A/N： Let's make Hikari more plus ultra in the sports festival ehe! Things are definitely changing...

Chapter 8
The Stain of Society

"You're… merciless…" Shinsou grunted in pain as he tried to rub the soreness in his shoulder away.

Hikari gave an innocent look. "Well, you're the one who said not to go easy."

A week passed by quickly.

Hikari offered Shinsou if he wanted to train together for the sports festival, to which the boy agreed. Her classmates seem to be busy preparing in their own way as well. She often came across them in the school's gym when she was training with her friend.

A week also passed since Hikari confronted All Might about the sadness in his heart. The pro hero didn't find it disrespectful and seemed to consider her words of advice. She gave hints about her being a wielder to the number one hero, but she doesn't think he caught on just yet. Perhaps she was a bit too discreet about it. She considered just telling him the truth, but Ienzo and Even told her to wait and try to see the situation first.

"You know what? If I'm ever up against you in the sports festival… I'm going to forfeit." Shinsou said with a serious look. It didn't seem like he was joking about it.

Hikari gaped at him. "What? Why?! Don't give up without trying!" she slapped his shoulder, earning another grunt of pain from the boy. "Your Quirk is your winning move!"

"It is, but what's the point if it doesn't work?" Shinsou ran his fingers through his hair. He has been training his Quirk on Hikari since she insisted on him using her as a training dummy. No matter how hard he tries, his Quirk doesn't seem to work a hundred percent on her. "It's like you're immune to it… How's that possible?"

"Half immune, I mean your Quirk still works on me, just not fully." Hikari corrected, taking a seat beside him. She still hasn't figured out why Shinsou's brainwashing Quirk doesn't take full effect on her. She wondered if it was because of magic that stopped Shinsou's powers from fully controlling her. "Don't sweat it! Think of it as training to get me a hundred percent under your Quirk!" she gave a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

Shinsou sighed.

"If you think about it, Mr. Aizawa's Quirk doesn't work on robots too, so he must've gotten into the hero course somehow." Hikari decided to bring her teacher's name into the conversation. She thought Shinsou might need an example from a real life person and the first person that came to mind was her homeroom teacher. She heard about Aizawa's background from Midoriya's analysis. "Erasure combined with excellent hand-to-hand combat skills. There's nothing scary about naturally talented people. Hard-working people are the ones to be afraid of!" she gave a thumbs-up, grinning.

The purple haired teen smiled a little. "You're right…"

"Talking about your teacher behind your back, Leonhart?"

Hikari's shoulders visibly tensed when she heard her homeroom teacher's voice coming from behind them.

The brunette quickly stood up, giving a salute to the man. "Mr. Aizawa! It was a compliment, sir!"

Shinsou also stood up, showing his respect to the teacher. "Sir."

Aizawa stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets. "It's already 6 PM. Time to pack up and go home." he ordered, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"We were just finishing up." Shinsou obliged. He went over to the side to pack up all his stuff.

Hikari followed suit, jogging to catch up.

Hikari and Shinsou have been using the gym for the past week until a teacher has to come and kick them out. Aizawa used it as his chance to observe his student's skill more. Hikari's skill and abilities still remained a mystery to them. They didn't know how strong she was since she seemed to be holding herself back when in class, letting her classmates come first instead. She was hiding her true potential.

Truth be told, he was actually surprised she showed her true colors when training with Shinsou.

She was calm and instructive. Supportive too.

He would've mistaken her for a mentor if she wasn't wearing the UA uniform.

"It's exactly like what Leonhart said." Aizawa said out of the blue, making the two teens stop what they were doing to look at him. He stood where he was, hands still shoved in his pockets. Shinsou's Quirk was extraordinarily powerful. It was because of the practical exam that he failed to get into the hero course.

There were a few students in the hero course who didn't have a straightforward offensive Quirk like the others, but what made them different from Shinsou was that they made use of their surroundings and didn't give up after knowing their Quirks don't work against the robots. There was even a student who used a broken piece of pipe to score some points.

