Chapter 226 - 225: Thickens

RUSTLE.

Kaito opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling of his room. Sunlight filtered through the bedroom blinds.

"Ughh.. ahhh"

He stretched his arms above his head. He felt incredibly rested.

"Makoto?" He rolled over to his right side.

The bed sheets were tangled and crumpled. The space next to him was empty.

Kaito sat up.

SIZZLE. CHIP. CHIP.

He heard the faint sound of chopping coming from the kitchen down the hall.

Kaito grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the floor and pulled them on.

He walked out of the bedroom and headed down the hallway.

He stopped at the edge of the kitchen.

SIZZLE. SIZZLE.

"~~Hmmm~~" Makoto stood by the stove. She wore a dark blue kitchen apron and humming.

But...

She didn't wear anything underneath it.

The straps tied tightly around her bare back and neck. The supple and perky butt is there for him to admire.

"~~hmm~~"

She was using a pair of wooden chopsticks to turn small sausages in a hot frying pan.

SWIRL. SWIRL.

Kaito leaned against the doorframe. He crossed his arms and watched her.

"You're awake?" Makoto turned her head.

She saw him standing there.

A bright red flush immediately crept up her neck, but she forced herself to stand completely straight.

She puffed her chest out slightly, trying to project total confidence.

She pointed the wooden chopsticks at him.

"Good morning," Makoto said, trying to keep her voice perfectly steady.

"Do you want breakfast... a bath... or me~~?"

Kaito stared at her. He just smiled.

"I read an article last week," Kaito said casually, walking directly toward her. "It said intense morning aerobics are highly beneficial for cardiovascular health."

"..."

Makoto's confident facade shattered instantly. Her eyes went wide.

"Wait... I'm still tired from last night." Makoto stammered, taking a step back. "I was just doing the joke—"

Kaito scooped her up in his arms.

"Agh~"

Makoto dropped the wooden chopsticks onto the counter.

She buried her completely red face into Kaito's shoulder, while the latter was laughing at the exact same time as he carried her toward the bathroom.

...

CLINK.

Kaito set his coffee mug down on the dining table. He wore a clean white t-shirt and jeans.

Makoto sat across from him. She wore a loose sweater.

She picked up a sausage with her chopsticks and took a bite.

Her skin looked entirely different today. It was visibly glowing.

Two days ago, Kaito walked into the main hall downstair and witnessed an intense interrogation.

[Flashback]

Tamao leaned across the breakroom table. She aggressively poked Makoto's cheek with her index finger.

"What is this?" Tamao demanded. "Your skin is literally bouncing back."

Kazuho stood right behind Makoto, inspecting her neck.

"You look completely different," Kazuho added with curiosity. "Did you change your diet? Did you buy that expensive imported moisturizer from Korea? Can you tell us? I need to look good for my next meet and greet."

Makoto sat perfectly still in the chair. Her face was flushed.

"It is just a new lotion," Makoto lied, looking down at her hands. "I bought it online."

"Send me the link immediately," Tamao ordered, pulling out her phone.

Kaito stood by the coffee machine during that entire exchange. He just drank his espresso and kept his mouth shut.

[Present]

Kaito picked up his own chopsticks.

"I finalized the online contracts two days ago," Kaito told her. "The consulting portal is officially in vacation mode. No new hero agencies can apply right now."

Makoto looked up from her plate.

"So you are completely free?" Makoto asked. "No more agency training sessions?"

"Yes, Susugu is fully operational," Kaito confirmed. "The only work I have on the schedule is the U.A. High contract. I finalized the details with Principal Nezu back in December."

Makoto tilted her head.

"You are going to teach?" Makoto asked. "You usually only run seminars for the pro heroes and the agency staff. I didn't think you wanted to deal with teenagers."

"It is just a guest lecture position," Kaito explained. "Two times a month. I am just going to drop in, teach them combat metrics, agency preparation and give them a reality check."

Makoto nodded slowly. She took another bite of her food.

"Well, since you are mostly free now, we should actually go somewhere," Makoto suggested. "We went to space for Christmas. What do we do for the spring? Do we take a submarine to the bottom of the ocean?"

Kaito picked up his phone from the table. "That's a good suggestion. Never tried going in the bottom of the ocean."

"I can call David Shield," Kaito said. "We can design a completely submersible vehicle that can survive tens of thousands of meters below the surface..."

"..."

Makoto stared at him.

She reached across the table and pushed his phone down.

"I was joking, Kaito," Makoto laughed. "I do not want to go to the bottom of the ocean. Let's just go to Shizuoka. I want to have lunch with Grandma Saki today."

Kaito smiled. He set the phone down.

"Lunch in Shizuoka sounds perfect," Kaito agreed.

...

Location: Musutafu - Aldera Middle School

Time: Same Morning

The third-year classroom was incredibly loud.

"I'm going to Ketsubutsu. I think I can make a difference there.."

"Me? I'm attending Seiai.. My sister is enrolled there..."

Students sat on top of their desks, talking and laughing.

Today was the last day of classes before the graduation ceremony.

