Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

19.

No Mercy

The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room. Kyoka stared at it, as if she could slow down time, as if those seconds could grant her one more moment to find the right words.

But there were no right words. Only truth.

And the truth often hurt more than any attack.

Principal Nezu sat still behind his desk. His eyes were glossy, his fur a little ruffled, as if he too had been shaken by the day’s events. To his left was Hawks, more stern than ever. To the right, seated with composure, was All Might. Beside him, Izuku Midoriya, as rigid as marble. Behind them, other former teachers of hers like Cementoss and Present Mic.

Hisashi and the four members of the Anti-Quirk stood behind her, closely watched by the Big Three and nearly all of her old classmates. Each of them had crossed arms and hard expressions.

Kyoka took a deep breath. Then she spoke.

“Toshiro is the son of Shinichi Ishimaru and Shiho Edogawa. I found out the same day they were discovered, when I was attacked by Jin Zaraki... and saved by the men now standing behind me.”

Nezu nodded slowly, as if her words confirmed a theory he hadn’t wanted to believe.

“Why is that child being hunted?” asked Hawks, not taking his eyes off her.

“Because of his uniqueness. According to their investigations…” Kyoka said, gesturing toward Hisashi and the Anti-Quirk. “… it’s the same one that allowed Quirks to spread across the entire planet. It enables its user to achieve and obtain anything they desire. We’re talking about a power… capable of making its wielder equal to a god. They call it the Primordial Singularity.”

A tense silence fell over the room.

“… and this power… just appeared out of nowhere?” pressed All Might, incredulous.

“No. It was created shortly after the Third World War through scientific experiments,” Kyoka continued. “Yesterday, during the interrogation with Spinner, the name of that organization came up: the Originals. But not their real identities…”

“… and that alone seems to have been enough to eliminate him…” Hawks remarked, before turning to the vigilantes. “And what’s their part in all this?”

“We four are not real human beings,” Ichigo interjected, taking the floor. “We were created by the first user of the Primordial Singularity. Our purpose is to protect every heir to this power, even at the cost of our lives.”

“… wait a second…” Nejire realized. “… if Toshiro possesses that power… the previous user was…”

When they understood, all three of the Big Three went as pale as ghosts.

“Yes. Shiho Edogawa was the second-to-last user we protected,” Naruto confirmed. “For years, our enemies mistakenly assumed the Primordial Singularity was a fusion of All For One and One For All…”

“… which explains why All For One was part of the Originals…” Izuku concluded, gritting his teeth. “… and why he so desperately tried to reclaim One For All.”

Kyoka knew exactly what her former high school classmate was thinking. From the moment he had received One For All, he had believed—just like all of them—that their true enemy was All For One.

But even that monster had been a pawn…

… a sacrificial victim, in the hands of men even more mysterious…

… and probably, even more powerful.

“And we’re supposed to believe no one else discovered anything about this?” Katsuki burst out, pointing a finger at All Might. “That he or Deku didn’t know anything about these guys?!”

“These are people who know how to operate in the shadows…” Hawks replied, the most clear-headed of them all. “… at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if All For One had always thought they were his subordinates—never realizing they’d stab him in the back…”

“Knowing him, the most likely scenario is that he intended to get rid of the Originals once he had obtained all their power…” All Might reflected. “If he ever stood by their side, it could only have been for two reasons… for profit…”

“… or because he was forced to…”

Principal Nezu let out a long sigh before opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out a strange object. Kyoka recognized it. It was a special projector invented by Mei Hatsume, spherical in shape, capable of displaying holographic images.

“None of you could’ve known…”

When the principal activated the projector, what they all saw left them stunned.

“… but for years we’ve been investigating an event that occurred during the War against the Paranormal Liberation Front…”

Kyoka, watching those images, froze and turned toward Ochaco Uraraka. Deku’s new partner was also in shock.

The holographic video showed the moments following the battle between Uravity and Himiko Toga, one of Tomura Shigaraki’s allies in the former League of Villains. That battle had ended in the former’s favor, with the teenage criminal donating her own blood to save her enemy’s life.

At least, that’s what everyone had believed up to that point…

… because the projector was showing a new truth.

“Shinichi… and Shiho? W-why were they there?” Mirio stammered, shocked.

“That should be explained by Mr. Midoriya… because he appears in this video as well.”

It was true. Kyoka watched in horror as Hisashi and the entire Anti-Quirk group arrived, gathering around the two wounded girls…

… and taking them both away from the battlefield.

Every gaze finally turned to Izuku’s father, who realized his moment had finally come.

“Kyoka… you can get up from the chair. I’ll take it from here.”

*

Kyoka rose slowly from the chair, giving her place to Hisashi. Her legs felt weak, as if an invisible weight was crushing them from the inside. It wasn’t just fatigue—it was the weight of what was about to be revealed.

As the man settled in front of everyone, the room felt even more charged with electricity, as if a storm had just erupted... but only within each person’s heart.

