"Yukinon!! Calm down, Yukinon, the enemy might still be nearby!?"
"I am calm, Yuigahama-san. That's exactly why we must act quickly. We'll head to the gate before any other villains find us. We'll capture that man with the black mist."
"I know we have to do that!"
"Then it's simple. Yuigahama-san, you feel the same way, don't you?"
"Getting info about Hikki might be important!! Of course, it's super important! But at this rate you're going to get hurt, Yukinon...! I care about you too! I don't want you to get injured!"
"..."
"Hey, let's calm down, okay? We don't even know where the others are yet... For now, let's move carefully. Let's just head back to the central plaza, okay?"
"...I'm sorry, Yuigahama-san. You're right. We'll proceed cautiously but swiftly while scanning the area. The view in this debris zone is poor; I can't afford to lose my composure."
"...Okay!"
Phew, did she finally understand?
But I know Yukinon's feelings all too well. For two years, she's been chasing Hikki's information, and now it's right in front of us—within reach.
...But how did things end up like this?
Were the villains really targeting All Might...?
__________________________________________________________
[About five minutes earlier]
"So that's Space Hero Thirteen... This is the first time I've met them in person."
"I wonder what Thirteen's real face looks like. Has it ever been revealed?"
After another fifteen minutes on the bus, we, Class 1-A, had arrived at a disaster rescue training facility called USJ.
USJ... is that really okay for a name?
"...U.A. kind of messes around sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Kawasaki-san, I don't think you should touch that topic..."
"H-harsh... ahem, well then, allow me to begin the explanation. A few words... two... three... four... ah, there's more, five..."
It just kept increasing...
Looking like an astronaut but sounding gentlemanly, Teacher Thirteen spoke about their Quirk, Black Hole, and its dangers. Even so, they're a hero who focuses on disaster rescue.
Depending on how you use it, a Quirk can become a tool to easily kill someone, or it can become hope that saves lives. Surely that's something every hero should know by heart. Teacher Thirteen, who explained it as if to gently remind us of that obvious truth, looked incredibly cool. Wow, even among today's heroes, there aren't many who can speak so confidently. Hikki could never do that—no way he could explain things properly as a hero.
Now that I think of it, All Might isn't here.
Since entering high school, I haven't talked to him directly yet. We, the Soubu group, because of Hikki and Yukinon's small connections with pro heroes, had met big names like All Might and Endeavor before. We'd even trained with them... how many times had I been launched into the sky...?
__________________________________________________________
"Everyone, don't move!!"
Huh?
"Form up into a single group!!"
What? Aizawa-sensei is shouting.
At that moment, I felt Yukinon trembling next to me. Hikki and I would often panic when we felt that—because that's what happened when Yukinon was truly furious...!
"Uh... Yukinon? W-what's wrong?"
"Yuigahama-san... that..."
"Huh...?"
Down the stairs, in the plaza with the fountain.
There, black mist was spreading.
I'd never forget it—that blackness that felt like it would drag you in.
For us, it was the source of everything.
The Quirk of the villain we had been chasing all this time, Yukinon and I...!
"What is that? Another 'this has already started' pattern like the entrance exam?"
"Don't move! That's a villain!!!"
With Aizawa-sensei's words, it became crystal clear.
That's our enemy.
__________________________________________________________
"Thirteen... and Eraser Head, is it? According to the curriculum we received the other day, All Might should be here..."
"What, All Might isn't around? Or maybe... he'll show up if we kill some kids."
Kurogiri, Shigaraki, Nomu, and about forty thugs turned soldiers.
That was the invading force of the League of Villains in the central plaza.
What Eraser Head and the others didn't know was that a dozen more villains had been sent into the different disaster zones.
The lynchpin of the plan, Jack—a villain with a Quirk capable of causing radio interference—was deployed in the mountain zone. Along with him, a boy named Connector had also been sent into the same zone.
With that, the League of Villains' total numbers rose to over one hundred.
On the other hand, U.A.'s side:
The Erasure Hero, Eraser Head.
The Space Hero, Thirteen.
And, currently a U.A. student yet already holding a professional license, the Northern Sky Hero, Outsnow—Yukinoshita Yukino.
In addition, twenty-four first-year students of Class 1-A, the eggs of future heroes.
Although not present at USJ, the Symbol of Peace, All Might, was resting in the school's nap room. And in the main building, a number of teachers who were also pro heroes remained as additional reinforcements.
Thus, U.A.'s fighting force at USJ amounted to twenty-seven.
