My Hero Academia: The Next Generation Book 3

Chapter 23

         ~{GOREWARNING}~

           After the impalement... My vision went dark. My hearing falling completely silent as well, it felt like hours before I started to even vaguely hear anything. My vision slowly coming back to me, though still very blurry. And only hearing bits and pieces of what was going on.

         "Kotaro, that's enough!"

         "I hear this was our grandma--"

         "Grandma was a hero!"

         "That's not your grandma, that's a savage!"

          "Do you still want to be a hero, Tenko?"

        The crisp sound of a smack, skin on skin contact. Would snap my gaze into full function. It was nighttime, and I was standing in someone's backyard. Though the sky wasn't a natural night sky... Instead, a purple and black void, devoid of anything that could even signify that this was in reality. My gaze would wander, until I heard the soft crying of a child. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a pretty young boy crouched down with their back against the fence, they were crying. I wasn't sure why, but... I had a faint idea from the smack I heard a moment ago. While I was glancing at the child however, I would feel a presence beside me. Glancing to my left to see Shigaraki beside me, however he had black hair rather than his usual white or cyan. Matching the boy, he would soon glance at me, tilting his head.

           "I think its about time, you see what makes me tic... My father was... Abusive... All I ever wanted to be was a hero... He beat me whenever I tried..." My gaze would eventually shift back over to the kid as I heard a soft bark coming from his direction. Seeing a dog approaching, the kid... Tenko... Shigaraki... The dog would begin to lick his face while he spoke beside me again. "This, led to a lot of hate building up deep down inside... My sister got me in trouble, showing me a picture of our grandmother, our father had hidden away... He thought I was the one who took it, she said some quite nasty things. Leading me to be alone out here... I snapped... I just couldn't take it... And as that snap happened... My quirk, manifested..."

             As he spoke, I watched as Tenko took hold of the dog in one hand to offer it pets in response to the licking... Mumbling something under his breath, before the corgi's tail ceased all movement... It's body turning grey, cracks spreading across it... Before shattering into a bloody mess beside him. Tenko stared in horror, before a little girl soon approached. Seeing the mess, and screaming in fear.

            What followed... Could only be described as carnage... A damaged soul in fear, unintentionally harming the ones he loved... Once loved... As his quirk was used more, I could see Tenko's hair changing color. Clearly the stress of it all doing so as it shifted from It's once pure black, to a sickly pale blue. All that was left was his father, staring in horror... and once again lashing out. Brandishing a weapon and striking Tenko, but this would be his last mistake. Tenko would lunge at him, making a remarkably high jump to drive his hand into his father's face, his weight pushing him down to the ground as he screamed.

          "DIE!"

           Then... Silence... No more tears... Just labored breaths from the boy, as the boy soon shifted his gaze to glance directly at me, Shigaraki and I. before the world changed. Consumed by the void for a moment, before reforming to show a bustling sidewalk.. Shadowy figures passing around the bloodied Tenko, not one stopping to offer help... And the one who did, changed their mine swiftly after. My gaze would eventually glance to my side, seeing Shigaraki now with his pale blue hair staring with a stoic expression.

           "No one helped me... A boy dripping blood, clearly afraid and alone... Yet I was ignored... I know exactly what they believed... 'A hero would handle it.' No, a hero did not handle it... Instead... I met him... My master... The only one to offer me help, shelter..." Glancing back over, I would see a tall figure, dressed in a nice black suit, their face a shadow that was barely there... Then, the void consumed our surroundings again. Shigaraki emerged from the void in front of me with a tired, and vaguely pained expression in his eyes. "Do you see now... Why I desire so desperately for our world to change... This, is no way to live... If things are to change... I need you..."

          I wasn't sure what to really say, staring at him before glancing away. Pondering everything that I just saw... Comparing it to my own life... I never got any help either... I was just... expected to be strong... expected to turn out okay... expected, that someone else would help me... I would soon shift my gaze back to Shigaraki, who was holding out his hand to me. A plead... for help...

         "I can't say this isn't making me think... But... I need time... Time to think this all through, how to go about this... What to do if I really do accept... We'll talk again, Shigaraki..."  Shigaraki's expression would shift to a somewhat disapointed look for a moment, before he soon nodded. Lowering his hand back to his side.

        "Very well... You know how to contact me... Meditate... I'll sense the presence..."

            Gasping for air, I would jolt upwards from my place lying on the floor. Kitsune was beside me, sitting and waiting patiently. Staring at me from behind the mesh eyes of his mask. I would see some of my hair fall in front of my eyes, causing me to brush it away before letting out a sharp breath.

           "I was beginning to worry Master, it's been hours...."

            "Sorry... Didn't mean for you to worry, Kitsune..."

            "So it's done then? Your power returned..." I would shake my head, glancing away and shrugging.

            "I should probably get home... Someone's probably worried sick..."

            "Before we go master." Kitsune would grab my shoulder for a moment, digging into their pocket with their other hand and pulling out a pair of gloves. Similar gloves to the ones Shigaraki wore, a loophole for his quirk. "When you do accept the burden again... If you do... These will help control the decay, its a-"

           "I know it's a loophole in the quirk, I picked up on that... Thank you, Kitsune. I'll hold onto them..." Kitsune would nod, shifting back into his fox form before climbing onto my shoulders again and lying down. I would glance over at the cape, before I brought back over to It's hidey hole and tucked it back inside. Replacing the floorboards before stepping out of the old league hideout. Leaving the two of us in silence as I made my way back home... Why am I even considering what he said? He'll just use me again, especially in his weakened state... But... He.. Does have a good point... Things are pretty tough with how regulations and other such things are for quirks... Maybe there does need to be a change.... I guess only time will tell.