Dragon's Gambit: Demon Unleashed Into the Multiverse!

The steel factory loomed over the Tokyo docks, its rust-streaked walls giving the place an eerie, almost haunted feel. 

The salty scent of the ocean mixed with the metallic scent of long-abandoned machinery. Violet walked a step ahead, cigarette smoke curling lazily around her as she scanned their surroundings.

"This place reeks of rust. It almost reminds me back at the base," she muttered, flicking ash onto the ground. 

"Reminds me of the old days. A general would show up, bark orders and bills, and then start killing his men just for fun; how good were those glory days."

Zaiko smirked under his mask. "Hopefully, tonight's a little more productive." Before entering, Violet handed Zaiko a heavy suitcase. "Your prop for the night," she teased as Zaiko shrugged into his villain costume.

"Is it necessary to have those nipples out?" Violet asked as she ran a hand through Zaiko's muscular chest.

The red coat draped over his shoulders, the gleaming crimson mask obscuring the lower half of his face. "Yes, actually; how will heroes know I'm evil?"

Inside the factory, Overhaul stood waiting, surrounded by his subordinates. There were men in suits who wore plague doctor masks that gleamed dully in the moon's dim light. 

Overhaul himself was calm, almost unnervingly so, as his eyes sized up Zaiko and Violet.

"You went to a lot of trouble to arrange this meeting," Overhaul said, his tone clipped. "What do you want?"

Zaiko didn't hesitate. "Eri."

The name sliced through the room like a blade. Overhaul's calm demeanor faltered for a fraction of a second, his jaw tightening under his mask. 

His subordinates glanced at one another nervously, and one of them instinctively reached for his weapon. Overhaul raised a gloved hand, stopping him.

"You've got some nerve," Overhaul said slowly. "Mentioning that name in my presence. You must not value your life very much."

Zaiko tilted his head, his crimson eyes gleaming. "If you thought I came here to waste your time, you wouldn't have let me get this far."

Overhaul's gaze narrowed. He nodded to one of his men, who activated their quirk without hesitation. 

A wave of nausea hit Zaiko like a train; his balance disappeared as the room seemed to spin around him.

But Zaiko had been prepared. He closed his eyes, focusing on the ki he'd spent hours the day before learning to control. The energy coursed through him, steadying his body and nullifying the effects of the quirk. When Zaiko opened his eyes, his stance was as solid as ever.

Overhaul's lips twitched into the faintest of smirks. "Not bad." Zaiko shrugged. "You don't survive long in my line of work without learning a few tricks."

Overhaul motioned for his men to stand down. "Fine. You've earned a moment of my time. Talk."

Zaiko stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate. He placed the suitcase where his suit was, now empty, on a nearby table, his hands resting on it as he leaned slightly forward. "I'm here because I want your inhibitor bullets."

Overhaul's subordinates exchanged uneasy glances, their hands hovering near their concealed weapons.

"And why," Overhaul said carefully, "would I give you something as valuable as that?"

Zaiko chuckled, his voice low and confident. "Because I'm offering you something more valuable in return." 

Zaiko flicked his finger, and Violet stepped up to hand Overhaul a folder. Once he saw its contents, Overhaul's face was visibly flustered, and he quickly closed it.

"You know better than anyone that the heroes are closing in. It's only a matter of time before they sniff out what you're up to..." Zaiko said as he stared at the Overhaul soul with one eye, and then a heavy silence fell into the room.

Overhaul's silence was deafening. Overhaul studied Zaiko intently as if trying to dissect him with his gaze alone. "Assume I trust you."

"I don't need your trust," Zaiko replied. "I just need you to understand that I'm good at what I do. You've seen how I handle top heroes. Do you really think the heroes would ever think what I'm up to or even try to stop me?"

Overhaul leaned back slightly, his gloved fingers tapping against his arm in thought. "And what exactly do you intend to do with my product?"

"That's my business," Zaiko said, his tone sharp but not confrontational. "But let's just say it's part of a larger plan. One that benefits us both."

The room fell into a tense silence as Overhaul considered his options. Finally, Zaiko flicked his fingers yet again, and from seemingly nowhere, Violet took a second suitcase and handed it to one of Overhaul's men.

He nodded to his henchmen, who stepped forward and opened the suitcase. Inside was a neatly organized stack of cash alongside vials of rare and expensive compounds.

"A deposit," Zaiko said, stepping back slightly. "To show I'm serious. You'll get the rest once we've established trust."

Overhaul closed the suitcase. "Agreed," he said after a long pause. "But if you cross me, I'll make sure you regret it."

Zaiko's grin widened beneath his mask. "You'll find I'm a man of my word."

Overhaul sighed and remained still for a moment before looking up at Zaiko, "The product must be done in a month; come back to this same location; I'll need 5 million yen to cover the costs, understood?" Overhaul asked.

Zaiko smiled underneath his mask and offered Overhaul a handshake. Overhaul was shocked. He knew about Eri, yet he even dared offer a handshake to him?

Overhaul, for lack of better knowledge of wisdom, acceded and gave Zaiko a firm handshake, "You may leave now."

As Zaiko and Violet turned to leave, the tension in the room began to dissipate. 

Outside, the cool night air greeted them. Violet lit another cigarette, her smirk returning as they walked toward the waiting bike.

"So," she said, exhaling a stream of smoke. "Care to tell me what any of that was about?"

Zaiko chuckled, climbing onto the bike and revving the engine. "The first head of the hydra just came to the table. Now we wait for the others to follow."

Violet raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And when they do?" Zaiko's crimson eyes gleamed as he looked over his shoulder. "We cut them all off. One by one."

The engine roared to life, and the pair sped off into the Tokyo night, leaving the steel factory and its ghosts behind.

