Chapter 36

Mirio knocked on Nedzu's office and let himself in. It was the beginning of his final year in UA. Next year, he'd officially be instated in the agency of Sir Nighteye, the man who had seen potential in him all the way back in his first year. Since then, he'd become so much stronger. He had great respect for Sir but wanted to prove to him something. Sir didn't believe the future could be changed. That, some day, a Villain powerful enough to kill All Might would appear and, when that day came, all of hero kind would be threatened. Mirio wanted to prove to him that he could defeat such a threat and make sure the people had an icon they could believe in even after All Might. To that end, he pushed forwards.

When he was called to Nedzu's office on the first day, he was confused. He was even more confused to see Sir Nighteye and All Might there with the principal. " Uh. Sir? All Might? What's going on? Am I in trouble?"

" No, my boy." All Might said. " Of course not. I simply wished to meet with the brightest talent in UA."

" Ha ha. You flatter me, All Might Sir." Mirio beamed.

" Please, Mirio. Sit down." Nedzu invited him in. " We were just talking about you." Mirio nodded, sitting down. That day he learned a lot. That All Might truly was dying. That he could only use his quirk for only three hours per day and even then, that time was going down. He learned about his quirk, One for All, a quirk passed down through person to person. About how All Might was looking for a successor. And how Sir Nighteye had suggested him.

" Your answer to why you wish to be a hero. Your actions while interning with Nighteye. You've already proven you have what it takes to take my mantle, Young Togata." All Might looked at him, determined. " I want you to take One for All and become better than me. To become a hero that can save everyone with a smile. My boy, I want you to become my successor. Will you do it?" Mirio smiled.

" If you think I'm worthy, I'll do it." Mirio nodded. " I want to save as many people as I can. I will become worthy of your mantle, All Might. I'll make you and Sir proud. Just watch me." Mirio placed a hand on his heart. " I will become a great hero."

Kai Chisaki broke through the Warehouse roof, towering above the street level in his new form. Everyone looked up, frozen. " Heroes! Villains! I will cure all of you of the disease you call ambition!" He bellowed, his voice echoing from above. Izuku rose to his feet. His mind span, quickly searching every recess for a plan. A way to escape this. Across the room, Mirio looked up. He tried to move but found himself frozen, his energy drained from the already long fight. Everyone else was too injured or too in shock to move. "Die!" Izuku winced.

" HELL DYNAMO!" A powerful explosion rocked through the air as Chisaki was pushed back. Katsuki landed. " What the hell are you idiots waiting for?! Get up and fight already!"

" Dynamight!" Mirio exclaimed

" Katsuki?" Izuku looked up in shock. Then he slapped his cheeks. What the hell was he doing? He wasn't done yet. He had no time to panic or be scared. Compared to the damage Katsuki inflicted to him, Overhaul was nothing. He raised his head. Cross the room, Mirio did the same.

" You're right. I have someone to save. If I can't defeat one man, what good am I to her?" He announced.

" I can't believe you of all people caught me slipping." Izuku muttered. " Embarrassing."

" What the hell?" Mirko stepped into the room, Fat Gum, Eraserhead and Ms Joke beside her. " What happened here?"

" Hey… Rabbit." Hawks groaned, pushing himself up. " We just… had a bit… of an issue. Big ugly over there… is being difficult."

" Jesus, Keigo." She said, eyes wide.

" Everyone, can you hear me?" Izuku flinched back as a voice entered his ear.

" Sir Nighteye?" He exclaimed.

" You must be Usagi. Good. So it worked." He said. " Brainstorm let me in. I knew we had a bit of an arrangement from listening in. Hope you don't mind."

" Doesn't matter right now." He'd have to change his frequency, but that would come later.

" This situation is dire. Everyone who can walk, get the injured out. Leave this to Mirio."

" Mirio?" Mirko exclaimed. " You mean Lemillion?"

" What's your game, Nighteye?" Aizawa asked, annoyed.

" Trust me. He's the only one who can do it."

" What future did you see, Sir?" Mirio asked. Nighteye went silent.

" I'm trying to avoid it but… everyone dies here. Everyone but you." The room went silent. Overhaul reached back for a second attack. " So get out of there. We can get far enough away. We just need time to-"

" No."

" Izuku?" Katsuki looked up at him.

