◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
The sharp whistle of the wind filled her ears, followed by the shattering crack of glass. Konata Izumi snapped back to her senses from the haze, realizing that she was being tightly shielded in the arms of Midoriya Izuku.
Blood seeped from Midoriya's back, spreading across the pristine marble floor of what looked like some kind of office area.
Earlier, to protect her from the impact, he had used his own body as a shield. Between the force of the crash and the shards of broken glass on the floor, his back was now a mangled mess of flesh and blood. His legs were even worse—dark with bruises, the bones clearly shattered. The sight of him was utterly devastating.
Forcing herself upright despite her trembling, Konata looked down at the boy lying unconscious in front of her, her expression twisting with complex emotions.
With a quiet sigh, she glanced at the coat on her shoulders. Without a moment's hesitation, she shrugged it off, grabbed a shard of glass from the ground, and ripped the fabric into strips. Then, with careful hands, she wrapped the makeshift bandages around Midoriya's legs, trying to stop the relentless bleeding.
With time and resources so limited, this was all she could do for now—at the very least, she had to stop the bleeding first.
"I'd finally paid you back once…and now I owe you again. Feels like the debt just keeps piling up," she murmured, voice unsteady as she staggered to her feet.
Her gaze shifted forward.
Standing amid the shards scattered near the gaping hole in the floor-to-ceiling windows, Shigaraki Tomura stepped out from the mist of Kurogiri's portal—alone this time, without his usual shadowy companion.
"It was just supposed to be a game, you know," Shigaraki said, his voice cold, laced with sharp irritation. "Why can't you just let me have a little fun? This stage I prepared for you—why ruin such a perfect act? Fine, I can ignore Kurogiri ditching me, but Stain stepping in to help you? What the hell is with your luck, huh?"
Konata let out another sigh, her eyes briefly falling on the unconscious Midoriya at her feet.
"Honestly…you're exhausting," she said quietly, her tone sharp as a blade. "You're like some oversized child who never grew up. I've been trying so hard not to let myself get attached to anything in this world…but you've really pissed me off this time."
She reached into the air, her fingers closing around nothing—until the familiar weight of her weapon, the burning form of the Nietono no Shana, materialized in her grasp. The flames licked along the edge of the blade as she leveled her gaze at the boy in front of her.
"Twisted malice. Evil lurking in the dark. To me…you don't even come close," she said evenly, her voice calm—so calm it was terrifying. "I don't lose my temper often. I've never seen the point. Even death…it's just another part of life."
Her gaze hardened, a chill running through her next words.
"But you…you've actually managed to make me angry."
The sheer stillness in her tone sent an instinctive chill crawling down Shigarski's spine. His body moved without thought, stepping back as his eyes widened in shock.
His mentor had told him—had sworn—that she wouldn't be able to use her Quirk for days. So why…
Everything had changed.
The moment the burning blade flared to life in her hand, the girl in front of him was no longer the same child swinging a toy around. She was something else—something that, in his eyes, bloomed like a flower watered by pure darkness and sin.
It was fear, sudden and suffocating, that gripped his chest.
When the blade cut through the air toward him, his body froze. He didn't even flinch. He just stood there, staring blankly, as death rushed in to meet him.
"Shigaraki!"
Kurogiri's roar tore through the moment.
In the split second before the blade could reach him, the portal swallowed him up and yanked him out of sight.
A deafening explosion followed, shaking the building. The already-broken window burst outward completely, every pane of glass on the floor shattering in an instant. The invisible shockwave slammed into the air, rippling outward for dozens of meters before finally dissipating.
Konata stood there for a heartbeat, her body swaying—then collapsed limply onto the floor, unconscious. The blade slipped from her fingers, vanishing into the void as if it had never been there.
Roughly a minute later, Todoroki Shoto and Gran Torino finally arrived.
The long, chaotic night was finally drawing to an end.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
"...A strange flower," she murmured.
When Konata finally woke up—after who knew how many hours of sleep—she found herself staring at a white ceiling, the smell of hospital disinfectant sharp in her nose.
Blinking slowly, she sat up in bed.
"Feels like most of my injuries have healed. No pain left…just a little hungry. Recovery Girl must've been here," she muttered, touching her arm thoughtfully.
The room she was in was clearly a private ward, probably arranged to keep things quiet. The door was shut, the room empty, peaceful.
Sliding out of bed and slipping on the hospital slippers left by the bedside, Konata padded to the door. The moment she cracked it open, the muffled noises from the corridor rushed into her ears—and her eyes immediately landed on All Might, standing tall in the crowd.
"…So it was really that bad, huh."
A few minutes later, she sat on a bench in the hallway, quietly listening as All Might explained what had happened.
The villain attack on Hosu had turned the city upside down. Before Endeavor had even arrived, the Nomu's sheer power had completely overwhelmed the pro-heroes on-site. Aside from the first Nomu she'd managed to eliminate early on, the other four had wreaked havoc, leaving behind a trail of destruction and injury.
