Chapter 7
Title: The Aftermath & Plans
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Third Person POV. -- 1st of August -- 2407 --
[Shizuoka Prefecture]
7 days since the incident, a full week after the attempted murder of the Benihana family failed, the first to get noticed and take action after the incident was the HPSC
Madame Kimmy sent Her special agents to where this incident took place, finding out about it when her agents got there and were able to see the situation in more details
They got there in half an hour from their branch facility at Umioka City, and found the number 6 pro hero unconscious and being treated by his daughter, who was using her quirk to analyze and heal his injuries in real time.
The mother of the 4 years old child, Kie is seen with her head bandaged, and also helping her daughter in the treating process, helping in any way she can, –though not being of much help. Considering her quirk, Cell Recal wasn't good in helping Tetsuya's situation
They found and escorted the family out of the site, and got them to a hospital to check on their situation. Of course, doing all of this under the command of their boss and doing so in private. Because of that, and because the incident happened in an unpopulated area, the public wasn't briefed on it, and the HPSC were able to push it under the rug
When Tetsuya was treated back to full health, he got interrogated by the HPSC for them to know of the full scale of what happened in that scuffle, and he himself was shocked to come to know of the state the two villains were left in
"Do you think it was you using your quirk while unconsious? "
Currently, Tetsuya is in bed within a Hospital room in Umioka city, being questioned by an officer from the HPSC about the incident that had occured,
"No, my quirk doesn't work like that. When i go unconscious any construct or augmentations I've done will undo itself. And I've never been able to use my quirk unconsciously. " He explains, though his mind is wondering elsewhere,
'That feeling i got during the battle... It was faint but for a second there i felt my connection with the blood i left behind to protect them sever, before it came back under my control again' Tetsuya frowns, 'it couldn't be Retsu. She's a 4 years old child –no matter her maturity, she couldn't have killed them herself' he thinks, but then he remembers another piece of memory,
It was back when they first set out on that trip. His father, Hiroshi came to Tetsuya to inform him of some concerning news he learned during one of Retsu's sword training sessions
"She moved with a precision bellying her age. The techniques she used were out of this world. But above all, it was her presence back then that put me on edge.
Tetsuya, in all my years working as a pro hero, there has been many similar instances where i was at the receiving end of that feeling. But never did it feel as intense as when in her presence,
Bloodlust. Tetsuya, be careful and keep an eye out for her during the trip" These were Tetsuya's father's exact wordings, making the man wary for most of their vacation
'One doesn't simply build bloodlust of a magnitude that's noticed by a former pro hero simply out of thin air, what happened to her? I don't remember any incidents in her childhood so what could be the reason? ' Tetsuya questions, his instincts leading him that way
Regardless of what is going on with his daughter, pro hero Redvein has some info to share,
"What? You mean to say there were actually three villains in that attack instead of two? What makes you say that? " The officer pauses his documenting, looking up to Tetsuya who nods.
"Yes, the gun was fired by a third party, that I'm sure of. During the battle, the Hammer villain was within my sight, so it couldn't have been him who fired. And the shot connected to the back of my shoulder, so that can testify for there being a third individual. " Tetsuya says, making the officer –somone in their late 20s, nod and write that down too,
"Very well. It could be that the third person somehow got into a conflict and killed his 2 comrades for some reason. The story checks out, " The officer says, making Tetsuya nod,
"But it still doesn't explain why the villain wouldn't finish you off after coming that far" The officer says, making Tetsuya frown in remembrance
'Back then, there was also that silhouette i saw beheading the spring villain from behind' he thinks, 'because of the placement, i wasn't able to see their face before the scuffle, but...' Tetsuya's frown intensifies, his mind wandering once more to the words his father uttered that day
'... No, it couldn't have been her. She may be mature for her age but not to the point of not blinking twice when taking a life. No i refuse to believe that '
a father's denial of the plausible truth right before him, simply because that truth is terrifying
Tetsuya doesn't need to further think about it though, as in the next second tha doors to the room opens and in walks one Benihana Retsu, her gaze calm like always, her posture of walking making her presence known by the occupants of the room
The officer is the first to find his voice, "young lady, visiting is not allowed within this room for now. I know you may have missed your father because of the incident, but I'd have to ask you to leav-" "I did it. " The officer doesn't get to finish his words before the 4 years old in front of him confesses
"What?" He questions, making Retsu clarify, "It was me who killed those villains" She says, all the while sporting the most relaxed look, as if she's talking about the weather
At first the officer wanted to dismiss the notion, not believing it to be true. Just a child's way of thinking they're helping their father out of trouble, but then his earpiece beeps, making the man get up. "Excuse me for a second. Please don't leave the room until i return" He said before exiting the room, leaving behind the father-daughter duo to stare at one another. One in comfortable silence, the other in uncomfortable silence
'The officer may dismiss that notion so quickly, but that's because he doesn't know Retsu fully' Tetsuya frowns, his gaze to Retsu, 'she knows the full scale of what she's talking about. And her expression suggests she isn't lying either' The pro hero within him stirs, the one who solves crimes with a detachment that makes one forget he's human
"Why?" He asks, "why did you decide that killing was the right option there? " He questions, forgetting that the individual before him is his own flesh and blood.