One hundred versus twenty-seven.
On sheer numbers alone, it was a hopeless difference—nearly four times their strength.
...But that was only if each "one" were equal in weight.
__________________________________________________________
"Aizawa-sensei!"
"Thirteen, Yukinoshita! Lead the students!"
"I'll fight too!"
"P-please let me go as well!!"
Not only Yukinoshita Yukino, but Yuigahama Yui raised her voice. Behind her, Kawasaki Saki, Totsuka Saika, and Orimoto Kaori followed suit. It made sense—the reason they aimed to become heroes was standing right before them. There was no way they could just stay still. ...For some reason, even Bakugo Katsuki was in the back, looking murderous, already letting his Quirk flare a little.
"No. Yukinoshita, you hold a pro license. Don't mix public duty with private feelings. As for the rest of you, it should go without saying. You are not allowed to activate your Quirks without my permission. And I have no intention of giving such permission."
"Are you really planning to face those numbers alone?"
"Y-yeah! Eraser Head's fighting style is one-on-one close combat! With that many opponents, going in alone is...!"
"A hero cannot survive on one trick alone."
With those words, Eraser Head, already donning his goggles and ready for battle, brushed aside Midoriya Izuku's worried protest.
In the same moment, he leapt down from the stairs and charged into the lawless villains who had trespassed into U.A. grounds.
While the students watched, torn between overwhelming fear and a faint sliver of hope, the battle between Eraser Head and the League of Villains began.
__________________________________________________________
"...Thirteen-sensei, let's hurry and evacuate everyone. The students' safety must take priority—I'd forgotten that."
"Yes, but Yukinoshita-san... no, surely not!?"
"Once everyone is out of this dome, I'll come back. There's no way we can leave everything to Eraser Head alone."
"I cannot leave this to you, a student! I will—!"
"Thirteen-sensei, you are not a combat-type hero, are you? In contrast, it's no exaggeration to say that all I can do is fight. The right person for the right job. Please understand—I am a hero too."
"If Yukinon's going to fight, then I'll fight too! That way we'll definitely be stronger!"
"...Yuigahama-san."
"Do you really think I'd allow that?"
"Eh..."
"The warp!"
Just as the students began to retreat, the first villain blocked their path.
"Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains. Forgive our intrusion... We have entered this den of heroes, U.A. High, for one reason: we wish for the Symbol of Peace, All Might, to die here."
Kurogiri's tone was almost like he had come out for a casual stroll, yet his words shocked the students.
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Yukino clearly recognized the danger—but at the same time, she also noticed the man's usefulness.
In this situation, the man of black mist could become the very factor that gave them freedom to act.
__________________________________________________________
"It's been a while."
"...? Have we met somewhere before, young lady?"
"Two years ago, you stole something irreplaceable from us."
"!"
"How about you give it back...!"
As she spoke, her Quirk flared to life. A chill leaked out from her body.
"I-is that ice? A Quirk like Todoroki's... maybe?"
"Huh... ice?"
"W-what's wrong, Uraraka-san?"
"Well, I thought Yukinoshita-san's Quirk was water during combat training..."
"Eh?"
"Oh... so you're that girl from two years ago, the one who was with him. And that brown-haired girl as well—yes, I recall. Nostalgic, isn't it?"
"Don't play dumb. Where is he? Where is Hikigaya-kun? He's alive, isn't he?"
"That... I cannot answer!"
The atmosphere between the two grew even more hostile.
Fear spread among the students, but still, some stepped forward—those driven by extraordinary feelings, those who simply wanted to defeat the villains, those who wished only to protect the person beside them.
"Yukinon!"
"Yukinoshita-san, we'll fight too!"
"We've been training for today as well!"
"Crush them."
"Agreed."
"Bakugo, your face looks terrifying... but yeah, better to strike before we're struck!"
"Hmph... hatchlings who can't even call themselves half-fledged, and you think you can fight?"
"You've said enough."
Yukinoshita Yukino raised her hand toward Kurogiri to activate her Quirk—but Thirteen tried to stop her and the six others.
Yet even faster, Bakugo Katsuki and Kirishima Eijiro had already rushed forward—or rather, they had already thrown themselves in.
Hardened arms and an explosive strike closed in. Kurogiri thrust his misty arm forward at the last moment, surprised at the speed of two mere students, but inwardly smirking.
—Too easy.
Who was the most troublesome person here?
Of course, Thirteen. (Kurogiri didn't yet know about Outsnow, Yukinoshita Yukino.)
