Witcher of UA

Chapter 30

Late evening. Tokyo. Might Tower.

All Might sat alone in his office. The screen in front of him played a video of Vesemir and the Endregas fighting. The boy was even faster than during... the duel with Mr. Brave. What captivated Toshinori most was the sight of the young boy holding the dying man's hand.

All Might was horrified by what he saw... the camera zoomed in on the boy's face... where he saw no fear... only peace. The peace of a man who had seen this too many times before.

Toshinori slowly leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. He played another video. Regarding the fight with the so-called Wraith... He watched Vesemir not mindlessly attack. The boy had extracted information that other pro heroes had failed to...

He watched the entire fight and what happened afterward... the boy's words burned into his memory.

"I must. I made an oath. An oath is sacred, and it must be kept."

The words were simple, but they carried weight. Anyone could understand them, but not everyone could speak them the way Vesemir did. With conviction and a sense of duty. All Might also felt that this young boy hadn't said it to gain popularity. He simply spoke the truth.

Toshinori rested his head on his clasped hands. His heart was heavy. He had seen many young people with potential. He had seen young people who were angry, scared, brave, but Vesemir was... different. He had experience, training... and after what UA had said... the boy must have been mentally burdened... and too much for someone his age...

No. 1 hero was certain Vesemir was the victim. He stared at the frozen frame, showing the boy hanging the bandits. The boy's eyes were empty. It was the look of a boy who had survived. And now... All Might was certain... he wouldn't find a better successor... for his quirk.

Toshinori rose from his chair and walked to the window. Tokyo glittered with thousands of lights. He knew he had to act. He reached for the phone and dialed Nezu's number. After a moment, the headmaster's warm, yet watchful voice answered.

"All Might..."

"I need to meet with him. With Vesemir."

"So, I take it you accept our offer?"

"Yes. Starting next school year, I'll become a UA teacher."

"Do you understand that I can't promise you that Vesemir will talk to you?"

All Might swallowed hard... he hoped he could convince the boy... and that he could show the boy that a true hero saves people with a smile.

"I understand."

"Then, I invite you for a talk tomorrow morning. I'll prepare your documents and issue you a teacher's card so you can enter UA without being a guest anymore."

"Okay. I'll be there at 8 a.m.."

"Good night, All Might."

"Good night, Principal."

All Might hung up and placed the phone on the desk. He stood by the window for a moment longer, looking out at the nighttime Tokyo, lost in thought.

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The next morning. UA. Principal's office.

Nezu sat in his chair, sipping tea from a porcelain cup. The door opened quietly. All Might, dressed in a suit, entered. He kept his figure emaciated to avoid attracting attention and to conserve his remaining time. Nezu greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, Yagi-san."

"Good morning, Principal."

Nezu set his cup down on the saucer and nodded, gesturing to the chair across from him.

"Have you prepared everything?"

"Of course."

Nezu reached into a drawer and pulled out a set of documents with the UA logo.

"Here are the documents for you to sign and an access card. From the moment you sign these documents, you will have full access to the campus, even outside of class hours. You will officially become part of the teaching staff."

Yagi accepted the documents and signed his name. He already knew their contents. He and the lawyer had gone through all the documents yesterday, so there was no need to read them again.

"Thank you... It's an honor."

Nezu smiled.

"I hope you find a suitable successor... besides, Recovery Girl told me she'd like to examine you. Come to her office when you have a moment."

Toshinori nodded... looked at his teacher's card... and decided to ask.

"Where can I find Vesemir?"

The headmaster reached for his tablet and touched the screen.

"He's currently in Japanese class. He needs to learn to read and write our language. Don't ask me how he knows Japanese either. That remains a mystery for now. If you want to see him, it's best to wait until after class. After that, he'll have a few hours off. He usually spends them in the training room or in his room. He brought his equipment with him, so he'll definitely be training today."

All Might nodded, tucking his keycard into the inside pocket of his suit.

"Then I'll meet with Recovery Girl. Then I'll speak with young Vesemir."

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Vesemir had been practicing for 20 minutes. He was just finishing a sequence of blows on his last opponent. The steel sword sliced through the air with deadly precision, striking the robot in its weak spot, the endreg's eye. The sensor confirmed the hit.

The newest robots were the brainchild of Nezu and Power Loader. Vesemir and Letho became consultants and... beta testers for the newest UA robots. Vesemir lowered his sword and took a step back, watching as the robot stopped and went into standby mode. He took a deep breath. The first beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He heard the door open behind him. No students were allowed in here except him, which meant it had to be one of the teachers. Vesemir turned and looked at the powerful figure of the blond man who had entered in a suit.

"I'M GOING INSIDE LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"

All Might shouted. Vesemir turned away from the man.

