The League of Villains' hideout remained shrouded in gloom.
The air was stale, heavy with an uneasy silence, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water and the occasional clink of glass. The dim lights cast long shadows across the peeling walls of the makeshift bar.
Behind the counter, Kurogiri polished glasses with slow, deliberate movements, as if that were the only thing maintaining order in that place.
Shigaraki Tomura remained seated on the barstool, a dark coat covering his body, the hood pulled low enough to completely hide his face.
In his right hand, he held a photograph of Ryo.
His fingers twitched.
The image began to crack… and then turned to dust between his fingers, disintegrating completely.
"…Kurogiri," his voice came out low, raspy. "How much longer do I have to wait for those people to get here?"
Kurogiri didn't stop cleaning the glass.
"I ask that you be a little more patient, Tomura. It shouldn't be long—"
The bar door creaked open.
"Hey there! Shigaraki!" Giran's voice echoed cheerfully. "Man, it's been days since I heard from you!"
Shigaraki didn't turn around.
"Did you bring them?"
Giran smiled even wider.
"Come on in, come on in."
Two figures stepped through the door.
"Wow~" Toga twirled on the spot, excited. "So you're Shigaraki, huh? Right, right~?"
Dabi cast a lazy glance around.
"Hmm… what a depressing atmosphere," he commented. "I expected something much dirtier. This place is actually… too clean."
Shigaraki was silent for a few seconds before finally reacting.
"Kurogiri…" he said. "Warp these two out of here. I don't have the patience to deal with the two kinds of people I hate the most. A child… and a guy with no manners."
Kurogiri hesitated.
"Tomura… perhaps it would be best to hear what they have to say. They came all this way. A conversation wouldn't hurt. Perhaps their ideals—"
"Fine, fine… Giran. Introduce them."
"Hah! Knew you'd come around." Giran rubbed his hands together. "Let's start with this little cutie here."
Toga took a step forward.
"I'm Himiko Toga!" she said excitedly. "Life is hard, boring, and dull! I want to create a better world… a more fun and easier one to live in!"
She tilted her head, smiling.
"What you did in Hosu motivated me sooo much~ I want to be like you, Shigaraki-kun! I want to copy you! I wanna kill you~!"
Shigaraki turned his head slightly toward Toga, the hood still hiding his features.
"…Are you some kind of lunatic?"
Giran burst out laughing.
"Don't knock it! You two will get along eventually. Now—" he pointed at Dabi. "This one doesn't have a criminal record yet, but he's very interested in joining up."
"Dabi," he said. "For now, for now that'll be my name."
He crossed his arms.
"And to be honest… now I'm not so sure about this. Like… you're just gonna let this crazy bitch in, just like that?"
"At least the lunatic has a record," Shigaraki replied. "Now give me your real name. I'm not interested in nicknames…"
"I'll tell you when I need to." Dabi shrugged. "But changing the subject… I can make your ideals a reality. If you help me with one thing too—"
"Enough," Shigaraki interrupted.
His body began to tremble slightly as he rose from his seat.
CRACK… CRACK…
A metallic sound echoed.
"I've heard enough," his voice carried pure irritation. "You two aren't taking this seriously… and it's pissing me off."
He stood up and turned toward them.
The hood fell back partially, revealing a face with a large scar tearing across the left side. His left eye was gray, opaque, dead—violently contrasting with the other, still alive and alert.
"This is bad…" he muttered, scratching his neck with his right hand. "Bad, bad, bad…"
His left arm shot up violently.
CLANG
A metallic sound rang from Shigaraki's arm before a wave of zero-point energy enveloped Toga and Dabi.
"You two have no idea…" his voice trembled with hatred. "…of everything I've been through to get here."
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After the exam ended, the students returned to the classroom—all of them, except for Ryo.
In U.A.'s infirmary, the boy stood before the bed where All Might rested. The hero looked frail, wrapped in bandages and hooked to an IV, a far cry from the colossal figure everyone knew.
