MHA: Guardian of the Golden Throne

«Damn Boss OP!!!» Tomura roared furiously, destroying the binoculars «Not only did he interfere during the assault at the USJ, but now he has eliminated two Nomu as if they were midges?! Fuck!!!»

Throughout the assault on Hosu, Tomura and Kurogiri had remained on rooftops watching the actions of the three Nomu unleashed into the city, to make Stain an ordinary, second-rate villain. A way to advertise the League of Villains, if you will.

At first, everything was going well: satisfactory results were obtained from the professor's three experiments, and useful data were collected. In particular, the four-eyed Nomu was holding his own against an elderly hero and later Endeavor, before being defeated.

However, the Nomu of the square and the winged one met a bitter end at the hands of the same golden giant who had repelled them a couple of months earlier.

As Tomura cursed to vent his frustration, Kurogiri tried to make sense of what he had seen. Things that, although seen with his own eyes, he still did not believe could be true. A single slash of the spear of that giant that also towered over the black Nomu of the square was enough to annihilate it and, most worryingly, he did not see the slash, only the result.

The same can be said of the flying Nomu: the giant grabbed it and saw only the construct transform into paint on the floor, without seeing the path it followed.

But what really terrified and still terrifies Kurogiri to the core was not the failure to see the strikes, but that small, tiny moment when the thirst for blood reflected on him.

It didn't happen when they first met, but now… twice. For two terrible moments, which seemed like an eternity, he saw before him a gigantic lion, majestic, with the naked, blood-stained fangs of its victims. And those eyes… that lion's eyes were so deep, wise, and ferocious that, twice, a mournful, gloomy, grinning voice whispered in Kurogiri's ears, "Come to me," as he smelled rotten, decaying, and rotting.

«...-ri... -rogiri… KUROGIRI!» Tomura called him, waking him up «What's wrong with you?»

«...Just lost in my thoughts.» he recovered and then cleared his throat «Do you find the result satisfactory, Master Shigaraki?» he asked by opening a portal that would bring them back to their base.

«We'll know tomorrow, idiot.» Tomura replied, passing the portal.

*****

«Thanks for joining me, Mitsuki-san.» Inko thanked.

«No problem, Inko.» Mitsuki said, smiling as they walked the streets of the shopping district «Not only was it a chance to hang out again, but it was also a good excuse to go shopping, wasn't it, Masaru?»

«I agree that you haven’t seen Midorya-san in a long time, but...» began Mitsuki's husband «You're giving yourself too much crazy joy!»

The reason for that claim is that, while Inko and Mitsuki were happily jumping from store to store, Masaru became their bag carrier. He's more of a bag than a man now at this point.

«Oh, don't complain and be a man!» Mitsuki exclaimed amusedly «You are so lucky to escort two beautiful women like us. Isn't that right, Inko?»

Mitsuki did not make such a statement lightly. After all, considering herself beautiful and being confident in this regard is normal for an established, confident woman like her. But Inko is no exception: since her son returned, she has not only returned to being as cheerful as she once was, but has also started eating regularly and, occasionally, has her son teach her simple self-defence moves and tone her muscles, which had lost much of their strength. The result was that, in this short period, Inko transformed from a malnourished, pale woman on the verge of death into a vital, toned and beautiful woman, capable of attracting the eyes of men.

«I apologise, Masaru-san.» Inko apologised, scratching her head, embarrassed by her friend's statement «But my son has nothing to wear besides his uniform and school tracksuit. I took advantage of the fact that he is doing the internship to look for something that would suit him.»

"Something" doesn't mean redoing his entire wardrobe!!! exclaimed a desperate Masaru in his head.

«More than anything, I'm surprised he's changed so much in these 10 years.» Mitsuki said, taking her chin «He doesn't seem to look 16 at all. He looks more like a man made and lived.»

Mitsuki's statement was not wrong, since Izuku is biologically older than civilisation itself. Still, Inko certainly won't be the person to reveal it to her, because Mitsuki wouldn't believe it even if Inko told her under oath.

«Yes, he is incredibly mature and composed for his age. But he managed to make some friends, and he also seems more cheerful than when I saw him again two months ago.»

«Right. He seemed cold, hard and calculating, not to mention the armour he wore, completely gold and massive. Stuff from another world!»

