"Yukinon!! Calm down, Yukinon! There might still be enemies nearby!"
"I am calm, Yuigahama-san. Precisely because of that, we must act swiftly. We'll hurry to the gate without being seen by other enemies. We're capturing that man with the black mist."
"I know we have to do that, but—!"
"Then the answer is simple. Yuigahama-san, you feel the same way, don't you?"
"Of course finding information about Hikki is important! Really important! But at this rate, Yukinon, you'll end up hurt…! You're important to me too, Yukinon! I don't want you… to get hurt!"
"…"
"Hey, let's calm down, okay? We don't know where everyone else is, either… For now, let's just move carefully. We can head back to the central plaza."
"…I'm sorry, Yuigahama-san. You're right. We'll proceed cautiously, quickly, while searching the area. Visibility is poor in this landslide zone, so we must remain calm."
"…Yeah!"
Whew, did I finally get through to her?But I painfully understand how Yukinon feels. For these two years, we've desperately chased after any sign of Hikki, and now information about him is finally within reach, right in front of us.…But why did it turn out like this?Were the villains really aiming for All Might…?
[Approximately five minutes earlier]
"So that's Space Hero Thirteen… It's my first time seeing them up close.""I wonder what Thirteen looks like under the helmet… Is that public info?"
After a 15-minute bus ride, we, Class 1-A, had arrived at USJ—some kind of disaster rescue training facility?USJ… Is that naming choice even okay?
"…UA really has a weird sense of humor, huh?""Kawasaki-san, I don't think we're supposed to mention that…""Th-that's quite harsh… Ahem. Well then, allow me to begin the explanation. I have a few important points. Two… three… four… Actually, there's more. Five…"
It keeps increasing…Despite looking like an astronaut, Thirteen-sensei began to speak very politely about their quirk, "Black Hole," and the dangers associated with it. Yet, Thirteen-sensei emphasized that they're primarily a rescue hero. Depending on its use, a quirk can easily become a tool for killing or a hope for saving lives. That's probably common sense for anyone aiming to become a hero. Still, hearing Thirteen-sensei gently reminding us of that obvious truth was incredibly cool. I wish more heroes could be so confident today. Hikki definitely couldn't manage that; there's no way he could clearly explain things as a hero.
Speaking of which, All Might isn't here.Since we entered high school, we haven't directly spoken with All Might yet. We Sobu kids had some connections with pro heroes through Yukinon and Hikki, so we had met top heroes like All Might and Endeavor. They even trained us occasionally… though how many times did we end up launched into the sky…?
"Nobody move!"
Huh?
"Form a tight defensive formation!"
What? Aizawa-sensei is yelling.
At that moment, standing next to me, I felt Yukinon trembling. Hikki and I always panicked whenever we felt this from Yukinon. It only happened when she was truly furious…!
"Hey… Yukinon? W-what's wrong?""Yuigahama-san… look over there…""Huh…?"
Down the stairs, in the central plaza by the fountain…
A black mist was spreading.That unforgettable black, a color like being dragged into darkness.The root cause of everything for us.The villain's quirk that Yukinon and I had been chasing for so long…!
"What's that? Is this another one of those surprise tests like the entrance exam?""Don't move! Those are villains!"
With Aizawa-sensei's words, it became completely clear.These were the enemies we'd been searching for all this time.
"Thirteen and… Eraser Head, is it? According to the curriculum we acquired the other day, All Might was supposed to be here.""What's this, no All Might? Or maybe… he'll show up if we start killing some kids."
Kurogiri, Shigaraki, Nomu, and about 40 low-level soldiers formed the core force of the League of Villains that had invaded the central plaza.Furthermore—though unknown to Eraser Head and the others—additional groups of around a dozen villains each had been dispatched to various disaster zones. Among them was Jack, whose quirk enabled electromagnetic interference, stationed in the Mountain Zone. Likewise, a boy known as Connector had already been deployed to the Mountain Zone.
All told, the League of Villains numbered over 100 members.
Opposing them was the U.A. side:Eraser Head, the Erasure Hero, and Space Hero Thirteen. Additionally, Yukino Yukinoshita—currently a U.A. student yet possessing an official pro hero license, known publicly as the Northern Sky Hero: OutSnow.Further, there were the 24 hero trainees of Class 1-A.Although not currently at USJ, the Symbol of Peace, All Might, was resting in the faculty lounge of the main campus. Other professional heroes who served as teachers were also stationed at the main campus.
