure in the miniature was Rockinesis.

After three whole months of apparent retirement, with the only signal of him being alive being the new songs he uploaded now and then, the vigilante had finally reappeared... And he had a new costume, at that.

Although she was a sucker for the simplicity and underground feeling of the old one, she had to admit that this new one wasn't bad at all.

But the costume was the least of her concerns.

Not only had he come back from retirement, but he had apparently decided to do so with a BANG... Raiding a villain's hideout.

Right from the start, he tore through a criminal group, systematically weeding them out without mercy—all while being aided by the man beside him in the thumbnail.

She didn't know who he was, but from the looks of it, he was also pretty strong, given his ability to take care of three villains who looked pretty strong.

The video shifted constantly between the perspectives of him and Rockinesis' clones, dealing with the villains in the hideout, and ultimately wiping them all out.

That's where she had left it before her mother called her out for not eating her breakfast.

Now, though, she could watch in peace.

So, without wasting more time, she resumed the video.

Right away, it started playing from where she had left off. The real Rockinesis, facing off against the one who was clearly the boss.

It was a breathtaking fight. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to follow the rhythm of the battle.

There were plenty of things she was missing, since they were moving at such high speeds that even with the video clearly slowed down for spectators not to get lost, it wasn't being able to capture every single thing.

But despite it, she was getting a gist of the general situation.

That villain was on a completely different level from what students like her could fight right now. It'd probably take her becoming a pro before she'd maybe consider being able to do anything against him.

Maybe he was not as overwhelmingly strong as the Nomu had been… but still powerful enough that she couldn't even imagine beating him in a long time—if ever.

She didn't know what limits her Quirk would reach, after all.

And yet, despite the incredible combat prowess the villain demonstrated—

Rockinesis dominated.

Most of the fight wasn't even a fight. It was a hunt.

The villain ran with everything he had, while Rockinesis chased after him. Almost enjoying himself.

It was strange. Aside from his music, Rockinesis never seemed like the type to drag things out unnecessarily.

And yet now, he was deliberately making the man suffer.

"Do they have some kind of history…?" she muttered, eyes glued to the screen.

Eventually, the chase reached its climax. Her eyes widened as Rockinesis suddenly raised his hand, poised to strike the villain down.

But then—

Two other members of the group appeared at the edge of what had become their battlefield.

She recognized them. In another perspective earlier in the video, one of Rockinesis' clones had dealt with their partner—and, for some reason, let them go while following after them.

So they made it here, huh?

What happened next, however, completely baffled Jiro.

The villain suddenly broke away from Rockinesis, trapping him behind thick walls to slow him down even if only for a second, before lunging toward his own allies—

And fuse with them.

A horrifying transformation unfolded before her eyes.

What had once been a human form twisted into something else entirely.

A monstrosity of six arms, wings, and barely recognizable human features.

And the moment Rockinesis broke free from his prison—

The battle resumed.

This time… on far more equal ground.

A fierce battle unfolded—one where both sides went all out without holding anything back.

They tore through what had once been a clean arena, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.

Just imagining those two fighting like that anywhere else made her shiver. If it happened in the city, it wouldn't be surprising if an entire district got wiped out.

'A villain this dangerous… was just out there?' Jiro wondered, a deep, unsettling unease settling in her chest.

They weren't on All Might's level—but even then, she could hardly picture another hero capable of handling something like that.

Even Endeavor… she wasn't sure how well he'd fare against a monster like this.

And somehow, a villain like that had existed quietly, completely under the radar.

It was almost lucky that Rockinesis was the one dealing with him now. Even if the fight was intense on both sides, she already knew how it would end.

Otherwise, the video wouldn't exist.

And just as she expected, as the battle dragged on… something shifted.

Rockinesis' movements grew smoother, more fluid, faster..

Before long, he began overwhelming the villain again. The until-then even match was crumbling to Rockinesis' side in one instant.

But as it did, her brows slowly furrowed.

There was… something familiar about the way he fought.

That style—efficient, sharp, almost like a dance…

One of her eyebrows lifted slightly as a thought crossed her mind.

But she quickly shook her head.

"No… that doesn't make sense," she muttered, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

Her attention snapped back as the fight neared its conclusion, with the villain crashing one last time against the borders of their battlefield, and with Rockinesis pulling him out of the rubble, standing eerily before the seemingly defeated villain.

