Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
September 18 - Darkness Pov.
I shifted my shoulders, shuddering from the phantom discomfort. It felt strange not carrying my enormous backpack, where my hero costume, shield, and sword were securely fastened, so I couldn't help but squirm slightly at the lack of weight. Tanya and Visha were beside me; for some reason, we were heading in the same direction. They had been summoned by their mentor, Lady Nagant, while I had been called by Fat Gum.
"Ah! Dustiness-san! Degurechaff-san! Serebryakov-san!" I heard a voice behind us calling out. The three of us stopped and turned around only to see Uraraka waving as she approached cheerfully. Behind her were Jinx, Asada-san, Asui-san, and Midoriya-san.
"Good morning everyone, have you been called too?" I asked with a smile. I spent a lot of time in dorm 1-A, so I was well-known to the group, especially to Jinx, who was a pretty close friend. It had been a couple of days since Fat Gum had given me the days off for some reason, and this morning I'd received a message with the time and place of a meeting.
"Dustiness-san, I haven't been called in a while, but I was notified to come in today." Midoriya said with a nervous smile. The others nodded.
"Us too." Uraraka added happily.
"Jinx, Sinon, Asui-san, Uraraka-san, Midoriya-san, it's good to see you all again," Tanya said politely. "I was expecting to run into Jinx and Sinon since Lady Nagant summoned all of us, but it's quite a coincidence to run into you as well," Tanya said, frowning slightly. By now, I knew how to read Tanya well enough to know she was suspicious of the situation, and Visha, her sister, seemed to be too.
"Do you think it was a coincidence?" Visha asked, tilting her head. Tanya just hummed before shrugging.
"It could be a simple coincidence, it doesn't matter," Tanya finally said. I just chuckled. The group quickly joined ours, so we made the rest of the journey together. It was strange since we all headed to the same train station and took the same train.
Tanya's brow furrowed even more as she became more thoughtful. Now I was also thinking that this really wasn't a coincidence, especially when we ran into Amajiki, Hado-san, and Togata-san. Even so, I greeted them cheerfully, especially the first one, as I was already familiar with her from our joint internship with Fat Gum.
Once we entered the same building, it was difficult to pretend it was a coincidence and everyone seemed to tense up as we entered a meeting room quite crowded with heroines and heroes of all kinds; I could see some rather famous people here and there.
"Grandpa?! And Aizawa-sensei?!" Midoriya shouted in surprise, and I turned around. The elderly hero was several meters away, and I stared at him in astonishment—All Might's father. I quickly shook off my shock and looked at Aizawa-sensei, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A. I was also quite familiar with him.
The longer it went on and the more heroes kept arriving, the more confused she became. It seemed to be related to the case from the other day, and that Sir Nighteye had been the one to organize this meeting.
Once we were all settled at long tables, Sir Nighteye took the lead.
"Thanks to the information everyone has provided, I've made significant progress in my investigation. I've called this meeting for no other reason than to share information and discuss the procedures we'll follow against the conspiracies of an organization called Shie Hassaikai," Sir Nighteye said, getting straight to the point.
My eyes opened before I could register what happened. I couldn't help but turn to look at Tanya, who returned my gaze solemnly as she nodded. Izumi had shared some information about something called Shie Hassaikai, telling us to be extremely vigilant for any mention of its name, that it was something truly evil. He was rather vague about it, but serious enough to warrant taking it seriously. Something had been troubling Izumi for the past few days.
Sir Nighteye and his assistants began to explain the whole situation, and my brow furrowed more and more as I listened. They explained who the Shie Hassaikai were, as one of the many Yakuza groups that controlled Japan's criminal underworld.
Their operations, their contacts with the black market throughout the country, their desire to expand, and even the development of drugs.
Specifically, a drug that disables quirks and their functionality, how it destroyed the quirk factor within a person's body, unlike disabling it like Aizawa-sensei did. I blushed slightly when Fat Gum congratulated me simply for being hit by a bullet unexpectedly and not being able to penetrate my skin, disguising it as a premeditated strategy.
Although the shame didn't last long, as they continued talking, a ball of fury and despair rose up inside me.
Drugs made with human blood? The group's leader, Chisaki, possesses a quirk called Overhaul, capable of disassembling and restoring objects? A quirk that allows her to break something and reassemble it? A daughter with numerous bandages around her hands and legs?
That bastard was using her daughter's body to make drugs?! I clenched my teeth tightly as I tried to control myself.
