Chapter Text
We begin with a black background that gradually lightens, revealing the sun shining brightly over a school.
“Leave us alone... leave us alone, Kacchan.”
We see a little girl with green hair sobbing. She looks terrified, with tears in her eyes. We see another little boy sobbing, kneeling, clutching his stomach as if he’d been punched.
“Can’t you see she’s suffering? If you keep this up…” she said, adopting a defensive stance, “I won’t forgive you!”
“Kacchan” was a little blond boy surrounded by two others. He and the other little boys stared at her before flashing a mocking smile. “Hmm. Do you want to play at being a heroine?”
One boy revealed his red wings, and the other showed that he could extend his hand. “Kacchan”—he slammed his fist against his hand, sending a spark of fire shooting out.
“You don’t stand a chance without a Quirk, Deku,” he said with a smug smile.
The little girl, “Deku,” gasped and took a step back. She reached out a hand toward the little boy as the three of them charged forward at full speed, the sun shining brightly once again. Shortly after, the injured little boy saw the little girl trying to helo him.
Not all men and women were created equal.
The girl lay crying on her back, gazing wearily at the sky, covered in bruises.
When we were four years old, I learned that some children have more power than others.
The sound of quick footsteps splashing in a puddle could be heard.The green hair girl, now fourteen years old, was running.
But that won’t stop me.
The girl gasped, clutching her backpack by the strap as they ran, before a burly man roared and came to a halt. She gasped sharply as they looked up.
Izumi Midoriya is a petite girl with a round face framed by long, wavy dark green hair, with a few loose strands framing her forehead. Her eyes are large and somewhat round, with fairly thick upper lashes, and her irises are the same shade of green as her hair. She has four symmetrical diamond-shaped freckles, one on each cheek. She was wearing a simple black sailor uniform with long black tights, matching her signature bright red knee-high boots with thick white soles and black laces.
The man was as tall as a building and was standing at a train station. He wore a black vest and jeans, and his face resembled that of a shark. Izumi’s hair stood on end as she swallowed hard.
“He’s a huge supervillain!” she said, her heart pounding with that familiar thrill.
Fear and something dangerously akin to hope.
All Might stood tall, bathed in the light of several spotlights, one by one, until the giant surrounded him from the front. It was as if he reveled in the light, his hands on his hips.
(Shizukesa ga shimikomu you de iki wo tometa gozen goji)
Izumi stared at him, her eyes wide and her head bowed. They were both wearing their high school uniforms until she stood up. They continued to stare at All Might, who was standing in front of them.
(Hijou Kaidan de Tsume)
Izumi slowly extended her hand, and sparkles flew around her, drawn by All Might's presence.
(Wo kamu Asu wa dotchi da?)
She continued trying to reach him, her hand still outstretched.
(THE DAY HAS COME)
All Might looked back as his hands continued to reach out toward him, a wide smile on his face. Plus Ultra then flashed, with Ochao Uraraka, Tenya Iida, Katsuki Bakugo, Tsuyu Asui, Eijiro Kirishima, and Minoru Mineta appearing, their names displayed behind them. Then My Hero Academia flashed, changing color. Momo Yaoyorozu, Denki Kaminari, Kyoka Jiro, Hanta Sero, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Yuga Aoyama appeared with their names behind them. Finally, Academia flashed, showing Mashirao Ojiro, Mina Ashido, Rikido Sato, Mezo Shoji, Koji Koda, Toru Hagakure, and Shoto Todoroki, before the My Hero Academia logo appeared
.
In the city, it was raining and traffic filled the streets.
(Furi tuzukete yamanai ame mo)
Izumi stared at the rainy sky , her backpack slung over her shoulders.
Izumi frowned as she walked away from the colorful posters.
(Sukoshi mo hen de wa nai no)
As she continued walking, all of Izumi's notebooks appeared around her. She frowned and looked down.
(Madoromi ni ashi wo torareteru)
Then the thirteen notebooks disappeared and she continued walking.
(Anata wo semete iru wake ja nain da yo)
She stopped slowly, revealing her sneakers. All of Izumi's notebooks fell to the floor.
