A wall of ice shoots from my boot toward the notorious Hero Killer.
I glance at my phone and sigh in exasperation.
"Midoriya, for something like this, you text me more information. Now I'm late."
Just two days ago, my classmates and I boarded the metro train to head to our respective internships. Hanada-chan had come to see my off, telling me that her internship was not on the Honshu island, but instead in Okinawa, and that her departure would be by plane. I felt a little miserable hearing that; I had wanted to show her the new hero costume I had requested. But she promised that she would text and call me when she could. When it was time for my departure, I scoured the train for an empty compartment. But Midoriya followed me. He was genuine and wanted to stay true to what he had said, he told me.
And what I thought was going to be a silent train ride alone turned into an amiable discussion on a journey. Turned out that he was talkative, regardless of his stammering or strategizing moments. After exchanging pleasantries, he started talking about what he looked forward to in the coming week. I still had my reservations about the whole thing - I did talk significantly less than he did - but the idea of befriending another classmate did not seem so aversive. He had the potential and will to bring good to our flawed society.
I didn't realize how many hours had passed in conversation until I had to get off at my station. He bid me an energetic goodbye, and I found myself waving back with a small smile in return.
But here we are now: Midoriya on the ground, sweating and panting; me standing on my feet with a visible frown.
"Why are you here?!" he exclaims. "Wait! That's your left side!"
True. Now my flames are billowing from my left palm as ice is crystallizing in my right. But I'm irritated. "'Why?' That's my line." I put my phone away, never breaking eye contact with the Hero Killer. "It took a few secs to think over what that message meant. All you did was mass-send your location pin to all contacts." The Hero Killer crouches in fighting stance. I brace myself, too, and unleash another wave of ice. "You're not the type who'd do something like that with no meaning attached. No, with it you must've meant 'Call for backup! I'm in a pinch!'" The ice traps Midoriya, Iida, and an unconscious Pro-Hero, but the Hero Killer leaps back. "Don't worry! In a minute or two, even the Pros'll hit the scene!" Instantly, I melt the ice with a burst of flames, but the Hero Killer escapes that, too. My next words are addressed to him. "I won't let your ass kill them, Hero Killer."
However, now, Midoriya decides to give some useful information. "Todoroki-kun, don't show that guy any blood! In all likelihood, he can rob his opponent's freedom by ingesting blood orally! That's how we all got taken down!"
"So that's what the blade is about, huh? Well, I can just keep my distance." I'm about to attack again, but a knife comes whizzing at me. It nicks my cheek.
"You've got yourself some nice pals, haven't you Ingenium?" I hear the Hero Killer mock as he comes at me with a saw. I barely dodge his front kick and the katana he threw at the same time as the knife. Suddenly, his face comes so close to mine, about to lick the blood on my cheek. It is by chance that I summon both ice and fire at the last second to push him back. With every move he makes, he draws in closer by two or three strides. This guy's strong as hell!
Now Iida thinks this is the perfect time to be dramatic. This night just keeps getting better. First contending with Endeavor, then Midoriya, then the Hero Killer, and now him. And all I wanted to do was write a letter to my mom. "I inherited my brother's name!" Iida cries. "I'm the one who has to do it!"
Without turning around to look at him, I scold him. "You inherited it? That's funny. The Ingenium that I once saw never made a face like that. I know there must be all sorts of stuff going on behind the scenes in your family life." Swords slice through the blockade of ice at a supernatural speed. Dammit!
"Attempting to block view of oneself from an opponent that's faster than you ... How inane," the Hero Killer taunts. I grit my teeth as I shout that we'll see about that. As if to further ridicule me, two daggers embed themselves in my left arm, down to the bone. AGH! He jumps up, way out of my reach. But then Midoriya leaps to his level and smashes him into the concrete buildings.
"I dunno why, but I'm able to move normally again!" he shouts.
"Must be a time limit!" I realize.
They both fall down, the Hero Killer keeping his balance and Midoriya landing backfirst. I summon more ice to keep distance.
"He takes in blood to steal away movement! As for why the only one to be released from that effect so far is me ..." Midoriya pants.
"I can think of three patterns: A) The more targets there are, the thinner the effect; B) It has to do with how much blood he's ingested; or, maybe C) The effect bears differences depending on blood type." To my surprise, the Hero Killer affirms that my third idea is correct.
"We don't gain anything from having figured that out, though."
