Death

by tmb1112

Death is a Quirk that can only kill. A perfect Quirk for a villain, but what if the boy who manifested that power just wanted to be a hero? Enrolling in U.A. might not be enough when all your Quirk can do is kill people. Follow Zach Sazaki from his first day in Class A on a story that spans years, as he learns to be a hero, finds out more about his Quirk, and too much to summarize!

230. Chapter 230

Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 230:

Zach walked into Class A and started across the room for his seat. Sero was sitting already to the right of where Zach was going to sit down, and Zach watched as the other black-haired boy opened his mouth wide and yawned before continuing to get out some things from his bag for class. Zach looked over to his left too as he walked towards his chair, glancing Midoriya's direction to check how he was feeling. No sign that the God Book's destruction is bothering him. He'll probably forget about those high flames, one day.

"Zach! Settle a bet," Ashido called Zach to her and Hagakure, and he made his way their direction instead of finishing his walk to his own seat. Homeroom had not started yet so he did not need to sit down immediately, and he went over to the girls near the middle of the room who showed him the magazine the two were looking at with boys' outfits on the open page. Kirishima smirked at him as Zach got caught up in the girls' argument he had been tuning out about style, though his smirk went away as Zach did not appear bothered by it at all and just got in on the conversation which quickly upset Ashido as the outfit he honestly picked right off the bat was the one Hagakure had been talking about putting Ojiro in.

More students filed into their classroom as the day was set to begin. Uraraka entered and stared towards Zach's back as he was leaned over Ashido's seat talking about summer fashion. The brunette kept staring over as she walked down the first column of seats to get to hers, though she turned as she saw the two on her left next to the wall looking that way too. Uraraka glanced down to her side at Tsuyu and then Iida as she moved past their seats to get to her own. The other two were only partially looking Zach's way, though when Uraraka looked they each stopped looking and went for their books instead. Iida stopped though as he reached down for his backpack, instead turning to Uraraka and smiling at her, "Good morning, Uraraka!"

"Iida…kun? Good morning," Uraraka was surprised by his liveliness for a second, but she just smiled back with a sweatdrop after a moment as Iida tended to get worked up like that sometimes. She sweatdropped more as Iida jumped up and yelled out at everyone to take their seats before All Might arrived.

Uraraka sat down and laughed as Sato leaned back in his seat to her left. The tall boy with spiky brown hair put his hands behind his head and mentioned, "Three years and he hasn't changed a bit."

Though this class is so different, Koda thought after hearing what the boy behind him said. He did not even want to look around after having the thought, as there were too many places he could look that would make him sad. Unfortunately, just staring forward and waiting for their homeroom teacher to arrive could only make Aizawa sensei's face appear in Koji's mind, making the boulder-faced teen look down at the top of his desk sadly again. His face rose back up quickly though as Sero called at Iida to take his own seat, and Kirishima turned towards the door while sitting up as if the teacher was already on the way in. Iida rushed back and Koda smiled as the other boys started laughing already since All Might was not there yet.

All Might did come in a minute later though and start class. Class A was all in attendance. All 20 students faced their homeroom teacher who told them some school announcements and more specialized ones for their class. "A guest hero will be joining us to assist with the practical training this afternoon. The Training Hero, formerly All Around Hero: Allsides is coming here at 1:00. Be sure to show him what you can do and give it your best…"

Yaoyorozu nodded along with All Might as she thought on the hero he just mentioned. I wonder if Todoroki has- Yaoyorozu glanced to her right and noticed Todoroki's gaze shifting forward. She almost missed it, but she looked back the other direction and towards Zach who casually scribbled something down, confusing the girl with a spiky ponytail at what he could be taking notes on right now. Strange, but stranger still, Yaoyorozu looked forward again but wondered, Todoroki looked away because I was facing him. Does he not want me to be suspicious? I have not talked to him about it, but I know that he has been informed that I know of Zach's identity. If that is so, then why the attempt to avoid suspicion? Perhaps I am reading too deeply into this.

She wondered her doubt to herself but frowned more that she tried to just brush aside her uneasy feeling. I trust my instincts. Todoroki has something else on his mind now. Something serious. I will ask him about it at lunch.

Fashion huh? Zach looked to his left out the windows while All Might went on with homeroom. Hero fashion can be pretty important. And knowing the right styles matters a lot when it comes to infiltrations. I've been pretty good with that lately. Haven't had anyone call me out on bad style while I'm messing around… In Zach's mind he saw the last time he got all dressed up for an infiltration. His expression soured for a moment as he glared out the windows, thinking of Nakahara Keimin whose confession to killing her husband echoed in his head.

Jirou frowned deeper than Zach was as she looked ahead of her and saw part of the side of his face. The upset way in which he stared out the windows told her he was not thinking about what All Might was saying at all. If you're going to make such a big deal out of it to get yourself back here, at least focus during the days you're in class. Not that you really made a big deal- but you knew Mina would. You knew even that much? There's no way. Even if he knew, he wouldn't- Yeah he would. He'd use it. Just like he used Hagakure to get that Mysti. Somehow even she's forgiven him for that. He completely betrayed her! He must have said something.

Jirou turned and glared out the windows herself just like the boy in front of her was just doing, though Zach got back focused the same time she was turning. Is that all it takes for every single person in here? They all just had a talk with him and forgave him? Todoroki, Kirishima, Hagakure… and even Momo still, she still cares about him. They all do. Not a person in here who still hates you. Not one who would expect you to do something like what you did back then. I don't get why Bakugo doesn't see it. We know you're Death. We know what you've done and, and you wouldn't be back here after doing all that if you weren't working towards some goal. Like this was all just a ploy to lure out your enemies by letting them target you! And it's already working… I knew when you got shot on your way out of Tartaros it wasn't on accident. I knew you'd survive! You let it hit you, just so that your enemies would realize you could be killed that way. Draw them all out.

Or something like that…

Cementoss started his class after All Might left the room. Their Modern Literature teacher had been focusing on villain literature lately, and the final reading of the term and year was an autobiography of a man named Destro that Cementoss discussed with his students as well as giving a wider background lesson on the author himself. "…Destro's 'manifesto,' as some call his autobiographical work, focuses on the goals of his Meta Liberation Army and what they saw as the crimes of governments and heroes of the time to put in place laws and restrictions on Quirk usage. Although I'm sure you've noticed many of the ideals Desto wrote about have made significant strides in contemporary times, it was the violent terroristic acts that the MLA carried out which put innocent civilians in the crossfire that made Destro a villain, not the man's ideology itself. He was not in prison for those beliefs but for the way in which he forcefully attempted to make those ideas stick. If you look at the first paragraph in Chapter 4…"

Guy was way before his time, Zach flipped through the pages of the book and read along with the passage Cementoss was pointing out to them. Then again, those ideas weren't as popular as they became now because the world wasn't ready for them. People choose the society they live in and he tried to force them to live in the one he wanted. If everyone wanted to use Quirks then everyone would have been allowed to use Quirks. That's how the world works. You got tossed in prison because you couldn't figure that out. By trying to force it and killing a bunch of people in the process, you stalled any progress that sane thinkers could have made for far longer than it needed to be. No one wanted to be associated with the mad Destro after his terrorism spree. Fucking moron. Probably could have saved a lot of lives. You might have even ruined my own life… which was necessary. I guess I should thank him then, but I won't. Fuck this guy.

If I'm honest though, it's a well-written book, Zach admitted to himself and even grinned at the verbiage Cementoss just read aloud. The quote made Destro sound all the wiser, which made Zach smile as the guy had said in the previous line about how one day the world would see him for what he really was. No one remembers you as a visionary though, Destro. Barely anyone remembers you at all. The whole movement to allow more people to use Quirks, it's pretty much associated with me. That's what you get for being a terrorist- Ah shit. Zach smirk-grimaced and rose his eyebrows at the thought he just had. Played myself right there.

As Cementoss' lecture was nearing an end, Zach shifted his gaze to the right and looked across the classroom he was in. Under two weeks, but I've been ignoring too much. Focusing too much on after graduation so the decision doesn't sneak up on me, and to keep it from lingering over my head any longer. But there were reasons I came back here. Reasons that had nothing to do with post-graduation. Things I haven't worked on at all and that I'm running out of time for.

Cementoss was only out of the room for a few seconds when Zach stood up. He had waited for Ashido to stand up, though the pink girl noticed he was not looking her way and she just went to Sero's desk anyway as she wanted to get someone's input who agreed with her as she pulled back out her magazine. Zach just wanted Ashido's seat, and he went across the room and leaned against her desk on the inside of the column closer to the wall's. Her desk was on the left of Iida's that was up against the side wall, and Zach stood right next to Iida who turned towards him interestedly and with his eyebrows lifted that Zach came to talk to him between classes.

Asui turned her head slightly and looked towards Zach who noticed her and gave a short look and smile before focusing on Iida. "Hey Iida, so I'm sorry I never really asked. I just realized I don't know what your plans are for after graduation."

Midoriya stared towards the side of Zach's head with his heart racing. Iida's post-graduation plans? Is that all you, want to know? Midoriya looked past Zach and to Iida who looked similarly confused though Midoriya was glad to just see confusion and then a slow nod like Iida was surprised to hear the question but was willing to answer.

Post-graduation? Iida's eyes moved from Zach for a moment then locked quickly back on his classmate's. "I am planning on taking over my brother's agency, as the new Ingenium."

"Still?" Zach wondered, sounding seriously interested rather than like he was just making conversation or like he already knew the answer to this question.

Iida assumed both of the other options first but found his stomach turning over at the intrigued look on his friend's face. "Yeah," Iida replied in a lower voice. He quickly continued, "Tensei nii-san, tells me he is still working on physical therapy, and on perfecting his new legs. However he plans on staying abroad for the foreseeable future in order…"

Uraraka stared in front of her at Iida and Zach talking in only a semi-apprehensive way. She could see Iida's eyes unblocked by any lenses, and she looked back to Zach to see the interested look and nods of him following along with what Iida was talking about. "…Yeah, he lies. I still trust him," Uraraka gulped as Ashido's voice reverberated in her head. She shifted her gaze to her left and across the room, and she caught that pink girl looking over her shoulder in that very moment glancing towards Zach's back and smiling at the sight of him there.

Ashido's crying voice had echoed over the mental image of Zach standing in front of her and Sato watching their old classmate on a walk in the park with Iida not too long ago. She thought of the cold breeze and the chills that had run through her when she caught Zach in the lie. But Mina's voice went on in her head, "No matter how much he lies, that doesn't change anything. Zach lies. That's who he is. That's always been who he is. It's not like he suddenly changed! But just because he lies, doesn't mean I don't trust him." This person in front of me, Uraraka's heart rate settled down into a calm pattern. She watched Zach comment about something that made Iida's lips lift up the smallest amount at the corners for a brief second. He's not lying about this.

"It doesn't matter what're lies and what's the truth, it doesn't mean anything! Do we trust Zach doesn't depend on trusting every word he says! I trust him, because he's always been the best person I've ever known, but also the most vulnerable…" Maybe the story is a lie. I don't know, Uraraka relaxed herself but then curled her hands into fists under her desk determinedly. But not who Zach is! I know Zach too! In Uraraka's head flashed a moment she had thought of a thousand times while Zach was missing. She saw him roll over her again with his body curled over hers. She saw him put his back to the enemy about to shoot her, and the relieved look on his face as he saved her even if it meant he was about to die.

Then, Uraraka pictured Zach standing behind Yaoyorozu, actually taking the shot that time for another of their classmates. He showed her he really had been ready to take the shot for her, a shot Uraraka knew would have killed him. Mina was right.

"…That Dr. Khatri really is amazing," Zach mentioned to Iida Tenya. "You know she's up for an Arutu Prize?"

Iida's chest pounded while he looked into Zach's eyes. Nii-san talked about Dr. Khatri before I heard she was helping with the Sleepless, so I wanted to see if you knew her-

"She made the KO-14's with Dr. Olsen, hence the K. and the O. in the device's name." Zach paused and then added, "Without them, there's no way Kendo would have survived."

Sci-Psi labs. Iida stared at Zach and thought of a brief mention of an R&D department Zach had spoke of in the joint training dome. His heart rate settled down and he just nodded at Zach, while thinking, That Doctor Olsen is someone you're familiar with. That settles it. Sci-Psi was your research department. All those people you dragged into your fight… So many are missing, but they aren't presumed dead. You got them out of there? You said you had the power greater than small nations, so it's possible you have the resources to put those people in witness protection. Still, too many were dragged in.

"Zach, what-" Uraraka started and Zach looked back at the girl who joined in on the conversation. His eyes widened slightly for a moment at the smile on her face as she began, but he smiled back gladly if she was willing to just move past what had happened the other week that at the time felt like the end to any relationship they had together. "What are your plans for after graduation?" Uraraka wondered quickly, lifting back up her smile brightly as it had faltered when she saw the look of surprise he had failed to keep from his face that indicated he never thought she would talk to him in this tone again.

"Me?" Zach wondered back, then he leaned onto Ashido's desk more. 25 seconds left… Don't stall. That's not cool. She wants to talk and just offered some of her friendship back. I can't lie to her again. Stop stalling! I'm not, Zach reminded himself as he was getting annoyed that he was not responding to her. "I don't know," Zach admitted. His voice came out softer than she expected it would, and Iida stared at Zach in surprise as did Asui in front of him but only for a brief moment before the dark-green-haired frog girl looked away and to Aoyama instead as the dazzling blond boy was not talking to anyone in particular but at least was someone to focus on other than Zach behind her.

Midoriya also stared ahead diagonally back to Zach though from Todoroki who he was talking to on his other side away from this conversation he was fully listening to. Zach looked into Uraraka's eyes after lifting his gaze to the ceiling during his response, and he shrugged at the girl but lifted a half smile as he did. "I've got a bunch of ideas, but I'm not sure how best to use my Quirk to help people. I know," he added as if speaking for her response he expected she would have, "it's getting so close already, I should at least have an outline. But I'm just not sure yet."

"Really?" Uraraka wondered. Then before Zach could answer she just nodded at him as if saying he did not need to give a response because she already believed him. I don't know if you really don't have a good plan, but I think you're telling the truth because of what happened that day. Most people would be freaked out if they heard Lifebringer had no direction for after school's over… And I thought you were going to go revive as many people as you could, but Mina said you can't do that either. After China though… It seems like you could just save everyone- or, almost everyone.

TyreFire came in as everyone got back to their seats. Zach nearly sighed at the sight of him as he got open his books. I really thought I might have convinced him to doubt himself. Seems like given enough time away from me he was able to re-convince himself that I'm Death. At least Uraraka didn't seem to be thinking about it. Tsuyu and Iida both were though. Midoriya gave me a weird look too. Now what's up with Bakugo? He looked at me in such a… well, he gave me the same dark and annoyed look as usual. I thought after the fight with Kirishima he had been letting up though.

Zach opened his math book and focused closely on the silver haired teacher's lesson. I'm catching on quickly, Zach thought while writing out an equation that TyreFire was still in the middle of explaining how to do. It's been the studying with Death on the mind. I wanted to catch up, but it made sense to just go ahead and try learning what came next. And master Swahili. Portuguese needed some help too. And history of West Africa. I wish I could have gotten more sleep last night. Forcing it doesn't make sense though. Just to get a good sleep schedule? Just to make myself feel more normal? I'm not. Not anymore.

Midoriya focused on the calculus lesson like Todoroki was on his left. Todoroki's expression remained normal as he looked up to TyreFire then back at his book he wrote in, but Midoriya could not help himself as he tried to do the same. His eyes shifted for a brief moment towards the door of the classroom before locking back on his teacher who turned back their way from the board. I don't like this. Something is… I don't know! Midoriya saw Kirishima struggling on a problem in front of him to his left, and he looked back at his paper quickly and frowned at the harder problem. It's heavy, Midoriya's right hand curled tighter on his pencil but he kept his expression the same as he worked on the calc problem.

---

Ten Days Ago…

"He wasn't sick? Shocker-"

"Kacchan just," Midoriya stopped his childhood friend from speaking. Bakugo paused with his mouth open, but he was the one who interrupted first and just closed his mouth this time instead of snapping again. The dark look on Midoriya's face and the bags under his eyes suggested he might not have slept the night before. "Zach," Midoriya started. He said it quietly. He spoke up and told the spikier-haired boy in front of him, "Zach is much more powerful than me."

He has it all under control now, Midoriya closed his eyes. All weekend. I asked Shoji. Told him I knew and just… That monstrous form he took, that the others saw. That Uraraka thought I needed to know about! He got it all under control. All of that power, Midoriya tried to think it emphatically at himself, try to motivate himself to take it more seriously than he was. All of Ares' power. All of those Limiters. Midoriya let out a heavy breath then looked into Bakugo's small red pupils. "I've discovered for certain, that Zach is stronger than me."

"You have All Might's Quirk-" Bakugo started angrily.

"It doesn't matter," Midoriya countered. He shook his head while saying it, then he looked aside but back at Bakugo when he spoke again at the boy glaring at him and opening his mouth to snap something at him about his insecurity or weakness. "Zach got stronger with every person he killed," Midoriya informed him. "A measurable amount stronger…" He whispered the second part quieter, then he shook his head at Bakugo and added, "And the stronger the person too, the more power and-"

"Do you know how many Zach's killed?" Bakugo asked. His voice was low and there was no anger in it. Rather, he just wanted to know if Zach had told Deku the true total.

Midoriya had to purse his lips as his teeth clenched behind them. I can't repeat what he said about not being able to count how many. Midoriya shook his head once but in an unconvincing way to his oldest friend who just glared at him for keeping it secret though he did not ask a second time. Midoriya whispered while looking away to the right, "I hate this."

Bakugo glared more at Deku but stayed quiet as he saw Midoriya's face scrunch up in an ugly way. The frustration and worry and fear of what he knew and the potential consequences of it. Yet Midoriya imagined Zach in front of him not a week ago, begging Midoriya to kill him. I couldn't let him feel that way. Not as a hero, but- but he wasn't wrong. I fear it because I know that he fears it, and he's shown me moments of weakness! Weakness in moments he can't be a hero- I just- "I hate this feeling," Midoriya vocalized his thoughts as there was a reason he came to Bakugo in the first place.

"Because I love Zach," Midoriya whispered, looking into Bakugo's eyes while saying it aloud. "He's family to me." He has to be. He needs someone and I- I chose to be that person! But that works both ways, and I- Midoriya clenched his teeth as he was not saying these things aloud, and he knew they were affecting his judgement which is why he came to someone who he figured would not be dealing with those same feelings.

"Kacchan, Zach he," Midoriya started this and looked into Katsuki's eyes as he decided to speak it aloud to someone else for the first time. "Zach followed me up to Hokkaido during our second year internships. Picking Bikergang," Midoriya bit down for a moment while Bakugo's eyes widened for a split second at the idea of what Midoriya was saying. "I didn't know, but he… he chose his internship up there solely to protect me, because he believed I would be the next Symbol of Peace. And I hated it when All Might told me the truth, because I felt like- and at the time too, like Zach shouldn't have- after all the good he's done?"

