(Tch, I can't believe I'm being captured so easily by a random...) Oro's arms were tied behind his back, and Eraser Head was lying beside him.
"If Kai loses," said Chrono. "Then at least I'll take the finished drug and serum and..."
Chrono lifted a knife in the air and aimed it at Oro's back. "For the Hassaikai. For Kai!"
Suddenly, though, someone stopped him and entered the room.
"You're Chrono, right? I know the conditions you need to activate your Quirk!"
"Suneater! Young Midoriya!" Oro exclaimed. "Glad you're here, can you untie my hands?"
__________
Back on the battlefield, Mato was still standing in front of Overhaul's unconscious body.
"Eri-chan, are you hurt-"
Suddenly, Mato felt like a shockwave spreading through his entire body.
(Shit... It's Eri-chan's Quirk! It's getting stronger!)
Overhaul partially regained his senses and swung his hand with the intent of crushing Satoru and Eri.
(Oh no, I won't let you!)
With one last punch, Overhaul's fused form shattered, and he reverted to normal. Uraraka grabbed him on the fly.
"Uravity, what's the situation?" Ryukyu asked.
"Nighteye is in the back!" said Uraraka. "We've called for residents in the vicinity to evacuate! Shirakawa-kun is fighting Chisaki, but something seems off!"
(I can't bear it anymore... It's as if someone's electrocuting me!) thought Satoru.
(No... stop, he's going to die!) thought Eri.
Suddenly, Eraser Head and Hikaru rose to the surface thanks to Asui's and Amajiki's help.
"Sorry, Shirakawa..." muttered Eraser Head. Then, he used his Quirk and stopped Eri's Quirk.
Eri fainted, and Mato, still lying on the floor, wrapped his arms around her head.
(It's over... finally...)
__________
(Finally, after I defeated Overhaul, the police arrested the remaining villains and brought the injured fighters to the hospital. Among them, there was one Izuku and I wanted to talk with before it was too late.)
"Nighteye!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Nighteye..." Satoru muttered.
"Shirakawa..." Nighteye whispered. "This future is different from the one I saw... today, you showed me that the future can be changed..."
"All Might said he would live!" Izuku said. "He said he couldn't face you... You should definitely see him again! So hang in there!"
"That's enough," said a doctor. "We have to bring him to the hospital."
The ambulance left with Nighteye.
"Midoriya, Shirakawa," said Ryukyu. "There are a lot of injured fighters, so we shouldn't be happy, but... thank you, guys."
__________
"So you failed, Chisaki," said Shigaraki after he, Dabi, and Compress derailed the police auto. "Seems like I have to apologize to Mato for thinking a scum like you could replace him."
"You came to kill me?" Overhaul asked.
"No," said Shigaraki as he grabbed Overhaul's serums. "I've come to do something way worse for you."
Shigaraki and Mr. Compress erased his arms.
"Now you can't use your Quirk anymore!" Shigaraki exclaimed. "All you'll be able to do will be watching as an impotent, worthless watcher!"
Overhaul screamed. Shigaraki, Mr. Compress, and Dabi left.
"I told you that brat wouldn't have been able to replace Mato," said Dabi.
"I know, I should trust him more," said Shigaraki. "But the fact that sensei now wants both of us as his successors... pisses me off."
(Next, it's our turn.)
__________
Nearest university hospital
"Shirakawa, your injuries were minor, and you don't require extensive treatment," said the doctor.
"That's great..." said Mato. "How are the others?"
"We visited them, and they're all right," Oro, Eraser, and Izuku entered the room.
"Aniki!" Mato turned. "How are your injuries?"
"I had seven stitches, and Eraser had ten!"
"Come with us," said Eraser. "There's someone we must visit."
The four of them started walking to another room.
"Sorry if I wasn't you when it counted, Ototo," said Hikaru. "I'm just glad you're not injured or got any scars."
"Don't worry, Aniki," said Satoru. "You had your own problems."
"Anyway, how's everyone else?" Izuku asked.
"Kirishima has bruises and lacerations on his whole body, but he'll live," Eraser Head explained. "Amajiki cracked a bone in his face, but none of his injuries will leave a scar. Fat Gum has broken bones in a few places, but he seems fine. Luckily, the blade that stabbed Rock Lock didn't hit any vital organs, so his organs won't develop into anything serious."