Zaiko and Violet cruised down Tokyo's quiet streets on her sleek black bike, the engine's low rumble breaking the silence of the night. The city lights blurred by, and for a while, neither of them spoke. Violet finally broke the silence, flicking the ash off her cigarette.

"Alright, I gotta know—what's the deal with Eri? You just dropped her name back there like it was supposed to mean something. Spill."

Zaiko adjusted his grip on her waist and leaned closer. "Eri's this little girl Overhaul's got locked up. He's using her to make his inhibitor bullets—those quirk-erasing rounds he's been peddling. Kid's been through hell and doesn't even know what a normal life is."

Violet glanced back briefly, her eyes narrowing. "Wait. He's experimenting on a kid? That's some next-level messed up."

Zaiko's tone didn't waver. "I mean... You were on the red ribbon army, and they weren't exactly any better..."

"We were an army; they are civilians playing mafia, Yakuza scum that should follow a code of honour", Violet barked back, slightly angry at Zaiko, "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize; the sentiment is mutual. That's why I'm taking him out. But it's not just him. The whole villain scene in Japan."

Violet smirked, the corners of her mouth twitching around the cigarette. "So, what? You're just gonna wipe them all out in one go? That's... ambitious."

Zaiko chuckled. "Ambitious but doable. I will let others deal with the consequences, but righteous violence is the only way to change this world."

Violet raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "And you think you can pull this off?"

Zaiko leaned back slightly. "Why not? It's all about strategy. Hit them where it hurts, and make sure they don't see it coming. Quick, clean, efficient."

"And the whole 'fucking as many girls as possible' part?" Violet teased, glancing back with a grin.

Zaiko laughed. "Look, I've got priorities, alright? Saving Eri and taking out the strongest is the mission. But hey, if I can enjoy myself along the way, why not? Don't act like you're not into it."

Violet snorted, shaking her head. "You're such a dick."

"And yet, here you are," Zaiko shot back, his grin widening. "But hey, I thought you'd figured out by now that I don't play fair."

She smirked, rolling her eyes. "So, about Overhaul—what's the real plan? You said you wanted to hire him, but now you're talking about killing him?"

Zaiko's grin turned sharp, his tone dripping with amusement. "Oh, I do want to hire him. Just not in that way." 

"He's smart, sure, but I'm not looking for a partner. I'm looking for subordinates, and he doesn't fit any criteria; for now, I will use his potential until he is no longer useful."

Violet laughed. "So, you're making him a glorified lackey until you milk his worth? Nice."

"Exactly. He'll work for me until he's all used up. Then, when he's outlived his purpose, he's done. Simple as that. You sure get me fast."

Violet leaned into the handlebars as the bike slowed down. Zaiko hopped off the bike as they rolled to a stop outside Mitsuki's house. 

Zaiko stretched. "Violet, I don't just think I can pull it off. I know I will. That's the difference between me and them."

Violet parked the bike and swung her leg over, smirking as she followed him toward the house. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Whatever gets things done," Zaiko said as they both walked into Mitsuki's house. The scent of lavender cleaner mixed oddly with the faint remnants of Mirko's earlier "activities." 

Mitsuki was at the counter, her phone pressed to her ear. As they entered, she glanced at them briefly, her face tense as she spoke.

"Yes, Kacchan, I understand. Just focus on yourself; you make me proud; just... stop being so reckless and violent. Yes, I—" She paused when Zaiko walked by, his red eyes meeting hers with a knowing smirk. 

Flustered, she immediately hung up, placing the phone on the counter. "What do you want for dinner?" she asked, a hint of pink dusting her cheeks as she straightened her apron; she was completely naked underneath it.

"Steak," Zaiko said without missing a beat. He kicked off his boots, glancing into the living room. "Medium rare. And I'll take a drink while you're at it."

Mitsuki's cheeks flushed deeper, but she nodded quickly and scurried toward the kitchen. "I'll get started," she muttered, trying to avoid eye contact.

Violet leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, her blue eyes scanning the scene. "You've got her wrapped around your finger," she said, flicking a stray piece of lint from her jacket.

Zaiko grinned, his gaze drifting to the couch. Mirko was sprawled out, her muscular frame still clad in her hero uniform. 

Her legs were spread, one boot propped on the couch's edge, her gloved hand working furiously between her thighs. She didn't even bother looking up when they entered.

"Busy?" Zaiko asked, amused.

Mirko smirked but didn't stop. "Just finishing up. Got bored waiting for you two."

Zaiko chuckled and dropped into a chair across from her. He leaned back, resting his hands behind his head as he watched her with mild interest. "You catch the U.A. Sports Festival?" he asked casually.

Mirko snorted, finally pausing her movements to sit up slightly. "Yeah. The kids aren't half bad. A couple of them might make up for good heroes if they don't kill themselves first. But I'm not taking any interns. I don't babysit."

Zaiko pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Good. Because I'm not asking you to babysit. Just send offers to these kids."

Mirko raised an eyebrow, her crimson eyes narrowing as she picked up the list. "What's this? Some kind of talent scout thing? Why do you care who I take on?"

Zaiko's smirk widened. "Let's just say I've got plans for them. Consider it... investing in the future."

Mirko studied the list for a moment before setting it back down. "Fine. I'll do it. But I've got a condition."

Zaiko arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Mirko leaned forward, her smirk turning predatory. "You and Violet. Threesome. Tonight."

Zaiko laughed, shaking his head as he stood up. "Deal."

Still leaning against the wall, Violet looked between them, her expression amused as she chose what to smoke. "What did she say? I still don't speak taka take"

Zaiko turned to her, his red eyes glinting with amusement. "She said to take off your clothes."

Violet rolled her eyes but pushed off the wall, pulling her jacket off with a smirk. "You owe me for this," she muttered, her tone half-annoyed, half-amused.