Chapter 118: The Proposal
Iida's premonition was not wrong.
He and the Manual Hero had not been on patrol for long when, after a loud boom, a massive fire erupted on top of a tall building, sending up a thick plume of smoke.
The Manual Hero quickly heard the frantic voice of the dispatcher in his communicator. "An enemy has appeared! All nearby Pro Heroes, please proceed to the location and provide support!"
"Damn it! At a time like this!"
As a local Pro Hero, the Manual Hero knew that heroes from all over the country had flocked to Hosu City to hunt for the Hero Killer. Although his own daily patrols had become more frequent, deep down, he hadn't thought the Hero Killer would actually appear now. And what he hadn't anticipated at all was—
"The enemy has accomplices!? I completely overlooked that possibility!" The Manual Hero shouted to Iida as he ran toward the burning building, "Let's go! They need us over there!"
Iida nodded heavily and followed behind him. However, as they were passing through a small alley, he suddenly felt a strange pull in his heart and instinctively ran deeper into the alley...
At the same time, on a train outside Hosu City.
"Everyone, please remain calm and return to your seats! The heroes will be here to help shortly!" The train conductor stood in front of a gaping hole in the side of the train, trying to keep the passengers calm. "Nurse! Get the injured to safety!"
Just a moment ago, the moving train had been attacked. The side of a car had been brutally ripped open, and a Pro Hero was now pinned under a massive, dark hand.
"Run..." the hero under the enemy's hand said weakly to the confused passengers.
A yellow figure, moving with the speed of lightning, ricocheted through the train car. In an instant, it was in front of the enemy. It delivered a powerful two-footed kick to the enemy's face, sending both itself and the creature flying out of the train and into a building several meters away.
A boy with moss-green hair ran to the hole. Ignoring the protests of the others, a green electrical energy crackled around his body, and he leaped out, following the yellow figure.
His name was Izuku Midoriya. He had been on his way to Shibuya with the hero who had nominated him for the internship, but this sudden attack had disrupted their plans. His mentor, "Gran Torino," was the Pro Hero who had just intervened. Although he had told Midoriya to stay put...
Midoriya had noticed that the attacker looked very similar to the "Nomu" from the USJ incident. They both had exposed brains and a dark purple body. Although this one was much smaller than the last one—that one had required All Might himself to defeat.
"Iida-kun is in Hosu City, isn't he? I hope he's okay!" Midoriya prayed as he ran at full speed.
"Ingenium. Are you his relative, child?" Stain asked, pointing his sword at Iida. "Watch your words. Depending on the circumstances, I am not above harming a child."
"Heh heh..." Iida slowly stood up. "I am the younger brother of the man whose hero career you ended. Because of you, that villain, he can never work as a hero again for the rest of his life!"
"It is because you are all fakes. Both you and your brother are weak."
Tenya Iida, enraged, charged at Stain, throwing a punch at his face. "He is not a fake! He is the great hero who gave me my dream!"
"A hero...?"
A flash of a blade, and Iida fell heavily to the ground. Stain planted a foot on his back, mercilessly plunged his sword into his shoulder, then yanked it out and licked the blood from the blade.
"My body... I can't move!" Iida's face was pressed to the ground. He suddenly shuddered, his entire body going rigid. "Is this your Quirk, Hero Killer!?" he shouted in shock.
Stain didn't answer. He turned his sword on the prone figure of Shosei Meisei. "A hero? A true hero's first thought should be to save people. Like this one. His Quirk is barely passable, and his physical condition is pathetic, but even so, he still wanted to save that idiot over there."
"But you... you were blinded by rage. Not only were you trapped by a personal grudge, but you even used your power to satisfy your own selfish desires, to try and kill me... In that, you are no better than the native lying over there. This is the act most contrary to what a hero should be."
"I don't care what kind of lies you spew!" Iida shouted. "You're the criminal who hurt my brother! I won't believe a single word you say!"
The Hero Killer looked at Tenya Iida with cold eyes. "Still unrepentant...? Then, as a sacrifice for this city, for the sake of your brother... die."
"Stop!"
In the instant Stain was about to plunge his sword into Tenya Iida's chest, a green light flashed through the alley. It bounced off the walls, and a powerful punch slammed into Stain's face.
"Midoriya-kun!" Iida watched as the man who was about to take his life was sent flying. The moss-haired boy in the green hero costume was now standing in front of him. In that moment, he forgot his rage. "Why are you here!?" he asked, stunned.
"To save you, of course, Iida-kun!" Midoriya said without turning around. He held his phone in one hand behind his back, rapidly tapping at the keys, his eyes fixed on the Hero Killer, who had flipped in the air and landed on his feet. "When I heard from your mentor, the Manual Hero, that you had disappeared, I had a bad feeling. I thought, 'Don't tell me he ran into the Hero Killer!?' I saw an analysis on TV that said at least sixty percent of the Hero Killer's victims are attacked in alleys, so I..."
"This has nothing to do with you!" Iida suddenly shouted, cutting him off. "This is between me and the Hero Killer! You don't need to get involved! Run, now!"
"If we don't do anything, then what's the point of heroes even existing!?" Midoriya took a deep breath, spread his legs, and settled into a fighting stance. "All Might once said, 'Meddling in other people's business is one of the true essences of being a hero'! Iida-kun, I have a lot I want to say to you. But... let's wait until we're safe."
"'The words of All Might,' is it...?" Stain looked at Midoriya's determined expression and gave a terrifying smile. "You're the Midoriya that Shigaraki mentioned, aren't you? I've seen your picture. That expression... it's not bad. Now, I'm going to give you a chance to live. Get out of his way, carry that guy lying on the ground over there, and leave this place. I will not stop you."
Midoriya was surprised. The Hero Killer... won't kill me? And he's letting me take an injured Pro Hero with me?
Midoriya saw that besides Iida, there was another person lying on the ground, his condition unknown, and another sitting against the wall, seemingly unable to move. Does the Hero Killer mean for me to rescue the one on the ground?
"It's a good proposal, is it not? I will not give you much time to consider. Move. Now."
The Hero Killer held his sword horizontally in front of him, as if he would strike if Midoriya said the wrong word.
"Midoriya, take his offer!" Iida shouted. "Go! Quick!" As long as Midoriya is safe, my own life doesn't matter.
"I refuse."
Midoriya's voice was firm.
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