Midoriya paused as he was finding a hard time to put these thoughts into even coherent sentences. Why? Why is it always- "Zach's always thought so highly of me. Higher than anyone else has." Midoriya looked into Bakugo's eyes and did not want to sound like he was bragging, so he reminded, "All the way back to when he was being tortured." Midoriya's face scrunched up more and his eyes squinted looking to get watery as he thought on the video they watched during the Sports Festival. Bakugo could think of the exact scene as it played out in his own head too.

They each thought of the moment they thought Zach was about to give up Midoriya's Quirk to Shigaraki. "Kill, Midoriya?"

"Midoriya's going to save me." Bakugo thought the line but immediately his eyes opened up wider for a different reason.

"I had failed him at the Villain Training Simulator," Midoriya whispered as he thought back on the SFI and that video he had not understood at the time. And even years later he still thought on it in more confusion than anything else, "But maybe, just trying to stop that Nomu from dragging him away…" Midoriya seethed through his teeth in a pained way, "Zach thought I would save him even in that hopeless scenario, getting carved up by Shigaraki Tomura."

Bakugo's tssked and had to look away from Midoriya who stared back at him confusedly for that. "I," Bakugo muttered. He grimaced and then muttered, "It was before that even."

Midoriya looked at Bakugo confusedly, only for Bakugo to mention, "When we were in the villains' base in Camino Ward. Zach had mentioned something about it out of nowhere how our classmates would find us to try and save us. And specifically," Bakugo looked up into Deku's eyes and said darkly to his classmate whose heart was violently pounding in his chest, "You, Deku."

Bakugo paused then admitted, "Zach might have been doing it to try and get under Shigaraki's skin, but it looked to come so easy to him like he really thought it was going to happen." Bakugo frowned deeper after saying it, And I didn't think he was on to something. I thought he was talking out his ass, but you came. He wasn't wrong, Deku.

Midoriya bowed his head and closed his eyes at the thought of what Bakugo was saying. What did I do to make Zach believe in me so much? Midoriya bit down and his expression hardened. Bakugo was not expecting the shift to come so quickly even after what he just admitted to his childhood friend, but he nodded as Deku told him intensely, "It doesn't matter. How much we care about each other. What I think of him, or him me, it's too complicated. But there are obligations I have to follow. And I know if it comes to it and I have to arrest Zach, I will."

The curly-haired boy paused and then whispered, "But now I'm not so sure Zach would let me."

So you were sure that he would at one point? What made you change your mind? Or, what changed his, if you were right about it back then? Bakugo thought quickly without asking Midoriya to tell him straight out what Zach and him talked about as he had avoided ever since Midoriya pulled out of the investigation. He held his tongue when he wanted again to ask about the night that Midoriya got Zach back to U.A., but he started frowning deeper as Deku continued, "Zach's gotten even darker, and stronger, but he's back home and happy and has reconnected with everyone… I don't know if he'd go quietly back to Tartaros, and that's why I had to come here."

Bakugo glared down his classmate whose tone made him think he was already going to disagree with what Deku had to say. "If it comes to it and we have to fight Zach, Kacchan," Midoriya told his friend. "We have to be willing to do anything to stop him."

Bakugo's eyes narrowed and a pissed off look covered his face. That only lasted a moment though, before his look shifted with his eyes widening more and then his eyebrows narrowing even farther with a feeling of disgust rising from just an unnerving feeling. He thought Deku just meant that they would have to fight together again which Bakugo was already angry at and disagreed completely with. The way they beat the April Fool's Day Villain still left a bad taste in his mouth, and he was glad Zach happened to return on that day, as it kept their fight from becoming the massive event it could have been considered as. Bakugo felt like Midoriya was talking about something more than that though, and he got unnerved at what he might be suggesting there.

"Are you really suggesting, using some underhanded tactics to get him? Betraying Zach or tricking him, instead of going for him straight-on?" Bakugo's pissed off tone flustered and frustrated Midoriya more, as Bakugo had been the one most against letting Zach come back to U.A. so he had hoped it would be easiest to say it to him.

Midoriya opened his mouth to defend himself, a part of him realizing that of course Kacchan would be the one to hate this kind of fighting the most. A different part of him stopped him from cutting back on what he just suggested though. It was the same part that led him to think in an even darker way, If only I had died before. It would change the game. Even things out if just a little. "Zach's so powerful though," Midoriya whispered in disagreement with Bakugo's vehement denial of any attempt to use underhanded methods to stop him. "And, I don't know if I could get around Death."

"Really," Midoriya started with a raise of his tone. His voice was candid and he spoke directly to his friend to show him he was not just bringing this up in some small fear or insecurity. "I don't think I could beat Zach in a perfect victory. Not without getting hit once, and for Zach, that's all he needs…" Midoriya trailed off, because Bakugo grinned madly at what he just said. Midoriya shook his head and looked back down that Bakugo was not treating it as seriously as he was. Bakugo snapped at him to get out though after seeing Deku's 'pathetic' look, and Midoriya backed off with just one hesitant glance back towards Kacchan again whose smile was flashing through his mind along with one that came in a memory.

Deku thought back on the day that Lemillion brought him and Bakugo in on the investigation into Zach. I never understood, Kacchan, Midoriya thought. He imagined the smirk he had seen that day too. He's our friend. You didn't want him coming back to U.A., but I don't understand how you can be excited by this…

---

Present

Midoriya watched as Midnight sensei entered Class A. He went into his backpack and pulled out a thin textbook on villain iconography and symbolism since the dawn of Quirks. Think about the history. Midoriya read the title of the textbook and found himself staring at the 'Dawn of Quirks' part of the title in absolute disdain. All lies. Zach knew. Eziano was saying all that stuff, and Zach countered that Eziano must not have had spies in Shiketsu? Was Zach already talking about… about what? He expected Eziano was alive since before Quirks. Zach predicted so much. He tells me he knew the existence of a mastermind behind Eziano was a distinct possibility. It's just… Midoriya's heart clenched up but he imagined Zach lifting up that black sword over Ares' body. He killed again.

Villains tend to like triangles. That isn't a new thing though, Midnight, Zach followed along with the sexy hero's lesson. I don't know if the three points really have a, point, though. The Illuminati were real. At least until Eziano got bored of the leadership inside them that acted too much without his direct orders or permission. But why if you were going to destroy them, allow the Fourth Eye to form as it did? They were just as strong! Or was it because he knew Ares was behind Fergus too- Zach lifted his eyebrows as Midnight mentioned something about the history of triangles. Delta? As in change. Villains like change. Any villain with an ideology is pushing that because the current society doesn't accept them. It, makes sense.

Zach jotted down some notes on his notebook. It's not everyone. Midnight sensei is an experienced heroine. She's amazing. So maybe it's because she knows me that she's failing. Zach closed his eyes and then tried to refocus as Midnight started drawing a diagram of different triangles used as symbols or hidden inside of symbols of various villains groups including one famous one in Japan that all the students knew about. Most of the students had never seen the Braizos' symbol before though.

The group had been defeated before the students were even born. The only reason they knew of that defunct villain group All Might had defeated was because two of its lieutenants were now on the nation's top 10 most wanted list. Mother Russia had already gone into full lessons for both Tartaros escapees Sonic and Meta. They listened now to Midnight as she discussed more on Traxx's ideology and the connection to the triangle inside of the larger logo that the Braizos' leader had created himself back in the day.

"…Making inferences based on even the smallest things can give you a deeper analysis into the mind of the villains you are going after. When a villain group releases a design like this, some heroes spend hours to days just sitting around and evaluating every last thing they can about the villains from their symbols alone." Midnight lifted up her chalk and drew out a replica of the Braizos' design that was in the new version of the textbook that her class had open.

Her outline came out to perfectly match the one in the book. She drew the same triangle inside of the wider logo off to the right side of it and drew a line off from the bottom line. She started writing different theories from heroes specializing in psychologically analyzing villains based off their symbolism. "Midnight sensei," Mineta started. The teacher turned her head and looked to the shortest boy in class who looked up from his page while she was talking. He looked apologetically that he had interrupted, but he questioned, "How does the rigidity of the triangle come to terms with the fact that it's also the Delta symbol? I get that it kind of represents strength, if you look at it that way, but change and stuff seems like the opposite of rigidness. So couldn't heroes trying to just use a triangle to figure stuff out about them, come to the complete opposite assumption of what they're trying to do?"

"Very good question, Mineta," Midnight looked surprised by the interest he was taking in the lesson. Her eyes stayed solely on Mineta instead of shifting around at the other students, some of whom looked his way too in that moment. A few of them barely gave Mineta a glance though.

10:58 huh? Zach could see the clock over the door to the classroom. I can stay focused for another… No. No I really, can't pretend anymore.

Midnight started in response to the question, "Heroes need to make these inferences based on all the information they have and that has been passed down from heroes before them. That is not to say they make broad assumptions based on this knowledge alone. Psychology is a hard thing to attach to different subjects, and especially to hero work, when so often villains can turn around and surprise you with their actions." Midnight turned back to the board and continued, "Knowing the different meanings that the symbols could have will help you when you get more specific information on them. If you are already thinking that they think in some specific kind of way, you can save time and skip steps of reasoning and uncovering motives."

Zach's pencil stopped moving on the page he was writing on. The pencil stopped just as Midnight stopped speaking. Behind him and behind Jirou's seat, Bakugo kept his gaze on Midnight but lowered his pencil to the desk with his right hand while his left curled tighter into the edge of his desk. To the right of Bakugo and in the back row, Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes snapped towards Zach's stopped pencil that seemed to come to too abrupt a stop on the page. A bead of sweat rolled down the right side of Midoriya's face. Yaoyorozu darted her eyes towards Zach's stopped pencil, then to her right at Todoroki, her heart rate speeding up rapidly to almost catch up to the heart rate of their teacher as she continued writing in chalk on the board.

"But wouldn't having those preconceptions also slow you down, in times when none of the inferences you made beforehand-"

Mineta was in the middle of speaking when a voice spoke over him. "Before we begin…" Mineta paused with his mouth open and turned to Zach in confusion as he was interrupted. Mineta's face started covering in sweat at the same moment he saw Zach staring straight ahead through the back of Hagakure's head. His lips were flat and his expression completely blank but dark as he stared ahead at the wall but also not at the wall he was facing.

Midnight's hand froze with the chalk in it breaking partially against the board, her eyes huge. Uraraka spun to her left as Zach spoke up, but her heart only really started pounding like crazy as she saw the way their teacher froze in the front of the room with her hand holding the chalk chipping it against the board. She saw in the right corner of her vision both Iida and Asui frozen in their seats with their gazes locked ahead in panic, and she saw the sweat on Midoriya's face and the tensing up of his entire body. She would have gasped but it was like all the air got sucked out of the room in an instant.

"…I just want to say, none of us are going to enjoy this." Zach finished in that same steady voice.

There was no pause between the first thing he said and the second part, but Bakugo's face twisted with his lips pulling up at the corners only to drop instantly by the end of the sentence. Bakugo's left hand snapped forward and grabbed Jirou by the back of her school uniform's collar while her mouth was opening so she could yell out asking what was going on.

"Lifebringer don't!" Midnight spun around and started yelling at that same moment as the chalk dropped from her right hand.

Todoroki was the fastest to react. His right foot stomped down while he shot out of his seat. His foot had already been rising the moment Zach stopped moving his pencil. He slammed his foot down and a line of ice cut across the floor right under the other desks in the way. Bakugo blasted his right palm forward in front of the girl he yanked right out of her seat with his other hand. Jirou was yelling out in panic as Bakugo gripped her by the shirt and pulled back, but she had to clench her eyes shut as an explosion hit in front of her to blast her and Bakugo both backwards.

BOO-CRRSHHHSSHHHHH!

Yaoyorozu leaned out of the way and nearly fell as she was jumping out of her seat at the same time Bakugo and Jirou came flying back. She leaned away then looked towards Zach's seat and the one behind his that had been more caught up with the insanely huge ice spike that just shook the entire U.A. school building. By pulling Jirou backwards first, Bakugo had given enough room for Todoroki who still made the ice spike so huge it almost caught Hagakure up in it too. The ice pushed into the back of her seat rather than freezing it though, skidding her across the gap into the teacher's desk while Todoroki's spike just completely annihilated Zach's seat and most of Jirou's.

"Students! Stay where you are!" Midnight yelled at the majority of the class, even as a group of five all shot towards the ice spike at the same time that a huge fissure ripped in it.

Todoroki's ice was more precise than ever. Not only did it connect directly with Zach, but it pushed him forward as the ice continued to be made. He extended more of the ice off the end of the spike while still making it longer from the base, all with a single stomp, to put Zach into the direct center of a spike that expanded exponentially outside of the building to rise up four hundred feet in the air. It extended out over the fields outside, regular training areas and the campus outdoors that had been oddly empty for the past several minutes. No class was out there at the time, but Zach had noticed that there were not even birds flying up in the sky despite it being mid-spring.

A black explosion in the middle of the ice turned the single ice spike into a hail of a thousand ice shards. "Zach is under arrest!" Midnight yelled at her students who were all getting ready for action and did not know what they should be doing now. "They found proof against him, and he is under arrest for the crime of being Death and all that entails…"

Yaoyorozu ignored Midnight and heard her voice only as a hum in her mind. She already knew that though. She stepped towards the base of the massive ice spike that was falling apart in front of her. Bakugo and Midoriya were fastest to move after Todoroki had created the ice. Neither thought it would last more than a second, and they flew by on either side of a girl who was somehow even faster than them to get that close with her right hand lifting up and towards the ripped open side of their classroom. "Z-" she froze with the sound failing. He had already broken the ice. He was so far already. And she instinctively knew only one word would reach him before he was too far.

"Goodbye-" She could not find her full voice, so she did not yell or scream it. But it was as if her voice was solely meant to travel out the widened open window and forward, as she gasped out loudly in that pained tone. Midoriya flew by Yaoyorozu as she called it out, and his teeth clenched in the moment before he sped up being outside of the classroom where he could use more of his power. He put his feet on top of a chunk of ice that he sent slamming into the ground after shattering into a million pieces that all imbedded deep in the grass. Other ice pieces below him all turned to nothing but steam as Bakugo's following Explosion melted and evaporated them in near instant sublimation.

Jirou turned her head after she sat up from where Bakugo just tossed her backwards, and she stared towards Momo with the shock of the initial moves all fading away faster at that one shout. She stared towards her best friend in more disbelief than anyone else though even as the shock died down, because as stunned as she was by what was going on, she remembered talking with Yaoyorozu on the anniversary of her first kiss with Zach. "Goodbye?" Is that… Jirou turned and looked to the hole in the wall where wind just blasted in from due to the liftoffs of Bakugo and Midoriya who were far too fast to keep impacts of their movements from affecting the classroom. It can't be.

---

Last Night…

Midoriya sat on the edge of his bed staring down at his phone and the face of the pro hero he was interning with on it. Lemilion's visage was in the center of the screen. Above it and on the top right corner of the image was a small white circle with the number 43 next to it, telling Midoriya how many people were in the video call and why it was only focused on the person who had made the call. The screen would shift to show multiple images or just focus on the one where the most noise was coming from the other side throughout the conference call, but it stayed locked on Lemillion for now as he spoke to everyone listening silently to the de-facto third ranked hero in Japan.

"…Due to new evidence, Lifebringer has been charged with a variety of crimes all attributed to the fact that he is Death. This would normally call for an immediate move to arrest him, as I have already secured a warrant for his arrest. However, I have been in contact with Zach Sazaki since his return to Japan. Deku," Lemillion paused as he singled out one of his interns. "I know you have pulled out of the Lifebringer investigation, but this is no longer an investigation."

Midoriya was staring straight into Lemillion's eyes. He knew Togata had isolated his image too from his phone so the two were making eye contact. It took another second, but Deku nodded his head seriously back at the pro giving him a discerning look. "I know Lifebringer is your friend," Lemillion continued. "I know he is the friend of many of you, and others in this call may appreciate what he does and what he has done. All of you need to understand something though, something that I feel will come best from Deku. Deku, tell me."

The eighteen year old with curly green hair clenched his fists at what Lemillion was doing right now. He kept his mouth shut for a few more seconds though to let Lemillion finish. "It is my belief that should we attempt to arrest Lifebringer, he will flee. Deku, if we attempt to arrest him, do you believe Lifebringer would come quietly?"

Midoriya's forehead furled and he pursed his lips. Back on Inazuma, he thought back to his friend sitting on the chair he had just molded for himself. He sat there waiting for me to make my decision. And I thought, that he would accept whatever I decided. He told Darling he was going to stay…

"…So if you're thinking about telling me when you change your mind, this is your warning. I will defend myself. If you come after me," Midoriya bit down but he looked back into Lemillion's eyes as he heard Zach finishing that threat. "I will crush you." Midoriya bit down even harder as he thought of his own fears on the matter that had persisted ever since Zach made that threat. No matter how much they had been through since then, he imagined Zach after killing Ares warning him that his mind might change even more in the future. He looked at his phone screen and replied, "There's a chance, he tries to run."

"Then it's too much of a risk to move in without a contingency," Lemillion responded immediately. "Just that chance, we need to understand, is the risk that the most wanted man in the world will slip through our fingers."

Midoriya had to look away from the screen as Lemillion continued in that way. He imagined back into the dark alley after Ashido had begged them to go after Zach. He saw his friend standing there with darkness covering more and more of him. He saw the black katana that Zach held out in front of him and stretched down the alley. Deku could imagine the black spiderwebs pulling in on the sides of his terrifying face when Zach thought Deku and Nezu were just trying to stop him from leaving. It won't be that simple. I know, he doesn't want to be caught! But-

"Right now, in this call," Lemillion said sternly to the group he had gathered in the call. It had people from other rooms in Midoriya's building and in rooms in the building next door, as well as various other heroes both from Japan and abroad. Lemillion spoke to them in a dark voice, "We will determine how to take down Lifebringer, or, Death."

"Even though there's a chance," Midoriya spoke up before letting Togata get farther into this. Lemillion frowned at him, sympathetically but sternly for Midoriya to quiet down. "You don't understand him-"

"If even his friend thinks he could resist an arrest attempt," Ryukyu spoke up with her face appearing split on the screen with Lemillion's for a moment.

"Deku, I do not trust Lifebringer," Lemillion said. He said it in a low voice and also to everyone in the call, not just to Midoriya. "I believe that Lifebringer may be mentally unstable." Lemillion softened his own look for a moment even as he thought on what Lifebringer did to Faith and how the boy had acted towards him since returning. "Last time he disappeared no one ever caught him. If we do not capture him in one shot, I do not think anyone will ever see him again. If you cannot tell me there is a 0 percent chance Sazaki will run, Deku, then we need to take this as a certainty to prevent the worst case scenario."

Midoriya's fists curled so much tighter. His face filled with frustration but he looked down and started shaking his head. "There, isn't a zero percent chance…"

---

Present

Zach flew up through the last of the falling ice, then he swerved to his right and dodged the giant woman who just dropped from the sky and missed him with her huge hands she threw down to grab him with. Zach spiraled off to the right, but he instantly cut back towards Mt. Lady instead of farther away from her in the direction he would be most likely to dodge after the falling giant failed to grab him. The giant dragon and flying girl with long black hair flying towards that spot out of nowhere spun as Lifebringer darted back the other way faster than either of them could fly.