Hisashi remained silent for a few seconds. He didn’t wear a guilty expression, nor that of a martyr. He just looked… tired. But in his eyes, Kyoka saw something she had never noticed before: determination. Not the blind kind of a fighter, but the clear resolve of someone who has given up being seen, just to do what is right.

“It all began almost thirty years ago,” he began, in a calm voice. “I was at my station, a day like any other. Then the call came in.”

For a moment, Hisashi’s eyes drifted into the void.

“A series of explosives had been discovered in an abandoned industrial district in Musutafu. There was no time to waste. I left with a small unit. But as soon as we arrived… we realized something was wrong.”

Kyoka could feel Izuku’s tense gaze. Like her, he was beginning to understand that nothing about this story had been left to chance.

“It wasn’t just any alarm. It was a trap. A meticulously orchestrated attack. The target was clear: to eliminate as many civilians as possible. And All For One… was there.”

A murmur ran through the room, but no one dared interrupt.

“He appeared suddenly. He didn’t say a word. No declarations. He only wanted… to destroy.” Hisashi’s eyes hardened. “He reactivated the bomb I had just disarmed… and detonated it right on top of me.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Kyoka felt her stomach clench. She couldn’t even imagine the pain, the horror.

“I would have died, if it weren’t for him.” His voice softened as he pointed to one of the Anti-Quirk members, who gave a cheerful thumbs-up. “Goku appeared out of nowhere. He teleported me away just moments before the full blast. He couldn’t save everything… my arms, part of my face… I lost them. But I was alive.”

He sighed. And in that single gesture seemed to be thirty years’ worth of silence and shadows.

“When I woke up, I was in the Edogawa residence. A house hidden in the mountains. Isolated, with no contact with the outside world. Only silence. And fear.”

Kyoka realized she was holding her breath.

“That’s where they told me everything, and I understood I had only one choice: to give up my life to fulfill a new mission… to protect in the shadows the new heir to the Primordial Uniqueness. Yes, because it was already clear. The data, the signs… everything indicated that Shiho Edogawa had inherited it. She was only a two-year-old child. But her fate was already sealed.”

For the first time, Hisashi’s voice trembled.

He paused. No one moved. Even Katsuki had stopped grinding his teeth.

“I accepted. What else could I do? Come out into the open and sign my family’s death warrant? Everyone believed I was dead. If I had returned, if I had even tried to contact Inko or my colleagues, All For One would have killed them. All of them. Even Izuku, who at the time was just a thought in his mother’s womb.”

Kyoka lowered her gaze. The more she heard that man speak, the more her anger gave way to deep compassion.

“Over time, I got to know every member of the Anti-Quirk. They had resources, information, means. But above all… they didn’t want to conquer anything. Just protect. That group was born for that. And I helped them.”

“How many of you are there?” Hawks asked, cutting through the silence with a sharp tone.

“Thirty in total. But I’m the only flesh-and-blood human. The others were created using the power of the Primordial Uniqueness by its first wielder. They’ve lived on this Earth for more than two hundred years.”

Almost everyone turned toward the Anti-Quirk members. Only Ichigo lowered his gaze, visibly stricken, while the others tried in vain to ease the tension with a smile.

Kyoka understood: he had been the first to insist they tell the truth without delay.

“When Shiho’s father died, I took command of the Anti-Quirk. I began gathering data, unmasking those who sought to claim the Primordial Uniqueness. That’s how I discovered many of the truths that seem impossible to you now.”

“And Shiho?” Ochaco asked softly.

“She stayed with me. So did Shinichi Ishimaru, her best friend, after his parents were killed during a kidnapping attempt orchestrated by All For One. I took responsibility for them both. I followed them when they were sent to Italy under false identities, to protect them. And I was at their side even when, against all logic, they decided to return here… and enroll at U.A.”

Kyoka shuddered. Every piece was falling into place, but it wasn’t a comforting feeling. It was like watching a puzzle made of blood and scars.

“And the day of the battle with Himiko Toga?” Nejire asked hesitantly. “Why did you try to take her too?”

Hisashi nodded slowly.

“Because we wanted to save them both. Ochaco… and Himiko as well. Shiho and Shinichi believed there was still hope. They believed she could be redeemed. That many of All For One’s allies could be. It may sound absurd to you…”

“No… it doesn’t,” replied Ochaco, her eyes glistening, as Tsuyu placed a hand on her shoulder.

And she wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Mezo and Koji, who had fought Spinner and his despair.

Professor Aizawa and Present Mic, who had tried in vain to bring back their friend turned into a Nomu.

Hawks, who had to kill Twice to stop the enemy’s advance.

Shoto, who had seen his brother reduced to a vegetable, burned by his fight with their father.

Izuku, who had desperately tried to redeem Tomura… and had only succeeded when it was already too late.

“Back in those days, before the war, we truly hoped they could be saved,” Hisashi continued. “But we ran out of time. The Asse-Sha attacked us.”

