The city’s gaudy electric lights drove back the darkness.
Even in a city packed with skyscrapers that pierced the sky and broad, neatly paved avenues, there were still dark corners.
Shigaraki sat in a bar tucked away in an alley no one visited.
Kurogiri, polishing a glass as Shigaraki spread cards across the table, asked, "Are you sure it was all right to send only them?"
"Yeah. It’s not my time to step in yet. Those guys are enough."
He answered without hesitation.
His relaxed voice echoed through the shabby old bar.
"Put simply, the game changed... Up till now, it was like an RPG. We geared up with full equipment and challenged the final boss at level one. But what we should’ve been playing was a simulation game. I stay a player to the end, use the pieces available to me, and bring down people stronger than I am."
No longer impatient, no longer lashing out in irritation, he somehow looked even more dangerous than before.
Was overcoming hardship and growing stronger really a privilege reserved only for the righteous?
He was steadily becoming larger, broader.
"To do that, first I crack open this superhuman society. The League of Villains, the Vanguard Action Squad. It doesn’t matter whether they succeed or fail. The fact that they showed up there is enough to threaten the Heroes."
"Were they expendable pieces?"
Kurogiri asked in a voice too flat to read.
Shigaraki spread both arms and answered as if the idea were absurd.
"Don’t be stupid. Do I look that heartless? Them being strong is the real deal. They’re all headed in different directions, sure. But they’re dependable comrades. In a society bound hand and foot by rules, we’re not the only ones being oppressed... Of course I want them to succeed."
At that same moment, trembling eyes turned toward Midoriya.
Seeing him barely standing on shaking legs, Kota shuddered.
Then Midoriya staggered, almost collapsing.
"Hey!"
As Kota ran to support him, Midoriya’s ragged voice reached him.
Even now, with his breath still coming in harsh gasps, his words made it clear the situation wasn’t over.
"I’m fine. There’s still... something I have to do."
"With your body in that condition? What else could you possibly have to do?"
Midoriya desperately clung to his fading consciousness and forced himself to speak.
"I knew he’d defend against it. That’s why I kept attacking. I thought even if he blocked it, I could still deal serious damage. But... he was a Villain far stronger than I imagined... If all the Villains in this raid are around that level, then everyone’s in danger!"
He sounded like he might die at any moment, yet every word he forced out carried weight.
Kota could only listen in silence.
"And on top of that, they might be targeting us students. We have to tell Aizawa or the Pussycats."
The faces of his precious friends rose one by one in his mind.
Kind Uraraka. Iida, stiff and serious but diligent and full of justice. Bakugo, whose personality wasn’t exactly good even as a joke, but who was still a precious comrade. Todoroki too, blunt on the surface, but burning hot underneath.
Kirishima’s face crossed his mind for a moment too, but vanished just as quickly.
He just couldn’t picture that guy ending up in danger. Even if he fell into hell, it felt like he’d beat up the demons and rule as king.
Midoriya shook his head, driving away the strange direction his thoughts had taken.
Wiping the blood running down from his forehead, he clenched his teeth and steeled himself.
"If I can move and save someone... then of course I have to move!"
Kota swallowed hard as he looked at Midoriya, who had no intention of stopping.
The light that had appeared in him felt hotter and more intense than Kota had ever imagined.
"For now, let’s leave this Villain as he is. I’m a lot weaker now, so the power would’ve dropped, but he still took serious damage! He won’t be getting up right away. And even if he does, I don’t think he’ll be able to move properly. More importantly, protecting you comes first! There’s something only you can do."
At Midoriya’s words, Kota brightened and looked up at him.
His heart pounded, but at the same time he couldn’t help thinking about how small and weak he was, and what he could possibly do.
Looking at the blue flames now visible in the distance, Midoriya said, "They set the forest on fire... If it keeps going like that, we’ll be trapped sooner or later no matter what. Do you understand? We need your Quirk! Save us. Just like before!"
Midoriya dropped to one knee to meet Kota at eye level.
His pure, unwavering eyes, filled with trust and goodwill, pierced straight into Kota.
After swallowing once more, Kota nodded silently.
"All right, get on my back! First, I need to get you to the facility!"
