NO. 62 - Pandoras Box

[General POV]

Watching with wide, unbelieving eyes, Midoriya Izuku stared at his phone as he watched the Number Two hero be beaten down into unconsciousness by a mask-wearing man. Shinso Hitoshi's expression was tight and tense from beside him as the sweat from their late-night jog through the city dripped down his face.

"What the hell is going on?" Hitoshi muttered as he watched the King of Curses bow and rise with his hands outstretched beside him. "Who... is this guy?"

"The comments are calling him... Sukuna." Izuku said as he and Hitoshi watched several comments from the livestream scroll by. "The King of Curses."

x x x

Sitting within an old, abandoned apartment building on the outskirts of Chiba. A tall, black-haired young man watched the ongoing fight between Sukuna and several Pro Heroes on a laptop. His deep blue eyes watched with growing amusement as Sukuna launched a massive wave of water onto Endeavor.

A large, crazed smile grew over the young man's gnarled, wrinkled, purple skin. Suddenly, a low chuckle escaped his mouth as he quickly burst into laughter once Sukuna punched Endeavor across the street.

"So that's him! That's Sukuna, the King of Curses!" The young man, Dabi, said in delight as he leaned back into an old, dirty couch. "To think he'd handle Endeavor like a child for everyone to see. How wonderful!" Standing up, Dabi walked over to the broken, boarded-up window to stare at the far-off city buildings.

"With you, I'm sure I can accomplish all of my goals," Dabi said in a low tone as his eyes took on a dark sheen. "Just you wait, Endeavor. I'll soon burn everything you've ever touched until there's nothing left."

x x x

From behind the safety and privacy of the Mightgate, situated at the top of Might Tower, Toshinori Yagi clutched his injured side as he witnessed Endeavor being knocked out by a powerful strike. He turned toward the gate, gritting his teeth in frustration as he attempted to transform into his powerful All Might form. However, he was hindered by several loud, bloody coughs.

"Damn it! If only I hadn't used up all my time!" Yagi said, narrowing his eyes as he turned back to the livestream on his large television screen. Seeing Sukuna showboating, Yagi couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that the man hadn't killed any of the heroes who tried to take him down. "So that's him… Sukuna. There's no doubt about it. You're just like that man."

x x x

"Come on, Eri-chan. It's time for bed."

Walking into the living room, Kaina smiled at the young girl as she watched the television with wide, curious eyes. Turning to the woman, Eri smiled at the ongoing news channel.

"Look, Oneechan! It's Souta-Oniisan!" Eri said.

Tilting her head in confusion, Kaina looked up at the news channel reporting an ongoing battle between several heroes and a lone villain in Wakayama. A panicked reporter was giving a quick recount of what had happened so far, from when Sukuna was trapped by Best Jeanist all the way to him knocking out or taking each of the heroes out of the fight with almost unbelievable ease.

"Oh no."

"Hm?" Walking into the room, a tired Jin turned to the television and quickly realized what was happening. Sliding off his gaming headset from his ears, Jin's wide eyes turned to Kaina. "Holy shit. Souta is on the news!"

x x x

Sitting in his chair in a large open office on the highest floor of the Detnerat Company Building, Yotsubashi Rikiya hummed in amusement as he watched Sukuna effortlessly knock out each hero who tried to take him down.

The rich and powerful CEO chuckled at the sight of Sukuna's bow to the audience before looking over at a man with long black hair hiding his eyes under thick bangs.

"Tell me, Skeptic. What are your thoughts on the man they call Sukuna?" Rikiya said with a small smile.

Chikazoku Tomoyasu, otherwise known as Skeptic, frowned as he quickly typed on his laptop from his seat. "Sukuna... He's been a rather large thorn in the HPSC and Hero's sides. From the files and photos they've tried to hide, Sukuna was the one truly responsible for the destruction of the Shie Hassaikai and a large portion of the Florrum Ward. The man is… extremely powerful and feared."

"How marvelous," Rikiya said before turning back to his monitor screen. "He'll make a wonderful addition to the Meta Liberation Army, wouldn't you say? With him on our side, I can finally see Destro's vision come to life."

x x x

"Hey, Keiko-chan? Where are you?" Himiko said as she walked down the stairs of Hase Keiko's family home.

Walking into the living room, Himiko found her friend standing, shocked, still in front of the television beside her parents. Stepping up beside Keiko, Himiko watched on as a news broadcast showed off video clips of Sukuna fighting off several of Japan's famous heroes.

"Sukuna-kun?" Himiko whispered in surprise as the clip of Sukuna punching Endeavor onto the ground played.

"I've... never seen anything like this," Keiko said, seemingly not hearing Himiko's familiar suffix. "For a single Villain to defeat so many Pros. I can't believe my eyes."

"How scary." Keiko's mother, Yoshiyuki Hana, said with worried eyes as the defeated forms of the Pro Heroes flashed on the screen. "They're all alive… right?"

"I think so." Yoshiyuki Kent, Keiko's father, said as he held his hands tightly. "Yeah. I'm sure those heroes are just fine."

