Spiritfarer!

As everyone was waiting for the next universe to begin, suddenly a text appeared on the screen, instructing Nezu to press the red button once more.

Nezu knew he had very little choice in the matter, so he obeyed the text's instruction and pressed the red button. In the next moment, a bright light flashed through the auditorium, and shortly after, a girl materialized on the heroes' side from thin air.

"No way..." Izuku's voice trailed off as he gazed at the newly arrived girl, shock and surprise evident on his face. The girl wore white pants, a Deku-themed tank top, and a black jacket. However, what caught Izuku's attention the most were her long white hair, bright red eyes, and most notably, a small brown horn protruding from the right side of her forehead. "Eri...?" Izuku asked, uncertainty lacing his voice.

The girl glanced around in confusion for a moment, but a smile lit up her face as soon as her eyes met Izuku's. "Izu!? Is that you!?" she asked, her voice a mix of mild surprise and infinite amusement. Rushing towards him, she enveloped him in a tight hug. "Oh my goodness! You're so tiny!" she exclaimed, her grin stretching from ear to ear.

"You are really Eri aren't you?" Izuku asked, his eyes filled with awe as he looked at the confident and outspoken girl standing before him.

"In the flesh, big bro!" Eri responded with a wide grin. Then, she cast a glance around at the stunned expressions of the onlookers, especially those familiar faces who seemed notably younger than she remembered. "And I'm guessing this is some time travel shenanigans?" she asked, turning her gaze back to Izuku.

"Something along those lines, I suppose..." Izuku scratched the back of his head, uncertain about the current situation himself. "Hmm... how old are you?" he asked.

"It's not very gentlemanly to ask a girl her age, you know?" Eri grinned impishly, then burst into laughter at Izuku's flustered, red face. "Sorry, I was just messing with you... man, I missed this shy, awkward Izu," she murmured to herself. "And to answer your question, I'm nineteen, and I know how to drive," she added proudly.

"So you're from thirteen years in the future," Nezu remarked, a hint of excitement in his voice. "That's quite intriguing."

Eri just shrugged in response, her attention refocusing on Izuku. "So what's going on here? I've never seen so many people..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced at the other side of the auditorium, noticing the villains seated there, looking at her. However, her eyes narrowed on one particular villain who stared at her with wide eyes.

Suddenly, Eri felt a gentle squeeze on her hand. "It's okay, he can't hurt you," Izuku reassured her in a calm voice.

"Oh, don't worry, I know," Eri said, locking eyes with Overhaul. "That handless little bitch couldn't break me when I was just a little child. There's no way he's even going to rattle me now that I'm living my best life."

A moment of silence swept across the room as many stared at Eri with mouths agape, while Aizawa appeared as if he had aged over a decade in the last few minutes.

"You've changed..." Izuku remarked, followed by an awkward cough. Then, he offered her a genuine and relieved smile. "But I'm glad you can smile like that even when he's around," he added, giving her hand another reassuring squeeze. "And, well... talk to him like that," he chuckled awkwardly.

"Thanks..." Eri replied with a shy smile. "It took a lot of time to find my confidence and self-worth, but it all worked out in the end. Besides, I have a very convincing person in my life, always reminding me how precious and invaluable I am," she said, flashing Izuku a grateful smile.

"Anyway, bro, you were going to fill me in on what's going on here," Eri prompted, and after receiving an explanation, she found herself intrigued and decided to join them.

After a few more exchanges of greetings, future Eri settled beside Izuku, eager to see what the screen would reveal next.

Searching...

Searching...

Searching...

Universe found- [Code name:- Spritfarer] [Powers:- Null]

Before Eri could inquire about the information displayed on the screen, Izuku quickly provided a brief explanation to the new participant of their viewing.

The scene opens on the huge ship in the middle of the ocean, where we see Izumi sitting near her cabin with a large, fluffy, black cat on her lap and a star-shaped hat on her head, enjoying the gentle breeze and the view of stars in the night sky. [Stella = Izumi Midoriya].