(Hitori kuusou ni asobu)
In a split screen, a younger Izumi watched a younger, more arrogant Katsuki in the forest. Then, they switched roles, now in their junior high school uniforms, in their teenage years. Izumi looked annoyed, while Katsuki turned his back on her. Cherry blossoms filled the background.
(Soko de omoi egaita koto made )
As the camera zoomed in, they both wore their UA High School uniforms. Everyone tensed up.
(Haijru no kai?)
The two clashed in their hero costumes. Izumi struck Katsuki, and the clash of their attacks created flashes of light. Shigaraki reached through the sparks. All Might then clenched his fist in midair and lunged forward to deliver a punch.
(Karami au meikyuu meikyuu)
Villains and Nomu appeared, and All Might immediately engaged them in battle.
(Doesn't that hurt a lot?)
All Might delivered countless blows to the Nomu, who struck back at the hero. Kurogiri then emerged from the hiding place he shared with Shigaraki, his yellow eyes glowing.
(Chiisaki tabibito ga kanaderu hajimari no kane no ne)
Mr. Aizawa unfurled his capture weapon and joined the fight as well. He threw some villains aside and kicked others, stopping one. Izumi ran forward in her UA uniform, framed by a blue sky.
(Yuku atemo I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW)
Ochao clasped his fingers together and leaped into the sky. Lida appeared behind him, his leg swinging with incredible speed.
(¿Hontou wa kowain ja nai no?)
Mineta was grabbed by Tsuyu’s tongue, and the two launched forward. Todoroki skated across ice. Kirishima rotated his arm, showing off his hardening.
(Fumidasu sono ippo ippo ga)
Katsuki’s hand glowed as he let out a maniacal laugh.
(kaete yukeru sa)
Izumi ran forward, dressed in her hero costume. She pulled back her fist and shouted:
(THE DAY HAS COME)
Izumi thrust her fist forward, her arm alternating between her own and All Might’s.
Tokoyami spread his cape while Kaminari opened his, electricity surging from it. Yaoyorozu wielded a staff, Jirou crouched to prepare her Quirk. Sero and Aoyama struck poses. Ojiro and Shoji got ready. Ashido and Hagakure equipped themselves. Sato and Koda stood back to back, all the students appearing with the UA symbol behind them. Then, the entire Class 1-A struck a pose, the twins standing at the front. All Might pointed forward as everyone stood before UA.
The first incident occurred in the city of Qingqing.
That's what the books say. The documentaries. The teachers who explain history as if it had been orderly, almost elegant. As if the world hadn't shattered a little that day.
A child was born radiating light.
And then… the rumor spread like a crack in the ice. People with impossible abilities began appearing all over the planet. No one knew why. No one knew how. But almost no one cared.
Because, suddenly, the impossible became commonplace.
The supernatural… normal.
And dreams—those that once only existed in colorful comics—began to walk the streets.
Thus began the age of heroes.
The villain roared and smashed a tower to pieces.
Everyone was stunned to see it crash to the ground. A man lunged at it and slid to a stop. He punched and then raised his arms to prevent the structure from collapsing.
"That's great!" smiled a passerby in the crowd. "Well done, Death Arms! The punching hero! I wish I had a Quirk that made me super strong!"
The superhero had an intense look. A police officer trying to protect the crowd gasped at the sight of manipulated water right in front of him. He formed a sort of barrier while they searched for another hero. "Everyone, please stay back! This area is too dangerous."
"Oh, the rescue specialist, Backdraft, is here! He'll make sure we're okay!" shouted another passerby.
Izumi tried to peek through the crowd in front of her.
"This guy must be desperate to become a monster in the middle of the city," a man said, catching the boy's attention. "Do you know what happened?"
"A fan," another man said, turning to him. "He stole someone's bag and then they cornered him."
"A gift like that, and he's nothing but a petty thief."
Izumi slipped past them into the crowd, apologizing, though they either didn't notice or didn't hear her.
"I'm stuck. The train's gone. Another villain," a man said on his phone. "I don't know when I'll get to the office."
Someone jumped on him and looked up to see another hero.
