My Green Sun Prince Academia

Chapter Four:


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She Who Stands in the Threshold


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All Might barely had time to take in the situation once he landed on the roof. He could scarcely perceive that the other heroes were still breathing, but they were each completely unconscious and had multiple burns and lacerations from the close-range explosions from earlier. What was worse were the multiple enemy combatants he'd have to get through to attempt a rescue. He wouldn't be able to get a single hero to safety before taking out the entire enemy squad. If it were just the large ape-like creatures, that wouldn't necessarily be a problem.

However, their commanding officer was a significant threat, the kind he'd only encountered several times before in his life. Her ability to summon explosions did not seem to be limited in range. If her weaponry at her hips were any indication, she was also a formidable close combat opponent. Perhaps he could overpower her with his strength, he hoped.

"You are the one called All Might, correct?" she asked, forcing him to refocus from analyzing her combat abilities to studying her face. Her blood-red eyes had no pupils, no whites, but instead, as he looked deeper, he saw beyond the red of her eyes to catch a glimpse of stars across a crimson sky. The warrior-woman smiled at him, revealing that her teeth were all sharpened canines made of iron. She was beautiful, not in a conventional sense, but how a bird of prey is as it swoops for a kill, a marvel of natural and indifferent killing efficiency.

"I am," he spoke sternly, standing up straight. He briefly hoped a negotiation could take place.

"Good. Command your squad to break off their attack, and you will all be allowed to retreat. Resume your hostilities, and we will no longer hold back. Your ignorance will no longer be an excuse to let you all live." Her accent, while thick, did nothing to hide her contempt. She wanted him to ignore her words, to attack her, giving her the excuse she needed to kill him. Her eyes flared with killing intent, the kind reserved for pests. He imagined she wanted him dead just for daring to even be on this roof with her.

All Might possessed years of training for hostage negotiations, so he knew enough that despite the thinly veiled promise of peace, her choice of words troubled him. Still, he hoped to buy time for the Support team to bring in backup. "Our attack? Do you mean the rescue operation?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Do not honey your words. You blatantly sought to encase the Prince's Chrysalis in your primitive mortar. You arranged transportation for the Prince and sought to break open the Chrysalis once you finished abducting him. I will never allow this." She leveled the words at him the way he had thrown the crimes of many villains back in their faces.

All Might ground his teeth against each other. Did she believe that he and the other heroes were aggressors here?

Despite his internal objection, her choice of words revealed a litany of questions for him. Chrysalis? Prince? Could their intention towards the young man be more than malicious, perhaps benign? He dealt with abductions before, where the kidnappers honestly believed the child in their custody was better off with them. Rarely were they right. However, if their motivation was even partially benign, he might be able to use that. "The Shell behind you is giving off dangerous amounts of radiation, and the building below us will eventually collapse under the weight of the Shell. It's dangerous to let it rest here on the rooftop."

With barely a shrug, she dismissed his worries. "The power of Ligier is toxic to lesser beings such as humans, but that is not my concern. The Prince is my charge, and the Chrysalis falls under my protection. It shall not move, nor be moved by the likes of you." Even through her thick foreign accent, the imperious nature of her words was undeniable. This woman wholly expected obedience, thoroughly used to giving orders.

All Might could see this was going nowhere. But still, if he could buy more time for other heroes to arrive, then his numerical disadvantage would be relieved. "If I may be so bold, my lady… you have me at a severe disadvantage. You know my name, but I do not know yours." The politeness of his voice was thick. Hopefully, she wouldn't detect his speech's forced nature due to this not being her first language.

To his surprise, it was one of the massive creatures that spoke up. His voice bellowed out between giant teeth. "You address She Who Stands in the Threshold. She is Sondok, Warden Deva of Ligier the Green Sun, Guardian of the Treasure Forges of Malfeas, Mother Commander of the Erymanthoi, and Veteran Godslayer of the Traitor Wars. You will show her the respect she is due." The creature beat his chest with a single upraised first after his introductory speech. A clamorous ring of metal on metal rung out as gauntlet met breastplate. It was not the mindless gesture of an animal, but a single punctuated act. The message was clear: show our commander respect, or we will kill you.

