When I woke up, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.
I am sitting in a chair, my arms, legs, and torso were bound with belts.
In front of me were the villains I had met in the forest.
Some of them were unfamiliar to me.
All of the villains in the room were looking at me.
A man with a hand stuck to his face who seemed to be the leader opened his mouth.
"It may be sudden, but... Aspiring hero Bakugo Katsuki"
The restraints are hard and impossible to break without quirk.
Even if you were to break them, it would be difficult to escape unless there was an opening.
"Won't you become one of my comrades?"
The man looked straight into his eyes through the gap between his hands.
Bakugo laughed and spat out the words, taking into account the current situation, his position, and all of that.
"Spare me your shit and die."
＊ ＊ ＊
In the evening, the same time as usual, I went home from work.
Then, from the outside, I noticed that the lights of the house were not on.
Is no one home?
Thinking this, I inserted the key into the lock of the front door, but it did not turn in the direction it was supposed to open.
After a while, I realized that the key was originally unlocked.
"I'm home-?"
I entered the house as if to call out to him, but just as I had seen from outside, none of the lights in the room were on.
I opened the door to the living room, wondering why that room was the only one that was bright.
However, the lights in the room were not on.
"...?"
The TV was left on.
But there was no sign of my son, who was usually home at this time.
"...Hitoshi?"
His mother called out once more inside the house.
But there was no reply.
"Mou..., where did you go?"
The sun was already setting outside.
In addition, the front door was left unlocked and the TV was still on.
I felt like I should scold him, but at the same time I was optimistic that he just found another cat and gone after it.
『────U.A, students of────Hero Department────unconscious────critical condition────』
I heard a familiar word on the news on the TV.
I looked at the news and saw that the hero department, which had just gone to the summer camp, had been attacked by villains.
From a helicopter, I could see the firefighters trying to extinguish the burning forest.
Shinso's mother was surprised to see that this was the story of the Hero Department that her son wanted to go to.
Her image changed.
"Ara? This girl────"
The screen showed the name of a student who had been taken away by the villains and was now missing.
It was the name of a friend that she had often heard from her son, Shinso Hitoshi.
"... are you sure about this?"
"You're a hard-ass... I told you I'm coming."
After leaving the hospital at night,six people, Midoriya, Kirishima, Todoroki, Ida, Yaoyorozu, and Shinso were heading for the station.
In order to rescue Bakugo and Ritsuka, who were taken away by the villain.
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It was only a short while ago that it was decided that Shinso would go with them.
It was just after Ida and Midoriya had argued and Ida had said that he would accompany them as a watchman.
"found...you...!"
When we all turned our heads toward the voice, we found Shinso with his hands on his knees, breathing on his shoulders.
Midoriya hurriedly approached.
"E, Shi- Shinso Hitoshi-Kun!?
Why are you───"
"You guys, I run around hospitals, looking for you guys."
"───!? How long have you been searching for us!?"
He must have been running around a lot. He was breathing hard and not speaking well.
"That's not important."
Shinso's hands gripped Midoriya's shoulders.
"What is going on...!
Fujimaru has been kidnapped! What happened!?"
As soon as he said that, he coughed hard, as if he can't breath.
Todoroki offered him some water to calm down.
Kirishima said
"It's exactly as what they're saying on the news. Bakugo and Fujimaru were taken by villains. ... right in front of Midoriya and the others."
"──ugh...!"
Hearing about it on the news and being told about it in person were two different things.
In some part of his mind, he had looked away, wondering if this was just a joke.
He bit his lip.
Midoriya and the others were looking at him with concern.
Shinso opened his mouth, looking down.
"... I'm going on your rescue mission."
"! How did you know?"
"You were just yelling at each other just now. I'm coming with you."
Everyone's eyes widen.
"Wait! This has nothing to do with you!"
Ida said loudly.
and Shinso interrupted him even louder.
"Even if you say no, I'll go save her on my own.
If you still refuse, I'll tell the adults everything you're trying to do.
If you want, I'll even use my quirk...!"
Shinso's voice grew louder and louder.
"'It's none of my business? How can that be!
Fujimaru is...!"
He stopped there.
He muttered to himself.
"...Fujimaru is my friend."
"..."
Ida, Midoriya and Kirishima were at a loss for words.
And then Yaoyorozu, who had been watching silently until now, stepped forward.
"If Shinso-san wants to go, we have no right to stop you since we all have already decided to go.
... Let's leave quickly. We don't have much time."
And so the six men and women left the hospital on that night.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Even so, it seems like you and Fujimaru is very close."