A few female fans screamed, startling some of the men around them. "I'm Kamui! We're your biggest fans!" they yelled as someone made of wood landed in front of them.
He jumped and landed on a traffic light. He jumped again and landed on the rooftop, leaping away as the villain tried to reach him. But instead, he destroyed the section where the hero was standing. Kamui looked down at him from the air.
"Get away from me or I'll break you, toothpick!" the villain yelled at the hero.
Izumi had managed to reach the front, panting with excitement as she pulled out a notebook and pencil. "Kamui Woods, the young superstar, was here! Oh, this was gold, or maybe my eyes are just glowing."
"You've got the makings of a commentator, young lady!"
Izumi froze and turned to see a passerby with an unusual skull structure standing with his arms crossed and grinning at her.
Izumi felt her face burn as she realized she'd said it out loud.
"Are you some kind of fangirl?" The passerby pointed at her with the same grin, while Izumi couldn't respond and hid half her face behind her notebook, blushing with embarrassment.
Luckily, Kamui's acrobatics distracted her from the awkward situation as the villain tried to crush him. Then, he lunged at the villain's arm and leaped forward, extending his arm toward the wooden rope. It caught his wrist, sending him flying backward as the villain growled at him. He threw his arm to free the hero, and finally, he was released, flying toward a structure. He used his hands and legs to slide to a stop. Then, he looked at his opponent.
"Assault, robbery, and illegal use of powers during rush hour," Kamui said once the smoke cleared. "You are the embodiment of evil." He moved his arm forward, and it grew larger, forming branches.
"There!" Izumi smiled as she pointed upwards. "Her special move!"
"Come on, Tree Man, show us something impressive!" shouted the passerby standing next to him.
"Prison..." Izumi began excitedly.
"Lacquered Chains!" Kamui finished as his arm released from a pile of wooden branches. The villain raised his arm to block it.
"Cannon, cannon!" A woman jumped down from above and kicked him in the face, as he was about 15 meters tall.
Everyone, including the heroes, was stunned. And now Kamui looked ridiculous, having only one arm to show for his effort... almost the size of a huge tree. He gasped in astonishment at the sight of the villain lying in the street.
The superheroine landed a few meters away and showed her backside to the crowd.
"Amazing photos, amazing photos, amazing photos!" A group of fans immediately began taking pictures.
"Piece of cake for the next world's sexiest heroine," boasted the giant woman, smiling and looking over her shoulder. "Hi everyone, I'm Mount Lady. And you don't have to worry about this ass anymore."
"Taking money, taking money, taking money," they continued taking photographs.
Izumi could only feel a little uncomfortable (and subconsciously a little jealous) and concentrated on writing in her notebook while people cheered for Mount Lady.
"Wait, he's getting all the credit?" Kamui asked incredulously, waving to the crowd.
The rise of superpowers led to an explosive increase in criminal activity.
Mount Lady shrank back to its normal size.
While governments were stuck trying to figure out how to reform laws to accommodate Quirks, brave individuals began performing heroic acts to keep our cities safe .
The villain was tied up while Mount Lady gave an interview. The other heroes who appeared, except for Kamui, didn't seem to care much.
They protected us from villains who abused their power for evil. With overwhelming public support, the heroes found an official place as guardians of peace, under government supervision.
Mount Lady smiled brightly at the crowd.
Those who performed best received the highest salaries and all the fame and glory. Their careers depended on their ability to stay in the spotlight.
Although Mount Lady seemed too happy to enjoy the glory at this moment...
After all the chaos, Izumi stood in front of the crater created by the villain. She was also holding a notebook.
" Gigantization, huh? " Izumi muttered to herself as she took notes. " Well, she certainly has the looks and attitude to be a crowd favorite, and her Quirk is very flashy, but she'll have a hard time moving around the city without damaging a lot of things. That means she might not be very useful ."
"Notes?" asked the passerby beside her. "What a studious girl! Do you want to be a hero too?"
Izumi stopped abruptly, staring at the man with the curious skull. She nodded nervously.
"Good idea, miss. I wish you the best of luck!"
Izumi was surprised by the praise, blushing and smiling. "Thank you! I'll do my best!"
