Kirishima stopped by Yaoyorozu and told her he had planted the item she had entrusted to him when he punched through the Nomu’s body. In return, he got both praise and an explanation.
When she pulled out a receiver and said the item was a transmitter, Kirishima smiled in satisfaction.
All Might and Tsukauchi, who had come to see her at just that moment, learned the same thing, and events moved quickly after that.
A strategy meeting was held for Bakugo’s rescue and the extermination of the Villains. Kirishima attended alongside Rumi and came face-to-face with the other top Heroes.
Considering this was a meeting of the main combat force for the operation, it meant his strength had been acknowledged, but not everyone welcomed his presence.
All Might looked distinctly uneasy, and Best Jeanist did not seem pleased either.
Endeavor looked indifferent, while Edge Shot showed open curiosity.
With the eyes of those formidable Heroes fixed on him, Kirishima gave a cool smile and spoke.
"Good evening. Some of you already know me, but since this is the first time I’m meeting others here, I’ll introduce myself first. I’m Kirishima Eijiro, a first-year at U.A."
"Right. Good to meet you, kid. We don’t have time, so let’s move this along."
All Might looked like he had something to say, but Endeavor pushed the meeting forward at once.
Once the two of them sat down, Tsukauchi, the only person here who was not a Hero, opened his mouth.
"As you all know, we’ll be splitting our forces this time. We have to raid two locations at once: the direction indicated by Yaoyorozu’s transmitter, and the place believed to be the League of Villains’ hideout."
"That’s fine, but what about the enemy’s strength?"
At Edge Shot’s question, looking for all the world like a ninja-obsessed teenager, Tsukauchi answered without hesitation.
"Unknown overall. We have a rough idea of the League of Villains, but we know nothing about the transmitter side. There will probably be quite a few Nomu... but I don’t think there will be many Villains. However..."
"However? What’s the problem?"
The flames on Endeavor’s face flared intensely.
In response to his question, Tsukauchi explained the possibility they had to prepare for.
Then he asked everyone to keep it to themselves, saying only the people in this room needed to know.
As the others nodded, Kirishima quietly steeled himself.
That brief meeting came to an end, and the next day, the hour of the decisive battle arrived.
Riding in the car Rumi was driving toward their destination, he spoke in a low voice.
"It’s probably started by now."
"Most likely. They’d need a distraction to pull attention away."
"It’s a shame Aizawa isn’t here. He’d be one of the strongest assets we could have."
Because he sounded genuinely regretful, Rumi tilted her head.
"Eraser? I heard he’s good, but is he really that valuable?"
"Of course. He’s practically the natural enemy of every activation-type and transformation-type Quirk. In a fight like this, he wouldn’t even need to throw himself into the middle of it. If he just shuts off a Quirk for even a tenth of a second, I can kill the rest myself. Terrifying, right?"
"That’s true enough. Now that I think about it, he really is scary."
"If he were a Villain, he’d be even worse. Hide in a crowd, shut down Quirks, then start assassinating people? There’d be bodies everywhere. We’re lucky he’s a Hero."
Rumi nodded and brought the car to a stop at the assembly point.
"We’re here. Let’s go. This is going to be a long night."
"It always is."
As he transformed into his demonic form, Kirishima agreed with her.
The night of a fierce battle always felt long.
He saw familiar faces.
Best Jeanist, Mount Lady, Tiger, and even Gang Orca.
When he approached, Gang Orca greeted him warmly.
"Well now, looks like my ranking as the Hero who looks most like a Villain is about to drop another spot. Get your Hero license soon, kid."
"My original face is handsome, so I’m fine. Maybe I’ll end up being the only Hero who satisfies people who like terrifying looks and people who prefer good-looking men at the same time. As for the license, I’m planning to get it soon. I’m coordinating with the Public Safety Commission already."
"I was joking, and you’re actually planning to get it? Then again, if they let you join this operation, even those uptight bastards must think you’re good enough."
Kirishima smoothly returned the self-deprecating joke from a man who looked nearly as vicious as he did, then turned to Mount Lady beside him.
"Hello. This is our first time meeting. I’m Kirishima Eijiro."
"Hi! Your normal face really is handsome, so it’s a shame you turn into... that. Though I think this looks pretty cool too!"