“The… Asse-Sha…?” All Might asked quietly. His tone made Izuku sit up straighter.

“You know them, All Might?” Izuku immediately asked.

The former hero nodded slowly, a shadow in his eyes.

“It was the name of All For One’s first group of allies. When that monster killed my mentor… those six were with him. I thought they were dead.”

“They were freed in secret,” Hisashi confirmed. “They became our most dangerous enemies. That day, they ambushed us. It was a brutal battle, without mercy. They managed to kill Toga, and forced us to fight as we never wanted to. But we won. And that allowed Shinichi and Shiho to save Uravity.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Only the hum of the air conditioning and the thudding of hearts in their ears.

Kyoka closed her eyes. It felt like listening to a story from a parallel world. But that world… had always been there. Invisible. And now, it was forcing them to face it.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Hisashi slowly rising from the chair. He returned to his place, with a dignity no one dared question.

Nezu watched him for a long moment before bowing his head in silence. Maybe there were no apologies strong enough. Maybe there was no forgiveness. But there was truth. And, painful as it was, it was there now.

And Kyoka, for the first time, realized just how much they had protected her. Even when it had seemed like they had abandoned her.

Hawks, who had remained motionless until that moment, crossed his arms. His eyes—stern yet glistening—settled on Hisashi.

“If you really defeated the Asse-Sha… then someone must’ve noticed. Someone who’s been hunting you ever since.”

Hisashi nodded, almost relieved that someone had understood.

"That's exactly how it was. Their defeat was a clear signal: the heir to the Primordial Singularity wasn’t Izuku Midoriya. It was someone else. And the war—the real war—hadn’t even begun yet."

He paused briefly, and this time it was Nezu who spoke, furrowing his brow.

"And to protect the identity of the new heir, you chose to disappear again."

"Exactly. We faked a second escape, returning to Italy to throw off those tracking us. But in reality, that escape had only one purpose: to protect Toshiro."

A gasp passed among the listeners.

"He had just been born," Hisashi continued. "Too young to show any obvious signs, but the power... it was already within him. And those hunting us knew. They hired Jin Zaraki as the new enforcer of their organization and began killing the remaining survivors of the Paranormal Liberation Front..."

The Big Three exchanged a long look. It was Tamaki, for once, who broke the silence.

"So... Shiho never lost her Quirk."

Hisashi slowly shook his head.

"No. She chose to give it up. Painfully, but with absolute clarity. She transferred it to her son, as willed by the Singularity. And in doing so, she gave up a part of herself. But she was convinced it was the only way to keep him safe."

"And we thought..." Nejire whispered, unable to finish the sentence.

Shiho and Shinichi had lied to their closest friends, all to protect their child.

Hisashi nodded again.

"Shiho and Shinichi understood that the past was the key. The investigations they carried out before the war concerned the White Dove. They dug deep, searching for information on the first president, and that’s how they began to uncover the origins of the Singularity."

All Might stiffened.

"The White Dove... was never just a humanitarian agency, was it?"

"No. Its origins are much darker. Behind that name hid an ancient power, an ideology rooted in the first manifestations of the Singularity. And it was through digging into that past that Shiho and Shinichi decided to question Spinner."

"And that’s when they were discovered..." Nezu murmured, his fingers steepled under his chin.

"Yes. The Originals tracked them down following that meeting. We don’t know how, but it was then that all our efforts to stay hidden failed."

Hisashi lowered his gaze.

"And then came the tragedy. The suicide of Toshiro’s parents. We didn’t expect it. We weren’t there. But in hindsight... we understood. They knew. And they sacrificed themselves to protect the secret about their son. A secret that, unfortunately, came to light in the worst possible way..."

Kyoka clenched her fists. She already felt the words before they were spoken.

"...when I found the trapdoor in the Ishimaru garden."

The silence that followed was as heavy as stone.

All eyes turned to Kyoka, who looked down. There was no accusation in those words, but she still felt the weight of responsibility.

"You couldn’t have known," Hisashi murmured, his voice gentle. "You simply followed your instinct. And besides... it was meant to happen. The truth would have come out eventually..."

A long silence followed. Then Hawks turned to Nezu and All Might.

"I’d say we’ve heard enough."

Nezu nodded, rising calmly from his chair.

"Hisashi, would you come with us? We’d like to analyze what you’ve told us... in a more private setting."

The man gave a small nod.

"Of course. It’s time you knew everything. You, come with me."

He turned to his Anti-Quirk companions. Goku simply smiled, Ichigo nodded gravely. Naruto and Luffy moved immediately, silently, leaving behind their usual lightheartedness.

One by one, the teachers stood. The Big Three followed them, silent and deep in thought.

The door closed behind them with a soft thud.

And so, in the room, only they remained. All the former members of Class A.

