Chapter 71: After the Chaos
At that moment, deep in their shadowy hideout far from the chaos of the USJ, Shigaraki and Kurogiri materialized through a swirling warp gate, the air still crackling with residual energy from the failed invasion.
Shigaraki, scratching furiously at his neck in frustration, growled through gritted teeth:
Damn! What a complete mess! We were so close so damn close. If it weren't for those shitty little brats interfering at every turn...
All For One, his presence looming even in the dim light, his voice calm and measured as always, turned his attention to Shigaraki and asked:
How did the operation go? Tell me the details.
Shigaraki snarled, pacing erratically:
Those shitty brats stopped me—ruined everything at the last moment!
Kurogiri, ever composed, stepped forward and began recounting the mission in precise, clinical detail to All For One the planning, the execution, the unexpected resistance from the students, and the ultimate failure.
All For One listened silently before responding, a hint of intrigue in his tone:
Interesting. So our little genius managed to handle both Nomus all by himself. It seems I underestimated him quite a bit—his growth is faster than anticipated.
All For One then looked directly at Shigaraki and said, his voice carrying the weight of experience:
—You still have plenty of time ahead of you, Tomura. You can make mistakes—many mistakes—and learn from each one. I'm still here to guide and help you until you finally destroy this corrupt hero society once and for all.
Shigaraki, calming slightly at the reassurance, nodded with renewed determination:
—Yes, professor. We won't leave any hero alive. We'll turn them all to dust every last one.
All For One affirmed:
—Yes, that's the way. We still have plenty of time to plan and refine our approach. This was just a simple test—a probe to gauge their responses and weaknesses.
On the other side of the city, in the quiet and sterile infirmary of U.A. High School, Aoi slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. The soft beeps of monitors and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the air. He saw only Rumi and Nemuri sitting faithfully beside his bed, both dozing lightly in chairs pulled close, their faces etched with lingering worry even in sleep.
He smiled softly to himself, reaching out gently to run his hand through their hair, waking them with tender care.
Rumi was the first to stir and wake fully. She blinked, then locked eyes with Aoi and immediately shouted with a mix of relief and raw anger:
—What the hell were you doing out there, you idiot, to get so injured like that? Leaving me a widow before we even get properly married? Is that your brilliant plan for the future?
Aoi looked at her with a warm, reassuring smile while gently caressing her face, his touch light despite his weakness:
—Well, of course I'd never actually want to die. I have three beautiful older girlfriends waiting for mehow could I leave you all behind?
Nemuri, waking at the noise, reached over and pinched his cheek playfully but firmly, scolding him with a stern but loving tone:
—Then don't do such idiotic, reckless things next time, understood? We were worried sick.
Aoi winced dramatically but kept smiling:
—I don't promise anything. After all, if one of you were ever in real danger, I'd still act the same way—or even more idiotically than today to protect you. Well, and there's no point complaining about it. I know deep down you'd do exactly the same if I were the one in danger. The fact that Rumi ran here the second she found out what happened proves it. And a certain Midnight hero ignored everything around her when she saw me lying on the ground and came running straight to check on me protocol be damned.
Nemuri softened, admitting:
—You're right about that. And Ryuko isn't here either because she turned off her phone completely so it wouldn't interfere with her current mission. I tried calling, but I couldn't get in touch with her at all.
Aoi smiled wider, relieved:
—Well, that's actually better. I don't want her unable to concentrate on the mission because she's worried sick about me—it could put her in danger.
Rumi then looked at him seriously, her anger fading into genuine concern:
—So what exactly was that thing you did out there to get so injured that your flames used up all your body's energy? To the point you couldn't even move a finger afterward?
At that moment, he heard a familiar voice from the doorway:
—I'd like to know that too—it's quite concerning for medical reasons.
He then looked forward and saw Recovery Girl, All Might, Principal Nezu, and Detective Tsukauchi standing there, having just entered the room.
Aoi looked at the detective and said half-jokingly:
—Man, you here again? I really don't like seeing you around—it always means trouble.
Tsukauchi said apologetically:
—Well, I'm sorry about that. But I can't avoid it this time. After all, what happened at the USJ was extremely serious—an outright villain invasion on school grounds. It's going to be in newspapers across the entire country tomorrow. So someone with my quirk is impossible not to come investigate personally.
