All Might asked his question again, and this time Lancer answer was the same as before.
"What I want to do... I said it before, I want to reform!"
This time, All Might didn't speak directly. Instead, he bowed his head and thought for a while before speaking again.
"What do you mean by 'reform'?"
"All Might, before I answer your question, I want to ask you something!"
Lancer didn't answer the other party's question directly. Instead, he asked a question back. The question sounded simple, but looking at Lancer extremely serious eyes, his expression was also very solemn.
"Go ahead."
"I want to ask you, are you really satisfied with the present?"
All Might really wanted to answer, "I am very satisfied," but looking into Lancer eyes, he hesitated, and this silence was the best answer. But even so, he didn't intend to agree with Lancer words.
"I am not satisfied, but the present is countless times better than the past."
"So, should we stagnate? Since you have chosen to entrust the 'future' to your disciple, why don't you give them a little more trust? We will eventually retire from this stage. The future belongs to them! Even if you can protect them for a while, how can you protect them for a lifetime? I am also worried about my disciples, so I chose 'reform'! How much have you paid as 'heroes' for this country? So how much return have you received? Maybe you will think that my awareness is not enough, but this is reality. Now, because of you, countless people have joined the ranks of 'heroes' without hesitation, but what do you think will happen when they find that they have paid more than their friends and family but haven't received a corresponding return?"
Lancer words undoubtedly did not conform to the government's propaganda for this "Hero Age," but what he said was also the reality. Perhaps there were always some "idiots" like All Might who paid selflessly, but there were more ordinary people. They had their own desires, and a single phrase, "the duty of a hero," could not restrain everyone's desires.
These undercurrents seemed intangible, as All Might's existence had suppressed most of the negative existences, but the problem lay with All Might himself. He knew his own situation better than anyone, which was why he desperately trained Izuku Midoriya, hoping that when he could no longer suppress all of this, the boy could take over the flag in his hand.
But it was also because of this that he had a complicated heart. He believed that even if Izuku Midoriya knew everything he had to bear, he would be willing to continue to work hard. This was one of the reasons why he chose him in the first place, but he had always had a sense of guilt.
Indeed, giving a "quirkless" boy a quirk could be considered a "recreation grace," but the problem was that when he explained his quirk to the boy, he also accepted his responsibility. This made him always hope that he could do more for Izuku Midoriya, but now that he heard Lancer words, he didn't know what to say for a while.
"Then what are you going to do? Are you thinking of increasing the benefits for pro heroes? Although it's a pity, I want to tell you that it's not very likely. Although the 'Hero Association' is an official organization, most of the benefits for pro heroes actually come from spontaneous donations from the public. The real allocation from the government is actually only so much. The president of the association has been trying to improve the 'benefits' aspect, but there has been little effect, as it's hard for a clever woman to cook without rice."
Because of Lancer treatment, All Might had at least temporarily regained his ability to move. With Endeavor's support, he stood up a little shakily. After nodding to the other party, he looked at Lancer in front of him, but Lancer didn't answer him directly. Instead, he said something that seemed unrelated.
"All Might, do you still remember the person you asked me to capture before?"
"The Hero Killer? Are you saying that it's because of him that..."
All Might's expression had already become a little grim at this time. After the fact, he had read some of the interrogation reports about the person called the "Hero Killer." There is no doubt that the other party was a person who was so obsessive that he was a little mentally unstable. He even felt a sense of self-reproach. If he hadn't let Lancer take on this mission back then, maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way.
But Lancer shook his head.
"It has nothing to do with him. I had thought about a similar question a few months ago, but he did give me some 'hints'—Are the so-called 'pro heroes' really the same as the 'heroes' that most people imagine them to be?"
After saying this sentence, which sounded a bit like a tongue twister, Lancer shook his head.
"I was actually a little curious as to why someone who yearned for 'heroes' like the 'Hero Killer' would become a murderer. Later, I found that the 'benchmark' he used was not quite right. People like you, All Might, are a minority after all, and a real 'person' has both strengths and weaknesses, but it's fine as long as it's within an acceptable range, as this world is not 'black and white' but a chaotic mess. But it's undeniable that his way of thinking could indeed influence some people..."