"Woah! Izu, you're a girl!" Eri exclaimed, with a mix of surprise and awe on her face. "And you're so pretty and adorable."

"Well, this isn't the first universe where I'm a girl..." Izuku grimaced, recalling the Siren variant of himself. Eri noticed the pained expression on Izuku's face and decided not to press the topic further.

As she enjoyed the stars, suddenly a flower bloomed on top of her cabin. Although she wasn't sure where it came from, curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to get a closer look.

She inspected the flower from afar at first, and then, as soon as she touched it, a swarm of butterflies materialized before her, coalescing into the form of a person.

"Strange," Nezu remarked, rubbing his chin. "The information on the starting screen said this was a null universe, but that doesn't seem to be the case. There's definitely more going on here than meets the eye."

"I know! I know! I'm late! I couldn't get off work earlier, and the parking in this part of town is a mess. And this place... it's a maze," the figure exclaimed and Izumi immediately recognized that the voice belonged to none other than her sister, Eri. [Lily = Eri]

"Oh, it's my voice!" Eri exclaimed. "But I do wonder what she's talking about. I don't see any parking or a maze around them..." she added, feeling slightly confused by her on-screen self's words.

"Perhaps it's a metaphor for something we haven't revealed yet," Ochako suggested.

"Hmm... maybe," Eri shrugged, not entirely sold on that interpretation.

"Listen to me, I'm going on and on about parking. And look at you..." Eri's voice wavered, a tinge of sadness creeping in.

"Oh boy... I do not like where this is going," Nemuri muttered quietly to herself, a sense of unease settling over her.

"Are you awake? How are you holding on? Can you hear me, sis?" Her voice cracked as if she were stifling a sob. "Can you say 'Eri is my favorite sister' for me?"

A sinking feeling gripped the audience as they listened to the words and cracking voice of the on-screen Eri. Eri herself felt her heart ache, prompting her to reach out and grasp Izuku's hand, holding it tightly for comfort.

There was a moment of silence before Eri chuckled again, attempting to divert the conversation to mask her emotions. "Well, it's true," she said with a huff. "I'm your only sister, so you don't have a choice there."

"Isn't that the truth," Izuku remarked, trying to lighten the mood and offer comfort to Eri, but his attempt seemed to falter.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the auditorium continued to sour, particularly among the heroes. In contrast, the villains appeared largely indifferent to whatever was unfolding on the screen.

"I wish I could hear your voice," Eri murmured, her tone subdued once again. "I'd rather have you screaming 'Eri, get out of my room!'. I'd rather have you laughing. I'd even rather have you snoring..." Silence followed her words once more.

"This is getting depressing real quick," Setsuna grumbled. "Even worse, what little white is saying doesn't even match the beautiful and peaceful atmosphere on the screen."

"Oh!" Eri suddenly exclaimed. "I have a surprise for you," she said, her voice brimming with excitement. "I swung by the house yesterday and got some things. Well, two things."

"First... where is it? There we are! Voilà!" Eri exclaimed. "A bottle of single malt from mom's 'secret' stash!" she said, and Izumi could feel Eri's grin through her voice. "Don't worry, I will do the drinking and talking for both of us."

"Started drinking, huh?" Izuku teased Eri, nudging her playfully in the stomach. "Perhaps our little Eri is turning into a bad girl," he added with mock disappointment.

"Stop being annoying, Izu!" Eri groaned, elbowing him back. "And no, I haven't touched alcohol yet. And just so you know, brother, you promised to bring the finest wine you could find for us to share on my 20th birthday."

"I did, huh?" Izuku responded with a strained smile, trying to ignore the disapproving glares from Aizawa and a few others in the audience.

"And this... your photo album," Eri said, her voice sounding much gentler than before. However, it immediately got cheerful once more. "It's got some good ones. Cute baby pictures! Big family gatherings! Embarrassing college parties! The works!"

"I thought embarrassing Izuku with baby pictures was my job," Inko remarked with a fond smile, trying to ignore the dread in her heart. "I suppose I'll make an exception this time... especially for an angel like her."

