Validation || Villain Deku

Encounter

Togata had managed to get through one wall after the other, rushing through walls and walls of the mazes, aiming forward as he kept alert of any signifying change in his surroundings. The walls, however, seemed to move aimlessly, and he was growing more and more frustrated with every empty corridor he popped into.

If Chisaki did have Eri, then he may be using the halls to escape. And if that was actually the case, he may be passing by her without even realizing it. The thought was agitating, to say the least. How pathetic would it be to not be able to save a person one wall away from him?

However, he kept running, and running, and eventually, a more stable corridor appeared before him. It wasn't shaking and twisting half as bad as the others were, and although it was slightly alarming, as it could mean that he was too far away from them now, he had a feeling it was a good sign. Maybe Chisaki was here, and that's why this corridor wasn't half as shaky as the other ones, in order to give him a stable path to come through.

Gripping onto that hope, Togata quickly began sprinting down the hall, turning corners as he tried to calm his erratic heartbeat in favor of listening to his surroundings. He could've sworn he heard footsteps, but even so, he had no idea where they were coming from and if they were even Chisaki in the first place. Togata bit his tongue. He had to stay calm. Going forward had been working out well for him, so he could just keep doing that.

Another minute passed, another few corners were turned. The hall was becoming more unstable, shaking and twisting slightly as if his surroundings were being changed without the actual corridor in question being changed, but he grew wary. Could he have been noticed? Is that why everything was starting to shift? Or was he straying from his path and going in the direction towards the other, possibly already captured by the moving walls heroes?

He didn't know.

A few more minutes passed, and he turned another corner, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Eri..." Togata hurried towards her, feeling his whole body shudder at the sight. Eri sat on the ground, sobbing, cupping her face and trembling slightly. Togata quickly grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her, quickly turning around and running away.

Togata wasn't sure what to think of the situation, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Whatever happened, he couldn't imagine how terrified Eri must've felt, so he held her tight and ran away as far as he could.

Chisaki had been almost torn in half at his torso, his ribs showing, eyes rolled back and his mouth hanging agape, a puddle of blood forming around his body. He'd been murdered before they even got to him. Murdered, judging rom the situation, right in front of Eri's eyes.

"It's going to be alright." He whispered to Eri. She clung to him tightly, and he snatched his cape off his back in favor of wrapping her with it. "It's going to be alright..."

***

"It's going to be alright. Please, don't cry."

Eri sobbed as she shook her head, staring in horror and disbelief at the dead corpse of Chisaki.

"Eri, trust me. It will be alright. He's gone now, there isn't anyone that will hurt you."

Eri turned slowly towards the outstretched hand.

"I..." She whispered quietly, still shaking her head.

"You don't have to take it. But I can't let you stay here. It's not safe." The hand retreated. The green-haired man, the one that almost saved her on their first encounter, took a step back. He was smiling at her gently, reassuringly, but he was shaking himself. Small blotches of red littered his face.