Tetsuya eyes widen, coming back to his senses, "wait, no. Sorry about that. I shouldn't be taking this tone with you." What is he doing??? That's his daughter right there! Why is he taking the tone he takes when speaking with villains!?!
"It's alright, i understand your feelings well, father. As for the question you asked, " Retsu says, making Tetsuya look up. "It was either you or them, so i chose you. I killed the villains so that they may not interfere with the treatment i was going to give you. I needed my full focus on you back there, so i did what i did out of that necessity" Retsu says,
Of course, all the things she just said was bullshit. She didn't kill them out of them becoming potential threads during his treatment. She could have done both things at the same time, keeping them away while treating Tetsuya
She wouldn't do that though, simply because those villains became a source of irritation for her, and Benihana Retsu just got rid of the itch she had of them
Modern world always frowns upon the idea of taking a life. Back then it was different, and Retsu's past self just surfaced there for a few seconds, resulting in her killing the villains
If you ask her, Retsu's conscious is clear regarding the incident. Their killings, to her is the same as her squashing bugs. Irritating beings that makes human instinct act out, trying to kill the bug –their source of irritation
Tetsuya always knew Retsu was mature for her age, far too much. But now he can see how much mature Retsu can really be, to the point that she doesn't even bat an eye when taking another person's life
Tetsuya isn't given a chance to talk, before the officer from the HPSC re-enters the room, going in front of the duo and taking out his phone. "The madame wishes to speak with you privately" He informs before dialing a number and putting the phone down, putting it on speaker before he exits the room again, leaving behind the duo and the caller from the other side
A second later and the phone is answered, allowing a woman's voice to be heard from the other side, "it is nice to meet you. I am Madame President from the HPSC, but you may call me Lady Kimmy during this conversation. Now i have some questions i need to ask you two, and i hope you'll be truthful about them" She says, before getting right into the questioning,
"First question, Mrs. Benihana, are you or are you not the one who killed those 2 villains? " She asks, –and gets her answer not a second later. "Yes. I am the one who killed them" Retsu replies, making the woman pause on the other side
"... Next question, Can you give me the full detail of what was happening during the scuffle? " Kimmy asks, making Retsu pause for a second
"Very well. At the start of the fight, I had gone unconscious, but it was in the finale of the incident that i woke up,
I stirred awake and looked around, only seeing my mother besides me, but not my father. I heard sounds of fighting in the distance, so i ran there.
When i got there,i saw my father getting stunned, and then thrown at a tree a few feet away. When i saw that, my mind went blank and my quirk acted up. I slashed at the spring villain, then sent a massive blood slash at the downed Hammer villain, melting him with the boiling properties that my blood can take, before i went to my father" She finishes, making the room turn silent
It's as if the 2 grown ups aren't even talking to a 4 years old. Her wordings, the way she explains, the casualness with which she describes how she killed them, it makes the grown ups think they're talking to an adult, somone way older than the 4 years old standing before them
Madame Kimmy though, is a woman of cold logic. Based on the nods she gets from the man standing besides her on the other side of the phone call, she knows that Benihana Retsu is telling the truth
"Very well. Now i may understand you did it, but i also want to know of the reason behind your behavior. What lead you to killing them, what motivations did you have? " Madame Kimmy asks, and Retsu answers the same answer she gave Tetsuya
"It was either them or my father, so i chose my father, " Is the response she gives.