Izuku Midoriya sat quietly at his desk in the middle row.

He was completely surrounded.

Six different classmates crowded around his chair.

"Midoriya, you have to tell us," a boy with spiky brown hair pleaded. "You still always dodging the question... Now that we were about to graduate just tell us... How do you able to attend an event that large?"

"I accidentally paused the television!" a girl with long black hair added. "You were standing right next to the buffet table. All Might was like ten feet away from you!"

Izuku looked at the group.

Four years ago, this exact situation would have sent him into a panic attack.

He would have stuttered, waved his hands, and tried to hide under his desk.

He spent the last years fighting minor villains in the dark alleyways of Musutafu. But he already retired as Greenhood with the suggestion of Sir Nighteye.

Izuku smiled politely.

"It was me," Izuku answered. After all, it's the last day of middle school. "I was there as a plus-one. I know someone in the industry. I'm just a tag along."

"So you really know David Shield?" another boy asked eagerly. "How did you get acquainted with him?"

"... Haha" Izuku didn't reply and just laugh.

The classmates is still inquiring, whispering among themselves about the famous I-Island scientist and how did he knew Izuku.

Katsuki Bakugo sat two rows away. He rested his chin on his hand. He didn't yell at the extras to shut up.

He just watched Deku handle the crowd with complete ease.

SLAM.

The classroom door opened. The homeroom teacher walked in carrying a stack of papers.

"Take your seats," the teacher ordered loudly. "The bell already rang."

The students quickly scattered back to their own desks.

The teacher set the papers down on the podium.

"This is your final day," the teacher started. "You all submitted your high school career forms last year. A lot of you applied to the hero course at Ketsubutsu, Isami and the Seiai Academy."

The teacher picked up a specific sheet of paper.

"We only have two students applying to the hero course at U.A. High," the teacher announced. "Bakugo and Midoriya."

The classroom erupted in loud chatter.

"Midoriya?" a boy laughed from the back row. "He is definitely getting a backdoor recommendation! He knows David Shield!"

"Can you ask the Golden Manager to write me a letter too, Midoriya?" a girl joked from the front.

Izuku just smiled and shook his head, ignoring the teasing.

Bakugo didn't look back at the class. He kept his eyes locked on the chalkboard, his expression can't be read.

...

Time: After School

STEP. STEP.

Izuku walked down the concrete sidewalk. He carried his yellow backpack over one shoulder.

The afternoon sun hit the streets of Musutafu.

He turned the corner near a narrow alleyway.

Bakugo stood leaning against the brick wall. His hands rested in his pockets.

Izuku stopped walking. He looked at his childhood rival.

They fought on the beach last time. Izuku won using his vigilante gear and pure combat experience.

Bakugo didn't throw a tantrum after that fight. He just walked away.

"Kacchan," Izuku greeted him calmly.

Bakugo pushed off the brick wall. He walked forward and stopped five feet away from Izuku.

"Did you get a letter?" Bakugo asked. His voice was low and serious.

Izuku shook his head.

"No," Izuku answered directly. "I am taking the normal entrance exam."

Bakugo stared at him for a long second.

He looked at Izuku's posture. Izuku stood perfectly balanced, his weight distributed evenly on both feet, completely ready to move if a fight broke out.

'This guy is also getting stronger...'

Bakugo smirked. It wasn't a crazy, arrogant smile. It was confidence.

"Good," Bakugo stated. "Because I don't care who you know. I don't care if you hang out with David Shield or All Might."

Bakugo raised his right hand. He clenched his fist.

"I spent two years training and with the help of Gunhead for acquiring my equipment." Bakugo told him. "My support gear is already ready. My combat output is completely maximized... Deku."

Bakugo dropped his hand back to his side.

"I am going to crush that exam," Bakugo declared. "I am taking the top spot. Your vigiliante experience isn't going to save you in a standardized testing arena."

"..."

Izuku held eye contact. He felt a deep sense of respect for the childhood friend standing in front of him.

Bakugo actually trained seriously. He didn't just rely on his strong quirk anymore. He even heard from his other classmate that Kachan enrolled in different martial arts dojo.

"I look forward to seeing it, Kacchan," Izuku replied evenly.

Bakugo turned around and walked down the street.

He didn't look back.

Izuku watched him go, fully realizing that the U.A. entrance exam was going to be a hectic of an experience.

...

Location: Otheon - Underground Holding Facility

CLANK.

The heavy metal door swung open.

Beros sat in a bolted steel chair in the center of the interrogation room.

Her wrists were locked to the metal table with thick quirk-suppression cuffs.

Heavy white bandages wrapped around her forehead and left cheek.

"..."

She glared at the door.

Clair Voyance walked into the room. She wore her dark blue hero suit.

A sleek, polarized, variable-tint visor covered her eyes, protecting her retinas from flash attacks.

THUD.

Clair pulled out the metal chair across from Beros and sat down. She placed a digital folder on the table.

She was officially Rank 3 on the Otheon Billboard charts as of this morning.

Beros leaned forward against her cuffs. Her eyes burned with pure hatred.