EPISODE 1
IZUMI MIDORIYA: ORIGINS
A few minutes later, Izumi arrived at Aldera Academy running just seconds before the bell rang.
She entered the classroom breathless, slumped in her seat, and placed a hand on her chest, taking a deep breath. One, two. Everything was fine. Everything was normal.
Then she noticed it, her eyes widened, and her face slowly flushed from the sensation beneath her uniform. " NO! NOT AGAIN! " she thought, terrified and embarrassed.
She was about to get up, but unfortunately for her, the teacher had already arrived and was about to start the class. So she sat down and prayed that no one would notice (although no one would, given how flat her chest was).
"So," the teacher began, "As juniors, it's time to start thinking seriously about your future and what you want to do with your lives. I could hand out career aptitude tests, but... why bother?" The teacher confidently took the papers. Everyone in the class showed a gift. She laughed as she tossed the papers into the air. "I know you all want to go into the hero career!"
Everyone cheered as a group of students showed off their Quirks. The only exceptions were Izumi, who jumped in fright and huddled in her seat, and a blond boy sitting not far from her. "Yes, yes, you have some impressive Quirks. But energy blasts aren't allowed at school! Control yourselves!"
"Hey, teacher!" the blond boy shouted. "Don't lump me in with this bunch of losers!" "I'm serious, but these guys will be lucky if they end up as accomplices to some low-level criminal." His feet were propped up on the desk, and he was leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "Heh." His name was Katsuki Bakugo, someone the green-haired girl was familiar with. For better or for worse, in most cases.
"You think you're better than us, Bakugo?!" The class erupted in anger after he said this.
"Come on, I'll take on all of you!" Bakugo challenged the class without a care in the world.
"Wow!" the professor glanced at the results on his clipboard. "Your results are impressive." "You might get into UA High School."
"Is she going to try to get into National High School?" a student wondered aloud while everyone was in shock except for Izumi.
She groaned, putting a hand to her head and hiding under her desk.
That school has an acceptance rate of 0.2 percent!
"It's impossible to get in."
"That's precisely why it's the only place worthy of me," Bakugo boasted to the class. Then, he did a somersault and landed on his desk, grinning as he clenched his fist. "I passed all the practice exams. I'm the only one in this school with a chance of getting in. I'll be more popular than All Might himself and the richest hero of all time!" With a frenzied grin, he clenched his fist and raised it to the ceiling. "Everyone will know who I am." "And it all starts with U.A. High!"
"Oh, yes, Midoriya, you want to go to UA too?" the teacher asked. Izumi let out a nervous groan while Bakugo froze.
Izumi looked up and saw that everyone was staring at her, a bead of sweat forming on the back of her neck. A deep silence fell before everyone started laughing at her, except for Bakugo.
"Midoriya?" "Are you kidding me?" one of them shouted, laughing, while Izumi clutched her head in embarrassment. "It's impossible for either of you to get into the hero course without a Quirk!"
Izumi stood up to defend herself, but as soon as she stood up, she wanted to sit back down and curl up in a ball.
"So there's no precedent..." she tried to explain, raising and lowering his voice. "That doesn't mean you can tell me no."
Bakugo growled and charged forward. He used his hand to create an explosion, destroying Izumi's desk in the process. Izumi landed on the floor, gasping for breath.
"Listen, Deku!" The girl looked up in terror, trembling violently as she glared at Bakugo. Smoke billowed from her hands, and her eyes blazed with fury. "You're even worse than the rest of these damn outcasts, wannabe Quirk! Do you really think they'd let people like you in when they could have me?"
"S-Stop it, Kacchan. I don't want... any trouble," Izumi stammered nervously, backing away from the wall in fear. "Seriously! I'm not trying to compete with you. You have to believe me!" Then she lowered her gaze to the ground, trembling. "It's just that..."
"Shut your mouth, no one will hear you. You could never measure up to the best." Smoke billowed from his hands, and suddenly everyone was shrouded in dark shadows with red eyes, staring at Izumi. "You'd die on the exams! Deku. This school is already a mess. Do you really want to embarrass it even more by failing so spectacularly?"
