[53] The Tipping Point

(Shigaraki POV – League of Villains Hideout, Shortly before Kata acted)

“Damn it!” I snarl, slamming my hand onto the bar counter with a muffled crack.

Dust gets flung upwards as the wood groans, and then... it slowly starts to decay. The counter becomes brittle, the wood splintering and cracking into nothing under my palm.

My hand twitches at the sensation.

“Why’d you do it, Kurogiri?!” I rasp, my voice cracking like a dying record. My breath comes in quick, rapid breaths, as my neck starts itching maddeningly.

I don't care what excuse he gives.

I don’t want an excuse.

'I just wanna grab him...'

I just wanna watch him fall apart... flaking, rotting, and crumbling into nothing.

My fingers curl against the bar, and another section begins to disintegrate with a soothing crack as it breaks from within. My nails dig deeper into the splintering wood, clawing at restraint I can't find.

“No one... stops me from having my fun!”

The words come out full of venom.

I whirl to face him. "I mean—who does that, huh?! Things were just getting good! People were dying and screaming! The heroes were scrambling like little ants!" I grin sadistically as I recall the scene... Then grit my teeth. “And then you just yank me away?!”

My fist smashes into what's left of the counter, completely destroying it now. Then I stop talking. I freeze. Just... stop.

The room swims as my eyes fixate on the ceiling fan, slowly creaking overhead.

'If Master didn’t need him...'

“If Master didn’t need you…” I murmur slowly, voice trembling, my eyes still wide and empty as I stare into space. “…you’d be dead right now.”

I lower my head slowly, my eyes locking onto Kurogiri through the fingers of father's dismembered hand.

"Answer me."

Kurogiri kneels on the floor like a repentant servant. He bows low, but I can still feel it—he’s not sorry for what he did.

'He stopped my fun.'

'He ruined it.'

'He ruined it.'

'He ruined it!'

“Tomura Shigaraki…” he says at last. “The situation was dangerous. We had to withdraw immediately.”

I blink slowly as I process his words.

Then I laugh.

A hollow chuckle first. Then a wheezing, unhinged cackle.

“Dangerous?” I rasp. “I had it under control! You think a few half-assed heroes were gonna stop me?! Huh?! WHAT WAS SO DANGEROUS?!”

He bows even lower, not daring to meet my gaze.

“I... I don't know.”

The air dies.

My cackling ceases.

I stare at him, my eyes wide. I feel my body tense. Muscles lock up as though to stop me from unleashing my budding rage.

"...That's it? That’s your reason for ruining everything?" I ask with eerie calm.

My fingers twitch erratically. Fingers begin to tap against my thigh, the tapping rising higher and higher, but I don't notice.

'I should kill him.'

'I should kill him.'

'No... I can’t. Master needs him.'

'BUT I SHOULD.'

My fingers find my neck, and I scratch. Hard. Jagged nails clawing against my skin... against the itch buried deep within.

I want to rip it out. The confusion. The anger.

Another hand joins in. I claw. I dig.

I begin bleeding, but I don't stop.

'Kill. Don’t kill. Kill. Don’t kill. Kill. Don’t. Kill. Don't. KILL. KILL. KILL—'

“Calm down, Tomura.”

My body stops.

The voice isn’t mine.

"...Master?"

I turn slowly toward the television. It's on. But the screen is blank. But Master's voice echoes through, calm and smooth.

“Yes, Tomura,” he says. “I'm here. Don’t worry.”

The panic... softens. My fingers pull away from my neck, blood under the nails.

“Kurogiri made the right decision.”

'No... even you?'

My eye twitches.

“…Why?” I ask, voice hoarse.

Another screen flickers on. Live footage of the Nomu being paraded in the sky, before being burnt to nothing...

They're all gone.

I watch, my eyes wide as my heart drums quickly within my chest.

“Familiar, isn’t it?” Master says softly.

"...Is it that brat again?" My voice is hoarse and laced with venom.

The one from USJ. The one who ruined my fun. The one who cut off my hands.

I rub my wrists subconsciously, trying to alleviate pain that's no longer there. 'That red-eyed bastard... always ruining everything.'

“Most likely,” Master answers. “We upgraded Kurogiri with a crisis detection Quirk after last time. I’m glad you’re safe.”

Safe?

SAFE?!

'That brat. That brat. THAT BRAT.'

