My Hero Academia: Son of Justice

by Jayme F. Midorikawa

The son of the disgraced former greatest Hero of The Soviet Union is extended a chance at a new life by the Symbol of Peace, All Might. After having lived so long resenting Heroes and Villains, and being scared to death of his own Quirk, will he be able to step forward and become the Hero he once dreamed of, and will he be able to find new purpose through friendship, or even love?

98. Eri Arc Part 7 - Hero and Savior

Hello again, everyone! Once more I cut it unfortunately close in getting this chapter written in time for the upload time. This whole restructuring in my writing and planning schedule is definitely proving more difficult than I'd hoped. But there's got to be a point I can finally cement this new rhythm at some point.

Anyway, we now come to a point in this recounting of the Eri Rescue Mission I imagine many of you have been dreading revisiting. I can only hope that what happens here will leave you all curious to see what happens next.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to maybe clear the air of any confusion regarding the narrative of this chapter. Considering Izuku and his group are recounting everything about their mission to Nikolay and his group through both their own firsthand experiences and the testimony to the police from those not present to tell it themselves (i.e. Mirio Togata), I want to present the past events as they actually happened, while also giving consideration to the fact that they have to keep the details about Eri and her connection to the whole mission a secret from others for her own sake. So, while I may have some present-day narration providing the cover story, I'm still going to have the flashbacks themselves play out as they actually did, so just keep in mind that any mention of Eri by name in that period, is being deliberately kept out in the present-day retelling. Hopefully this can discourage any claims of sloppy and inconsistent writing going forward for the rest of this arc.

I would once more like to extend my sincerest thanks for all help, collaboration and promotion to my beta readers, Mizu and Jonny, DA artists Syyndev, Akane Kahomi, AliceKuroCross, Suki-Chan2509, Eliza-Frost, effasempai and Yumake; and, naturally, every single one of you out there for your continued readership and support.

My Hero Academia is the property of Kouhei Horikoshi and Shonen Jump. I only own my original characters and the original events surrounding them and established canon characters as we go forward.

A/N: [[]] indicates that characters are contextually speaking Russian. Likewise, any dialogue written in this format are supposed to be present-day narration over flashbacks.

Chapter 99

Hero and Savior

(Герой и Спаситель)

Shie Hassaikai HQ Basement, Saturday September 13th, 8:36AM

Ever since discovering what his newly evolved and combined Quirks were able to allow him to do, the last thing Vukodlak had expected anymore was to actually get genuinely hurt, let alone lose. And yet, because of that damned Tunguska and his hardheaded new student and sidekick, Red Riot, he had just been subjected to both. After having gotten his wolf jaws pried open and gotten one of the Sun of Justice's Solar Blasts into his gullet, he'd been plowed straight through several walls, and even as he'd already returned to his human form, he was still reeling from the scorching pain in the pit of his chest, as his lungs and insides were still in the process of healing themselves as he struggled back to his hands and knees.

Of course, even as his current gravelly voice easily communicated the rage burning in his blood as he regained his senses, he knew that the battle hadn't been a complete loss. He'd seen the injuries he'd left on the two already, especially that snap of Red Riot's arm and leg just before the end. Even if the ceilings had collapsed and cut him off from going to finish them off, there was still a great deal of satisfaction for him to have, knowing he'd left more than a few nasty marks on them. Perhaps, if fate were kind enough, he'd have the chance to get the drop on them again before this whole insanity with the invading Heroes was over, and finally finish them both off. Then there would only be Nikolay and his friends from the Erubi City fight to erase, then his slate with which to turn towards the future would finally be clean.

And if his previous Morse Code communications with Himiko in the time since he had first detected the Heroes and police approaching the compound had gotten through clearly enough, then he knew in his gut that things were already in motion by now that would at the very least make his own secret strategies of victory for the League that much more attainable, and that much more worthwhile. He just needed to have faith in both of his partners to get the job done, just like they no doubt had faith in him still, just as Tomura Shigaraki had faith in the whole lot of them.

And as he could feel his throat heal from within, his senses were already proving that this faith in his comrades was well-warranted. Even as his ears rode out the last moments of incessant ringing, his environmental alertness of the entire underground was still at its highest, as Vukodlak hurriedly put his ear to the nearest wall, listening in closely…and within seconds, he could hear the sound of two racing heartbeats and footsteps rushing in tandem together, with one pair sounding much lighter than the other. There was no doubt in his mind this had to be Himiko and Twice.

What was more, he could likewise hear a closely grouped together bunch of pounding heartbeats not too far from where they were apparently fleeing from; the very same place that he had come to hear a great deal of environmental bending and warping going on less than a minute ago. Upon listening that much closer, he could soon begin to make out the distinct vibrations of voices; several adults and one teenager from the sound of it, and very stressed and freaked out from the sounds of it.

Considering just where in the basement compound all of these heartbeats were, Vukodlak was quickly able to put the overall picture together where he stood. Since Himiko and Twice had been ordered to stay at Overhaul's side with that man codenamed Mimic, and he was meant as the primary means of stopping the Heroes and the police in their tracks, then the place with the large grouping of individuals that Himiko and Twice were now escaping from, had to be where Mimic had made his last stand…and if he couldn't hear that racket of the halls being distorted and misshapen anymore, alongside the sheer pace with which many of the intruders' hearts were racing and resonating in his ears, then he could only assume that his initial plan he had communicated to his partners in Morse Code through their earpieces had gone off without a hitch, and Mimic had been permanently removed from the equation.

Now, Vukodlak could only hope that Twice was currently following through on the rest of the admittedly intricate plan he had detailed as subtly as possible before, as now was the time for him to follow through on his part of their grand plan. Listening in that much closer to try and pick up on any other movement within the compound; his inescapable ears were soon able to pick up the sound of two less-frantic heartbeats walking in tandem, with one far lighter beating in between them, all punctuated by two clearly adult footsteps moving at a brisk and purposeful pace.

The corners of his mouth quickly lifted just as the last of his internal injuries had finished healing, as Vukodlak knew in his gut that he had managed to practically echo-locate his primary targets…however, there was one element quickly becoming apparent that he hadn't been counting on: the sound of a fourth, greatly determined and youthful heartbeat right before them; too young to be any of Overhaul's lieutenants, or even any of his more traditional yakuza thugs acting as added muscle.

'Who the hell is this that's breathing like he just ran a marathon with the weight of the world on his shoulders? No matter; I have to move quickly. I can't let this stranger get in our way!'

With this one simple urgent thought echoing in his mind, Vukodlak was darting down the first doorway he could find, listening intently to the movements of all the people throughout the basement around him; his sharpened and inhuman senses helping him to keep track of where everyone of note was at all times; silently hoping Himiko and Twice were doing as asked, and not running into further trouble along the way. In order for his plan to come to fruition, timing was going to be everything.

---

Class 1-A Dorms, Saturday, September 20th

Try as Nikolay and his friends could; it was impossible to simply let the knowledge that their Provisional License Exams had been so thoroughly infiltrated by one of the League of Villains, and the fact that she had gotten so close to him in such a cruel manner as to disguise herself as Mina over her own disguise as Camie Utsushimi, left the two especially shaken for the remainder of the day, all the way until they had inevitably gone on to repeat their same scenario as last night, of silently going to sleep in each other's arms in the dead of night for that much-needed comfort and feeling of genuine security they always promised one another, only to have to part ways early in the morning so as not to risk getting caught by their classmates and ending up in trouble again.

Just like last night, Mina had taken it upon herself to sneak all the way to Nikolay's room; and if she had proven difficult to convince to let go of him the previous morning, she was somehow even more tenacious this time, still driven by her protective impulses towards her boyfriend.

But in the end, they both knew what needed to be done for their own good, but it was because of the deep-rooted love burning in their hearts for one another, that no amount of fear either of them felt could've had any hope of plaguing them this night, and so when it had already come time for all the students of Class 1-A to wake up, get dressed, have breakfast and head for school; Nikolay and Mina had come out that much better rested than they ever would've been on their own.

So much so, that after Nikolay had finally found Ochako, Tsuyu and Eijirou among their classmates again; wishing them all a good morning while not wanting to immediately start asking about where they had all been yesterday; his lingering alertness and sense of duty for his classmates had kicked in the moment he had finally spotted Shoto and Bakugo, just in time before they would have to once more leave for their Remedial Training. He had no hesitation in approaching the two with an especially prominent concern that needed to be addressed, which the two boys were quick to notice when he approached them.

"Good morning, Bezpalov. I take it yesterday's training really got you fired up this time around?" "Yeah, I heard from Soy Sauce Face that you really got thrown off going up against him and Monkey Boy. You really gotta get your head on straight; to lose to those two is just plain embarrassing."

However, Bakugo's thinly veiled attempt at expressing anything close to an even-leveled sense of respect when it came to Nikolay's skill set, didn't even hit Nikolay any deeper than the skin, as he knew he needed to get his thoughts out: "Good morning to you both as well, Todoroki-san, Bakugo. I actually had something on my mind; a concern, if I'm being honest; that you could maybe clear up for me in regards to your training, specifically about that girl from Shiketsu High that you said has been attending with you."

"Utsushimi Camie-san? What makes you bring her up, Bezpalov?" Even when expressing curiosity at his foreign classmate's inquiry, Shoto's expression was still as blunt and hard-to-read as ever, while Bakugo was silently fuming while eating his own breakfast, as though the disruption of the morning routine were in and of itself, a distraction from his giving his all at training. Of course, he was also deeply annoyed at being referred to after Shoto.

"I'm sorry, I know it's weird for me to just spring this on you out of nowhere…but we recently learned some things about Midoriya-san and the others' mission last week relating to the League of Villains, and because of what we found out…I think we came to a similar conclusion that he himself came to back then as well…about her; namely that, she was never at the original Provisional Exam to begin with. You can ask Midoriya-san yourself if you want, I want to think he might tell you the same, if the news hasn't stated anything similar.

