Crime has spiked almost overnight after All Might's retirement. The pros are stretched thin. Smaller villain groups become much bolder, organized villain factions accelerate their plans and underground crime networks were now testing hero response times.
There were tons of tabloids containing the rise of public anxiety, and investors and businesses worrying about safety while there was also media speculation on who would replace the ex Number One Hero.
Endeavor was now the new Number One Hero, but society doesn't fully trust him as the new symbol as strength alone doesn't create reassurance. Meanwhile, other pro heroes have started working longer hours and coordinating more operations.
Sukuna read all of this from the news app, sighing as he exited it. It was worse than he expected. In the past, one overwhelmingly good man kept evil in check, but now with him gone, society is now forced to confront the uncomfortable truth, peace maintained by one symbol isn't stable.
This only further fueled the already worsened mental state of Sukuna who now lived in constant panic concerning his parents' situations. He knew he shouldn't be waiting this long to act, but he needed to say goodbye to Class 1-A, he needed closure.
He convinced himself that him leaving UA was the best choice. The human mind has a strange trick it performs when the heart is in open rebellion. It builds arguments. Elegant, logical, beautifully constructed arguments whose real job is simply to make pain feel like strategy.
He told himself the only way to catch the trail is to move faster than the system. From a distance, it looked like rational thinking. But if one peeled the layers back, one will find something simpler underneath.
Fear.
Fear that if he asked for help, and the system failed, then the world he believed in would collapse completely. So instead he chose control.
Tonight, the world will be introduced to a different Ryomen Sukuna, one that doesn't operate within the rules. He will no longer be a student hero, but an independent force in a world that just lost its greatest protector.
.....
Arriving at UA, he met with his classmates and gathered in front their new accommodations, the Heights Alliance. These dorms were built inside the school campus and were only a five-minute walk from the school building.
In front of Class 1-A, was a large building with five floors separated into two wings, circled by low hedge bushes that left a path open to the entrance.
"Welcome back to hell, problem children." Aizawa greeted them with his usual dull tone.
"Hi sensei!!!" The class greeted him enthusiastically.
"Good. Looks like all of you are living in the dorms..." He muttered, his gaze lingering longer on Sukuna before he continued.
"Anyways, I'm going to give you all a quick overview of the dorms. Come with me." He motioned, entering the building with his students following.
"You have the whole building for yourself. The first floor is the common area. Here you will have your dining hall, bathrooms and laundry rooms." He muttered, as they were introduced to a spacious room. The class looked around in awe. It all looks super luxurious.
"The school will handle the groceries, but it goes without saying that you'll be preparing your own meals, though I'm sure this class won't have a problem with that." He glanced at certain culinary skilled students.
"Looks like from those hotels in the movies..." Uraraka whispered. Coming from a low income family, she had compared this place to a mansion. The continued with Aizawa bringing them to the second floor via elevator.
He then explained that their bedrooms are on floors two, three, four, and five. Every student has their own private bedroom with each room having an AC unit, bathroom, refrigerator, and closet.
Kirishima whispered as he stood on a balcony. "Now this is the life..." He muttered, enjoying the view of the school. Aizawa handed a map of their room allocations to Sukuna.
"These are your room assignments. The luggage you sent earlier should already be in your respective rooms. You'll spend the rest of the day unpacking and organizing your rooms. We'll talk about what's next tomorrow. Dismissed." He walked away, waving at them while doing so.
"Aww man, sensei's gone so soon." Mina pouted. Sukuna silently handed Momo the map, before walking away from her. Momo wondered why he was so silent today, but she didn't think much of it.
"Alright then! Let's start decorating shall we?" Momo suggested happily.
"Yeah!!"
...
"Dude, you brought your PS10?!" Denki gasped, noticing Sukuna crouching beside the TV stand and setting the console down carefully.
"Mhm." Sukuna hummed as he reached behind the television, fingers brushing through a jungle of cables until he found the HDMI port.
"Nice dude, wanna have a game session after the decorating?" Denki asked, carrying some boxes of his stuff. Sukuna only nodded silently.
'Man, he's awfully quiet today. He should be all taunting me and saying that I'll lose by now.' Denki thought as he pressed the button to call the elevator. He didn't think much of it, Sukuna must've had a bad hair day or something.
After finishing the set up, he moved on to his bedroom, which was on the same floor as Mina's. He almost snorted when he realized it. Clearly, Aizawa didn't think things through when he put their rooms on the same floor.