Sir Nighteye continued talking about the operation, especially about locating the girl's position, along with the local heroes since they were familiar with the surrounding area, but they also called on Lady Nagant since she was one of the best trackers in the country despite working mainly in Tokyo.
Then it switched to Sir Nighteye talking about his power to see the future. I frowned; I couldn't understand most of the conversation, but he seemed to... refuse to use his quirk on allies? That was weird.
"Locate the girl and ensure her rescue. Our goal is to resolve this situation as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thank you for your cooperation," Sir Nighteye said, standing up and ending the conversation. Information—we needed information—and my mind kept returning to the same thing.
"Izumi." I couldn't help but say out loud. I looked up only to see that everyone had turned to look at me. I blushed when I realized I had said it unconsciously.
"Do you have something to say, Darkness?!" Fat Gum asked encouragingly, and I blushed.
"N-no, I- I just-" I stammered, embarrassed.
"What did Miyamura say?" Aizawa asked suspiciously. I grimaced...
"Eraser Head?" Sir Nighteye asked, frowning. Aizawa just grimaced.
"Izumi Miyamura, Ryuma's grandson, has a fairly wide range of skills, but one of his greatest abilities is his Observation Haki. Like Mirio, it's developed to such a high level that he's able to see into the immediate future."
"But not only that, he is capable of seeing more; he has been able to see glimpses of a person's past and future over a wider range, he is capable of having visions of dangers, he was able to see the gate break over I-Island before it happened, and he was also able to see and locate the 10 gates that were going to break all around Japan during the Kamino incident and to obtain information on the League of Villains and more."
"Thanks to him, we were able to react quickly enough and significantly reduce the number of victims that day. If Dustiness mentions Izumi, it's because he saw something. Or am I mistaken?" Aizawa said, explaining to the others, directing that last question toward me. I made a face as they all stared at me, and I cleared my throat.
"Izumi wasn't very detailed; he mentioned Shie Hassaikai and Overhaul in the same sentence, telling us to be careful around them and to pay attention to their names. He might have seen more than he told us." Explain carefully.
"Did you see... Shie Hassaikai?" Sir Nighteye asked immediately. "When was that?" he added quickly.
"...before we started our training." I said honestly, and Sir Nighteye's eyes widened.
"Almost two weeks ago?" Sir Nighteye asked, almost incredulous. "I need you to repeat word for word what he said," Sir Nighteye ordered as he leaned in and looked at me intently. I stammered slightly.
"Shie Hassakai, Chisaki, Overhaul, Eri, Rewind. Those were the words Izumi made us memorize." Tanya suddenly interjected, and everyone turned to look at her. "Izumi doesn't hide his ability from his wife, fiancées, and girlfriends. I'm one of them, so I received the warning as well."
"Those were the five things he warned us about. He was really vague about it, or he didn't see much, or what he did see was too confusing or nonsensical to interpret correctly at the time," Tanya added easily. Sir Nighteye just sighed.
"Then there's no point in discussing it," Sir Nighteye said dismissively.
"Could we call him?" Midoriya said immediately, Sir Nighteye shook his head.
"Outside of a fight, Observation Haki is not necessary; it's highly unreliable," Sir Nighteye said immediately.
"But even so, Izumi was able to see through everything we were talking about, more than a week ago, and he knows things we don't, for example, what Rewind is?" Tanya said without flinching.
"It's still not relevant," Sir Nighteye said, frowning.
"I disagree, sir. We need all available information. For an operation of this magnitude, even the smallest piece of information could be crucial," Tanya argued. "I thought you'd understand," she added. Sir Nighteye narrowed his eyes.
"What does that mean?" Sir Nighteye asked slowly.
"You're a fatalist who believes in determinism. You use your quirk efficiently and at the precise moment, so you only use it to gather information when you believe you have a 99% chance of success," Tanya said, frowning. Sir Nighteye frowned.
"And that's the safest way to use it; it's meant to be used when the chances of success have been maximized. It should be used for safety." Sir Nighteye repeated himself, and Tanya frowned.
"No, you're talking about assumptions. You're letting your own experiences dictate how you should use your Quirk. Even if there are many uncertainties involved, a glimpse into the future could give us some ideas about where to start looking, who to look for, and much more—especially yours," Tanya insisted again. Sir Nighteye shook his head.
"My quirk shouldn't be used recklessly, and Observation Haki isn't reliable. Or hasn't Mr. Miyamura been wrong with his visions? Or hasn't he seen incorrect situations the further he looks?" Sir Nighteye asked, and Tanaya nodded.