" I refuse to back down now. Eri. To… Violet. Mustard. Magne. Crucible. Spinner. He's hurt too many of my friends to let me back off from this now." Izuku channeled wind in his legs. " I'll crush him. You heroes do what you do best and run away and hide." Before Izuku could be retorted he leap forwards. He drove a leg into the fist that Overhaul threw. However, he was soon joined by two other figures. Mirio and Katsuki both delivered a powerful blow, pushing the monster back. " What?"

" I won't let you fight this alone. This is a heroes job." Mirio announced.

" Get off your high horse, idiot." Katsuki told him. " I won't let your dumbass die to that colossal piece of crap. I'm bringing you home after this, so you better stay alive." Izuku looked at them, shocked. Then he sighed, shaking his head.

" Bakubro. Are you crazy?" Kirishima shouted.

" Just get your ass out of here, Shitty Hair. They'll need all the help they can get in evac."

" You idiots." Izuku shook his head. In their ears, Nighteye let out an exasperated sigh.

" Change of plans then. Mirko, Eraserhead. I'll leave you in charge of getting everyone out of there. Usagi, Dynamight, Lemillion. Hold him back. We'll assist you when we know everyone is clear."

" Shoto. Give them a hand." Izuku spoke. From his place behind his wall of ice, Shoto nodded. " This truce lasts until we deal with this guy and both sides walk free. If you break that deal, I'll kill you Nighteye."

" I understand. If you aid us, I can put your atonement on hold. Briefly." Nighteye told him. " You have your orders. Go Beyond!"

" Right." There was a resounding cry. Izuku sighed as he burst forwards. How did he keep getting into situations like this?

Shoto was quick to carry Mustard out of the building and towards the safe area as the titanic Chisaki roared overhead as he fought off his three attackers. He was assisted most of the way by the bird boy Tsukuyomi until he met up with Kurogiri who took his place. " What a problematic affair." Kurogiri sighed.

" Where's everyone else?"

" Hitoshi is with Toru. Everyone else has escaped in the confusion." Kurogiri looked over at Shoto. Despite appearing fine, Shoto had once again lost his arm, his prosthetic torn apart by Chisaki's explosive desperate attack. He ignored the pain from the gash in his side. It was nothing Haru couldn't fix.

" Don't worry about me." Shoto told him. " How are you, Hiiro?"

" Oh. Just peachy." He complained. " I've got a rock splitting my fucking foot open. How do you think I am?"

" You seem fine if you can complain like that."

" Funny man." Kurogiri led the duo into a section set up just for them, Nighteye deciding it would be best to separate the two. There, Brainstorm was waiting, sitting over the heavily injured Toru. Shoto widened his eyes.

" Eri?" He gasped. The young girl was kneeling next to who he assumed was Toru, the invisible girl wrapped in red stained blankets so the medics knew where she was, tears dripping from her eyes. " Why is she here?"

" She refused to leave. I didn't want to force anything on her." Kurogiri stated. Shoto carefully let Hiiro down and carefully approached Toru.

" How is she?" Hitoshi shook his head.

" She's taken a heavy beating. Her arms been torn apart and her right side's pretty much gone. I… I don't even think Haru can heal everything." Hitoshi looked down. " She… probably won't survive."

" No." Shoto's eyes widened.

" It's all my fault." Eri whimpered. " She's going to die. She's going to die and it's all my fault. I'm cursed. All I do is get people killed."

" Eri…" Hitoshi looked down at the girl. " That's not."

" She was the only person to show me kindness. True kindness. And she's dead because of me." Eri said sadly. " I'm sorry. All of this. It's my fault. I'm a bad girl. I don't deserve to live."

" Don't… say that…" The group looked up. Toru rose an arm slowly, a faint flicker of static making her slowly shift in and out of being visible. " You… aren't cursed. Even.. if we're broken… we can… be fixed. So please… don't cry. Live on." Toru gave Eri a pained smile. Eri sniffed. She shot forwards, wrapping around Toru's neck in a hug.

" Please. Miss Toru. Don't die. I don't want you to go." Eri begged. The horn on her head started to glow. " Please. Don't. I… I want to stay with you. So please… don't." Shoto watched in awe. As Eri continued hugging Toru, her body quickly reappeared and knitted itself back together. The hole in her arm healed. The tear in her side closed, her destroyed internal organ bring themselves back together. Toru reached up with new found strength, holding the young girl in her hands. The second she touched Eri, her horn stopped glowing. Toru smiled.