On the bullet train, while eating a rice ball, Kirishima said so to Shinso.
"...Well, That's just how it is."
In contrast to his earlier vigour, he is not very talkative.
So what?, is the expression that appears on shinso's face, then kirishima started to complement him.
"Well, both of you don't seem to be a positive type! So it's a little surprising."
"...Fujimaru isn't?"
After eating, Shinso asks back.
From his point of view, Ritsuka is nothing but aggressive.
"...? She don't talk to us at all at the camp, and she seems shy.
I thought she were always like that, but... is she not?"
"──No"
Shinso is clamoring.
Doesn't talk at all? Doesn't want to get involved with anyone?
It's a far cry from the image of Ritsuka in his mind.
It's like she's a different person when he hear about her from Kirishima's words.
She's not the kind of person who would be shy around the hero department students.
And also during the training camp, she contacted me saying that she is having a great time.
"..."
Shinso was silent.
Midoriya saw the looks on his face and guessed.
Ritsuka's attitude during that training camp was not normal.
He wondered if the Ritsuka he had met in Hosu was her true personality after all.
In the silence, Yaoyorozu opened her mouth.
"Are you guys ready? The coordinates given by the transmitter are The Kamino ward of Yokohama City, in the Kanagawa Prefecture.
We'll be departing from Nagano, so it'll take us about two hours... which should get us there around ten o'clock."
"Hey, um... did you tell the others the specifics around our plan?"
Midoriya looks at Todoroki and the others and asks.
"Yeah, after we did they just tried to stop us from going."
"Uraraka had some pretty harsh words for us."
"Uraraka did?"
『I'm pretty sure that... Bakugo will just feel disgraced to be rescued by everyone...』
At Uraraka's words, Midoriya's brain recalled Bakugo's last words, "Stay back, Deku."
"In any case listen"
Todoroki said as he ate his lunch.
"No matter how you look at it, what we're trying to do is driven by our own egos, if you want to turn back, it's not too late."
"If I wasn't sure about this, I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place!
He's not the kind of guy who will want to just let the villains have their way.
Fujimaru too, I haven't been able to talk to her yet, so there is no way those villains can do whatever they want!"
Kirishima said without pause.
Midoriya remembers what All Might had said to him.
『One of the marks of a hero is getting involved in stuff they don't need to be』
"I... There's no way I can turn back now."
Even if Ka-chan doesn't like it, I want to help him.
... Would Fujimaru-san not like to be helped?
I somehow had a feeling that she would.
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Shinso wondered on what he should do next.
But he couldn't find the right words to describe what he was trying to do.
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So...
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"...For now I just want to save Fujimaru.
The things that comes after... I'll think about that later."
By saying it out loud, my resolve is strengthened once again.
Ritsuka had been helping me all this time.
So now I must help her myself.
『───Here is a clip of the public apology issued by the official at U.A academy.』
On the screen were the principal, Nezu, Vlad, and Aizawa, who was dressed in a way that was unimaginable from his normal appearance - that is, he is wearing a solid suit.
『On this occasion, our incompetence resulted in the injuries of 27 of our first year student heroes. Despite being an institution for the development of heroes, we were negligent in our defense against evil interests and have caused great anxiety within society.
With the utmost sincerity, we respectfully and humbly apologize for our short-comings』
The three of them bowed their heads, and the shutter sounded.
One reporter raised his hand and stood up.
『Reporting with NHA. This is the fourth time this year for U.A academy, where students have come into contact with villains. This time, students were injured. How exactly did you explain this to their families? Please tell us specifically what measures have been taken to address this matter. 』
Nezu replies.
『We have strengthened the security around school, and we have re-examined the campus's crime prevention system. We are taking "strong measures" to guarantee our students... that was the explanation we gave.』
The image was playing on the large screen attached to the building, on the TV at home, and in various other places.
Watching it were
Some of them were students of U.A who were walking at night trying to rescue their friends, some of them were classmates who were worried about their friends at home, and some of them were ordinary people who didn't know anything.
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Some of them were villains who were at the center of the commotion.
"It's quite mysterious, isn't it..."
The leader of the League of Villains, Shigaraki Tomura, spread his hands in an exaggerated manner.
"Why are the heroes getting criticized?
Their response was just a little too slow!
Is it because it is their jobs to protect the kids?
Everybody makes a mistake or two.
Are they saying they can't make a single mistake?
Heroes these days are under some pretty strict standards, huh?
Yo, Bakugou-kun!"
He seemed to be saying something in black and white.
It was hard for Bakugo to tell if what Shigaraki was saying was serious or a lie.
