Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was a ringing.

Sharp and annoying as ever. His eyes snap open, the bright blue sky meets him and surrounds him. The sun shined directly in his eyes.

It was too fucking bright, where was the ground?

The wind is slapping him in the face as he descends down. There were clouds far below him, no wonder the kids lungs felt a bit heavy.

He aims his arms back and shoves them in his pockets while glaring down at the clouds that were rapidly getting closer.

“Brat, What the hell did you do?” He asks, trying to get an answer from the idiot.

He’s met with only silence. He reaches out immediately, feeling the boy’s soul still within but unconscious .

He wonders when the brat’s gonna wake up and how long he has before he’s switched out.

Closing his eyes and keeping his mouth shut as he collides with a cloud. It gently hits him, filling the jacket and puffs out for a short second before it’s gone.

Opening his eyes again, he sees a city below. Tall buildings and lots of people. How great.

He continues to fly down, he’s almost close to one of the taller buildings, reaching a hand out to catch himself as he reaches for the building.

Something was coming at him rather quickly, quicker than any curse could. Possibly a sorcerer? Twisting his head, he sees a red blur rushing at him.

His head tilts to the side as his curiosity grows, there was a pair of red wings attached to the thing’s back.

A grin stretches on his lips and as the being reaches its arms out to catch him, he twirls in the air and grabs the being by their thin neck.

Redirecting the new idiot, they soon land on a roof. He stands on the others back and they skid to a stop.

Looking down on the person, bright red wings were under his feet, a small human glares up at him while looking over his shoulder.

“What the fuck’s up with your eyebrows?” Is the second question on his mind, so he spoke it out loud.

The boy groans, rolling his eyes. “And here I thought you were a quirk gone wrong or a suicide case. Mind getting off my back?”

“You didn’t answer my question, bird boy.” He grinds his foot into the others wings, making sure to aim for the space where the wing meets the back.

The boy shouts, quickly the wings disperse and he reaches around for one.

Sukuna’s already standing in the other side of the roof, legs crossed and head tilted. “Aren’t you a curious thing. Bright red wings, that can be used as weapons and you obviously can aim and manipulate them, unless they just naturally stay by you?”

The boy holds onto the feathered sword with a glare, the rest of his feathers hurry back and form the wings.

“My name is Hawks, in case you’ve been living under a bridge or anything. I’m a hero.” The boy tilts the sword towards him, staring at him from along the edge of the sword. “I can’t really make out if you’re a villain or not, mind telling me?”

Heroes? Villains? What primitive fucking titles.

“I’m neither.” Sukuna would not class himself as a villain, he’s more of a Universal character that just wants blood. “You said you’re a hero? What the hell’s that supposed to mean? You putting yourself on a pedestal or something?”

He’s the only one who can sit on any type of pedestal or throne after all.

“No. You really must be new or something, you’re not local. You come from Oshika or Ainokura? Or somewhere else maybe?” Hawks takes a step closer, raising his hands in the air. “Do you remember how you got up in the sky?”

Sukuna thought about it for a moment, honestly pondering and trying to remember what the kid did last.

All that’s coming up is blank.

Sukuna shrugs, “Nope, not a damn thing. And I didn’t come from one of those fucking hobbles either, Jackass.”

The feathered sword turns back into a feather and falls back into the wings. Sukuna follows it with narrowed eyes.

“I can help you, I think you need medical attention and maybe talk to the police to get you identified. Unless maybe you have a wallet or-“

Sukuna barely has to touch the ground before he’s already shooting out and grabbing the other by his scrawny neck, he lifts the boy off his feet and ignores the red wings that were pointed under his chin and stabbing at his back.

“I don’t want to fight you. If you need help, I can help.” Hawks continues to show his hands, like he’s trying to calm down some animal.

This kid was more annoying than Yuuji.

Sukuna starts to squeeze. “I don’t need help. Just hold still for a second.” The boy did not listen at all, he starts to thrash. His feathers begin to stab into his back and start to draw blood under his chin.

He pushes his throat back against the feather and watches as blood starts to pour out from his throat, coating the boy’s face in a quick splatter of blood.

The boy’s eyes widen in panic before he wheezes, Sukuna’s clawed grip tightens and the wound closes as soon as it appeared.

The blood soon sizzles as if it were carbonated, it starts to lift and fade.

The blood is gone from Hawk’s face and the blood that managed to touch the other’s clothes was gone in seconds.

Sukuna starts to rummage through the boy’s pockets until he finds the tech-rectangle.

Yuuji’s own rectangle had fallen out at some time, it definitely wasn’t on his person so he might as well take-

“The fuck.” Sukuna clicks one of the buttons on the side and the screen lights up.

15:27, May 4th , 2134.

Well, Yuuji definitely missed that execution that was supposed to happen.

A laugh bubbles out from his chests and he throws his head back, letting his laughter fill the air. “Oh shit. T-that’s fucking great! E-everyone’s dead!”

He’s missed his fight with Fushiguro, but that Gojo has to be dead by now, it’s a shame he didn’t get to do the deed himself though.

“Who’s dead?!” An arm waves out trying to reach for the rectangle, the other arm scratched at the hand around his throat.

Sukuna holds it just out of reach, his claws dig into the boy’s skin until they pierce his skin and blood oozes down.

A hiss of pain fills the air along with gasps for air.

Eyes twitching, Hawk’s stares up at the bright sun.

This had to be it. He was going to die on a shitty roof because he assessed the situation incorrectly.

And now he was paying for that with every desperate attempt for air.

Hawks can feel his body start to shut down, his eyes felt like they were about to pop out from his skull from the pressure on his throat.

His hands start to slow in their useless attempts to hit the man, his feathers aren’t even noticed as they continue to attack the man’s back and hands.

Static noise fills his ears and the world seems to fade away.

“You’re just a dumb fucking chicken.” The words echo in his head and Hawks starts to go limp, his hands fall to his sides and dangle.

The hand around his throat suddenly lets go.

The hero falls to the ground in a daze, his eyes are sluggishly opening and closing. His trembling hands are reaching up to clutch at his throat, trying to rub the ache away.

Sukuna’s foot digs into the boy’s chest. “I’ll keep you alive for now. Maybe you’ll give me a better fight in the future, chicken boy.”

With that, the man waves his hand in the air. The phone still in his other hand, he walks over to the edge of the building and twists the phone in his grasp before letting it go over the edge.

He definitely wasn’t getting an upgrade for that phone.

Sukuna takes a step off the roof, Hawks raises his hand and one of his feathers dash out and move towards the man’s pocket.

Claws gently take hold of the feather, twisting it to inspect the red feather. Sukuna laughs, “Whatever you just tried was pathetic, what kind of so called hero are you? Obviously a shit one, but still. How disappointing.”

He crushed the feather in his palm and falls backwards off the roof.

Chapter Text

The wind is slapping him again, but this time he’s close enough to hear all the screams from below.

Looking down at the ant-sized people, a crowd grew below.

A smirk stretches over his face.

‘ Well, weren’t they just perfectly placed’

Twisting himself and grabbing onto the windows of the building, the glass and foundation crumble under his hand as he slides down the building.

The screams from below only got louder the closer he got.

Glass rains over the ants, and some hid away with their tech-rectangles out.

Three of them stepped out, one holds their hands up and rocks seem to form two large shields that cover themselves and those around them.

Sukuna grins.

Letting go of the side of the building and pushing himself away, he stretches his claws out.

The aftershocks rock the buildings around them, the ground shatters and screams were heard as people began to fall into the cracks in the ground.

Sukuna stands over the person with the shield and a white streak going through their hair, his foot digging into their throat and their arm twisted in his grip.

A gurgle is all that escapes from the person’s lips.

“With a shield as weak as that, did you really expect that to protect yourself and those pitiful humans?” Sukuna snaps the person’s arm and listens to the scream of pain.

“Y-you-“ The person sobs, biting their bottom lip and thrashing their body.

Sukuna sees their other hand form another shield, he catches their wrist and listens to the snap that echoes after.

Another painful scream and tears are slipping from the stupid mask they have over their eyes.

A twitch is heard, Sukuna glances over his shoulder.

“Crust!” A voice calls. An idiotic-looking man with black hair and a yellow mask jumps into the crater, rushing at Sukuna with a clump of…Hair?

Sukuna grabs snorts. “What the hell is that supposed to do?” He reaches down and grabs the person below his foot, making sure to toss him at the other.

A breeze hits Sukuna, he turns and sees another weirdo coming at him, this one in all black with a black hood over their head.

This one was faster than the rest.

Sukuna raises his foot and slams it into the ground.

There were so many pests, and it seemed only more would show. The chicken on the roof was probably on his way to assist these three weirdos.

“That is enough! Surrender now, before we use force!” There was a floating man in the sky, two rings surrounded him, along with the other three.

‘ Force ?’

Sukuna puts his hands on his hips. “That’s an interesting trick you got.”

The crying person hiccups, “T-the civilians?”

“I saved as many as I could find, others are searching for more as we speak.” The floating one says, his hand stretching out.

The quick one and the hair one fly closer to Sukuna. “This is the last warning, give up and go peacefully, or we will have to use force.”

Sukuna throws his head back and laughs. “What force?! All of you have nothing to challenge me. You should surrender yourselves, and maybe I’ll kill you quickly!”

And like that, they rush at him. The speed one jumps from the rings, barely touching the ground before rushing at Sukuna with their fists raised.

“Brave, keep your distance!” The floating one calls out. The hair one nods, that seemed to be the Brave one. “And Kesagiri, disorient him and back Brave up until an opportunity is seen!”

The other seemed to be Kesagiri. Brave reaches a hand into their hands and pulls a few strands, Sukuna’s eyes narrow as the strands turn into weapons.

‘ Where the hell was he ?’ Sukuna thinks, his mind still empty of the sleeping brat.

Sukuna raises his hand, “Show me more.” Ducking under the fist, he slides to the left flank of the fast one. Grabbing Kesagiri by their throat when they got close enough, he raises them in the air for only a moment before slamming them into the ground.

There’s a crack of the fast one’s head meeting the broken pavement below. Sukuna can smell the blood already gushing from behind their hood.

Brave throws the hair weapons at Sukuna’s back and grabbing another clump of hair, a sword grows in their hands.

Sukuna grabs Kesagiri below him, using him as a shield and letting the hair weapons hit.

He drops them and steps on them, pushing off of them and rushing into the sky to meet Brave. Sukuna grabs their wrist and swings off their body, leaving Brave in a confused daze.

Flying at the one with the rings, they raise their hands and start to rise further into the air.

“Ah, so your hands are important to your power?” Sukuna raises his hand, flicking two fingers.

The flying one immediately starts to fall from the sky with the Crust one falling with them.

Sukuna holds the dismembered right hand of the flying one in his clawed grip as he falls after the two.

“Seems you won’t be needing this anymore.” Sukuna raises his hand over his head and throws the hand back at the flying one.

A droplet of blood lands on Sukuna’s face. The flying one slams into the ground, and their dismembered hand was now nothing but chunks of flesh on his chest, their head starts to rise for a moment before it falls.

Sukuna slams into the crying one, his foot hits their chest and they slam next to the unconscious flying one.

The crying fool turns his head towards his fallen companion. “M-M-Majestic?!” He claws at the broken ground, reaching out with his non-broken arm.

“Majestic? What kind of pompous name is that? And Brave and Kesagiri? Are those your real names?” Sukuna questions, he slams his heel into the shoulder Crust’s only working arm.

There’s a small pop, the fool lets out another cry as their shoulder pops out of the socket.

A red feather stabs into Sukuna’s hand, rolling his eyes up at the red chicken.

“When I fucking said maybe you’ll give me a better fight in the future, I didn’t mean five minutes later.” A smirk spreads over his lips as he talks to the flying chicken.

Hawks glares down at him, red hand prints peaked from over the collar of his shirt. Sukuna could faintly make out his handprint.

Hawks coughs, “I-I don’t listen to pink-haired psychopaths like yourself.” He’s already out of breath with that sentence.

Sukuna tilts his head, putting more pressure on the shoulder below his foot. A scream fills the empty air. “Psychopath?”

“H-Hawks!” Brave yells, blood was dribbling down their chin and their body was tense as they approached with two hair swords in their shaking hands.

Hawks holds a hand up. “Can you still fight?”

Brave nods.

“I’d rather you help the others, but I actually need some help with this one. Mind helping cover me?”

Sukuna blinks. The chicken is gone and rushing at him from the right, Brave was rushing from the left.

“You’ve tried this trick already, those feathers of yours don’t bother me!” Sukuna swipes at the feathers that were rushing from above him, grabbing Crust and throwing him into the air.

Hawks raises his arm and swings, Brave changes their trajectory and jumps. Lifting their arms to slam the swords on Sukuna’s head.

“Weak.” Sukuna raises his hand and swipes two fingers down.

Blood coats Sukuna and Hawks as Brave’s throat is sliced open.

Hawks’ eyes widen and he feels a chill go down his spine.

Sukuna turns to look at the red chicken. Hawks tries to aim at the psychopathy’s head, his feather is an inch from landing a hit on his target.

The target is gone, leaving nothing but empty air in his wake.

His wings pull him back, a cloud of dust lifts off the ground and he dives into the dust. Grabbing Crust and Mr. brave off the ground with slight difficulties.

‘ Where the hell is that backup I called?! I can’t protect these two and beat this guy by myself ’

Crust shifts his dislocated arm and a shield appears to cover Hawks head.

A ringing is heard. Hawks looks up and sees a monster above him.

Blood dripped from his face, down into his menacing grin. Claws were scratching down the shield.

“Still have a few tricks? Down two arms and still going, I’m a bit impressed.” Sukuna brings another clawed hand down onto the shield, piercing it and clawing it open.

Hawks jerks back away from the shield.

He’s not fast or strong enough to carry everyone to safety, and Brave was already dangling limply in his grip from blood loss.

Hawks grits his teeth. ‘ Shit ’

The shield shatters under Sukuna.

He’s rushing at Hawks with his claws raised, they grow another three inches in length.

Hawks feels his heart leap into his throat. He gives a final push and his wings jerk him back into the air.

Sukuna doesn’t follow this time, aiming his claws down at the unconscious speedy annoyance from earlier.

“How about I kill this one!” He says as he gets closer.

Hawks screams, “No!”

“Hawks, m-my arm!” Crust yells in a panic.

Feathers float under Crust’s arm and raise it before cracking it back into place.

Crust forms two shields’, tossing one at the villain and ricocheting the other at Kesagiri Man.

Crust skids on the broken rubble and forms another shield under him as cushioning.

Sukuna slams onto the shield blocking him from his kill, bouncing off and jumping into the air. He dives on top of Crust.

Crust slams into the ground, his shield popping up and covering his body. He stares up into blood-red eyes.

“Seems I’m going to need to do more than dislodging your arm.” Sukuna slams his fist into the shield, watching as spiderwebs of cracks form and he reaches for the fool.

Taking him by his arm and pulling.

Hawks swoops down and grabs Kesagiri Man. “Mr. Brave?! I need you to stay awake! Come on, open your eyes for me.” His feathers pressed against the wound and slowed the blood flow down to a trickle.

Mr. Brave didn’t respond and his eyes fluttered.

Hawks turns his head and sees the villain had Crust in his grip. “Crust!” His feathers shoot out.

More blood splatters on the ground. Sukuna pulled until the arm detached completely, Crust’s eyes widen as he sees his arm being thrown behind the villain.

Sukuna chuckles. “In shock already? What, it hit the second I started pulling?”

Crust’s eyes closed in an instant and his head rolls to the side as he passes out.

Sukuna reaches out, grabbing Crust by his throat. His eyebrow twitches in annoyance. “I’m going to enjoy ripping every single one of those feathers out and tearing those wings off.” He glances over his shoulder at the feathers that were stabbing into his back.

Hawks slams into the ground, rolling onto his knees and watching as a trembling Majestic was maneuvering Mr. Brave and Kesagiri Man away from the battle.

Majestic looks back at Hawks, his bleeding wrist was covered in some ripped pieces of his sashes.

“I-I-“

Hawks nods his head. “Make sure the other two get medical treatment and to wrap Brave’s throat.”

Majestic nods before his eyes widen, he raises the bloody stump of his wrist and tries to point. “L-Look out!”

Hawks whips his head around and looks over his shoulder. A hand grabs his throat and he immediately swings.

His feather stabs the villain right through the chest.

Hawks barely flinches. “Y-you’d brought this o-on yourse-“ The squeezing continues to grow tighter, Hawks legs kick out and he tries to slide the blade deeper into the villain’s chest.

Sukuna uses his other hand to pull the feather out of his chest. Ignoring the small hands that beat against his chest.

“Fast, but not fast enough.”

Keigo can feel the right side of his face starting to go numb, his hands are shaking. “S-son of-S-s-“ His eyes begin to blur and the numbness spreads down to his arm.

Sukuna can feel the pulse skip under his fingertips. “You did worse than you did on the roof. Again, disappointing.” Sukuna retches his arms back and throws the chicken at the building closest.

Watching as the body tumbled and makes a decent-sized dent in the side of the already damaged building.

If that didn’t kill him, he’ll just have to rip his head off next.

Majestic can feel goosebumps form on his skin, his knees shook and his lip trembles in fear. Turning very slowly to the villain that suddenly stood behind him.

Sukuna puts his hands in his pockets. “ Oi , your name is Majestic. Right?”

Enma licks at his dry lips, almost swallowing his tongue in panic. “Y-yes.”

“Tell me, you ever heard the name Ryomen Sukuna before?” The villain leans in, his red eyes glaring holes into Enma.

Gulping, Enma shakes his head. His worries growing for if Hawks was still alive and if he could get away to help him. There was no doubt within himself, he could not beat this monster alone.

“How about sorcerers exorcising curses?”

Enma shook his head again. “N-No? N-not really?”

Sukuna laughs. Patting Majestic on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

Lifting his foot and slamming it into Majestic’s back, the body would’ve slammed into a piece of concrete and splattered if not for a flash of white rushing in and catching it.

A girl with white ears on the top of her head stood proudly with Majestic in her arms.

“Hey! You the one causing all this fucking damage?” The bunny girl asks.

Sukuna’s eyes narrow and he glares. “I would greet you properly, but I’m done playing. These jackasses have already wasted enough of my time.”

Turning, Sukuna starts to walk away.

The bunny didn’t seem to like that. “Fucking loser! You think you could just hurt a bunch of people, break shit and what, leave like it’s nothing?! I’ll kick your-“

Sukuna raises his hand. A single red eye gleams at the bunny. “Watch your mouth, vermin .” Swishing two fingers in the air.

He doesn’t turn back around to see what he’s done.

He knows the screams of someone who’s just lost a leg, after all, he’s heard it millions of times before.

Chapter Text

Hands in his pockets, he looks around at the rushing humans. They had their stupid electronic devices all around them, giant screens on buildings, the rectangles in their hands.

They were swarming in groups together to watch the screens.

Sukuna was on the screens.

He could go back or go forward another twenty blocks and find himself plastered everywhere already.

It was apparently a recording of him leaving the fight.

Sukuna can hear some people crying and others in a panic over what was being seen. He snorts, and a drop of blood rolls off his face and trickles into his mouth.

He still had the blood of those weaklings stuck to his skin and clothes.

If he spared a glance down, the brat’s clothes were covered in red stains and were turning the fabric black in colouring.

The people seem to be avoiding him completely, giving him a wide enough space to walk and pointing fingers at him.

“H-Holy Shit! T-that’s him! That’s the villain!” A voice yells.

Villain. That damn term was being used so carelessly by these idiots.

“Where’re the heroes?!”

“Did he kill them all?!”

“Oh god! Are we next?!”

Their screams were music to his ears.

A child stood in his way. Tears in their big brown eyes. Bright red hair on their head and green and orange marks decorating their pale white.

Sukuna stares down at the child. His eyebrow raised. “What?”

“Y-you’re a b-b-bad man.” The child said, their voice trembles and he could see their small hands gripping the bottom of their shirt in fear.

The child lets go of their shirt, letting their hands rise into fists. They glare at him with tears running down their chubby face.

“I’m no man. I’m the king, it’s wise to remember for the future when I’m ruling over all of you.” Sukuna puts his hand on the child’s shoulder, feeling the bones tremble and their heart race.

A smile stretches over his face. Grabbing the child’s arm and tossing them into the air, he whistles as he watches the child rise higher and higher.

The panic escalated immediately.

People were shoving and pushing each other to get away from him. He can make out some person rushing up into the air after the child.

Two small wings were on the person’s forearms. They seemed quite fast with such small wings too.

Sukuna doesn’t need to push past the people, they continued to clear a path for him.

The person had the child in between their legs, the child was holding their waist and sobbing.

“What the hell are you supposed to be?” Sukuna finds himself questioning.

The person lets the child go to a crying woman, must’ve been the mother. She ran with the child clenched tightly to her chest.

The person turns around and glares. “I am The Fly. And I will stop you.”

Throwing his head back, Sukuna laughs. With his laughter, the crowd seems to calm down and surround him and the so-called “Fly”.

The crowd seemed to start cheering for the Fly.

Grabbing at the brat’s jacket, he proceeded to rip it off of his skin, leaving his chest and tattoos bare.

Sukuna raises his hand and swipes to fingers down.

The mother falls to the ground. She and the child lay limply on the ground, their heads rolling onto the ground below.

The Fly looks over his shoulder at the mess. His jaw falls open and he flinches back as the heads slide off.

“Seems to me that you didn’t stop me after all.” Sukuna appears beside the Fly, leaning over his shoulder. “What’ll you do now?”

The Fly was sweating.

The crowd died down immediately, silence fills the air again. As do screams of terror, soon they start to scatter like roaches.

The Fly slowly looked over his shoulder at the pink-haired villain. “Y-you just-“

“It also seems like my time is being wasted, again.”

Hand shooting out of his pocket, Sukuna tries to grab the Fly’s neck.

In a quick burst of speed, the Fly is in the air hovering.

Sukuna’s brows furrow. “Obviously you aren’t winning this fight, but I will say, you’re faster than I thought you’d be.” He raises his hand to look at the few strands of long blond hair that he managed to grab.

Bending his knees and jumping into the air, leaving a crater below him. He propelled himself toward the other.

The Fly is gone again from his sight, going higher into the air.

Sukuna huffs, landing gently on a street pole and squatting down. “You’re a bit of a nuisance.” He glances around, one of the staggering humans that was trying to run seemed to be falling behind. “That’ll do.”

The Fly blinks, the villain is gone. He looks around, trying to spot the pink hair and red eyes.

He spots the pink hair standing over a civilian, holding them by their neck. He rushes down, hovering until he’s a few feet away.

“Release them!” He yells, trying to stop the slight tremor in his hands.

Sukuna smirks lazily. “When wings are wet, do they still work?” Stabbing his claws into the woman’s stomach.

The Fly holds a hand out. “Stop! No-Please! Stop!” He begs, flying closer to grab the woman.