" Eri." She said calmly. " Open your eyes."

" Huh?" Eri's eyes flickered open. Toru slowly sat up. " M-Miss Toru? I don't… How did you…"

" That's your power, Eri." Toru told her, smiling. " See? You're not cursed. You saved me."

" I… I did?"

" Yes. You did. You're not cursed, Eri. Your quirk is amazing."

" You did admirably." Kurogiri nodded. " Congratulations, little miss."

" I… saved you?" Eri still seemed to be in disbelief that her accursed quirk had helped someone. Shoto smiled at her.

" Now then, may I suggest we go some place more comfortable." Kurogiri suggested. " This place is both cold and dangerous. If you would like, we can return to our place of residence. I promise you that we shall be safe there." Eri looked up at the man. She looked over to Toru, as if asking permission. She gave her a slight nod.

" O-OK." She said nervously.

" Good." Hiiro groaned. " Maybe I can get Haru to get this fu-"

" Hiiro!" Toru hissed.

" FLIPPING rock out of my foot." He huffed. Kurogiri nodded, preparing for departure. Shoto took one last look over to the hulking shape of Chisaki.

" Go. I'll make sure Izuku get's out safely."

" Of course. I wish you luck, Shoto." Kurogiri nodded. Kurogiri expanded his quirk. By the time the medics returned to treat Shoto and Mustard, the entire league had vanished, Eri along with them.

Izuku pushed himself out of the way of Chisaki's attack with Air Walk before landing on his mountainous hand, Katsuki and Mirio landing next to him. " How many arms is this now. I've lost count." Bakugo grumbled.

" Seven. There was only six when we started but he keeps regrowing them and we are getting no closer to his head then when there were only six." Izuku said. " Who's bright idea was this?"

" Sorry." Mirio laughed. " I though if we disarmed him, we'd get somewhere faster than we currently are." Izuku sighed.

" I don't hear you coming up with a better plan Dek…" Bakugo paused. Izuku shot him a hateful glare.

" Don't." Izuku warned him. One day, he wanted Katsuki to die. He truly did. But he wanted it to be on his terms, not he terms of some mutated Yakuza thug with a big ego. For that goal, he'd allow anything just this once. Even working with his so called old friend. He steeled himself when the fight began, doing his damndest to tune out and not flinch at any of Katsuki's explosions. He still hated himself for that flaw. " Call me by my name, Katsuki. If your pride can handle it."

" So, then. Izuku." Katsuki tested the waters. Seeing Izuku not retort him, he continued. " Your plan?"

" That depends." Izuku mused. " His main body is at the head but if go for it, his defence is too much to blow through even for Mirio. So, we need to weaken it so he can get through." He glanced over to Katsuki. " You can do a multi explosion shot now, right?"

" Yeah. I can." He nodded. " How the hell did you know?"

" You used it in your fight against Rappa, Shoto and Momo." Izuku lied. " If we can lure out his arms in defence, you can blow one back with that and I should be able to use the rubble to smash through the other. Mirio, you can get him with that opening, right?"

" Yeah. I should be able to."

" Good. That good with you, Katsuki?"

" Better than what we've been doing I suppose." Katsuki raised his hand. " Don't just stand there. Go." Izuku chuckled, shaking his head. Same old Kacchan. Impatient as all hell. Izuku leapt forwards towards Chisaki's main body. Chisaki raised two of his massive arms in defence. At the last moment, Izuku bounced to the side with surprising speed, allowing Bakugo a free shot. " Take this, jack ass! AP Shot: Auto Cannon!" Shots of explosive force blasted apart the front arm Overhaul used to defend himself with. As it did, Izuku bounded around the air before sending a powerful Air Shot at the falling rubble, smashing it into the second to tear it apart. Mirio, lighting crackling over his body, launched forwards, using Permeation to pass through the rubble, pulling back his fist to strike forth.

" Worthless!" Chisaki decreed. The area around his head exploded into rocky spikes, blasting Mirio away, flying through the air. Izuku gritted his teeth. He'd have caught him but he ran out of Air Walk rebounds, forcing him back to his starting point. Both Izuku and Bakugo could only watch as Mirio hurtled through the air, threatening to smash into the ground. The blond haired boy scrunched his eyes up.

