Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
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Odin, huh? So you knew I was gonna awaken, Master," Shoto remarked, walking toward his master before ramming the spear into the ground and crossing his arms.
"Awaken? No, that wasn't what I was going for. Though now that I look at you, there is awakened aura coming from you, so..." The time user paused, studying the heterochromatic boy with an analytical gaze before starting to grin.
At that, Shoto felt a shiver run down his spine and took a couple of steps back. "Since you're awakened now, I think it's time to step up your training, don't you think?" Turning away, the ice user tried to escape, but it was to no avail, his master was already standing before him, one hand on the fire user's shoulder.
"Don't you think that's a great idea, Icy Hot?" Bakugo emphasized again. Realizing there was no way out of this predicament, Shoto sighed and gave in. "Fine, but if I'm doing this, is Oni getting more training as well?"
Taking a step back, the master crossed his arms and answered, "You mean Sleepy Eyes? No, he won't be coming. I currently have him doing another form of training, meaning he'll be occupied."
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A Couple of Days Before the Light Incident
Oni's POV
Unknown Location
A phone could be heard ringing next to a boy, about sixteen years old, with purple hair and dull, grayish-purple eyes that appeared perpetually sleepy. He was soaking in a hot spring outside a treehouse in a massive forest. The view was stunning, trees and plants stretched in the endless night sky as far as the eye could see.
However, the flora didn't resemble anything found on Earth. Lush ferns with curling tendrils rose taller than a man, their edges shimmering as if dipped in moonlight. Flowers bloomed in impossible shapes, spiky, spindled, or spiraled, each more dazzling than the last. Above them, enormous vine-covered trunks towered like pillars of an ancient cathedral, their roots twisting and coiling through the earth in a chaotic embrace.
Waterfalls poured from towering cliffs, their sprays catching the moonlight in a prismatic haze, feeding rivers winding through glowing crystalline rocks. Even the air felt alive, filled with the soft rustle of leaves and the faint hum of unseen creatures. It was a land of perfect harmony, where every element seemed tied to the next in an intricate, organic dance.
Sighing, the boy turned to his phone, drying his hands with a nearby towel before picking up the call. "Hi, Midoriya. What's the matter? I was just enjoying the new hot springs," the purple-haired boy asked lazily, leaning over the edge of the bath.
"Hitoshi, I'm sorry to interrupt your time off, but I have an urgent mission for you to handle. By the way, please share your opinion on the hot springs at the base," a calm voice on the other end of the call replied.
Sighing again, Hitoshi stepped out of the water and wrapped a towel around his waist before entering the treehouse through the sliding wooden door. "The hot springs are great, if it weren't for the constant calls from you and Sensei Bakugo about training and missions. So, what is it this time? More intel gathering, another infiltration, or an assassination?" he asked while heading to a box with clothes and a black Oni mask resting on top.
"More information gathering," Midoriya explained with a hint of interest. "We've been seeing a lot of villains and criminals with increasingly advanced support gear. After some questioning, we discovered they've been getting it from a branch distributor of the Yaoyorozu Support Company. I need you to find out if the entire company is involved or if an individual is acting behind the CEO's back. If so, gather intel on their motivations and connections."
Taking the mask from the box and closing it, Hitoshi responded, "Consider it done. Drop me off two blocks away from the branch distributor's office. I'll make the rest of the trip myself." He then placed the mask on his face, causing a black mist to spread from it and envelop his body before dissipating revealing Hitoshi Shinso, also known as Oni of the Eight Rings.
A hood shrouded his head, blending seamlessly into a flowing, layered black coat that clung to his form. Intricate patterns of deep violet and gray sprawled across his back. Beneath the hood, a demonic black Oni mask obscured his face, its dark metal twisted into sharp, menacing horns with hollow eyes that glowed a hellish purple. Belts and black chains encircled his waist and wrists. The long coat split at the waist, revealing dark, flexible pants tucked into heavy boots bearing scuffed metal plates. Two short, sheathed blades crossed diagonally at his lower back, connected to the chains.
"Sure, have it your way," Midoriya remarked before ending the call. A misty portal of black and green appeared before Hitoshi. Leaving his phone in the box, he stepped back and let himself fall through the portal backward.