Aizawa too got transferred to the hero course due to his performance during the sports festival. He had to work twice as hard than his classmates since he didn't receive the training they had when they were in the first year.

"You think I'd let someone with a half-baked dream of being a hero into my class? The hero course isn't fun and games like you think. Once you step out there, people's lives are in your hands." Aizawa lectured. He passed all of his students in the Quirk Apprehension Test because he saw the potential and spark in them who were willing to give it their all. "Only those who have a strong heart and determination can make it."

He has been watching Shinsou's progress under Hikari's guidance.

The Erasure hero pointed his finger at Shinsou. "Prove your worth in the sports festival, kid."

Shinsou stared at him with wide eyes, a new found determination filled him. "Yes, sir!"

"Great. Now out." The pro hero shooed the both of them out of the gym. The two students quickly finished what they were doing. They both had changed out of their PE uniform before he confronted them and he was glad he didn't have to wait another ten minutes to shoo them out of the school. He closed the door behind him, locking it with a soft click. "It's getting dark. Get home safely, both of you." he said.

"Yes, Mr. Aizawa." Both of them replied in unison before walking away.

"Hey, hey, I think you just grabbed Mr. Aizawa's attention!"

"Sssh! We're not even outside of the building yet!"

"What? Can't a friend be excited for her friend's achievements?"

"Shut it!"

Aizawa sighed softly as both of the student's voices gradually disappeared as they walked further away.

"See you tomorrow, Shinsou!" Hikari waved her hand goodbye to the boy.

Shinsou raised his hand as he got off the train. "See ya."

Hikari watched as the doors of the train closed. She waved her hand once again before the train moved forward. He waved back again. There was a newfound spark in Shinsou's eyes after Aizawa's encouragement. She was glad her friend became motivated again and she was sure training with him the next day would bring even more progress.

The brunette glanced to look at her phone.

'I think I'll eat out tonight.' She thought before shoving her phone back into her pocket. The next station was only two minutes away and was known to be a shopping district. Going out after school was the perfect way to explore and get to know the locals.

"Nagamachi, Nagamachi. Doors on the right side will open."

The brunette stepped out of the train and followed the crowd to the exit. The exit she chose led her directly to the heart of the shopping district. It was bustling with people walking left and right. The lively atmosphere reminded her of Radiant Garden's marketplace.

She was window shopping at a stationary store when someone called her name.

"Ah, it really is Hikari!"

Hikari turned around when she recognized the voice. A pink-haired girl with pink skin. She was with a spiky redhead and a blond boy. They were her classmates. Ashido, Kirishima and Kaminari. She noticed that they were still wearing their uniforms instead of their regular clothes. They were hanging out after school, she noted.

"Hey there, Mina, Kirishima, Kaminari." Hikari greeted the trio.

"It's funny meeting you here!" Kaminari raised his hand in greeting.

Ashido was the first one to arrive near her side. "Could it be? Are you waiting for someone?" she giggled, excited to know about the brunette's love life.

Hikari shook her head. "Nope. I was just looking around. What about you guys?"

"We were just on our way to find something to eat! You're welcome to come and join us!" Kirishima invited her with a big grin.

Ashido excitedly nodded her head. "You should! We don't mind at all!" she slipped her arm under Hikari's arm, hugging it close.

"How could I say no?" Hikari laughed and turned to look at both Kirishima and Kaminari. "So, do you have a place in mind? I'm new to this neighborhood."

Kaminari fished out his phone from his pocket. "There's this new place around the corner that cooks thee best roast beef in town! Do you guys wanna try it?" he suggested, showing a picture of the menu to the other three.

"Meat! Hell yeah!" Kirishima cheered, pumping his fist up excitedly.

Both girls nodded their heads in agreement.

It didn't take them long to reach the restaurant. They placed their order at the ticket machine before entering the restaurant. It wasn't too crowded and the four students were glad to be guided to a table right after they entered.