Izumi frowned as everyone continued to laugh, while she struggled to hold back her tears.
Someone shouted from elsewhere. A shop owner ran out as a woman lay on the ground, wrapped in a shield.
"Hey, come back! Someone stop that monster!"
A mud monster was roaming the town. It had just robbed the store.
"Scream all you want, idiot, this money is mine!" He walked past a lamppost and dropped a banknote while everyone stared.
While this was happening, a thin, blond man came out of the supermarket with his shopping bag in his left hand and his phone in his right.
"I already told you, Mirai, my answer is no," said the thin man.
"Toshinori, your time as the Symbol of Peace is coming to an end," his interlocutor said, sighing in frustration on the other end of the line. "You know I've trained Mirio to be your successor, and he's ready to face One For All."
Toshinori sighed in frustration. "Although I believe young Mirio will become a great hero in the future, I don't think he's worthy of One For All."
He heard a sigh of annoyance, tinged with irritation. "This is becoming ridiculous, Toshinori. One day, the future I saw will come true, and you will die. Don't you want your legacy to continue after your death?"
Toshinori slowly clenched his fist before ending the call with a sigh and putting his phone in his pocket. He turned and saw a green sludge villain running from something, while he heard people around him saying, "Hey, where are all the heroes...?"
"It's strange, normally someone would show up right away," said a customer who came out of the store just behind them.
"Perhaps they're still dealing with what happened this morning." Toshinori said he was behind them
The mud monster carried money tied to its back as it moved between the buildings.
"Do you remember when we didn't have to worry about strangers with Gifts all the time?"
"Seriously, there's no way to stop them."
Suddenly Toshinori grew in size and muscle.
" Yes, there is. " The three men shuddered and turned away.
Everyone was speechless when they realized who it was. Then he stepped out of the shadows into the sunlight.
" Do you know why? " The villain looked back, and the sight suddenly terrified him. The man smiled broadly. " I'm here! "
Soon, classes ended and everyone started heading home. "Oh yeah, we should go to karaoke tonight," one student remarked to another.
"Yes, let's go."
Izumi stayed behind for the time being. Mainly because she didn't want the others to notice the awkward situation she was in while changing and forgetting to put on her bra... Izumi shook her head, trying to think about it, and looked at her phone, specifically the news about this morning's fight.
"Wow! That fight this morning is all over the news. I'd better write something down before I forget something," she smiled as he held up his notebook full of statistics about professional heroes.
Suddenly, Bakugo himself snatched the notebook from her. He looked at her disdainfully. "We're not finished yet."
"What do they have?" One of his henchmen approached the trio. "Their diary?"
Izumi made a nervous sound as Bakugo lifted her up even higher. The book's title read "Hero Analysis for the Future." "Huh? Don't tell me they're taking notes on how to be a hero? That's pathetic." The boys behind Bakugo burst into laughter. "They're delusional."
"P-please, stop," she said, extending a hand as she stood up. He pushed her easily, though a bit too roughly, back into her seat. She grunted as she landed.
Bakugo glared at her, then clasped his hands together, creating an explosion that shattered the book and engulfed it in flames. Izumi's eyes trembled as she stared at her notebook. She had spent years writing and drawing every detail, and now he had ruined it.
Bakugo threw the books out the window. She screamed in horror, seeing that Bakugo's face suggested he didn't care. Then he looked up and stared straight into her eyes.
“Most elite heroes show potential right from the start. People look at them and know they're destined for greatness.” Izumi trembled, her eyes rolling. “When I'm the only student from this worthless junior high to get into UA, they'll start talking about me like that. They'll realize I'm legitimate, the next big star. It's not egotism, I just know I'm good. he looked away with a mocking smile.”
One of his friends looked away with a knowing expression. Ego...
Bakugo then placed a hand on Izumi's shoulder, steam rising from it. "A little advice, nerd." He offered her a friendly smile, though the green-haired girl looked terrified. "Don't even think about applying. Or else..." Izumi whimpered, staring at him, unable to say anything.
Bakugo pushed her, causing her to fall to the ground. The green hair girl was left alone, trembling.
