15 Parting (4)

Similar to water droplets that gathered around to become a massive ocean, Kaito had finally gathered up his courage. It took an entire week but the wait was over.

The decision was already made, unfazed by irrationality and fear.

His eyes blazed with a resolute conviction.

And at the end of that gaze was boy, training himself in the public park. Doing some cruches, with weights tied to his body. Sweat glistened on his skin as he kept going at it.

".... Can we talk?"

In a smooth, calm tone, his words reached the intented target.

"After this set!"

But it was struck down without mercy.

A slightly sad smile rose up on Kaito's lips as he reminisced about the past. Some things never changed.

His suicidal tendencies were often shook off by others as playful antics but Kaito knew that the boy was serious.

Those brown eyes, filled with life, only had death in their sight.

And no amount of fun, dreams, friends and help could ever change that. No matter how many people believed in him, how many dreams were burdening his shoulders, he would not hesitate. Selfish and self-centered fell short to describe him.

Greedy would be the right word. The best of both halves.

To die while the living mourn him. It was a strange dream. To be immortal in the afterlife. Peculiar yet somehow, enchanting.

'One would expect no less from a cultist.'

Soon, the boy dusted his clothes, finishing his set and ran towards Kaito. A giddy smile on his lips, happy to get rid of the mute kid he was taking care of.

"Yo, made a decision?"

Masato seemed awfully sure of what decision Kaito would make.

"You know.... My parents, they were heroes."

Taking a deep breath, Kaito sat down on a nearby seat, gesturing Masato to follow.

"Yeah?"

Masato took a seat and nodded.

"Not just any heroes. They were a part of the top 10, both of them. Their quirks often helped each other, getting stronger than most pros out there."

One could see the reflection of a strong man and woman in his irises as he recited. Their huge backs would cause ease in the hearts of those who saw it.

"They wanted to create a hero agency, which did only NPO work. Most of my wealth comes from my grandparents, my parents didn't actually want to raise me in a huge mansion filled with cars and uncountable riches.

A simple house near the nursery would be fine for them..... I was 5..."

His voice began quivering at the end.

"It was... my first day at... the nursery... I was happy..."

Although Kaito took spoke slowly, Masato didn't say a word. Listening to it all calmly, unlike usual.

"... So happy that I didn't notice a small... guy... a villain... quirks really are strange... Even an old man can look young..."

Just thinking about that scene on that day, made Kaito waver, shake like a leaf in the wind.

A warm hand patted his head, ruffling his neatly arranged hair into a chaotic one. As his hair covered his eyes, the story continued.

"... I thought he was a... kid, like me... Eager to make friends... I rushed towards him... I was aware but ignored the fact that my parents were... heroes, great heroes... So great that they had too many enemies..."

It was the first time Kaito ever told this story to anyone. Even the police didn't know the entire story but it was time that Kaito let go of his burden.

"His quirk... It was called [Transfer]... He could transfer his mind from one body to another... Killing the host once he did..."

Clenching his fists tightly, he looked at the sky. His unaimed gaze looked tired and weary but dry.

"He aimed that quirk at me!"

The slow story started to pick up pace as one could feel the wrath that was held deep within the voice.

"A white soul-like thing jumped out of his body and moved towards me. My parents tried their best to reach me, protect me from the villain."

- Hahaha! You heroes shall feel pain too! I will make sure of it!! Let's see how you react when your child dies!!

That croaking voice was still clear in his mind. Stuck there as a haunting nightmare.

"...."

"Your quirk activated, didn't it?"

Since he stopped narrating the story, Masato gave him a not-so-subtle push.

Kaito's quirk [Target] might seem weak at first glance but it was a merge of the two heroes, who once stood among the top 10.

His mother had [Redirect], a quirk that changed the direction of an attack. While his father had [Strengthen], a quirk that boosted any desirable effect of the attack.

And [Target] was a merge of those two quirks.

Target: A quirk that makes sure that an attack always hits the intended target. It can even strengthen the attack to some extent.

To understand the true power of this quirk, one needs to understand what an attack means. Anything which was done with the intent to hurt others.

That was an attack.

Even if the attacker was the enemy, the attack would always move where Kaito wished. Like a king, everything would follow his orders. As long as he willed it, the attack would bite its origin, the attacker.

Even broken can't describe it. Masato had been punched by his own fist before losing horrendously to Kaito. And all 3 gates couldn't change that outcome.

It was reason why Masato did his best not to truly fight Kaito, especially since he couldn't use 'Hachimon Tonkou' now. For once they truly fought, Masato's defeat was already destined. No matter how much he acted like he could win, Masato knew that he couldn't win... yet.

"Yeah, my quirk activated."

Turning his head towards Masato, he answered bravely.

"The attack was more than I could handle at that time. So I decided to split the attack. His soul split in two and hit both my parents."

"...."

It was easy to understand where this story was going. After all, Kaito was an orphan.

One could say 'It wasn't your fault' and be done with it. But Masato couldn't say that. Because the story still hadn't ended.

"But they were strong heroes. Both of them..."

His target-colored eyes dimmed as he recounted their actions.

- Kaito! Stay back!

- Dear... I can't hold on...

"Because the mind of the villain had split in two halves, my parents still had some control on their body."

It was a sad ending.

***

- Don't give up!

His father screamed, trying to hold on to his hope.

- I can't... End it, dear...

His mother withheld her tears and looked at the young Kaito.

- Look away...

With those words, she raised her hero gun, aiming for her husband. Normally, that gun was unable to cause harm to any normal person. But a blue light glowed over it. On the other side, his father had also drawn his gun.

