Tomura Shigaraki felt… good.
One part of his mind was asleep, and the other was alive, both his eyes pulsating red now and then.
At first, the constant awareness of the dreamy state he was having had bothered him.
To see their… his family members' faces… over and over.
To kill them… over and over.
It had been sucking out his sanity.
However, that pain eased as the days went by, leaving behind a… sweet stinging sensation.
It was like someone was operating on his brain, and the anesthetic's effect was wearing off… slowly.
Tomura… liked it.
A wild grin appeared on his face, under the hand on his face.
Only three hands had survived the battle at the LA Villains Detention Center: his mother, father, and grandmother's. Now, one hand was choking his throat from the side, one was grabbing his face, and one was squeezing his head from the back.
All were trying to kill him, as he kept killing them… over and over.
[… The time is coming, Tomura.] The Surgeon operating on his brain hissed. [You will have another opportunity to grow. Stronger than ever.]
Tomura's grin died. "… Shut up… Shut up… Shut up!"
Toga, Spinner, Dabi, and Twice, seated around a table in the bar, looked at Tomura, who was near the counter, with Kurogiri standing on the other side.
Shigaraki's constant rumblings would have unsettled even them if they hadn't gotten used to it with Stain.
Tomura's picking up Stain's quirk only meant that the former had truly become one of the Claws of Conformity.
In the last few weeks, the group of Villains had come closer than ever because of it as well.
It was especially so when Shigaraki, who had been so adamant about keeping the League before, suddenly decided to let go of the organization's name.
Now, there was no League of Villains anymore.
Only — The Claws of Conformity!
It was just…
"… When are we going to rescue Stain?" Toga asked.
Dabi stared at the back of Tomura's head as well. "They must have brought him to Tartarus, right?"
"Give him some slack," Spinner commented. "It's not like we can barge into that place and get Stain out without Shigaraki's Master's help. Let's wait and watch…"
Twice kept humming a song, remembering Stain's order before he had gone to the USA.
Suddenly, the phone rang, and Kurogiri picked it up. In the very next moment, the blast mist surrounding him pulsed in excitement. Putting the phone down, he leaned forward and whispered something to Shigaraki.
"HAHAHA!" Tomura burst out in a fit of laughter, almost jumping off the stool. "HAHAHA!!"
There was such a madness in Shigaraki's laugh that all the Villains behind him stood up, sensing his bloodlust.
Slowly, Tomura looked over his shoulder, grinning ear to ear. "… Who's up for a — rematch?"
…
1st March
UA
In their school uniforms, the students gathered on the campus, facing Erasure Head.
"Alright," Aizawa said, eying the 1-A students. "I hope you are mentally prepared. As already shared, the Training Camp will last three weeks."
"Sir…" Tsuyu Asui raised her hand. "Where are we going?"
Erasure Head nodded. "It's time to let you know, I guess," he said, seeing other students taking an interest in Tsuyu's question as well. "We are going to a mountainous terrain. As far as possible from a populated area…"
Luke, with Nyx on his shoulder, shared a glance with Midoriya and Shoto, as many students noticed the specific mention of a populated area.
The Pros were expecting an attack, despite keeping the location secret up to this point.
None of the students dared to doubt the sheer level of precautions and secrecy, though. Everything that was happening in the world at this point suggested that the best way to survive a Villain attack, without the loss of innocent lives, was to be prepared for it… all the time!
Luke also remembered Sand's offhanded comment, suggesting that the Pros wanted the Villains to attack.
It meant this was as much a Training Camp as it was a Baiting Camp.
And if they were taking a risk with the children, then they really meant to put the Villains in the grave this time.
"Sir…" Momo stepped up. "What if the Villains go after Stain?"
That question raised many brows, including Aizawa's. "… All Might is there," he said, smiling. "Don't worry."
That statement relaxed the students, simultaneously unnerving them, ironically.
If All Might was keeping an eye out for potential rescue attempts by Villains, then it obviously meant he wouldn't be at the Training Camp.
Luke had already known it, though, seeing it through the Crystal Ball.
In fact, not only All Might, but the likes of Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and other Top Heroes had joined the No. 1 Hero at Tartarus, too.
Decrypting, Luke had guessed that the matter of Sir Nighteye must have spooked the Heroes, thinking that something like LA Villains Detention Center was going to happen at Tartarus.
With the timeline changing so much since his resurrection, Luke did not know what was about to happen in the future, either.
"Alright!" Erasure Head raised his voice, jolting the students out of their reveries. "Get on the bus."
As Erasure Head went to the bus, the students of Class 1-B also arrived at the scene after a briefing from their homeroom teacher, Sekijiro Kan, Blood Hero: Vlad King. He was one of the many Heroes who would be openly joining the students in the Training Cam.
"Hey, guys! Look!" Neito Monoma, who had the Copy Quirk, shouted from afar. "It's the gang who took out Sir Nighteye! Just what kind of filth he must have seen in their future?! Isn't that weird? Yeah? Yeah? I guess it was all of them failing to become Heroes, despite claiming to be better than us…"
Smack!
Itsuka Kendo, the Class Representative of Class 1-B with Battle Fist Quirk, who had attended Hero Internship with Momo during the last term break, karate chopped Monoma's head, making him pass out.
"… Haha…" Itsuka laughed wryly, most of the Class 1-B's faces gaining a red tinge by her side. "Let's be nice to each other… Haha…"
Then, she dragged the boy away, the others hurriedly disappearing with her as well.
Slowly, one by one, a chilling smile surfaced on most of the 1-A's students' faces, a flame of rivalry burning in their hearts.
The Training Camp they had been looking forward to so much… was going to be much more interesting than they'd earlier thought!
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