Chapter 49 – The Weight of Truth
As he reached the shore of the island, Aoi collapsed on his back onto the sand. His body was still burning with blue flames, which slowly closed the wounds scattered across him. Exhaustion was evident on his face.
Suddenly, Mirko came running toward him. Her eyes carried both despair and anger. Without thinking twice, she pulled him against her chest and asked, worried:
— Aoi! How are you? Are you feeling better? We need to get you to a hospital right now!
Aoi, surprised by her reaction, only gave a faint smile and replied:
— You're already acting like a worried wife...
Mirko, pouting, gave him a light punch on the head:
— Idiot! If you're well enough to joke like that, then you're going to have to explain everything about that monster... and also explain to everyone at home what caused that noise!
Aoi let out a deep sigh, already feeling the headache that would come from telling the whole story.
— Well... I guess there's no other way, huh?
— Exactly — Mirko said, crossing her arms and giving him a half-smile. — So let's go.
Back at the house
Gathered in the living room were Rei, Midnight, and Ryuko, all wearing worried expressions. Aoi was lying on the couch, his head resting on Mirko's lap, and she refused to let go of him.
Rei was the first to speak, her voice trembling with concern:
— Aoi... how could you be so irresponsible? Going out alone to fight a villain like that? What if something had gone wrong?
Aoi looked at his mother's face and then at Midnight and Ryuko, who were also staring at him with the same anxious gaze. For the first time, he realized clearly: there were many people who cared about him in this life.
— I... just didn't want to worry anyone. We finally had a moment of peace, and I didn't want to ruin it.
Rei sighed, along with Midnight and Ryuko.
— All right. But don't ever do that again, understood? — Rei said, almost like a general giving an order.
Aoi chuckled softly.
— Understood, general...
Rei couldn't hold back a smile at his words.
At that moment, Mirko leaned closer and turned his face toward her.
— Well... now it's time for you to tell me what you promised. Right?
— You won't give up if I don't say it, will you? — Aoi muttered, tired.
— What do you think? — Mirko replied with a mischievous smile.
Aoi sighed deeply and began to speak:
— When Midnight and I were attacked, I ordered my artificial intelligence to investigate who had hired those mercenaries. That's when I discovered the existence of a villain called "One for All"... or rather, All For One.
He then told them everything he had uncovered: All For One's shadows, his influence, and the dangers he represented.
When he finished, no one said a word. The air grew heavy.
It was Midnight who broke the silence:
— So you're saying that a villain of this level has his eyes on you...
Ryuko, confused, added:
— But why?
Aoi took a deep breath.
— You know that monster we fought today? It seems it was created by him. So... he probably wants to capture me and use my body as a base to create even more powerful creatures, for some plan of his.
Silence once again filled the room.
Midnight finally spoke, firmly:
— Aoi... we'll have to report this to the police and to the other heroes. If he's really creating monsters, it definitely isn't for something small.
— All right. When we return to the city, we'll contact the authorities. But for now... I just want to rest. — Aoi said, pulling Mirko closer and hugging her.
She was surprised by the gesture but ended up smiling, returning the embrace and lying down beside him. Aoi's blue flames flared again, wrapping around them, healing their wounds, until they both fell asleep together on the couch.
Rei looked at them, sighed, and picked up a blanket. With silent affection, she covered them both before walking away.
Meanwhile...
In a dark place, All For One's henchmen called him.
— Boss... the experiment... — one of the men said, trembling. — Even though it caused a lot of destruction and gave us trouble, it was still defeated.
On the other side, All For One's cold voice echoed:
— Oh... so it seems we still have a long way to go. But that's fine. What matters is that he has already proven himself worthy of being a valuable piece on the board.
The villain gave a dark smile.
— Thank you very much for your services.
Before the henchmen could react, a hand emerged from a portal, touching them and reducing them to dust in an instant.
All For One raised his hand to the darkness and murmured:
— Let the game between good and evil... begin.