Running in Separate Directions? Terumi Genga's Plan!

As the "villain's" finger slowly pointed toward a vital spot, the sense of danger Uraraka Shige felt grew stronger. The muscles over his heart, where the finger was aimed, contracted on their own, filling him with a terribly nervous tension.

But the feeling faded in less than a second.

"Run! I'll hold him off for a while!"

The remaining policewoman had drawn her service pistol and was aiming it at the "villain" with both hands. From behind her, where her body shielded him, Uraraka Shige could clearly see that her legs were held straight, and the muscles in her buttocks had contracted so tightly that they strained against her pants. Her lower back, spine, and neck formed a straight but extremely stiff line, yet her whole body seemed to be shaking and trembling.

Clearly, the policewoman was now feeling the same sense of danger he had felt before, as if she could lose her life at any moment.

No, it would be more accurate to say that the policewoman had taken on the sense of danger he had felt before, bearing in his place the feeling that his life was not in his own hands.

Freed so suddenly from that sense of danger, Uraraka Shige took two deep breaths. After a fierce internal struggle, he chose to do as the policewoman said. Taking Ochaco and Terumi Genga by the hands, he ran without looking back toward a narrow opening between houses only a few steps away. It was probably only wide enough for a child in their teens to pass through; an adult would have to turn sideways.

"Good luck..."

That was all he could do in his heart for the brave policewoman who had saved them, offering her his blessing... though he also knew that the male officer who had already lost his life was probably a warning of what awaited her.

But what else could he do? He had no idea what the "villain's" Quirk was, so he had no way of thinking of a method to counter him.

After the "villain" had pretended to flee, the "heroes" and police had concluded, based on his previous behavior, that he had escaped. Things were no longer as they had been when Uraraka Shige was acting as bait, and there might not be any "heroes" coming to stop the "villain" at all.

And while Endeavor had been fighting the "villain" earlier, he had been lost in inexplicable thoughts and had paid no attention to the details of what had happened.

Besides, he had never even met this policewoman before today. She was, one might say, a complete stranger.

In any case, for all those reasons, since the policewoman had stepped forward and volunteered to buy the three of them time to escape, why shouldn't he simply accept her kindness?

Besides, hadn't the two officers said earlier that they would be responsible for protecting the three of them along the way? Wasn't this policewoman just doing her duty?

Uraraka Shige ran with Ochaco and Genga to the narrow opening, then had Ochaco go through it first to the other street. He urged Terumi Genga to follow close behind and go with Ochaco to seek help from other people, especially nearby police officers and "hero" agencies.

But when it was his turn to move, a trace of hesitation suddenly welled up in his heart.

"But... is this really okay?"

The policewoman behind him was holding off the "villain" for him, and ensuring their safety might well cost her her own life.

Even if they had never met before and had been complete strangers, there was no denying that, at this moment-when she was holding off the "villain" for him, very possibly at the cost of her own life—the policewoman could already be considered their savior.

Under those circumstances, was it really okay for him to abandon his savior and run?

He suddenly remembered some TV dramas he had seen before. In scenes like this, when one person used their life as cover to protect another and let them escape quickly, the protected person would often dawdle, trying to face the danger and the enemy together with the person providing cover.

And in the end, this usually resulted in the person who had already decided to trade their life for someone else's chance to live losing their life, or at the very least being gravely wounded and left at death's door, while the person they had protected failed to escape as well.

It was even possible that the person who had tried to provide cover with their life would not have had to die, but lost their life because of the person they were protecting...

Whenever that happened, he could never help cursing the protected person in front of the screen, either out loud or silently in his heart...

But now he was the one being protected...

So he should obediently do as he was told and run... right?

"That's right, the rational choice is to run... This 'villain' is far too dangerous. He won't be any help if he stays. I should listen and get away quickly. I still have a vast future ahead of me..."

Uraraka Shige gritted his teeth, but he couldn't bring himself to take a step. No matter what he did, he couldn't lift his feet from the ground.

"Tch... That's why humans are emotional creatures!"

He had already made up his mind. He was a selfish person, clearly a selfish guy, so why...

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

At that moment, three gunshots suddenly rang out in succession.

Uraraka Shige's whole body jolted, and he spun around. After firing the final three bullets of her life from her service pistol-perhaps also the first three she had ever fired at a "villain"-the policewoman who had said she would buy them time to escape had her heart pierced by the "villain's" Quirk. She fell to the ground, the signs and color of life gone from her.

"...Dead... she's dead?"

Uraraka Shige's mind went blank for an instant. If he had made his decision sooner, perhaps the policewoman would have... Had she died because of him now?!

"What should I do?"

Uraraka Shige felt utterly at a loss. At that moment, he almost forgot who he was and what he was supposed to do. His mind was empty until he suddenly wondered whether the policewoman had died in vain, just like those characters in films and TV shows, and whether he had let down her expectations and wasted the time she had bought with her life...

"Right... right... first... I have to get away first..."

His mind was muddled. In a daze, he squeezed into the narrow opening and headed straight for the street on the other side. Terumi Genga hadn't gone far; instead, he had stopped to wait for him after the gunshots.

"Sir Knight, that policewoman... the 'villain'... If we can't, then... should we run in separate directions?"

After noticing Uraraka Shige's condition, Terumi Genga asked after him with concern, then finally offered an idea.