Chapter 48

Katsuki knelt on the ground, utterly speechless. Tears began rolling down his cheeks at the sight, although he did not know what he felt more sentimental for. The fact that Inko, his Auntie, somehow came back from the dead. That she was right there, holding her son with the same tenderness she always had. The tenderness he, himself, didn't know desperately needed until Inko pulled him along to wrap one of her arms around him.

Or the way Izuku's body lay on Inko's lap, looking so small and fragile. His body was beaten to a pulp with blood, bruises, and deep wounds lining every inch of his skin. The strong sense of déjà vu came flooding over his memories of when the greenette had taken a bullet from him. The stillness of his body caused a great sense of panic in Katsuki to the point where it had him trembling.

"Oh, my boy," the gentle voice broke him out of his reverie, his red and swollen eyes snapping to the woman who beckoned him. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he was pulled into a warm embrace, Inko holding him so tight as she cried into his hair. "Thank you, Katsuki. Thank you for being there for him when I couldn't."

A choked sob escaped Katsuki's lips as he wrapped his arms tightly around Inko's body. It was warm, welcoming, and oh-so-real that it made Katsuki cry even harder, now realizing that it wasn't an illusion. It wasn't a dream. Inko Midoriya was alive and holding him in her arms right now. It was real.

"A-Auntie?" Katsuki asked as he hastily pulled away, holding Inko by her arms as he frantically gazed into her big eyes. He had so many questions, but he knew that now wasn't the time to ask them. All he needed to hear right now was her confirmation. The last pinch in his arms to make sure he wasn't actually dreaming.

Inko gave him a small, pained smile as she nodded, reaching to wipe under his eyes. "Yes, it's me." Then she placed both hands on his cheeks, bringing her lips to his forehead to plant a small, comforting kiss.

The small gesture pulled Katsuki back to his childhood. To the times when his mother would force him to go to those small dinners at Inko's apartment. She never failed to greet him with a hug and a forehead kiss. He thought back to those times when he acted repulsed and disgusted and realized just how much he loved those gestures. How it made him feel safe. At home.

It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He hung to Inko for dear life, even as the commotion became loud around them. It pulled him to the dreaded reality as the medical team rushed to get Izuku on a gurney and began their medical procedures. As much as he wanted to, he didn't interfere like the time Izuku had been shot. For some reason, he knew that he was going to be fine. Everything was really going to be alright.

He slowly approached Izuku, careful not to interrupt the paramedics as they secured the boy and checked his injuries, replacing the poorly made tourniquet with a much more professional one. One of the medics kindly stepped aside, knowing that the blond needed a moment next to the greenette. Katsuki was silently thankful for it, slightly bowing his head to the lady. His hand reached up to Izuku's hair, some of it sticking to his forehead due to the sweat. The way Izuku didn't even flinch was concerning, but the warmth emanating from the skin under his touch kept him grounded.

Then, as he was about to retract his hand, a soft glow encaptured both their bodies. Katsuki felt it deep inside him. The embers of the One for All burned bright as rays of color suddenly burst out of their bodies. Every single pair of eyes surrounding the area became fully aware of the powerful presence that emerged from both teens, all turning to witness an event never seen before. There, before their eyes, the souls of every single vestige that had once carried the burden of One for All looked down on them. Gasps and immediate murmurs arose among every onlooker, Katsuki's eyes widening before they rolled to the back of his head, and he fainted. A paramedic was quick to catch him before he fell, and soon, the vestiges spoke.

"Fear not, citizens. We mean no harm. Let us introduce ourselves," and with that, each one of the vestiges proceeded to introduce themselves. Everyone witnessing the scenery had their mouths agape, some of them instantly recognizing a few of them as they had been a part of their childhood. The confusion and shock on their faces were very apparent, and soon, a wave of panic began to arise. All that had happened on that particular day seemed to be too much information for them to process, so their first instinct was to panic.

"What have you done with those kids?!" someone shouted among the crowd, followed by many other panicked yells as the chatter and protest created an uproar. Pro heroes were quick to assess the situation and try to calm the citizens down. The vestiges waited for the noise to die down, not at all surprised by their reactions as they remained calm and collected, not phased by the many angry shouts and questions thrown their way. After a few minutes, the pro heroes managed to somehow settle down the crowd, the yelling having turned into an array of loud murmurs and accusations. Well, it was an improvement, at the very least.

