The news spread quickly, with overwhelming intensity, like a fire that couldn't be contained. In every corner of Japan, the words about the tragic event began to reverberate, shocking the nation and spreading waves of dread and confusion wherever they went.
"Nakano High School was destroyed by a villain attack," was the headline that dominated every news outlet. The sound of the tragedy echoed through the streets of the cities, entering homes and leaving citizens in a state of bewilderment. What seemed impossible had become real: a school, a symbol of safety and education, had been obliterated in an attack of catastrophic proportions.
The next headline was even more devastating: "Three bodies were found at the scene, a student and two parents, all dead." The description of the scene was disturbing; the images of the bodies were not released, only their faces, scattered around the school, tragically revealing the cruelty of the attack.
The student, still unidentified in those first moments of chaos, was a central figure in the story, as her death was due to a cut and blood in the lungs, making the tragedy even more heartbreaking for the nation. The parents of Himiko Toga, whose names echoed like a dark shadow over the city, had succumbed to the attack, and with that, the police began to trace a disturbing connection to the suspects.
In a shocking turn of events, "The Hero of Wood, Kamui Woods, has been severely injured and is currently in a coma," was revealed.
Kamui, one of the most respected and admired heroes, was severely struck in the confrontation, and his critical condition made everyone question how such a powerful hero could have fallen so easily before the attackers. His name, once a symbol of strength, was now a bitter reminder of the fragility of heroes in the face of relentless villains.
Initial investigations indicated that the culprits were unknown, but an intriguing clue emerged: "Two students, Rin Kurose and Toga Himiko, are the primary suspects."
These names began to circulate in conversations and on the streets. Rin Kurose, with his cold and enigmatic appearance, and Himiko Toga, known for her unpredictable behavior, were now the faces that haunted everyone's nightmares. Toga's name, especially, sent a chill down everyone's spine, as she was the daughter of the victims, and her connection to the murders seemed to suggest a dark enigma.
With the investigation details in sight, the police mobilized urgently, doing everything in their power to locate the two fugitive youths.
"The police are doing everything they can to find them, but the two have disappeared without a trace," said one of the reports. The streets were filled with posters and announcements, with images of Rin and Toga, seeking the fugitives. But the more they searched, the more they vanished. The sense of helplessness overtook everyone trying to understand how two such young souls could have caused such destruction.
And then, the final revelation:
"With Himiko Toga's parents dead, the suspects became even more connected to her."
The connection between the two fugitive youths and the tragic end of Toga's parents now seemed to be a deep and sinister mystery, causing more doubts than answers. It was no longer a simple matter of guilt; it was a web of intrigue starting to intertwine, where the threads of vengeance and fate wove together in unknown ways.
The news shook Japan deeply, but it also resonated around the world. Many were perplexed by the idea of such young people being capable of committing such acts. While some sympathized with the youths, thinking that society might have failed them, others called for justice, wishing to see them behind bars, paying for the crimes committed. However, there was a third group, a somewhat more sinister one, that viewed the situation differently. They began to see an opportunity, a chance to turn these youths into allies, to use them for their own purposes.
In the mountains, where the silence was deep and almost oppressive, Rin and Toga waited patiently for the dust to settle. They were isolated, far from civilization, trying to distance themselves from the chaos they had unleashed. But the wind passing through the trees could not silence the waves of information still reaching them. Although they were miles from the city, a small village in the mountains still broadcasted the news, and it was there that Rin and Toga heard the latest revelations.
"I can't believe all of this is happening," Toga murmured, looking at the small portable radio they had managed to get from a local vendor. "We've gone farther than we imagined, haven't we?"
Rin, who had always shown an unshakable emotional control, seemed thoughtful. He looked at the mountains in front of him, as if seeing the future in the shadows of the trees.
"It's not over, Toga. This is just the beginning. The revolution has started, and there's no turning back. They will try to hunt us down, try to separate us, but hell... Hell is just beginning." Rin said as he looked at his fist.