Sondok, the lady in question, raised a pacifying palm towards the creature. She uttered words for his benefit in their native language that All Might had no hope of understanding. This was not Japanese, Chinese, English… it wasn't even recognizable enough to identify what continent the language was from. A strange fear crept inside of him. Her curious words began to click into place. Humans, she used the word humans.

Were these creatures next to her human? Did they share a Quirk that transformed them into the same breed of monster? The odds were astronomically small. Quirks were like fingerprints, each one unique. Even within families, Quirks that were inherited had subtle variations. Yet each of these creatures exhibited the same power. Part of him suspected this had All For One somewhere behind it, but even when he wanted to find a connection, there wasn't a clear one to be found.

The conclusion All Might was arriving at seemed insane. "Lady Sondok," he addressed her with more formality. "You and your… soldiers. You aren't from this world, are you?" Even as he asked the question seemed ridiculous.

Her predatory smile was disquieting. "No, All Might, we are not."


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Todoroki Shoto had been home for several hours. He could smell his sister's cooking as the aroma filled the entire house. It was distracting him from his training, which his father was quick to point out. Originally, he and his father were supposed to be training their Quirks outside, throwing fire and ice at each other with abandon. However, today Shoto's father had a different training regimen in mind. Today, Shoto's task was lowering the ambient temperature in their living room without displaying any ice. His father, Enji, otherwise known as Endeavor, would use his Quirk to raise the room's temperature, opposing Shoto's effort. The exercise wasn't about power but instead about focus and control.

Distracted despite himself, Shoto wanted more than anything to go and sit in the kitchen and talk to his sister. The routine they had built up over the years was painful. Every day she would come to the house and cook their dinner, then Shoto's lunch for the next day, and then after they ate together, she would leave. That was all the time he got to spend with her anymore. Ever since she moved out of the house, opportunities to connect dried up. As ice formed under his fingernails, he clenched his jaw and wished that something would happen so that he could spend an ordinary afternoon doing everyday things. He wished earnestly that his father could leave him alone long enough just to let Shoto breathe.

Enji's phone rang in the kitchen. Eventually, the sound stopped. In its place, the percussion of Fuyumi's footsteps echoing through the hall leading from the kitchen to the living room. "What are you two doing in there?" she wondered aloud before sliding the door open. A cloud exited the room, drenching her face as it passed her. Her expression of damp exasperation did not match the resignation of her tone. "Dad, the Hero Association is calling for you. It sounds important."

Enji barely made eye contact with her as he stood. "Enough, Shoto, you did well today." He spoke to his youngest son as he strode across the room towards his daughter, who held his phone out for him. Taking it, he turned away from both of them and spoke to the man waiting on the other end of the line. "This is Endeavor. What's the emergency?"

Both Shoto and his sister knew better than to talk while their father was on the phone with the Hero Association reps. Usually, these calls were tense, but this time somehow seemed worse. "Terrorists? Musutafu, the city on the coast of the Yuei Prefecture? Calm down and slowly explain."

Whatever Fuyumi was making in the kitchen seemed unimportant to her compared to standing next to Shoto and listening with him to their father's side of the conversation. "All Might… is facing those kinds of odds alone? That's almost two hours from here…" He straightened up, nodding. "Who else has been called in?"

Their father paced the room nervously. He was sweating. Shoto watched, in awe, that he, Endeavor, the Hero of Flames, was sweating. "I understand. We'll continue the briefing on the way," with that, he signed off the call and turned to face both of them. The look on his face wasn't stern or angry but etched with worry and something Shoto did not recognize.

"Shoto, Fuyumi, I'll be heading out soon. They've sent a helicopter to pick me up. I'm sure you heard, but terrorists attacked an apartment complex in Musutafu. Five Heroes are badly injured and currently in terrorist custody. There's also a civilian hostage." He paused, working out what to say next.

"Dad," Fuyumi began but faltered. Shoto said nothing.

"I have been strict on all of you. Because of that, I have regrets." He said. "I regret not using more time to show you that I love you." Both of his children were shocked. This admission seemed so out of character for him. "If… if this mission causes me not to have a chance to tell you, your brother, or your mother… then please tell them for me. I love all of you."

Shoto listened to the helicopter's approach as it rapidly closed the distance to their back yard.