Blinking in bewilderment, Himiko slipped off her facial mask and stared at Sukuna as he bowed to the camera.

'I thought you were going to stay under the radar, Sukuna-kun…' Himiko thought as she felt her phone buzz. Lifting it, she saw a text from Kaina.

[Kaina-Oneechan: What the hell is going on??!!]

x x x

All throughout Japan, thousands upon thousands of people tuned into the live stream or dozens of news channels covering the ongoing fight with Sukuna and several of Japan's pro heroes.

There were even growing viewers from outside the country as well. Several of which were intrigued foreign pro heroes and villains who watched with careful eyes as Sukuna made his first-ever appearance on the national stage.

x x x

Closing the metal door behind him, a tall, brown-haired man walked across the rooftop of a high-rise building. Reaching the edge, he slipped off his black backpack and brought out a pair of military-grade binoculars.

Zooming in, the brown-haired man focused his sights on Sukuna as he punched Endeavor away from his position; the King of Curses was approximately 25 kilometers away. The man then raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of the Rabbit-themed hero, Mirko.

Placing his binoculars away, the man, Gunther, raised a cell phone up to his ear. "I have Sukuna in my sights. But there seems to be a straggler. What should I do about her?"

"The situation has already escalated far beyond my expectations… Mirko is a small price to pay for Sukuna's death. If you have a shot, take it. No matter who gets in your way." The HPSC Chairman said from the other line. "Finish this. Tonight."

"Understood." Gunther man said as the Chairman hung up. Stepping back, he removed his black jacket, leaving him shirtless.

For the past decade, Gunther, a man born in Germany, had been working as one of the world's most elite assassins.

Gunther has built quite a legend for himself, with a 99% success rate in eliminating his assigned targets. Thanks to his reputation and powerful Quirk, he only accepted jobs with the highest payouts. So when the Chairman of Japan's HPSC offered him one of the most lucrative contracts he had ever received, Gunther didn't hesitate to take out the man known as Sukuna.

Taking a deep breath, Gunther's torso began to twist and shift as steel, cables, and machinery grew out of his flesh. The man grunted in pain as the machinery continued to grow and change until it formed a large rail gun. Snapping out from under the barrel, a bipod planted itself on the ground.

Sighing, Gunther reached out to the rail gun controls and began charging his Quirks power.

Gunther's Quirk, Railgun, allowed him to sprout a large mechanical Railgun from his chest. However, doing this causes Gunther significant levels of intense pain. Once charged, the Railgun can fire a powerful 5-meter radius blast that can obliterate anything in its 50-kilometer range into ashes.

"Charging…" Gunther said as he placed his binoculars onto a helmet. Placing the helmet on his head, he focused his sights on Sukuna's form. "15%… 18%… 21%… 26%…"

x x x

[Shimizu Souta POV]

With a twist of her hips, Mirko launched a powerful kick onto my raised forearm. Using CE reinforcement, I grinned behind my mask as I swiped her foot away.

"Whats up with that mask you're wearing?! Don't tell me you're getting shy?!" Mirko yelled as she slid back. Rushing in again, she unleashed several kicks at me. "And where's that fancy stick of yours?! Don't tell me it broke!"

Parrying and weaving around her attacks, I flicked out a punch she barely managed to block at the last second with her arms. Grimacing at the punch, Mirko grabbed my forearm and used it as leverage to try and kick the side of my head with an elegant spin.

"I figured I'd give you a handicap. Ain't that considerate of me?" I said mockingly as I leaned back, avoiding the kick.

[+35 SP]

"Bastard," Mirko said with a wide grin as she flipped back. Leaping high, she pulled her leg up and flexed her leg muscles. "Luna Arc!"

With an upwards kick of my own, I met her attack head-on using Ratio. Due to the impact of our attacks, the ground beneath me rippled and shattered. Mirkos eyes grew wide at the sight of her attack being pushed back.

That's it! She's definitely on another level from these bozos!

Flexing my legs, I jumped up to her. Mirko was momentarily surprised that I had closed the distance between us until our faces were only a few centimeters away. "Excellent! Show me all of your ultimate moves, Mirko! Let's dance!"

[+100 SP]

At my statement, Mirko's eyes grew wide as a dark blush grew on her face. Immediately, a wide, maniacal smile grew over her face.

"Hah! I'll make you regret saying that!" Mirko yelled as we entered a speeding battle up and down the street.

As we fought, we exchanged powerful kicks and punches, each of us trying to outmaneuver the other. I was aware that if I increased my CE reinforcement, I could easily surpass her in both strength and speed. However, that wouldn't be any fun. Unlike the heroes around us, Mirko relied on her hard-earned strength and skills, battling with just her bare arms and legs. I respected that, as I also spent hours training and practicing each day.

"Lunar Tijeras!" Mirko screamed as she quickly pressed her thighs against the sides of my head.

…should I get out of this or not?

