ShuraZero
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Chapter 78: The Heroes’ Stage
🕑 Added 2025-10-03 16:27:16 +0000 UTCThe Musutafu train station was a whirlwind of activity first thing in the morning. Team Midoriya, carrying their hero costume cases, made their way through the crowd. A current of nerves and excitement flowed between them.
"I still can't believe this is happening," Toru said, her voice vibrating with unrestrained energy. "Our first internship! With Mt. Lady! We're gonna be real heroines! Do you think she'll let us smash a car?"
"I doubt property damage is in the first week's curriculum, Toru-san," Momo replied, adjusting the strap of her case with her usual elegance. "I imagine we'll start with routine patrols and crowd control. It's standard procedure for first-year interns."
"As long as they let us do something heroic, I'll be happy!" Ochako exclaimed, her eyes shining with determination. "I'm ready to give it my all!"
Izuku smiled, infected by his teammates' enthusiasm. His mind, however, was split. One part of him was incredibly excited at the prospect of working with the hero who had inspired his new path. The other… was worried.
He saw Tenya Iida on another platform, waiting for the bullet train to Hosu. He was alone, a rigid figure in the midst of the bustle. The team exchanged a look and, without a word, broke from their path to approach him.
"Iida-kun," Izuku said quietly as he reached his side.
Iida turned, a forced and overly stiff smile on his face. "Midoriya-kun, girls? What are you doing here? Your train is on the other track."
"We wanted to say goodbye," Ochako said, her voice soft and full of genuine concern. "Iida-kun, are you sure about this? You don't have to do it alone. We're your friends. If you need to talk… if you need anything…"
"Revenge is a strategy with a low success rate and a high personal cost, Iida-kun," Momo added, appealing to his logic. "If your goal is to find the villain who attacked your brother, doing it alone and consumed by rage is a tactically inadvisable move."
"You don't have to go through this alone!" Toru insisted, her voice losing its usual cheerfulness. "We could have looked for internships in Hosu with you! We could have helped!"
Iida listened to their words, his forced smile faltering for an instant. For a split second, a shadow of pure pain and overwhelming gratitude crossed his face. But he suppressed it with iron discipline, and his expression once again became a mask of formality.
"I deeply appreciate your concern. Truly," he said, his tone too formal, too distant. "But I assure you, I am fine. My brother is receiving the best possible medical care. My internship in Hosu with the Normal Hero, Manual, is a unique opportunity to learn from the best in law enforcement and urban combat. It is the most logical choice for my development as a hero."
He assured them he would be careful, that he would be in touch. He wished them luck in their own internship. His words were perfect. And completely empty.
When his train arrived and he turned to board, the smile vanished. His face transformed into a mask of cold, calculating vengeance; his eyes, behind his glasses, burned with a dark fire that ran his friends' blood cold.
They watched, helpless, as the bullet train pulled away, a silver projectile carrying him toward the darkness, toward his own solitary war.
In contrast to the mundane bustle of the station, the Mt. Lady agency was a tornado of glamour and corporate chaos. The address didn't lead them to an austere, functional building, but to a skyscraper of glass and chrome in the heart of Tokyo's fashion district.
"Whoa…" was all Toru could manage, her neck craned back to see the top of the building. "Are we sure this is a hero agency and not a five-star hotel with its own zip code?"
The lobby looked like something out of a Hollywood studio. Enormous posters of Mt. Lady in heroic and dynamic poses covered the walls. Glass cases displayed earlier versions of her costume. And, to everyone's surprise, there was a gift shop selling everything from action figures to her own line of perfume, called «Gigant».
"Her branding efficiency is undeniable," Momo murmured, impressed. "She has monetized her public image very effectively, diversifying her revenue streams beyond the government hero salary. It's brilliant."
They were met by a secretary who seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, speaking into a headset while typing at an inhuman speed and gesturing for them to approach.
"Team Midoriya, you're three minutes late," she said without even looking at them. "Mt. Lady hates tardiness. Leave your cases here. Sign these thirty-page non-disclosure agreements, initial every page. Don't miss a single one or the legal department will have all our heads. Follow me. And for the love of God, don't touch anything. That vase costs more than you'll make in your first ten years as pro heroes."
She led them hurriedly through a labyrinth of bright, white hallways, where stressed employees in expensive suits rushed from one place to another, shouting things like, "I need the photo approvals for Hero Weekly magazine in five minutes!" or "The energy drink sponsor wants to renegotiate the appearance clause!"
This wasn't a hero agency. It was a high-octane business. A public relations machine that also happened to stop villains.
