"First, I don't need your acknowledgment!"
"Second, why do you target professional heroes?"
Following Stain's words, Midoriya Izuku wanted to know the motive behind his crimes. Why did he harm heroes?
In modern society, enemies often appear due to differences in Quirk strength and the inequalities they face in life. People with dark, vengeful hearts might use their Quirks to cause destruction or seek personal gain.
It's rare for enemies to target professional heroes because it doesn't benefit them at all.
Enemies lacking money might rob banks or stores, like the "Rat Brothers."
Violent, vengeful people might seek out weaker victims, like the "Butcher." Even such brutal enemies avoid professional heroes because it doesn't benefit them.
Enemies who kill professional heroes only increase police and hero efforts to capture them. Midoriya couldn't think of any enemy who would target heroes, except for someone with a twisted mind, like the Hero Killer Stain...
From their conversation, Midoriya realized Stain wasn't just killing heroes for the sake of it. He seemed to have a goal...
"Targeting heroes?"
Hearing Midoriya's question, Stain mockingly replied:
"It's simple, just to purge the fakes!"
"What?!"
Midoriya was shocked by the unexpected answer. What did this guy mean?
"You should understand, right? Most so-called heroes today are in it for money or fame..."
"Most of them are like that. There are so many fake heroes using the title 'hero'!"
"A true hero must be like All Might, fighting to save others!"
"So, those fake heroes in society must be purged!"
The "Hero Killer" Stain's words left Midoriya unsure how to respond. In some ways, Stain wasn't wrong.
Midoriya remembered the "Butcher Incident," where the enemy told him that professional heroes, fearing for their lives, deliberately let him escape. Being a professional hero was a popular career in modern society, a path to fame and fortune, so many people became heroes for these reasons.
There were many professional heroes in society. For example, after the sports festival, over 4,000 hero agencies sent invitations to Todoroki Shoto, not to mention the lesser-known heroes in various cities.
In modern society, competition among professional heroes was fierce. Agencies often exposed each other's scandals. As a hero fan, Midoriya was well aware of these negative news.
Indeed, today's professional heroes were not pure. Few were like All Might, who became heroes purely to save others. Most did it for money and fame. But so what?
Just for this reason?
Midoriya Izuku couldn't agree! He couldn't accept the "Hero Killer" Stain's words. Such a lousy reason, worse than garbage, had led to the deaths of 17 heroes and left 23 unable to continue their hero activities.
Midoriya Izuku was genuinely angry. The "Hero Killer" Stain was more despicable than those who harmed others for their selfish desires.
Using seemingly righteous reasons to commit evil deeds was more shameless than villains, making Midoriya want to vomit!
"For this reason? You harmed 'Ingenium,' making him unable to continue his hero activities?!"
"He wasn't a true hero and needed to be purged!"
"Are you kidding me?!"
With his "Death God Gloves" ready, Midoriya Izuku decided to punish the jerk in front of him. He had to capture him today.
"My dream of becoming a hero is to protect people's smiles!!"
Midoriya shot the steel wire from his gloves at the Hero Killer, who skillfully dodged and threw a blade at Midoriya.
The blade stopped mid-air, wrapped in the steel wire from Midoriya's other hand. He swung the blade back at the Hero Killer while angrily continuing:
"Iida is a responsible class president who admires his brother 'Ingenium' and dreams of becoming a hero like him!"
The Hero Killer caught the returning blade and dodged the steel wire from above, then charged at the black-haired boy.
"Whenever Iida talks about his brother 'Ingenium,' he always smiles, proud of his outstanding hero brother."
The "King of Storms" transformed, and the Hero Killer dodged all the steel wires, missing his double-bladed strike. Midoriya climbed the alley wall, throwing the steel wire at Stain's neck.
"Because you harmed 'Ingenium,' Iida hasn't smiled since his brother was injured. His most admired brother can no longer continue his hero activities."
The Hero Killer dodged the steel wire aimed at his neck and quickly grabbed a cross-shaped shuriken from his belt, throwing it at Midoriya Izuku on the wall.
At the same time, Midoriya threw a bomb down. The bomb collided with the shurikens and triggered its effect. A dense steel wire net blocked all the shurikens and fell to the ground, aiming to capture Stain.
The steel wire net fell too slowly, and the Hero Killer rolled to the side to escape its range. Midoriya Izuku landed on the ground on the other side.
"It's not just 'Ingenium.' The heroes you killed, the pro heroes you harmed, their families will never smile again!"
Midoriya turned to face the Hero Killer Stain, who had just rolled to the side and adjusted his stance.
Looking at the Hero Killer Stain in front of him, who killed pro heroes for some so-called righteous reason, harming pro heroes who also had families and friends.
Although many pro heroes had impure motives, whether they took rewards or sought fame... at least they protected the people and did good deeds, right?
In Midoriya's view, most pro heroes today are like police officers. Even if they take rewards or seek fame for their own benefit, they are still respectable people. At least they became heroes, and their work helps others!
However, Midoriya could never agree with the Hero Killer Stain's actions. In the end, he was just a fanatic trapped in his own beliefs, more despicable than enemies who were evil by nature!
"Count your sins and pay for them all!!"
---
You can read 10 Chapters ahead on my
pat reon.com/GMadman
"Kid, you're pretty good!"
"....."
The Hero Killer, who had rolled away from the steel wire net, turned to prepare for battle and praised the black-haired boy, but Midoriya didn't respond.
Steel wires extended from his fingers, and Midoriya got into a combat stance, staring at the Hero Killer Stain. The previous exchange made him realize that this enemy was indeed very strong, with top-notch physical skills.
