"Toga? You're telling me she replaced one of our classmates and has been waiting for a time like this to strike?" Kyoka asked as she briskly walked in front of him.

Denki gave her a silent nod of agreement "It would explain everything right now."

"Especially on why each kill is extremely bloody and messy." Kyoka pointed to the set of bloody footprints on the floor "All we need to do to find out who she's disguised as is to look for people who are covered in blood! There's no way to wash it all off." she smiled and looked up at Denki "She won't get away with this I promise."

Denki's face relaxed and he nodded with the reassurance "I think we should follow the blood tracks and check on Uraraka since that's where the footprints lead to."

"That sounds like a plan!"

Together they jogged down the hallway so they were sure not to miss any possible hints of where the murderer could be. When they turned the corner to get to the girl's section of the building both Denki and Kyoka slowed their pace and were forced to stare at the revolting aftermath to their right, a reminder of what could only be the beginning. Mina's dorm was left wide open, the flashy and bright inside seemed dreary and horrid without the energetic and caring girl that designed it. Her floorboards and bed covered in her blood, the splatters and streaks were seemingly taken out of a Jackson Pollock painting; chaotic yet intentional.

Kyoka gently nudged Denki in the side and pointed to the ground in front of Mina's door. The footprints had led into the dorm but a streak of blood was what came out, the bloody drag marks stretched down farther into the dark hallways "I think Toga dragged Ashido's body down the hall."

"But why? Is she going to become Ashido to try and trick the others? But we already know Ashido's… dead already." Denki replied as they slowly and quietly walked down the hallway, following the long line of blood going towards Ochako's room.

Kyoka paused to plug in her jack into the wall "There's two heartbeats ahead of us," she turned to face Denki when she withdrew her jack "I think she's planning to kill both of us. Toga knows we'd do anything to save our classmates and she's using it against us."

"Are you suggesting we turn around and not make sure that Uraraka is okay?" Denki asked with a shocked look on his face.

"Of course not! I was just saying that when we get Uraraka… there's a possibility that only one of us will make it back to Iida." Kyoka said with a weak attempt of a comforting smile as she gently rubbed his shoulder.

Denki's eyes began to water and well up just at the thought. A knife embedded into Kyoka's chest with her warmth slowly fading away along with her pouring blood and watching the life slowly… painfully fade from her eyes. Denki slapped her hand away and shook his head before marching forward once more "No, we're going back together with Uraraka, Kirishima, and Shoji! I won't let anything happen to you, I promi-" he quickly raised his head and sniffed the air intently "Do you smell that? It smells like… smoke?"

Kyoka quickly ran ahead of Denki and towards Ochako's room.

Denki's chest began to tighten as an unnatural warmth slowly wrapped around them, beads of sweat beginning to roll off their chins "Damn it, she started a fire! Please be okay Uraraka, please!". The purple haze slowly turned darker and darker as the hallway was slowly filled with smoke.

Ochako's dorm was only a few seconds away after that but the sprint still took too long, her door which had been chained close was leaking a dark thick billowing smoke that creeped out from the top and bottom of the frame, attached to the chain was Mina's lifeless… headless corpse lying limp against the door.

An ear-piercing shriek came from inside the room followed by a loud thump at the door "Help! Please! Mina! Kirishima! Anyone? Please!"

"Hold on Uraraka, me and Jiro are right here!" Denki shouted as he and Kyoka grabbed onto the chain and tried their hardest to pull it off and while he did his eyes tracked the bloody footprints which had stopped right next to Ochako's door. Peering into the dark hallway his eyes focused on nothing in particular but the spot in where the traitor should've been standing "The tracks end right there. Where did she go? Did she turn into someone else?"

Ochako continued to bang on the door with her fists, following a brief pause she let out a pained scream "Kaminari! Jiro! please hurry! I-I can't open the door! The-the fire ma-made the handle too hot!"

Denki threw himself backward in frustration before raising the knife "Uraraka get back! I'll break the door open with my knife!" he thrust towards the door leading with the knife.