Troublesome, in the sense of interfering with the mission. Even for Kurogiri, facing a pro hero in one-on-one combat while unknown student Quirks came into play was not to be underestimated. He didn't expect to be defeated easily, but in that time, one or two students could slip away.
So what should he do?
The answer was simple.
Keep them away from the exit gate.
And for that, what he needed was to neutralize Thirteen's freedom. This moment was perfect.
Thirteen, the two charging students, and himself were lined up in a straight line. Thirteen could not use her Quirk right now. Her Quirk, Black Hole, could so easily kill.
"Stop, you two! Get away immediately!"
Thirteen's warning rang out.
Too late.
By the time the shout to flee was heard, Bakugo and Kirishima were already engulfed by black mist. Not just them—the mist reached farther back as well.
In that instant, only a few managed to react. Three used their Quirks to escape. Orimoto Kaori slipped out in a flash, grabbing nearby Totsuka Saika's arm and pulling them both clear. Meanwhile, Thirteen activated her Quirk, regretting that the students ahead had already been swallowed by the mist. Even as she carefully avoided pulling anyone in with Black Hole, the mist surged toward more students.
The large-bodied Shoji Mezo shielded Ashido Mina and Sero Hanta, while Iida Tenya grabbed Uraraka Ochako and pulled her back. Each one responded as best they could, and because of that, no one noticed it.
That Yukinoshita Yukino, already licensed as a pro, had taken Yuigahama Yui's hand—choosing not to activate her Quirk, waiting instead for the warp gate to come to them.
__________________________________________________________
"Eh? Eh?"
When I tried to escape from the black mist, Yukinon had grabbed my hand. I glanced at her face, and at the same time, she looked back at me.
It's okay.
She nodded, as if to say that, and I was surprised. Before I knew it, the scenery around us had changed. What is this place—there are buildings, but... a city street? It looks collapsed.
"Wh-where are we...?"
"Yuigahama-san, enemies."
"Eh!?"
"Two girls, huh... doesn't seem worth killing."
"Don't be stupid. They're hero trainees, remember? We were told not to underestimate them."
"V-villains...? Right?"
"Can't you tell just by looking? What are you, brain-dead, brat?"
"Grr! What's with that attitude!?"
"...Yuigahama-san, please take this seriously."
Ugh. But it felt like they just called me stupid...
When I calmed down and looked around, I saw a dozen or so frightening-looking people I didn't recognize. Probably the so-called League of Villains that the black mist man mentioned.
I need to interrogate him about Hikki, and yet here we are, scattered into a place like this! This must be one of the disaster zones! Looking up, I can see the same dome ceiling as before. We're still inside USJ. We can still get back!
"Yukinon! Let's just take these guys out...!"
"Stay back, Yuigahama-san. I'll finish this in twenty seconds."
"Huh?"
"What did you say, brat? Not just beating us, but wiping us out in twenty seconds? Don't get cocky—"
Maybe he wanted to say "get real"... but in the next moment, he was already frozen.
Chunks of ice struck down the thugs one after another. Without even having the chance to activate their Quirks, they were instantly defeated—truly annihilated.
Yukinon's Quirk...!
"...Pathetic. No real combat experience. Just a bunch of wannabe punks."
"As expected of Yukinon! Three-Forms, that Quirk is insanely amazing!"
Yukinoshita Yukino-chan, my best friend, Yukinon. Her Quirk is "Three-Forms"!
She can expel moisture from her own body, then transform it into three states: ice, water, or vapor. She can make snowstorms, create mist, and she can even manipulate external water or ice around her. On rainy days, she's basically an invincible hero!
"So, did those guys just get knocked out?"
"Yes. It seems the villains' plan was to scatter us, then have us dealt with by foot soldiers already stationed here... A plan that falls apart if the ambushers are too weak to matter."
"No, I think that's just because you're way too strong, Yukinon..."
Yukinon already has a pro license—she's the real deal. In terms of pure combat ability, she's ridiculously strong. Honestly.
I once saw her spar with Endeavor back in middle school. ...To be honest, it made me truly, really, really anxious about whether I could ever keep up in this world. ...Even Hikki was intimidated. Well, Hikki was pretty crazy in his own way, but still.
"Finally, now we can move freely."
"Huh!? W-what do you mean by that?"
"Thirteen-sensei's eyes are no longer on us. Let's hurry back to the central plaza and assist Aizawa-sensei."
