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Beginning of Chapter
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Undisclosed Location
Time: Noon
The air was thick with antiseptic, the hum of machinery echoing through a dimly lit chamber. Strange vats lined the walls, grotesque shapes floating within, barely human in form.
A multitude of screens connected, all mounted onto one wall, the sound of beeps of medical machines sounding. The place had a smell of mild and dust, one of the only properly functioning light illuminating the two individuals in the room.
Sukuna lounged in a chair with his legs crossed, wearing white robes and a black slash as he held a glass of wine in his hand. Across from at at a cluttered workstation, a man sat hunched over.
He was a short man, wearing large glasses and sporting a think white moustache, contrasting compared to his bald head and appearing to be no older than sixty, but looks can be deceiving.
He was mumbling something right as Ryomen decided to converse with the man.
"Pissed you lost your favourite Nomu, Doctor?" He held in a laugh as the man slammed his hands on his desk as he started to angrily show his disappointment at the events.
"He wasn't just a Nomu, he was the best one yet. I have no doubt All Might would of been reduced to a bloody mess if we used him at the right time. But the master just–"
'Yea, yea you've said this a million times the past week.' Sukuna rolled his eyes at the man
"…and that boy. The white-haired student. He erased the Nomu in one blow. No regeneration. Not even dust."
Sukuna's hand clenched into a fist.
'That brat should've died with his mother...' He clenched his jaw before relaxing letting out a sigh as he took a sip of his wine.
"Okay, okay your shitty thing is gone. You let Shigaraki take him, and well. Shit went South then East." Ryomen shrugged at the man.
"Yea, like your little distraction. You're lucky he only got your arm. To think someone as crazy as you would bait Endeavor. Need I remind you of how we had to remove your leg so it could grow back." The doctor scoffed.
"Well if you have a problem doc, spit it out won't you. I don't mind having to play jenga with your body parts." Sukuna cracked his neck.
"Enough."
A tired, calm and commanding with a slight wheeze, voice commanded. Ryomen leaned back in his chair as the doctor looked towards the source of the voice.
Sitting in a large chair sat a gigantic 7ft4 (2.3m) tall man. Dressed in a black suit, not quite enough to hide his large muscular build. His head was near blank. Eyes, nose ears? Missing, as if someone had forgotten to draw them in. All was there was a mouth covered by a oxygen mask, making his voice sound hollow as he spoke.
This man... This thing was once the rival to the Symbol of Peace.
The Demon of Japan. The man who's bent the rules of quirks since it's first generation. A Special Grade classed villain, one removed as the world wanted to forget him.
All for One.
All For One tilted his head, just slightly. Even through the mask, the shift in atmosphere was suffocating once he spoke tonremind the men of where they were. Sukuna's grin faltered for a heartbeat before twisting into a frown.
"I thank you Sukuna. Your information, assistance in Quirk hunting, and providing a few bodies and even on short notice, causing a distraction so large, you outdid what i originally asked of you.You truly have kept your end of our vow."
Sukuna scoffed as he threw his drink to the side, letting the glass shatter and spill the win across the floor, causing a sigh of annoyance from the one, while the other could not care at all.
"I get the quirks I wanted, I help you destroy Japan and bring choas. At first just wanting that special grade title was all I wanted but... Now i don't even care–"
He laughed before he continued. "... All I want to do is chop up women and kids. Be a curse on this world." His sadist grin pasted across his face, before he looked at Garaki who shook his head.
Sukuna scoffed in irritation and pointed at the doctor. "You have no right to any say. You've been handling the corpses of multiple."
"Im doctor, just a special kind really." Garaki said in a flat, matter of fact tone.
"In any case gentlemen–" All for One said. Getting their attention before he could continued. Between words, the steady rasp of All For One's respirator filled the silence. Every inhale, every exhale.
"–While I applaud your work, you're not done Ryomen. Jogos quirk will not be easy to obtain. Well have to organise that for a future plan. Worry not. You will be able to live your desires, I just need a few more things from you."
