"To deal with a freak like that and dozens of Pro Heroes, we were outmatched in the end. The game was over... This time, it was already game over. Let's go back."
In truth, the biggest setback had come from X-Hair. Nomu, their ultimate weapon, had been suppressed by a girl of unknown origin. That was even harder to accept than being defeated by All Might.
"They're leaving? Did I hear that right?" Mineta could hardly believe it.
"I heard it too." Tsuyu Asui nodded from the water.
"Great, we're saved." Mineta teared up with joy and threw his arms around Tsuyu, pressing a hand against her chest.
"Crack..."
Tsuyu's expression froze, and she shoved Mineta straight into the water.
"This still feels really unsettling, Midoriya-chan."
"Yeah." Izuku Midoriya nodded. "Things have already gone this far, yet they're retreating so easily. Weren't they here to kill All Might? If they go back like this, U.A. will only become more alert. What's going on... What are those guys thinking?"
Shigaraki really was preparing to leave. He was even planning to withdraw Nomu rather than continue facing X-Hair.
But...
The next moment, he suddenly revealed a twisted, sinister grin.
"Before that, though, let's crush the so-called Symbol of Peace's dignity... just a little, before we go back."
With that, Tomura Shigaraki activated his Quirk, his arm reaching straight for Tsuyu-chan before she could even react.
So Enviable
"You think I'm not here?"
Shota Aizawa's eyes widened as he activated Erasure, stopping Tomura Shigaraki's attack from afar.
The instant his movement stalled, Yukino rushed forward and viciously kicked him in the waist.
Bang!
"Wah!"
Tomura Shigaraki rolled several times across the ground, looking rather disheveled.
"What... troublesome brats."
Through the dull pain, Shigaraki touched his injured spot and muttered irritably. The situation was terrible. Nomu was being held back by X-Hair, and Tenya Iida had already successfully gone for help. For him, this game was practically over.
"I'm done playing... I'm done playing. Kurogiri, we're going home."
Having made up his mind, Shigaraki scratched at the skin on his neck and called out to his subordinate.
"Yes. We'll leave at once."
Mist spread out as an opening leading elsewhere began to appear. Nomu, who had been confronting X-Hair, also retreated step by step to their side, using his body to shield the entrance.
"Trying to run?" Seeing this, X-Hair suddenly remembered one of her skills and decisively made her choice. "In that case... I can only call in an attack from beyond the heavens."
She raised the sword in her hand, and a strange message was instantly sent into distant space.
Skill: Support Barrage!
Because it leaned toward game mechanics, the greatest value of this skill was not its damage, but its unique stun effect.
In other words, anyone struck by a barrage would fall into a brief state of unconsciousness.
Without the appropriate resistance, this move had a one-hundred-percent chance of hitting. No matter how strong someone was, they could not escape it.
A terrible sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Shota Aizawa's heart. He looked overhead, feeling as though something dangerous had locked onto him.
"Everyone, fall back! I'm using my ultimate move."
Mysterious Heroine X turned and shouted at the students.
"Su Lin, you..."
Just as Izuku Midoriya was about to ask, Shota Aizawa spoke first. "Listen to her. Everyone, move back."
Though they found it strange, the surrounding students obediently retreated.
The next instant, a blinding beam descended from the sky. Without warning, it pierced through the structure overhead and blasted into Kurogiri's Portal.
Boom~~~
Yukino, closest to the center of the explosion, only saw a flash before a terrifying shockwave struck her, instantly blowing her away.
"Pah, that hurts."
She slammed viciously into a pile of rubble and rolled dozens of times across the ground before coughing up blood, covered in wounds.
"Damn it, I blew myself up."
The pain nearly made her cry.
All the fleeing students felt the scorching heat and blast wave against their backs. The abnormal air currents made it impossible for them to keep their footing. If they had not gotten far enough from the explosion's center, not one of them would likely have survived.
Thinking about it, from calling Support Barrage to the attack landing, it had taken... fifteen seconds.
During that time, Kurogiri had probably already opened a long-distance passage and let Tomura Shigaraki escape.
"This skill takes forever."
She gave a bitter smile.
All in all, the enemies had been driven away. The remaining rabble could be handled by the students alone, so no further support was needed. Shota Aizawa had not been injured as he was in the Original Work, either. The outcome was excellent.
And Yukino's body... would most likely grow a little stronger again.
It could not be helped. She had been seriously injured, after all.
Amid the wreckage, USJ's doors were suddenly shoved open with great force. A radiant, immensely muscular figure abruptly appeared before everyone.