"Ha. Maybe that’s just because you know what I normally look like, so you’re giving me extra credit. Even I think this form looks vicious."
"Maybe. Anyway, let’s do our best."
After finishing the friendly exchange with Mount Lady, Kirishima turned his gaze to Best Jeanist.
This was the man who had personally chosen Bakugo and tried to straighten him out.
He had not completely succeeded, but considering the way Bakugo had changed, even if only a little, Kirishima thought that alone was impressive.
To deal with that stubborn bastard for such a short time and still make a difference.
Kirishima himself was not confident he could have done it.
"How long until we move in?"
"One hour and eleven minutes. The abandoned factory grounds are in a poor location. The police will keep civilians under control, but if anyone loses focus, this could turn into a major disaster."
At that answer, given after a glance at the clock, Kirishima smiled faintly.
"Then we just don’t lose focus. I don’t see anyone here who would."
"Hm."
Jeanist stared at Kirishima in silence.
To someone who always stressed composure, people like Mirko and Kirishima were hard to understand.
Still, they did not seem like the type to get drunk on emotion and rampage without understanding what mattered. That would have to be seen.
If there was one reassuring thing, it was that neither of them would run from the battlefield.
He turned his head again and looked toward the target.
The abandoned factory had a bleak, haunted atmosphere.
The building was old, crumbling, and half-collapsed under the weight of time itself. A bad feeling crept over him, and he shook his head before checking the time.
"Good. It’s time. Commissioner, the perimeter?"
"The area around the building is sealed off for now. You can begin immediately."
"Roger."
After ending the call with the field commander through the earpiece in his ear, Jeanist declared the operation underway.
"We move in at once. Mount Lady, break the wall as planned. Kirishima, get ready too."
At his words, Mount Lady activated her Quirk.
As her body rapidly grew larger, Kirishima focused his mind.
A moment later, the hanging strips of panel material at his waist separated.
The panels scattered in all directions and formed a kind of dome around the area, feeding him a flood of information.
He adjusted the range to a level he could endure, then frowned when he sensed human presence outside the building, near the outer wall.
'I know all the civilians were evacuated... idiots. Tch.'
By increasing the detection level from rough heat signatures to visual information, he identified who the presences belonged to.
They were reckless little troublemakers he knew all too well.
For a moment, he considered dealing with the kids first, but let it pass.
It was stupid of them, but if he exposed them right now, they might end up facing serious punishment.
Planning to pull them aside later, he gave Jeanist a suitably vague report.
"No abnormalities within a five-hundred-meter radius for now. As long as we avoid wide-scale destruction, we should be fine."
"Good. Go! Mount Lady!"
The moment Jeanist gave the order, Mount Lady slipped the truck parked in front of the factory onto her foot like a slipper.
Then she lifted her leg high and brought it crashing down on the factory wall.
The wall split in a straight line as debris flew everywhere, and the Heroes charged in.
The Nomu scattered inside were not all motionless, but most of them lay still as if dead.
Thanks to that, they were able to subdue them almost absurdly easily.
Mount Lady grimaced at the squishy feel of the Nomu in her hand and spoke.
"We made such a dramatic entrance, but is it really okay for this to be so easy, Jeanist? Shouldn’t we have gone to All Might’s side instead?"
"Do not confuse difficulty with importance, rookie. And you, provisional rookie, remember that as well."
"Ugh, this is boring. What is this? It’s nothing but corpses."
Kirishima gave a calm nod at Jeanist’s words, while Rumi grumbled.
That was when Tiger found Ragdoll.
She was naked and trapped inside a glass tube. After pulling her out, he shouted to her.
"Ragdoll! Answer me!"
"A teammate? She’s still breathing. Thank God."
"But... her condition... what did they do to you, Ragdoll!"
Her eyes were open, but she was not fully conscious.
Seeing her stare blankly upward with clouded eyes, Tiger flew into a rage, but there was nothing he could do for her right then.
That was when it happened.
A sensation like a lightning strike ran down Kirishima’s spine.
Like prey meeting a predator, his survival instinct screamed and overheated.
Kirishima’s head slowly turned in the direction his intuition pointed.
A calamity was emerging from the darkness.
In a voice that was deep yet strangely gentle, the man spoke.
