Lancer, sitting on the 'throne', looked helplessly at the scene outside the castle illuminated by his magic.
A group of police officers pulled up a cordon to completely isolate the area, many people were pointing from a distance, and a group of pro heroes were looking at it with tangled faces.
Lancer was not surprised by this, more of it was just 'boredom'.
Suddenly, he remembered something, which was the 'ultimate move' he had learned during his battle with All Might. Speaking of which, this was the first time Lancer had encountered this situation. Before that, he didn't even know that he could create 'skills'.
But then Lancer found a very embarrassing thing, he played with the spear for a while and the 'system' did not give any skill prompts, but the experience bar for 'Advanced Spearmanship' increased by a little bit.
"Taking shortcuts really doesn't work~"
After complaining to himself, Lancer didn't bother with it anymore. If it had been before, he might have been disappointed, but now he wouldn't. Since he saw Scathach's spearmanship, which could almost be said to be in another realm, he realized how crude his own use of the 'skills' he had obtained was. The greatest meaning of these skills was to help him learn, not to use them mechanically.
But then he also got tangled ——————
The skill showed 'unnamed', so what should the name be?
Although he was very reluctant to admit it, he was a terminal patient of naming things. After much hesitation, he finally decided on a 'simple' name —————— 'Weakness Perception'.
Just hearing the name doesn't sound cool, but it's practical.
Just as he was thinking about whether to find something to pass the time, the barrier outside the 'castle' was triggered.
'Someone's here?'
Originally, Lancer thought it was All Might, but he didn't expect it to be 'Endeavor'?
For this man, Lancer had no good feelings because of Shoto Todoroki, but he still had the Dragon Tooth Soldiers voluntarily make way for him.
On the other side, Endeavor was ready to start all over again, but what he didn't expect was that those strange skeletons didn't attack him, but instead made way for him. He was sure that he had been noticed by that man, but it didn't matter, he was already prepared.
When he arrived in front of the familiar big door, he suddenly stopped and looked at it quietly.
It had only been a few hours since he left last time, but in these short few hours, he had experienced one of the biggest changes in his life.
"All Might... Shoto..."
After muttering two words to himself, his eyes became firm again.
"Hoo~"
After exhaling a deep breath, he pushed open the stone door without hesitation, and then saw a man lying on his side on the throne.
"Endeavor? Did you come to see me about All Might?"
To be honest, Lancer couldn't guess Endeavor's expression. After all, it had only been a few hours since the other party left, and the 'plan' had just begun. He should be maintaining public order outside, right?
But at this moment, Lancer suddenly felt a terrifying killing intent spreading from Endeavor.
Without any hesitation, he leaped up, and then a pillar of fire swept directly across the throne, while Endeavor, who was waving a whip of flame in both hands, lifted it up abruptly.
"Boom!!"
With the sound of the collision, Lancer landed lightly on the ground next to it, and in his hand was a melting ice spear.
"Endeavor, have you gone crazy? Or... do you want to die?"
At this time, Lancer expression had become a little dangerous. He didn't like to kill people, but that didn't mean he had no temper. Even if he wouldn't kill the other party because of All Might, he still decided to teach the other party a lesson.
"Die? If I was afraid, how could I have gotten to where I am today!"
At this time, Endeavor was completely different from before. If the Endeavor he met this morning was like a raging fire, then at this time he was like a volcano. In the face of Lancer threat, he didn't hesitate at all, but instead waved his flame whip and pushed back hard, and Lancer, seeing that his 'advice' was useless, also prepared to teach the other party a lesson.
"Bang~"
The ice on the ground cracked into pieces, and Lancer figure instantly disappeared from Endeavor's sight, and as Lancer figure disappeared, a wave composed of flames burst out instantly with Endeavor as the center, but this was not the end, with the sudden sound of something cutting through the air in front of him, a huge pillar of fire erupted from under Endeavor's feet, and the crimson flames were obviously different from the orange-yellow flames before.
On the other side, Lancer noticed something was wrong when he stabbed the ice spear into it, because the ice spear that had just been inserted into the flame vortex melted directly. There was no doubt that the temperature of the flames this time was much higher than before, and it was no longer an opponent that could be dealt with by a half-finished product.
When the flames dissipated, Lancer finally saw Endeavor at this time.