Sukuna quickly swipes his nails through her stomach, watching as blood runs down their body and a few drops hit the brat’s shoes. The colour almost matched perfectly.

Sukuna tosses the woman at the Fly.

Blood splatters over the Fly’s white costume. Coating his wings and chest as he tries to catch the sobbing woman.

They both fall to the ground. He holds the woman close to his chest, listening to her sobs as they get quieter.

He tries to press a hand against her stomach to stop the bleeding, but there was too much blood . The warm liquid covered his front, and his wings fluttered uselessly, trying to get the blood off of them.

A hand grabs his hair and pulls his head up, exposing his throat. He bites his lip and tries not to let the whimper of fear escape.

Sukuna glares down at the Fly. “Did you really think you’d be able to save anyone? Three deaths on your shoulders, that’s gotta be a heavy burden. Maybe I’ll assist and lighten the load.”

Reaching down, Sukuna’s claws dig into the Fly’s forearm.

He rips the delicate wing off, slowly. Making sure to watch the other’s face as he does. He watches as the strands connecting the wing snap.

The Fly thrashes, swinging his other arm to punch him. “Can you actually feel this? Wings are weird here, first, the red ones come apart, and now there are fly ones. Which I’m barely touching, see?”

Two claws pinch and pull the wing, it comes off with little to no pressure.

The Fly below howls in pain. “S-stop, please!”

“But we still have the other one, and I’m a little interested in these.” Sukuna brings the detached wing close to his face and examines it.

He lets the wing drop after a few seconds and reaches for the other one.

Pausing his action, Sukuna’s eye twitches. “Another one? Just how many are there around here?”

He sees the thing before he hears it. A walking laundry appliance.

“Washa!” The thing yells at him.

“Is this a joke?” Sukuna asks the air, looking around at the slightly cloudy blue sky. “Where the hell am I?”

“K-Kyushu, y-you bas-“ The Fly doesn’t get to finish, Sukuna’s already snapped his neck.

The laundry appliance flinches back, staring at the body. The eyes in the appliance glare at him with an odd fire in them. “These streets will be washed off you.”

“Was that a pun? Are you serious?” Sukuna steps on the body below, not caring.

The appliance suddenly dashes out, rushing at him. Sukuna waits with his hands in his pockets.

Bubbles shoot out of the cavity in its chest. Sukuna’s eye twitches. “This has to be a joke.”

Sukuna is already behind the thing, slamming his foot into its back. He watches as a bubble catches them before it falls.

Bubbles. He doesn’t know if he’s felt this insulted before, sure the fight with the brat’s teacher was rough, but he only had 1 finger and this was purely idiotic.

His foot jerks out, kicking the bubble into the air and watching it go higher and higher.

Turning around and walking away from the battle. “I will not fight such ridiculous things that will only waste more of my time.”

Sukuna starts to make his way through the empty streets again. Looking at the humans that tried to hide in alleyways, he swipes two fingers and hears cut-off screams as he walks by.

“Where to go now…” Sukuna looks around at the building, he keeps walking block after block, until a lovely building with boarded and shattered windows caught his attention.

The door was even boarded and nailed shut.

“That’ll work.”

Walking up to the boarded door and ripping the boards down, he breaks the door down and steps in.

Wood and metal pieces seemed to be stored on the first floor, covered in dust. He pushes the metal pieces to the door, picking up the broken door and leaning it into place.

Sukuna travels up the creaky steps to the other two stories. Empty besides more wood. He walks over to the centre of the last room, kneeling.

His fingertips brush against the floor, and dust collects on them. “For now, this will work.” He gets up, walks towards one of the boarded windows and punches it in.

Letting some light in, he sticks his head out of the window and whistles. “The brat’s going to lose his shit…Maybe I’ll lie to him…Yeah, that could work…”

Placing his chin into his palm and leaning further outside.

“A world that might not have any sorcerers…” He grins, licking at the front of his teeth. “I can’t wait to see the rest of it."

Chapter Text

“I want our perimeter stretched for another ten miles, if we don’t have enough coverage, call in more heroes! I want this man taken down as soon as possible. He has multiple quirks, ones that are known are speed, strength, cutting, and healing quirk.”

Tsuragamae speaks into the walkie-talkie on his shoulder. Armour covered his dress shirt and his jacket was thrown somewhere in the back of his car.

Within twenty-one minutes, the world had lost three heroes. Five heroes, two of which are in the top ranks, were in critical condition, barely surviving.

Over 26 civilians were killed and 31 were injured.

They only have two fully conscious witnesses, two of which were also top-rank heroes. But they hadn’t seen enough of the fight to fully help them.

The chief of police points at one of his officers, “Are Endeavor and Ragdoll within the area yet?”

Officer Quina nods, her bright red hair bobbing as she does. “Endeavor is, Ragdoll is still on her way, sir! And we have contacted All Might’s agency, he’s on his way to Yamaguchi as stand-by!” She replies.

“Good. Any feedback on the groups between Jonan-Sean’s and Daimyo Ohori-Dori street?” He asks, sparing a glance at another officer on his left.

Officer Yumoli shakes his head. “Yes, they haven’t spotted any signs of the villain, but they have reported that the body trail near Kego has ended.” Quina winces slightly at the mention of the bodies, she’s been on the force for a couple of years so she's still a little soft when it comes to these types of cases.

“How many does that leave us with?” Tsuragamae braces himself for the number.

“With 29 deaths, sir.” The officers around them slightly lower their heads at the reveal.

“Damn it. Any facial matchups? Criminal records? I heard we have a name.”

“We haven’t been able to confirm if the villain’s name is actually Ryomen Sukuna, but we’ve run the name through all of our records. No facial matchups, and no records for anyone under the name Ryomen Sukuna.” Officer Ruyka said, his head bowed slightly, showing off the bright greenhorns on his forehead.

Tsuragamae huffs. “Might be an alias. Has anyone of our teams seen or found anything else?”

A small crowd of No’s are the reply.

Not the reply he’s looking for at all.

The president of the Hero Public Safety Commission is already destroying his emails with her “concerns” over this villain.

Many of the members of his team are still trying to take down the videos of some of the pro heroes getting ripped apart and beaten.

The video lasted one minute and forty-six seconds, and it caught this villain ripping Crust’s arm completely off and almost killing Hawks.

It also showcased the villain's strength and healing abilities, an even bigger disadvantage for them.

Multiple quirks, a powerhouse-crazed villain. Would they be enough?

This villain took on multiple heroes, all with strengths of their own and seasoned pros. Yet, he beat them easily it seemed.

“Sir!” A voice calls out, breaking him from his train of thought.

“Hm?”

“Team Ko isn’t responding!” Yumoli yells out, touching his head and closing one of his eyes. “I can’t reach them.”

“I want two squadrons maneuvering on their last known location! Yumoli, keep trying to contact them and follow me. I want you half,” He said while pointing at the right half of his team. “We’re moving onto the scene. The rest, try and contact all other heroes within the area. We need them on standby. We’ll radio in if we need them.”

Tsuragamae heads towards one of the armoured trucks, hopping into the front and waiting for a second more for his unit to get in.

The drive is silent, the sound of the alarms is all that fills this silence.

The streets are empty, completely bare of anyone. The closer they get to the location, the more blood they begin to see.

Coating the walls, running down the streets.

Just so much blood .

Tsuragamae’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, there’s a gut feeling that was growing.

They were in dangerous territory and he felt the need to get as far away as possible.

“Radio in the others. It’s looking like we might need those other heroes.” Tsuragamae spoke quietly to officer Souki next to him.

Souki’s red fox ears press back against her head, a small noise escapes from the back of her throat. “Y-yes sir.”

Yumoli leans forward, “Sir, I-I don’t like this. I can’t contact team Ko at all, a-and I’m having a tough time keeping in touch with the other groups.”

Tsuragamae hums. “I don’t like it either.”

Souki radios in for backup.

They continue to drive.

Slamming his foot on the break. “Oh god.” Tsuragamae looks at the street in front of them, he reaches for his gun and kicks his door open.

They found team Ko.

Their body parts decorated the ground. Blood coating the walls. And if he looked up, he could see a few bodies hanging from the slashed-up utility poles that stretched over them.

“W-what happened here?” Yumoli asks, hands trembling as he held his gun.

“Everyone stay together.” Tsuragamae’s snout was filled with the metallic smell, he couldn’t even smell what was left of his officers and the few pros that were alongside them.

“S-Sir.” Officer Allos calls out, her voice cracking.

Tsuragamae glances behind him and sees a broken-down building with a single open window. There was a strange red pulsing glow that came from the window.

“There. I think our villain is in there. How long until the heroes arrive?”

“Fifteen minutes until Endeavor and Edgeshot, and ten minutes Ingenium arrive with side kicks. I believe Ragdoll is still on her way to the nearest group, thirty minutes away at least.”

There’s a shift in the window, the red glow bounces between bright and dim.

Four red eyes stare down at him, before slipping back into the red glow.

“Four eyes, that’s what the report said about this villain?” Tsuragamae nods, clicking the safety off of his gun.

“Yes.”

“He’s in there and he knows we’re here. Everyone spread out around the building, I want all eyes and ears focusing on this site. No one leaves or goes in until backup arrives.” Tsuragamae commands his team. “Make sure you keep eyes on each other.”

He stays near the car, close to the bloody chunks and utility poles.

His team spreads into a few buildings close by, two taking their points with their sniper rifles locked and loaded.

The others station themselves between alleyways and next to cars.

“Everyone in place?” He presses his radio and asks.

A series of yes is the response, yet he doesn’t hear Ruyka’s reply.

“Ruyka? Response?” Allos is heard asking.

“H-he’s gone! He was just there! Something grabbed him!” Yumoli yells, “H-he’s not answering me, Ruyka is down!”

A shot rings through the air, and Tsuragamae jumps and looks in the direction of Souki.

“What was that? Souki, you there?” Tsuragamae waits, he looks back at the broken window and finds the red glow was gone.

“H-h-he’s here,” Souki whispers into the radio, he could hear how her words cracked and her heavy breathing.

“Souki, what’s happening!?”

“The villain, he’s around t-the corner. I-I shot at his knee, but he dodged. W-wait, he’s moving!” Souki said, Tsuragamae watches and sees Souki fall out from the alleyway and crawl backwards, gun pointed and finger on the trigger.

“Souki!”

“There!” Another shot rung through the air and off the wall.

Tsuragamae’s heart is pounding, his fur is standing on edge. He sees Souki panting and drenched in sweat.

“He’s not getting up,” Souki said, cautiously rising and looking down the alley. She digs into one of her pouches and clicks her flashlight. “Holy-Ruyka!” Souki takes off running down the alleyway.

“Wait! I don’t have a visual on you!” Allos is heard through the radio, static follows as she moves and switches locations.

“It was Ruyka! He’s down, the villain used him as a decoy! I-I shot him, we need medical-“ Souki suddenly stops, Tsuragamae doesn’t waste another second and rushes towards the alley.

He reaches for the corner, a breeze rushes past him as something flies by him and his ears fly back with the wind.

Shaking his head and glancing towards the flying something. Souki slammed into the side of the abandoned building, and an indent formed around her. Blood splattered from where her head connected.

“Souki!”

“Hey, mutt.”

Tsuragamae froze. Hands clenched around his gun, he turns and brings his hands up.

“Don’t move.” Tsuragamae takes in the person in front of him.

Two sets of red eyes, no shirt or jacket, long dark pants and red shoes. Pushed back pink hair and tattoos spread across his body.

“Stay right where you are or else we will be forced to take you down.”

The villain glances around, “You’re a dog, what’re you here for? A scratch behind the ear?”

“We are here to arrest you, so please comply and get down on your knees with your hands in the air.”

Raising an eyebrow, the villain smirks.

“Raise my hands? What, like this?” The clawed hands rise from his pockets and into the air above.

Two of his fingers flick, and a scream is heard. The building around Allos explodes into chunks and her spot is exposed. Allos almost falls from her spot, twisting her body and catching herself with her right metal coated hand.

“I said to comply, I will shoot you.” Tsuragamae glares, under his breath and building in his chest, is a growl.

The villain rolls his eyes.

“I do not follow orders from flea-infested mongrels.” The villain is gone from his sight.

“Sir!” A scream has him turning too late.

A clawed hand is reaching for him, grabbing his head and pulling.

Tsuragamae’s head slams into the concrete street below him. His gun falls out of his grasp.

A foot steps on his head.

“Be a good dog and heel.” The villain presses his head further into the ground.

The villain leans backwards, dodging a shot without looking.

Yumoli was pressed against a car, sniper in hand. “Stand down.”

The villain kicks off Tsuragamae’s head and into the air. His claws stretched out for Yumoli with a grin on his face.

“Shit!” Yumoli rolls, leaving behind the sniper as he does.

The villain slams into the car, grabbing the gun off of the hood of the car and examining it.

“No real power, a bunch of useless parts pressed together.” The villain snaps the gun between his fingers. Looking at Yumoli and rushing at him again.

The officer pulls out a pistol from his holder, sliding onto his back as he pushes himself.

Firing as many bullets as he could, Yumoli closes his eyes for a moment.

There’s silence in the air, no drop of a body, no pain hitting him.

He opens one of his eyes and looks around, nothing but the air around him. He looks at his chief. “Sir?”

A muffled groan echoed from his boss. Allos slams into Yumoli, their bodies skid on the concrete and they roll together.

Yumoli hears Tsuragamae’s concern from his thoughts. He tries to pick himself up, “W-what-“

“Let me try.” The villain is above him with his pistol in his hand. His finger loops over the trigger, and he aims for Yumoli’s knee.

With a click, the officer is screaming in pain with tears running down his face.

The villain scoffs at the gun, tossing it behind him. “That’s all those do? How disappointing and anticlimactic.”

The villain slams his foot on Yumoli’s other knee, the bone splits instantly and pops out from the skin.

Yumoli tries to swing at the man above, even the slightest of movements made him sob.

The villain slams his knee into the officer's face, his knee connecting with Yumoli’s nose with a loud crunch of bones.

Yumoli falls back to the ground, his head bounces slightly as he hits the concrete. Blood poured down his face and mixed with his tears.

The villain twists his head, locking eyes with the struggling Tsuragamae, blood drips down from his forehead. The second set of eyes seems to be looking around the area.

“Why is this place so disappointing? With all the potential here, you idiots could’ve put up an actual fight. But instead, you have nothing to offer.”

The villain reaches down, grabbing the whimpering Yumoli’s open wound, his purple claws dug into the gaping wound as he pulled him along.

Tsuragamae digs his hands into the ground, reaching with a shaking arm for his comrade.

“Y-Yumo-“ Trying to say anything, to comfort him or himself.

Something hooks onto the back of Tsuragamae’s police vest and yanks him back.

He’s dragged across the ground and caught in a web. Reaching up to wipe the blood from his face, he looks.

The Fiber hero: Best Jeanist. The hero stood with the sleeves of his jacket gone, threads connected and formed a web behind the chief of police.

Tsuragamae sighs with relief as he sees the rest of his team were gone and taken to safety. “Best Jeanist…”

The villain twist Yumoli over, the man screams in pain again. “I take it you’re another one of those heroes?”

“Indeed I am. I am going to ask you only once to release the officer, I know you’ve been the one to cause all this chaos and I will not tolerate any more deaths.” Jeanist clenches his fist, and the fabric holding the chief up slowly releases him. “Can you move?”

“Y-yes, I can. My team-“

“Safe. I need you to run, as far as you can away. The rest of the heroes will be here to assist me soon.” Jeanist takes a step towards the villain.

Four crimson-red eyes lock onto the hero.

“Fabric? That’s your power?”

“Quirk. Yes, now please release the officer.” Jeanist reaches his hand out, outstretched for the villain.

A chuckle bubbles out from the villain’s chest, one of the small eyes of the bottom pair winks.

Jeanist is moving, clenching his fists. His fabric rushes at the villain and officer.

His fabric connects with the police vest, he pulls the officer back.

The villain doesn’t let go of his leg. Jeanist is suddenly in a tug-of-war over the officer.

“I wonder, you look pretty weak. How long can you hold on?” The villain smirks, tugging Yumoli’s leg.

Jeanist’s shoes skid and fabric from his jacket shoot out. Grappling into the ground.

“I will save you,” Jeanist promises, looking into the officer's tear-filled eyes. “It will be alright.”

“Stop lying. We’re going to tear him in half at this point, so don’t go promising shit.” The villain’s bottom eyes look down, his claws lash out and slash at the fabric that was sneaking towards his pants.

Jeanist curses, his knuckles pale from how hard he is clenching his fists. “You will-“

“Will, will, will. Keep lying, here let’s do this.” The villain yanks the officer back, blood covering the concrete and mixed with the drying blood and chunks of team Koi.

Threads snap and Jeanist is left still skidding from the powerful pull, the threads in the ground stretch to the point of almost breaking.

“What-“

The villain reaches with his other clawed hand, they hold the officer’s chin. “Come on, tell him how you’re going to save him. How more of his blood will not plague these streets. I dare you.”

With his pointer finger, he points it at Yumoli’s eye.

Jeanist halts his movements. “Stop!”

“No, you want to be a hero. So comfort him, lie again.” The villain was sadistic, obviously on the brink of insanity. He couldn’t be reasoned with.

Jeanist made a decision.

“I will save you. No more of your blood will touch these streets.” Jeanist says through clenched teeth, just a little longer.

The villain snorts, “What a good little hero.”

His finger moves, digging into the eye socket.

The villain gauges the eye out until there is nothing but a hollow bloody socket left.

A sick grin stretched across the villain’s face.

Jeanist makes his move, the fabric from the officer’s pants leg unravels. The villain is pulled back, and the thread crawls up and wraps around him, binding his arms together.

The villain stumbles back, the fabric loops into the buildings around them and strings the villain in the air.

Jeanist tugs the officer back, trying to calm them. “I apologize. If I arrived sooner-I hope you will be able to forgive me in the future for the eye.” He takes his eyes off the villain for a moment to assess the damage.

Yumoli covers his bleeding socket. “D-did you get him?”

“Yes, we did.” Jeanist looks up at the hanging villain.

His grip on the officer tightens.

His threads are dangling, cut and blowing with the slight breeze.

“Jeanist!”

The officer calls. He turns and sees a clawed hand coming for his face.

Chapter Text

Hakamada isn’t fast enough.

His denim jacket unravels and his threads are tearing him backwards. The officer is pushed behind him, the threads in his police vest are working to pull him back towards the police van.

The villain’s claws tear through the denim on his cheek. He can hear the thread popping as it’s shredded completely.

Those claws rip into the skin of his cheek and drag towards the corner of his mouth.

Blood dripping down his face, he knows if he uses his tongue, he could probably poke through the thin skin that now held his cheek together.

Hakamada can feel the blood soak through his clothes. Bloody denim was sticking uncomfortably to his skin.

He’s still sliding backwards, away from the monster in front of him. The threads that pulled him finally returned when he was close enough to the police van.

The officer sobs, pushing against the van and his bloody fingers try to pull himself up. “H-he’s in the air!” Yumoli yells, holding a bloody hand up to point at the sky.

Jeanist presses his back against the van, looking around wildly for the villain, he looks up and sees the villain rushing at him with their fists behind their head and a grin on his face.

Hakamada’s threads connect to the officer again, he’s pulling as hard as he can and stumbling back.

The villain slams into the car right as Jeanist falls back onto the wet ground, tearing through the car with little trouble.

The villain laughs, “Those strings are kind of useless, is that all you have to offer?” His claws drag against the ruined van, ripping apart the remaining metal and leaving slit marks in their trail.

He cannot handle this alone. He would die trying to protect the officer. His threads were cut so easily and all the villain was allowing was him to be on defense. There was no room for attack, if he wastes an attack, the villain was fast enough to dodge or retaliate.

This match up was quite possibly one of the worse that he could’ve run into. His quirk was useless against this villain and he lacked the speed to actually land any serious blows, or to even match the others speed.

Jeanist glances at the officer that laid down the road far from him and the villain, seeing their eyes droop close and their trembling hands try to stop the blood flowing from their eye and the bullet wound.

Jeanist reaches a hand out, “Eyes on me, blondie.” The villain stood next to him, hands in both his pockets.

Threads stretch out, connecting with the villains pants. Jeanist’s forearm unravels and the villain is tied again.

“Wow. You don’t have any other tricks, do you?” The villain snorts, their red eyes gleam with something that he couldn’t quite make out.

Pulling his arm back, his threads yank and reject the villain out. Slamming them into the half destroyed building close to them.

Jeanist is scrambling to get up. He holds a hand up toward the officer, “I’m going to remove the bullet and close the wound for now. More help is on its way.” Threads dig into the bullet wound.

There’s a gasp of pain as he pulls the bullet out and threads the wound close. “Deep breaths, you just have to stay awake. Soon-“

“Soon what? Those other “ heroes ” will be here?“ The villain is behind him again, watching over his shoulder.

Jeanist holds his arms out and covers the officer, glaring at the villain.

They haven’t attacked yet.

“What do you want?”

He could distract until more heroes got here, maybe even de-escalate the situation.

“A challenge. But I can’t seem to find one. He looks pale, blood loss is getting to him finally.” The villain points a long purple nail at the officer.

They weren’t attacking?

Yumoli collapses completely against the concrete below. His head rolling to the side as his eyes flutter close.

Jeanist supports Yumoli’s head, “Officer, I need you to stay awake. Eyes open, alright?” He hear a shift behind him, the denim on his shoulders unravel and strike as he starts to get up.

A hand grabs the back of his neck, Jeanist reaches up and tries to claw at the hand. His threads tear into skin, the villain sucks the back of their teeth in annoyance.

The throttling begins immediately and Hakamada succeeds in twisting his hips, picking up his leg and slamming his foot into the villain’s knee cap.

Pain spreads through his leg as soon as it connects, the kick didn’t even seem to bother the villain.

While this close to them…He notices.

The villain was incredibly young looking and very short compared to him, yet they had no problem reaching his neck.

Not a single wrinkle, no crows feet in the corners of their eyes. This was a child, they couldn’t be older than twenty.

His chest aches with those thoughts, the grip on his neck and the pain brings him out from his head.

“Do you really believe those other heroes are strong?” The villain squeezes his throat, squeezes until Hakamada is seeing dark spots dance in his vision.

Hakamada doesn’t understand this villain.

Multiple quirks, odd behavior, and they were so terribly young looking.

There didn’t seem to be much negotiation with the villain, no demands either besides them wanting a challenge.

The villain was also shirtless since he arrived, letting show all the tattoos that littered their body.

He could feel his quirk failing and his threads shudder before they hang loosely at his sides like any old fabric.

“Villain! Stand down immediately.” A voice calls.

Hakamada doesn’t feel relief.

Oddly enough, there’s a sense of dread within his chest. The dread twisted and grew as he slowly glances out of the corner of his eyes at Gang Orca and Ms. Joke.

