When Overhaul first decided to erase quirks from the world, he knew the road ahead would be long.
Painfully long.
The research would take years. The resources required were enormous, and the enemies that would rise against him were countless. Heroes, police, rival gangs and everyone would eventually stand in his way.
But that never shook his resolve.
He was determined to succeed.
Quirks were a sickness that had infected humanity, disrupting the natural order of the world. If he could cure that sickness, the world would return to what it should have been from the beginning.
And the Yakuza would reclaim the glory they once held.
Overhaul intended to achieve that goal no matter the cost. Even if it meant going against the will of the man he respected most.
The Boss.
The man who had taken him in when he had nothing and given him everything.
Even so, Overhaul believed he was right. One day he would prove it. One day he would show his boss that his vision had always been correct.
During that period of preparation, however, the world began to change in ways he had never expected.
The return of All For One and his swift defeat.
When Overhaul first heard that the infamous villain had been defeated by a student from UA, he felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. The disgraceful parasite who had ruled the underworld for so long had finally met his end.
The rumors about the student who defeated him were unsettling.
Disturbing.
But ultimately irrelevant.
Once Overhaul succeeded in eliminating quirks, monsters like All For One and whatever that student had become would never appear again.
Or so he believed.
Then the unexpected happened.
Just as Overhaul prepared for the inevitable confrontation with heroes and police, that very student arrived at his home first.
And began killing his men.
The moment Overhaul realized who he was facing, the situation became clear. Their chances of surviving the encounter were extremely small.
Overhaul had never believed he could defeat All For One.
And this was the monster that had killed and eaten him.
The odds were hopeless.
Yet the situation changed in a way Overhaul could never have predicted.
The monster shared his goal.
Junsei wanted to erase quirks as well.
At first, Overhaul did not believe it. How could someone with such terrifying power desire the same outcome? It sounded absurd.
But Junsei proved it through his actions.
He spared Overhaul.
He spared the Yakuza.
And when the heroes arrived, he fought them instead.
Killed them.
Protected the very criminals he had just slaughtered moments earlier.
Overhaul began to accept the truth.
The student truly wanted to end the sickness of quirks and restore natural order.
Under those circumstances, setting aside their hostility was the logical choice. The deaths of his men were unfortunate, but if the end result was the salvation of the world, it was a price worth paying.
And with Junsei beside him, he had gained an ally more powerful than any weapon.
Time passed.
Then something even more unexpected happened.
Junsei encountered Eri while she was trying to escape again.
And somehow he took her quirk.
For a brief moment, Overhaul felt genuine fear. If Junsei had decided to turn on him, there would be nothing they could do to stop him.
But that fear quickly faded.
Instead of abandoning the plan, Junsei made an entirely different decision.
He became the source.
By carrying the power of Rewind within his own body, Junsei could provide the blood and flesh necessary for their research without limits.
What followed was something Overhaul would never forget.
Day after day, Junsei tore pieces from his own body.
Again and again.
His face never changed.
He never screamed.
He never hesitated.
Overhaul understood why his men had begun to fear him. Anyone who watched such a thing would reach the same conclusion.
Junsei was a monster.
Even so, that monster is what allowed Overhaul's work to advance faster than ever before.
And eventually, he succeeded.
For the first time since beginning his research, Overhaul finally possessed a method to cure the world of quirks.
When he shared the news with Junsei, another question surfaced in his mind. One he had quietly wondered about for weeks.
Did Junsei truly feel no pain?
Junsei answered calmly.
'It hurts a lot. But if quirks disappear because of it, I can endure the pain.'
The answer surprised Overhaul more than anything else.
Because if Junsei felt pain like any normal human, then what kind of willpower allowed him to continue tearing apart his own body without even the slightest change in expression?
No hesitation or emotion. A man driven by a purpose greater than himself.
For the first time since meeting him, Overhaul felt something unexpected.
Respect.
Junsei was no longer just a monster or a freak in his eyes.
He was a person, a true man.
A man with an unbreakable will.
Overhaul was a Yakuza at heart, and a man like Junsei deserved to be treated with respect. Someone capable of enduring such suffering for the sake of a goal was worthy of being called an equal.