"Let's start at the beginning. Izumi: The adorable baby!" Eri exclaimed with excitement as the image of newborn Izumi materialized in the sky. "Jeez, being this cute should be illegal," she grumbled, followed by a slight pop. "Give me a second, I'll pour myself a drink."

The majority of the female attendees and a significant portion of the male audience nodded in agreement with the on-screen Eri's assessment of baby Izumi.

Meanwhile, Inko was enthusiastically gushing over the picture of baby Izumi, while Mitsuki, her best friend, tried to wriggle free from Inko's tight grip.

"Oh, look at this one!" Eri gushed over another picture. "You are so tiny! Where was this taken? What does it say on the back of the picture? Colmar, Alsace, 21xx." With those words, Eri's voice faded, and the figure formed by the butterflies dissolved as they fluttered away into the breeze, leaving Izumi alone on the ship with her cat and a note with the coordinates '39, 139', written on it.

Izumi looked at the note for a moment and studied the coordinates before she walked into the cabin and set her ship towards those coordinates as the screen went black.

"Well, that was... interesting..." Izuku said, lacking better words. "But I am curious about those coordinates and where they might lead my counterpart."

"I believe we'll find our answers soon enough," Nezu said, noticing the screen lighting up once more.

The screen came to life once more, and this time Izumi was standing in front of a glowing shrine, surrounded by one-story tall, cozy-looking houses and beautiful white trees, while glowing pink butterflies fluttered around the area.

"Oh, what a beautiful place," Ryukyu remarked as she examined the trees and houses surrounding the glowing shrine.

"Indeed," Mandalay nodded in agreement. "It looks like a pleasant place to settle down."

Izumi curiously examined the shrine for a moment before she touched the glowing orb situated in the center of it. As soon as she did, the glow surrounding the shrine intensified, and an image materialized in the sky above.

The picture, however, had a unique quality: only three people were visible in it. The first was little Izumi, cheerfully laughing while holding the bottle of sauce in her hand. The second was a younger-looking Inko, who watched her daughter with a fond yet exasperated smile. The last person was Taishiro, tending to the grill with a wide grin across his face. Meanwhile, others were shrouded in darkness, acting as a backdrop for the three visible people. [Atul = Taishiro Toyomitsu (Fatgum)]

"Well, they seem like they're having a fun time," Inko said as she observed the picture with fond eyes, especially focusing on her younger, tired self and the little greenhead who was making a mess of herself and the dining table.

"Even in other worlds, we can count on you to be on the grill, huh big guy?" Ms. Joke said with a hearty laugh.

"Well, you can bet on that!" Fatgum replied, gesturing a thumbs-up toward her as they shared a laugh.

"Oh, right!" Eri's voice echoed once more. "It's our annual Colmar visit at Uncle Taishiro's house. Woah, the whole family is here, except me; Mom and Dad hadn't adopted me yet. Look at Uncle Taishiro, at the grill obviously."

"Hey! That's what I said!" Ms. Joke exclaimed with delight.

"That you did," Fatgum chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Still, living in France, huh? Sounds nice."

"Look at your face! You are covered from head to toe in barbecue sauce. And... it's adorable," Eri chuckled heartily.

"It's such a shame that younger you don't act like this," Izuku said, flashing a sad smile at Eri. "Even though she's slowly getting comfortable around us, she's still so quiet and reserved a lot of times that it makes us worried if we're doing something wrong."

"Brother, don't worry, you aren't doing anything wrong," Eri said in a gentle voice. "For my younger self, all the kindness and care you all are showing is quite new and foreign. It will take some time for her to get used to all of this. Just give her some time and keep doing what you're doing. It worked for me, and it will work for her as well."

"Looking at you does give me hope," Izuku said, smiling at her.

"Mom is beaming. She is so young but so tired," Eri said in an impish voice. "Look at those eyes. Those are the eyes of someone who is not sleeping. Nice job sis, keeping mom awake all night with your baby tears."