"I want to take the two of them and evacuate asap, but his reaction time's fast enough to be able to evade both ice and fire. He won't give us an opening to. Until the Pros arrive, I think avoiding close quarters with him and holding out is the best we can do." Midoriya points out that I'm losing too much blood, but it's still up to the two of us to protect Iida and unconscious Pro-Hero. As I watch the Hero Killer for his next attack, my thoughts roil. Ever since your big brother got cut down, I grew concerned for you, Iida. I know full well what a person's face looks like when they're driven by resentment and hardship. And I understood that the field of vision of people who wear that expression will very likely become extremely narrow with time. Mom apologized through tears, smiled surprisingly easily, and forgave me. She told me that she'd be happy, that she'd be saved, if I simply pressed onward without anything holding me back. On the other hand, if I'd stayed the way I was before, I would have never even thought of choosing my father's office for the workplace experience. It's not as though I've forgiven him, or ever plan to. I'm only doing this because the fact that that bastard is Number Two is the plain truth that I need to experience with my own eyes. Flames erupt from my palms. He's an unbelievable piece of shit, but I can't help but acknowledge he's got the judgement and insight worthy of being called Number Two. And to think it'd all been so damn simple! It was all so simple, and yet I was blind to it! "'IT'S YOUR POWER!'" That one sentence was all it took!
Distantly, I hear Iida whimper, "Please stop ... I ... I won't ..."
I am thoroughly infuriated now. "IF YOU WANT US TO STOP, THEN STAND UP!" I brace myself for the next confrontation as the Hero Killer dashes to strike again. "SET YOUR EYES ON THE MAN YOU WANT TO BE!"
The Hero Killer swerves the next surge of ice. "Fire within the ice," he grins. "Has no one ever told you? You focus too much on your quirk, your behavior becomes crude."
"Damn monster!" He's right, too. Because he charges forward with his katana about to sever my left arm. I can't dodge it in time. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! But all of a sudden Iida rushes lightning fast and kicks the Hero Killer and his katana away. Thanks, Iida! Midoriya shouts in delight. "So the effect faded ... Bastard's quirk ended up being no big deal, surprisingly."
"For wrapping you two up in something you have nothing to do with, I truly apologize," Iida says with a newfound conviction. It's better than his cowardice from before, but Midoriya echoes my thoughts as he mutters how pointless repeating this conversation is. But Iida pays no attention. "And that's why, I cannot allow you two to spill more blood."
The Hero Killer scoffs in disgust. "Trying to make me think you've had a change of heart is futile. A man's true character doesn't change so easily! You are nothing more than a fake who prioritizes his own selfish desires! You are the cancer of society, warping the word 'hero,' and someone needs to correct that."
Bullshit! "That's just fundamentalism, and anachronistic to boot. Don't pay him any heed, Iida."
But Iida agrees with him. "It's just as he said. I'm not qualified to bear the name of a hero. Nevertheless, I can't afford to fold here. For if I were to fold, then Ingenium would die." From the confidence in his voice, I think he found his realization. At least, now it's three-against-one instead of two-against-one. We can survive this.
The Pro-Hero who was unconscious before seems to have woken up because he shouts at us to just save our skins and get the hell out. We would if there were an opening! We need to strategize to escape with our lives. "He's clearly shifted moods from before. The bastard's feeling the heat, too." Considering he can't use it unless he draws close enough, and that blood type isn't something anyone can determine beforehand, and add to that the shortness of the effect ... Then, if you're simply judging by quirk, he's actually not all that powerful. Plus, fighting against groups by himself must be the worst possible pattern for him. Yet he's become eager to kill that guy and Iida in contrast to his quick-to-flee profile. Before the Pros get here, he's making a serious goddamn effort.
This won't be easy. I'm just coming up with a plan when Iida interrupts my analysis. "Todoroki! Are you able to adjust your temperature?"
The Hero Killer jumps at us and I fend him off with more fire. "I'm not used to my left side yet, why?!"
"Cool down my leg, but do it so my exhaust pipes don't get plugged!" I glance at him. I have no idea what the hell he's planning, but I don't have many options here. That's a mistake because I don't see the knife flying at me until Iida runs in front of me to take the brunt of the attack. The impact of the blade embedding in his forearm makes him tumble to the ground. At my hesitation, he shouts, "Don't worry! Just do it quick!" I bend down and do as he says as he pulls out the blade with his teeth.