"Tch, why the hell does my room have to be on the same floor as you." Bakugo grumbled to himself after he got in the elevator at the same time with Sukuna, realizing that the pink haired boy was going to the same floor as him.
"What the hell are you complaining about? Not like I'm going to do night time visits to your room." Sukuna mumbled silently, gently stepping out of the elevator while the blonde resisted the urge to scream profanities at him.
He entered his assigned bedroom and looked around it. He sighed a little, and looked down at the boxes he was carrying.
"Let's get started..."
...
"Man! You're too good at this!" Denki groaned loudly. After the organizing, they hopped on the console together as promised. Sukuna had just beat him badly in a football match.
"Or maybe you just suck that bad." Jiro taunted on the side, smirking a little. Denki glanced at her.
"Oh yeah? If you're that good then how about you get on a match with me?" Denki challenged, holding out his controller to her.
"I uh..." Jiro laughed nervously. In truth, she has never played any console games before, her only hobby was playing with musical instruments after all.
"You play with her. I have to get started on making dinner." Sukuna muttered, placing the controller down before he joined Momo and Bakugo in the kitchen.
"Finally you're here, I thought you were about to get sucked into the game with how much you were staring at it." Bakugo grumbled, throwing the knife to Sukuna who casually caught it.
"Hey, don't do that! What if you hurt him?" Momo lightly scolded, while she was stirring the soup in the pot. Bakugo only shrugged in response.
"By the way, who's bag is that?" Momo asked, glancing at the black bag near the television, where Denki was gently teaching Jiro how to play the game.
"That's mine. I'll grab it later." Sukuna replied as he started chopping the chives.
"Mina wants all of us to take a peek in each other's rooms later." Momo brought up while Bakugo scowled.
"Well I'm not showing you shit!"
"That's how you know he has something inappropriate in there." Sukuna commented while Momo side eyed Bakugo.
"The hell are you talking about?! No I don't!"
The banter continued as they made dinner together. Not long after dinner was made, everyone gathered around to enjoy it, praising the three for their divine cooking skills. Sukuna watched with a small sad smile.
The room felt alive to him. He leaned back slightly in his chair, elbow resting on the table, eyes drifting across the room, trying to memorize it all.
This was bad. He felt at home. He felt the warmth. He went in too deep and got himself attached to them. For someone who prided himself on control, he completely lost control of the one thing that mattered most.
His heart.
But no matter how hard it was, he cannot stay here, even if it meant having them hate him for doing so. For a second the thought creeped in. The thought that he should stay here, train, become a hero properly and let the professionals handle the nightmare he's about to chase.
It was the rational option. But Sukuna's mind returned to the image that refused to leave him, the empty home where his parents should be.
So the equation in his head resolved the way it always does, that If he stayed nothing would change. And Sukuna cannot tolerate that kind of helplessness. His pride played a role, definitely. But there was also something older and more primal. The instinct to hunt the threat himself.
So he quietly made the decision again, for maybe the hundredth time that day.
'I can't stay.' Even if this was the second place that ever felt like home. Even if Mina was here. Even if leaving meant the people at this table will curse his name for a while.
Sukuna just sat there a moment longer, watching his friends eat and argue and exist in this small warm bubble of normal life, quietly committing to the path he's already chosen, while maintaining his usual stoic expression.
But Tokoyami wasn't the kind of person who missed subtle shifts. Sure he's quiet because he's brooding but that's only half the truth. The other half was that quiet people spend a lot of time observing. To him, a room becomes a map of emotional currents, who is loud, who is pretending to be loud, who is drifting somewhere far away.
And tonight, he noticed that one person is drifting.
Sukuna's posture is relaxed, but too relaxed. The smile on his face lingered a second longer than it should. His eyes moved around the table like someone cataloguing details. The dark knight recognized that look. It's the look of someone saying goodbye without saying it.
"Something's off with him today." Dark Shadow whispered quietly, poking his head over Tokoyami's shoulder.
"I know..." Tokoyami muttered, low enough so that no one heard him. Across the table, Sukuna snorted at something Kaminari said. It was convincing, anyone else would believe it, but Tokoyami didn't.
"Maybe I'm just speculating too much." He muttered to himself. Dark Shadow didn't reply, having went to have a chat with Tsuyu instead.
"Hey Asui." Dark Shadow tapped the girl on her shoulder.
"Yes?" Tsuyu turned around, tilting her head at him.