Thus, the U.A. forces at USJ numbered 27 individuals.
100 versus 27.
A purely numerical evaluation indicated a despairingly large difference, roughly a fourfold disparity in manpower.…However, this calculation was only valid if each "one" represented equal value.
"Aizawa-sensei!""Thirteen, Yukinoshita! Lead the students to safety!""I will fight too!""P-please let me go as well!"
Not only Yukino Yukinoshita, but Yui Yuigahama also raised her voice. Behind them stood Saki Kawasaki, Saika Totsuka, and Kaori Orimoto, each showing the same determination. Understandably so; half the reason they had pursued becoming heroes stood right before their eyes. They couldn't simply stand back. …For some reason, even Katsuki Bakugo was quietly activating his quirk in the background, clearly ready to kill.
"No. Yukinoshita, you hold a pro license. Don't mix personal feelings with your duties. And as for the rest of you—this goes without saying—none of you have my permission to use your quirks. Nor will you ever get such permission from me.""You're going alone against all those enemies?""Th-that's right! Eraser Head specializes in one-on-one close combat! Facing so many enemies by yourself is—!"
"A hero can't succeed if he's only got one trick up his sleeve."
Eraser Head, now donning his goggles and already prepared for battle, brushed aside Izuku Midoriya's anxious protests.Simultaneously, he leaped down the staircase and charged directly into the intruders who dared invade U.A.
Under the watchful eyes of students filled with both anxiety and faint hope, the battle between Eraser Head and the League of Villains began.
"…Thirteen-sensei, let's quickly evacuate everyone. You're right—our students' safety is unquestionably the top priority. I momentarily forgot that.""Yes, but Yukinoshita-san… you can't mean…!?""Once everyone is safely out of this dome, I'll return. We can't possibly leave Eraser Head to fight alone.""I can't allow a student to handle this! I should—!""Thirteen-sensei, you're not suited for direct combat. Conversely, combat is essentially all I can do. It's a matter of suitability. Please understand… I'm also a hero.""If Yukinon's fighting, then I'll fight too! We're definitely stronger together!""…Yuigahama-san."
"Do you truly believe I would permit that?"
"Eh—?""It's that warp guy!"
Just as the students had started to evacuate, their very first opponent stood before them.
"Greetings. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our intrusion, but we've humbly entered the heroes' nest known as U.A. High School today… to bring an end to the Symbol of Peace, All Might."
The students were stunned, both by Kurogiri's calm tone—almost as if he'd come out for a casual stroll—and by his shocking declaration. Yukino Yukinoshita, however, recognized not just his danger, but also his potential utility. Under the current circumstances, this man shrouded in black mist could very well provide them the opening they needed.
"It's been a while.""…? Have we met somewhere before, young lady?""Two years ago, you stole something irreplaceable from us.""!""Give him back… now!"
Her voice intensified as she activated her quirk. Cold air started pouring out from her body.
"I-Ice? Is it a quirk like Todoroki-kun's?""Eh… ice?""W-what's wrong, Uraraka-san?""Um… during combat training, I thought Yukinoshita-san's quirk was water…""Huh?"
"Oh… yes, you're that girl from two years ago. The one who was with him. And I suppose that brown-haired girl beside you as well. How nostalgic.""Don't play dumb. Where is he? Where's Hikigaya-kun? He's alive, isn't he!?""I'm afraid I can't answer that…!"
The tension between them became charged with hostility. Fear began gripping the surrounding students, yet even in such a moment, some stepped forward. Some driven by intense personal emotions; some simply determined to defeat villains; and others who felt compelled to protect their comrades.
"Yukinon!""Yukinoshita-san, we'll fight too!""We've been training exactly for a day like this!""I'll crush 'em.""Agreed.""Bakugo, your face is seriously terrifying right now… But yeah, better strike before we're struck!"
"Heh… you think mere eggs not even half-hatched like yourselves can stand a chance?""You've got quite the nerve saying that."
Just as Yukino Yukinoshita began reaching out towards Kurogiri to activate her quirk, Thirteen moved to stop her and the seven others.
Yet even faster, Katsuki Bakugo and Eijiro Kirishima had already charged forward—no, they had rushed out impulsively.
As Kirishima's hardened fist and Bakugo's explosive attack raced towards him, Kurogiri quickly extended his mist-shrouded hand forward. Internally amused despite his surprise at their unexpected speed, he thought:
───Too easy.
