Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Goto Ryuko POV.
"That old man was Ryuma." I grumbled as I paced back and forth. A couple of hours had passed since we received Nezu's order to invade the gate that opened right above our headquarters.
Too much of a coincidence; the villain All For One had really given it a lot of thought, but it wasn't anything to worry about. Tanaka, Izawa, and Hoshino had immediately entered through the gate. The others were in other parts of the country.
Even so, it was a waste; the gate turned out to be a mere Class C security checkpoint, so it was closed within minutes. Nevertheless, we were all on high alert.
Once everything was declared over, I was able to lock myself in my office. I never thought that the old man who owned the weapons shop was Ryuma, the national-ranked man who disappeared years ago. The same Ryuma who had decapitated Kamish owned a damn shop and was doing an internship at UA.
It was completely ridiculous.
Even so, still retired and obviously his body had already passed its peak, he was able to fight at a level that, it was painful for me to admit, I would find difficult to match.
And that Miyamura… if I remember correctly, he was the one who did the internship at our guild. If I remember correctly, Tawata had been in charge of the boy. I wrinkled my nose. I'd have to talk to her when I got the chance.
I continued watching the replay of the Kamino incident and All Might's retirement with mixed feelings. I clenched my fists tightly when I heard my scroll beep. I pulled it out, answered immediately, and placed the scroll back on the desk.
"Matsumoto." I said as the television screen started the video call and a woman in a suit appeared. Shizue Matsumoto, president of the Japanese Hunting Association.
"Goto. I suppose you saw the All Might retirement announcement," Matsumoto said, getting straight to the point.
"Who wouldn't?" I asked, almost dismissively. Matsumoto nodded.
"Japan just lost its second National ranking, we can't delay our plan any longer," Matsumoto said immediately, and I nodded.
"Does Korea agree?" I asked directly.
"They will." Matsumoto said confidently. I didn't ask, I just nodded.
"Well, the sooner we confirm the fourth incursion to Jeju, the better," I said without hesitation, and Matsumoto nodded.
"Yes, we urgently need a new National Rank." Matsumoto agreed, and I nodded with a frown. "Are you still planning on getting Shusui?" Matsumoto asked, and I made a sour face.
"What? Ryuma just gave it to that American student, what a waste." I spat dismissively. "Just as I expected, Shusui has become a symbol; most people in Japan are already cheering for Herbert despite her being a foreigner." Matsumoto also made a face before sighing.
"Yes, the only good thing is that we didn't continue with our previous plan of starting rumors and accusations about Taylor Hebert stealing Shusui," Matsumoto said calmly. I nodded. "But putting that aside, I have an idea," Matsumoto hummed. I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm listening," I said simply. I saw her press a few keys before my phone rang. I grabbed it and saw that a report had arrived. I opened it curiously and began to read it.
"That's a copy of the incident report from UA's summer camp," Matsumoto said, and just as she said, that was exactly what the report said.
"The point?" I asked, almost bored.
"The point is, Hebert's participation is also described. It specifically says that she formed a perimeter with a group of monster ants that had been brought out of a dungeon earlier," Matsumoto said with a laugh. I paused for a few seconds before looking for that specific part.
"Interesting." I murmured lightly, knowing exactly where she was going with this.
"While Miyamura is undoubtedly Ryuma's heir, Herbert is also important to Japan at this time; people expect a lot from her, especially after her performance at the festival and the Kamino incident."
"It would be easy, let's say... to take her to Jeju under the guise of using her quirk, which definitely allows her to control insect monsters, to help clean up the island, and let's say... if an accident happens, and then you use Shusui to take down the dungeon boss and it gets broadcast nationwide... well, that would be really fortuitous." Matsumoto said with a smile.
"Yes... it would be very fortuitous, the US shouldn't be able to complain more than usual, and even more so if Koreans die, it would be the cover-up we need." I said, beginning to smile slightly. "If the public is convinced that Shusui is better off in my hands after Hebert, Ryuma will feel the pressure. Although there's still the fact that he could give it to his grandson." I said with a grimace.
"We can always take Miyamura to Jeju, just like Hebert. We have more than enough excuses to push and integrate him into the raid, especially since he did his internship with Draw Sword, and he's even close to Hunter Tawata."
"We can use that easily," Matsumoto said casually.
"Unfortunately, we can't just let him die," I said with a hum. "Right now, Miyamura's popularity is through the roof." I stated the obvious, and Matsumoto nodded.
"Yes, but we can create situations where they see him unfavorably, or even where you have to save him; that way, Ryuma will have fewer excuses to take Shusui away from you." Matsumoto said, and I hummed.
"And can we take Il-Hwan's son to Jeju? We could get rid of him too." I hummed as I thought.
"It's possible... Il-Hwan has been asking for permission to clear Jeju for years. The Korean government agreed, but they still won't allow Il-Hwan 's participation. It's possible he wants his son to participate in the Jeju raid instead," Matsumoto said, humming and thinking.