Beard, hair, chest, limbs...
More than 70% of his body was covered by flames, and his expression was even more terrifying. He looked at Lancer as if he was looking at an enemy, which made Lancer a little confused. The only contact he had with the other party was Shoto Todoroki, and although he always made fun of himself for not being a qualified teacher, there was no doubt that his presence was more beneficial than harmful to Shoto Todoroki's growth, so why did the other party show him this kind of expression? Wasn't his wish for Shoto Todoroki to surpass All Might?
But looking at the other party, it seemed that he didn't intend to have a proper talk, and a hint of excitement also appeared on the corner of Lancer mouth.
"Since you don't want to talk, then tell me everything after you lose!"
Although the previous battle with All Might also made him excited and even learned something called an 'ultimate move', he was more depressed after the battle, after all, he didn't like bullying sick people, and now there was an opponent who was obviously planning to fight with all his might, and he was also a little excited.
'Although it's not the main course, at least it can let me vent!'
"Crack~ Crack~!"
Although he knew that this ordinary ice surface could not stop Endeavor, who used fire, a battle was not just about weakening the opponent, strengthening oneself was also a good choice.
It's a good time to use the other party to try a certain fighting style he had envisioned before...
"Bang~!"
With a stomp of his foot on the ice, several ice spears erupted with Endeavor's body as the center and stabbed towards him, but the flames that suddenly burst out from Endeavor's body directly shattered the ice spears, and countless ice crystals flew in the air, and then were manipulated by Lancer to condense into ice spears and shoot out again.
In an instant, Endeavor was completely surrounded by dozens of ice spears, and the only thing he could do was to wrap himself in flames, but doing so was meaningless, because the defender always consumes more power than the attacker, and if he continued to consume like this, he would eventually be consumed to death.
'I can't drag this on any longer! Otherwise, I won't have a chance to win!'
"Boom~!!"
With his shoulder as the starting point, a surging flame shot out, and the flames on his body also gushed out. In an instant, the surrounding ice and ice spears were instantly vaporized, and he himself turned into a red streak of light and rushed towards Lancer with the propulsion of the flames.
On the other side, Lancer performance was extremely strange. While he was manipulating the ice spears to attack Endeavor, he himself was holding the spear in both hands and assuming a strange posture, but from the bulging muscles on his arms, it could be seen that he was not wasting time. At this time, he was constantly mobilizing his own muscles, and there was no doubt that this was the charging attack that the skill had 'disappeared' from.
Of course, the so-called 'disappeared' was just that they became ordinary moves in 'Advanced Spearmanship', but this time they were brought out again by Lancer.
Now he is more accustomed to the two attack methods of high-speed continuous stabbing and using a charge to turn speed into power, after all, it saves time and effort, but this does not mean that he has given up on developing other moves, such as now!
The red comet-like Endeavor rushed towards him with terrifying high temperatures and momentum, and Lancer ready-to-go attack also stabbed out without hesitation.
"Puchi~!"
The sound of something popping like a bubble came very abruptly, and then Endeavor's high-speed charging body stopped abruptly. At the same time, Lancer didn't care about the ice spear that was almost melting in his hand and made an upward swing...
"Bang~!"
Endeavor, who was thrown into the air, still wanted to use the anti-force of the flame jet to move, but unfortunately it was too late. Almost at the same time as he was thrown into the air, an ice spear appeared in Lancer hand again, and the muscles in his left hand bulged out again.
"Drink!!"
With a shout, the ice spear shot towards Endeavor, and at this time, the only thing Endeavor could do was to use flames to defend. There was no doubt that under his full power, the ice spear was quickly completely vaporized, but this was not the end, even if the ice spear was vaporized, the pierced air still shot forward and finally hit Endeavor's right shoulder hard.
"Bang~!"
Endeavor, whose body hit the wall, smashed hard onto the ice, and with Lancer manipulation, he was finally held up by ice spears.
Compared to the extremely miserable-looking Endeavor, Lancer was just breathing a little heavier, and after adjusting for a bit, he returned to normal.
"Tell me, I'm really curious about why you came to 'challenge' me alone. This is not what we agreed on before."