Finally, they arrived at a massive set of double doors made of lacquered wood. The secretary knocked once.
"Come in!" a familiar voice sang from inside.
Mt. Lady's office was as extravagant as she was. It occupied the entire corner of the top floor, with a panoramic view of the city that made one feel on top of the world. She wasn't wearing her hero costume, but a stylish and expensive ivory-colored business suit that accentuated her figure in a professional yet undeniably powerful way. She stood with her back to them, facing the window, observing the city under her protection.
"My festival stars," she said, her public voice, the one she used for the cameras, filled with charisma. "Welcome to the top of the world. Like the view? Get used to it. It's where you belong."
She turned, and her expression shifted in an instant. The celebrity smile vanished, replaced by that of a shrewd, serious boss who had no time for nonsense.
"Alright. Let's cut the crap. Sit down."
She pointed to a sleek leather sofa. The team obeyed, feeling as though they were in an audition.
"Principal Nezu gave me the rundown," she began, sitting in her imposing desk chair. "U.A.'s secret program, 'synergy' Quirks, exponential growth. And…" her gaze landed on Izuku with a mischievous, amused smirk, "...the 'enhancer' and his 'physical contact protocols.' It sounds very… interesting. And very prone to workplace harassment lawsuits. But I've signed U.A.'s NDA, which is scarier than any lawyer. Your secret is safe with me."
She leaned forward, her expression turning completely serious again.
"Now, for my expectations. Forget everything you think you know about internships. You aren't here to patrol the streets and stop purse-snatchers. That's for the extras at other agencies. You are my new high-profile project. You're a story. And this week, we're going to write the first, most spectacular chapter."
Her gaze swept over each of them.
"Your objective is simple: show the world what the next generation of heroes can do when they work as a team. I don't want to see individual feats. I want to see coordination. I want to see strategies that leave villains and the media with their jaws on the floor. You're not four interns. You're a special operations unit. And you," she said, pointing directly at Izuku, "are the conductor of that orchestra."
"Don't disappoint me," she concluded, her celebrity smile returning. "The Mt. Lady brand doesn't associate with failure."
The streets of Hosu were gray and functional, devoid of Tokyo's glamour. Tenya Iida, in his Ingenium costume, was on his first patrol with the Normal Hero, Manual. The pro was patiently explaining standard procedures, patrol routes, and communication codes.
"...so we always maintain open communication with the local precinct, and we avoid direct confrontation unless a civilian's life is in imminent danger. Our job is to contain, not combat. Understood, Iida-kun?"
"Yes, sir," Iida replied, his tone respectful but distant.
He wasn't listening. His eyes weren't looking at the civilians waving at them. They were scanning the dark alleys, the rooftops, the shadows. He was searching for a figure, a tattered red scarf, the glint of a blade.
"Iida-kun, focus," Manual said, his voice calm but firm. "A hero must be present on their patrol, aware of their surroundings. Whatever is worrying you, leave it behind when you put on the costume, or it'll get you killed on these streets."
Iida started, as if woken from a trance. "My apologies, Manual-sensei. It won't happen again."
But his gaze, when he thought his mentor wasn't looking, returned to the alleys—cold, calculating, and filled with a thirst for vengeance that was consuming him from the inside out.
Back at the agency, the glamour was shattered by the shrill sound of an alarm. A giant monitor on Mt. Lady's office wall sprang to life, displaying a breaking news report: a villain with a gigantification Quirk was wreaking havoc in the shopping district.
Yu Takeyama's celebrity smile returned in full force.
"Perfect! Showtime!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet. "My audience is waiting! But this time, things will be different."
She turned to the team, her expression a mixture of challenge and excitement.
"Your first mission won't be on the street. It will be right here."
She took the communication earpiece from her ear and handed it to a stunned Izuku.
"You, my dear Izuku, will be my operations director. You'll give me real-time strategy from that chair. You'll be the voice in my ear, my brain on the ground."
Then, she addressed the girls.
"You three will be my eyes and ears on the ground. You will deploy to the perimeter. Momo, you'll coordinate damage control, creating barriers to protect the buildings. Toru, you'll use your stealth for civilian evacuation, guiding them to safe zones without the villain noticing. And Ochako… you'll be my secret weapon. You will wait for my signal, and the one from your leader here."
She looked at the four of them one last time before heading for the exit.
"Don't fail. The show is about to begin."
The team realized their internship wasn't what they had expected. This wasn't simple training. It was a high-stakes trial by fire, with Izuku in direct command of his dream hero on their first real mission. The pressure was immense. The pressure was immense. And Izuku loved it.
