Chapter 383: Shoto Todoroki’s Gaze

"Midoriya?!"

In the dormitory facility, Midoriya ran into the room carrying the unconscious Toru Hagakure, instantly drawing the attention of Vlad King, Shoto Todoroki, and the others.

At the same time, Midoriya also noticed for the first time the burned door and podium, as well as the villain "Dabi," whose neck was clutched by Vlad King's palm and pinned against the wall, blood pouring down his body.

"This is..."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Just some villain who underestimated heroes and walked in alone to die," Vlad King said casually.

It had to be said, the pro hero instructors at U.A. High School were truly a class above. No matter who this "Dabi" ran into, they were bound to be restrained with a single move.

"You'll definitely regret underestimating us."

Just as Midoriya was about to ask for a first-aid kit, he saw Dabi staring at Vlad King, blue eyes locked onto his scarlet ones, smiling without a hint of fear.

"Because, your words and actions are all within our expectations. Understand, when you fall behind, it means you've already lost."

"The pinnacle of hero education, U.A. High School, and the Symbol of Peace, All Might, the two pillars most trusted by society's heroes are gathered here."

As he said this, the amusement in Dabi's eyes only grew. He didn't care at all about the state he was in.

"If incidents that shake the very foundation of public trust keep happening here, that shock will ripple across society. Don't you agree, Vlad King?"

"Bastard!" Vlad King's expression darkened, and the grip around Dabi's neck tightened. Dabi's breath grew ragged, but he kept speaking. It seemed that delivering this message had been his true purpose, not attacking students or teachers.

"A flawed management system leads to repeated villain attacks. Weak, incompetent. In the end, students are kidnapped or even killed by criminal groups."

"Your target was the students!" Vlad King shouted, his Quirk reacting violently in the flames.

"Watch. With just a handful of us, we'll drive you all into a corner!" As he spoke, strange blue flames suddenly began to ignite from Dabi's body.

"I won't let you succeed!!"

Bang.

Vlad King punched Dabi in the abdomen out of fury, but even in this state, he held back. He didn't aim to kill.

Aside from the legal restriction against killing as a professional hero, they still needed information from this guy. While Vlad King didn't specialize in interrogation, the police had plenty of experts. Whether he wanted to talk or not, they would find a way to extract everything he knew.

"Hm?!"

But after being struck, Dabi's body ignited further in blue flames and began melting into sludge, surprising Vlad King.

"Did I hit him too hard?"

As Dabi fully dissolved into a puddle of mud, Vlad King realized—this was a clone.

"Sensei, please come take a look at Hagakure!" Midoriya called urgently, placing the girl on the only intact table near the back of the room.

"What happened to her?" Vlad King asked as he approached, but there was a problem. He couldn't see her condition at all.

"There's a poisonous gas spreading in the forest that causes unconsciousness. It must be a villain's Quirk," Midoriya explained.

"Poison gas?" Vlad King's face turned serious.

"Yes. But in the call earlier with Mandalay, she said there was no poison gas where she was."

"So I believe the villain isn't just releasing poison gas, they can control it too," Midoriya continued.

"And the concentration decreases as we get closer to the facility, so the gas is clearly centered around one source and swirling out like a vortex."

"So all we need to do is eliminate the villain at the center, and the gas will naturally dissipate."

Shoto Todoroki touched his chin, nodded, and said, "I see. So if we head toward where the gas is thickest, we'll reach the center."

"Yes, but there's a problem. The closer we get to the source, the denser the fog becomes. And we don't have anything like gas masks here," Midoriya sighed. "I've thought of a plan, but it's risky, so..."

"What can I do?" Iida asked immediately. Mineta, Sero, and the others also turned to Midoriya.

"My plan is to throw a straight punch with all my strength into the thick fog. The wind pressure should temporarily disperse the gas, and then the fastest among us can rush in and take out the villain!"

Todoroki shook his head. "That's not very feasible."

"Let's not even get into whether a punch can disperse poison gas. Even if it works, the gas could still spread and harm others outside."

"And even if someone does rush in, how do we know they can take out the villain quickly?" Iida added. With his speed, he could cover the distance in seconds, but then what?

"Hold on. 'Eraser Head' authorized combat for students who encounter villains in the forest. But for you, who are already in the facility, I won't allow you to re-enter," Vlad King stated firmly.

Even so, he understood the urgency. Poison gas wasn't something to be taken lightly. But after the recent villain attack, he was also reluctant to leave the facility unguarded.

"But Kaminari Denki already went," Todoroki said calmly.

Vlad King fell silent, folding his arms and looking out the window. Deep down, he thought, these kids really are a handful.

Todoroki ignored him and turned to Midoriya. "So we just need to take down the villain in the center, right?"

"Yes, but..." Midoriya nodded, but Todoroki cut in expressionlessly.

"Then I'll handle it."

"No. Before we deal with the villain, the poison gas is the real threat," Iida said firmly. Midoriya nodded in agreement.

"Midoriya, did you see any fire in areas where the poison gas was thick?" Todoroki asked, still calm.

"Uh..." Midoriya was taken aback. After thinking it over, he looked up at Todoroki with realization.

"Now that you mention it, no. There wasn't any light at all where the gas was densest."

"Exactly. They're deliberately avoiding overlaps between the poison gas and flames," Todoroki said, as expected from a fire user himself.

"Fire counters poison gas!" In the next moment, the entire class, including Class B's Nirengeki Shoda, shouted in unison.

"That's why I'm the most suited for this task." Todoroki then turned his gaze to Vlad King.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Vlad King was speechless, especially when everyone turned to stare at him. The corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

After a moment, he glanced to the side and muttered, "I'm the homeroom teacher for Class B..."

The implication was clear.

(To be continued.)

***

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