"I think that girl in the League, Toga Himiko, might have actually been disguised as her back at the Exam. One of the other Shiketsu High boys had told us both that she had been acting differently from how she normally does, however that might be, so I just wanted to know from either of you if her behavior at the Remedial Training might have been anything of notable concern to share…you know, just in case."

To Nikolay's relief, there was a distinct glimmer of similar concern in Shoto's eyes at being given this news, so at least he didn't feel like he was coming across as a raving paranoid nutcase. All the while, Bakugo just bitterly muttered: "If babbling on and on in that airheaded talk about inane, stupid shit and never knowing when to shut the hell up is suddenly cause for concern, then yeah. Otherwise, there's nothing to tell. Even if she is that vampire-fanged freak in disguise again, she won't even be able to get anywhere near me, I can guarantee that."

Nikolay could hardly tell if Bakugo was taking his note of warning seriously, or if he was simply reassuring himself or telling the foreign boy what he thought he wanted to hear. It hardly made a difference. It was no surprise, after what he had recently gone through at the hands of the League, that he wasn't about to start letting his guard down around anyone. In its own way, that was a reassuring thing to hear.

Following from Bakugo's commentary, Shoto likewise simply answered: "I barely caught a glimpse of her in order to observe her behavior during the original Exams, so I can hardly speak in terms of comparison, but as for what I've seen from Utsushimi-san during our training, she certainly seems more approachable and outgoing than the way either you or Midoriya have described her, Bezpalov.

"At the very least, Disguising is a far cry from her Quirk as I've seen so far. If anything, the only reason I imagine anyone would see her as anyone else, is because she would want them to when she breathes. She lets out this kind of hallucinogenic mist that makes people see illusions when she exhales; whether it's something she wants them to see, or if it's something she thinks they want to see when reading them. As such, I believe it's safe to say we're dealing with the real one this time around…but we appreciate the warning, all the same."

While his assurances and gratitude served a great deal to ease Nikolay's anxieties, they still weren't entirely done away with, as when he had just as quickly returned to join Mina, Kyouka, Tenya and Momo at their table to finish up breakfast, he could see that she was clearly still just as nervous as he was, deep down; and that she had definitely been listening in when he'd approached Shoto and Bakugo.

"I know they said that their Remedial Training's security is gonna be, like, boosted way the hell up there now; how do any of us know that Toga girl couldn't still find a way to sneak in here without anybody knowing? She's like a chameleon girl, you know? I mean, if those rumors about the League of Villains being a part of all that destruction in Russia is true, especially with how super-hardcore they are about not wanting people with Quirks around, then couldn't they be able to just slip into Yuuei like ninjas and wreck all kinds of stuff just like that, too?"

Nikolay couldn't justifiably say that his girlfriend's concerns weren't necessary. She'd honestly just expressed the worries he was too afraid to. Despite that, however, Momo and Tenya both looked surprisingly well-assured, as the class vice-president answered truthfully: "I think we all have every right to hold onto some concern after what we've learned, Mina-san. However, I also think we can put a great deal of faith in our teachers and the Yuuei staff to adjust our security accordingly after everything that's happened regarding the League, either during Midoriya-san's mission or the business in Russia.

"That's right; our teachers have made it no secret that all the changes made over the course of this year have been for our safety, and we need to have faith that they're taking every precaution necessary to keep us safe from whatever threat the Villains pose to us with every bit of information they gain about their Quirks or whatever it is they may be doing. The best course of action we can take right now is to uphold our responsibility as students, dedicate ourselves to the fullest and beyond in our training, and mentally and emotionally prepare ourselves for whatever they may pull against us next."

While Nikolay, Mina and Kyouka were all easily convinced by their two presidents' confidence in their teachers and the infrastructure of their school's security; the young Russian and his two classmates could still quickly spot the head of Izuku's curly green hair on the other side of the dining section of the common area; the freckled boy having just joined Ochako, Tsuyu and Eijirou at their table, with all four of them inaudibly conversing amongst each other. It wasn't long before Izuku could feel Nikolay's watchful and concerned gaze upon him, and the moment they made eye contact; the serious look in his eyes had softened before he gave a heartfelt good morning wave to his foreign friend and fellows; which they all gladly returned.

Of course, it didn't take long before that jovial light around Izuku began to dim once his attention had returned to his former partners.

"You know, even though they all look to be in good spirits, I can't be the only one thinking there's also this lingering sense of sadness between them, can I?" As Kyouka pointed it out; Nikolay and Mina were both already nodding, having long-since picked up on the same thing, while Nikolay himself answered: "Well, think about it: nobody's taking their internships getting cancelled well, still. On top of that, think about everything we've been learning; just how many Heroes got hurt, and just what a terrifying experience the whole thing has been so far. I mean, I still get shudders from thinking about all the close calls we had in Hokkaido…and the people we lost because of it. I mean, Togata-senpai is still in the hospital, and we still don't know why that is. Plus, I don't know about you guys, but I've been feeling really bad lately for pressuring them into telling us what they already have, even if they and Dad volunteered it. It's clearly been just as hard on them to go back and revisit as it was for us, you know? I mean, we might as well admit it: the only reason we were able to tell everything that happened again at once was precisely because we had each other to carry through it. That doesn't mean it'd be as easy for anyone else, though."

Even at a glance, Nikolay could see that his sentiments were definitely shared by his friends at this table, while Mina had a clear look of shame on her face for her part in having been so pressuring on their friends. Of course, it didn't take long for that somber air to immediately soar right back up, and she soon had a really hopeful look in her eyes again. "Maybe we could cut them a break. I mean, whatever they did yesterday must've been some really heavy stuff if they're all looking so down in the dumps. I mean, if it were possible, maybe we could see about finding out which hospital Togata-senpai is at from Nezu-sensei, and we could all go visit him tomorrow."

The delight on Mina's face somehow managed to glow even brighter when she saw the smile of agreement on Nikolay's as an answer, followed by Kyouka; while Momo and Tenya were both visibly nodding in consideration. "I honestly can't think of any reason why we couldn't, provided we at least run it by Nezu-sensei and Aizawa-sensei, so they could see about attending as added security." "Yes; and that aside, as first-years and fellow Heroes, it is only right that we show our senpai that his peers in Yuuei are all thinking of him and awaiting his eventual return."

"And there's no doubt in my mind that Mirio-senpai would be just as appreciative of that, either." The sudden sound of Izuku's voice from behind Nikolay's back nearly sent the whole table jumping in surprise; not the least of reasons why, was because of just how thoroughly they'd allowed themselves to get so enraptured in their own conversation, they hadn't even noticed him, Ochako, Tsuyu or Eijirou having approached them less than a minute ago.

"Oh man, don't scare us like that, you guys! I feel like you just shaved a decade off my life!" Kyouka exclaimed while trying to get her heart to stop racing and sending her earphone jacks into a frenzy, while Nikolay finally managed to calm down enough to answer: "How much of what we were saying did you guys all hear?"

"Pretty much all of it-kero. Just because everyone else has their own conversations going all the time, doesn't mean any of your voices don't still carry. Especially you, Iida-san, Mina." As Tsuyu answered with her typical bluntness, leaving the group of five visibly embarrassed, Izuku thankfully decided to further clear the air with a genuinely grateful smile alongside the thoughtfulness in his eyes, while Ochako and Eijirou were busy reassuring Mina and Nikolay respectively.

"We really appreciate you guys thinking about us and what we've been trying to recover from, with your talk about cutting us some slack and no doubt going to Mirio-senpai instead. I'm more than sure he'd gladly tell you everything you'd want to know if you asked, too. He'd definitely made no secret saying how proud he was of you all when the news of what you all did in Hokkaido aired; he wouldn't want any of us who weren't at his side to worry if we'd all heard that he'd somehow gotten hurt.

"Even so; as I'm sure Aizawa-sensei told you while we were gone; we all made the same promise to keep certain details under wraps alongside the police. And…in his own way, Mirio-senpai endured a lot more than the rest of us, and even if he's still carrying on strong and smiling even now, I know he's still going through a lot of pain underneath it all. Make no mistake, after everything we all went through, I want you all to know the truth about what happened, just like you all did for us…but I can't truthfully say that going to him and treating him like a sympathy showcase is the right way to do it. That's why, if you all still really want to know…I can at least share with you all what we learned from him when we'd given all our testimonies to the police of what all had happened."

Even despite their never having said anything about wanting to get answers from Mirio in the hospital; their track record of seeking information from any sources available, like Nejire, Tamaki and even Aizawa, had unfortunately set a regretful precedent for Nikolay and his group; as they all looked down in shame that they had allowed themselves to unintentionally become so nosey about things that, at the end of the day, still ultimately had nothing to do with them.

And it was Izuku's pointing out of this fact, that made his selflessness and appreciation for his friends here, to actually still openly want to tell them everything there was for them to know, so utterly astounding, as they couldn't hide the individual signs of gratitude on their faces when seeing Ochako, Tsuyu and Eijirou all show the same willingness and desire to tell them more right alongside him.

Truly, their similar harrowing experiences of risking life and limb to save others and stop evil and sharing in recounting those experiences had, in the strangest way, cemented the comradery between the two groups of students even more than they already had been. And thus, Nikolay, Mina and the others were immediately more than happy to express their acceptance of Izuku's offer to continue as they had been, just as a timely look to the clock had spurred Tenya and Momo to once more start ushering their classmates to begin their daily trek to class.

From there, studies through homeroom and Quirk History had ultimately gone quite smoothly, and once the lunch period bell had rung, everyone had gotten their lunches and re-gathered at the secluded outdoor bench (and after some very concise but deep reassurances from Izuku to Tunguska about his recounting Mirio's experience of the mission in his absence), the time had once more finally come for Nikolay, Mina, Kyouka, Tenya and Momo to learn more of what their dear friends had gone through, and especially what had happened to their seemingly untouchable third-year.

