Diduo Chengjie

"...Heroes don't kill people?" He repeated the words, then suddenly laughed. "I really can't beat you."

So the boy had deliberately spared his life with that spear throw earlier? And he had naively thought the boy had just missed...

"What about the others? My companions, are they all right?" he suddenly asked.

Jilan Jiyu turned to look in that direction. More than a dozen people lay on the ground, and not one of them could stand, but he knew they had only passed out. Their lives weren't in danger.

A steel pipe was ultimately just a blunt weapon. Although Jilan Jiyu had channeled Hamon through it to keep it from deforming when thrown with great force, making it more powerful once it became a bomb, it was still quite difficult to kill someone with it. They had all been knocked unconscious by the sudden explosion.

"All I can say is that they aren't dead. If you hadn't suddenly started running, you would have been fine too."

Leaving him with those words, Jilan Jiyu walked over to the site of the explosion. Although he was confident in Killer Queen's ability, he remained cautious, punching anyone who showed signs of waking up. He would never give them a chance to turn the tables and kill him.

The man with holes felt the burning sensation inside him gradually fade. Regaining a little strength, he got up and slowly shuffled over behind Jilan Jiyu.

"I advise you not to even think about ambushing me. The moment you make a move against me, you'll explode from the inside out, just like that steel pipe, and your guts will spill all over the ground."

Jilan Jiyu didn't turn around as he spoke. Instead, he began searching the clothes of the enemies on the ground for something that could prove their identities. Since the other party had been able to gather so many people to work for them, they had to be someone with influence in the underworld.

He wasn't worried about the man behind him ambushing him. While Jilan Jiyu had been treating his injuries, the man's entire body had already become a bomb. If he made any dangerous moves, Jilan Jiyu would make sure not even his ashes remained.

Although he had just said heroes didn't kill, not every hero was like Batman, who insisted on sending criminals to prison. Besides, he wasn't a hero yet, so naturally he wouldn't show mercy to anyone who threatened him.

"No, I just wanted to say that we don't know anything. You can stop looking," the man with holes said with a wry smile. "I don't have any fight left in me. When you get right down to it, listening to them and attacking U.A. High School was a huge mistake. I should be onstage with an underground band right now, singing lead and playing guitar..."

"I'm not interested in hearing that." Jilan Jiyu rudely cut him off. "Right now, you just need to tell me what you know and what you've guessed."

He really has no patience. This is the first time I've opened my heart to someone else...

The man with holes smiled helplessly and raised both hands in surrender. "A month ago, I met a thug while buying drugs. He asked if I wanted in on something that would shock the whole country. Once it was over, not only would my outstanding debts be wiped clean, but I'd also get a whole lot of money. I'd spent all my money on drugs, so I had no choice but to accept his offer.

"A few days ago, he took me to an underground dance hall where a lot of people had gathered. I thought there was going to be a party, but then a guy dressed as a waiter released a cloud of mist that surrounded all of us. The next second, I found myself at U.A. High School."

"Nothing else?"

Seeing the man shake his head frankly, Jilan Jiyu frowned and began to think. If the plan had been in the works for a month, then who was their target?

Is it Endeavor's son, Shoto Todoroki?

No, we students only received our acceptance letters from U.A. High School recently, and who would be admitted through recommendations was kept secret beforehand too. Even I only heard Inasaku Yoarashi mention it occasionally. There's no way the enemy could have known in advance.

Is it Thirteen or Shota Aizawa?

They're both Pro Heroes and often work in the field. If someone wanted to take them out, all they'd have to do is find a suitable location and lure them there. They could deal with them easily.

What if the target isn't us students or them, and the goal is simply to invade U.A. High School?

That's not right either. If they wanted to do that, they could have done it long ago with a Quirk that can teleport people. Back then, All Might wasn't at the school, and it didn't have much in the way of defenses...

Then, although it's a little hard to believe, once all the possibilities have been eliminated, whatever remains, however strange and absurd, is the only truth.

"Your target is All Might, isn't it?" Jilan Jiyu raised his head and looked gravely at the man in ripped pants. "Your target is the Symbol of Peace-All Might."

Seeing the surprised look on the man's face, he realized the man was just cannon fodder and knew nothing.

Jilan Jiyu couldn't be bothered to waste any more effort on him, but he still kindly offered a word of advice. "The police will find out about the invasion of U.A. High School sooner or later. The people who brought you here won't give you a chance to go back. While no one's come yet, you still have a chance to leave."

With that, Jilan Jiyu turned to leave. If his guess was right, All Might should be in great danger right now.

"Wait, my name is Diduo Chengjie. There's something I need to tell you." He looked at Jilan Jiyu's retreating back and shouted, "The man with a hand on his face is extremely dangerous!"

Jilan Jiyu paused for a moment, then continued walking without stopping.

Diduo Chengjie looked at the streets burning around him and felt a headache coming on. He had been told to leave, but how was he supposed to get out?

While keeping the people at U.A. High School from getting word out, they had also kept the cannon fodder they'd recruited at the last minute from escaping... The people who had organized this incident had really planned things well.

He saw that the leader of their little group, whose body was sturdier than an ordinary person's, was showing signs of regaining consciousness. He went over to the boss, took a walkie-talkie from his pocket, and smashed it hard against his head. The man immediately lost consciousness again and lay motionless on the ground.

Diduo Chengjie sighed and switched on the internal channel. "The two brats teleported to the fire zone have been captured. Our people didn't suffer any losses at all."

Hearing a faint word of praise from the other end, he silently ended the call and pulled a bent cigarette from his pocket. He sat down again at the entrance to the convenience store, lit the cigarette from the fire on the sign, and smoked it on and off.

"Although it might not do much good, I guess I've done something heroic, haven't I?"