"Fumi thinks you're cute~" Dark Shadow pointed at Tokoyami who widened his eyes in horror.
"Shut it!" Tokoyami growled out, covering the creature's mouth. Tsuyu stared silently before glancing at Tokoyami. She smiled, surprising him.
"Thanks." She said, before she went back to eating. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow stared at her. He gave him a thumbs up, to which Tokoyami groaned in response, wondering why the divine would curse him with this creature.
...
"Everyone's rooms are so unique." Mina sighed as the room showcasing competition was over. The winner went to Sato, though not because his room was the best looking, but because he baked a delicious cake for the everyone to enjoy.
"Though I can't believe he did that..." Mina mumbled, feeling embarrassed again as she remembered the moment they went in to Sukuna's room, finding out that he had one side of a wall full of polaroid photos of Mina.
Most of the photos aren't glamorous, more like stupid little moments, Mina laughing with her head thrown back, Mina making some ridiculous face at the camera, Mina mid-conversation while gesturing wildly, one where she leaned into frame and Sukuna looks mildly irritated but didn't stop her.
"Well I'm not any better...Hehe..." She laughed to herself, also having a wall dedicated to placing photos of Sukuna. She glanced to her side and noticed Sukuna walking past her, a strange look in his eyes.
'His eyes have been like that since we first arrived here.' Mina thought to herself before she rushed towards him.
"Babe!" Mina called out, wrapping her arm around his. Sukuna hummed, looking down at her. Mina grinned, starting a conversation with her.
"My room was pretty cool right? But do you think I put to much in it?"
"Mina..." He called out but she kept talking.
"Jiro's room is awesome too! It was like a whole recording studio in there."
"Mina..."
"Oh! Oh! And Yaomomo's room looked like something out of a fairytale."
"Mina!"
"Y-yeah?" Mina jumped up a little as he raised his voice. Sukuna stared into her eyes, turning to face her as he held her hands.
"I love you."
Silence. Mina stared up at him, processing what he just said a few seconds too long, before her face became bright red as she started steaming.
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what?!!! Y-you c-can't just s-say that out of nowhere! I wasn't ready!" She shrieked. Sukuna only smirked as he lowered his face to her level.
" Wh-what are you doing—Mmm~" Mina gasped as Sukuna gently kissed her on the lips. She immediately closed her eyes, returning the gesture as they both stood there for what felt like forever.
Time seemingly stopped around them as they felt each other's warmth. Mina couldn't even think at the moment, all she could feel was how good it felt kissing him.
They gently released the kiss after a while, both looking into each other's eyes. Mina blushed and buried her head in his chest, pounding her fists on his chest in frustration, though without any strength put into it.
"Baka baka baka baka baka..." She kept repeating. It was all so sudden, and the build up was so awkward. But perhaps that's what made it perfect. She gasped, realizing that he was picking her up by wrapping his hands around her thighs.
"C'mon, let's go to bed." Mina's eyes were wide when she realized he was taking her to his room.
"W-wait! I'm not ready yet—Kya!" She squealed as he gently slammed her onto his bed. He grinned at her.
"I didn't say anything about doing that, pervert. I just wanted to hang out with you." He teased. Mina stared at him before she huffed in frustration.
"If you pick me up like that after a kiss, what the hell was I supposed to think..." She murmured as he got on the bed with her, laying down while facing her. He gently ran his fingers through her hair.
"Well if it makes you feel better, I'm not ready for that either." He kissed her forehead.
"You really like kissing me huh..." She commented with a low voice as he went down to kissing her face. It was addicting for the both of them, she didn't want this to end.
"I can say the same about you." Sukuna commented as Mina fought back, bravely kissing him on the lips this time. The two laid there, enjoying a make out session before Sukuna turned off the lights, laying back down with her again.
"I just know everyone's gonna ask so many questions when they see me come out of your room tomorrow." Mina laughed a little as she snuggled up into him.
"Of course they will. Momo especially, she'll think we've done it." He replied, putting his arm over her. Mina hummed in agreement.
"Do you think this is how it's going to be everyday when we get married?" She asked out of nowhere.
"What. Do you wanna get married now orr..." He asked. Mina slapped him playfully while giggling.
"How about we practice?..." She sat up, to which he did the same. She took off her ring, urging him to do the same.
"C'mon, put it on." She giggled as Sukuna shook his head with a smile, gently sliding the ring with his name engraved on it onto her ring finger. She excitedly did the same, before lunging forward, kissing him aggressively.