"I am proud of you," Enji smiled at them both before turning towards the screen door and took his leave of them. Neither of them knew what to say or do as they watched him ascend into the vehicle that before it rapidly accelerated towards the horizon. Just like that, he was gone.

Shoto followed his sister awkwardly into the kitchen, where she served dinner. They would typically share small updates about their lives at times like this, but at this moment, neither had anything worthy enough to take their mind off of their mutual thoughts. Breaking with the household protocol, he turned on the television and switched channels to the news while they ate. Only then, as the flat screen droned on at them and the siblings saw the images, the sheer gravity of the situation finally seemed real to them.

The brass shrapnel, the green fire, and now images of giant aberrant creatures out of some strange nightmare swarmed together to take on such heroes as Gang Orca and Mount Lady. Worse, these things were winning. They were cunning, organized, as well as obscenely strong and fast. Their teamwork reminded Shoto of exercises he endured on training camps his father enrolled him in every school break.

However, he was distracted from the screen and the news by movement next to him. Too late, he realized that Fuyumi was crying. She became a sobbing wreck. He reached out to embrace her comfortingly. "It'll be ok," he said reassuringly.

She shook her head. "When was the last time dad told us he loved us… that he was proud of us?"

Her question caught him off guard, making him think he had misread her emotions. "It's been a long time, sis."

Her grip on him tightened. "He's not sure he's going to come back, Shoto. He doesn't know if anyone is coming back, not from this."

Shoto glanced back to the screen, showing a drone's footage of All Might surrounded on the roof while speaking to the terrorist in charge of her cell. Everything seemed dwarfed by the strange Shell that dominated the rooftop. He regretted wishing for his father to leave, but he put those feelings aside and rested a hand on the back of his sister's head. "He'll come back. He has to. We didn't tell him how we felt, and he needs to hear it, so he'll come back."

It was a childish reply, one that only worked in stories. Unfortunately, it was all Shoto could think of as the two watched helplessly from the comfort of home.


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Recovering from his shock at her answer took longer than he would have liked, but he pressed past as best he could. "Lady Sondok, thank you for allowing us to take our people back. I'll arrange their transport," All Might began, but Sondok cut him off.

"No one else will be allowed on this rooftop or within this building until the Prince finishes his tasks. You may carry them back one at a time," she said, giving him permission that felt more like a command.

He clenched his jaw. He needed just a bit more time for reinforcements before he was comfortable taking Sondok and her cohorts on. Unfortunately, he also was running lower and lower on his power's time limit. He felt like a candle burning at both ends. "Finished with what? What is young Midoriya doing in there?"

She placed a hand affectionately on the surface of the Shell as though it would respond to her love. "He is dreaming… dreaming of the Creators and their wonders. When he awakes from this dream, he will forever be ours. Our Shining Prince." As she turned her face towards All Might, he could swear the stars that hid beyond her eyes shone even brighter than before.

A full range of emotions swept through him, but more than anything, he was disgusted. He didn't understand fully what young Midoriya was going through, but Toshinori had made a promise to the youth's mother. He intended to keep it. "He needs to return home to his mother."

Anger flashed across her features like a sudden storm. "The one who denied his potential? The one who allowed him to be mistreated by other children and comforted herself with platitudes of polite cowardice rather than forge her son to be strong in his own right? Or perhaps I should release him to the great hero who was complicit along with her and every other authority he ever looked up to or relied on in casting him aside? The one whose essence fades from his injured body even as he tries to buy more time with me. The one whose lesser exigence is about to snuff out without another to bear up the torch."

She raised an arm threateningly toward him, pointing at him. "You all relinquished your claims to him. You all threw him away. If Ligier had not chosen him, he would be dead. Dead! But Ligier, unquestionable in his wisdom, chose Izuku of House Midoriya to be the next Shining Prince! He is, as we speak, gaining powers beyond anything your world has ever seen. When he emerges from the Chrysalis, I will escort him to the Eternal City of Malfeas, where he will train for his new calling. So, take your pathetic gifts and platitudes elsewhere. Find some poor excuse for a terrestrial and pass on your sad exigence to them." As she continued speaking, a sneer of disdain grew across her face. Her contempt for All Might was obvious.