Popfire and Ryukyu slowed down as they watched the speed of the boy who neither of them could attempt to match. He spun around and around Mt. Lady's right arm that was still extended out. Then he cut towards the left side of her head but around the right while she was partially turned, making her try snapping her head back the other way while her feet got jumbled up and stumbled around. "Lifebringer! Don't run-" Mt. Lady's voice was pleading as she spun around, trying to follow the boy flying past her.

"Everyone stay in your seats!" TyreFire yelled at the classroom in front of him. Class B spun towards their teacher after they had shot up and made like they were going to take part in whatever was going on. TyreFire was only one of dozens of teachers who needed to keep their classes where they were, though he had to add to the students in front of him, "Your missing classmates are in the middle of a mission on this campus."

"Oh no," Kendo's lips twisted and her eyes filled with water immediately.

Monoma put his hands up through his hair and glanced over to Kuroiro who slouched down in his seat with a dark look towards the windows. Kuroiro looked right by Honenuki, Bondo, and Tsuburaba's seats, all three of which were empty of the students who usually sat in them. Kuroiro's gaze shifted a little behind him too at the empty seat that Nirengeki Shoda once sat in, which a different boy with long wavy indigo hair had been sitting for much of the past two years.

Shinso Hitoshi was running down on the ground outside the main school building with two of his other classmates. Honenuki and Bondo were ready for a ground battle if they could force Zach down to the surface as was the main goal here of the heroes in the air. Those heroes included their friend Tsuburaba who was up high and staring towards Lifebringer in such an uneasy way as that other teenager rose towards him. That pitch black mass did not look like the guy he had had lunch with during his ski trip. It looked terrifying. And it rose rapidly up in the sky towards where he had created Solid Air boundaries all over the place that were invisible to the human eye.

Zach turned before reaching where Tsuburaba was being held up by Sky-Girl. The Feisty Foursome member glared down intensely towards Sazaki, pushing aside her feelings for the boy who had revived her best friend Plucky a couple years ago from her horrible death at the hands of the Chemist. Sky-Girl's teeth ground in frustration as the boy stopped flying up towards them, falling right into one of Lemillion's traps as he avoided reaching the Solid Air boundaries by cutting sharply to the north-

Zach's body slammed into an invisible barrier. I saw Bakugo break one of these. Zach could see Bakugo and Midoriya rising up fast below him. He pulled back from the wall then smashed back into it with full force. Death crashed into the wall in waves. His whole body looked to turn into a raging whirlwind so thick and yet constantly slamming into the wall with more and more as it got stronger and stronger. Zach's body grew and turned wild as it smashed violently all along the wall the Death started sliding up and down on as well-

I've felt this kind of material before! Zach pulled off as it was not Tsuburaba's Solid Air that he was slamming into. His being up here is a misdirect. Cyn-Thia is hiding. They wouldn't use her Quirk for Tartaros if I could smash through with brute force alone. Zach eased off the almost completely translucent wall that he could only really see with complete focus on it, though he could not tell where the edges were and where Cyn-Thia was or what other walls she had put up for him. He knew now why the birds had not been flying in the air around the school. She's set traps all over the place.

Zach turned his head and body while easing away from Cyn-Thia's wall that had blocked him for too long. Most of their tactics are to stall me. There are only a few around here who they think can stop me. But you know! Don't you? Zach's face was hidden by the veil of darkness. The only defining feature of him besides the constantly shifting shape of the black mass were two red eyes that glowed near the head shape that was returning to a more humanoid form now.

Zach's long thin bat wings stretched out of his back. Out from the soles of his feet pushed dark flames that kept him hovering perfectly in place, with the wings allowing him for movement in all directions with much faster bursts of speed that could be added to blasts of Death out in any way he chose. His red eyes glared at Deku for a moment before darting back to Bakugo who pointed his right hand at his body and blew his school uniform right off. His heat resistant tighter costume was underneath his clothes. He did not have all of his support gear as it would have shown through the clothes, just as Midoriya had flown straight through some of his uniform to reveal the tighter green costume than his normal one that was below it and which was able to resist the speeds at which Midoriya had chased Zach hundreds of feet into the air.

Down below, Todoroki created a new huge spike of ice that rose to forty feet below Zach's legs. Iida's Engines sped up without him going into Recipro, while Tsuyu pulled her tongue back into her mouth and grabbed onto Iida's back with her hands and feet after wrapping around his torso as he sprinted away.

"Creati! Keep your class inside," Midnight ordered the vice-rep of Class A who stared towards Midnight in agony for a single moment before nodding painfully at her but in a serious way showing she understood. As Midnight ran to the hole in the wall and jumped out into FlyGuy's arms, Creati darted her eyes towards Ashido and Sero in particular.

"What is this-" Kirishima started stomping towards the hole in the wall, anger and pain all over his expression.

"Kirishima," Shoji snapped. He recovered quickly too from the shock of what was happening. The shock did not last too long, when almost every one of them knew in the back of their minds that this was a distinct possibility from the day Zach entered their class again.

"Everyone," Yaoyorozu started after Kirishima slowed because of Shoji standing in his way closer to the hole in the wall of their school. The class looked to Yaoyorozu. They looked to the tallest girl in the class and the one who looked as hurt as any of them by the current developments. Uraraka leaned back and her eyes shook at the steady way Yaoyorozu stood there between them and getting involved. Momo looked into Ashido's eyes as her pink friend stumbled closer to her, but Yaoyorozu shook her head instead of returning the same look her friend gave her. "We must hope, that they can capture Zach," Yaoyorozu told her friends in front of her who she could see what their biggest fears were in their eyes.

You don't believe that yourself though, Sero thought as he stared at the girl closest to right in front of him. He thought of what she had shouted over the sound of all the crashing and explosions. His teeth clenched and he looked past her while walking towards the open wall of the class. "I'm not interfering," Sero muttered while walking by. "I just need to see," he whispered, and he stared up into the sky towards the three who were already up there facing each other even only a few seconds after they had rushed out of the building.

Midoriya and Bakugo had flown up past Mt. Lady whose head was turning one way and then spinning the other way as she lost Zach who had messed her up and almost made her trip over her own feet. Her eyes opened twice as wide as Lifebringer was too fast to chase, but so were the other two who shot by here and made a wave of heat and wind slam into her face.

Zach had gotten out of Mt. Lady's range which put him out of range of everyone down on the ground level. Vixen frowned but looked to the boys behind her in Class B, "Move to secondary trap location." She was in charge of Honenuki already as his pro hero, but Bondo and Shinso nodded at her too and started running after the woman who had to make a specific path to get to their next location because of the hidden traps and invisible walls that were down on the ground too.

Lemillion phased through the wall behind that group as the initial trap failed because of Sazaki making his move a minute earlier than they were planning on making theirs. He sprinted forward and stared up in the air while Scorchle ran up on his right side with Ape Man and Presto Change-o rushing up right behind Lemillion's sidekick who was faster than the two of them and had flames coming off the soles of his feet with each step.

"Zach!" Deku shouted towards his classmate whose red eyes darted from him to Bakugo and back again, spinning around his head rapidly with no sign of where his neck was or what direction his head was actually facing. His neck showed no spinal barrier stopping him turning a full 360 degrees, and his eyes showed a battle readiness to them like he was already in the middle of this fight only seconds in. Was he preparing for us all morning? How long did he know this was coming?! "You need-"

Zach shot at Deku first. He cut to the left. Midoriya was surprised as Zach came right at him to attack. All of his hesitations and doubts, and his belief that Zach was not going to try to fight at all but just run, were fully shaken in the brief instant as Zach looked completely ready to attack him and knock him out. He knew that one mistake would be all it took, and yet that brief surprise at Zach's movement straight at him was all it took- and Bakugo also believed that Deku's single hesitation was going to take him out for the rest of the fight, making him fly forward twice as fast as he shouted, "Deku you idi-"

Zach cut so hard to the left that he left a gap between Bakugo and Deku who realized his mistake but instead of leaning backwards leaned forward instead to attack and try to do what he thought Zach would least expect. Bakugo put his hands in front of him to make an Explosion to stop his rapid momentum, but he was too close to Deku already and that Explosion was going to hit his classmate. He still did it, making Deku yell out as Bakugo attacked him, but Bakugo did lower the power of the Explosion he created. By lowering the power from what he needed to stop his momentum though, Bakugo still went through his own blast and hit Midoriya who was pulling away from the burning heat in front of him so the two had to turn themselves around in the air.

A hexagon-shaped shield rose into Zach's path as he shot a direction he did not think Cyn-Thia had put any walls. Crust too? Zach darted his eyes down to the floor where one of the potential top 10s in the nation was firing more of his Shields into the air with tears pouring out of his eyes that he had to do this. He was a former top 10 in the nation which led many people to just consider him as one again ever since the Koimou Massacre, but Zach was still surprised his big stone-like Shields could reach this high up just from Crust throwing them.

Zach lifted his hands quickly up to the sides of his head as a piercing noise slammed into him. His arms rose slower than he attempted to raise them, and he darted his gaze to Mt. Lady who had a man on her head standing between the purple horns of her mask. Gang Orca focused his Orcinus Quirk's hypersonic waves directly towards the position in the sky that he was tasked with guarding in this situation they found themselves in. "The boy's power isn't infinite. I could see him getting tired, but, something was strange about the way he fought us." Gang Orca listened to a colleague and good friend of his' voice that echoed through his mind. He pictured Best Jeanist's face, and he heard the man who had tested Lifebringer at the auxiliary Hero Licensing Exam. "He used just enough power to beat us. Some of my sidekicks believe he was 'just' that much stronger, and that if we planned a different way we could have beaten him. I could sense it was something different. That no matter what we had done… he still would have beaten us by just that much."

Gang Orca rose the volume of his piercing cry, and yet Sazaki was not paralyzed. If anything, the boy lowered his arms that he had originally risen to his head as if the sound had been affecting him. He moved his arms more calmly while his head was filled with no noise at all. Zach had to back off though as a pair of orange light beams flew in front of him and then a huge jet of flames shot up behind them but even closer to Zach so they were more on target to hit him than Popfire's attack.

Todoroki knew Zach's strength though and did not expect his attack to hit even if he aimed directly at his classmate. So he aimed at Zach, and he forced him back closer to Bakugo and Midoriya who were at Zach's back now after the moment it took them to steady themselves in the air in which top heroes in the nation had to stop Zach from escaping. He won't be stopped by them a second time, Todoroki knew, expecting Zach to get around every method used against him if that method was attempted twice.

I went to the auxiliary licensing exam for this purpose alone. A test they set up specifically for Zach, in which us heroes were allowed to come watch how he fights to better prepare for him. It may not be what the Prime Minister's purpose was when he announced it or why other heroes went to watch him. I know some of us went there just for this though. For right now. For seeing how he fought and being ready for when this came. Todoroki's flames had slowed him down and made him push more energy into his ice to keep the rest of his spike steady, slowing him enough that Iida sped past him with Tsuyu sliding down his back to get ready to plant her muscular legs at the top of the ice spike for a jump.

I knew it when I watched him outside of Desusuta, Todoroki thought as he saw Zach evade the two up in the air again, though just as Zach was not going to fall for something twice, Midoriya and Bakugo did not hit each other this time and were right on his tail as Zach cut a different direction to try and escape them upwards this time. Tsuburaba's Solid Air barriers were not as hard as Cyn walls, but they were camouflaged and mixed in with Cyn barriers so even as Zach managed to smash through a couple of them, he wound up getting caught on a Cyn wall scattered among the smaller barriers that Midoriya and Bakugo were able to avoid easier being the ones on Zach's tail.

Todoroki leveled out a ramp at the top of his ice spike as Bakugo blasted fast up above Zach and did a flip with his leg spinning over the top of Zach's head. Sparks came out of his shin but more came out of his calf first which sped up that leg so the shin was right above Zach's head before any of the darkness that was seeping out of it ready to shoot up into Bakugo could move. Bakugo's leg was just over those wisps in half a millisecond as the Explosion went off behind his calf, then the second blast came off of his shin and slammed that darkness back into Zach's body and just barely caught part of Zach's face in the blast too, though Zach was soaring out of the air after snapping his wings upwards for the first time mixed with a miniature blast of Death out of his stomach that sped him the extra amount to dodge Midoriya's left handed punch at almost point blank into his side that was going to stop only millimeters from touching.

I watched you fight the Subspace Devils as best I could, Todoroki could see Zach spiral out below the huge tunnel of wind force that Midoriya's punch created which broke several of Tsuburaba's Solid Airs. The funnel of force also cracked a Cyn wall that made Cyn-Thia drop her jaw down on the surface where she just got her new positioning order from Lemillion. Todoroki launched himself up off his ice spike after Iida and Tsuyu who were reaching where Zach just dodged Midoriya's attack. But he blocked his fighting for most of the fight with that wall of Death he put up between the cameras and him. The only time we got a real look at his fighting was at the joint training. Most of our class said the same things though: Zach had defeated them without his Quirk. It was inside smoke so they didn't see much. It happened so fast they couldn't follow what happened.

I felt the same way. It had happened in an instant. Just like Kirishima was that angry, I was frustrated at myself too because I failed to get any useful information about Zach's fighting style. Todoroki knew it as he soared towards Zach who moved his body to the side but let his right arm lag behind so Tsuyu's tongue wrapped around it like she just barely caught it. His arm was already fading into wisps though when her tongue got around it, and when it pulled tight, Zach's arm split in the middle before she even got a grip so her tongue slipped right through it and made her spin out in the air.

Iida had already released from the girl he had risen hundreds of feet into the air with. He flew towards Zach where he had dodged Tsuyu, where he had talked to Tsuyu about beforehand that she should launch him off to. His body was aching without his armor though his eyes did not water as he put on a pair of goggles right as he started sprinting, and he definitely needed them when he used Reciproburst as Zach started to dodge. Zach moved towards Iida in the moment of attack and his body exploded out in all directions around his classmate.

A sphere of Death erupted around Iida who was spinning around with blue light coming out of one of his calves. Iida's jaw dropped as an entire ball of darkness completely surrounded him with no sign of which direction Zach's real body was at, if there was one at all. His Quirk- Iida realized in that moment, that he had no idea the specifics of Zach's Quirk. He and Tsuyu had shown off their teamwork in the Sports Festival the year of the SFI when they fought against Bakugo. The two had teamed up that year in knowledge that Bakugo was their hardest opponent, and they lost against him anyway but had shown off some amazing teamwork. Zach, on the other hand, had never shown off his Quirk. He hid his power from everyone. He barely used it at all in front of them.

Todoroki realized it even before Iida fell through the bottom of Zach's sphere that opened up to drop him out of the air. Midoriya's eyes opened huge as Zach just let Iida and Tsuyu drop, and he shot past his classmate just moving close enough to try and get him to fall more into Todoroki's range. He's never been serious. Midoriya said it last night. It wasn't until he broke that ice in an instant that I really got it. This is the real deal. And Zach is that much stronger than everyone that he was able to hide this real power for so long in preparation for today! Ready to fight us with techniques none of us know about! I'm ready though. Ready to fight and stop Zach… before he disappears forever!

Todoroki rose towards Zach with his right and left hands raising, his feet turning behind him and his body spiraling up through the air at his classmate whose focus got so much more locked on Todoroki than it was on Iida and Tsuyu.

"Stay near me," Incognito told the others she was jogging with while staring up into the sky. It's not just infiltration. Not just disguising himself and acting like a villain. Not just the power to revive thousands and take down villain groups on his own. This kid's unstoppable. She felt fear at the sight of him getting behind Shoto Todoroki right as the son of Endeavor made his attacks. Zach was behind Todoroki's back and under a foot away facing the back of Todoroki's head.

"Where is Endeavor?" Zach wondered it and tilted his head to the side to look around the side of Todoorki's face. "Not here then," Zach acknowledged without pausing as he read Todoroki's face. Good. If Hawks is missing too, and hopefully Gran Torino as well, maybe Kamui Woods. It's better to have the best heroes away for this. Can't let the villains think you're all distracted by me.

Todoroki was pushed backwards by his own attacks, and he feared he was about to push right into Zach who had gotten behind him with a burst of speed previously unseen in this fight. The blur of blackness had gone completely around him before the flames and ice had even started emitting out in front of him. Zach moved to the side as Todoroki shifted behind him even with the offsetting that was coming out his ankles to keep him steady in the air. "Fall, Todoroki."

Zach punched his right fist for Todoroki's face. Todoroki's instinct was to pull his hands in to block. He had to stop firing his Quirk out both hands because of the people around him, though Bakugo still pulled back up in the air as Todoroki's reactive instincts moved his arms faster than he could think about cutting off his Quirk. His panic to cancel his Quirk knowing he was about to burn and freeze Bakugo, and get punched in the face with a fist full of Death, made him forget about that offsetting amount of flames he had pushing out below and behind him that sent him spinning off through the sky and down out of the air while Zach stopped his fist short without hitting him like he could have.

Which way? Zach's teeth ground back and forth inside his aura. I recognize Incognito's Quirk down there. Focus- And Kamui Woods is here too. This is- FUCK!

Red feathers shot at Zach's back and he flew as fast as he could through the air away from them. Is he trying to get more crimes tacked on for if they catch me?! Damn you Hawks, Zach spun around and his body erupted with two dark pillars that shot from his back to either side of him and around the feathers that pulled away in midair.

The same, Hawks yanked himself backwards. Wait! The young man with messy blond hair remembered what tactics he had planned for this fight, and which he instantly forgot. The memory of Zach Sazaki knocking him out the first time was the only thing that filled his brain when the boy attacked him in the same way he had days after the Lifebringer Incident. Shit, Hawks thought as Zach sucked those dark pillars back into himself to send himself faster than ever towards a Cyn wall, that he rose up above an instant before colliding with it. He's adapting every second we spend fighting him. We're literally making him stronger the longer we take!

Todoroki swung his right arm below him as he neared the ground. He fired flames out of his body to angle his feet correctly and dropped on the ice he made into a slide. He swept his right arm up and created three new spikes that angled ahead of Zach, piercing through the air easier as Zach had dropped much lower down to avoid the air that had the most Cyn in it. He knew that they wanted him more at this level, and yet with less barriers he was able to make out better routes to escape through.

Ryukyu knew those routes already though. Zach pulled away from a sphere of orange light that Ryukyu's top sidekick just fired in his direction, but then he sharply cut backwards as a different blue beam of light fired from on top of Ryukyu's back where a man had been hiding and stood as Ryukyu slowed directly in the path between the Cyn walls that Zach wanted to escape through. Roady stood up on Ryukyu's back and stared down the dark mass that took a more human-like shape with two arms and two solid legs as well. Even an expression could be seen on the dark mass of face staring towards him, and Roady lowered his leg that he just kicked up and fired a blue blast of energy from the sole of.