"Argh, fine." Sukuna groaned at it. Clenching his fist in frustration.
'I'm surprised he's willing to hear out another favour...' All for one thought to himself.
He cleared his throat before he adressed Garaki. "Doctor, old friend. If you will, connect a call to Shigaraki. He must have calmed down by now."
"Tantrum with skin." The doctor mumbled as he typed something on his keyboard and on the main screen directly opposite the room from All For One came to life with a white light and static.
Sukuna thought to himself as the call waiting to be connected.
'Special Grade. A king needs a crown. So then I'll just make it out of their broken bodies.'
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Location: Zenin Residential Area. Kouns House
Time: Late evening after U.A
The room was showered in the golden rays of the setting sun. Books laying around, from physics to current spacial theories.
"Quirks operate through complex biological and neurological pathways, often triggered by unique genetic markers. Though still largely mysterious, researchers continue to explore the deeper mechanics of quirk activation and suppression…"
The voice of a woman said, coming from the speakers of his laptop, playing a documentary on quirk research.
Gojo's eyes stayed half-lidded, bosy sprawlled on the bed, but his mind was sharp. He could feel it, this strange energy thrumming inside him, like a river running just beneath his skin.
It wasn't just his own body anymore, he swore he could feel the faint hum of the space around him too, better than he could before. If this was a faint hum, he was beyond deaf before, it was like threads connecting everything together.
He inhaled deeply, holding his breath until his chest ached, and then exhaled slowly. For a moment, he let himself dissolve into that sensation. Space outside. Space inside. Could he feel them both at once?
By the time he opened his eyes, the room was filled with darkness, the only source of light being the laptop screen at his desk.
'Must have zoned out. Oh well' he thought to himself as he sat up.
Then, suddenly a thought appeared. He swung his legs over the bed, and pulled his chair to his desk. Fingers flying across the keyboard, as he typed.
Eraserhead Quirk Analysis.
A handful of forum posts, articles, and interviews popped up. He skimmed them, frowning.
"So it's… telepathic.. Hm." he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in the chair as he pondered.
"If it's telepathic, does that mean it blocks at the brain? No… more like intercepting the signal. Scrambling it. Which means the energy's still there. I wonder if I could feel that gap when it happens."
His eyes narrowed as he looked upmat the ceiling. If Aizawa could disrupt quirks at their signal level, did that mean Gojo could feel the disruption when it happened?
Could he trace that block and push through it?
Or better… could he find a way to make himself untouchable by it as well?
He chuckled. "Guess I'll have to schedule a little test run." He looked towards his side, a small calender sitting on his desk. Days marked off, one day circled to come soon.
"Sport Festival is about next week. Considering yesterday everyone was back, we have a week then we have the tournament.
Should be plenty of time to test my theory with Aizawa. If it works..." He chuckled at the thought. Being a counter to regen quirks and unaffected by nullification.
His reputation and popularity would boost.
'Need to start planning then. Got to pull all the stops at the festival.' He thought tk himself before he got a news notification
Curiosity struck as he clicked on it. Fingers clicked across the keys again, this time opening a tab of international news. Headlines scrolled past:
Star and Stripe: The American Pride
Yuta Okkotsu in Switzerland: Youngest Special Grade At Twenty-one .
Geto Suguru Expands Influence in China.
Yuki Tsukumo's German Research Initiative Gains Global Funding.
Gojo tilted his head, reading each line carefully.
"These countries…" he murmured, "rising to the big leagues, huh? Nations stacking up their new champions. Guess the universe just wanted to keep balance."
He let out a low laugh, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms behind his head.
"They're just keeping my spot warm. When I'm ready…" his grin widened as the red glow flickered out, "…there won't be room for anyone else."
The screen's glow flickered against his eyes, the look of a man who had seen the crown, and decided it would become his.
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End of Chapter
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