The death toll had already climbed into the hundreds, with countless more injured. Compared to that level of devastation, Stain's crimes almost seemed insignificant—even if the Hero Killer was now being classified as a member of the League of Villains.
And at the center of it all…were the four of them.
Of the group, Midoriya Izuku had taken the worst damage, while Todoroki had gotten off the lightest. Izuku's condition had been dire enough that All Might had personally brought Recovery Girl to treat him.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, All Might turned to the girl sitting quietly beside him, his expression serious.
"Konata…I have to ask you something," he said. "Your Quirk…is it still there?"
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
At the hospital, All Might was, unsurprisingly, the center of attention. The moment he heard about what had happened in Hosu City, his worry for Midoriya Izuku had him dragging Recovery Girl along and rushing over through the night.
But what truly worried him even more was Konata Izumi's Quirk. Before, while she was still unconscious, all he could do was wait outside. Now that she had finally woken up, he couldn't help but feel anxious as he carefully asked her the question that had been burning in his mind.
Back then, he didn't understand why the League of Villains had targeted Konata specifically. But if what he suspected was true—that the man he thought he'd killed was still alive, secretly building such a dangerous organization—then everything would finally make sense.
Hearing All Might's question, Konata froze for a second.
So… this tin-can-head really does know?
Still, Quirks are basically like commodities to her. If he wanted one, her system could easily whip up dozens for him. She grumbled inwardly but, after thinking for a moment, replied:
"My Quirk's still here. But, All Might, there's something I think you should know."
After all, that tin-can-head never told her to keep his secret. So why bother hiding anything?
By the time Konata finished explaining, All Might's expression had darkened, brows furrowing tightly, though he didn't say a word.
"That's it," Konata said, palms up as if to sum it all up. "I don't know why, but I'm sure he took my Quirk before—and then gave it back. Everything after that, you already know, so I won't bore you with the details."
"Anyway, not just that tin-can-head. That guy with the severed-hand mask, and the smoky one too—they're all seriously unhinged. I mean, really, they're textbook cases for therapy."
Silent, All Might gave her a small nod, then quickly walked toward the hospital's exit, pulling his phone from his pocket. Looked like he was about to make an urgent call—but to whom, who could say?
With a lazy stretch, Konata glanced down at the horrendous excuse of a hospital gown she'd been stuck in, grimaced, and slipped back into her room.
A few minutes later, she emerged dressed in her usual clothes—well, mostly. Her beloved combat suit had been shredded into oblivion by her own hands, leaving her in just a plain white T-shirt.
Thinking about her phone, which had died a tragic and premature death during the chaos, she felt a sharp pang in her chest.
Sure, it wasn't like she'd personally suffered any lasting damage—and there was even a good chance she'd get a second Quirk out of this mess—but financially? Total disaster. The combat suit could be repaired, sure, but that cost money. Phones could be replaced, yes, but that also cost money.
And right now, money was exactly what she didn't have.
After rummaging through every pocket she had, Konata finally pulled out her entire net worth—a single 100-yen coin resting in her palm.
She stared at it in silence.
One hundred yen.
What was she supposed to do with that?
Buy a cheap bowl and squat on the roadside, begging for some spare money?
Her lips twitched as she carefully slipped the coin back into her pocket. Then, recalling what All Might had told her earlier, she headed toward the spot where Endeavor was leaning against a wall, arms crossed.
The moment she spotted him, her eyes lit up. Without a second thought, she dashed toward him, hand outstretched.
"Hey, hey—emergency loan! Can you lend me a thousand yen? I swear I'll pay you back once I'm back at U.A."
Endeavor froze.
Moments ago, he'd been planning to offer her a few words of concern. But now? Nope. Not anymore.
He shoved his wallet back into his pocket, gave her a cold glance through the glass toward the hospital room, let out a sharp "hmph," and turned on his heel, striding away as if he'd never even been there.
Meanwhile, inside the hospital room, the discussion about the Hero Killer incident was still underway.
"As things stand," said a tall, uniformed figure with the head of a dog—Chief Kenji Tsuragamae, the police chief of Hosu City, his every word ending with a clipped bark—"you are all just students. You don't have your provisional licenses, you weren't authorized to act, and yet you still used your Quirks to injure someone. Therefore, the six of you will face serious consequences—woof."
This was a debate about the rules that governed their society.
"If we hadn't stepped in," someone argued, "would you rather we just stood there and watched the Hero Killer cut someone down? We were the only ones who found him. What else were we supposed to do? Are you saying that following the law means turning a blind eye and letting people die?"
"You think just because the outcome turned out fine, that makes it okay to break the rules?"
Kenji Tsuragamae's canine face remained expressionless.
"This society is built on rules," he said flatly. "Without those rules holding it together, it would've collapsed long ago—woof. The fact that you still don't understand that only shows how immature you are. Close your eyes and think carefully."
