My Hero Academia : The Day Everything Changed

Season 3 Chapter 8 : All For One

Meanwhile where the press conference was being held, Principal Nezu, the Erasure Hero: Shoto Aizawa, and Vlad King were waiting for the next question to be thrown at them by the reporters.

Reporter : You spoke about the students' safety, Eraser Head. During the incident it appears you urged them to fight. What was your intention behind this?

Aizawa : I concluded that because we were unable to fully grasp the situation, it had to be done in order to avoid the worst possible outcome.

Reporter : What do you mean by "worst possible outcome"? You don't call 26 victims and two abducted the worst possible outcome?

Aizawa : The "worst outcome" I assumed in that situation was that the students would be at their wits' end and be killed.

Nezu : The gas attack accounts for most of the victims. We have determined that it was a sleeping gas from one of the enemies' Quirks. Thanks to the quick response of Ms. Kendo and Mr. Tetsutetsu, there were no serious injuries from that attack. In addition, we are providing mental care to the students, but at the moment, we do not see any signs of serious psychological trauma.

Reporter : Are you saying that it was a bright spot in this tragedy?

Nezu : We believe that the worst outcome is one that would have infringed on the future.

Reporter : Can you say the same thing for the kidnapped Salazar and Bakugo? Katsuki Bakugo, enrolled at U.A. High with excellent marks and won the sports festival. In addition, during the incident with the sludge villain in middle school, he resisted the powerful villain alone, so he has a history of showing how tough and heroic he can be. Rex Salazar has also shown to be heroic as he was able to defeat a villain while also saving a middle school girl in the process. On the other hand, the violence that Katsuki Bakugo shown in the finals and his attitude at the award ceremony shows that he is not always very stable mentally. And as for Salazar... perhaps they took him for another reason.

Aizawa : What other reason could there be?

Reporter : After doing a deep dive on this young man, it seems that he is much more special than he appears to be. When he was a child he was at the center of an accident that occurred at the facility of the Nanite Project, which would have certainly ended his life. However, his parents, Rafael and Violeta took the only active nanites and injected them in their son. Not only did this save his life, but Salazar was registered as a boy who didn't develop a Quirk but one suddenly appeared soon after the procedure. Is it safe to say that the nanites caused some sort of mutation allowing him to develop a Quirk?

Everyone in the room then falls silent from the reporter's point as they were shocked to know that the microscopic machines were able to do such a thing.

Reporter : It's safe to say that the villains captured Salazar because they are interested in him because he is the only person in Japan with complete and active nanites, but what if the villains kidnapped Katsuki Bakugo because they had an eye on his behavior? Kidnapping them with deceitful words, and dyeing them with the path of evil? What evidence do you have for saying that they have a future?

After hearing the reporter's words Aizawa stands up from his chair, but instead of losing his composure like the reporter wanted, the pro hero instead bows his head and apologizes.

Aizawa : As an educator, I take full responsibility for Katsuki Bakugo's violent behavior. However, his violent actions at the sports festival originate in what he considers "ideal strength". As for Rex Salazar, U.A. was not aware of his condition but he is responsible enough to use his newfound power for others instead of himself. The two of them are trying harder than anyone in their pursuit of becoming the "top hero". If the villains think they can corrupt those two to the path of evil, then I believe they are being short-sighted.