"Kaminari don't! Backdraft!" Kyoka screamed just as the knife burst through the wooden door and he was about to pull it out.

Denki screamed in surprise when Kyoka pushed him out of the way and onto the ground with her landing on top of him. Denki's eyes looked on in horror as he saw everything happen in slow motion as they fell to the floor.

A jet of bright flames erupted out of the hole made by the knife when it came loose from the door. The blazing flame reached out far and wide, its amber tongue scorching the glass panes across the hall. Kyoka's scream was silenced by the booming inferno engulfing her entire head, her purple hair covered in burning red, her light complexion masked by the blasting firestorm from Ochako's room.

When they both hit the floor Kyoka screamed in agony as she covered her face in a desperate attempt to try and soothe the searing pain. Her hair smoking and singed, her face and earphone jacks dusted in soot and ash.

Denki quickly laid Kyoka on her back and the floor "Jiro! I-I'm sorry! I'm so sor-"

Kyoka groaned and opened up her hands a bit "Shu-shut up! Sa-save U-Uraraka fi-first! I-I'm fine!" she grimaced in pain and her voice shook as she spoke, her eyebrows and the roots of her hair were singed and smoking, her eyelids were blackened and twitching from the pain while her eyes barely visible under the most shut eyelids were watering from the searing flames that they had been exposed to.

Denki screamed as he punched the ground in frustration before snapping his head to the door.

Ochako's screams had suddenly become a lot clearer. Through the hole in the door her arm was sticking out, reaching out to Denki with her eye pressed against the rest of the space "Kaminari! Please help!" she shrieked out in pain. Ochako's entire hand, arm, and what was visible of her face had blistered and reddish skin with bits of white in irregular patterns along the skin. Ochako's extended arm shook as she endured the flames while her eyes and mouth screamed and begged for help from Denki.

"Hold on a bit longer! I'll get you out!" He stood up and gently held her tender hands which earned a wince from the auburn-haired girl "I need to get those chains off or else she'll die in there.". Denki slowly let go of her hand, his stomach churning in disgust as bits of her skin stuck to his "I need to think of something quick…" his eyes slowly hovered to the hot knife on the ground and Mina's headless corpse, his face contorted in disgust at his idea. He picked up the knife off the ground and crouched down next to her; slowly he dragged the edge across her skin, the blade slicing into her cold pink flesh "I'm sorry Ashido, I need to do this to save Uraraka." Denki told himself but he still felt disgusted for his actions.

With the sharp knife Denki tenderly began peeling Mina's flesh back, he gagged and grimaced as bit by bit her flesh pulled away from the bone. The chunk of meat made a loud and wet popping sound as he tightened his grip on it and began pulling with all his might, the arm slowly pouring out the cold blood of the deceased, the red liquid spilling onto the floor and staining his hands. When Denki was able to take the section of the arm off he flipped it over and a disgusted smile stretched across his face "I knew it!".

All across Mina's muscle and flesh were small veins and glands filled with a white and watery substance.

"Hold on Uraraka! Just a little bit longer!" Denki shouted as he slowly created a shallow cut along the veins and glands, but he had no reply from Ochako… and her screams had stopped. His head snapped to the door once more and he saw Ochako's darkened and burnt arm still threaded through the hole but laid limp and unmoving as smoke billowed around out and around her arm "Ochako!" he screamed "I'm sorry Mina, I wanted to do this as respectfully as possible but there's no time!" he jammed the knife into the chunk of flesh and dragged it across, creating a large and open gash. Denki winced as a mixture of blood and acid began coating his hands, his face was contorting as the acid slowly dissolved his skin in searing pain. When enough of the acid was flowing out Denki quickly placed it cut side down on the chains that locked the door.

Cracks and clinks came from the metal restraints as the white substance made quick work of it. Soon after Mina's body fell forward with a muted thump along with the clanking of chains hitting the floor.

Denki immediately pulled the door open, covering his face as smoke and steam billowed out, the fire had been extinguished by the sprinkler but the damage had been done. His face contorted in sorrow and stomach acid rose as Ochako laid in front of him, her upper body hung up by her forearm which was still stuck in the door.