"Oh, Izuku was just like that when he was a baby," Inko chuckled affectionately. "Well, I can't blame him, really, especially since he got those tears from me."

Eri fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "I'm actually happy Mom's sleeping right now. She needs a rest," she said in a solemn tone.

A pang of guilt washed over Izuku as he reflected on the trouble and stress he must have caused his mother since the beginning of the year.

"Plus, I get to talk to you all alone and have a drink," she said, followed by a gulping sound. "Alright, let's turn to another page. Something from the middle."

The image in the sky shifted, now depicting Inko cheering enthusiastically as a 5-6-year-old Izumi rode a bike alongside Kaina, who appeared to be the same age. Trailing behind the two older girls was a 2-3-year-old Eri, pedaling her own tiny bike. [Gwen = Kaina Tsutsumi]

Kaina's lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at the image of her younger counterpart, a longing feeling tugging at her heart. She pondered to herself, wondering when she had last laughed so carefreely, with so much heart, and it scared her to realize that she couldn't remember it at all.

"Another picture of when we were living in France," Eri remarked. "Kaina is in this one."

"We're riding our bikes together. You and Kaina would always outpace me, leaving me behind," Eri sighed. "I guess no one wants their friend's little sister running around them."

"That is somewhat true, 'ribbit'," Tsu said. "Although I do love my siblings, they can be quite annoying sometimes, especially when I call my friends over to my house."

"Ugh, shut it! Quit talking like my sister!" Setsuna grumbled. "Always using excuses like 'Sorry Set, you're not old enough to come to the arcade with us' or 'Set, me and my friends are going to hang out in my room so don't disturb us' to leave me out."

"Aww~ I had no idea you felt left out," Setsuna's sister responded in a teasing voice. "I never realized you were this delicate."

"Your face is delicate!" Setsuna retorted with a bite.

"When I was young, I admired Kaina so much," Eri wistfully said. "Remember she would disappear for months on end and show up out of nowhere. I thought she was so bold and amazing."

"Mom and Dad loved her. She was some kind of parent whisperer," Eri continued, her voice tinged with both melancholy and fondness. "I guess our home felt like her home."

Once again, the longing feeling returned to Kaina's heart as she heard Eri's words on-screen. They reminded her of the fact that she hadn't talked with her parents in so long and that they had disowned her when she was sent to Tartarus. They even sent her a letter, letting her know how ashamed and disappointed they were in her because of what she did and how she wasted the great opportunity to bring status and money to their house.

Then the longing feeling turned into bitterness as she remembered how many times she had tried to talk to them, tell them what she was going through. She even tried to tell them that she wanted to get out of this 'hero' business, but all they ever responded with was how she was showing tantrums despite being so blessed, being ungrateful to the commission despite the opportunities they provided, and asking if all the success had gone to her head.

However, what stung Kaina most was when she learned how her parents changed their names and cut off all the ways she could have contacted them. Honestly, if it wasn't for her old contacts, Kaina wasn't sure she would have gone on once she was released from Tartarus. Part of her just wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps and run away from everything, but another part of her was tired of running and encouraged her to face her past and future problems head-on.

Once again, silence followed Eri's words before she exclaimed again. "Oh... there's a postcard on the next page," she said. "It's from Japan!" With those words, Eri's voice, as well as the glow around the shrine, faded once more, and the butterflies disappeared into the night sky, leaving another note with coordinates in Izumi's hands. Then, the screen turned black again.

"It's rather ironically amusing how Midoriya's counterpart ends up in Japan of all places," Kaina remarked offhandedly, breaking the silence and redirecting her thoughts away from the heavy emotions that had consumed her moments before.

The screen came to life once again, and Izumi was standing in front of another shrine, this time with the backdrop of towering mountains. Just like last time, Izumi touched the glowing orb, and another picture was displayed in the air.

This time, the picture showed Izumi in Japan, surrounded by cherry blossoms, while looking at the mountains with a pleased smile on her face.

"That appears to be the base of Mt. Fuji," Ibara observed. "It is indeed a nice place to go, especially if someone is visiting our nation."