"I don't need a new trainer. Please leave me alone. I have a busy schedule."

All Might stopped a few steps away from Vesemir. Despite the boy's words, he continued to smile.

"Young Vesemir! I came here to talk to you!"

Vesemir didn't respond. He slowly reached for a towel and wiped his face.

All Might remained still. His smile slowly faded, replaced by a serious expression.

"Young Vesemir... I need your help."

After these words, Vesemir looked at the powerful man.

"I am listening."

"I come to you with a very serious matter, Young Vesemir... I am seeking someone to be my successor... another symbol of peace... and I want you to be that successor."

"I don't see the need. I may only be in this world for a few months, but I've seen you on television. You seem to be doing well."

All Might shook his head.

"I have something to tell you... something that will change your opinion of me."

All Might disappeared in a puff of smoke... and in his place stood a gaunt man. Vesemir narrowed his eyes.

"Hmm... An illusion?"

All Might shook his head. He unbuttoned his suit and shirt, revealing a nasty wound on the left side of his torso.

"This is the wound my enemy inflicted on me four years ago. I can currently work as a hero for six hours a day. This limit decreases each month... soon I won't be able to fight."

Vesemir stared at the wound for a long moment. He didn't look away. He didn't show any disgust... he simply nodded slowly.

"I would have ended up like you recently, if it weren't for the help of others."

"I know. I saw the recording... and spoke with Gang Orca. Tell me, Young Vesemir... what prompted you to fight the endregas... what prompted you to swear an oath in the fight against the Wraith..."

Vesemir straightened slowly... he looked the man straight in the eyes.

"There are many factors. People needed help... Honor... Sometimes I just move forward, unconcerned with the consequences... you could have seen that during my fight with Endrega Queen..."

"You just move forward... you're exactly the type of successor I need..."

Vesemir crossed his arms over his chest.

"Please forgive me, but I don't see how I could ever move as fast as you, nor be as strong."

All Might nodded.

"I understand you don't know much about quirks... every person is born with a quirk and discovers it as a child... a quirk can't be passed on... but... I am an exception."

All Might stepped forward. His voice took on a more serious tone, almost ceremonial.

"One For All is a quirk that can be passed down. It's a power accumulated over generations. I received it from my predecessor. And now... I want to pass it on to you."

Vesemir didn't move an inch. His face remained calm, but his gaze hardened, became more intent.

"Why me?"

"Because you're already a hero. You simply began protecting others. Not for fame. Not out of duty. By choice. My quirk will cause you to receive everything that comes with it. From host to host... the quirk becomes more powerful... So if you adopt it, you will become stronger... faster than me."

Vesemir raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

All Might looked at him, surprised.

"Why, young Vesemir?"

"That sounds like temptation. And temptations are dangerous."

All Might nodded solemnly.

"That's why you're the perfect successor... you see the temptation, but instead of giving in, you told me what you thought. That's why I need someone like you..."

Vesemir looked away for a moment. He stared at the sword in his hand. Then he looked back at All Might.

"I'm not the right choice."

"Why do you think that, young Vesemir?"

"Do you perhaps remember what I said about the Shie Hassaikai?"

All Might nodded.

"I intend to kill them all."

The pro hero looked at the boy silently for a long moment. Sadness appeared in his eyes.

"I understand your anger... I truly do. But you must know one thing... One For All isn't just power. It's a legacy. Those who held it before me believed in justice. Not revenge."

"I don't intend to kill them just for revenge."

"So what are the other reasons?"

"I will kill them for their murders, rapes, suffering, and tears. I will make sure that no one is ever harmed by them again. I swore an oath."

"I know what that means. I also know how the weight of an oath can consume you if you have no one to pull you out of it someday."

Vesemir just shook his head.

"You don't know me, and you came unprepared to talk. You probably thought I'd jump around for joy because you offered me strength. I don't need it to become stronger. Besides, I have my own vision of justice. If you pass on your quirk to me, I will become invincible. Do you know what will happen then? The villains will be hanged from every available lamppost, because that is the justice I know. Final and unquestionable."

All Might felt his insides tighten. His heart beat faster.

"Young Vesemir… what you say… is not justice. It is fear. Fear disguised as power. It is tyranny."

"I did not choose the world I had to grow up in. In my world, fear was not a hindrance. It was a tool. And justice that does not deter evil is an empty word."

All Might swallowed hard. He felt his emotional foundations crumble beneath him.

"You shouldn't say that… Not at your age."

Vesemir laughed bitterly. Without joy. Without warmth.

"And at what age should I learn that good doesn't always win? That sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands because no one else will? I've seen villains beg for mercy, then kill again because some idiot let them live. I won't do the same. Thieves and others of their kind will be arrested. Murderers and rapists will suffer only one fate: They will die by my hand."