Who posed the greatest threat in this scenario?Undoubtedly, it was Thirteen. (Note: Yukino Yukinoshita was not considered because Kurogiri was unaware of OutSnow's identity.)By "threat," he meant someone who might hinder his mission. Even Kurogiri would be in trouble if forced into a direct confrontation with a professional hero alongside students whose quirks he couldn't predict. He didn't think he'd lose so easily, but some students could certainly slip away during the chaos.Then, what was the solution?The answer was simple:
Keep them away from the exit gate.
For that, he needed a situation where Thirteen couldn't act freely—and that was precisely now. With Thirteen, the two attacking students, and himself aligned in a straight line, Thirteen couldn't possibly activate their quirk. Thirteen's quirk was a Black Hole, a quirk easily capable of killing.
"No, you two! Get away now!"
Thirteen's desperate shout came too late.
By the time the students heard the command to flee, Bakugo and Kirishima were already enveloped by black mist. And it didn't stop there—it expanded even further back, engulfing others.
Only a few could react quickly enough, and fewer still could use their quirks to evade. Kaori Orimoto instantly teleported away, grabbing the arm of Saika Totsuka, saving both of them. At the same time, Thirteen, filled with remorse as more students were swallowed by the mist, activated their quirk while carefully avoiding hurting their students.Mezo Shoji wrapped himself protectively around Mina Ashido and Hanta Sero, and Tenya Iida quickly pulled Ochaco Uraraka back to safety. Everyone was busy defending or escaping, and thus nobody saw the crucial moment clearly.
Nobody witnessed the exact instant when Yukino Yukinoshita—who held a professional license—took Yui Yuigahama's hand, and without activating her quirk, calmly awaited the approaching warp gate.
"Huh? Wait, what?"Just as I tried to escape the black mist, Yukinon grabbed my hand. Surprised, I quickly turned to look at her, only to find her already staring back at me.
It's okay.
She nodded reassuringly as if silently telling me so. Before I even realized it, the scenery around us had completely changed. What's this place? Buildings around… a cityscape? It looks like everything is crumbling.
"Wh-where are we…?""Yuigahama-san, enemies.""Eh!?"
"Two girls, huh? Doesn't look worth killing.""Don't be an idiot. These brats are hero students, remember? We were told not to underestimate them."
"V-Villains…right?""Obviously. What's wrong, brat? Your brain fried or somethin'?""Hey! What's with that attitude!?"
"…Yuigahama-san, take this seriously."
Ugh. But he just called me stupid!Finally calming down, I looked around carefully. We were surrounded by more than ten scary-looking people I'd never seen before. They're probably part of that League of Villains the black mist guy mentioned.We need to question that mist villain about Hikki, but we've been thrown into this random spot…! Wait, this must be one of the disaster zones! Looking upward, I can still see the dome roof from earlier. Good, we're still inside USJ. We can still go back!
"Yukinon! Let's quickly handle these guys…!""Stay back, Yuigahama-san. I'll finish this in twenty seconds.""Eh?"
"What did you say, you brat? Finish us off in twenty seconds? You've got some nerve—"
I guess he was about to say "nerve," but the next second he was already frozen solid.Chunks of ice swiftly struck the villains one after another, instantly knocking them down. They didn't even have time to activate their quirks. It was literally over in a flash.
Yukinon's quirk is really…!
"…Pathetic. Barely any combat experience; just a bunch of worthless thugs.""That's Yukinon for you! 'Three States' is seriously an amazing quirk!"
Yukino Yukinoshita—my best friend, Yukinon—has the quirk called "Three States"!She can emit water from her body and control it freely in three states: ice, liquid water, and vapor! She can create blizzards, fog, and even control nearby water or ice! She's practically invincible when it rains!
"So…are those guys knocked out?""Yes. It seems their strategy involved teleporting students here, right into the hands of waiting thugs. Unfortunately for them, their ambush was far too weak to even call this a strategy.""No, Yukinon, that's probably because you're way too strong…"
Yukinon already holds an official pro hero license. She's incredibly powerful when it comes to combat—really.I once watched her training against Endeavor-san back in middle school… Honestly, after seeing that, I seriously—I mean seriously—wondered if someone like me could even fit into this hero world. Even Hikki was taken aback. Well, Hikki was pretty ruthless too…
"Now, we can finally move freely.""Huh!? W-wait, what do you mean?""Thirteen-sensei isn't watching us anymore. Let's hurry back to the central plaza and help Aizawa-sensei.""W-wait, did you deliberately grab my hand earlier to avoid resisting the warp gate…?""Yes, exactly as planned."
