Realizing that sleep had finally left him and wasn't coming back, Taiko dressed in his workout clothes, acting quietly and automatically. His phone slipped into his hand. He quickly checked the security camera reports around the house, skimmed the timeline, and confirmed that everything was clear. A habit he'd developed over many years. He checked the door himself, his palm on the cold metal, as if confirming not only the lock's strength but also that he was leaving something fragile behind. Then he stepped outside and closed it tightly behind him, disappearing into the night.
He ran quickly out of town, barely noticing the distance. The asphalt gave way to dirt, then to sparse trails, but his breathing remained even, and his muscles demanded no mercy. Fatigue seemed to refuse to kick in. HalfNomu Blood had finally ceased to be just a background noise and began to function as it should. His perception sharpened, the darkness of the night ceased to be an obstacle, his eyes adapted almost instantly, picking out shapes and movements. His reactions adjusted on the fly, as if his body already knew exactly how to move. His sixth sense, the same one that had alerted him for no apparent reason yesterday at UA, was now almost obsessive, tugging him somewhere.
And it was precisely this that worked again.
He noticed the movement too late for a normal person, but early enough for himself. Taiko turned and, in a single motion, twisted the stranger's arm, pinning him to the ground, his knee bracing his torso.
—Who fuck are you!?— His voice became strangled and harsh.
—Ah-ah, wait, wait! It's me!— The voice was too familiar to mistake.
The grip loosened just enough to avoid breaking the bone. Taiko leaned closer, peering into his face.
—Kaminari?—He frowned. —What are you doing here? «So that's what kept me awake. My sixth sense still works.»
Denki was breathing heavily, not so much from pain as from adrenaline.
—I... I was watching,— he managed to squeeze out. —Not to... well, not for nothing. I wanted to ask a question. Honestly.
Taiko slowly straightened up, letting go of him completely.
—Thought to stalk me, you idiot,— he said dryly, assessing him with his eyes. —Although... I see you're fine now. Then you'll run with me.
—What?!
He didn't wait for an answer. Taiko had already taken off.
Denki ran. Honestly, stubbornly, with character. He wasn't weak; he'd prepared for academy, trained, knew how to work his body. But Taiko proved to be head and shoulders above him. His pace didn't slow, his breathing remained even, as if they'd just started warming up. A few kilometers later, Denki was already cursing every decision he'd ever made.
—We... how long... we run?— he croaked as he ran.
—Ten kilometers,— Taiko replied curtly.
—Are you kidding me...whew.
When they left the city behind and entered the forest, Taiko stopped abruptly, clinging to a tree. He dove into the bushes and pulled out a simple wooden staff, worn but familiar. The real one could only be summoned once every twenty-four hours, and this limitation was infuriating. But here, in the forest, no one interfered.
He began to strike. The tree responded dully to his blows, the staff whistled through the air, his movements were sharp, practiced, almost furious. This wasn't just training, but an attempt to drive unnecessary thoughts from his body.
—Listen... Taiko...— Denki tried to speak, catching his breath. —I really... felt something then...
Every blow made him twitch.
—I understand,— Taiko said sharply, not stopping. —I felt it too. First, the resonance from your charge, and then... —He paused for a few seconds. The staff hovered in midair.
—Then something else happened,— he continued, calmer. —So...well,— he inhaled, thinking about whether to tell Denki his secrets or not. For a couple of seconds he thought about whether to tell him about Oneself, but still, he was not an enemy, but a classmate, in whose eyes and intentions there was no threat, but only a little fear, curiosity and... respect.
—I have two Quirks. —he exhaled.
—Wh... what?— Denki stared at him. —What do you mean, two?! You were born with two Quirks?! Is that even possible? I've never heard of such a thing!
Taiko turned away, re-gripping the staff. No one remembers the Demon King anymore; there are very few people left who witnessed the dark ages of his reign. It's no wonder Denki doesn't know about the Demon King's unique ability, which isn't even mentioned online—his ability to grant and steal quirks.
—I don't know exactly what it can do myself,— he said after a pause. —But I definitely felt it interacting with yours yesterday. Perhaps...— He glanced over his shoulder. —If you hit me with another charge, I can subdue it.
Denki chuckled nervously, running his hand over the back of his head.