It logically makes sense to the HPSC head, because without context she wouldn't know that Retsu could have avoided killing the villains if she wanted, but didn't simply because their lives didn't matter to her over the life of her father
"So we can say that it was in self defence then" The Madame says, making Retsu pause for a minute before she confirms. "Yes"
This leads to the man on the other side pausing, before he shakes his head in denial, saying that she's lying. The Madame though doesn't acknowledge this, simply putting it in the back of her mind, before she continues,
"And what of the third party, the third villain. Did you get visuals on them that we could track down? Or did they get away? " The Madame asks, making Retsu pause and weigh her answer
Should she reveal the truth this early on? Or should she not?
Telling the truth, how will she be able to prove that it was a nomu?
Or lying, why would she do that? It doesn't affect her to reveal the truth here and now, but it would be hard to prove it. So Retsu decides to tell a half truth, giving the full context but not her Meta-knowledge
"I think it wasn't human" She says, making everyone pause, "what do you mean 'wasn't human'? Can you give us more context? "
"Sure, i think it wasn't human because of the many different abilities it displayed. It could read my intentions, had fast reflexes, too fast for it to be considered humanely possible. And it had some kind of tracking ability, probably being the reason the two villains could find us. But the thing that made it look the most Inhuman, was its appearance.
Maybe it was a human before, but through some experiments it's body was modified. –the stitches on its body made me think so.
It's skin was a dark sickly green, it didn't have any Mouth, Nose and ears, only the eyes were a sick yellow glowing color. It's brain was also exposed, looking bigger than his whole upper body" Retsu finishes.
From the other side, the Madame is taking notes of the characteristics described. "Very well. And what happened to this being? " Madame Kimmy questions,
"It suddenly got engulfed in dark brown mud, before vanishing from there. I was able to learn of its abilities and injure it before it went away though, hence how i know of its abilities"
Now with this, a blind chase is put after All For One, whether it will bear any fruits, time will tell. For now though, we move on
"Very well. In light of the incident that has occurred, and taking into consideration the laws put forth by the HPSC itself, my judgement as it's head is this. Pro Hero Number 6, Redvein will not be getting any penalties.
The death of the villains don't need to become public knowledge either. The villains didn't have any other connections to them, no family or relatives, just themselfs, so the process will be much smoother.
As for the Young miss, i suggest you put her through a quirk counseling sessions for some time, Redvein.
Legally we can't do anything because it was in self defense, especially her who is a 4 years old child. But please do keep in mind that this is not a good look, not to you nor us.
I expect no further incidents like this from now on. Now if there is nothing else, i will be going. Have a great day." The phone is hung up, before the officer comes in and takes his phone, exiting the room as well.
This leaves behind a duo of father and daughter in silence. Awkward Silence, this time.
Retsu voices out after a few seconds of induring this silence though, "if there is nothing you need Father, I'll be with Mother in the side room. Get better soon, and call for me if you need something" She says before exiting the room also, leaving behind a pro hero alone and with his own mind to think
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A day later, and the Family is discharged from the hospital. Mike –Tetsuya's butler and bodyguard since he was but a child, comes to get the family. This time there is no incident on the way back, with the car being quiet the whole way.
The occupants of the vehicle being in their own worlds, for Kie it being literally since she's fallen asleep on Retsu's lap at the back seats.
Tetsuya is in the front seat, and mike is on the drivers seat, looking at the road and being extra careful forsomereason. "I'm glad you are all okay, it must have been a very bad accident if it left you in such a state, young master" Mike says, getting a nod from the pro hero
Tetsuya is looking out of the window, his fist at his cheek, his mind elsewhere. While at the back Kie is sleeping at Retsu's lap, the poor woman traumatized from the incident
As for retsu, she is in a world of her own too. A world about her plans and goals regarding this third life of hers
[Retsu's POV. ]
'Now I'm under both the villains and the heroes's radars.' Strangely though –although not strangely, I already know why. I don't feel a single bit concerned about the situation
'Right now my goal should be to put myself in a situation where the HPSC can't help but want me on their side. This will help in my future goals a lot too.' I look at my hand,
'The only thing i have that they'd currently want –and something i can bargain with, is my ability to true heal,
My Quirk's healing properties can best be described as True Regeneration. It is not a typical healing quirk that makes human Cells regenerate on their own –something that human cells can do so much before it can't anymore.