'He took my Nomu.'

'He ruined my fun.'

'He keeps taking and taking and TAKING—'

My nails return to my neck. The itch returns worse than before as hate burns beneath my skin.

“Don’t worry, Tomura.”

Master’s voice hums again. Calming, but laced with cold amusement.

“We’ll deal with him soon enough.”

I nod slowly and stop scratching, even if my neck still burns. The blood seeps down my collar.

My lips part in a manic grin as I picture turning that bastard to ash.

“Yes, Master…” I say.

But I never stop staring at the screen. Not even when it turns off.

Not even as the image of that red-eyed freak burns into my skull.

'He’ll pay.'

'He’ll rot.'

'I’ll make him scream and beg.'

'I’ll grind him down till nothing remains.'

(AFO POV – ???)

The monitor flickers off with a low hum, casting the room into a deeper darkness. I lean back in my chair, steepling my fingers beneath my chin as I reflect.

“Tomura remains... manageable. For now.”

My gaze drifts to a neighboring screen—one of many lining the walls of this silent chamber, broken only by the rhythmic hiss of the life-support systems keeping me alive.

Footage replays the chaos of Hosu. The Nomu—years of research—incinerated mid-air like dry leaves in a furnace. Stain subdued and arrested.

And at the center of it all... him.

'Kata Okada.'

A flicker of concern and caution brushes through my mind, but I suppress it and scowl as I study the boy’s movements. The thin layer of fatigue after he decimated them every single Nomu.

‘That's all they amounted to? He’s growing.’

“...It’s that boy again,” I murmur. My voice holds no amusement.

Kyudai stirs, tearing his gaze from the screen as if waking from a spell. His breath hitches—already captivated. “Yes... yes! Extraordinary, isn't it? His rate of progression is unheard of!”

My scowl deepens. “It’s hasn't been long since the Sports Festival. And now?”

He doesn’t wait for permission. Already he’s scrambling to his console, fingers clicking feverishly. “I’ve compiled everything,” he says, gleeful, projecting data onto the central screen like a magician revealing his favourite trick.

A storm of graphs, files, surveillance notes, and insider reports flood the screens.

“When first registered, Kata’s quirk was barely capable of lifting fifty kilograms. Basic Telekinesis, nothing more. At the entrance exam, he jumped to seven tons, even if it took 3 years, the growth was remarkable. But then, at the Sports Festival, he demonstrated abilities far outside that classification. And now...”

He freezes the feed, showing different instances. Kata simultaneously hauling every Nomu into the air appears on one screen. The gigantic sphere of electrified flame appears on another. And an only slightly exhausted boy on the last.

“This isn't linear growth. It’s exponential,” he whispers, his tone almost reverent. “Master… this quirk. It’s not as simple as we thought. He’s manipulating forces at the atomic, perhaps even subatomic, level.

I rest my head against my hand thoughtfully. “So the quirk was misdiagnosed?”

“Without a doubt. This doesn't follow the pattern of a quirk awakening or evolving. He's unlocking and developing complex applications of the power that shouldn't be possible unless the quirk was originally capable of it in the first place.”

I let silence settle. The implications are profound.

“Then it’s not just about what he can do. It’s more about how quickly he learns to do more.”

Kyudai nods fervently. “We may be dealing with a quirk factor capable of universal force manipulation. Matter, energy, even biological systems... If he continues developing—if he reaches full maturity—nothing could stop him.”

A moment passes in silence, before I exhale slowly.

“Then I can’t allow him to.”

The words are calm, but absolute.

He would be invaluable if he were controllable. But he isn’t. And that makes him a threat.

I glance to a nearby file.

KATA OKADA – THREAT ASSESSMENT.

An exhaustive dossier, compiling all available information we could gather. Current residence. Behavioral profile. Quirk theory analysis. Confirmed and suspected relationships.

I smile.

“He's useful, yes... he stokes Tomura's hatred, nudges him toward the right path. But the risk outweighs the reward.”

Kyudai stiffens. “Do you want him captured? For study?”

“No.” I look back to the screen. “It's unlikely we'd succeed, given his current power, unless I personally intervened. It would provoke an unnecessary confrontation and expose us before we’re ready.”

Kyudai frowns, clearly confused.

“But then—?”

I gesture toward the burning wreckage of Hosu.