Ryo took a deep breath… and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry…" he murmured. "I… I messed up. I got too carried away… and ended up doing that to you..."
All Might blinked a few times, tilting his head.
"As I explained a few minutes ago, young Takeda, that wasn't your fault. And this wound on the abdomen already—"
"That just makes it worse!" Ryo interrupted, his voice laden with guilt and shame. "I ended up… hitting and beating up a cripple…"
All Might furrowed his brow.
"…Cripple?"
Ryo clenched his fists.
"I let myself get carried away. The idea of fighting the real Symbol of Peace… I lost control. And I almost hurt Ms. Midnight too. If it weren't for you…"
He took another deep breath.
"I know I messed up in the end. That's why I'm apologizing."
All Might stared at him for a few seconds… and then smiled.
"You really have changed," he said calmly. "As Thirteen said…"
Ryo looked up.
"Few people admit their mistakes out loud, young man. That requires strength," All Might continued. "And courage. To accept your own mistakes… that's also part of growing up."
He gave a slight nod.
"I accept your apology."
Some time later, Ryo left the infirmary.
He let out a long sigh—relieved… but still resentful.
"I thought he were stronger..." he murmured to himself as he walked down the hall. "And I ended up punching a cripple… with a smile on my face."
He ran a hand over his forehead, the discomfort sticking in his mind.
"Takeda: The Cripple-Basher."
The nickname echoed in his head, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
When he arrived at the classroom and opened the door, he barely had time to react before being crushed in a bone-crushing hug.
"TAKEDA!" Kirishima shouted, emotional. "I GET TO GO WITH YOU GUYS TO THE TRAINING CAMP, DUDE!"
"Ngh—!" Ryo grunted, the air forced from his lungs. "I-I get it… but… can you let go?!"
"Ah! Sorry!" Kirishima immediately released him.
Ryo fell back to the floor, breathing heavily.
"Wait…" he said, confused. "What do you mean you get to go? Didn't you fail the practical exam?"
"Because Aizawa said EVERYONE gets to go," Kaminari appeared behind Kirishima. "Even those who failed."
"A trick again," Mina popped up from the other side. "But this time… a good trick!"
She and Kaminari cheered loudly.
"…But we still have to do the hellish summer classes," Kirishima added.
The three made faces at the same time.
Ryo sighed.
"I see…" he said, putting a hand on Kirishima's shoulder. "Do your best there, man."
"Got it!"
Ryo gave a small smile, until another voice rang out behind him.
"Takeda!" Dash appeared at the door, excited. "I've been looking for you everywhere!"
"What is it?" Ryo asked.
Dash handed him a piece of paper.
"Packing list for the camp, from Aizawa."
Ryo read the list… and his eyes widened slightly.
"…This is huge."
"Yeah," Dash laughed awkwardly. "Some of the class is thinking of going to the mall now. The exams are over, and we still have plenty of time today."
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"So…" Dash asked. "Wanna come? It might help you relax, too!"
Ryo hesitated for a few seconds… then let out a short sigh.
"…Okay. I'll go."
Dash's smile widened instantly.
"You won't regret it, bro. We're gonna have a blast!"
----------------------------------------
"Tomura, please calm down." Kurogiri carefully raised his voice. "If you let yourself be consumed by anger now, this organization will never grow. Furthermore… we are at the peak of public attention. We should capitalize on that."
"Shut up!" Shigaraki snapped back.
The invisible pressure holding Dabi and Toga simply dissolved. The two fell back to the floor with a soft thud.
"Ah…" Toga stretched her neck, still smiling. "I can talk again."
"What the hell was that…?" Dabi muttered, staring at his own hands before looking up.
Shigaraki was already walking toward the bar door.
"Hey, hey," Giran called out, surprised. "Where are you going?"
"Shut up," Shigaraki repeated, without even looking back.
"Tomura, you cannot simply leave in this state—!" Kurogiri tried to stop him.
