Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Izuku Midoriya had a strong suspicion he had been deceived.

That whole "good luck" thing was a lie—he couldn't have been more unlucky these past two days. Weird stuff like banging his finger or bumping his head, running into an angry Katsu while walking down the street—that was one thing—but today he was roasted in front of the whole class—

"Quirkless and you still want to get into U.A.?"

"If you really want to be a hero, I'll tell you a more efficient way, Deku!"

"With the firm belief that you'll get a Quirk in your next life, do a dog-paddle free fall off the rooftop!!!"

...Katsu, you idiot!!!

His childhood friend always treated him this way, and he usually backed down on trivial matters, but this one thing was different.

Chasing after the figure of All Might, moving forward step by step, finally reaching the place closest to him—

Even a Quirkless loser couldn't forgive himself for giving up at a time like this.

Besides—the boy remembered the golden eyes of the girl shining under the sunset that day. They weren't the warm gold of the sun; once the fake smile disappeared, they seemed cold, calm, and sharp, but they looked so dependable.

"Give it a try. Those who persevere for their dreams should run into some good luck," she said.

"...Size M human disguise~~"

—Good luck, my ass! I can't believe I bought that crap!!!

A villain appeared from behind and attacked him, his mouth and nose were stuffed with slime, suffocating him. Midoriya, in agony and terrified, as his consciousness began to fade, was surprised to find he could still have a snide thought.

I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die

...Someone, someone save me!!!

Leaving the terrified Midoriya aside for now, All Might was also having a very unlucky day.

Ever since the battle with All For One a few years ago left him severely injured, his daily hero activity time had been shrinking, down to only three hours per day now.

Coming out of the supermarket, he saw the sludge monster's robbery scene. Being unfamiliar with the new city's layout, he lost the trail for a while, and in that brief time, a passing boy was attacked.

How embarrassing.

Even though he eventually forced it into a drink bottle and stuffed it in his pocket, he couldn't feel any happier.

Even though that unfortunate boy was his over-the-top fan, he couldn't feel any happier.

...Hey, isn't this a bit too fanatical?!

All Might looked down at Izuku Midoriya, still clinging to his thigh in the wind, his face distorted by the wind, still refusing to let go.

Izuku Midoriya silently apologized in his mind to Kirisame, feeling he had totally misjudged her.

This was the luckiest day of his life, wasn't it?!

But his extreme fanboying caused his identity to be exposed when his transformation time ran out.

"...Eh??!!!"

It was hard to say who had it worse in the following moments. In just a few minutes, Midoriya experienced "meeting his idol in person," "idol's image shattered," "being harshly rejected by his idol," and "having his dream crushed." All Might, on the other hand, went through "encountering a crazed fan," "identity exposed," "reluctantly giving a lecture," and "villain disappearing without a trace"...

...Luck can't save a loser.

The idol's earnest words sounded bitterly ironic.

"I can't bring myself to say things like, 'You can be a hero even without a Quirk.'"

Izuku Midoriya stood frozen, clenching the training plan that was still in his pocket.

The glimmer of hope and confidence that had begun to emerge thanks to the girl's clumsy encouragement was shattered before the No.1 hero's emaciated, scarred form.

The freckled boy doubled over on the empty rooftop, crying in silence, unable to make a sound.

Katsuki Bakugo was also having a very unlucky day.

Kicking a plastic bottle out of the way with style was just part of being a delinquent, and he did just that.

But after today, he felt he might develop a trauma about bottled drinks.

The sticky liquid surged into his mouth and nose, and air, blood, and consciousness all seemed to fade.

The delinquent walking with him was so scared he couldn't speak and backed away.

...Damn it!!! How could I, how could I be taken down by some sewer trash...

Fear and a strange anger flared up from his chest to his palms. The boy's crimson eyes blazed as if about to explode. Explosions echoed through the entire block.

Kirisame, too, was having a rotten day...