That was smart to pair the two, with Ms. Jokes quirk, she could incapacitate, or slow the villain while he laughs and Orca could paralyze him, taking him completely out of the fight.

The smile hero waves. “Hey buddy! You know, I have this great theory that everything you’ve been doing is just a huge temper tantrum!”

“Huh?”

The villain let’s go of Jeanist, letting the hero fall to his knees and clutch at his throat as he coughs.

Gang Orca takes a step forward, but not blocking Ms. Jokes view of the villain.

Ms. Joke removes her signature white gas mask, letting it hang on her neck. Her grin is confident and wide.

“You know? Like a big baby, messing around with people and causing trouble! You were probably a devil child, and now look at ya! A devil adult too!” She throws her head back and laughs.

The villain stares, unimpressed with her talking.

Jeanist’s eyes widen.

Ms. Joke stops completely after a few seconds of laughing. Her grin shook, lips twitching. “What?” She questioned.

The villain tilts his head. “They sent a jester and a sea creature to face me.”

The villain begins to walk closer to the two. Jeanist clutches a fist, his quirk jumping to action and threads reach and connect with the villain’s pants.

The villain turns, swiping a claw at the strands connecting them. “I’m done with you.” Raising his knee, he slams his foot into the street below.

It cracks open, the cracks spread out and the ground below Jeanist is suddenly rocky and unstable.

He’s scrambling to get off the road and onto the sidewalk. His hand reaches out and he pulls the officer to him as he rolls.

Ms. Joke’s eyes flick to Gang Orca. “M-my quirk isn’t working. I can feel it, but there’s no effect on the villain. Try distracting him, I’ll get closer and try again!”

“Be careful as you do so.” Gang Orca says, stomping his foot into the ground and kicking himself off towards the villain.

The villain tilts their head. “Hm, not a fast one either…”

Orca is already raising his forearm, blocking the clawed hand that swipes at him.

His jacket and shirt rip from the attack of those long purple claws.

The villain stares up at him with a smirk. “You’ve got some strength though. I wonder if-“

Gang Orca tilts his head down, releasing the ultra sonic wave out and in the face of the villain.

The villain’s feet skid back from the pressure of the waves as they slam into them.

The villain stood with four wide eyes.

After a few moments, Orca cuts off the waves. Raising his head again and watching the frozen villain.

Seems they didn’t need Endeavor or All Might after all. It was going to be humorous when the Fire hero showed up yet again late to a battle and it was over with.

Endeavor was only a few minutes away with another team, maybe the flame hero would throw a fit about being called to a finished battle.

Jeanist relaxed, leaning against a building as he stared at the frozen villain. Ms. Joke was approached from his left. The unconscious officer was clutched close to himself as he supported his head.

Orca sighs. “I’ve paralyzed your body, the battle is over. All the damage you’ve done is-“

A fist slams into his sternum.

His mind blanks, completely empty of thoughts and clear of everything in the world, completely forgetting the fight he was in.

His body slams into the ground and rolls with the street, blood stains his white suit.

Gang Orca wheezes. His chest aches with every breath and his heart was pounding against his chest.

His stomach rumbles before it rushes up his throat. He’s throwing up everything he ate, from his lunch, to the small snack he had an hour ago.

He could hear something crunch as he hunches over.

“That was the second most annoying thing to ever touch my ears. Gojo Satoru’s voice being the first, not that you know who that is.” The villain shook his head, a few short strands of pink hair shifted in front of his forehead.

They effortlessly push the strands back into their slicked position. “One hit and you seem to be down permanently. I felt a few of your bones break.”

Ms. Joke watched with a trembling chin. A determined look crossed her face and her eyes lock onto the villain.

Cupping her hands around her mouth. “If you thought that was annoying, you should hear yourself talk! I mean come on! You’re definitely the monologue type!” She yells out, she was only a few feet away.

Definitely within range for her quirk to work and fully take effect over the villain.

The villain’s four eyes turn to her. “I think that’s enough from you. Whatever you’re trying to do is useless and you obviously have no power to yourself to offer.”

The villain raises his hand, two fingers flick through the air and Best Jeanist screams.

Ms. Joke can feel warm liquid running down her chest. Her mask falls to the ground, the straps that held it were cut and fell limply to the ground.

Her knees give out as she tries to cover her slit throat. Blood slips past her fingers. Jeanist crawls over to her. “Joke!” His large trembling hands reach for her throat, covering her own hand with his own and pressing to stop the blood.

“Look at me, Joke. Keep your-Just keep your eyes on me, please.” Hakamada begs to the woman below.

He looks up, searching for the villain and where he could be. He couldn’t let this villain out of his sight again, he just couldn’t with three injured beings within his sights.

The more he looked, the more stressed he became.

The villain was gone. Not a single trace to be found but the carnage that was left behind.

Chapter Text

“Damn it! Hurry up, this is ridiculous!” Endeavor shouts behind him, yelling at his slower sidekicks and at the other few heroes that weren’t keeping up with him.

Edgeshot had decided to stay behind with the sidekicks, letting Endeavor take the lead.

“Over 22% of heroes in Japan have been stationed around Fukuoka because of this villain, I hope none of you loses sight of how dangerous this is. And understand the need to be careful in this situation.” Edgeshot spares a small glance at each of the sidekicks.

A few of them huff, including Burnin, but she is the only one to speak up. “Hey! We ain’t new! We know what we’re getting into, we can handle whatever this villain throws!” She says with a grin, the passion and determination within her eyes almost helps ease him.

“We’ve all been briefed, we’ve seen what this monster can do. I just want to make sure everyone stays levelled-headed in this situation and remembers what we’re dealing with.” Edgeshot explains, trying his best to completely calm his own nerves.

The pounding of his heart was unusual when he fought other villains, but this one. This villain was an complete enigma to him, along with many others.

“He’s right! Everyone needs to be ready for anything this villain throws at us!” Kido shouts, he’s obviously nervous about the upcoming fight. Onima glances at his fellow sidekick and nods.

Edgeshot takes a deep breath. The battle ahead was going to push them all and it was going to be slightly difficult with their team setup compared with the multi-quirked villain.

This wasn’t going to be an easy feat, beating the villain would take a carefully crafted plan.

Thank god they have three.

From the body count that’s been building from this “Ryomen Sukuna”, to the broken and comatose heroes and civilians, this villain was one to match possibly even All Might’s power.

The ninja hero knows there is a possibility of them winning with one of their plans. Or at the very least, they can buy enough time to hold the villain until All Might can arrive at the fight with other heroes that can subdue this villain’s quirks.

There’s a thought of doubt and a cloud of anxiety that had morphed together inside his chest and made him ponder.

What if they lose? What if they aren’t enough?

All of the evidence is enough to point that this villain could handle himself against multiple fighting styles and multiple quirks, all together or alone.

He’s experienced and violent, an extreme dangerous combination if used correctly.

The blurry footage, shaky cameras, terrified eyewitness reports also pointed that he was able to use them correctly.

Pink hair, four red eyes, shirtless, tattooed, short, pale skin. And an overwhelming amount of quirks, at least five so far that have been witnessed.

The speed, strength, healing, durability, an invisible cutting quirk that they still couldn’t figure out yet. The quick reflexes were yet to be determined if it was another quirk or just the villain himself.

Edgeshot stares at Endeavor’s back.

The man was bursting with excitement, practically bubbling with it. His flames were popping and roaring for a fight. He had wanted to rush in, thinking himself to be enough to fight the villain with his sidekicks at his back.

The number two pro hero argued with the police that he and his sidekicks could handle it alone.

But the evidence that piled against those claims say otherwise.

Turning down a block, they all see a being with their hands in their pockets.

They were walking down the sidewalk, calm as can be.

Endeavor shoots right past him, Edgeshot and the sidekicks are skidding to a stop. Putting enough distance between them and the villain.

Their first plan relies on his skills and Endeavor being a distraction.

If the ninja hero could find access with the shadows on a building, he could possibly sneak up and end this battle before it began.

Endeavor glances behind himself, seeing his sidekicks and Edgeshot all stopped.

“What’re all of-“ He stops himself from finishing his question.

There was a very short shirtless man walking the sidewalk.

Endeavor blinks, taking in the full appearance of the person.

‘ He’s incredibly small for such a dangerous opponent ’

Endeavor raises his fist, he points at the villain whose back was still turned to him.

Edgeshot and the sidekicks take a step back as the villain got closer with his continued walking.

“Villain! You-“

“If I hear another, ‘surrender’, I will kill all of you immediately.” The villain stops walking and turns sideways.

Edgeshot can see the bottom pair of eyes looking over each of them, assessing them and taking in information.

This is not going to be an easy feat, their first plan was already not working as the villain’s eyes were locked onto his group.

“First it was the bird's group, the insect and the laundry appliance, then the fabric one's group, and now all of you. This is becoming repetitive.” The villain turns fully to Endeavor, “Why’re you on fire? Are you not damaging yourself?”

Ryomen steps closer towards the hero, and Edgeshot thins his body, moving in a spiral towards the villain.

“Huh.” The villain turns on his heel, claws reaching for Edgeshot.

The hero slips through the claws and stabs into the wrist. Ryomen laughs.

“A slippery one, aren’t you?” The villain’s eyes lock on the sidekicks. A grin takes over their face and he’s rushing past Edgeshot.

Edgeshot jumps across the street, sliding on his feet.

Burnin grabs a strand of her burning green hair and a spear shapes in her hands.

Kido throws his hands out, and the bandages around his head twist in the air and form a circle.

Burnin throws her spear, and Ryomen watches as the spear is thrown above him.

“That was-“

The spear goes through the bandage loop and shoots out at the villain.

Ryomen drops to the ground, maneuvering past the speeding spear of green fire.

Endeavor rushes forward, “Let's end this, you Brat!” He screams, Kido and Burnin roll out of the way, and Onima jumps after them.

Ryomen looks over his shoulder at Endeavor. “Oh?” Raising an eyebrow, the villain plants his feet apart and watches.

Endeavor’s fist erupts in fire as he rears his fist back. “Jet burn!”

Ryomen raises his palm at the same time as Endeavor thrusts his fist in front of him.

Fire consumes the villain and the street, the sidekicks cling to the walls and Edgeshot is balancing on a window sill, staying away from the scorching flames.

“I can’t see him.” Edgeshot says, squinting to see anything within the fire.

Endeavor is grinning, his fist lowers and his stance relaxes a slight bit as his shoulder roll. “Good. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

Burnin suddenly wails.

Edgeshot is rushing forward to catch her body as it comes rushing at him. He pushes back from the force of her hitting him, Burnin has blood covering her hands.

“H-he-K-Kido! Onima!” She screams, scrambling to try and get out of Endeavor’s arms and back to the other sidekicks.

Endeavor jumps into the air, and catches the other thrown body.

Kido is held close to his chest as he slams back into the ground. The bandages covering his face are ripped to shreds, and claw marks were torn straight through the skin under the bandages. The trail of claws went down from head to the center of his chest.

Endeavor fumbles for a second, the fire under his feet is unsteady as he lowers them to the ground.

His hands get tangled as he tried to grasp any bandages that might’ve been in tack to wrap the wounds.

Something taps his shoulder.

“The flames on yourself don’t seem to affect you, and that attack wasn’t very hot, or strong.” Ryomen said, staring straight up at the hero. “You have some type of fire resistance, at least to low temperatures flames."

Burnin grabs a green strand and hurls it at the villain, she struggles with aim as her hands we’re still slippery from blood.

“You!” She shouts, gritting her teeth together in anger and baring them.

Ryomen leans backwards, dodging the flames. “I've never seen green flame before, seeing as it’s rumored to be one of the oddest flames and it seems you are only further proof of that.”

Endeavor thrusts a palm out, and Edgeshot slinks out and grabs the sidekick from his arms.

Ryomen watches the interaction. “That thinning technique, that seems promising. As is your weak flames.” Endeavor throws a punch at the villain, his fist is coated in flames that grew larger to form an even bigger fire fist.

It’s a short moment when Endeavor thinks he’s landing a hit. The villain hasn’t moved or counter-attacked yet, just standing and letting the fist come at his head.

Ryomen catches the flaming fist. Twisting and turning the number two’s fist to inspect it. The skin on the villain’s hands were peeling ever so slightly from the heat.

“The flames on your outfit move, when I kill you, will they go out? They look foolish and yo-“ Another jet burn attack is shot off, Endeavor knows it was a direct hit, the villain still was in contact with his fist.

A foot slams into Endeavor’s chest, and the heel of the foot grinds down until a few ribs snap under the pressure.

Endeavor stumbles on his feet, limping back from the villain. “But it was a-“

Edgeshot watched as the flames die out, revealing the villain. His palm was completely in contact with Endeavor’s knuckles, yet he was completely untouched by the flames.

“That was better, but still lacked the power element of a good attack.” Ryomen smirks and for a moment, everything moved. The villain is slamming his fist into Endeavor’s gut.

A foot smashes into the ground and concrete is kicked at them.

The villain rushes at Edgeshot. “You’re a quick one, can you keep up with me?” Swiping his claws at the strand of Edgeshot that flew by him.

Edgeshot manages to avoid razor-sharp claws by a few centimetres, he could feel the phantom pain that would’ve came from the hit.

A green spear of fire is flying at the villain’s back.

Edgeshot glances down the street, seeing a bloody trail leading to a large hole in one of the buildings.

Kido is stumbling his way to the damage, blood had begun to drip down his costume.

Endeavor shouts suddenly, his temper finally getting the best of him. “You pink-haired punk! It’d be in your favour to watch your tone and not anger me more! Give up while you still c-can.” He wheezes in pain with his words.

The number two Hero has a small trail of blood running down his chin.

His back was facing the sidekicks and Edgeshot, covering them from the villain’s view.

His arm ignited, and a ball of flames spun in his hands. “Hellfire storm!”

Ryomen tilted his head, chuckling as the ball spun into a tornado of fire. The tornado drew closer and larger with ever second.

“Who are you calling punk, you brainless twit? You’re lucky to be standing in my presence, and you dare to insult me?” The pure venom was enough to send a shiver down Edgeshot’s spine, but the glare was hotter than any flames that Endeavor or his sidekicks could form.

The fire tornado is stopped by a ball of flames, smashing through the centre of the tornado and hitting the ground in front of Endeavor.

Edgeshot is rushing forward, twisting his body and landing next to Endeavor. “Our plans aren’t working, he’s outmaneuvering your moves and I can’t get close enough.”

With a sigh, the villain looks over them lazily.

“I would’ve liked to drag this fight out to fully test your flames heat. But it seems I need to teach you a lesson about treading on thin ice.”

Ryomen’s hands smack together, Burnin and Endeavor jump at the sound, and Edgeshot flattens himself and flies into the air. “He’s planning something. Distract him, keep his eyes on you!” Edgeshot’s body slithers within the shadows, jumping up onto the top of a close-by building.

Burnin huffs, “Piece of cake.” Grasping more green strands from her hair. She tosses as many as she can at the villain, Endeavor rushes in ahead of her.

Blasts of fire rush past her shoulder as Endeavor is tossing balls of fire at the villain.

The Villain raises two fingers.

“Let’s break that ice.” Endeavor slams the back of his heels into the ground to stop himself from going forward. The villain plants himself, swiping those two fingers.

Endeavor jumps, grabbing Burnin and covering her. “Get down!” E dgeshot takes cover, lying flat over the side of a building.

Kido jumps back into the bloody hole within the building with the unconscious Onima clutched to his chest.

Endeavor feels no change within the air, no rise or fall of temperature, and no pain from an attack.

Rising up, he looks around for the villain. Burnin rising up from under her boss, “Where’d that bastard go?!”

“He’s…Gone?”

Edgeshot hears this, peaking over the side of the building. His eyes widen, body instantly thinning and reaching out towards Endeavor.

“WATCH OUT!”

A fist slams into Endeavor’s chest. Burnin tries to jump after him, her fingers shook as she misses entirely.

The hero is sent flying into the air. Ryomen springs into the air, following after the hero. The bottoms of his feet ignite and ease his fall, Endeavor only has a few seconds to balance himself within the air.

Endeavor quickly swings his fist out while twisting in the air. Ryomen parries the blow, smirking as he does. The villain raises his hands above his head, tightening his fingers into fists.

"You all fell for such an easy false attack, it's pitiful at this point!"

Endeavor pulls his right hand back, his palm grew warm as Hellflame ignites within it. His left arm rises to block the hit coming from above.

“Hells cur-“ Not even finishing the words, the fire in his palms fizzle into nothing when the the villain’s fists slams into his forearm.

He could feel the bones in his forearm crunch under the hit.

His back slams into the concrete below, the feeling of the street breaking open and forming a hole from the impact of him .

Endeavor immediately slams a hand into the ground, pushing up and out of the hole with everything he still had. The pinching pain within his back has him wincing, but not stopping.

The villain slams into the ground behind him. “You are stubborn, there’s no excuse for this behavior. You aren’t a good fighter, you beings rely heavily on those powers of yours to assist you.” Kneeling and staring down at the struggling hero. “This whole world has been such a let down so far.”

The villain leans against his fist, propping it up on his knee.

Endeavor slams his trembling fist into the cracked concrete below him. “Cocky twerp!”

Hells minefield is very useful when the opponent is within range and there wasn’t anything holding him back. It was even better to use when his team wasn’t in his way, allowing for the full effect of the attack.

The street explodes below the villain, and random bouts of fire burst from different parts of the concrete.

The minefield right below the villain explodes, sending the bastard flying backwards into the rest of the minefield.

A few moments go by, the explosions stop. Half of the street is in shambles and smoke. Endeavor pulls his hand out of the ground, pushing himself out of the crater and pressing a hand against his chest.

The pain within his arms and his chest screamed for medical attention, or for him to at least sit down.

“Come on, you damn-“ He goes to call out the villain, knowing the monster had to still be moving, or able to fight.

A green spear flies past Endeavor’s head, and the smoke in front of the hero clears as the villain’s hand outstretches, grabbing the spear of green fire before it collided with his face.

“This is a wretched thing. I can barely feel the heat of this weapon. And that attack was sloppy, you’ve done more damage to these streets than I have.” The bastard grins as he speaks, easily twirling the green spear between his fingers.

Endeavor reacts, thrusting his fists in front of him directly at the villain. Fire spews from his hands, twisting and coiling.

Ryomen steps back, his feet are dancing through the broken rubble and destroyed ground below. Nimble feet push away and skid over, moving the villain just away in time for the heroes to miss.

Not landing a single hit.

Burnin follows behind, a fiery spear in her hand as she tries to jump into the fight. She follows in Endeavor’s shadow and swipes from under his attacks.

Endeavor sees a glint in the shadows and growls in annoyance. “Is all you do is dodge and run your big mouth, you brat?!” He screams at the villain to entice him to make an error.

Ryomen freezes, the smile drops off his face and Endeavor sees his chance. Retching his hand back, “Flashfi-“

Burnin is suddenly in standing in front of him, replacing the villain completely. Her spear piercing through his stomach, the villain stood behind her with four narrowed eyes.

“I feel this may be another waste of my time. But I want to fight you,” The villain leans on Burnin’s shoulder while pointing at Endeavor. “Without distractions.”

Grabbing the fiery green hair, he tosses the sidekick in the air.

Endeavor stands frozen, watching as his sidekick disappears into the sky.

He looks back at the villain, who was standing closer than before. Taking a step back, the pain in his stomach tightens and he stumbles on his footing.

Wheezing out blood, Endeavor grasps at the spear within his stomach.

The villain’s hand shoved his out of the way. “I need this again.” Ripping the spear from Endeavor’s body, the hero hisses in pain and immediately tries to stop the bleeding.

Ryomen stretched his back and tosses the spear to his left.

A scream fills the air and Endeavor’s head whips towards the sound.

Edgeshot is pinned by the spear, it runs right through his shoulder.

“I was aiming for your head. You dodged just in the Nick of time, I commend you for your speed.” Ryomen chuckles, turning back to Endeavor. “And now, I believe it’s just you and me.”

Slamming his knee into the hero’s face, Endeavor slams into a car as he flies backwards from the attack.

Raising his head and searching the area for something, the villain’s eyes lock onto the stumbling figures that were trying to disappear around a corner.

“Ah, runners. My favorite.”

Edgeshot raises his head, looking around for the now gone villain.

Kido limps down the street, the jump into the hole ended wrongly and with him twisting his ankle.

He was barley managing to hold onto his fellow sidekick. His ankle aches with every step.

“Where do you think you’re going?” A voice asked from behind Kido.

Kido’s head flings to the side, looking towards the voice.

The villain stood with his hands on his hips. “Going to try and save your comrade? How noble of you.”

Kido gulps, his hold on Onima tightens in panic. “Y-you-“

“You’re bleeding pretty badly, leaving a trail and everything for anyone to follow. Not very smart, you barely tried to stop the bleeding.” The villain steps around him, Kido’s right hand slides down Onima’s side.

Gripping the small knife in one of his many pockets. “I-Im fine for now.”

“Are you? Well, I’ve got to correct that mistake.”

Kido grips the knife, turning in his heel and swiping at the villain.

Slapping the blade out of the heroes hand, a clawed fist coming at Kido’s face is the last thing he sees before his vision cuts out.

Sukuna walks around the corner, his hands in his pockets. A small noise catches his attention.

Sukuna looks up at the small figure that was getting closer. “Ah, that was quicker than I expected.”

Burnin is falling from the ground, screaming and flailing on her way down. Ryomen flickers, standing on the other side of the street and next to the steaming Endeavor and the crushed car.

The villain grabs Endeavor’s hair and twists his head towards the falling Burnin. “Let’s watch her die together and then we can really start, unless you’re too weak to continue?”

The hero bites his tongue, pushing off the car and curling in on himself. Ryomen’s head tilts slightly, “I can feel your temperature rising, I take it this is-“

“ Prominence Burn !” Endeavor’s body lights up with fire, encasing both the street and the villain in the blast.

Edgeshot rips the spear from his shoulder, jumping off the building and crashing into Burnin, he wraps his arms around her as they slam into the ground.

The heat from the attack pushes them back until they are skidding down into the rumble of their earlier attacks.

Burnin grabs a clump of her hair, stabbing it into a melting car. She pulls with everything she still had until she pulled her and Edgeshot into coverage.

The heat dies out, as if someone had blown it out as quickly as one would a candle.

Burnin and Edgeshot are left gasping for breath. “Is it over?” Burnin asks quietly.

Edgeshot drags himself up, peaking around the car. His gasp is enough of an answer. Burnin pulls herself up, getting to her feet with the help of the other hero, she returns the favour and helps balance him out.

Endeavor laid on the ground, his body steaming and his fires completely out.

The villain was crouched on the hero’s chest like he had earlier, he still had that smug look on his bloody face.

“That was almost impressive. A blast that hot could do some real damage to a weaker being. But I have seen better. Are you done?”

Endeavor’s body twitches, growling as he pushes up on his elbows. “Get the hell of off me, you-“

A crack has Burnin flinching back, the villain slammed his palm across Endeavor’s face.

