As the main carrier of Japan's population escaped safely from the place, All For One's abominations began to ramp up their reproduction. From the foundation of the First Being, they copied and developed, adapting to what were facing them. Due to the nature of the saturated artificial souls inhabitation each soldiers, minimal quirk growth occurred. But to compensate for that, biological adaptation took over.
Facing harder blows required interlocking metal scales and multilayer skin with a fat layer at the top. Hunting more efficiently required streamline bodies, concentrated muscles groups, and more conditioned reflexes. The normal physical means combined with what little quirk development acted as the weapons.
Soon, the "we" would fill the land, sea, and sky.
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It was in a trash-filled avenue that he was standing. The burning wreckage of a skyscraper filled the horizon with its smoke. Sometimes, a rain of fire bolted toward the ground, burning those standing in the way of nature. Upward, those with special abilities braced against the fire arrows and made their ways to their bases.
Looking at a shabby corner of a broken-down restaurant was two kids, a pair of siblings. They were looking at the aftermath of a clash between two major criminal forces, viping for the same observation location. The fight was air-borne, high above what the low-dwellers could ever reach. And they were watching, aiming for one of the many splattering sites to loot some items.
This was life. That was what the older one thought. Looking back, he could see the fear-filled eyes of his brother. He had always hated him. So weak, so fragile, and for most of the time, was a nuisance. Yet he could not abandon him. For whatever reason, he could not help himself protecting this sibling of him. And he felt proud whenever the brother got by without any injury.
As the two were hiding and awaiting for the fire rain to end. Someone walked into the restaurant. The two kids had hidden themselves inside the kitchen area, viewing the outside through the only window letting air and light in.
"Come out. I will not attack two children. How old are you two?"
The question cut through the brains of the two brothers. One was already brandishing a wooden bat to swing at the nuts and the other was ready to turn it into a brawl. They had no element of surprise, unlike the many times they had ambushed some small fry after she had looted a knife off a fallen body.
"Who are you!?"
"Someone who still has a heart. What about you two boys? Have you lost your heart?"
"What is a heart?"
"Oh, so born within this chaotic era."
"You did not answer brother's question! Who are you?"
"Drop that bat and we will talk, only talk. Look at me."
The two brothers sneaked a peek at the woman. She was clad from top to bottom in black clothing, her hands were empty and no weapons were on her.
"I'm a nun. Oh, you kids may not know what a nun is. Think of me as someone who teach others."
"What are you teaching?"
The two brothers were careful. There had been small rumors around the kids living in the sewers that someone had been teaching weird things and controlling them via quirks. Seeing how friends had turned against one another and the cold, emotionless eyes of the affected kids when they had used anything to carve a hole into others' head...precaution was a must.
"Just how to live. And what to believe in. I'm looking for small children because they are weak."
The older of the pair knew that no one trying to convince another would call their target "weak". Most often, it would have been a few praises here and there to stoke confidence before fooling around. This woman ... was honest to the tee. And it repulsed him. But it seemed his brother was not of the same mind.
"Can we ... join you? You looks strong because you get here without getting dirty."
That was indeed... a point. The woman had gotten through the fire rain outside and even had avoided any fight so at the minimum her ability to sneak around was good. The brothers could make use of that.
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It had been two years since they had gone with the nun. She had described herself as such. She had taught them various subjects and materials, had hosted them inside the church she was responsible for, and had cared for them. Now the twin brothers were 12 years old.
Life was peaceful, there as enough food and they had learnt a lot from the nun. But the older brother had suspicion regarding something: Why no one ever reached this place? Where had the food they consumed come from? And why them specifically?
Multiple questions swirled into a vortex of mysteries. Too little information left him afraid. This church was in a desolate place but not that difficult to be found if one spent some time tracking along the beaten path. The bi-weekly excursion into the city, different cities, proved that the church was near the main base of operations of various powerful groups.
And the food, fresh and even contained meat. The brothers did help with the garden growing vegetables but the amount of food produced was definitely not enough nor in season. There had been no animals so where the meat had come from remained a mystery.
Faced with the unknown, what the older brother had always done best remained the only viable option: growing stronger.
"What is it you want to ask me, Zen? Shouldn't you be sleeping together with your younger brother at this time?"
"I want to ask about something. What is your ability? I know that you can see through walls. You are one of them."
"And so are the two of you. I can see what you do on our excursions."
'She knew, how?'
"Yoichi's ability is only to store energy. A simple battery. But you ... let's just say you are the one I'm interested in. Sit, you have questions. I will answer what I want. And you can trust what you want."