Kyoka, Izuku, Shoto, Ochaco, Katsuki, Mina, Momo, Tenya, Fumikage, Eijiro, Denki, and the others. Sitting in silence, side by side. No one spoke. No one dared move.

For a moment, it felt like they were back on the day of the entrance ceremony, in that classroom where it had all begun.

But now, they were different.

Not just because they had seen war. But because they had looked the truth in the face. And it wasn’t what they expected.

The truth was harder, more cruel. But also more human.

And now it was up to them to decide what to do with it.

*

As soon as the door closed behind the teachers and the Anti-Quirk group, Deku collapsed onto the nearest chair as if he had been punched in the gut. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped behind his neck.

Kyoka watched him, and it only took a second for her to see how broken he was. The slight trembling of his shoulders, the shallow, silent breaths… he wasn’t crying, but it was as if his whole body was trying to contain something unbearable.

Ochaco approached cautiously, sitting beside him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Izuku… your father didn’t have a choice. You know that, right?"

He didn’t respond. He remained still, as if her voice passed right through him without touching him.

"He had to do it to protect you. To protect both of you. And he suffered. You could see it..." she continued softly.

"Tch..." Katsuki scoffed, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. His tone was rough, but his voice calmer than usual. "I don’t like this story. But I don’t think he had many options. If he’d spoken, All For One would’ve killed you both."

Izuku slowly lifted his head. His eyes were dry but lifeless. Suddenly, he looked much older.

"I know. I know you’re right. But... that doesn’t change how I feel."

His voice was almost a whisper, but every syllable weighed like stone.

"He left Mom. He left me, before I was even born. He decided on his own that we had to stay in the dark. And he didn’t trust her. My mom. She would’ve kept the secret. I’m sure of it."

The silence that followed felt like an abyss opening in the room.

Kyoka bit her lip. She hadn’t intended to speak, not yet. But those words had struck something deep inside her.

She stepped forward slowly and sat on the floor in front of him.

"You’re not wrong, Midoriya. It’s okay to feel that way. No one can expect you to forgive him right away, or to accept what he did with a smile."

She looked him straight in the eye, unwavering.

"But don’t force yourself. Don’t decide right now. Sometimes, to truly understand how we feel, we need time. We need space. And we need the freedom to hurt."

Izuku stared at her for a moment. He seemed to be listening—really listening. But then his gaze darkened again.

He stood up suddenly, without saying a word, and walked out of the room, the door closing behind him with a soft slam.

Kyoka’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected that reaction. She had chosen her words carefully, without judgment, just to help him. So why…?

"Are you really surprised he left like that?" asked a calm voice behind her.

It was Momo. Standing still, composed, but with a piercing gaze.

Kyoka turned, her heart still pounding.

"Are you really trying to be impartial, Kyoka? He’s your friend, and you kept it from him for months—that his father was alive. If there’s anyone who shouldn’t be talking to Midoriya right now, it’s you..."

Those words hit like a slap. Not because they were shouted. But because they came from Momo—always rational, always kind.

Momo’s words pierced her like thin needles under the skin. For a moment, Kyoka stood frozen, unable to even breathe. Then, slowly, she looked up.

And what she saw made her blood run cold.

They were all staring at her.

Not with curiosity. Not with concern.

With anger.

With disapproval.

With disappointment.

Tenya’s eyes were harder than she’d ever seen them. Shoto, seated next to him, looked at her without speaking, but his silence spoke louder than a thousand words. Mina had her arms crossed tightly, not even trying to hide her bitter frown.

Even Denki, she thought with a pang. Even him. Who had always been there for her.

For a moment, she couldn’t breathe.

"But… what’s going on?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Are you really… looking at me like that?"

Silence. No one replied. No one stepped forward.

Only tense faces.

"My only fault was not telling you about Toshiro!" Kyoka burst out, stepping forward, eyes glassy but steady. "As for the rest… it wasn’t my place to speak. The matter with Hisashi and Izuku is between the two of them. It’s a bond none of us can fully understand. Only they have the right to mend that wound. Or to choose to leave it open."

She tried to meet Ochaco’s gaze, or Shoto’s, but both looked away.

"And what was I supposed to do? Tell him his father was alive? Paint a bad picture of a man who risked everything to protect children from an organization that even All For One couldn’t crush? Do you really think it was easy for me?"

"Oh, well excuse us..." Katsuki said, pushing off the wall with biting sarcasm. "Forgive us for not jumping for joy after finding out our classmate’s dad is an undercover vigilante, and that you knew for months."

Kyoka swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure.

"Bakugo, you can’t reduce everything to—"

"No."

Ochaco’s voice cut through like a blade. She had stood up. Her face was tense, her eyes full of sad anger.

"Deku has every reason to be angry. You say it's just between them, but it's not. We... we saw him grow. We saw how hard he fought to become who he is today. And then—"

Her voice cracked for a moment, but then grew steadier.