"What a shame!" one of the boys commented, looking at them. "I thought he'd at least put up a fight."
"They finally understand. She'll never be a heroine," the other remarked with a slight smile. "Better to find that out now than later, I suppose."
The blond boy stopped just before leaving. "You know, if you really want to be a heroine, maybe there's another way. Just pray to be born with a Quirk in your next lives. And then jump off the roof."
Izumi gasped, her hair standing on end with alarm. Then she trembled as she stared at the ground, biting her lip until it turned red. She had said and done many things, but this was one of the worst she could have done. Izumi stood up and, without thinking, ran toward Bakugo, ready to slap him, but he simply grabbed her arm and pulled her to the ground again, this time harder.
Bakugo simply looked at her without surprise and left the place, leaving Izumi alone on the ground.
After a moment to compose herself, Izumi walked towards the house.
What an idiot! You can't go around telling people to kill themselves. What if he actually jumped? What would he do then?
Izumi looked towards a pond to see her book... being used as fish food.
"My dreams have become fish food," he muttered. "That's enough, give it back." He grabbed the book, and the fish swam away instantly. "Damn it," his eyes twitched as he groaned in pain, staring at the title. All that work analyzing and gathering information... burned in seconds.
"Stupid idiot," Izumi grumbled softly, closing her eyes sadly.
"Mother"
A younger Izumi walked down the hall carrying an action figure and approached her mother, Inko Midoriya. She was washing the dishes.
"Please, Mom, can I see him again?" She asked politely and hopefully.
"Again?" She turned off the water.
Izumi had posters of All Might in her room, and she actually held the action figure.
Inko was searching on the computer while Izumi sat in the chair, waiting excitedly and a little impatiently.
"Oh my god, I think it already has 10,000 views, Izumi," Inko said with a slight smile. "I don't know why you like it, it scares me."
However, Izumi let out an excited giggle.
The video we loved was old.
Inko walked away as the video played.
Images of a long-ago disaster. But most importantly: it was the debut of the greatest hero the world has ever known.
In the video, fire and destruction were everywhere. The camera was also constantly shaking. "Who is it? He's already saved at least 100 people, and it hasn't even been 10 minutes!" exclaimed a bloodied bystander, looking at several people watching the scene. "This is... this is insane! I can't believe it!"
A hero emerged from an overturned bus carrying several people on his back.
Izumi's eyes glowed slightly.
The hero burst out laughing. "Look, there's more!" He continued laughing as the little girl stared at him in amazement.
Izumi slowly broke into a radiant smile.
Then, the hero boarded the bus to face the crowd.
" Fear not, citizens. Hope has arrived ," the man said without hesitation.
Izumi squealed with a huge smile, her eyes sparkling.
The hero also had a big smile. " Because I'm here ."
Izumi laughed excitedly, clapping a little. Then she smiled, holding her action figure above their heads. "He's the coolest in the universe! And when I get my Quirk, I'll be a heroine, just like him!"
She laughed when Inko looked at her. Then she looked away, a hesitant expression on her face...
"I'm sorry, child, that's not going to happen," the doctor told Izumi, plain and simple.
Izumi froze and slumped. They remained silent for a few seconds before her mother spoke.
"Oh my God. Do you really think something's wrong? Most of the kindergarteners in your class have already started showing symptoms..." She looked at her daughter.
"My records indicate that you are a fourth-generation Quirk user. What powers do you and your father possess?" the doctor asked, looking at her daughter. Izumi remained paralyzed.
"Nothing extraordinary. I can throw small objects, and his father breathes fire," he said, moving his hand so the figure was back within reach. "I suppose they're quite useful."
"Izumi should have already manifested one of these Quirks, or a combination of both, but after seeing her X-rays, I don't think she will," she said, looking at an X-ray of Izumi's foot. "You see, when superpowers first appeared, a lot of research was done, and doctors discovered a correlation between the bones in the foot and the likelihood of developing a Quirk. People with powers only have one joint in their little toe. Their bodies have evolved into a more streamlined version of the human form," she pointed to the little toe in Izumi's X-ray. Inko looked at her daughter with a blank expression. "You can see here that Izumi has two joints in her little toe, which represents approximately 20% of the current population. Based on the available research, we can safely say that your daughter will not develop a Quirk."