The sliding of a wooden chair did wonders to lessen the heavy atmosphere. Zen was ready to attack the nun right then and there but chose to stop. Yoichi was still sleeping. Evacuating with him would be a hassle. Besides, he did not know if the nun would end him first. But if push came to shove, he would still do it. Zen utilized his ability to amp up his specs.
"It seems you have confident in your ability. Truly the folly of youth. Are you proud of having such power?"
"What power?"
"Let me show you how pride has limited your imagination."
The nun had touched Zen's head without him even registered any movement. And she spoke.
"Thee shall feel pain. Yet no pain shall be inflicted upon thee."
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The church was burning down. Yoichi was knocked out cold and was lying outside the place. The pathetic attempt of a fight lasted mere moments. For Zen, half of his body, the left side, had been obliterated. The injury had been seared to disinfection. Yet he was still alive, plunged into this hell. He was facing toward the sky. The backdrop he saw was all the surrounding cities being reduced to carbon and ash, black towers crumbled under their own weights and all the fighting stopped.
The one responsible for everything, she had six flaming wings turning night to day. In her hand was a sword that had pierced four people, their carbonized remnants snowed down. And with a sweep, the horizon burned. Night turned to day. And when the last drop of red concentrated into the nun's palm, she casually dropped a sphere, tennis ball size. Nothing existed.
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Vomit surged up Zen's airpipe but he should have no airpipe remaining. His body felt weak, trembling even at the weakest breeze. His heart beat like crazy, obeying the adrenaline rush from a flight response. The dread when faced with an insurmountable disaster shut down any logical thinking. The vision seemed to be just that. And yet for someone to be able to show that.
"How is it? My power? How does it feel with your ability?"
"Ho-Hot!"
The panting continued.
"Seems to be too much. Now Zen, look at me."
He turned his eyes upward from the ground. He noticed cracks running along the neck of the nun. A disease was what he first thought of but the nun rejected it out loud.
"I could tell, you get a talent for robbery. Or to be more precise, ability robbery. That's why I have taken you and your brother in. You are the main objective but I have learnt of something that made me pick your brother up too. The future path."
Even for a 12-years-old kid that had matured early, the news that the one before him had known of his future was like thunder. He wanted to ask so many things but he grasped that the nun had something else to share.
"You have seen how powerful I am. Can you think of a way to kill someone at this level?"
"... Why should I kill this person?", He had no answer to the how.
"Because three people are going to hunt Yoichi down and unleash hell upon your brother. They know the future but not to such an extent as me."
'Hell', he had been taught this concept. Perpetual torment for sinners.
"But he is not a sinner! He can't even bring himself to do any acts of villainy. You know that! But ... they don't care?"
"They don't care. They see a sliver of threat from Yoichi's decision in the future. Can you protect him with your ability?"
"No."
How Yoichi hated that fact. Even if the vision of the nun's power was just a vision, the woman had never lied once while they were living together. And if she had wanted to kill the brothers, she would not have cared for them for 2 years. And because of this honesty, Zen had to have his pride crushed.
"You are ants to them. My sisters. Can you guess how much longer you two are being protected?"
This was personal information regarding the nun but Zen paid no attention to that. Knowing the threats were the nun's sisters served no purpose in illuminating him a path forward for the brothers. But that question and the nun's capability ...
"Are you going to die?"
"... Yes. You have seen the cracks. My sisters ambushed me a long time ago. My body has grown weak and I even overexerted my ability. The cracks are signs of a failing body. But you, you are resistance to such weakening. You have potential to surpass all of us."
"In a year?"
"Less. A month. And for your ferocity outside this place, you know a fact: these intrinsic abilities weaken little due to age. Their energy, that is. This is not a request but a notice. I will train you up to have a chance to survive. Then you will swim on your own to protect your brother. You already know you need to do before my deathbed?"
"...Yes."
"Let your wraith fuels you. Let your greed builds you. Let your pride protects you."
"You are raising a devil."
"I know. And sometimes, a devil is all that is needed for peace."
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The cold fingers of a deceased woman, her remaining 'warmth' flooded into Zen's body. The nun had taught him a lot and had imposed no restriction, before nor after her death. He still had more questions about the nun, regarding how she had fed them for a long time but answers belonged to the dead now. With the ocean of energy circulating and feeding his ability, he needed time to process everything. And after this sleep, he needed to rush through every obstacles. The sleep took a year. And the trumpets of chaos ended 20 years later.