“He’s still just a student, Kyudai. And look at what he did to the Nomu. To Stain. Now, imagine how the public would react if we helped them connect the dots. If we helped them realise how much power a single student possesses, and how easily he could use it against them.”

Kyudai takes a moment to process my words.

“You... want to turn public opinion against him.”

“Fear is far more reliable than admiration,” I murmur. “The HPSC will try to minimise his involvement. It wouldn't look good if a student easily solved a problem their pro-heroes struggled against.”

Kyudai’s eyes widen.

“Have some of our agents in the media circulate the story. Quietly. A few headlines, some anonymous commentary... ‘What if Kata misused his power?’ ‘Should students have that much power?’ Let it spread.” I let out a low chuckle.

“Let them forget he saved them. Let them fear that he could destroy them.”

Kyudai cackles. “Ah! Yes! Of course, Master! The more they distrust him, the more pressure he’ll feel. The closer he’ll come to snapping.”

“Exactly. Fear breeds paranoia. Paranoia leads to isolation. And isolation... breaks even the strongest minds.”

I lean back once more.

“Push just enough to shift public sentiment. Most heroes won't defend him, since his capability reflects badly on them. U.A. will be forced to defend him... And when the people begin to question their judgment... it will sow doubt in both.”

Kyudai bows. “I’ll begin the campaign immediately.”

“Good. And Kyudai...”

He pauses mid-step.

“Increase Nomu production. No more relying solely on corpses. We need... living stock.”

His shoulders tremble. “You mean... live captures?”

“Yes. Inmates. Vagrants. Forgotten children. Anyone who won’t be missed. Do it quietly and efficiently. I won’t tolerate sloppy mistakes.”

His breath hitches. “Understood. I’ll... I’ll begin immediately.” He says, struggling to suppress the excitement in his voice.

“We need more quirks, too. Quality ones. The next generation of Nomu must surpass the last. I want one that can kill Kata Okada. The rest can be used to make more fodder.”

Kyudai is already trembling in anticipation, barely containing his excitement. “Of course, Master. I’ll comb the black market and underground rings. I’ll prepare the best samples.”

“I’ll handle the grafting personally to speed up the process.” I say finally.

He scurries off like a rat given cheese.

And silence returns.

I watch the frozen image of Kata on the monitor. His calm, composed, unbothered face, despite the power he's demonstrated.

'So much potential.'

"...Which is why I cannot allow you to grow unchecked."

My voice echoes in the stillness, underscored by the steady beep of the machines keeping me alive.

“You’ll die soon enough. And your quirk... will serve me far better than it ever served you.”

**************

A/N: Hello Everyone. Well, I added 2 images in this post. I don't know if it was appropriate, but there wasn't much I could do, since the scenes ended up like this. Anyway, I feel like we've been stuck on Hosu for way too long, so after the next chapter, Hero side reactions, the Hosu stuff is officially behind us. I mean, I'd have wanted to maybe do Ida, Deku, and Todoroki reactions to the police, but that feels like overkill at this point. I'll weave it in somehow in passing, without dedicating a chapter to it.

Anyway, how was this chapter? Polls aren't well received, and at the time of writing this, only 1 person would be able to read the chapter, but it is what it is. Honestly, I tried really hard to nail the personalities of Shigaraki and AFO, since that's what I believe matters the most, and I think I did a good job. Felt like I was crazy to write crazy, but it works somehow.

I did lots of research, and a lot of fandoms were really disappointed with canon AFO, since he was apparently hyped up, but didn't deliver. So... That's how I'm gonna do him! He'll genuinely be the final boss he should've been in this fic. He won't be doing the dumb shit he did in the original, he'll actually be making use of all his power, since the heroes got Kata (a living cheat code), we've got to at least try to make things kinda fair, right?

So yeah, AFO will be making moves behind the scenes, and he'll be building an army in earnest. He'll be a villain, who doesn't just play with corpses, but live subjects are on the table now too. Shit's gonna get wild, but not unreasonable, and will remain grounded in canon. Or would you guys prefer I keep him relatively the same?

(P.s.: I'm not the kind of author to have the MC do dumb shit like not protect those he cares about only to regret it later, so don't worry about that, and vote with leave of mind on the poll.)

Oh, and I think the next chapter will be fun for a lot of people. A rarely seen, but desired character is gonna get a POV! 😜

Anyway, that's all from me, hope you have a wonderful day!