"How did you do it?" Beros demanded. Her voice was raspy.

Clair opened the folder. She didn't look up.

"You set a perfect ambush on New Year's Eve," Beros snarled, ignoring the folder. "I had full optical camouflage. I was positioned two miles away on a rooftop. The wind was carrying my scent away from your patrol route. I was completely invisible."

Beros slammed her chained fists onto the metal table

THUD.

"So how did you see me?!" Beros yelled. "You dodged the arrow before I even released the bowstring! You shot a taser round through three concrete walls and hit me directly in the chest! It is impossible!"

Clair finally looked up. She stared at the assassin through her tinted visor.

"You rely on camouflage," Clair said calmly. "Camouflage bends light. It makes your physical body blend in with the environment."

"..." Beros.

Clair leaned back in her chair.

"But you can't bend heat," Clair explained. "I didn't look for your body. I looked at the concrete wall directly behind you. I saw the thermal radiation overlap. Your body heat cast a massive red shadow against the freezing winter air. You looked like a beacon."

"..."

Beros froze.

Her jaw tightened.

"That doesn't explain how you dodged," Beros countered aggressively. "My arrow moves faster than human reaction time."

"I didn't react to the arrow," Clair replied. "I reacted to your weapon."

Clair tapped the side of her visor.

"I focused my vision on the molecular structure of your bowstring," Clair stated. "I tracked the microscopic structural fatigue. In simple words... I moved my head two seconds before the arrow ever left your hands."

Beros stared at the pro hero. Her anger slowly faded into genuine horror.

"And the shot?" Beros whispered. "I ran behind the elevator shaft. I was in your blind spot."

"I don't have blind spots anymore," Clair corrected her.

Clair pointed at the small glass mirror hanging in the corner of the interrogation room.

"I bounced my line of sight off the glass windows of the skyscraper across the street," Clair explained casually. "I used multi-angle spatial mirroring to look right past the elevator shaft and see your exact position. Then I shot you."

Beros slumped back into her steel chair.

She was a seasoned killer. She worked for Flect Turn.

She assassinated high-profile targets across the world for years.

But sitting in this room, listening to the calm, analytical breakdown of her defeat, she realized she never stood a chance.

Clair Voyance wasn't just a recon hero anymore. She was a something else.

Clair stood up from her chair. She grabbed the digital folder.

"Tell me where Flect Turn is hiding and where is Eddie Soul?" Clair ordered.

Beros looked at the table and still kept silent for months.

"It's been two months Beros... I will contact and find someone that can make you talk."

...

Location: Unknown Subterranean Laboratory

HUMMMM.

The heavy electrical current vibrated through the concrete floor.

Dr. Garaki wiped his forehead with a dirty rag. He tossed a thick stack of digital clipboards onto the metal workbench.

"Experiment run four thousand, three hundred and twenty," Garaki said, leaning against the console. "Two years of this. We finally be able to see the ending..."

All For One stood near the main controls.

"The biological shielding took time to synthesize," All For One replied calmly. "We couldn't rush the planetary math."

In the back of the massive lab, the six identical clones typed furiously at their metal desks. They operated as a linked, biological supercomputer.

"Spatial shift locked," one of the clones called out. "Earth's rotational axis accounted for."

Garaki checked his main tablet.

"Coordinates are stable," Garaki confirmed. "Musutafu. Exactly one week before the Great Fire. We are giving the vessel a seven-day buffer."

A fully grown, healthy clone of All For One walked out of the prep room.

The clone wore a thick black tactical suit. A heavy mechanical belt with a rotating metal dial sat around his waist.

"The chronal shielding is woven directly into the fabric," Garaki noted, looking at the clone. "The belt will anchor him to the exact GPS location."

All For One walked up to the clone. He placed his bare right hand directly onto the clone's forehead.

BZZZT.

Red lightning arched between his palm and the clone's skull. All For One pulled his hand back.

Garaki looked down at his tablet.

Garaki said. "The biometric output just updated. Master... You only transferred ten percent of your awakened quirk factor."

All For One and the new clone turned around together.

"It is a scouting run, Doctor," All For One answered.

All For One pointed a finger at his own head.

"The ten percent fragment is enough," the cloned All For One stated.

Garaki grinned, showing his crooked teeth.

"A zero-risk fail-safe," Garaki laughed.

He ran behind the heavy blast shield and grabbed the main wall lever.

"Activating the centrifuge!" Garaki yelled.

He pulled the steel lever down.

VWOOSH.

The stolen space and time quirks activated in the glass vats.

Raw energy flooded the central coils.

WHIR. WHIR. WHIR.

The massive circular ring erupted.

CRICKLE. CRACKLE.

A violent vortex of blue and purple light spun to life in the center of the metal frame.

The air pressure in the room dropped instantly, whipping Garaki's lab coat around his legs.

Step. Step.

Cloned All For One didn't speak. He stepped onto the center platform.

He reached down and twisted the mechanical dial on his belt.

He walked directly into the swirling vortex.

FLASH.

A blinding white light filled the underground laboratory.

The platform was completely empty.

...

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...

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