Endeavor's biggest dream was to defeat All Might and become the number one hero. At this moment, he was undoubtedly number one, but there was no ripple in his heart, and he even felt a little helpless.
Standing in the number two position, he looked up at the number one throne. He had constantly struggled and worked hard for this, but the key to this issue was to 'defeat All Might,' not just to be 'number one.' So, at this moment, he felt incredibly empty.
And in addition to this main reason, according to the plan, he, as number two, had to take the blame.
With All Might's official retirement, it was almost predictable that the next period would become a high-crime period. However, these were not his biggest worries, because according to the agreement between All Might and Lancer, this period of greatest chaos would be handled by him.
As for the method of handling it? There was almost no need to think.
All Might had once raised an objection to this, but Lancer attitude was very simple: "I want to do it, and you can't stop me."
This almost thuggish attitude made All Might feel both amused and helpless.
As the other party said, if Lancer were to go all out, he wouldn't be able to stop him completely, so it was better to have him under his supervision.
All Might had even forgotten how long it had been since he had to 'compromise.'
Therefore, with Lancer involvement, Endeavor's reputation would inevitably be damaged, even if most people would understand, since no one would think that Endeavor was stronger than All Might.
If it had been in the past, he probably would have been furious and wanted to find trouble with Lancer, but now it was different. His mind was filled with how to deal with his own problems.
As for the association's matters? Everything had already been prepared. All he needed to do was follow the plan. What was there to be tangled about? Moreover, his stiff father-son relationship had finally welcomed a turning point, so how could he not care?
In fact, his conversation with Shoto last night was also very simple, consisting mostly of questions and answers. Shoto asked his questions, and Endeavor answered him. What made him feel helpless was that most of these questions revolved around one man—Lancer.
For this man named 'Lancer,' whom he hadn't had much contact with, Endeavor could be said to have a love-hate relationship.
He loved that the other party had provided him with a rare opportunity to have a normal conversation with his son, and he hated that his son kept asking him about the other party. It could be said that from the beginning of this strange conversation between father and son, he had been suppressing his anger.
From the initial happiness to the entanglement, and finally to resignation, Endeavor's emotions were like a roller coaster. But just after he resigned himself to fate, Shoto Todoroki asked a question that left him at a loss.
"Was defeating All Might-sensei really that important to you?"
If Shoto Todoroki's eyes had looked at him like he was a stranger before, then at this moment, the coldness in his eyes completely revealed Shoto Todoroki's thoughts.
If he were a 'smart person,' his answer at this moment would have been more 'clever,' but after a moment of silence, Endeavor nodded without hesitation.
"That's right! All Might is the goal of my life!"
After hearing Endeavor's answer, Shoto Todoroki's expression became even more complex.
Pain?
Entanglement?
Or was it as expected?
There was no doubt that this was not the answer Shoto Todoroki wanted to hear, but he also knew that it was the truth, a truth he didn't want to hear. However, while he was in pain, he also knew that if the other party didn't answer that way at this time, he would be speaking beautiful lies to deceive him, so he asked his other question.
"Then... do you regret it?"
"..."
This question made Endeavor silent for a longer time than before, but unlike before, there was no expression on his face. This contradictory performance even made Shoto Todoroki wonder if the question was meaningless to the other party, or if he didn't know how to answer it.
A strange silence fell over the room.
Just when Shoto Todoroki was about to lose control of his emotions, that familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from his ear.
"I... regret it now."
When Shoto Todoroki heard this answer, he kept his eyes open and stared directly into the other party's eyes, but unfortunately, he couldn't see any emotions in the other party's eyes. He couldn't even be sure if the other party was telling the truth.
The two of them just looked at each other quietly for a while, and the conversation ended with Shoto Todoroki's voluntary retreat, or rather, his withdrawal.
At this moment, Endeavor, sitting on the podium, was still recalling the look in Shoto Todoroki's eyes when he left.
He didn't know if the other party believed him in the end, but he knew that he had done everything he could.
In fact, he had also thought about the question the other party asked him after he learned that All Might had been defeated, but at that time, he didn't have an answer, because at that time, he had placed all his hopes on Shoto Todoroki. At that time, he was like a drowning person who had placed everything on the last floating board.
But when he was awakened by Lancer punch and saw Shoto Todoroki's eyes again, he... hesitated.
In the past, he had always ignored Shoto Todoroki's thoughts, and the reason was simple. In his opinion, Shoto Todoroki was just a child, and even if he hated him now, he would be grateful for his strict upbringing when he grew up. But when he saw those slightly cold eyes, he finally realized that something was wrong.
The other party's 'hostility' toward him had surpassed the so-called 'rebellion.' He also recalled everything that had happened between the father and son during their conversation, and the final answer he got was the same as what he said at the time—he regretted it.
Many things that he thought were 'right' didn't seem to be that way in the other party's eyes.
Although there were still many things that he didn't think he did wrong, he still regretted it, because many things in this world cannot be judged simply by right or wrong.
What was his goal when he set his sights on being number one?
Was it just to satisfy his own vanity?
Or was it for something else?
He had been chasing that dazzling 'light' for more than twenty years, and now, when he looked back with a sense of loss, he realized that he had lost too much, and he even found that even if he really defeated All Might, there would be no one left to share his joy with him.
Unconsciously, he seemed to have become alone.
So he regretted it, he just didn't know if it was too late to regret it now...