---

Shie Hassaikai HQ Basement Compound, Saturday September 13th, 8:34AM

In almost exactly two minutes since he had gone ahead of the rest of his fellow Heroes and their police detachment, Mirio Togata had finally managed what he'd set out to do; what he'd been driven the most to accomplish ever since this mission had finally been given the green light: cut through all the twists and turns of the basement, and finally come out standing tall, strong…and most importantly, ready, as he found himself standing defiantly before none other than Kai Chisaki a.k.a. Overhaul himself, with his white-hooded and beak-masked lieutenant only known as Chronostasis standing dutifully behind him…with a single frightened little girl with long silver hair, wide red eyes, and a single horn protruding from her head, held firmly in his arms; the little girl that they all knew now, down to the very bottom of their noble and driven hearts, as Overhaul's own self-proclaimed daughter, Eri.

"All we had ever been informed of in regards to the Shie Hassaikai's operations by then was the manufacture and distribution of both the Quirk-boosting drug, Trigger, and those Quirk-destroying bullets. We never had heard anything about a kidnapping charge or anything involving children, so I can only imagine how surprised Mirio-senpai had to be when he first saw him with a little girl like that in tow…especially with how scared he said she looked at that point."

"Sorry to bother you…but…we need to have a little chat." None of Mirio's typical good-hearted approachability was anywhere to be found in his voice as he finally broke the silence between himself and the two yakuza before him. If anyone from Yuuei were to hear him speak and stand with such an air of authority, they would have all easily been able to see just how much he resembled All Might himself in this very moment.

But even that did nothing to strike a chord within either of the two masked men, as Overhaul simply looked the blonde-haired youth before him; his already piercing yellows eyes only narrowing the slightest bit. "You again…?"

---

Present Day

"Wait, 'again'? Are you saying that Togata-senpai had actually run into this Overhaul person before and lived?" "Did they have, like, some kind of huge battle before that we somehow just never heard of?"

Already, Nikolay and Mina were enraptured in curiosity and surprise alike, while Izuku's gaze slowly sank. "Actually…we both did…on the first day of my internship with him and Sir Nighteye."

He could just feel the utter shellshock on all five of his listening friends' faces as he continued, knowing he would have to continuously keep even the tiniest details about Eri or any past knowledge of her out of his retelling, as he'd promised alongside everyone else in his partner group, even if they themselves would all silently know the full extent of the truth. "He'd informed us before our patrol of his being a known criminal presence in the area, and I can tell you all right now, I was terrified when we actually ended up running into him…but because we didn't have any viable evidence of his committing any wrongdoing at that time, we had no choice but to let him go on his way. I know it didn't sit well with Mirio-senpai any better than it did me…if somehow not even worse. There was a lot of personal responsibility he'd been putting on himself when we'd finally been given the call for this mission, just like I had been doing, myself."

---

"Catching up with us shouldn't have been so easy." There was no clear anger, but only a very chilling air of annoyance in Overhaul's tone as he stared Mirio down; the young Hero refusing to break eye contact or even lose an ounce of tension in his posture.

"I took a shortcut…now I'm here for the girl." Again, even despite the serious edge in Mirio's voice, Overhaul still didn't look even slightly intimidated, instead simply looking him and his costume up and down.

"You look like you're just a student, pretending to be a Hero. Last time, you turned a blind eye to the situation. It's not like this girl is hoping you'll save her. To her, you're no Hero." As Overhaul's words picked and pried at the resilient emotional exterior Mirio was putting up, all he could think of at that moment, was that fateful previous encounter, of seeing that very same terrified little girl in that alleyway…how her eyes just seemed to radiate that unmistakable silent plea for help from either him or Izuku, even if she herself was too scared to say so.

The very same look he could feel was just underneath her eyes as she looked at him in frightened silence within Chronostasis' arms. And that and the memory together, only helped to make his desire to act here that much stronger. "She's why I'm here."

And with an almost insulting air of indifference, Overhaul simply turned his back on Mirio, continuing down the same corner they had been about to go when the young Hero had shown up; with Chronostasis closely following suit. "You're not getting the picture, huh? Let me make it simple for you, then."

The moment the two criminals had their backs turned to him, Mirio was immediately rushing for them; not even incensed by their indifference of his intentions or interference, but simply because he couldn't stand to see them carry the little girl away with them for a second longer.

"I'm telling you, you're going to die here."

As soon as Overhaul gave this chilling threat so nonchalantly, Mirio's once laser-focused vision began to warp, whirl and blur, almost as though he were keeping his eyes open while underwater; causing him to quickly lose his balance and go slamming hard into the wall without even having time to activate his Permeation.

"What the…?! My balance suddenly—"HAHAHA! Feeling drunk, are ya?! *hic* Like…ya…can't…stand up…can't stand up…straight?! SAME HERE, MAN! WHICH IS WHY I AIN'T WALKIN' AROUND DOWN THERE! BETTER STAY AWAY FROM ME, OR YOU'LL GET JUST AS PLASTERED!"

The moment an unfamiliar adult voice started cackling from up above, Mirio looked up in time to see a new figure in the game had finally shown himself: a man in a furry vest and a beak-shaped helmet that obscured the upper half of his head, chugging from a large sake bottle while hanging by one hand and his feet from the pipes lining the ceiling. All at once did memory kick in that they had actually been informed of this particular one of Overhaul's apparent lieutenants: a man named Sakaki Deidoro, who had a Quirk that could somehow make his targets suffer the debilitating effects of drunkenness, even if they had never touched a drop…just so long as he himself had it rushing through his system.

Mirio was already feeling his adrenaline start rushing. There was no way he could allow himself to get stopped now, not like this, not when Eri was just within his reach. But just as he brought his eyes back down to focus on Overhaul and Chronostasis, he now found himself being stared down by another new face: this time being a man dressed in a black cloak and wide-brimmed black hat, that with his own beak mask, made him look exactly like a Renaissance-era plague doctor…one that was currently aiming a 9mm pistol right for him.

BLAM! BLAM!

Even with his senses currently muddled, though, Mirio's reflexes were still razor sharp, as he quickly threw himself from the wall he'd been slumped against, just as those two quick shots phased right through his midsection like he'd never even been there, allowing him to remain completely unharmed as he got back to standing strong on his feet, to his attackers' unseen surprise. "What the heck kind of Quirk is that?"

"Permeation! When I use it, everything and everyone passes right through me!" However, even as Mirio answered this with such confidence and bravado, in truth, he was just as surprised by how quickly he had actually given away such sensitive information about himself. 'What?! That just slipped out like it was nothing!'

Even though the black-clad yakuza with the gun gave no outward sign of amusement at his having gotten his answer, inside he was all smiles. "We were wondering how you managed to pop up this far into the basement so quickly. That certainly explains how you managed to slip past Mimic and the others."

"Hey, you missed every shit?! Man, you suck, Nemoto! You feeling tipsy or what?!" No sooner had Sakaki voiced his mockery of his partner, the aptly identified man known as Shin Nemoto, swiftly slapped his ally's sake bottle right out of his hands, before proceeding to stride towards Mirio himself. "No, that's your thing. You just keep quiet and back me up."

All the while, Mirio, despite the still-lingering effects of Sakaki's Quirk on himself, was still valiantly struggling to stay standing up straight on his feet. "So…you force people to talk? You're not the type…to fight on the frontlines…"

"Exactly! I'm not like the rest of the pawns your partners are dealing with up there! I'm a unique member of the Hassaikai! One permitted to bear direct witness to the young master's ambitions!"

BLAM! BLAM!

Even as Shin zealously proclaimed his position, he continued to fire another couple of shots while Mirio looked to be the most incapacitated. Of course, that did nothing to stop him from once more activating his Permeation, allowing both bullets to phase right through him. With luck, he knew that if he could get this one to waste all of his ammo, then even with Sakaki's Quirk in action, he would still be able to take them both down with relative ease.

However, even with that plan in mind, his own emotions couldn't be ignored, either; as Shin speaking so admirably about Overhaul made it impossible for him to simply keep quiet: "What sort of ambitions could possibly involve exploiting his own daughter?!"

For only a moment was Shin actually stopped in his tracks, admittedly surprised by such a question…not that it really made any difference, as he quickly took up his apathetic demeanor once more: "Emotions are unnecessary burdens if things are to go smoothly. As a Hero, you should know that better than anyone."

This, unlike Mirio's own words, ultimately managed to bring him to a momentary stop, himself, and that was all Shin needed to see, to know he'd just hit the much-sought after sore spot. "When you ran into little Eri, you also wanted things to go smoothly, right? So you turned a blind eye."

Despite Mirio's internal resistances, knowing Shin was trying to use his Quirk on him again, it was as though the most painful of internal words just brute-forced their way up his throat and out his mouth on the thug's command, leaving the young Hero visibly distraught, emotional for the first time since this mission had started: "That's right."

It was just as they had all been informed during the briefing before: this man, a former con-man named Shin Nemoto, had a Quirk that forced anyone he asked questions of, to answer to the fullest honesty without possibly being able to resist it. On the outset, it sounded like a Quirk hardly worth acknowledging as a threat in the field of battle…but now that Mirio was faced with it on his own, at the most desperate moment, being forced to not only discover, but outright admit a weakness he didn't even know he had; it was proving to be absolutely detrimental in a way he hadn't ever considered before.

And seeing this painful realization in his eyes, further spurred Shin to continue with his deeply-cutting summation: "And when you figured out the gist of our grand plan, you regretted it, didn't you? Now you're here to save Eri. She's just a pretext to make you feel better about yourself, right?"

Finally, with just the right words, Mirio's staggering approach had come to a stop, as though his feet had become completely fused to the floor with the weight of his heart caving in on itself in painful self-realization.

But even such a devastating personal revelation on the young Hero's part meant less than nothing to his opponents, as Shin chanced a momentary glance to see Overhaul and Chronostasis continuing to depart. "Look, Sakaki. They're moving on ahead! The young master needed me to help fulfill his ambitions! I must follow him, and walk that same path; to share in the joy of realizing his goals!"

