Chapter 22: Tsuyu's Resolve
"Why did it turn out like this? It's my first time riding a motorcycle, my first time riding with two girls... Two happy things have come together, and these two joys should have brought me even more joy, creating what should have been a dream-like moment of happiness... But... why did it turn out like this...?"
Minoru Mineta's eyes were lifeless as he repeated the phrase over and over. Kyoka Jiro finally snapped. "Mineta, can you please shut up!? You repeating that over and over is so annoying!"
At that moment, Kyoka Jiro and Ochaco Uraraka were wearing roller skates, holding onto Tenya Iida's belt as he sprinted with all his might towards the area Midoriya and Kaminari had been assigned to.
As for Minoru Mineta...
Jiro and Uraraka had unanimously agreed that Iida's back did not belong to him. They had no desire to have a perverted grape hovering over their heads. And so, Mineta was cradled in Iida's arms like a baby. Forget getting close to the girls; he was forced to inhale the stench of sweat rolling off Iida from the high-intensity exercise.
(On a side note, the roller skates had been created for Jiro and Uraraka by Momo Yaoyorozu when they ran into her. Mineta had wanted a pair too, but after seeing the pitying look in Momo's eyes, he had tearfully thrown himself into Iida's arms.)
(It wasn't that Momo didn't want to make them for him; it was just that with Mineta's height, trying to skate would have only gotten in Iida's way.)
Surprisingly, the enemy hadn't reacted at all, simply watching as they left.
After a brief discussion, the group decided that Iida would be responsible for the view ahead, while Uraraka and Jiro would watch the sides.
Thanks to the gale-force winds from the enemy's earlier attack, the streets were mostly clear of debris. The road surface was smooth and open—perfect for a high-speed run.
As Iida sprinted along, Uraraka suddenly shouted as they passed through an alley, "Iida, wait! That's Tsuyu-chan up ahead!"
Asui-san... Iida didn't hesitate for a second. He instantly decelerated, planting one leg and swinging the other around like a compass to come to a screeching halt. Uraraka and Jiro couldn't brake in time on their roller skates. Being novices, they panicked and let go of Iida's belt, hurtling straight towards a wall.
Just as they were screaming, their hands held in front of their faces in preparation for impact, Tsuyu's long tongue shot out, wrapped around their waists, and bound them tightly together, back-to-back.
"...Thanks, Tsuyu-chan," Uraraka said, relieved. She sat down on the ground in a W-sit, ignoring the dust.
"You're welcome. But..." Tsuyu retracted her tongue and asked Iida, looking puzzled, "Where are you all going? Was there an enemy where you came from?"
Hearing this, Iida immediately replied, "Asui-san, there is a remnant of the League of Villains back there! Bakugo-kun and most of the others are dealing with him! We're looking for Midoriya! Have you seen him?"
Tsuyu seemed a little relieved to hear the situation was under control. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I was with Midoriya-chan just now. He got a headset, and the enemy demanded to speak with him alone."
"Was it the person who captured Kaminari-kun!?" After the speaker had told Midoriya to put on the receiver, the PA system had gone silent. So it switched to a private line with Midoriya!
Iida asked urgently, "Asui, do you know where Midoriya went?"
"I don't know," Tsuyu said, shaking her head. She hesitated again, then continued, "Midoriya-chan told me to go provide support over there. He went off by himself, towards the Flood Zone."
"The Flood Zone? Thank you, Asui!" Iida turned and called to Jiro and Uraraka. "You two, we have to go! I don't know why, but it seems the enemy is deliberately creating a situation where Midoriya has to act alone! That means Midoriya is likely in danger too!"
Hearing that Midoriya was in danger, Uraraka instantly shot to her feet, raised her hand, and shouted, "To rescue Midoriya-kun and Kaminari-kun, let's go!"
She gets so energetic when it's about Midoriya... Jiro thought, standing up with a sigh and exchanging a look with Iida.
Tsuyu tugged on the corner of Uraraka's shirt and said with determination, "I'm going too."
Uraraka turned her head in surprise and smiled. "Tsuyu-chan, we're going to find Midoriya. Weren't you going to help out at the central crater?"
"Yaoyorozu and Bakugo are over there. They don't need my help, and I'm not suited for close-quarters combat anyway," Tsuyu said, shaking her head. "But if it's the Flood Zone, then that's my domain. I know I can be of use there."
Uraraka looked at Tsuyu's somewhat guilt-ridden face and thought she understood. Is she regretting it? Regretting letting Midoriya go off on his own?
"Okay! Let's go together!" Uraraka said, nodding emphatically.
In the engine room of the cruise ship in the center of the Flood Zone's lake, Denki Kaminari had a piece of tape over his mouth. He had already recovered from his "whey" state and was now tied up in a corner, staring in terror at the person sitting in the chair.
The man wore an exquisitely crafted yet bizarre mask. It looked as if several copies of Yuga Aoyama's glasses had been stacked on top of each other and painted a luxurious gold. Shaped like the spread wings of a butterfly but with a metallic texture, it gave off an aura of mystery.
He didn't seem aggressive at all. He just sat with his legs crossed, holding a teacup as he watched the monitors in front of him. Every so often, as if walking a dog, he would pull out a sausage and dangle it in front of Denki Kaminari.
The monitors showed multiple camera angles, covering the entire collapsed area. It seemed there were cameras on every street and in every corner, with no blind spots whatsoever.
At that moment, the feed from the central crater took up most of the screen. In the middle of a crater that looked like it had been formed by a meteor impact, a man stood. Surrounding him were the students of Class 1-A, warily watching him and the unconscious Shoto Todoroki in his hand.
"Hey, Kaminari," the man said, propping his head up with his hands. He turned to Denki Kaminari, who was wedged in the gap between two cabinets, and asked in a familiar tone, "Who do you think will win?"
"If you guess correctly, I might not kill you, you know."
Kaminari's eyes went wide. He had woken up to this scene and had been tied up before he could even understand what was happening. All he could do was make muffled noises—Why are you deciding my fate so casually!? And you taped my mouth shut! How am I supposed to answer!?
Seeing Kaminari struggling desperately, the man seemed to realize something. "Oh, right. You can't talk."
He instantly ripped the tape from Kaminari's mouth. The sudden, sharp pain made Kaminari lose all reason, and he let out a piercing scream.
"You're so noisy..."
The man's fingers were as long and slender as a girl's, but his nails were several centimeters long, as if they hadn't been trimmed in a month. He cleaned his ear with his pinky finger in annoyance, while his other hand pressed a button. Unbeknownst to Kaminari, his earth-shattering scream had just been recorded and was about to be broadcast throughout the entire USJ.
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