Edgeshot grabs her shoulder. “W-we can still take him down. We could execute our first plan. If I can sneak up one last time and pierce through him, I can knock him out. If he takes his eyes off of Endeavor, could you buy me time?”

Burnin nods, “I can do that, yeah. Alright, you ready?” She asks while keeping her eyes on the pink haired villain.

Edgeshot slips away, sneaking under the car and within the cracks on the streets.

Ryomen taps the broken jaw of the hero below. “I think that’s been enough of you for the day, eh?” Raising his clawed hand in the air. “I think I’ll carve your heart out.”

Burnin cups her hands around her mouth and shouts. “Hey shorty! I bet I could knock you on your ass without any of my powers to assist me!” She challenges with a smirk.

Sukuna’s head whips around to glare at the girl.

“I’ll have your heart next, don’t worry. Your death will be soon after his.” He looks back at the hero below.

“And you,” Sukuna slowly turns to look into the shadowy broken concrete that laid close by. “You are an interesting case.”

Copying Endeavor’s move from earlier, planting his feet and twisting his arm. Ryomen holds his palm in the air, drags it down and his fingers click.

Clapping his palms together. Raising his arms, his hands erupt into flames.

A bow and arrow form within the tips of his fingers.

"I think it's time to show you how true flames burn."

Flames danced in the air, trailing the villain’s hand and encasing his fingers.

Six. The villain had six quirks.

Burnin grabs at her hair, tossing a spear at the villain. “Stop!” She runs after the villain, hand outstretched and fingers trembling.

The arrow is let loose from Sukuna’s finger tips.

Edgeshot flies through the shadowy rumble, thinning towards Sukuna. “Wa-“

The arrow’s flames burst to life. Blinding the heroes as they all feel the flames of the attack.

Sukuna’s laughter and their screams mix within the chaos.

Chapter Text

Never in his life has he felt slower than now.

Pushing himself to run as fast and he can to race either into the villain or, to assist his fellow heroes.

He still had two hours to spare, sitting around and wasting it while other heroes were randomly running into the villain wasn’t acceptable.

He needed to help, especially when the latest report came in.

The number of calls he was receiving before he left Yamaguchi was staggering, many were calling saying this was an S rank threat, others telling him how many were casualties.

He could barely focus on the voice that was relaying information to him from the earpiece, he’s been rushing over buildings, jumping from roof to roof as quickly as he could.

Ryomen Sukuna, an unknown man who apparently dropped from the sky.

With the combination of different quirks, and a violent and sporadic fighting style, this villain seems as dangerous as All for One.

He’s caused more damage and death within the past six hours than there has been during the past eight months combined.

A group of officers and a chief who had escaped the villain with the assistance of Best Jeanist had called in and reported what they saw and experienced.

Best Jeanist had reported only a few moments after the officers did, reporting more casualties and more damage.

His report wasn’t a long one.

The last thing that was heard from the Fiber hero had been him seeing fire within the air and a fight, possibly Endeavor’s group running into the villain about twelve minutes ago.

“ Jeanist says the fight wasn’t ever in his favour and that the villain is very skilled with his quirks. Endeavor’s group has gone silent, their trackers are down too. Ragdoll has been stuck in traffic for ten minutes and is using her quirk to help civilians get to other heroes.” Tsukauchi reports to him, his voice trembling with anger as he spoke.

Yagi grits his teeth, “I’m almost there, I should arrive an-“

Skidding to a complete stop.

Yagi almost falls to his knees.

“T-Tsukauchi, are there any news helicopters or swat teams in the skies seeing this?” He asks.

“ No, news teams should be flying in soon, they are making rounds covering damage and Swat teams are making sure any civilians are not still within the area. Why? ”

“The street is gone.”

“ W-what?” The detective asks.

Yagi looks down at what remained of the street. Broken buildings, the road completely destroyed and concrete ripped from the ground, a body lay scattered across the ground.

“I see Endeavor!” All Might jumps from the roof, rushing to his fellow hero’s side and kneeling. “Endeav-“ His chest aches at the sight, his heart is pounding against his chest with worry.

A fellow hero was reduced to this, by one villain that he was too slow to reach in time.

“Oh-oh, god.”

The fire that was usually lit around the hero had died out, leaving a bloody Enji looking colder and paler than ever.

Gone was his right arm and a chunk of his shoulder. Burns covers the right side of his jaw and throat. Blood was filling in the cracks under the hero.

Yagi presses his hands over the wounds and tries to stop the bleeding, closing his large hands around the gaping wound on the shoulder and pressing against Endeavor’s stomach.

“Endeavor?” His fingers stretch up from his shoulder and press against Endeavor’s throat, he has to shift his fingers a bit to search for a pulse.

Weak, but still a slow pulse.

The fiery hero lay unresponsive, “Tsukauchi, I need medical here now! Endeavors down, his arm is gone and he’s bleeding heavily, I think he’s been stabbed through the stomach. And I can’t see Edgeshot or any of the sidekicks.”

“The nearest Medical team is on their way to your location, it’ll be ten minutes…Do you see the villain?” Tsukauchi questions in a worried tone, he can hear the fear laced within his friend's voice.

“No, the villain seems to be gone.”

“Son of a bitch. He’s a slippery one, that’s the third time he’s escaped. Keep your eyes peeled in case he still lingering, who knows if he has any stealth quirks too.” The detective points out, Yagi glances over his shoulder and sees a foot hanging out from under some fiery rubble.

“I see someone trapped.” Yagi quickly reels his fist back.

“Medicals seven minutes away.”

Punching some of the air and kicking up some of the rubble from the person, he sees half of Edgeshot laying hopefully unconscious. He presses his hand back onto Endeavor’s stomach.

“Eyes on Edgeshot, I can’t see if he’s breathing or not.” Yagi’s fingers are warm with blood, the liquid stuck to the sleeves of his costume.

“Edgeshot?!” He yells out, the other hero doesn’t move in the rubble.

Endeavor stirs from the ground, his eyes peeled open.

“B-Burnin?”

All might frowns, “Burnin isn’t here, where-“

Endeavor tries to sit up, “S-she jumped I-in t-the…” The fiery hero sluggishly blinks, stirring against Yagi, “N-No-“

Endeavor wheezes, coughing blood as he does. His head rolls back, almost hitting the ground below.

Yagi almost curses under his breath, “Endeavor? I need you to stay awake, keep your eyes open and on me. Medical is arriving soon, it’ll all be okay soon.”

A mumble is his response, Endeavor’s breathing is wet sounding.

All Might glances over at Edgeshot. “Tsukauchi, contact Ragdoll. Ask if she can look at my position and locate any other heroes nearby.”

“ On it.”

The line goes quiet and he can finally listen to the soft whistling in the distance.

Yagi tilts his head to try and hear it better.

A chill goes down his spine.

He accidentally tightens his grip on Endeavor’s shoulder. A groan is heard below him and he immediately loosens his grip on the wound. “I’m sorry!”

He turns his head towards the whistle. It’s faded and gone within a few seconds.

The hero huffs, listening to the sombre quiet.

“All Might!”

Yagi jumps, “Tsukauchi? What’s-“

“Ragdoll says Burnin is north, six feet from your location, Kido is located four blocks after you round the street's left corner, and Onima is three feet above Kido,” Tsukauchi says quickly, the words spilling out in panic.

Yagi’s heart aches.

“I can’t-I can’t leave Endeavor without him bleeding out more.” He grits out the words through his tense jaw.

“Medicals two minutes away.”

All Might elevates Endeavor’s head with his thigh, “Eyes open, come on. Endeavor, look at me.”

The fiery hero drags his eyes onto Yagi, they narrow in a tired glare.

“S-shut I-it. I’m-I’m fine. I’m keeping…Keeping…” Endeavor’s eyes roll again in the middle of his mumbling. Yagi gently shakes his leg, and Endeavor’s eyes flutter.

The blonde’s eye is twitching, his gently bouncing leg almost picks up in speed a few times. He can’t hear the whistle anymore, but there’s the sound of sirens that replace the whistle.

Endeavor is suddenly wheezing again, forcing more blood from his stomach to slip past Yagi’s fingers.

The blonde presses harder against the wound. The pulse under his fingers trembles, and Endeavor’s head is completely limp against his thigh.

“Endeavor? No, no, no! Medics are here, you can’t close your eyes yet. Enji-“ Yagi can smell the tires burning as the ambulance slams on its brakes.

A team is running out of the back and rushing to him.

“All Might! You need to-“An EMT is trying to talk to him, raising her hands to teach out for Endeavor.

The second Yagi hands off the other hero, he’s rushing towards Edgeshot. Moving any remaining debris that didn’t get knocked off from his punch.

He waves the other EMTS over. “Over here! I see a wound on the shoulder and bleeding from the head on Edgeshot.” Yagi picks the last bit of rubble off of the ninja hero, an EMT is rushing behind him, joining him by Edgeshot’s side.

“All might-“

The pain inside is practically yelling at him to stop the erratic movements. Yet, he needed to focus, and the only way he could do that is being distracted.

“I need to go help Kido and Onima, Burnin is around here as well.” The hero yells towards them.

All Might is running off, rushing towards the left corner and whipping around the corner.

The smell of blood hits his nose before he even sees the mess.

“Wait-“ An EMT tries to get his attention again.

The horrifying scene that greeted him has him regretting his quick haste and not being quick enough.

Onima’s body lay in a crater in the middle of the street, legs missing as if cut cleanly off, even the bones were cut.

Parts of Kido were tangled in broken utility poles above Onima, his bandages laid strew over the ground and hung below him like party streamers almost.

Yagi gags at the sight, his bloody hand slaps over his face to try and mask the metallic smell.

The red liquid from Endeavor’s wounds smears over his face.

He tries to wipe the blood off of his hands, rubbing them on his costume as he approaches Onima.

Collapsing to his knees for the second time, he gently reaches out and prays he finds the pulse.

Pressing his fingers against different parts of the hero’s neck, yet nothing pulsed beneath the skin.

Gone. Another hero, another person dead.

Yagi looks over his shoulder.

An EMT stands with her hand outstretched, she pants out of breath. “I-I tried to warn you. W-we briefly saw this on our way.”

There’s hope. Burnin could be okay and conscious, she may be the hope that this day seemed to need.

Yagi has hope. He can find one and save her, he could make it. He hopes she’s in better condition than the rest.

“Have you seen Burnin? I don’t believe I spotted her while helping Endeavor.” Yagi turns to ask the EMT who was at Onima’s side.

“I-We thought these two were it of the Endeavor and Edgeshots team? We haven’t seen Burnin either.” She says with a slow creeping worry in her voice.

The blonde hero almost stumbles for a moment as he runs back to where a barely hanging on Endeavor is, he looks around at the damaged ground and has a small thought that pops into his brain like a balloon.

What if she was under?

“Burnin?” He shouts as his hands grasp at every large rock and piece of rubble. He searches for a sign of that fiery green hair.

Digging deeper under the rubble, he watches in the corner of his eye as the EMTs are helping Endeavor.

The blonde hero reaches for another rock, but a flash of fiery green hair catches his attention.

His heart drops.

“She’s here!” Yagi shouts over his shoulder and continues to dig with his stained red hands.

He can hear the faint sounds of helicopters coming closer.

Greens strands of hair fell around her broken body, her scalp looks raw in some areas, as if something tried to rip her scalp off completely, but gave up at the beginning.

“ Jeanist has been located by another medical team. He’s not looking good, please tell me things are better with Edgeshot and Endeavor’s team. ” Tsukauchi’s hopefully questions with a stressed out huff.

Yagi shakes his head, his face grows paler with the last few stones he moves away from Burnin.

“Things are much worse here. And the villain has escaped the area. No one has spotted him.” He says, his side aches with every rushed movement.

“ Damn it!”

Tsukauchi's cursing is always comical, but today, All Might’s smile is long gone.

But, far away from Kyushu.

Somewhere within Kamino, a small bar that held one patron and two others. Two sat at the bar, while another cleaned a glass, all eyes were on the small TV that lay in the corner of the bar.

“Jeez, talk about damage. This guy’s an interesting character, hm? All this damage and he still hasn’t been caught, that shows promise.” The single patron says, swirling his glass of whiskey. his sunglasses tipped down his face as he watches the new report of the latest damage done in Kyushu.

Another person, one with narrow yellow glowing eyes, he hums. “An interesting character indeed. I wonder if this character will be caught at the end of the day, if not, he may be someone of interest.”

The last person in the bar, scratches at his neck. “I like his style. If this is a new villain rising, he might be a Contagonist, or he could be one of my Tertiary characters.”

“The idea of him being a pawn who could be in your arsenal sounds better, that is if he’s not caught.” The yellow-eyed person says to the last person.

The patron chuckles, standing from his seat. “I guess I’ll look into this new villain if he’s not caught by the end of the day.”

The yellowed eye person bows his head slightly, “Thank you, Giran.”

The last person waves off Giran. “You’d better wait until the end of the day and research this new villain well, I don’t want a noob, or NPC in my League.”

“Sure thing, Shigaraki,” Giran says with a small wave.

Shigaraki’s scowl slowly twists into a grin as the body count for this new villain continues to rise with every hour.

Chapter Text

Well, the press conference was an immediate shit show. Random heroes gathered, a few from each region of Japan and a handful of reporters stuffed in a room together never ended well.

The heroes and reporters sat separate from each other, but there were still mini arguments and interviews going on.

Reporters that recognized him had tried to ask questions about the USJ and how All Might was handling this new villain, on top of the new League of Villains. But, a sharp glare sent them scurrying away back to their seats with their heads down.

He was seated in the far right, closer to the corners of the room and far from any more reporters. The only downside was that he was seated between two other slightly newer heroes.

Aizawa rubs his thumb against the new scar on his face. Without the bandages and casts to cover him, he was exposed now to eyes.

Ignoring the few pairs of eyes on him that still lingered from other heroes and a few stray reporters, he looks forward.

The table at the front of the room was empty, with mics and recorders piled in front of the five chairs that were set up.

It had been two hours since anyone had addressed the heroes and reporters, officers were standing at every door and two flanked on each side of the table.

The tension in the room was thick enough to spread on toast.

And voices grew louder with their complaints, not at all keeping their opinions to themselves and letting the bloodthirsty press listen in with mics ready and recording.

“This is insane. What do you think they’re doing back there? I mean, I heard that this big villain still hasn’t been caught and now they are taking their time announcing the full details of this “Romen Sakura”. People are getting hurt right now with this maniac running around and we’re stuck sitting here like jackasses.” A hero grumbles from behind him.

If Aizawa remembered correctly, the villain’s name definitely wasn’t “Romen Sakura”.

“I know! That’s exactly what I was thinking! It’s complete garbage that we’re sitting here like idiots twiddling our thumbs, they have All Might out there still looking for this “Sakura” guy and we are stuck in an emergency conference.” A female hero screams while she puffs out her cheeks and her face grew redder with her anger.

Aizawa shook his head slightly, his shoulders falling in slight disappointment. The newer batch of heroes was definitely something interesting and not in any good ways, he’s surprised they even passed the licensing exams.

The door in the left corner of the room burst open, and his back straightens.

“Everyone settle down!” An officer shouts as she walks towards the table with another woman.

Controlling his tapping foot and focusing on the people walking in.

He raises an eyebrow.

He hasn’t seen her at a conference in an extremely long time, it must either be the seriousness of this villain or the annoyance that her top pet hero Hawks was taken out of the field by this villain.

Or both. Both could very much be the answer.

The blonde woman sits at the head of the table, she’s joined by a few chiefs of police and other members flanking her sides and taking their seats.

“Thank all of you for your patience and for coming here today. To begin, please save all questions until we say we will be accepting them.” The president of the Hero Commission bows slightly, her fingers tug at the mic in the middle of all the others and she adjusts herself in her seat.

Yuka Nishihara, she’s been the president of the hero commission for almost 15 years.

He thinks she never should’ve been hired to begin with.

“Now, the date is May 6th. Ryomen Sukuna is the name of this new threat. As of now at 13:24, we have no new evidence of a possible origin for this villain and we do not know where he has come from as of yet. There have been multiple accounts of this villain also having the ability to have more than one quirk.” She announces with an ounce of hesitation, her eyes sweeping through the crowd as she tries to look at every one. “We have our very best trying to uncover this information and trying to bring new details to the table.”

He could almost empathize with how much stress she was probably under.

Doubting she truly would’ve even shown up personally to this conference if not for Hawks being involved with the villain.

A detective on the far right, Ami Satyo. She was a very well-known detective from Fukuoka. She leans back in her chair. “No fingerprints, no face recognition, no traces of this person have been found. It’s almost as if he didn’t exist before he popped up within Fukuoka.” She grumbles with a slight head shake as if she couldn’t believe the information she was saying.

Nishihara at the centre of the table practically caved into herself, her shoulders dropping and her body leaning forward.

The President of the hero commission closes her eyes for a moment, composing herself.

She opens them again and stares straight. “The total casualties is now at 78. With 40 injured and 38 dead.” She lets the information sink in before continuing. “We have countless heroes, including our number 1. hero All Might on this case trying to find this villain.”

The annoyance and seriousness within Nishihara's voice helps hush the few stragglers that were still talking.

The room was quiet enough to hear not only a pin but probably even the soft wisps of a feather falling.

Aizawa shifts forward in his chair and crosses his arms. Fingers digging through his long sleeves.

What kind of monster could do that much damage in a few days and simply disappear without a trace?

He rubs at his elbow. The scar was healed but still itched at times.

Could it be a partner of the League of Villains? The one with the teleportation quirk could be helping this new villain. And multiple quirks, maybe a Nomu? But a human-looking one with four eyes and tattoos.

His head falls and he starts tapping his foot impatiently again.

If this new villain was a newer Nomu, that means too many possibilities and too many dead ends.

And if the villain wasn’t, they were all right back where they were now.

“We do not know any demands that this villain wants, or if he has any to begin. It’s been reported that Ryomen has mentioned strength in these fights, so we do not know if he is targeting All Might or if he is just on some type of mission of his own.” The chief of Fukuoka Prefecture finished explaining.

Kei Ryōichi, sat next to the president of the commission, his hands folded neatly in his lap as he spoke calmly and collected.

Yet, his right eye twitched ever so slightly as he finished speaking.

The President of the commission nods and in Ryōichi’s direction.

Chief of Hosu Kenji Tsuragamae. There were rumours that he actually wasn’t even supposed to be on the field during the villain's attack, but a meeting with the chief of Fukuoka had lined perfectly with the new villain's attack.

The dog quirked chief leans into his mic. The bandages on his face and bruising looks brutal from a distance, Aizawa could still feel the ache of where his bandages used to be and can feel the phantom pain that the chief was in.

“I’ve encountered this monster up close. He’s quick, deadly, and has a dangerous set of quirks.” Tsuragamae pauses for a moment. He raises his hand to his face and scratches at his snout before he continues. “…Ryomen appears young, he looks as if he can’t be older than 25 and he cannot be younger than 14. While it also might be another quirk we don’t know if yet at play for his age. But, from what I’ve seen, he is not an average villain. His presence alone is full of surprises and bloodlust, he is not to be confused with a lowly villain or criminal.” Tsuragamae ends his part with a huff, it edged on an actual huff and a “woof”.

Eraserhead, the hero could fight this villain without a second thought. Aizawa, couldn’t imagine if the villain was truly young, a few years older than the age of his students. A phantom pain pangs within his chest.

What causes a kid to go on a murderous rampage?

A future thrown away so young, and to become such a violent and dangerous villain while he was at it. This Ryomen Sukuna might have issues that he wanted to take out on the world, or maybe he was just insane.

Either one aside, he still needed to be found and stopped.

People began chattering amongst themselves again. A low buzz filled the room instead of silence, and Aizawa’s eye twitched.

“Please, everyone settle down.” An officer tries to step up, raising his hand to get everyone’s attention.

“We understand the concerns, but the heroes and everyone behind the scenes are trying their best to locate and stop this menace,” Nishihara states.

The room quiets again to almost complete silence.

The group at the table share glances with each other, they all finally look at the president of the commission.

She sends them a firm nod.

“…Now that everyone has settled. I believe that concludes the main portions of this meeting. Does anyone have any questions?” Satyo is the one who invites the wolves to start barking.

Hands raise, questions are flying through the air and words are being shouted over each other.

“Please, one at a time.” Nishihara raises her hand, grasping her chin and staring into the crowd.

“Uh, how about you in the front?”

A man stands, bright orange hair slicked back and two brown cat ears twitching on the top of his head.

“You mentioned the villain having more than one quirk, do you know how many Ryomen exactly has or is that just another unknown?” The reporter pokes with a slight glare.

Tsuragamae leans into his mic. “Six quirks have been witnessed so far.”

“And what exactly are these quirks?” The reporter shoots another question immediately.

“Healing, extreme strength, speed, severe durability, an odd cutting quirk that doesn’t require touching another, and a newer one that we still don’t have the total details on.” Satyo finishes the comment and her eyes search the crowd. “Next question. Yes, you.” She points at another reporter.

The woman stands, her sharp talons holding onto her recorder. “Do you think this villain is related to any other villains? Possibly even the new League of Villains?”

“We do not know exactly if that is true or not, but that is a possibility.” Ryōichi answers, the woman nods and sits back down. “Next question?”

Nishihara gives a nod to another reporter and they stand.

A woman with short black hair with pink bunny ears and a tail to match stands. “If All Might is after this villain as well, and if the rumours are true that Endeavor has been put into critical condition after an encounter with Ryomen, do you think there will be a slight struggle for All Might?”

Nishihara hums. “No. I have full confidence in our Number 1. There is no doubt in my mind that when he finds this villain, he will stop him.” She spoke almost in a monotone voice like she’s practised this line before.

Aizawa huffs, biting and tearing at the skin inside his cheek.

“You say that, yet this villain still hasn’t been found and brought to justice!” A person screams suddenly. Aizawa’s eyes catch on a reporter dressed in a black and blue hoodie.

“Why were so many heroes that were supposed to be the top or strong, defeated? It’s been a couple of days and this villain ran through countless heroes! If they can’t protect, what good are they?! Do they belong in their rank?”

“Should all civilians be required to stay home until Ryomen is captured and defeated?”

“Do we know any direction where Ryomen might be going?”

Questions and screams started to fill the room. Aizawa shook his head, placing his palm onto his forehead and dragging it.

Hizashi should’ve come instead.

“Settle down now!” An officer screams, her mouth grows in shape as does the sound of her voice.

After a few more shouts, things settle into a vibrating tension that hovered.

“I understand that everyone is frightened, but we, along with countless others behind the scenes and on the scenes, are trying to get this under control,” Ryōichi explains, trying his best to keep his eyes on the ones who were glaring back at him.

“Heroes that have been defeated do deserve their ranks, this villain’s quirks combined have never been seen by the public and are extremely difficult to deal with. We are advising people to have a short curfew and to stay inside until the villain has been caught.” Nishihara returns the glares directed at her.

