~Big Book of Fairytales~ My Hero Academia x Reader Fantasy AU

-4- Burning Bridges

~(Y/N)'s POV~

It was horrible. The city lit aflame after only moments of thinking. I led the rescue efforts. I shrouded myself in Shinso's cloak, then led everyone I could to my camp below the city. The other bards helped me in setting more tents for everyone. It was almost too much. We shoved half a city into the sewers. I had people pass out health potions and other medical supplies to help treat the burns that more and more people came in with.

"Everyone is welcome," I led one of the performers from the festival to the medical tent, "I'll have one of the others patch you up."

"(Y/N)," one of the citizens stepped up, "You should let us get people down here. Don't go back up. This place is hidden so you can't get caught, and the people here could use your help as much as the people up there."

"No," I sighed, "I'm not sending people out into the flames when I can do it."

"But (Y/N)..."

"I said no. This is my fault. And I am going to save everyone I can."

But my goal is still the same. Find a way to save Eri and destroy Chisaki.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" It was the voice of the creep from the festival, Mineta. I think that's what his name was, "Spies!"

"We are not spies!" I recognized the voice.

"Hey!" I ran over to the voices, "What's going on here?"

Before me stood the captain from the festival, Shouta, Hizashi, and... "Shinso!"

I ran to the boy and grabbed his hands, "I'm so glad you're here."

"(Y/N)!" I could see Mineta almost drooling at my figure, "You know these spies?"

I sighed, "They aren't spies."

"They came here without anyone leading them! And they have the captain of the guard and the Bell Ringer with them!"

"The Bell Ringer?" That's when I noticed the flash of silver hiding behind Hizashi, "Eri. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Why do you care about the mon-"

"Shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you."

Apparently I made a scary enough to force Mineta out of our hair, because he ran away like a coward.

Shinso placed his hand on my shoulder as I kept kneeling down to Eri's height, "We came to warn you. Chisaki says he knows where you're hiding, and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men."

"What are we going to do?" I stood, looking at the temporary city of tents and the people hiding in its cloth walls, "This is where everyone is. We can't move them in time."

"Well..." Eri kept her eyes on the ground, "You could leave... Let lord Chisaki attack them. You're who's important."

"Eri," Shinso let a wave of breath free from his lips.

I placed my hand on Eri's head, "I can't. I... I have to save these people. They're relying on me. I... This is my fault. All of this. I... I just wanted some redemption."

"Redemption?" I could only feel Shinso and Eri at the moment, Shinso was the one speaking, "What are you talking about?"

"I've been a failure," I placed Eri's cheek in my hand, "I've failed Eri, I failed Eri's mom... I failed the entire city," I rose to my feet, "But I'm never failing them again."

I looked at the three others, and at a few of the more capable fighters among the temporary city, "If Chisaki is coming here with an army... Then we'll just have to have our own army. We may not have a thousand fighters. But I know I can take on at least a hundred of them on my own. What about you?"