"I still have my Quirk. I don't know how it works, although I have some ideas," Rin murmured with slight concern, his eyes reflecting a dark curiosity, as if he were trying to understand the true potential of his power, a power still in formation. The tension in his voice did not go unnoticed, but Toga, always so enthusiastic, smiled, the gleam in her eyes contrasting with the intensity of the moment.
"Really~? That's cool!" Toga exclaimed, her excitement overflowing as she bounced a little. However, the excitement quickly faded, like a bubble bursting, as she began to bite her lower lip, trying to control herself. But it was clear to Rin that she was fighting something much deeper, something burning inside her, something she could no longer keep under control.
Rin, noticing the change in Toga, watched her carefully. "Looks like you can't hold it back anymore, your bloodlust is getting out of control," he observed, his words carrying an understanding that only he seemed to have about the situation.
Toga, panting, tried to calm down, but soon she could resist no longer. With a quick and precise movement, she threw herself at Rin, sinking her teeth into his neck with an animalistic violence, starting to drink his blood.
"Sorry, Rin, it's been weeks since we've been here." Her voice was low, almost desperate, as her eyes began to shine with an insatiable hunger.
"Aah..." Rin let out a muffled moan, but made no move to push her away. The contact, though brutal, didn't bother him. He simply allowed himself to be carried by the experience, his eyes closing as he leaned against the wall with a sigh.
'Wild as always,' he thought, letting Toga follow her impulses without restrictions.
The sound of Toga drinking Rin's blood was almost hypnotic, the weight of silence hanging in the room as time seemed to slow down. Rin, for his part, wasn't in a hurry. He knew this was part of the dynamic between them, a primal desire that couldn't be ignored.
After a few seconds that stretched like hours, Toga finally pulled away, breathing heavily, her face covered in blood. "Thank you for letting me love you," she said with a smile, which to some might seem macabre, but to Rin, it was just another facet of Toga's unpredictable personality. Rin, with an ironic smile, stepped closer to her, in no hurry to leave the situation.
He calmly licked the blood off Toga's face, his expression devoid of any remorse. To him, it was just another part of his dark existence, an act of accepting his own nature. Since it was little, and the blood was his, he saw no problem, as he felt it as something that was part of him.
Toga smiled more widely upon seeing him do this, and as always, she couldn't help but feel attracted to this dark side of him. She grabbed Rin's cheeks with a mischievous laugh, her tongue licking her own lips.
"Naughty," he murmured, his voice hoarse with pleasure and exhaustion.
"Hehehe," Toga responded with a playful smile, her eyes gleaming with a joy only she could understand. The moment felt perfect, a bubble of pleasure in the midst of the storm of chaos surrounding them, until a sudden knock on the door interrupted the fragile moment of peace.
"Shino, open the door, it's me," the innkeeper called, his voice muffled by the door's wood. Rin, who had been soaking in the moment, jolted upon hearing the name.
"Strange, Sasakibei wouldn't call me Shino, even if it were a fake name. He calls me by the fake surname, Nagumo," Rin thought, his mind immediately going on high alert. He wasn't a novice. Something was wrong, and he knew it.
"Toga, let's go. They've found us," Rin whispered to Toga, his words so low they could barely be heard, but the meaning was clear.
Toga, quick as always, didn't hesitate. She walked to the bed with silent steps and threw Rin's beige coat, which reached below his knees, over her shoulder. The fur-lined coat around Toga's neck was quickly pulled on as she wore it. She was ready for action.
"Shino?" Rin's voice, disguising his true identity, echoed through the room.
"Ah, you're leaving already, Sasakibei," Rin replied casually, but his eyes were alert, watching the situation carefully. As Toga prepared, she pulled a long, sharp knife from her coat, getting ready for the worst.
"Before opening, I have something to say to you," Rin said, his voice becoming deeper, more threatening. "You're a terrible detective."
Suddenly, black and red lightning began to surround his body, an aura of pure immeasurable energy emanating from him. The tension in the room was palpable. With a swift motion, Rin grabbed the doorknob. The sound of his aura intensifying cut through the air. The next moment was explosive.
Boom!
