Chapter 154: Afterburst.

"I shouldn't have done this... I took things way too far," a voice murmured in a desolate alleyway and the dark and silent night was its audience.

For a city that never sleeps, this part being completely desolate after the midnight hour struck was kind of uncanny But that also had its reasons. Well, this is one of those 'problematic' areas of the Minato ward where you might get robbed or assaulted, you never know.

'He threatened me...'

"What if he threatened me? But that doesn't mean I blow up an entire hotel and kill an innocent just because he knows who I am," the voice resounded again. 

In the alleyway, beside a garbage dumpster on the ground sat a man wearing a nice suit with his back leaning on the wall and knees close to his head. He had his hands over his head as he talked to himself.

"What the fuck was I thinking back then? My cover would've blown up. Somebody could've seen me using powers despite me being quirkless in everyone's eyes," said Shido as he counted all the problems he could've faced.

'But a problem faced is an opportunity in disguise...'

"True... Isao knew who I was but now he is dead. The only person who knew who I was is now dead. That means I am completely out of the water now," said Shido to himself. He then took his Night Slash helmet from the inventory and he stared right into it as he held it up in front of his face.

"I just need to cover this hotel explosion case... and I am all set to go home," He whispered, "But what to do? Kill every single person who turns up to become a resourceful witness or just let it happen and eventually show them who I am? I mean... what's the point of so much power if you can't use it?" Shido whispered to the helmet as he had a smile on his face. And now the helmet was a few inches away from his face.

But the very next moment, Shido threw the helmet towards the wall with force. 
"It's all because of you! It's all because of the selfishness that you possess within you!" Shido stood up and pointed his finger at the helmet on the ground, "You blame others for your problems? The audacity of yours! Who told you to become a Vigilante? Who told you to fight your girlfriend's father? Who told you to accept Giran's proposal? Who told you to go to Los Angeles when everyone was against it? Who told you to fight Genesis? I ask... who told you to do any of it?"

"No one right? You may ask how I know... That's because you are me! Yeah, I am Night Slash! I am my own curse!" shouted Shido at the helmet with paining expression on his face. His eyes were red and veins were visible on his forehead. He held his head. 

"Why did I go to Los Angeles? Everyone was against it. The kids... Fuyumi," then as if he had a revelation, the pained expression on his changed, "Fuyumi... Fuyumi... I don't know what happened to her after I started beating Isao," Shido's mind fleeted from self-blaming to concern as he thought about Fuyumi and without a second thought, Shido flew straight up in the sky, flying toward home.

---

[Kanzaki Residence]

"I want to know why you didn't say anything when everything was unraveling in front of you?" Iwao asked Fuyumi as he stared into her eyes. Fuyumi was sitting there with a lost expression and red eyes.

After Shido lost control at the reunion, Jin, Iwao, and Fuyumi were brought back to the Kanzaki Residence by Caos. Now everyone was at Shido's noodle shop. Jin and Caos were standing while Iwao sat in front of Fuyumi. 

The initial plan was to forget everything and go back to their respective homes but Iwao insisted on getting some answers from Fuyumi. 

"You have to answer me, Fuyumi. I need to know why you didn't do anything when your friend was about to be killed?" Iwao asked again.

"It was my choice, Oguro-san. I don't feel the need to describe my thought process at the moment of the accident to you," said Fuyumi with a demanding tone but her voice was as if she was holding it barely.

"Fine. I am not even interested in your thought process. I want to know why you didn't try to stop him. That's all," said Iwao as he folded his hands.

"Things are more complicated than they seem, Oguro-san. There must be a reason why--"

"Do you serve bullshit in this shop, Fuyumi, huh, because you are giving me too much of it?" Iwao leaned forward as he whispered, "Cut to the crap, Fuyumi. Don't spin this shit and tell the truth."

"I am telling you there must be a reason why it all happened. I know Shido won't do such a thing if there was no reason. Please trust me," Fuyumi defended Shido but the expression on Iwao's was not content with the answer.