" No. Not like this. I won't lose like this." He growled. Then, all of a sudden, he came to a stop in the air.

" What in the hell?" Bakugo gasped, looking in awe at his upperclassman suspended in the air a few feet above Overhaul. Izuku's eyes widened.

" He's flying."

Shota and Emi set Ryukyu down. " She's the last one out." He told one of the medical team rushing around.

" SHOTAAAAA!!!! EEEEEMIIIII!!!!" Shota and Emi turned to see Hizashi crashing into them, bringing them both into a hug. " You're alright."

" Of course we are." Shota told him, slowly patting him on the back.

" You're a big softy, huh Mic?" Emi laughed. Mic let the two go.

" I saw that big idiot on the ride over and saw all the medical personnel. What's happening?" Shota gave Hizashi a brief run down of everything that happened in the Shie Hassaikai base. " Wait, that thing is Chisaki?" Mic looked in shock.

" Yeah. He fused with Katsukame and became that." Shota told him.

" Young Mirio is fighting that thing, is he?" Shota glanced over. Gran Torino and Gang Orca had also arrived from subduing the other Shie Hassaikai base in the city. Mirko and Nighteye were also there, watching the fight. Gran hummed. " This is troublesome. If this goes on too long, he could cause major damage."

" Fat Gum and his agency is leading the evacuation effort. The other heroes, sidekicks and police are sweeping the area with emergency evacuation orders." Nighteye explained, drumming his hand on his own cane. " I hope they can deal with this quickly." The ground watched in awe as flashes of light struck forwards. A blue and red blur shot forwards only to get blown away.

" Hey. Ain't that-" Mirko exclaimed.

" Mirio!" Nighteye's eyes widened in shock. " No!" The group watched helplessly as Mirio flew through the air. Then, just as suddenly, he stopped.

" What?" Emi said in surprise. " He's just… stopped?"

" It's like he's suspended in the air. Is that a part of his quirk?" Gang Orca asked. " What is the boys quirk anyway?"

" That power." Gran said quietly. " Nana? Are you protecting the boy from in there?"

" What are you talking about now, Gran?" Shota asked.

" Nothing." He shook his head. " It's… impossible."

" Yo! Why are we waiting here!" Mic shouted. " We've got to help them!"

" The Loud Bastard's right. Who cares if one of 'em's a Villain? They're kids fighting our fight." Mirko declared. Nighteye hummed.

" Sir Nighteye?" Emi asked.

" In my vision, everyone died with the exception of Mirio who was left heavily injured." He explained. " However, I didn't see Gang Orca, Gran Torino or Present Mic. Nor did I see this power of Mirio's manifest. That future has changed somehow. And if this future has changed..."

" You're the grand commander of this venture, Mirai." Gran told him. " Your orders." Nighteye looked up determined.

" All Might could defeat this foe easily if he used 100% of his power. But he isn't here. We need to make up for that and use 100% of our collective power and defeat Overhaul here and now. Perhaps we All can reach that One together. Everyone. Join forces. Bring him down." Nighteye declared.

" Ha. Go Beyond, right Shota?" Mic grinned. Shota sighed.

" Plus Ultra."

" How in the hell are you doing that, Tintin?" Katsuki shouted.

" I have no idea." He admitted. " I just felt determined not to give up and suddenly I started floating. And I don't know how to stop."

" Well, stay up there. We can strike him all at once from three sides." Izuku spoke up. " Three blows from us at full power to this bastards head should stop him."

" And how the hell are we gonna do that?"

" I don't know. I'll think of-" Izuku and Katsuki flinched as the ground started to shake.

" BAKUGO!" A voice called from beneath. Katsuki looked over the edge.

" Daisy? What the fuck are you doing here, you earth shaking ass? Weren't you working with Gang Orca?" Yo Shindo looked up at him while using his quirk to shake the ground.

" He's here too. We're here to help."

" OOOOOOH OOOOOOOVEEEEEERHAAAAAUL!" Mic's voice sounded, using his quirk to blast the giant with sound. " OOOOOOOOOOVER HEEEEEEERE!" Overhaul growled, turning his body. As he did however, the ground, weakened by Shindo's quirk, he faltered, sinking into the Warehouse floor.

" What in the-" Overhaul gasped.

