◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
"A Deal?"
Hearing the man's words, Konata blinked in surprise.
"That's right. I want to make a deal with you," the man said with a nod.
"Since this so-called 'Fantasy' quirk of yours only works properly with you, then no matter how ridiculous it sounds, it's only natural I'd come looking for you to negotiate, isn't it?"
"Fine, a deal's a deal. So… you can let me go now, right?" Konata replied decisively.
"No. You're just pretending to agree right now."
The man stood up, shaking his head.
"I can let you go. After all, in your current state, you're useless to me. But before that, would you mind explaining your quirk to me in detail?"
"My quirk?"
Konata glanced at her system interface, then at the man in front of her, and suddenly understood.
In this world, both she and the System were outsiders. The System could bend some rules, but it still had to follow the basics—like quirks, the main power system here.
That was why Aizawa's Erasure could temporarily cancel her ability. And if her quirk could be erased, then naturally, it could also be stolen. But even if someone did steal it, all they'd get would be the "original version"—nothing more. Without the System's enhancements, no one could transform into Railgun, Shana, or Hatsune Miku like she could.
The System was separate, on a higher plane. To steal the System along with her quirk, someone would have to rip out her soul entirely.
What made Konata so certain was that when she'd been unconscious and her quirk stolen, the System had even issued a new mission: "Acquire a Second Quirk."
So… was her quirk basically mass-produced by the System? Could it just spit out more anytime?
Thinking that, Konata suddenly felt… a little sorry for the guy.
All that effort, all that scheming—only to walk away with some mass-produced, factory-original version of her power. And then he even returned it, practically with tears in his eyes. Seriously, why bother?
"What exactly do you want to know?"
"Why is it called 'Fantasy'? On the surface, it's just some useless ability that can only mimic others, and only women at that. So why, in your hands, is it so terrifyingly powerful?"
"How about I answer your question with a question?"
Konata thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Imagine there are two magical fruits in front of you. Eat one, and you'll gain the power of invisibility. Eat the other, and your body will turn into rubber. Which one would you choose?"
"I'll take both."
"…You can only eat one," Konata deadpanned. "If you eat two, you explode. So… which one?"
"Do I even need to answer that?" The man's tone carried irritation. "Obviously invisibility. Rubber is useless."
"Well, let me tell you this: the guy who ate the rubber fruit became a king, while the one who chose invisibility ended up as a nameless extra."
Konata's tone turned calm, even persuasive.
"Do you know why? It's simple—how much you develop your ability. Stealing quirks might sound impressive, but quirks alone don't define strength. If someone awakens a new power by pushing their quirk to its limits, do you think you can just steal that, too?"
"…You have a point."
After a long silence, the man finally nodded, acknowledging her words.
"So… can I go home now?" Konata tested the waters carefully.
"You can. But not yet."
His eyes locked on her.
"We'll discuss the details of our deal at the right time. For now, I just want some information from you—information that interests me."
He pulled three photographs from his pocket and tossed them onto the ground.
"You know these three, don't you?"
"Uh…"
Stretching her neck, Konata looked down.
"Midoriya, Todoroki Shoto… and Bakugo Katsuki."
"That's right. I've heard you're… dating all three at the same time."
"…I feel like I've got a massive migraine, and the only cure might be a bullet," Konata muttered, smacking her forehead on the ground with a dull thud.
It was just "a little crush" before, and now suddenly she's in a "relationship"? And with all three of them? What's next, someone saying she's pregnant and doesn't know who the father is?!
"Tch. What a sinful woman," the man sneered.
"Relax. I'm not here to interfere with your personal life. That's your business. But this does tell me one thing—we have plenty of topics in common."
Konata: "…Heh."
"Among the three, Midoriya is the first one you started dating, isn't he?"
The man's interrogation continued, but Konata had stopped listening. What she wanted more than anything was to transform into Railgun and blast him with a full-powered lightning strike to send him straight to the afterlife.
But… even as the thought formed, she suppressed it. She had this gut feeling: if she made a move, she'd die. Horribly.
"If I told you I only like lolis, and I'm a pure-lolicon… would you believe me? I've never dated any of them. Actually, I don't even like men."
There was a fragile thread of hope in her voice.
"…So, not just a shameless flirt, but also a pervert. Understood."
The man nodded seriously, as if filing the information away.
Konata: "…"
I swear, one day… one day, I'll—AAAAAHHHH!!!
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
"First question."
Looking down at the girl lying on the ground, the man spoke slowly.
"Do you know what All Might's Quirk is?"
"Uh… super strength?"
Konata answered hesitantly, testing the waters.
"You're lying."
His tone turned cold.
