(After I met with the heroes, Oro temporarily abandoned his hero duties with Endeavor, Hawks, and Best Jeanist to go after me. I don't really know what Izuku and the others did in that timespan, but as for me, I wasn't living my best life.)
"Seems like he appears from nowhere and suddenly. He wears a red suit, and no one knows what his actual face is. I've heard he possesses multiple Quirks. Is he related to All For One? Maybe he's a Nomu... they say he's full of wounds and scars he still hasn't regenerated with his so-called 'Regeneration Quirk.' But... they say he helps people. Someone suggests he is an ex-villain who wants to redeem himself. Looking at him, though, you'd never guess he is a hero."
Satoru heard these words on a public TV. "I don't look like a Hero because I'm not one. How many times do I have to say I'm an anti-hero?"
Satoru was slowly walking in a park late in the evening. I've been ignoring Toya-nii's calls for a while now... I know he's probably not concerned about me, but I feel a bit guilty. I have to move faster; I can't give Villains time to prepare themselves.
As he walked towards a desolate land, he heard a voice. A very familiar voice.
"Baka, you're here!"
In front of him, Tetsutetsu appeared. Then Monoma. Then Setsuna. Then the entire Class B.
"What are you doing here?" Satoru asked, completely calm or uninterested in his friends' sudden arrival.
"C'mon, you could show a bit of gratitude, Sat!" Tetsutetsu said. "We've come to save you!"
"To save me?" Satoru repeated. "No, you can't save me... the only one who can save me is I."
Oro landed on the floor. "I've asked them to help me save you, Satoru. Now you're going to come with us, whether you want it or not!"
"We're worried about you," Itsuka said. "Your situation... seeing you so sad makes my heart itch."
Satoru took off his mask. "Then don't look at me. I'm fine, so you don't have to worry."
Tetsutetsu laughed. "Oh, so noble for someone who fooled us for an entire year! Isn't that right, All For One's successor?"
Satoru looked at the ground. "If you're offended with me for fooling you, then... stay away."
Oh, no, it's happening again... Oro thought. The part of him he showed during the War... is coming back...
"I'll tell you this only once," said Satoru. "Go away and stop trying to help me. I don't need your help."
"Said the one who's been running away from his problems for a damn while!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed. "C'mon, aren't we friends?"
"... No," Satoru replied. "We're not friends anymore."
Satoru sprinted forward.
"As expected," Oro said. "Prepare to fight!"
Thanks for coming here, Satoru thought. But I don't need you anymore.
As he was running, Kosei used his Quirk and blocked his path. "Hey, Shirakawa! The principal said you can come back to school!"
"My name... is not... Shirakawa..." Satoru said, punching the solid air and shattering it. "My name is Satoru Akiyama, use it, dammit."
"Hideki Shirakawa is the name we've known you with," Pony threw her horns at him to block him. "So we'll call you that, even if we know it's not your real name, Shirakawa-san!"
"You really are stubborn..." Satoru dodged Pony's horns without even turning thanks to Ultra Reflex.
Satoru jumped in the air. Please, everyone... just leave me alone.
"Shirakawa!" Nirengeki used his Quirk and sent Satoru crashing through a window and smashing into a column.
That was Shoda-kun's Quirk... he thought.
"The Hideki I know would never do this," Setsuna appeared from the shadows. "Please, come back to us, Shirakawa-kun."
Tetsutetsu appeared from behind and immobilized Satoru. "Hey, Sat, come back! Kendo still likes you; you can't let her down! Do you remember what you promised her at the beginning of the year?"
Satoru remembered. "I promise you we'll stay friends forever."
"You can't break a promise like that! That's not like you!"
"I didn't mean it..." Satoru tried to break free, but Tetsutetsu activated his Quirk.
"That's still a promise!" Tetsutetsu said. "When Oro-san came to us, asking for help, she was the only one willing to save you at first! She was the only one who always supported you, even when I wasn't sure of your win. She always was. You can't shatter her soul like this now. Come back! And then, when you're back, why don't we take a good ol' bath?"
"Even..." Satoru muttered. "Even though she's in love, I'm still heartless."
BOOM!
