Chapter 168 - 168: The Third Act Begins
"We meet again."
"Wh-why are you after me? You're not even a hero anymore!"
"Why am I after you?"
Midoriya Izuku didn't bother answering with words. Instead, he let his actions speak for him. With a flick of his right hand, a flash of silver cut through the air.
"Aaaahhh!!"
The Butcher screamed in agony. Both of his arms had been severed at the base, just like before. The same unbearable pain tore through him.
"Hurts, doesn't it?"
Midoriya looked down at his fallen prey, his face cold and indifferent. The Butcher didn't even dare to lift his head. Why? Why had the Reaper come for him again?
"Kurogiri, you can head back. I have something to take care of."
"Understood."
Standing beside Midoriya, Kurogiri gave a butler-like bow before opening a portal and vanishing. His only duty, as per All For One's orders, was to cooperate with Midoriya Izuku.
"W-what... what are you going to do?!"
"What am I going to do?"
The Butcher's voice trembled so much that he could barely get the words out. But Midoriya once again answered with action. Another flick of his right hand, another glint of silver, and this time—
Blood gushed out as the Butcher's legs were severed.
"Aaaaaahhh!!"
"P-please... please, spare me!!"
Overwhelmed by terror and excruciating pain, the Butcher wailed and begged for his life, sobbing like a child.
Midoriya watched his desperate cries with a smile.
For a brief moment, the Butcher thought—just maybe—he might be spared, just like last time.
But then, the Reaper smiled wider and softly said:
"Nope~!"
The desperate cries for mercy were cut short. With a final flash of steel wire, the Butcher's head separated from his body and fell to the ground. Blood poured from his headless corpse, staining the earth beneath him.
Midoriya Izuku bent down, picked up the Butcher's head, and walked away. There was somewhere he needed to go.
———
Earlier that day, Midoriya Izuku arrived in this city through Kurogiri's portal. He had Kurogiri search for the Butcher's whereabouts while he went to take care of something else.
The victim of the Butcher's attack was an ordinary office worker. Like many others, he had a family—a wife and a four-year-old daughter.
That morning, the police had visited his home to deliver the terrible news to his wife. As for his young daughter, she was too little to understand why her father hadn't come home.
While Kurogiri was searching for the Butcher, Midoriya went to the victim's house. He didn't knock. He didn't need to. Even from outside, he could hear the woman's heart-wrenching sobs.
A sharp pain twisted in his chest. Midoriya clutched at his heart with his right hand. This... this was his fault. If he had just ignored the law and killed that bastard from the start, none of this would have happened.
There was no excuse. He had to take responsibility for his mistake. He couldn't let more people suffer because of him.
"Big brother, what are you doing at my house? And... why are you crying?"
A little girl bounced out of the house. Her father had been gone since last night, and her mother had been crying all day. The atmosphere at home was too heavy, so she ran outside for some fresh air—only to see a strange big brother standing at her doorstep with tears in his eyes.
Midoriya knelt down and gently placed his hand on her head, tears streaming down his face as he whispered,
"I'm sorry..."
"Why... why are you saying sorry?"
"Because I made a mistake. I have to apologize to you and your mother."
"I don't understand..."
Midoriya slowly got up, lifting his hand from the girl's head. Without another word, he turned and walked away. But before he left, he said one last thing.
"Your father isn't coming home anymore... You have to be strong from now on and take care of your mother."
———
Black flames burned inside him. Midoriya Izuku carried the Butcher's head to the police station. He had to end this himself.
———
"Who's there!?"
The Butcher's crimes had shaken the entire city. Heroes and police officers were working around the clock, patrolling and searching for him. Naturally, the police station was heavily guarded at night.
The moment they saw a figure approaching with a severed head in hand, the officers on duty tensed up. One of them immediately drew his gun and aimed it at Midoriya Izuku.
"Stop right there! Don't move, or I'll shoot!"
Midoriya came to a halt. Without a word, he swung his right hand and tossed the Butcher's head onto the ground. The officer was so startled that he almost pulled the trigger.
"The Butcher is dead. I killed him. You don't need to search for him anymore."
"W-What...!?"
The officer stared at the head at his feet. It was indeed the face of the wanted death-row criminal. Then, under the moonlight, he finally got a good look at the young man standing before him.
"You're... Midoriya Izuku?"
The U.A. student who had recently become a villain wasn't exactly unknown. At least, not to law enforcement. The officer quickly recognized him, and though he remained cautious, his grip on his gun loosened slightly.
He knew this kid had been labeled a "villain," but in reality, he hadn't committed any real crimes.
"What's going on here...?"
The officer pointed at the Butcher's head, then at Midoriya, his mind filled with questions.
"I killed him," Midoriya admitted without hesitation. Then, without another word, he turned to leave. His job was done.
The officer considered stopping him—after all, Midoriya was officially a villain now. But after a moment of thought, he decided against it.
Catching him wasn't worth the trouble. That was a job for the heroes. He wasn't about to risk his life for something that wouldn't even earn him a thank-you.
Midoriya was about to leave, but then he stopped and turned to the officer on duty.
"Can you pass on a message to the victim's family?"
"I'm sorry... This is the only way I can make up for it. If they ever want to hate someone, they can hate me."
After saying that, Midoriya Izuku disappeared into the night. The officer opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
It was then that he remembered something—the criminal known as "The Butcher," the death row inmate at his feet, had originally been arrested by the "Steel Wire Reaper."
And back then, the news had spread like wildfire because "The Butcher" had been captured with all four of his limbs cut off.
"This kid... Is he really a 'villain'?"
This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.
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