Rewind: The same Quirk bestowed using Bioalchemy can have different Complexities
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Luke was hunched up on the floor not because he was trying to fake the helplessness, but because he was literally holding onto his senses.
Since the moment he had activated the mutation Quirks, he had already lost all his Stamina Points.
Caught in the moment, he had kept up the facade for a moment.
Then, as seconds went by, even his bones began hurting, his muscles squirming as if someone was twisting them.
Yet, Luke didn't dare to pass out.
He didn't dare to spit the blood bubbling in his mouth.
He didn't dare to lift his head, lest he saw people getting injured… in the tragedy orchestrated by him.
The battle with his dwindling senses he could win, Luke knew.
But it was the battle with his sense of morality that challenged him the most.
Still, if he wanted things to take a turn for good — if he wanted to dictate the flow of events — this was something he must do, whether he liked it or not.
"Hold on!" Nyx cawed in his ears. It looked like the boy was holding the bird, but it was the other way around. "Don't you dare pass out on me, Luke!"
And, just as it seemed he couldn't handle it anymore, it was time.
They heard the scream of a boy as he was thrown off the floor through the broken wall of glass.
Luke stood up, his vision blurring. Transfixed, he began walking against the wind blasting inside.
"Luke!" Mr. Reijirou shouted from behind. "Don't do it! Don't do it…"
Luke couldn't even hear anything. He was already running.
Was he watching? Luke asked himself. He must be watching, right? He had planned this villainous event because he wanted him to watch!
"Faster!" Nyx screeched, flapping her wings. "Don't worry… He's looking at us!"
Gritting his teeth, shouting within his mind, Luke canceled the bestowed Quirk of the mutated dog with a mental tug.
Behind him, getting attacked by all the bodyguards and a half-passed-out Sand, the monstrous creatures were still fighting, showing no sign of fatigue.
Suddenly, the mutated dog's entire body squirmed as if snakes were slithering inside it. With a squelching boom, it exploded, washing everything in blood.
Simultaneously, regaining his Spirit Points, Luke touched Nyx's body and jumped off the floor.
…
Nezu had been protecting a little girl, hiding her in one corner behind a huge vase.
There was little he could do against such raw power wreaking havoc. It was best to save as many people as he could, letting the professionals take on the Villains.
It was then he noticed the dark cat villain throwing a boy off the floor.
With his furry face paling at the sight, he had just begun moving when he caught another figure rushing at the open wall.
Wind blasting his hair, Luke was charging toward the destroyed wall of glass. A great sense of deja vu took over Nezu as he saw the boy and his golden hair and blue eyes…
Then, under the stunned eyes of Mr. Principal, the boy jumped. "No…"
He ran up to the edge of the hall and looked down, holding the broken glass. What he saw left him speechless.
Right in front of his eyes, the small raven became a huge bird, carrying the boy over its back.
With one flap of its wings, it closed the gap between Luke and the falling boy, grabbing him in her claws. Then, with another flap of her wings, she pushed up, taking to the air.
That… Nezu thought, remembering the oddity he had been sensing around Luke… was not the bird's Quirk…
As if sensing something, Nezu looked to his right and found Mr. Reijirou Saionji standing at the edge as well, holding nothing. It was as if the man was just moments away from jumping himself.
Nezu saw the dread on Reijirou's face vanishing and put two and two together. Reijirou looked to his left and his eyes matched with Mr. Principal.
Then, they both sighed, deciding to talk about it later.
Behind them, with another boom, the mutated cat exploded as well.
In the chaos, the exhausted bodyguards and Heroes let out a breath of relief.
…
There was no knowing when his father would get another revelation.
There was no knowing what would make his father throw him to the Blue Site for another decade.
So, Luke needed to make sure that he remained in the outside world.
Meanwhile, he also needed to join UA High if he wanted to keep an eye on the Heroes, trying to solve the mystery of his family's death.
Even the System itself had told him that the Sequences' powers would work the best if he remained in the society.
For all this to happen, Luke needed to force his father's hand.
That's where Nezu came into the picture.
Create a desperate moment where he would be forced to use his Quirk and let Mr. Principal catch onto it…
This was the only thing Luke thought that would work in his favor.
Not to mention, with no one knowing Bioalchemy's new capabilities, they couldn't link the mutated lifeforms to him as well, even if the creatures would feel similar.
The Luke of now didn't have the stamina to cause such controlled mutations to not even one creature. Much less needed to be said about three, including Nyx.
That he succeeded with Nyx, could be considered an emotional trigger, as was with the case of many Quirk users.
At the roof of another multistoried building, Nyx landed gently, putting the little boy away. From the fall, the boy had already passed out.
Luke canceled Nyx's Quirk and coughed out blood, his arms and legs shaking. It was a miracle that he could still open his eyes.
Months of workouts, constant pushing himself to his limits, and a proper diet seemed to have worked wonders for a scrawny and weak boy like him.
Nyx rushed to Luke, who put his hand on her again.
…
[
Quirk: Heal
Complexity: S
Consumption:
— Spirit 110
— Stamina 27
Contact Time: 10 seconds
Activation Time: 5 minutes
]
…
This time, when he snapped his fingers, he truly passed out.
Luke woke up with a gasp only moments later, a green aura rising from his body. Nyx had her wings on his head as she used the Quirk on him, his Stamina recovering at a visible pace.
When he regained all the Stamina Points, he sat up.
Luke and Nyx looked at the boy and then stared at each other, sharing emotions.
He felt so… empty. There was a sweetness in his throat… a tightness in his chest… a fuzziness in his mind.
One misstep — just one — and that little boy would have died.
Luke's jaw quivered as he realized something; something that he had been avoiding confronting for so long.
The man Momo had fallen for — that Luke — was dead.
The woman he loved — the woman who had accepted his oddness — was dead.
If his wife stood right in front of him now, he wouldn't be able to even look her in the eyes.
"I am…" Luke choked. "… just a memory chasing ghosts…"
Nyx didn't know what to say. So, she cried along with him.
They cried until their tears ran dry, reliving all the memories.
…
[
It is best to let out all the emotions, Blessed. It is best to let go of these feelings…
The path you wish to tread — don't tolerate such emotional upheavals…
]
…
After a while, Luke found himself staring at the stars.
This was the last time, he promised himself. If I can't even control myself, then I should forget about controlling fate…
"Bring out the ingredients, Nyx," Luke said.
The System had already shared many details regarding brewing potions and other matters, like Cogitation (-a way to stabilize mind-).
Luke had chosen the photo of him and Momo in bridal clothes as the object to focus on after drinking the potion.
When he was done brewing the potion with an uncanny cold efficiency, Luke stared at the dark-blue gelatinous liquid with a faint and seemingly ethereal scent.
…
[
Yes. Your mental state is much more stable now, Blessed.
In my opinion, this is the best time to consume the potion.
]
…
Luke looked at Nyx, who nodded back at him.
Then, he once again looked at the stars, saying goodbye to his old self.
He didn't know the true nature of the enemies. He didn't know the whys and hows. Not only that, but he also didn't know how it all would act out in the future.
What he did know was that there was a mysterious force that was invisible to him… like a ghost.
So, if he was only a memory chasing ghosts, then he'd rather find a way to see the ghosts first.
Luke's blue eyes hardened with unmatched determination.
Then, with one swift motion, he downed the Seer Potion, embarking on his journey as a Beyonder.
....
Volume 1 - Lord Of Mysteries - Ends!
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AN: Images of Nyx flying away and Luke drinking Potion (this image is also available on R -R as a teaser) are available on my Pat
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