Hosu City - Night
The city was burning.
Smoke choked the air, explosions echoed from multiple directions, civilians running everywhere. Three separate fires visible from our landing point, probably more I couldn't see. The chaos was massive, coordinated, deliberate.
"Multiple Nomu confirmed," Edgeshot said, already moving. "We split up, cover more ground. You see a Nomu, call for backup immediately. Your classmates are here somewhere, if you find them, protect them. I'm heading east to the heaviest fighting."
Then he was gone.
I activated my quirk, golden energy flooding my system, and started moving fast across rooftops. My Instinct was screaming from every direction but underneath all that noise there was something specific pulling me south.
I followed it.
Found a Nomu two blocks down tearing through a building, three heroes getting pushed back. I dropped in behind it, reinforced punch to its spine sent it stumbling. The heroes capitalized, we worked together for five minutes of sustained assault until it stopped moving.
"Thanks kid, now get moving, find civilians!"
I kept going south, Instinct getting stronger, more urgent. Something was very wrong.
My phone buzzed.
Todoroki: "found midoriya and iida fighting stain, alley in old district, need backup NOW"
Location pin attached.
That's what my Instinct had been screaming about.
I pushed my reinforcement to maximum, moving faster than I'd ever moved during patrol, buildings blurring past. Four blocks in thirty seconds, found the alley entrance and dropped in without slowing.
The scene was bad.
Midoriya on the ground, eyes open but body frozen, completely paralyzed. A pro hero I didn't recognize was down too, same condition, bleeding from multiple cuts. Iida against the wall, paralyzed, blood on his arms and armor. Todoroki still mobile but barely, ice and fire keeping Stain at bay, breathing hard, clearly exhausted.
And Stain stood in the center, blades in hand, blood staining his weapons, those cold eyes visible through his bandages. The Hero Killer who'd murdered four pros and crippled Ingenium.
"Another one," Stain said, voice rough. "Another fake coming to play hero."
I stepped forward, putting myself between him and my classmates, golden energy already building higher than normal. "Todoroki, his quirk."
"Paralysis through blood ingestion," Todoroki said quickly. "Don't let him cut you, if he tastes your blood you freeze up. I'm only mobile because my fire burns off the effect."
Blood-based paralysis. My Magic Resistance would handle that, but I didn't need to rely on it.
I wasn't planning on letting him land a single hit.
"Fall back with the others," I said. "This won't take long."
"Arthur, he's killed multiple pro heroes, you can't—"
"I said fall back."
Stain studied me, shifting his stance. "The golden boy from the Sports Festival. Another child with power thinking that makes him righteous. Come then, show me what your strength means."
I let my quirk surge, pushing energy output higher. My Instinct was screaming danger but not about Stain, about something inside me trying to break free. The energy in my system wasn't just reinforcing anymore, it was concentrating, pulling toward my right hand, forming into something that had been trying to manifest for months.
This time, I let it.
Golden light erupted from my palm, solidifying into steel. A sword took shape, longer and heavier than my energy constructs, covered in ancient script that glowed with holy power. The weapon felt perfect, like it had always been mine, like I'd wielded it for centuries.
Excalibur finally fully manifested.
The pressure radiating from the blade filled the entire alley. Even Stain felt it, I saw him tense, saw recognition in his eyes that he was suddenly facing something far beyond a student.
"What is that?" he said, voice losing some of its cold certainty.
"The end of this fight."
I moved.
Stain was fast, experienced, his technique refined through real combat. He tried to dodge, blades coming up defensively.
Didn't matter.
I closed the distance in a blink, Excalibur cutting through his guard like it wasn't there. The flat of my blade smashed into his chest, the impact sending him flying backward into the alley wall hard enough to crack brick.
He tried to recover, pushing off the wall with desperate speed, knives aimed at my throat in a last-ditch attack.
I deflected both blades with a casual flick of Excalibur, the holy sword treating his weapons like toys. Then I stepped in and drove my pommel into his solar plexus.
Stain dropped, gasping for air, his knives clattering to the ground.
The entire exchange took maybe three seconds.
I leveled Excalibur at his throat. "Stay down."
He tried to move, tried to grab one of his fallen blades. I stepped on his wrist, he wasn't getting up.
"It's over," I said. "You lost."