Whereas Shin walked with a graceful and determined stride upon such a declaration; Sakaki himself was downright manic, as his body began to writhe with anticipation, before suddenly flinging his free arm outward, throwing a couple of fast-flying knives right for Mirio where he stood: "Now then…now then…GO TO HELL, YOU NUISANCE!"

But at just the very last moment before either could sink themselves into his chest, Mirio's body suddenly began to phase directly into the wall to his right, allowing the knives to sail past him harmlessly, to both thugs' shock; while the Hero's one exposed blue dot of an eye burned directly into them both, as his example right now was the epitome of pure focus.

"ULTIMATE MOVE…PHANTOM MENACE!"

WRAAAAM!

With half his body permeated into the wall, the moment Mirio shut off his Quirk, his whole body went flying like a rocket from where he stood, barreling fist-first straight into Shin and Sakaki alike before they could even think of dodging, sending them ricocheting across several walls before collapsing in an already unconscious heap on the floor, while Mirio himself came sliding to a stop upon his feet, only chancing a momentary glance back to make sure they were both down for the count…while likewise letting his mental and emotional guards down at last.

'That's right. I know I'm shouldering some real nasty karma. Heroes, even if they can't fight Villains or criminals, should at least be able to help people smile, even in their darkest hour…and I couldn't even do that for her. To her, my actions back then must have seemed especially cruel. But still, rather than see us hurt back there, she chose to return to Hell. Eri…she's such a kind girl. I've had my share of weaknesses to try and get through over all this time…but it's those same weaknesses that have always spurred me on. Like the spirit, weaknesses aren't something one should feel the need to keep hidden away. It's a given that I'm weak…but that doesn't mean I'm one to be shaken up, either!'

"There's no time for me to be feeling drunk right now…a dizziness like this is nothing new to me. As long as that girl can't smile…THEN I CAN'T LET THIS GO!"

WRA-WRAAAM!

With an energy that almost physically burned from within as he made his ultimate goal clear, Mirio bolted through Shin and Sakaki together, knocking them both round for good measure, as he flew straight for Overhaul, who only now was realizing that his planned obstacle for his Heroic opponent was no longer standing, and turning around to see for himself.

But there was nothing more behind him than Shin and Sakaki's splayed out bodies mere feet away, as though Mirio had disappeared like a gust of wind…before the Hero himself came springing up from out of the floor just behind him; his attacking arm already raised high overhead, just as Overhaul could just feel the newly arrived presence all-but literally breathing down his neck.

"CHISAKI!" With that furious battle cry, Mirio leapt onto one foot, swinging his right fist and right foot together in a near full-body swing, ready to lay Overhaul flat with this one-two combo.

FWOOSH!

It was either dumb luck or expert reflexes that allowed Overhaul to sway his upper body back just enough to avoid the flying backhanded strike Mirio swung at his head, while the young Hero exercised masterful control by activating his Permeation in his attacking foot, so that it would harmlessly phase through Eri's head, but still plowing with full force directly into Chronostasis' masked face, since the cramped conditions of this hallway battleground left them both directly in the arc of his kick.

This caused the hooded yakuza to go spinning listlessly to the floor, and inadvertently losing his grip on the speechless little girl in his arms as she went flying through the air, only for Mirio to use his full-spinning momentum to spring forward and catch her securely in his own arms; a tremendous shifting of strategic hands that did not escape Overhaul's intense gaze.

As Mirio dug his knees in to bring his momentum to a stop, staring Overhaul down with a righteous fire in his eyes, Eri herself was only now starting to tremble within his stoic hands; her voice so fragile, yet fraught with so many emotions, all of them far too painful to hear from one as young and innocent as her: "Why…? You gotta…stay away. OR HE'S GONNA KILL YOU!"

While Overhaul was getting back to his feet, eyeing Mirio like a predator eyed its prey, Eri looked so utterly terrified, as though she were in that very place. But Mirio knew that fear wasn't for herself, but for him, just as her words confirmed. But it didn't matter how scared she was for him. In his heart, he knew he'd made his final decision long before ever coming here.

"I can't let you down again. Don't worry! I'LL BE YOUR HERO!"

---

Just from hearing this declaration secondhand; Nikolay and everyone could just feel their hearts catch in their throat, nearly overflowing with emotion for this anonymous apparent prisoner child that Mirio had shown no hesitation to save, and his declaration of intent had their already tremendous respect for him nearly skyrocket that much more, to the point the young Russian was clenching his hands into fists as he answered: "That…that is just beautiful! We've got to pay Togata-senpai a visit somehow after that! That is just a picture perfect example of a Hero, isn't it?"

While Mina and Tenya were both very enthusiastic in their agreement with those sentiments and ideas, Eijirou was grinning knowingly to himself. "I heard that, man! But, even after he did something so incredibly manly like that, would you believe it if we said that he'd actually expressed a similar idea for you guys when we heard about Hokkaido? Even in the state he was in, his first thought outside that girl and the rest of us, was to actually try and show his support as our senpai for everything you guys did."

Eijirou was certainly right to ask, as after what they'd just heard, it was genuinely hard for Nikolay and his side of the table to actually believe Mirio could put aside his own massive accomplishment and spirit of Heroism for the sake of extending his respect and approval for their own actions so far away. It was incredibly humbling, of course, no matter how much they now felt like they hadn't earned such recognition from their third-year compatriot.

But even as they all rode this momentary fluster of theirs through, and Eijirou, Ochako and Tunguska were all trying to assure them of how genuine it all was; Izuku still couldn't shake the deeply emotional look in his eyes, even as he too was smiling with all his friends here, as he continued to remember back to that fateful day, knowing they were far from finished here.

---

Even if the heartfelt weight in Mirio's words could've been able to move mountains, it barely meant anything to Overhaul himself; if just for the fact that, in his surgically precise mental focus and unspoken mania, the only thing he could pay attention to was the fact that even a single bead of the sweat of exertion Mirio had shed, had managed to land upon his cheek. Like that, his air of cruel indifference had been shattered. Now, the only thing he could even utter, even in the silence of a whisper under his breath, was one word that made his heart race: "Filthy…"

Vigorously trying to wipe the unsightly blemish on his face away, his voice now rang with a spike of threatening intensity: "Come back now, Eri. Or he'll be killed. How many times do I have to say it? You were born to break people!"

Just the thought that he could say something so terrible to a child had Mirio's already intense face furrow in his brow even further; while he could also feel Eri instinctively flinch with pure terror in his arms, as she desperately grabbed onto the collar of his costume, as though beckoning or begging him to let go. "Oh no…h-he's gonna…!"

"You don't have to listen to him anymore." Even for as genuinely angry as Mirio looked, his voice still rang with all the softness and compassion as he could give the poor child in his arms. No matter how much he wanted to silence Overhaul once and for all, he knew he couldn't chance even a split-second of leaving Eri unprotected.

Seeing this miraculous restraint on Mirio's part, however; Overhaul could only continue to try and rub away the self-perceived filth upon his face; his anger quickly rising even underneath his composed façade. "Like I'm always telling you, your selfishness forces me to dirty my hands. Every move you make only gets people killed! YOUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE IS CURSED!"

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT TO YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?!" This was the first time Mirio could ever recall having raised his voice in any situation, but it was as though he could feel every knife the yakuza's words plunged into Eri's heart, just as painfully in his own. There was no imaginable scenario where such speak between a parent and their child should've remotely been considered acceptable, that was just a fact of life. This kind of sadistic behavior was unforgivable, plain and simple.

And yet, despite that conviction in his own eyes; it somehow only managed to pry a laugh of pure mockery out of Overhaul, as he finally stopped wiping away at his face; his sharp yellow eyes focusing on Mirio like he was nothing more than a human-sized blemish…just as he began to peel away the white cloth gloves upon his hands. "I don't have children."

BOOOOM!

With Overhaul's squatting posture managing to hide his actions with his hands for just that moment long enough; he proceeded to plant his hands to the floor; instantly reducing the entire floor of the area into an explosion of rubble and dust, nearly knocking Mirio off his feet from the sheer power, as well as his own surprise at such a sneaky tactic.

But that surprise quickly turned to focus and instinctive apprehension, for just as quickly as Overhaul had destroyed the floor, with just the slightest follow-up touch with one of his hands, that very same rubble just as quickly recollected together from all around, until it all came back together as a massive collection of curved spikes jutting out in every possible direction towards Mirio.

But his own reflexes were just that inch too fast to be caught off-guard by Overhaul's trap, for the moment he'd seen the yakuza bring his hand back down to commence the Reconstruction portion of his Quirk; he'd followed through on his own gut instinct to jump with all his might, while carrying Eri high overhead. This allowed her to be kept out of harm's way once the spikes came into form, while Mirio just as quickly activated his Permeation through the rest of his body so that those that would have otherwise impaled him, only went through him harmlessly.

But even the natural relief he should have felt at neither himself nor Eri getting hurt, could stop his natural response from echoing loudly in his head: 'Wow, that was close! His Quirk's effects are a lot faster than I thought!'

And all the while, seeing that his trap hadn't managed to kill Mirio where he stood, and thinking back to the answer he'd inadvertently given to Shin Nemoto mere seconds ago; Overhaul could actually feel only the faintest spark of approval at the young Hero's quick-thinking. 'So, he really is more than just his Quirk, after all.'

With that moment of breathing room, Mirio's surprise and relief just as quickly returned to righteous anger, as he remembered the weight of Eri resting in his hands; his eyes burning into Overhaul through the spikes. "You're truly heartless! You're even aiming for the girl?!"

BOOOM!

Just like that, with another touch of his hands to the floor, Overhaul instantly destroyed all of the spikes, leaving Mirio and Eri stuck in a momentary storm of rubble. "Yep. Breaking her won't slow me down. If I restore her quickly enough, she can be revived. Even if she's not back to normal, she'll still be useful. And she already knows that firsthand."

