Free Web NovelChapter 105: The Bridge That Was Destroyed
Junsei and Kimi sat on the floor of the shelter with their backs against the wall. Both had their knees drawn to their chests. It was the same position they had once sat in years ago inside the orphanage. The animals around them rested quietly, sensing no hostility between the two.
Junsei told her everything.
He spoke about the beginning of the world, about the first stirrings of life long before stars had names or humans walked the earth. He told her about the endless cycle of evolution, how life changed and adapted across billions of years. About the strange creature that stole the fruit and eventually became the first humans.
He explained how humanity evolved from that moment. How they devoured him again and again throughout his countless lives. How pieces of him became their power. What they called quirks.
How the abilities humans of today possessed were born from stolen fragments of life itself.
Junsei told her about his memories, about the endless chain of lives that led to his current existence. And about the truth he had finally understood. For a long time he had wanted to kill humans. But he was afraid.
"I did not have the confidence," Junsei said quietly. "I always thought I couldn’t do it."
Kimi listened without interrupting.
Finally she asked the question that had been building inside her.
"What changed?"
Junsei looked forward, his six eyes dimly glowing.
"I learned the truth of how humans gained their power," he replied. "How they evolved. They took it from me. From Life."
His voice grew colder.
"Why should we fear them when we are the source of their power? Why should we fear them when we have the numbers? When they are nothing without us."
Kimi lowered her head slightly.
"All of this..." she said slowly. "It’s hard to believe."
Junsei said "That doesn’t make it any less true."
He glanced at her.
"You are a human. Of course you think what I’m doing is wrong. But this is the correct path. I must kill all humans."
A pause.
"You included."
Kimi remained quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"But you’re not killing me," she said softly. "And you’re allowing UA to exist even if temporarily. Why?"
Junsei replied "I don’t know...I know it is not the right thing to do. I should kill all of you."
His fingers tightened slightly around his knees.
"But I couldn’t help showing mercy. A few acts of kindness or a few good humans are not enough to wash away the sinful existence of your species."
Silence returned between them before Kimi spoke again.
"Can’t humans and Life coexist?"
Junsei shook his head immediately.
"No. We are fundamentally incompatible."
He looked at the animals resting quietly around the shelter.
"I believe I was born in this body to live among humans long enough to understand them. And then end them. The current life of mine is Life’s answer to the existence of humans."
Kimi frowned slightly and asked "What if you’re wrong?"
Junsei didn’t hesitate "Life existed long before humans appeared. It will continue even without them."
Kimi shook her head. "That’s not what I mean."
She turned toward him.
"What if you were born human for a different reason?"
Junsei remained silent.
"What if you were meant to become a bridge between both sides?"
Junsei shook his head again.
"That cannot happen. As long as humans live, they tear life apart."
Kimi thought for a moment before speaking again "But you said life is stored inside quirks."
Junsei nodded slightly, "It fuels them."
Kimi pressed "Then what if there’s a way to release that life without hurting humans?" frёeωebɳovel.com
Junsei’s eyes narrowed slightly "I tried."
Kimi blinked. "You did?"
Junsei nodded "With the help of the Yakuza. We attempted to erase quirks entirely. The heroes destroyed the drug and stopped the plan. That and Overhaul’s final act made it clear that there is no other path."
Kimi looked down, absorbing the information.
Junsei continued "Humans are greedy, hungry, and self-entitled. They will never willingly give up their power. They will continue stealing from Life and abusing the creatures of this world thinking everything is their right."
Kimi answered firmly "No, you are wrong, they can stop"
Junsei replied calmly. "I am not. Taking from Life is their only way to live. Their value of self is tied to taking."
Kimi exhaled slowly. "You killed heroes. You destroyed an entire country. And according to you, the same thing is happening across the world."
She looked directly at him.
"You’ve become something worse than any villain. A natural disaster. A symbol of terror."
Junsei said nothing.
"If you threatened humanity with extinction unless they changed," Kimi continued, "people would listen."
Her voice grew quieter.
"If the choice was coexistence or annihilation... humanity would eventually choose coexistence. We can find a way to stop tearing Life, to find balance."
Junsei frowned slightly, "I do not want coexistence."
Kimi immediately responded. "Do you?"
Junsei didn’t answer.
"You’re sparing some people right now," she said gently. "You’re clearly conflicted. You saw something in some of the humans that made you hesitate."
Junsei remained silent.
Kimi sighed "I can’t believe I’m saying this..."
She rubbed her forehead tiredly.
"But terrifying humanity into coexistence and obedience sounds far better than exterminating everyone."