"So, Hikari, what do you think of UA?" Ashido asked, propping her chin up on the table. "Well, pushing aside the incident that happened…" she trailed off.

The brunette hummed, placing the cup of water down. "It's a big school." She commented. "The cafeteria's food is great."

Kaminari shrugged, crossing his arms. "Well, can't argue with that."

"Oh yeah, we heard about what you did in the USJ." Kirishima placed his arm on the table, leaning forward a little and the other three followed him, closing the distance between them to give a little privacy between the four. "You were so brave and manly to fight that Nomu thing!" he whispered.

"Hey, Kirishima, you can't call a girl manly!" Ashido chided, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"But she really is! She took it head on without fear!" Kirishima tightened his fist as manly tears came out.

"There he goes again…" Kaminari laughed, leaning back against his seat. "Oh yeah, you're friends with that gen ed kid, right? The one who declared war on us. Uh well—not that I'm saying that you shouldn't be friends with him! You can befriend anyone you like!" he quickly said, hoping there was no misunderstanding.

Hikari hummed. "Oh, Shinsou?"

Ashido perked up at the name. "You guys seem close! Are you two from the same middle school?" she seemed to be suddenly interested in the conversation involving the brunette's and the purple-haired teen's relationship.

"Actually, I met him when doing my exam for UA." Hikari rubbed the back of her neck. She was sure the first day they met would probably be a hard event for either of them to forget. "You guys know about the Toxic Haze incident, right? Yeah, that was us." she laughed jokingly.

Kaminari's jaw dropped. "That was you?!" he gasped as the brunette gave a peace sign.

"Man… You even dealt with that sort of stuff even before USJ…" Kirishima sighed as he looked down. Before, it was just a quiet town, but now there was a sudden spike of villain activity. One would think the villain's activities would go down due to All Might being a teacher in UA. "Kinda wonder what's going on nowadays."

Hikari noticed Kirishima's mood change. "Don't worry, Kirishima. With all the pro heroes around now, nothing's going to happen." she reassured. She did realize the sudden increase of heroes patrolling around Musutafu. She even saw one of the new rising stars, Kamui Woods, swinging around recently. "If that sort of thing happens again, I'll be sure to protect all of you." she smiled, placing a hand over her heart.

Ashido squealed, drumming her fists against Hikari's on her shoulder playfully. "Kyaa! My knight in shining armor!" She said in a sing-song voice as she hugged her.

Kaminari scratched his cheek as a faint blush dusted his cheeks. "Geez… I should really up my game if there's a knight in shining armor in our class! Right, Kirishima?" he turned to look at the redhead who nodded his head in return.

"Yeah! You bet! I won't lose to you, Leonhart!" The redhead declared, raising his fist up to the air. "I'll become stronger and protect everyone too!"

Hikari raised her own fist, smiling at their determination.

They began to eat their meal when it arrived. For the rest of the meal, they chatted and got to know each other more. Hikari never really hung out with her classmates like this since she was always busy training and doing recon every now and then. Even with her friends back in Destiny Islands, it was hard to just find time to hang out. She does visit her home world every now and then, but not often enough.

"Do you guys have any plans after this?" Kaminari asked the other three as they walked away from the restaurant.

It was around 7:30 PM by the time they finished eating.

Ashido looked at her phone. "I have to go to the supermarket and get something for my mom." she answered.

"You guys go on ahead." Hikari raised her hand, "I have to go home. My dad is already asking where I am." she said with a sheepish grin.

"I can walk you to the station!" Kaminari offered with a flirty grin and a wink.

The brunette chuckled. "Thanks, Kaminari, but the station is just right there. I'll be fine." She declined his generous offer and the boy pouted at her, but he quickly recovered. "I'll see you guys tomorrow then!" she waved her hand goodbye, walking away from the group.

"Bye, Hikari!"

"See ya tomorrow, Leonhart!" Kirishima shouted before his group went in the opposite direction.

The keyblade wielder walked past the entrance to the station. She turned around the corner, walking away from the busy parts of the streets. She averted her gaze to the shop's window, looking at the reflection.