Midoriya is fully qualified to comment on the aspect of close combat. He had trained his body continuously since childhood and later learned martial arts like Bajiquan. Close combat was one of his strengths.
The most objective example was the U.A. Sports Festival. Todoroki Shoto didn't dare let Midoriya get close, knowing that once Midoriya got close, he would be taken down in less than a second.
Now facing the Hero Killer Stain, Midoriya was angry at his actions but didn't blindly charge in. He carefully analyzed the enemy.
Midoriya considered his own disadvantages. He had stood out in the Sports Festival, and his fighting style and tactics were well-known. The Hero Killer knew he had no Quirk and fought using only equipment.
As for the Hero Killer, Midoriya didn't know his Quirk, but he quickly analyzed his equipment: blades, shurikens, strong close combat skills... these obvious traits gave him the answer.
Midoriya's brain worked rapidly, drawing conclusions from the knowledge he had recorded. The Hero Killer's Quirk was likely related to the wounds he inflicted.
Wounds that couldn't heal?
Unstoppable bleeding?
Or maybe a poison that caused instant death when cut?
Midoriya couldn't determine the Hero Killer Stain's Quirk, but he knew one thing for sure: he must not let his blade cut him.
In that case, let's use a long-range attack to capture the Hero Killer.
Midoriya quietly reached behind him and took out a small white ball from his tool bag. As he held it, the steel wire in his glove embedded into the ball's pre-made slot.
"Thanks for the inspiration, Mineta."
Mineta Minoru from Hero Class A, nicknamed Grape Juice, has a Quirk that produces sticky and elastic black balls from his head.
Based on his Quirk, Midoriya developed a tool with similar abilities, though not as sticky as the original.
After embedding the steel wire into the white ball, Midoriya focused on the Hero Killer, ready to make his move.
Midoriya aimed and threw the white ball at the Hero Killer, with the steel wire extending from his glove following the ball's path.
"This little trick?"
As expected, the Hero Killer Stain felt underestimated. He blocked the ball with his blade, causing it to bounce away.
"Something's wrong!?"
Stain realized the problem. The steel wire was connected to his blade, and the white ball bounced off the wall, landing behind him and bouncing again.
In the narrow alley, the white ball hit the opposite wall and bounced a fourth time.
Meanwhile, Midoriya prepared his next move, with the steel wire in his other hand ready.
On the fourth bounce, the small white ball landed in front of the Hero Killer.
Before it hit the ground, Midoriya's steel wire shot out, connecting to the ball.
In an instant, Midoriya pulled the wire, disarming the Hero Killer and wrapping him in the steel wire.
"Simple geometry!"
Midoriya's white ball had four layers, each leaving a sticky shell and steel wire with each bounce.
Designed for narrow spaces, the white ball was a tool Midoriya created for such situations.
The rapidly retracting steel wire tightly bound the Hero Killer, capturing him.
"Don't move, or you'll hurt yourself!"
The steel wire and the Hero Killer's blade pressed against his chest, making any struggle dangerous.
"Impressive, but too naive!"
"What!?"
The steel wire snapped, and Stain lunged at Midoriya with his short blades.
Stain wasn't blind. He noticed something was wrong the moment he saw the steel wire connected to his weapon. Although Midoriya's movements were very fast, it only took two seconds for the white ball to bounce back and connect with the steel wire, but that was enough time for Stain to react.
The "Hero Killer" Stain, besides his usual long blade, also had short blades on his waist. When Midoriya's steel wire retracted, Stain held the short blades in a reverse grip with both hands.
When the steel wire tightly bound Stain, he crossed his hands like scissors. Although Midoriya's steel wire was tough, it broke under the pressure of the two blades acting like scissors.
In an instant, the situation changed dramatically. Although Midoriya was alarmed, he didn't lose his composure and charged directly at the "Hero Killer" Stain.
Turning and retreating would be foolish, as the enemy would throw weapons at his back. There wasn't enough time to retract and release the steel wire from his gloves, and he couldn't use the "King of Storms" for a lethal attack, so he went for a close-range strike!
In a split second, the two met. The "Hero Killer" Stain thrust his right-hand blade at Midoriya, but it was blocked, or rather, entangled!
Although the steel wire from his gloves couldn't retract, Midoriya skillfully used the web of steel wire to entangle Stain's right-hand blade, preventing it from injuring him.
But that was just one hand. Stain's left-hand blade, held in a reverse grip, aimed at Midoriya's abdomen, cutting swiftly and fiercely.
However, it was blocked again... Midoriya's right elbow struck down while his knee kicked up, firmly pinning Stain's close-range lethal attack.
In a moment of surprise, the "Hero Killer" Stain didn't expect the black-haired boy in front of him to be so skilled in close combat. This lapse allowed Midoriya to seize the opportunity for a counterattack.
"Bajiquan: Hammer"
Although Midoriya's specialty was the Iron Mountain Lean, it didn't mean he hadn't learned other Bajiquan moves. The power might not be as strong as his ultimate move, but it was still effective.
With his right elbow pinning the short blade along with his knee, Midoriya's right fist swung and struck Stain's chest. Although the punch wasn't very powerful, it made Stain stagger back a few steps, giving Midoriya a chance to create some distance.
Clutching his slightly aching chest, the "Hero Killer" Stain stared at Midoriya and slowly said:
"Kid, I take back what I said. You're not a novice at all!"
---
You can read 10 Chapters ahead on my
pat reon.com/GMadman
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