"This photo album sure makes you look well-traveled, sis," Eri's voice echoed once more. "Listen up because I am going to read your embarrassing postcard," she chuckled mischievously. "Ah! Ah! Let me find my famous Izumi voice, one second."

"Eri, please tell me you don't have any special Izuku voice, right?" Izuku asked with a wry smile.

"In fact, I do have a famous Izuku voice," Eri said, her face breaking into a wide, teasing grin. "I'll show you later, it's hilarious," she said, winking at him.

'Dear Mom & Dad & Eri. My trip has been amazing so far. I'm even making friends.'

"What a boring thing to say," Eri interrupted the reading to add her own playful comment.

"I know, right!?" Mina exclaimed. "She could've written something fun instead of this mundane shit," she said, earning a smack on her head from her mother, who shot her a glare and reminded her to mind her language.

'At this rate, the summer vacation will be gone in a flash,' Eri continued reading. 'Last weekend, I went to Shirakawa-go in the Toyama Prefecture. I took a tour to visit three beautiful rice paddies. It was an impressive sight. Next to these incredible houses at the bottom of the mountains. It was especially beautiful at night with the glow of the moon.'

'I miss you all and I can't wait for you to visit me in a few months - Izumi. p.s. Stay out of my room, Eri!'

"I didn't!/I didn't!" on-screen and Eri in the audience retorted, at the same time.

"Of course you didn't! No self-respecting little sister would!" Setsuna declared proudly.

"And I hope Izumi educates her like a good big sister should!" Setsuna's sister chimed in, playfully holding Setsuna in a headlock. The sisters continued to banter back and forth until they both received a stern glare from their mother, prompting them to quiet down.

Eri chuckled briefly before her tone shifted. "Wow. You were so outgoing. I don't remember ever being like that. So full of life. I was always a bit... dramatic, let's say."

"Well, unlike me, my counterpart sounds like a fun person to be around," Izuku said with a small, self-deprecating smile.

"Don't say that!" Eri chided Izuku, lightly slapping his hand. "You are fun to hang around too!"

"But I'm not as outgoing as her..." Izuku protested. "Honestly, I'm not even sure I enjoy being in crowds."

"And that's perfectly fine," Eri reassured him gently. "You know how to have fun in your own unique way."

"We never got to go on that trip to see you," Eri continued, her voice heavy with sorrow. "Dad got sick around that time, and he had trouble walking. His body was swelling, and everything hurt him," she sighed deeply. "I never understood why they kept it from you. They probably knew you'd come back as soon as they told you. To take care of him."

Inko let out a sigh as she tried not to let her tears flow. She could guess why her counterpart didn't inform her child about something like this, especially when she was away on holiday. And if she were being honest with herself, she would have done something similar if she were in her counterpart's place and, well... if her husband wasn't such a scum, who distanced himself when Izuku's quirk status was discovered.

"I got to see Dad get sicker and sicker. I wasn't able to do anything to help," Eri said, her voice growing somber with every word. "I still remember your face when you got home. For a second, it was like you didn't recognize him."

Eri gave Izuku's hand a tight squeeze when she saw the complicated expression on his face, and Izuku was grateful for that. He didn't know how to feel about his counterpart losing her father. Well, he was, of course, sad for her, as he could guess she had a good relationship with her father. However, he couldn't say the same for himself. Hell, he didn't even remember the last time he talked to that man... Not that he was interested in talking to him after learning why he abandoned him, but more importantly, how much that man hurt his mother.

Eri took a moment to collect herself. "Let's keep going. It's not like you ever shied away from death. You basically made it your whole world," she sighed. "I'm sure you've got some pictures of when you moved to Montreal. Let's take a look."

Once again, the familiar sequence repeated. The glow around the shrine vanished, along with Eri's voice, leaving Izumi alone with a note in her hand bearing coordinates for her next destination and the screen faded to black once more.

Many in the audience found themselves puzzled by the cryptic remark made by the on-screen Eri about Izumi making death her entire world., but they decided to wait and see if they would get their answers.