Someone was indeed following her. A man, judging by the structure. He was wearing a red hoodie with a surgical mask covering half of his face.

She felt it since her group went into the restaurant. Thankfully, the man didn't go inside with them. There were two possibilities. The target of this man was either one of her classmates or herself. So she decided to separate herself from the group to see who was the man after. If the man followed her classmates instead, she wouldn't hesitate to jump at him. But if it was her, her plan was to lead the man away from the crowded streets to confront him.

Luckily, the man's target was her.

She could feel the man's gaze bore holes into the back of her head.

"Is there something that I can help you with, sir?" Hikari stopped on her tracks, turning around the man with a neutral look.

The man doesn't seem surprised he was caught in the act. On the contrary, he seemed to be anticipating it. "Are you Leonhart Hikari?" he asked for confirmation.

Hikari huffed, pulling her hands out of her pockets. "If you've been following since we went to that restaurant, then you should already know who I am. What do you want?" she asked rather curtly.

"I just want to have a friendly chat with you." The man said, directing his right hand to the dark alley beside him as his left hand remained in his hoodie's pocket.

"Hah, no thanks. I'd rather have it here where there'll be witnesses." Hikari clicked her tongue at the man's attempt to take the conversation to an alley. Her blue eyes glanced to look at the hand shoved inside his hoodie. "And if it's a friendly chat… then would you mind not using that weapon in your pocket?" She narrowed her eyes when she saw the man's finger twitched.

The man hummed. "Quite observant, I must say…" he took out his other hand, leaving the weapon in his pocket. "Perhaps you would heed to my request if I addressed you according to your title."

Hikari stayed quiet.

"I will not repeat myself again. I just want to have a friendly chat with you, keybearer."

The key wielder's eyes widened, letting out a gasp. She furrowed her brows. How did this man know her status as a keyblade wielder? The only people in this world who saw her wielding a keyblade were those two villains, Shigaraki and Kurogiri. This man could be working with the League of Villains. He could be the answer she was looking for.

Hikari looked around, trying to find the timing when people would be too busy to even pass a glance at them entering the dark alley.

"Are you with the League of Villains?" Hikari asked, her back facing the mysterious man as she entered the alley.

The man scoffed, "Don't group me with criminals who wave around their powers idly."

The brunette stopped on her tracks. "Who are you then? How do you know of my status as a wielder? The only ones who knew were those two from the League."

"I go by the name Stain." The man observed the girl's expressions. "Rumors spread fast in the underworld and I'm here to confirm them; About a keybearer in UA. You're quite a bounty, I must say."

The wielder's hand twitched.

"So… you're here to kill me?" Hikari glared at him. Her heart was pounding against her chest. She was prepared for a fight, but that doesn't mean she wasn't worried about the outcome of the fight.

"You're rather calm accepting this whole thing, little girl." The hooded man mused. "A wielder… Such evil does not deserve to even live nor breathe—!"

He charged at the girl at full speed, showing a hidden knife within his sleeve.

Hikari quickly jumped back to avoid the knife. She pushed the man's hand away from her as she sidestepped around him. She took off her backpack and swung it at the man who used his knife to block the attack, slicing the bag open. The contents inside the bag became a distraction as he didn't even see the attack coming afterwards.

The wielder had already summoned her keyblade and swung it at him.

Stain blocked her attack just barely. He grunted at the amount of power she put. He didn't expect a weak and frail looking girl like her to have such strength. He pushed her back with his knife and their weapons clashed again.

"How does the rumor sound? I want to hear what sort of impression I made in the underworld!" Hikari demanded as her keyblade clashed with the man's knife in a cross position.

Stain's red eyes stared at her intensely. "You bring havoc everywhere you go. Keybearers only shatters peace and bring ruins. You have the power and yet you choose to end all things!" He accused her and she didn't seem surprised by the accusation. He pulled another hidden knife out of his jacket and thrust it at the girl's stomach.