Seeing Iwao's disturbed expression, Jin stepped up. "Hey, Uncle Knuckle... it's been rough for everyone. Why don't we call it a night and talk this out tomorrow? No need to be so tough on Bosslady..."

Jin's statement was to de-escalate the situation but Iwao stood up from his seat as he banged his hand loudly on the table. "Do you know what can happen because of him outraging on that pretty rich boy, Twice?! Shits will fly and it will all lead to Shido, and then it will land to us. Danjuro, Manami, and me... we all will be affected. One investigation and all the past that we think we've moved on will be brought back, exposed to the world!

And then what?! HPSC and Endeavor... the wolves that we wounded back then, will tear us to shreds when they find it was us. Even the AVL or the Pentagon won't be able to help us!" Iwao shouted. "I am not blaming Shido for sending me to Los Angeles. I signed up for it because I wanted to kill those Trigger producers myself... But things turned out to be something else," Iwao turned to Caos and walked slowly towards her. His tone was slowly dimming down.

"El Macho, Phantom 5, Destroying American Society, Insurrection; I could've walked out then but I didn't," He then turned to Fuyumi. 

"I am the foolish one... I am the one to blame for my situation. I get it. When I was running into the crowd of a thousand insurrectionists, I didn't feel fear, instead, I was delighted to have such a blast after so long. But when I was handling the rescue operation, I saw people asking me about their family... showing me pictures of their family, asking if I've seen them. I felt fear then. I felt fear for my daughter... I felt fear for my family. 

AVL and the Pentagon gave me a chance, Fuyumi. A chance to put every bad thing I've done back and finally do the right thing, that is to look after my daughter. She's the only one left I can call a family. And today what happened can take this very thing for me. Shido has the power to fight the world alone, but I can't... I am powerless against it.

I know Shido values a lot and your opposition to his actions might've stopped him from taking things too far, and I also know Shido and Isao met for the first time ever at the reunion.

So please, tell me why Shido had an outburst at Isao Nagamine and why you didn't do anything to stop it?" Iwao pleaded to Fuyumi.

Fuyumi nodded. She had her head looking down, "There must've been a reason--"

"AAA!!" Iwao shouted in rage and punched the table, splitting it in two. He then turned around to leave the shop, but when he opened the door, a man stood right in front of him on the other side of the door. He wore a suit and tie but with disheveled hair. It was Shido.

Iwao just stared at Shido for a moment but then he walked past him while his shoulder brushed past Shido's. Twice followed Iwao and left the shop too. Caos teleported out of the shop when she saw Shido.

Now only Shido and Fuyumi remained in the shop.

When Fuyumi's eyes fell on Shido, her lost expression changed. Shido walked into the shop and Fuyumi rushed to him. They both stopped in their tracks when they were close enough. 

Fuyumi frantically ran her hands over Shido's face, checking if he was injured anywhere. Shido slowly embraced her. In return, Fuyumi wrapped her hands around Shido's neck and hugged him tightly. It didn't take long for the sobbing sounds to come. Barely holding it together for hours, Fuyumi finally let it all out in the arms of Shido. 

They stayed like that. Seconds, Minutes, Hours... Both don't know for how long they've been embracing each other. Shido didn't move a damn inch as if standing like that and consoling Fuyumi was the sole thing that mattered to him in the world.

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Finally, when her tears ran dry and her sobbing stopped, Shido kissed her head and asked, "What I did today... Was it wrong? Was it bad?"

"Shido... W-Why-Why are you asking me all this?" Fuyumi stuttered as she was caught off guard by the question.

"No, I want you to be honest here, Fuyumi. Tell me... was it bad? was it wrong?" 

"Shido, I won't judge you for whatever you did today... I will stand by your side, Shido. You don't have to--"

"Answer the question, Fuyumi..." Shido tried to convince Fuyumi.

"...Yes" Fuyumi murmured.

"Say it, Fuyumi... I want to hear it loud and clear."