Izumi was still in shock when the screen went dark.
When she got home, it was raining. The lights in Izumi's room were off as she watched the video again... but it didn't help much. Who is it? He's already saved at least a hundred people, and it hasn't even been ten minutes!
Inko stood in front of the door while listening to the video.
"This is... this is crazy! I can't believe it!"
She looked back; Izuku wasn't moving his chair or making any sounds of surprise.
The hero in the video laughed. "Look, he has more!"
Fear not , citizens! Hope has arrived. For I am here!
"See that, Mom...?" Inko turned completely around to look at him as the video paused, showing the hero's smile. "He always has a smile on his face, no matter how bad things get." She didn't say anything, her sad gaze fixed on the back of the chair. "Even when things seem impossible, he never gives up..." The chair swiveled slightly, and she shuddered, tears welling in her eyes. Izumi also had tears in her eyes, but she held them back as she pointed at the screen. "Do you think... I could be a heroine too?"
The woman approached slowly, knelt down, and hugged her daughter. "I'm sorry, Izumi. I wish things were different," she sobbed as the little girl finally began to cry.
Mom. I didn't need you to say that. Couldn't you see? My world was falling apart. I just wanted to hear one thing...
Back in the present, Izumi stopped in front of a tunnel as cherry blossom petals floated by.
That day I made a decision. No matter what others think, I have to believe in myself—Izumi thought, frowning. And I'll keep smiling, just like him! He clenched his fist, forcing a smile, trying to get over what happened with Kachan... or so he hoped.
Izumi entered the tunnel like a soldier. Suddenly, a sludge appeared behind her and stopped. She looked back and gasped slowly, horrified. Right in front of her was the sludge villain from before.
"A villain...? Here?" Izumi took a step back, dropping her burnt notebook.
"A medium-sized container, and on top of it, a very pretty young woman," he began, emerging from the sewer.
Izumi turned to run, but the villain lunged at her and grabbed her. Izumi felt as if the villain's mouth were tearing her apart, trying to force its way into her body. And to top it all off, it felt slimy...
"Don't worry, I'm just taking possession of your body. It will be easier for both of us if you don't resist. It will only hurt for a minute. You'll feel better soon!" said the villain, and she gasped again at his words.
"I can't... breathe!" Izumi thought as she gasped, clutching the drool, but it had no effect.
"Take whatever you want. My body is liquid. Thank you for your help. You're a true hero to me, sweetheart. I didn't know you were in town. I have to get out of here fast before he finds me."
Izumi gritted her teeth and made a fist, trying to push him away. "Get off me!"
“Like I said, you're a thoroughbred, darling.” But I also have to thank you. “Even though we both know you can't beat me!”
My body... is... is weakening... She lowered her hand slowly, feeling like she was suffocating and couldn't hold on any longer. I think... I think I'm dying.
Her eyes were still filling with tears. This can't be the end. "Someone...!" She looked at the pictures of the heroes in her books. The girl closed her eyes tightly. "Help...!"
The cover came loose, and the mud villain turned around in alarm. On the other side of the tunnel, someone was crouching in front of the entrance.
" Don't be afraid, miss, you're safe. " Izumi gasped sharply as she turned to face him, her eyes trembling. Then she stood slowly, her steps firm as she rose. Tree petals fluttered behind her. " Now that I'm here, of course! "
“No way... it's...” The mud villain's eyes widened as he lunged forward to attack.
The hero ducked to dodge and leaped forward. The mud villain struck him in the arm, and the hero staggered backward on his right arm. " Texas!... Smash! " he yelled as he slammed through the villain, sending him flying. The villain groaned in pain as the wind became too strong for him.
"I can't... hold back...!" It exploded into pieces, freeing Izumi. Her eyes were closed. She opened them and saw a shadow in front of her. She looked closer and recognized the smile on the hero's face.
Is that... All... Might? Then he disappeared into the darkness.
Hey! Wake up! Hey...!
