"Hang in there, young Sukuna. We're almost there..." All Might muttered to himself as he stared at the tracking device made by Momo in his hand.
Hours before this, the Police Force, along with Tsukauchi, and the large Pro Hero team consisting of All Might, Endeavor, Gran Torino, Best Jeanist and more had prepared the operation to take down the League of Villains once and for all.
The police have also found out that the villains have two hideouts. They already know that Sukuna was in the first, but they have no idea what was in the second. Therefore, the pros will be split into two teams to raid both hideouts and arrest all the criminals at once.
'The villains won't see us coming.' All Might nodded determinedly, looking around. He, along with Endeavor and Gran Torino were sitting in the same SWAT van, while Edgeshot, Kamui Woods and Tsukauchi were sitting in another, along with many others SWAT vans accompanying them.
Meanwhile, Best Jeanist, Gang Orca, Mount Lady, Tiger from the Wild Wild Pussycats and X-less were raiding the second factory.
"The villains won't see it coming." All Might muttered, clenching the device tighter. UA's public apology broadcast was actually to deceive the villains into thinking that the heroes were having a hard time and could not afford to attack. Thus the Pro Heroes and the Police Force now had the element of surprise on their side for their counterattack.
"You're going to break that thing if you hold it harder like that." Gran Torino commented in amusement.
"Ah haha... My bad..." All Might scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. Endeavor resisted a groan, wondering how this man was the Number One Hero.
The armored vehicle came to a stop. The heroes took this as their signal and got out from the back. Gathering around, they saw that the streets were empty.
"Guess the evacuation around here went well. We're a couple of blocks away from the hideout, and I don't see anyone around here." Edgeshot commented as he approached them. All Might nodded.
"Good, we won't need to worry about the civilians if we get into the fight. Let us move up with stealth, Plus Ultra style!" All Might grinned as he gave them all an encouraging thumbs up. Everyone around nodded before they started moving.
All of the sudden, they saw a massive beam of fire blast out from a random direction, exactly where the villain's hideout was. It expanded outwards, taking the shape of a giant vertical beam as it engulfed the city blocks around it.
The hero team and the police force widened their eyes in horror, as they saw the massive explosion advancing towards them. Then they instinctively covered their ears, wincing in pain as a loud boom came not long after.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" All Might cursed as the flames kept advancing, decimating the roads and the cars before them. Endeavor jumped in front, shooting out a wall of flames to protect the people behind him.
The flames came in contact with the wall before a large shockwave occured from the clash. Everyone was then simultaneously blasted back by the shockwave.
It all went dark for Kamui Woods as his back slammed into a building...
....
(About ten minutes ago...)
Sukuna, still tied up with cuffs and ropes, was now brought to the main room of the hideout. Shigaraki then placed a laptop before him, the screen showing that they were already on a call. The villain stepped to the side, joining the rest of the League.
"Shigaraki, something strange is happening. There's like no one outside. Tons of city blocks are empty. Do you think they found us out already?" Dabi whispered to Shigaraki.
"We will leave after this." The blue haired villain muttered back, pointing at the laptop. Sukuna pretended he didn't listen to their conversation.
He stared at the laptop in front of him, showing a man whose face was entirely made up of scar tissue, extending from above his upper lip and covering his entire head and the back of his neck. The man had no visible nose, ears, hair, or eyes. And it looked like he was also on life support.
"We finally meet, Ryomen Sukuna. To think my plans were all disrupted by a 15 year old high school boy. You have made quite the name for yourself haven't you, boy?" The man started speaking calmly. Sukuna stared, peeved out by the man's appearance.
"You are the ghost of this merry little circus, I presume? The one they call the King Of Quirks." There was a slight pause, as Shigaraki stared at Sukuna, a surprised expression behind his attached hand.
'How does this brat know about him?' He wondered. The man laughed a little.
"I prefer architect, but yes. And I prefer if you call me All For One." All For One introduced himself. Sukuna stared silently.
"You've caused quite a stir. A student, who doesn't even have his provisional license, walks willingly into the lion's den."
Sukuna shrugged. "What do you mean? You kidnapped me."
"Did we? That wasn't what I heard from them." Sukuna smirked a little.
"You have quite the observation skills, considering what All Might did to you." The pink haired boy taunted. Shigaraki narrowed his eyes.
"Watch who you're talking to!" He growled out.
"Now now. See how I'm not offended by his taunts, Tomura?" All For One interfered. Shigaraki stared for a moment before he stepped back with a snort.
"I have to be honest. You intrigue me, Ryomen Sukuna. You see the world clearly, its hypocrisy, its fragility, its cruelty..." He began. Sukuna's eyes narrowed.
"And you think that means I belong here?" He snorted. "Sorry, but I won't become someone's lackey, especially to someone like you." He stated unapologetically. All For One only leaned closer to the camera.
"I think that someone like you would thrive without the illusions of hero society. The world will only disappoint you beyond repair. Why risk yourself for a world that debates whether you're a hero or a monster?" The mastermind questioned. Sukuna exhaled slowly before he answered.
