NOVEL WEB CH 12: SEPARATION
The moon illuminated the room that was partially shrouded in darkness, the only source of light apart from it being a lamp that was Close to the bed of All Might. A palpable tension could be felt between the two friends and teammates.
Nighteye, hearing that All Might still wanted to continue working as a hero, decided to share his vision of the future.
He looked sadly at All Might and said,
"If you continue being a hero, you'll die."
All Might was at first stunned hearing this but after a while, he let a low and slow chuckle.
"Sasaki, how many heroes of my generation managed to reach old age and retire peacefully?"
Nighteye hides a grimace. It was true. All Might wasn't young by any means of the word. He was already in his fifty and close to his sixty.
The number of heroes in his generation still alive was pathetically few. As such, dying was nothing strange for them. No, in the first place, anyone who becomes a hero without the awareness that death is the most likely outcome was a naive foul who should stop working as a hero for his sake and the sake of the society.
Nighteye wasn't naive, All Might even less. Still, this wasn't the problem. Nighteye for the first time feel anger towards him,
"ALL MIGHT!!! SO ACTING LIKE THAT, ANY HERO CAN DIE, THE SAME GOES FOR ME. ANYONE OF US CAN DIE, BUT YOU? YOU CAN NEVER DIE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DIE TO ANYTHING BUT OLD AGE."
This wasn't the fanboy in him that was talking. It was the cold and calculating hero who already faced death many time.
When a hero died, society would mourn them for a while before slowly forgetting him. This the life chosen by most of them. Glory alive and forgotten once dead.
But this was normal, this was alright. Their death would have no great impact on society, nowadays new heroes graduated everyday. But All Might was different.
All Might wasn't just a hero, he was THE hero. His sole presence caused the rates of crime caused by super to fall considerably.
Nowadays, while the world wasn't totally peaceful, at least it was far from the unstable time of the past.
All that rode on his power and his smile. Every man and every villain knew that All Might was here. That he could easily destroy them.
But what if he died? The effect would be cataclysmic. The upheaval would be so devastating that society might not rise up from it.
Worse, the one who manages to kill him would become a beacon for all evil. Even All For One actual influence on the dark side would seem like nothing.
"All Might. I beg you, listen to me. You should slowly stop working as a hero. Groom someone with the same qualities as you, and once your heir becomes a pro hero, give him One For All. This is the only way to not destroy everything you worked so hard for."
All Might didn't answer. He turned his head to the window and admired the scenery of the city outside.
Nighteye didn't urge him. He was sure that All Might would understand and approve his idea. It was without a doubt the most optimal solution.
The silence stretched for a few uncomfortable minutes before All Might finally opened his mouth.
"You know, when I was still quirkless, I made a promise to my Master, "
The moment Nighteye heard those words, a gut feeling settled in his stomach,
"No..."
"I promised her that I would become the greatest hero, "
"Please..."
"I promised her that I would become the symbol of peace,"
"I beg you..."
"I promised her that I would destroy All For One"
"Stop it..."
"That's why I'm sorry Sasaki,"
"Don't say it..."
"I will continue being a hero."
"..."
"..."
The room fell into a depressing silence. Finally, Nighteye slowly lifted his head and looked at All Might emotionlessly and simply said
"I see."
"...", All Might stayed silent. Still, Nighteye continued
"I understand your opinion and your choice. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You wouldn't have been All Might if you followed my plan."
"..."
"But I am also sorry,"
"..."
"I cannot continue working with you knowing that you're intentionally going towards your doom."
After that, he stood up and turned his back to All Might before going towards a door. He stopped for a while and said
"This a goodbye. I hope all the best for you.I also pray that you never come to regret this decision."
With those parting words, the door closed behind him.
All Might, now by himself in his room, simply stared at the door in silence as he tightened his fist. He knew that his stubbornness might have cost him a friend.
But he didn't regret it. it was his choice. A man should never regret any choice he made. He could reflect and try to learn in order to do better in the future, but he should never regret it.
His fist slowly loosened as he laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. Sleeping wouldn't be easy today.
----
After closing the door, Nighteye took a deep breath before trying to think of a plan. He didn't want to follow All Might in his folly, but he would never truly give up on him.
As such he had to train an heir for him. Perhaps Kuroha? No, even though Kuroha had extremely large potential, his personality didn't suit the title of symbols of peace. What more he didn't want to be the kind of parents who put their dreams on the back of their children and forced them to accomplish them without thinking about how the children felt.
If he wants to find an heir, he needs to attract students with good results, not just that, he needed to find someone with a personality good enough to truly replace All Might.
It seems like his plan to open a hero agency need to be realized as soon as possible. He couldn't wait. The time remaining for All Might wasn't long, he just had about six or seven years.
After clearing his head, he slowly left the hospital. This day, was the day All Might and Nighteye took their separate way.