Izumi slowly opened her eyes and saw a huge man smiling at her, which made her eyes widen in shock as she saw who was standing in front of her.
"I thought I had lost you."
Izumi shuddered, alarmed. She realized the hero was right behind her, and she didn't even know what to say. She screamed as she backed away, trembling.
" Well, they seem to be moving quite well ," All Might said. " Sorry. I didn't mean for them to interfere with my judgment ," he gestured to them. " I usually pay more attention to the safety of bystanders. But it turns out this city's sewer system is rather difficult to manage ." Then he chuckled.
Meanwhile, Izumi's head was steaming, her mouth was open, and she was still convulsing.
" Anyway, you were a great help. Thank you! I captured the villain! " He held up a soda bottle containing the villain.
The most incredible hero in the world... All Might! In person. Right in front of her! All Might had a huge smile on his face as Izumi admired him inwardly. He looks so much cooler in person!
“Oh my God! I need an autograph!” Izumi rummaged around. “I have a pen here.” She shuddered at the sight of her book in front of her. “Please sign it!” She opened it and saw that there was already a large signature.
Izumi let out a small gasp. "He already did it!" she squealed, then glanced shyly at All Might. "T-thank you! I'll keep this signature as a family heirloom! I'll bury it with me on the day of my funeral!"
" Perfect! The family treasure, not your funeral ," All Might said, giving a thumbs-up. " Well, I need to take this guy to the police to deal with him ," he said, tapping the bottle in his pocket. " Don't get into any trouble. See ya! "
"Wait," Izumi murmured as she watched the hero duck to jump. "Are you leaving already? Already?"
" Professional heroes are constantly battling against time and enemies ," All Might said, stretching.
Izumi sighed as she saw her favorite hero right in front of her. She couldn't let the experience end like this. She couldn't leave yet. She still had so many questions to ask him.
" Now step back. I'm leaving ," All Might announced and leaped into the sky. " Thank you for your continued support! " A gust of wind blew after his jump, and cherry blossom petals rained down behind him. Then he laughed... and Izumi closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, clutching her legs, clearly regretting her decision.
" Ove ove ove What do you think you're doing? Let go of me! " He tried to push her away. "I love my fans, but this is too much!"
"No way! We're flying! If I let go, I'll die!" Izumi shouted, and the hero froze.
" Oh, that's a good point ," he agreed with the girl.
"I have so many things to ask you!" Izumi still had her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face, her hair even more disheveled from the wind. "Personally... you're my all-time favorite hero, All Might, please..."
" Okay, okay! I get it! Just keep your eyes and mouth closed ," All Might told her. And so he did. He sighed as he placed a hand on Izumi's back, looking for a good place to land. The hero coughed, blood dripping from his teeth. Shit .
Finally, they reached a rooftop. Izumi landed on her knees, taking a deep breath after the terrifying experience of flying. "Thank goodness, we're on solid ground..."
" It wasn't a very smart decision ," he said after a few seconds, catching her attention. " Knock for a while. They'll open the door. I have to go. See you on the other side ," he said, waving his hand. Izumi gasped and jumped to her feet.
"Wait, not yet. Just a second," she ran towards the hero.
"No! I don't have time ," All Might told him.
"I have to know!" The green hair girl cried desperately before stopping abruptly, remembering everything she had been told.
"I'm sorry, child, that's not going to happen."
"I'm sorry, Izumi. I wish things were different."
"Deku. This school is already a disaster. Do you really want to embarrass it even more by failing so spectacularly?"
Slowly, he let go of everything that had been repeating itself since he received that unfortunate news. Izumi remained silent. "Sometimes I feel like a failure, as if there's no hope for me. But even so, I won't give up. Nevert."
He began to tremble before asking the question he so desperately wanted to answer: "Is it possible for me to become a heroine, even without a Quirk?"
All Might froze upon hearing that question. But he didn't answer.
"I'm just a normal girl with no powers. Could I aspire to be like you?" A long, deep silence enveloped them as the camera slowly began to zoom out.
Meeting All Might was a dream come true. A true miracle. Before me stood the hero I had idolized for most of my life. I didn't realize it at the time, but that chance encounter would change the course of my future.