The next sight is ... miraculous. Midoriya, Iida, and the Hero Killer take to the air at the same time, using my ice as a propeller. And before the Hero Killer can make a move, Midoriya punches him in the face and Iida kicks him in the gut simultaneously. I let out a quiet word off encouragement. We finally have the advantage: if the Hero Killer tries to combat midair, Iida and Midoriya can fight; if he chooses to attack on the ground, then I can counter him. The Hero Killer is momentarily fazed, but just as he returns to clarity Iida lands another blow, and another, and another. "We will defeat you!" he boasts. "But this time, with you as the criminal and me as the hero!"
"Follow it through!" I tell him, ice and flames ready at a moment's notice. The three start to descend, so I generate a slide of ice to cushion their fall. I anticipate the Hero Killer to strike again, but no. He's unconscious from all the beatings." I sigh visibly. "Let's restrain him and go hand him over. Is there anything to bind him with?" Midoriya brings up a good point to divest him of his weapons.
Iida and Midoriya do just that as I search in the dumpsters for anything rope-like. But out of the corner of my eye, I spot the Pro-Hero. He's been uncharacteristically quiet after that outburst. When I look, I'm horrified. His throat has been slit open, and a pool of blood is coagulating around him. The Hero Killer could not have done it, so who did? Who was the other villain here? I look around in a frenzy. There! A flash of white disappears behind the alley corner. "Hurry up, guys! There's another villain! They killed the Pro-Hero!" And I run just to the end of the alley, not wanting to wander too far away from the group. But whoever the owner of that white has vanished into thin air. Left and right, there is no one.
When I turn back, Midoriya asks, "Did you see them? Who was it?"
"No. I have no clue." We stare at the dead body. The wound is a single, clean cut from one jugular vein and carotid artery to the other. Whoever the killer was, they were skilled. This wasn't the first time they've murdered. Regardless, we have another problem at hand, and a more serious one at that. I pass both of them some jump rope, and we drag his body out of the alley into the streets. A group of Pro-Heroes spot us and run over. Iida apologizes to Midoriya and I for unnecessarily putting our lives in danger, Midoriya apologizes to him for not noticing sooner how affected Iida was, and I tell him to collect himself because he is the class president.
Just as we are all about to catch a collective breath from our exhaustion, a noumu comes flying at us. Wait! Flying! There's more than one, and this one's more advanced than the one at the U.S.J. incident! We all duck, but the noumu grabs Midoriya with its talons. We stare in shock. Before we can react, it drops Midoriya from at least seven stories high and swoops down to claim another victim, and at that instant the Hero Killer breaks free of its bonds and catches him. DAMMIT! He was hiding a weapon!
"The phonies that have overrun society," he rasps menacingly. We still watch in frozen in horror as the Hero Killer plunges a knife into the noumu's visible brain. "And the criminals who so aimlessly sprinkle around their 'power' ... Those are the targets of my purge. All of this is for the sake of a just world!"
The Hero Killer looks ... maniacal. With bloodshot, pupilless eyes, a bruised, bloody, and battered face, tangled hair, and saliva dripping from his wide open mouth, he's terrifying. He's a completely different demon than Hanada-chan. He's so scary that none of the Pro-Heroes, who've been dealing with villains like him and worse for years, can't move and break away from the sight. They try to shake off the fear, but Endeavor arrives. He's about to charge, but even he freezes at the Hero Killer's face. "Another phony!" he hisses. "The fake must be rectified. Someone must stain himself in his blood. The word 'hero' must be restored!" I don't think he's even really seeing Endeavor. By the craze in his eyes, he's seeing something beyond ... his life mission. That's even scarier than Midoriya being trapped under his boot. "COME! JUST TRY IT YOU PRETENDERS! THE ONLY ONE WHO'S ALLOWED TO KILL ME IS ALL MIGHT!" Midoriya manages to scramble away, but none of us do anything. We fall on our bottoms. I don't think I've ever felt this afraid in my life. I don't think even the person about to die in a horror movie has ever felt this terrified.
Incoherent sounds come out of my mouth. "H-h-h-huh?" Even after he loses consciousness, he stands in place, with that psychotic look. I'm going to have nightmares tonight and the next few weeks. That's for sure.
We spend the night and next morning in the hospital.
Iida, Midoriya, and I share the same hospital room, we're dressed in the same gowns, and have bandages wrapped around our arms.
"Now that I can reflect more calmly, that was pretty impressive," says Midoriya. I agree. "After being shown an end like that, I've come to think it's a miracle we're still alive. Looking at my leg, I think if he'd wanted to kill me, he probably could have."