The red and black battle suit on his body was full of holes, especially on his right shoulder, where it had almost completely collapsed. The bruises on his face and body made him look extremely embarrassed, but Endeavor's eyes at this time seemed to be really burning, and he attacked again without saying a word, but before the flames could burn up, several ice spears pierced his limbs.
There was no doubt that due to the pain, he temporarily lost control of his quirk, and the flames that had just started to burn were extinguished again.
"I'm very curious, what made you forget our agreement? Didn't you say before that you wanted to 'inherit' All Might's 'will'? Recklessly challenging me will only lead you to self-destruction! Considering my relationship with All Might, as long as your answer can satisfy me, then I might spare you!"
If Lancer was just curious before, then the other party's performance now really aroused his curiosity. In his impression, although Endeavor's quirk was 'fire', he himself was a very calm person, and according to All Might, the other party was even more suitable as a 'leader' than him, while he was more suitable as a 'symbol'.
Compared to Lancer, who was curious with his arms crossed, Endeavor on the other side didn't hear Lancer words at all.
'Quirks' are a very magical thing. Endeavor's ability is called 'Hellflame', but it's not just fire. He also has a certain fire resistance himself, otherwise he, the owner, would be burned to death first when using his quirk. At this time, with the use of his quirk, the blood in his body also seemed to be burning, and in this case, being pierced directly into his body by ice spears, the pain was not just doubled.
The result of fire and ice meeting was a constant mist rising from Endeavor's limbs, but he just gritted his teeth and looked at Lancer fiercely, not saying a word.
The other party's attitude made Lancer feel a little helpless while being confused.
At this time, Endeavor felt as if he had gone crazy.
"Forget it, you are Shoto's father after all, I'll spare your life..."
Defeating a warrior could make Lancer feel his blood boil, and killing a strong enemy could make him feel excited, but killing someone who seemed to be mentally unstable would only make him feel disgusted.
The ice spears stuck in Endeavor's limbs fell off, and a few Dragon Tooth Soldiers also walked out from the corner of the hall. It was obvious that they were going to take Endeavor away, but just as they touched Endeavor's limbs ————
"Boom~!!"
The flames that had been extinguished on the other party's body due to the pain reignited.
There was no doubt that the name Lancer had mentioned just now had reignited Endeavor's fighting spirit.
His purpose for coming to Lancer this time was for Shoto. Although everyone present at the time kept the relationship between Lancer and Shoto Todoroki a secret because of Lancer and All Might, the problem was that there is no such thing as a wall that doesn't leak in this world. Even if it could be kept a secret now, what about the future?
All Might's career was already on the countdown, and it was impossible for him to surpass the other party, so Shoto was his only hope. He wanted to train his son to be a greater hero than All Might.
"Shoto? That's right! Shoto!!"
After one of the main pillars of his life collapsed, Endeavor became even more obsessive. He could not allow his last hope to collapse...
But before he could finish his words, Lancer, who was already preparing to leave, turned around abruptly and slammed his right fist into Endeavor's abdomen from the bottom up.
"Bang!!"
This merciless punch almost made him float in the air, and if it weren't for the two Dragon Tooth Soldiers holding him, he probably would have collapsed directly to the ground.
"Shoto? Do you even have the face to say that name? Do you know how much it hurts me to see the smile on that child's face when he's with me?! Do you know how I, who might never have the chance to see my family again, see him?! If you are just treating him as a tool, then get lost!! At worst, he will be my son from now on!!"
Lancer emotions were also a little out of control at this time, but this was not surprising.
It had been more than three years since he crossed over, and he hadn't seen his family for three years, and the family he finally found before chose to stay in the Land of Shadows, which he understood. The reason why the other party stayed in the Land of Shadows was to train herself, and there was no doubt that the other party made this choice for him.
He respected the other party's choice, so he decided to endure the pain of separation with the other party.
'Family' and 'teacher' could be said to be the two most important words for Lancer now.
A 'teacher' guides a person, and a 'teacher's' actions will also affect a disciple's life; and 'family' is the last haven. Even if a person is not understood by the world, as long as 'family' exists, they can continue to persevere.
As Shoto Todoroki's 'teacher', he simply could not approve of Endeavor's clumsy performance at this time!
Maybe Endeavor was a true 'hero' in the hearts of ordinary people, but in Lancer eyes, he was always unqualified!
How can you be a hero if you can't even protect your family?