N-no way…
"W-what if we'd ended up somewhere completely random!?""Impossible. Teleporting us outside the dome would only disadvantage them, especially considering they've gone through the trouble to cut off communication. Besides, they probably have no idea what our quirks are. After all, he only recognized me vaguely as 'some girl he'd met before.' With unknown quirks involved, they'd definitely want us eliminated, so an ambush was predictable."
I—I didn't predict any of that at all…Yukinon's way too smart, her situational awareness is outstanding, and her combat strength is insanely powerful.
…Seriously, can someone like me really form a team with someone like her someday?
"Hey, Connector! They wiped everyone out!"
...That was quicker than I thought. From my lying position, I glanced through the small hole Jack had made. Through it, I could see clearly above ground—those enthusiastic thugs had been defeated already. That was quite an intense electric shock…
"A lightning quirk, one quirk that emits something from the body, and… elongated earlobes? What kind of quirk is that…? Sound?""Checking out their quirks? You're thorough as always.""There's one guy who seems fried by his own quirk's side-effect. I'll ambush them from underground and take him hostage.""Still motivated, huh? Why go that far?""Isn't it obvious? I'm on board with Shigaraki's ideal of crushing these heroes. Killing All Might—it's the best!"
Jack's words stirred up hostility within me. Surveillance cameras were attached to my body, but maybe they'd overlook it if I took out just one guy? Maybe I could pass it off as losing my temper?…No, wait. He's the one causing the electromagnetic interference. If I messed that up, they'd retaliate for sure. They'd definitely target Komachi, my first and foremost priority. I have to avoid that at all costs.
…Besides.
"Alright, I'm going. If things go south, back me up, got it?""If I'm awake.""Hey, don't screw with me! You'd better help out properly!""Weren't you going to ambush them? Keep quiet or they'll easily spot you.""Tch…!"
Jack clicked his tongue and left through the underground passage. He hadn't noticed, but someone else was approaching this area. Even if those students like Yaoyorozu were cornered, I could only rely on that approaching figure to handle things.
…Even then, maybe I should have stopped him.If I'd truly wanted to become a real hero, perhaps I should have rushed out right now, taken Jack down, and hurried to stop Shigaraki.
…But that was no longer an option.
They'll target Komachi.Those were the very first words spoken to me when Kurogiri kidnapped and brought me in front of Shigaraki and "Sensei."I was barely holding on through the pain in my missing left arm when I heard those words.Honestly, I was completely cornered.They had easily assembled forces even professionals struggled with, plus that unpredictable warp gate. And behind them stood a monster unlike anything I'd ever seen.
…Since then, I'd decided to endure everything.I listened obediently to everything they said.I submitted to their experiments under the pretense of dealing with my missing left arm.Occasionally, they sent me on missions they called "assignments," forcing me into battles against denizens of the underworld or even pro heroes. …I feel bad for that hero, Air Jet, from the other day.
But still, I silently resist.I always hide my face—for the future.Even when ordered to kill, that's the one line I wouldn't cross. Even if it wouldn't lessen my sins.And that's why I'd tagged along on this mission today—to resist. Because, just as I'd expected… they were here.
Earlier, I'd sensed the air freezing over in two locations. I hadn't expected two people with ice quirks, but I knew for sure one of them was someone familiar. Yukinoshita is definitely here. People with ice quirks are rare; there's no mistaking her. …I could probably guess the other person too.
The approaching figure was likely that person as well. The way she walked or ran was unmistakable—after all, it always felt as if she were running with her quirk constantly activated.
That's precisely why I felt glad I'd come to U.A. To prevent a worst-case scenario.
Scrape… scrape…
Lost in thought, some time must have passed. I heard that familiar muffled sound, and I opened my eyes. A small patch of black mist began forming in the underground cavity. Kurogiri.
"What is it?""Come quickly. Enter the warp gate—hurry!""…Is that what's been making all that noise?""The Nomu is about to be defeated. Please go support it immediately.""Seriously…? Who's the opponent?""It's All Might…!"
So he finally showed up, huh? It was inevitable, I suppose.
"What about Jack? Everyone but him has been defeated… Wait, Jack's about to go down too. Looks like he got ambushed.""He's still underground, isn't he? I'll retrieve him later. Connector, you must hurry to the Nomu's location!""Yeah, yeah…"
After all, you're the Symbol of Peace…!