LVII: Father II

"So, that's why you didn't run," Raiden muttered, narrowing his eyes. "You got your control over the heroes back. But tell me—are they even conscious?"

The man let out a small, amused hum. "Oh, they are." He leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed. "I won't be able to hold them forever. Their wills are strong—they'll break free eventually. But I don't need to hold them forever. I just need enough time to leave."

He turned away as he spoke, stepping toward a table where a steaming cup of coffee sat waiting. "I can't let them capture me. Not now… not yet, I'm still curious to see the results of my investigation, I had some thing I want to witness."

Just as his fingers reached for the cup, Raiden extended his hand.

The man hand froze in place—an inch from the cup.

"And you think I'll just let you walk away?" Raiden asked, his voice low, his telekinetic grip tightening, almost making the man flinch in pain.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the man smirk. "Kid, you're not a threat. Not yet, anyway."

His voice was calm, almost condescending. "If I were alone, maybe you'd have more than a chance. I admit, I don't care much for these… physical, unrefined battles. But that doesn't mean I'm that weak."

His eyes gleamed. "And I told you—I'm not alone."

In a swift motion, he broke free from Raiden's telekinetic hold and snatched the cup. At the same time, his other hand slammed down on a nearby button.

A loud crackling sound filled the lab.

The remaining giant glass tubes—the ones that had the most grotesque creatures—began to shake violently. Electricity surged through them, sending sparks cascading down the metal frames.

Inside, the monstrous figures jerked to life.

Twitching under the electric current, their grotesque limbs convulsed. Some had stitched-together torsos, multiple heads, twisted limbs. Others barely resembled humans at all. But one thing was clear—they were waking up.

Raiden gritted his teeth.

If these things were even half as strong as the woman from the hotel—or the beast he fought before—he was in serious trouble.

Yes, he now was more powerful. But numbers mattered.

Twenty five creatures.

Twenty five against one.

His mind raced. I need the others. I need them out of his control.

Now.

Without hesitation, Raiden fired a shadow ball straight at the man. He dodged—just as Raiden expected. Another shadow ball attack followed immediately, forcing him further back.

At the same time, Raiden sent out a mental pulse—stronger this time—aimed at shaking the heroes free.

They needed to wake up.

Fast.

The man dodged Raiden's attack, sidestepping swiftly as the energy blast shattered part of his lab. His gaze flickered toward the heroes—Raiden's interference had broken his hold over them.

"Tch". He had been about to reassert control, to bend them back under his will.

But before he could act—Another shadow ball hurtled toward him.

"Smart kid." The scientist smirked as he dodged again, moving deeper into the lab.

At the same time, the creatures inside the containment tubes began to stir. Electricity crackled around them, with their bodies convulsing as their eyes snapped open. Then, without hesitation, they burst free, launching themselves toward the pro heroes, who reacted just in time to dodge the attacks.

Raiden was now alone with the man.

For now, and he had to keep it this way.

The boy didn't let up. One attack after another, he forced the scientist farther from the others, relentlessly pushing him back. Explosions rocked the lab, equipment and debris scattering everywhere. But Raiden didn't care.

Yes, this place was evidence—but they already had more than enough to put this man away for multiple lifetimes.

So he kept firing.

Each attack tore apart the lab, sending metal and glass flying. And yet—through it all—the man only smiled.

"You know, kid… you've already lost." The scientist's voice carried over the destruction, unnervingly calm. "Technically, I've already accomplished what I wanted. There's no turning back now."

Raiden scoffed. "That so?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, out of habit Raiden spoke with a mental message.

"Oh, absolutely. You saw it—my masterpiece. What came out of Edward. That is our hope."

The name made Raiden's stomach twist.

And hope?

That thing nearly tore him apart from the inside. If I hadn't been there, Edward would've died instantly.

Raiden clenched his fists, his mind seething with the memory.

And then—The man's voice echoed in his head. "Fascinating. You can communicate like this?"

Raiden's eyes narrowed. He hadn't spoken out loud. The man was speaking to him directly, mentally after just one leaked thought.

"And to answer what you are probably wondering—yes, Edward could have died. But it was a worthy sacrifice."

Raiden felt something cold settle in his chest.

"You see," the man continued, still weaving through the wreckage, avoiding Raiden's attacks, "we are in danger. I had a noble goal. The world—its stability—is at risk. Japan is at risk. You really think a few regulations will keep people from abusing their Quirks forever?"

He glanced back, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable.

Raiden kept up the chase, attacks still flying—but his mind lingered on the man's words.

Danger.

What kind of danger?

"What danger are you talking about? You are the danger!" Raiden shot back mentally, filled with fury. "How many people have you killed over the years? And it wasn't even you—it was your subordinates. The hotel? it was a massacre"

"A necessary sacrifice," the man replied, his tone eerily calm as he continued to retreat. "It was for the good of the country. And now, more than ever, if I don't put something in place to protect us, we're all doomed, kid."

Raiden narrowed his eyes. "Doomed by what?"

The man exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "You know about All Might and All For One's battle, don't you?"

Raiden clenched his fists. Of course, he did. Everyone did, at least the people on the operation. "I know" This time the words came out of his mouth.