"Just surrender peacefully! You dumbass!" Roady shouted angrily. His face twisted in frustration and he yelled, "We don't want to fight you-"

Roady froze and his voice faded off while looking at his friend who his Quirk locked onto. Speedroute did not do what it did the last time he used it on Zach though. There were no black or dark red arrows swerving around showing no constant pattern and no safe path to even consider facing him. They did not twitch violently as if every moment Zach's next move could change so there was no way to prepare. Roady just saw steady green arrows in all directions of his own body telling him which ways were safe to move against Lifebringer, because of how much danger he would be in moving any one of those directions. No danger, Roady thought with a gulp as he stared into the dark glowing red eyes of his old comrade.

Zach turned and rushed away from Ryukyu to find a different route as this one was too narrow and likely had even more traps behind the three in Ryukyu's agency. "Lemillion, I used Speedroute on him," Roady relayed over the comms. The small earpieces in the right ears of Zach's classmates that each of the 5 Class A students considered he may have somehow seen earlier to predict them, as well as all the others' earpieces too passed on this information. "Zach's not fighting back-"

"Roady, you have no idea if your Quirk even works on Lifebringer," Lemillion snapped, more frustrated that Roady just used their target's first name rather than Death or Lifebringer, or even Sazaki.

An explosion erupted in front of Zach who flew straight into it and towards the back of the blast that was only used to stop Zach and was not a strong enough attack to damage the mass of darkness. Bakugo blasted another explosion right out of his stomach, as his tight costume had been making him sweat all morning and had already accumulated quite a lot inside all the different crevices and cracks lining the suit. The second explosion gave Bakugo the moment to move his hands and aim towards where Zach was moving through the blast, as he prepared a bigger one, only to kick his right leg out to the side which blasted him to the left.

Zach came out of his classmate's initial explosion and was faced with Bakugo moving the same direction at the same speed he was away from the edge of it. Bakugo fired an Explosion from his right hand even though both his right and left hand had sparks coming out. Zach dodged down rather than up, and Bakugo's left hand snapped down after him and fired the second half of his charging Explosion. Zach's arms crossed in front of him and out from his back emerged eight thick black pillars that curled around the front of his body like other arms and protected him.

Two more bulges came out of Zach's back though at that moment. They then broke off his body and dropped down as the shape of another body that fled… Out of one of the three ice spikes rising in the air in a different angle as where Zach was flying, another spike of ice pierced off of a current one. A slide curled up near the split of the new spike, and Zach's fleeing piece turned to see Iida speeding up it with Midoriya held on behind him. The ice spike shattered as Midoriya kicked off, and Zach recognized the sight of the two of them, though Asui flashed as Kirishima for a moment as he imagined the familiar combination.

Zach could better make out the Cyn now. His red eyes darted around as he searched for a good path to move in. Ryukyu, Roady, and Popfire behind him. Bakugo above. Cyn on most other sides. He could dodge farther down past the attackers moving up the ice and now flying towards him, but that put him closer to the ground where he knew they wanted him. His eyes darted towards Cyn-Thia in the distance who grimaced as she saw those red eyes dart her way for a moment, and yet in that moment she lifted her arms and spread her new wall upwards nearly straight up but with an arc at the top to curve high above Zach Sazaki who could see the borders of that giant wall and realized the potential for Cyn-Thia to trap him all in the same moment.

You came and saved us in Desusuta, Cyn-Thia thought. The city her agency was in had been under attack, and she imagined the army of villains rushing towards her and the dozen other heroes who had gathered to stop a force of over a hundred. If not for you, the Subspace Devils probably would have killed me. Killed all of us. That doesn't matter now though! Cyn-Thia yelled out and forced her barrier even higher in the second she felt Zach Sazaki was most trapped.

Zach was stalled long enough in the middle of several groups of enemies. Other Shields that Crust threw up in that moment blocked off different means of escape. Different small tunnels that he could be intentionally forced into were closed off. Mt. Lady stepped towards Zach in one direction, while FlyGuy dropped Midnight down on top of a Cyn wall that curved in a way to make it more like a floor up in the air that Midnight started to fill with her Quirk's gas.

"Shape the ground!" Vixen yelled.

Cementoss slammed his hands down, and walls of Cement rose to the right of Kojiro Bondo and the left of Shinso. Honenuki was in the middle, and as Bondo and Vixen each got ready with their own viscous Quirks, Honenuki turned the floor intangible in case Zach chose the drop option or Deku could force him down into the ground.

As Iida launched Midoriya off of him, Zach could only think of the combo that he recognized from years ago. He pictured a destroyed Camino Ward around him. He saw his same friends rising up in the air and saving Bakugo… Leaving me behind. Zach swerved to the right and punched his right fist forward. His arm extended and hit Iida before the other teen could make his move to get closer this time. After the way Zach just evaded him last time, Iida had not expected this as Zach's black hand bigger than his body gripped around him and then threw across the sky. Zach's swerve also sent Midoriya flying past right back into a Cyn wall because he had to move faster than ever as he expected an increase in speed more than Zach had used before, yet Zach moved even faster than that and left Midoriya smashing into a Cyn wall that did not break this time from his momentum alone, though it did hurt him.

Deku spun around with his jaw dropping partially as he slammed into that wall. Last time, he had still attempted to make Zach move a specific direction when Zach had let their friends drop. This time Zach was not just letting them drop. He sped at Tsuyu and punched his left fist forward as Deku was already soaring back after Ingenium who was spinning around through the sky in disbelief and with no chance to use his Engines while moving in too many circles to get a good positioning. Deku looked over his shoulder though in even more shock as Zach slammed his left fist right into Tsuyu's gut-

Asui darted her eyes down at the hand that stopped in front of her stomach. Zach even snapped his right hand out and grabbed her shoulders because her momentum was about to carry her into the fist he stopped short. Zach's left fist that almost hit her trembled in front of her stomach as Zach stared from point black into Tsuyu's huge eyes, full of panic and fear as he almost punched her. Zach's dark face pulled back and he lightly pushed her off with his right hand, and Tsuyu's tongue got caught in her throat at a look in those red eyes that made her entire body freeze up as she fell.

Todoroki hesitated then turned and dropped himself to grab Tsuyu because of how far Deku had to go to catch Iida. The two of their classmates who could not move as freely in the air were still as necessary to be up there considering their previous revivals that made them a few of the most important heroes at the fight.

I yelled 'run' at you back then, Zach thought while rising up and stopping in front of the single enemy in the sky with him who was not going to let him escape. They had a gap in the air around him that heroes had led him into and now had him more trapped than anywhere else. It was my own fault they left me behind. My own fault I killed again. I've never been someone to save. Zach's dark body solidified and made out a face. He looked like himself but covered in a thin black veneer. He stared at Bakugo and imagined the way his classmate had stared at him back in Camino, almost the same as the way Bakugo was looking at him now though back then he knew it had been more hateful. I was more of an enemy back then. A villain. Just like I am now.

Zach shot up into the sky. Bakugo chased with matching speed as explosions blew up below him. Zach swerved around the Cyn and straight through Midnight's gas without stopping. He smoothly avoided the stronger Cyn walls and barely slowed on Tsuburaba's Solid Airs, just like Bakugo who smashed straight through them without slowing. All of Cyn-Thia's moves. All of the trapping attempted by all the other heroes. They meant nothing as within three seconds, Zach had risen above even Sky-Girl and Tsuburaba, above Midnight, high above it all.

Bakugo shot at Zach in the air as everything else was out of their way. His lips pulled up at the corners higher into his cheeks, and Zach faced him with his hands raising up and his body turning into a fighting stance in midair. And the darkness on the bottom of the dark face looking at Bakugo, twisted up into a grin.

---

Last Night…

After the video call with Lemillion, Midoriya stood in Bakugo's room and stared towards the door that Todoroki just entered and closed behind him. The three boys stood in quiet for a moment and looked at each other to see what the others thought of what the next day would bring them. Bakugo grunted at the dreading looks on the others' faces. "Bastard wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. The rest were going to figure him out sooner or later."

Midoriya and Todoroki each looked at Bakugo then glanced at each other hesitantly. "We all knew from the start," Bakugo snapped at the two. "Fuck if Zach told you before this. Doesn't matter now," Bakugo got annoyed at the two who were looking like they wanted to say something or admit some mistake they had been making. Bakugo seemed to already know that the two of them had known about Zach being Death though. Zach's confirmation did not matter to Bakugo who had already heard him talk all about it with Kirishima, who had deleted his own proof a week before anyway just as the two in front of him had been derelict in their duties as heroes.

Midoriya nodded his head, looking back directly into Bakugo's eyes as he figured his childhood friend was right and it did not really matter now. The choice to take him down myself has been taken out of my hands. It was only a choice until now. Now, it's duty. Choosing to side with Zach now would be revolution.

"Midoriya," Todoroki started while looking to the green-haired boy on his right side of the triangle the three of them made in Bakugo's room. "Do you really think Zach will run?"

Midoriya faced the half-and-half boy and did not hesitate this time before nodding his head in reply. He knew that Todoroki was thinking about the gazebo Zach had met them on and repositioned himself at the start so it would be harder for him to run away if Todoroki had decided to arrest him back when he first confronted Zach about being Death. "He's told me he would. Told me he would 'crush me,' and he warned me not to let him know if I decided to come after him."

Todoroki's face filled with confusion at the sound of that. "Why would he…"

"Because he's unstable, and doesn't trust himself," Bakugo replied like it was obvious, though he smirked as he said it aloud. When he warned Deku he must have been in a state where he still felt like it was a bad thing that he would try to run. The fact that Deku's saying it means he thinks Zach has gotten worse from that day. "Which makes this a lot more interesting," Bakugo added and chuckled darkly under his breath at the aspect of facing Zach in the mental state that he would try to take on a huge force of heroes as Deku thought he would.

Midoriya frowned angrily but mostly in a depressed way at the grin on Bakugo's face showing he was not as broken up about their obligation as heroes. Todoroki frowned too but he mentioned in a calmer way, "Should we get Iida and Asui here to discuss the plan-"

"Fuck the plan," Bakugo scoffed. "When Zach gets around all the plans, I'm going to be the one to take him down."

Midoriya shook his head with his lips pursing harder at Bakugo's comment. Todoroki frowned at Bakugo too and he mentioned, "The goal should not be taking Zach down completely. I agree with Midoriya," Todoroki nodded to his other friend while Bakugo glared at him. Bakugo's expression eased more though as Todoroki mentioned, "We did not discuss it, but I do not like the danger of putting Zach in one small place. I am sure Lemillion plans to put hero protective details all around the transport after he is taken into custody, which will be around him constantly in order to ward off attacks afterwards. I would prefer not to, but if the need arises to render Zach unconscious, no matter what our duty, I will not risk putting Zach fully out of commission just so Eziano can kill him."

Bakugo glared at the boy with half red and half white hair, but he tssked and darted his gaze away in reluctant agreement with that sentiment. Todoroki continued darker in a way that had Bakugo looking back in his eyes, "I know the true danger of Eziano. He is not someone to trifle with-"

"I want that bastard to show up," Bakugo said with a snarl and his lips curling back up in a more dangerous smirk than the excited one he had when discussing the idea of going after Zach. Bakugo's fists curled while Todoroki darted a look to Midoriya in hopes that his other friend would take it more seriously a threat than Bakugo who continued, "I'll fuck him up myself-"

"You can't," Midoriya started. He paused while Bakugo glared his way, only for Bakugo's glare to wipe from his face at the reluctant and uneasy look in Midoriya's eyes that darted back and forth from Bakugo to Todoroki who got an uneasy expression back at the way Midoriya faced him. "You can't tell anyone, ever," Midoriya whispered. His heart pounded but he could not let these two go on with this conversation any longer, "Eziano's dead."

"What-" Todoroki started but stopped as Midoriya just nodded to show he meant it.

"The night you came back with him?" Bakugo muttered. "The Muindo Range?" Bakugo tilted his head back and wondered while Midoriya was facing him, and Deku grit his teeth but nodded in an uncertain way as he did not know if he should really be doing this right now.

Todoroki's eyes opened much wider than Bakugo's. Bakugo had seen the dead forests in the pictures though and already suspected it. He had seen the strange celebrations of the people of the region around that mountain range. "Those mountains, were where the assassins… Their headquarters," Midoriya whispered. His voice was so quiet it was as if he was hiding it from the possibility of someone bugging this room or Jirou listening in from downstairs. "Hundreds of assassins, Eziano himself, and…" Midoriya shook his head and bit down on his bottom lip. "Zach didn't kill them," Midoriya assured his classmates, surprising Bakugo a little while reassuring Todoroki who had started frowning at Midoriya. Both Todoroki and Bakugo stared at him in shock as Deku continued to them even softer, "All those missing people. All around the world… all assassins."

I figured they'd come for him again and I'd get a crack at them now that he's here, Bakugo thought while leaning back from his classmate he could see was serious about that. All of them are dead, and it wasn't Zach? What the hell happened that night? You two didn't fight each other. Eziano's dead though, and it wasn't Zach? No, you wouldn't have let him kill. So what the fuck happened?!

"What happened?" Todoroki wondered under his breath. Eziano is dead. Dad, doesn't know that. No one knows. Midoriya, and Zach alone, are probably the only two who knew this.

Midoriya shook his head with frustration flushed over his expression and a pained look as he imagined the beam that killed everyone that night. He imagined Eziano's heart crushed in Ares' hand, and he shook his head again with his eyes closing. "I can't tell you everything. But, I can tell you," Midoriya opened back up his eyes and looked into Bakugo's specifically. "I meant what I said, when I told you that Zach is stronger than me. Kacchan, you can't go after him thinking you can beat him in a one-on-one fight. It's not possible-"

"For you maybe," Bakugo retorted with a snort at Deku's cowardice. Midoriya opened his mouth and even Todoroki darted a dark glare at Bakugo for not taking this seriously. "You think Zach's full strength is what we need to worry about? His full power with Death?" Bakugo scoffed at his childhood friend who hesitated at the questions from his classmate who Todoroki also eased his expression at and looked at Bakugo in surprise instead. "You think his 'full strength' is what we're in danger of going up against? Thought you knew Zach the best of the three of us," Bakugo said it with a tone like he was calling Deku an idiot for getting so worked up and worried about Zach being "stronger" than them.

Bakugo smirked back in a dangerous way again though even more focused and intense now that he heard all the assassins were dead and he did not need to worry about leaving Zach knocked out as he had already known but got annoyed at Todoroki for bringing up as it put a damper on his upcoming fight. "I'm gonna fight that bastard, and I'm not going to kill him. That means I'm holding back too, but he has to hold back even more. Heroes on all sides of him. It pisses me off, thinking how much he's going to be at a disadvantage." Bakugo tilted back his head and added with flatter lips, "If I can, I'll get us more in the open before I fight him myself. When the rest of you idiots fail," his head leaned forward and his eyes shadowed over so his eyes looked to glow as red as Zach's could, as he snarled out, "I'm going to be the one to take him down."

---

Present

"Hold on!"

Excelsior stopped himself as Nejire-Chan threw her right arm out to the side to stop the fourth ranked Korean hero from the ADTF who was flying up behind her. The girl with long light-blue hair flying above him used her Wave Motion to fire small bursts under her feet to keep her levitating. "Hold back and rise above the other barriers with me," she said with a look back at the older male hero before spinning and flying up a different way.

"Come on," Suneater called at a different group of foreign heroes with wings like his own who all pulled back to follow the twenty year old Japanese man. Tamaki cut back and flew up but farther away from the two facing each other in the middle of all these heroes giving chase.

"Where are we going? Death's over there!"

"Just set up the next traps we have prepared," Kamui Woods told the others around him down on the ground. "Getting between those two would just be unnecessarily dangerous for everyone else."

Hawks lowered more out of the sky to just above Metallore who was running forward and calling out Foundry's hero name. Sliding Queen's sidekick lifted her arms and fired molten ore that hardened quickly in the cool spring air. Metallore merged with the metal she was creating and rising up, using a Quirk that had little offensive capabilities because of the danger it posed that was too deadly for normal use in combat against villains. Metallore snaked up through it into the air though and poked out closer to Hawks who stared up similarly hesitant to get in the way with how badly Explosion King's Quirk matched up with his own.

Metallore glanced at Hawks' expression then looked up at those boys himself. As much as Lifebringer had been taking them all on and still seemed somewhat in control of the situation, Metallore stared at the spikier-haired of the two teenagers up in the sky. Federico had quickly risen to the top spot among Italian heroes in his rookie year. He had been known as the 'Super Rookie' across Europe, not just in Italy. Even he had seen the last Sports Festival though where that explosive boy up in the air had fought the teen who most people around the world considered possibly as strong as All Might ever was. And they all recalled how much damage Explosion King had managed against Deku in that insanely close fight nearly a year ago, which meant that a year later it could only have gotten so much stronger. I thought back then that the two of them were already above most pros in the world, Metallore admitted to himself. And now they're fighting the person I've considered the most powerful in the world since I met him. Their own friend.

Todoroki landed down on the ground and placed Tsuyu next to him. Zach and Bakugo were too high up now for it to be feasible for Todoroki to lift them past all the barriers those two had avoided to try and reach the others. Star-Spangled Man, you told me what is necessary and required of me as a hero. He thought on the phone call he had with Star-Spangled Man, the leader of the ADTF he had still been a part of even after his dad's retreat from the group. Yet then he saw himself standing in Zach's room, apologizing-

The phone call Todoroki had with his dad late last night filled his mind, "You have to decide for yourself what you believe is right." Dad, you said you weren't coming in order to protect Japan from "real" villains who may try to use our distraction to their advantage. You declined Lemillion and Star-Spangled Man's request to take part in this. You made your choice, one that I disagree with. Yet I feel like you and Zach were enemies longer than anyone else. He should have been your nemesis as Death. And it felt like he was more like your rival. Or your partner, even. Todoroki's fists balled at his sides as he stared up towards Bakugo and Zach facing each other high in the sky, and he did not have an answer for the girl next to him wondering what they should do now. I don't know, Tsuyu. Not many of us know with certainty what we want to do here, but, Bakugo's never had that hesitation.

"This won't be like last time," Bakugo growled. His lips twisted up even angrier as he glared towards Zach who faced him with the intensity showing he understood how this fight was going to go now that it was just the two of them. Bakugo remembered the last fight with Zach, or more like the trap that Zach put him in at the joint training. He was glad they had reached this point in the ambush on Zach now, because Zach did not consider that trap as his victory against Bakugo in a fight back in the joint training, and Bakugo would have hated it too if they never came face to face like this during the fight today.

Bakugo slid his hands down into his pockets while kicking minor Explosions below the balls of his feet to keep him steady in the air. He pulled out his hands with a pair of thin gloves on that glowed blue on the palms when he curled his fingers inside. Zach did not have his watch or bracelet on that he had been leaving with his hero costume in his U.A. hero box ever since getting his uniform back from Shiketsu. Bakugo had on very familiar tech to Zach though, and his glowing red eyes darted down to the roof of U.A. for a moment.

Hatsume Mei stood on the roof of the main U.A. building with Power Loader standing just behind her on her right side. An excited look covered her face as she pressed a button when Bakugo summoned her babies using his new gloves. Bakugo summoned two gauntlets that glowed similarly blue on the four parts of them that shot up into the sky with jets below them that Hatsume controlled to swerve around the Cyn and Solid Air to send straight to the boy calling for them.