Hikari used her other hand to avert the man's attack away from her stomach. She tightened her grip around his wrist while the hand holding the keyblade knocked the other knife out of the man's hand. Stain was quicker than her. Without a second wasted, he took out another knife and aimed to stab her shoulder. She wasn't quick enough to dodge the attack and the knife was embedded on her right.

She didn't jump back, but she chose to continue her attack. With the man focusing on his own attack, she swung her keyblade at his stomach, hitting him as well.

The man grunted in pain and his grip on the knife loosened. Hikari jumped back to a safe distance, grimacing at the pain that shot up on her shoulder.

"Argh—" Hikari pulled the knife out in one swift move, casting a cure spell over the wound. The pain subsided and she was able to move her arm again. "That hurt, ya know? Are you really going to kill an innocent high schooler? Have some mercy!" she hissed at him, tossing the knife to the side.

Stain held his stomach as he stood up. "A Healing Quirk, huh?" He observed her carefully. "You are far from an innocent high schooler, keybearer. How many lives have you taken with that key of yours?" He spat.

"Hah?" Hikari's left eye twitched at the accusation. "Keyblade wielders do not raise their keys against innocent people, let alone against each other. What kind of hero will I be if I even dare to hurt the people I'm supposed to protect?" It was clear the man knows a wielder or two to have such a judgment.

"You wielders are just like those fake heroes. You bring false hopes and hide your true intentions with sugar coated words." Stain glared at the brunette with pure hatred in his eyes. In a flash, the man was right in front of her. He pounced at her, pinning her to the ground as the girl beneath him struggled to keep the knife away from stabbing her.

"There are too many who act like heroes, but they are just money-worshipers! A true hero does not go after fame and money. The thought of doing what's right for the greater good is the real reward and the only one who deserves such a title is All Might alone!"

"Until this society wakes up and rectifies itself… I will continue to do my work. I shall purge those who are unworthy! Starting with you!"

The brunette shuddered at the aura this man was giving her. She needed to end the fight and fast. With all her might, she pushed him off of her. She charged at him as well, using point-warp to surprise him. He blocked her attack with his knife and she managed to push him back. She activated flow motion, jumping to the nearby wall and using it as a kick start. She leaped into the air and slashed her keyblade groundwards.

Stain threw a knife at her as he jumped away and she deflected it.

Hikari threw her keyblade at him and he moved to the side, dodging the strike. At the moment the keyblade went past him, she used point-warp again to appear behind him. She hooked him by the teeth of the keyblade and hurled him to the wall. His back collided against the concrete wall, knocking the air out of his lungs.

"I understand your views. A true hero should not be motivated by greed and should genuinely help those in need." Hikari began, her keyblade pointed at the man's throat. She didn't want to come off as threatening, but this man was dangerous as well. The amount of killing intent this man has was making her uncomfortable. "But, I also see nothing wrong with heroes being paid for their work."

"Being a pro hero is a profession, just like any other job here. As long as they're doing their job to help people and there's no sinister ulterior motive behind their good deeds, it doesn't matter."

She made it clear on her views of this world's system. A pro hero in this world is just like a police officer with super powers. Of course, there must be a few bad apples in the bunch, but that doesn't mean all are bad heroes. Behind those suits, they're just humans.

"You can't force your high standards toward others."

The man continued to stare at her.

"I won't force my views on you either. You might be right. There might be some bad apples among us wielders, but know that there are also wielders who use their powers to protect. This key… is to protect the smiles of those who are dear to me." Hikari didn't lower her keyblade despite her speech. She remained on guard. "I won't hesitate to raise my blade against you if you go after my classmates."

Stain hummed. "Bold words coming from a little girl." he said before he licked his finger.

The brunette froze. It wasn't because she was scared, but her body literally stopped. She couldn't control her movements, almost as if she had been put under a stun spell.

The man moved away from the blade. "You're strong, I admit…" he stood before her, towering over her form. "We share the same views, but different methods."

"Your life shall be spared today."

