Through the blurriness, Sam looked at the two figures, crouching on top of him, both bleeding.
He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't even tell if he was alive or dead. All he remembered was that he had been shot in the head.
No. He shouldn't be alive.
"I have patched you up," the black-masked figure said. "But you have lost too much blood. Your left leg's crushed… I doubt even a Healing-type Quirk can help you with it. People will come for you — eventually… They don't forget about criminals so easily… Sam."
Despite being shocked because of coming out alive, Sam could see his fate in those words.
"… I… I just didn't want it… to go to waste…" Sam stuttered with a dry throat, tears welling up in his eyes. "I… I didn't want to… hurt anyone…"
The black-masked figure shook his head. "The world has always remained cruel to those who overestimate the legitimacy of their beliefs," he said, the masked girl nodding next to him. "But it is much crueler to those who voluntarily open themselves up to evil, underestimating its influence."
Evil… With that word, Sam seemed to realize what he was now. No — Sam realized what he had become the moment he betrayed his only friend.
A Villain!
The two figures stood up, and the man put a white hat on his head, dusting off his suit.
"Who… are you?" Sam asked, sensing they were leaving him here… to be found by someone if he managed to remain alive till then.
"You will know soon," the man said. "No matter what the future holds for you, I would like you to remember something, Sam."
The man in the white suit put his right hand over his chest.
"If you survive," he said, bowing a little, "then it isn't because you were fated to survive, but because Mr. Fool wished it so… Praise be to Mr. Fool."
The girl next to the man hurriedly imitated him as well. "Praise be to Mr. Fool."
Then, as the name Mr. Fool took root within Sam's mind, his two saviors vanished from his sight.
…
On the roof, everything seemed to have crumbled, hills of metal debris strewn here and there.
From a pile of rubble, Melissa pulled out Midoriya and helped him up. "… You did it…" she said with blurry eyes. "Uncle Might and you…"
Midoriya panted, trying to smile.
"Only because of the Full Gauntlet helping me out," he said, shaking his head. "I am sorry I broke it…"
Melissa let out a laugh at that. "Let's go and find Uncle Might and Papa…"
"They must be on that side…" Midoriya pointed at a metallic mound.
As they reached the top, their eyes landed on All Might seated in front of a bleeding David near the mound's foot.
Just as the two looked down, David and All Might looked toward them as well, both raising their hands to show they were alright.
Slowly, All Might lost his muscle form, becoming Toshinori, his head and body covered in blood.
"I heard from Melissa…" All Might said, binding David's wounded shoulder.
"I…" David's gaze fell in shame. "I… was scared of losing your light, All Might. But I was blind. Even though hope was in front of me, I refused to see it…"
David looked up as Melissa and Midoriya waved toward other students beyond the mound.
"Just as Melissa is trying to become my successor…" David said, smiling, "… you have him. All Might, Midoriya is your successor, isn't he?"
"He is not ready, yet," Toshinori said. "But in him hides the possibility of a greater Hero than even me…"
David looked at All Might, stunned, and smiled. "Yeah… I can see it… the light you are seeking, Toshi. The light of a Hero."
Clap! Clap! Clap!!
All Might's heart skipped a beat.
At the top of the mound, as Midoriya heard those claps, a chill ran down his spine.
He had been having a feeling that he had forgotten something. Just now, as the sound of clapping entered his ears, he realized what it was.
"ALL MIGHT!" Midoriya shouted, shocking not only Melissa, but all the children cheering from below as well. "HE IS HERE …"
Luke…
Dr. Blessed…
Nyx's absence among the others…
The fight against Wolfram had occurred so fast that none had the time to even think about something other than helping All Might.
As everyone heard Midoriya's words, their faces fell, paling on the spot.
On top of the mound, Midoriya spun around fast, but what he saw left him stunned.
At the top of another, bigger, mound of debris, Wolfram was hung on a metal pipe, dangling like clothes.
Next to him was a person, clapping as he looked down at All Might and David.
However, this person, in a black overcoat and pants, wasn't Dr. Blessed.
He had black, spiky hair and, even from so far, Midoriya could see the burnt patches of skin on his lower mouth.
… Another Villain?! Midoriya thought.
And suddenly, all his bones began hurting at the thought of another fight.
The black-haired Villain put his hands inside his pockets and looked at Wolfram. "His flesh has dried up…" he observed out loud. "Didn't you say that this device won't affect the user, Professor?"
As the children climbed up, coming next to Midoriya, the Villain took off the Quirk Amplification Device and put it on himself.
It began with the first ray of sunlight.
The ray came from behind the students lined up on top of the mound.
The light David had talked about just a moment before didn't seem as bright as he had expected it to be anymore.
Next to him, All Might, to put appearances, had regained his muscle form.
But forget about fighting, if All Might even moved a muscle, he would pass out.
So, when this light fell on the Villain, and a blue fire flickered around him, even the Symbol of Peace found that light unpleasant.
"… I am Dabi of the Claws of Conformity…" Dabi proclaimed, his eyes glowing red as the Device activated. "So — All Might — are you ready—"
With a gigantic HISS, blue flames raged around the Villain, a fiery pillar of blue fire shooting up, burning the heavens.
"— for round two?"
******************
AN: Original Image of Dabi with the Quirk Amplification Device is available
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