The screen lit up once more, and Izumi was once again in front of a shrine, this time in a city with towering buildings around her. Without wasting any more time, Izumi touched the shrine, and another picture appeared in the air.

This time, it was a picture of Izumi moving boxes into her new apartment.

"Oh, moving out to your own apartment, huh? Yeah, it's quite an experience," Yu remarked with a nostalgic smile, reminiscing about her own journey of finding her own place and moving out.

"That's your first Montreal apartment, isn't it? When you moved out of the house to the big city, my big sister sticking out on her own," Eri's voice returned once more.

"Oh, I remember when you got your own apartment!" Eri exclaimed with a hearty laugh. "We spent so much time searching for the perfect place for you; it was quite an adventure."

"Yeah, that place was such a dump. Sorry sis, it was," Eri said, not sounding apologetic at all. "You could decorate all you wanted, but it would always smell like whatever your neighbors were cooking, and you could hear them yelling at each other. That's probably why your rent was so cheap. Plus, you were all alone. No roommates. Well, not quite alone... Daffodil. Speaking of which, I am still mad at you for taking the family cat."

"Well, it's hitting too close to home..." Yu muttered under her breath. However, to her dismay, Burnin overheard her.

"Speaking of dumps, aren't you still living in that same apartment you got a year ago?" Moe snickered, but she let out a yelp when Yu swiftly poked her in the ribs.

"I don't remember us talking that much during that time," Eri admitted. "You were busy with work. I was still in high school, not paying much attention."

People in the audience, specifically those with siblings, had thoughtful expressions on their faces as they wondered if they had gone through a similar experience.

Meanwhile, a certain scarred individual among the villains cast a lingering glance at the Todoroki family's children before quickly averting his gaze.

"I don't think we had much in common. Except death, maybe," Eri mused, her tone growing somber. "For me, after Dad, I had to do something about it. I was trying to shut it out, but it kept coming anyway."

All Might shifted uncomfortably in his seat as memories of the days following his mentor Nana's death flooded his mind. He recalled how he had diligently continued to train his body, pushing himself physically, but internally, he was consumed by agonizing grief. Admitting to himself that he had coped with it would be a lie, for he had never truly managed to come to terms with her loss. Instead, he had learned to bury his emotions deep within, allowing them to surface only on rare occasions when the pain became unbearable and had to be drowned by alcohol.

"I don't know how you deal with it constantly. Working at the hospital with people at the end of their lives, all around you, all the time," Eri said. "Helping those people who are suffering in front of your eyes," she added, taking a deep sigh, followed by a brief silence.

"That's so like you, Deku..." Ochako said with a soft, gentle smile.

"Yeah, it feels like it," Izuku replied, scratching the back of his head. He then directed his gaze to the screen with a gentle smile, appreciating how his counterpart was helping people in her own unique way.

"I think I need a refill," Eri abruptly said, breaking the silence. "Maybe stretch my legs a bit. I'll be back in a minute. Don't you go anywhere," she joked, and her voice faded once more, along with the image, leaving Izumi alone once again with the coordinates for the next shrine. Then, the screen turned black once more.

"Isn't she drinking too much?" Inko asked worriedly. It can't be healthy for her to consume so much alcohol."

"Let her be, Inko..." Mitsuki replied, offering her friend's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Sometimes that bitter thing is necessary to drown out other pains, even if only for a little while."

The screen lit up once more, showing the familiar sight of Izumi standing in front of the glowing shrine, which was situated on the edge of the cliff, overlooking breathtaking scenery. With practiced movements, Izumi touched the shrine. However, this time it didn't show any picture, leaving Izumi slightly confused.

"Hmm, this shrine seems to break the pattern," Nezu remarked, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Nezu said, rubbing his chin. "I wonder what this is all about."

"Hey, I'm back!" Eri's voice echoed once more. "I'm sad to report that there are no cute doctors wandering the halls," she said with a chuckle.