—Until, suddenly, everything flipped.

A spike shot forward, piercing straight through Rockinesis by surprise.

Her eyes widened.

Rockinesis staggered back, a trail of blood marking his path until his back hit a chunk of debris, his body slumping down to the ground.

Somehow... the villain had won.

—Or at least, that's what she thought.

Because the next moment, several figures began closing in from all directions, unnoticed by the villain.

She blinked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Slowly, as the villain seemed to begin monologuing—something she couldn't say for sure since the video had no sound of them talking, only music—the several figures surrounded him.

All of them, Rockinesis.

And then—

The video cut, showing the usual "next in the playlist" screen, declaring the end of the footage.

"Argh—come on, how can it end like that?!" Jiro grabbed her head with a frustrated look.

What happened to Rockinesis after that?! What happened to the villain?!

'Wait… if all of those were clones… don't tell me the one fighting the whole time was a clone too?!' Jiro froze, her expression shifting into disbelief.

Annoyed, she let out a loud groan as she exited the video and immediately started searching for answers.

There were already countless commentaries, theory videos, and, of course, news reports covering the incident.

She clicked on an official news channel and watched their segment on it.

Through it, she managed to piece together a bit more context.

The villain's hideout had actually turned out to be the base of the Shie Hassaikai, the Yakuza group that distributed a new Trigger variant developed by them, and led by Overhaul, the villain who had appeared in the video.

The whole thing suddenly felt far deeper than she had expected.

It had gone from Rockinesis decimating a villain's hideout, to Rockinesis tumbling a drug empire and their incredibly dangerous leader, feared across the underworld.

There was also some information on Rockinesis' partner, Gentle Criminal. A villain who had begun recording his own crimes and uploading them online a while ago.

Even so, there wasn't much about why the raid had happened—or what became of Rockinesis afterward.

She did, however, learn what happened to the villain.

All his arms had been cut off. As a result, he'd lost access to his Quirk—the ability to assemble and disassemble anything he touched.

A terrifying power… and an even more terrifying person.

Still, it wasn't enough.

For the rest of the morning, she ended up completely absorbed, binging theory videos one after another. Most didn't add anything new—but it was oddly satisfying listening to people who were just as much fanboys of Rockinesis as she was.

Until, eventually, one video caught her attention.

At first, it didn't seem any different from the others. No new information, no particularly bold claims. Basically, nothing of note.

At least… not until the end.

The creator suddenly brought up an "anonymous" testimony from someone who had been present during the aftermath of the incident.

They went on to explain some pretty questionable information—about Rockinesis leaving the scene with a child on his shoulder, and that Overhaul had apparently been experimenting on her.

It sounded horrifying.

But she'd already seen plenty of videos making things up for views, so she didn't believe it outright.

But then—

The man mentioned something that made her freeze.

The reason the police's response had been so fast was that Rockinesis had contacted a hero beforehand and told him everything regarding what was about to happen and the location.

Super Monkey.

Of course, she already knew of him. He was the top hero currently stationed in Shizuoka, and also the first one to fight Rockinesis head-on—at least, until it was revealed he'd only been facing a clone.

But as she recalled that clash…

Her mind, almost on its own, made a connection she hadn't consciously considered before.

The similarity between Super Monkey... and someone she had met about a month ago.

Moving quickly, Jiro pulled up the official hero registry. Filtering it to Shizuoka and sorting by rank, she found him.

Super Monkey.

Along with a profile photo.

And that was all she needed. She instantly recognized the face there.

Super Monkey… was the man she had met after the entrance exams.

Taka's guardian.

As that realization dawned... Jiro's earlier thoughts began bubbling again.

'What if...?'

…

°

°

°

| At that moment, at Taka's home: |

…

—Yawn—

Taka pushed himself out of bed, rubbing at his eyes with a sleepy expression.

A quick use of Clean, and the stickiness and grime were gone.

Finally able to see without squinting, he sat at the edge of the bed, dragging both hands down his face as he massaged it.

"What a night…" he muttered, letting out a long sigh.

After a few seconds of staring blankly into nothing, he stood up and stepped out of his room.

Heading downstairs, he reached the living room—only to blink in mild surprise.

Seiji wasn't there. The usual rustling of him checking the newspaper, or the sound of the TV playing, were completely gone.

A second later, it clicked.

