The lights of the armored security convoy carrying All For One faded gradually into the darkness of the night, leaving behind the arena of Kamino drowning in chaos.
The moment everyone confirmed that the greatest threat had been eliminated, the area transformed into a beehive. Ambulance sirens tore through the silence of the dead night and rescue teams alongside pro heroes spread out among the rubble.
In a dark back alley, far from the camera lights and the noise of the arena, exhaustion had finally claimed the student group. Midoriya slid down a wall to sit on the ground, breathing with difficulty as he pressed his chest, while Todoroki wiped sweat from his forehead in silence. Bakugo was standing leaning against the wall, grinding his teeth with his eyes fixed on the void, still processing the awe of the moment when he'd been forced to intervene in the middle of that hell to pull Zoro away from death's grip.
"It's truly over." Yaoyorozu whispered in a voice trembling from the remnants of adrenaline.
Kirishima turned toward them with features reflecting a mix of exhaustion and tension. "Yes. We made it. We need to split up and go home immediately. Endeavor already found out about us, and if any other hero spots us here the consequences will be severe."
Everyone began moving to leave, but Iida suddenly stopped and looked at the long cloth bag he was carrying.
"Wait a moment. What about Zoro's swords? He left them behind when Bakugo carried him."
Midoriya stopped and looked at him. "Endeavor took Zoro from our hands and handed him to the rescue team to receive treatment. They certainly transferred him to Yokohama General Hospital. But the swords."
Iida nodded with firm resolve. "You all know how attached he is to them. If he wakes up and doesn't find them beside him he might lose his mind and cause a scene. We need to return them to him before going home."
An hour later, inside Zoro's room in Yokohama General Hospital, a heavy silence had settled, broken only by the click of the remote control button.
Aizawa turned off the television screen mounted on the wall, which had been broadcasting moments earlier the final scene of All Might's victory. He turned toward the bed where Zoro lay watching the black screen in silence, bandages wrapping his body.
Kenji, who had been sitting watching the broadcast with them, rose and rubbed his face with exhaustion. "Well, the worst is over. We'll leave now and let you rest, Zoro. You've drained every last bit of your energy today."
Aizawa nodded in agreement and moved with heavy steps toward the door. But before they could leave, Zoro raised his head with difficulty and with a voice carrying a note of concern they weren't used to hearing from him, he asked.
"Wait. Where are my swords?"
Aizawa sighed audibly and rubbed the back of his bruised neck. "They'll likely be in police custody. I'll ask Detective Tsukauchi about them later. For now just focus on recovering."
The door closed. Zoro was left alone. And despite the exhaustion crushing his bones and the pain of his wounds, sleep refused to come. The thought of his blades not being beside him was enough to make him shift with unease in his bed, staring at the ceiling through a night that seemed as if it would never end.
At the same moment, at the end of the long corridor outside the room, Midoriya and the others suddenly stopped and pulled back to hide behind a corner of the wall. Midoriya was breathing quickly while Iida waved his hands automatically in silence, expressing intense tension.
"That's Sensei Aizawa!" Iida whispered while watching from a distance. "And there's an old man with a cane beside him. They're leaving Zoro's room right now."
Midoriya bit his lip. "Iida-kun. Endeavor saw us and he wasn't lenient with us. If we come face to face with Sensei Aizawa right now we'll definitely be expelled."
They waited in breath-holding silence, leaning against the cold wall, until they heard the elevator doors close. They exhaled with relief and slipped quietly toward Zoro's room.
The moment the door opened with a soft creak, Zoro turned quickly to find his classmates standing before him. He gave them no chance to speak, asking immediately in a sharp tone. "What happened out there? And more importantly. Where are my swords?"
His eyes stopped on Bakugo who was standing with his hands in his pockets. In that moment, fragments of memory flashed through Zoro's mind. The battlefield. The tyrant. The devastating attack. Then Bakugo launching toward him and carrying him forcefully away from the arena.
Zoro straightened in his sitting position despite his pain and shouted directing his words at Bakugo. "You! Why did you intervene at that moment? Who asked you to risk yourself? And on top of that you carry me like a sack of potatoes and leave my swords behind!"
The veins on Bakugo's forehead stood out and he shouted at full volume, stepping closer to the bed. "HAAH?! What do you think you could have done in that miserable state, you idiot? You would have died without my intervention! You should be on your knees thanking me, not blaming me, you moss-head!"
Zoro shot back furiously, putting his foot on the floor as if ready to fight. "I didn't ask for your help, explosion boy! I could have managed on my own!"
"Managed on your own?! You couldn't even stand up!"