The only response was the door slamming shut, the sound echoing through the bar.
Giran let out a sigh, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a cigarette.
"Seems our business partner isn't in the best of moods today," he commented, lighting the cigarette in his mouth.
"I thought he was going to kill us!" Toga said excitedly. "When Shigaraki-kun pinned us with that thing… it was so thrilling~"
Dabi kept staring at the closed door.
"That was weird…" he thought, serious. "When he raised his hand… my instinct screamed non-stop. It was as if… he was going to blow up the entire bar right then and there."
Outside.
Shigaraki walked along the crowded walkway, the hood completely covering his face. People passed him by, laughing, talking, pushing strollers, living.
It irritated him.
"Laughter… smiles…"
As if they didn't know or care that, somewhere out there, someone was being killed by someone else at that very moment.
"Idiots… How can they live like this? Being so ignorant. So happy."
He passed through the entrance of the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall, walking past storefronts and excessively cheerful colors. Everything seemed… wrong.
That's when he saw two students standing at a mask stall.
"Hey, look at this!" one of them said, picking up a helmet. "Isn't it just like that guy Fourteen?"
"Whoa, it really is!" the other laughed. "Put it on, this is so damn cool."
The boy put on the helmet while his friend pulled out his phone.
"Wait, let me take a picture."
Shigaraki's teeth gritted.
The name echoed in his head.
"Fourteen... That damn kid...!"
A strange sound escaped his throat—something between a growl and a choke. Loud enough to make the two teenagers turn around… but there was no one there.
Shigaraki had already moved on.
"Everything here is disgusting."
People moved like cockroaches. Crawling from one place to another, without purpose, without awareness, bothering his existence just by… existing.
Making a mockery of him.
He remembered Kurogiri's words.
"Those two have the same ideal as me... They want to destroy and burn what they hate…"
He stopped in the middle of the crowd.
"So… what was the difference?"
Shigaraki raised his gaze.
And his eyes widened at what he saw ahead.
----------------------------------------
Kirishima and Dash stared at Ryo in absolute silence.
Both had their hands on their chins, eyebrows furrowed, analyzing every detail of their friend's clothing choice as if it were a work of art… or a crime against fashion.
A loose black shirt with NO SENSE printed on the chest.
Camouflage cargo shorts, full of pockets.
And, to cap it all off…
His red Crocs.
"…Crocs?" Kirishima finally broke the silence. "For real?"
Ryo shrugged, completely nonchalant.
"They're comfortable. And you guys said to wear casual clothes. This *is* my casual."
An almost childlike gleam passed through Dash's eyes as he stared at Ryo's feet.
"Dude… that reminds me of my Lightning McQueen Crocs from when I was a kid…"
Ryo slowly turned his head.
"…Are you making fun of me?"
"No!" Dash replied quickly. "I mean… maybe a little."
Before Kirishima and Dash could tease him further, Iida appeared beside them, hand raised high.
"We should not judge a classmate's clothing choices! One's individuality is also expressed through fashion!"
"Well…" Momo tilted her head slightly, analyzing Ryo. "I'd say his taste is simple, yet… 𝓮𝔁𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬."
A vein pulsed on Ryo's temple.
"Even you, Momo…?"
He let out a tired sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"Alright, alright… I get it. Seems like I'm gonna have to buy some clothes too. Actually…" he thought for a second. "It's been a while since I bought anything new."
Kirishima's eyes widened.
"How long is a while?"
"I guess… last year."
"LAST YEAR?!" Kirishima reacted as if he'd heard heresy. "How do you even survive like that, man?"
"By surviving," Ryo replied simply.
Mina popped up excitedly, already pulling on his arm.
"Alright, leave it to me! I can fix this right now!"
"I'm in too!" Kaminari raised his hand. "This is becoming a mission."
"It's a man's job to help another man... dress better!" Kirishima finished, all pumped up.
Ryo blinked, completely caught off guard.
"…Really?"
He ended up smiling.
