Inside the League of Villains' hideout, Midoriya Izuku was carefully planning out the next steps of their operation. The most important item was already in his hands. By now, Hatsume Mei should have informed the heroes about the effects of "Hellbringer" as he had instructed.
"You went all the way back to U.A. just to get this?"
Shinso Hitoshi looked curiously at the device in front of Midoriya. He hadn't expected Midoriya to go through all that trouble only to bring back this thing. It didn't seem all that impressive.
"Yeah. With this, we can move forward with the plan."
"Ehh? Is it really that powerful?"
Shinso was skeptical. Just as he reached out to examine it, Midoriya spoke.
"This is a prototype of 'Plaguebringer,' the one I used at the corporate tower. It's called 'Hellbringer'… and at minimum, it can cover an entire city."
"...…"
Shinso's hand froze midair.
He slowly turned his head toward Midoriya, his face filled with disbelief.
"You're kidding, right?!"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Shinso immediately pulled his hand back and stared at "Hellbringer" like it was a ticking time bomb.
No wonder Midoriya had risked sneaking back into U.A.—he had actually created something this dangerous.
"Alright, let's get ready to move. I have a few other things to prepare."
Midoriya gave his orders and had Kurogiri secure "Hellbringer" for safekeeping.
It would play a key role in what came next.
And with that, the League of Villains officially set their plan into motion.
The members split into smaller groups, each assigned to different tasks.
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"Why are we paired up?"
"Because aside from you and me, who else in the League can pull this off?"
Shinso Hitoshi and Dabi had both disguised themselves. Now, under Midoriya Izuku's orders, they were heading out on their mission.
As an unexpected team, Shinso was in charge of handling the task, while Dabi acted as his bodyguard.
Since Kurogiri was busy assisting another team with a more dangerous mission, Shinso and Dabi had to go on foot, staying undercover to avoid suspicion.
They didn't talk much on the way.
Following the plan, they arrived at their target location—Shie Hassaikai.
This was an old underground crime syndicate. The chaos caused by Chisaki and Eri had put them in the spotlight last time, but for Midoriya Izuku, that incident had been the turning point that led him down this dark path.
As they reached the entrance of the old Hassaikai estate, the guards immediately blocked their way.
"This is Shie Hassaikai territory. Outsiders aren't welcome."
"Sorry to bother you, but is the old boss home?"
"He's in, but—wait! Why am I answering—"
Before the guard could finish, his face went blank.
He stood still like a puppet, completely under Shinso Hitoshi's control.
"Alright, take us inside."
Following Shinso's command, the brainwashed guard led them through the entrance.
Since he was one of their own, none of the other Hassaikai members found it suspicious. After all, it wasn't unusual for the group to have visitors.
Inside the main hall, the old boss of the Shie Hassaikai sat with a warm smile, watching his granddaughter, Eri, as she focused on drawing on a piece of paper.
Because of her dangerous Quirk, he didn't dare send her to kindergarten to play with other kids.
Instead, this once-feared crime lord had taken on the role of her personal caretaker.
For an old man, though, spending time with his granddaughter wasn't such a bad life.
"Boss, you have visitors."
"Visitors? I don't remember scheduling any meetings today."
The guard bowed his head as he spoke, and the old boss raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Just then, two figures stepped into the hall.
Shinso gave a small wave.
Without a word, the brainwashed guard turned around and quietly shut the doors behind them.
"Who are you?!"
Sensing that something was off, the old boss quickly pulled his granddaughter, Eri, behind him. He was ready to make some noise and cause a commotion, hoping the Yakuza outside would rush in.
"Please don't panic. We are messengers from the League of Villains."
"The League of Villains?!"
The old boss didn't lower his guard.
After all, he hadn't forgotten that Chisaki had worked with the League of Villains to create this whole mess in the first place.
Even though Chisaki had ended up with both arms crippled and his Quirk taken away, the damage he caused was still fresh in the old man's mind.
"Let me put it another way—we're here on behalf of Midoriya Izuku."
Shinso Hitoshi's words weren't enough to make the old boss relax.
That's when Dabi smartly dropped a name—the name of their "leader."
Immediately, the tension on the old boss's face eased.
Midoriya Izuku's name still carried weight.
"Is it big brother Midoriya? Did he come to see Eri?!"
Hearing Midoriya Izuku's name, the little girl hiding behind her grandfather peeked out, her eyes filled with hope.
But when she saw Shinso and Dabi standing there instead, her excitement dimmed.
She had been hoping to see Midoriya Izuku.
"Eri, be good…"
The old boss gently patted his granddaughter's head before turning back to Shinso and Dabi, his tone much softer now.
"So… does Midoriya Izuku need an old man like me for something? If he does, I'd stake the entire Shie Hassaikai to repay the debt I owe him."
"That won't be necessary… We're here to discuss a partnership with you."
Shinso Hitoshi explained their purpose, and then Dabi got straight to the point.
"As the head of the Shie Hassaikai, don't you want to see the Yakuza rise again?"
"This…!!"
Dabi's words hit hard.
The old boss's face stiffened.
He had inherited the Shie Hassaikai from his father.
To outsiders, it was just another Yakuza gang.
But to him, it was a precious legacy, something he could never bear to let go.
Yet, in a society dominated by heroes, the Shie Hassaikai—like most other Yakuza groups—was fading away, on the brink of disappearing for good.
"This is why we're here. Do you want to talk in detail?"
"Please, come in."
The old boss gestured for them to enter.
He was about to call some of his men to take care of Eri while they talked, but before he could—
The little girl had already grabbed onto Shinso Hitoshi's sleeve, looking up at him with big, hopeful eyes.
"Um… Big brother, is Midoriya coming to see Eri?"
"Uh…"
With the little girl staring at him like that, Shinso Hitoshi couldn't bring himself to say no.
Feeling awkward, he turned to the old boss and said,
"If you don't mind, I'll stay here and keep Eri company for a bit. My partner can handle the details of the negotiation."
"In that case, I'll leave her in your care."
If it had been anyone else, the old boss would've kicked them out without hesitation.
But Midoriya Izuku had saved his granddaughter.
And because of that, he trusted Midoriya—and by extension, his people.
As Dabi and the old boss went into another room to talk, Shinso Hitoshi picked up a drawing Eri had been working on and asked curiously,
"Eri, who's this?"
"It's big brother Midoriya! Grandpa told me he's the one who saved me and defeated the bad guy. Big brother Midoriya is my hero!"
"I see…"
Looking at the childish scribbles on the paper, Shinso could barely make out a little green-haired figure.
The figure was punching some kind of twisted, unrecognizable shape.
Honestly, it was hard to tell what it was supposed to be.
But still…
"This is really good, Eri! You did a great job!"
"Really?!"
Shinso gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.
And in that moment, he understood—
Why Midoriya Izuku had thrown away his future and stepped into the darkness.
Because if even a child like this couldn't be saved…
Then what was the point of being a hero?
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