"As if you're going near any cute doctors, even if they were in the lobby," Izuku scoffed.

"Oh, please, don't tell me you're going to start acting like one of those nesting dragon brothers," Eri rolled her eyes. "I would really start hating you if you did that."

"Noooo! I don't want my sister to hate me! For 10 years at least!" Izuku said dramatically, trying to hold back his laugh. Eri, meanwhile, shoved him and playfully rolled her eyes once more.

"Look at you... you look so frail," Eri murmured softly. "But, even on your hospital bed, you're still gorgeous... well, this whisky bottle is half-empty," Eri said, trying to divert the topic. "Let's just go ahead and say you drank the rest," she joked with a half-hearted chuckle followed by a somber silence.

"Hey, that's not fair..." Izuku attempted to lighten the mood as he noticed the humor from their previous conversation fade from Eri's expression. "Eri, what's wrong?" he inquired gently.

"I don't like where this is going..." Eri whimpered, gripping Izuku's hand tightly. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

"It's okay, I'm here for you," Izuku reassured her, squeezing her hand firmly for support.

"You remember that phone call you gave me last year?" Eri asked, breaking the silence. "You had taken a sabbatical from work. I had to call the center to learn about it. 'Yeah, she took a few months off. She got some bad news.' What a weird way to learn that your sister isn't doing well," she added sarcastically.

"Well, this version of Deku seems too similar to ours," Ochako said as she glanced at Izuku, who was sticking closer to Eri to comfort her. "I can totally see our Deku hiding something like that from his friends and family as well."

"That's true," Momo nodded, agreeing with Ochako's words. "And I can also see us getting annoyed at him for doing so."

"So you call me two weeks or something after. It's maybe two in the morning here. Your voice was shaking. I could hear you breathing heavily..." Eri's voice grew quieter. "You started talking about trees around you and the air. No 'Hi Eri' or no 'I'm not doing well'. Nothing, just talking about trees and the air."

"You said 'it was cold, that it felt like death, even here'," Eri continued in a somber voice. "I didn't even know where 'here' was," Eri sniffed. "It went silent and then you said you'd be home in a few days. I didn't know what to make of it. Were you sleepwalking? Was that whole thing just a dream?"

Inko buried her head in her hands as tears streamed down her face. Her heart couldn't take it anymore as she realized where this scene was going, and she knew she wasn't strong enough to see it with her own eyes. Meanwhile, Mitsuki wore a sad expression as she stroked her friend's back, offering what little comfort she could.

"I was scared..." Eri admitted in a heavy voice. "You came back and told Mom and me your diagnosis. And now, we're here together," she said, and an image materialized in the sky, depicting Izumi, looking frail, lying on a hospital bed, with her sister and mother by her side.

A somber silence spread across the auditorium, broken only by the quiet whimpering of a certain white-haired girl.

"Mom is awake. And I am awake and I am holding your hand," Eri sobbed. "If you can hear me..." Eri's voice trailed off, choked with emotion. "I love you so much... you are not alone in the woods anymore," she whispered amidst another sob. "We're here, Izumi... you'll never be alone... you'll never be alone..."

The scene transitioned to the real world, showing a close-up of an Electroencephalogram (EEG), and after one final spike, it flatlined.

Then the screen turned black one last time.

As the screen turned black, Eri's silent whimpering and wiping turned into full-blown sobs, her shoulders trembling with each tearful gasp.

Making a snap decision, Izuku quickly got up from his seat and gave his mother a tight and comforting hug. Then, he turned towards Nezu and said, "Sir, do you mind if I take Eri outside for a moment?"

"Not at all. Please, go ahead," Nezu replied with a sympathetic smile.

Izuku nodded gratefully and guided the sobbing Eri out of the room.

"Well, that was rather heavy..." Nezu remarked, glancing around at the tear-streaked faces in the auditorium. "Well, I think all of us certainly could use a break."

"Yeah, that would be for the best," Nemuri said, dabbing her eyes.

"Well, a break it is then," Nezu announced to the auditorium.

To be continued...