Quirkless Hero

"So that's what they said...?" 

"Yeah, Chisaki made a convincing argument. For now, we can only wait for Officer Tsukauchi to finish his investigation before deciding anything." 

Hearing All Might's response, Midoriya Izuku lowered his head in confusion. He didn't know what to make of the situation. 

"Eri, do you know if those people really hurt you?" 

Hado Nejire gently patted the little girl's head and asked softly, 

"Eri doesn't know... Eri just feels bad... it hurts..." 

The little girl, with her head lowered, was just as Chisaki had described—a seven-year-old child unable to distinguish good from bad. She could only judge based on how she felt. 

At that moment, Officer Tsukauchi and Togata Mirio came out from the mansion entrance to join All Might and the others, bringing troubling news. 

"We couldn't find anything useful, but we did collect all the data from their experiments. Now we just have to wait for the hospital's analysis." 

"Understood..." 

All Might could only accept the situation. It was clear that the people from [Shie Hassaikai] had prepared well in advance. Whether Chisaki was lying or not, they couldn't intervene directly. 

"Heroes and officers, have you finished your investigation? Can we have Miss Eri back now?" 

Chisaki stepped out of the mansion, his expression cold as he stared at All Might and the others, showing no respect for the "Symbol of Peace." 

"Young leader of [Shie Hassaikai], Mr. Chisaki, there's something I'm curious about. Would you mind answering a question?" 

Instead of addressing Chisaki's demand, All Might asked his own question. 

"What is it?" 

"The old leader of [Shie Hassaikai], who is also Eri's grandfather—we've heard that he's been in a coma for some time. Could we visit him?" 

"........" 

Chisaki fell silent at All Might's question. Seeing this, Midoriya Izuku regained a glimmer of hope. As expected, the hero he admired always came through at critical moments. 

Sensing the hesitation, All Might pressed further, 

"Is it inconvenient? Or... is there another reason he fell into a coma?" 

"Fine... follow me." 

As if resigned to the situation, Chisaki turned to lead the way. All Might and Officer Tsukauchi followed closely behind, with Midoriya Izuku and Togata Mirio exchanging glances before joining them. 

"Eri, let's go together," 

Hado Nejire said as she picked up the little girl and followed along. 

The person they were about to visit was the old leader of [Shie Hassaikai]—Eri's grandfather. He had fallen into a coma some time ago, leaving Chisaki, the young leader, in full control of the organization. This situation seemed highly suspicious. 

All Might planned to use Eri's grandfather as a breakthrough. If they could find evidence that Chisaki had used underhanded means to incapacitate the old leader, the case would become much easier to handle. 

Walking through the mansion's long corridors, they followed Chisaki to the rear courtyard. It was a traditional Japanese-style garden with a pond and stream, an ideal place for someone to retire and recover. 

Reaching the back of the house, near a set of sliding doors, Chisaki stopped and turned to them. 

"We're here." 

"Oh, is this where your old leader is resting and recovering?" 

All Might asked intentionally. Chisaki turned his head away, clearly unwilling to say more. 

Chisaki's reaction was obviously suspicious, and All Might felt he had caught the man's weak point. Without hesitation, he slid open the door... 

But what awaited them inside was—

"Chisaki, what's going on?" 

All Might froze in place. Inside the traditional Japanese-style room sat an elderly man drinking tea. All Might had seen this man in photos before—it was the former leader of *Shie Hassaikai*. 

"Grandpa!" 

Eri, who was being held by Hado Nejire, called out, revealing the old man's identity. He was her maternal grandfather, the one who had adopted her. 

"Chisaki, what is the meaning of this?!" 

Seeing All Might arrive with a large group of police officers, and his granddaughter suddenly appear, the old man's calm demeanor was quickly replaced with unease. 

"I'm sorry, Boss... Eri went missing, and the heroes and police found her. This time, she mentioned that situation again while she was outside," Chisaki explained as he knelt before the old man, looking apologetic and remorseful for his failure. Everyone watching couldn't help but doubt their own eyes. 

"Eri, you little troublemaker. Listen to your grandfather and cooperate with the uncles here. Once your 'illness' is cured, you'll be able to live like a normal little girl." 

"......" 

All Might and everyone else were silent. This unexpected turn of events left them unsure of what to think. Wasn't the old leader of *Shie Hassaikai* supposed to be in a coma? 

"My apologies," Chisaki explained. "The Boss woke up a few days ago. Due to his poor health, he's been resting and recovering, so I've been handling the organization's affairs." 

