“Midoriya, why…? Did… Pagonis send you… to come to my aid?”

“This has nothing to do with Felix. It was talked about on TV. Most of the hero killer’s victims were found in places without many people,” Izuku replied without taking his eyes off the villain. “I searched all the alleyways one by one, especially those further away from the centre of the commotion near the Normal Hero Agency. I searched in them until I found you. Can you move?”

“Not… since he cut me.” Tenya was straining to reply. “I think it’s his quirk…”

“It’s just as the commentators on TV guessed,” Izuku muttered grimly. “His quirk is somehow activated by cutting people.”

Izuku’s eyes flitted to the other hero lying in the corner. He was dressed in Native American clothes and also seemed paralysed just like Iida. The boy balled his fists with determination.

If Tenya had been the only one injured, he could at least carry him away to safety. But with a second casualty in the area, there was no way he could rescue both of them before the villain caught up to them. He had to face this Hero Killer here and now, or at least until the pros arrive.

“Midoriya, don’t get involved! This has nothing to do with you!” Tenya yelled desperately. “Run! Save yourself!”

“Your friend came to save you, huh? You have good friends, if nothing else.” Stain pulled out his dagger sinisterly, before shifting his attention to the green haired hero. “But I have a duty to kill this vengeful false hero. The weaker one of us will be culled if we clash, child. So what will you do now, fight or run?”

Izuku locked eyes with his opponent, secretly sending out a location from his phone behind him. It was just as the news had said. The Hero Killer was no ordinary villain, unlike the Nomus, or the thugs who had attacked the USJ. The look in his eyes was that of a fanatical killer.

“Stop it! Run away! I told you, didn’t I? This has nothing to do with you!”

“I won’t abandon you, Iida!” Izuku raised his fists at the grinning villain. “Like All Might said, meddling when you don’t need to is the essence of being a hero!”

He took the offence, charging directly at Stain. Steel flashed before his eyes as the villain swung his sword at an incredible speed. Izuku bent backwards, sliding on the floor just underneath the blade.

Five percent Detroit-

The boy turned around, throwing a fist at the man’s face.

“-Smash!” His punch struck its target cleanly, and Izuku landed in front of The Hero Killer again. A wide smile spread along his face. Full Cowling had worked. He could fight now-

His body froze, and he collapsed to the ground as though suddenly paralysed. A trickle of blood leaked from the small graze on his arm.

“You left my field of vision and manoeuvred your way around to bring me down. Impressive, kid.” Stain put his spare dagger down from his mouth. “Heroes who are all talk are a dime a dozen, but it’s clear that you’re different from these guys. You are worth letting live.”

He placed his foot on Tenya. “He, however, is the furthest from what a hero should be. Look at him. His eyes are searing with vengeance. Consumed by hatred, he only wants to use his quirk to fulfil his own selfish desires. And that’s why he will die.”

Izuku watched helplessly as the killer raised his blade again, preparing to end Tenya’s life for real this time.

“Goodbye, child. You’ll be an offering… to a more just world-”

“Stop it!”

A flash of fire surged through the alleyway, making Stain leap away from his victim yet again.

“There’re a lot of people getting in my way tonight…” The Hero Killer glared at the second intruder, whose left half of his body was doused in fire.

“Midoriya. You need to give more details in times like this.” Todoroki pointed at the location on his phone. “It took me a while to figure out what you meant when you sent just your location info.”

“Todoroki, keep your distance! This guy controls his opponents’ actions by ingesting their blood orally,” Izuku shouted in warning. “That’s how he got all of us! He sucks blood to keep people from moving.”

Stain burst forward, only to meet jagged ice from the floor. He swung his blade, slicing the top off in a single swing. Streetlights glinted off metal as the sword flew directly at the ice user.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Todoroki flinched, narrowly avoiding the weapon. But the danger was not yet over.

A dagger followed up closely, grazing his left cheek. The boy gasped as the figure blocked the moonlight, stretching out his tongue creepily as he flew towards him. Fire burst from his left side in response, making Stain back off again.

Feeling returned to Izuku’s body as he stood up groggily. For some reason, he had been released from The Hero Killer’s hold, even though he was the last one to be paralysed.

“Midoriya?”

“I can move normally now.” Izuku panted, groggily raising his fists. “Even though… Stain got me last. I think his quirk’s effectiveness has something to do with blood type.”

