Chapter 8 - Time Passed

Kuragari lay on the ground, trembling as the black minotaur opened its mouth and let out a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the office. This sent out a wave of air that sent papers on the CEO's office flying around, the wind pushing Ankoku back.

The roar lasted 5 seconds before stopping. The door to the office suddenly opened as several men rushed in. The ground below the minotaur cracked as it utilized its leg strength to push it forward. It shot through the office like a cannon, shooting past Richthofen, and punching the first guard.

Its fist covered the entire face of the guard, the strength of the punch causing his head to explode like a watermelon as his headless body flew back.

"What the---" Before the guard could finish his sentence, the monitor grabbed its head, squeezing it like a tomato, causing blood, bones, and brain matter to splash through the gap in its fingers, staining the others next to him.

Just as it was about to kill another guard, Ankoku shouted, "Stop!" Like the black phantom, the minotaur obeyed Ankoku as his action instantly seized, his fist stopping an inch away from the guard's face. The sudden stop of its fist sent a wave of air out that pushed the other guards to the ground.

"You guys, close the door and leave this room." Ankoku commanded, causing the guard to look to the former CEO as they didn't yet know Ankoku was now the new CEO.

"Ahem!" The CEO purposely cleared his throat, standing from the ground. "Leave and do not come back no matter what you hear." He commanded, and the guards quickly left, having to drag the body of the person whose head the minotaur had squished.

After taking some steps forward, the guard closed the door, leaving them alone in the room. "Well..." Richthofen mumbled, breaking the silence. "That was something."

They all turned their attention to the minotaur. It now stood 8 feet tall without its horn, taller than the guard, who was only seven feet tall, and the black phantom. Its body shape remained the same but was now made from black bandages constantly releasing dark aurae.

Richthofen looked back at the dead guard's shriveled body, devoid of any life force. Then he looked at Kuragari, now sitting on the ground, with the four ghosts dancing as if fanning it with their hands.

"I think he just absorbed the guard's lifeforce and quirk, turning it into a black ghost." Richthofen said, explaining his reasoning. He looked back at the minotaur, "If this is how black ghosts form...does that mean the black phantom was once a human with a quirk?" He mumbled to himself, turning back and staring intently at Kuragari.

"So Kuragari now has two... black ghosts?" The realization caused Ankoku to grin, squatting down and picking up Kuragari, raising it up in the air. "You just keep getting better and better."

Richthofen nodded in agreement, "But the question is, can it summon both of them at once, or did the black phantom become the minotaur?" He made a valid point. What if there weren't two black ghosts but just one that could transform into two forms? It sounded interesting, but Ankoku didn't like it. Having multiple that can do various things is better than one that needs to transform into two forms to do those different things.

In this case, the more, the merrier. "There's only one way to find out." Ankoku said, reaching into his pants where he always keeps a pistol and pulling it out. Removing the safety, he pointed it at his head.

Richthofen noticed what he was doing, gasping. "What the fuck are you--"

*Bang* A shot rang out, silencing the room. Standing beside Ankoku was the black phantom with its palm placed between the gun and Ankoku's head to block the bullet. A black aura emitted from the area where the bullet struck its palm as the bullet fell to the ground.

"...You are one crazy motherfucker." Richthofen mumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose, to which the CEO nodded. "So, you now have two black ghosts under your control." He noticed Kuragari breathing heavily while holding its chest with a sweat-covered body, confusing him. "Is something wrong---"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kuragari fell limp in Ankoku's arm. The two black ghosts disappeared in black smoke while the four ghosts appeared to be screaming like the man from the painting 'The Scream,' puffing out of existence.

"Oh. It died of exhaustion." Ankoku sighed with an indifferent voice, which caused the CEO to shiver. "Well, that's helpful to know. It can't handle two of them being active at once.

A moment later, Kuragari took a deep breath, returning to life. "Was it painful?" Ankoku asked, causing Kuragari to nod. "I am sorry. I won't do that again." He said with a smile, stroking Kuragari's hair while keeping his eyes from the top half of Kuragari's face.

"It just needs more stamina, so as it grows older, it should be able to handle more black ghosts." Richthofen mumbled, smirking. "So, Ankoku, do you have a plan in mind!?" He exclaimed in a hopeful tone.

"Yes." Ankoku grinned, causing Richthofen and the CEO to grin. "I will use them to guarantee that the hero can't kill me. Kukuku." He chuckled, "With them, I can do whatever the fuck I want, and no one can stop me. Especially with the negative ghosts!"

