Chapter 61 : A Deadly Dance in a Narrow Alley

Time seemed to crawl into slow motion as I fell. Below me, the narrow alley was a stage of tragedy, illuminated by sporadic bursts of fire and the flash of Todoroki's ice. I saw it all with perfect clarity: Iida lying helpless, his eyes filled with despair. Midoriya and Todoroki, both injured and exhausted, struggling to hold off a shadowy figure moving with deadly speed. And in the center of it all was the Hero Killer: Stain, his blade raised, ready for an execution.

I wasn't aiming to land gracefully. I was aiming to make an impact.

My Incursio-reinforced body slammed into the asphalt with the force of a mortar shell. BOOM! The alley floor cracked, sending a shockwave and a thick cloud of dust in every direction. I landed on one knee in the center of the small crater I had created, right between Stain and Iida. As the dust began to settle, I rose slowly, my head bowed, my jagged jet-black armor a stark contrast to the firelight around it.

A sudden silence fell over the alley, feeling heavier than the previous noise. The fighting stopped. All eyes were on me.

From where he lay, Iida stared at the armored figure that had appeared out of nowhere. He thought death was imminent, but now, a black knight stood over him like a terrifying guardian angel. He didn't recognize me. He only saw strength and protection. A flicker of hope, nearly extinguished, reignited in his vengeful heart.

Midoriya, holding his injured arm, stared with wide eyes. His analytical mind immediately went to work. 'An armor-type Quirk? No, it formed on his body, I saw it during the exam! Transformation? His physical strength... the impact of that landing... incredible! Who is he? A Pro Hero who came to help? But his aura... it feels different, wilder.'

Todoroki, the least injured among them, took a defensive stance, ready to attack or defend. He didn't know if I was friend or foe. He only knew that a new, incredibly powerful variable had just entered the chessboard.

Only Stain seemed unintimidated. He lowered his sword slowly, his crazed eyes staring at me intently, a vicious grin forming beneath his tattered scarf. He saw my protective posture over Iida. He saw the raw power of my arrival. "Another one," he hissed, his voice hoarse and filled with malice. "Another fake hero come to die, seeking fame by defeating me." He raised his sword. "Or... are you something else?"

I lifted my head, looking him straight on through the slit of my helmet's visor. I said nothing. I let the faint rumble of Incursio's energy flowing within me be my answer.

"I see it in your eyes," Stain continued, growing more excited. "No greed. No pride. Just... resolve. The eyes of a true warrior!" He licked his dry lips. "Show me, fake hero in real armor, if you are worthy of the name hero!"

With that, he lunged.

He moved with an unnatural speed, closing the distance between us in an instant. His sword slashed toward my neck. I reacted instinctively. I raised my Incursio gauntlet and parried the attack.

CLANG!

The sound of our clashing metal echoed in the narrow alley. I felt the force of his attack, a vibration that shot up my arm. He was strong. Incredibly strong. I pushed him back, and our deadly dance began.

I knew my advantage. Thanks to the draconic nature of Incursio, my blood was likely immune to his Quirk. I didn't need to fear a scratch. That allowed me to fight more aggressively. I charged forward, launching a series of punches aimed to disable, not to kill. Each of my blows had the force to shatter concrete, but Stain dodged them with the agility of a snake. He leaped onto a wall, ran a few steps horizontally, then slid down, his sword slashing at my legs. I jumped, my leg guards clashing with his blade in mid-air.

We were both predators, but with very different styles. He was an assassin who relied on speed, precision, and his deadly Quirk. I was a brutal brawler who relied on raw power, defense, and endurance.

"You're strong!" Stain hissed as we faced off again. "But what do you fight for?! For the money you'll earn?! For the fame that will adorn your name?!"

"I fight for my friends!" I roared, countering his attack with a powerful punch that forced him to leap back.

"A cliché and boring answer!" he mocked, though I saw a flicker of respect in his crazed eyes. "But your eyes... your eyes don't lie! You actually mean that nonsense!"

High above, on a dark rooftop, Akame watched the fight with the composure of an expert. She saw how Tatsumi fought—not with blind rage, but with a clear purpose. He was protecting his fallen friends. He wasn't trying to kill Stain, even when he had the chance. He was trying to incapacitate him, to capture him. He was fighting like... a hero.