She was just talking to a lost child for a moment, and her bag was gone. A black, slimy, shapeless mass, accompanied by a distinctive loud cackle, burst out of some bar-like place and fled down the street.

On the way, it even snatched the bag Kirisame had set aside to pick up the little girl.

This villain's "spare not a needle or thread" policy was way too down-to-earth!

??? Weren't we living in a peaceful society?

The little girl in her arms was crying at the top of her lungs, and Kirisame couldn't just drop her to chase, so she had to comfort her frantically while holding her.

[Good thing there's nothing important in there...]

—Not good at all!!! Study materials!!! I spent the whole day yesterday and today organizing study materials!!!

...Exhaustion. She felt utterly exhausted.

Even her comforting was completely ineffective; the little girl wouldn't stop crying. Kirisame didn't even want to try anymore.

So from the perspective of a passerby, a bizarre scene unfolded: a teenage girl holding a three- or four-year-old girl, the little one thrashing and crying until she hiccuped, and the older one, with dead eyes, silently crying along with her.

—The two of them together could practically be performing "Little Cabbage."

So the passerby who had witnessed the whole thing couldn't help but snicker at this pitiful sight.

"The police have arrived. I'll take her over; you go find your bag!" said a kind and beautiful woman gently, then added to reassure Kirisame, "Don't worry. With this kind of villain, a hero will be here soon. Your bag will be found."

"Mm, thank you," Kirisame said weakly.

Watching the woman lead the little girl to the police, Kirisame's expression went blank, a pattern of intersecting lines and dots flickering for a moment in her golden eyes.

She opened her hand, and a tiny firefly flew out from her palm.

"Damn it!!! Give me back my study notes!!!!"

How embarrassing! How embarrassing! A criminal escaped while he was busy lecturing his fans, and another boy was attacked...

The villain was laughing wildly, the hostage was struggling in pain, and the incompatible professional heroes stood by helplessly.

The No.1 hero pressed hard on the wound in his abdomen, blood rushing to his head from shame and regret.

—Then a paw suddenly landed on his back.

"Mr. Yagi! You're here too?" A black-haired, golden-eyed girl stepped out from behind him and waved her hand in a friendly manner.

"Pfft—ugh!" All Might was so startled that he let out a breath, and a mouthful of blood was about to spray out, only to be blocked by a small handkerchief pressed to his lips.

"I totally knew you'd do that..." Kirisame twitched her mouth and let go, letting him wipe himself. "Wow, that's a lot of blood. If you're not in good health, don't go out causing trouble."

All Might looked at the little goldfish-patterned handkerchief now smeared with blood, past caring about embarrassment, and silently resolved to keep it hidden...

...

"This thing shouldn't have that much attack power. Is that explosion the hostage's Quirk?" Kirisame squinted as she surveyed the scene ahead.

The whole street was blown to pieces. The pitch-black villain had wrapped around the hostage boy and displayed astonishing resilience. The boy was only half-exposed, scowling ferociously as he set off explosions all around. Every now and then he'd yell "Damn it, die!" like he'd become one with the monster.

"Hey," Kirisame poked All Might in the small of his back, estimating how long it would take for some useful hero to take that thing down so she could get her bag. "In a case like this, if a random person jumped in to help, would they get fined for using their Quirk without a license?"

"Uh... no fines, since there are so many witnesses," All Might said, watching her warily. "Kirisame, don't do anything reckless! It's dangerous!"

Then they both watched a green-haired boy in a school uniform with a backpack sprint forward, pulling off a picture-perfect reckless move, leaving them speechless for a moment.

[Isn't that the crybaby genius from next door?!]

[Isn't that the crazy fan from earlier?!]

Izuku Midoriya stepped forward, tears streaming down his face, his heart panicking.

[My legs, my legs moved on their own!! There's no way I can win against this, what am I doing?! Think, think, think, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...]

But all he managed to do offensively was to take off his backpack and throw it at the monster.