Before the Rabbit-themed hero could spin to slam my head into the pavement, I slid my hands over the insides of her thighs and pushed. Mirkos eyes grew wide in disbelief as I overpowered her leg strength in seconds.

[+55 SP]

With her legs spread out before me, I drove my fist right into her face. As her head snapped back, I twisted my hips and swung my left arm.

"Black Flash!"

[+65 SP]

Mirko gasped in pain as she was flung back across the street in a wild heap from my punch striking her left thigh. As she rolled, I appeared behind her and landed a kick on the side of her torso.

Crashing into the ground, Mirko blearily looked up to me before a challenging and hungry, bloodied grin spread over her face. Standing up, she glared at me as she swiped the blood dripping down her face with her forearm.

"That… all you got? How pathetic." Mirko muttered as she shook her head to stop her vision from spinning. Looking down, she saw a nasty bruise over her shaking injured left thigh. "If you think this is enough to stop me, then you're fucking stupid."

How cheeky.

Ignoring her pain and injuries, Mirko dashed toward me and sent a forward kick onto my stomach. Bracing myself, I tanked her kick and landed a left hook onto her face. Spitting out a glob of blood, she grabbed my arm and held it tightly against her side. Twisting, she flipped her body to the right.

Wham!

Raising my right arm, I blocked her kick and countered with my own flying knee. From there, we continued to exchange quick punches and kicks at one another from within our close distance in a dance of violence.

Despite all her attempts, Mirko's attacks could barely manage to get through my reinforcement. Unfortunately for her, that meant her own body was accumulating much more damage than she could throw out.

Seeing that she was on the losing end of our exchange, she released my arm and jumped back with a wince. Looking down, Mirko saw her bruised and bloody limbs begin to shake in exhaustion and pain.

[+35 SP]

"Am I seriously going to lose again!?" Mirko growled out before glaring at me. "Fuck that! I'm winning this!"

Before she could rush me once again, a bright light flashed out from behind her. Transforming the once-dark night sky into a bright white.

I looked behind her and saw a massive beam of energy slicing through the air across the city toward her and me. Anything that got in the beam's way was obliterated into nothing. The buildings, towers, and water tanks were all swiftly destroyed and erased.

Due to the beams radiating energy, all technology within 3 km began to short out and shut off. This immediately caused all surrounding phones and cameras to stop recording the ongoing battle.

Due to her instincts, Mirko stopped moving and turned around to see the 5-meter-wide beam flying right at her. At its current speed, the flying beam of death would reach her before she had the time to react.

"How rude. Interrupting our dance like that… switch."

Blurring in front of her, I grabbed the very air in front of me as if it were a piece of cloth and pulled up.

Uro Takako's Cursed Technique, Sky Manipulation, is the ability to turn the sky into a tangible surface.

Sky Manipulation can warp and distort the very air itself. Granting its user the ability to seemingly warp the world around them in any way they see fit. The user can also strike the very air itself, and if used in front of an opponent, it can break the sky around an opponent to bypass any defense they have.

However, in this case, I manipulated the very air in front of me to change the incoming beams' trajectory toward the sky above.

The massive beam of energy instantly changed its course as the very sky around it twisted upwards, sending it flying straight up into the sky itself. All those around the area and far-off city watched in awe as a large beam of light stretched into the heavens before it slowly began to fizzle away.

[+155 SP]

"…w-what?" Mirko muttered in shock as she stared up at the slowly darkening sky.

"We'll have to pick up our dance another time, Little Rabbit," I said, turning to her. "I have a bug to crush."

Without another word, I vanished in a burst of speed.

x x x

[General POV]

"…what the hell?" Gunther muttered in German as he watched his beam somehow be redirected into the sky. "I-Impossible."

Blinking, he quickly used his binoculars to look down onto the street. Only to find a confused Mirko looking around. "Where did Sukuna go?"

"What an impressive Quirk."

A wave of goosebumps spread across Gunther's body as he heard a low voice speak from behind him. Due to the rail gun sticking out of his chest, he was only able to spin his neck around to find Sukuna standing behind him with his hands in his pockets.

"From your accent, you're not from around here. Which begs the question... what is a foreigner with such an impressive Quirk doing in my country?"

"H-how did you…" Gunther felt his tongue swell within his throat as a wave of terror flowed through him.

Not in all his years as a professional assassin had he felt such a heavy aura of power from a single man. Without warning, two deep gouges sliced through the ground beside him from an imperceptible force. Causing the German man to freeze in his spot.

"I'll give you one chance to prolong your sorry existence," Sukuna said as he pointed a finger at Gunther. "Tell me who sent you."

-

AN:

Happy New Year, everyone!

It's been a wild 2 months since I uploaded chapter 1 of my story, and I'm happy I garnered such a large and funny audience. Thanks for all your comments and support, and I hope you all continue to read my little story until its completion!

I hope you all enjoyed the reactions from the wider world of MHA over Sukuna's grand debut. I know that this was a part of the story several of you were waiting for, and I hope I got each of the character's reactions accurately.

Until Next Time!