The lizard-like man who was leaning against the wall - Spinner - interrupted him.
"The moment that protecting people began to merit some compensation, heroes stopped being a heroes. That's stain's teaching!"
Shigaraki continued.
"The bizarre conversion of human life into money and selfish pursuits...
And a society that codifies that suspect thinking into its rules...
The citizens that criticize the losers who should instead be cheered on...
Our battle is one of questions.
What is a hero? what is justice?
I ask each and every one of you to consider whether this society is really just!
We intend to win this battle!
We're going to win, and you also... like to win, don't you?"
After he said that much, Shigaraki turned to the side and pointed at Bakugo.
"Dabi, remove the restraints."
"What? This guy is going to go ballistic you know."
"It's okay we have to treat him like an equal. We're scouting him out after all. Besides...
Shigaraki turned to Bakugo.
"He should be able to tell from the current situation that... he has no possibility of winning if he goes off here right, U.A student?"
"Twice, free him."
"What? Me!? No thanks!"
The man in tights, who was told to by Dabi, reluctantly begins to unbind Bakugo.
The masked villain who caught Bakugo and Fujimaru said something to appease Bakugo.
"I apologize for taking such a forceful approach with you... However... please understand that we're not just a group of hoodlums endeavouring to... perpetrate evil acts. We didn't just casually decide to abduct you."
Shigaraki stood up and approached Bakugo.
"All of us here, has different circumstances, but people... rules... heroes... we're all shackled by them."
The restraints on Bakugo are completely undone, and Bakugo touches his wrist as if to confirm the feeling.
"You too, you should underst───"
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Immediately afterwards, Bakugo hit Twice with his unrestrained hand and bombed Shigaraki in the face without hesitation.
"I stayed quiet listening to you blabbering on and on...! Idiots don't know how to summarize things so they go on forever!
Basically 『we want to make people hate us, so join us please!』right?!"
Shigaraki...! said Twice, concerned.
Shigaraki was still in the same position he was in when he was attacked.
Bakugo then said.
"It's pointless"
He looked up, smiled menacingly, and continued talking with his strongest voice.
"I've been won over by the way All Might looks when he wins.
You all can say what you want, but... nothing can change my mind about that."
Shigaraki's head moves slowly as if it makes a squealing noise.
His sight lands on a hand that was blown away by Bakugo.
"...Father..."
In a small voice, Shigaraki muttered.
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The TV is still showing the press conference.
One of the reporters asked Aizawa about the possibility that the kidnapped Bakugo would fall into the path of villains.
Aizawa replied with an answer that expressed his trust in Bakugo.
Bakugo laughed.
"Ha, U.A and the teachers, you heard what they said...
That's how it is you shithead alliance!
I'm just telling you now, my combat authorizations have not been revoked, got it?"
The news continues behind Bakugou, who is alerted by the villain in front of him.
The news is not about Bakugo, it's about the other kidnapped student.
But Bakugo doesn't notice it.
He was only thinking about fighting back, creating an opening, and then escaping from this place.
"He understands exactly what position he's in... what a clever boy!"
"Let's stab him!"
"No ... he's probably just an idiot."
"Even if he don't want to, he could have at least pretended to be won over... he messed up."
The villains say one after another.
"I'm not the type to lie about things I don't want to do.
I also have no desire to stick around in this shithole."
Shigaraki is still frozen in place.
The black warp villain approached him as if in a bit of a hurry.
However, Shigaraki stopped him with his hand.
He then looks up and glared at Bakugo.
Almost reflexively, a horrifying sensation ran across Bakugo's skin.
"Stay out of this, ok, you guys...?
this one is... an important piece."
He picked up the hand and put it back on his face.
"If possible... I would have liked for you to hear me out... I thought that maybe you could understand..."
"No chance."
Bakugo answers immediately.
"'I don't like this way of scouting, but... it can't be helped.'
Shigaraki walked around to the back of the counter.
He crouched down and grabbed something.
Bakugo stepped back cautiously.
But what came out was something that Bakugo hadn't expected.
"'I don't have much time, but I'll ask you again: ...
Won't you become one of my comrades?"
"...!"
In a change from earlier, Bakugo was unable to give an immediate answer.
The one that Shigaraki lifted up from behind the counter for Bakugo to see was the unconscious Ritsuka Fujimaru.
And her neck was touched by Shigaraki's hand firmly, except for his middle finger.
Bakugo didn't know that Ritsuka Fujimaru had been kidnapped with him.
"'Well... what will you do now?'
Shigaraki forced Bakugo to make a choice.