For the first time in his life, dedicated to the pursuit of becoming the kind of Hero who could save a million people and bring justice for all…Mirio Togata felt his whole body become consumed in an internal fire of pure hatred, as Overhaul's chilling and cruel words echoed over and over in his head, only exacerbated with each passing moment by the trembling from Eri he could feel in his hands, as though they were a physical punctuation as to the unforgivable truth of Overhaul's statement.

---

Just as Izuku knew his partners and teacher were all feeling the same lingering sense of anger as he did when having to recall such a terrible thought from Mirio's past testimony; he could clearly see the same tremor of horrified anger from Nikolay, Mina, Kyouka, Tenya and Momo alike; their hands all clenched into emotional fists, while their eyes were all shimmering with the beginnings of angered and devastated tears.

Even if none of them could find the wherewithal to say anything in response; for Izuku, they didn't need to. After what he had learned from their story about what Pietro Granin had aimed to do with an entire town of civilians, and especially their children, it was far too easy to see the connections between both groups' experiences…and just how heartbreaking it was to think that there could be people in this world who could be so callous, so malicious towards innocent children for their own ends.

---

Overhaul was granting Mirio no such boon as a moment to breathe, as he quickly reconstituted the rubble into yet more spikes; spikes that Mirio was barely able to avoid by kicking off the beginnings of one with his foot so his body could be sent into a spin; getting him and Eri just out of the way of a new spike in time.

But watching all of this unfold, Overhaul himself was unperturbed. No, right now, his eyes were simply observing, his mind calculating as it always did as he took in all the circumstances his young enemy was now in the middle of. "In a situation like this, I'm the only one who can heal Eri if she gets hurt. You really think you can dodge and fight with your Permeability while carrying her? Do you, schoolboy? With the way I've remodeled things in here, every escape route is sealed off."

As soon as Mirio finally landed back on his feet with Eri still in tow, he quickly looked up to see that, indeed, not only had Overhaul turned the entire hallway into a veritable forest of spiky spires; but that his Reconstruction had also created tall wall all around them, effectively cutting him off from the way he had previously come. For all intents and purposes, Overhaul had completely sealed them both in here.

And at that same moment as he brought his gaze back down to the man before him; a sign of movement to the side forced Mirio to glance away, just in time to see Chronostasis had somehow already regained consciousness, to the point he was already aiming his own pistol right at him from across the makeshift battlefield; the sight of which had Mirio's alertness spike even more than it already was: 'I thought I'd knocked him out cold with that kick earlier! That drunkard's Quirk still must not have worn off completely, yet. It had to have weakened the blow some.'

At the same time, seeing that his ace in the hole was back in play, Overhaul had no patience left to speak of, even for his most trusted soldiers. "Aim for the arms he's carrying Eri with, you fool."

Of course, even if he was currently being chastised by his leader, the hooded thug's aim refused to falter. "I didn't think that brat could use his Quirk so precisely. He's certainly self-trained himself well."

'Destroying the spikes should leave him exposed just long enough.' With this approach in mind, Overhaul once more knelt down to touch his fingers to the floor, ready to put an end to this meaningless fight at last.

BOOOM!

Realizing the precarious position he now found himself, and most importantly Eri, in; Mirio barely managed to leap up in time as the spikes all exploded into another rubble storm once again; using his momentum to throw his body into a spin ("Sorry about this!"), concealing himself and Eri behind the red cape flowing behind his back, just as another two deafening gunshots rang out; the bullets punching two holes through the cape, just barely a couple inches away from the Hero and the little girl within.

'He's focusing his aim on me because I've already managed to dodge two attacks. My Quirk's definitely been giving them trouble…but he is right about one thing: the fact that he can just repair Eri is an issue. It means he doesn't have to hold back in how he tries to get rid of me! And that hooded guy…I can't see his face, but given his proximity to Chisaki and overall role, he's gotta be his closest aide, Kurono. With what his Quirk was listed as at the briefing, I seriously need to keep an eye on him, too! With the two of them working together, this is really bad!'

At the same time as Mirio was observing this while he and Eri fell to the ground within his cape; so too was Chronostasis similarly aware of the disadvantage the Hero had just put on his shoulders. "That brat's throwing my aim off by hiding his body behind that cape! I thought those Hero capes were just for show!"

However, at the same time as Mirio's cape came landing on the floor, and his own fingertips were about to reconstruct the rubble into yet more spikes; the worst kind of reminder suddenly occurred to Overhaul' his alertness driving his actions as he turned to his lieutenant with urgency: "KURONO!"

Just as his warning began; Mirio suddenly came jolting out of the floor at point blank range to Chronostasis; his left hand shooting up to knock the gun right out of the hooded yakuza's hand; and with his right fist quickly following suit, ready to flatten him with a single perfect uppercut…only for a number of square platform stalks to come shooting out of the ground from beneath his feet, launching him out of the way of Mirio's attack at Overhaul's touch.

But even as Chronostasis instinctively apologized to his boss upon landing, and his gun went skidding across the floor; the only thing Overhaul could focus on was the wriggling bundled cape mere feet ahead; his hands still hovering millimeters from the floor as an idea came to mind: "He's certainly a strong one, but he's left Eri behind! He can't do anything to me if I destroy her!"

'You're that sort of person…AREN'T YOU?!'

This was the only thing racing through Mirio's mind, as just before Overhaul could follow through with this terrible decision of his; he had come springing up from just behind his back, just when the yakuza least expected it.

This allowed the determined Hero to finally follow through and do one of the things he'd desired most since this battle had begun: permeating his charging fist right through Overhaul's rising defending hand, and re-solidifying it just in time to plow all those knuckles and the momentum behind them straight into the side of his masked face with a resounding POW!

"The reason that Heroes wear capes…IS TO WRAP UP AND PROTECT LITTLE GIRLS IN PAIN!"

As Eri came crawling out of the cape Mirio had left behind, and Overhaul had been sent rolling across the floor from the force of his punch; Chronostasis had already regained his bearings and gone sprinting for his gun…only for Mirio to come dashing in with another of his instant Teleportation moves from the floor; this time driving a flying boot straight into the thug's side, knocking him aside and sending his gun and its now-ejected magazine flying from his grip.

By now, he could see that Overhaul was already back in full-fighting mode after having taken such a strong hit to the head. However, even as he was already readying his hands to destroy the floor once again, Mirio had already phased himself right back into it; thinking of the sheer hate-fueled determination reflected in his enemy's eyes.

"I watch my enemy closely, and try to predict his next action! But you move way better than some two-bit yakuza thug! You're strong, Chisaki! But, that said…between the two of us…"

As Overhaul had his eyes focused on the floor, waiting for the first sign of Mirio to show himself so he could attack; the Hero himself suddenly came shooting down from out of the ceiling; having moved himself from within the floor towards the wall, so that he could immediately eject himself from out, and immediately permeate into the ceiling, and redirect himself to eject once his opponent was in his direct trajectory.

WRAAAM!

And before Overhaul could even react; his found himself receiving another full-powered descending punch straight to his face, plowing him straight back into the floor.

"…I'M STRONGER! HEROES WILL ALWAYS PROVE STRONGER THAN THOSE WHO FIGHT ON THE SIDE OF EVIL! YOU WON'T LAY ANOTHER FINGER ON HER, BECAUSE I'M TAKING THE BOTH OF YOU DOWN HERE AND NOW! THIS IS YOUR LOSS, CHISAKI!"

On one hand, the absolute impassioned power with which Mirio expressed his aim and dedication to protect Eri from Overhaul and his cruelty struck the watchful little girl to her very core like nothing ever had before in her short and torturous life. This was the very kind of impression on those in need that Heroes lived to instill, and if he had seen the look in her eyes as she listened to him then; his spirit would have been flying even higher than it already was.

On the other hand, however; Overhaul's anxiety and urgency was only giving way to an animalistic anger the like of which he never liked to reveal; not even for the sake of Mirio having now struck him twice, or even for his declaration of resistance to his intentions for Eri. At this moment, what incensed the yakuza more than anything, was one simple thing: "Chisaki Kai…you don't get to call me that! I abandoned that name! I don't deserve it…until my plans have come through for us…until I see the bosses' dream come true!"

All at once, Mirio's defiant referral to him by his supposed real name, had sent Overhaul's already frantic mind into a painful trip down Memory Lane, as far back as his life within the yakuza had ever gone: the day he was given that name out of the selflessness of the Hassaikai bosses' old heart, when he was nothing more than an unwanted street urchin that anyone else wouldn't have given a moment's second thought about.

To have been given such a chance, such a home by anyone; it was only natural that his gratitude and loyalty to the boss would be just as unshakable as any other yakuza…and with that dedication to making his boss happy by whatever means he deemed necessary, came his resultant obsession that had led him down this very particular path to begin with.

While every other organized crime family in Japan was disbanding one after another; the Hassaikai held fast, no matter how inevitable their own collapse seemed. This was a fact of the world they lived in that he saw torment their boss day after day. And it was his desire to alleviate him of that pain, that drove Kai Chisaki to the conclusion that they would need to adapt in order to survive, let alone thrive like the yakuza once had.

Alas, out of an archaic sense of criminal chivalry and adherence to a way of working that simply no longer made sense in a world dominated by Quirks; the old man refused to yield to his young protégé's suggestions. In the end, though, it did nothing to dissuade him from pursuing the path he felt would fulfill his bosses' dream best, and secure their future, to an extent that he doubted even the boss himself could have conceived today…even if it meant having to dishonor himself and subsequently discard the name given him by the man he respected more than anyone else.

And to now have this young wannabe Hero upstart get in the way of all his hard work, and refer to him by the name he no longer felt he deserved; had sent all of the anger simmering in Overhaul's blood into that of a white heat that threatened to eat him from the inside.

An anger that made his environmental awareness as sharp as it had ever been, as even as his body flew listlessly from the force of Mirio's punch; Overhaul could quickly make out the black-clad and beaten up form of Shin Nemoto; having finally regained consciousness enough to crawl at least; emerging from within one of the cracks of the walls of this makeshift arena, where Chronostasis' gun was now laying empty, and within arm's reach of him.