"If this—" he gestured sharply, "—if this is what the next generation of heroes looks like, students of U.A., taught by All Might himself… then I find that deeply disappointing. Because you haven't realized it yet, but you're still far from having what it takes to be called true heroes."
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
In the hospital room, the tense air thickened after Kenji Tsuragamae, the police chief, finished speaking. His cold words finally pushed Todoroki Shoto's emotions to the breaking point.
It made sense, really. The three of them had practically walked through the jaws of death to take down the Hero Killer, and because of that, Konata Izumi had been kidnapped by the League of Villains. If Midoriya hadn't risked his life to bring her back, Todoroki knew he'd never have forgiven himself.
When they'd first heard that the Hosu City police chief had come to meet them, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Iida had all felt a quiet pride. After all, they'd accomplished something most Pro Heroes couldn't.
But instead of praise or recognition, they were met with severe warnings and the threat of punishment. The humiliation was sharp enough to sting, and while all three felt it, Todoroki was the one whose temper was closest to snapping.
"You damn dog—"
"Did I say something wrong?"
Kenji Tsuragamae slowly opened his sharp, lupine eyes.
"Do you even understand why the profession of 'Hero' exists? Do you know why only licensed Heroes are permitted to use their Quirks in public? Do you understand why Heroes must be tested, trained, and approved before they can act?"
His rapid-fire questions choked off whatever furious retort Todoroki had been about to throw back.
"If everyone acted like you—tossing rules aside whenever it suits them, congratulating themselves for 'helping'—this society would've collapsed long ago."
A quiet, almost timid voice broke the tense silence.
"Uh… excuse me? Mind if I butt in for a sec?"
The door creaked open, and a spiky-haired head—no, an ahoge-topped head—peeked through the gap.
Konata Izumi raised her hand awkwardly, as four pairs of eyes turned toward her in unison.
The moment Midoriya saw her standing there, he reflexively started to get up, only to be shoved back down onto the bed with surprising force.
"Food first, lecture later," Konata said, stuffing a take-out box into Midoriya's hands. Then she handed two more boxes to Iida and Todoroki, balancing the paper bag on her arm.
"Thank you," Iida said earnestly, fumbling to accept the box with his uninjured hand.
Konata glanced at the last container—the one she'd bought for herself—and hesitated for a moment. Then, with visible pain etched across her face, she reluctantly offered it to Inukai.
"No need," the police chief said flatly, though his canine features twitched at the look of pure heartbreak on her face.
"Oh. Great! Then I won't waste it!" Konata said with lightning-fast reflexes, yanking the box back and hugging it to her chest.
Clearing her throat in a mock-serious tone, she turned to the others.
"Alright, since Officer Serious over here might've been a little too harsh earlier, let me translate. I was outside for the last few minutes, so I heard most of the conversation. Let's start from the top, shall we? Todoroki-kun, when you left your dad's side to fight, did you ask for his authorization first?"
Todoroki frowned, unsure where this was going.
Konata sighed, shaking her head in exaggerated disappointment.
"So you didn't. Wow. And you sat through all those boring Hero Fundamentals classes for nothing, huh?"
She straightened her posture, putting on the air of a lecturing teacher.
"See, when I chased after Nomu, I at least shouted to Endeavor for verbal permission to use my Quirk. He didn't answer me, but hey—effort counts. That way, if something went wrong, guess who'd be stuck taking the blame instead of me? That's right: Papa Endeavor."
She threw up her hands, looking entirely too pleased with her own logic.
"Know why Officer Doggo over there isn't here to lecture me? Because I played it smart. You guys, though? You came off like a bunch of rookies who think rules don't matter. And trust me, in this world? Rules matter."
She glanced at Kenji Tsuragamae expectantly, and for a moment, the hardened officer looked almost… amused.
"...Exactly," he said with a heavy sigh. Turning toward the three boys, he lowered his head in a deep bow.
"You have my sincerest gratitude. What I said earlier was the official line, the words I'm obligated to say as an officer of the law. But as a person—as someone who values what you did—I owe you my thanks."
When he looked up again, the sternness on his face had softened.
"If the full truth of this incident went public, you'd be hailed as heroes. But you'd also face penalties for breaking the law. I don't want to see that happen. So, here's a compromise."
He straightened and continued calmly.
"Officially, we'll announce that Stain was captured by Endeavor. There were few witnesses, so this will hold. You won't be punished… but the credit won't go to you, either. This is the best solution I can offer."
Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki exchanged glances. It wasn't an easy choice, but in the end, they nodded in agreement. In this world, rules came first—always.
On his way out, Kenji Tsuragamae paused at the doorway and turned back.
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier. No matter what the rules say, in my heart, you three… are true heroes."
"What about me? What about me?"
Konata darted forward, jabbing her thumb toward herself with a bright grin.
"...Your ahoge's very cute," Kenji Tsuragamae said after a pause, then shut the door quickly behind him.
Konata: "…"
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