—Wow... Are you suggesting I hit you with a million-volt blast to activate your quirk?— He shook his head. —This isn't training anymore, it's some kind of shock therapy. You definitely won't enjoy it.
—It shouldn't,— Taiko replied curtly, raising his staff again.
The next instant, a yellowish discharge struck Taiko's body, like a needle piercing his nervous system. His muscles instantly gave way, his breath caught, and the world jerked violently. He collapsed to the ground without even having time to cry out, his consciousness fading like a light overload.
—Taiko-san!— Denki took a step forward, but it was too late. —Fuck. I knew it was a bad idea.
The blow was stronger than he'd expected. There was silence for a split second, and then something he certainly didn't expect happened. A similar yellow discharge began to gather around Taiko's body, unstable and jagged, like a reflection of his own quirk. The air hissed, and the hairs on Denki's arms stood on end.
—Hey... hey-hey, this isn't funny...— he muttered, retreating.
The answer came instantly. The discharge slid off Taiko's body and struck back, throwing Denki aside. He didn't even understand what happened, just a flash, a ringing in his ears and darkness.
...
Taiko's consciousness sank deeper than sleep.
He awoke in darkness, cold and damp, with the sensation of being in someone else's body. His hands were bound, his muscles were unresponsive, and every attempt to breathe left him weak. The smell of antiseptic and metal cut through his nose. Kyudai's face leaned over him, too close, too calm.
—Don't twitch,— he said, almost affectionately. —The Nomu formula needs to be improved. The old samples are… disappointing.
Taiko tried to scream, but the sound caught in his throat. He suddenly realized he wasn't looking through his own eyes. The body he occupied was alien. A grown man, completely naked, covered in the marks of old surgeries. His chest heaved spasmodically, his skin cold and grayish.
—You will make excellent material,— Kyudai continued, pacing around. —An improvement for him,— he nodded off to the side, —and perhaps a prototype for an entire army.
Fluid was slowly being drawn from the man's spine. Spinal fluid. It shimmered with a strange color, thick and viscous, like glowing nectar. Unnatural, frighteningly beautiful. The man screamed.
The scream was so loud that Taiko's entire body jerked, even though no one was touching him. Pain washed over him in a phantom wave, as if his own spine were being cut, his nerves being torn apart. He felt every second of this horror, every shudder, every convulsive breath.
The screams grew quieter, choked, and turned into a wheeze. Taiko tried to turn away, but he couldn't. He was trapped inside this nightmare, a helpless observer.
...
Taiko inhaled sharply and came to his senses. The forest. The cold earth beneath his back. The night sky above. His body jerked as if struck by a powerful shock, and faint yellow sparks ran across his skin, flickering and fading.
—Damn...— he breathed.
He slowly raised his hand and was surprised to see familiar energy coursing through his fingers. The same energy Denki had. The same frequency. The same nature.
Everything fell into place.
Back then, in the hospital, after stealing that child's quirk, on that night he tried to forget, Oneself had worked for the first time. He had stolen one, and now he had copied the other. Yin Yang, the duality of Oneself's nature. One permanent, the other temporary.
And now... now for the first time he held her in his hands and could control her.
—So that's how it is,— Taiko said quietly, squeezing his palm as the sparks obediently faded.
Oneself was no longer a shadow. It had become a tool.
—Hey, buddy, you okay?— Taiko approached Denki, who had a long string of drool trailing from his mouth and a look of utter stupidity on his face. —Okay, get up, it's cold out there. —He threw his arm over himself and they slowly walked away from the forest.
On the way home, his smartphone vibrated with an incoming call. It was Kuinn. Taiko sighed, hoping he hadn't disturbed her during the night, but alas.
—Taiko, I was so worried when I didn't see you. Where are you?— Her worried voice squeezed Taiko's heart with regret.
—Yes, my love, I'll be home in...—His gaze fell on Denki, who was gradually coming to his senses. —...thirty minutes. I need to tell you something very important.
Having ordered Denki a taxi to his house, Taiko returned home as quickly as he could. He didn't want to leave Kuinn alone, especially now that a hostile presence has been noticed on the academy grounds.
The door creaked softly, admitting Taiko into the cozy warmth of the hallway. The scent of dried lavender tea and old wood instantly enveloped him, displacing the chill of the forest and the prickly taste of ozone. In the living room, only a small table lamp with a green shade was lit, casting soft shadows on the bookshelves and the sofa piled with fluffy blankets. The house seemed a quiet fortress, safely separating them from the madness of the outside world.