All Might felt a stab of pain in his heart. He knew there was something more behind Vesemir's words. Something deeper. Some unspoken trauma.

"What if you cross the line? What if you become what you fought against? What will happen then, young Vesemir?"

"You're an idiot if you think there's a line. There never was one. It's an artificial construct created in people's minds. It's easy for you to say you'd never kill someone to rob them of food if you've never been hungry. I've seen hundreds of people like that claim they'd never cross the line. There were no exceptions. They had the choice between evil and evil."

Vesemir looked up. There was no contempt in his gaze. There was only… indifference. Fatigue. All Might took a step toward the boy.

"Young Vesemir… You know pain. You know death. You know suffering. And you wear it like armor you've forged for yourself. I understand that. I truly do. Because I, too, once looked at the world and saw only chaos. Only injustice. Only villains who laughed in the face of justice."

He clenched his fist and raised it slightly to his face, as if trying to grasp a memory.

"But then I realized that the greatest weapon against evil... isn't strength. It isn't revenge. It's light. The light that guides others, even when they're afraid to go. The light that tells us we can be better."

He paused. He looked at Vesemir, as if to make sure the boy was truly listening.

"Do you know why I never stopped smiling, even when I was bleeding internally? Why I always stood tall, even though my body begged for rest? Because people needed hope. Not just a hero to save them, but a symbol that it's possible to be strong and good at the same time. That it's possible to resist the weight of the world... and not become a monster."

All Might placed a hand on Vesemir's shoulder.

"One For All… isn't just power. It's a flame passed from hand to hand. A symbol. And I can't give it to someone who wants to use it to punish. But… I wish I could give it to you. Because I see not only pain in you, but also heart. I saw you holding the hand of a dying man. How you stood between a monster and an innocent. How you fought… even though you didn't have to."

All Might squeezed Vesemir's arm lightly in support.

"I saw shadow in your eyes, Vesemir. But shadow can only exist where there is light. And you have it… perhaps deep down, perhaps faint and flickering… but it is there. I know this because no one who was completely lost would hold the hand of a departing man. They wouldn't accept the fear of an innocent with such care. They wouldn't fight a monster when they could simply walk away."

Vesemir was silent for a long moment. He looked into All Might's eyes, as if weighing his words, examining them, turning them over in his mind.

"I understand what you're trying to tell me. I understand that in your world, symbols matter. That for you, hope is like a shield you raise against the darkness. But this isn't my world."

The boy sighed heavily and shook All Might's hand from his shoulder.

"You talk about light, but I've seen places where light doesn't reach. Where the only thing that keeps bandits in check is fear of someone like me. And you know what? It worked. Where heroes don't exist, where symbols offer no hope… fear still worked. Your intentions are good. Noble. And maybe there are those in this world who need them. But not me. I can't be a symbol that smiles."

He looked straight into All Might's eyes.

"I will not accept One For All. Not because I'm afraid, but because you don't truly want me as your successor. This power needs someone who believes in your path. I will not follow it. I do not fit your legacy, All Might. And I will not pretend otherwise. Don't try to convince me that mine is wrong just because it isn't yours."

Vesemir gathered his things and began walking towards the exit.

"One more thing. Don't ever touch me again. I don't wish for people to touch me."

All Might stood silently. For a long moment, he didn't even take a step. His hand, the same one he had placed on the boy's shoulder moments ago, fell slowly to his side. All Might swallowed. He glanced at the closed door Vesemir had exited through…

"What did I do wrong…?"

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Afternoon. Vesemir's room.

Vesemir sat at his desk, practicing his spelling in the new language. He did so slowly... carefully.... He heard a knock on the door.

"Open."

The door slowly opened, and a familiar, smiling face peered in. Nejire entered the room without embarrassment, as if it were her own space. She took off her shoes at the door.

"Vesemir-kohaaaai!"

Nejire stood behind him and leaned in slightly, peering over his shoulder. Her smile widened.

"Oooooh! You're making great progress!"

He didn't answer. But he didn't back down, didn't tense up. That was something.

"But you know what? Too much writing today. Your brain deserved a break..."

Nejire closed the notebook on the desk. Vesemir sighed, but didn't protest. Nejire continued.

"I have a plan. A very serious plan. You, me, and an hour of total laziness."

"Hmmmm..."

Vesemir couldn't respond any further as Nejire grabbed his wrist and pulled him up, forcing him to stand. She sat sideways on the bed and looked at him expectantly. He sat down next to her, a little stiffly. Nejire immediately moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

Nejire slowly ran her finger over his hand, not grabbing it, just gently caressing the skin. She frowned.