The parts of Bakugo's gauntlets clicked together onto his wrists giving him the power to make larger explosions without destroying his arms. Hatume was looking up as she watched Bakugo equip for more dangerous and powerful fighting against an opponent who now had a much more open area to use his Death. Bakugo cracked his neck to either side, while Deku slowed down below them and stared up with much wider eyes as Zach stopped running to face off against Bakugo instead.

Why? Deku wondered with his body hesitating as he did not want to cause Zach to flee by rushing up there.

It worked! Hatsume thought, but the smile on her face just faded. She did not find herself celebrating or even happy to see her new prototypes work out in their first practical use. Instead she thought, For some reason, I think I wished I had messed that up. Hatsume pictured the dark boy up in the air hammering away at the prosthetic arm like the one he got her favorite teacher who stood right next to her.

She glanced to her right and back at Power Loader who held up a remote control in both hands that he used to control the line of ANTs that just maneuvered between the school building and where Zach and Bakugo were facing each other up in the sky. Maijima's teeth grit so hard that Hatsume could see the agonized expression on his face, as he felt her hesitation and yet could not tell her anything about pushing it aside. His left hand clenched so much harder on the remote he almost wished his prosthetic would break it on accident.

"Come at me then," Zach's voice was scratchy and deeper, but it was clearly his with his regular pitch coming through more than any Death altered it.

"It wasn't how I wanted to win…" Zach's voice echoed in the two of their minds as Bakugo and Zach each imagined themselves facing each other in the joint training dome.

"How about it then?" Bakugo had asked him.

"I want to."

"Sure you do."

"I do. I love fighting. Strong opponents more than anything…" Zach's smirk grew as Bakugo's fingers twitched out of his thinner-than-normal gauntlets and made sparks and miniature explosions, his eyes not giving away which direction he was about to move or was planning for. "Doesn't really matter what you think, long as you don't have any proof…" Bakugo had been waiting for this, but he imagined the smirk that Zach had given him that day as if daring him to find the proof and get them to this point. And as he watched Zach now, he saw it again, the same desire in Zach's eyes to fight him right here that he felt himself.

"Warriors." One last word echoed in Bakugo's mind as he shot forward at Zach, the same moment Zach flew forward to meet him halfway. "…I became a warrior."

Despite how much was on the line, Bakugo's smirk rose to insane levels as Zach flew back at him rather than flee. The last smidge of annoyance he felt in his thoughts that Zach might be tricking him just to try running away faded from his mind to instead fill with the full adrenaline of the moment.

Zach blasted Death out the bottom of his feet to raise up a few feet, then he flapped his wings at his sides to rise quicker after twitching them upwards as if moving back to the original line. Bakugo blasted an explosion on his stomach to push himself up vertically then did one laterally rather than falling for the idea of Zach moving back down, as he was going to dodge to the right instead. He only moved off-line from Zach to dodge an attack that was not apparently coming, but he adapted that move into following Zach farther up and attacking from his right side as Explosions blew out from his right hamstring and spiraled him around as a secondary explosion came out of his crotch to blast him up twice as fast with the sweat that had accumulated through a morning of sitting at a desk and overheating himself.

Bakugo's leg was coming around while Zach was in mid-rise after his flap of his wings for a second burst of speed upwards. Zach reached his right hand towards Bakugo's leg, reacting to it instantly but failing to grab it as Bakugo's thigh exploded next to push it back, and his other leg kicked upwards instead with a blast blowing off the sole of his foot. Both of Bakugo's hands swung backwards as the kicked Explosion blew him backwards, and he fired two more blasts that sent him right back at Zach who ducked under the kicked Explosion only for Bakugo to already be coming back his new direction instead of blasting the other way from the opposing force of his blast.

As Bakugo's chest sparked violently and indicating a bigger explosion than the previous ones, more explosions came out of Bakugo's hands that pointed back and kept him completely in place as the huge Explosion came out his torso. Zach pulled to the left and started flying forward to intercept Bakugo in the middle point of how fast he would redirect himself back forwards, basing the time he would need to hit him at a certain point off the last time Bakugo's Explosion pushed him back and how long it took him to return to the same place. Bakugo's attack this time did not move him at all in the air though as he used Todoroki's tactics more and kept himself completely in place so Zach was trying to move by his side instead of after him.

Zach turned his body sideways as Bakugo's right arm was moving towards where he was about to fly by. His stomach moved like the body of a snake farther from point blank of Bakugo's hand, reacting instantly to the understanding that Bakugo had adjusted to not have any momentum redirect due to his chest Explosion. Bakugo fired off a blast straight into the center of Zach's torso before Zach's whipping arms could get in fast enough, or the other two arms coming out of Zach's stomach could reach Bakugo's opening hand.

Three bodies of Death ripped out of Zach's back and flew in different directions with thick plumes of darkness trailing out of them. The Explosion Bakugo blasted into the former body of Death sent flying a much larger mass of Death than it looked like Zach had right there, but Zach made that body lose its most solid form in the instant the Explosion was going off anyway. He could not pull all the darkness away from Bakugo's targeted area, but he was able to siphon three huge chunks and send them off in different directions. Faint red glows formed on all three of the other bodies that each had sets of eyes on them that Zach could see through, and which Bakugo's tiny red pupils darted around at to try and figure out which of the three looked most solid.

All three of them, Bakugo understood and felt no surprise as he came to understand this new power he never knew Zach to have beforehand. Each of the three bodies Zach had separated looked equally menacing though. They all looked powerful and like real bodies he would have to deal with and that Zach himself could be looking at him through. He imagined Zach had three sets of vision right now and that the other bodies could adjust their movement and come after him based on what any one of the three saw.

Sparks came out of Bakugo's toes. Little explosions came out of his knees and then the backs of his knees to swing his legs backwards and forwards over and over with them speeding up rather than entering some sort of pattern. Explosions blew in Bakugo's elbows to send his arms that were moving to point backwards faster, so he could fire the larger Explosions out of his palms in the very next moment. He flew straight towards one of the three versions of Death that his right arm swung back around the front of his body at emitting a massive Explosion that had momentum and swing in it.

The swung Explosion tore through the sky and yet that version of Zach still rose up over it with only part of the dark pillar that propelled himself upwards torn off by the blast. Flames and Death flew across the sky before smoke overtook them, and Suneater yelled at the others around him to pull back at the perimeter that other heroes had been making far away but apparently not far enough as the attacks neared them.

Bakugo's Explosion swing took a sudden sharp turn upwards at the end. Zach first thought it was meant to be chasing the version of himself that rose over the Explosions, which that version planned on and spiraled around horizontally to dodge. The real purpose was to better dodge the other two bodies coming up from behind him though. The end of Bakugo's right arm's swing send him downwards and into a backflip, and Zach saw at the last moment the green shading under the white paint on Bakugo's shoes that covered up the editions to his normal school uniform shoes.

The gauntlets in Bakugo's shoes had collected more sweat than anywhere else on his body yet. The two versions of Zach that came in on either side of Bakugo to flank him as he moved downwards like they expected him to if he adjusted for the one rising over his Explosion swing, had no chance of pulling away far enough from the Explosions that rippled through the sky in such massive blasts that Midnight had to grab the edge of the Cyn next to her and swing herself under then let go as the flames nipped at her fingers.

"Stay up here!" Midnight yelled at Deku as she was dropping past him, stopping her student from catching her to instead let one of the others much farther down do the assist. Deku darted his gaze back up as he did not want to lose sight of the other two, because the remnants of two of Zach's bodies pulled into the one that was only partially destroyed by Bakugo's earlier broad stroke.

The two large clone versions of Zach that just got blown apart sucked through the air in two different funnels that connected with Zach's back and sent him flying at Bakugo ten times faster than he was just moving. It was like tornadoes of Death attached to his back and sent him soaring at Bakugo so he could finish the punch he was making from way too far that Bakugo expected a flying fist of Death to come his direction. Bakugo's hands had flames coming out of them already as he swung forward at his sides, spinning himself around in a tornado of Explosions that pushed back the Death that Zach tried to force out of his punch anyway.

Zach's body was pushed backwards, but he punched his left fist forward and fired steel wires out through the flames and onto Bakugo inside them where Zach saw him coming out- Bakugo slammed his left arm into the wires and got them all wrapped around that one arm in the instant he saw them come within a foot of him already inside his flames. He gripped farther up the wires that wrapped around his arm, and he yanked towards himself. Bakugo punched forward his right fist at the same time and made sparks come off of his knuckles.

A huge mass of Death filled Zach's face. It was much more than the sparks on Bakugo's knuckles, and Bakugo could see he was losing Zach's expression behind the thicker veil. He'll knock me out, Bakugo knew it instantly as he saw what attack was coming. He fired the Explosion off prematurely and kicked a pair of new blasts off at the same time while firing off another dozen from all parts of the front of his body. Bakugo sent himself flying back through the air with his legs coming up behind his back and flipping over his head, his heels exploding and flipping him back the other way while he punched his left hand out. The exploding teen opened up his fist to blast with four fingers curled in enough to his palm that he cupped the Explosion and made it brighter.

The red tint of Zach's vision got too bright and he closed his eyes for an instant- Not a move to make on Bakugo. He fired Death out the front of his body right when he closed his eyes, attempting to block his opponent who he could not close his eyes against for long in knowledge that he needed every sense here. Bakugo had seen it coming though and was underneath Zach where that dark mass blasted himself backwards, and he pointed upwards under Zach's feet-

Below. Twin spikes of Death shot out of Zach's soles. Blasts came out of Bakugo's front right and back left. His body turned from the Explosions on his shoulders and the black spikes went down on either side of him, then he finished the blast from his hands upwards and sent himself flying down below the spikes that broke apart in his Explosion and filled the space he had just been in too. Zach was sent flying upwards though he flapped his wings down below him to speed up away from the Explosion he felt burning his feet that he turned more immaterial through Death.

It took me a thousand battles to get the kind of battle sense that Bakugo has naturally, Zach flipped himself over in midair then shot to the east as Bakugo was rising too fast into the spot he just stopped himself. He left some Death behind for Bakugo to fly straight into, but instead of dodging it, Bakugo just blasted an Explosion above him to push it away and also stop his momentum while his legs kicked back behind him. He blasted two more Explosions out the soles of his feet then kneed a blast out of his right knee to flip over while swinging his right arm around to turn his body into a spinning ball of flames that spun so much the flames rose up and pushed down to fill much more of the sky. The flames up and down meant Zach had to dodge left or right, so Zach dodged up and moved only slightly to the right, just barely dodging the cross of flames as Bakugo's body twisted again in his tornado. It was not a perfect cross but one already diagonal as he knew Zach would not dodge left or right when it was so obvious, but Zach made it between the thin angle of the diagonal cross of fire that burned at the edges of his Death. And it's not like Bakugo hasn't fought his share of battles to enhance that natural talent I saw from the first day of school. Three years of refining it into pure skill.

Always thinking fifty steps ahead of everyone. Bakugo stopped spinning around as it had been too many seconds and Zach must have had several plans to take him out if he kept going for any longer with the same pattern. He backed up instead, a move Zach did not expect in the least and had to cut off all his current plans that expected Bakugo to continue pushing forward nonstop for the whole fight. Bakugo thought back on what Zach had told them about on the day of Toga's infiltration before Raijin's betrayal. I wasn't going to do anything with all that illegal shit you told us then. Even the recording of you admitting you were Death, it didn't feel right. I deleted it because of Kirishima and how it wasn't a "manly" fucking way of dealing with things, as if he's rubbing off on me or some bullshit? Nah. That's not it.

I'm not here as a hero right now, Bakugo glared down his opponent in front of him who he continued to smirk madly at while his heart raced. His whole being urged him towards Zach yet also warned him not to get reckless around his enemy. The others are all so hung up on coming after you, like they feel they're being forced to do it. Because we're heroes and some heroes got proof to convict him, but that's fucking weak. We had the proof already, meaning you're all being forced into this and are cowards for it. Arresting him? Arresting you? Bakugo's grin rose up even more as he admitted it to himself completely what he was feeling right now. I'm not here to beat you as a hero and I have to, or because of some "moral obligation," and I know you see that!

Zach grinned back at the enemy before him who was not fighting him as a hero or any enemy he had ever fought before. As Bakugo thought those things in front of him, Zach grinned right back in the most menacing yet similar way to Bakugo's as possible. A real, battle-thirsty grin of madness only Bakugo could match… and yet for a brief instant after seeing it Bakugo could not match it.

His life is over at this moment, Bakugo thought it with an uneasy feeling attempting to overtake the sheer exhilaration of the moment. And yet he's still giving me the fight that I want!

But that look can't just be faked, Bakugo added to himself with his mad look finally reaching Zach's level and the one that Zach expected from him. Bakugo got rid of that brief moment of hesitation as his smirk finally grew in response right back to Zach's challenging look, and his arms swung down rapidly with help from Explosions out his biceps that he flew straight through as bigger explosions came off his palms behind him. He flew legs first towards Zach. His legs extended out in front of him because of the big explosions behind the upper half of his body and then over his shins to keep his legs even with the center of Zach's body.

Zach's body tore in half in the middle. Bakugo's torso exploded over his crotch and behind his ass. The blast was bigger on the right side of him, and Bakugo kept his hands pointed back at his waist for a moment while facing down to fire a huge Explosion into the top half of Zach's body that had ten arms reaching down out of the split section towards Bakugo's back. He fired himself more after the lower half of Zach retreating down lower with a new head and torso emerging out of it.

The ten arms getting blown apart above Bakugo's descending form split into thirty sharp arrows that spiraled through the smoke and flames and kept spinning as they shot down after Bakugo. Sharp angles cut in the black lines that chased Bakugo as he sped through the sky after the more humanoid form of Zach. Even that human-like Zach still grew four more arms to have six total. Zach's body grew in size to more like nine feet tall, and his wings got thicker and with more Death wisping from them as Zach stopped caring as much about conserving or keeping the Death from pulling off.

Those arrows were chasing Bakugo but were not fast enough to catch him, and the version of Zach that made new wings had the Cyn floor just below him with a sea of invisible barriers and lower heroes to deal with if he went any farther. He cut horizontally and shot over the invisible surface below him, while scattering his arrows all over the area to make them rain down in positions he was heading towards rather than chasing Bakugo directly. Bakugo ignored them, because scattered as they became, he dealt with three arrows at once easily with one Explosion that tore apart a fifty meter section of air in the direction Zach was going.

Without breaking his gauntlet, Zach cut short and then instead of back he moved to the right while spinning and throwing five knives up at Bakugo. He pulled the darkness off of three of them while redirecting the other two completely, because those two did not have actual knives inside them. Bakugo moved towards the two that did not have knives inside, and he swerved around them rather than the ones that if he dodged them he would have still hit the knives, which Zach did not want him to get cut by anyway. All the other arrows cut in moving twice as fast as before without spinning anymore and with half of each of them blowing apart behind their movements to accelerate them.

On all sides of Bakugo's body sparked Explosions, protecting him in a sphere of Explosion that pulsed out and made Zach cross his six arms in front of him. At the same time as he protected from that Explosion, Zach flapped his wings behind him to head straight towards Bakugo who flew out of that sphere himself only to come face-to-face with a much bigger Zach who knew he could take all of Bakugo's all-around Explosion that would not be that strong on any side as it only needed to be powerful enough to take on half Death arrows.

"AP Shot!"

"Death Dragon Fist!" Zach slammed his three right arms forward as they connected. They formed the shape of a dragon's head, which got pierced by three dozen thin beams of light that shredded it as Bakugo pointed only his left hand forward with all five fingers pressed together and a tiny gap between the tips of them. Zach spiraled around his right arm that was a shredding Death Dragon so he could continue his momentum right on to Bakugo. Bakugo dropped down below where he was moving though with a right hannded blast up, then he shot out a blast from the left side of his ribs in a pocket of sweat there to avoid the spike that cut down out of the right sole of Zach's foot.

Not twice, Bakugo did not believe Zach would try that attack twice on him, so he already swung his right hand over and blew up the extending arm just starting to pull out of the spike that did not come close to him. Being partially distracted by that arm made it so he almost did not dodge the rain of Death that came out of Zach's back from his dripping wings that suddenly sent those drips cutting down like protruding spikes. Bakugo did not think Zach would think he would fall for the arm coming out of the heel spike though, so he was ready for all those sharp rains of Death that he blew apart with a swing of his left arm over the top of his body that redirected him in midair and filled the sky above him with a wall of flames keeping Zach from seeing him for a half second.

Midoriya tapped down lightly under his feet to keep him just underneath the edge of the Cyn in a position he could quickly rise above it. At first he was looking for a moment to jump in and catch Zach off-guard, but it did not take long for his gaze to turn to the same awe that most everyone watching had in their eyes. Midoriya stared up at the two best fighters he knew battling it out in such a way that he could not even consider interrupting them.

Down below, Asui and Iida who had run up to them could not speak to suggest to Todoroki to start taking them back up either. Todoroki's bottom lip had lowered a little as he felt the same way as Midoriya. He had been ready to rise again with Iida back but just found himself watching instead in silence a fight that not everyone could follow as closely as he could. Amazing…

I didn't get it, Midoriya gulped while looking up at the two who slammed back into each other with a clash of Explosions and Death that rippled across the sky. It was not until watching the two of them fight that it finally clicked in Midoriya's head. I thought they were so far. But he's close- a closeness, I never saw or understood between the two of them. Something Kacchan has with Zach that I still don't really understand, a relationship I don't have with anyone so I couldn't see it. I just thought they weren't friends at all, but the way they fight… Deku could see it. He could feel it in his chest as the two fought unabated, in a fight as intense as Deku had ever seen even if it did not contain the kind of world-ending power that the fight with Ares had.

Even here though, it's more Death in a fight against one person than Zach's probably ever used outside that fight. I see it in how they're fighting. The trust that's there. Kacchan's blowing away so much Death but he's not worrying about the darkness hitting any other hero and hurting them. Other flying heroes who had moved up to that high a level even above Deku and were surrounding them from a very far perimeter were still in danger from the two's fight. It's not just Kacchan though. The trust that Zach has in Kacchan to be able to use that much Death knowing he has to be careful but also knowing Bakugo won't be intentionally blasting the Death towards other heroes as a way to force him to use less of it… like I had considered doing myself, if I needed to get tricky to beat him.

Kacchan wouldn't. Zach knows he wouldn't, because he knows Kacchan as well as I do. As well as any of our classmates! Midoriya's fists balled tightly and his teeth clenched at the pain tearing through his heart at that thought. The two who were captured in the training forest together. Fighting together in the capture the flag game, and trusting each other to do their parts… and win. I know Zach didn't lose a battle as Death. I know how much Kacchan hates to lose. Two people who only know how to win…

Bakugo bounced up and down then the left where Zach dodged the Explosion from below that was aimed upwards towards him. He moved against the force of his Explosion with a bigger one pushing him diagonally into Zach's path, and Zach punched his left fist then his right when his left was only partially punched forward. The second fist that came out harder was a feint too for the kick that came directly out of Zach's left side as a leg sprouted from where his ribs should be.