"W-wait, does that mean the reason you grabbed my hand and blocked the warp gate was...?"
"On purpose."
N-no way...
"Wh-what if we'd been sent somewhere completely unknown?"
"That couldn't happen. Sending us out of the dome would only hurt them. They've gone to the trouble of cutting external communications—why would they throw us outside? And they likely don't know what Quirks we possess. After all, they only recognized me as a girl they had once met. To them, I'm an unknown factor—so of course they'd want to eliminate me. Predicting a scatter-and-ambush was simple."
I-I couldn't have predicted that at all...
Yukinon is too smart, her judgment of the situation incredible, and her combat power absolutely insane.
...What am I going to do? At this rate, how could I ever team up with her someday?
__________________________________________________________
"Hey, everyone's been taken out! Connector!"
...That was quick. From where I was lying down, Jack was peeking through an opening, looking out. Through that hole, he could see the situation on the surface. Sure enough, the thugs who'd been so fired up were down. That must've been a pretty powerful electric shock...
"An electric Quirk and... one that produces objects from the body? And their earlobes stretch. What kind of Quirk is that... sound?"
"...Checking Quirks, huh. You're thorough."
"One of them's gotten stupid from a Quirk side effect. I'm going to strike from underground and take a hostage."
"You're still at it? Why go that far?"
"Isn't it obvious? I've bought into Shigaraki's philosophy—crush the heroes. Killing All Might, that's the ultimate, isn't it?"
At Jack's words, hostility rose up inside me. There's a surveillance camera attached to my body, but surely taking out this one guy wouldn't be too bad? Could I excuse it as losing my temper?
...No. Thinking about it, he's the one causing the radio interference. If I interfere with that, the aftermath would be terrifying. Without doubt, my primary protected person, Komachi, would be kidnapped. That's the one thing I absolutely cannot let happen.
...Besides.
"Alright, I'm going. Protect me if it looks like I'm getting taken out, okay?"
"If I'm awake."
"Hey, quit screwing around!! You'd better help me!!"
"Weren't you planning a surprise attack? If you don't go quietly, you'll be discovered easily."
"Tch...!"
Clicking his tongue, Jack went underground.
Jack didn't notice that someone else was approaching. If those students like Yaoyorozu were in danger, there'd be no choice but to leave it to that person.
...Even so, maybe I should've stopped him.
If I really wanted to be a true hero, I should've jumped out here, taken down Jack, and rushed to stop Shigaraki.
...But I can't do that anymore.
They're targeting Komachi.
That's what I was told the moment Kurogiri warped me in front of Shigaraki and the person they call "Sensei."
I was already gritting my teeth, enduring the pain in my left arm, trying to understand the situation when this all happened.
Honestly, there was nothing I could do.
They could easily prepare forces that even pros would struggle with, and on top of that they had the ever-present warp gates.
And deeper inside, the mastermind was a monster unlike anything I'd seen.
...From that moment, I chose to endure.
I listened to everything they said.
I even went along with experiments under the pretext of fixing my missing left arm.
They made me fight underworld denizens as "assignments," and even recently had me fight pro heroes. ...I feel bad about that hero called Air Jet.
Even so, I mounted my unseen resistance.
I always kept my face hidden—for the future.
Even when told to kill, I didn't. Even if that doesn't lessen my crimes.
And to resist, I came here this time.
Because, just as I expected... they're here.
Earlier, I felt the air freeze in two places. There's no way there are two people with ice Quirks—but one of them, without a doubt, I know. Yukinoshita is here. Ice Quirks are rare; it can't be anyone else. ...I can even guess who the other one is.
That person approaching this area is probably them too. Their way of walking, running, is unique—like they're running while activating their Quirk.
That's why I'm glad I came to U.A. To prevent a worst-case scenario.
__________________________________________________________
Zuzuzu...
Looks like I was lost in thought. Some time has passed. I open my eyes at the familiar muffled sound. In the small underground space, a black mist begins to form. Kurogiri.
"What is it?"
"Hurry and come here. Pass through the warp gate, quickly."
"...That rumbling from earlier, that's it?"
"Nomu is about to be defeated. Please support Nomu somehow."
"Seriously...? Who's the opponent?"
"All Might..."
He's come. He's really come. But of course.
"What about Jack? Everyone else has been taken out... wait, Jack's in trouble too. Looks like he got ambushed."
"He's still underground, isn't he? I'll retrieve him later. Connector, you hurry here!"
"Yeah yeah..."
You're the Symbol of Peace, after all...!