Her observations shocked him to his core. Sondok knew his secrets just by looking at him, and she blatantly did not care. To her, he was just an inferior being, at best the apex of what the local wildlife had to offer. Despite her dismissal, her designs for young Midoriya made his blood run cold. The young man was doubtless going to be trained by these people… these things… to be a rampant killing machine. "Tell me this much, please… what will his mission be?" All Might spoke somberly, darkly, already knowing the reply to expect.

Her sneer never left her face. There was no need for her to hide the brutal truth from a being she had no regard for, a thing unworthy of respect. "Prince Izuku will conquer worlds in the name of Malfeas, just as every Prince from every world before him has done."

She did not need to elaborate further. Although he had no idea what kind of world she hailed from, All Might could see in his mind a clear picture of what they were doing. Find a local, give them power, and then turn them into a weapon to conquer the world they came from. It was a strategy used by empires throughout human history, the basis of feudalism itself. Their goal here was just a prelude to world conquest. He did not need to ask her how many troops they had or what kind of army he and mankind were up against. The answer was obvious: they were billions in number, and their variety was staggering. How else could she claim so casually that other Princes had conquered worlds already?

All Might paused when he realized that something wasn't adding up. Her plan was not a foregone conclusion. He almost had it figured out. Then it dawned on him: if she had no regard for humans, there was no need for her to spare the heroes that had fallen or for her to even speak with him. Something was holding her back. Did he dare test her further to see where she drew that line? Was he running out of time?

Just then, the communication device in his ear buzzed to life. "All Might, this is Eraserhead. I'm in the headquarters behind you. The enemy leader is in my sights. The first wave of backup has arrived, and we are waiting for your signal. Endeavor is leading the second wave and will be here in ten minutes. Don't speak to reply. We know she is listening… and the Support crews have been picking up everything she's said so far."

Nothing else needed to be said between All Might and Eraserhead. They both understood the implication of Sondok and her words. The entire world was under a countdown to an imminent threat. Midoriya Izuku was no longer just a hostage. He just became a contested piece in a war against an enemy no one had ever heard of before, but the odds did not look good. "Lady Sondok, I have only one last question for you."

Sondok's eyebrow twitched.

"What happens if Young Midoriya decides to be the hero he always dreamed he would be?" All Might knew what she would say, but there was always the slight chance that the enemy would show a human side.

Her smirk enraged him. "Unfortunately for you, Princes are chosen heroes… but only when their dream gets broken. He will never go back to that."

All Might's fists clenched hard enough to cause him severe pain. They completely underestimated the young man's willpower and dreams, just as they had done to who knows how many 'Princes' before him. And worse, they prey on those dreams just as they break. And All Might had unwittingly handed Young Midoriya over to these monsters!

This could not be allowed to go on.


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All Might rushed forward with a burst of speed faster than most eyesight can follow. A thunderclap of noise followed as air rushed to fill the space he formerly occupied. His power and speed were obscene as he forced his body forward and focused all of that strength behind his fist.

Sondok stepped only slightly to the side and used her forearm to redirect All Might's fist away from her before turning the palm of her defending arm toward his face and unleashing explosive green fire in his direction. As he backed away from the blast, he felt bladed shrapnel cut across his left cheek and jaw. He was lucky not to get any in his eye.

Her soldiers did not move, and even still, they awaited her command. They had no concern that she was in any danger at all. Sondok similarly did not seem bothered. Instead, she slowly crossed the distance between them after his hasty retreat. "Poor naïve creature. Did you believe your friend could seal my power?"

All Might had bet that Aizawa's Quirk would do precisely that, but there was no way to be sure until they tried. He prepared himself and his fists for combat. Her movements earlier told him that she was a martial artist who could redirect her opponent's motions, and she was strong enough despite her size to take him on in a fight. Sondok also had the advantage of summoning explosions at will. Even more frightening were the facts that she had yet to draw her weapons and that she did not fear igniting a blast at point-blank range, despite her vulnerability to the explosion. Even now, the cuts that formed on her hand and face healed completely before his eyes. Just how many Quirks did she have?

With no choice but to close the distance, he charged forward; the element of surprise utterly lost. "Now!" He shouted, fully committing both himself and his companions to the battle ahead. They needed to win for their comrades, for Young Midoriya, and show this expedition force that their world would never go down without a fight.