"These young men will be fine. We are only here in the presence of One for All, the quirk that has gone down many generations up until now. It all ends here, right now, on this day. Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo were the last to carry the burden of such quirk, and we are more than happy to announce that, thanks to them, this war is over," Yoichi spoke up, successfully silencing the crowd. "You may even recognize some of us, so you can rest assured that we are not the enemy."

It was true that some people recognized some of the vestiges, gasps filling the vast air as their eyes came across the distorted presence of All Might among the vestiges. Toshinori stepped forward, offering the crowd a stiff smile as everyone then turned their attention to him. Nana Shimura looked at him and offered him an encouraging nod, beckoning him to take the lead, which he did. Aizawa took his place next to him, staring down at every single person in front of them, daring them to protest or say anything. No one did.

"The topic of One for All is a complicated one, and it is something that I will explain when the time is right. At this moment, we must clear the area and let the professionals work and do their respective jobs without interrupting them. I know that you are all concerned and extremely confused at all that has happened, but people have been injured and we need to act fast," Toshinori said in a stern voice, leaving no room for argument. The male then turned to where the two teenagers were peacefully lying, Inko standing between their gurneys with a concerned look on her face as the paramedics began getting them inside the ambulance.

"These two young men have fought a great battle in order to bring some peace to this earth. And they have succeeded. All for One is no longer going to be a threat, and the League of Villains, which he leads, is already taken care of. Our purpose has been fulfilled, therefore, there is no use for us anymore," Yoichi commented, looking at his fellow vestiges. "Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo will go down in history as the heroes that ended a war. They deserve to rest, so I will ask you to please not put any pressure on them while they recover."

Colors danced around them, creating a beautiful lightshow as the vestiges looked at each other. That was it. The end had arrived, and it was time for them to cease to exist. It was time for One for All to be just a memory.

It was a sight to behold. Mouths fell agape as the eyes around them witnessed the beauty of their souls vanishing into thin air, clearing the now stormy sky and creating way for sunlight to cast down upon them. A breathtaking reminder that there will always be light after the storm. The sun will always shine, and a new day will be born. A new opportunity.

"Inko!!" a very loud voice yelled over the chattering crowd, the familiar sight of spikey blonde hair zooming past every single person at an incredible speed. The sound of her name being called caught the greenette's attention, her head turning to see Mitsuki running her way with tears rolling down her cheeks. Inko's eyes instantly brimmed with tears of her own, running to meet with her best friend midway and entangle each other in their warm embrace. The taller of the two held the other close to her chest, sobs breaking through, expressing the heartbreaking relief she felt.

"I'm here, Mitsuki. I'm back," Inko assured, trying so hard to keep her composure as she held her friend tightly. Their chests heaved with each breath they took, the warmth their bodies emanated being reassuring enough for them to finally pull away from each other. They both wiped the tears from their faces, Mitsuki's hands landing on Inko's shoulders as she took a deep breath.

"WHERE IN THE ACTUAL FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN, INKO?! JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!" The blonde screeched out, Inko letting out a yelp as her shoulders got shaken relentlessly, forcing her head to bob back and forth quite harshly. It wasn't until Toshinori intervened that Inko's neck could have a small break.

"I'm sure you two have some catching up to do, but the boys are now being transferred to the hospital to be further examined and properly cared for," All Might spoke with a fond smile, looking over at the dizzy greenette that rubbed the back of her neck with a grimace. "We've missed you, Inko. You have no idea."

With that, the three rushed over to where Masaru waited patiently for them, his eyes watering the moment he took notice of Inko. He pulled the woman in a welcoming hug, keeping it brief since he knew they had much more important things to be doing. He was aware that an explanation would be given, and things would be cleared up when the time was right. In that moment, what mattered was their children.

Red eyes watched the interaction blankly from afar. His hands were captured in the quirk-canceling cuffs, his body aching as Detective Tsukauchi stared him down. All he wanted to do at the moment was get the fuck out of there and grab something to eat. He had gone through with his end of the deal, now it was time for the man in front of him to keep up his end of the bargain. Shigaraki tapped his foot impatiently, keeping his gaze steady as he looked around the place.

It was pure disaster. An incredible amount of debris that once used to be buildings was scattered around the perimeter. Heroes and firefighters worked on the many small fires that could be seen, paramedics tending to the wounded, and officers evacuating those who were thankfully alright. It was the first time he had stayed around long enough to witness the after-effects of a villain attack. He actually had time to analyze just how bad their attacks usually were, but even so, he felt quite indifferent about it.