With that blessing having finally revealed itself, Overhaul's body moved as though he were possessed by singular purpose; digging through one of the pockets inside his jacket, before finally feeling one of the small cases he'd been keeping close by for his escape, and immediately tossing it with but a flick of his wrist right towards Shin, who barely managed to catch it within his hand; opening it to find a series of five identical bullets laid out.

And as if this simple gesture didn't tell Shin his leader's intentions clearly enough; all of Overhaul's furious desperation drove him to furiously exclaim: "NEMOTO! SHOOT HIM!"

As Shin hurriedly did as he was ordered, desperately reloading and inserting the ejected magazine with those five bullets, and subsequently trying to level his aim at Mirio; Overhaul's mind was still racing with both utter focus on the road ahead, and memories all in one.

"We've succeeded at last. Up until now, the effects from the unfinished version would wear off after a day or two. Once distilled from Eri's body, its efficacy fades. Preserving that was our starting point, which took a lot of work. Frankly, we got lucky, being able to sell off a shipment of those prototypes alongside the boosting drug on the foreign market.

"But now it officially and permanently kills off a person's Quirk. No matter who we'd have sold the prototypes to, once they'd see that it works, even if temporarily; they would all buy this finished version without hesitation. However, manufacturing these finished versions takes far too much time and money; an entire month, and all the money we were able to make from both our domestic and off-shore sales, just for these five rounds. This is precisely why we need the buyer base on a global scale; the capital to get us a better facility than this dump we've been forced to use so far.

"With All For One gone, this is finally our chance! This is no time to be dragging our feet!" This was the promise that Overhaul had made to himself ever since getting the news that their Quirk-destroying formula had finally been completed; and now, in his most desperate moment yet, all of that work, time and sacrifice was on the verge of being wasted. Now, it was all down to Shin Nemoto and luck if the Hassaikai were to continue to exist and eventually thrive after this day.

However, even with Overhaul's furious voice bellowing evermore in his head as he aime down his sights, Shin showed only a moment of hesitation; a moment that allowed Mirio to likewise realize the danger he was now in. All that time, the black-clad yakuza's mind was racing with desperation.

'You say to shoot him, but where should I? I know just as well as you, how expensive and difficult these five bullets were to make! I can't afford to waste even a single shot! I have to hit that permeating brat with this first shot! But it won't work! Just from the moment the young master tossed me the bullet case, he realized what he wanted me to do to him! Do I toss the gun back to the aide?! No, it's no good, he's completely out cold! How do I keep that permeating guy from activating his Quirk?!'

But then, a flicker of movement out the corner of his eye not only drew Shin's attention, but likewise triggered an idea, the best one he could possibly have in a moment like this: the sight of Eri trembling from within the Hero's discarded cape, drew him to level the barrel of his gun her way instead, especially as Mirio's previous words, his true feelings, rang loud and clear: "As long as that girl can't smile, then I can't let this go!"

Mirio likewise realized what Shin was preparing to do, and without even a moment's hesitation, kicked himself off like a cannon shot for Eri; who all the while was silently bracing herself for what was about to happen to her, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes in silence, as though it were her instinctive means of coping with all the pain she'd already been forced to endure.

Such a sight from such a small child was on one hand admirable, that even despite all the violence, she never cried or let out a single scream. It was the proof of a resilient spirit among resilient spirits. But on the other hand, it was simply another sign of how deeply entrenched her trauma at Overhaul's diabolical hands truly was; how at such a young age, she'd already forced herself to live with the thought that her fate was to simply take pain and accept it with no respite. Overhaul and the Hassaikai had made poor Eri already grow fully accustomed to agony and pain; a thought that only made Mirio's heart race that much faster.

With Overhaul's words of Eri knowing such pain firsthand echoing in his head, and the sight of Eri's frightened expression burned into his eyes; Mirio threw himself in front of her with his arms outstretched, his heart resonating with one simple but unbreakable choice: 'I just can't let you down again.'

The sound of his body flying and landing before her tiny frame, ultimately forced Eri to open her eyes and look up in shock, as Mirio Togata knelt protectively before her at the very same time the single rapport of a pistol firing echoed out from behind his back.

And yet, despite the danger even now closing in on him in her place; there was no fear, regret or anger visible anywhere on Mirio's face. For right now, knowing that he was here to save this innocent child like he should have done from the start, all he could possibly think to do was give her the warmest, most reassuring smile he could, even reaching up with one hand to brush a single lock of her silver hair from her trembling face. 'You won't be in pain…ever again.'

As their eyes met, and that single syringe-tipped bullet flew for his back; it felt as though time had come to a momentary standstill for the young Hero. For as long as Mirio could remember, he always thought that saying about one's life flashing before their eyes was just some cool poetic-sounding thing people in books and movies said when describing a close call. But now, knowing what was undoubtedly about to happen to himself and his Quirk; he now knew it was anything but hyperbole.

All at once could he already so clearly think back to his earliest days of watching Heroes in action saving people, and how it inspired him to become one as well; how his own father's difficulties with the same Quirk convinced him to quit on that dream, which only inspired Mirio to want to pursue that goal that much more, now feeling as though he were carrying both their lifelong dreams upon his shoulders; how through years of hard work and subsequent embarrassment whenever he stumbled in practice, he continued to grow stronger and that much more capable, until the day he'd been approached and accepted as an intern and eventual sidekick by Sir Nighteye himself, the closest he had ever come yet to being anywhere near the likes of All Might, and how excited he had been that day and every day since then through all his rigorous training.

Then finally, he could remember that wonderful day, when together with his best friends Nejire and Tamaki, he learned of how all three of their growing Quirks, strength and reputations out on the field of internship, had earned them all the distinctive moniker of The Big Three, and how immensely proud he'd felt of all three of them as a result.

Through countless trials and tribulations, Mirio had clawed his way to becoming the Hero he was in this moment…and now, in less than the span of a single breath, he could just feel in his gut that, if he was to finally make good on his dedication to save others and protect Eri from that Quirk-destroying bullet right now, he was going to have to sacrifice his own. When that happened, all of those years of dreaming would effectively be erased.

And yet, despite knowing this in his heart and soul, there was no fear or regret on Mirio's part. Because as he looked Eri in the eye, knowing that his actions were ultimately going to save her and hopefully open the door to a far happier life where she could be able to smile at last, all he could feel was a warm all-encompassing sense of acceptance and peace. 'I'm perfectly okay with this. If giving up my Quirk means saving you and putting a stop to these guys and their scheme…then it's more than worth it. With or without my Quirk, I'll continue to fight them with everything I am, so long as it means I can save you, Eri…because that's just what Heroes do, isn't it?'

BKOOOM!

Suddenly, with no build-up or warning, the ground between Mirio and Shin exploded upward in a near geyser of concrete, knocking that fateful fired bullet off course, and catching everyone present by total surprise; especially the black-clad thug, who had been in just the right spot at that moment, for the flying rubble to knock his gun from his shaking hands, only for the weapon to swiftly be caught by the hand of whoever was hidden with the subsequent cloud of dust. Even amid the shockwave of deafening noise from the blast, Overhaul and Mirio both could hear the sound of the gun's magazine being ejected, before the weapon itself was subsequently crushed into useless metal scraps.

Holding Eri close, Mirio looked back over his shoulder in wide-eyed surprise, which quickly turned into an ecstatic sense of encouragement, as the dust cleared at last to reveal a visibly injured Tunguska standing before him; shoulders heaving, and blue eyes focused solely on Overhaul, who was visibly shaking with disbelief and rage at his most desperate plan being rendered useless at the last possible second.

"Is it just you, Tunguska?" Mirio instinctively asked, hoping to see Eijirou, Tamaki, Fatgum or anyone else to come climbing up right alongside the Russian Hero, while still letting out a heavy sigh of shaky relief at what a close save he'd just been given.

"Don't worry; more Heroes and the police are on their way as we speak…but if you can still stand and keep the girl out of harm's way, we can wrap things up succinctly here." Tunguska didn't dare to take his eyes off Overhaul as he instructed Mirio to get back on his feet.

And as their eyes burned into one another's, Overhaul's trembling transitioned into white-knuckled shaking fists. "Quirks make people's dreams come true; make any old person anywhere feel like they have some kind of unspoken natural birth right to become people that actually matter. You've all got a sickness of the mind, you know? And once-fallen Heroes who go around, acting like they've never failed anyone before, infecting impressionable youngsters to follow in those same footsteps are the sickest of the lot! Whether it's the Quirk of that little girl you're all trying so desperately to save, or from your own foolish hubris, it will all ultimately reduce you to NOTHING! IT'S ALL A WASTE! THIS IS THE KIND OF SICKNESS I'M TRYING TO CURE YOU ALL OF THROUGH HER POWER!"

Just as his fingers began to enact his Destruction ability upon the floor with the full intent of wiping out the two Heroes before him, Overhaul quickly found himself being bowled over by Chronostasis' flying listless body; kicked his way by Mirio the moment he realized how much fight the yakuza still had in him. But before Overhaul could effectively follow-up from such a disruption, he just as quickly found himself getting closed in upon by Tunguska, who threw a blindingly fast and powerful fist into the arm he was instinctively lifting up in an attempt to defend himself, easily leaving him feeling an especially painful fracture in his forearm as a result, but his adrenaline and anger made him obstinately refuse to cry out in reaction.

Without any hesitation, Tunguska immediately followed up, throwing both his fists across in an attempt to hit Overhaul in the face with a couple of hooks, but he was just that bit too fast in leaning back out of their trajectory, thus causing the attack to meet nothing but air. And as Mirio hurriedly rushed in to aid Tunguska with a high-flying kick while Overhaul was distracted (all while still keeping Eri securely held within his cape in his arms), Overhaul likewise quickly followed up by throwing both his arms forward, intending to destroy both Tunguska and Mirio now that they were so close…but instead his hands were met with a momentary solid resistance in the air just before contact could be made. The shockwave of his Destruction ability still rang out, but both Heroes remained visibly unharmed.