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"Go now!" Aizawa shouted through the airwaves to each of their earpieces. His Quirk had just proven useless against this foreign enemy. Neither the enemy commander nor her soldiers were susceptible to his Erasure Quirk, which would typically seal any Quirk user's active powers he kept in his sights. Yet not only had the enemy parried All Might with ease, but she blasted him with her explosive Quirk. The implications of that were frightening.

However, he couldn't let that slow him or the team down. He would need to get out there and use his martial arts and binding equipment to immobilize as many of these creatures as possible while the rest of the team focused on backup and rescue operations. Already, he saw Ingenium running on one of the building's exterior corridors towards the stairs leading to the roof. If anyone could speedily grab up the injured heroes on the rooftop and bring them to safety, it was Ingenium: The Turbo Hero.

The lower backup team, lead by Best Jeanist, would act as relief for Mount Lady, Cementoss, and Kamui Woods. Those three had done well to last as long as they had, but with these creatures' raw power and their numbers, they were doomed to lose by sheer attrition. Now, the odds were far more favorable, with a half dozen more professional heroes entering the scene. Once the heroes resolved the battle below, the rooftop fight could be everyone's primary focus.

That still left the enemy commander, "Sondok," to deal with, a threat unlike anything Aizawa had ever seen. It would have been best if the battle hadn't started until Endeavor and other top heroes arrived. Then she could be beaten by a combination of sheer numbers and a variety of attack Quirks. Unfortunately, there was no time to wait, not for Gang Orca, not for Backdraft, and not for the rest of the Fire Supporters.

Eraserhead slid the glass door of the apartment he watched from open and unfurled his long binding scarf toward one of the ape creatures on the roof across from him. Once caught on the arm, he had the beast's full attention as well as several of its companions. He made a valiant show of trying to pull the creature towards the edge of the roof, and as expected, instead, it used its superior mass to pull him hard enough that he could make the jump to the other building. He smiled grimly: finally, something had gone according to plan today.


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The sound of several rapid explosions awoke gang Orca. Everything in his body hurt. His face was wet, and he vaguely understood that he was lying on a puddle of his blood. Harsh burns and fine lacerations covered his body. He reached out through the roof floor with his sonar and was relieved that the other heroes with him were still alive. All of them were injured, but by some miracle, no one died. Not yet.

Just then, he was aware as several of the gigantic creatures lunged towards him threateningly before they found themselves caught up in harsh bindings. It was then that he was forcibly picked up and carried over the shoulder of an armored figure. It took him too long to figure out it was Ingenium. It should have been obvious, but his injuries were making him delirious with blood loss.

"You're heavy," was the only greeting he got from his rescuer. With that, Ingenium moved again with blinding speed, running them both straight down the side of the building.

Gang Orca lost consciousness again, barely regaining it later to see he was lying on a sidewalk several blocks away near a crowd of civilians. Recovery Girl held his hand. His eyes turned towards the frightened public. Before passing out again, his last thoughts were filled with concern for those still fighting and embarrassment over not fighting alongside them. A gust of wind passed over his face as Ingenium arrived once more with another hero over his shoulder, but darkness engulfed his senses before he could see who it was.


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All Might threw a powerful punch toward his left, knocking the hulking brute that charged him clean off of the roof towards the street below. These things he could handle. They could absorb the shock of his punches and come back for more, but Toshinori could overpower them and knock them back far enough that they couldn't swarm him. With Ingenium keeping them off balance and Eraserhead binding small groups of them, he could focus on Sondok.

She was an opponent unlike anything he had ever faced before. Every villain he had gone against had a master plan, a selfish goal that served their own interest. She, however, was a creature of military precision. She dictated and regimented her actions from a sense of duty and pride, and judging by her fighting style, Sondok was a veteran of more battles than he was. All Might was stronger than her but just barely. She, on the other hand, had far more hand to hand combat experience. He had yet to land a single blow as she dodged and deflected every one of them before landing her punches, kicks, or explosions on him.

This was a battle of attrition, and he was going to lose.

All Might needed to do something to change this battle's tempo, to force the confrontation away from the slow bleed of his power. It had occurred to him after she threw his secrets in his face that she probably knew he could only keep up this muscular form for a limited amount of time. It was as if Sondok could read all of his weaknesses like an open book titled How to Beat All Might. If their combat stretched on much longer, he would lose out his strength, and she could finish him off in a single blow. His promise to return Young Midoriya to his mother would be left unfulfilled, his death nothing more than due penance for tearing the young man's dreams down the day before.