"You can't understand. You didn't spend your childhood being mocked for being quirkless. You didn’t have to roll up your sleeves while everyone kept telling you you’d never make it… without a father who was supposed to support you!"

Kyoka opened her mouth. She was about to say she partly agreed, that she never meant to dismiss Izuku’s pain. But Ochaco didn’t give her the chance.

"No. Don’t even try, Kyoka. You lied to him. You lied to us. Shamelessly! Thinking we wouldn't understand!"

A heavy silence fell over the room. It weighed like a sentence.

Then Katsuki landed the final blow.

"And you know what the worst part is, Jiro?" he said, voice low but sharp. "It’s not just that Midoriya was stabbed in the back. It’s who did it. You. The one he called a friend. You, who accepted his secret. Who believed in him..."

He motioned with his chin toward Yuga, who sat at the back of the room, still as a statue, eyes lowered in guilt.

"You, who accepted him. Just like all of us did."

Kyoka followed the gesture. She looked at Yuga. Saw him frozen, staring at the floor, like he wished he could vanish.

Then she looked back at the others. One by one.

And realized she no longer had anyone on her side.

Kyoka stood still for a moment, heart pounding. Then, slowly, she stepped forward, her gaze lit by a rage she couldn’t contain anymore.

"Dragging Yuga into this… is disgraceful," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "He made amends. And he knows what he did! But I never tried to hand Deku over to a murderer! And I never tried to lock Toshiro up in some hidden den, raising him like a lab rat... I tried to give him a life. To introduce him to you. Why do you think I brought him to the Cultural Festival? But you, apparently, were too blind to notice."

She moved slowly across the room, locking eyes with her classmates. Denki lowered his gaze, unable to meet hers. Yuga looked like he might disappear.

"I trusted you..." Kyoka continued, her voice cracking. "I thought you’d understand. That you’d see beyond appearances... but I was wrong."

She stopped in front of Ochaco, Katsuki, and Momo, her face marked by disappointment.

"The only mistake I made... was not telling you earlier," she admitted. "But protecting Toshiro’s life—even at the cost of my own—is that really enough to make you see me as a traitor?"

"Yes, Kyoka. Because you decided alone!"

Momo's words froze her blood.

"The Earphone Jack I knew would’ve gone to the police. She would’ve done anything to put that child in safe hands, rather than endanger him twenty-four hours a day... rather than risk getting attached to him."

Momo stepped forward, gaze hard.

"We're adults now. Capable of weighing the pros and cons of our choices!"
Kyoka opened her mouth to respond, but Momo cut her off.

"Kyoka Jiro wouldn’t have acted on impulse like some naïve teenager! My best friend wouldn’t have mistaken Toshiro Ishimaru for the little brother she never had!"

SMACK.

A sharp, terrible sound.

The room fell into utter silence.

Momo stumbled backward, nearly falling, and only Ochaco and Katsuki’s quick reflexes kept her upright. But she didn’t reach for her cheek.

She covered her mouth.

Horrified by what she had just said.

She’d been hit. Kyoka had slapped her—and hadn’t held back.

"You... you didn’t mean that…"

Kyoka’s arms were literally shaking. She must’ve looked terrifying, because many immediately stepped between her and the trembling Momo.

"…Do you really believe that about me?! That I brought Toshiro into my home without thinking of his well-being?!"

"No, Kyoka! Please, stop—Momo didn’t mean it—"

"Don’t you dare judge me!" Kyoka screamed, her trembling voice turning into a roar. "You… you have no idea what I’ve been through!"

She stepped forward, fists clenched at her sides as if to restrain herself from lashing out again. Her eyes were shining, but not crying. Not yet.

"Toshiro... that child was a wreck! The first time I found him in my house, he was sleeping in my bed and dreaming about his parents! Those first few days, he wouldn’t even respond to the simplest gestures... he curled up in the corner like a wounded animal. It took a month just to get him to look up!"

Her voice broke for an instant, then surged back, fiercer.

"Do you have any idea what it’s like to hear him cry in his sleep, night after night, without being able to wake him? To have to hold him while he thrashed around, screaming for his dead parents? I... I had no idea what to do! I had no experience, I wasn’t ready, but I tried!"

Everyone stayed silent. Frozen. No one dared to speak.

"And you, Momo, who’ve known me for ten years... you think I did it out of selfishness?! To fill some void of mine?!" she shouted, her eyes so sharp they made Momo pale. "You have no idea what it’s like to see him force a smile just so you won’t worry... when he’s the one who’s shattered! When you’re the only safe place he has left in the world!"

Kyoka’s voice was nearly a scream now, filled more with pain than fury, the veins in her neck bulging, her heartbeat visible in her throat.

"Do you know how many times I told myself I couldn’t do it? That I was failing him, that I was just putting off the moment he’d fall apart completely?!" she gasped, breath ragged as the tears finally began to surge.

She raised her hands to her face, not to hide, but as if physically holding herself together, trying to contain the hurricane inside her.

