Izuku Midoriya was still writing in his thirteenth notebook as he walked.
"If that giant-type Hero has a large-scale Quirk, then…"
He passed beneath a small underpass. Just as he was about to step out, the manhole cover ahead suddenly rattled.
A thick, dark green sludge began to ooze out from the cracks.
Then—
It exploded upward.
A massive wave of slime surged toward him.
Izuku barely had time to turn his head before it swallowed him whole.
…A Villain?!
The thought flashed through his mind as the sludge completely engulfed his body.
"Don't struggle," a distorted voice echoed from within the slime. "It'll only hurt for about forty-five seconds… then it'll all be over."
The creature's body shifted—multiple eyes of different sizes opened across its surface, along with a gaping mouth.
This is a Quirk…!
Izuku struggled desperately, trying to tear the slime away from his face.
I can't breathe! There's nothing to grab onto—no leverage!
"You can't catch me," the Villain laughed. "I'm fluid!"
Darkness began to close in.
Voices echoed faintly—
Die!
No… I don't want to die…!
Help me—!
Just as Izuku was about to lose consciousness—
A powerful voice rang out.
"Don't be afraid, young man… I am here!"
BOOM!
The manhole cover was blasted aside by a single punch.
A towering figure stood above.
That's… All Might…
Izuku's vision blurred.
I… I actually saw him… in person…
And then everything went black.
When Izuku opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting on the ground.
"Huh…?"
He looked up—
And froze.
"AHHHHHHH!!! It's really him! It's actually him!!"
He scrambled around frantically.
"My notebook—where's my notebook?!"
He found it—
Already signed.
"AHHHH!!! ALL MIGHT'S AUTOGRAPH!!!"
Tears streamed down his face as he clutched it tightly.
"Sorry, kid," All Might said, holding up a bottle. Inside, the defeated Sludge Villain sloshed around helplessly."I didn't mean to drag you into this. But thanks to you, I was able to catch him."
He gave a thumbs-up.
"Think of the autograph as compensation. Keep cheering for me."
He crouched slightly, preparing to leap away.
"W-Wait!"
Before he could move, Izuku grabbed onto his leg.
The next moment—
They were airborne.
All Might glanced down, slightly troubled.
"This is a bit too enthusiastic… let go already!"
"If I let go… I'll die!!"
"…Fair point!"
"I have something I need to ask you… directly!"
The wind distorted Izuku's face as he clung on.
"Alright, alright! Just close your mouth!"
All Might coughed quietly.
Damn… I'm running out of time…
Moments later, they landed on a rooftop.
Izuku staggered off, his face pale green.
"…That was awful…"
"Look, just go back down and tell people what happened. I don't have time to deal with this," All Might said, hands on his hips.
"Wait!" Izuku called out.
"No waiting!"
"…Can someone without a Quirk become a Hero like you?"
All Might froze.
"…Quirk…?"
His body trembled.
Izuku lowered his head.
"I've always been called useless… because I don't have a Quirk…"
"I don't fully understand everything… but I know this—saving people with a smile is amazing…"
He clenched his fists.
"I want to become a Hero like you! A Hero who saves people without fear!"
Suddenly—
Steam burst from All Might's body.
The massive figure shrank—
Revealing a thin, emaciated man.
"WHAAAAAT?!"
Izuku stared in total shock.
"Y-You… just now… what happened?!"
"I am All Might," the thin man said—
Then coughed up blood.
"Y-You're bleeding!! Here—take this!"
Izuku immediately handed him tissues.
All Might sat down, wiping his mouth.
"Aren't you surprised?"
"I… I am! I thought it was a joke!"
All Might lifted his shirt.
A massive scar stretched across his torso.
Izuku gasped.
"Five years ago, I was gravely injured in a battle with a Villain," All Might explained."My respiratory system is severely damaged… and I lost my stomach."
"I can only maintain my Hero form for about three hours a day now."
"Five years ago… was that the fight against…" Izuku hesitated.
"That doesn't matter," All Might cut him off.
"The Symbol of Peace must never appear weak."
"So I kept it a secret."
He looked down.
"My smile… is something I use to hide my fear."
"A Hero must always risk their life."
Then he turned back to Izuku.
"Becoming a Hero without a Quirk… isn't impossible in theory."
"But it's not something you can achieve just by saying it."
Izuku trembled.
"If you want to help people, you could become a police officer," All Might continued.
"Dreaming isn't wrong… but you need to face reality."
He walked toward the exit.
"Think about it carefully."
The door shut behind him.
Silence.
Even the Symbol of Peace says I can't…
So I really can't become a Hero…?
…You can't.
No—! I have to become a Hero!
Inside him, two voices clashed.
One trying to protect his dream—
The other trying to destroy it.
Then—
A loud explosion echoed in the distance.
"What was that?!"
Izuku looked up.
"Another Villain…? Where are the Heroes?"
He took a step forward—
Then stopped.
Do you want to be a Hero for a moment… or a coward for life?
Of course I want to be a Hero!
Then what are you doing now?
"…I…"
He fell silent.
Clutching his signed notebook, he slowly walked down the stairs.
After a while, he reached the scene.
Crowds had already gathered.
"I can't see anything…"
He jumped to get a better view.
Then—
He saw it.
The same Sludge Villain.
It escaped… because of me…
Izuku covered his mouth.
"Why aren't the Heroes acting?!"
"A middle schooler's been captured!"
"Wasn't that the Villain All Might caught earlier?!"
"Where's All Might?!"
It's my fault…
All Might can't act right now…
Then—
Izuku saw who was trapped inside the sludge.
Katsuki Bakugo.
His face twisted in desperation.
Izuku didn't think.
He ran.
"You idiot! Stop right there!!"
Several Heroes shouted from the front lines—
But Izuku Midoriya had already rushed forward.