“It doesn’t matter whether we know how his quirk works,” Todoroki said grimly. “His reaction is too fast for us to leave ourselves open. We need to take him down first before rescuing the others.”

“I’ll distract him, and you’ll support me from behind,” Izuku said. “It’s a pretty big risk we have to take, but that’s the only way the two of us can protect them!”

One For All surged through his veins once more as he prepared to lunge at the villain again-

“Scree!”

“Midoriya, look out!”

Izuku flipped, kicking off a nearby wall to dodge the huge figure that rudely interrupted them. It screeched in the same grating voice once more, breaking out of Todoroki’s jail of ice easily.

“A Nomu found us!” Izuku yelled, throwing a punch at the creature. It seized his wrist roughly instead, its unbridled strength threatening to snap it like a twig. A wall of flames burst towards the Nomu, and it let go of him.

The monster turned its attention to Todoroki, before slamming the boy away in a single backhand.

Izuku leapt towards it with a war cry, but only succeeded in getting knocked headfirst towards the ground as well. He crawled on the floor painfully as the Nomu stared at him like a bird observing its prey.

“Recipro Extend!”

A gust of wind rippled through the alley. The Nomu staggered backwards, reeling in apparent pain from the powerful kick that had pushed it away.

“Stain’s right. I have no right to call myself a hero.”

Izuku felt a pair of hands lift him back to his feet.

“But even so, I won’t give in.” Tenya was gritting his teeth. “I refuse to let the name of Ingenium die in my hands.”

Movement flashed from behind the monster as Izuku widened his eyes in shock and dismay. The Hero Killer was taking the chance to escape while they were distracted. He glanced towards his friend. Tenya had definitely noticed that as well, but his eyes were focused on the monster in front of them.

“I will not forgive you, Hero Killer.” Tenya stood in front of his friends. “But I have a duty above all else to protect others in the face of danger. I was an incompetent fool to have forsaken all that for my personal revenge. No more.”

The Nomu screamed again, as if challenging the young heroes. They tensed up in response, bracing themselves for the tough fight ahead.

A deafening thud crashed from behind, causing the Nomu to turn around. Dust swirled around the small crater as two points of pink poked out from the darkness.

Wait, isn’t he supposed to be overseas now?

“So, you’re the punk who’s been terrorising the streets, huh?” Moonlight glanced off the Pantalone mask as Felix slowly stepped into view. “For someone who’s trying to make a change in society, you’re awfully elusive, Hero Killer-”

The Nomu roared at the psychic, leaping towards him.

“Psionic… Thunder!”

Electricity crackled through the air, striking the writhing monster squarely in its head. Smoke sizzled as its flesh began to burn from the powerful current running through its body.

“Don’t ever interrupt me again.” Felix flung his hand casually, sending the charred Nomu crashing into the building across the street. He put his hand down as the remnant sparks fizzled out around his arm.

“Gotta say, it’s pretty satisfying yelling out the name of your own moves.” The boy smirked as his gaze shifted back to The Hero Killer.

“Who are you?” Stain pulled out his knife cautiously.

“Just a guy who’s trying to right some wrongs,” Felix replied. He had scarcely finished his sentence when The Hero Killer darted forward, driving his knife towards his abdomen.

“Felix!” Izuku screamed in warning.

There was a comical clang as the bent blade bounced off the floor. Everyone’s mouth hung open at the durability of Felix’s psychic aura.

“You’re nothing but a self-righteous fanatic.” Felix pointed at the man, whose entire body was now frozen tightly by pink bindings. “Your solution to this world is nothing but violence; a petty tantrum thrown by a toddler who can’t get his way.”

The psychic swung his hand, tossing Stain around like a ragdoll before holding him up again. It was evident that Felix was simply toying with his prey.

“So you think you can get away with hurting someone’s brother?” The boy suddenly raised his voice. “Not so easy when they fight back, huh?”

A breeze flicked Izuku’s hair as The Hero Killer’s body flew past him, crashing onto the floor. Stain spat out a puddle of blood as he struggled to get back to his feet. Felix took his time to walk towards him.

“This world isn’t yours to fix.” Felix’s voice had dropped to a whisper, but it was still audible to the boy beside him. A chill went down Izuku’s spine at how villainous his friend was sounding.

Stain slammed onto the ground for the last time, and Felix finally relinquished his hold on his motionless body.