"My apologies, Tiger. I had thought that was an excellent Quirk for some time. Since the opportunity presented itself, I decided to take it for myself."
"An accomplice of the League?"
"Someone put a light on him."
Kirishima could feel his body desperately trying to flee at once.
His instincts raged, screaming that he could never win, that if he faced this thing, only death awaited him.
For the first time since he was born, he felt a crisis this immense, and as he clenched his teeth, it seemed his allies still had not grasped the situation.
Just as he was about to shout for them to run, the approaching terror spoke.
"After ending up in this body, my stock has diminished quite a bit as well."
As the figure slowly came into view, Jeanist activated his Quirk at once.
The clothes draped over the man’s body tightened around him, and Mount Lady, still not fully understanding the situation, cried out.
"Wait, Best Jeanist! What if he’s a civilian?"
"Think about the situation. A moment’s hesitation can decide the entire scene. Never permit a Villain any action at all!"
'He’s right, but that only matters when it's actually possible.'
Kirishima bit his lip.
His hardened lips gave off a metallic scrape, sparks scattering from the pressure.
The worst possibility, the one he had dreaded and dreaded, had taken shape before him.
He shut off all the awareness he had devoted to the panels and amplified the power of his Quirk factor as far as it would go.
Tremendous force burst through his body in violent waves.
His heart screamed as if it would tear apart, and his over-hardened body creaked under the strain.
The instant the man’s arm swelled, Kirishima threw himself in front of Jeanist with everything he had.
In the split instant carved thinner than a blink, everything vanished.
Then, in the silent open space, slow applause rang out.
"Amazing! I had intended to blow every last one of you away."
Kirishima suddenly came back to himself.
He checked his condition at once.
One knee was on the ground. His insides felt wrecked from the impact.
'Did I black out while standing? Damn him. He's monstrously strong.'
The light that had gone out flared red again, and power began boiling up inside him once more.
Slowly rising to his feet, he met the eyes of the one who had caused this disaster.
The man wore a mask that reminded him of Darth Vader. He was still clapping as he praised Kirishima and Jeanist.
"To decide in that brief moment who the most important combat asset was and protect him, and to control everyone’s clothing to fling them instantly to the outer edge of the shockwave... your judgment and your technique are no ordinary thing. You deserve praise."
Kirishima had shielded the front, but even the leaking wind pressure had dealt Jeanist serious damage. His eyes widened.
With trembling pupils, he recalled what he had heard in the meeting.
"The League of Villains has a mastermind. His power rivals All Might’s. On top of that, he is cunning and meticulous. Unless his safety is guaranteed, he will never show himself openly. This time, we want to move as quickly as possible, from securing Shigaraki’s group to pinpointing his location."
'That's not what we were told... and what does that change now?'
He forced himself back up after being knocked down.
The fibers of the denim outfit covering his whole body rippled in response to his will.
Kirishima grabbed his shoulder.
"I’ll go in first and fight at close range. Watch for an opening and lock down his movement when you can."
"Are you sure you can do this?"
Instead of answering, Kirishima only looked at him.
That face was the very image of a demon, and those ominously glowing eyes drove the point home without words.
There was no need to speak his resolve aloud.
Jeanist simply nodded.
At this moment, he forgot Kirishima’s age. Forgot that he was a student.
There was only a comrade standing beside him against the enemy.
"You’re strong," Kirishima said.
He tore the controller from his head and flung it aside roughly, rolling his neck as he spoke.
Then he ripped away even the belt that had held the panels in place and settled into his stance.
It was the stance that had been with him all his life, the most natural stance he knew, and from it poured a demonic pressure.
No one could have dismissed that presence. The man smiled with interest.
"Ha ha. To me, it seems you are the stronger one. Kirishima Eijiro... you’re the kind of creature that makes one wonder where on earth you came from. Your Quirk as well. Simple, but one that only becomes truly strong through endless training piled upon training. You and Tomura are a terrible match. It seems I’ll have to dispose of you myself."
"If you can."
The moment he answered, Kirishima kicked off the ground.
As if he had crossed space itself, he arrived before the man in an instant, and Kirishima’s fist shot forward, piercing through that split second.
At the moment of the decisive battle, their eyes met.
When the shadow of that darkened mask met the violently burning blaze in Kirishima’s eyes, history collided with history.
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