All Might said reassuringly:
—Young Aoi, my friend Tsukauchi is just here to find out about the situation and what exactly happened. After all, you were the one who defeated the two monsters single-handedly. He's already talked to the other students involved, but your account is still missing to complete the picture.
Aoi said honestly:
—I know that, and I'll cooperate. But I'll never feel fully comfortable around a person whose quirk is knowing if I'm lying or not. It's like having a mind-reading quirk nearby it's uncomfortable and invasive having that kind of truth detection around.
Tsukauchi smiled awkwardly hearing this blunt assessment, but he said nothing further. After all, he knew full well how hard his quirk was for most people to live with comfortably—it often made interactions strained.
Rumi said firmly, crossing her arms:
—I don't care about any of that official stuff right now. I just want to know one thing: what craziness did this idiot of mine do to end up like that? And don't try to change the subject, Aoi, or tonight you sleep on the couch—and you'll keep sleeping there for an indefinite time until I forgive you.
Recovery Girl smiled warmly and said:
—I'd like to know too—for professional curiosity. After all, I've seen you use your flames in person to heal several people at once. And I know just how extraordinarily strong it is. So I'm also very curious to know what pushed you to the point of total exhaustion like this.
Aoi looked around and saw Nemuri staring at him expectantly too, arms crossed.
Aoi then sighed deeply and said with a tired but genuine smile:
—Well, I used a secret technique that I created myself over years of training and experimentation.
All Might said, intrigued:
—Secret technique? What kind of technique would that be to leave young Aoi in this state—completely drained?
Nezu said thoughtfully:
—Aoi, if you want privacy for this, we can leave the room so you can explain to them without us present. After all, things like secret techniques aren't something most people like to reveal to authorities or outsiders.
Aoi looked at them calmly and said:
—It doesn't matter if you hear—it won't change anything. Even if you all know exactly how the technique works, it's impossible for another person to try to copy it successfully. For a simple reason: if anyone else tries to use it without the precise conditions, the only thing they'll get is a horrible, agonizing death.
Tsukauchi asked, eager but cautious:
—So what exactly is this technique?
Aoi looked at them all and said clearly:
—You know about the biological limits of ordinary humans, right? Strict limits on strength, speed, endurance that the body itself imposes to prevent self-destruction—limiting maximum speed, reflexes, raw power, and many other things for survival. My secret technique is a precise way to break those built-in limits and achieve a temporary transformation that dramatically increases my overall power like the super modes that happen in comics or stories. I called this technique the Eight Inner Gates.
1st Gate: The Gate of Opening (Motor Cortex)
Gain: Temporary access to a higher percentage of total muscle strength.
2nd Gate: The Gate of Healing (Homeostasis)
Gain: Temporary suppression of fatigue and increased pain resistance.
3rd Gate: The Gate of Life (Circulation)
Gain: Drastic increase in blood flow and oxygenation to muscles and brain.
4th Gate: The Gate of Pain (Sensory Threshold)
Gain: Temporary annulment of pain sensation.
5th Gate: The Gate of Limit (Metabolism)
Gain: Extreme increase in metabolic rate to generate explosive energy.
6th Gate: The Gate of View (Neural Focus)
Gain: Increase in neural processing speed and sensory perception.
7th Gate: The Gate of Wonder (Thermoregulation)
Gain: Massive generation of body heat and steam.
8th Gate: The Gate of Death (Cellular Limit)
Gain: Total release of the body's physical and cellular potential for a limited period.
After Aoi finished speaking in detail, everyone in the room was in absolute shock—jaws dropped, eyes wide at the implications.
Recovery Girl looked at him intently and said:
—Kid, I was starting to think your quirk had weakened temporarily because I couldn't heal you as quickly as expected. Now I admit without reservation—your healing quirk is the strongest I've ever seen in my entire long life of treating heroes.
All Might asked, still confused and concerned:
—I didn't understand anything about the dangers. Why is this so impressive—and terrifying? I know it's a great technique for power boost, but...