“Can this villain take quirks?”

“We do not know for certain,” Tsuragamae answers. “Please hold questions until we-“

“Siting!” The same reporter in the hoodie stands, holding his phone in the air. “Ryomen has been spotted on security cameras walking in Aichi!”

The five at the table immediately stand. The president of the hero commission slams her hands into the table. “What? Street, address. Where exactly in Aichi?!”

The comfortable reporter’s shoulders drop and his head tilts to the side.

“Uh, Nagakute? A-at…Ghibli Park?”

The room stops.

Aizawa almost comments and asks if the villain wanted to go site seeing possibly.

Nishihara points at the officers in the room. “Tell every hero within Nagakute to go to Ghibli Park right now and keep an eye on Ryomen until All Might arrives, do not engage unless civilians are endangered and try to evacuate the park. This meeting is paused until further notice! I need the following heroes, Ice Pop, Eraserhead, and Manual to report to the scene immediately!”

Hizashi definitely should’ve been the one to come.

Ghibli Park, 14:02.

Tilting his head fully to his left and staring at the creature in front of him.

Sukuna glares at the smiling statue.

“Damn roads aren’t like they used to be.” He stands straight and looks around. “This is almost repulsive to stare at. So many useless statues, you said they are from “movies” that certain humans enjoy, correct?” He glances down at the man below.

His legs sliced just above the knee and he lay leaning against the cat-looking creature’s statue.

“Y-y-yes. P-please, I-I won’t say a word about y-you. P-please, let me live. I h-have a-a fam-family.” The man sobs, clawing at the statue behind him and trying to get away from Sukuna.

Red eyes glare. “Do you think I care about your pathetic life and family?” Purple claws slice through the air and end the sobs.

Chapter Text

With all the statues of creatures, it was almost like a shrine.

He didn’t understand what “Studio Ghibli” was, but it was a very comical one of whatever it was supposed to be.

The humans that were walking within the shrine looking park and admiring it had taken one look at him, bloody and shirtless, and ran.

He killed all of them, blood coloured the bright colours of the grounds and walls. Bodies and parts flooded the streets.

The park was silent now, better looking as well with the crimson splattering.

The roof above was made of cloudy glass, an odd choice. Easily breakable.

The brat would’ve probably taken pictures and desecrated the large statues with his cellular rectangle.

The area held no residuals of power, nothing to give or take. The large grey bear creature was an odd-looking creature and the only thing he found himself staring the most at while exploring.

The King of Curses rolls his eyes, searching the area once more, stepping over limp bodies.

Sukuna scratches under his chin, “Are you trying to sneak up on me? In those hideous clothes?”

Walking in circles of the colourful and rather oddly decorated shrines of the “park” he was within, he has finally grown annoyed enough to want to leave.

Only to encounter more of the idiots.

He glances at the bright Orange and dark green suited person who is crouched along an odd wall with splashes of oranges, blacks, blues, and pinks.

Walking past them and the other moron who was blocking the exit gate and bridge in a red and gold striped outfit.

The one in gold slams their hands together. “Bubble wrap!” Screaming as the tips of their fingers shoot out a line that makes its way around Sukuna’s area.

The King rolls his eyes. “I wonder what this will do.”

Sukuna raises his arm as it is attached to him. Narrowing his eyes, he gives a sharp pull and the plastic doesn’t give.

There were bubbles on the plastic that popped when he moved.

He knew what this was. Searching the brat's memories, a recollection of the boy holding onto a clear plastic with the Shikigami shadow user.

They both were smiling as they popped the bubbles of air on the plastic in the memory.

“You attack…With bubble wrap?” Sukuna feels a pull from the other.

They gulped.

It was obviously just a subduing technique, meant to hold and capture weaker beings.

All four of Sukuna’s eyes focus and glare at the brain-dead mouth breather.

“You, are quite possibly the dumbest individual I have ever had the unfortunate experience of looking at and acknowledging.” Deadpanning at the ridiculous situation he was dealing with.

Sukuna disappears from his spot, the wrapping falls to the floor.

He’s appearing again behind the gold one. Slamming his foot into their back and hearing the spine snap, they fall over the railing with a scream.

Making a large splash as they hit the stream of water under, Sukuna puts his hands in his pockets and walks over the bridge. “Pests. I’ve seen enough of you squabbling colourful roaches to last me the next millennium.”

Sukuna turns, and he stares at the shaking knees of the last being. “What the hell is the point of you being here? You’re about to fall over with legs like that.” He regards the shaking knees.

The being shook their head, “T-t-to p-protect…A-and…” Sukuna walks closer, soon standing directly in front of them.

He waits.

“Well? Are you going to attack?” He tilts his head in question.

They stumble back. “I-I just-“

Sukuna waves his head. “This is pathetic. Where’s the drive? The will? You said to protect, correct?” He asks.

The person shook harder, their teeth clattering.

Sukuna glares. “Do you dare try and make me repeat myself?”

They shook their head, raising their hands. “N-no! I-I heard I-I just…I can’t beat you, I-I know I can’t.”

“Is that because you know you lack the power or the courage?” Sukuna begins to stalk around them, taking in all sixty-one coloured circles.

“T-the one you kicked w-was four ranks above mine, h-he was stronger than me. A-and y-you barely-” They hiccuped.

Sukuna stops, his ears perked at this. “Explain these ranks.”

“T-that guy was ranked 712, I-I’m ranked 716.” They shrink in on themselves as Sukuna suddenly stands closer than before, leaning into their face.

“Who is at number 1?”

“A-All Might.” A clawed hand grabs their throat and throttles them.

“Where is this All Might?” Sukuna growls, a grin growing on his face.

All Might…It was a worse name than Satoru Gojo.

All Might, was it a name of meaning or just another meaningless title?

“H-he’s been trying to follow you, B-but I-I think h-h-he’s on his way now to our location?” They whimper in pain and fear, closing their eyes as they are shaken.

Sukuna drops the human, “This All Might is coming here. I’m tempted to go in blind, but tell me. What is this All Might’s style of fighting?” He glares at the weeping human from the tip of his nose.

They gulp. “He f-fights with punches. P-please I-I won’t tell anyone I-I saw you.”

“Begging is pointless, I’ve already decided your fate is death. After all, it’s fitting for such a cowardice and weak being, isn’t it?” Sukuna notes, he begins to stalk around the curled-up human who is lying on the floor. “I believe I’m just trying to determine how exactly to kill you.”

“N-no, please. I-I’ve got family and-“ They clasp their hands together, almost as if they were praying and shuffle to their knees.

Sukuna’s eye twitches. “It’s been decided.” He snaps his fingers and twists on the heel of his shoe. “ Cleave .”

The sound of clothing tearing, a gasp, and something wet hitting the floor.

They reach down with shaky hands, clutching at their intestines that had spilled out from the horizontal line that had appeared and split their clothes and skin in one quick cut.

Trying to press their stomach back in and stop the immediate pooling of blood, their body goes slack as they fall over.

Sukuna stuffs his blood-stained hands back into his pants pockets.

“Maybe I should find some fabrics.” He glances down at the dried blood that coated his chest and darkened his pants.

He walked until he stood in front of the exit, kicking the doors open and watching as they flew off broken hinges.

Sukuna blinks and adjusts to the bright sunlight from the sunset.

Sukuna passes the cowering humans that hid behind walls and vehicles. The slits of eyes beneath his seek out the humans and glare.

Women and men clutch at themselves and their children in fear, covering their faces.

Sukuna’s eyes land on the individual whose cellular rectangle is at him, tears streaming down her purple-coloured eyes.

“You have a reason to point that at me.” He’s behind her when she blinks, she flinches back.

Her trembling free hand catches herself from falling fully, and she grasps his shoe in her panic.

Watching as she froze. Her trembling stopped and her screen was showing the area in front of her with a red button at the bottom.

Tilting his head, he plucked the cellular device from her grasp, ignoring her scream of terror.

“This…” He twists his towards the woman and sees her through the screen, searching the brat’s memories of what the phone does. “It’s…Recording. Why?” He crushes it in his fists and lets the piece fall to the ground.

The woman screams, clawing at the ground below her and dragging herself away.

Sukuna follows with slow steps. “What colours will you show in the face of death?”

Red spots were left behind on the concrete below from the woman’s palms.

Sukuna watches as they blink slowly.

The woman turns, covering herself and curling into the ground.

The grounds below explode, rubble spreads through the air and the car beside them tips.

Sukuna dangles the woman from the top of the street light he stood on.

“What exactly was the plan? Explode yourself and try to take me with you?” He released her, letting her fall to the ground.

Kneeling, he rests his chin on his fists and listens to the snapping of the bones in her arm and face.

He jumps from the street light to a taller building. Calmly walking on the roofs, skipping over the gaps between each space.

Looking up, he squints his eyes at the flying contraption. It flew lower until it was about to pass over him, and the bottom of it opened.

Five individuals fall out, free-falling through the air.

Sukuna takes in their clothing choices, from bright neon colours to dark blacks and greys.

“Why not just bring everyone down to join the fun?”

A cleave is sent through half of the flying contraption.

He sees how the new individuals convert their attention from him to the smoking and falling bird machine.

Stepping back, he falls into a dark alleyway. Landing on the ground with a harsh thump, rounding the corner into an empty street.

He passed by shop after shop, full of clothing and food.

He skids to a stop when he sees a raccoon staring back at him from within one of these shops.

One pair of eyes after another, over eight raccoons stared back at him.

His nail twists a circle, the glass shatters with the pressure.

The raccoons barely knowledge him before running off.

The smell of sweet foods hits his nose and he peeks his head inside.

“Humans and their odd needs, forever confusing and greedy.” He pulls his head out of the broken window and continues walking.

Eyes were following him.

They were hidden in shadows a couple of feet away, but still tracking closely.

He turns a corner, they wait before trailing after.

Sukuna cups a hand over his mouth and speaks, “How long do you think you will continue this?”

A purple mist of portal opens within the street.

A person steps out of the portal this time, black tight pants, black boots, black sweater. Hands stuffed in their pockets, hidden from his eyes.

A mask covered their nose and mouth.

Strong build and square shoulders.

Electric yellow eyes look around the area before they land on the pink haired one. “Ah, there you are!” They spoke loudly and with a friendly tone. He stumbled a step forward.

“Take another step and you will be losing that leg.” Sukuna growls, just to make their heart skip a beat in fear.

The man pauses. “Okay, I-I apologize! May we go somewhere else, maybe not so close to the heroes that are also now following us?” He glances at the smoke trail that is filling the sky.

“No, I think I will stay right here.” Sukuna sees the man’s hands twitch, possibly in annoyance or fear.

“Understandable. I mean, w-we haven’t formed a connection or even traded names. Stranger danger, right?” The man said, a soft tone with a welcoming smile probably on his hidden lips.

The curse user takes his own step forward. “Formed a connection? I could form one very quickly, especially when it would involve my hand connecting to your spine.” He gladly takes in the immediate smell of fear and inhales.

“P-please just hear me out before making a decision.” The man bows his head slightly.

“You’re the one who has been annoying me, why should I?” He catches how the portal stayed open behind the person, constantly moving and spiralling.

The person giggled nervously, “No, that would be my boss’s associates. They were the ones with all the portals following you around, I apologize for that.” They bow their head.

“Doesn’t matter,” Sukuna raises his hand, rolling his wrist in a gesture. “You have one minute, speak quickly.”

“ The League of Villains wish to talk to you.” The emphasis on the words must mean that this League held some importance to the person.

Sukuna deadpans. “League of Villains…Never heard of them.” He raises his hand, the other finches.

“T-they are the villain group that attacked All Might and U.A. at the U.S.J. a few weeks ago! It was all over the news for days!” They stuttered out, almost proud of their words. “T-the leader of the League of Villains wishes to meet you and possibly join forces. The league promises protection and to help accomplish whatever goal you have.”

They spoke quickly, trying not to stumble on any of his words and not letting his voice crack. Inexperienced, young.

Sukuna whistled, “Never heard of ‘em. You have thirty-two seconds.” He begins his slow steps, growing closer to the other.

The man retracts his earlier step forward. His palms shook.

“T-they are the hottest villains’ of lately! T-they challenged All Might and his students publicly during their first attack, the world fears them!” His whiny tone scratched at Sukuna’s ears.

“Ten.”

“I-I was sent to locate a-and bring you to them. No m-matter the answer you give.” The man gulps, mumbling the last part of their words.

Sukuna snorts, tilting his head at the matter, “No matter the answer? Tell me, this League of Villains aimed to simply challenge All Might and his students, or kill them?”

“D-does it matter?” The man questions, tilting his head.

Sukuna’s four eyes narrow into a boiling glare, taking a step closer to the other.

Inexperienced, sloppy, weak. The League of Villains sounded nothing more than failures.

They stumble forward another hesitant step, “T-they wanted to kill him!” The man screams in defence, possibly sensing how thick the tension suddenly was.

“What did they accomplish with their attack on All Might and his students? Did they severely damage All Might?” Sukuna interrupts.

The being pauses, their shoulders drooping. “…They did not severely damage All Might. T-they accomplished their mission of sending a message though! T-t-they-“

“They failed. This All Might is on the way here, the League of Villains is not worth my time and energy.” Sukuna stalks closer, hands in his pockets as he does. “Your time is up.”

The person lifts their hands, and Sukuna grins.

His name was Jun Satōshi. With brown hair from his mother and green-scaled skin from his father.

His quirk was named liquidity. He could turn objects that were no bigger than a 65-inch TV into liquid and reform them with a simple touch of all five digits.

While it was cool for tricks, turning someone’s things into a puddle and remaking it, was brand new and in perfect condition. He was known for making other’s broken phones brand new when he was growing up.

Sooner than later, he applied for every big hero school available.

His quirk wasn’t good enough.

Not only did he not succeed in getting enough points while using his quirk, but he also did not pass any of the written exams the schools gave him.

Jun turned to villainy after the continuing failures of becoming a hero. Villainy was easy, he stole shit and rummaged through the garbage of broken things to pawn them off.

Giran found him running away from a failed robbery, offered him a job and told him he had potential.

Jun was more than happy to offer his assistance when Giran called about acquiring a new member for the League of Villains.

The new potential member, Ryomen, gave off every bad vibe and triggered his fight-or-flight response the second he stepped out of Kurogiri’s portal.

Jun was finally going to explain the League’s mission, but he got too excited, messing up his message and making the League sound bad.

Thinking it was going well at first for twenty seconds, euphoria filled him when he thought he was doing well with Ryomen letting him talk.

But, Ryomen had made up his mind already about the league and it didn’t matter what he said or how he rambled.

Ryomen had him dangling in the air by his throat before he could get another word out or even try to escape. Jun kicks his feet against the man’s torso, gasping as the hold slowly tightens.

Jun slides the knife that was attached to his wrist gauntlet, raising it to attack.

Ryomen snaps his wrist and stares with blood-coloured eyes, four of them to be exact.

Jun struggles, grinding down his small fangs. “W-wait-Please! I-I’m just a messe-messenger!” He manages to wheeze out the words.

Ryomen snorts, “Then, I shall use you to send my message.” He raises his clawed hand, purplish-black nails that seem to grow by the second.

Jun whimpers, scratching uselessly at the man’s bare arm. “P-pl-“

A familiar misty portal opens below their feet. Jun feels relief fill him as they are enveloped in the misty darkness for a small minute.

He falls through the portal, but Ryomen does not.

The other man is gone, escaping the portal before it touches his ankles.

Jun gasps on the ground, curling on his knees and coughing harshly.

“Kid,” Giran calls. Footsteps grow closer until he sees black dress shoes in front of his face.

Jun sits up, coughing again. “G-Giran, h-he didn’t c-care. I-it wasn’t my fault, okay?”

Giran kneels, taking off his pale pink scarf and pressing it into Jun’s throat.

The teen gently takes the scarf. “W-what-“

“Kid, don’t talk. I’m gonna call someone, a-and you’ll be okay. Just hold it here.” Giran spoke so softly, that he was trying to comfort him. “Christ.” He hisses to himself.

Jun listens and holds the scarf in place. He coughs again, he glances at Kurogiri and Shigaraki.

Shigaraki scoffs, “I told you we should’ve just brought the idiot here, we would’ve cornered him eventually.” He growls out and scratches at his throat.

Kurogiri sighs, walking around the bar with clean dish rags. “This Ryomen was indeed faster than I was with my portal. I am sorry, I do not believe I could get him unless distracted. I apologize again, Swift.”

The misty man used his villain name, Jun always felt like he was taken seriously by the bartender.

Giran’s hands shook as he typed in a number on his phone. “Should’ve done it myself. Or went with plan C, sorry kid.” He presses the phone to his ear.

Kurogiri presses the dish rags against his face and around the spots on his throat that he was missing with Giran’s scarf.

Jun pulls back the scarf and looks down at himself.

Blood was running down his fingers and seeping into Giran’s scarf, staining it a rustic red.

The colour of Ryomen’s eyes.

The color blended with his black clothing at least, so no staining.

His fingertips touched his throat, feeling the long claw marks that started at his collarbone and dragged up to the tip of his nose.

Kurogiri presses against the wound, encouraging him to do the same. “I believe I could see a little bit of cartilage. It would be best for you to apply as much pressure as you can.” He scolds, pressing Jun’s hands and the scarf back in place.

Jun’s swaying as he tries to hold the scarf in place. “A-am I g-gonna-“

Giran is yelling at someone on the phone. Through Jun’s haze and adrenaline buzz, he looks at the TV next to Shigaraki.

“I told you we should’ve gone with plan B, now we have this brat bleeding out in the bar and we don’t even have Ryomen here.” Shigaraki snapped with his raspy tone.

The TV hums lowly, “Tomura, we will have him eventually. This is simply a bump in the road, as soon as that mess is settled, you shall try again in any way you wish.” The smooth voice from the TV proclaims. It pauses before speaking again, “This Ryomen does seem to be a tricky one, and rather aggressive. That would do well within your ranks.”

Jun’s head falls forward, missing Kurogiri’s misty hands by a few inches and hitting the ground.

He hears the TV laugh and Giran curse in the distance as everything spins.

There weren’t a ton of people with four eyes, but Ryomen used them so well to scoop out his surroundings while they spoke. Ryomen was a sight to see when he first exited the portal, looking almost elegant and beautiful covered in fresh and dried blood.

Jun would’ve liked to get the man on the villains' side and make Giran happy.

Jun almost smiles at another shitty experience in his life, this one might just be the actual end of his life. Numbly, he can’t be bothered by this. His eyes flutter shut and Giran’s shouting toons out.

Chapter Text

No sign, no whisper, no pulse of emotion. Nothing of the brat within. Something happened to make him regress so far back into his subconscious, that even Sukuna couldn’t reach.

It was nice being alone with his thoughts and a body that he could fully control, but the brat’s absence was causing him to wonder if the brat would ever return.

He could remember a fight, flashes of it.

Bleached white skin.

Adrenaline pumping and excitement coursing through him.

Wings covering his vision and then a pop, the brat waking for a few moments, before his presence quiets all together.

Then Sukuna fell through the air.

The brat wouldn’t respond, not even to defend his little friends and sensei when he mocked them.

He never answered anything, staying silent and below the surface of their connection.

So, his annoyance grew.

As the hours passed, days flew by. The brat still did not emerge from his “hibernation”.

The boy was missing all the fights he’d been getting them in and all the bodies he’d torn apart with the boy’s own hands.

All the weaklings that declared themselves heroes, all the sights, everything and the brat still did not come forward.

The more time he wasted thinking about the issue, the more damage and chaos he left.

His hands were caked with dried blood and there was blood staining the pale pinkish-blonde strands in his hair.

He was a mess and had been for days.

At first, he wanted to leave the mess on the brat’s skin. See him cry and spiral from the remains of those whom Sukuna played with. Now, he looked like a rabid animal coated in their kill and unlike a king.

He’d have to clean up, maybe in a river or another human’s home that he would raid.

There was flesh stuck under his nails.

Continuing his walk, he picks at the skin. Plucking and scratching it until it’s gone from the edges of his stained claws.

It might’ve been interesting to see how the brat would react to having another’s skin under his nails. The horror would fill him, he’d probably try to wash his hands on repeat until his skin was rubbed raw.

Sukuna snickers at the thought.

A change of subject was needed, as his thoughts kept rounding back to the brat.

All Might . And better subject and deserving of his thoughts. The strongest of this weak and disappointing place.

What would All Might offer? His technique was punching, similar to the brat, but close-ranged fighting was nothing against him if he didn’t wish to indulge in it.

Would All Might be worth anything? Even a second of his time? Would he indulge, or just be disappointed?

Satoru Gojo was the strongest of the Jujutsu modern era, while others within his ranks and of his students were not weak, they did not touch his abilities and strength.

With his eyes and technique, the title was bestowed upon him as was Sukuna’s title.

Is All Might deserving of the title? Does this All Might have the right mindset when faced with the threat of Sukuna?

What techniques and abilities were used to make them the strongest? Was their close-range abilities truly something to consider putting a title on?

Was he untouchable like Gojo? Did he have abilities that could end the world if so chosen?

Sukuna would collect his information and test this being, as soon as he arrived.

Speaking of, when would he arrive? If not sooner than later, he would simply go find them or make a large display for this All Might to find.

The trail of blood that he leaves behind him is never dry, it should have been easy to find him.

Maybe All Might is a slow being with strong attacks, they obviously can’t be fast if they haven’t found him yet.

Sukuna was standing in the middle of an empty playground.

Void of any children and parents, the swings swayed in the gentle breeze.

He approaches, the soft matting on the ground gave slightly under his feet. It wasn’t long before he stood in front of the swings.

The brat’s mind filled him in for the purpose of the swings, the lines on playgrounds that the brat would wait in for a turn on the plastic swinging seats.

Giving a slight kick, the seat rocks and the chains hold a rattle.

Lowering himself down into the seat, he wraps his hands around the chains and pushes slightly with his feet.

He’s gently swaying through the air.

Slamming his heels immediately into the ground to come to a stop. “This is dumb. Is the purpose to be closeting to flying?” He snaps the chains with a sharp pull, letting the seat fall to the ground in a messy heap.

Looking around at the small area he was in, the building’s surroundings, apartments and homes.

A bath is needed. As are new clothes, if he was to fight this All Might, he’d look presentable.

The days-old crusted blood under his nails was growing irritating.

His legs moved, and quickly he searched the streets for stores.

“Blossom Times” is the first he finds, filled with women's and men's clothing.

Abandoned, it was easy to smash through the glass doors and search through fabrics.

The signs were odd, unlike the Brat’s store signs with “deals”, these had suggestive messages.

“Feeling more Endeavor?” Was one, “Wanna breeze through life like Hawks?” Another, “Bringing back denim” was the oddest.

He stalked through “Edgeshot’s hotspot”, finding pleasing enough clothing. With baggy pants, the small cardboard tag attached said they were classified as “techwear”.