"And the worst part?!" she shouted, lifting her tear-streaked face, "Is that deep down, despite everything, I still hoped that you… that at least you would understand. That once you knew the truth, you’d say, ‘You did good,’ ‘You did your best,’ ‘We’ll help you now’...

But instead... all you did was turn your backs on me!"

She tried to breathe, but a violent sob escaped her. She collapsed to her knees, hands on the floor, shoulders trembling uncontrollably. Now the tears flowed freely, heavy and unstoppable.

"I can’t take this anymore..." she whispered, more a moan than a statement. "I can’t... do this anymore..."

Denki stepped forward, hesitant.

"Kyoka, I..."

"DON’T TOUCH ME!"

She screamed right into his face, whipping around like a cornered animal. Her voice was so powerful the windows vibrated. Denki recoiled, shocked, as the others instinctively backed away.

Kyoka collapsed again—this time completely.

She surrendered to her sobs like she was purging months of suffocated pain. Her fingers clawed at the floor, as if searching for something to hold onto, while her chest rose and fell with wrenching gasps.

And then—the door creaked open.

Everyone turned at once.

There, in the doorway, stood Professor Aizawa. His expression was darker than ever.

Next to him, still shaken but fully healed, stood Eri. Her wide eyes shimmered with worry… and empathy.

"Pull yourself together, Miss Jiro," Aizawa said, voice steely.

"This story isn’t over yet."

*

Kyoka hadn’t expected to hear such decisive words at a time like this.

Professor Aizawa had addressed the entire class with that measured, impassive tone of his, one that masked an unyielding firmness. It was as if every syllable he spoke carried the weight of a verdict.

And she, though used to hearing him speak like that, couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling twisting in her stomach.

That was why she stood up from the ground and leaned against the wall, still keeping her distance from her friends.

Only then could Shota Aizawa begin.

“The meeting with Hisashi Midoriya is over.”

The silence that followed was heavy.

“Important decisions have been made,” the teacher announced. “From now on, Toshiro will remain under the custody of Hisashi Midoriya himself. And Kyoka Jiro.”

The girl flinched, whipping her head toward her former teacher. Her eyes widened as she searched Shota’s face for an explanation that didn’t come. Her heart sped up—an echoing thump in her chest that made it impossible to speak. She was surprised. No—more than surprised: shaken.

Shoto muttered something under his breath, but it was Tenya who first broke the tense silence.

“Professor, with all due respect… wouldn’t it be better to take him in at U.A., like we did with Eri?”

A legitimate question. Kyoka had wondered the same. It had been one of the possibilities that came to mind after deciding to reveal the truth about Toshiro.
But Aizawa’s response was immediate and final. Before the surprise of everyone present, he shook his head with that icy calmness that could slice through any argument like a blade.

“After what happened today with Jin Zaraki and how his men infiltrated the school perimeter... U.A. is the least safe place to keep Toshiro.”

“But…”

“Eri was a different case. Kai Chisaki had already been neutralized when we decided to care for her,” the professor cut in. “This case is more similar to that of Izuku Midoriya… and nine years ago, we learned what happens when you try to hide something so precious in a school full of innocent kids at risk… no one wants to relive that experience.”

Kyoka lowered her gaze, unconsciously clenching her fists. The teacher’s words were logical. Rational. If the Originals were more dangerous than All For One, then hiding Toshiro at U.A. meant endangering every single student in the school…

… and this time, they had really risked casualties.

Then it was Eri who spoke. Her voice was sweet as always, but filled with an awareness that left everyone silent.

“And let’s not forget—Toshiro’s will is the most important thing! Until this battle with the Originals is over, he needs to stay close to those he loves, or we’ll just hurt him even more. And he, like me, has already suffered enough.”

Kyoka looked at the girl with a mix of admiration and melancholy. Eri had grown. She spoke with maturity—with that gentle resolve only someone who had experienced real pain could convey. There was a new strength in her, and her presence alone made the moment feel more real.

“Eri… Toshiro’s power could be really dangerous…” Eijiro tried to explain, but the U.A. student stopped him with a firm hand gesture.

“My power is dangerous too… and if real pro heroes had made the call back then… I would’ve ended up in a lab. Given to people who would never have loved me. I would never have seen you again… and I would never have healed.”

The class fell into silence. Kyoka too. The girl’s words hit her straight in the heart.

Professor Aizawa began speaking again, but his tone had changed—more direct, more grave.

“As of today, the capture of Jin Zaraki, the Asse-Sha, and the Originals is exclusively the responsibility of the Hero Association. For Toshiro’s well-being, the Anti-Quirk will handle only his physical and mental development…”

Kyoka looked at him, confused.

“…wait a second… you’ve excluded them from the investigation?!”

“Yes, Miss Jiro… and that goes for you too!”

Kyoka’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“But… you can’t just exclude me! I was the one who uncovered the whole truth!”