'Right… I dumped Eri—and all the legal trouble that comes with adopting her—on him. He's probably busy dealing with all that instead of coming home.'

A flicker of guilt surfaced.

But what else was he supposed to do?

He'd like to believe things would just work out now that Eri was safe, even if he left her to her own devices under the authorities… but knowing what the HPSC pulled with Hawks, he wasn't about to be that naïve.

So, in the end, Seiji got saddled with another kid.

Still… the guy had managed to raise him, so the tame Eri shouldn't be a problem.

…Then there was Nezu.

Fortunately, it was Saturday. He had a couple of days before going back to school... and facing whatever emotional fallout his "betrayal" had caused.

'Hopefully, he's not too pissed,' Taka scratched the back of his head, frowning slightly.

Worst case… Monday would be the day he officially became public enemy number one, with all his vigilante activities exposed.

Or worse—

He gets banned from participating in the festival.

…

'Yeah, no… that'd suck,' Taka winced.

If that happened, that was a massive power-up down the drain.

'Speaking of power-ups…' His eyes shifted to the side.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[STATUS PAGE]

▸ Strength: (169 Base) 3000

▸ Defense: (338 Base) 5000

▸ Aura Projection: 40,000

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Total Aura: 48,217

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

His aura had increased again.

About four thousand gained from passive gains over the past few days, plus everything he'd earned after Gentle uploaded the video edited by La Brava a few hours ago, which was about a whole thousand.

But considering yesterday's events were only now starting to spread… it would probably keep growing.

At this rate, he'd break 50k in a few more days.

And that wasn't all.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[MISSION COMPLETE!]

[Having broken out of the illusion of false aura farming, it's time for you to shed that shiny but imperfect shell and become what you were meant to be.

The Aura Farmer, Takahashi Fukumoto.

And for that, what better start than to mend the mistake you made.]

Conditions for completion:

▸Wipe out the Shie Hassaikai.✔

▸Rescue Eri successfully.✔

▸Do it however you please.✔

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

<Calculating Reward…>

<+1000 Aura!>

<+Skill [The Throne]!>

After returning yesterday and receiving his clones' memories once they dissipated, he got completely drained mentally—so much so that he hadn't even checked the rewards for completing the mission, and instead simply chose to go to sleep.

Getting pierced by a spike, straight to the chest, wasn't a nice memory, after all.

'I guess that says a lot about my current carencies...' Taka thought, wincing slightly in both frustration at his clone, and at himself.

But leaving his mistakes aside for now, he went back to what he had gotten after yesterday's craziness.

Now, with the reward applied, his aura shot up to 49k.

50k was right around the corner.

Next, his attention shifted to the new skill. It had been a while since he'd gotten a proper one. The recent additions had all been sub-skills of Aura Projection.

Curious, he opened it, wondering just what a skill with such a strong name would—

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

[The Throne] (Active)

Description: Even the strongest aura farmers need a place to rest, for a king cannot remain standing while everyone is sitting.

But even in what would be considered a vulnerable position, the aura farmer doesn't stop with his main goal.

Aura Farming.

For the true Aura Farmer gathers admiration and awe, even while doing something as mundane as sitting.

▸ You can convert a fraction of your aura into a seat of your choice.

▸ The seat will vanish after a while, and the aura will return to you.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"…Alright."

Rolling his eyes, Taka dismissed the system and headed to the kitchen to make himself breakfast. He wasn't even going to address the clearly bizarre skill in his repertoire now.

If he found a use for it, then he'd use it. Until then, he was taking it out of his mind.

So, having checked his gains from yesterday's whole raid and feeling lighter now that he had taken out one thing from his list, Taka refocused his gaze back on his original objective.

Preparing himself—and his classmates—for the upcoming festival.

'Two weeks... that's all I need.'

If he were allowed to compete, that is.

Nezu wasn't going to be pleased, that's for sure.

Wincing, Taka glared at the ceiling and narrowed his eyes as he pictured his one and greatest enemy.

Consequences.

…

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-To Be Continued...-

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(A/N: Not much progress this chapter, at last in what regards time. Now, at least, Jiro's onto Taka's trail, and he doesn't know it.

It'll be about one or two more chapters—one for dealing with Nezu and whatever else that might need to be addressed after Taka's actions, and another one briefing on Taka's training for his classmates—before we at last jump onto the festival, which I already have many ideas for.

Hopefully you'll like them.

Anyway, off I go.)