" Now!" Nighteye shouted. Immediately, Mirko, Gang Orca and Gran Torino shot to life. With an immense amount of power, the three hero smashed through three of the monsters arms, leaving him with one free.

" Not enough." The rocks paused in mid air as Overhaul started to reform his destroyed arms. Then, they fell. Eraserhead looked up at him, hair and scarf flying around.

" I won't let you!" He growled.

" Why you-"

" Hey Overhaul." Ms Joke got close to the large body. " What do you and the first sinner have in common? You're Beat Abel."

" Ha… What sort of a… ha ha…" Overhaul burst out laughing. " What did you… ha ha ha… do to me?"

" You three. Now." Emi yelled up at the trio. Izuku took the distraction, gathering as much wind power as he could. Bakugo leapt in the air, taking of with his explosions and spinning. Mirio's right arm began to glow with electrical energy.

" NO.. ha… You won't stop… ha ha… me! I will… ha ha… reclaim Eri!" Overhaul tried to regain his footing, pulling a giant leg out of the weakened earth only to find it frozen in place.

" No escape." Shoto called up to him as ice climbed up Overhaul's giant legs. " You owe me an arm, remember?" The man growled. He tried using his last remaining arm just as Izuku blasted off it, moving to swing it at Mirio. However, it was blown to pieces. Nighteye had pulled his arm back and launched his cane at it. It travelled at high speeds, made from the same material as his high density weights, and easily broke the lower arm off the structure.

" Go Mirio. Become a worthy successor." He said quietly. The three roared.

" GRAND TEMPEST!" Izuku launched a heavy blow with the wind energy gathered in his right leg, sending a typhoon forced Air Shot at Overhaul's main body, blowing himself down to ground level.

" HOWITZER IMPACT!" Katsuki released all its power into a massive explosion, crashing into Overhaul's main body alongside Izuku's power. The recoil of both sent the head of his bestial construct into the air, directly into the path of Mirio.

" PHANTOM SMASHER!" Mirio passed stright through the head of the beast before delivering a powerful smash right onto Overhaul's head, smashing the weight of the best directly into the ground. The construct broke apart, revealing an unconscious Overhaul and his henchmen behind him. The dust had settled. The battle was won. Izuku glared down at Overhaul. He pulled a knife from his suit. It was a bit longer than a regular knife. A bit thinner too. Izuku had pulled it from the mass of blades Spinner used to build up his sword. He raised his hand.

" Wait." Izuku paused. Katsuki stood behind him. " Don't do it."

" Do you know how much pain this man caused?" Izuku asked, his voice shaking. " He killed my friend. He hurt a lot of my other friends. All of this carnage? It's his fault. And that's not even getting into what he did to Eri. Can you say he doesn't deserve to die here and now?"

" This isn't you." He said. " You're not a killer."

" I wasn't. You're right. I wasn't a Villain either."

" Please. I'm sorry. I was an idiot. You have every right to hate me. When I thought you were dead… I blamed myself. I knew it was my fault. I worked hard to try and become a hero you'd be proud of." Katsuki told him. " Don't cross that line. He's not worth it."

" I'm sorry. But I've already crossed that line." Izuku admitted spitefully. " There's not a person in the League who hasn't stained their hands with someone's blood at this point. Directly or otherwise. We are Villains after all." He looked back at Katsuki. " And you're not wrong. It was your fault. You just weren't the main reason. Second highest, but not the highest. Not that it makes me hate you any less. But, if it makes you feel any better, you weren't the trigger. That was All Might laughing in my face when I asked him if someone quirkless could be a hero. Ask him about it. Apparently, he actually remembers me these days." Izuku sighed, turning back to Overhaul. " But you're right." Izuku put Spinner's knife away. " He doesn't deserve it. He deserves so much worse. Lock him up. Throw away the key. Make him regret every moment of his life but refuse him death. Death is a mercy for scum like him." Katsuki tried to get closer to him

" Izuku-" He was cut off as he was struck by a heavy blast of wind. Izuku glared back at him.

" Don't. Just don't." He said. Then he sighed, looking up at the bright sky as the dust settled and frowned. " I… I can't come home, Katsuki. Not anymore. " He sighed, a small pang of pain in his heart. " Tell Mom I love her." Izuku channelled wind in his legs and launched away.

" Izuku! Wait!" Katsuki cried feebly. Izuku didn't look back.