Chapter 36: A Foolish Mistake
The interior of the villain hideout reeked of cheap alcohol, dust, and damp wood.
A swirling purple vortex materialized in the center of the empty bar, spitting a heavily injured figure onto the floorboards. Shigaraki Tomura collapsed completely, hitting the ground with a painful thud. He clutched his bleeding shoulder, his body trembling violently from the multiple gunshot wounds. Beside him, Kurogiri stood perfectly fine, his elegant suit untouched, though his mist flickered with the stress of the retreat.
Shigaraki gasped for air, his raspy breathing echoing in the quiet room.
"They shot my arms... and my legs," Shigaraki hissed through his teeth, his red eyes wide with a manic, disbelieving fury. "We were completely crushed. Even the Nomu was defeated! All our pawns were wiped out in the blink of an eye!"
He dug his fingernails into the floorboards, scratching the wood.
"Those kids... they were way too strong," Shigaraki muttered, blood dripping from his chin. "And the Symbol of Peace was completely fine! You were wrong, Teacher!"
Shigaraki screamed the last words at a blank television monitor resting on the bar counter.
For a moment, there was only the sound of his ragged breathing. Then, the monitor crackled to life. The words 'AUDIO ONLY' appeared on the glowing screen.
"No, I was not wrong, my student," a deep, eerily calm voice replied from the television. "We simply weren't prepared enough. We underestimated them."
"What about the Nomu?" the voice from the screen asked. "Was it not retrieved?"
Kurogiri bowed his head toward the screen. "It was blown away, Teacher. Without exact coordinates for its landing location, I was not able to find it using my warp gate. There simply wasn't enough time."
A heavy silence filled the bar.
"After all the effort we spent making him as strong as All Might..." the voice from the monitor growled in rare frustration. "What a shame."
The mention of the word 'strength' sent a violent tremor through Shigaraki's body. Two specific faces burned vividly in his mind.
"There was a kid there... he moved with the exact same speed as All Might," Shigaraki whispered, his voice trembling with anger. "And the other one... that green-haired swordsman."
Shigaraki tightened his fists, ignoring the agonizing pain.
"I looked right at him, Teacher. I didn't see a single ounce of fear in his eyes. He stood right in front of me, fully prepared to throw his own life away just to save All Might. If those two hadn't interfered... the Symbol of Peace would be dead."
"I see," the voice from the monitor mused. "Treat this as a learning experience. Gather the elite, Shigaraki Tomura. Next time, you will show the world why they should fear you."
Back at the USJ, the sky was still bright as the investigation continued. Police cruisers surrounded the facility, their flashing lights reflecting off the shattered glass dome.
Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa stood in front of the gathered students of Class 1-A, counting them as they prepared to head back to the main campus.
"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty," Tsukauchi counted aloud. He lowered the clipboard and offered the students a reassuring smile. "Except for the boy who suffered severe injuries to his legs, it seems everyone is perfectly fine. Midoriya makes twenty-one."
The students began talking over each other, discussing the chaos they had just survived.
"Alright, listen up," Tsukauchi raised his hand. "I want all of you to head back to your classroom for now. We won't be questioning you directly tonight."
Tsuyu stepped forward, her expression filled with concern. "Excuse me, Detective. What about Aizawa-sensei and Jo San Go? And All Might?"
"And Midoriya?!" Iida and Uraraka added.
"Do not worry," Tsukauchi assured them calmly. "They are receiving immediate medical attention. They are going to be fine."
The students sighed in relief and began walking toward the buses. Zoro stood at the back of the group, feeling a deep, heavy ache in his forearms. The impact of blocking the Nomu's strike was finally catching up to him.
He stepped out of the line, catching Iida's attention. "I'm heading to the nurse's office. My arms are seizing up from blocking that monster."
Iida nodded frantically. "Of course! Go straight to Recovery Girl, Roronoa!"
Zoro gave a dismissive wave and walked toward the main building.
As the students left, a police officer jogged up to Detective Tsukauchi.
"Sir!" the officer reported. "Our perimeter sweep found a strange-looking villain in the woods. He doesn't speak at all, like he's completely mute, and he didn't put up any resistance when we apprehended him."
Tsukauchi nodded. "Good job. Continue the investigation and secure the perimeter." He adjusted his hat and turned toward the school. "I'm heading to the nurse's office."