Voices began to rise not far from their position. Lured by that chorus, they noticed a group of protesters holding signs reading "Cadia," "Quirks are the future," and "Quirkless are inferior." Even though they were not numerous, they still caused inconvenience to passers-by, as they stopped them to persuade them of their arguments. At the same time, police squads were stationed nearby to intervene if the situation could escalate.

«Quirk supremacists?» asked Mitsuki, annoyed.

«Since the end of the sports festival, they have been causing problems...» Masaru said worriedly

Inko watched the scene with some concern. After all, she is well aware of how Quirkless are viewed, as her son belongs to that category. Suddenly, on a giant screen on a nearby skyscraper, the advertising was interrupted and replaced by a news bulletin.

«We're interrupting the broadcast for breaking news!» exclaimed a female voice «A large fire is spreading in the city of Hosu at the moment due to the attack of some villains!»

Protesters also turned around upon hearing the news, cheering for the heroes and their Quirks as the camera showed the clash between the heroes and the villains live. Everyone's attention was drawn not only to the news but also to the bloody battle that was being depicted. Many could see what the protesters were unaware of: the clash in that square was a massacre for the heroes.

«The situation is serious. Hosu's heroes are doing their best to keep things under control with-» the reporter paused for a second before screaming, surprised «What is that?!»

A golden lightning bolt stopped in front of the black-skinned villain. The image depicted a giant in golden armour, wielding a spear whose blade sizzled with blue lightning.

«Wait, that armour-?!» Mitsuku exclaimed, recognising him

Izuku?! Inko thought tremblingly, recognising her son.

No one knew what had happened, only that the tip of the spear had materialised on the opposite side to the starting one. The black-skinned villain separated into eleven pieces, and its head was not only pierced by the blade, but also detonated by the roaring spear-mounted firearm.

Those few seconds of violence and sheer ruthlessness had silenced the surroundings. The only thing you could hear was the rotor of the news helicopter and the engines of the cars nearby.

Immediately afterwards, Izuku walked slowly, gesturing around him, and the heroes in the square began to move with strange military efficiency. The giant had transformed from a ruthless assassin into a charismatic commander, and no hero seemed intent on disobeying him.

«-ands!»

Someone whispered. Everyone in attendance recognised the golden giant who gave the festival's introductory speech.

«Cadia stands!»

Someone else screamed. Seeing how Izuku was leading and supporting the heroes who until a moment ago were about to be wiped out, they saw the actions of that golden giant, the murder of that villain, and the desperate need to do what was necessary for the good of others.

«Cadia stands!»«Cadia stands!»

The camera showed Izuku easily lifting rubble that must have weighed several hundred pounds with one hand, throwing it away to allow nearby heroes to save a family who had been unable to escape the fight quickly enough.

«Cadia stands!»«Cadia stands!»«Cadia stands!»

Realising that those small actions and that charismatic but ruthless aura were dissuading people from uttering the rallying cry of a quirkless person, of a made-up story, at best, the supremacists tried to resume their protest.

«T-the quirks are-»

«CADIA STANDS!!!»

The entire crowd thundered, covering up the supremacists' attempt to make their voices heard.

Inko saw it. Many cars pulled over. Old and young, mutants and normals, police officers and even heroes had stopped to watch his son, intent on leading Hosu's heroes; for that minute, maybe two, he had stayed before running to another place where someone might need help. Even as he left that ruined square, the remaining heroes continued to follow his directives, displaying a strange fervour and dedication to carrying out those tasks, leading paramedics, accompanying police officers, and rescuing civilians with an efficiency never before seen in the heroic world.

Like any mother, Inko was worried about her son and, seeing that he had not hesitated to kill someone, for a moment caused her to have a heart stroke. But that feeling was swept away and was now overflowing with pride. The battle cry of the distant, bleak future, or the parallel universe into which Izuku had been transported 10 years earlier, echoed around her, and more and more voices joined in. She looked at Mitsuki and Masaru, shocked not only by what they had seen on screen, but also by the immediate support everyone was showing to Izuku. No sign was needed; just eye contact was enough for the three, as they too felt the need to shout it along with that crowd.

«««Cadia stands!»»»