When he said this, Lancer couldn't help but recall that in the "original work," it was precisely because of the appearance of the Hero Killer that some people actively joined the League of Villains.
Lancer didn't deny his thoughts, but his thoughts had gone too far in some aspects, but this was also a helpless choice. He was just an ordinary person, and besides this method, he had no other choice.
'Using himself as a sacrifice to give this society a period of intense pain. What a crazy idea.'
After shaking his head and driving the emotion out of his mind, he continued to explain.
"So I want to add another 'shackle' to the so-called 'heroes'!"
"'Shackle'?"
"That's right! A shackle! Let me be the 'trial' to test those so-called 'heroes'! If they can't even pass my trial, what right do they have to be heroes?!"
Lancer arrogant words left everyone present caught off guard. What right did he have to test everyone?
And looking at the others, who were all looking at him as if he were a madman except for All Might, Lancer instead revealed a hint of a smile.
"Why? Because I defeated All Might! If I choose to cause chaos, who do you think can stop me?"
This sentence was extremely harsh, but it was a fact. After all, besides No. 3's absence, the other four pro heroes in the top five had all been defeated by the other party. It seemed that no one could stop him from doing whatever he wanted.
"And I'll give you another 'chip' to convince others! Haven't you always been curious about my identity? Then let me introduce myself again!"
"Snap~!"
The crimson long spear that was stuck to the side was now held up straight in his hand, and it emitted a bizarre light.
"Affiliated with the Knights of the Red Branch——————Lancer!"
Lancer words left Endeavor and Best Jean baffled, as if they had no idea what was going on, but 'Ectoplasm,' who had been silent since he stepped in here, suddenly spoke.
"Lancer-san, are you saying that the 'Knights of the Red Branch' you mentioned are the legendary ones?"
"Is there any other answer besides that?"
"But that's not the legendary knight order from Irish mythology?! How can a person..."
As Ectoplasm asked, Lancer empty left hand was abruptly inserted into his hair and pushed back. His originally not-so-long hair stood up, and his expression also became a little "wild."
"At least I am not the same 'person' that you all know. After all, a thousand years ago, when I went to the Land of Shadows to learn, there was no such strange thing as a 'quirk' in this world."
Lancer simple sentence was like a thunderclap that shocked everyone.
A thousand years ago?
In the end, under Lancer "invitation (physical)," everyone, including the unconscious Fourth Kind and Edgeshot, were taken to the room next door. In this room, which was constantly recovering under the ritual, only Lancer and All Might remained.
All Might's expression was very complicated as he looked at Lancer at this time.
"Lancer... are the things you said just now true?"
"Are you talking about the Knights of the Red Branch or a thousand years ago? But no matter which one, they are both true. When I was learning in the Land of Shadows, my senior brother invited me to join, although at that time, the Knights of the Red Branch actually only had three people~"
When he said this, Lancer seemed very calm, as he was telling the truth. It's just that unlike what most people imagined, the so-called "invitation" was not a solemn ceremony. It was just a casual remark made by a man who had too much to drink when the two were drinking, and he also agreed.
As for three people? Cú Chulainn and his friend Fergus, and Lancer, this junior brother of his, was also pulled into his command by Cú Chulainn before he had even graduated. According to him, "If a person is chosen by the Master, they will definitely achieve something great in the future. I've earned a lot by pulling him into my command in advance~"
All Might's expression became incredibly complicated for a while after hearing what the other party said.
The first time he met Lancer was during a pursuit. From that time on, he determined that the other party was not a villain and tried to communicate with him. The result of that duel later on also proved his judgment, but he had always regarded Lancer as a "junior." Now, suddenly learning that the other party was from a "thousand years ago," he didn't know what to say for a while.
But Lancer appeared to be very carefree.
"Is age that important? I am Lancer, and you are All Might. We have drunk together. It's as simple as that. If possible, I'd like to have a drink with you again."
"Drinking? Can't we do that anytime?"
"No, I'm afraid it won't be that easy, as for what I'm about to do next, I wonder if you will forgive me."
"?"
Lancer words gave All Might a bad premonition.
"What do you want to do?"
"I'm going to announce your 'current situation'!"