'The Killing Blow'

'Feelings Realized and Ochako Gambles'

*Izuku PoV*

I grinned from ear to ear at the prospect of me and Hayato going head to head in a game of Death Rolling, my mind showing me the prospect of absolutely crushing the spoiled prince of the villain underworld and taking the amount we betted on. I gave an evil and confident smirk to the son of the gang leader of The London Outfits and nodded at him, the child baby nodding in response whilst giving me his own confident smile that stretched from ear to ear. I turned my attention back towards John and spoke out to the english gentleman. "I'll happily play a game against your son John, I'm just waiting for an accomplice to arrive with my money so I can play tonight. While we wait, you two can feel free to take a seat at the bar and I'll meet up with you in a minute. I just need to talk to my friend for a minute over here." I pointed my thumb towards Ochako who was still sitting at the bar and drinking her rum.

"That's alright by me mate, as I said before, there's no need to rush things for tonight yeah? Me and my boy ain't going anywhere for quite a while." John said, reassuring me that there was no rushing the night which made me smile at him and I went straight to the gravity girl that is my host. "Uraraka, remember the person I told you that I was doing business with earlier? This is him, Johnny Richards. He seems like a friendly dude to hang around with but when it comes to business, he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it's just a little bit more beneficial to him." I said whilst holding the brunette by the shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes. "I know he doesn't seem like much now, but trust me when I say that he has gone through some measures to try and take this casino. I'm waiting for someone from Blood Rose to arrive and bring in the money to start Death Rolling, but he's also here to give me something to ensure that tonight goes the way I want it. Thing is though is that once we begin to talk business."

I looked down at my feet for a moment, trying to muster up the will for what I'm about to tell Ochako next. Breathing in to calm my nerves, and with a heavy heart, I turned my head back up to her and flat out told her what she needed to do when the time came. "I need you to run. I need you to run as fast as you can and to get as far away from this place as your legs will carry you. Uraraka, I don't know the life you've lived all this time, this is all I know, but I'm not gonna let you be a part of this anymore." I said as I finally, for the last two weeks, let her go entirely and released the bond we had as I accepted what was happening to me. I was seeing Ochako as someone I hold dearly and genuinely want the best for. And it was at this point that my good conscience got the better of me and I told her another reason why I'm breaking my bond with her.

"Ochako, I said to you earlier that I didn't know why you were acting so violently back there but the truth is, I do know why...It's because of me...A few years ago, an accomplice of my stepdad All for One, a man named Dr Garaki, did some experiments on me and altered me in a way that anyone I was bonded to would eventually go insane over a lengthy period of time. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this when I should've, but I didn't want our friendship to end if I told you, and again, I'm sorry I didn't tell you then but I'm telling you now that I really am just poison to you if I stay." I could see her face contort with many different emotions, sadness, pain, confusion and even a hint of depression were all things I had seen written on her face as tears began to well up in her eyes with what I had just told her. "I'll let you hang around a little while longer, but when I start doing my business with Johnny, that's when you'll have to leave. You'll see me again, I did say to your mother that I'll get that reunion with mine going on, but after that and I mean this honestly...You will never see me again."

As soon as those last few words left my lips, I saw her blink once before her arms fell slack and she just stared blankly into my eyes, all the while being as silent as a mouse. "As I said before Uraraka, this is the life I grew up in and I'm able to handle it. But for someone like you...This life is bad, it's very very bad and that's just something I can't let you take part in...And that means you can't be anywhere near me." She just continued to look at me with a blank expression, her breathing starting to become ragged as her tears continued to trickle down her face as I brought my left hand up and gently wiped away the stream of warm liquid running down her cheek, only for her head to lower to where she was looking at my chest and not my face. "I know that what I'm saying must be hurting you Uraraka, but I know that what I'm doing is for your benefit. If it makes you feel any better, the money I'll win from Death Rolling against John's boy will go straight to you and your mother. You'll be ten steps closer to giving your mother the life she deserves. This is the only time I'll ever say this to you so please, Do this fo-"