Nooroo explained to his master the truth behind the Ladybug Miraculous and the Cat Miraculous, and why they were so fiercely sought after. By unifying the two Miraculouses, he said, one would summon the Kwami of Existence—Gimmi—who could grant a single wish.
However, such a wish would never come without cost. Balance was an absolute law. This was the reason figures like Gabriel Agreste had pursued their power so obsessively: not for the Miraculouses themselves, but for the wish they promised.
"A wish?" Izuku could hardly believe how powerful—and how dangerous—the Miraculouses truly were if they ever fell into the wrong hands. "And when you say there has to be something in return… does that mean there are consequences?"
"Well, you could say that," Nooroo replied. "If someone wished for the leaves of trees to turn white, then snow would become green. If someone wished to heal their dying mother of cancer, then a healthy person somewhere else would instead be stricken with the disease."
His explanation sent a chill through Izuku.
"There must always be balance. That is why no one with ill intentions must ever possess both Miraculouses—even if their wish is meant to save someone."
Izuku fell silent, his thoughts drifting to his own loss. "What would happen," he finally asked, "if I wished for my world to be restored, Nooroo?"
"Then a random reality within your multiverse would be destroyed in its place," Nooroo answered honestly, understanding exactly why his master would think of such a wish. "There must always be a price to pay. But I know you wouldn't do that, Master."
"What makes you so sure?" Izuku asked softly, sadness threading his voice.
Nooroo smiled. "Because you're a hero. You wouldn't let anyone die just to reclaim what you lost. Anyone else in your situation would be desperate to bring back their destroyed world, but you're different. You have the strength to refuse that choice. You're far stronger than my previous master."
Izuku smiled faintly in return. "I guess you're right, Nooroo. It wouldn't be right for others to pay a price they never agreed to just because I wanted to go home. I have to accept that my reality is gone—and that I was given a chance to become something else in this one."
"But that doesn't mean you should forget your past, Master," Nooroo said gently. "Remembering your world will only make you more determined to protect this one, no matter what it takes. You wouldn't want anything to happen here as well."
"You're right," Izuku said, patting Nooroo affectionately, much to the Kwami's delight. "I don't." His expression hardened with resolve. "I need to learn what caused my world to be destroyed. Someday, I'll meet the person who brought me here. But for now…"
The wail of sirens cut through the air as several police cars sped toward what was likely another crime scene. Izuku rose to his feet, clenching his fists. Criminals had begun appearing in this city almost daily, swarming it like pests.
"…I have a city to save," Izuku said, his voice firm with determination. Nooroo smiled brightly.
"Nooroo, light wings rise!"
—
Inside the bank, a group of police officers writhed in baffled distress. They had been bound with balloon animals—twisted dogs, flowers, and loops of brightly colored latex that somehow refused to pop no matter how violently they struggled.
Others had been restrained by a living, twenty-foot Burmese python, its heavy coils wrapped firmly around them, prompting outright panic as the massive reptile hissed and shifted with unsettling calm.
The perpetrator stood proudly amid the chaos, clad in an outfit that blended the flamboyance of a stage magician with the elegance of an assistant. She wore a black top hat and a smooth white mask that concealed her features entirely, paired with a high-collared white shirt fastened with a black, club-shaped bowtie.
Below her chest, the fabric faded into gray in a sharp V-shaped gradient. A matching V-shaped belt adorned her hips, centered by a red diamond symbol. Long white gauntlets covered her arms, each marked with a red heart on the back of the hands.
Her lower attire consisted of black shorts, fishnet stockings, and thigh-high black boots. Gold rings glinted on her fingers—one bearing a red heart on her left middle finger, the other a black spade on her right.
Her real name was unknown, having never been uncovered even by the finest law enforcement agencies in all of France. She was instead infamous nationwide under a single title: the Magician.
Her sudden disappearances and elaborate tricks, which seemed to materialize from nowhere, had earned her that name. And she was not working alone. At her side was her assistant—her son—who went only by the name Mime.
"And look at that, we're almost at the bank vault, my son," the Magician said teasingly, waving condescendingly at the helpless officers. "Once we rob all the banks in Paris, we'll have successfully become the greatest criminals in France. And after that, we'll move on to other places—America, China. Don't you think so, my son?"
Mime instinctively tried to speak, but a sharp glare from his mother stopped him. He quickly switched to sign language. "Yes, Mother."
"You've always been my greatest accomplice, my son," the Magician said, praising him for his competence and unwavering 'loyalty.' "Unlike your father, who wanted a normal life just because of that child! It still infuriates me to think about it! I should've gotten an ab—!"
"It's time to move, Mother. Reinforcements are coming," Mime signed urgently.
The Magician inhaled, visibly calming herself, before a smirk spread across her masked face. "You're right. The past isn't worth dwelling on when the present is right here. We're going to be so rich."
As she ordered her son to open the bank vault, the ceiling suddenly shattered above them. Both criminals spun around as debris rained down, revealing their unexpected opponent: Mightyfly, standing amidst the wreckage, ready to stop them himself.
The Magician responded with a scoff, while the Mime stiffened, clearly hesitant.
"Let me guess," the Magician said mockingly. "You must be the so-called superhero Mightyfly. I am the Magician—the greatest thief you will ever witness."
"Well, it ends tonight," Mightyfly replied, gripping his cane tightly. "Surrender now, and we won't have to get physical. No one has to get hurt."
"Oh, but I don't want to," she replied lightly, twirling her wand between her fingers. "This is my last job in this country. I can't just walk away—the organization would dismiss me. But tell me, hero, why are you confronting us yourself? Why not send your more powerful minions to do your bidding?"
"Says the one with a minion of her own," Mightyfly shot back, his gaze shifting to the Mime. The boy's terrified, shy expression struck an unsettling chord—it mirrored his own far too closely. "Why are you dragging a child into your crimes, Magician?"
"Because my former partner refused to help me anymore," she replied casually. "So I took our child instead. An eye for an eye, after all." She tilted her head slightly. "Now then, hero—are we going to talk about my son all night, or are we going to fight?"
Mightyfly tensed. He was nervous—this would be his first true physical confrontation. He had initially planned to test his abilities against someone, but after witnessing his own strength earlier, he wanted to challenge himself properly. Still, even with power akin to a Quirk, underestimating the Magician would be a fatal mistake.
Judging by the bizarre ways the officers had been restrained, she clearly had tricks prepared. A magician never performed without preparation. Even as an ordinary human, she could easily catch him off guard. He needed to expect the unexpected, especially given how new he was to his powers.
Nevertheless, he made the first move. He feigned an attack, intending to analyze her movements and understand her fighting style—however unpredictable it might be. But the instant he committed to the feint, the Magician snapped her wand toward him and triggered a blinding flashbang.
Mightyfly staggered, stunned for several seconds. When his vision finally cleared, both the Magician and Kid Mime were gone. Confusion washed over him. He hadn't expected the wand to conceal a functional mechanism.
Still, they couldn't have gone far—the vault remained untouched, meaning they were still somewhere within the bank, planning their next move.
"This won't be easy," Mightyfly muttered.
Before giving chase, he freed the restrained officers. He even had to stifle a startled cry when the python suddenly lunged at him, forcing him to knock the creature unconscious.
Once the officers were safe, he ordered them to establish a perimeter and monitor the sewer system in case the criminals attempted an escape. They complied without hesitation.