"Vesemir-kohai...there's something you're not telling me...is something wrong?"

Vesemir closed his eyes...he didn't make a move, but he was tense...finally he asked.

"Nejire...am I a good person?"

Nejire raised her head slowly, as if Vesemir's question had dispelled all other thoughts. She looked at his face... at his closed eyelids.

"Look at me... please..."

The boy reluctantly turned his head towards her. He hesitated... perhaps he was afraid of her judgment.

"Bad people don't ask if they're good. They just... do what they want. Without scruples. You? You think. You suffer. You wonder if your decisions are the right ones."

She cupped his face in her hands, gently, tenderly.

"You don't always have to be strong or have the answers."

She smiled gently and leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. She didn't sense any attempt at rejection from him... so she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him onto the bed with her.

"Hmm... what are you doing, Nejire?"

Nejire giggled softly, snuggling even closer.

"I'm hugging you because you look like you really need it. Don't you like it?"

Vesemir didn't respond immediately. His body was tense, as if unsure how to react to the touch. She lay beside him... or rather, on top of him, resting her head on his chest. Her fingers slid lazily over his hand.

"Vesemir-kohai... could you hug me... please?"

Vesemir froze for a moment. He tried to calm his heart... finally, he lifted his hand and wrapped it around Nejire. Nejire smiled gently, snuggling closer into his side.

"Hmmmm...Yui's going to kill you."

Nejire giggled softly, not lifting her head from his chest.

"I'll tell you a secret. Yui and I are in cahoots. We're not going to fight over you. You're too important to waste time on jealousy. You deserve better than drama."

Vesemir raised an eyebrow slightly, and his shoulder twitched slightly....

"In cahoots?"

"Mhm...We decided not to hurt each other just because we both like you. We don't want you to have to choose...you simply deserve to have someone there for you. No matter what."

Vesemir said nothing more....Nejire felt his body relax...and so seconds passed...minutes...until finally Vesemir asked.

"Hmmm....it's been an hour, I think..."

"Mhm....don't worry about it...."

"Shouldn't you go home? Won't your parents worry?"

"Don't worry. I told them I'm staying over at a friend's. Tomorrow's a day off, so there's no school."

Vesemir didn't respond immediately. His hand, which was resting on Nejire's hip,...

"Hmmm....so you lied to your parents..."

Nejire lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I just didn't tell them the whole truth. Besides... I don't see you complaining."

Vesemir muttered.

"I'm not complaining... You just surprised me."

Nejire ran her fingers over his chest.

"Surprised you?"

The boy blushed.... It didn't go unnoticed by the girl.

"You know, Vesemir-kohai... you're more adorable when you blush than when you act tough."

"Hmm... I'm not adorable..."

"Of course you are. And you know what? You don't have to be tough all the time. You can just... relax. Especially when you're with me."

Vesemir looked away, as if to hide another blush. He slid his hand around her waist. Nejire's eyes sparkled with mischief as she felt his wandering hand.

"Ooooh... Vesemir-kohai... I like it when you're a little bolder."

Her voice was lower, softer, with a slightly flirtatious tone. She felt his muscles tense under her touch, which only amused her further.

"You know... you're even more adorable when you pretend less and less not to like it."

"Hmmmm... I'm not... adorable..."

Nejire laughed softly once again. Her smile was both tender and amused.

"Repeating that won't make me blind. I saw that look… that slight twitch at the corner of your mouth… Yeah, you're really starting to relax."

Vesemir didn't respond... he simply let out a quiet growl.

"You know, if you're going to be my pillow all night, I need to make sure you're comfortable enough."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, I'm staying here overnight. You didn't think otherwise, did you?"

Vesemir looked at her incredulously, as if trying to judge if this was a joke. Nejire raised her eyebrows dramatically and rested her chin on his chest.

"Are you afraid of me, Vesemir-kohai?"

"No... I'm not afraid of you. I'm just... I'm not used to things like this."

"Then you'll have to get used to it quickly... because I think I've just become addicted to cuddling."

Vesemir sighed heavily. Nejire poked him gently in the ribs with her finger.

"And why are you sighing so heavily? From today on, you're my pillow..."

"Hmmm.... did you at least bring pajamas?"

"Mhm...I do...but I'm going to steal your T-shirt from your closet."

"Will you steal my T-shirt?"

Nejire smiled innocently.

"Your T-shirt will look much better on me than on you."

"Hmmm..."

"Don't whine. I haven't stolen your hoodie yet."

Vesemir raised an eyebrow, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Not yet?"

"Mhm! I have a long-term plan. I'm taking over the territory inch by inch."

Vesemir leaned his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Hmmm....so be it."

"I knew you were smart, Vesemir-kohai."

End of Chapter 30