Chapter 104: Hero Killer Stain — Fighting Spirit?!
The next day,
Somewhere in Japan
Hero Killer: Stain pressed the blade deeper into Shigaraki's shoulder, drenching the floor in blood.
"I mistook you for someone with a grand ambition," he said, raising his second sword. "You have no conviction… desire… You dare want me to add to your numbers? Tch! That's why it turned out like this."
Stain had been eying his next prey when Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri had approached him, bringing him to their hideout.
With Stain's infamous deeds and reputation, and given his solid and practical abilities, he would have made an excellent member of the League of Villains.
However, they couldn't have been any more wrong about this.
They had talked only for a few moments when the brawl broke out.
Standing true to his reputation, Stain took Kurogiri with a swift cut on the Villain's arm, preventing the latter from using Warp Gate.
Unknown to many, Stain had the Quirk — Bloodcurdle — that allowed him to paralyze his target upon tasting a sample of their blood.
And nothing angered him more than pretentious Heroes and Villains who dangled their powers around like toys, staining the world's peace.
For Stain, it was his duty to purge the world of these stains.
Stain brought down his second sword near Shigaraki's throat, almost slicing the hand covering the Villain's face.
Shigaraki's eyes twisted in madness.
He grabbed the sword, staring at Stain. "Oi… Not this hand… I will — kill you!"
Then, under the shocked gaze of the Hero Killer, the entire sword decayed, crumbling as the rust too over.
Stain instantly backed away, taking out his blade from Shigaraki's sword, his eyes narrowing.
"Conviction… Ambition… Desire?" Shigaraki stood up, drops of blood dripping from his right hand. "I have all of them in one name — All Might!
"This world is broken. And what stands between me and turning it right… is the Symbol of Peace. I want to create a world where trash like him will never be worshiped… Haha!"
Stain seemed too stunned to speak, but only for a moment.
Slowly, a maniacal grin surfaced on his bandaged face. "So that's who you are…" he said. "People show their true colors just before dying… You are no different. I do agree with one thing — This world needs a restart. For that, the present must be destroyed."
"Stop hiding behind those bandages…" Shigaraki said, stepping forward. "You just want to kill me."
Stain's smile vanished. "This was as pointless as I'd imagined it to be," he told them. "Now return me to Hosu. I have unfinished business there."
Kurogiri and Shigaraki watched as Stain disappeared in the warp gate.
"Master…" Shigaraki said, looking at the screen behind him. "… Can I kill him?"
"All pawns are disposable for you, Shigaraki," All For One's voice reached their ears. "But only after they have played their moves on the board. For now, if you want to kill something, then I have some good news for you."
Shigaraki's eyes suddenly gained a bloodthirsty look. "You mean…"
"That clown, with the bird," All For One said, with an amusing tone, "is in Hosu as well…"
…
Hosu,
Luke saw "seen" written against the message he had sent to Yuga and nodded to himself.
It was the second day for him to be at Hosu with Rabbit Hero: Mirko as part of his Internship of… investigating himself.
No matter how ironic and funny he found it, Luke knew things couldn't be any more twisted.
Last night, using Nyx, he had kept watch over the exact location where he, as Dr. Blessed, was supposed to appear.
But with Mirko around him, there was no way he could be in two places at the same time.
Not to mention, even Hero Killer Stain hadn't appeared there.
Is there something about Snapshot Prophecy that I don't know? Luke asked himself, looking at the setting sun.
Luke did not know that Snapshot Prophecy didn't show a future event at a location, but a future event that Aina didn't wish to ever come true.
One thing he did know, despite not knowing the Quirk's true nature, was that these images were not set in stone.
Like his father's Soothsayer and his stepmother's Future Sketch, even his sister's Quirk was subjected to interference.
So, now knowing that such an event could happen in the future, Luke could very well decide to never go to the Hero Killer, and the future event would never play out.
But, would that be a wise decision?
Does Stain know something that I need to know as well? Luke thought, seeing Mirko giving a signal to change positions. Or… can he be of use to me…
"Anything?" Mirko asked.
Luke shook his head, Nyx dropping from the sky as well.
"I know my sister's Quirk," he told her. "The Polaroid only shows one of the infinite possibilities, not the exact thing. We might be trying to catch just straws here, Mirko."
Wham!
Mirko whacked Luke's head, a round swelling instantly propping up there.
"Talk like a kid!" she shouted, grinning. "Let's keep an eye on it tonight. If the bastards don't show up, then we will work on your training starting tomorrow."
Luke's eyes lit up as he massaged his head. "Training?"
"What?" Mirko grabbed Luke's head again. "You think you are too good to be trained by me?"
"No—No…"
"I saw you," she said, eying Luke up, as he was just too tall for her. "You fight like a beast… hilarious beast, sometimes. But you lack something crucial that's holding you back."
Luke's eyes narrowed, thinking it over. "What is it?"
Mirko matched Luke's blue gaze. "You have never been beaten, have you?"
Luke's heart thumped.
He had fought with Sand, trained with the killer for hours, but… beaten.
Mirko's hands ran down Luke's body, her eyes shining. It was like she was eying the tastiest piece of meat just before devouring it.
"Oi!" Nyx cawed. "If you need a penis, go find it somewhere else."
"Nyx!" Luke gasped.
Mirko grinned. "Let me correct myself," she said, ignoring Nyx. "You have never been defeated, have you? Where are the bruises? The blues and purples? The soreness?
"Not the ones that can be healed. But the ones that stay… in eyes and mind… You know what I am talking about, don't you?"
"You—" Mirko neared Luke even more, standing on her toes. "— lack a fighting spirit, kid."
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