And even as surprised as Mirio was in this sudden fault in Overhaul's attack, his sense of reasoning could only chalk it up to the hits he and Tunguska had landed on him up till now finally taking effect on his overall capabilities in a fight. That was all he needed to be assured of, as he finally followed through on his own attack, driving a righteous kick straight through the extended arm and solidly into the side of Overhaul's face, once more sending him careening several feet back while he landed and stood defiantly at Tunguska's side, never letting Eri out of his sight or grip.

"Whether or not we have Quirks, or have any number of failures under our belts, or if we fight on our own or together; Heroes will always continue to be Heroes in the end! I will always be Lemillion, and every ounce of blood, sweat and tears we shed to save those in need will never, ever be considered a wasted effort! You should think on that and try to accept it for your own good, Chisaki!"

For the next minute, as a despondent Shin could only watch the unfolding events while still crumpled on the floor; Tunguska and Mirio proceeded to double team one after the other against Overhaul, either phasing through the spikes he was able to reconstruct in order to hit him again, or using the resulting shockwaves of the veteran Hero's punches to destroy them as quickly as they were built up, in order to provide Mirio with yet another opportunity to hit him.

However, Overhaul's own desperation, pain and fury culminated in him once more destroying and reconstructing the floor, this time emanating multitudes of spikes that were literally enclosing on Mirio from forward, around, below and above, effectively making it impossible for him to phase through without Eri getting caught in his place.

"Don't be afraid, okay? You're in good hands. TUNGUSKA!" With the softest whisper of reassurance to Eri, Mirio quickly threw the speechless little girl to his Pro Hero ally, who easily managed to catch her tiny frame in his large hands and quickly proceeding to hold her close just as his young charge did. This allowed Mirio to once more phase into the floor as the spikes enclosed all over where he once stood.

The moment they had stopped, Tunguska likewise proceeded to throw his free hand forward in another powerful punch, producing another forward-moving shockwave that plowed through the spikes all the way across the battlefield, leaving Overhaul completely exposed, just in time for Mirio to once more come darting up and forward from out of the floor, plowing his reared back fist straight across his masked face with a resounding WHAM!

Mirio stood steady on his feet, panting heavily to try and catch his breath from all the adrenaline rushing through his veins, even as Overhaul bounced and skidded across the floor painfully…before still managing to find the wherewithal to get back to his feet as well.

Even from this distance, Mirio could quickly see that Overhaul was barely managing to stand up straight, let alone mount the same kind of offensive that he had before. With both Chronostasis and Shin still out for the count; and the very last lingering effects of Sakaki's Quirk over him finally having faded, Mirio felt emboldened like he never had before. Working together with Tunguska, he'd managed to finally clean away the one mark of shame that had haunted him for the entire week by saving Eri, and they were finally about to put the Shie Hassaikai under for good.

He knew deep down that as long as Overhaul was up, he was always going to pose a threat, and so with a deep breath, preparing himself to finally end this fight, Mirio began to charge forward with his fists clenched, just counting the steps to take before he would once more let himself phase into the floor and blindside the yakuza with one final finishing blow.

SLASH!

Without even a sound out of the ordinary reaching his ears, Mirio suddenly felt a burning and wet pain rake all the way across his back mid-stride, knocking all the collected air out of his lungs, and sending him stumbling forward, barely managing to catch himself on his own two feet, before it immediately became apparent just how much it started to hurt just to try and breathe…just as he could soon feel that unsettling wet warmth start running down his back afterwards.

Just like Mirio, Overhaul likewise was standing in wide-eyed shock, having not expected this sudden shift in the playing field after the pummeling he'd just been subjected to. Seeing this identical surprise on his own enemy's face, Mirio instinctively looked back; his face already beaded with sweat from the pain racking his whole body…and when he saw behind him, he felt all of that tension in his body give way to an almost literally slack-jawed disbelief.

Tunguska was still standing tall behind him, looking down on the young Hero…but this time with a chilling look of disgust in his blue eyes, his left hand clasped firmly over a teary-eyed and terrified-looking Eri's mouth so she couldn't call out to Mirio in warning…and a set of sharp metallic claws protruding from the tips of his right fingers, all dripping with his blood.

Seeing the look of complete confusion on Mirio's face as he continued to kneel and bleed from his back; 'Tunguska' proceeded to run the tip of his finger along his own throat, and when he spoke afterward; the voice that was once so jovial yet able to command such attention and authority, now instead rang with a bone-chilling edge of spite, far different from the Pro Hero he remotely knew.

"You're by far the most frustrating example of lost potential in a future Hero, Lemillion. You're so single-mindedly focused on the childish dream of being a Hero who can protect and uphold this world's whole unjust society and its so-called morals, that not only do you never even stop to actually question whether what you're defending is actually truly justice, but you don't even question the people fighting alongside you…which is why you're where you are now. A pity; with some actual critical thinking and self-awareness, that Quirk of yours could've made you genuinely invincible.

"It's not as though I'm entirely ungrateful to you, though. Because you're so trusting, you just landed a veritable infinite boon in the hands of me and my comrades without a second thought." With this declaration made, he lifted his gaze off of Mirio to now see a look of shocked recognition evident in Overhaul's eyes; the yakuza clearly having recognized the voice emanating from his throat.

"Vukodlak…? So…this is a betrayal, after all! But how? Nemoto used his Quirk on you three the moment you showed your faces here! You all said you had no knowledge or intentions of betraying us! It shouldn't be possible for you to pull something like this without us having known you would, first!"

As Overhaul's rage echoed across the battlefield as he stared his disguised former soldier down; Vukodlak could likewise hear a similar furious anguish echo from Shin several feet behind. With this, even in his Tunguska disguise, his face formed a mocking smile towards the young yakuza leader, slowly bringing his empty clawed hand up before himself and Overhaul in a grand gesture, before slowly closing it into a threatening fist.

"The fact you thought one little interrogation/interview would be enough to make yourself rest easy around us is just a sign of how truly weak and undeserving of your position you are, Overhaul! You're so narrow-mindedly focused on trying to keep this archaic excuse of a criminal organization afloat by playing by its rules, instead of accepting the fact you need to play solely by the playbook of actual Villains in order to survive! Trying to play it both ways like this clearly hasn't worked for you, and it's not like you'll have another chance to get a do-over after today! With your little goldmine here in our hands, you and the Heroes have already lost!"

FWOOSH!

Just as Vukodlak's mocking speech reached its crescendo, Mirio immediately phased into the floor and just as quickly darted out right for the Villain disguised as his foreign Hero ally; ready to phase through his body, grab Eri out of his grip, and deliver a spinning kick right to the back of his head all in one go.

WHAAM!

But before he could even get close enough to think of activating his Permeation and putting his desperate plan into motion; Mirio crashed face-first into an invisible wall standing just a foot away from Vukodlak, with the force behind his momentum to really make it leave his head ringing, as though he'd just gotten catapulted into a wall.

BAAM! SMASH!

Before Mirio could even recover from this surprise trick Vukodlak had pulled on him; the Villain just as quickly followed up by leaping and launching both his feet straight into that same Air Shield from the other side in a double drop kick, his Strength Augmentation allowing him to hit with such force, that it sent the Shield and Mirio both flying at high-speed across the battlefield towards the opposite wall to the Hero's back.

But this time, in just those few seconds, he was able to at least regain his bearings and focus enough to activate his Permeation in the last moment before he'd have gotten sandwiched between both walls; allowing his body to phase through the wall behind him, while the Air Shield left only a notable dent in the wall in Mirio's place.

"NOO!" The sight of Mirio being so ruthlessly thrown aside gave Eri the drive to actually wriggle her mouth free from behind Vukodlak's hand, crying out in fear for her Hero, before Vukodlak just as quickly regained his full hold on her…before just as quickly leaping back with her in tow, as the ground around his feet exploded and instantaneously turned into another elongated series of spikes; Overhaul kneeling behind the lot, repeatedly slamming his hands into the floor in order to destroy, reconstruct and destroy again; pushing Vukodlak further and further back.

Even when the Villain managed to throw or kick a last-second Air Shield into the spikes in order to destroy them, Overhaul's speed and ruthlessness simply repaired them just as quickly, allowing Vukodlak no chance to close the distance or gain any further advantage. Even after several spikes throughout managed to slash or puncture into Vukodlak's hide and make him bleed; his wounds were closing and healing just as quickly as they had arrived.

But none of this registered or even meant anything to Overhaul. At this moment, his piercing yellow eyes were instead solely focused on Eri within his grasp, as his heart burned with absolute hatred.

'I don't care what it takes, Eri is mine! Even if I have to kill her myself, I won't let her fall into the hands of our enemies by any measure! As soon as I get her back and make it out of this disaster, I'm wiping every last one of you filthy backstabbing League of Villains bastards off the face of the Earth!'

CR-CRACK! SMAASH!

But just before he could proceed to try and run Vukodlak through with another field of spikes, the sound of cracking concrete, followed immediately after by a deafening explosion of rubble, drew Overhaul and his enemy's attention simultaneously; just in time to see a furiously driven-looking Izuku Midoriya rushing through the smoke, with Mirio, Sir Nighteye and Aizawa closely following behind him; all of their eyes the very picture of focus and readiness for battle; the three new arrivals clearly not fooled by the so-called Tunguska's presence on the battlefield.

To both their silent chagrin and frustration; this battle had now become that much more crowded and complicated, going forward.

---

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Once more, at the moment when Nikolay and his side of the table were all but literally waiting with bated breath to know what happened next upon Izuku, Aizawa and Sir Nighteye officially entering the scene; that damned lunch period-ending bell had rung, signaling the end of yet another recap session. And from the weight of the sigh that Izuku let out upon the sound of it, it was clear that he was nearing a point he'd long been dreading.