All Might was not about to let that happen.

He heard the telltale sound of Present Mic's ear-shattering Quirk from down below. The confusion of battle reverberated all around them. The scent of blood and acrid ash filled the air, mingling with the roar of beasts and the shouts of men and women, each fighting their hardest. One side fought for duty and the other for the survival of their comrades. It was clear that the battle's tide was turning in favor of the other heroes, but All Might was losing to the enemy commander. Once she took him out, he did not doubt that she would make short work of the other heroes, one by one. From the predatory gleam in her starlit eyes, he knew she would take a strange sense of pleasure in it.

He could not let that happen, not when they were so close.

All Might took a concussive blast to his face and fell backward. "Do you see now that your power is the apex of an anthill? Your world is small, and your powers, while many, are weak. You have amused me while rescuing your companions, but press any further, and I will grant my soldiers the permission they need to kill."

He still did not know why she was holding back. If they had no regard for human life, why hold back at all? His gaze fell on the Shell where they had Young Midoriya trapped.

Then he understood. "You're afraid of him, aren't you?"

Her face twitched with barely contained rage. "Tread carefully, mortal."

He braced himself into a protective fighting stance. "He's the only reason you don't kill us all. You know that one day he'll find out… and if your indoctrination isn't complete… he'd become a threat. Maybe not to your entire army, but maybe just you personally. That's it, isn't it… you're afraid of fighting a Prince, aren't you?"

She roared with uncontainable frustration. It was the only opening All Might would get, but just then, he saw across from him the unmistakable giant form of Mount Lady at her full height. His goal changed in less time than a heartbeat. Toshinori charged forward past Sondok towards the shell and put as much power as possible into a solid punch. He would free Midoriya Izuku and would see him brought to safety.

His fist made solid contact with the twisted shell, the Chrysalis as Sondok had called it. The power behind his blow was strong enough to knock it clean into the air, where it hurtled rapidly towards Mount Lady. He spared just enough time to watch her catch it expertly and tuck it under with one arm while using the other for additional support. "Go!" He shouted until his throat felt like it would bleed. Immediately she understood and took off running.

It was only after the adrenaline of the moment had passed that he accepted the gravity of what he had just done. His fist had become a useless mangle of flesh and bone. The hard impact had launched the Shell away, but his arm was broken and useless with cracks and tears in his bones and muscles. All Might still had a powerful enemy to contend with, one that didn't care for his new handicap.

Her next movement was too fast for him to understand. He did not see it, did not feel it. By the time his senses caught up, it was too late. His eyes turned to see her standing next to him with her sword held high. When had she gotten there? When did she draw her sword?

Then all Might felt the horrifying reality of what she had just done. She lunged forward with a single fluid motion and drew her sword into an upward slice, taking with it his outstretched and mangled right hand. His useless appendage was cleanly cut off and sent high into the air. Only then, when his attention had caught up to her movements, did he back away in time to prevent her downward cut from harming him too severely. She made a deep cut into his left pectoral muscle, but his last-minute dodge saved his life.

"That was very stupid," Sondok spoke with complete disdain as she used one long slice in the air to dispel his blood from her sword. "Now I'll have to kill you… all of you."

Why was she talking instead of killing? She could have sliced his head off. If she was fast enough that he couldn't see her before, then she could have taken his life in a single cut. Instead, she took off the hand that was already useless. All Might could tell that even now, she was holding back. Sondok had no fear of him or the other heroes. He struggled to think of what kind of power could frighten this monster of a woman. As things stood, he needed to keep his arms up in front of him and keep the fight going, even with a hand missing. He needed to give Mount Lady a chance to get some distance with Young Midoriya in tow.

He did his best to smile despite the maddening pain from where his hand used to be and the blood that wept from the open wound. "Sorry to make the day so inconvenient for you." He said with as much humor as he could muster. "But I couldn't just let you take him to another world… certainly not without him wanting to go. That boy… is going to be…" He struggled to form words as he became lightheaded. "…a Hero. He's going to fulfill his dreams… and he'll do it right here… even if I have to die to help him."