Bakugo kicked Explosions below to flip up over Zach's body, swinging his right arm down with an Explosion that hit nothing as Zach's upper body snaked into a dark pillar coming up on Bakugo's right side. Katsuki spun around with the sweat that had re-accumulated in the second gauntlet in his right foot activating this time as Bakugo curled different toes to make a bigger blast than Zach expected in knowledge that Bakugo's gauntlets broke after making the bigger Explosions like the ones that had destroyed his clones earlier. Controlling three different sets of consciousness had been too much to focus on dodging the second two after already dodging with one and attacking with two others. This time he was able to dodge the stronger Explosion though even without expecting how big it would be.

Zach reacted to the bigger blast by blowing more Death out the side he was dodging from, getting some Death ripped up in the flames but moving himself quicker down below Bakugo's left side. Five whips of darkness flew out of his sides to wrap around Bakugo's body, but instead of making another sphere-like Explosion around all of his body that Zach was expecting, Bakugo's Explosions were precise and sent his body between the gap of two thick tendrils. Those tendrils had enough Death for some to pull out in thinner whips reaching for Bakugo but blowing apart from the blasts under the soles of his shoes that blew him even faster away from his enemy who was chasing him already from just below.

Bakugo blasted above himself and Zach spun to the right and flapped down to raise above. Bakugo blasted Explosions off his back as he and Zach traded positions in their horizontal flight, and Zach barrel-rolled to the right then punched his right hand across the bottom of his body. A fist of Death flew off his hand and then his arm tugged down from the trail of the fist that Bakugo was dodging, pulling some of the Death off and into Bakugo's back-

Bakugo slammed both hands forward with an enraged look on his face. Zach dodged and spun to Bakugo's right side right up close to his classmate who felt getting hit by some Death which turned him that angry…

Zach's red eyes grew wider. The enraged look on Bakugo's face glinted while the blast came out of the left side of his body in the pocket on his ribs again. His hands were still moving out in front of him with the same momentum to point at where Zach's body had just been where Bakugo was rocketing towards, but his body sharply turned so his hands were curling out pointed at close distance at Zach's body where Zach had moved to take out Bakugo in the sudden slip up he had made in his anger. But Bakugo did not fight angrily. And the look on his face of pissed-off fury and decision to use his gauntlets in the heat of the moment, was faked. What was not faked was the decision to use the gauntlets.

Bakugo pointed straight at Zach with a direct line on his body as the sparks erupted in front of his hands. He'll survive it, Bakugo told himself, smirking insanely at the shocked figure in front of him leaning back and bringing out as much Death as possible.

Zach did not make his insides nothing, not with the size of the Explosion he saw coming. If he was only intangible gas he could see himself getting blown away. Even as the blast was coming out he still had to lift the right corner of his lips, as Bakugo was risking completely destroying him if he had attempted some other defense here. Even without turning into a thin Death to get blown away, Zach still felt the immaterial sweat on his Death body as the Explosion pushed so far to the right, left, above, and below him that there really had not been any direction for him to dodge in that final moment.

Midoriya crossed his arms forgetting the Cyn barrier for a moment as he heard the blast and the sound of the wind force colliding with the wall just above him. It was like thunder erupting in the air as Bakugo blew out Hatsume's new gauntlets and made the biggest Explosion they had seen yet aimed from point blank into Zach's body. Did he just…

Down at the edge of U.A.'s main building, hundreds of students and teachers at the windows stared up in amazement. Class A looked up in awe too and some of them in disbelief as Bakugo fired off one of the biggest Explosions they had ever seen him make, right into their friend. Some of them were in shock that he would risk it, while others were stunned that he had gotten Zach into the position to be able to land that attack on him.

Sero rose his hands up and put them through his hair, laughing in nervous disbelief. I fucking forgot, that that's Bakugo! Holy shit.

Jirou stood at the edge of the building right in the hole with a slippery ground because of the melted ice she had to be careful on. Her fists had been clenching as she saw Ms. Clue out there with other sidekicks from their agency. She was surprised and angry that no one told her about this and what was happening out there now, but the anger faded more as the surprise grew from how hard Bakugo was fighting up there.

"Are you just here so you can arrest Zach?" She heard Bakugo's voice in her head during the meeting the night before Zach returned to U.A. The same night she heard about The Pit and what happened to him in there, and she felt her heart pounding more and more rapidly as she stared up into the sky. Why is he trying so hard if he would ask me something like that?! What are his reasons… Her focus on Bakugo could not last as she stared into the flames of that explosion instead. How does this help his plan?

The utter confusion made her heart pound harder and her stomach turn over. I can't accept- It's not true. It has to be part of, his plan? He can't not have a plan! Jirou's eyes shook, her fists clenching and unclenching in uncertainty. All the times Zach had faced her since he got out of prison flashed in her eyes. When she approached him in Yutapu, and when he met her in the joint training dome's forest… and outside of the Enudora Forest. Her heart pounded harder and harder as she heard him crying to Recovery Girl in China, He just wanted to show- vulnerability? What is- He's Death! We know he's Death now! I ALREADY knew! So what does this…

I never thought we'd find proof against him though. Did he not think, they would? Maybe they left me out because I told him it had been me who followed Rodney Black. I had to let Ms. Clue know I messed up in my emotions but- but how could he want this? I don't understand- he has to run! He has to leave now, so what, what was the point of coming back? Why? WHY?! We couldn't find proof against him if he didn't want it. Not with how good Zach is… but even he, gets sloppy…

Bakugo, Yaoyorozu looked up towards one of her strongest classmates who was panting under his breath high up in the air where he hovered with miniature explosions coming out of his feet. His arms were still outstretched in front of him, pieces of his broken gauntlet falling from his wrists and dropping out of the air below him. I heard the respect you had for his decision in the Lifebringer Incident. I could hear it when Mina begged us to let Zach back. As much as you were against it, it's because you respected that decision and who he was even in a moment that made everyone else hate him.

You didn't disagree with how Zach did things either, Yaoyorozu thought while looking farther from Bakugo and into that blast he had just made which Zach had gotten caught in. That Explosion was the first time she questioned during all of this if her 'Goodbye' was warranted at all. This fight isn't about ideals for you, and yet that might make you the best person to stop him. You're not doing it because they ordered you to. I don't understand you, but please, do what you can to stop him.

Midoriya looked back from the Explosion to his oldest friend who after panting for a couple seconds started to smirk just as crazily as he had been through all of this. He had a similar revelation as Sero did down below him while he watched Bakugo Katsuki smirking devilishly towards his successful blast directly on their friend and classmate, and enemy. I always knew Zach was a fighter. Kacchan had the natural combat ability, but Zach had been training already for years before the rest of us. Zach didn't have the talent. He hones his craft until he was skilled, and then he added experience… but all of us did.

Someone with talent but no experience would lose to someone with a lot of experience and training, but someone with lots of experience and no natural talent can't beat someone with both! That is, unless the experience gap is that wide which with Kacchan I don't think… it's possible. It is though. Because I have All Might's Quirk. I have that amazing Quirk and developed powers after, but Kacchan has kept up with me. Midoriya thought it in awe of his childhood friend whose improvement matched Zach's or his own, or maybe even exceeded it because of the nature of his and Zach's Quirks being so overpowered. Every improvement I've made, Kacchan has been right there with me. Until the last Sports Festival I still didn't know if I could beat him one-on-one. And that was still the most intense fight I've ever had. The closest fight at the highest level, never again against someone stronger than Kacchan was then…

Deku watched the person he had always considered the strongest take on the person he now considered to be the strongest, and the fight was close. It was closer than Midoriya imagined it could be, though he saw the silhouette in the smoke…

Bakugo stopped panting instantly as he saw that dark shadow inside the smoke of the Explosion that remained longer after the blast had already ended. The smoke had thinned a little to show how far back Zach was from when the Explosion went off. Bakugo took in a strong deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly between his almost closed lips. Zach stopped panting himself from inside the smoke and felt alright as he had turned into a solid form of darkness so densely thick and without any nerve endings to feel pain even as parts of him were pulled off if he had not concentrated them enough in time. He had avoided damage while also not being intangible enough to be blown away as wind.

Zach uncrossed his arms slowly inside the smoke. He stared through the cloud of it with his red eyes making out a thin outline of the person hovering outside and glaring in dangerously towards him. Despite Zach's survival from the attack and ability to remain hovering perfectly fine afterwards, Bakugo's smirk only grew higher at the challenge the fight posed now with only one half gauntlet remaining in one foot. Zach grinned himself and said through the smoke, "Now that's an Explosion."

Bakugo was hiding it well, but he was frustrated that the blast did not take Zach out or even did enough damage to make that shadow in the smoke pant noticeably. He was excited despite the frustration, smiling genuinely and with his mind rushing with a hundred thoughts of how to attack next and when to make the move or how to defend from what Zach might try to do. All those different moves and thoughts blew apart in his mind though while his smile wiped from his face. Hearing that made him completely freeze for a moment, then his fists clenched and he kicked a slightly stronger blast as he thought maybe Zach used it to distract him, but Zach eased backwards himself and stopped from considering his next attack solely because he understood he caught Bakugo too off guard with what he just said.

If it's the last time we see each other though, Zach thought without regretting the words he just said that had messed with Bakugo. I wanted to say it to you.

"You call those explosions?" Bakugo heard a girl's voice in her mind that made real anger rise inside him that Zach could tell was not a trap like last time…

Zach's head snapped up and his red eyes that were growing wider narrowed as he pulled his arms from his sides to his back with no limits to how his rotator cuffs could move when they turned into pure Death. Because of the smokescreen still above him though, Zach failed to realize who this was dropping through the smoke until they hit him completely with their actual body. He sucked in some of the Death on him upon first reaction not to hurt them, but he already felt the grip on his body that no sane person in fear of Death would do.

Zach tried turning his body intangible as he was tackled through the bottom of the smoke cloud in the air that Bakugo snapped his head down from with an even more enraged look spreading over his face. His prey was just intercepted in a moment Zach was distracted by the thought of possibly messing with the legitimacy of their personal fight. Zach failed at turning his body into nothing but black gas to let this person fall through him, as Star-Spangled Man gripped him harder by the arms and pushed those arms into Zach's very tangible ribs that the Americans' top hero squeezed together painfully for the eighteen year old.

The next second, Star-Spangled Man slammed the ground with Zach Sazaki below him getting smashed at a hundred miles per hour into the dirt. The American hero had told the entire world how Death had revived him in the raid on the League of Shadows' Headquarters. He gripped onto the boy covered in Death as tightly as he could and pressed a knee into Zach's back or front, he could not tell completely as the boy continued messing with his body and trying to pull the Death away from it yet failing as the American used more and more of his revived body to hold him.

"Mt. Lady get there!" Gang Orca yelled down at the woman whose head he was still on top of, and Mt. Lady started running with her head ducking down as she tried remembering where in the sky the invisible barriers were. If she can cup him in her hands, Gang Orca thought with sweat on the side of his face as he hoped that what he was thinking would be enough. After the fight he had just watched up above him and the Explosion that Death had survived that he was actually worried about killing him, he questioned their ability to finish this fight. We need to end it now! Everyone who can grab him!

Iida sprinted across the ground with Tsuyu hopping after behind him. Todoroki shot a different direction with his right hand readying to put a huge wall up and dome over the heroes who could grab onto Zach and who he needed to make a smaller arena for along with the ones like Vixen and Bondo who could use their Sludge and Cemedine Quirks to hold him.

Bakugo dropped out of the air and landed on the Cyn platform below him. He started panting harder as he had just been hiding more of his exhaustion, though he sucked it back up quickly and growled instead as he glared down to the surface where Zach was struggling to escape his captor with everyone else moving in on him. The smirk went away completely. That wasn't what I had been hoping for, the anger he had felt a few seconds ago attempted to come back but instead he felt a more empty disappointment. It should have been better, but, Bakugo grit his teeth harder and his fists curled at his sides in frustration. I know that smirk he had was mostly faked too. I didn't want to believe it, but I know how much Zach really does want to be here with us. I accept that Ashido was right, and now he can't anymore…

"Hold still! Death!" Star-Spangled Man yelled at the boy who was strong as he flailed around and thrashed in the American's arms. Death's arms and legs extended at the ends of them so Star-Spangled Man had to pin them harder under elbows and knees to prevent him from slipping his main body out right through them.

"I'm not, nnnh, Death!" Zach slammed his head down on the ground and gathered some Death in the front of it as well as in the back to speed it up and try to blow apart the ground they were pushing down on. Star-Spangled Man slammed his own head down into the back of Zach's head and filled it with pain quicker than Zach's forehead could hit the ground, decreasing the force in it and making Zach's head more real as this person he had already revived held him with all his might.

He got him, Midoriya thought in shock as he had not even seen Star-Spangled Man coming in the cover of the smoke. The leader of the Anti-Death Task Force had Death pinned down to the ground though and started yelling out at him the charges he had against him and to stop resisting arrest. Stop Zach. Just stop now! No one wants to fight you! Midoriya started flying down out of the air towards Zach like another 50 heroes, sidekicks, and students were all moving. Stop before you make a mistake you'll come to regret!

"Hold him down!" Lemillion yelled out as he popped out of the ground closest to where Star-Spangled Man held Zach. "I've got the cuffs," Lemillion jumped towards Zach who hardened his body even more as Lemillion was ready to drop right on top of him. Lemillion dropped down with a leg on either side of Zach and Star-Spangled Man's heads. He ducked down and the American pulled up on Zach's left arm giving Lemillion the wrist that he snapped the pitch black handcuff onto.

"Tevlon," Lemillion warned the boy who darted red eyes up and stared into the determined and focused ones of the blond hero in charge of the Japanese investigation into him. "Just like your glove. You're forcing our hands, so we're going to have hands on you from this moment until your trial, all the way through it-"

Getting the tevlon cuff on one of Zach's hands made Star-Spangled Man give way the least amount possible. That tiniest amount that Star-Spangled Man felt that they were getting close to holding him, was all Zach needed to flood Death into his legs in the moment that the older hero tried going for his other arm to lift to the same cuffs. Zach's legs merged together as Star-Spangled Man fell through his body that turned into a cloud of dust and slipped between his legs to merge with the only hardened part of him now which was his combined legs. Lemillion's specialized cuffs slipped right off of Zach's left arm that despite being a prosthetic, turned as much into Death as everything else.

Damn it! It wasn't tested but I thought for sure, Lemillion cursed in his head but was already slipping under the ground and moving ahead of Zach who stopped and pulled back while ducking under Star-Spangled Man who flew up and kicked out for his back. The American hero stopped his legs from kicking Lemillion while also grabbing underneath him to catch Lifebringer at the same time. The split focus barely affected him, but Zach was not someone he could split his focus like that against, and Zach dropped flat to the ground and seemingly turned into a shadow on the floor-

Zach was out of the ground and in Star-Spangled Man's closing arms that wrapped around either side of him again into a bear hug that turned into a suplex. Star-Spangled Man shot down to the ground in faster flight. Zach spiraled them both in the air though with his body sliding down the hero's body just a bit and his legs kicking harder back while he pulled against the suplex, making Star-Spangled Man's head hit into the floor before he brought Zach down into the same earth. The moment the American hero's head hit the floor too, Zach slipped the rest of the way out of the bear hug and twisted his body that split in half at his stomach to dodge Lemillion as well. He teleported behind Lemillion who was already kicking back with boots made of tevlon material that had at least gone around Zach's wrist with the cuffs so it could possibly let him stay conscious and do some damage with how hard he was kicking backwards.

Zach was staring straight towards Presto Change-o in the moment he teleported. His red eyes were already pointed towards the hero who Replaced him again during the fight, and his body was already turning in a way to better dodge Lemillion's kick than he would have dodged the punches on the blond's other side that had been coming for him. The pro hero dressed as a magician pulled back short with bulging eyes as Sazaki utilized the teleportation's momentum to better dodge, as if the hero had just assisted him unknowingly. The moment was too unnerving for Presto Change-o to attempt another Replace, exactly as Zach intended by staring into his eyes in the moment of the second Replace.

Zach lost sight of Lemillion who suddenly popped up on his left side. He spotted Incognito out the corner of his eyes as she chose to use her Pay-No-Mind Quirk on Lemillion in the distance rather than on herself. Lemillion was not popping out of the ground in one of his seemingly instant teleports, but rather he had just slipped out of Zach's sight for an instant before Zach caught on to the use of her Quirk. These heroes did not plan out attacks that would give Zach too much time to figure out. They were pro heroes. Great ones at that, who had planned specifically to fight him.

Out of Zach's back shot a tentacle of darkness that wrapped around Lemillion's left arm. The hero's eyes bulged as he had continued swinging at first, expecting Zach to stop attacking with it being a feint or something. Lifebringer's head turned sharply to the left though and his eyes glared into the older hero's while the tentacle wrapped around Lemillion's arm and squeezed tightly. Lemillion expected himself to start feeling faint instantly but did not try to Permeate through the Death in fear that more of it would absorb through him than was just by Zach holding on.

Unknown to Lemillion, Zach was able to harden his Quirk to the point that none of it was absorbing into his opponent at all. Lemillion keeping himself from slipping through Zach's Death was the safest option for him as Zach did not know if that would knock him out but suspected it might. He threw Lemillion up in the air and to his left, then he fell forward and did a somersault forward as Star-Spangled Man tackled him. By going for the forward tumble in the same moment he was hit, he flipped the American hero over and planted him into the floor before launching himself off that man's body-

"Air Force!" Midoriya grit his teeth as he flicked all ten fingers down at Zach's back and implanted him into a new crater on the ground.

Zach's feet slammed down first with his upper body hunched forward but not colliding with the floor despite the force that just smashed down on top of him. The ground was pushing down, and yet that was not enough as the floor started to feel less solid too. Death hardened to his legs and more pulled up his body as he got tripped up while trying to keep stumbling away from Lemillion and Star-Spangled Man who kept right on him. His teeth bared harder at the force on top of him as his right foot tripped up, and Zach snapped his head to the right with his face twisting in rage.

Zach's chin was sharper and there were dark spikes ripping off the back of his head. He spun in Honenuki's direction and snapped his mouth open with his black teeth sharpened out of the jaw that no one could see the real teeth inside of. "RAAAAHhAAhAAAAA!"

Honenuki yanked his body backwards and stepped off the floor. Bondo and Vixen skid to stops and Shinso's jaw froze open with his support voicebox set to Yaoyorozu's voice that he did not dare shout out in as he stared towards the monster that just roared at them. The solid floor under Zach's feet pushed his feet back up as Honenuki lost too much focus on his Quirk.

Midoriya bit down even harder and started baring his teeth while others held off and stared frozen towards Lifebringer. Zach brought up his hands at his sides, and pools of Death that shot off his feet to either side suddenly shot up in hundred feet tall waves of Death that blocked him off on either side then closed in behind him to stop others from getting to him. Through those flames of Death, Zach stood up fully and unbent his body while dark flames rippled off his shoulders and the top of his head.

A jet of flames flew to Zach's right side and engulfed one of the dark walls farther from the school building. Zach could hear Todoroki gaining behind him. He could see Midoriya up above him and knew Star-Spangled Man could fly through the semicircle of black flames surrounding him. He had left one opening in the direction of the least heroes though. His red eyes glared into the distance and through a Cyn wall at the woman creating them who did not feel hesitation and doubt when she saw those raging red orbs this time. She had heard that animalistic roar from all the way out there, and she just felt fear as those red eyes locked with hers from a third of a mile away.