Stain stared up at me, blood leaking from his mouth, something like shock in his eyes. "What... what are you?"
"Someone stronger than you. That's all that matters right now."
Sirens in the distance, backup arriving. I kept Excalibur trained on Stain while checking on my classmates. Todoroki was helping Midoriya sit up, the paralysis starting to wear off. Iida's fingers were twitching, movement returning slowly.
"Everyone okay?" I called back.
"Yeah," Todoroki said, staring at my sword. "What is that thing?"
"My quirk evolved, I'll explain later. The pro hero?"
"Native, he needs medical attention but he'll live."
Heroes started flooding into the alley I kept Excalibur manifested and Stain pinned until they could secure him properly, multiple heroes surrounding us with quirks ready.
"Stand down, we've got him," one of the pros said, some kind of binding quirk wrapping around Stain's entire body. "You're the U.A. student?"
"Pendragon, yes sir. The Hero Killer attacked my classmates, I intervened."
"You took down Stain alone?"
"Yes sir."
The pro looked at Excalibur, still glowing in my hand, then back at Stain who was barely conscious and completely restrained. "Hell of an intervention. Nice work kid."
I dismissed the sword, letting it fade back to energy. The manifestation had been stable for nearly two minutes, much longer than my previous attempts.
More heroes arrived, medical support checking on my classmates and Native. Endeavor showed up looking furious, though most of his anger seemed directed at Todoroki for engaging without calling him first.
Edgeshot found me ten minutes later, taking in the scene with sharp eyes.
"You engaged the Hero Killer," he said.
"My classmates were about to die, I didn't have time to wait for backup."
"And you defeated him."
"Yes."
He studied Excalibur's fading energy signature still lingering in the air. "Your quirk manifested a weapon. A complete sword.
"Stress trigger during combat, it finally stabilized," I said. "I've been trying to form a proper blade for months, fighting Stain pushed my quirk to evolve."
"Convenient."
"Lucky," I corrected. "Without it, Stain might have been a bigger issue."
That wasn't really true, my Magic Resistance would have protected me from his quirk regardless. But it sounded better than admitting I could have probably beaten him without the sword.
Edgeshot didn't look entirely convinced. "We'll discuss your new ability later. For now, police want statements."
The next hour was chaos. Official reports, statements to police, coordinating with other heroes. Stain was secured and transported under heavy guard, multiple pros making sure he couldn't escape. My classmates were all checked by paramedics, injuries treated, statements given.
I caught Iida alone while Midoriya was being examined.
"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "You warned me not to do this, and I didn't listen. I almost got everyone killed because I wanted revenge."
"You made a mistake," I said. "A serious one. But you're alive and you learned from it. That's what matters."
"Stain nearly killed us all."
"But he didn't, and now he's captured. It's done." I paused. "Don't do it again though."
"I won't." He looked at where they were loading Stain into a secure transport. "Thank you for saving us. That sword... I've never seen anything like it."
"New quirk development, I'm still figuring it out myself."
The battle in Hosu ended a few hours later. All Nomu neutralized, fires contained, League of Villains vanished. Casualties were surprisingly low given the scale of the attack.
And I'd captured the Hero Killer.
But as heroes were coordinating cleanup, a woman in a business suit approached our group. Government badge, Hero Public Safety Commission. She looked at me, at my classmates, at the secured Stain being loaded into transport.
"The students who engaged the Hero Killer," she said, not a question. "I need to speak with you privately."
We were taken to a secure area away from the other heroes. The woman's expression was professionally neutral but her tone was firm.
"What you did tonight saved lives," she said. "But there's a problem. You're unlicensed students who engaged in combat with a wanted criminal. Technically, that's illegal quirk usage."
"He was going to kill them," I said flatly. "There wasn't time to wait."
"I understand that. The Commission understands that. But publicly acknowledging that first, year students defeated a villain who killed multiple pro heroes creates problems. It undermines public faith in the hero system, makes pros look incompetent, and puts targets on your backs."
Todoroki's expression went cold. "So you're covering it up."
"We're protecting you," she corrected. "Official story is that Stain was captured by endenvor during the chaos. You four were never there. The reports will reflect that."
"And if we refuse to go along with this?" Midoriya asked quietly.
