Chapter 49: The Symbol of Peace 1.
The silence on the rooftop was heavy, broken only by the ragged sound of Aokiji's breathing. The air around him was biting, a localized winter that clung to his skin like a second layer of clothing. His hands, usually steady, were trembling slightly as he braced them against the frozen tiles. He wasn't just cold; he was drained. The "Icy Explosion" had demanded a toll from his stamina that he wasn't used to paying. Below him, the world was white, a silent testament to the raw power he had just unleashed to stop the best hero.
Down at the Escape Gate, the green lightning crackling around Midoriya finally flickered and died. The boy slumped against the metal frame of the exit, his chest heaving. He looked back at the frozen cityscape, at the magnificent spiderweb of ice suspending the Number One Hero in the sky. A smile of pure, exhausted relief broke across his face. "We... we did it," Midoriya whispered to the wind. "We actually won."
For a moment, the world was still. A perfect, frozen painting.
Then, reality reasserted itself.
"SMASH!!"
It wasn't a battle cry; it was a simple, decisive punctuation mark. All Might, suspended fifty meters in the air, didn't struggle. He simply punched downwards. The shockwave hit the asphalt street below with the force of a meteor, but the recoil traveled upwards.
SHATTER.
The sound was sickeningly loud. The colossal ice web, the structure Aokiji had poured his very soul into creating, disintegrated instantly. It didn't melt; it was obliterated. The frost coating the skyscrapers was stripped away by the sheer wind pressure, peeling off the glass like dead skin. In the blink of an eye, the majestic winter prison was reduced to nothing more than a fragile child's toy, swept away by a careless hand.
All Might landed on the now-cleared street with a heavy thud, creating a small crater. Steam rose from his shoulders as he stood up, dusting off the last few sparkles of diamond dust from his costume. He looked up at the rooftop, his grin blindingly bright.
"Hahaha! You really got me there, Kuzan Boy!" All Might laughed, giving a thumbs up. "That was a chilling strategy!"
On the roof, Aokiji stared down. The frost on his cheekbones deepened, not from the temperature, but from the chilling realization settling in his gut.
Got you? Aokiji thought, his eyes narrowing into void-like slits. You have to be joking. If wiping out my strongest attack—my absolute limit—required you to simply move your hand once... then what kind of nightmare am I living in?
He felt a wave of nausea that had nothing to do with the exam. The image of his father's fearful face, the threat of All For One, the impending doom hanging over the Kuzan estate—it all crashed into him at once.
How do I intend to face a tyrant who threatens the life of my entire family?
Aokiji slowly lifted his head, staring up at the drifting summer clouds. The vastness of the sky suddenly made him feel incredibly small.
Did I think, even for a moment, that I should resist? That I could fight? Aokiji scoffed internally, a bitter taste in his mouth. There are limits to imagination. There is no way a single student like me can stand against the Pinnacle of Evil if I can't even scratch the Pinnacle of Good.
"Hooey! Kuzan Boy!"
All Might's voice cut through his spiral of despair. The hero was waving his arm enthusiastically from the street below. "What are you doing freezing up there? Come down! The gates to Ground Beta are closing soon!"
Aokiji looked down. He looked at the towering, muscular figure of All Might—the man who laughed in the face of destruction. The man who stood as an unshakeable pillar while the world trembled.
A new thought sparked in the darkness of Aokiji's mind.
But...
What if the game isn't between me and the villain? What if the game is between the Peak of Evil and the Peak of Good?
Aokiji's eyes lingered on Toshinori.
Is this person... worthy? Can I place my trust, and the lives of my family, in his hands?
A few minutes later, the trio had left the battleground and entered the main building of U.A. High. The adrenaline of the exam was fading, replaced by the quiet hum of the school's air conditioning and the squeak of boots on polished linoleum floors.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting long shadows across the empty hallway.
All Might walked between the two students, his massive hands patting their backs with a force that nearly sent them stumbling.
"I must say, I am truly moved!" All Might boomed, his laughter echoing too loudly in the confined space. "Young Midoriya, you have finally learned to bridle your power! You moved with purpose, not just panic. I expect even greater heights from you!"
He turned his beaming grin toward the taller student.
"And you, Kuzan Boy! You have evolved. You aren't just throwing ice around anymore; you are commanding the battlefield. That web... magnificent! You have a bright future ahead!"
They continued walking past the empty classrooms. But Aokiji noticed something. The steam rising from All Might's body wasn't just sweat anymore. It was a thick smoke that hissed faintly as it evaporated into the clean school air.
All Might flinched visibly, clutching his side for a fraction of a second.
Damn it, the hero thought, feeling the familiar weakness clawing at his insides. My time is up.
"Well then!" All Might announced abruptly, picking up his pace to a brisk walk. "I must be off! Paperwork waits for no hero, and the Teachers' Lounge is calling! Good work today, boys!"
"Wait, All Might," Aokiji called out, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "Do you have a moment? I need to speak with you."