"Because someone has to." All For One tilted his head at his words.
"The world is broken. Heroes pretend it isn't while you villains burn it out of spite. You're not fixing anything, All For One. I however fight in spite of it." All For One chuckled.
"And you think you can do it better than me? Do you think you understand the world better than I do? You are but a boy playing hero. Look at yourself, Ryomen Sukuna. What can you do?" All For One questioned.
Sukuna stared for a moment before he grinned like a maniac.
"This."
Toga suddenly gasped and started groaning in pain, clutching her stomach as she was forced on her two knees.
"Toga-chan! What's wrong?!" Twice rushed over, while the rest of the villains watched, unsure what to do with this sudden development.
"Gurk!!" Toga opened her bright yellow eyes, finding herself in a weird space. The air felt heavy. Nothing was moving, and that in itself feot threatening to Toga.
"Welcome to my domain, Toga. " Toga immediately looked up, finding Sukuna sitting on a throne made out if skulls and bones, placed on a mountain full of the exact same thing. He sat there, one leg draped over the other.
"Wh-where am I?" Toga asked, not liking the entertained grin on Sukuna's face at all. And since when did he had a kimono on?!
"My soul."
"Huh?"
"Cool right? You're the second person to come in here. You should feel honored." Sukuna commented, standing up. He lightly jumped, landing in front of Toga.
"You remember yesterday when I let you drink my blood?" Toga nodded slowly.
"When you drank my blood, you had also ingested a fragment of my energy within you. The energy laid dormant, integrating into your nervous system until I activated it just now." He explained as Toga widened her eyes.
"No fair! You tricked me!" She shouted, feeling betrayed. And they were just starting to get along too! Sukuna shook his head at her accusations.
"No Toga, I am helping you. In a couple of seconds I will be escaping, and I will destroy this base." He explained simply, as if he was discussing the weather.
"No way..." She whispered in disbelief. Sukuna stepped forward a little more.
"Last night, you didn't say it, but I can tell. You want to change don't you, Toga?" He asked as her eyes widened. She looked away, her hands curling into her sleeves. She bit her lip.
"I... I don't know..."
"Honesty would be a great start. This is a place where thoughts and truths are harder to lie about." He stated calmly, looking around the space with a small smile.
"I want to take you with me, Toga..." He muttered, surprising her again.
"What?"
"You don't enjoy being what they expect you to be, Toga. I know you don't. They want you to be their monster, a killer, a merciless demon. But your problem isn't your Quirk. It's that you've accepted it as an excuse. " He began, stepping forward while Toga stepped back nervously.
"Y-you don't get it! When I smell blood it's like my head goes fuzzy!"
"Then you train the instinct. Just like heroes train their Quirks." Sukuna dismissed, shaking her head. Toga blinked, stopping a little. She's never thought about it that way before. After all, society treated her urge as something disgusting, something to suppress, not something that could be managed.
"Face it, Toga. The reality is the League doesn't care about you. They don't want you to be better. They want you to be dangerous."
"Then why are you trying to be a hero? Shiggy said it, they're trying to control you too!" She argued. Now that she thought about it. Her and Sukuna were like two strange mirrors staring at each other. One is a girl ruled by impulse, the other a boy who built his entire identity around not losing control.
"Because someone like mechoosing to do nothing would be irresponsible." He replied immediately in his stubborn fashion.
"What did you want to be before everyone told you what you were?" He asked out of the blue. Toga froze at the humanly question that no one had bothered to ask before.
"I... I don't know..." She whispered with a small voice, almost ashamed. Sukuna shook his head.
"I think you did know once, before all of this, before the blood, before everyone told you who you were. There was a choice. A spark. A reason to act. You just forgot it, didn't you?" He muttered, a rare softness in his voice.
Toga looked down, shivering slightly. She had tried to bury it, she had tried to convince herself that she had always been a monster, that chaos was the only way she could exist. But something in Sukuna's voice made her stomach twist. Something in his eyes told her he wasn't lying.
"I... just wanted to be normal? Not like this. Not... feared. Not... hunted." She murmured, almost to herself. Sukuna nodded, understanding in his eyes.
"Being normal isn't a weakness. What matters is what you do with it. Even now, you have a chance to choose differently. The past doesn't own you." She looked at him, uncertainty in her cat-like eyes.
"But what if... what if I fail again?" She stuttered.
"Then you fail." He replied calmly.
"But at least it will be under your choice. Not the world's. Not your parents'. Not your Quirk's. Yours." He pointed at where her heart was located. Toga stared at his finger, her breathing quickening, her mind spinning.
For the first time in her life, Toga felt a sliver of possibility stretch out before her. It wasn't a safe one, nor was it easy. It was terrifying. But... but it was hers.
And she wanted to take it.
"What... what do I do?"
Sukuna smirked.
...
Only for a fraction of a second had passed since their conversation before the world snapped back. Sukuna stared at Toga, his face expressionless. Then, the blonde girl stopped groaning in pain before she slowly got up, her hair covering her eyes.