Satoru caused an explosion thanks to his Detonation Quirk and broke free. If I stay with you... You'll all be in trouble.
Oro grabbed Satoru on the fly. "You'll listen to your big brother now, Ototo!"
"Aniki, let me go..." Satoru whispered. "All For One wants to take everything from me... that's why I left."
"I know how you feel," Oro brought Satoru to the ground. "I mean, I was the one who witnessed our parents' death at the hands of All For One."
Shishida got on top of Satoru and immobilized him.
"Come back, Shirakawa-san!" Kinoko put mushrooms on him.
"Komori-chan... Shishida... why won't you understand..." Satoru wondered, trying to break free.
"Shirakawa, listen to me!" Shishida said. "We know you've got a strong power, but we're all feeling the same way as you now!"
"You? Feeling the same way as me?" Satoru repeated. "Don't make me laugh!"
Satoru kicked Shishida with both legs and broke free. "Air Walk: activated."
Satoru jumped once again.
"Oh no, he's running away!" Oro exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Oro-san!" Itsuka appeared. "We'll save him, no matter what it takes!"
With her Quirk, Itsuka launched Togaru and Reiko towards Satoru's direction.
"I know I can't say anything to change your mind, Shirakawa-san..." Reiko said. "But he can."
"It's your moment of glory, Monoma!"
Monoma got propelled in the air after he copied Reiko's Quirk.
Neito... Satoru looked over his shoulder.
"Satoru!" Monoma managed to grab his hand and get in front of him. "We're not mad at you. Please, come back to school... Satoru."
Neito, I... Satoru thought before his body winced in pain. I... I can't move anymore...
"Neito, let me go... I can't move anymore..."
"Not even in a lifetime," Monoma said as he slowly descended from the sky and leapt on the floor. "Now it's time for you to meet someone I'm sure you care a lot about."
Satoru sat on the ground and heard footsteps. Then he saw her: Eri.
"E... Eri-chan..." Satoru muttered.
"Dark-san..." Eri muttered, getting closer to him. "What happened to you? Why are you sad?"
"S-sad?" Satoru repeated. "I... I am not sad, Eri-chan. You don't need to worry..."
The boy patted Eri's head and put his whole soul into faking a smile.
"What... what are those scars on your face, Dark-san?" Eri asked. "Did someone hurt you?"
Satoru remembered: he was still without his mask, and the two scars his Regeneration hadn't managed to regenerate yet--a vertical scar on his right eye and another small scar on the left corner of his mouth--were visible.
"N-no, absolutely..." Satoru said, trying his best not to make Eri worry. "I'm strong, remember?"
"Why did you save me back then if you were a Villain?" Eri asked.
"Because in that moment... I really felt like a Hero..." Satoru replied. "But... I can't be a Hero... I'm no one's Hero..."
"That's not true!" Eri exclaimed. "You are my Hero, Dark-san!"
Eri wrapped her small arms around Satoru's neck and hugged him.
Damn, I've been hiding my emotions for so long... Imma 'bout to explode in tears.
Satoru got up. "Why... do y'all want to save me...?"
"Because you are a friend to us," Shihai said.
"And because Oro-san asked us," Sen added.
Satoru looked at the sky. It was still raining.
"Guys, do you know why I love the rain?" he asked. "Because it masks my tears. In this moment, I'm crying, but you can't notice it because of the rain."
Oro stepped up. "When you almost killed me during the Paranormal Liberation War, do you want to know what I saw on your face?"
"What... did you see..." Satoru asked.
"I saw a boy crying out for help," Oro said. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't be here by now. But I did, and that's why I know you can be saved."
Satoru's legs became like jelly, and he fell on the floor forward. Oro dashed forward and grabbed him.
"I'm sorry for saying we're not friends... we are, I swear..." Satoru sobbed.
"C'mon, act manly for once, don't cry in front of us!" Tetsutetsu tried to break the tension. "Now we're going to bring you back to U.A.!"
"You don't have to worry anymore, Ototo," Oro said. "Your Big Brother is here for you. There's something I should've said a lot earlier, but I'll say it now..."
"Sorry for not noticing your inner pain until the War, Satoru."
Chapter 73 - End