Her voice cracked slightly, filled with frustration and anger. She felt the blood pounding in her temples, a furious buzzing in her head.

But Aizawa remained unmoved.

“It was Hisashi Midoriya who made that decision. And he left no room for interpretation.”

His name hit her like a jolt. The truth dropped on her like a boulder.

He … had given that order?

He had excluded her? Why?

“W-why…?”

“Given what’s happened, it’s clear you can no longer handle both responsibilities. So you’ll focus solely on protecting Toshiro,” the professor confirmed. “Hisashi Midoriya handed over all the evidence you collected… and we of the Hero Association will proceed with the investigation. And know this: the entire Anti-Quirk group approved his decision unanimously, even the absent members… the case is closed.”

Kyoka was speechless. Her role had been changed. Decided. Set in stone.

And the one who made that decision… had been Hisashi himself—not the Association.

Then came the final blow.

“And don’t think it ends here… Hawks has officially placed you under investigation. After what happened… you risk lifetime expulsion from the Association.”

Her world collapsed in an instant. The room fell into a deathly silence—no one was left unaffected by the news.

No one.

Kyoka turned in shock toward Professor Aizawa. He looked her straight in the eye—not with anger, but with a piercing sincerity more painful than any shout.

“Kyoka, I’m very disappointed in you.”

It was like being punched without being touched. He hadn’t yelled. He hadn’t scolded her in front of everyone. He had only spoken the truth. And that’s what hurt the most.

She wanted to respond. To defend herself. Say she had acted out of instinct, from the heart. But he didn’t let her.

“Have you ever stopped to think about what will happen to Toshiro when we finally defeat the Originals—if we do?”

“… I… I…”

“Let me guess… deep down, you were hoping he’d be officially entrusted to you. It’s not that simple. Authorities don’t trust single parents. Even less so if they’re pro heroes, constantly away from home.”

Those words struck Kyoka like a knife to the heart.

“But… but Eri…”

“They only accepted because I was the only one who could cancel out her Quirk. It took me three years to convince them to entrust Eri to me… and I only signed the official papers four years ago. In the best-case scenario, they’d take your application and throw it in the trash without mercy, handing him off to a family of strangers… and he’d have to start all over again. One more time.”

But her old teacher pressed on without mercy.

“Have you even considered that possibility? Did you ever bring it up with Toshiro? Because if you haven’t… and things go the way I’ve described…”

There it was.

The nagging feeling that had eaten away at her for months—one she’d never been able to name or understand.

Finally, the truth.

Shota Aizawa’s words had shaken her awake from a sweet illusion, forcing her to face a brutal reality.

The horror she’d felt when facing All For One for the first time… was nothing in comparison.

The pain of scorched skin and flesh after that first encounter with Jin Zaraki was nothing.

She had suddenly come face to face with the greatest terror of her life, and even those two events didn’t come close.

The Earphone Jack I knew would have gone straight to the police. She would have done anything to place that child in more suitable hands, rather than keeping him in danger twenty-four hours a day… rather than risk growing attached to him.

Kyoka Jiro wouldn’t have acted on impulse, like a naïve teenager! My best friend… she wouldn’t have mistaken Toshiro Ishimaru for the little brother she never had!

The heroine turned toward Momo in horror, only to find her staring blankly at the floor. Then she looked at her own palm, disgusted with herself.

Momo had told her the truth. She had acted out of instinct, without considering the long-term consequences.

And Kyoka had slapped her so hard it had swollen her face.

She had accused everyone, one by one…

… but the one who had made a mistake was her.

Tears began to stream down her face as a wave of despair overtook her.

“I… I just wanted to protect him…” she whispered, her voice cracking.

“… we know that…” the professor replied bitterly. “And, at least for that, no one is blaming you.”

Kyoka suddenly felt so small, as if all the work she had done up until that moment had been erased with a single sentence. And yet… she knew he didn’t say it to hurt her. He said it because he cared.

And that was exactly why it hurt more.

“… it’s not fair…” Eri protested, clearly worried about Toshiro. “Kyoka is amazing! Toshiro cares about her! Why wouldn’t they let her take care of him? What are they afraid of?”

“Haven’t you realized what the worst-case scenario is yet?”

The young girl finally understood what her adoptive father was trying to say, and covered her mouth in horror.

Kyoka realized it too…

… and she began to feel sick.

“… no… they can’t…”

“Do you think they’ll care? There won’t be a single country in the world willing to let a boy with such overwhelming power live freely without guarantees they can control him… or possess him.”

That veiled message was a death sentence.

Toshiro would never be free. Once the truth about the Primordial Singularity came out, no one would ever allow him a normal life.

That poor child was condemned to a horrible existence…

… even worse than many of their former enemies.

“That’s why we’re leaving him with you. As long as he stays by your side, we can be at ease…” the man tried to reason with her wisely, walking once more toward the door.

“… he doesn’t need a hero anymore… he needs a family.”