"Okay... then let's do it. Start pushing to make the Jeju raid happen as soon as possible. The faster it happens, the more public approval we'll get." I said simply, and Matsumoto nodded.
"Of course, I've already drafted the messages. The Jeju raid will take place later in a month. If I remember the UA schedule correctly, the second internships should be in a month. Do you think Hebert or Miyamura will contact Draw Sword? " Matsumoto asked. I sighed.
"No," I said simply, but I didn't give any more information. I grimaced, remembering the confrontation with Hebert in the shop that I knew now belonged to Ryuma. Yeah… neither of them would go near Draw Sword, that's for sure.
"Very well, I'll take care of everything," Matsumoto said simply before hanging up. Now it was just a matter of waiting.
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Sung Jin- Woo POV.
"I know there was, and is, a lot of speculation about my quirk. What you should know is that my quirk puts a lot of strain on my body, and for the last few years I've been getting close to my limit."
"I am 60 years old, I dedicated more than 40 of them to what I love most, helping others tirelessly. It was an honor to serve as a Hero and Symbol of Peace, but the truth is that my body could no longer keep up with my Quirk and finally reached its limit after the fight against the villain from the Kamino incident."
"As much as I would like to continue serving and helping all of you, I am now very limited, and so at this time and with immediate effect, I must retire despite my reluctance."
"Thank you all for your support throughout these years."
I shuddered slightly as I stared at the television while it broadcast All Might's retirement message.
"So he finally retired, huh? " Dad said, sounding genuinely sad. "The world mourns the end of All Might's service," he added, as if it were the truth, and I didn't doubt it in the slightest.
"That's bad for Japan, isn't it? " Jinah asked with a frown. Dad nodded.
"They are, they just lost their second-ranked national player. They're definitely going to panic," Dad said without hesitation.
"Can someone's quirk... just disappear like that?" I asked, slightly tense. Dad hummed softly.
"There are... many factors that can cause a quirk to stop 'working'; the easiest examples to see are those five-point activation quirks, those quirks that require all five fingers to touch the target to activate the quirk."
"If a person were to lose one of their fingers, their quirk would stop 'working,' I suppose... which is what's happening to All Might. His quirk is undoubtedly the strongest in the world in terms of pure physical strength. Not even the heroine Alexandria in the United States is comparable to the raw strength that All Might possesses."
"A strength quirk like that would undoubtedly put a strain on All Might's body, and regardless of All Might's strength and his national-ranked status, he's still human; aging must be taking its toll." Dad sighed, almost lamenting the situation.
"I mean, but Sword God Ryuma must be around 80 years old and he was able to fight at the same level." Jinah pointed out, and I remembered the amazing fight that had been broadcast the night before.
"Not all of us can be monsters like Ryuma," Dad snorted playfully. "Ryuma's quirk is also completely unknown, but it's not flashy enough to be noticeable at first glance. It's possible it's something really basic, something that doesn't harm his own body from the inside."
"Under those conditions, he could definitely maintain his body and some of his strength at that age, but All Might is different. He said it himself, 40 years using his quirk at full power—if just using it already causes him strain, accumulating all that abuse on his own body is truly incredible." The father sighed, almost in awe.
"He could continue fighting with just his body and haki, like Ryuma does, but he'd be at a huge disadvantage, especially with everyone expecting so much from him. Seeing him weakened would be much worse than seeing him retire," Dad added sadly.
"And now what?" I asked while I continued listening to the news.
"Now, we're preparing for Jeju," Dad said, as if it were obvious. "Japan is going to panic over the loss of its national hunters. They'll want to regain their position by trying to elevate one of their heroes or hunters to national rank at the next international guild conference, and there's only one person who comes to mind."
"Goto Ryuko." I said immediately, and Dad nodded.
"Yes, Hunter Goto will want to level up and get as many achievements as she can before the conference, and the Jeju raid can give her that extra push she needs," Dad said seriously.
"Wait, what about that Miyamura? Ryuma's grandson?" Jinah asked, confused. "He seemed super strong with a sword and had that shadow quirk similar to Oppa's." Jinah asked. I frowned as I remembered the Japanese student.
He was strong, there was no doubt he was strong with his swords alone. But it was his quirk that had caught my attention the most.
I had no doubt that his quirk, despite being based on shadows like mine, was fundamentally different. My quirk was primarily based on summoning the shadows of corpses. Whereas his seemed to be based on shadow manipulation and predefined summons, though he definitely pushed some things to the limits of what that meant.
"Oh, he's strong, no doubt about it. It seems he inherited Ryuma's mastery of the sword, and I have no doubt that his Haki is truly strong. Conqueror's, Armament's, and Observation's—he has all three, and at a very high level."
"He's even younger than Jinwoo, he definitely has the potential to reach National rank, but it's impossible for him to be selected as a National rank, I'd say, in the... next 10 years." Dad hummed. My eyes widened.
