Heroes are seen as symbols of hope and justice, guiding society with unwavering morals and principles.
No matter how vile or ruthless a villain may be, heroes are taught never to kill. It is the fundamental creed they live by—a line they must never cross, no matter the provocation.
To take a life is to abandon the very essence of what it means to be a hero.
In their eyes, even the worst of criminals deserve a chance at redemption or justice through lawful means.
Heroes believe that killing taints their purpose, blurring the line between hero and villain. It's not just about saving lives but also preserving the moral fabric that defines them.
But reality isn't always so simple. In the darkest corners of conflict, where villains show no mercy, some heroes find themselves questioning that unwavering ideal.
Still they endure, shouldering the burden of mercy even when faced with pure malice—because heroes protect not only lives but also ideals.
But me? I was never a hero to begin with.
Heroes don't kill. They don't stain their hands with blood or embrace the darkness that comes with taking a life. Heroes follow the rules, protect everyone—villain or not.
But I've already crossed that line. I didn't hesitate to kill when I had to, because I wanted to.
The blade was warm in my hand, blood still dripping from the tip.
Staring at the the two remaining villains, I couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction seeing their fear. But I knew better than to let that feeling consume me.
I had to be fast with what I wanted to do, the voices could come at anytime and they would come quite fast.
This was it—the perfect chance to train myself, to push beyond my limits. I knew I couldn't hold the weapon for long before the voices took over, but I needed to know how far I could go.
How long I could keep control?
How much pain I could endure before I broke?
If I wanted to be ready for what was coming, I had to keep pushing.
They stared at me, their faces twisted between shock and terror, recognizing me from that night.
They remembered the laughter and the taunts. Now, they were choking on their own fear.
"Give up," I said flatly. "You're just trying to delay your death by more seconds"
They didn't buy it. The woman snarled, crouching low as her limbs twisted into razor-sharp claws, feathers sprouting along her arms.
"Fuck you," she spat, forcing herself to sound confident despite the tremor in her voice.
The lanky guy glanced at her, clearly rattled, but nodded, trying to hype himself up. His hands elongating into jagged, whip-like tendrils covered in spikes.
"We're not afraid of you, you little shit," he barked, raising his jagged limb like a whip. "Think you're hot stuff just 'cause you killed one of us?"
I just stared at him, unimpressed. "You'll be joining him soon if you don't shut up."
With a sudden lunge, they both came at me from opposite sides—the woman leaping high with a scream, talons aiming for my throat, while the tendril wrapped around to strike at my back.
I didn't move until the last second, sidestepping the tendril and raising my blade to meet her claws.
Metal clashed against hardened bone, and I gritted my teeth as the impact reverberated through my arm.
She tried to twist her limb around mine to disarm me, but I slammed the hilt of my sword into her wrist, forcing her back.
Without missing a beat, I sidestepped the guy's tendrils, slicing through one of them like cutting wet paper.
He screamed, clutching his now-severed arm. "Shit! What the hell are you?!".
The woman didn't waste the opportunity, darting in from my blind spot and raking her talons toward my neck.
I twisted around, catching her wrist with my free hand and slamming my knee into her gut.
She gasped, doubling over, but I didn't let go—just dragged her closer and pressed the blade to her throat.
"Still want to act tough?" I whispered.
She glared up at me, teeth clenched, still trying to hold onto that shred of bravado. "You... think I'm scared of you?"
I didn't respond—just pushed the blade harder, drawing a thin line of blood. She stiffened, a shiver running through her body.
"Tch." The tendril guy struggled to his feet, face twisted in pain. "We... we can take him if we hit together! Stop being a coward!"
She hesitated, eyes darting between him and me. Then, with a snarl, she pulled free from my grip. The dude gritted his teeth and launched the tendril, wrapped around to strike at my back.
The tendril snapped toward my face, and I ducked, pivoting on my heel to bring the blade down with a clean, brutal swing.
His remaining arm hit the ground, severed at the elbow, and he howled in pain, clutching the stump as dark blood spattered the ground.
"Shit! SHIT!" he screamed, stumbling back, his body trembling with shock. I lunged towards him immediately and swung my blade horizontally.