Grabbing from the back walls, he finds opened kimonos, some decorated with odd designs of the weaklings outfits he’s beaten recently.

He grabs an oversized white one from the back, ripping the racks from the roof as he does and collapses the rest of the clothing.

On his way out, he plucks a sleeveless black tee.

It’s easy to raid a home, especially when the home is empty of the family whose pictures decorated the hallway walls.

It takes ages to figure out the modern way of turning on the water and figuring out the temperature change. Even the brat’s memories fail to assist.

Once the water is scalding, he’s quick to stand in the water.

The curse user is quick, using whatever was in the shower to scrub the blood off.

The pinkish water slowly drains, swirling down the small hole in the floor.

His hair takes the longest, putting soaps and every other product in to wash any debris out.

It was overwhelming on his nose when he started using the different products. The smells alone were bothersome, but all together made a sour and deathly sweet odour emit from Sukuna’s hair.

Once the water runs clear down his face he steps out, leaving the water running still. He wonders around for towels, using as many as he wants.

He’s quick to organize his outfit and leave with his hands in his pockets. The boy’s shoes are the only thing he’s keeping from whatever was left of his school clothing. While they fit well, they are easy to move in and they stay attached well enough.

The sky is dark when he trails through the streets.

Now dressed for a battle against “the Number 1” of this world, the only issue was finding this All Might and what he looked like.

Its endless streets and corners are taken before Sukuna pauses in the middle of a narrow road, empty with tall buildings surrounding and boxing in.

A body was leaning against the corner lamppost, hands on the curves of their hips.

“Well, well, well. Aren’t you a mighty good-looking treat?” A woman’s sultry and low tone is forced, edging with tension and a slight tremor at the beginning of her voice.

Sukuna regards the woman, possibly a woman of the night.

Long wildly layered hair, tinted almost violet in the shady lighting. Her outfit was pale, closely matching her flesh in colour, if not for a few shades paler. Her collar and a stripe down her sternum are decorated in fine gemstones. Her belt almost matched the colour of the stones and shared the colour of the thin mask over her eyes.

A whip was tucked against her hip, her red painted nails brushed against her hips as she ran her hands up herself and leaned forward.

“I do not want any services from the likes of you, begone.” He shooed her off.

He did not have the time to indulge in her antics.

The woman’s cheeks heat with anger from the looks of her furrowed brow and lowly growl. “Services?! I am not a sex worker!”

Sukuna glared at the knee-high heels that she wore, along with the garters that were attached to her belt. “With that slanderous outfit, you must be.” He gives her a one-up, meeting her eyes after observing her.

The woman grits her teeth. “Such a naughty mouth on you, it’s a shame someone as cute as you are so rotten.” She reaches for her whip, lips turning into a sneer and grin. “Naughty boys need to be punished!”

Her whip cracks through the air, Sukuna raises his arm and allows it to wrap itself around his wrist.

“Rotten? I’ve barely even begun.” Sukuna doesn’t budge as the woman yanks on the whip, shifting his left foot behind him. “And the true shame is standing in front of me, wasting my time.”

The woman’s forehead vein bulges, twitching with irritation as she places both hands on her whip. “Shame? In what? Me being overdressed to play with you?” She purrs, eyes glancing up and in the corners, before she looks back at him.

The King catches the look, already knowing of the group that positioned themselves on top of a roof nearby.

“Seeing you with nothing at all would be more pleasing than this sorry attempt for a diversion.” Sukuna’s arm twists, pulling the woman off her feet and hurling her towards him.

Readying himself to move, the woman looked confident, almost pleased. She most likely had something planned, wanting him close.

He waits, claws reach out to catch her neck.

The woman tears at the fabric on her wrist, grinning happily now. “Diversion? You think a beautiful woman as myself would need such a scandalous thing?”

Purple mist permeates the air, and a sickly floral and lavender smell fills his nostrils. Underneath the sweet smells, there was a peppery wisp of an unknown scent.

His body relaxes, tossing the woman down the street and stepping back.

The purple cloud surrounded him, a pulsing tension grew behind his forehead.

Something in the centre of his chest stirred, waters had ripple effects echoing out into the nothingness.

Sukuna’s mouth closed, eyes narrowing through the purple clouds. He stuffs his hand in his pocket.

The woman slowed her rolling descent and slammed her heels into the ground, standing and brushing off the dirt. There were more rips within the fleshy material.

“Aw, feeling sleepy? Eyes growing heavy?” The woman growls, and more of the purple mist fills the air around her. Stretching her arms over her head and arching her back to push out her chest. “A single whiff of me and I’ve got everyone on their knees.”

Sukuna can’t help but roll his eyes, glancing at the roof of the group that was watching, probably waiting for the woman’s mist to either kill or weaken him.

Raising his foot, the woman’s smirk drops.

Heel connecting with the ground, the air violently pushes away from him and the street below gives completely under the pressure with spider web cracks stretching out from impact.

The woman holds her arms in front of her, twisting away from the cracking below her heels.

His lung did not ache or burn upon smelling the mist, it couldn’t have been a poison of any kind.

“Well?! Don’t feel like taking a nap?” The woman yells, new denser mist leaks from her.

Sukuna shook his head. “I’m feeling rather awake. That mist of yours, is it supposed to kill me or put me to sleep? A desperate attempt, but a foolish one.” His muffled voice replies, but his mouth never opens.

Sukuna flashes his fanged canines.

The woman’s eyes widen. She glares at his unmoving mouth. “What?”

Sukuna takes his hand out of his pocket, showing the mouth in the centre of his palm. The razed sharp teeth are on full display, “Again, a desperate attempt against me.” Turning his head, he looks at the roof again. “Are they going to come out? With all these ambushes that humans do around here, it’s getting repetitive.”

The woman stumbles back, her heels catching slightly against the rough ground below and scrapping.

Sukuna shakes the tightly wrapped whip off of his arm, grabbing the leather. “Your choice in weaponry is inadequate for battle with you, a simple whip will fail you. And I doubt you plan to have a full physical battle in those?” He glanced at her heels, they were not quite out of the ordinary for a fight, but they still posed the threat of sabotaging the woman if she did decide to fight.

Or maybe she was used to fighting in the heels and would surprise him.

No matter, the woman stares at the disappearing mouth on his hand. “…Just how many quirks do you have?”

Quirks, plural usage.

He’s heard that word before. An odd woman, trying to blatantly ask about his behaviours and traits.

“Many. What, want a list?” He snarks, uncaring for the group on the roof to suddenly spread themselves across the area.

The woman places her index finger against her pouting lips. “Aw, would you be a doll and do that for me?” Deathly sweet, the words come out. She’s almost hissing and purring the words at the same time.

“Keep at it with that and I’ll rip your lips off.” He purrs back, “Both pairs since you’ve bothered me enough.” Sending his smirk at her, the woman’s face brightens with anger.

Steam was practically pouring from her ears, “You mouthy, disrespectful-“

That’s when some of the others take their attack, jumping from all sides of him and surrounding him, blocking off exits of escape.

A cloth, or wrapping? It unravelled around one of the others who stayed behind, giving a good amount of distance still on a roof.

“Wow, someone ruffling your feathers, Ms. Midnight?” A woman with blonde hair said in a teasing manner. She gave a small wave to the still-angry woman, now known as Ms. Midnight.

Sukuna grimaces, the names couldn’t be real, the silliest of things put together. Ms. Midnight?

A lightbulb lit above his head, and Sukuna's shoulders jostled with laughter. “Ah, so you are a woman of the night!”

The man with the cloth floating around him had sighed, almost disappointedly.

Sukuna’s bottom pair of eyes take in the details of him.

A very ragged man, with long black hair and stubble covering his chin with ugly yellow goggles covering his eyes.

The black clothes only added to the dishevelled appearance with tattered sleeves. The cloth floating looked misplaced, easily looking to grab and could lead to a large disadvantage for the man.

Unless the bandages were used for a purpose and not show, as was the knife on the man’s lower back.

The man huffs, “You’re a little young to be causing so much trouble.” He spoke in a deadpan tone. Crouching, his hand moves quickly. Grabbing his clothes, and throwing his hand out.

Sukuna tilts his head and watches.

The cloth seemed to be manipulated by nothing, twisting in the air and wrapping loosely around his being.

With a sharp pull from the man, Sukuna’s arms are bound to his body.

The others around them look relieved, Ms. Midnight steps forward, hands pulling at the material on her forearm. “Maybe this time you’ll be good and go to sleep.” She growls, stepping again towards him.

“Midnight, that approach did not work well the first time.” Another person warns, their attire of blues and wood hiding their face.

Sukuna catches the golden shine from the goggled eyes through the slits of the dishevelled-looking man.

There was the teasing woman, blonde hair with purple horns sticking from the top.

She reaches out for him, confident in her movements. “Aw, he’s kinda cute. I’m not really into face tattoos though, it ruins your face card!” She giggles, and her hand almost touches his shoulder before the wood one screams.

“Mount Lady!” The woodman yells, embarrassment filling his voice.

“What? We totally got him! And if he tries anything, I can handle it, Kamui! Jeez!” Mount Lady yells back, red filling her cheeks in anger. Her hand falls to her side though.

Sukuna measures each of them, squaring his shoulders.

Mount Lady standing within touching distance, Midnight standing an arm's length away, Kamui within kicking range, the unnamed one with floating hair and goggles who hasn’t come down from the roof still, another one at the end of the street in an odd brown outfit with yellow accents and a square head.

Not accounting for the other two that were hidden still at different distances, at least twenty meters from each other.

Sukuna wonders, “Is this All Might on his way to this location?”

They all jump, and the cloth around him tightens considerably.

Kamui gulps, loudly.

“I-I cannot give you the details of his whereabouts, I apologize.” The man was polite.

Sukuna hums with a short nod, “Manners, I’ll make sure your death is the quickest for that.”

The blonde, Mount Lady’s head whips towards him. Her eyes narrow into a sharp glare and her lip pulls back like an animal baring teeth.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Threatening us like you can even do anything, you little-“

Sukuna nods to himself, “I will strangle you. Very slowly.”

Mount Lady bristles, Midnight steps forward. “That’s enough!”

“Seems we agree.” Sukuna stretches his arms, ripping the cloth easily.

His claws reach for the two women.

Two cracks, almost like lightning through the air.

The digits on both hands are gone before they connect.

Two impacts into the building behind him have him pausing. Two smoking holes were located on the side of that building.

Circular holes, strong impacts, he felt metal of some kind when they grazed his fingertips.

Guns, bullets.

There was someone with a gun close by, must be one of the hidden beings.

This world certainly enjoyed their weapons of bullets.

The others spread themselves, moving in all directions of the street. The one with the goggles had adjusted himself to now crouching on a lamppost near Midnight.

His fingers were already back, regrown the second the other ones were taken off.

“Quick and accurate,” His eyes dance, searching with one pair and the other watching the humans in his line of sight. “Shall you keep up?” He shouts, stepping towards the closet human.

Mount Lady hadn’t moved that far away from her original position, from confidence or stupidity, he doesn’t know or care to guess.

A crack through the air, sliding his foot out till he’s almost flat with the ground. His claw brushes Mount Lady’s ankle, pulling back when another bullet pierces the space between them.

It had a slight curve to the bullet, but only when he moved did the bullet seem to follow slightly.

Sukuna kicks off the ground, rushing with as much speed as needed. Sliding past the bullets that still curved through the air, trying to hit him.

His eyes lock onto the small figure outlined on one of the taller buildings, different from the other two that were still hidden. 500 meters between them at most.

He’s jumping through the rooftops, twisting and dodging the bullets coming at him.

Finally, seven bullets later he’s reached the correct roof, closer to the shooter. Slashing into the bricks under his feet, the other bullets shatter and Sukuna is gone.

Standing behind the being brings a wave of amusement bubbling to the surface.

The being below was in a strange get-up, a large brown hat and a red cape over their broad shoulders.

Tan muscles of their arms were visible, they twitched as the silence between them stretched.

Sukuna skids his foot to make noise and the other jumps. Whipping the guns in hand, raising it with fingers on the trigger.

Sukuna is quick in snapping the person’s wrists.

Still holding the broken bones, Sukuna listens to the person hiss in pain and falls to their knees. Their guns clatter to the ground.

“A-a quick s-son of a, huh? Guess t-this one’s on me.” A man’s voice, accented, is filtered through the mask.

Sukuna lets one of the wrists fall, kneeling in front of the other. “…A cowboy. That is what you are?” He gently grabs the cowboy’s hat, putting it on top of his head. “What is the “S” for?”

“S-Snipe. My name.” The cowboy growls, it echoes through the mask that was worn.

“Snipe. That’s a group of birds, you don’t look very bird-like.” Sukuna leans on his palm and rests his elbow on his kneecap.

Snipe slowly raises his head. “W-what?”

Sukuna raises an eyebrow. “…Snipes. They are long-beaked birds, they enjoy bodies of water.” His long nail scrapes against Snipe’s mask.

“N-nah, I-I’m a Sniper. With t-the gun?”

Sukuna shrugs. “With that mask, there is a slight resemblance to the birds' beaks.” He grabs the back of their cape, ripping the buttons and forcing it off of him. “Are you another hero?”

“Y-yeah. And y-you’re Sukuna, or you’d rather Ryomen?” Snipe questions in return.

“King is fine.” Sukuna waves his clawed hands, as he inspects Snipe’s cape. “Your allies are coming.”

“King huh? Well, A-All Might’s on his way to deal with y-your pompous ass.” Snipe chuckles, tilting his head to the side.

Sukuna turns fully, dropping the cape to the floor. “Really? He’s coming here, now?”

“Scared of the number 1. Hero?” Snipe snarks, clutching his wrists tightly to his chest and falling back onto his bottom, scooting back slightly.

“I should rip your tongue out and force you to swallow it.” Sukuna grabs Snipe by their ankle. He rises, holding them up. “What exactly does All Might look like?” He began walking towards the edge of the broken roof that they were on.

Snipe tries to use his hands, trying to dig his fingers into the roof and ignore the ache of his wrists. “Y-yer’ kiddin’ right?” The hero deadpans.

The squeeze on his ankle hardens, the bones trembling until a small crack is heard within one of them. Snipe grits his teeth, hissing behind them and his other leg shoots out to kick Sukuna.

It’s not often Snipe regrets going into fights, especially ones where he’s hesitant about the outcome being a winning one.

But hell, if this Sukuna fellow didn’t just make his skin crawl and make him want to curl up and tip his hat down.

“Speak wisely, while you still have a rib cage.”

Snipe shakily nods his head towards a build-board a couple of roofs away.

“T-That’s All Might.”

Sukuna narrows his eyes at the large blonde finger smiling on the build-board.

Two tall strands of blonde hair stands up like antennas almost, the outfit was red white and blue. The individual was extremely muscular with dark pits for eyes with a blue shining from them.

He’s seen the man at every popular area, on stores fronts, and even on street signs.

“…That is All Might?” Sukuna almost grimaced at the new information.

“Y-yes?”

“He’s celebrated within every five feet that I’ve travelled.” Sukuna snorts, twisting his back. “…With blue eyes, just like that Gojo idiot.”

Mount Lady grows, towering menacingly above them with a grin.

“Hey, Jerkwad!” She yells, reaching for them.

Before Snipe could question about “Gojo”, or even yell at Mount Lady to stop, his stomach turns violently.

A sourness fills the air as the acid in his stomach threatens to rise and escape. Snipe’s world turns on its axis, and the air whispers in his ears.

His body was weightless, painless even for a second. He flies through the air in a spiral, his neck connects into Mount Lady’s forehead with his back following shortly after. Something in his spine snaps easily at the angle.

Chapter Text

Aizawa is the first to witness the entire incident and to have a front-row seat to the shit show.

To watch Snipe being tossed through the air and connect with Mount Lady’s forehead with such a loud crack. It was a terrible sight to see someone's body just bend so easily in places so delicate.

Snipe’s head had connected first, his body following after. From his angle, Aizawa stared as Snipe’s head compressed slightly into his shoulders.

The cowboy slides off of the woman’s face, landing in her open hands. Naturally, the woman panics immediately. “Something cracked, I heard it! It wasn’t my forehead either, I think something totally broke!” Mount Lady yells, cradling the cowboy close to her and trying not to jostle him.

Midnight is below her, cupping her hands over her mouth. “Don’t move him more than needed!” Kamui Woods is on Mount Lady's shoulder in seconds, sliding down to access the cowboy.

Mount lady glares down at the woman. “I know that, but what am I supposed to do?! I need to help against the bad guy that's literally in front of me!" She shouts, reddening forehead bulging with a vein.

Said was villain staring at them with boredom and a slight head tilt as if waiting for them.

The other half of their team is closing ten clicks out, so a call is needed to be made.

He swings past Mouth Lady, “Get Snipe out of here! Ambulance services are in the skies.  We can't have you wait here with him!" Aizawa braces his legs, tossing his capture tape out once more and dropping onto a roof.

He glares at Ryomen, the cocky boy turns to him and leans with his red sneaker on the railing.

Aizawa can see the outline of Ryomen, the sun shining brightly behind him with All Might's build board smiling down at them.

A warning, something bigger than himself coming for Ryomen. Or a sign, no matter how big the threat, Ryomen would acknowledge it, it was behind him and not worth it.

He could spiral for hours thinking of the answer and which one was truer.

But now, he can feel the breeze on his back as Mount Lady turns quickly and stomps her way east.

Ryomen’s bottom pair of eyes were on her back.

Aizawa's hair flops down, useless is what his eyes were. The boy’s quirks either weren’t being cancelled by him, or his speed and strength were just raw power and he didn’t need his quirks.

The only physical quirk trait he seemed to have was the four eyes.

But, if he was a Nomu. More human, stuffed with quirks, able to think for itself in strategy and tactics.

A jump, a large one. But from the Nomu at the U.S.J. to now, the League would have been just testing a dummy one to see the strength and how the quirks held up against All Might. Then they had this one as a backup, they must've planned the original Nomu to be a failure.

Again, a large jump. Could it be the right one though? Or did he leap over a cliff of wrongness?

“The League of Villains, are you associated with them? Do you know an individual named Shigaraki or Kurogiri?” Aizawa loudly questions.

Ryomen's lips twitch, his leg kicks out and suddenly the railing is rushing at Aizawa.

Rolling against the floor, Aizawa feels a metal snag on a corner of his pants as it rips past him. He looks back at the boy and spots him standing on the other side of Aizawa’s roof.

He did look younger up close. No eye bags, not a wrinkle, or even a grey hair in that pinkish hair.

If he was a Nomu, he was the smartest one they've faced yet. Were there smarter ones? A group? An army? The last Nomu was older, did younger kids seem to work more as an experiment for the League? More malleable, less work than adults would take?

“Of course, I’m not associated with a League of Villains. I'm my own and don't need more pests bothering me." Ryomen scoffs as if Aizawa offended him and spit at his feet.

Four eyes glared at Aizawa’s second team as they rushed in. “And this All Might, do you think he’s deserving of his title?” Ryomen doesn’t seem bothered by anything, with shoulders drooping and a neutral face.

Aizawa doesn’t hesitate. “Yes, he deserves his title.”

“You are who again?” Ryomen takes a step towards him, Aizawa grabs his knife and the boy stops.

Smiling slowly, flashing the sharp fangs instead of normal teeth, “Intelligent to have another weapon on you, would you truly like to test whose blade is stronger?”

“…Not particularly, no,” Aizawa replies, checking the boy for any physical weapons. “And my name doesn't matter."

Ryomen makes a sour face, taking a single step forward. Aizawa doesn't hesitate to take one back in return. “Doesn't matter? You claim your name doesn't matter, yet you stand before me challenging. If your name didn't matter, if you do not matter, why are you in my goddamn way?"

Fingers flicking, Aizawa rolls again and watches as the spot he was once in had a vertical slice right throwing the roof.

"Eraserhead. That's my name." Aizawa huffs, looking and judging the clawed hands of the boys.

"Eraserhead. What, do you take others' heads off?" Ryomen hums.

“No, I don't.” Aizawa stands, and Ryomen starts to grow closer again.

“Your hair was flying before, that was your power? I didn’t notice a personal change.” Ryomen suddenly hums, bringing his hands up.

Aizawa flinches, stumbling back until his foot catches on the ledge.

“Don’t be so hasty. Try that power of yours again.” The boy demanded with a slight raise of his chin.

Aizawa glares, “It’s not a trick for me to use.”

Ryomen groans, rolling his head to the side and shaking it. “Always yapping constantly. Let’s do…Ah, yes, that one will do.” The boy raises his hand, fingers flicking again.

Across from them, a building in the way of the second team explodes. As if it was sliced down the middle, the building began to collapse in on itself.

The cloth in his hand moves, wrapping around Ryomen’s wrist and yanking his arm down. The boy grins again, happy with the results. Kamui Wood is next to him, landing in a crouch-like position.

Aizawa can feel the "stress vein" as Hizashi calls it, popping from his forehead.

“Stop!” A cut-off growl is all he can spit out as the boy twists his arm and wraps it around his cloth.

It’s useless to talk to the boy. The footage he’s seen, the injured and dead, the look in his eyes, even now and up close. He was unhinged and violent.

A reminder of a certain man he faced recently, full of anger and malice for the blood of All Might and his students.

With red eyes to match even, different shades but still red.

There'd be no talking this boy down from his craze.

“What the hell's the point of throwing your life away in this moment? I could kill you right now, and more of you would throw yourself in my way to buy time for All Might. But even that's pointless, if he's on his way, I'm not going anywhere anyways." Ryomen pulls on his cloth, and Aizawa digs his heels into the ground. Kamui rushes forward, branches stretching out for the boy.

His heels scrap against the ground, rocks digging into his boots.

The kid sounded sincere in his claim.

"You've caused enough ruckus for the next two decades and more! Enough of your angst!" Kamui's branches don't even come close to stopping Ryomen, they snap before they even touch the boy.

Aizawa feels a tug on the other side of the capture tape.

Maybe a Nomu who didn't know his creators and was just sent off into the world to fight the number 1. hero and either get results or win.

Or, a madman, bound on a bloody journey. How did the journey start though? Did he have a grudge against All Might, against heroes?

A shadow in the sky interrupts them. Ryomen's covered in the shadow as it grows closer to him. Raising his hand and blocking as a muscular leg collides directly with his forearm.

Branches twist around his ankles, pinning his legs together.

Aizawa is barely fast enough, pulling back his cloth from the clawed hand and stepping onto the ledge, balancing on the shaky building.

Ryomen is shoved through the roof, falling through each floor and disappearing into a cloud of dust. A hole is left in Ryomen's spot, Mirko laughs as she flips in the air.

Kamui's branches spiral from his wrists, creating a slide from them to use.

Mirko's foot and prosthetic slam into the building once more, kicking her back into the air. Her hands grab under his arms and she shoves him down the wood slide, landing in a crater in the centre of the street. She flexes her legs, taking in the prosthetic.

Mirko spares a glance at the slowly collapsing building. "Think that'll do something?" She grins, excited as her ears twitch.

