Boom, boom, boom!
The sound of shoes pounding against the stairs echoed in rapid succession—dense, loud, and heavy. As it spread through the area, it pressed down on the villains' nerves, filling the air with suffocating tension.
"Wizard Lock!"
"Was he the one who fired that Freeze Arrow just now?!"
Fear rippled through the crowd as all eyes turned toward him. Their leader lay half-frozen, his earlier screams still ringing in their ears, sending chills through even hardened villains.
"If there were some epic background music right now—something about chaotic heroes or gambling kings—it'd be a perfect entrance."
Lock watched himself come into full view, sighed softly, and then walked calmly to Aizawa Shouta's side.
"Lock? Was that ice arrow you're doing?"
Aizawa's eyes widened. Shock filled his chest. No matter how he looked at it, this was still his student—yet the attack just now was on the level of a seasoned Pro Hero.
Since his debut, Lock had rarely accepted media interviews. Though his strength had been displayed before, it was always in fragments, never fully revealed. That veil of mystery only made people more curious about just how many abilities he possessed.
Aizawa Shouta was no exception.
He had seen Lock amid the flames of the provisional license exam—and now, once again, amid ice.
"Of course it was me," Lock replied with a smile. "Otherwise, Mr. Aizawa, the situation you were just in would've been extremely dangerous."
He paused, then added lightly, "And didn't I already say this on the bus? My power is magic."
Incidentally, Lock had long since adjusted his Dragon Slayer Magic and Troia-based recovery magic, restoring his sense of balance—so riding buses and other vehicles was no longer a problem. (Some readers had asked whether Dragon Slayer Magic caused motion sickness; please read carefully—this has already been explained.)
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone present.
On purpose.
Panic spread among the surrounding villains. They were nothing more than small-time criminals lurking in the shadows. Facing a genuine Pro Hero was like thieves running into armed police—instinctive fear took over.
"Where's Kurogiri?! Retreat! Retreat now!"
The voice came from Yamamoto Ape, whose body was still half-encased in ice. His muscles were locked stiff—only his lips could move.
Although Lock's Super Freeze Arrow hadn't pierced him clean through, the freezing effect was far from something that could be undone easily.
"But… All Might hasn't shown up yet."
Kurogiri emerged from behind Yamamoto Ape. Everything had happened too fast—there'd been no chance to save him.
"Who cares about that!" Yamamoto Ape snarled. "We can plan another invasion later! If I stay here, I'll die! If I go back and beg, I might still live!"
Feeling the life draining from his frozen body, he spat recklessly, ignoring Kurogiri's hesitation.
Whether the invasion succeeded or failed didn't matter anymore. Staying meant certain death. Retreating at least offered a chance.
Besides, the Nomu brought to test All Might hadn't even been released yet. If they withdrew now, U.A. wouldn't even know the true purpose behind the attack.
"You filthy orangutan… shut up."
A heavy foot slammed down mercilessly on Yamamoto Ape's face, cutting him off mid-sentence and rendering him completely silent.
The one standing there—
Was Tomura Shigaraki.
The silver-haired youth who had rolled away earlier.
His body trembled violently, not from fear, but from excitement. At last, this chance had come.
"Kurogiri," Tomura said quietly, "release the Nomu."
His voice was eerily calm. Too calm. Cold and absolute, leaving no room for refusal.
"Wait—Nomu was meant to test All Might," Kurogiri replied urgently. "All Might hasn't appeared yet. As Yamamoto said, there's no need to release it. We should retreat."
Cold sweat poured down Kurogiri's back. The way Tomura stepped on Yamamoto's face made his heart race uncontrollably.
He had watched Tomura grow up.
He knew better than anyone how dark that child's heart truly was—a convergence of malice itself.
The moment Kurogiri finished speaking—
Silence fell.
Dead silence.
"Kurogiri… you!"
Tomura's trembling grew worse, this time sharp and irritable. His fingers twitched, aching to scratch at his neck—but the past months had taught him restraint.
No more pointless noise.
Tomura suddenly reached out.
Before Kurogiri could react, one hand clamped onto the exposed metal collar at his neck—the only part not shrouded in mist.
That was Kurogiri's sole weakness.
And Tomura knew it well.
After all, Kurogiri had been by his side his entire life.
"Release Nomu," Tomura said gently. "Please?"
He smiled.
A smile more terrifying than tears—eyes narrowed, cruelty spilling from within.
Precisely because Kurogiri was someone who had accompanied him, the indifference hurt even more. When the teacher he revered ignored him, Kurogiri hadn't stepped in.
That betrayal burned deepest.
"Otherwise," Tomura whispered, "I'll crush you."
He wanted to kill Kurogiri more than anything.
But he couldn't.
Kurogiri's warp ability was too important—it was their only escape route.
"…Understood."
Kurogiri had never felt Tomura Shigaraki to be this terrifying. With his life literally in Tomura's grasp, he had no choice.
Obediently, he activated his Quirk.
A black vortex opened.
From within it, a massive figure forced its way out.
"Hahaha—yes… that's it."
Tomura laughed wildly, then turned his gaze toward Lock.
In a twisted way, he almost wanted to thank him.
If Lock hadn't frozen Yamamoto Ape like this, how could he have seized power so easily? How could he have usurped the throne?
If not for Lock, how could he have finally realized the truth—how utterly abandoned he was?
He wasn't stupid.
The teacher's attitude had already made everything clear.
I've been discarded.
But Tomura Shigaraki refused to remain an abandoned pawn.
He hated everything.
He wanted revenge—on the world, on heroes, and even on the teacher who had once saved him and called him a successor.
After all…
He was the one who abandoned me first.
So doing this—
Was only fair.
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A/N: 40+ Advance Chapter Has Been Uploaded.
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