We had him surrounded, held, cuffed, and he got out, Lemillion shook his head around at the negative thoughts he was having. I need to organize!

Zach kicked off the ground and sent the ground under him flying back at the American hero who had just chose that moment to shoot forward. Too many large chunks were flying back and there were too many other heroes behind Star-Spangled Man whose eyes bulged and darted to his side for a moment. He sped around to destroy the flying chunks of ground rather than fly past them. Todoroki pulled up and created a thick wall of ice as a wave of Death from the huge semicircle suddenly shot out towards him as if meant solely to take him down considering how fast he was rushing by everyone else. He dove to the right as the Death slammed into his ice too hard and bulldozed through it, and he hit the ground in a roll with his head snapping back up staring after Zach in momentary astonishment at how powerful that attack was while being so on target with him.

Lemillion darted his eyes from Star-Spangled Man over to Shoto, and then he looked back into the distance where Lifebringer was getting even farther now but with huge waves of Death flying after him and transforming into pillars and shapes of dark men. The angrier we make him the more dangerous this gets! I didn't want to do anything to make him into… but that can't be a reason to stop now! "After him!" Lemillion yelled out for everyone else hesitating as they all noticed the change in tone of Lifebringer's attacks. "We can't let him get away!"

"ZACH!" Midoriya yelled down as he flew over Zach's head matching speed with him out to the far perimeter of walls keeping Zach from escaping campus.

They're all around me. I don't know how many more. Countless contingencies and they'll continue wasting manpower against me. Giving the villains more chance to pop up while everyone's distracted. Pulling more heroes here to face me. I can't risk that. I have to fight harder to get out of here as quickly as possible! It's the only way! Zach sped up more and raged darkness up over his body stretching it towards Midoriya. The darkness pulled into long thick tendrils of Death that whipped back and forth, seemingly in a pattern that Midoriya quickly determined and slipped through- only for it to turn random with Zach not even looking up to see which path Midoriya had chosen to slip through at first.

Zach kept those tendrils together so thick that they were the same consistency as the one that had wrapped around Lemillion. A strong appendage of Death that did not break apart or absorb at all into Deku slammed into the young hero and sent him flying through the air, twenty feet to the right. Midoriya righted himself and a look of fury covered his expression in that exact moment while others back in Class A stared in shock towards them.

Midoriya shot back directly over Zach's head in an instant. His body filled with power and he flipped over and kicked down towards the ground, blowing apart all the Death as Zach turned it all into gas at once then shot back together into a single mass that sped up in the air. "Stop this, Zach!" Midoriya screamed while speeding down at his enemy who zipped straight towards him with a fully focused look in those red eyes swirling with black. Anger covered Midoriya's expression like Zach had never seen rage before, all directed at him after that last attack that actually hurt Midoriya. "What are you doing?!" Midoriya punched forward and then flicked his other hand's fingers down at where Zach dodged to.

The force of Midoriya's flicks was only enough to get Zach's feet hitting the ground and bouncing once before tearing up a trench he dragged behind him. Midoriya flew through the lifting rubble behind Zach and he punched both hands forward to clear the path of the Death Zach rose in his way. "You can't run away from this!"

"I can't stay!" Zach yelled back at Midoriya, pushing down on the balls of his feet and pulling Death off his arms before leaping and slamming his normal arms forward right as Midoriya reached him. Midoriya buckled Zach's arms backwards as they collided, and he pushed Zach backwards with Zach's legs bending below him as Midoriya leaned forward and pushed his arms down from where their fingers were interlocking. "Everything!" Zach hiss-yelled straight into Midoriya's face. Less Death covered his face for a moment, and sheer panic and fear covered Zach's expression as he had to fight Midoriya like this and was stuck face to face with a look of anger like none he could ever imagine Midoriya having.

I can't! Zach's panicked eyes darted left and right and past Midoriya to other heroes gaining on them. So much of what they died for. A year of work, I can't let them charge me for it! I can't be held accountable! Death wouldn't be- he can't be a man! An ideal can't get charged and- and it would all be for nothing. I can't! I have to escape, because it will always just be "accused of" and never assured. Some people will call it a conspiracy against me. A hoax! It has to be! "I can't," Zach growled out, his pained tone turning angrier as Death rose back down his arms and shot towards Midoriya's hands, the desire to run overtaking the urge not to fight Deku.

Midoriya kicked up between them, nailing the right toe of his foot into Zach's blackened stomach. He launched Zach up in the air and right into a Cyn ceiling above them that Zach bounced off of. Midoriya slammed that leg back down and planted both feet so hard on the floor that everyone else running that way stopped because of the earthquake that Midoriya crouching like that created. Fissures split off from Midoriya's feet right before he rocketed up in the air and right past Zach's swinging right arm. Midoriya flipped around and hit the same Cyn ceiling with his feet that he pushed off so hard that the Cyn glass broke apart as he shot back into Zach. His arms that had crossed in front of his face uncrossed at the last possible second before he would have collided with his friend. "Air Force: X-Wing!"

The X of force cut through Zach's Death and sent him down but Zach's darkness immediately refilled it while eight wings shot out of his back and righted himself in the next half a second. As powerful as Midoriya's attacks were, Zach's power was a bottomless pit that Midoriya knew better than anyone. And Midoriya flipped himself over too to glare at Zach in fury but also with agony covering his face that he had to do this. It was not the pain of having to do this because of the other heroes forcing him to though that Zach saw on Deku's expression. It was the look like Zach was forcing Midoriya's hand for him to be this forceful with his attacks because of what he was doing. And Zach knew why that was too, as he imagined the looks in the Class B students' eyes after he screamed towards them in such terrifying rage that it could intimidate Honenuki's Quirk into failing which he did in lieu of using Death against him.

"Zach, listen to me," Midoriya begged as he and Zach stood there in the air in front of each other. "You're attacking heroes-"

"Because I can't let them charge me," Zach growled back. "I told you I would run. I warned you! This is what I was always going to do-"

"You can't!" Midoriya yelled back, anger covering his face. "You- you're a hypocrite! You can't leave like this, Zach. You can't fight heroes and run and- and look around you!" Midoriya yelled it as he had the U.A. school building in his peripheral vision.

Zach forced himself not to look that way. His eyes shook though as his peripheral vision caught the dozens of windows all pointed in their direction too. The hole in the wall where Class A was watching from. All the younger heroes and the other students through the school. His lips trembled and his eyes darted the other direction then back to Midoriya who he turned his body side-face in front of and rose his arms in a fighting stance. "I can't let them, charge me for Death. It's not-"

"Death wouldn't even fight heroes," Midoriya snapped. His fists balled at his sides in rage as he re-felt the collision of that huge tendril of Death that Zach whipped into him without caring at all who was watching or that he was fighting heroes. "Death, who didn't stand for anything. Who the rest of the world didn't look to and expect anything from but- but you? Lifebringer!" Midoriya yelled it and Zach's hands balled into furious fists at his sides, his eyes darting every which way for an escape from this conversation. "You told me that Lifebringer needed to be something different- A hero! Zach!" Midoriya's shout forced Zach's gaze back directly on him. "That's what you are, right now. That's what Lifebringer is."

"And if you run," Midoriya hissed, his voice agonized at the conflicted expression on Zach's face as both choices here caused him so much pain to consider. "If you fight heroes and run away? You show everyone that if they feel so right about something, they can fight heroes and do it because you did it- Because you're the Hero of the People! That's what they think of you, and even if you run they'll still think of you like that." Midoriya's voice was restrained and pained itself as he gave Zach the title he had heard Zach called sometimes that used to make him more upset. He shook his head though as he saw Zach now, and the panicked and volatile look that everyone else around here could see that Zach never let anyone see before.

"I'm not holding back anymore," Zach said. He spoke over Deku and rose his voice when Midoriya opened his jaw wider to yell out over him, "I have no Limiters. I'm going to use more Death starting now-"

"Listen to me!" Midoriya yelled towards his friend who erupted in more darkness.

"…You can't let me get back to full strength now. We both see that I'm the stronger of us, and I have always relied on the fact that I have you to stop me if I go off the rails…" I told myself that if that happened I would be the one to stop you. You're off the rails! You said it would happen and here we are, and I'm not stronger than you. I'm not! But it's still going to be me, Zach. It's always going to be me! "Look at what you're doing!" Midoriya yelled. "Fighting heroes?! In the middle of Musutafu. On U.A. campus?! Where people can see you- people who look up to you and rely on you?!"

Zach's dark flames raged around him as he twitched and considered shooting forward or flying backwards and farther away. He was farther from the school now than ever, and Cyn-Thia was backing off to set up more walls that he had to get past before she could make them. Others were farther away and hesitating as they watched Deku floating there in front of Lifebringer, both of them using attacks that were too broad and powerful for others to risk getting closer to. Zach's red eyes locked back onto Deku's as the other eighteen year old said softer to him, "Zach, what are you doing?"

"This?" Midoriya tilted his head slightly to the right with anguish covering his face at the thought of what was happening right now. Of the person he was staring at who looked back at him in just as much pain to see Midoriya look at him like that. "Zach, if you continue this… you're a villain. So stop, please. You can't fight heroes like this. You can't make people think it's alright. Isn't that," Midoriya's voice hitched but he kept back the tears in his watery eyes as he made his expression slightly more stern. "Isn't that part of what Death fought for? So people wouldn't think it's alright… You're, you're even more a villain than Death, if you keep doing this. So please Zach," Midoriya begged his friend in front of him. He pleaded with the other boy who was about to make him fight at full force against him with the intensity and mentality of fighting a real villain. Midoriya's bottom lip shook but he forced himself to bite down on it while kicking a little under him again but also behind him to close some of the distance between them.

"Just stop," Midoriya whispered. "You need to accept it. It's the rule of law. It matters, and it matters to you too. All you said about doing things the right way since coming back, was it all a lie? Were you lying the entire time?" Midoriya begged the question and searched Zach's eyes that lost more and more of the red glow in them as his head bowed in shame instead. "I don't think you were. I still believe in you, Zach. Don't do this any longer. Stop fighting… You're only, going to hurt all of us even more. Yourself included."

Why… why are you always right? Zach's eyes clenched shut as his body started lowering slowly out of the air. He could not look at Midoriya. He definitely could not look towards the U.A. building that his body turned more away from so he was facing the opposite direction as it when his legs touched down. As his legs touched the floor they immediately bent at the knees so he lowered down to them with his arms dropping down and going behind his back.

Zach knelt down and pushed his chin into his chest that regained the color to it so he was back in his school uniform that was slightly singed from explosion damage somehow. Zach pushed his chin harder into his chest and clenched his eyes shut so much harder as he heard Midoriya's feet touch down on the ground next to him. "Ahh- haahh," Zach seethed out the breath as he forced his chin harder into his body. I don't want this to end- Tears slipped through his eyes but only two, then he grit his teeth even harder. He's right though. I can't run. I can't be that much of a hypocrite. I can't be that much of a villain! I can't. "I'm sorry," Zach whispered, knowing Midoriya could hear it next to him, and begging the boy standing there to believe it.

In Zach's head he heard the words of one of Germany's best heroes. "…If they have intentionally broken laws believing themselves above said laws, then they will be stopped the same as were they any other person. I repeat: No one is above the law." Zach remembered the speech he saw on tv and how amazed he had been by Jedenwurst's guts to say that to the politicians of the world. He thought of it though and cursed himself again with his eyes closing softer this time in regret towards all he had just done. It wasn't just to politicians. No one is above the law. I'm not special. I don't get to escape accountability. I… I have to lie, to protect what it was all for but- but Lifebringer can't be above the law. I can't…

Midoriya's fists stayed balled furiously at his sides as he stared down at the top of Zach's bowed head. Even what he already did, Midoriya clenched his jaw and it tightened more as he stared at his kneeling friend who had prostrated himself in a way ready to be cuffed and arrested now. You were- you were fighting like a… You warned me you would, but I still didn't think you'd go so far and- The anger faded from Midoriya's face and he sighed instead as the rest of his body relaxed. And you listened to me. I knew you would…

---

Last Night…

"…If you cannot tell me there is a 0 percent chance Sazaki will run, Deku, then we need to take this as a certainty to prevent the worst case scenario."

Midoriya's fists curled so much tighter. His face filled with frustration but he looked down and started shaking his head. "There, isn't a zero percent chance…" His head stopped shaking and his eyes got much more intense as he stared back at the screen and into Lemillion's eyes. "But we can't just plan for a contingency for fighting him. The best case scenario is where he listens to us, and even if his instant reaction is to run away, the best way to arrest Zach is going to be doing so through convincing Zach to let himself get taken in."

Lemillion frowned more but also looked more hesitant than straight out denying Midoriya's suggestion, as he was the one who had just said that Deku knew Lifebringer best. Midoriya spoke more assuredly to Lemillion and all the other heroes, "I believe Zach can be talked out of fleeing… that I can talk Zach out of it."

"You may not have a chance to," Lemillion warned in a lower voice. "Sazaki's speed is world-renowned and we aren't going to risk him escaping and never being seen again. If, we try this. We have to get him held down and restrained for long enough to get Deku a chance to get him a chance to stop resisting. And that probably is the right way to go about this. After all," Lemillion admitted. "We don't know if we can even hold him."

"Sazaki handed himself in last time," Lemillion continued to everyone in the call. "He can make objects pass through him. He even slipped out of his cell in Tartaros in order to save prison guards during Faith's attempted escape, showing the cell he was in was never really holding him there in the first place. It's Sazaki who allowed us to hold him." Lemillion shook his head and let out a sigh, before admitting in a frustrated but somewhat impressed tone, "We have to arrest him, and yet logistically? We risk completely losing by going after this fight. Showing everyone that all of us combined couldn't take him. Forcing him away from staying in the light which I doubt will keep him from continuing to act… Though I also believe we don't risk lives with this."

Lemillion's faith in what he just said was clear on his expression. He nodded grimly but still determinedly as he spoke up louder to everyone, "But that doesn't mean we don't do everything we can to take Sazaki in. Lifebringer has to face justice for all he has done. But, if we can do this Deku's way and get Sazaki to turn himself in again? That's the best possible scenario, because it ensures the longest-lasting results…"

---

Present

Lemillion's shoulders relaxed a few seconds after he saw Deku's do the same farther ahead of him. He slowed down and started panting before shaking his head in amazement but not disbelief like some of the other heroes who were mid-chase and still all tensed up thinking this might be a ruse from Death.

Star-Spangled Man darted his eyes towards Lemillion and then he relaxed himself as well and turned back towards Lifebringer for a moment angrily before just shaking his head and starting a walk in that boy's direction. He brought his right wrist up to his mouth and spoke into it, "Bring the convoy to my location. We've got him."

Mineta leaned back in the hole in U.A.'s wall and he dropped onto his butt. He let out the heaviest breath and hunched forward as all the weight lifted off his shoulders at once. The panic that had gradually risen over the last minute from how crazy Zach was seeming out there shot out of his body as he saw Zach kneeling down and allowing himself to be arrested. "Geez," Mineta muttered under his breath. "Don't scare me like that."

Sero shook his head with a glance down to Mineta and then a darker glare back out towards his good friend kneeling in submission as heroes went to arrest him. What was that, Zach? In what kind of perfect world that you were talking about, is something like this okay? That was insane of you… Sero's fists balled at his sides and he brought his right hand up to his forehead then pushed it up through his straight black hair. What are the chances, you ever get out of jail?

What kind of plan is he…

Yaoyorozu took in a deep breath and let it out in relief. She shook her head at herself for what she said before now that the heroes had Zach down and in their custody. I should have had more faith in Midoriya. Zach, you told me that you would not leave again. Another lie. Her eyes opened and stared out towards Zach's knelt form sadly but also disappointed in how far things just got. The tone you shouted in like that was too much, Zach. Too far. Villainous, and solely for your own sake. And yet, I'm so sorry for what is going to come next.

Star-Spangled Man and Lemillion finished walking up behind Death. They each looked towards Deku in an impressed way while that boy glanced up at the two of them and nodded to show that things had really gone as he wanted them to. Other heroes were making their ways over, some of them panting and some looking relieved while a few still appeared somewhat hesitant. Bakugo dropped out of the sky and landed ten feet to Todoroki's right side a good sixty meters from Zach. "Damn it," Bakugo muttered as Deku turned out to be right. He was up above getting ready to drop down hard when Zach got around the first Cyn wall, when he knew Zach would rush twice as fast to get around the new one Cyn-Thia was no longer making but would have only been half done if Deku did not stop him first.

"I'll come peacefully," Zach assured. He lifted his bowed head slightly but turned in Lemillion and Star-Spangled Man's direction rather than face Midoriya yet. Looking towards those two he had to see the U.A. building behind them that made him avert his gaze again. He looked down and added, "And, you can add resisting arrest to those charges."

Star-Spangled Man lifted his eyebrows up as the boy seemed to be talking to him from when he had Zach down pinned below him and shouted the crimes that Death was being charged with. He had called out murder, assault, armed robbery, and a few others… but he still tilted his head back despite thinking of all those again right now. "Resisting arrest?" Star-Spangled Man wondered, humming to himself in confusion. "I don't seem to recall Lifebringer resisting arrest."

Lemillion glanced out the corners of his eyes at the top American hero on his right side who Midoriya looked up at too in surprise that the man said that. Zach's head twitched while he was still looking down though his head slightly lifted during that flinch. His eyes were open and his teeth baring hard at the sound of the American's voice speaking those words in great Japanese.

I was revived that day after facing a hero's death against the strongest enemies I had ever fought. I know I can't do anything else to help Sazaki after this, but I am glad the boy surrendered himself, considering it was getting clear Lifebringer could have escaped us all. Star-Spangled Man shrugged his shoulders and glanced to Lemillion with a look questioning if Lemillion had noticed any attempt to resist them.

Lemillion paused for a moment and then said with a nod, "Me neither."

Tsuyu froze where she was staring towards Lemillion expecting him to retort to the American and explain to him how it does not work that way in Japan. Lemillion's earpiece was still on and Star-Spangled Man's voice had been heard second-hand through it at first before Lemillion's voice came through clearer the second time.

Iida leaned back on Asui's right side though and she glanced to him to see the relieved look on the tall boy's face. He was still ready to say Zach resisted if a single other hero said so over the comms, but with Lemillion not going to he knew he was not going to either. Tsuyu looked back in Lemillion's direction in a confused way, Why would he not…

Bakugo humped and rolled his eyes while looking away from the scene ahead of him. Anti-climactic as shit. One of us should be down on the ground- unable to move on the ground!

Midoriya looked at Lemillion in a lot of surprise and even more confusion than Tsuyu as he knew his pro hero better than most people. Even after all the things you've said about how dangerous Zach is and how you've been going after him all this time, you don't want to tack on something else? He's Death. You've always been so against him and…

Zach lifted his gaze back to Lemillion who he could picture back in January confronting him in the abandoned building he had led that hero to. Months of investigation had led to this and Lemillion had him down and captured now, charged with the crimes of being Death that he had always accused Zach of being. Zach looked at him without the confusion that Midoriya had that Togata would give him even the slightest room as a sign of respect. Lemillion said aloud though as he had Zach kneeling there before him, "We don't hate you, Lifebringer, but no one can get away with what you did as Death."