"Alright. Fine then."
Before being officially dragged off by the group, he turned to Dash.
"And you, what's on your list to come with us?"
Dash slowly raised his paper, a defeated smile on his face.
"…Everything."
The silence lasted half a second.
"THEN LET'S GO!" Mina yelled, pulling both of them along now.
"Head back to the meeting point when you're done!" Jiro called out, watching the group walk off with the rest of the class.
"Got it!" Mina replied, waving before continuing to pull Ryo and Dash along.
Within seconds, they vanished into the bustling crowd of the mall.
Mission: Dress Up Ryo
They had barely reached the first store when Ryo was practically shoved into a changing room by Mina, his arms piled high with clothes.
"Trust me," Mina said with a mischievous smile. "This is gonna be fun~!"
"I'm already regretting this…" Ryo murmured, stepping into the stall.
Minutes later, the changing room curtain slid open.
Ryo emerged in a simple grey t-shirt, a light jacket over it, and a pair of regular jeans.
The group fell silent for a few seconds.
"…Not bad," Dash said, tilting his head.
"Yeah… acceptable," Kaminari agreed.
"Way too basic," Mina declared, crossing her arms. "Next!"
Ryo sighed and retreated back into the stall.
When the curtain opened again, Ryo stepped out in a fitted, open-collared shirt, a stylish jacket, and looking unexpectedly… suave.
Mina's eyes went wide.
"WHOA?!" She pointed at him. "Would you look at that?! He looks amazing!"
"Amazing is a strong word…" Kaminari averted his gaze. "Kind of… too showy."
"Bro, you look like one of those BTS guys," Dash commented, snapping a picture and laughing.
"I love it!" Mina declared, determined. "Next~!"
"Why are you guys afraid to give a compliment?" Ryo asked the boys, confused, as he headed back to the stall.
"Because this feels wrong on multiple levels," Kirishima answered.
The third time, Ryo came out in a leather jacket, heavy boots, and a dark shirt. It all matched his naturally serious expression.
Kirishima practically lit up.
"DUDE!" he exclaimed, pointing. "THAT IS PURE, UNADULTERATED MANLINESS!"
"He looks like he's about to collect a debt," Dash observed.
"Or break someone in the parking lot," Kaminari finished.
Mina tilted her head, appraising him.
"It… fits, but it's a little too intimidating."
Ryo looked at himself in the mirror.
"…Would I scare kids?"
"Absolutely," they answered in unison.
For the final change, Ryo stepped out in a simple light-colored t-shirt, a light jacket, comfortable pants, and subtle sneakers. Nothing over the top. Nothing flashy.
Just… him.
Silence fell once more.
"…That's perfect!" Mina said excitedly, clapping her hands.
"Simple, but strong!" Kirishima nodded.
"He can wear this every day!" Dash smiled.
"Finally something normally normal!" Kaminari approved with a thumbs-up.
Ryo blinked, slightly surprised.
"Really?"
"Really," Mina confirmed. "It's you."
After shopping, the group ended up stopping by the arcade to kill some time.
Mina was already fuming at the crane game.
"THIS IS ROBBERY!" she complained after losing for the seventh time.
Ryo watched in silence.
"Can I try?"
"If you get ONE, that's already good."
Ryo put in the coin... and began.
Ten minutes later, the machine was almost empty.
Ryo handed plushie after plushie to Mina, who hugged them all… and then hugged him.
"YOU'RE AMAZING! THANK YOU!"
Ryo froze and turned red.
"H-hey… take it easy!"
At the air hockey table, Kaminari snapped his fingers.
"I'm a prodigy at this. At the arcade back home, they call me 'Swift Strike'..."
He lost badly to Dash, and then lost again to Ryo.
He slumped onto a nearby bench in the iconic pose of Joe's death scene.
"My reputation…"
Kirishima put a hand on his shoulder.
"Every warrior falls one day, brother."
At the punching machine, Kirishima maxed out the score and raised his arms.
