Aizawa's gaze shifted toward the forest in the distance.
"We are here to find him?" Aizawa asked slowly, his expression tense.
Nezu nodded.
"Yes, I suspect he is somewhere in the forest nearby. He lived here before, and in many ways this place shaped what he eventually became." he said.
Nezu's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued.
"If Junsei is anywhere in the world right now, it should be here."
Aizawa frowned.
"I don't think this is a good idea," he said bluntly, "And what exactly are you planning to do once you find him? Ask him politely not to end humanity?"
Nezu nodded as if that suggestion were perfectly reasonable.
"More or less," he replied "I plan to appeal to the part of him that still feels empathy. I want to ask him to give humanity a chance to coexist."
Nezu pointed casually at the backpack Aizawa was carrying.
"I even asked Lunch Rush to prepare the best dessert he could make."
Aizawa stared at him.
For several seconds he said nothing.
Then he replied in a completely flat tone, "You want to bribe a world-ending demon with food."
Nezu smiled slightly, "Something along those lines."
Aizawa sighed heavily "Are you really okay?"
"Don't worry," Nezu replied calmly. "I haven't lost my mind."
He lifted one paw reassuringly.
"And I don't intend to ask you to walk with me into the forest."
Aizawa shook his head "That's not the issue here. What makes you think he won't tear you apart the moment you step inside his territory?"
Nezu answered "He won't."
Momo finally spoke in a quiet voice "What about me? Why am I here?"
Nezu turned toward her and answered with a gentle tone "I would like you to accompany me. Junsei will not harm you."
Momo lowered her gaze.
"I'm sorry, sir…"
Her hands clenched tightly.
"I don't think I'm ready to see him again."
Her breathing grew uneven.
"No… I can't face him. Even remembering his presence makes me shake."
Nezu watched her silently for several seconds.
"I see."
He nodded slowly.
"That is not what I hoped for, but it is understandable."
Nezu turned toward the forest.
"In that case, please wait here. I would still like to visit the forest."
Aizawa immediately spoke "But what if…"
"He won't, trust me" Nezu interrupted.
The small principal took a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped and looked back.
"The forest is still some distance away. Would you mind carrying me there?"
Aizawa sighed.
Without arguing further, he lifted Nezu back onto his shoulder and began walking again. Momo hesitated for a moment before following them.
When they reached the edge of the trees, Nezu finally spoke.
"That's close enough."
Aizawa stopped immediately.
Nezu climbed down from his shoulder and opened the backpack. From inside he removed a small box. Holding the box carefully in his paws, Nezu walked toward the forest.
The trees swallowed him quickly.
Aizawa watched the small figure disappear between the trunks before turning to Momo.
"You knew him the best," he said quietly.
"Do you think the principal will really be okay?"
Momo hesitated.
"I think so," she said after a moment.
Aizawa nodded, though the worry in his expression did not fade.
Nezu walked deeper into the forest alone for minutes, looking around and scanning the area.
Eventually, he reached a small clearing and spoke.
"Ao. If you are nearby, could you come here?"
Nezu glanced at the trees surrounding him.
"I am far too small to search this entire forest."
For several seconds there was no response.
Then a voice answered from the shadows.
"You shouldn't be here."
Nezu slowly turned his head to the right.
Standing between the trees was the three-meter demon, Junsei.
His towering form looked even more unnatural among the quiet forest surroundings. His wings were folded behind him, and the faint glow from his horns, face and chest orbs illuminated the shadows beneath the canopy.
Nezu studied him calmly.
"Isn't being that large inconvenient for you?" he asked casually.
Junsei did not react to the comment.
"What do you want? Your humans are safe as long as they respect the boundaries I gave them." Junsei said.
Nezu lifted the small box he had been carrying.
"I came to talk. And I brought dessert. I hope you still can eat without a mouth"
Junsei replied "There is nothing to talk about."
Nezu said "I would beg to differ. I am disappointed in how things have turned out… and in the choices you made."
Junsei replied "The feeling is mutual."
Nezu shrugged lightly as he said "You cannot blame me for that. I lived all of my life among humans. Naturally, I became attached to them."
He paused briefly before adding,
"You barely lived a few years as one of them, yet even you have grown attached."
Junsei's voice hardened."I am not."
Nezu smiled faintly.