The strike was clean, almost too easy, like slicing through paper. His head tumbled off his shoulders, rolling a few feet before stopping, his lifeless eyes still open in shock.
His body remained upright for a second longer before crumpling, blood pooling beneath it.
The red-haired woman froze, her face pale, body trembling. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.
I just stared at her in return. She knew she was done for. Her tough facade cracked, and panic settled in, twisting her face into something ugly and desperate.
"Listen... wait!" she blurted out, voice shaky. "I... I didn't mean it... We were just—just messing around... Please... don't kill me..."
I flicked the blade, sending a splatter of blood across the floor "You thought you could mock me and get away with it? You wanted to act tough right?"
She dropped to her knees, her talons retracting into human hands as she crawled closer.
"Wait... wait! Please... don't kill me," she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I... I'll do anything you want. I can help you! I swear! You need information, right? I-I know stuff! Just don't kill me!"
I raised an eyebrow, almost letting out a chuckle. "You know stuff?" I couldn't help it—I laughed so hard I had to wipe a tear from my eye. "Can you imagine this bitch saying she knows stuff?"
I took slow steps toward her, regaining my composure. "Let me tell you 'stuff'. The only people who would survive here are Shigaraki and Kurogiri. They're important—not cannon fodder like you. No hero or student was ever going to lose or die here. I just told Iida that to get him out of the way."
She hesitated, noticing my indifference, and tried a different angle. "You... you're strong. I like that. I can be useful to you. I'll even—" She swallowed hard, then forced a shaky smile. "I'll do anything you want... even with my body. Just... spare me. You don't have to kill me. I'll make it worth your while."
Her voice was desperate, quivering with barely hidden terror.
"What if I say no thanks?" I stepped closer, lowering the blade just enough to rest it against her collarbone. She didn't flinch—too paralyzed to move.
"You really think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?" I whispered.
She shook her head furiously, her lips trembling. "No! No, not at all! I... I just—please. I'll be loyal. I'll follow your orders. Just give me a chance."
Silence stretched out, and I considered it. Keeping her alive might be useful. An informant, a spy, or just a disposable pawn.
Either way, it wasn't like she'd be a threat. I pulled the blade back, letting it dissolve into dark mist, and watched her slump with relief, still trembling.
"Fine," I said, voice cold. "But one wrong move, and I'll rip your throat out myself. Understand?"
She nodded rapidly, wiping the tears from her cheeks and bowing her head. "Y-Yes... yes, I understand. Thank you..."
I glanced back at the carnage, the blood pooling around the corpses, and forced myself to breathe slower.
If I try to focus on it now, the voices could overwhelm me. I could already feel the whispers scratching at the edges of my mind.
"Get out of here." I said curtly. "The heroes would be coming soon. We'll meet at the bar"
She swallowed and gave another shaky nod, still too scared to speak.
As I turned to move forward, I couldn't help but think of how pathetic it was.
A minute ago, they were boasting and laughing at me. Now, they were either dead or groveling.
***
Aizawa panted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his goggles cracked from the relentless assault.
His capture weapon was frayed and stained with dirt and blood, hanging loosely around his neck as he stood his ground.
Nomu loomed over him, massive and unyielding, its grotesque brain exposed and pulsating with each heartbeat.
Shigaraki clicked his tongue in annoyance, scratching at his neck. "You're really pissing me off, Eraser Head. Can't you just stay down like a good little pro?"
Aizawa's crimson eyes burned with determination despite his battered body. He kept his gaze locked on Nomu, maintaining his Erasure Quirk as long as he could. One slip, and that creature would be on him in an instant.
Asui crouched behind a broken pillar with Midoriya and Mineta, watching the scene with wide, terrified eyes. "Mr. Aizawa... he's been fighting for so long," Asui whispered, her voice trembling.
Midoriya clenched his fists, teeth gritted as his mind raced. 'He's buying time for us... even though he knows he's at his limit.'
The Nomu roared, muscles bulging, and Shigaraki gave a lazy wave. "Go on, Nomu. Break him."