"...What?" Richthofen and the CEO simultaneously asked. "That's it?" Richthofen asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Isn't it great!" Ankoku shouted, bursting out into crazed laughter. "Kuragari keeps getting better! I can do whatever the fuck I want with Kuragari by my side, and it would never leave me!"

Richthofen and the CEO exchanged glances, shaking their heads. They finally understood Ankoku. He has no ambition and focuses only on one thing, enjoying himself.

Where is the objective to bring down the hero society? Where is the longing for world dominance? Where is the hunger for more power!? Those plans sounded outdated, but they would prefer to follow a leader with a big ambition than one who is mad and without one.

Richthofen sighed. "There is nothing I can do." He mumbled, his eyes on Kuragari, smiling due to its father's laughter. "He is like a newborn child with a phone. He doesn't know how to utilize it to its full potential."

"Huh?" Ankoku turned to Richthofen, "What did you say?"

"I said you should probably follow the CEO to get introduced to the other employees." Richthofen lied, turning to the CEO, "Since it seems like none of them recognizes you as their leader."

The CEO cleared his throat, drawing their attention, "It would be appropriate if I only introduce you to the underworld as my superior." He spoke, noticing the other's confusion, "Introducing you to the staff of Blush Technology would only confuse them as there is nothing above the CEO. Of course, you will have all the power I have, but if you need something changed in the company, I will assume it is me who needs that.

"As for the underworld, I will tell them you are my boss, and your appearance is due to your longevity quirk, that you are almost 130 years old. That should be enough to give you more power over me in the underworld." He pointed at the door, "I assume those guards are already spreading the words of the CEO sitting on the ground with the dead bodies of the deadly seven around him. That should solidify our story."

The room was silent before Richthofen chuckled. "As expected of the CEO that ran the company for more than 30 years. Able to come up with a plan in less than ten seconds." Even though it was a simple plan, it was still effective.

"Right." Ankoku nodded, walking forward with Kuragari still in his arms. "Things will be smooth sailing from now on."

After that day, nine months passed without any major problems, totaling one year since Kuragari awakened its quirk and it turned five years old.

Everything was smooth sailing, and as Ankoku expected, he enjoyed his life to the fullest. With money, he could get anything he wanted, sleep with whoever he wanted, and the best part was that he didn't need to do anything.

The CEO continued running the underworld and Blush Technology, but Ankoku was the official owner of those two. He didn't seem to mind having someone above him. This made sense since Ankoku only wanted to be at the top and didn't bother to interfere with his work.

Besides, with the child, Kuragari, living in the same mansion as him since Ankoku wanted to live in the same estate, he could finally sleep at night. Anyone who wished to assassinate him, or Ankoku, would be taken care of by the Negative ghost once they stepped foot in his land.

He knows the child is only protecting Ankoku, but the security it offered was much better than his deadly seven. He couldn't have asked for more.

While not much has changed about Kuragari, it is now widely known as the Horror Vessel after the HPSC announced its quirk name but not its function. The only difference was that the negative ghosts were six instead of four.

Its black ghost didn't increase because it wasn't strong enough to hold more. Ankoku wanted to increase Kuragari's black ghost population, but Richthofen explained that, like Kuragari's quirk name, it was a vessel that contained horror. With its current body, it wouldn't be able to handle more just like a balloon that can't handle more air.

Ankoku had argued about its immortality, but Richthofen brought up the possibility that it would die instantly after revival. Since its body returns to its original state after revival, it won't grow, meaning the vessel won't increase, putting it in a circle of death eternally.

It was a hypothesis they both didn't want to test out.

Out of everyone, Richthofen was the one who changed the most. He had undergone numerous plastic surgeries to change his appearance as he was a wanted fugitive, now having the face of a homeless man the company had killed.

With this redesigned face, he lived his life amongst the common folks, using the millions of dollars he earned from continuing to be a doctor for the underworld in secret to live the life he wanted.

Richthofen, now known by the homeless man's name, Reiji, stepped out of his car and looked at the massive building known as Solitude Gardens psychiatric wards.

He still had the same body build, but his face looked older and wrinkled. He appeared to be in his late sixties with a fit physique, blue eyes, and a receding hairline, a result of balding. In order to appear professional, he had to wear a suit, though he didn't like them, matching black shoes, and a Rolex watch.

Sighing, he locked his car and entered the building, immediately heading to the receptionist's table. "I am here to visit the patient, Naomasa Tsukauchi." He said to the female receptionist.