The door exploded with a crushing force, sending the detective into the wall with a deafening crash. The man's body was hurled against the surface with such violence that he immediately fell unconscious, his breath knocked out by the impact.
Rin and Toga exchanged no words as their gazes met, for shortly after, they spun their bodies, turning their backs to each other. The instinct for survival made them understand the situation without the need for dialogue. The inn was old, built with aged wood, and had two staircases leading to the hallway of rooms. These staircases were at opposite ends of the building—one on the left wall and the other on the right.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Heavy footsteps echoed through the floor, followed by the constant creaking of the wooden boards. The sound didn't stop—it grew louder, accompanied by muffled voices and the vibration of the floor beneath their feet. When the intruders finally appeared, they filled the hallway in a suffocating way.
The officers arrived in such large numbers that they made the space feel narrow, surrounding the center—with Rin and Toga in the middle. Flashlight beams flickered, lighting up the faces of the two wanted criminals.
Rin glanced sideways at Toga before sighing and shoving his hands into his coat pockets. "Too many cops." His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes were sharp, watching every movement.
"A Quirk, probably," Toga murmured, pulling her knife closer to her body. She tilted her head slightly, analyzing the situation with a gleam of fascination in her gaze. "Something to do with cloning?"
Rin nodded slightly. His gaze swept over the sea of officers, noting a peculiar detail: they were all wearing the exact same gear, holding their weapons at the same angle, and maintaining the same posture. This made him narrow his eyes, suspicious.
He didn't have time to think further. One of the officers suddenly lunged with a quick and precise strike.
Whoosh!
Rin moved without hesitation, stepping to the right with a subtle body twist. In the same instant, he grabbed the attacking officer's arm and, with a calculated movement, twisted it against its natural direction.
Crack!
The dry sound of a bone breaking echoed down the hallway. Any human being would have screamed in pain, but the officer remained silent. He didn't retreat. He didn't hesitate. Even with his arm bent at a grotesque angle, he continued attacking.
Rin furrowed his brows. 'What the hell is this?'
Baam!
Another cop attacked, and Rin avoided the blow purely by reflex. The punch hit the wooden wall with enough force to sink the structure, cracking it.
He realized something was very wrong.
Let's test this...
Rin propelled himself upward, grabbing the cop's head. His arms contracted, locking the enemy in a rear-naked choke before snapping his head with force.
Crack!
The head came off easily... too easily.
No blood gushed. No muscles or bones exposed. Just... wood.
Rin's eyes gleamed with understanding.
"They're mannequins!" He shouted, holding the wooden head and inspecting it closely. "Toga, rip off the head and they stop moving!"
Without wasting any time, Rin used the detached head like an improvised brass knuckle, punching another mannequin with enough force to sink its fake face.
"Got it!" Toga responded eagerly, already putting her knife to work. With a swift and precise movement, she leaped onto one of the mannequins and, with a clean strike, twisted its head to the side until it came off completely.
The mannequin's body froze for a moment, then fell lifeless to the ground, like a puppet with its strings cut.
The narrow corridor was full of these strange figures. And if there were so many here...
Rin clenched his fists.
Rin's gaze became sharp, his expression hardened by adrenaline and battle instinct. He no longer needed weapons—his hands were enough. With raw and merciless strength, he charged at the remaining mannequins, each blow echoing through the narrow hallway of the inn.
Crack! Bam! Thud!
Each punch shattered wood and broke fake joints, and when necessary, his kicks shattered the mannequins' bodies, throwing them against the walls.
Behind him, Toga laughed, her voice filled with macabre exhilaration. "He's excited, so I can be too!"
Her golden eyes glowed with pure excitement before her silhouette disappeared among the mannequins. She danced between them. Her knife gleamed under the dim light of the inn as she cut and stabbed, her blade sliding seemingly at random.
But Rin knew better.
Toga was precise in the art of cutting and stabbing, each strike hitting a vital point. She was too fast, too natural. Her body seemed shaped for it—as if she had been born to move in the darkness, to strike before anyone could perceive her presence.