Using the time bought by that attack, he got close to Katsuki Bakugo, but had no advantage in strength or attribute. He struggled for a while without dealing any effective damage, and was about to be swept away.

All Might couldn't hold back any longer—

But someone was faster. Kirisame lightly pressed her hand on his arm, and the girl used his arm as a springboard to leap out of the crowd. The patterns of warblers and flowers flickered briefly in her eyes, and Midoriya and Bakugo simultaneously heard a clear, youthful voice.

"Duck."

Two longswords swept horizontally from above and below, the blades cutting through the air in two arcs, letting out a sharp whistle due to their incredible speed. A fierce, bone-chilling killing intent pressed down heavily. Midoriya's scalp tingled. Though the blades weren't aimed at him, in that flash of sword light, he felt as if he himself had been cut.

Terrifying, yet truly beautiful.

Those two slashes actually tore through the slime monster's body, successfully separating Bakugo from it. The nearby liquid was caught up in the sword light and turned to foam, losing control and scattering across the ground as it left the main body.

Kirisame landed lightly, her left and right eyes burning with different patterns of black fire.

"The Minamoto clan's treasured swords, Higekiri and Kurikiri," the girl said, shaking her hands as the long swords dissolved into light inch by inch. "Made just for bullying creeps like you."

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers.

Avoiding the people crowding around, and completely ignoring the spiky-haired boy she had just saved, Kirisame jumped up and ran over to apologize to the professional hero.

The girl, still in middle school, had just risked her life to save someone. Without even hearing a word of praise, she came to admit her mistake, obediently promising that it was just a momentary impulse and that next time she would wait for help. Looking at her watery golden eyes, the hero in charge's heart melted. He completely forgot about her earlier showboating, quickly patted her head, comforted her, praised her Quirk, and after a few symbolic words, let her go.

Midoriya, who was bowing his head and being scolded, was a bit puzzled.

[That swirling black fire... is it a Quirk? What exactly is Kirisame's Quirk?]

Bakugo sat on the ground, ignoring the praises around him, staring intently in the direction Kirisame had left. Though he didn't want to admit it, the thrilling sensation from those two slashes still lingered on his skin, making him feel cold even surrounded by the crowd and flames.

That girl looked even younger than him!

Damn it!!

He punched the ground, the taste of blood in his teeth, and grinned.

Koku saw it clearly and felt his legs go weak.

In the crowd, All Might lowered his head, a bit conflicted.

"Maybe... I shouldn't tell Aizawa about this..."

A street away, the girl touched the hilts of Higekiri and Kurikiri that had reappeared in her hands, trying to have a friendly conversation with her weapons:

"How about it? Wasn't that super awesome today? That's another famous deed for these swords! I hear people around here name swords after what they cut. How about a name change to celebrate?" She thought seriously for a moment, then asked for her partner's opinion:

"What about 'Slime Cutter'? How's that?"

Both swords buzzed angrily in her hand at the same time, with Kurikiri seeming even more upset.

"Then... 'Mud Cutter'? 'Ooze Cutter'??"

"Sorry, sorry, just kidding! Don't be mad, don't be mad..."

As she slowly stopped walking, she felt like she had forgotten something very important.

Just now... when I dispersed that thing... at that moment...

—There was no bag there at all!!!!

Where is the bag?!?

???

Late at night, Higekiri was woken by the sound of his little brother crying. He found Kurikiri crying in his sleep, clutching the futon.

"Hic... I don't want big bro to change his name to 'Slime Cutter'..."

The pale blonde sword blinked and reached out to touch the tangible blade.

"...Ah well, how about changing the name to 'Brother Cutter' instead!"

In a small alley, a pink backpack from a convenience store with a huge All Might print lay quietly on the ground. A flash of red light passed through the eyes of the blonde hero in the All Might poster on the wall. A shard of mirror was facing the backpack.

There was nothing on it.