The kiss, well, the make out session lasted for quite a while before Mina came to her senses, pulling back to stare at him.
"Yey, now we're married!" She cheered.
"We didn't even say our vows yet." Sukuna commented. Mina smiled and playfully poked his nose with her finger.
"You know that I would die for you, right?"
Sukuna stared. "First of all, if you even try to do that I... I'll punish you." Mina gasped in a playful manner.
"Punish me? Like what?" She then grinned
"You gonna spank me or something?" She whispered sensually in his ear.
"Well..." Sukuna leaned into her ear as he started whispering. As he described his punishment, Mina's face started to redden before she squealed, pushing him away.
"P-pervert!"
"Now that's a suitable punishment, don't you think?" Sukuna smirked at her before he gently guided her to lay down with him again. Mina yawned, before she wrapped her arms around his head, gently burying him in her chest as he inhaled her scent.
"I'm tired..." She whispered. Sukuna hummed in response, feeling a gentle kiss on top of his head. As they bid each other goodnight, they fell asleep in each other's arms. Sukuna, though fighting the sleepiness, ultimately fell asleep in his lover's arms.
No nightmares this time, thankfully.
Now this was the life. He could stay like this forever. Perhaps he and Mina could sneak off like this every night and enjoy each other's warmth, sharing secret kisses in the hallways while the others were around goofing off. Perhaps he could—
No.
Sukuna opened his eyes, gently pushing Mina's hands away as he sat up. Mina had almost managed to convince him to stay, and that was the scariest thing ever.
He had his parents to save.
Glancing at the clock near the nightstand, it was a few minutes past 12 am, meaning that only a two hours had passed after they both fell asleep. He exhaled a little, realizing that he still had time.
"No Sukuna..." He looked down, realizing that Mina was sleep talking.
"This one's Mai-chan, not Maki-chan~ Get our kids right~" She mumbled. Sukuna only stared. She looked completely peaceful.
That made it worse.
Sukuna sat on the edge of the bed, careful as to not wake her. For someone who was always hyper-aware of himself, this moment was terrifying. If she woke up, he might not leave.
He brushed away a little hair from her face.
"Sorry..." His voice was a barely a whisper, that single word carrying about a thousand things he couldn't say out loud. Then he leaned down and pressed a small kiss to her forehead, in a gentle and protective manner.
For a second, he just watched her, trying to memorize the moment, her breathing, the soft glow of the room, and the warmth of a normal life he was about to step away from.
Then the composure returned.
He stood up and walked towards his desk, gently and slowly opening the drawer. He took out a stack of envelopes, full of personally written letters to everyone in class 1-A.
Placing it on the desk, he changed out of his casual clothes into the black gakuran outfit, his mother's hero costume. He then took down all of the pinned polaroid pictures of Mina, keeping them in the inner pocket of his jacket. Grabbing the letters again, he took one last look at her.
"I love you." He whispered, before leaving quietly, closing the door without a sound. After pressing the button, he quietly stepped into the elevator, going down to the first floor, to the common area.
He stood before the coffee table, the one placed near the couches and the television where his console laid. He grabbed the black bag he placed there deliberately when he arrived and carried it. Inside it were all the things that he needed, just the essentials, and the polaroid pictures he just placed.
Sukuna looked at the envelopes in his hand. He took one breath. Then another. And his hand started moving, intending to place them all on the coffee table.
"Leaving already?" His shoulders stopped moving, hearing a familiar voice that came from a darkness behind him.
"Of course..." The pink haired teen whispered, glancing back.
Tokoyami stepped out from the shadowed hallway like some nocturnal sentinel. His posture perfectly upright, his arms folded, while Dark Shadow floated beside him like an annoyed cloud.
"I suspected this would occur." The bird man muttered quietly while Dark Shadow narrowed his eyes, squinting at the backpack Sukuna was carrying.
"Yup, that's the classic 'running away at 12 am bag' he's carrying." He commented.
"You should be asleep." Sukuna exhaled a little through his nose. Tokoyami shook his head.
"You and I both know that is unlikely for the both of us." Insomnia took many forms. Tokoyami's mind was too active in the quiet hours, while Sukuna's mind refused to rest for very different reasons.
The two stood there for a moment, the common area around them dim and heavy.
Tokoyami sighed, as he started talking.
In the next chapter....
(me personally I think y'all are not gonna like the vigilante arc, maybe it's too sudden, or maybe the buildup wasn't quite there. either way please enjoy it.)