Stain began to walk towards the opposite direction. "But know this, keybearer," he released his Quirk from the brunette and she was finally able to lower her keyblade. He gave off a threatening aura as he gazed over his shoulder. "I'll be watching you closely and when I deem your action unworthy, I'll strike this blade through your heart!"

Hikari stood there, staring at the man's retreating form.

She had a feeling this won't be their last encounter.

The next day

'Shoot! I'm late!' Hikari frantically ran up the hill leading towards UA.

The encounter with Stain left her a bit restless. She had to take the vigilante route back home since she didn't want to alert anyone from the blood stains on her clothes. By vigilante, she used flow motion to get around faster and avoid any watchful eyes of patrolling heroes around. It took her around an hour to get home without being noticed.

She spent the rest of the night trying to wash the blood and fix her blazer. Apparently, she was washing it too aggressively and the hole became wider when she tried to rub the stain off. She does have a spare button up shirt, but as for the blazer, she only has a pair. She could only hope her poor stitching skills would hold until she could buy a new one.

Hikari adjusted her tote bag on her shoulder as she took out her indoor shoes. As for her backpack, it was impossible to sew it back together. She just has to buy a new one as well. She kind of regret not mastering the fix-it spell Merlin taught her.

"Young Leonhart is late!" All Might suddenly slides in front of her from the corner, making her abruptly stop on her tracks.

"Mr. All Might!" The brunette exclaimed in surprise.

"You're late, young lady!" The pro hero stood tall, looking down at her with his signature grin. It looks like he was the teacher on morning duty today. "Morning homeroom started about five minutes ago!" he informed.

Hikari laughed sheepishly. "Ah, yeah, sorry! I overslept today. But don't worry! It won't happen again." she clapped her hands together in front of her, bowing down to show her sincerity to the teacher in charge.

"Don't let it happen again, alright?" All Might tapped his clipboard. He was quite soft with his students. He decided to let her off with a warning. "Hmm? What happened to your uniform?" He raised an eyebrow when he noticed something odd about the girl's uniform.

The brunette glanced down, placing her hand over to cover the bad stitching. "Oh… Uh… It got dirty yesterday and I perhaps washed it a bit too hard… hahaha! I'm not that good at sewing, you see…" she laughed nervously, hoping he would buy it. "I'll buy a new one during lunch! Don't worry!"

All Might stared at the bad stitching. It was indeed badly done. The color of the thread didn't even match the blazer. The thread was white and judging by the stitching, the hole was pretty big. "May I take a look? I just happen to be quite good at sewing!" he proudly states.

Hikari stared at him in disbelief. The number one hero? Knows how to sew? She wondered if Midoriya knew about this info or not. "Wow… Really? That's quite a shock…" She took off her blazer and gave it to the pro hero.

All Might rubbed his thumb across the stitching. If it was only a small stain, then it wouldn't have torn through the inner layer of the blazer. There were even some stitches at the back as well. The UA uniform was made with one of the most durable materials. It wouldn't rip apart just because of some power wash. He paused when he noticed a faded red stain at the inner part of the blazer.

"Young Leonhart… There's blood stains on this. What happened?" All Might pressed, his tone turning serious all of the sudden.

The wielder averted her eyes away from the pro hero's gaze.

"Are you hurt?" All Might soften his tone, looking over the girl for any sign of injuries. "I'll take you to Recovery Girl—"

"No, no! I'm fine. I'm fine!" Hikari repeated, waving her hands in front of her.

All Might wasn't taking any of it. He hoisted her up into his arms with ease, making her gasp at the sudden movement. "Nonsense! Let's go to her ASAP!"

In a blink of an eye, the duo disappeared into the hall of UA, towards the nurse's office.

Recovery Girl was having a nice cup of green tea when All Might abruptly slid the door open, surprising the elder woman.

"We have arrived!"

"All Might, how many times have I told you to stop doing that?!" The old lady chided, waving her walking cane threateningly at the pro hero. She stopped when she saw someone was in his arms. It was the brunette she sent away a week ago from her office. "Leonhart? What are you doing here so early in the morning?" she asked.