She also analyzed Stain. 'Fast,' she thought. 'Unpredictable. Uses multiple blades to create attacks from various angles.' But then she saw his flaws. 'His movements are full of openings. He relies too much on his Quirk to immobilize an opponent before delivering the final blow. Against me, he'd be dead in three seconds.'

A conflict arose within her. On one hand, Stain was doing a job similar to hers: cleansing society of false heroes. But his methods were sloppy, inefficient, and filled with madness. On the other hand, Tatsumi was fighting for a naive idealism, but he was doing it with a power and conviction that reminded her of her past. She decided to continue observing. This was Tatsumi's test. She wanted to see how far this boy would go for his beliefs.

My fight with Stain continued. I was strong, but he was more experienced. He began to read my attack patterns. He used a clever feint, pretending to attack the still-downed Iida to bait me into a defensive move he could predict. I fell for it. As I moved to shield Iida, he spun and launched a powerful kick into my unprotected side, sending me staggering into a brick wall. A sharp pain shot through my ribs. I realized that strength alone wouldn't be enough to defeat this man.

"You're too predictable, Hero!" Stain sneered. "Your protective spirit is your greatest weakness!"

He charged again, this time aiming for my head. I knew I couldn't block it. I hadn't fully recovered from my fight with Bakugo. The stamina required to maintain this armor was immense.

Suddenly, a thick wall of ice erupted between me and Stain, blocking his attack. "Don't forget about us," Todoroki said, his right side steaming.

On the other side, Midoriya, the effects of the paralysis apparently having worn off, shot forward with Full Cowling. "We'll face him together!"

I grinned behind my helmet. I wasn't alone in this fight. "Good," I said. "Todoroki, limit his movement with your ice! Midoriya, when he slips or is busy dodging, attack from his blind side! I'll take his main attacks!"

I was no longer just a fighter. I took on the role of a field commander. Midoriya and Todoroki, seeing my competence and power, agreed without hesitation. The dynamic of the fight changed instantly. This was no longer a duel; it was a coordinated hunt.

Todoroki unleashed a wave of ice on the alley floor, making it incredibly slick and forcing Stain to focus on his footing. Midoriya, a green flash around him, moved like a ghost, appearing and disappearing between the shadows, looking for an opening. Stain was forced to defend against two threats at once, his previously fluid movements now becoming more rigid and reactive.

This was the chance I was looking for.

As Stain was busy avoiding a blast of fire from Todoroki and a punch from Midoriya, I charged forward. He saw me coming and threw several knives at me. I batted them away with my gauntlets, not slowing down in the slightest. He tried to stab me, but I caught his wrist in a steel grip.

We were locked. His face was just inches from mine. I could see the madness and conviction burning in his eyes.

"You're going to lose, Hero Killer," I growled.

He just laughed. "Maybe. But my legacy will live on!"

He tried to use his Quirk, his tongue darting out to try and lick my blood from a scratch on the armor. But it wouldn't work. I knew it.

With my full strength, I lifted him off the ground and slammed him against the wall. He coughed up blood but still tried to fight back. Midoriya and Todoroki used the opportunity to launch a combined attack. Todoroki's ice froze his legs, while a 5% Detroit Smash from Midoriya slammed into his stomach, knocking him out instantly.

We had done it. We stood panting over the unconscious body of the Hero Killer: Stain. The alley was silent, filled with the debris of ice and the smell of blood. We had won.

But as we tried to catch our breath, we heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. It wasn't the police. It wasn't villains. It was the Pro Hero Rock-san, Ryukyu's sidekick, along with several other angry-looking pro heroes. Rock-san's eyes were fixed on the scene—the defeated Stain, the injured U.A. students—and then they locked onto me. I was still clad in my jagged Incursio armor. His expression showed no relief or praise. His face hardened with anger and a sense of betrayal.

He raised a communicator to his mouth, his eyes never leaving me. His voice was cold and official, echoing in the silence of the alley.

"Student target has been located, Ryukyu-sama. He has engaged in unauthorized combat and disobeyed a direct order. Awaiting further instructions."

Our newfound victory instantly tasted bitter. I may have saved my friends, but I might have just destroyed my own future.