Kuinn was waiting for him, wrapped in a voluminous cardigan that was clearly too big for her. Her eyes, full of hidden anxiety, glittered in the dim light when she saw him safe and sound. She approached silently, gently pressing her cheek against his chest, and Taiko felt his own heart gradually slow its frantic rhythm. He gently placed his hand on the back of her head, cherishing this moment of silence.
They settled into the small kitchen, where two mugs of barely steaming drink were already on the table. Taiko stared at his palms for a long moment before daring to speak. The lamplight highlighted the sharp features of his face, but now his gaze lacked the usual harshness—only the weight of a truth he could no longer bear alone. Kuinn watched his every movement carefully.
To Kuinn's surprise, Taiko's hand was demonstratively covered in a light yellow charge and lightning.
—Kuinn, I finally understood what's happening to me,—he began, his voice unusually hollow. —My Quirk, 'Oneself,' isn't just a strange power. It's a cursed legacy. In the forest, after Kaminari struck me, I didn't simply come to my senses. I copied his Qiurk. That's the nature of the Yin-Yang duality: one part takes the Quirk permanently, while the other merely reflects the other's power temporarily.
He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. The image of Doctor Kyudai and those terrifying screams from the vision still lingered before his eyes, causing a phantom pain in his spine. Taiko knew this information would change their peaceful evenings forever, but he didn't like hiding the truth from her. He had to acknowledge his connection to the evil that had once taken everything from them.
—This is a shard of that man's power, Kuinn. All for One. The monster who destroyed our home and lives left its mark directly on me. I carry a fragment of his will. 'Oneself' is an echo of his ability to steal the destinies of others. Now I understand why I feel so... wrong.
Kuinn didn't pull away or cry out in horror. On the contrary, she covered his cold hands with hers, and that simple gesture of compassion worked better than any medicine. Her face reflected a mixture of pain and deep determination; She saw him not as the heir to a villain, but as a man struggling with the darkness forced upon him. In the silence of the kitchen, only the steady ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
—You are you, Taiko, not his shadow,— she said quietly but firmly, looking him straight in the eyes. —If this power came from him, then we will use it to finish what he started. We will not let this shard destroy what we built here. Tell me everything you saw in that nightmare. Every detail.
Taiko nodded, feeling the invisible knot in his chest loosen slightly under her warm gaze. He began to describe the sterile walls of the laboratory and the shining liquid, realizing that they were now in this battle together. The night outside seemed less threatening now that there was someone nearby who was ready to share even the darkest past with him.
Taiko took a sip of his tea, feeling warmth spread through his body, but his mind remained cold and calculating. Kuinn watched him closely, brushing back a stray strand of hair. In this house, amid the familiar scents of cinnamon and wood, any secret seemed less sinister. He leaned closer, their shadows on the wall blending, and his gaze became frighteningly penetrating.
—Near the UA medical bay, I saw something no one should have seen,— Taiko whispered, a hint of a smile touching his lips. —Our great Symbol of Peace, hides a terrible wound beneath a layer of muscle. I'm sure someone seriously wounded him and he began to lose his strength, which is why he began searching for an heir. Or rather, he's already found one.His time is running out, he's literally crumbling. But most importantly, his Quirk. He called 'One For All,' the true antithesis of the horror that lives within me.
—If 'Oneself' is a fragment of All For One's power, then All Might is the bearer of its antithesis,— he added, a dangerous glint in his eyes. —These two forces are bound by a centuries-old feud. I felt this resonance, this strange attraction. The Almighty isn't just a hero; he's a living target and a key. His secret is too great for the academy to simply let him reveal it.
Kuinn narrowed her eyes slyly, and that knowing half-smile that Taiko treasured most blossomed on her lips. She immediately understood his point. Director Nezu would go to great lengths to maintain the status quo and protect the reputation of his greatest asset. This knowledge gave them invisible leverage, transforming them from mere charges into players capable of dictating their own terms.
—We can negotiate special terms for ourselves,— Kuinn finished his thought, her fingers caressing his wrist with gentle authority. "Resources, complete freedom of action, absolute protection. If the academy wants silence, they'll have to pay our price.— Taiko nodded, feeling excitement rise in his chest instead of fear. They were no longer victims of circumstance; they were now setting the pieces themselves.