[Strengthen] activated according to the wishes of his father while [Redirect] made sure that only the intended target would be hit.

The heroes nodded at each other. They wanted to wait for Kaito to turn away. Not look at their end. But the boy refused, tears streaming out of his eyes.

Holding both of them tightly, he wished that none of them would be lost today.

- Sorry...

- Don't cry, you baby...

- Bang! Bang!

Two shots rang out simultaneously as red filled the entire air. Some of the blood got on Kaito, who looked broken.

***

"That's why I want to be a hero. To be like them."

Kaito said those words slowly.

"...."

But he didn't get any response. So he continued.

"... It's the story I told the police."

Masato knew that he was lying from the start. Because not for a moment did Kaito lose his smile.

Broken but it was present. That fake smile that hid away his true feelings. The same thing that shielded him from countless dangers.

"It is time to let it go. All your sins and regrets."

Kaito was empty, just like Masato. Masato could chalk it up to being a reincarnator but what did the young Kaito go through to end up empty.

If the story occured as he said, then Kaito would be filled with vengence towards villains and not be empty.

"The villain was strong."

As the corners of his lips started falling, his eyes hidden behind the hair filled up with tears.

"Too strong. Even in two halves, he easily took control of my parents.

The top 10 were defeated so easily? That news would cause a huge ruckus. Many villains would use that opportunity to test the mettle of the other heroes. It would cause a lot of pain."

- Drip!

For the first time after that day, Kaito cried again.

***

- Hahaha! This is so easy! I can't believe that my only limitation of controlling one body at a time was broken here! By a brat, no less.

- If this is the case, then I wonder just how many heroes in the top 10 can actually fight against me! Hahaha! Let's kill all the heroes!! I should call in some friends too!

Those words shot straight through the heart of the young Kaito. The fact that his own power let a villain grow stronger and kill his own parents, struck him down.

He, who was raised as a hero's son, couldn't bear to hear the second part.

- Thank you, brat. As a gift, I will send you to your parents!

***

"... So when they took out their guns... To kill me... I killed them... With my own quirk..."

Though he had just awakened it, he could already use it instinctively. Kaito was a genius that only came once a century.

Perhaps because he was raised with the intent of becoming a hero, he decided to chose the option where he sacrificed his heart instead of the world.

"I changed the facts so that a chaotic age would not ensue. So that people believed they are safe. So that heroes would still be undefeated... I was mistaken... I never should have done that... Because as long as Almight is there, the villains can't win... I should have tried to save my parents...

I abandoned them! I decided to become a hero so that I could atone for my sins! To become something that they would be proud of!! But when I saw that boy...

I saw my image in him. Someone who didn't need a hero who could fight for him. But a parent who would just stay by his side... I want to be his family. And the family of many more like him!

So I can't be a hero anymore... I just can't... I can never redeem myself for the death of my parents."

He decided to punish himself for almost a decade for a mistake that he made with good intentions. No one knew how much he hated the word 'hero' yet he strived to be one. Every costumed man reminded him of his sins.

It would be better for him to give up on his dream of going pro.

Kaito could speak of all these things to Masato, things that he could never tell anyone else. It wasn't trust or anything like that. There was a simple reason behind it.

"Ha~ So you finally dumped your secrets on me. Is it because I'm suicidal?"

Masato was suicidal, like a terminal patient. There was no harm in telling the secret to the man, who was always a few steps away from the grave. Simple as that.

There was no love or hope. Only sinister calculations.

"... Yes... Do you hate me now?"

With a simple smile, Masato pulled Kaito in a hug. His rough, calloused hands patted his back, almost breaking his spine in the process of calming him down.

"I never even liked you in the first place, Kid."

Kaito took in the warmth of his first true friend before pushing him away. Since it was time to part.

"Let's never meet again."

For every second spent with Kaito reminded him of the heroic spirit that he once wished to have. The naive dreams that were once crushed, haunted him. And they would continue to do so as long as Masato was by his side.

Masato didn't believe himself to be a hero but for Kaito, he looked like one. An undefeated and strong hero. His personal hero.... And he didn't want to see his hero die again. Never again.

"What will you do now?"

Masato stood up and asked a simple question. In the end, Kaito himself had the answer. There was no need for Masato to tell him any answer.

"My parents left some outlines... For their dream..."

"The NPO?"

Seeing the discriminated kid brought back all the memories of that day. All the hopes that his parents had. That's why Kaito decided to give up going pro and punishing himself.

Instead he could try and fulfill the wishes of his parents. Rather than punishment, he would try to redeem himself.

"Yeah, I will make some changes. To help the mutational quirk users and the ones with villainous quirks."

Hearing that, Masato stood up. Kaito's tears were leaking out but Masato didn't even look at it, moving away from his friend like a heartless monster.

'.... You still act cool... Even in the end.'

Kaito leaned back on the seat, covering his eyes with his arm.

And so they parted.

Masato went back to his training. Somehow, his heart ached for no apparent reason.

"Ha~ I hope the plot starts soon."

Since that would mean his rest would nearing too.

Those that have met, will part too. Partings are a part of life, that can't be escaped.

But there was always the option of parting before everybody else. So that you didn't have to cry.

To remain happy upto the very end, you have to leave before the others.

***

"I really want to die soon." 

I wanted to be a hero but ended up failing to save the person who meant the most to me. It became the source of my agony. That's my reason to die. While Kaito became a hero and saved many people and will save many more in his own heroic way yet he suffers. This world is really complex.

"I really want to die."

Hence, I repeated my wishes twice.