"So much?" I asked incredulously, Dad nodded.
"It's easier to manipulate him as long as he remains an S-rank than a national rank," Dad said, as if it were obvious.
"But... wouldn't he still be just as strong regardless of the rank he was given?" Jinah asked, confused. Dad chuckled slightly.
"Of course, but there are laws that are applied differently depending on the rank. An S-rank is still easier to manipulate politically than a national rank, and everyone will want to take advantage of that," Dad said with a sneer.
"It's good that he's Ryuma's grandson; I doubt they'll be able to take advantage of him with Ryuma guiding him," Dad said without hesitation. I hummed along as I thought.
If Ryuma's grandson, or even All Might's son, were prepared the way I was by my dad for all the public attention, then they'd be fine. But putting that aside...
I could feel my shadows trembling slightly with excitement. I could feel Igris, Tusk, Iron Kaisel and Tank vibrating with a thirst for battle, and so did I. I wanted to face Izumi Miyamura. At first glance, he seemed like my equal: S-rank, Shadow Quirk, male, similar age, descendants of a National-ranked hero—we had many things in common.
And he wanted to know which of us was stronger.
"I know that face, son. Miyamura will beat you in a fight." My father interrupted my thoughts, my eyes widening as I registered the words.
"Wait, what? Oppa would lose?!" Jinah asked in surprise, and Dad laughed slightly.
"No matter how strong your brother is, he's not invincible," Dad said playfully. I pouted. "Getting back to the point, I don't think you can beat Miyamura. Your main attack method is speed; you rely on it more than your shadows, and Miyamura is no slouch either. I'd even say he's faster than you."
"But most importantly, as I said, his Observation Haki is really well-developed. I wouldn't have any faith in fighting someone like the villain from the Kamino incident; that... ability to steal Quirks is horrifying. I'm sure I'd lose at some point."
"But Miyamura had the confidence to go straight for it, he had the confidence to dodge all the attempts to steal his quirk, and he did. It's easy to see once you know what to look for, but he was able to react even before the villain moved, and that means one thing," Dad said with an amused smile.
"Vision of the future," I murmured with my eyes wide open. Dad nodded.
"I have no proof, but I also have no doubt. That Miyamura was able to reach that level at only 18 years old is exceptional. And you, you have no way to avoid it. Under equal conditions, he will always have the advantage. Even if your shadow army distracts him, you would only have a small chance of beating him as you are now." Dad said, brutally honest, and I remained silent.
"Dad! You have to stop being so hard," Jinah complained with a groan of pain.
"Don't worry," I interrupted, looking at Dad. "If I can't beat Miyamura the way I am, it just means I need to train more," I said without hesitation, and Dad burst out laughing.
"That's the spirit, son!" Dad said cheerfully. "Now, let's go, we have to head to the Hero Association building. I'm sure Go Junhee must be waiting for us with the other S-ranks," said Dad, standing up.
"Another meeting?" Jinah asked with a grimace. "Right now, I'm grateful I didn't win the power lottery." Jinah scoffed, and Dad chuckled.
"If I were you, I'd be careful. Miyamura just proved that talent can skip a generation. I'm sure they won't leave you alone." Dad said playfully. Jinah paused for a moment before turning completely pale.
"Oppa! I need some of your shadows to intimidate the whole school! " Jinah exclaimed in a panic, and I stood up.
"I'm sorry, Jinah, but I can't use my quirk so frivolously." I said with an apologetic smile as I started to walk away.
"Frivolously?! The other day you used your shadows to get a massage! " I said incredulously.
"Sorry, Jinah, I can't hear you!" I yelled as I put on my slippers and ran out of the room.
"Jinwoo! Get back here, damn it!" Jinah said, which I ignored once again. I could hear Dad laughing loudly in my direction.
I really couldn't wait until the day I would face Miyamura Izumi.
Author's Notes: First, Merry Christmas! One more time! Now, as I said, I've been a bit busy this week and only managed to write this chapter, so I'm sorry!
Next week looks just as busy, so expect at least one chapter; I can't promise more at the moment!
That said, I hope you have a Happy New Year!!
Author's Notes 2: Well, I wanted to include a Jinwoo POV, and I did. I haven't fully decided yet how strong Jinwoo will be, or even if the Monarchs will appear, but he definitely won't reach the level he had at the end of the story, in the epilogue. The plan for now is to have him more on par with the other Monarchs, excluding Antares.
Now about the POVs, Yang's chapters dragged on, I almost didn't finish them! There should only be a few left before starting the next arc. I still need to do the PRT and Taylor chapters, and maybe a few more short POVs like the ones in this chapter. I also wanted to do a POV/flashback from Ryuma or Shigaraki, maybe both.
A/N: If you liked the story, join my patreon, patreon.com/Camellya_Addams, there are up to 10 chapters in advance, thank you. Or you can also visit my Ko-Fi, ko-fi.com/camellya_addams.