"Then you face disciplinary action for illegal quirk usage, possible expulsion from U.A., and criminal charges." Her tone softened slightly. "I'm not trying to threaten you. This is how the system works. Sometimes doing the right thing means staying quiet about it."
I exchanged looks with my classmates. Iida nodded slowly, understanding the position we were in. Midoriya looked conflicted but didn't argue. Todoroki just looked angry but stayed silent.
"We'll keep quiet," I said finally.
"Good. You did hero work tonight, real hero work. That matters more than who gets credit." She handed each of us official documents. "Sign these. Non-disclosure agreements. The fight with Stain stays classified."
We signed.
As we were leaving, I caught the woman's eye. "The man recording from the rooftop during the fight. Who was he?"
She paused. "What man?"
"Three buildings east, professional camera equipment, recorded the entire encounter before leaving. You're telling me your people didn't notice him?"
Her expression shifted slightly, concern breaking through professional neutrality. "We'll look into it. Don't worry about it."
But I was already worrying about it.
pov switch-
Stain sat in the secure transport vehicle, hands bound, multiple heroes watching him carefully. His injuries were treated but he was still weak from the fight, still processing what had happened.
That boy. That golden sword. That overwhelming pressure.
Who was he?
The transport suddenly lurched, sirens blaring. Stain looked up, saw the heroes tensing, heard shouting from outside.
Then the roof tore open.
A Nomu, one that had somehow evaded capture, smashed through the reinforced metal. Heroes moved to engage it but the creature was fast, vicious, already grabbing for Stain.
Something inside Stain shifted. This creature, this mindless thing created by villains, represented everything wrong with the current system. Villains who created monsters, heroes who couldn't stop them, a society built on lies.
He broke his restraints with pure desperation and grabbed one of the fallen hero's weapons. The Nomu came for him and Stain moved on pure instinct, his paralysis quirk already activated from blood he'd ingested earlier.
The creature froze mid-attack.
Stain drove the blade through its exposed brain and the Nomu collapsed.
He stood there, bleeding, exhausted, surrounded by shocked heroes and civilians who'd gathered to watch the transport pass. News cameras were recording everything. This was it. This was his moment.
"You all pretend to be heroes," Stain said, his voice carrying across the street. "But you're fakes. Every one of you. True heroes don't exist anymore, just people collecting paychecks and fame. Someone needs to remind this society what real heroism means."
He raised his blade, blood dripping from it.
"The only true hero is All Might. Everyone else is just pretending. And I'll keep killing these fakes until society remembers what heroes should be!"
Then his strength gave out and he collapsed.
But the cameras had caught everything. Every word, every gesture, the image of him standing over the dead Nomu making his declaration.
By morning, the footage would be everywhere.
pov switch
"Master, you should see this."
All For One turned his attention to the screen Doctor Garaki had pulled up. News footage from Hosu, the Hero Killer's speech spreading across social media, already going viral.
"Interesting," All For One said, his voice carrying centuries of patient amusement. "Stain's ideology is spreading faster than expected. This will inspire others, create chaos in the hero system."
"Yes, though Stain himself was captured. The official report says pro heroes subdued him during the Nomu attack." Doctor Garaki adjusted his glasses. "But I have contacts in the police force. Unofficial reports say students were involved. U.A. first-years."
"Students?" All For One's interest sharpened. "Which ones?"
"Endeavor's son, Todoroki Shoto. The green-haired boy, Midoriya Izuku. Ingenium's brother, Iida Tenya." Doctor Garaki paused. "And one more. Himura Arthur, hero name Pendragon. Sports Festival winner."
All For One was quiet for a moment. "Tell me about this Pendragon."
"Powerful quirk, listed as energy manipulation with physical enhancement. But during the fight with Stain, witnesses reported seeing him manifest a sword weapon. Golden blade, covered in glowing script, radiating enormous pressure." Doctor Garaki pulled up footage, grainy and distant but clear enough. "This was taken by an independent operative before the Commission locked down the area."
The video showed a young man with golden hair standing in an alley, a glowing sword in his hand pointed at Stain's throat. Even through the poor quality footage, the power radiating from that blade was evident.
All For One leaned forward slightly. "How interesting. A quirk that manifests weapons with that kind of presence. And he defeated Stain?"