"He has." Tanya agreed without hesitation. "Izumi has seen many things wrong, he's seen his wife as a warlord, he's seen me as a soldier of my country, he's seen many wrong situations. But that doesn't change the fact that he learned a lot."
"While the situations weren't real, everything else was: information about our personalities, our quirks, advanced ways to use them that we haven't yet developed or even thought about, and much more."
"He may not have witnessed the events precisely, but he's capable of gathering useful information," Tanya said firmly. "Furthermore, we're not talking about Observation Haki; we're talking about using your Quirk. Once again, it would be a good way to obtain information quickly, but you seem to be afraid of your own Quirk." Tanya said without hesitation, and my eyes widened. I could see Sir Nighteye staring intently at Tanya, who shook her head.
"You don't know what you're talking about." Sir Nighteye said in a deathly whisper. Tanya didn't flinch, she just looked him straight in the eyes before narrowing hers.
"No, I apologize. What you're afraid of isn't your Quirk, it's the outcome, what you might see with it," Tanya said, correcting herself. Nighteye's eyes trembled slightly. "The way you speak, the way you answer yourself, the way you deny it. You take the future you see with your Quirk as immutable."
"And that says a lot, especially since you have a hero-in-training like Mirio Togata, who is able to see the future with his Observation Haki, and you maintain that stance even with that, there are only a few explanations."
"Your quirk seems to operate according to Novikov's Self-Consistency Principle or under a causal loop paradox. That means that everything you see happening in the future will happen, and you can't change it. It's useless to use it on allies to tell them when they're going to die, because they won't be able to prevent it even if they try. And in fact, trying might be the very reason it actually happened, causing the causal loop, which is much worse."
"And it must be strong enough to be able to predict and react to even something like Observation Haki at a terrifying level, so you're afraid of your own visions." Tanya said with the same ease as if she were reading a report.
My eyes, and those of all the other heroes, widened. I… didn't have half of that?! Even so, it almost seemed like I was… insulting Sir Nighteye? I paled at the implication.
"What's the point?" Sir Nighteye asked, sounding genuinely furious. I swallowed audibly as I looked nervously at Tanya.
"The point is, I think you're wrong," Tanya said gently. Sir Nighteye remained deathly still.
"Am I... wrong?" Sir Nighteye said with icy slowness, his gaze darkening as he stared intently at Tanya, who didn't flinch and returned his gaze. "Even after everything you said? About Novikov and the causal loop? Which, by the way, you're right about. I'm impressed you even know about those terms, but putting that aside, my quirk is immutable, even in the face of other precognition quirks or even observation haki."
"In over 30 years, my quirk has NEVER failed me, NEVER, no matter what villain, power, or quirk I faced, it never wavered or changed. And you tell me I'm wrong?" Sir Nighteye asked, almost in a threatening whisper. Tanya just stared at him.
"Yes," Tanya said in a single breath. Sir Nighteye stared at her intently.
"Why?" Sir Nighteye finally asked, without any emotion, just staring at Tanya as if trying to see through her soul. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they looked at Tanya.
"Because Izumi said so, and I believe him." Tanya said with the same ease. I looked at her incredulously, and I wasn't the only one; everyone, including Sir Nighteye, looked at her incredulously.
"You believe him... is that all you're going to say? You believe an 18-year-old over my 30 years of experience, simply... why do you believe him!? Is that your answer!?" Sir Nighteye asked, raising his voice.
"Yes," Tanya said with the same ease, almost looking at Sir Nighteye with pity. "Because the other option is to accept fate, to accept that there's someone pulling the strings and we dance to their tune. I'd rather believe Izumi than end up like you. I didn't like what I saw." Tanya said, and I paled as I registered those words.
"Your -" Sir Nighteye growled.
"I refuse to believe that everything is written, that everything is predetermined, that everything follows the dictates of a more powerful Being that we are obligated to follow!" Tanya said fervently, standing up for the first time. "If there is such a thing as Fate or Destiny, or a damn God who guides our lives according to his damn whims, I only have one thing to say to you." Tanya's gaze became even more crazed. "I'm going to slice you into pieces and feed you to the pigs!!"
"We are heroes!! We are the Symbol of hope!! On our battlefield there is no room for a shitty fate or God! I will not let anything or anyone force me to do what they want, who we can save or not, just because something like Fate or a God tells me to! And if necessary, I will seize the work of God and Fate and destroy it!" Tanya growled fervently, her face twisted almost in a state of madness.