"This idea of yours is too atrocious, Nezu," Tsukauchi commented, not at all happy with the shit he had been involved in. The small mouse-looking creature stood proudly, his hands behind his back in a formal manner as he eyed every member of the League carefully. He knew that the deal he had made with them was quite...risky. But he also knew what he was doing. He was always certain of his decisions.

"A deal is a deal, Detective. We must follow through," Nezu then nodded, making eye contact with Shigaraki. "As spoken before, we shall grant you twenty-four hours of freedom. Under the condition of staying below the radar and not attract attention to you. It should be enough time for you to escape. It is your only chance to get every form of authority off your back. But beware, that the second those 24 hours come to an end, or the moment one of you makes trouble, they will all come for you. So, you better choose your next steps carefully."

Tsukauchi bit the inside of his cheek, holding back an array of insults and arguments he wanted to throw Nezu's way. Instead, he glared in the direction of the League of Villains' members, the few that didn't know of the deal fairly surprised and seemingly excited. In the midst of eyeing them, he turned to Nezu with an eyebrow raised. "And where the fuck is Dabi?"

At this question, even Shigaraki looked down at the principal. It was true that he hadn't been able to communicate with him ever since Dabi had gone to deal with the Todoroki's. He highly doubted that he had been captured. Dabi was quite a menace, and would certainly not be taken down easily.

"I thought you'd never ask," the man himself spoke up, walking up to them with a smug smile on his face, his hands thrown carelessly inside his pockets. He looked...different. His raven black hair was completely gone, a sheer white replacing it. The usual scowl and indifferent gaze had turned into a relaxed and calm expression. A very stark contrast to what everyone was accustomed to seeing. Who the fuck was this person?

"Thank you for your hard work, Touya," Nezu thanked him, offering up his tiny paw to shake with Dabi. Dabi complied, letting Nezu wrap his paw around his index finger and giving it a small shake.

"I told you I was a great actor," Dabi chuckled, winking up at Tsukauchi and the League, members who appeared utterly flabbergasted. "Man, do I really enjoy that look on all of your faces. Fucking perfect."

After ten seconds of eerily undisturbed silence, Tsukauchi glared at Nezu. "You and I are going to have an extremely serious talk."

"Yes, I am aware," Nezu chuckled, now looking at their surroundings. "Everything being said, I guess it's time to bring forth our end of the bargain. Follow me."

Nezu managed to keep everyone out of sight as he led them all to a secret tunnel within the ruins of the academy. One by one, he and Tsukauchi uncuffed the members, the detective keeping his guard up while he stared into Shigaraki's eyes, his expression a little uncertain. "How can I be sure you won't try to decay me or everything else on the spot?"

"Because I won't," Shigaraki replied, rolling his eyes. He just wanted to get rid of those annoying cuffs and get the fuck out of there. His stomach was already starting to grumble.

When Tsukauchi didn't notice an ounce of insincerity or deceitfulness in his words, he finally uncuffed the current most wanted criminal. If someone had told him the day before that he would deliberately set Shigaraki free, he would've thought you were delusional. Now, he felt like he was the delusional one.

"The moment you all step inside this pathway, your 24 hours will commence. Do with that time what you must, and you already know how everything will go down. I thank you all for your cooperation since not only did it help bring All for One down, but it also reunited a mother with her son," Nezu commented, a small, appreciative smile directed at the villains.

"Cut the sappy talk, none of us care," Shigaraki grumbled, waving at everyone to go inside the damn tunnel at once. This caused Nezu to let out a chuckle, waiting patiently for everyone's back to be out of sight before turning on his heel and walking back towards the resolving chaos.

"You are out of your goddamn mind, did you know?" Tsukauchi asked incredulously, looking back at the tunnel with a stiff body. Nezu only gave a nod in return, continuing his way back over the debris and rubble that used to be buildings in the academy. "Even after all the damage they caused to your academy, you are willing to let them go. Just like that?"

"Just like that," Nezu confirmed, with no hesitation or underlying anger in his tone. "The academy was just a building. It can be rebuilt in no time. All of my students managed to get out safely, and the greatest of evils has been defeated. That is all that matters."

The sky above them had cleared out completely, the angry dark clouds dispersing and leaving no trace of a storm behind. A stunning rainbow decorated the bright sky, making everyone stop momentarily to admire its beauty. The sight made Nezu smile, closing his eyes before taking a deep breath.

In fact, there was always light after the storm. And a new day has just been born.