"Maybe this is her destiny..." Rin had questioned that before, during their days of escape. They killed to survive, and during that time, he watched Toga's skills sharpen. It was a cruel and beautiful instinct all at once.
Crack!
The last mannequin fell.
Rin let out a sigh, lifting one of the mannequins' heads before throwing it to the ground.
"Big numbers, but weak. Quantity over quality."
He closed his eyes, trying to feel any other presence around. His heartbeat slowed for a moment as he focused his senses...
Then, something snapped in his mind.
Zoom!
Suddenly, everything expanded.
The sounds, the vibrations of the air, the presences around—he felt it all.
The whisper of Toga's breath beside him.
The rustling of tree leaves outside.
The faint dragging of footsteps in a nearby alley.
And then, two presences, a little farther away...
There.
His eyes glowed brightly red as he turned in the right direction.
Outside.
Outside the inn.
Nanase Ichirou pressed two fingers against his earpiece, his voice carrying a hint of frustration.
"Sisigou-san, I need more mannequins. They destroyed everything."
Beside him, Ikari Sisigou rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, his expression relaxed. "Alright, just give me a second."
A white glow flashed around his hands. In the next instant, more mannequins appeared out of nowhere, identical to the previous ones.
"Here you go."
Nanase examined the newly created copies before nodding. "Thanks. I'll set them on autopilot to conserve energy. Just creating the connection is hard enough for me."
"Got it, I'll let you kno-"
BOOM!
Suddenly, a wave of black and red energy violently exploded from the inn.
The entire structure shook.
Cracks spread through the building like black veins, starting from the inside and working their way out.
In a matter of seconds, the walls gave way. The ceiling collapsed. Debris was sent flying in all directions like shrapnel from an explosion.
The newly created mannequins didn't even have time to move before they were crushed, their wooden bodies splintering like twigs.
Dust rose like a storm, covering everything in a thick mist of destruction.
And then… silence.
Nanase and Sisigou stood stunned, staring at the smoldering remains of what used to be the inn.
Nanase's eyes widened. "What the hell…"
Sisigou clenched his fists, his voice a scream of disbelief and fury.
"IS THIS IT?!"
From the rubble, a figure emerged.
Wearing a beige coat, black shirt, black pants, and white sneakers, their eyes glowed with an intense red hue as black and scarlet lightning spiraled around them.
A demonic presence. An oppressive aura.
It was Rin Kurose.
The smoke around him dissipated slowly, revealing his silhouette with an imposing and threatening presence. Each step he took made the wood crack beneath his feet, and the mere pressure of his energy distorted the environment.
Nanase Ichirou narrowed his eyes, sweat running down his forehead as he recognized the figure before him.
"So it was true… This guy really was here."
Ikari Sisigou didn't waste any time. His experience as a police officer took over, and he tried to shout an order before it was too late—
"Quick! Go—"
Zoom!
In an instant, Rin vanished.
And the next moment, he was between them.
So fast it seemed like teleportation, so sudden that their bodies froze instinctively.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots.
The bullets flew towards Rin, tearing through the air.
His eyes tracked the projectiles before they even reached him, and with the slightest movement, he calmly dodged both.
And then—
Wide-eyed.
The air trembled.
An invisible wave swept through the area.
BOOM!
As if struck by an overwhelming weight, Nanase and Sisigou were thrown to the ground.
Black and red lightning danced around the impact, as though a silent thunder had just struck them.
The invisible force that held them down wasn't physical. It was something beyond that.
"Ah… This..." Rin murmured, looking at the two men on the ground, writhing under his influence. "It seems I'm really right. Now I can better understand my Quirk."
He placed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head slightly, as if explaining something trivial.
"I can manipulate and feel a spiritual force. An energy of the soul, to be more exact. As such, it cannot be seen by anyone."
Nanase tried to move his arms, but it was futile. His body felt like it was sinking under its own weight, crushed by a pressure he couldn't comprehend.
"One of the applications is to dominate and overpower any other creature." Rin continued, a subtle smile appearing on his face. "Probably, if you had more willpower, you could resist my subjugation a bit."