Hikari jumped down from All Might's arms, smiling nervously at the old woman. "Nothing, nothing, I swear I'm not injured." she reassured.

"Don't lie, young one!" All Might's loud voice surprised her from behind. In the midst of trying to clear her record with Recovery Girl, she almost forgot the number one hero was the one who brought her to the nurse's office. "I know you're lying. Could you please check for any injuries on this one? Specifically her right shoulder." he asked as he placed the blazer on the table.

Recovery Girl stared at the brunette with a disapproving look. "My dear… When I said I don't want to see you here so soon, I really meant it! Don't get yourself injured every now and then!" She chided like a grandmother. She ushered the girl towards one of the beds and closed the curtain, giving some privacy. "Now stop being so stubborn and show me your shoulder." she said demandingly.

"I'll inform your homeroom teacher. He'll be here shortly." All Might said from the other side and then he left.

"No wait—!" Hikari gave a defeated sigh. There was no use arguing with the number one hero and a mad old lady. She took off her tie and unbuttoned a few buttons just to show her right shoulder. "I admit. I did get injured… but I already healed it!" she admitted.

Recovery Girl examined her shoulder. There was no injury, no bruises, no nothing. She healed it perfectly back to normal. "You healed it perfectly… I don't see the need to keep you here." she sighed. "But you have to stop getting yourself into trouble, young lady!"

"I'll… I'll try." Hikari sulked as she fixed her uniform. It wasn't her fault that Stain attacked her.

Not two minutes later, the doors slid open.

"I heard one of my troublemakers got into trouble again." Came the voice of a pissed off and tired man, her homeroom teacher.

Recovery Girl pulled the curtain open. "She's right here."

Hikari gave a look of betrayal to the school nurse. She didn't want to deal with Aizawa's wrath so early in the morning and judging by the look her teacher was giving her, she was going to get a month's worth of detention.

Aizawa walked closer. "What happened?"

"I'm fine. It was only a small injury." Hikari said, trying to convince the adults.

"Young Leaonhart, I believe that was no ordinary injury." All Might said as he took the blazer from the table, giving it back to the owner. "Your blazer… It's almost as if something cut through it…"

The wielder found it impossible to lie now. "I… got into a fight." she finally said, staring down at the blazer in her hands. She didn't know All Might would be this observant. If she knew, she wouldn't have given the blazer. "I was stabbed."

The room became silent.

"When?"

Hikari sighed. "Yesterday… After school." she rubbed the back of her neck, feeling tiny under their gaze.

"You didn't report it to the police or any pro heroes?" Aizawa asked, his tone a little less rough this time when he noticed how uneasy she became. Of course, he was still pissed. "Not even your parents?"

"I didn't tell them." Hikari said. She had told Ienzo about her encounter with Stain, but he wasn't her parent. She raised her head a little, trying to get some redeeming points. "But I was planning to tell the authorities! I swear! Just like… maybe after the sports festival." her voice gradually became smaller.

Aizawa gave an exasperated sigh. "After the sports festival? Leonhart—"

"Everyone is looking forward to this sports festival." Hikari cut her teacher off, trying to defend her actions. Her thoughts were filled with her classmates and Shinsou. The excitement they all had when talking about the event, all came to mind. "If I tell anyone and they make a big deal about it… The sports festival would be canceled. They all work so hard for this. I don't want it to be canceled just because of me." she looked down.

"Leonhart…" Recovery Girl's voice came out as a soft whisper as she placed her hand over the girl's.

The brunette raised her head, showing a smile. "But I'm fine! The fight didn't bother me at all. So don't worry about me!"

All Might stared at the brunette with a solemn look. He knew how heroic she was from Midoriya's stories, but he didn't know she was this sacrificial.

Aizawa sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you remember the person's face? Their name? Or anything?"