As he fell through the air, Oni took in the beauty of Tokyo's nightlife below him. Turning forward, he leaned downward to quicken his fall, as black aura, that took the shape of a demonic Oni mask, released out of him.
"Hey, hey, hey, Oni, my man! So, what mission are we tackling today? Ah, I'm so pumped to be in action again!" the aura construct exclaimed, flying around him excitedly.
"Hey, Mask, I am doing an intel-gathering mission. So don't come out unless I tell you to, understand?" Oni replied, annoyed, glaring at the floating mask.
"Sometimes you're such a buzzkill, you know that?" the construct pouted before disappearing.
Sighing yet again, Oni looked down and noticed the ground approaching fast. Grabbing the grips of his chained dual blades, he unsheathed them, revealing slightly jagged ash-gray edges. He threw one blade with precision, striking a wall as the chain and weapon turned ghostly, leaving no mark.
Gripping the chains tightly, he swung through the city, repeating the process with practiced elegance, moving gracefully through Tokyo's breathtaking skyline.
Landing on the tip of a pole on a rooftop, he crouched down and looked at an office building, likely his target. 'That should be it. So, let's go for another intel mission,' the chain user thought before taking hold of one of his weapons and starting to twirl it around in his hand.
'Come to think of it, my life has really turned upside down since I met them. How long ago was it when I encountered Midoriya for the first time? About five months ago here... but in my mind? God knows how much time manipulation Bakugo used on me during our training to shorten the amount of time it took me to get here,' the member of the Eight Rings pondered as a light smile formed under his mask.
'Though, I'm not one to complain about the life they've given me.'
________________
Flashback
5 Months Ago
Shinso's Middle School
"Your quirk is Brainwash? That's so awesome. Imagine all the stuff you could steal with that kind of power," a boy remarked, looking at the perpetually tired boy.
"Everyone says that," the purple-haired boy responded with a shrug, rubbing the back of his head. "But, you know, I actually want to be a hero who saves people."
The conversation continued for a while until their next lesson began, and the teacher walked in. He was a middle-aged man with elf-like ears, blonde hair, and round glasses.
"Good morning, class. Today we have a special visitor who will teach you for the next three periods. He's a doctor and a professor of at Tokyo University for quirk science. Please welcome Dr. Midoriya," the teacher announced, gesturing for the guest to come in.
Walking in was a boy no older than the students themselves. He had dark green hair and emerald eyes and wore a long-sleeved black coat while carrying an intricately designed cane.
"Please greet our guest, class!" the teacher urged.
The class responded with a quick, disorganized "Hello," and the lesson began.
"Thank you for the kind words, but let's not waste any more time," Dr. Midoriya said with a calm authority. "I'm sure you have questions, but my time is limited. Save them for your professor once I leave." He leaned his cane against the teacher's desk and started the lecture.
"Today, we'll be discussing quirk classification. But I'm not talking about emitter types or mutation types,I mean the societal prejudices assigned based on quirks," he began, writing on the board. He then turned, pointing a piece of chalk at a student.
"You there, tell me, what's your quirk?" he asked enthusiastically.
The student hesitated briefly before responding. "My quirk is called Lighter. I can transform my right pointer finger into a lighter and create a small flame to light things, like candles." He demonstrated by creating a small flame on his fingertip.
"Good, that's an excellent example of the category most quirks fall under: 'Not powerful enough for combat but useful in everyday life.' While it's hard to become a hero with such a quirk, it can still simplify day-to-day life in unique ways," the professor explained as he wrote it down on the board.
"Next, you there, what's your quirk?" Dr. Midoriya asked again, this time pointing at Shinso.
Shinso hesitated but eventually answered. "My quirk is called Brainwash. If someone responds to me verbally, I can control their movements." He braced himself internally for the inevitable reaction.
"Brainwash, huh? I'm on a roll today," Midoriya remarked with a smirk. "That's a prime example of the 'villainous category.' These are quirks that, on one hand, make crime significantly easier or, on the other, are associated with powers tied to fictional or historical villains. Holders of these quirks often face societal bias, though some have found their way into heroism, albeit with intense media scrutiny, which sometimes drives them into vigilantism."