Midoriya stepped in quickly, waving his hands to calm things down. "Zoro, please calm down! We know you didn't want to give up, but believe me, being there in that condition would have made you an easy target and would have hindered All Might. What Kacchan did was the only solution!"
Iida pushed his glasses with one finger and spoke in a firm, low voice. "We are in a hospital. Lower your voices immediately, both of you. What happened has happened and it's done."
Then Iida stepped forward toward the bed and pulled out the cloth bag, placing it gently beside Zoro. "Your swords were safe with us. We know what they mean to you."
The moment Zoro heard the ring of metal his features changed entirely. He untied the bag quickly and confirmed his three swords were there. He ran his hand over the sheaths and finally exhaled with complete relief.
He looked at them and said quietly. "Thank you."
Yaoyorozu smiled with relief. "We were extremely worried about you. But seeing you shout and argue with Bakugo-san, it looks like nothing happened to you at all."
Zoro nodded. "Thank you, Yaoyorozu."
Kirishima laughed and punched his fists together. "You always surprise me, man! Do you have some kind of supernatural healing speed or what? I'm adding this observation to my notes about you!"
Zoro replied with a faint smile. "A deep sleep is all it takes to get me back to normal."
Todoroki approached with his usual calm and looked at Zoro. "You pushed yourself far beyond your limits this time. Don't do that again. We need you with us."
Zoro smiled with dry irony. "Look who's talking about crossing limits."
They talked briefly before Iida told them they needed to leave before anyone discovered their sneaking in. They bid him farewell and departed, and Zoro finally sank into a deep sleep with his hand gripping his swords.
Late that same night, ambulances continued arriving at the hospital carrying injured heroes. As for Endeavor, despite his wounds, he refused to ride an ambulance and returned to his home with heavy steps.
And just before dawn, All Might in his thin form was brought to a private wing of the same hospital, away from the eyes of the press.
The following morning, Zoro opened his eyes as threads of sunlight crept in. He felt noticeably better. His ears caught a conversation in the corridor between two nurses talking about All Might being brought in overnight to the upper floor.
Zoro grabbed his swords and headed out intending to visit him. He walked down the corridor, turned right, climbed a flight of stairs, then went left, only to find himself in the maternity ward.
"What is wrong with these hospitals? Do they build them like mazes on purpose?" Zoro muttered with irritation, turning right and left.
"Did you lose your way, young man?"
Zoro turned to find Gran Torino standing holding his cane, with Detective Tsukauchi beside him.
Zoro cleared his throat and tried to appear confident. "No, I was just exploring the place. Where is All Might's room?"
Torino pointed with his cane toward the completely opposite corridor. "Room 301, at the end of that left hallway."
Zoro walked in the indicated direction and opened the door to room 301 quietly.
All Might was sitting on his bed looking out the window toward the city. His right arm was in a large cast and bandages wrapped his neck.
All Might turned slowly. His eyes widened slightly before a warm smile formed on his lips. "Zoro-shun. It's good to see you walking on your own feet."
Zoro closed the door behind him and sat on the chair near the bed with his swords resting on his knees.
"I heard what happened." Zoro began in a quiet, direct voice. "That form. You can no longer fight with it, can you?"
All Might nodded calmly. "Yes. My flame has gone out completely. My role on the battlefield is over."
Zoro's eyes gleamed with seriousness. "It's always this way. When the strongest falls, chaos begins. Everyone will start moving to fill the void. What you did yesterday was extraordinary, but it removed the shield that was keeping the monsters afraid."
All Might looked at his thin hands, recalling All For One's poisoned words. "You're right, Zoro-shun. That's exactly what the tyrant said to me before he was imprisoned. He warned me that my absence would leave all of you exposed." All Might raised his eyes to meet Zoro's. "Midoriya inherited my power, and you possess a secret and a will that make you a primary target. I'm afraid for both of you."
Zoro smiled a sideways smile and placed his hand on the handle of Wado Ichimonji.
"Don't be foolish, old man. Fear is for the weak." He paused for a moment then continued in a tone that left no room for doubt. "You've protected us enough. You've repaid your debt and it's done. If they think your absence will make us easy prey, let them come. I'll cut down everyone who stands in my way."
Zoro stood and turned his back, heading toward the door. Then he stopped and looked over his shoulder with a defiant smile.
"Your era is over. Now it's our turn to show them who the real monsters are."
Zoro walked out leaving All Might staring at the closed door. The old hero sat in silence, not knowing whether he should feel joy or sorrow, while one thing continued to circle in his mind without leaving. The shock that had not yet settled since the moment he had grasped who Shigaraki Tomura truly was.
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