"HAH!" he bragged. "You can't beat something that's already been beaten!"
"Can I try?" Ryo asked.
The next punch made the machine jam, beep, and shut down.
Ryo looked at it… then at his friends.
"...Do you think I'll have to pay for it?"
The four nodded in unison.
"Absolutely."
Finally, they squeezed into a photo booth, making ridiculous poses, funny faces, and peace signs, laughing as if there were no tomorrow.
When they came out, Ryo was holding the photo strip in his hand.
He looked at it for a second longer.
And smiled.
After some time, the group finally returned to the mall's central plaza.
Everyone already had everything they needed for the camping trip, but it was impossible not to notice who was suffering the most: Ryo and Dash. The shopping bags almost hid their bodies, but Dash definitely took the trophy, with bags hanging from his arms, over his shoulders, and even balanced against his chest.
"Dude, you've become a walking store," Kirishima commented, laughing.
He walked over to help his friend.
"Give me these." Kirishima took a few bags. "Kaminari?"
"On it!" Kaminari helped too, relieving Dash, who let out a sigh.
"Thanks, for real…"
They reached the plaza and began looking around.
"I think we were the first ones back," Mina commented, spinning in place.
"Should we wait for the others?" Kaminari asked.
"Maybe we should—"
Ryo stopped mid-sentence.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
Before he could even think, his Innert Transition activated on pure instinct. He slowly turned his head over his shoulder, staring into the crowd behind them.
Among so many people… a hooded figure stood out.
A green aura began to envelop Ryo's body.
"Hey, Takeda!" Kirishima called him, alarmed. "What are you doing?! We can't use Quirks in public!"
But Ryo didn't answer.
In the middle of the crowd, the hooded man raised his face.
The hood lifted just enough to reveal Shigaraki with a twisted, sickly smile.
Before anyone could react—
"AAAAAAH!"
A scream echoed from the other side of the plaza.
Everyone's attention snapped in that direction. The crowd erupted into chaos, people pushing, confused voices mixing.
"What was that?!" Kaminari asked.
"I don't know!" Mina answered.
When Ryo looked back, Shigaraki was no longer there.
A tall man passed by the side… and, in the next instant, the villain had simply vanished.
The green aura around Ryo began to fade, his chest rising and falling heavily.
"Takeda!" Dash grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?! We need to get to safety!"
Ryo pulled his arm away carefully.
"You guys go…" he said firmly. "I need to see what happened."
"Wait! Take—!"
Too late.
Ryo was already plunging into the crowd, dodging people, pushing past shoulders, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Why is he here?"
He passed by a couple.
"Why today? Now?"
He sidestepped a guy running in the opposite direction.
"My friends are here…"
His eyes widened, and in the same instant, the whites of his eyes slowly darkened.
"If you did anything to my friends…" he murmured, his voice laced with threat. "I will kill you."
He broke through the circle of onlookers, and as he emerged on the other side, he found himself facing the entrance of the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall.
On the ground, kneeling, was a figure in a suit.
"…Huh?"
"Takeda!" Midoriya's voice sounded behind him.
Ryo turned quickly, seeing Midoriya, Uraraka, and the rest of the class who hadn't appeared yet.
A wave of relief hit him hard… but it didn't last.
"…Ryo…"
He recognized that voice.
Ryo slowly turned towards the kneeling figure.
"Kobayashi-san…?"
The blonde bodyguard lifted her face, her eyes red, her face streaked with tears.
"Ryo…" she sobbed.
That's when he saw it.
A pile of dust right on the ground in front of her.
Beside it… broken sunglasses.
The world around Ryo seemed to stop.
"It can't be…"
Rin was openly crying now.
"S-Sakamoto-senpai…" her voice broke. "...is dead."
----------------------------------------
Stone Goals:
̶5̶0̶0̶ ̶P̶S̶ – Complete
1500 PS – Not Complete (New)
3000 PS – Not Complete (New)