Her bare lower legs were mostly blackened with irregular patches of yellow skin and exposed muscles and fats, her pink shorts' synthetic fibers had melted and clung to her burnt skin, her yellow tank top also made of synthetic fibers clung and pulled at her destroyed, blackened crumbling skin. Ochako's face was reddish and glistened in the low light and was peppered with liquid-filled blisters across the skin, her auburn had mostly burnt away into strands of black and singed follicles.

Denki was snapped out of his distraught daze by Kyoka "Kaminari! What happened to Uraraka? Is she okay?" She asked in panic while propping herself up from the floor with her arms, her eyes still squeezed shut and twitching in pain.

"I-I don't know!" Denki quickly pulled Ochako out of the door and dragged her out into the hallway, he laid her flat on her back and placed his ear next to her mouth and nose "She's not breathing!". Denki quickly interlocked his fingers and placed his hands over her sternum and immediately began pushing downwards into her chest repeatedly "One! Two! Three! Four! Come on Ochako! Breathe damn it! Nine! Ten!-" after he reached thirty he pulled his hands away to hold her mouth open but froze when he saw Ochako's skin on the chest had been ripped off, he slowly turned his hands upwards and gagged once more when he saw flaps of burnt and melted synthetic fibers that smelt of vinegar clinging onto his palms.

With a deep breath he placed his hands on her chin and held it open as he performed two rescue breaths into Ochako before going back to the chest compressions "Ochako! Don't give up on me!" he screamed and after finishing another thirty chest compressions held her mouth open and did two more rescue breaths. Denki pressed his ear to her chest, the soft cartilage gently pressing against her exposed muscle and fat with a squelch, he felt a sigh of relief wash over him as he heard soft but noticeable breaths and air flowing in and out "Thank you… thank you for not giving up on me Uraraka!" he mumbled with worried and sorrowful eyes.

Kyoka sighed in relief as she gently touched and grazed her eyelids with her fingertips and let out a small wince "I probably can't see for a while… how's Uraraka? I-Is she alive?" she asked while raising her jacks to plug into the wall. After a brief pause "Sh-She's dead isn't she?"

Denki looked at her with confusion and shock "N-no! Uraraka's breathing! What made you think she died?!"

"There's… only five people on this floor." Kyoka quickly retracted her jacks "That means Toga killed one of our classmates and used the fire as a distraction."

Denki carefully cradled the injured Ochako in his arms "We need to check Kirishima and Shoji! Hold onto my shirt, come on!". With Kyoka holding onto his shirt, they both ran to the other side of the building to stop when they reached Kirishima's dorm. The door was left wide open and had no evidence of the traitor being nearby, Denki gently laid Ochako against the wall and slowly approached Kirishima's room "Jiro stay here and keep Uraraka safe. I need to go check if Kirishima is okay."

Kyoka nodded and slowly felt her way around until she was next to Ochako "Stay safe and alert, I just checked and there's still five people on this floor."

Denki nodded and slowly walked into the wide-open door, freezing when he came face to face with a large and broad imposing figure, he slowly extended his hand out and let off small shocks of electricity to prepare himself.

"Kaminari?" A low but calm voice asked "What happened? Where's Kirishima?" Mezo asked as he stepped forward closer, his wide-tooth mouth exposed because he was without his mask.

"Shoji, Toga got into our dorms and is trying to kill us. Since Kirishima's not here I think she's disguised as him. Come with me, I need your help with Uraraka." Denki said with urgency before rushing back outside.

"Okay! What does she-Oh god..." Mezo was left speechless as he stared at the two women on the floor. Ochako who was covered in third-degree burns and Kyoka who had her eyes nearly burned out.

Kyoka smiled in relief at their general direction "I'm glad you're okay Shoji, we need to gather everyone as soon as possible. Toga-"

"It's okay… Denki told me." Mezo grew more arms from his tentacles and squatted down and gently carried Ochako on his back "Where are we bringing Uraraka? She needs immediate medical attention."