"All Might won, sure," the man continued, "but there's no way he walked away from that fight unscathed. Whether he admits it or not, he's weaker now. Our greatest protector isn't as invincible as he used to be. And we lost the other protector., AFO"

His eyes gleamed in the dim light of the lab. "And that means Japan is vulnerable."

Raiden's expression hardened. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to consider, even for a second, that this bastard might have a point.

But none of that mattered right now.

Without another word, he surged forward, activating his agility boost in an instant.

Before the villain could react, Raiden was already in front of him.

And he struck.

A single devastating punch.

The man barely had time to cross his arms before the impact sent him flying across the lab, slamming him into a metal wall. The force of the blow left a deep dent in the steel, his body nearly embedded in the wreckage.

The scientist coughed violently, gasping for air. "Damn… That hurt." He chuckled, his breathing ragged. "You're stronger than I expected, kid, you weren't this strong before."

Raiden didn't let his guard down. His glare burned into the man.

"Protectors?" His voice dripped with disbelief, straight into the man mind. "All Might can be called a protector, sure. But AFO? What the hell are you talking about? He's just like you—a megalomaniac with a god complex."

The man exhaled slowly, adjusting his position against the metal. "Maybe I am someone with god complex." He smiled faintly. "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't compare me to him, at least I do it for a noble reason."

His gaze met Raiden's, unwavering. "I truly want to protect this country. And kid, whether you admit it or not, All Might, AFO, me—even that idiot Nightmare—we're all protectors."

Raiden's jaw tightened.

"Yeah, we cause destruction," the man continued, "but that same destruction serves as a deterrent. Do you really believe heroes and All Might alone are enough to keep Japan safe?"

Raiden didn't respond right away.

"All Might is considered the Symbol of Peace for a reason," Raiden shot back mentally. "He's a hero recognized even beyond Japan, he is enough."

The man chuckled, a deep, mocking laugh. "That's naive, kid. Do you really think Japan is the only country with powerful heroes? Each nation has its top contenders—some even stronger than All Might. And some countries?" He smirked. "They're ruled by villains."

Raiden's fists clenched, he knew that there was a ban for certain countries for their danger.

"You really think they'll just sit back and do nothing while our strongest defenders are out of the game?" The man took a slow step forward, his gaze unwavering.

"Think about it. I alone caused this much chaos, and I'm not even strong. What do you think would happen if someone stronger, someone with real influence, decided Japan looked like a good place to claim as their own?"

The question sent a chill through Raiden.

His first instinct was to rush in and keep fighting, but the man's words stuck in his mind. He wanted to snap back, to say the heroes would handle it. But before he could, a nagging thought surfaced.

What if villains as strong as All Might tried to enter Japan?

At first, the answer seemed simple—of course, the heroes would stop them. But the more he thought about it, the more doubt crept in. Over time, he had come to realize something: rank didn't always equal strength.

The hero rankings weren't just about power; popularity played a role too. Someone being in the top five didn't necessarily mean they were stronger than the heroes ranked below them.

Take Hawks, for example—the current No. 3 hero. He was clearly weaker than Mirko, the No. 4 hero. And if Raiden compared the top-ranked heroes to someone of All Might's caliber, sure, together they might hold their own and even win.

But if two or three villains on that level appeared at the same time?

That was a completely different story.

The man smirked as he watched Raiden's silence stretch on. "See? Even you're starting to understand."

He exhaled, his expression shifting. "Yeah, I'll admit—AFO wasn't a protector. But he was useful. No one dared to invade a country that had two titans standing at the top. But now?"

His eyes darkened. "Now, they will. In fact, they already are, I'm pretty sure of that."

"That's why I did what I did," the man declared, his voice tinged with pride. "Unconventional methods, sure. But I will protect Japan for years to come."

Raiden's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" His voice was low but edged with anger. "What exactly came out of that man? And how the hell did you use my blood to create it?"

Doubt still lingered in his mind, but hesitation didn't mean inaction. He wasn't going to stop. Clenching his fists, he activated his abilities.

In an instant, he was in front of the man. One punch to the gut. One to the face.

The impact sent the man hurtling backward, crashing through machines, shattering glass tubes, and leaving a trail of destruction. Sparks flickered from broken equipment as the lab filled with the sound of metal scraping against the floor.

And yet—he was still smiling.

Slowly, the man pushed himself up, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "You really are something else, kid."

Raiden took a step forward, fists still clenched, but the man continued, his tone shifting to something almost... fascinated.

"Your DNA is the strangest I've ever seen. It doesn't make sense." His gaze flickered with something unreadable. "Honestly, it even made me question your origins."

Raiden's breath hitched, but he didn't respond.

The man chuckled. "You see, your DNA contains amino acid sequences floating freely around your cells. At first, I assumed they were stabilizing your abilities, allowing you to control your power variety." He took a step closer, eyes gleaming.

"But after further examination? I realized it was something entirely different, thanks to you I did the same that god did."

"I created life"

End of the chapter. 

Hello guys, here is today chapter, thank you for the support and the comments, sorry if I can't answer everything. 

Now I'm tryng to do some subtle world building, I think this world had space for a lot of things, not everything should be around japan. 

Please leave some power stones.