Nezu, seeing their confusion, explained calmly but gravely:
—You may not be fully aware, but human biological limits exist for very good reasons—to prevent self-destruction. If an ordinary human or even most heroes tried to use this technique without the exact preparations Aoi has, these would be the inevitable consequences of opening each gate:
Consequence of the 1st Gate: Mild to moderate muscle strains or tears, joint dislocations, and possible bone fractures due to sudden overload on untrained muscles and skeleton; possible recovery with extended rest, but high risk of long-term weakness or chronic issues if overused.
Consequence of the 2nd Gate: Delayed extreme fatigue hitting all at once, possible heat exhaustion and masked injuries leading to severely aggravated damage after activation ends; may result in total collapse or severe dehydration if prolonged even slightly.
Consequence of the 3rd Gate: Hypertension, rapid heart palpitations, high risk of aneurysm or stroke due to extreme vascular strain; possible permanent organ damage from oxygen and blood pressure imbalance, requiring intensive medical intervention for any hope of recovery.
Consequence of the 4th Gate: Severe unnoticed injuries (e.g., internal bleeding, compound fractures) progressing unchecked to critical levels; extremely high risk of shock, infection from ignored traumas, often leading to permanent disability or loss of limbs.
Consequence of the 5th Gate: Rapid depletion of all energy reserves, severe dehydration, dangerous electrolyte imbalance, and possible multi-organ failure (renal insufficiency, metabolic acidosis); can easily cause coma or sudden death without immediate and advanced medical care.
Consequence of the 6th Gate: Massive neural overload causing intense migraines, seizures, sensory hallucinations, or temporary/permanent blindness; long-term effects include severe cognitive impairment, permanent nerve damage, or debilitating stroke.
Consequence of the 7th Gate: Severe hyperthermia (extreme fever beyond survival levels), thermal damage to internal tissues and organs, rhabdomyolysis (massive muscle destruction releasing toxins), and rapid multiple organ failure; steam generation would be minimal or nonexistent in normal humans, but the internal overheating would lead quickly to irreversible brain damage and death.
Consequence of the 8th Gate: Total and catastrophic bodily system collapse: massive cellular rupture across the body, instant cardiac failure, generalized internal bleeding, and near-certain death within minutes; even if miraculously survived for a short time, the damage would be completely irreversible, leaving the person in a vegetative state or with total paralysis for life.
Everyone in the room was in absolute shock hearing this detailed breakdown—faces pale, the full horror of the technique sinking in.
Tsukauchi looked at Aoi in disbelief and said:
—How... how are you still alive and recovering, then?
Aoi explained confidently:
—Simple. Even though the technique has so many serious and potentially fatal flaws, you can mitigate and soften some of them if you strengthen your body to extreme levels first. That's why I train my body to this current insane level—not just external muscles, but also training my internal organs, putting them under controlled pressure over years to adapt. Thus having a body that's extraordinarily strong both inside and out. Combined with my regeneration quirk handling the aftermath, I can use this technique and at most get a little tired and temporarily immobile for recovery time. Besides that, this technique actually helps strengthen my body long-term because it pushes to destruction and, when my quirk regenerates everything, my body rebuilds even stronger—allowing me to potentially open more gates safely in the future. Unlike now, where I can only reliably open up to the third gate without major risk.
Nezu said, piecing it together:
—I understand perfectly now. So that's precisely why you don't mind revealing it openly. Because if someone tries to copy your technique without any of the exact conditions you've built up over years, they'll only achieve a horrible, agonizing death. And besides that, they need perfect, absolute control over the body like you have developed—just to even attempt to locate these bodily limits and unlock the gates in the first place. In other words, just the very first condition to learn the technique isn't something a normal human—or even most pro heroes—can ever achieve without decades of specialized training or the right quirk support.
Hearing Nezu explain, Aoi thought: "Well, there's just one small detail I'm not going to mention—that to even qualify to try learning it, you need to have mastered the six Marine styles to the level of being able to use Life Return. But of course, I'm not going to tell you that."
Aoi then looked at Nezu, smiled, and said:
—Well, that's exactly it.
Rumi said, with a scary, predatory smile that promised trouble:
—So you're telling me you created a deliberately deadly technique and had the sheer courage to actually use it in battle?