"I am sorry, but you can't." She smiled, shaking her head. Even though she knows how lonely Naomasa has been these months since no one visited him, his mental state is too unstable. He has been speaking or moving less recently, always staring at the wall or the ground. He refuses to eat or sleep, and is force-fed, and drugged for him to sleep. He has been going through many therapy sessions and CBTs but hasn't changed at all. "Maybe come back later when his mental state is better."

Reiji sighed, leaning on the table to be closer to the receptionist, causing the receptionist to move back a bit. "What's your bank account?" He pointed at his watch, "I am rich. I will transfer 20 million to you. Even though you lost your job, investing in stock would net you almost $800k a year." He whispered, making sure no one else heard. "Even without investing, you could live the rest of your life---"

Before he finished his sentence, the receptionist rose from her seat, smiling broadly. She turned to her partner, "Can you take the customers behind him?"

"Sure." The partner replied, a bit confused about why she was leading the man to where he wanted to visit when she could call for someone to take him but said nothing.

"I know him and who he is visiting." She lied, turning to Reiji. "Follow me." She hurriedly walked away, with Reiji following her.

She led him to an empty hallway, where no one passed through, instantly telling Reiji her bank account. Although there was a security camera, she didn't care.

After a few seconds, she looked back at her account, seeing her savings had shot past 20 million. The girl squealed with delight, jumping on her feet like a child as she stared at her phone.

Reiji couldn't help but chuckle at this. He had been living in the underworld for so long he had forgotten how ordinary people were. Seeing her reaction made him remember his former dream.

To form a family.

But he knew it wouldn't be possible. People like him, Ankoku, and everyone else in the underworld doesn't deserve happiness. "Can you take me to his room?" He asked, pushing the thought to the back of her mind.

She got back to her senses, turning to Reiji with a blush. "Yes. This way, please." She led him through the halls, periodically glancing at her phone to see if the money was still there.

Leading him to a room, she stopped. She entered the pin of one of her friends who is a therapist here, promising to pay him back, as the door opened.

She gestured for him to enter, "I will be waiting outside to open it when you are done." She whispered to him, closing the door behind him.

Reiji's eyes focused on the man sitting on the white bed, staring mindlessly at the wall in front of him.

The patient wore a sterile white patient garment, his body was malnourished, and his hair had grown long enough to rest on his shoulder, now mostly gray from stress. He has heavy bags due to lack of sleep, dead eyes, and his facial hair is outgrown and messy.

Beside him was a small window with bars, the curtains were drawn and the windows opened to let the afternoon sunlight shine on him and natural air enter.

He didn't acknowledge Reiji's presence, who sat on a chair. "Yo." He said, crossing his legs. "I see you haven't been doing well, Naomasa."

Naomasa didn't react to his voice and continued staring at the wall.

"Damn. That was a lot." He had heard the story from Ankoku, who grinned the entire time while explaining how he tortured this man's family and left them for him to find out.

Although he is cruel, he doesn't condone what Ankoku did. In his mind, breaking someone was acceptable only if no one else was involved. This is the reason he doesn't pity Kuragari but pity Naomasa. What he returned home to that night was something no one should experience, even Ankoku.

"Do you know why I came to Japan?" He asked, leaning back on his chair. "I refused to treat this woman's husband because they were both criminals. When her husband died due to my refusal, the woman killed my fiancé and my widowed father as an act of revenge." He paused, reminiscing the regretful memory. "She framed it so that it seemed like I was the culprit of the crime and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole."

"Thanks to an underworld kingpin, I was released from prison, and the incident was erased from my permanent record." He looked to the ceiling and continued, "I moved to Japan a few days later, deciding to change."

Reiji looked back at Naomasa, a serious look on his face. "Unlike you, I didn't let that incident break me. The murder of my father and my soon-to-be wife, who I later found out was pregnant with my child, didn't stop me. I used it to improve myself, becoming a REAL doctor. I treated anyone who needed help, be it a criminal that deserved a death sentence or someone normal living their normal life.

"Yes, my mindset did change from the innocent man I was back then to this deranged man, but I am still living." He paused, "I understand what you experienced was more intense than mine, but as they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"HE IS RIGHT, YOU KNOW!" A booming voice that sent Reiji to his feet sounded as A massive man busted through the door.

It was All Might, standing at 7'3" tall with an equally muscular and well-defined physique, chiseled features on his face, a strong jawline, pronounced cheekbones, and bushy eyebrows. He has short blond hair, swept backward, with two distinct tufts that stick up above his head, leaning slightly to each side. His strong features cast a dark shadow over his face, hiding everything but his bright blue eyes, and dressed in his silver age costume.