"...Yes. What you did today, what you did to Iwao and Hideo... It was bad and it was wrong." said Fuyumi as she snuggled more into Shido's chest.

"Thank you... I needed to hear it, especially from you," said Shido, and then parted the embrace with Fuyumi. He then held her head and kissed her forehead. "I was in a dilemma. I couldn't figure out what I was doing... was it necessary for me to do? I knew what I did was bad but I wanted... I needed someone to tell me that I did a bad thing.

Ever since the end of Night Slash, I wanted to make things right. I am trying to do everything right.  But... But today... This..."

"-We will face it together. We will make it right... together," Fuyumi assured Shido.

Shido smiled and then hugged her back. Fuyumi returned the embrace and embraced him tightly as if she doesn't want him to leave. 

[Radio Function - Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez]

"The purpose of us attending the reunion was to have fun... but since because of me, it's down the drain. I would like to make it up for it," said Shido and held Fuyumi's hands. Shido initiated the dance.

♪ I would never fall in love again until I found her
I said, "I would never fall unless it's you I fall into
I was lost within the darkness, but then I found her
I found you ♪

"I love you, Shido... Forever and ever," murmured Fuyumi.

"Yeah, Forever and ever..." Shido smiled and the two continued dancing.

---

A man was running while holding his arm. It was bleeding. His breath was erratic and he was sweating profusely. He wore a black suit and white shirt, with a black tie on it. A few slashes could be seen on the coat and blood dripped out of those slashes. Signs of assault were clearly visible on the man. It looked like he was running from something... or someone.

The injured man looked around him and then ran inside an alleyway. He crossed a garbage dumpster in the alley but he tripped over something and fell down hard on the ground. 

Groaning in excruciating pain, the man tried to get up. But while getting up he saw a shadow forecasting right in front of him. When the man gathered enough courage to look up, he saw a person standing, blocking the exit of the alleyway. Slowly, the person standing started walking towards the groveling injured man.

The little light from the streetlights entering the alley, fell onto the person's face, revealing his features.

The person was a man wearing a dark combat suit with metal armor, and holstered weapons like throwing knives and a big katana strapped to his back. A tattered cloth was wrapped around his face which was probably his mask and a red scarf around his neck.

The injured man who was trying to get up now started to desperately move back on all fours. But the masked man reached him effortlessly.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Agent. You help me and I help you..." said the masked man.

"Yeah... and give the details of heroes and their quirks. Uhn-" The injured man rebuked but he groaned from the pain of the injuries that he has sustained.

"I don't like unnecessary bloodshed. Just give me the details and you can go back to your family tonight with your head over your shoulders. The Pro-Hero Association won't know a thing." The masked man tried to convince the injured man.

"Even if the Association doesn't find a thing, I. Still. Will. Not. Give. You. A. Damn. Thing... You clear about that, villain." said the injured man with conviction.

"It seems I cannot convince you, Agent... That's sad," said the masked man and crouched down. He looked straight at the injured man's eyes and the injured man looked back. There was no fear in the injured man's eyes.

"Death's a breath away... But still fearless of death. May I ask how?"

"Because I know that even in my dying breath, I didn't rat the heroes out just to save my skin. I didn't help a villain like you..."

"Very well..." said the masked man and the next moment, a knife was in the injured man's chest.

The injured man looked at the knife stabbed in his chest with big eyes and then spurted out a mouthful of blood. Soon the agent was no more. The masked man closed the dead agent's eyes.

"You didn't have to die like this... Killing you became a necessity but the only good thing I could do was to kill you while you thought you did the right thing. I didn't want you to die in regret, Agent. The people you are trying to help are not deserving of your help, Agent. The people we call heroes are not deserving of that tag." said the masked man and pulled the knife out of the dead agent's chest.

He was making his way out of the alley when he saw the thing over which the injured agent tripped near the garbage dumpster. He picked it up and brought it under the streetlight to see what it was.

'What is this doing here?'

---

(A/N: This whole event takes place on the same night as the blast at the hotel.)

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