...
Principal Nezu's office smelled of expensive tea and old paper, creating a deceptive sense of absolute peace. Taiko sat in a deep leather chair, carefully studying a creature whose appearance resembled a grotesque cross between a bear and a mouse. However, behind this almost charming mask lurked a cold intellect capable of calculating hundreds of moves ahead. The office's occupant folded his paws, and his beady eyes gleamed with understanding—the game had begun.
—You understand that I know too much for an ordinary first-year,—Taiko said evenly, looking the principal straight in the eye. —The secret of All Might, his fading power, and his successor... this is information that could collapse the current social order. I don't seek cheap glory; I need guarantees. If the Symbol of Peace falls prematurely, the world will descend into chaos, and I want to be prepared.
Nezu sipped slowly from his tiny cup, never losing his composure. He appreciated the young man's directness; within the academy's walls, it was rare to find anyone who preferred pragmatic calculation to blind heroism. "You're proposing an alliance, not just silence," the director stated. Taiko nodded, emphasizing that Quinn's success in the Management Department was just as important as his own achievements on the battlefield.
—I'll be wearing a mask at the sports festival,— Taiko stated firmly, his gaze hardening. —If an old enemy recognizes me as a survivor of Jaku, everyone will be at risk. I need a temporary hero's license as soon as possible to act legally and protect my interests.— Nezu narrowed his eyes knowingly, realizing the depth of the threat: before him stood a man already waging his own personal war.
After the door closed behind the student, Nezu stared for a long moment at the steam rising from his tea. For a moment, the whole situation angered Nezu. How dare his students manipulate him, but after calming his anger and his contempt for people, he began to think more practically. Taiko is an asset, and the fact that he decided to make the first move plays into his hands and gives him an advantage. Taiko Garaki was an anomaly, a sharp blade that could both protect and wound the UA system itself. «A common enemy makes us allies,» — the director thought, feeling a strange satisfaction. This young man saw the world without embellishment, and it was precisely such people who were needed to survive the coming twilight of the Age of the All Might.
Nezu watched the door close and thoughtfully bit the edge of his gilded spoon. There wasn't a hint of childish naivety in this young man; his visit resembled a business meeting between two major investors rather than a conversation between a student and a mentor. The Director appreciated how deftly Taiko had woven Quinn's fate into the fabric of his terms—it was a classic example of a strategic partnership within the family, which Nezu sincerely respected.
—Clever, Taiko Garaki, very clever,— Nezu muttered, jumping off his chair and approaching the panoramic window. —To link silence about the Symbol of Peace's weakness to the well-being of your ward... You and Kuinn know how to profit from the most dangerous secrets. You don't just ask for help; you make it profitable for the academy to help you.
The Director had already begun to mentally sketch out a plan for their deal. Quinn possessed a keen business acumen, and the Sports Festival was the perfect testing ground for her talents. Nezu decided to personally negotiate with the organizing committee to allocate her a strategically advantageous retail space in the main arena. It was a small price to pay for the loyalty of a man who knew the secret of "One For All" and had a personal score to settle with the AFO.
As for the temporary hero license, Nezu had to exercise caution. Even his influence had its limits when it came to ministerial protocol. —We'll have to wait,— he mused, rubbing his paws. —The Sports Festival will decide everything. If Taiko demonstrates power comparable to the best heroes, I can pressure the committee and expedite the license process under the guise of an emergency training program.
Nezu understood that the mask Taiko had requested would not only serve as protection from enemy gaze, but also as a symbol of his dual nature. Garaki didn't seek the spotlight; he sought results. The director smiled faintly: having such a player on his side in the coming storm was much more reassuring than trying to control him from the outside. UA's future was becoming increasingly intriguing.
The intrigue surrounding Taiko and Kuinn Garaki grew. According to Aizawa and Toshinori's lesson reports, Taiko possessed strong striking power but rather mediocre staff skills, which could be corrected. Nezu understood he needed time to improve, and then he would become a valuable asset to the academy. The main thing was for this young man not to slip up, otherwise it would be very bad for both of them. A blow to a Class A1 student would be a blow to the reputation of the entire academy.