"I'm afraid time is a luxury I do not have right now!" All Might shouted over his shoulder, walking faster, almost running now. "Let's talk later!"
Midoriya, realizing exactly what was happening, jumped in front of Aokiji, waving his hands frantically. "Y-Yes! Yes! Let's save it for later, Kuzan-kun! He's... uh... very busy! Probably grading papers!"
Aokiji frowned, his dark eyes narrowing as he watched the Number One Hero break into a desperate jog down the pristine corridor.
"Later isn't good enough," Aokiji muttered, reaching out and touching the wall of lockers. "I'm afraid this is a sensitive topic that can't handle a delay."
Crackle.
A thin, precise line of frost shot from his fingertips. It raced along the walls, overtaking the sprinting hero. Just as All Might reached the T-junction at the end of the hall, the frost exploded outward.
WHAM!
A thick, translucent wall of solid blue ice materialized instantly, sealing off the corridor from floor to ceiling.
But All Might didn't stop. He didn't even slow down. He crashed straight through it.
SHATTER!
The ice wall exploded into harmless shards that skittered across the waxed floor. The hero barreled through the debris, turning the corner and vanishing from sight.
Aokiji blinked, genuinely confused. "Is he... is he actually running away from a student inside the school?"
He started to jog, intending to pursue.
BZ-ZZT!
Green lightning crackled.
Suddenly, Midoriya was there. He moved with a burst of Full Cowling, planting himself firmly between Aokiji and the turn in the hallway. He stood atop the shattered remains of the ice wall, his arms spread wide, his face a mask of desperate determination.
"Kuzan-kun..." Midoriya pleaded, sweat pouring down his face. "Could you please stop here?"
Aokiji stopped, sliding his hands into his pockets. He looked down at the smaller boy with a cold, unyielding gaze.
"Why?" Aokiji asked flatly. "I don't think I'm doing anything wrong. I just want to talk to a teacher."
Midoriya stammered, his mind racing for an excuse. "E-Everyone has their privacy! Even All Might! You're... you're invading his privacy right now!"
Aokiji closed his eyes and let out a long, weary sigh. The breath formed a white cloud in the climate-controlled hallway.
"Privacy..." he repeated. "Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury to care about manners right now."
He opened his eyes.
"Since your body is already glowing with your Quirk," Aokiji murmured, "I assume you won't mind if I use mine to get past you."
Midoriya gritted his teeth, tightening his stance. I have to block him!
But Aokiji didn't charge.
"Mist Form."
Aokiji's body simply lost its cohesion. The sharp lines of his face, the fabric of his hero suit—it all dissolved. In an instant, the solid young man transformed into a thick, swirling cloud of arctic vapor.
The mist surged forward like a living wind, flowing through the narrow school corridor.
Midoriya's eyes widened. He tried to grab it, tried to use his body as a shield, but his hands passed harmlessly through the white fog.
It's untouchable!
The cold was intense. As the mist passed through him, Midoriya felt the chill seep into his very bones, bypassing his defenses entirely. He squeezed his eyes shut and shielded his face, shivering as the freezing wind ghosted past him.
When he opened his eyes a second later, the mist was gone.
There was nothing in front of him but empty air and the lingering chill on his skin.
"No!"
Midoriya spun around, panic seizing his heart. He stamped over the ice shards from the previous icy wall and sprinted around the corner of the hallway.
"Kuzan-kun, wait! Don't—!"
He skidded to a halt. The scream died in his throat.
The scene in front of him was surreal.
Steam and smoke filled the secluded alcove of the hallway near the stairs. Standing in the middle of it was Aokiji, back in his solid form. He was holding something up by the back of its collar, lifting it effortlessly into the air due to his immense height.
It wasn't the muscular Symbol of Peace.
Dangling from Aokiji's grip, feet kicking uselessly a few inches off the polished floor, was a skeletal, emaciated blonde man. He wore clothes that were far too big for him—the same cargo pants and tank top All Might had been wearing, now hanging loosely off his bony frame. Blood trickled from the corner of the man's mouth.
Aokiji stared at the scrawny figure, his expression one of pure, unadulterated confusion.
"Who are you, old man?" Aokiji asked, tilting his head. "And why are you wearing All Might's clothes?"
Toshinori Yagi, dangling like a wet towel, looked from Aokiji's confused face to the horrified Midoriya standing at the end of the hall.
"Ah..." Toshinori croaked, a small spurt of blood escaping his lips. "I can explain..."
Midoriya stood frozen, his green eyes vibrating with shock. The secret was out. Inside the walls of U.A., the truth had finally been caught by the ice.
.
.
~ Pat reon is one of the biggest way to help your author to write more and also to get advanced chapters;
pa tr eon. com/kazuha0
- Apple users should subscribe through the website, not the app, because the app costs about five extra dollars due to Apple's fees. That's why I strongly recommend using the web version. -