"Everything is all right now." The man's voice was deep and powerful as he strode forward, dramatically tearing open the blue strap across his chest.
"Because I am here!"
"..."
"..."
"???"
"All Might, um... it's already over. The enemies ran away." Izuku Midoriya scratched his head awkwardly as he spoke to All Might, who had just entered.
"It's over?" All Might froze in place. Looking toward the explosion crater in the middle, he found it truly empty.
There were no enemies left, and every student wore the expression of someone who had survived a disaster.
However, Izuku Midoriya soon noticed Yukino lying amid the ruins, covered in blood.
"Su Lin!"
Midoriya's expression changed slightly, and he immediately rushed toward her in panic.
"Su Lin, what happened to you?"
"Mm, why is my consciousness getting blurry? My limbs aren't listening to me either."
As X-Hair's avatar disappeared, Su Lin was overwhelmed by a complete sense of weakness. Perhaps her injuries were too severe; her thoughts had nearly stopped functioning, and all she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep.
Through the haze, Izuku Midoriya seemed to enter her field of vision.
"Midoriya, you..."
"Su Lin, xxxx..."
She could no longer hear anything.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Su Lin woke up again to find herself lying on a clean hospital bed.
Her head was still a little dizzy, and she could faintly hear an old woman speaking nearby.
"This child's recovery ability is absurd. I've never seen anyone with a Quirk like this. She was injured that badly, yet she recovered in just two hours. But All Might, as a teacher, you need to think more about your students. That green-haired boy was one thing, but this time it was a poor girl. She was lucky to survive. If it had been someone else, they would have never held on."
"I'm sorry. This is my responsibility." All Might sounded guilty.
"All right, enough of that. It seems this child has woken up."
As Su Lin opened her eyes, several worried faces entered her view.
Tsuyu Asui, Kyoka Jiro, Momo Yaoyorozu...
"You all..."
"That's great, you're finally awake." A set of clothes bounced around in midair, looking extremely excited.
"Su Lin, are you all right?" Ochaco Uraraka looked at her worriedly.
"I'm fine."
Su Lin came back to her senses and tried to prop herself up with both hands. Black strands of hair fell from her head, hanging all the way down to her waist.
"Uh... did I forget to change back?"
Staring at her two fair, delicate hands and her slightly swelling chest, she quietly swallowed.
In other words, she had passed out while still in her avatar form?
A few seconds later, she remembered Midoriya rushing over before she fainted, and her face instantly changed. "Who... who brought me here?"
It could not have been Izuku Midoriya carrying her to the infirmary, could it? If so, wouldn't that be like letting him take advantage of her completely? Her lower half was just a short skirt and stockings, and her clothes were so thin. It would have been far too easy for him to take liberties.
"Relax, relax. I was the one who brought you here." Torhu Hagakure giggled, reached out, and grabbed Yukino's calf. "And I personally checked. Su Lin is completely, utterly a girl right now."
"You..."
Su Lin raised her toes, trying to kick her away, but Torhu Hagakure caught her foot firmly in both hands.
"Such a soft body... I'm so jealous."
A Chance Encounter
"D-Don't do that."
Su Lin felt that her current appearance was rather embarrassing.
With her back against the headboard, her hands weakly supporting her body, one long leg lifted by Torhu Hagakure, and a flustered expression on her face...
Even so, being cared for by so many adorable girls still made her feel rather satisfied.
But why did it feel like she was being teased?
So, Torhu Hagakure, this kind of thing was fine when they were alone. Doing it in front of so many people was way too embarrassing, wasn't it?
Just as she was feeling utterly speechless, the system, which had not appeared in a long time, suddenly popped up.
Congratulations. Quest completed.
Reward obtained: Random Avatar Unlock Quest.
Beginning character draw...
Along with a flash of golden light, the blue text on the screen changed.
Avatar obtained: Haruhi Kasugano.
Unlock Quest: Work at a Maid café for 100 hours, call at least ten masters "big brother," and maintain a negative review rate below 2%.
"..."
A few seconds later...
"Damn you, system! What kind of nonsense is Haruhi and a Maid café? I wouldn't do such a disgusting quest even if you beat me to death."
Understood. This character is being deleted...
"Pah, wait! Don't, don't delete her! I want this character!"
The text on the screen suddenly turned blood-red as it displayed the deletion process, frightening Su Lin into immediately changing her mind.
Compared with X-Hair's brutal training, Haruhi's quest was at least much easier in terms of difficulty. Of course, that was only if she threw away her pitiful sense of shame.
Before you continue