"We both know that is not true. You are trying to convince yourself of that, but your actions speak louder than your words."
Junsei said "You are testing my patience."
Nezu smiled at Junsei's irritation.
"Momo is standing at the edge of the forest right now," he said calmly. "If you truly wish to prove that you feel nothing… then go there and kill her along with her teacher."
He covered his eyes as he said. "I will simply pretend I saw nothing."
Junsei stared silently at him then said "You are betting on your student's life now?"
Nezu shook his head slowly.
"No. I know for a fact somewhere deep inside you… there is still a soft spot and a gentle nature."
He looked directly at the demon before him.
"If that were not the case, I would have died a thousand times by now. And my school would have been the first place you destroyed. And nuclear weapons wouldn't have stopped you from ending humanity."
For a few seconds Junsei said nothing.
Then he spoke quietly."I made my decision. There is no going back."
Nezu nodded slightly.
"You plan to eliminate humanity after all the humans you knew have died."
Junsei remained silent.
Nezu sighed.
"I will take that silence as a yes."
Then Nezu spoke in a lighter tone.
"Well, I should clarify something. I am not here to convince you to abandon your genocidal plans. Of course, I would like to imagine a future where you, Life, and humanity coexist peacefully."
He paused.
"But to be honest… I will be dead and won't see that future arrive. So I cannot claim that it truly concerns me. It will be the problem of the humans in that generation."
Junsei said "Then why are you really here?"
Nezu's expression softened slightly. "I came to check on you."
His voice grew quieter. "I am sorry for your loss. That human was a good person."
He looked up at Junsei's featureless face.
"Ao… despite everything that happened, and despite us standing on opposite sides… I do not hate you. Your rebirth allowed me to see the world from a perspective that was not human."
He stepped forward slowly and placed the small box he had been carrying on the ground in front of Junsei.
Then he turned as if preparing to leave.
"I hope you will not mind if I visit you occasionally," he said casually. "We used to chat not long ago in my office and I liked that."
He glanced back briefly.
"If you are still angry with me, you can consider it my role as a self-appointed diplomat representing humanity."
Junsei spoke again "How much did you see?"
Nezu stopped walking.
"A fair amount," he replied. "Though by your standards… probably not much."
Junsei asked another question.
"Was it enough for you to call me the most pitiful existence in this world?"
Nezu froze for a moment. Then he sighed awkwardly.
"That is embarrassing. You heard that… from all the way here?"
"Yes," Junsei replied.
"Well… the fact that you remember every life and every emotion would already be torture for anyone." He spoke more slowly now "There is a reason people say time heals wounds. But in your case… time does not heal anything."
"Every memory remains fresh. Every pain remains vivid."
He looked back fully again.
"Even guilt. I suspect you are carrying a lot of that now."
Junsei remained silent for a moment.
Then he asked quietly,
"Since you are closer to being human… if you were in my place, what would you do?"
He paused.
"Would you end humanity?"
Nezu considered the question.
"I cannot say with certainty," he answered honestly. "But I imagine a human in your situation might indeed choose to eliminate humanity."
He shrugged lightly.
"To remove the evil race and restore balance."
Junsei said "And you still hope for coexistence while thinking like that?"
Nezu smiled faintly.
"Well… you are not human. That is exactly why hoping for a different outcome makes sense."
Junsei nodded slowly. "I see."
Nezu looked toward the forest edge. "I should return before those two outside begin worrying about me."
He waved casually. "Your reputation does not inspire confidence in my safety."
Before he could take another step, Junsei's tail moved.
The tip gently touched Nezu's back.
Junsei spoke quietly.
"New Order. Okina will teleport next to Momo and Eraser Head."
Nezu's eyes widened.
The world shifted instantly.
In the next moment he stood beside Aizawa and Momo at the forest's edge.
Both of them jumped in shock.
"Principal!?" Aizawa said.
Momo stared in disbelief at how suddenly he had appeared.
Nezu glanced back toward the forest.
He had not expected that.
It seemed Junsei had truly taken Star and Stripe's quirk… and somehow the ability had grown stronger in his hands.
Inside the forest, Junsei stood alone again.
His glowing face lingered briefly toward the distant tree line, as if he could still see the three of them.
Then he lowered his eyes toward the small box on the ground.
The box of desserts.