Denki gently held Kyoka's hand and helped her up "We're going to my room, Iida's also been injured. I think after we leave Uraraka and Jiro in my room we should-"

Kyoka out of nowhere punched Denki in the stomach "What?! Leave me behind?! You are not leaving me behind you idiot, I'm your best shot of even finding Toga in the halls, I am not leaving you here alone." Kyoka screamed and grabbed Denki by the collar "I'm not going to let you face Toga alone. Four of our classmates are dead, I'm not gonna let you be one of them!"

Mezo gently patted Denki's shoulder "I agree with Jiro. Right now I think we should minimize splitting up as much as possible. It'll be harder for her to pick us off like that.."

Denki sighed and nodded "I guess you're right… Okay, we'll leave Uraraka with Iida and together we'll gather our classmates and look for Toga who I think is disguised as Kirishima."

Mezo nodded silently in agreement "Alright we should get going. I'm worried for Uraraka and want to get her help as soon as possible."

Together they slowly shuffled out of Kirishima's room and when they did Denki felt Kyoka immediately poke his side "Kaminari, there's still five people on this floor… Toga's still here."

When she said that, Mezo immediately turned some of his tentacles into ears to enhance his hearing.

Denki raised his hands to defend himself with his electricity "But something is off… I don't smell any blood." he remarked to himself while straining his eyes in the dark hallway.

Kyoka squinted her still burnt eyes and focused on the sounds her jacks were picking up "I can feel her heartbeat, she's right in front of us!"

"Where?! I don't see anything!" Mezo shouted back instinctively putting himself in between where the murderer should've been and Denki and Kyoka.

"During the licensing exam Midoriya said she could erase her presence and sneak up on people without being seen; bunch up together back to back so she can't do that!" Denki said as he discharged a little bit of electricity "We will get you Toga!" his eyes widened and his nose scrunched up when the familiar smell of iron and rust hit his nose.

A cheerful giggle came from what seemed like a few centimeters away from Mezo "That's cute~" she purred and let out a light-hearted chuckle as the smell of blood slowly got more and more distant.

Mezo looked around, still on edge from the encounter "Jiro, is Toga still here?"

"No, it's just the four of us now."

While still bunched up together they slowly moved down the hallway and towards the stairs.

Denki squeezed Kyoka's hand as the smell of blood became stronger and stronger as they neared the staircase "Shoji, I have to tell you something about Ashido… she's at the stairs."

Mezo nodded and turned his head to look at him "Alright, is she waiting for us or something?"

Before Denki could answer Kyoka spoke up "No,-" tears began to well up in her closed eyes again "To-Toga got to her…"

Mezo froze in place as he processed the fact, slowly the smell of iron began to register with him as they got closer to the staircase; after a brief moment he spoke up again "Where's her body?"

"At Uraraka's room… why?"

"At the end of all this, I want to gather our classmates and pay our respects. They're our friends and they deserved more than this." Mezo replied as they reached the stairwell, his eyes lingered at the bottom of the steps and the blood mess waiting there "You said you think Kirishima is Toga in disguise?" he asked while turning to face his two smaller classmates, his wide mouth that was usually hidden behind a mask was contorted into an angered snarl.

Denki instantly knew from his look what Mezo wanted to do, to kill the murderer there, and then, he knew it was unhero-like but Mezo, and himself knew that deep down it was what they wanted and felt like they should do. To answer his question Denki gave him a single silent nod "Toga thinks we might hesitate if it's one of our friends but I won't, I'll kill her, I'll kill her for murdering my friends."

Mezo nodded with a frown stretched across his face in agreement with his statement.

However from the third floor at the entrance of the staircase the murderer was listening in on their conversation, a mad grin stretched across their face while twirling a set of keys around their index finger "It's cute that they think that." she softly began humming as she strolled towards the staircase, headed to the second floor "One, two, I'm coming for you!~ Three, four, no use locking your door!~ Five, six… let's cut it down to six.~"