Overhaul even made a decision.
Once they succeeded and the world was cured of quirks, Junsei would be welcome to join them. If he wished, he could become a trusted member of the organization.
He had earned that place.
When Junsei later said he would leave for a day or two, Overhaul did not question it. Junsei had been by their side for months already. If he needed to handle something elsewhere, that was his decision.
But the news that followed surprised him again.
Junsei had attacked Tartarus.
Destroyed the most secure prison in the country.
Killed everyone inside.
Overhaul spent hours thinking about it, replaying the information again and again in his mind.
Why would Junsei do that?
What possible benefit could come from such an action?
Why now?
Eventually, his thoughts settled on a single explanation.
A logical one.
Junsei feared something might go wrong.
If their plan failed, they could end up imprisoned in Tartarus. And if those criminals were still alive when the quirk-erasing gas spread across the world, they might retain their quirks and create chaos.
Chaos that could disrupt the end result they sought.
If that had truly been Junsei's reasoning, then Overhaul respected him even more.
Because it meant Junsei had already begun thinking several steps ahead.
A week passed after the fall of Tartarus.
Seven days.
And Junsei did not return.
At first, Overhaul did not worry. A day or two away from the hideout meant nothing, especially for someone like Junsei.
But as time grew, something began to feel wrong.
Overhaul knew it.
Overhaul believed Junsei was not the type of person who would disappear at the final step of their plan. A man who had endured unimaginable pain, who tore apart his own body again and again without hesitation, would not simply abandon the moment when his goal was finally within reach.
That possibility did not exist.
Yet Junsei was gone.
And the week needed to process the blood had already passed.
Everything was ready.
Everything except him.
Chronostasis eventually approached him.
"It has been a week," Chronostasis said carefully. "Junsei has not returned, and there has been no news about him."
He paused.
"Could he have fallen during the attack on Tartarus?"
The question lingered in the air.
Overhaul did not answer immediately.
He considered the possibility.
Junsei had destroyed Tartarus alone. Hundreds of prisoners had died, along with countless guards and security forces. It was the kind of event that shook the entire country.
If Junsei had been defeated there, the world would know.
Overhaul finally shook his head.
"No."
His voice was calm.
"Junsei is currently the most infamous villain in Japan. If the heroes or the government had defeated him, they would already be celebrating it publicly."
The authorities would rush to claim credit.
They would broadcast the victory everywhere.
But no such announcement had come.
Chronostasis remained silent as Overhaul continued thinking aloud.
"Perhaps he was heavily injured," Overhaul said. "Perhaps he is hiding somewhere to recover."
That idea lasted only a moment before Overhaul dismissed it himself.
"No."
Junsei had produced five hundred liters of blood in a single session. He had regenerated entire limbs within seconds.
A person like that would never fail to recover from injuries.
Not unless something far greater had occurred.
Something unexpected.
Overhaul folded his arms and stared at the floor.
Something big had happened.
Something even Junsei had not anticipated.
Overhaul thought about the situation for some time.
Again and again, his mind returned to the same question.
Where had Junsei gone?
Eventually, he reached a decision.
They would proceed.
With or without him.
Overhaul turned toward Chronostasis.
"We continue the plan."
Chronostasis looked slightly surprised.
"Even without Junsei?"
"Yes."
Overhaul's voice carried absolute certainty.
"We will prepare the gas bombs and distribute them throughout Japan. Once they are in position, they will be detonated simultaneously."
He paused briefly.
"The cure will spread across the entire country."
Chronostasis nodded.
Overhaul continued speaking calmly.
"Whatever delayed Junsei will not stop him from witnessing the result of our work. He will return eventually."
Overhaul was certain of that.
Junsei had sacrificed too much to abandon the outcome.
And so orders were given.
Yakuza members moved quickly, preparing to execute their plan. The quirk-erasing gas was carefully sealed into specialized bombs designed to spread the compound across large areas.
Japan would soon change forever.
Overhaul watched the preparations quietly.
Either Junsei would return in time to witness history being made or he would return later and see the fruits of his support and effort.
Either way, Overhaul would welcome him back.
After everything he had done for their cause, Junsei had proven himself a worthy partner.