The beast lunged forward, claws stretched out to tear Aizawa apart. Aizawa snapped his scarf forward, wrapping it around Nomu's arm to redirect the momentum, but the sheer force still sent him skidding back.
'I can't afford to lose focus' Aizawa thought, wiping blood from his forehead. 'If I let up even for a second... it's over.'
Shigaraki laughed, a grating, manic sound that echoed through the ruined plaza. "It's useless! Nomu's designed to kill All Might! Your tricks won't work forever!"
Aizawa tightened his scarf, muscles straining as he pulled Nomu off balance and delivered a swift, calculated kick to its knee joint.
The creature didn't even flinch. In the next second, Nomu's free hand shot forward, grabbing Aizawa by the elbow and squeezing.
A sickening crack echoed through the air, and Aizawa suppressed a scream, his arm twisted at an unnatural angle. His vision blurred from the pain, but he forced his Quirk to stay active, teeth grinding against each other.
Midoriya's heart pounded as he watched, horror and helplessness gnawing at him. "Mr. Aizawa...!"
Shigaraki smirked, stepping closer. "You're a stubborn one, aren't you? Can't you see it's pointless? No matter how much you fight, Nomu's going to crush you."
Aizawa glared at him, unyielding. "As long as I'm here... I won't let you hurt my students."
Shigaraki scoffed. "So heroic. So stupid. You're just making this boring. Maybe I should start breaking your little brats next."
Midoriya's eyes widened. 'No... no, I can't just stand here!'
Nomu reared back its arm, preparing to slam Aizawa into the ground. In a desperate move, Aizawa kicked off the ground and wrapped his scarf around Nomu's neck, using his weight to pull the creature down. The beast merely stumbled, its immense strength unfazed.
Shigaraki was getting impatient. "Enough playing around, Nomu! Smash his face in!"
Just as Nomu's arm descended, Aizawa's Erasure finally faltered, his vision darkening for a split second. That moment was all Nomu needed.
The monster grabbed Aizawa's head, slamming it into the concrete with brutal force. Dust and debris exploded around them, and Aizawa's goggles shattered completely, the jagged glass scraping his cheek.
Midoriya couldn't take it anymore. He pushed past Asui, his legs moving on pure instinct. "Stop!"
Asui gasped. "Midoriya-chan!"
Shigaraki's attention shifted to the approaching boy, a twisted grin spreading across his face. "Oh? What's this? A brave little hero coming to save the day?"
Midoriya's heart hammered in his chest, his mind screaming at him to turn back, but his body refused to stop. If I can just... hit that Nomu with everything I have...!
Nomu tightened its grip on Aizawa's skull, but suddenly, Aizawa's eyes flickered open, bloodshot but fierce. Using the last of his strength, he erased Nomu's Quirk again, causing its grip to weaken just enough.
"Now!" Aizawa rasped.
With a roar, Midoriya launched himself forward, One For All surging through his arm. "Smash!"
His fist collided with Nomu's torso, the shockwave splitting the ground and sending wind howling through the area. Nomu staggered, but when the dust settled, it stood unfazed, its torso regenerating instantly.
Midoriya's eyes widened in disbelief. "W-What...?"
Shigaraki snickered. "Oh, that's right. Nomu's got shock absorption, you little pest. Your punch was pointless."
Midoriya stumbled back, fear creeping into his bones. He didn't even feel it...!
Before Shigaraki could give another order, the air shifted, and a powerful, booming voice cut through the tension.
"It's fine now. Why? Because I am here!"
All Might appeared at the entrance, his presence like a beacon of hope in the chaos. Shigaraki's face twisted in irritation, his fingers twitching in agitation.
"Finally," he grumbled. "Took you long enough, Symbol of Peace."
Aizawa, still conscious but barely holding on, gave a weak smirk. "You're late... All Might..."
All Might's eyes hardened as he assessed the situation, noting Aizawa's battered state and the students cowering behind rubble. "You've done well holding them off. Rest now... I'll take it from here."
Aizawa finally let his eyes close, his body going limp as his quirk deactivated. Midoriya and Asui rushed to his side, worry etched on their faces.
———
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