"Toga-chan? You good?" Twice asked, while the others looked warily. Suddenly, in a burst of speed, Toga dashed towards Sukuna while taking out her knife.
In a few swings, the cuffs and ropes tying down Sukuna was sliced up. Sukuna immediately stood up, rubbing his arms a little as Toga stood by his side.
"You traitorous bitch! You're working with him?!" Dabi shouted angrily, holding out his hand, preparing to shoot out flames. Toga glance at them, before she grinned while spinning her knife.
"Sorry gang, we could've been great gaming buddies. But I don't wanna be a villain anymore."
"This is... an interesting development..." All For One muttered, though he was inwardly seething at the turn of events.
"Oi! What the hell did you do to her?!" Twice shouted. Sukuna smirked, as his signature tattoos formed.
"I didn't do anything, she chose her path. Right, Toga?" He smiled at her. The girl nodded, a genuine smile on her face.
"Though does this really have to be on here? It's kinda ugly." She commented, raising her right arm, showing Sukuna a crown-like symbol in the middle of the back of her palm, the exact one on his forehead.
"Eh, I don't decide where it goes." Sukuna shrugged in response, remembering back to the rest of the conversation they had in his innate domain.
...
"Once you agree to this binding vow. You will gain some of my strength. But here's the catch, you will have to follow my orders in return." Sukuna explained.
"But don't worry, I won't be using that too much. It's just a terms and conditions for this binding vow to work. A heavy reward with a heavy condition. You still get to live freely, walk whatever path you like." He added. Toga blinked, before nodding in response.
"Do we shake on it or something?" She asked, holding out her hand. Sukuna stared before forming a small smile.
"Sure, why not?"
...
"Well, I've enjoyed my stay here. It was nice meeting you all." Sukuna stated as they all prepared to fight him. "But unfortunately, I can't let you guys go."
"My plan was to initially let the heroes come here themselves. But now that I'm already free, I'll just take matters into my own hands." He stated.
"Tch!" Dabi scowled, shooting out blue flames towards Sukuna who stared at it unimpressed. The teen casually sidestepped away before throwing multiple Dismantles to the laptop, slicing it into pieces.
He then appeared before Dabi and used Cleave, slicing the man up. Dabi groaned in pain as he fell back. Mr Compress touched him, changing him into a small marble.
"How the hell... did he get so fast..." Shigaraki muttered , remembering that Sukuna wasn't that fast during the battle in Hosu.
"Know your place, fool..."
The villains widened their eyes as what they saw next.
" Fuga...."
"Those are... flames?!" Shigaraki muttered as he took multiple steps back. Sukuna had a smirk on his face as orange and red flames ignited around his hands.
"I thought he only had physical strength and slicing as his powers..." Spinner whispered.
"What Stain said was true... You truly are... a monster..." He whispered as Sukuna started manipulating the flames, forming it into an arrow as it pulled his right hand back, performing a nocking motion.
The villains were suddenly entrapped in a mysterious black liquid as they all stared at Sukuna. Then, the same mysterious black liquid appeared out of thin air with Nomus appearing out of the phenomenon.
"Master..." Shigaraki whispered, realizing that All For One was saving them.
As the villains slowly disappeared into the liquid while the Nomus leaped towards Sukuna, time seemed to slow sown as the pink haired teen released the fire arrow towards them. Sukuna wrapped an arm around Toga's waist and disappeared in an instant.
A blinding light then engulfed the area.
....
Pure destruction.
There was nothing else to describe the aftermath of the attack. The maximum output inferno had devastated multiple city blocks and started street-spanning fires all around. There were also car alarms making noise everywhere.
"If I didn't agree to your terms..." Toga muttered, both of them watching the devastation on the roof of a building from afar. It looked like an apocalypse had just descended upon the area.
"Nah, I still would've gotten you out of there." Sukuna waved her off. Toga glanced at him.
"Then why make this binding vow or whatever you call it?"
"I just wanted to try it out."
"Are you serious?!" Toga shouted at him, her eye twitching in annoyance. "What happens if I don't follow your orders?" She asked. He shrugged.
"Eh, then you'll lose the power boost, and you'll probably be in pain for a few moments." He replied. Toga just deadpanned at him.
"What now? Do I just go turn myself in or something?" Toga muttered. "I mean, that's what you'll probably do right, considering that I'm still a villain." She added as Sukuna slowly walked away. The boy stopped, before looking back at her.
" Have you ever heard of the Villain Rehabilitation Program?"
"The what?"
...
"This... This is madness..." Endeavor muttered as he and the pro hero team walked around the destroyed city block. The HPSC was going to have a field day with this.
"Who the hell did this is my question." Kamui Woods muttered. He was glad that the police force had evacuated everyone beforehand, or else this day would've been even worse.
"No way the kid did this right? From what I know his powers are just physical strength and slicing abilities." Edgeshot asked, as an uncomfortable silence reigned over them.
"Wait..." Kamui Woods paused before he looked around multiple times.
"Where's All Might?"
To be continued...
(haha no malevolent shrine for you. but was it a good reveal though? Did I make toga join too early? let me know.)