No, my ability allows me to make cells to put in the spot where it's missing, allowing me to bypass the human cell limits of its self regeneration, reaching true regeneration without any limits.
I have the means to heal All Might by constructing him a new stomach, and fix anything else that has him become this weak.
My regeneration can't restore him to his peak though, considering that, by the time i may become in contact with him, he'd already have passed down his quirk.
As for One For All and the reason why i wouldn't contact him sooner, healing him and subtly manipulating him in giving me the quirk, there are many reasons, 2 major of it being that,
Firstly, I don't like power being given to me on a silver platter. It's against my nature to take charity from others
Secondly, If One For All is passed down to somone with a quirk, that person's quirk and spirit is sucked into One For All when they die, becoming a permanent part of One For All –something i don't like nor appreciate happening to me.
Also, people with quirks who inherit one for all have all died young because of the quirk itself, a feature which i don't understand the full reason of. Maybe it's because That person already have a quirk factor, and adding another quirk factor on top of his own would put too much strain on the body, resulting in the body deteriorating faster and dying younger,
I currently have no qualms nor goals of extending my lifespan in this third life of mine, but the idea of dying too young also doesn't sit well with me, making it another reason to not want the power. ' my mouth lifts upwards in a slight smirk
'And besides, why would i want an outside power while my own is this formidable' i think, lifting my hand to my face, being able to feel my blood under my skin
'If my theory regarding the core mechanics of my quirk is true, then there is no need for an outside boost. For with my quirk alone will i be able to climb to the top of this world eventually.
And eventually is good enough for me, because i know how much of a lonely place can the top spot be. ' i frown in rememberance, remembering my first life as the strongest of my era, a Kenpachi, the first ever one
'It is a lonely place, the top. And in this life, the end of my path will eventually make me reach that lonely throne at the top as well. The title of Kenpachi, the strongest there is...
...But until i reach that goal, i will continue to enjoy the road I'll take for every miniscule step i take' that, i vow to myself
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[Third Person POV. ]
At Tokyo Prefecture, Central Tokyo where a city by the name Seisho goes, it is a city full of skyscrapers. Many buildings that touch the clouds in the sky, housing many CEOs who's ego's are as tall as the buildings they own here
In one of these many Infrastructures, the HPSC Headquarters is housed as well. It's the place where administrative work is done regarding anything that has the name pro hero etched on it
In the highest level of this building, in the office of Madame President, the individual herself is seen sitting behind her chair, writing the report regarding the incident 7 days ago in a documentary to be put aside as future information
She pauses her frantic keyboarding, her mind going to the incident, her steely persona being put aside for now to show the woman under it, A woman dedicated to protect her motherland no matter what.
'Regarding Benihana Retsu, her reasons for lying can be attributed to many things. It could be her own fear finally showing, her fear of punishment regarding the murder she's done, lying in order to not get punished.
But she didn't strike me as that type. No, Benihana Retsu is different' Kimmy thinks, her fingers pausing on the keyboards and her mind going towards the conversation she had with her 7 days ago
'The way she talked, her manner of speaking, her wordings. They gave me a picture of talking to an adult instead of a 4 year old child
Regardless of her mental age, it is clear what type of person she is. She is a type who doesn't bat an eye when killing somebody, a True Murderer'
She continues writing the report though, 'regardless, i think and hope there is still room for her to root in the idea of heroism. We could use somebody as capable as what she will become.
'I should make reservations for a meeting with Redvein as well. The conversation didn't leave me with any other choice but to Scry him. I need as much info as i can before planing anything for or against her. As for the experimental weapon she fought, the multiple quirks part is concerning, too concerning in fact. I hope she was wrong. But i can't do anything but put agents in order to investigate in that direction as well' she pauses her work and puts a hand under her table, pressing on a red button there
"This is Madame President. Update on a recent document codenamed Sanguimancy in the yellow folders. I want you to re-document it under the Red folders now"
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Author's note/ I swear to god Webnovel has some kind of beef with me! I uploaded this episode 3 times already and it kept getting removed for some reason!
Do you guys have any clue as to the reason why it does this? Let me know in the comments please
Not much else to say for this episode except that, i hope i delivered and you guys like the pacing of the story.
Don't worry though, for there isn't much else left to add before we launch into a time skip
Hope your liking the story, and if you do please consider commenting and throwing some stones my way. Thank you and have a great day/night!