He sighed, as if bored, before lightly raising his fingers.
"Enough with the rambling. Sleep."
BOOM!
The pressure suddenly increased.
Nanase and Sisigou lost consciousness instantly.
"Rin, I found the car they came in, we just need the keys."
Toga returned after checking the surroundings, with a satisfied smile.
"Let's see... Here!"
She pulled a keychain from the pocket of one of the unconscious officers, but before she could do anything, Rin quickly took it.
"I'm not trusting you to drive. I'm already afraid of what you can do with a knife, I don't even want to imagine what you'd do with a car."
Toga narrowed her eyes. "I want to drive!"
"I won't allow it."
And then it began.
Toga repeatedly tried to grab the key back, while Rin easily dodged. The chase lasted a few seconds until she stopped, panting.
"Ugh... Fine, you drive." She crossed her arms, before pointing at the officers. "But we're taking these guys with us, and I'll take care of them!"
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Trust me." Toga's smile widened. "I'll use them masterfully!"
Rin sighed. Deep down, he trusted her.
After all, despite being a bloodthirsty maniac, madness doesn't always mean a lack of intelligence.
A certain green-haired clown is proof of that.
Madness can always disguise intelligence.
As soon as the police officers were thrown into the car, Rin started the engine. The motor roared, and the car sped down the winding mountain road.
Meanwhile, Toga skillfully fiddled with the police communicator, her eyes glowing with malice.
Rin watched her from the corner of his eye. "I'm impressed. I didn't know you could mess with such a complex device."
Toga let out a small laugh without taking her eyes off the gadget.
"I haven't told you all of my specialties. One of them is mechanics." She twisted a button on the communicator and continued. "I know a bit about electronic devices, and I've read about this police model. So, I know how it works."
Rin made a surprised expression. "Well... Now I feel bad. I thought I knew everything about you."
"Not everything, darling. But most of it."
Beep!
The device turned on with an electronic noise.
Toga smiled, satisfied. "I made a few adjustments to the microphone. Now we can use them…" She pointed at the unconscious police officers in the back seat. "And the police."
Rin's eyes widened as he realized what Toga was planning to do.
======================
Naomasa Tsukauchi was undoubtedly having one of the worst days of his career.
The events surrounding Nakano High had taken on alarming proportions, and every new lead seemed more frustrating than the last. Since the attack on the school, Tsukauchi had found himself immersed in an avalanche of reports, interviews, and documents that led nowhere. To make matters worse, the Hero Commission wasn't helping; on the contrary, they were actively interfering in the investigation, which only made things more complicated. They were more interested in cleaning up their own images and taking control of the case than in collaborating with the real police.
The constant meetings and conflicts between the different authorities were draining Tsukauchi, and he had lost count of how many headache pills he had taken in the past few weeks. The pressure seemed to be at its limit, and the case remained unsolved. He found himself, several times a day, staring blankly at the computer screen, trying to understand how such a great tragedy could have been orchestrated by so few, and more disturbingly, how those responsible were still at large.
However, on that day, something finally seemed to be changing. The Police Force, after an exhaustive investigation, had received a tip. A genuine lead, which could finally lead to the capture of those responsible for the destruction at Nakano High. And this lead, apparently, originated from a small town in the mountains. The location was well hidden, but not unknown to some members of the police. Some had heard of the area, which seemed to have previously attracted the attention of criminals. But no one had ever investigated it thoroughly.
The news that the Hosu police would be involved in the investigation was somewhat of a relief. Tsukauchi knew that the General Commissioner trusted his work, but this was too big of a mission to face alone. Accompanied by Kenji Tsuragamae, a specialized officer with a unique Quirk that gave him a canine appearance and exceptional sense of smell, Tsukauchi felt that he was finally starting to feel the weight of the situation lighten a bit.
"Mr. Tsukauchi! Mr. Tsuragamae! General Commissioner! We've received a call from Sisigou and Ichirou!" The phone call interrupted his thoughts. The voice of an officer in the background sounded hurried, indicating that the situation was becoming even more tense.