Kamui mourns the damage, "That was an elder complex, it'll take hours to find belongings left behind..." He sighs to himself, and the wood twists around his fingers.

"I can only hope it does something," Aizawa's cloth wraps around a street light, tightening his legs in preparation. "But I don't think hope doing a lot for us right now." They split, him in the skies and her bouncing down the street.

Kamui's branches are out again, digging into the asphalt and the rest reaching for the boy.

Ryomen is there, dusting his shoulders off.

"You again. " He regards Mirko with a roll of his eyes. He slashes through the branches once more, fingers going left and a diagonal cut slicing down to the roots and nicking Kamui's fingertips.

Mirko snorts, face contorting with her vicious glare. "What, thought you could get rid of me that easy? Missing limbs don't slow me down, jackass!"

Aizawa can't help his eyes flashing, momentarily forgetting their uselessness at the moment. "Mirko!" He warns.

Ryomen's rushing after her, giving into the chase. A whip wraps around Ryomen's left wrist, yanking his arm above his head. Midnight grits her teeth, heels digging into a lamppost for stability.

"Naughty brat!" She shouts, gritting her teeth.

Mirko lets herself fall, crouching and pushing off the asphalt below. Sukuna's other fist slams into the ground where she once was, his claws lashing through Midnight's whip and thrusting his claws after the rabbit.

Nails scratch against the reinforced metal of the prosthetic.

Skreee

Mirko twists, knee-scrapping Ryomen's chin with the proximity.

Looking at Ryomen reminds him of Kirishima as well, almost the same height, with colourful hair, and red eyes.

Sharp teeth, pointed. Shark-like and dangerous if used. Ryomen's mouth opens, and Aizawa's capture tape releases from his hasty toss.

Teeth clamp onto the rabbit hero's calf.

Aizawa's cloth wraps around Sukuna's forehead, he wraps his legs around the lamp pole and tugs.

Branches wrap around his forearms, trapping them in place and squeezing his limbs.

Mirko raises her fist, "Goddamn it! You little-" Sukuna twists his head to the side, slamming his open palm into her sternum. Wood catches her, slowing her descent but still finding himself skidding back with her.

Blood drips from those sharp teeth, the chunk of flesh seeping with blood as the sharp fangs click together, hiding the flesh within its mouth.

Ryomen chews for a moment, blood staining his chin.

His throat bobs, swallowing easily.

Cannibalism was always an terrible thing to encounter nowadays.

Aizawa has a lead-filled hole in his chest. Midnight slides next to him, bumping his side.

But they just had to buy time, stay alive, and minimize the damage.

Well, they were failing in half those tasks. But logically, that's exactly what he expected for going in so hasty with little information on their opponent.

"Rabbit has always had such a gamey flavour. It really does need to be seasoned properly, I think frying does help bring out its flavour if it's alone though." Ryomen chuckles, he glances down at his front, the black hiding the blood.

Aizawa had the nerve to glance back at Mirko, she was crouched in the ground, hands pressing against her gushing thigh. Kamui digs in his pouches for bandages. Aizawa turns and looks back, Ryomen is standing in front of him. Midnight rips the fabric of her elbow, her quirk bursting into the air. Aizawa holds his breath.

Claws grab at his cloth, and his hand grasps his knife and retch it from its sheath.

He strikes his blade into the boy's shoulder, twisting the handle until it can't go any farther.

Ryomen sucks the back of his teeth, wiping some of the blood from his lips with his tongue. "You seem like the type to be burdened by his failures."

Midnight's heel catches the boy's shooed toes, she rounds behind Aizawa and swings her bare forearm in front of the boy's nose, cutting right between them.

Mirko's prosthetic slams into Ryomen's ready forearm, Aizawa's tossed carelessly into the air. Midnight grasps at his hand, fingertips brushing each other in their failed attempt.

Twisting his hands into his capture cloth, fumbling for the first time in decades to find the ends.

Ribbons. His cloth had been torn in multiple spots, slashed to shreds by Ryomen's claws and rendered useless.

Tensing and curling up on himself as he collided with hardwood, he can hear the creak of the wood giving under his full weight.

He pushes off the wood, digging his nails into his palms as he looks up at the boy and only two heroes.

Midnight was rolling beside him, hair catching on the rocks below and dust kicking up. Ryomen must have attacked her after tossing him, telling from the claw marks on her chin to the torn shoulder.

The rabbit hero struggles in Ryomen's grip, thrashing and slamming her prosthetic into his stomach. Kamui was in his other hand, wood wrapped around the boy's throat.

Such a small thing, thin arms, and muscles less prominent even when used. Had to be a strength quick, maybe two.

It's not long after that Kamui is thrown, effortlessly into the rubble of the collapsed building and disappears immediately.

The boy takes the knife from his shoulder, the wound barely leaks a drop of blood.

The patch of skin with the bloody hole had already stitched itself, the skin looking anew in seconds.

Ryomen looks at the knife, turning it in his hand.

Dread is a heavy thing and he's full of it.

Aizawa pushes himself up to stand. Midnight grabs his elbow and levers him up. "Ryomen, All might will be here any second! We can wait, we can retreat!" He pleads, wishing to drop to his knees and pray for a miracle, a God, an All Might. Anything in this moment.

Mirko's teeth snap as they try to bite Ryomen's fingers. She growls, ears pinning to her head and hands whipping out wildly to scratch. Midnight sits up, red pointed nails digging into the ground and pushing herself up.

"Let go, you fuckin' brat!" Mirko's nails catch the boy by his second pair of eyes, drawing a red line down the side of his face. She reels her hand back, clenching her fist when she realizes she's got a good angle.

"Hey, man!" A scream interrupted them, the windows above shudder at the screech. Aizawa's head snaps to the loud voice and he sighs with relief. Midnight doesn't turn from the threat, but a smirk on her lips is almost comforting.

Present Mic strikes a pose, "Ya know, it ain't rabbit season yet!" He grinned, sunglasses on the bridge of his nose to show off the red concentric pupils of his eyes.

Ryomen's shoulders slumped, "The disrespect of one's self is baffling here." Almost tiredly, the boy spoke.

Hizashi's grin grows, "It's the new style, man! The only disrespect here is you killin' my vibes!"

Mirko laughed through her gritted teeth, her ears pressing further into the depths of her white strands and almost wrapping around her head.

Aizawa ducks, pressing his hands against his ears. Midnight's hands raise over her ears.

"Vibe?" Ryomen questions, knife still in hand. Eyes watching Aizawa and Mirko's actions with curiosity.

"Yeah," Present Mic's left heel digs into the asphalt below and he stomps his right, sucking in a large breath and releasing a loud, " KILLING MY VIBES, BRO! "

Windows shattered above them, building rattle with the bass of his voice.

Ryomen releases Mirko, the knife dropping from his hand.

Both pairs of his eyes widen, his ears violently pop and blood gushes from his eardrums.

A full six feet apart from them now, Aizawa rushes to Mic, Mirko at his front sliding into an offensive position.

The echoes quiet, Mic gathers another breath when Ryomen's hand touches his chest. Fingers rubbing his sternum and sliding to his ribs, the boy tilts his head. "Ah, there you are, Brat." Ryomen chuckles, humorlessly. The light in his eyes seemed to brighten, a harsh breeze had his pink strawberry strands swaying.

He almost looked peaceful.

Who was the boy talking to? He looked so fond, so pleased with whatever happened. Who was he calling "brat"?

Aizawa glances at Ryomen's stomach. "What-"

Mic releases another shout, louder than before and enough to send Ryomen into action.

The boy's fingers move, and Aizawa tackles Mic. The speaker on his neck suffers the hit, a slice through the corner and ripping through a portion of the speaker.

Present Mic sits up, scrambling to have Aizawa behind him as he lets out another scream. " NOT COOL! " Static and trembling, the sonic waves bounce forward and Aizawa's ear drums threaten to burst at such proximity.

Ryomen's fingers move again, Aizawa grabs Mic by the collar and drags him back. Mirko bounces up, blood splattering from her thigh, covering the black and broken asphalt in droplets of red. Kamui goes under, hands pressing to the broken asphalt and branches sliding between the cracks.

Mirko goes for a long shot, prosthetic tucked close behind her and her leg outstretched swinging for a hit.

Ryomen ducks low, knees bending and sliding under Mirko's hit. The rabbit hero twists, her real leg barely touching the ground before she's up again and swinging the prosthetic. Twigs spring up from the ground and a stem blossoms from under Ryomen.

Ryomen catches the metal easily, snaps it from the knee down and leaves a jagged metal rod behind. He uses the rod to stab into the wood below him and push himself up into the air. With the free hand, Ryomen's claws reach for Mirko's hair.

Present Mic pushes off the ground, "HEY NOW! " Mirko's ears pin against her head again. She drops low, metal digging into the ground below and she goes to swipe the boy's feet out from under him.

Ryomen's head violently twitches to the side, eyes narrowing. Mirko goes for another hit, the metal of her prosthetic ripped from the ground and going for the boy's throat.

Gone from his spot, Mirko stabs an empty spot. The other half of her prosthetic also missing.

Aizawa slams his back into Mic's and Midnight's, looking around with his fist raised. "Hizashi..." He warns, wary.

"No clue! He just ninja-vanished! Not cool, man!" Mic yells into the air, fingers drumming nervously in the air.

"This plan isn't working, we can't just keep wasting time! Attacking and closing distances are only working in his favour." Aizawa calls out, and Mirko scoffs.

"Well, no shit! But that's all we really got, he's tanking Mic's screaming and he's knocked Woods out of the damn park!" Mirko hollers. Her ears twitch, trying to pick up a sound.

The sun would've blinded him when he turned his head to search the skies, if not for the shadowing approaching above them. Aizawa raises a leg, kicking Mic in the back to separate them.

Mirko's other half of the prosthetic pierces through the ground between them.

The boy looks between them in his crouch. "Annoyances. Wasting what little time I have." Ryomen mumbles, wrenching the makeshift spear from the ground and jabbing at Mic. Catching him by the shoulder and ripping through the padding, claws come for Aizawa's eyes.

He lays flat on his back, lifting his legs and slamming his boots into the boy's stomach. Mirko's teeth flash, her grin bloody and twitching as she goes to leap.

Ryomen Sukuna was young, and Aizawa had hesitated. He could've gone for a killing blow, the throat, the head, the heart. He doesn't know if the nightmares of that mistake will haunt him.

A simple swipe, that's all it took. Ryomen's arm is outstretched and two of his fingers fall.

Mirko's ears are clipped, the tips cut clean off. The rest of Mic's speaker was in pieces, completely detached from his neck and the corner of his neck spraying blood.

Aizawa grasping at the ribbons on his neck, turning onto his knees and ignoring the burn in his joints.

He's stumbling after Mic before he can realise he's left Mirko to handle Ryomen alone. Mic lets out a screech, and everyone's ears give a sharp crinkling pop.

Ryomen had Mirko again. Nails digging into her dark skin, welts begin to bubble to the surface of her skin.

Aizawa's digging into his pouches, fingers trembling with bandages and fresh gauze. Pressing the gauze to Hiashi's throat and tearing his eyes away from the wound.

The metal jagged ending stabs into Ryomen's thigh, Mirko's bloody ears staining her white strands a deep pink.

"You pack a good hit, very predictable though. Like a scared rabbit, it's easy to hunt you." Ryomen's fingers jab into Mirko's side, "I think it'd like to skin you."

Aizawa's digging into his other pouches, trying to find the small backup pocket knife. Mic hiccups, hands pressing against his covered wound.

" H-Hey!" Mic tried. Quirk bubbling into his speech uncontrollably, as if blood in the back of his throat.

Again, a shadow is over Aizawa's head. Covering the sun and almost squashing all hopes he had left.

Aizawa curls around Hizashi protectively hiding him from any more shadows.

Blue, red, and white.

"Ryomen Sukuna!" The newcomer shouts, standing over the two teachers, blocking them completely from Ryomen's view.

"It took you long enough!" Mirko snaps angrily. Fists catching Ryomen's chin and knuckles scraping.

All Might glares with his cold blue eyes. The dark sockets around his eyes making his face seem angrier, harsher.

Ryomen retches Mirko back, throwing her over his shoulder to step forward. She catches herself before slamming into a light post, her real foot taking the blunt force of the rough landing.

Yagi's smile looked more like gritted teeth than anything, Aizawa wonders how much time he had to spare for Ryomen and how many states he’d hear coming from Yagi’s mouth before Ryomen was taken down.

“All Might..." Aizawa mumbles.

In all his glory, the number 1. Hero had made it.

All Might steps forward, slamming his foot into the ground. "You won't be going any further with your chaos, Ryomen!"

Ryomen’s eyes fix on All Might, or rather around him. Four dilated pupils shifting in different directions around the hero, he giggles madly. A smirk crosses the boy’s face.

“I did not expect the so called "Number 1" to be burdened by such a large number of curses.” He meets All Might at a halfway distance, hands hidden in his pockets. “But you have several attached to you, clutching rather desperately really. There’s even a female one standing in front of you now. All human looking as well in their appearance.”

Squinting those four eyes at All Might, the boy’s body leans, bending at an angle as if to get a closer look at the hero before him.

“Ah, so they do speak.” Ryomen hums happily.

Chapter Text

All Might’s eyes widen his stance wavers. “…Several? What-…“ Yagi starts, stopping himself from continuing and stepping closer in confusion. His blue eyes light up with recognition. “Can you…” He whispers, trailing off.

His catchphrase dying before he even got to announce him arriving, getting caught in accessing his fellow heroes and Ryomen.

Aizawa presses his cloth further into Hizashi's throat and he screams, “All Might! Don’t get distracted! His speed matches yours! D-don’t let down your guard!” He scrambles to get Mic on his feet. Midnight is at his side, lifting Hizashi's other arm over her shoulder.

Tilting his head to look past All Might, the bottom pair of Ryomen’s eyes glare at him. “This no longer concerns you.” His hand flexes, claws seeming to get sharper as they gleam in the sun.

Aizawa continues to glare, ignoring the pain laced through his joints. He spares a glance at Mirko, the rabbit hero's bloody ears had been twitching nonstop, she was crouched, ready to move.

A shift in the broke ground beside him has him reaching blocking Hizashi in worry.

Kamui slides from a branch, chest heaving. His mask was cracked, and the pale skin below peeking through was dripping blood. A concussion is the first thing that pops into Aizawa's head.

"I-I'm sorry I-" Kamui mumbles, faintly. Aizawa glares back at the villain.

"We need to move."

All Might takes another step towards the boy, cutting the distance even shorter, foolishly. Aizawa curses and Hizashi's hand squeezes comfortingly. "What can you see?" Yagi whispers, desperate suddenly.

"The bald one is quite the talker, a mouthy thing. Oddly, none of them have any defects or odd traits." Ryomen starts, inspecting the air around All Might. "Ah, there's the centre of the mess. Right below your sternum, it's different from most curses. Lighter in colour, that's definite. It's almost as if you've merged with those chains."

All Might looks around himself, staring at the empty spot in front of him the longest. "Who are you, Ryomen Sukuna?" The hero looked like a skyscraper compared to the boy, but not towering over villains like he normally does. His shoulders weren't as square, fists not clenched and pulled back.

Aizawa wondered what seemed to spook the hero so much. To drop his guard instantly as if he wasn't facing the devil in sheep's clothing.

"The ones plaguing you are as clear as the blue skies above. But, I don't think I've ever seen something as intriguing as these curses, I’ll grant you that much." Ryomen hums, he begins to rub at his chin. "I've never seen something so poisonous and mangled be accepted like that, did you willingly accept that curse for it to be so engraved upon your very soul?"

"A curse? Are you-" All Might raises his hands suddenly, "Do you know of a man named All for One?"

"...All for One? What the hell are these terrible titles? No, I don't have the displeasure of knowing anyone by that name-" Ryomen stops.

The boy peaks past All Might. For a moment, Aizawa fears he's looking at them.

"Such a frail being hiding behind the rest. You look the weakest of them all, yet you seem most clear. The chain between you is thickest."

All Might looks over his shoulder, meeting Aizawa's eyes for a short moment.

"Y-yo-"

Ryomen raises his hand, nails scratching at the air in front of All Might and not directly at him.

Yagi shudders, stumbling back with his hands shaking at his sides.

"What did you-"

Ryomen examine his nails, "Odd, I tore through your shoulder and yet you don't bleed."

With another swipe, All Might tears himself back. Dodging claws that still weren't for him and landing next to Mirko.

Aizawa is halfway down the broken street, still looking over his shoulder to watch. Kamui stood on shaky guard behind them, Aizawa had to watch from over the wood hero's shoulder.

He barely catches how All Might shivered again, hands clenching at his side as he looked around himself, getting distracted again.

Ryomen hums, "Unusual. Physical attacks have no effect, those chains are annoyingly resistant." Fingers swiping through the air, All Might reaches for Mirko, wrapping a hand around her waist and retching her up into the air.

Her hand catches the bent light pole, twisting her body to swing around and fling herself towards Aizawa's group. She's quick to yell behind her, "I can fight!"

"You can also be a liability! This isn't between us and Ryomen anymore, we have to clear the area immediately!" Aizawa commands, leaving little room for argument.

Mirko hisses, "But-"

Ryomen chuckles, catching their attention.

"Ah, so that's it. A technique can reach them. Strange, how did a hero get cursed by so many oddities?"

All Might had a hand clutching his stomach, shoulders curling in on himself. "W-what did you do?"

"A simple cleave, that's all. The bald one disappeared after I hit his chain, but that thing in your stomach didn't dampen. Barely flickered with that attack. It must be that mass in your gut that should be my target."

Twisted words, hidden meanings. Ryomen spoke in tongues like a snake.

All Might seemed to have enough, arm raising behind his head. " California Smash !" Screams the hero. Pushing off the ground and rushing for the boy.

Ryomen raises his palm, the large fist hits his hand. The red sneakers dig slightly into the ground below, the force behind the punch was almost nothing compared to the air pressure that followed. Harshly hitting his face, his hair flattening and eyes stinging.

The boy has to bend his head to look into the glowing blue eyes.

"Are you and your curses worth all the waiting I had to do?" Ryomen whispers, only for the hero's ears.

All Might grits his teeth, raising his leg and slamming his heel into the boy's chest.

Ryomen is sent flying, body slamming through a car and directly into a building.

"There isn't a doubt in my mind that he has something to do with you!" All Might shouts, glancing over his shoulder at the lingering Mirko. "Thank you for buying me time, all of you! I'm sorry it took so long!"

Mirko scoffs, damaged ears twitching. "Just kick his ass for me!" She pauses, head turning to the side before she bounces off the ground with a shove of her broken prosthetic, Kamui slides her arm around his shoulder to help her balance.

Ryomen peaks around the corner, "What're you rambling about?"

All Might is upon him, barely brushing the ground as he propels himself forward. Reeling a fist high behind himself, "Texas Smash!" He calls out.

It's only seconds after it connects with Ryomen's stomach, he curls in on the fist and huffs.

Yagi could feel bones snapping, the damage within the boy's stomach at such an attack must be severe with the blood running down his jaw.

He almost checked to see if the boy was even awake.

Almost.

Reeling back for another punch, the boy grabs onto his wrist, retching his legs out from under and wrapping completely around Yagi.

The hero steps back in confusion, staring at the small boy similar to a snake coiled around him.

Ryomen's foot whips out, catching his jaw and twisting himself over All Might's shoulder.

It's not till Yagi reaches for his collar that he notices the trail of bloody claw marks down his arm that he makes a slight mistake.

Overextending his footing, the boy easily slides past his hand and gains a close advantage.

Luckily, one foot was already raised for another step. Allowing him to gain slight momentum, he extends his other arm and begins a spin.

"Enough with your destruction! I will not allow you to escape, to hurt another person! I forbid it to happen while I am here!"

Knocking the boy's head practically off his shoulders and sending him skidding into the broken asphalt.

Mirko is rounding the corner, not sparing another glance at the fight as she runs.

All Might brings his twirl to an end. "Am I worth the wait?" He can't help the snark that comes out, he meant to sound louder, to distract the boy and keep his attention.

Ryomen pushes himself off the ground, dusting his forearms and four red eyes watch him.

"Quite a hit you pack in those hands of yours, if I was anyone else you'd probably have this fight over with and you'd be spoiled victorious." Said Ryomen. "Close combat I'd say would be beneficial in extending this fight, it's your specialty it seems. But,"

The boy pauses, raising an arm and pointing two fingers at him as if they were a gun.

He swipes the fingers up and All Might pushes off the ground into the air, the ground he once stood on was torn into by an invisible blade.

"Ah, a quick one too. Faster than that rabbit pest." Ryomen is gone from his spot.

A hand wraps around All Might's ankle and yanks, it's easy nowadays with old age to detect when bones pop when they shouldn't.

And as he's thrown into the street below, catching himself at the last, Ryomen's after him again, rushing down for him with claws extending.

All Might allows the boy's claws to dig into his hand, he finally grabs the boy's nape.

Whirling the boy senselessly through the air, he spins again until he feels the claws detach from him.

Ryomen is thrown into the air like one would a hat in celebration. Yagi chases after him, pulling back his fist. "Gone quiet? Nothing else to say?!"

Ryomen extends his arms out for Yagi, in a welcoming and opening manner.

The boy's head tilts, "Simply seeing the limits and power that you possess. You favour the left side more, even while attacking mainly with the right."

All Might grits his teeth, "Detroit Smash!"

The air shoved wholeheartedly against the boy. The clouds above them, not far now with their growing air height, are changed in the attack. Dispiriting and creating a clear blue sky once more.

The boy is higher than him now, the air propelling him above All Might and flipping as he rises.

Ryomen swipes two fingers again, and All Might claps midair, changing direction in his descent.

The building beside is cut though, the windows bursting and the floor collapsing in on itself. Glass brushing him, tearing at his skin and nicking his cheek.

A small wince, a blink. And he's lost the boy.

Looking around for the boy while falling is stressful, the building next to him seems to continue collapsing in on itself.

A blink.

Four crimson pupils stared down into his.

Their foreheads almost grazed each other at their proximity.

His fist is swung automatically without him realizing it, the boy lifts his arm block with his forearm. "You leave yourself open. Fix yourself."

His red shoes slam into All Might's ribs, and the toes of the shoes dig into the cursed spot on his left.

All Might chokes out blood, wheezing slightly. He's sent faster into the ground, slamming into rubble below. Rolling to dodge the boy's claws that swiped for him.

He's off the ground by the time Ryomen tries to attack again. Something catches his aching ankle, ripping through his enforced costume and tearing through his flesh.

A glance down and the boy is grinning with his hand raised. "Do you only have close-range attacks? No long-range, or even weapon to assist you?" He questioned.

All Might pulls his arms back, squaring his shoulders. Bringing his hands together in a thunderous clap, he will definitely be donating to repair this street of damages.