"So, everyone's alive?" Mato asked.
"And here's where you touch a soft spot..." said Oro. "That's exactly where we're going."
Oor, Mato, Eraser, and Izuku entered the room. There was a doctor, All Might, and Recovery Girl.
"All Might! You're here too!" Izuku said.
"We did everything in our power," said the doctor. "But I can tell he won't see tomorrow."
"Even my Quirk can't do anything in this situation," said Recovery Girl.
"What are you talking about?" Satoru asked.
"They're talking about Nighteye," said Hikaru. "We should visit him... for the last time."
__________
All Might arrived in front of Nighteye's deathbed.
"Nighteye..."
"So you eventually came to see me... on my deathbed, huh?"
"I did terrible things to you..."
"Nighteye!" Izuku said. "Live! Do your best!"
"Izuku's right!" said Mato. "I want to know you better! You can't leave now!"
"You're being very respectful..." said Nighteye. "I don't resent you at all. Because all I wanted was you to be happy..."
"Up until now, I've always thought that the future couldn't be changed... but today, Shirakawa changed my mind. Not only him -- everyone who fought today and believed in this mission contributed, and I think that energy converged into Shirakawa when he fought Chisaki..."
Mirio entered the room. "Sir!"
"Togata-senpai..." muttered Satpru.
"You can't! Please, live!" Mirio said.
"Mirio..." Nighteye muttered. "You suffered so much pain because of me..."
"That's not true! It's only thanks to you that I am what I am today!"
Nighteye touched Mirio's face. "Don't worry, you're destined to become a finer hero than anyone else. This is the only future that shouldn't be changed."
"So, smile... because a society without cheer and humor will not have a bright future..."
Nighteye's eyes glazed over. In that moment, Mato realized that the man he barely knew, but who had guided him toward the beginning of his redemption, had died before his eyes.
"Excuse me, I think I'll go to the bathroom for a moment..." Mato left the room and walked away.
After making sure no one was watching, he burst into tears like a child.
For the first time in his life, Satoru realized what it felt like to see someone he cared about before his eyes.
__________
Satoru was ready to leave the hospital.
(Nighteye... I didn't know him, but I don't know why, his death saddened me. Maybe because of the atmosphere, or maybe because I wanted to know him better... wasn't that a sign that I'm becoming less evil? I mean, the Satoru from three months ago would never have cried in that situation...)
When Mato went outside the hospital, he met Izuku and Kirishima.
"Shirakawa!" Kirishima greeted him.
"Yo," said Mato. "Are your injuries okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Kirishima.
"Izuku Midoriya, Eijiro Kirishima, Hideki Shirakawa," a police officer approached. "Sorry to bother you right after your discharge, but we'd like you to come with us to the station to answer some questions about the Shie Hassaikai incident."
"Yes, sir," said Kirishima.
"I understand," said Izuku.
"Okay," said Mato.
__________
(The interrogation took longer than expected, but finally, in the evening, Izuku and Kirishima were taken to their dormitories, and then I was taken to mine. You can just imagine my classmates' reaction when I set foot in the dormitory.)
Satoru opened the door and entered the dormitory.
"Finally, he's back!" Sen exclaimed.
"We were all worried about you!" Yui said.
"Warn me next time," said Tetsutetsu.
"Don't do it ever again, Hideki-kun!" Itsuka jumped onto Satoru's arms.
"C'mon, let him breathe, Itsuka," said Setsuna.
"We saved dinner for you, Shirakawa," said Kinoko.
"We've seen the news, you've been brave!" said Shihai.
"Can you please stop getting involved in crazy stuff?" Togaru asked.
"Thanks for worrying for me, guys," said Mato, breaking the hug with Itsuka. "But I couldn't really tell you anything. It was a secret."
He walked up to the table and started to eat his dinner. "I promise I'll tell you everything tomorrow, now I just want to sleep..."
"We want to know, Shirakawa," said Monoma.
"You'll know," said Mato, getting up. "Tomorrow."
"He already ate his dinner..." Tetsutetsu muttered.
"Understandable," said Setsuna. "He mustn't have eaten anything today."
Satoru arrived in his room and lay on the bed.
(Damn am I tired...)
He rolled onto his side. (All of this... was epic.)
Chapter 45 - End