His explanation clarified things, but his earlier demeanor suggested he was reluctant to let the old man know about his failure. It left no room for accusations, making it impossible to pin down any evidence against him. 

The situation was so confusing that All Might and his team didn't know what to say. Could it be that they had misunderstood everything, even with Eri's grandfather now awake? 

"Eri, come here to your grandfather," 

the old man said gently, holding out his hand to the little girl. 

His kind and grandfatherly demeanor gave the impression that this was just a case of a child running away from home in a moment of stubbornness. 

All Might and the police hesitated, while Eri clung to Nejire Hado, her face filled with fear. Midoriya Izuku stood to the side, worried for the little girl, while Chisaki observed everything coldly. 

"No! I don't want to! You're not my grandpa! Eri hates you!" 

Eri buried her face in Nejire's arms, refusing to go back to the man she claimed wasn't her grandfather. 

"This child..."

 the old man said, rubbing his temple in frustration. 

Seizing the moment, Chisaki asked, 

"Can we take Eri back now? You've seen everything yourselves and cleared up the situation, haven't you?" 

The heroes and police hesitated. After all, the old leader of *Shie Hassaikai*—Eri's grandfather—was awake, and there seemed to be no obvious flaws in their story. 

"Well... Eri has had contact with the *League of Villains*, and her Quirk is both dangerous and unclear. We need to conduct a detailed investigation, so for now, she'll remain in the care of the heroes and police," Officer Tsukauchi said, stepping forward with a diplomatic tone. Since the situation was still unclear, he decided to buy time by following protocol. 

"........" 

Chisaki and the old man couldn't argue with Tsukauchi's words. Legally speaking, everything was being handled by the book, so they had no choice but to back down. 

As they left *Shie Hassaikai*'s estate, everyone remained silent. The situation was far too complicated, and they still couldn't figure out what was truly going on. 

"Eri... Is it my fault?" 

Eri lowered her head, her voice trembling as if she were about to cry. Her father had disappeared because of her... Her mother didn't want her... When her grandfather adopted her, he fell into a coma... Then, she was subjected to horrible treatment by a group of terrifying adults... They drew her blood, cut her flesh, claiming it was for some kind of research. 

Every time Eri was bandaged up, it was just a half-hearted attempt to deal with her injuries. Only that awful man with the bird mask could truly heal her wounds, but it was so painful for her… unbearably painful. 

That's why she couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to escape. She dreamed of finding a hero, like the ones she had seen on TV—someone who could save her. Who could save Eri? 

Eri ran away in fear. She stumbled into a strange black door and met a kind big brother and big sisters who treated her so well and even played with her. 

Later, the big brother brought the police and heroes with him. Together, they went to the place Eri feared most, determined to arrest the bad people who had hurt her. 

But adults are so cunning. That man used lies to deceive the heroes and the police, making it impossible for justice to reach him. 

The police and heroes were at a loss. They were in a difficult position. They couldn't rely on the words of a seven-year-old girl—her testimony wasn't enough to take down the villain. The only choice they had was to back down. 

Eri was still just a child—a seven-year-old little girl. She didn't fully understand right from wrong or what was truly good or evil. But she could feel it deep in her heart. 

Eri knew that the big brother and big sisters genuinely wanted to help her. And she also knew that those who had hurt her so much had to be the bad people. 

Tears rolled down her cheeks as the little girl cried silently. A hand reached out to wipe away her tears, and another warm hand gently rested on her head. 

"Big brother…?" 

"I believe in you, Eri. And I will protect you!" 

It was then that Midoriya Izuku understood something—something that had been nagging at him since that encounter at the amusement park with one of the "League of Villains." 

The villain had left him with these words: 

"Midoriya-kun, only you can save this child!" 

It was now all too clear—the League of Villains was coming for him again! 

---

"Have the heroes and police left?" 

"They've already gone…" 

In the traditional-style annex behind the old estate, the conversation between the head of "Shie Hassaikai" and Chisaki continued. After hearing that the heroes and police had departed, the elder stretched in a rather girlish manner. 

"Seriously, why do I have to play the role of the old man?" 

"The League of Villains should show more respect to the boss!" 

"Oh?" 

Chisaki's angry outburst only seemed to intrigue the elder, who leaned in closer to stare at him. The face of the elder began to melt like liquid, transforming into another face—it was Toga Himiko. 

"Isn't your boss the one you personally turned into an unconscious vegetable?" 

"...…" 

Chisaki didn't respond. Ever since he had taken his first misstep, the only option left was to continue down that wrong path. 

---

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