*

Kyoka remained silent, her gaze fixed on the floor, her heart pounding wildly. Her ears felt hot—perhaps from shame, perhaps from anger.

Not at Professor Aizawa. Not at Momo or her classmates.

At herself.

All she could think about in that moment was Toshiro’s face. His lost expression. His pain.

And the promise she had made—that no matter what, she would never abandon him.

“Kyoka…”

Eri walked up to her and wrapped her in a gentle hug. The woman could barely hold back her tears, broken, as all of her former classmates slowly left the room, Momo the first among them.

None of them had the courage to look her in the eyes.

Something had shattered...

… and Kyoka understood, her soul in a thousand pieces, that putting it all back together would be nearly impossible.

*

The smell of mold and rusted steel lingered in the air, mixing with the almost unreal silence of the underground chamber. The flickering neon lights cast an intermittent glow, bathing the room in a nightmare-like atmosphere. In the center, a long steel table reflected the impassive faces of five figures. All dressed in black, with sharp eyes and deadly stares.

Jin Zaraki sat at the head of the table. The dried blood crusted on the edge of his jacket was the only remaining trace of the battle. But he showed no frustration, no anger. He smiled faintly, almost amused, drumming his fingers on the metal surface.

To his right, Sirius was adjusting the bandages around his right arm, still showing signs of the fight against the Anti-Quirk. His face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of satisfaction.

Luna and Lilith sat in silence—one with her eyes closed and a serene, almost prayerful expression; the other with her legs crossed, a sharp smirk on her lips as she scrolled through the final footage captured by the internal drones at U.A. On the holographic screen appeared the terrified face of Toshiro, clinging to Kyoka Jiro.

Zephyrus, the newest addition, was still lighting a cigarette. His breathing was calm. Every now and then he smiled, as if replaying the “funniest” moments of the raid in his mind.

The satellite phone on the table gave a soft chime.

Jin reached over and answered the encrypted call. Three faces appeared on the holographic display: Gala, with his eternal cold and analytical frown; Zhangyu, seated on a minimalist throne in some unknown location, exuding the aura of a fallen queen; and finally Ikooko, the quietest of the three, his face hidden in shadows and a golden mask.

Gala was the first to speak, his voice calm but sharp as cut glass.

“Congratulations, Jin. Mission accomplished in every detail.”

Jin smiled, leaning back in his chair.

“I thought I might’ve overdone it a little... some of them nearly blacked out. I was worried Toshiro might explode.”

Zhangyu chuckled, but it was a laugh void of joy.

“That’s exactly what we wanted. Not the capture… not yet. But the trauma. The message. He needed to understand that we’re there. Always. Whenever we want.”

Luna opened her eyes and spoke for the first time, amused.

“He was so scared… the same look Eri had when Jin caught her! But she was saved. Him… no one can really protect him!”

Zephyrus blew smoke upward.

“And the Anti-Quirk got their first real lesson. They thought they were in control, that the child was safe. But today they saw how a single breeze… is enough to make their knees shake.”

Sirius massaged his neck, thoughtful.

“I didn’t expect Kyoka to react like that. For a moment… I saw a crack. We could use that, Gala. She’ll be the first to break, if we press the right spot.”

“I agree,” replied the man without blinking. “The hero who thinks she can do everything alone… is always the first to fall.”

Lilith raised her eyes.

“And U.A.? What will they do now?”

“They’ll try to pull themselves together,” Ikooko said in a cavernous voice. “They’ll start to argue, to point fingers. They’ll want to protect, to cooperate, maybe even to forgive… But it’ll be useless, because now we’ve divided them. Without the Anti-Quirk’s support… they’re as fragile as blown glass.”

Jin narrowed his eyes.

“And when they try to stand united… that’s when we strike. Right?”

Zhangyu nodded.

“Exactly. This was just the beginning. Now we wait. Let them think. Let them delude themselves into believing they can recover… and then we deal the final blow.”

A tense silence fell over the room.

Then Gala added, almost whispering,

“The moment they try to save themselves… we’ll be there. To remind them that the age of heroes… never even began.”

The image of the three disappeared from the screen. The call was over.

Jin Zaraki remained silent for a moment. Then he stood up, walked to one of the side panels of the room, and entered an eight-digit code. A wall of metal slid aside, revealing a second room. Inside, a cryogenic capsule emitted a faint pulse, illuminated by a soft blue light.

Inside was something. Or someone.

Zephyrus watched him.

“Is it not ready yet?”

“It’ll take a few more months,” Jin replied, without turning around. “Once it’s active, we’ll bring her back to Atlante… all we’ll need is one last move to finish the game.”

Lilith slowly approached, eyeing the capsule with hungry eyes.

“And then the world will understand what the Primordial Uniqueness truly means.”

A metallic thump marked the machine’s last breath.

Luna, in a whisper, concluded,

“When they all come together to save Toshiro… that will be the moment they all, finally, fall.”

Jin turned.

And smiled.