I agree with that, too. I was wrong about the Hero Killer. While his quirk may not be all that powerful, he himself was. I was wrong about myself, Iida, and Midoriya. We didn't survive because of our strategy and teamwork. We survived because the Hero Killer let us live. There's nothing more terrifying in this world than a man willing to go to any lengths for his conviction. Some twisted part of me respects him as much as the rest of me fears him. I shove that twisted part aside. I stare at my own bandaged arm, and then address Iida. "Dude! You were faced with such intense bloodlust, and yet you still stood right back up to face him. Pretty badass. Shit! I was supposed to come to your rescue, but ended up having to rescue myself. My bad."
Just then the door bursts open and Gran Torino, Mr. Manual, and the Chief of the Hosu Police Precinct enter. That makes me cautious immediately. We exchange pleasantries, and then he tells us about the Hero Killer status and why he's here. We listen intently. "He sustained several burns, bone fractures, and other serious injuries, and is presently undergoing treatment for them." He goes on to say that while our intentions were well, we broke the law by taking action while we were unprofessional, unlicensed Pro-Heroes, and therefore, we would receive punishment. That enrages me. "Hold on, Sir," I interrupt him. "If Iida hadn't moved in on him, then the Pro-Hero stuck there would've been killed by the Hero Killer. And if Midoriya hadn't arrived, then the both of them would've died! At that time, nobody had noticed the Hero Killer's appearance yet, Sir." My voice rises and Midoriya has to hold me back as I continue. "So are you saying we should have followed the rules and let everyone die?! So if the end results turn out all right, you think we should just fudge the rules, that's it?! SAVING PEOPLE IS WHAT HEROES DO! IT'S THEIR JOB!" I clench my fists and breathe heavily when I finish. I shove off Midoriya's hand and charge forward. "You damn mutt," I mutter in a guttural sound.
But the Chief speaks again, and I find myself stopping against my intentions. "Punishment is only meted upon official disclosure." Curious, but wary, I keep silent. He says that a public announcement would warrant both admiration from the people and punishment from the court. If the announcement were not made, the people would automatically assume that Endeavor was the one who captured the Hero Killer. And because the number of witnesses was small, our involvement can be concealed, and we can let the public reach their own conclusions. "However, this means no one can ever know of your dogged decisions and fetching feats!" he says at last. I judged him too fast. Ashamed, I bow my head and give him my gratitude.
"Please say that right out of the gate next time," I tell him as he departs.
The three of us return to our beds and lie down to rest. Soon after, Midoriya heads out to answer a call, and Iida is called to another room for his physical exam. It takes both of them about half an hour. And for Iida, he has not received good news.
"It seems my left hand will have residual complications," he tells us. "Both of my arms got thrashed, but it'd appear that the damage is particularly severe in my left arm. They told me my 'brachial plexus' is impaired. Actually, all it amounts to is it being hard to move my fingers and a little numbness. And there's even a chance it could heal through nerve-grafting surgery. When I found the Hero Killer, I became incapable of rational thought. I should have contacted Mr. Manual first." Midoriya and I listen more intently. "I hate that bastard, but ... what he said was the truth. That's why, until I can become a true hero, I think I'll leave my left hand like this."
Midoriya joins in, too. He stares at his bandaged right arm. "Iida, I'm the same as you. Let's become stronger, you and I. Together."
A wash of guilt overcomes me, and my gaze drops to my hands. "I'm ... uh ... I'm sorry. I feel like whenever I'm involved, people's hands go bad. Is this some sort of curse?" To my utter bewilderment, they crack up. They think I'm joking. "No, I'm not joking," I defend myself. "It's like there's some handcrusher-like presence in me ..." They chortle like hyenas.
"If that were the case, then both my hands would have been amputated long ago," a new voice comes out. I know that voice. The door is open again, and to my astonishment, Hanada-chan stands in the doorway. With a loose braid chignon and curls escaping, tall white leather boots, black breeches, midnight blue peacoat, and matching blue gloves and choker, the first thought that comes to mind is, So this is how she looks like outside of school uniforms and dresses. I've only seen her once like this, at the entrance exam. Lovely ... But I'm brought back to reality when she plants one hand on her hip and the other on the bridge of her nose, just below her glasses. "So what I heard was true then. The three of you decided to take on Hero Killer Stain, and each of you look significantly worse than him. Would anyone care to explain?" The last part reeks of poisoned honey.
I'm about to speak, but Iida beats me to it. "What are you doing here, and how did you find out?" Midoriya stares at her dumbfounded ... no, enchanted. If I thought she looked lovely, then Midoriya looks like he's been blessed with Aphrodite's presence. Now that's amusing but also vexing. Deep down, I don't like how blatantly he's gaping at my best friend.