The explanation left not only Shinso but the rest of the class stunned.
The lesson continued uneventfully after that, and when the school day ended, Shinso gathered his things and started heading home. Just as he stepped off school grounds and onto the street, someone yanked his backpack into an alleyway, dragging him with it.
Landing hard on the ground, Shinso looked up to see three upperclassmen glaring down at him.
"Come on, guys, not today. I just got these new clothes," Shinso complained as he tried to stand, but the others remained silent.
'Damn it. They know,' he thought grimly before a fist connected with his face. After a few more punches to his body, all of them froze at the sound of a voice from the alley entrance.
"What's this? Three against one? My, aren't you a bunch of cowardly bullies," the man said mockingly.
Turning to the source, they saw Dr. Midoriya standing there with his cane and a light smile.
"Hey, pal, if you don't want to join him, turn around and walk away. Then we'll forget the insult," one of the bullies growled, cracking his knuckles.
Midoriya chuckled before responding. "How noble of you. Unfortunately, I'll have to report you to your principal. And..." he trailed off, vanishing and reappearing behind them.
"Teach you not to mess with strangers," he finished, knocking them out with his cane. Turning to Shinso, he asked, "You're Hitoshi Shinso, correct?"
Shinso nodded slowly.
"Excellent. Then please, follow me," Midoriya said, before a black-and-green misty portal appeared behind him. Without waiting, he stepped through, leaving Shinso alone with the unconscious bullies.
Hesitant, Shinso stared at the portal. Glancing at the beaten bullies, he decided he owed the man enough to hear him out. He stepped through the portal, which closed behind him.
Shinso found himself on an elegant wooden balcony overlooking a strange forest under a starry night sky, illuminated by glowing, alien plants. Turning, he saw Midoriya at a table lit by an orange flower hanging from the ceiling. The doctor poured two cups of tea.
Gesturing for Shinso to sit, Midoriya smiled. Once Shinso complied, he glanced at the bruises on the boy's face.
"Seems like they got you pretty good. Let me help. System Call: Generate Luminous Elements," Midoriya said, summoning three glowing orbs. They floated to Shinso's face, healing his injuries.
Touching his now unmarked face, Shinso thought 'Wait... wasn't his quirk just making portals? How can he heal me?'
Breaking the silence, Midoriya asked, "Now then, let's get down to business. You want to be a hero, correct?"
"How do you know that?"
"I have my ways, though that's not important right now."
"Fine. Yes, I want to be a hero. What's it to you?"
"Good. Then tell me, Shinso, what's your motivation? And don't give me the clichéd 'I want to prove a villainous quirk can be heroic.' Heroes like Gang Orca already proven that it's possible. What's your real reason?"
Caught off guard, Shinso hesitated. Why did he want to be a hero?
Finally, he remembered watching a scary movie as a child. When the monster frightened him, his mother comforted him, restoring his sense of safety and joy.
"I want to give people a sense of safety, to let them live their lives freely."
"And how do you think you'll protect others when you can't even protect yourself? With body that can't handle a few punches?" Midoriya countered, his tone dark and stern.
Shinso flinched. "I... I don't—"
"Let me ask you this," Midoriya interrupted, his eyes turning white with black sclera. "Do you want to be praised for your deeds? Recognized? Respected?"
"No! I just want people to be happy, like my mother made me," Shinso shouted, standing. "Their smiles are enough for me."
Midoriya's emerald eyes returned, and his warm smile reappeared. "A fine answer, Shinso. If that's truly how you feel, then let me make you an offer." He stood, extending a hand.
"I'm one of the leaders of a powerful, secret group of vigilantes. We work in the shadows to hold society together in times of need and strike fear into the criminal world. You won't be praised and what we do is illegal. But I can guarantee your actions will bring people happiness, and I can help you gain the power you need. So, Hitoshi Shinso, will you join me?"
Shinso stared, stunned. One question lingered in his mind. "Why me?"
Midoriya smiled warmly. "Because destiny brought our fates together."
A single tear escaped Shinso's eye as he clasped Midoriya's hand, sealing his answer.