Windows shatter, dirt and grime pick up with the wind and send the boy skidding. Buildings tremble, and weaker structures begin to crumble.

The boy skids back, body sent tumbling like a rock skidding on the water before he hits the building down the street, shattering the window he flies through.

All might looks behind, seeing Aizawa and the others gone completely. He sighs in relief, but it is cut short with the boy leaping from the building.

Grinning confidently, like he knows he's been declared king of the world or something.

Ryomen waved a hand at him, his famous tell for those invisible cuts.

All Might jumps, meeting him in the air and grabbing the boy's face. Clawed fingers pierce through the skin of his wrists, All Might blocks the red-shoed foot that aims for his side again. "Getting predictable there, young villain!" All Might stated, poking really.

And poked he did, jabbed really. Right into the hornet's nest.

Teeth latch onto his palm, ripping with ease at his flesh.

The hand on his wrist yanks and Ryomen's fist comes in for a clear shot at his head.

All Might grabs onto him, squeezing tightly as they plummet down. The boy growls, teeth clamping down on All Might's shoulder. "Oklahoma -"

The boy cuts through the air hitting them, flesh still hanging from his teeth and blood running up his face.

A hand swipes his stomach, a well-aimed foot connects with his crotch.

All Might's eyes bulged, he released the boy and landed alone on the ground.

The boy laughed, "You've fallen for the oldest trick in the book, one the brat quite liked on male opponents...I never thought I'd use such a childless trick." Looking up at the sky above, he tilts his head. "I think this might snap him, finally that is."

The hero asked, "Who?"

"Someone you'll never meet." Ryomen raises both hands, and All Might prepares to move. "You need to offer more, this back and forth between us is growing stale."

The dust below picks up first, and then it all hits him. Cuts, tens, hundreds. They hit his arms first, legs, and torso.

It's easy to hold his position, to take the hits. For a moment, he doesn't feel anything.

Another, and there's a hand in his hair and legs wrapping around his neck. Ryomen's above him, his other hand going for his throat. All Might twists, ramming the boy into the ground and pushing his weight to keep him pinned.

It was as if they were wrestling back and forth.

Yet, the boy slips from him. All Might reels his arm back, gritting his teeth with the sparks of One for All warming him.

The fire burns in his stomach. The boy stares at his gut, watching with narrowed eyes, "Oh? An odd trade-off..." He jeers.

"Nebraska Smash!" He loudly calls, arm jerking ahead and connecting with Ryomen's raised hand.

Finally, the surviving buildings surrounding them crumble. The sky above darkens with forming clouds, greying the skies and drenching the area in shade.

With the time wasted, Aizawa had the be out of the radius. Yagi had enough time to finish this, just enough to scrape by without his form failing.

Sighing, the hand blocking his punch fell long after the dust settled. Ryomen was out of sight, probably underneath the rubble of one of the buildings or the shattered ground below.

The street was a mess, the area around cleared of building, the damage stretching for at least two miles north and south.

All Might stumbled, catching himself and raising a hand to cough into. Smearing the blood from the corner of his mouth, he stared at the bloodied hand.

The cuts littering him looked like he lost a fight with a bear, his costume was again easily tattered by the boy's quirks.

If this was an attempt of the League of Villains, it was almost successful in wearing him down. Ryomen Sukuna was a devastating force of Nature on Japan and heroes.

If All For one's legacy was Ryomen Sukuna and the League of villains, what stage was next? What Nomu came after?

He can feel his time slipping, the embers dying out for the day and his clock running thinner.

For a moment, he could see Nana yelling at him. Could see her beautiful dark hair, her ashy violet eyes staring so wildly at him.

Her mouth was moving, but he couldn't hear her. Can't make out the words she was saying to him.

Right before talons maul through her hazy shape, sliding through her clouds and into his stomach.

"The number one is the title that you've claimed. But form, variety, quality...All missing from our squabble. You lack."

Chapter Text

Sukuna's hand clenches into the wet flesh, relishing in the warmth.

Blood dripped, dripped, dripped down Yagi's front. Staining the beautiful blues and reds of his front. The metal of his belt was lost in the red, the yellows turning a muddy brown.

All Might body curls around him, wheezing wetly and lurking as he coughs.

Blood coats Sukuna's face, dripping crimson droplets down his forehead. "That curse of yours, the more injured you seem to get the stronger it burns. What did you do to get this? Along with such useless beings, who can't even help you in a fight, they stand on the sidelines while I'm digging through your stomach."

Ryomen tears his hand free, staring at his bloody hand and rubbing his fingertips together. "Your stomach seems hollow like you're missing things. Has someone else had the same experience in ripping into you?" He spat, "Sloppy. An absolute disgrace of a being, to be titled number one. You don't even heal?"

All Might stumbled, feet almost failing as he clutched at the new hole in his stomach.

A familiar dread fills him, a familiar wound, a familiar evil aura in front of him.

His breathing becomes erratic, and panic sizzles on the edge of his mind.

That haunted feeling crawls up his spine.

It's a twist of fuzzy moments, his stomach is burning and he swears he can hear Nighteye's words ringing in his ears.

" What awaits you then...Is An unspeakably gruesome death!!"

Was this Ryomen Sukuna the reason for those words? Was he what Mirai saw at the end?

This small boy is smooth-faced and young.

It didn't matter. Not when this boy-

Villain.

This was a villain, threatening society and fellow heroes. And All Might would not stand for this.

His arm is retched back, steam rushing from his skin as he pushes forward.

This close, it's easy to witness the bones in the boy's hand shatter and to hear the crunching. The boy tried to stop his fist, raising his palm to catch the blow.

The hand is raw and bloody, the boy is staring at his hand, no doubt in shock and pain.

All Might reels back his fist once more, determined in his next choice more than ever. " United -"

The boy's flesh crawls back in place, covering the muscle and broken perturbing bones.

Time is a terrible thing. He's usually more careful with his time. But, with the unexpected, he's miscalculated the energy he would exhaust.

The steam escapes him, he lurches forward with a wet wheeze. Power slips right through him as the flames of One for All fizzle out of his hands. Curling over his bleeding stomach, Yagi raises a shaky hand to the wound.

There's silence between him and the boy, the wet breathing from him and the small hum from the boy.

Yagi raises his head, glaring through his bangs at the boy.

Ryomen's head was tilted like a curious cat. Well, more like a curious beast. With claws ready to strike, but eyes judging to make out if the pitiful thing that was in front of him was even a threat or more a joke.

"...You are far older than I thought," Sukuna mumbled, rubbing at his chin with his bloody fingers. Tongue lapping out to swipe over his nails. "The time for you has long since fallen. Is the only way to step down from your title in this world is to die and be replaced by the other so-called "heroes"?"

Yagi spits at the ground, "Y-you wouldn't be wrong..." He grimaces.

"So that's how it works...I can't say I'm surprised, this world of yours has been nothing but a messy web of disappointment, one after another." The boy looks up, eyes on the large building board.

All Might staring down with a smile on his face, muscles and meat on his bones. And this sad creature in front of him, nothing but bones and wasted energy.

"You're a bag of bones, barely any flesh. Is this the effect of that burden of yours? Does it drain you as time passes? That mass in your stomach is weakened, the fire barely more than a spark. These curses of yours aren't even fully formed anymore. Nothing more than wisps in the wind."

Sukuna stalks around him, pacing in slow measured steps. Yagi can't help but feel trapped, small, alone.

He ached to see them, to see his master. To apologise for not being strong enough. God, he wanted nothing more than to see her smiling face.

And here this boy is a creation of All for One's or another's. If this boy lived and succeeded where All for One's past attempts and failures haven't, the world would crumble.

Crumble upon young Midoriya's shoulders, the burden of the world would fall onto him. Yagi couldn't bear to see this monster tear into Midoriya next, or any of his students.

He wasn't done. Not while there was still breath in his damaged lungs.

Reaching for the boy, his right-hand tries to swing. Ryomen beats him to it, hand whipping out and striking Yagi's face with the back of his hand. Claws scratching his cheekbones.

Yagi's head connects with the ground before the rest of him, a dust trail following him.

For a moment, it felt easy to just lie there and stare at the sky.

Until a shadow blocks his view, red eyes looking down upon him.

"You wanna try that again, number 1?" Ryomen questions, tone edging on humoured.

Yagi rolls over, pushing himself up with his palms.

"Glad I-i can amuse you." Yagi huffs, arms shaking with strain.

A foot slams into his head, shoving him back down into the dirt and rocks.

"Not yet." Ryomen chuckled, hand reaching out and digging through Yagi's hair.

Yagi grinds his teeth. He smacks against the boy's wrist, trying to raise his head.

Yanking his head back and exposing his throat, Ryomen licks at his teeth. "I could tear your throat out. Not much meat to bite into though. This new form of yours is a sorry state to look at, like an injured horse that needs to be put down." He hums at the idea.

Yagi grabs Ryomen's wrist, squeezing perfectly healed skin. "I-"

The boy yanks on his hair again, forcing a hiss from his mouth. "I didn't say you could speak either. But maybe if you plead, I'll allow it." The boy crackled.

"You will be stopped." Yagi grits out.

"No, I don't think I will." Ryomen spits back, he looks up from Yagi. "And you. Can't even touch me, all of you are sad beings stuck to this even more pathetic human. Making empty threats like that, and it will not go unpunished." He gives a rough jolt to Yagi, and his foot raises.

Heel twisting and landing on Yagi's knee.

A crushing pain shoots up to his hip and down to his toes. Yagi's eyes squeeze shut, trying to keep his scream at the sudden pain from escaping.

Something snapped, he couldn't even see it through his baggie costume's fabric. His hand tries to clutch at his knee, feeling the bone that jutted out from his skin.

"Ah? More threats?" Ryomen's grip slips to his throat, "Oh? Now you're silent?" He squeezes, fingers clamping around the sides of Yagi's throat until the hero is gasping for oxygen.

Anger. It was a dangerous thing for Yagi, he's made a thousand mistakes with his emotions driving him.

In this second in time, he was filled with rage.

It felt his, it felt like someone else's. Something tingled beneath his skin.

"The other mouthy one has returned..." Ryomen pauses, lips twisting for a moment into a frown. "These pets of yours will be the cause of your slo-"

His head violently twists, it seemed like his hair was stood up from its previous slicked-back appearance. His grip on Yagi's throat loosens enough for a breath to slip into his lungs.

The boy sucks at his teeth, "Fighting finally...You're here, brat." A sigh with his words, Ryomen's squared shoulders dropped. He was smiling, laughing even.

A foot slams into Yagi's chest, and he falls back onto his side and wheezes out another bloody cough.

He scrambles to push himself up, injured knee cracking and protesting with the movements.

There was one shot at this, he couldn't waste time. He couldn't throw away any more time, not when this opportunity was practically laid out for him to take.

His fist swells, lunging off the ground towards the boy.

Planting his feet, the boy raises his hands at his sides. Welcoming the hero with open arms as a friend would. "All Might, at least try to knock him out, will you?" Grinning, Sukuna's head raised with his chin jutting ahead while he teased the hero once more.

Yagi didn't hesitate. His body ached, the steam filling him once more. Knee was forgotten, ignored, either way, it didn't matter.

His spine straightens to tower over the boy.

There's a switch. By the fade of the dark tattoos staining the boy's face, the softening of his gaze and the exposure of baby fat on his cheeks with the dark lines of ink fading.

Ryomen had done something.

The red of his eyes was gone with a flutter of now honey-collared eyes, the second pair of red eyes closed shut and didn't open again.

Yagi didn't stop, his gut screaming at him too. He didn't listen.

His punch lessened, One for All burning hotly inside.

It all drowns out after he hears it.

Only listening to the soft voice of the soft boy that stood below him, "What the-"

The ground shook, and the buildings surrounding them burst with the pressure of One for All.

Like an exhale, everything rushed out.

Yagi's fist connects.

The boy's head jerks, limbs following after. The body flies, slamming into a car and skidding on the rubble of the road like a rock on water. The body connects once more with the ground, indenting itself into the road.

He had made a crater himself, more power than a Texas Smash and California combined, yet less than a United.

He doesn't know what he threw, only knowing that something had to happen.

Only four of the empty buildings surrounding them had fallen into crumbled piles of brick, stone, and steel. The air above cools in temperature.

Everything's quiet again. It feels wrong.

Something was wrong.

The hairs on his neck stand. His body deflates.

Yagi's holding his breath, steam evaporating from his skin and his knee wins against all his willing against it. He crumbles into the ground, blood heavy on his tongue.

The rage popped from his chest, dying as quickly as a candle in the rain.

Ryomen would be up any minute, his recovery was-Terrifying.

He waited, waited for the boy to rise or pop up beside him.

It's not till spots dance in his eyes that he sees a body rise from the indent within the other side of the broken street.

Bloody, Ryomen's nose was bleeding into his mouth. His shirt was torn and his pants dirty.

Holding a hand up to his head, Ryomen stumbles from his spot. "W-What the hell, man?" The soft voice asked, Yagi couldn't help but notice that the claws were gone from the boy's fingernails.

But the voice. The voice was the greatest change. It was squeaky, childish, and so very much not Ryomen's voice.

Chapter Text

Rising slowly from the dirt, the villain shook his head of dust and debris.

An image in the cloud that he created, large and imposing.

Yagi's gaze hardens, the smoke filling him again and half of him immediately pops again.

The dust clears, leaving the exposed form of Ryomen.

...Smaller, hunched in, and lacking suddenly. Ryomen looked altered.

"Jeez, what the hell was that?!" The villain shouts, rubbing the top of his bloody head. Crimson drips from his nostrils, droplets trailing down into his mouth and staining his white teeth.

His canines, no longer wicked sharpened fangs used to bite and tear.

Yagi doesn't know why he's staring at those teeth, why he's so unsettled by the very sight of them.

Why the villain suddenly seemed... Unsettled by himself.

The boy's hair was matted down with crusted and fresh blood that slowly poured from the back of his head.

His golden pink was stained a muddy brown. His eyes were bloodshot red around the edges.

His fingers and palm come back drenched all over again after peeling his palm from the crown of his skull.

Slowly turning his hand, honeyed brown squints to look in question at the stains upon his skin.

Ryomen stares at the dried flakes of blood on his knuckles, pupils slowly dragging away from his hands and down to his pants.

"...What did he do?" Ryomen whispers, horrified even. His white pants, ragged and ripped. Splattered in crimson of so many joining together to paint the clothing.

Yagi struggled to pull himself up, pushing off the destroyed road to stand. His knees protest, his body aches, and his back gives an ugly pop with every movement. It's not long before blood sprays from his mouth, and he's choking out another bloody cough.

The boy's eyes find him, ripping away from his bloody self.

He rises like a corpse from the ground, one foot dragging in front of the other. Like his feet were refusing to move, for a moment Yagi had hope he's actually done some permanent damage.

It's a short stumble before Ryomen can get closer.

It's seconds before the boy stands in front of him, short and loose-shouldered, and that hope is smothered and Yagi fears he does need to use the last of One For All.

The fire in his stomach churned, like rocks in a fire. In this moment, he can feel his time slipping away, One for All leaving less behind and his fire dampening.

If he did use a United States Smash, there would be no doubt in his mind that he'd be completely out of power.

He'd be useless if a United States didn't finish this finally.

It's when his mind starts to slip into itself that Ryomen does something that surprises the thought of throwing another punch out of his head.

Kneeling, the boy shakily reaches for him. "Did I-Oh no, no. No! Sukuna-I could hear him, b-but I didn't-I couldn't open my eyes. I was u-under. I could've s-stopped him. I could have. I-I could." The boy's honey brown eyes were wet with tears, and his lips trembled with his words.

Yagi is...Confused beyond words. He doesn't know the right things to say, to ask, to think of.

The boy's gentle in touching him, swinging his arm over his shoulders and helping him stand with ease, not even minding Yagi's half-deflated and pathetic state. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't-I hurt you. My pants-B-blood, so much-Oh god."

The boy leans over, violently vomiting on the ground. "I'm sorry. I'm-I'm so-so sor-" Sobbing, the boy wails between his sobs. He sounded like he was drowning for a moment in his vomit.

Yagi winces at the sound of the boy's vocal cords cracking. The fat tears rolling down the boy's face are...Strangely familiar. Compared to any of his young students, this boy cried similarly to young Midoriya.

The boy's baby fat was more pronounced. His cheeks filled, looking younger by a few decades.

Shit, Yagi's aching and bruised hands are already twitching with the urge to comfort one in need. A hand on his shoulder, a gentle word of comfort, anything.

A comfort to the boy whose claws had just torn through him and multiple others' flesh like tissue paper.

So Yagi instead questions, "Ryomen?"

The boy's sobbing is cut short by a sharp inhale, his eyes finding Yagi's. Shaking his head, "S-Sukuna, h-he was- Please, I don't wanna h-hurt anyone. I-I'm-" The boy wheezes as if pained by his own words.

It could be a trick. A trap to lure him in, lure them all in before Ryomen slices them all down.

"You...You're Ryomen?" Yagi couldn't help but ask, lost beyond measure.

"No! No, I'm-" Dry heaving again, the boy spits into the ground and gags. His face is flushed and sweaty when he drags his head up again. "I don't-I'd never do t-th-" His chins quick to drop, to look back down at his bloody pants.

Yagi's grasping the boy's elbow to steady him instead, the switch happening as the boy's knees grew shaky and weak. "Who are you?" He wonders.

"Y-Yūji. M-My name I-is Itadori Yūji." The boy, Itadori, whispers. "S-Sukuna-I didn't stop him." He shook his head, biting his lip.

Something clicks in the hazy confusion and growing dread in Yagi's stomach.

This genuine sorrow that leaks from Itadori couldn't be false. This close, Yagi can't find any undertones of glee or menace in the boy's eyes. His energy alone was different, lighter than the one he found just moments ago.

"Itadori, do you know who I am?"

"I'm so s-sorry. I didn't-I-I-" The boy babbles, sobbing growing louder and his words no longer make sense. A loop, he seems stuck in.

Yagi tries to break the boy out of it, tries to get anything useful from him, and tries to even comfort him. Gently rubbing a hand down his back, telling the boy to match his wet breathing.

Yagi's knees give out at one point, blood completely soaking his front and staining the white of his suit a muddy red.

The boy automatically held onto Yagi's waist and arm, keeping him upright even as he continued to fall apart.

It's not until he hears the faint sound of the footsteps closing in that he brings his head up to the giant person above.

Mount Lady was running, and on her shoulder was Fatgum and Thirteen.

"All Might!?" Fatgum yells, hands cupping around his mouth to echo.

Yagi coughs, his throat closing for a second and blood rushing from the back of his throat. "H-her-" He went to call back, blood splattering on the ground from his mouth.

Itadori's whimpering, hands trembling on Yagi.

"I'm-Oh g-god...I'm so sorry." The boy's hands are drenched in Yagi's blood. He looks up, looking around them. "C-can you help him? Please, I don't-" The boy pleads with the empty air around them.

Yagi's head lifts, eyes widening.

Itadori wails again, "W-what? Why not?!" He screams, new tears track down his cheeks. "Please! I-I'm trying-" The boy's hand slides from around his waist to his front, pressing firmly against Yagi's open wound. "L-Like this?" The mumbles, another sob tearing from his throat. The blood is sluggishly leaking from the boy's hand.

Yagi winces at the pressure. "M-Master..." He calls out, hoping Nana heard him.

Fatgum drops from Mount Lady's shoulder, bouncing off the ground with a quick roll and tuck of his knees to his chest. Mount Lady lets Thirteen slide from her shoulder to the ground as she kneels.

"Ryomen! Let him go, or else we will-"

Itadori's head raises to the hero and he hiccups, "P-please, he-he needs help. I-I couldn't stop him. T-this is-is all my fault, please, please, please! He-he-" The boy takes a step, adjusting Yagi off his hip and on his own feet with his arm still supporting him.

Fatgum's threats die in his throat. "Uh," He looks back at the angry Mount Lady, blood still running down her nose. "Do you surrender?"

Itadori's nodding, "I did this. I-I couldn't-" He takes another step, Thirteen's got their hands outstretched in front of them, ready for another move.

Fatgum peacefully raises his hands, "All Might? You okay?"

Yagi's nodding, spitting blood up again. "I-I think Ryomen's...Done?" He says, questioning and with a slight shrug. His stomach ached with the moment.

Fatgum's the one to approach, taking slow steps until he's towering over Yagi's crumbled form and the sobbing boy.

He's slow in taking Yagi from Itadori's shaking hands, the boy crumbles to his knees after, a hand clutched to his chest and another in front of him.

He stared at Yagi's blood as if it had all the answers in the world and yet none at the same time.

Mount Lady's quick, raising a hand before Yagi can even spit up the rest of the blood in his mouth to argue.

She slams her palm onto the boy, smushing him completely into the ground. Yagi jumps forward to stop her, but he's barely caught and held by Fatgum. "Ha! We win, you little twerp! This'll-" She grinned evilly, teeth almost seeming sharp as she gains her "revenge".

"Mount Lady!" Fatgum screams, stumbling back with Yagi held to his chest. "Will you stop it!?"

"What!?" She screams back, All Might stares wide eyed at her hand, smoke slipping from his teeth.

"Stop! Let him up!" All Might shouts, urgently.

She reluctantly peels her hand off the boy. Staring down at the crushed imprint of the boy, his eyes were shut and his mouth opened slightly as he lay unconscious.

Mount Lady crackled madly, "HA!" She glared down at the boy's defeated body.

Fatgum sighed, dragging out the breath until his lungs were empty of air. He leans forward, "All Might, what the hell happened? We saw the buildings going down and the smoke when we were landing!"

Yagi shook his head, "I-I'm not sure myself...Something...Ryomen changed. He's not-It's a kid. I can't-"

Fatgum pats his shoulder, "Don't stress too much, let's get you to a medic. You're-hell!" Fatgum's side is covered in blood, Yagi leans his weight into the other hero further as his body burns in overdrive with One for All. "Mount Lady, flag down one of the helicopters!"

Yagi stares at the boy's body, his bloody face not leaving his sight until Mount Lady holds him and Fatgum up in the air. The sight of a helicopter in the distance doesn't help the gut feeling, the upside-down feeling in him stirred restlessly.

"Itadori..." Yagi repeated, the name slipping from his mouth. "F-Fatgum, the boy?"

"What about him?"

"Tsukauchi n-needs to question him, w-when he wakes up. N-no one-one else should talk to him." All Might rasps, trying to gather his thoughts desperately.

The fight was a flash. With neither being claimed winner or loser, the hero can't help but wonder how long they'd been going at each other.

He's uncertain in the future, in the boy's future and his own.

If All for One was alive, if his hands had a work in this mess, Yagi undoubtedly knew that this would ravel down an endless hole of more blood and misery for all of them. The boy the most even if Yagi's confused and definitely concussed thoughts were even close to the whole image, or a fraction of it.

He hopes Nana was with him now, maybe when he finally gets to rest he'll be greeted by the sight of her beautiful smile once again.