She paused before continuing "And besides... humans have changed the world too. They pushed life forward."
Junsei glanced at her.
"New species of animals were created. Plants were improved. Entire ecosystems changed."
Junsei countered "At the cost of countless other possibilities and tearing Life apart."
Kimi nodded "Yes. But they didn’t know, and isn’t that the cycle you talked about? The cycle of giving, sacrifice and evolution? Because of them, you were born this time as a human and you discovered the truth of your nature and Life."
Junsei did not respond.
Kimi looked down at the animals resting around them.
"Maybe I’m being overly optimistic. But there has to be another way."
She looked back at him.
"Destroying what we fear or don’t understand is a very human response. You said it yourself. You’re not human. You can choose a different path from what we humans would choose"
Junsei fell completely silent. His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To the last words spoken by All For One.
In a strange way, Kimi’s words echoed those same ideas.
Junsei hated admitting it.
Everything that human had said was true. Fear and power indeed is the answer to move the world.
Junsei remained seated against the wall, unmoving. Kimi didn’t speak anymore, she let the shelter fall quiet. The animals nearby kept watching silently.
Eventually, Kimi sighed softly.
"Please think about it," she said. "There has to be an answer other than mass murder."
She pushed herself up from the floor, stretching stiff muscles.
"We have been talking for a while, and I still need to feed the little fellas."
The animals immediately perked up as she stood. Dogs wagged their tails, rabbits hopped forward, and several cats followed her as she walked toward the back rooms where the food was stored.
Kimi stopped after a few steps.
"This place is going to run out of food soon," she said over her shoulder. "If U.A. is really safe... can you take me there?"
Her voice softened slightly.
"With them too. I don’t dare to go alone."
Junsei looked up at her. Then he nodded once.
Kimi relaxed slightly.
"Alright," she said. "Once I finish feeding them, I’ll pack my things."
She disappeared into the back rooms.
The animals followed her eagerly, already anticipating food.
Junsei stayed where he was.
Silent.
Thinking.
Minutes passed.
Then suddenly, the world exploded.
A deafening blast tore through the shelter, shaking the ground violently. The walls shattered outward as the roof collapsed instantly. Concrete, metal, and wood crashed down in a violent avalanche.
The entire building crumbled.
Junsei barely had time to register what had happened before the rubble buried him completely.
But before the dust even settled, the debris shifted violently.
Junsei pushed upward.
Concrete slabs shattered as he forced his way through the collapsed structure. Steel beams bent like paper under his grip. Within seconds he emerged from the wreckage, fragments of the building falling away from his body.
Junsei stepped out into the open air.
And froze.
His six glowing eyes widened.
The sky above the city was filled with missiles.
Hundreds of them.
They streaked downward like falling stars, leaving trails of smoke behind them as they descended toward the city.
Then the impacts began.
Explosions erupted across the horizon. Entire blocks vanished in fire and shockwaves. Buildings collapsed instantly under the bombardment. The ground trembled repeatedly as more detonations followed.
It looked as if someone had decided to erase the entire region.
Junsei stood in the middle of the devastation, watching silently for a moment.
Then he turned sharply.
"Kimi."
He focused his senses.
Searching.
He tried to locate the animals first, relying on the connection he shared with all living things. But there was nothing.
Not a single signal.
All of them were gone.
Dead.
Junsei moved instantly.
He leapt toward the section of the ruins where Kimi had gone moments earlier and began tearing through the rubble. Concrete blocks flew aside. Twisted metal snapped apart as he dug deeper and deeper.
Kimi was quirkless.
Unlike the humans with quirks, he couldn’t detect her through the connection to life.
Which meant he had no way of knowing whether she was alive.
He dug faster.
Seconds stretched painfully.
Finally his hand reached something beneath the debris.
Junsei pulled the rubble aside.
Then he stopped.
What remained of Kimi lay beneath the collapsed structure.
Her body had been crushed by the falling concrete and torn apart by the explosion. Blood soaked the debris around her. One arm was twisted beneath the rubble.
There was no life left in her.
Junsei didn’t move.
Not for several seconds.
His hands slowly clenched into fists.
Then he lifted his head.
Far above the city, dozens of jet fighters cut through the sky. Their engines roared as they approached the area in tight formation. Several of the aircraft carried figures standing on external platforms.
Costumed figures.
Heroes.
They were heading directly toward him.
Junsei’s six eyes began to glow brighter.
A violent light ignited inside them.
Junsei felt pure rage burn inside him again.
He roared, shaking the entire city.