Kenji Tsuragamae, who always showed a slightly bolder energy, immediately stood up, with the impatient tone that always characterized his actions.
"Answer it and put it on speakerphone, woof!" he ordered with his typical smile, making a slight reference to his own Quirk, which gave him a canine appearance. Tsukauchi looked at him with a tired expression but complied.
With a sigh, Tsukauchi directed his attention to the screen, tapping the button to answer the call. The silence that followed was broken by the distorted voice of the officer on the other end of the line.
"Officer Sisigou..."
But before he could continue, the voice was drowned out by strange static, making the words almost impossible to understand.
"Mmmm, what is this?" The voice was glitchy, and there was something very strange about it. "I feel something squirming under my skin?"
Tsukauchi felt a pang of unease. Something was wrong. The communication was failing, but he could still make out fragments of words.
"A small group... small and invasive... germs? Have they finally shown themselves?" The voice continued with a kind of distorted laughter. "Ah, but I see..."
"What?" Kenji and Tsukauchi were stunned. What was that?
Tsukauchi furrowed his brow. That voice… it wasn't any of the officers.
"Officer Sisigou? Ichirou?" He tried again, maintaining his composure.
However, the response came in an even more distorted tone.
"Ah... They're not here..."
A static noise filled the transmission for a second before it continued.
"They are... eyes."
"Dog's eyes, crow's eyes... rat's eyes watching from the sewers."
The office fell silent.
Tsuragamae narrowed his eyes, the hairs on his face standing on end. "Who's speaking?!"
The response was a dragged, metallic laugh, followed by a whisper.
"I see you."
"..."
Tsukauchi felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't know who was on the other side of the line, but one thing was certain: this wasn't a communication error.
"Stay where you are and listen carefully. You didn't fight. The mystery is over now."
"Who's there?!" Kenji exclaimed, his tone heavy with hostility and confusion. He knew something was wrong, but the voice echoing in the room, full of confidence and lightness, was enough to send an uncomfortable feeling deep into his mind.
"Who knows? Maybe it's one of the two people you sent to capture. Whoever it is, it doesn't change the fact that I'm now in contact with you."
The voice was calm, but there was a sinister amusement hidden in the words. Tsukauchi and Kenji exchanged tense looks, trying to understand the situation, but something about that voice made their blood run cold.
"How? How did you manage this communication?!" Kenji growled furiously, clenching his fists as he tried to identify the source of the message. The voice openly laughed at hearing the growl.
"A simple question. For a simple answer." The voice said, with a playful, almost mocking tone. "Thanks for sending them to us, by the way. We'll use them brilliantly."
Tsukauchi felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew this wasn't good. The idea of "using them brilliantly" made his stomach churn, and he tried to stay calm, controlling his breathing. He knew he needed more information, he needed to understand what was happening.
"What will you do with them?" Tsukauchi asked, his tone softer, trying to mask the nervousness he felt. Sweat ran down his skin as he struggled to hide any signs of weakness in the face of the threat they were facing.
"We have something special in mind. And this time, there won't be a body to find." The voice spoke with an almost satisfied tone, a hint of amusement mixed with something darker. "However, I admit, I, in particular, am disappointed. I thought you'd recognize the gravity of the situation when you saw the school destroyed and a hero in a coma."
The words of the voice had an immediate impact on Tsukauchi. He remembered the destruction at Nakano High, the loss of lives, and the victims, including the hero in a coma, Kamui Woods. The situation was more severe than he had imagined, and now he realized that he was dealing with enemies who played on an entirely different level.
"Don't you understand? You should never underestimate any villain, not even us, high school teenagers." The voice sounded as if it were enjoying the situation, but there was also a tone of disappointment, as if it expected Tsukauchi and Kenji to be smarter. "Now, I'll tell you what comes next: we'll consider you a particular target. And as for your aides, even All Might, I'll take care of them... personally."
The mention of All Might made Tsukauchi's heart race. He knew the villains they were dealing with were dangerous, but the idea that they might consider themselves capable of defeating All Might was something that had never crossed his mind. The weight of the voice's words was terrifying. What they were facing were not just ordinary criminals.