"I have a way to tell if you're lying. If you keep this uncooperative attitude with the next questions, then there's no reason to keep you alive. Do you know why I gave your Quirk back before you woke up?"
"Mm… because you didn't want to look like a crossdresser?"
"…"
A heavy silence lingered for a few seconds before the man continued.
"Do you know the essence of a Quirk? It was forcibly removed from you, then shoved back in. If you dare to use your Quirk again after such a short interval… you won't survive the night."
"Fine, I get it. All Might's Quirk is One For All."
With a helpless sigh, Konata answered.
"Good. Second question."
Nodding slightly, the man continued.
"The inheritor of All Might's Quirk—who is it?"
"…"
Konata fell silent at that.
"Even if you don't answer, I already have a vague guess."
The man raised his head, gazing up at the night sky.
"I know very well the state of All Might's injuries. Even if he puts on an act of being perfectly fine in front of the public, his time is running out. Which means… the inheritor of One For All has already appeared. Now, the third question."
"Would you like to join us?"
"I'm a hero of justice."
Konata's lips twitched slightly as she replied.
"Justice? What is justice? Let me tell you…"
The man sneered.
"Mhm… the victor is justice."
Before he could finish, Konata cut in softly. And just like that, the man found himself unable to continue.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew strangely awkward, smothered by silence.
"Uh… if that answer doesn't satisfy you, I've got a whole list of villain clichés ready. Want me to try those instead?"
The man: "…"
Why did the tone suddenly derail like this? Or maybe this girl's ability was… skewing the mood into this bizarre direction?
For a moment, the man could almost understand why Shigaraki Tomura always looked so irritated.
"…Do whatever you want."
He forcibly ended the conversation, though his tone was stiff.
"I'll come find you about the deal later. For now, you can leave."
"Do I look like I can even move?"
She peeked over the edge of the rooftop, then back at him.
"I can help you by tossing you off this rooftop."
"Suddenly, staying put until rescue arrives doesn't sound so bad. Thanks."
"…I have another idea."
The man turned his head slightly, looking away.
"What happened here—Shigaraki and the others won't know, and I won't tell them. So you'd better not tell them anything about our… connection. Also, I have a little idea. Want me to give you a hand?"
"A hand?"
Seeing the man leaning down toward her, Konata had a very bad feeling.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Elsewhere, near the alley, Iida Tenya was guarding the tied-up Stain when he finally spotted Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto returning. Ignoring the blood still flowing from his arm, Iida ran toward them in relief.
But what he didn't expect was that Midoriya didn't answer his question. Instead, he brushed past him, heading straight for the restrained Stain.
"Midoriya, calm down!"
Noticing Midoriya's unstable state, Todoroki quickly grabbed his arm.
"You're already injured. Running like that only worsened the wound. Let's treat it first—she wouldn't want to see you like this."
"…"
Something in those words worked, because Midoriya froze. He lowered his head, silent, his fingers unconsciously tightening around that battered old phone.
His injured foot had worsened during the frantic chase. Blood seeped through his shoe and pant leg, leaving a dark crimson trail—a sight that made even the heroes wince.
"Calm down… I need to calm down. The League of Villains targeted Konata… Hero Killer Stain must be connected to them. I have to save her. Why aren't there any signs of a fight? Was it over in an instant? Just what kind of enemy did she face? Should I blame Todoroki for not waiting for her? No… I should blame myself…"
Midoriya's thoughts spiraled chaotically.
During that tense silence, more heroes started arriving, responding to Endeavor's call through Todoroki. When they saw the scene before them—Stain, tied up securely by three students—they were stunned.
"Midoriya, didn't I tell you to stay in the car?"
Gran Torino appeared in an instant, ready to kick Midoriya in the face—but stopped mid-motion when he noticed the boy's state.
Turning to Iida, his voice hardened.
"Tell me. What the hell happened?"
Gran Torino—the seemingly unassuming old man with the Jet Quirk, All Might's former teacher, and Midoriya's current mentor.
But before Iida could answer, a sound from above drew everyone's attention. They looked up to see a massive flying Nomu soaring overhead.
It was carrying someone.
"That's… Konata."
The moment Todoroki realized who it was, his expression changed completely.
The Nomu landed on a nearby rooftop. A thin, lanky figure stepped into view beside it.
"Well, everyone… care to play a little game?"
Shigaraki Tomura licked his dry lips, excitement flickering in his voice.
"I promise… this will be a very fun game."
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
In some ways, Konata Izumi really felt like a one-of-a-kind existence up—no one before, no one after. Her quirk was basically a one-hundred-percent "perfect hostage" flag, right? The same kind of inevitable, inescapable situation as someone who always, without fail, steps on the only piece of gum on the street. Any time, any place. Super… freaking… annoying.