Rumi grabbed the collar of Aoi's hospital gown firmly and said threateningly:
—Next time you even think about creating something so insanely dangerous, I'll break your legs myself to stop you.
Aoi looked desperately at Nemuri for help, but she was also staring at him angrily for doing something so recklessly life-threatening.
Aoi then looked back at Rumi sheepishly and said:
—All right, all right. I promise to only use this in a true emergency where my life is genuinely at risk—no casual testing.
Rumi said, still stern:
—I didn't want you to use this at any time, ever. But it's better to use this in a life-or-death moment and come back injured but alive than end up dead because you held back.
Nemuri said reassuringly to Rumi:
—Rest assured, Rumi. I'll keep an extra close eye on him here at school too. I won't let him do more dangerously reckless things on my watch.
Rumi smiled genuinely and said:
—I'm counting on you to take good care of our shared idiot, Nemuri.
Recovery Girl, observing the whole exchange with amusement, smiled and said:
—Youth and their passions. Who'd have thought little Rumi and Nemuri liked younger boys so much—they're completely smitten.
Nemuri and Rumi got a little embarrassed just hearing that teasing comment, faces flushing slightly.
Tsukauchi cleared his throat and said:
—Sorry to interrupt this... moment, but I still have a few important questions for Aoi regarding the incident.
Aoi looked at him and said cooperatively:
—If you want to know about those monsters and villains, I can only tell you about the names I overheard and what I observed from the monsters I fought personally. If that helps with the investigation, then I can share everything I noticed.
Tsukauchi said:
—Yes, that's exactly what we want to know—every detail helps.
Aoi said clearly:
—Well, then the leader seemed like a giant man-child who got really angry and threw a tantrum because the plan didn't work out perfectly. He also openly explained everyone's monster abilities to taunt us. And the monsters I fought had more than one quirk each. The big bulky one had shock absorption, super regeneration, and overwhelming super strength—he was explicitly made to counter and kill All Might. The strange bird-like one had two besides its mutant form: one for body reinforcement like Kirishima from our class, but much stronger, and one that dramatically increases speed. That's all I could perceive and analyze from fighting them directly in the USJ chaos.
Tsukauchi said:
—I understand. And 13 reported that they also sent a specific monster targeted to kill you personally.
Aoi said:
—Remember the monster that attacked me a few years ago on my private island, during my family's vacation?
Tsukauchi said:
—I remember that case well. We're still investigating it actively.
He then realized the connection, eyes widening.
—You don't mean...
Aoi said firmly:
—Yes, exactly. They are the same people—the same group—who sent the monster to my island back then. This wasn't random; it's connected.
All Might, who had been silent and brooding for a while, said with a voice full of deep, burning anger:
—All For One... He's back.
Nezu said thoughtfully:
—But wasn't he confirmed dead after your final battle?
All Might said grimly:
—I thought so too—believed it with everything I had. But from what it seems now, he's back in action. In the first attack against young Aoi on the island, I had some lingering doubts. But now, with this, I have none left. He's definitely back.
Tsukauchi said seriously:
—If he really has returned, this means things are going to get extremely serious—on a national scale.
Tsukauchi then wrapped up:
—Well, that's all I need to know for now. So I'll say goodbye and head out to report this.
Nezu said:
—Well, let's go then. I'll accompany you to the exit for security.
Nezu then looked at All Might and said:
—All Might, let's go as well. Leave Aoi in the care of his girlfriends here. They'll take excellent care of him—better than any of us could.
All Might said warmly to Aoi:
—Take care of yourself, young Aoi. And don't abuse that technique too much. It's good to get stronger, but we have to be responsible with our power so we don't end up hurting ourselves—or others who depend on us.
He then left the room with Nezu, Tsukauchi, and Recovery Girl, the door closing softly behind them.
Aoi then looked at Rumi and Nemuri with a playful but tired expression and said:
—I'm a little cold in this drafty room. Can my two beautiful girlfriends help warm me up?
Nemuri and Rumi sighed tiredly but smiled fondly, scooting closer and slipping into his arms on either side, hugging him tightly to warm him up with their presence.
Aoi then smiled contentedly, looking at Rumi on his right arm and Nemuri on his left arm, and thought peacefully: "This is why I want to be a hero.