We all fell silent, watching a frenzied Tanya as her aura pulsed with defiance—not directed at us, but as if she were challenging something greater than herself, something bigger. I couldn't help but flinch, but this time for good reason. Tanya was right. We are heroes, and if we have to fight against fate, we would do it willingly.
"Well said, Degurechaff," Aizawa said with a small smile on his face. "Your point of view is good, but next time try to control yourself and speak properly." Aizawa said, Tanya's expression and aura returning to normal as she straightened up.
"I apologize for my lack of control," Tanya said easily as she sat back down. Sir Nighteye remained silent, staring intently at Tanya.
"Putting that aside, we still need to gather information." Aizawa finally said, Jinx being the first to snort.
"Then let's get back to the point of this whole discussion and call Izumi. That idiot is hiding more than he lets on." Jinx said, crossing her arms.
"again-"
"I agree," Aizawa said, interrupting Sir Nighteye, who simply glared at Aizawa. "Miyamura tends to know far more than he lets on, and it's not as if we can dismiss any possibility of information, no matter how small," Aizawa said seriously. Sir Nighteye clicked his tongue.
"Fine," Sir Nighteye finally said. I looked at Tanya, Visha, and Jinx; we spoke in silence, and they all stared at me before raising an eyebrow. I sighed.
"Excuse me, I'll call him back right away, I'll put him on speakerphone." I said shyly, took out my scroll and immediately called Izumi. The scroll rang for several seconds before she answered.
"Hey, pet, what do you need?" Izumi asked with a cheeky smile as she appeared on the Scroll screen. I blushed deeply.
"I-Izumi!" I squealed in embarrassment, Izumi just raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong? Do you need permission to have an orgasm? You know it's forbidden. You can masturbate, but you have to stop before you finish. Only I can make you come," Izumi said, almost scolding me. My face flushed red, and I stared at Izumi, completely stunned.
"Izumi!! I'm not alone!" she squealed immediately. She didn't even want to look up at the rest of the pro heroes, especially because of Jinx's uproarious laughter. This wasn't the kind of embarrassment she liked to receive!
"Oh? Are any of the girls there? Are you about to have sex? You know that if they do, you have to send a video, and even then, you can't come." Izumi said with a lascivious smile.
"Izumi! That's not it!" I yelled even louder, embarrassed.
"None of the girls are here? Are there strangers in there? Kinky. I know you like exhibitionism, but I don't like other people seeing what's mine if I'm not present, but I'll allow it as long as you continue the video call." Izumi said with a magnanimous smile as if she were doing me a favor. At another time, those possessive words and that look would have made me tremble with pleasure; now I could only feel embarrassment. Please, just kill me already. I blushed even more.
"Miyamura." Aizawa growled, appearing behind me and snatching the scroll from me.
"Ewww." Izumi said, looking at Aizawa. "That's one way to kill an erection, sensei." Izumi said with a grimace. I shrank even further in my seat.
"Miyamura. I will punish you." Aizawa growled furiously.
"Okay, but let it be known that it's not my fault. Darkness is still wearing her collar. I thought it was a sexual advance." Izumi said. My eyes widened, and my hand immediately went to my neck. I could easily feel the leather collar.
"Oh goddess." I murmured in horror as I hurriedly ripped off my necklace. Since there was no need to wear my hero costume, I forgot to take it off! Aizawa sighed.
"Shie Hassakai, Kei Chisaki, Overhaul, Eri, Rewind. Explain yourself." Aizawa said directly, and I risked looking at Izumi, who remained deathly serious.
"I see, so you really-" "Hey Aizawa! What do you want with my Sidekick!" growled a woman who snatched the scroll from Izumi. My eyes widened when I saw Mirko.
"Mirko," Aizawa said with a sigh. "We're conducting an investigation with Nighteye. Miyamura has information that might be relevant. Please return the scroll to him." Aizawa said, massaging his temple.
"A case? A raid? I'm in! We'll be at Nighteye's office in 10 minutes!" Mirko said with a sadistic smile before the call cut off. Aizawa growled loudly.
"Prepare two more places, Mirko and Miyamura are coming." Aizawa grumbled.
"Aizawa-sensei... aren't they in Nagoya... more than 100km away?" Visha asked cautiously. Aizawa just snorted.
"If anyone can make it in 10 minutes, it's those two lunatics." Aizawa grunted, handing the scroll back to me, then went back to his chair and sat down again. That... I guess he was right.
At least it seemed that everyone decided to ignore or forgot Izumi's recent words, I sighed in relief and completely ignored Jinx's mocking smile.
Author's Notes: And we continue with the Shie Hassaikai arc!