"Kaaa~! It is All Might in the flesh!" The receptionist screamed from behind All Might. "Can I take a picture with you?"

"OF CORSE, YOUNG LADY!" All Might replied, going behind her and flexing. She quickly took a selfie, making sure she captured All Might's and her face which was extremally hard due to the difference in height. In the end, her face ended up being almost cut off, with All Might being 95% of the picture, but she didn't seem to care. "NOW, LET ME SPEAK TO THIS YOUNG MAN."

The girl quickly moved out of the way, letting All Might enter the room, having to bend through the door. Seeing the Symbol of Peace, Reiji shivered, hoping All Might won't somehow recognize him as Richthofen.

All Might turned to Naomasa, the his booming voice disappearing. "This young man spoke from his heart and experience. Why stop racing through life due to one huge obstacle? I have always faced setbacks in my hero career, but I don't stay down. I CAME BACK STRONGER THAN BEFORE."

He pointed at Naomasa. "U.A. High school just changed their official motto." His already wide smile widened, the sunlight seeming to be reflecting off it. "GO BEYOND! PLUS ULTRA!"

Once those words were uttered, flames burned in Naomasa's eyes as he turned to the two of them. "That is a pleasing motto." He said in a hoarse voice.

"HAHAHA. I QUITE LIKE IT MYSELF!" All Might guffawed, reaching out to grab Reiji, who was trying to sneak away. "Where do you think you are going, young man? YOU ARE GETTING SENT TO JAIL!"

"Come on! I just saved a man." Reiji groaned, trying his hardest to move one of All Might's hands holding him down, failing miserably. Even though the hero was holding him with a lot of strength, Reiji didn't feel any extra weight from the man's huge hands. That shows his control over his strength. "Fuck! Let me go! I spilled my heart out to save a man, and you are sending me to jail!?"

"HAHAHA. QUITE RIGHT!" All Might laughed enthusiastically.

"Shit. I shouldn't have come here." Reiji mumbled, giving up on trying to free himself from the no.1 hero's grasp.

"But, Richthofen." Naomasa called out, drawing both of their attention. "Why did you suddenly decide to help me? For what reason? Pity?"

Reiji nodded, "Yes. That is one reason." He then sighed, "Because I see a child holding a smartphone that I don't have. The child only knows the basic functions of how to use the smartphone he has, while I watch from the sidelines as he wastes such a phone. It pains me, and makes me jealous, so I am looking for someone to steal that smartphone from that child and use it to the fullest potential, not letting it go to waste."

"Ankoku and Kuragari." Naomasa mumbled, staring at Reiji, who nodded.

"He has been quiet for a while." All Might spoke, turning to Reiji. "May I ask you what he is planning?"

"Nothing." Reiji shook his head, "He is just living a normal life with money and bitches."

"SUCH A FOWL MOUTH YOU HAVE THERE." All Might boomed, patting Reiji's shoulder.

"But he is getting bored of the normal and might soon go on a rampage." Naomasa hypothesized, with Reiji nodding.

"And I guarantee. If he presses that button, the nuke will end up killing many people." He turned to the man towering over him, "Even with you there, All Might. I am 100% certain more than 100 people will die."

"HAHAHA. SUCH CONFIDENCE!" All Might laughed before suddenly letting go of Reiji and looking at his wrist. "WELL, WILL YOU LOOK AT THE TIME? I MUST GO!" Before they could react, he ran through the wall, destroying it and jumping to the sky, throwing the air around the room.

"I will boast about this encounter with---" Before the receptionist could finishes her sentence, Reiji sprinted past her, zooming down the hallway as Naomasa quickly got off his bed, chasing the man. "My brother!" She finished her sentence.

Chapter End~~

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Word Count: 3717

Do you like the way I transitioned from storytelling to time skip? To maintain immersion, I tried to keep it flowing as much as possible. If you don't like it or get confused, tell me, and I will change it to the normal [9 months later]

Also, what do you think of the hypothesis [Ghost Vessel] weakness? All powerful abilities have a downside. Just look at Izuku. The guys break his body every time he uses one for all in the beginning.

How do you like All Might's debut? The guy is a chad. I don't like Toshinori Yagi much, but his All Might persona? That's another story.

Also, this is Prime All Might. He haven't yet fought All for One and isn't yet friends with Naomasa.

Also, such a cute receptionist. It would be a shame if something happened to her.