"I'm not Death," Zach said, assuring the heroes around him of how he was going to plead in the upcoming trial they all knew was coming. Lemillion and Star-Spangled Man each gained looks on their faces that were not even questioning if that was true, and Zach thought, They've seen the real proof. I'll convince them otherwise still. He rose up the corners of his lips still in a sad and apologetic way, but also grateful as he added, "But thank you, Lemillion. And thanks for not telling everyone where I lived," he finished softer, nodding at the hero who he never got to tell that to before but appreciated since Midoriya had not found out about it from his pro.

"Were you awake-" Lemillion started with his eyes growing.

"They told me when I woke up," Zach replied, and Lemillion relaxed then nodded. He had already expected that himself but thought for a moment because of the tone in which Zach said it that the boy had known he was there even at the time that Lemillion was in the room.

Lemillion frowned again to keep a serious demeanor as the cop cars approached including the one carrying an iron maiden to stuff Zach into with walls lined with tevlon. He glanced their direction then back at the boy down on his knees who other heroes were moving towards, including Metallore who mentioned loudly and with a small smile, "I'm sure glad we didn't wind up having to fight him."

Zach turned towards the Italian man who gave him a grateful nod. Metallore thought, I owe you that much. We all owe you, at least that much leeway.

"It was my job to track your movements," Lemillion spoke to the boy who looked back at him again. "Not put you in danger from Eziano Mozcaccio. And we'll protect you now too even though you'll be in custody and with cuffs on-"

"I'm not concerned," Zach mentioned. Deku darted his eyes to Zach anxiously though hiding any expression of knowledge from his face. Zach continued, "If Eziano attacks I'll just take the cuffs off and take him down then get back in my cell and put the cuffs back on."

"Cocky fucking asshole," Bakugo said, his words sounding harsher than the crack of a grin that formed on his face for an instant before anger covered it again as he remembered the reasons he was angry right now.

Is he really being cocky? Todoroki wondered. He's trying to relax all the other heroes who are still worried that he might be in some angered state right now. He's ensuring them that he can take down Eziano if the attack comes too, and that us having him in custody won't force any of them to have to fight that powerful assassin himself. Even without letting anyone know that Eziano's already dead, he just eased the hearts of everyone here with one confident statement.

Metallore sweatdropped and lowered his own smile. Others who did feel somewhat relieved also sweatdropped themselves as they did not doubt Lifebringer could do that after watching him break from Star-Spangled Man and Lemillion's capture before.

Hawks sighed then turned towards FlyGuy who looked his way wondering what Hawks had to say. The second ranked hero in the country took out his earpiece then motioned away with his head for FlyGuy to follow him, and the two of them shot away from U.A. to establish themselves on rooftops between U.A. and the city jail that Lifebringer was going to be held in until his trial.

"Speaking of cuffs," Popfire began, walking over with Roady on her right side now that the fight was over. She wondered over the comms, "Do we really need to put him in them, if we're going with him turning himself over? I mean, I know it's protocol but it just seems kind of…"

"Stupid?" Roady wondered.

"Unnecessary," Popfire finished with a look to her husband, though she tilted her head to the side after they made eye contact as she admitted his phrasing worked just as well.

"We need to put him in handcuffs," Lemillion told them. He hesitated then added, "But I suppose the back of a regular patrol car is fine."

Really glad they won't be putting me in one of those Maidens. Especially with the news helicopter over U.A.'s campus. Surprised Nezu isn't stopping them with those ANTs. Zach steadied his thoughts to make his expression steadied too and more calm in knowledge that so many people were watching him and worried after what had just happened. If the heroes are going to let me off easily here, I have to help them out too. Make it easier on everyone here who wanted to capture me without any of that… I hit Midoriya. I made him treat me like a villain- Almost! I almost did, and I said something embarrassing to Bakugo, Zach avoided looking Bakugo's way as he thought it. Instead he looked to Lemillion and stood up as the arresting hero ordered him to while stepping forward with handcuffs.

Tsuburaba dropped down on the ground as Sky-Girl finally lowered them to the surface. He let out a huge breath of relief and then started panting as he looked towards his fellow U.A. student who he had been terrified of going after ever since he was brought in on this last night. All that Zach had told them at the ski resort of the most insane things he had done out as an international vigilante had given him chills but also made him think Zach was pretty cool. Knowing that he was Death and that they were going to try and arrest him anyway? It struck fear in him like none other at the thought of having to face Zach himself today.

"You guys alright?" Tsuburaba wondered as he walked over to his classmates who were just watching Zach from a distance.

"Can we really get away with not bringing up this fight?" Shinso muttered in response, glancing up towards that helicopter high in the sky then back around at the damaged campus around them. Huge chunks of ice lay scattered all over, there were craters in the ground and upturned sections of earth, steel foundations and broken cement, and there was a wall missing from the U.A. building. "How do they even expect everyone else to stay quiet about it?" And did anyone in the school record what was happening? Maybe the teachers stopped the students.

"Yeah, we're alright," Honenuki replied to Tsuburaba as Shinso did not. He smiled himself which made Bondo stare at him in surprise because of the fearful way in which Honenuki had looked after Zach screamed at them before. "Things almost got bad there for a minute though," Honenuki admitted, lifting a hand with a more carefree look on his face and scratching through his wavy beige-colored hair.

As sad as Ashido felt up in the hole in the wall of Class A, she felt relieved too as she looked out there at the heroes standing around Zach treating him nicely and not being too rough even after the way he had just fought against this arrest. I don't have to help him, Ashido had felt a huge part of her pushing her forward to jump out the hole and run to defend Zach after the way she saw him surrender. There was no need to do it though, and she smiled a little more as Zach was led to the very first cop car to arrive rather than the one with the super strong cage designed to hold only the worst of villains when necessary.

The smile that the pink girl managed did not last though. He can't ever be pardoned, for the kind of stuff he told us he did. Tears filled her eyes and she had to close them to hold the waterworks back.

This is the best scenario for all of us, Lemillion admitted even though it seemed like he and Star-Spangled Man were just trying to be super nice and forgiving to Lifebringer. He glanced back out the corners of his eyes after keeping one hand on Zach's back without really stuffing him into the back of the patrol car that Zach entered of his own will. Star-Spangled Man looked his way similarly out only the corners of his eyes. The two of them had come to a private agreement before this to reach the kind of position they were in now if at all possible. We had to do what we could not to put Lifebringer in a situation where he was completely trapped. Not with the League making their moves. Not with Eziano targeting him.

That's it. That's our fucking fight, Bakugo had already turned away, trying to accept it just from Zach dropping to his knees. Seeing Zach step into that cop car made it final though and removed the last chance that Zach was faking it and about to run now that everyone had let their guards down. It's ending just like that? This is how it ends? Bakugo's lips twisted in frustration, as he doubted he would ever speak to Zach again after this let alone fight him. Fuck! Fuck you…

Do they really have proof that will stick? Todoroki Shoto looked towards Lemillon who not once since last night had appeared to doubt their ability to convict Zach on these charges. Zach was too smart for so long about hiding… except, he let up. I know that because so many in our class already knew he was Death. I don't get how Zach's going to get out of it…

Will he? Todoroki wondered that to himself in confusion. He considered his own confusion and wondered, Do I assume Zach would find a way? Why? Zach has been thrown in Tartaros before, after turning himself in like he just did. I guess it's because this time it would be final, and so there really couldn't be some bigger plan.

Midoriya's expression changed as he watched the cop car that started to leave. He heard the orders of the pros around him and the sirens and the conversations of those getting ready for what came next. He just watched the cop cars leaving with some other heroes though, as his job was done and he was to stay at U.A. after the arrest unlike his pro hero who was leaving with Zach. Deku's fists clenched at his sides while he watched his friend get taken away.

I knew this would happen. Izuku reminded himself of that simple fact that had his stomach in knots. When Zach returned I knew that I never got out of the mindset that I would have to face him. I knew it! I was ready for it!

…When? Midoriya asked himself the question. He wondered to himself, When did I lose that mindset? When did I forget that this was always going to happen? He had remembered that feeling so vividly when it had come time to do this, and yet now that Zach was getting taken away he only felt like the Deku from yesterday and the previous weeks. I spent so much time with Zach these past few months, Midoriya thought, already knowing why it was he forgot.

It's because Zach told the truth, Midoriya thought. He gulped and his fists tightened harder, drawing blood for the first time in the day for any of the heroes there. When he came back and told us in the hospital how he was here to be a hero again. And when reporters confronted him, he smiled and said heroic things. He went to school. And he stopped villains! He did it as a hero… I know why I forgot, but I also know that Zach isn't excused from those crimes in his past just because it's been a while.

If they really have proof that he's Death, then all those things I know about- Midoriya's fists uncurled as he was hurting himself and only felt sad now rather than angry anymore. His lips pursed though as the cop car turned out of sight and took away his friend who would never be free again, his friend who he just convinced to stay and accept whatever verdict was given to him. I just decided his future… I can't regret it. Not as a hero. Not as, Deku.

I imagined he might leave again, Yaoyorozu felt an empty pit in her chest after the disappointment and silent anger at Zach for trying to leave faded too, just like the relief that Midoriya had stopped him had. The empty feeling swirled inside her at the thought of what was going to happen now. We all knew from the start that Zach might leave us for a third time. But we- I thought it would be on his terms. Like running away from this arrest or choosing to leave on his own like he did that night Midoriya dragged him back. I knew he could be caught for being Death… but not that he'd accept that and stay.

I thought this would happen. I thought, you'd run away, Yaoyorozu admitted it to herself despite the promise he had made her not to leave again. If you get taken away this time though it's finally not because you chose to do it. For once, you're not in control of what's going to happen to you next. You'll fight it and claw your way back here any way you can, but not if it means breaking the law. Midoriya convinced you. You won't go back on it now. I believe that you won't, which means there's only one chance you can get back here.

You have to lie like you've never lied before.

---

A/N Thanks for reading! Arrested! Zach's been captured by heroes after an attempt to get him goes rather poorly. Midoriya manages to take him down though in the best way Deku knows he can. The only way, it seemed like. Hope you guys enjoyed Bakugo and Zach's fight, as well as the fight of all those combined hero forces against him. Zach restrains himself and is convinced to stay even with the charges against him, though he is denying that he is Death despite the proof the heroes apparently have. What is going to happen to him? Will he be able to fight the charges? What about the League?! Who knows? I do, but not spoilers. XD Thanks guys for all the reviews, and to make up for the long gap and no review responses last week, I'm going to put a bunch of replies down here! Leave me a review telling me what you think of this chapter, questions, or predictions for what's ahead! Response time:

Guest chapter 228 . May 30

"He sighed after a second as imagining beating up the U.S. president again did not make him feel any better and he realized that it was good that it didn't. He then smiled instead at the thought of how it did not make him feel better,"
Lmao! xD I love how Zach is the type of person to feel upset, and gets happy because he felt upset! That was so funny, yet sad. More funny though! Lol!

XD Glad you liked it! I have some fun with the amount of room I gave myself with what happened while Zach was Death, since so much happened I couldn't have written it all, giving me tons of new stuff to add in whenever like beating up the president! Zach's internal struggles with that and relief at being upset about it, comes in even stronger this time as Zach focuses fully on escaping and thinking of all the negative consequences of staying until Midoriya shoves in his face what he's doing wrong. Anyway, glad you like that kind of stuff because it really does impact the story too in massive ways like in this chapter, not just short funny scenes like that. Thanks for reviewing!

Guessst chapter 228 . Jun 1

Wow that part with the video was really touching. And I can't wait to see the next developments! Amazing as always!

Thanks a lot! Glad you liked it and hope you're enjoying the developments. Sorry for the long update Guessst and thanks for another review!

Its Johnny chapter 228 . Jun 1

The league of villains are making their move...
There's no way Kaminari isn't going to make Zach suffer somehow... I just hope that how doesn't involve Momo... even though I like Mina a little..Okay... more like a lot better because of how she SAVED Zach and kept him from going awol... Or Awall... whichever way you spell the word that means bailing from your position or going dark... But that doesn't mean I dislike Momo or anything. She's a great character.
But back to the LoV
Oh yeah, I'm just going to call it right now... Zach's "win" here isn't gonna last forever (Though he really needed this). I think this because We all know that whenever something good happens to him, it's usually mixed in with a lot of Death. Lol...
Not really funny...
- Sincerely, It's Johnny
Ps: Love you Zach!

Zach's "win" does not last long. Nice call. One of the reasons I didn't post replies to reviews last chapter was because it was more an in between from the Sleepless arc to this one, with some foreshadowing and closing-up from the last one. Zach's win is quickly squashed as he's put in custody this chapter for the crimes of, being Death. As for all the shipping... well, lots of different ships I'm seeing in these reviews but I can neither confirm nor deny what's going on with the romance in this story. ;) Thanks for the review!

LiquidAel chapter 1 . Jun 14

It may be the worse time possible. But I think I'll have a good reread of the whole amazing work

I had the same idea. XD Was a nice reread, and I think my final reread before I finish up the rest of Death!

RedRamStoner chapter 228 . Jun 27

r-dawg here, hoping you're cool bro. hope to see you posting again soon my cravings are going haywire haha. but yeah just dropping you a line in case you could use a pick me up haha.
Stay Frosty bru!

I was all good, don't worry! Thanks for the concern though. Just took me a while to finish my reread and get 229 done. Hope you're enjoying the new chapters and Stay Frosty out there! 2020's not done with us yet... 0_0

CarmesiCaos chapter 5 . Jul 3

This chapter made me cry. You did a great job with the emotions in this chapter. The frustration and fear, the determination and hope was so well portrayed that I didn't even realize I was crying at first. I can't wait to read the rest. I know you are so far ahead in the chapters now, but I had to say something here when what you wrote made me feel so much. Thank you.

This one was a review from Chapter 5 but I just wanted to put it here too anyway... Oh man, if chapter 5 had you in tears? I'm a little worried how this story has hit you since then. The reread had me all torn up, and this was my 5th or 6th time reading it (after coming up with it, writing it, editing it, and the previous reads...), I just hope you stuck with it all the way and are all caught up now!

zangetsuflameo chapter 228 . Jul 15

Hey TMB, are you in quarantine. This is the longest break in the history of Death so I just wanted to mak sure your safe. Please come back. We miss you.

Yeah guys. Sorry again about that long update. Took me only a week this time though, and I'm already started up on 231 so I'll try to get that one out in an even shorter time! I'm back!

Yamajiji chapter 228 . Jul 8

I really hope they don't try to arrest Zach. The League of Villains is planning shit and the heroes are focusing everything on Zach. I hope we get some more Zach/Momo moments in the future. And finally, I really hope someone outs Prime Minister Nikko as corrupt, because fuck him.

X_X sorry. Lol there's no way the heroes can ignore, whatever proof it is they now have. We'll see what the League does now that Zach's been arrested. And if anyone can find out about Nikko, that'd be just great. X) Glad you enjoyed your second read through of the story, and the heroes have made their move now. We'll see what comes next... Thanks for all the reviews! I liked reading them all as you made your way back here quicker than I could! Hope you enjoyed the new chapter, as rough as it is for your hopes moving forward...

Momozaki chapter 229 . Jul 20

AND HE HAS RETURNED. No Momozaki this chapter, but I still have high hopes. The recently increasing Darling support has me nervous though lol..
Shipping aside, I hope quarantine has been treating you well. That was quite a long time you've been gone. It's clear that the hiatus hasn't affected your writing though
That line with Momo thinking that Zach will never tell her everything broke my heart a bit. I want the SS Momozaki to set sail again, but I also want Zach to open up more, as hard as that is.
The scenes with Zach and Midoriya have to be one of my favourite parts of this story. They've both such different characters in the sense that they've gone through crazy things and have different perspectives on certain issues.
That scene with Sero and Zach, and the inclusion of the Grappler callback was heavy. The ending, as always, is kind of foreboding. I'm both excited and scared to see how you plan to wrap everything up.
It's great to have you back. I can't wait to read the next chapter.

Glad to be back! Don't worry about any support you see for ships in the reviews. I've already got the remainder of Death planned out and the summaries nearly finished from here to the end... which I can't give a perfect timetable for when that will be. But it's on its way. Happy you enjoy the scenes with Zach and Midoriya, we get another of those in a real intense confrontation this time as they fight against each other harder than ever before. And glad you just enjoyed 229 as a whole. Thanks for the review!

Silver PND chapter 229 . Jul 21

Hey I'm wondering. It actually wouldn't even be that bad if zack were to be revealed as death. I mean he could just simply fly back to lifecity and remain there till he figures out what to do next.

I'm a little confused as to why zack thinks that he's not as strong as death? That sounds pretty ridiculous to me tbh. Maybe he's not as driven as he once was, but with all the power boost he's gotten since he came back he's playing in a while different league than he did as death.

Well, Zach's revealed and his attempt to fly off gets stopped before he can go come up with a new plan, as he's forced to face the music in that moment rather than wait to later to regret or accept it. Zach thinking he's not as strong as Death really didn't have anything to do with his raw power or the power boosts to Death. He meant it as strength in that kind of drive you're thinking. Zach's definitely more powerful right now by himself than ever before, so it wasn't meant in that way, and on top of this that was still in Zach's thoughts which are different from a narration just stating he's not as strong or he's stronger. It's what he thinks of himself. Hope you enjoyed and if you did a reread too like one of your other reviews mentioned, hope it held up the second time through! Thanks for reviewing!

papaprep chapter 229 . Jul 21

How r u doing? Are u and ur family is safe from the virus?

I'm great! Started going back to the food bank this week to volunteer. And I've been building my grandpa a house to live in with my uncle while I'm on unemployment, trying to get him out of his empty apartment ever since my grandma passed. My good friend's older brother works in a hospital and got the virus only a week ago, but my buddy tested negative himself so I'm feeling pretty safe right now. Hope that can keep up. NY is still doing pretty good avoiding the second surge which is really just a first surge in most of the US. We're safe here though and I'm feeling pretty thankful for that. And grateful to you for asking! Hope you're doing well as well, and hope you enjoyed reading the new chapter!

someguy1011 chapter 229 . Jul 25

Awesome chapter, It's good to see you back. I'll be honest I've been reading this story since very early on like around chapter 30 and I can say confidently, This is the best story that I have ever read on this site and then some not only in the story but also the characters (and tbh the characters are what make this) So kudos to you for everything that you've given us.

Thanks a lot, and again I'm happy to be back writing again after a long chunk of serious writer's block and slow rereading. I'm super glad to hear that kind of praise and that you think this story's that good. I'm pretty sure Death is going to be my final fanfiction. I've been writing on this website since my junior year of high school, and it's been a year now since I graduated from college. I'll still be writing but it'll be stories that I don't have to put disclaimers at the top of. Thanks again for the praise and I've been happy to write this all that time. Hope you continue to enjoy Death as you have from the beginning until we reach our final conclusion! :)