"What?! You think you can defeat All Might?!" Kenji barked furiously, unable to contain his anger. His dog Quirk was fully manifesting, and he felt a surge of energy pulsing through his veins, but he knew they needed to stay calm and not act impulsively.
"I'm sure. After all, we have plenty of time. A lot of it." The voice said with a tone of disdain, almost as if it were laughing at their disbelief. "Your situation is unfavorable, while ours... Well, I think you already know."
Tsukauchi felt a massive weight descend upon him. The enemy was confident, much more than anyone should be. They were dealing with something far bigger than they had imagined, and this confidence only amplified the sense that they were at a disadvantage.
"Do you think we'll just stand still?!" Tsukauchi asked, slamming his hands onto the console of the computer in the special room they were in. His tone was more aggressive, frustration beginning to overflow. He knew they needed to act, but the feeling of helplessness in the face of such a massive threat was paralyzing. "Don't underestimate the Police Force!"
The voice didn't respond immediately, but Tsukauchi could feel the silence hanging in the air.
"Hahaha! You? In your current position, you can only be reactive." The voice laughed in a maniacal, distorted way, with a laugh that sounded as if it were playing with them, like a predator who already knew the prey was cornered. "The Police Force is nothing more than damage control, reduced to just that. The heroes took their positions as defenders of the people, but they are also the greatest destroyers of city structures and they hurt people. How ironic."
The phrase cut through the air like a sharp blade. Tsukauchi felt the anger rising in his chest, but also a twinge of uncertainty. The voice was unsettlingly precise, and it was starting to sound like something more than just a provocation. He tried to control himself, but it was difficult to handle the way the voice manipulated them, as if it knew exactly where to strike.
"Stop lying!" Kenji growled, his eyes glowing with the ferocity of a dog ready to attack. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but the voice on the other side was so calmly firm, as if it had the truth in its hands.
"Am I lying?" The voice came back, with curious neutrality. "Did you know that before Quirks, the destruction of buildings, the number of injuries, and deaths were about eight times lower? And that was just the beginning. After the vigilantes appeared, the situation worsened over time. And now, in this moment of society, the destruction of buildings is as common as a street cat." The voice seemed indifferent to the chaos it was describing, as if it were merely a scientific observation, not a reflection of a devastating reality.
The atmosphere was heavy. Tsukauchi felt a knot in his throat, and Kenji seemed on the verge of losing control. The voice's speech was planting a doubt, a sense of helplessness. After all, how could they respond to something so vast? A society that seemed to be on the brink of losing itself completely?
"And now, people don't even help each other." The voice continued, its tone almost one of disgust. "Once, a child in the street asked for help, and do you know what someone said?"
Kenji and Tsukauchi fell silent, absorbing every word, the weight of each sentence sinking like a stone in the pit of their stomachs. They knew this wasn't just a simple provocation—there was something deeply twisted and true in it.
"A hero will save him." The voice said mockingly, as if it were enjoying the irony of the situation. "Relying on a hero for everything... What level has society sunk to?"
The silence that followed was thick, almost suffocating. Tsukauchi looked at Kenji, but the dog-quirked officer was silent, seemingly reflecting deeply on the voice's words. The pressure of the conversation was making the tension in the air almost palpable.
After the long silence, the voice returned with a slight change in tone, as if it were preparing to say goodbye.
"Now our conversation is over, I will take note of your responses." It paused momentarily, and Tsukauchi felt a slight sense of relief, thinking the worst was over, but soon the voice became animated again, with an unsettling tone. "Ah. Before I go, I left a gift in the city where we are. I hope you enjoy it."
The mere fact that the voice could be anywhere in the city and had left a "gift" made Tsukauchi's heart race. A shiver ran down his spine, and nervousness took hold of his body. Whatever it was, it felt terrifying.
Naomasa Tsukauchi swallowed hard. He clenched his fists beside the computer console, feeling the pressure mount. The situation was completely out of control. What could he and Kenji do now? They were only trying to figure out who was behind all of this, but the answers were slipping further and further away.