Smiling, Midoriya turned his back toward Kota.
"You’re hurt that badly and you can still move?"
"I’m fine! My legs are strong, you know. Here we go. Hold on tight!"
He said it confidently, but he was coolly checking his condition.
In truth, his legs could still handle using 100% a few more times.
Before entering U.A., three times would’ve been his limit at best, but now he could probably manage a little more.
His right arm, on the other hand, felt completely shattered, but even so, this was better than nothing.
Activating [Full Cowl], Midoriya hoisted Kota onto his back and leaped down the mountain.
As a power-enhancement type, his durability increased enough to withstand the recoil of his rising strength, so this kind of height was manageable.
As he cut through the night air on the way down, Midoriya thought about what that man had said.
Telling someone to kill him had been ominous enough, but the fact that he had been looking for Bakugo felt even worse.
"I’ve got a bad feeling about this..."
At the same time, Aizawa, having left the remedial group in Blood King’s care, hurried toward the students.
The moment he stepped out of the building, a lazy, mocking voice reached him.
"So your first thought was worry, Eraser Head?"
"Blur."
Blue flames erupted in an instant.
By the time the explosive blaze that filled his vision surged and vanished, Aizawa was clinging to the upper wall of the building.
The one who had summoned the fire muttered without a hint of surprise, "Well, you are a Pro Hero."
"You won’t get it out!"
As the man spread his palm again to spit fire, Aizawa hit him with [Erasure], bound him with his capture weapon, and yanked hard.
The man was dragged in helplessly. Aizawa grabbed his head, drove a knee into him, then growled at him as he slammed him to the ground.
"Talk. Your objective, your numbers, and where your people are positioned."
"Why would I?"
"Because otherwise this happens."
Aizawa seized the man’s left arm and snapped it.
It was a brutal method, but to him this wasn’t even especially extreme.
True to the man who always acted rationally, it was simply the most rational method available.
"Next is the right arm. Let’s be rational. If I have to move on to your legs, transporting you gets annoying."
"Getting nervous, Eraser?"
The man sneered and tried to activate his Quirk.
The moment Aizawa saw blue fire bloom on his forehead, he immediately applied [Erasure] again and broke his left arm as well.
Just then, a heavy tremor shook the area.
As he tried to assess what had happened, he heard Iida’s voice.
"Teacher!"
"You lot!"
Aizawa’s attention scattered as he turned toward the students emerging from the forest, and the man forced himself upright.
Still bound in the capture weapon, he looked back and said, "No wonder you’re trusted to teach at U.A. Tell me, Hero. Are your students precious to you?"
Aizawa moved to yank the capture weapon tighter.
But the cloth that had firmly bound the man fell limply to the ground.
At the same time, the man’s body melted like chocolate left under the summer sun.
As he seeped into the earth and disappeared, he left behind a sinister parting shot.
"Hope you can protect them. See you again."
So ignition wasn’t his Quirk?
Aizawa stared at what had been the man, disgust rising in him, when the students came running up.
"Teacher! What was that just now?"
"Stay inside! I’ll be back soon!"
He ran into the forest, returning to his original objective.
The students who had made it right in front of the building would be protected by Blood King.
Right now, he had to save the others, the ones he still couldn’t contact.
He had no idea how long he had been running through the forest when the voice of his problem child brought him to a halt.
"Teacher!"
"Mido—"
He stopped short, his expression hardening before he could finish saying his student’s name.
An arm hanging limp and blackened. Legs faintly trembling from more than just running. A face bruised all over.
"Teacher, thank goodness! There’s so much I need to tell you!"
"Hey, but—"
Midoriya lowered Kota from his back and cut Aizawa off with a shout.
"First, I have something I need to tell Mandalay! Please pass it on by telepathy!"
"Wait a second, I said!"
"Please take care of Kota!"
He’s worked up.
Aizawa frowned as he watched the boy talk only about what he wanted to say, to an excessive degree.
Right now, Midoriya was being anything but rational.
Just as expected, Midoriya immediately tried to run off somewhere. Aizawa urgently called out to stop him.
"Wait! Midoriya! Those injuries... You went and did it again, didn’t you? Have you forgotten what happened in Hosu?"