And even if they hadn't observed such a change in the curly-haired boy's demeanor, Nikolay still would have had the same reaction as he did now: "You can't really just leave us at that, can you, Midoriya-san? What happened then?"

"Yeah, you can't just tell us that this Chisaki guy had a little girl held prisoner where he could keep hurting her, and then have Togata-senpai save her, almost get shot by one of those awful bullets just for Vukodlak of all people to end up saving him, just so he could end up actually hurting him and taking that girl for himself; and then expect us to just wait a whole day again! Can't you guys just make an exception and tell us more?"

Nikolay and Mina both were clearly so emotionally desperate for more, while Izuku looked away with regret, and Tunguska rose back to his feet, putting on his authoritative air as a teacher: "Please, compose yourselves, Kolya, malenkaya Ashido. You already know why we decided to go about filling you in this way from the start. Don't forget, we haven't had any kind of official obligation to tell you all of this as it is. This is a lesson you all need to take to heart, not just in your growth towards becoming Pro Heroes, but also in simply becoming adults. You need to accept that you can't receive the things you want simply by asking."

But before either of them could try to make an argument for themselves to Nikolay's father; Tenya unexpectedly cleared his throat, looking Tunguska in the eye. "Far be it for me to disagree with a teacher like this, Tunguska-sensei; but I can't say I necessarily like the idea of being left in the dark after what we've just learned, myself. Despite Togata-senpai managing to avoid getting his Quirk destroyed, it still doesn't sound as though the wound he received from Vukodlak was enough to leave him absent from Yuuei for this long. There's clearly more that happened between then and now, and for such a dire incident as this to so thoroughly involve all of you, our dear friends, like it has; you can't honestly blame us for being worried enough to know all there is to know with haste, can you?"

Nikolay, Mina, Kyouka, Ochako, Eijirou and Izuku all looked on in disbelief that Tenya was actually siding with his Russian and pink classmates' nearly childish desire for more. And even that still managed to pale in comparison to when Izuku sucked in an anxious breath through his teeth, and turned to address their teacher himself: "I actually agree with them, too, Sensei. If our parts were reversed, and they told us all of what had happened to them in Hokkaido like this after how much we'd all been worried for them before; could any of us say we wouldn't be any less exasperated and wanting to know more sooner than them? I know what we all said we'd do, but with everything else we've all been having to do throughout this week on top of having to revisit all of what happened, I think we all can agree we just want to try and get the rest of this behind us where it needs to be, so we can all finally put all our focus towards all our training and the future beyond that. Right?"

Izuku didn't even have to wait for five seconds before Ochako suddenly planted an emotional hand to the bench; a similarly imploring glimmer in her eyes. "Deku-kun's right! This whole carrot-on-a-stick way of retelling everything has just been cruel up to this point. I know we all made our promises, but couldn't we just tell them everything that's left to know, Sensei? I mean, don't you have just as much authority in this whole thing as Aizawa-sensei does?"

Tunguska, to no surprise, looked like he really wanted to simply express that very authority and let that put an end to this hiccup in the whole group's rhythm and focus. But at the same time, of course, there was an undeniable emotional frustration evident by his furrowed brow the more he thought, as well. Finally, Eijirou stepped forward, an encouraging look in his eyes once he knew he'd gotten Tunguska and everyone else's attention.

"You know, with tomorrow being our day off, it's not like we have to be in bed on curfew in order to be up in time for classes. Maybe we could take advantage of that and finally put a period on this whole thing, start the next week off all fresh and new with nothing to hold us back. That makes sense to you guys, doesn't it?"

He couldn't help but smile when he saw how clearly Nikolay, Izuku and everyone else all clearly agreed with his reasoning. Then, finally, Tunguska likewise let out a tired sigh, before at last nodding his head with the beginnings of a relinquishing smile under his beard. "Indeed it does, malenkii Kirishima. I'm tired of having to fill my own son in on what happened to me and his own friends like this, as well. If nobody here has any objections, I recommend we all meet up together in the 1-A dorm commons area tonight once everyone else has turned in…and we finally finish reflecting on all of this for your friends tonight."

Tunguska almost couldn't even get the last syllable out before he was being met with a bombardment of individually enthusiastic agreements from Nikolay and all his gathered friends, which thankfully was able to bring a genuinely relieved smile back to many of their faces, knowing they were going to be able to clear this final emotional and mental past hurdle much sooner than expected.

But this still ultimately did little to quell the anxiety present in Izuku's mind especially, knowing what he would have to recall for his friends now…a momentary change in the look in his eyes that once more couldn't escape Nikolay's silent observant gaze as they all began to depart for Class 1-A again.

For as lifted as many of their spirits were as they made their way back; it didn't take long for the smile on Mina's face to start faltering, and her brisk and eager pace to start slowing, before everyone else's chatter began to be punctuated by the sound of her desperately trying to choke down the beginnings of deeply emotional tears; something they were all quick to pick up on.

The moment Nikolay saw his girlfriend trying to wipe tears away from her eyes as she stood at the back of their small gathering; he was like a shot as he rushed to her side, with Momo, Ochako, Tsuyu and Eijirou all quickly following suit with him as he tried to get through to her by placing gentle compassionate hands on her shoulders: "Hey, hey, Mina, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Even as Mina lifted her head to try and reassure her friends, there was no mistaking the emotional anguish in her eyes as her tears refused to stop. "Oh, God, I-I'm so sorry, you guy! I-I know I shouldn't be getting like this! I mean…I mean, it sounds like things must've worked out in the end, but I just…*sob* I just can't stop thinking about that little girl in Midori-kun's story, how sad and scared she must've been! I thought it was so horrible enough, what that Pietro Villain was doing to that poor Valera-kun back in Hokkaido…but this is just so cruel! Like, the world is supposed to be this amazing, beautiful place with all kinds of great people and awesome things for everyone to see…so then why are there people like him or that Chisaki guy who can be so awful to little kids like that? It…it's just not r-right!"

Alas, even as they all looked to each other in need for some kind of answer to give their emotionally pained best friend; they all knew there wasn't anything they could possibly say that would be a remotely satisfying answer, simply for the fact that such a paradox was something they'd now found themselves thinking on quite a lot recently, themselves. But for someone who clearly gravitated towards children as naturally as Mina did, it was no surprise that the idea of them being put in any kind of danger would cut her to the core far easier.

Finally, it was Momo who was the first to finally answer her pink classmate and friend in kind; a contemplative intensity in her cat-like eyes that somehow managed to still match the empathetic smile on her face. "I'm afraid there isn't any kind of black-or-white answer to that question, Mina-san. It's just one of those impossible contradictions to the world as we know it that we can't be able to comprehend. We need to keep reminding ourselves that, no matter how awful a criminal or Villains' actions may be, none of them are inherently born with that kind of malice in their hearts. They're simply shaped into that way by the circumstances of their environment, their lives. We need to keep that kind of understanding close to us if we are to truly call ourselves real Heroes, going forward.

"But, that being said; I think that, as Heroes, our responsibility in all of this, is to know that no matter how dark and cruel the world may seem or be for others, it still falls to us to do everything we can to try and make the world as beautiful and worth living in for them as we feel it is for us…just like what Togata-senpai was clearly doing when he fought with such vigor for the sake of that little girl. We might not be able to do anything to prevent someone else's hardships from the beginning, but we can at least take reassurance in the fact that we have the power to try and make things for them even the slightest bit better."

Spoken like a true orator and icon of inspiration, Momo was positively aglow by the time she'd reached the end; enough so that Mina had managed to take her words to heart, and bring her tears to an end, still sniffling as she wiped them clear from her eyes.

With those sentiments still ringing strong in her heart, just as it was for everyone else around them, Mina proceeded to throw her arms around a visibly surprised Momo in speechless gratitude for the encouragement, before just as quickly doing the same to everyone she could reach; from Ochako to Tsuyu to Eijirou, Izuku, Tenya, Kyouka and finally Nikolay…whom she naturally kept her embrace upon lingering for considerably longer as she rode out the last of her shaky breaths as she got her emotions back under control.

And while Nikolay couldn't find any words to say to try and convince Mina to let go so she wouldn't keep drawing so much attention to them now of all times; he could hardly be truly surprised that she would do something like this with him out of the depths of her boundless heart. For as much of a romantic as she clearly was for the longest time, even if she had never felt for someone the way she did for the young Russian in her arms right now before; it seemed only natural she would be the kind of girl who was all about any form of public displays of affection.

But even understanding that about her, Nikolay could still feel his whole face start burning with a rush of blood to the head, once he and Eijirou made eye contact; and the red-haired boy shot his Russian best friend a knowing wink, an encouraging sharp-toothed smile, and a supportive single thumb-up, clearly seeing this display between them for what it truly was.

Thankfully, Mina maintaining her emotional embrace on Nikolay in that hall in front of their friends (with Kyouka smirking knowingly alongside the still-grinning Eijirou; and Momo, Ochako and Izuku all visibly blushing with their own awkward fluster at such a sight) didn't last for much longer, once Tenya had dutifully reminded them all of their need to race the clock so they could get back to class on time. Depending on what was waiting for them for the rest of the day, they all still needed to get their heads back 100-percent in the game for whatever training would eventually rear its head their way, just as they had promised Aizawa they would yesterday.

After all, knowing just what was now waiting for them in the commons area later tonight; to be able to get themselves back into the excitement and positivity of potential training sounded like just the perfect change of pace they all needed more than anything.

And there you have it, everyone: this week's new chapter. I'm sure a great deal of you are breathing a sigh of relief you didn't think possible, while at the same time biting at your fingernails in nervous anticipation of what could happen next. At least, this is the response I can only hope this chapter is inspiring in all of you. Please, be so kind as to leave a review expressing your thoughts and feeling for this chapter. This kind of opportunity to shake things up is exactly what a story like this is made for.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed what you read here today; I hope you've all had a great summer and are getting ready for a pleasant Fall, and I will see you all with the next chapter on 10/29!