"This... This is ridiculous!" Kenji finally exploded, his voice filled with frustration and anger. He seemed ready to jump off his seat, his eyes locked onto the console as if he wanted to destroy the screen. "You think you can just dictate the rules?! That you can challenge us like this?!"
The voice on the other end of the line laughed—a sound that almost resembled a distorted crackle, as if it was amused by their reaction. "But I already am. And honestly, I'm just stating the truth. You are bound to a flawed system, incapable of acting until it's too late. Your choices? Limited. Your chances? Diminished. Do you really think you hold any power here?"
The tone of the voice became even more challenging and provocative. It was playing with their emotions, forcing them to question every move, every decision. But what it was saying was starting to resonate in a disturbing way. They were running out of options.
Tsukauchi felt a mix of rage and helplessness. They were dealing with something far bigger than they had imagined—something that couldn't be solved with more force or more officers. They were facing an enemy who seemed to know exactly how to manipulate the situation, making them even more vulnerable.
Tsukauchi gritted his teeth, feeling the fury pulse in his temples. He quickly turned to the other officers in the room, whose faces reflected a mix of fear and confusion. Some were sweating, others exchanged uncertain glances, waiting for some kind of directive. But he knew that no answer he could give now would have any immediate effect. The weight of helplessness sat heavy in his chest, suffocating him. Whatever they were up against, they were not prepared to handle it.
"You talk as if you had everything planned..." Tsukauchi finally managed to say, trying to stay calm. His voice was steady, but there was tension in his words. "But in the end, you're still just a criminal on the run. You can talk about society's flaws all you want, but at the end of the day, you're just another villain hiding in the shadows."
The silence that followed was brief but heavy with tension. Tsukauchi felt as if the room was getting smaller and smaller. All eyes were on him, waiting for leadership, for direction. But he had no answers—only more questions.
"Maybe..." The voice responded, its tone turning playful again. "Or maybe I'm just the harbinger of something you can't stop. And frankly, I'm enjoying it."
The sense of superiority was unmistakable. That voice was somehow immune to the chaos it caused. It seemed to relish the power of manipulation, of toying with people's hopes while crushing them. Tsukauchi felt his blood boil, but he knew he couldn't give in. Not yet.
Suddenly, the line filled with static before a sound echoed from the city in the distance. The noise was muffled, but unmistakable. A deep rumble that seemed to come from far away, yet made Tsukauchi's heart pound faster.
BOOM!
The force of the explosion reverberated, almost as if the earth itself had been struck. One of the officers in the room jumped from his chair, his eyes wide and his expression frozen in panic.
"Sir!" the officer shouted. "An explosion has been recorded in the city's southern district!"
Tsukauchi felt his stomach twist, the knot of tension tightening with every second. It was exactly what he had feared. They had been distracted. Every word from that voice, every second of conversation, had been a maneuver to keep them occupied while something much bigger unfolded. The city was being devastated.
He turned to Tsuragamae, who now had his teeth clenched, his eyes burning with the fury of someone who already knew what was coming.
"...The gift he mentioned," Tsuragamae muttered, his tone grave and cutting.
"They were distracting us... from the very beginning." Tsukauchi clenched his fists, feeling anger and frustration mix within him. But there was something else. It was the sensation that, even with all the pieces in place, they still couldn't move fast enough. "Damn it! Mobilize all units now!" he shouted, turning to the other officers, who quickly rushed to prepare the vehicles and support teams.
"Finally figured it out, Detective?" The voice spoke, now with an even more arrogant tone, as if watching the scene with a smirk on their lips. "The difference between heroes and villains is ignorance."
And with those words, the line was cut, leaving only the deafening sound of static and the echo of the explosion still ringing in Tsukauchi's mind. He stood frozen for a moment, his heart racing, as he tried to process the gravity of the situation.
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Author: Wow, writing this was incredible, especially the final part. I think I did a great job—I hope you all enjoy it, ladies and gentlemen.