By the time Tsukauchi and Zoro reached the main building, the sun finally began to set, casting long, orange shadows across the hallways.
The infirmary was silent, smelling of antiseptic.
Inside the private recovery room, Izuku Midoriya lay awake in his bed. Heavy medical blankets were pulled up over his lower body. In the bed next to him sat All Might in his skinny form, his body wrapped in bandages and his sunken eyes fixed on the floor.
The heavy door clicked open.
Zoro stepped into the room. He walked in calmly, his two eyes locking onto the skinny man. He wasn't surprised; he had already witnessed the transformation at the plaza.
"So, this is the real you," Zoro said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms.
All Might looked up, letting out a weary sigh. "You have a sharp eye, Young Roronoa. I suppose I owe you the truth."
"You don't owe me anything," Zoro replied, his voice gruff. "But I've been watching Midoriya. The way he uses his power... it feels familiar. It feels exactly like yours. I already had my suspicions."
All Might's eyes widened slightly. "You noticed? Most people wouldn't even think to compare a Quirkless-looking boy to me."
"I don't look at Quirks, I look at the spirit," Zoro stated. "He has the same reckless, suicidal energy you have. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together."
All Might nodded slowly. He began to explain the secret—the legend of One For All. He spoke of the sacred torch passed from master to student, and how his own body was failing him after years of fighting. He told Zoro that Midoriya was the successor to his flame.
Before the conversation could continue, the door suddenly opened again.
Detective Tsukauchi stepped into the room, his notepad ready.
Midoriya violently tensed up, his heart dropping into his stomach. Since he didn't know that Tsukauchi was a close friend of All Might, seeing a police officer walk in while the Symbol of Peace was in his frail, skinny form sent the boy into an absolute panic. Oh no! The secret! Someone saw him! Midoriya thought, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Zoro, on the other hand, stood completely unbothered. He kept his arms crossed, leaning casually against the wall with an incredibly bored expression. He didn't care who had just walked through that door.
"It's alright, Young Midoriya," All Might quickly reassured the panicking boy, noticing his terror. "Naomasa is a close friend of mine. He knows everything."
Midoriya exhaled a massive breath he didn't know he was holding, sinking back into his pillows.
Tsukauchi stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the green-haired student in the corner.
"All Might," Tsukauchi began, his voice filled with genuine concern. He pointed at the swordsman. "Roronoa Zoro? Why is he in here seeing you like this?"
"It's alright, Naomasa," All Might said calmly, offering a warm smile. "He already knows. He is one of the few I trust completely with the truth."
Tsukauchi studied Zoro for a moment. Seeing the absolute calm demeanor of the swordsman, the detective nodded. "If you trust him, then I have no reason to doubt. All Might, I need to know about the villains, but first..."
"Aizawa and Jo San Go," All Might interrupted. "How are they?"
"They are stable," Tsukauchi reported, flipping through his notes. "Severe injuries, but they will recover. The rest of the students are safe. Honestly, All Might... if it wasn't for you and the other pros holding the line, those kids would have been in a terrible state. You saved them today."
All Might looked at Midoriya and then at Zoro. A wide, proud smile appeared on his frail face.
"No, Naomasa," All Might stated firmly. "You are wrong. It's the other way around. It's because of these students—especially these two right here—that I am still breathing. They threw themselves into the fight when they didn't have to."
Tsukauchi looked at the two teenagers with newfound respect.
"The villains did a very foolish thing today," All Might continued, his voice regaining a sliver of its legendary strength. "They thought they could crush these kids to break society's spirit. But they miscalculated."
Zoro smirked, resting his hand on his sword.
"This class is incredibly strong," All Might declared. "They have been forged in fire today. They will become powerful, unparalleled heroes."
The golden light of the sunset filled the room, marking the end of the nightmare at the USJ. The Symbol of Peace was still standing, and the Demon Swordsman was ready for whatever came next.
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For Advanced Chapters:
Chapter 44 is Available Now
(The Quicksand Trap and the Ice Prince)
The Cavalry Battle is about to end. An epic showdown. Just as Team Zoro was catching its breath, And Bakugo's team got busy with Monoma. Suddenly, Team Todoroki stood before them.
What will Zoro and his friends do? Will they be able to maintain their 10 million points?
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