"I have the knife he stabbed me with… it's at home." Hikari casually informed. She didn't miss the look Aizawa gave. She wasn't just going to leave the knives Stain left at the ally. Someone might find it and an investigation might start from the discovery of unknown bloodied knives. "He was wearing a hood and a face mask so I don't know what he looks like…"

"Name… I think he called himself Stain."

There was a sudden drop in the room. The atmosphere became heavy and tense, making the girl look around confusedly.

"…Stain?"

"The Hero Killer: Stain?!"

Hikari gave an unsure nod. "Unless there's another person named Stain… Then yeah that's him."

Recovery Girl looked at her girl in worry. "Leonhart, do you even know who Stain is?"

"No?" Hikari shook her head.

"A serial killer motivated by a strong conviction. He murdered 17 pro heroes and crippled 23 others to the point of being unable to make a full recovery." Aizawa told her and she was left flabbergasted. He was actually speechless too. His student encountered a serial killer and didn't report it to anyone.

All Might curled his hands into fists. "Why… would Stain go after an innocent student?" He didn't want to jump to conclusions. Not only the League, but now a serial hero killer was after his student. There was definitely something she was hiding from them.

Hikari shrugged. "I don't know… I'll ask him when I see him again then." She said nonchalantly. She knew exactly why Stain was after her. He knew about wielders and she guessed it was because the League spreaded false information about her in the underworld. At least she has a lead now. She has to find a network to connect her to the underworld to dig more about the history of wielders in the City of Heroes.

"Leonhart, this is no joking matter." Aizawa said seriously. His student's life was at stake and the one who was supposed to be the most worried was treating the situation lightly. "You could've gotten killed."

"I know and he spared my life this time." Hikari sighed softly, looking at her hand. "I get a feeling that last night won't be the last time we'll face each other." she curled her hand into a fist, tightening her hold.

"Next time, I'll be ready."

Pinch

"Ow!" The brunette yelped in pain when Recovery Girl tweaked her ear. She placed her hand over her ear, staring at the old lady with wide eyes. "What was that for?" she whined.

"Young lady! What did I tell you about getting yourself into trouble?"

"Huh?! But I didn't get into trouble?!"

"Not yet, anyway." Aizawa nodded his head in approval at Recovery Girl's punishment. His words clearly didn't go through his student's thick skull. "How many times do I have to remind you that you're just a student? Leave it to the pros and teachers, don't try taking care of things on your own. Got it?" he said sternly.

"I—"

There was a flash of red. "I said, got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Hikari saluted. She looked at her teacher, smiling nervously. "So.. uh… If it makes everyone feel at ease, it's only me he's after, so you don't need to worry about him going after the other students—" she earned another glare for that alone. She immediately zipped her mouth shut at the look Aizawa and Recovery Girl were giving her.

All Might cleared his throat, breaking the glare his co-workers were giving to the poor girl. "We still can't let this incident go just like that. I understand your concerns, young one, but we need to take the necessary protocols."

"We'll discuss it with the Principal and inform your parents—" Aizawa paused when Hikari turned her head sharply at him.

"M—My parents? Them too?" Hikari blinked, staring at her homeroom teacher with a nervous look.

Aizawa raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Unless they're not at home—" he narrowed his eyes at the thought. If his student answered that her parents were away and not at home one more time, he swore he would march up to Leonhart's home and talk to them regardless of time.

"Yeah—wait no! They're at… home…" Hikari gave a defeated look. She lied. There was nobody at home. It was just her and her only. If Principal Nezu decided to ask to meet face to face with her parents, she might need Leon's and Aerith's help or even Ienzo and Even would do. "I just… I don't want them to worry about me."

Aizawa sighed before placing his hand on top of the girl's head, giving reassurance. "Take the rest of the first period off. I'll be back soon and inform you of the final decision."

The two pro heroes excused themselves out of the nurse's office, leaving Hikari with Recovery Girl. As the nurse was busy checking over the medicine and equipment in the office, the brunette was busy texting her friend.

Ienzo… I need your help.