𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗦 ⌈𝐈⌔𝐌 ✗ 𝔽!𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹⌋

Chapter 036

CHAPTER 36: Rise Above the Steel

As you reached the top floor, breathless from the climb, you felt a strange mix of excitement and dread. Together, you, Midoriya, and Melissa crept forward, each step echoing in the tension-filled silence. You entered the vault to find David Shield and his assistant, Sam, standing near a metal locker. David was visibly shaken as he retrieved a device, but Sam's demeanor felt unsettling, something about his movements just... off. Melissa's face turned pale as she overheard her father and Sam speaking about the villains they'd hired and their plan to take back his invention.

"Father, what have you done?" she whispered, her voice barely holding back the sting of betrayal.

At her words, David turned, guilt clear in his eyes as he explained. "It was a Quirk Amplification Device, Melissa. I created it to help those who are losing their strength... for heroes who can't keep up anymore." His voice wavered as he admitted he'd done it for All Might, knowing the hero's power was fading.

You felt anger welling up, a hot surge that made your vision narrow. In his desperation, David had jeopardized not only All Might's life but countless others. Your fists clenched instinctively. You could sense Midoriya's own struggle—he knew the truth of All Might’s weakening strength, the weight of guilt pressing down on him—but this wasn’t how it should be handled.

"You put my mom, All Might, and everyone on this island in danger for this?" you snapped, the words bursting out before you could stop them. Your voice trembled with barely contained fury. Without thinking, you stepped forward and tackled him against the wall, the force of your motion denting the metal beside him with a loud crunch. The impact sent sparks scattering, emphasizing just how serious you were.

David flinched, scrambling backward, stammering, "They were supposed to be fake villains—"

Your anger flared even higher. You punched the wall next to him, the dent spreading as your power reverberated through the metal. "Fake villains? You think that excuses risking everyone?!"

Midoriya’s hands shot out, gripping your arms gently but firmly. "Y/N! Wait—this isn’t how—"

You froze for a fraction of a second, feeling his touch, the calm radiating from him despite sharing the same fear and anger. He began to pull you back, easing you away from David, and you let him, your body still tense. As he went to remove his hand, you stopped him, gripping his wrist lightly to hold it in place. No words were exchanged—your silence said it all, and he didn’t pull away, understanding that for now, you needed the grounding presence.

Before either of you could react further, a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the vault. Wolfram stepped forward, a smug grin on his face, his metal-manipulating Quirk making the surrounding walls groan under his control. "Fake villains?" he sneered, tightening his grip on the vault’s metal. "Did you really think we’d play by your rules?"

Midoriya leapt forward, but Wolfram quickly raised metal barriers, blocking him at every turn. He caught you off guard, knocking you aside before Midoriya could intervene. Recovering quickly, Midoriya launched himself at Wolfram, delivering a powerful Detroit Smash to disrupt his hold on the metal around you.

You pushed yourself up, nodding to Midoriya in thanks. Swordkil then charged in out of nowhere, using his Sword Hands Quirk to slash through the air toward you. Midoriya grabbed Melissa and rolled out of the way, but Swordkil kept up his assault, his movements fast and deadly. Midoriya used his Full Gauntlet to parry, but Swordkil was relentless, pushing him closer to the edge.

Just then, you darted forward, calling out to Midoriya. He glanced over, momentarily surprised, but quickly nodded as you moved to flank Swordkil. Working in tandem, you created openings for Midoriya, landing precise hits on the villain's weak spots. But in a brief moment of distraction, Swordkil slashed toward you, knocking you off balance. You hit the ground, dazed, but Midoriya took advantage of the opening, driving a powerful smash into Swordkil's side, sending him crashing into the wall.