Hearing Present Mic and the other Pro Heroes discuss the matter, All Might fell briefly silent.
He had intended to act that day.
But Shigaraki Tomura had retreated far too quickly—made his grand declaration and vanished without hesitation. Even All Might had been caught off guard.
On top of that, he had needed to divide his attention between Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo, ensuring they didn't fall back into the Villain's hands.
With his focus split, there had been no opportunity to pursue.
That failure… was his responsibility.
And perhaps not a small one.
"No… we can't call this a minor case anymore."
All Might spoke again, voice heavy.
"That Sludge Villain… if he really did receive help from Shigaraki Tomura…"
"He may already be far beyond a petty criminal."
His brows tightened.
"That kind of Quirk—if fully utilized for evil…"
"The consequences could be catastrophic."
The thought chilled him.
What if the Sludge Villain used his possession ability to take over the body of someone All Might knew?
A civilian.
A student.
A Pro Hero.
What if he infiltrated the ranks of Heroes themselves—and no one could tell?
The mere scenario made his spine go cold.
Yet at present, they had no leads.
They didn't even know where Shigaraki was hiding.
A nationwide lockdown—or some blanket anti-infiltration net—was unrealistic.
The manpower required would be astronomical.
And no defense lasted forever.
"You can guard against a thief for a day. Not for a lifetime."
All Might clenched his hands slightly.
Frustration.
Self-blame.
"Don't burden yourself so heavily, All Might."
Principal Nezu reached out a small paw and patted his arm gently.
"The government has already classified Shigaraki Tomura as a high-priority target."
"They've deployed people… better suited to that kind of work."
"With those people involved, it's unlikely Shigaraki will grow unchecked."
All Might paused.
"More suited to 'that kind' of work…?"
Then realization dawned.
Ah.
Those people.
Search.
Eliminate.
Operate in silence.
The kind of operatives who handled what Heroes could not.
He exhaled softly.
"Yes… if it's them…"
Before he could say more, Nezu cut him off smoothly.
"Let's not discuss that openly. We'll revisit it in private."
He folded his paws together.
"Right now, what concerns us most is not Shigaraki himself."
"It is the issue he exposed."
"The darkness… and contradictions… within superhuman society."
The room quieted.
"What Shigaraki revealed is only one facet."
"There are darker elements still—forces that push children toward misguided paths."
"Even we do not yet possess a complete solution."
Nezu rose from his seat, gaze sweeping across the faculty.
"You are teachers of U.A."
"You train future Heroes."
"These students are still developing. Their minds are not yet mature."
"They cannot fully process these societal complexities."
"That makes them vulnerable."
"If manipulated by the wrong influence… the results could be disastrous."
His tone sharpened.
"U.A. exists to cultivate Heroes."
"They may not all become the strongest."
"But they must graduate with unshakeable conviction."
"With firm belief."
"With resolve equal to any Pro Hero."
"The new term is about to begin."
"This incident may cause doubt in the hearts of children who dream of becoming Heroes."
"So I expect every one of you to treat each student with greater seriousness than ever before."
"Understood?"
"Understood!"
The response echoed firmly around the room.
Nezu nodded, satisfied.
"Very well."
He sat back down, returning to his usual composed demeanor, lifting his teacup—
Then paused.
"Oh. There's one more matter."
He set the tea down again.
"I've decided to expand the Hero Course intake."
"In other words, Classes 1-A and 1-B will each gain two additional seats."
He glanced around at the staff.
"What are your thoughts?"
The room fell briefly silent.
Four extra students.
At a time like this.
It wasn't just an administrative adjustment.
It was a statement.
Aizawa's tired eyes narrowed slightly.
Present Mic raised a brow.
All Might looked thoughtful.
The new generation was about to step onto the stage.
And somewhere in the shadows—
Shigaraki Tomura was already moving his pieces.
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