"The hero I am interning with could not deny the chance to drink expensive but free alcohol, so he attended a function here and brought me with him. He's passed out drunk as we speak. As for your other question, news spreads like wildfire. I'm sure you know that. Now, answer my question." Iida remains stubbornly quiet, so I talk. Like the Chief of Police said, I weave a story that's close to the truth, but not quite the truth. Except for the detail of us capturing the Hero Killer, his horrific speech, and the dead body and second murderer, I tell her everything. When I finish, she smirks. "Iida-san, I never thought of you as the bloodthirsty type. This is quite the surprise."
He frowns in irritation, which only makes her grin wider. "I don't need to defend myself to you."
"Who said anything about defending oneself? I was simply making an observation." She opens her purse and rummages for three containers of cut fruit, forks, and napkins. She passes one of each to Midoriya and I, but pauses in front of Iida. "Looks like you'll have to be spoon-fed - I mean, fork-fed - what with your arms in gauze and plaster. Do you mind?"
"I do mind."
She mocks a sad smile. "Then you'll have to look for someone else to feed you, or let the fruit rot. And after I spent so much time searching for fresh fruit and cutting it. What a shame." I can see him giving in. He's about to accept, but Hanada-chan's not done. "Oh, well. Have it your way. I'll set your portion here, if you change your mind." I get the strong feeling that they don't like each other, and this was a match of wits that she just won.
She turns toward Midoriya, who's struggling to bring the fork to his mouth. His one functional arm doesn't seem so functional anymore, given how much it's shaking and loosing grip on the fork. When he notices that she's looking, he freezes and desperately tries to put up a calm front. It doesn't work. His blazing red cheeks, sand dollar wide eyes, rivulets of sweat, and chattering teeth give away his nervousness. Hanada-chan saunders toward him and sits on the edge of his bed, facing him. The three of us watch in silent wonder as she gently pulls the fork away from his mouth and pries it from his hand. "May I?" she requests. He stammers a yes. And so she pokes a piece of persimmon and puts it in his obediently open mouth. Much to my simmering annoyance, I can hear him muttering, "I'm being fed. I'm being fed. I'm being fed by a girl. A girl is feeding me. With her own hands. A girl is feeding a nervous, socially awkward wreck like me." Hanada-chan can hear it too - her amused smile is a giveaway - but she has the courtesy not to comment. But that changes when he says, "This isn't a dream. I'm not dreaming. If banging up my limbs means I get this kind of once-in-a-lifetime treatment, I'll throw myself in every dangerous situation. I'll gladly lie on every hospital bed if this is the heavenly gift I'll get."
"I think not. Don't you dare to take me for granted. You and I have the highest records of hospital visits since the school year started. I don't try to get myself in life-threatening scenarios like you do, but somehow I end up in the infirmary a preposterous number of times. And yet, your Gryffindor self jumps into every such scenario, and your visits are less than mine. So from one regular inmate to another, this cannot be a one-sided thing. If you want to be fed by my hands again, you'll have to bring gifts for me, too. For now, tell me what happened to that Pro-Hero who was with the three of you in the alley. The news briefly mentioned him, but nothing about whether he survived or not.
He answers without hesitation. "He didn't make it. Someone other than the Hero Killer had entered the scene and slit his throat while Iida, Todoroki, and I were fighting. None of us saw who."
I intervene with, "There was a glimpse of white fabric turning the corner, but I couldn't chase after the murderer fast enough."
"Whoever the murderer was, they were talented. I've never seen or heard of a kill that efficient and stealthy," Iida adds in.
"Hmm. May his soul rest in peace," Hanada-chan hums as her face contorts in consternation.
All of us talk for a while longer about our respective internships and plans for the upcoming New Years.
Neither Hanada-chan and I bring up our fathers impending meeting.
Despite this mutual secrecy, it feels good to see her during a time when we should be islands away.
It feels better to see her in person than over text or call.
When she's about to leave, she collects our containers, forks, and napkins and disposes them in the nearest recycle bin.
Hidden from the others views, she slips a snowdrop in my palm.
Her tears are glimmering with tears as she whispers, "No words can convey how relieved I am to see you alive."
I'm sorry for worrying you, Hanada-chan.
I want her to stay.
But she doesn't.
Note: I have copied some dialogue from one of the English-translated versions of the manga. The link to the chapters are here:
.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-52/
.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-53/
.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-54/
.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-55/
.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-56/
.online/manga/boku-no-hero-academia-chapter-57/