"Th-that’s... But..."
Watching Midoriya hesitate, Aizawa ground his teeth inwardly.
The fact that they had ended up in a situation like this was infuriating, but anger would change nothing.
As a leader, he had to make the best move he could.
Remembering what that melting man had said, he thought,
If he was talking about students, then they’re the target. In that case, there’s no helping it. This is a matter of survival rates. We can’t afford to be picky about means when it comes to self-defense. If someone has to answer for this later, I alone will be enough.
"Tell Mandalay this! In the name of Pro Hero Eraser Head, I authorize all of Class A and Class B to engage in combat!"
"Y-yes!"
With that short reply, Midoriya vanished into the darkness. Watching him go, Aizawa picked up Kota in his arms and started running back toward the facility himself.
As he pushed through the forest, he quickly realized his mistake.
I forgot to tell Midoriya to come straight back. Damn it... He’s not following a single one of the basics: report, contact, consult. The only reason he can still move with injuries like that is because adrenaline is flooding his system. Once he accomplishes his objective and the tension breaks, he won’t be able to move at all.
"Mister... will he be okay?"
Even with his thoughts in turmoil, Aizawa’s body never stopped moving.
Whatever happened, what had to be done got done.
As he ran, the child’s voice reached his ears.
"I... I hit him. But even after that, he still saved me while ending up like that! I still haven’t even said I’m sorry or thank you! Will he be okay?"
Aizawa pushed down his own worry for the moment and answered calmly.
That boy was always reckless, always charging ahead like he had no concept of moderation, but somehow he also felt strangely resistant to bad luck.
"He’ll be fine. If he planned on dying, he wouldn’t be dragging himself around in that condition. But as his teacher, I still have to scold Midoriya for acting on his own."
"That’s not fair!"
Aizawa continued, speaking to Kota’s indignant protest.
"That’s why, once this mess is over, tell him properly. If you can, put a little more weight on the gratitude side."
At that same time, Midoriya, who had run in the opposite direction from Aizawa, returned to the place where he had parted ways with the Pussycats.
There, he found Tiger and Mandalay clashing with those same two Villains.
A ragged sword came swinging down toward Mandalay. Midoriya rushed in, shattered it with a kick, landed unsteadily, and shouted, "A-Aizawa asked me to pass on a message! Please relay it by telepathy!"
He immediately delivered Aizawa’s words.
Mandalay flinched for a moment at what she heard, but then passed it on at once.
"Now get back!"
Rejecting Mandalay’s order, Midoriya ran on and said, "I’m sorry! Please tell them one more thing! Kacchan is being targeted! Please, telepathy!"
"And who is Kacchan supposed to be?! Wait, just a second!"
The one called Magne quickly grasped the situation.
That huge tremor from earlier—within the League of Villains, only two people could produce something on that scale.
And if someone had leaked information, the blood-crazed Muscular was the first one who came to mind.
He got taken down? By a little brat like that? Better kill this kid for real!
He shook off Tiger and charged at Midoriya as he ran off somewhere.
A dagger flew in from nowhere and split the space between him and Midoriya.
Forced to stop, he shouted at Spinner, "Hey, what do you think you’re doing? He was on the kill list first!"
"That was only Shigaraki’s personal decision."
"Spinner! What the hell did you even come here for?"
Facing the furious demand, Spinner answered as if it were obvious.
"That boy is one of the people Stain chose to save. In other words, someone worthy of bearing the Hero’s burden."
"Oh, that’s a nice thought. I think so too. Not that I care what Stain thinks."
Spinner never got to finish.
A gigantic demon dropped from the sky and crushed him beneath its weight.
With one foot planted on Spinner, the figure sneered.
"You’re timid, always watching the room, but when things actually happen you lose all sense of fear and throw your own body away like an idiot. But that’s what a Hero is, isn’t it? So you’re a lizard with a good eye for people? In that case, what kind of person do I look like to you? Tell me, wise lizard. If you guess right, I’ll only cut off your tail."
Within the thick cloud of dust, a red gleam flashed ominously.
It was a catastrophe that had fallen from the sky.
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