Is it enough to just give them enough wealth?
The answer is obvious!
——————
The punch from Lancer to the abdomen was not as painful as being pierced through the limbs before, but the other party's words were like a heavy hammer smashing into his heart.
Son?
Shoto?
Take away?
His time with Shoto Todoroki flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. From the time he insisted on training the other party as a child, to the later 'accident', and finally the cold war between the father and son after he grew up.
Am I not worthy of being a father?
Yes, I'm not worthy...
As an incompetent father, I actually imposed my own wishes on my young son.
But ——————
He recalled the smile on his face when he held Shoto Todoroki when he was born, was it really all because of the other party's quirk?
Maybe, but his joy when his child was born was not fake.
Maybe selfish...
Maybe unreasonable...
But he is still Shoto's father!!
"You're right..."
Endeavor, who stood up with difficulty, looked a little shaky, but the madness on his face had disappeared, replaced by sadness and pain.
"I'm not a qualified father, and I'm not worthy of being his family, but I will never hand Shoto over to you! Don't you know what you are doing?! You, who have carried all the hatred of this era, will be feared and hated by all those who don't know the truth, so I will never hand Shoto over to you!! I will have a good talk with him afterward, and even if he wants to leave, I will not stop him, but here! This time! Let me, as his 'father', fight here for the last time!! For his future!! I will never let you have your way!!"
The flames burning on Endeavor's body were not as hot as before, and some places even flickered as if they would disappear at any time, but these flames instead calmed Lancer, who was originally full of anger.
"Is that so? Is that your last obsession? Then let me see how deep your obsession is..."
Taking a step forward with his right foot, 'Gae Bolg' appeared in his hand at some point. His slightly lowered head made it impossible to see his eyes, but the killing intent radiating from his body made Endeavor on the other side shudder, but he had no intention of retreating.
'Even if I die, I can't retreat! At least... at least this can give Shoto a chance!'
There was no doubt that Endeavor had made a decision at this time. If he couldn't stop Shoto Todoroki from appearing as Lancer disciple, then he would leave him with a 'last chance'.
After all, outsiders didn't know the relationship between him, this 'unqualified father', and him, and they would surely pull Shoto out of this when Lancer was eventually held accountable, since All Might was such a good guy. In the eyes of ordinary people, Shoto, who has a vendetta against Lancer, doesn't look normal no matter how you look at it. At that time, whether he says he was 'hypnotized' or 'acting as a spy' are good explanations. No matter what others think, at least it's an explanation...
'Let me, this unqualified father, leave you this last legacy as my repentance... even if it can't make up for my mistakes at all...'
"Whoosh~"
As the spear scraped across his cheek, the flames that had finally burned on Endeavor's body because of his obsession or anger were still extinguished. He looked at Lancer with a calm face, and there was even a hint of a relieved smile on his face.
But ——————
"You damned fire turkey, I'm not going to leave a gap between you and my disciple. If you want to talk, go talk to him yourself!"
The spear that left his hand did not stab him as Endeavor had thought, but instead hit the stone door at the entrance of the room.
The stone door, which was hit by 'Gae Bolg', instantly collapsed, and a young man in a battle suit was looking at Lancer with a surprised face and Endeavor, who was standing with his back to him and his arms outstretched.
For a moment, the whole room was silent.
And when Lancer passed by Shoto, he said something in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Have a good talk with him. Although I know you hate him, and so do I, what he did this time is not a bad thing to exchange for a 'chance'."
When Shoto heard Lancer words and was about to turn around to say something, he found that Lancer had already disappeared.
He looked at Endeavor, who was slowly turning around, with a complicated face. The two father and son, who had not communicated for who knows how long, looked at each other without saying a word.
Finally, it was Endeavor who spoke first.
"Shoto..."
At this time, Endeavor no longer had his usual powerful appearance, but was instead in a state of embarrassment.
And Shoto Todoroki's expression was also extremely complicated. As mentioned before, Endeavor was a 'devil' in his eyes, not a 'father'. The purpose of his desire to become stronger was to defeat the other party and rescue his mother, but looking at the embarrassed Endeavor at this time, he felt very complicated.
But just as Endeavor was about to walk towards him, Shoto Todoroki instinctively took a step back.
"Don't come over!"