"In approximately three seconds according to our source. Complete domination."
"A first-year student," All For One mused. "Defeating a villain who killed multiple pro heroes, using a power that seems far beyond typical quirk manifestation. Doctor, what do you think that sword was?"
"I've never seen anything quite like it. The energy signature, the pressure it radiated, the way it appeared to be solid matter rather than pure energy construct..." Doctor Garaki shook his head. "It's almost like an entirely different type of power."
"Keep watching him," All For One commanded. "This Pendragon may become very interesting indeed. A power like that, in the hands of a malleable student... yes, very interesting."
"Shall I have Shigaraki recruit him?"
"No, not yet. Let him develop naturally. If he's as powerful as he appears, rushing would be counterproductive." All For One smiled behind his mask. "But do make sure we're monitoring his progress. A weapon like that could be quite useful, whether he joins us willingly or we take his quirk by force."
pov switch-
Director Sarah Chen reviewed the reports from Japan with growing interest, her office overlooking Lake Geneva as dawn broke over the Swiss city.
"Himura Arthur, fifteen years old, first-year at U.A. High School," she read aloud to her assistant. "Officially credited with defeating one of three Nomu during the Hosu incident. Unofficially, he captured the Hero Killer Stain."
"The Japanese Commission covered it up," her assistant confirmed. "Standard procedure for unlicensed quirk usage, even when justified."
"And this sword he manifested?"
"No prior documentation. His quirk registration lists energy manipulation and physical enhancement. Nothing about weapon manifestation, especially not something with this kind of power signature."
Chen studied the photographs her operatives had managed to obtain. The blade was clearly visible, golden and glowing, covered in script that looked ancient.
"Contact our monitoring division in Japan," Chen said. "I want eyes on this student. Quietly."
"Ma'am, Japan is very protective of their hero students."
"Which is why I said quietly." Chen set the photos down. "A quirk that can manifest weapons of that caliber, in a fifteen-year-old student, defeating villains who've killed pros? That's either the most impressive prodigy we've seen in decades, or something else entirely. Either way, we need to know more about it."
"Yes ma'am. Should we contact the Americans?"
"Not yet. Let's gather information first before involving the HPSC." Chen looked back at the photo of Arthur standing over Stain. "But do alert our European division. If Japan tries to recruit this boy after graduation, I want us ready to make our own offer."
pov switch-
The hooded figure knelt before the altar, ancient texts spread across stone that had stood for a thousand years. Candlelight flickered across prophecies written in dead languages, predictions made by seers long gone.
His phone buzzed. Modern technology intruding on ancient ritual.
He checked it, ready to ignore whatever mundane message had interrupted his prayers. Then he saw the image and went completely still.
A golden-haired young man holding a sword that glowed with holy light, script covering its blade, power radiating from it in waves that were visible even through digital photography.
The figure's hands began to shake.
"It can't be," he whispered. "After all this time, it can't be real."
But the prophecy was clear. The scriptures were specific. When the Once King returns, he shall bear the Sword of Promised Victory, and with it reshape the world.
This boy. This Japanese student. That sword.
The figure stood, reaching for his communication device. The others needed to know immediately. The cult had waited centuries for this sign.
Their king had finally returned.
pov switch-
I sat in my dorm room, lights off, Excalibur manifested in my hands. The blade glowed softly in the darkness, casting golden light across the walls. I'd been practicing for an hour, maintaining the manifestation, getting used to its weight and balance.
It felt perfect. Like it had always been mine.
Because it had been. In another life, in another world, this sword had been mine. The blade I'd pulled from the stone, the weapon I'd carried through countless battles, the symbol of my kingship.
And now it was back.
But with it came questions I couldn't answer without revealing too much. Where did this power come from? Why did a fifteen-year-old have a weapon that radiated that kind of pressure? How did I defeat Stain so easily?
The Commission had covered up the details, but people would still wonder. That man recording from the rooftop had footage. Organizations outside Japan were probably already taking interest. And somewhere out there, villains were watching too.
I'd drawn attention. Major attention.
Exactly what I'd been trying to avoid.
I dismissed Excalibur, letting it fade back to energy. Tomorrow I'd return to class, face my classmates' questions, deal with the aftermath of Hosu. The official story was that pros captured Stain, but my friends knew the truth.
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