Lying flat on the rooftop of a tall building, Konata's expression didn't so much as twitch. Behind her loomed the grotesque, twisted form of a Nomu. In front of her, nothing but the edge of the rooftop.
The cool night breeze brushed through her hair, but Konata didn't feel cold at all. Honestly, what she felt like doing right now… was math.
Hmm. Given that this building is about ten floors, roughly three meters per floor, standard gravity constant g… if I jump, how many seconds until I hit the ground?
She gritted her teeth as her mind replayed that iron-masked man's cold voice when he handed her over to the Nomu, like a piece of trash:
"She's of no use to me anymore. Her quirk's special nature means that ability only works through her. She's all yours—play with her, make a game out of it if you want."
This bastard. She shot a sharp glare at the youth beside her, her foot itching to just kick him straight off the roof.
She wasn't exactly afraid of heights, but the risk of falling and leaving nothing but a bloodstain below? Yeah… that was a strong motivator to think fast. Opening her system interface in her mind, Konata quickly assessed her options. The mission to obtain the second quirk was still active, even though her quirk had already returned. Not that it mattered right now. She'd deal with that later.
No big moves, she reminded herself. If she stirred up too much noise, the Nomu could crush her in an instant. Real lightning was also off the table—way too obvious. She still wasn't ready to reveal her hand. Her injuries had eased up a bit; she could move now.
Maybe… just maybe… if she timed it right, she could kick this guy down instead. Yeah. That might work.
While she was still quietly plotting her next steps, Shigaraki's voice cut through the air.
"Yes, that's right. No sudden moves.
The Nomu doesn't know how to control its own strength—one stomp and, bam—"
Shigaraki made a hand gesture, vividly illustrating his point.
"You'd just be a mess of white and red.
If we're playing a game, you have to follow the rules.
My rules—"
"Rules, my ass," she muttered under her breath.
"Hah?" Shigaraki blinked, just as a weak but furious voice rose behind him.
"You… get down here, you bastard!"
The Nomu noticed her sudden movement almost instantly, its fist shooting out like a bullet—but before the blow could connect, an invisible force slammed it backward, sending it crashing into a water tank with a deafening thud. It staggered, dazed for a brief second. Shigaraki whirled around—only for a small figure to slip past him, missing his grasp by mere inches.
Watching the girl topple clean off the rooftop, Shigaraki went utterly silent for a full three seconds.
Twisting midair as she fell, Konata raised a middle finger toward the shrinking rooftop above her, eyes locked on the pale-haired villain.
"This is my escape route, JoJo!"
Shigaraki's lips twitched in irritation, his voice turning cold.
"Nomu. Kill her."
At the command, the Nomu dove off the building in a terrifying freefall, its monstrous form streaking toward her. Konata, still plummeting, suddenly realized something that made her stomach drop even harder.
Crap. I spent all this time planning the escape… but I didn't think about how to survive the landing. From this height, I'm definitely gonna splat.
"Opportunity," muttered one of the pros on the ground, his sharp eyes locked on the falling girl. Among the gathered heroes, only Gran Torino—with his jet-propulsion quirk—had the raw speed to attempt a rescue. Truth be told, after hearing from Midoriya Izuku about this mysterious girl who had helped him grasp One For All's power so quickly, Gran Torino had been more than a little curious.
But someone else was faster.
Ignoring his already battered legs, Midoriya abandoned his safer five-percent usage of One For All, reverting to the brutal, high-output burst from when he first inherited the quirk. One hundred percent power exploded through his legs, propelling him forward with bone-cracking force.
Still… it wasn't enough.
From the ground, all eyes tracked the girl's rapid descent. She was now about three stories up, the diving Nomu barely one story behind her, while Midoriya still had at least a hundred meters to cover. At this rate, the Nomu would reach her first—and kill her—without a doubt.
Then, suddenly, the Nomu froze mid-air. Its body stiffened violently, as though some unseen hand had ripped away its control, and it dropped into a freefall just like her. But with its greater mass and speed, that would only mean one thing if they collided: a bloody mess on the pavement.
And then—Midoriya's speed spiked again, a violent surge of power ripping through his already torn muscles. His legs screamed, old wounds tearing open, blood bursting and soaking his pant legs deep crimson.
"One For All, 100%!"
Among everyone present, only Gran Torino seemed to understand the true cost of what Midoriya was doing. As the boy hurtled forward, managing to snatch the girl into his arms just before the Nomu would have slammed into her, they crashed shoulder-first through an office window, showering the floor with shards of glass.
Watching the reckless boy clutching the girl like a lifeline, Gran Torino exhaled softly and shook his head.
"This kid… One day, he's going to completely ruin those legs of his. Hmph. Must be the sour stench of first love… Ah, youth."
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