𝐖𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 || ᵇ.ᵏᵃᵗˢᵘᵏᶦ

LX

🗡️🗡️🗡️

Eri was cradled in the arms of Overhaul's subordinate, looking at them with wide eyes so filled with hope.

"Eri, we're here to save you, just like we promised!" Aeri laughed, dodging bullets as if it were second nature. She teleported forward and snatched the little girl from the villain's arms just as Mirio sent a kick to Overhaul's face.

The subordinate, Chronostasis, growled and began to attack, pulling out a pistol that Aeri assumed was filled with the quirk-destroying bullets that Amajiki had been hit with. Whether they were stronger now and more likely to strip away their quirks completely, they didn't know, so they couldn't risk being hit.

"Lemillion!" Aeri called as she ran in zigzagged lines to avoid getting shot, she cradled Eri to her chest and instructed her to close her eyes. Mirio looked over and sprinted straight for them. "Take Eri, I can't do anything if my hands aren't available. I'm gonna take out the gunman and then the others should be here in a few minutes to help take down Chisaki."

Mirio nodded, out of breath from all the running he had to do to avoid the bullets. He took Eri gently and ran for a nearby rock surface to keep her safe and shielded.

Aeri pulled her broadsword free and began teleporting around the opening so fast that Chrono couldn't keep up with her fast enough to shoot at her. She used the steel blade of her sword to block the ones that would've hit her and formed two shurikens in her free hand. She waited until he had to reload and then struck, sending the shurikens soaring towards Chrono's hands. She watched with a wolffish smile as the stars cut clean through both of his trigger fingers.

Chrono dropped the gun with a scream, his two fingers falling with it. She ran forward, not giving him the chance to collect himself before she attacked again. Aeri sliced at Chrono's legs with her golden broadsword, dodging his pathetic attempts to attack her whilst also keeping an eye on Overhaul who was mumbling to himself and pacing with what looked like hives breaking out on his skin.

Aeri dropped to the floor and swept Chrono's bleeding legs out from under him, causing him to drop onto his back, still trying to stop the blood from spitting out of the stumps where his pointer fingers used to be. She dealt the final blow, knocking the heavy golden hilt of her sword into the side of his head just as Overhaul started yelling out in rage.

He turned to her, seething, and the anger only amplified when he saw his unconscious right-hand man under her. Aeri swore and teleported back to where Mirio and Eri were hidden.

"Chronostasis has been disabled—"

she didn't get to finish when there was another angered scream, and then spikes began shooting up from the ground. Overhaul was using his quirk.

"Eri, I know you're still here! If you come back to me, I won't kill the heroes!" Chisaki yelled and Eri whimpered. She tried to fight her way out of Mirio's grasp but he held her firmly to him.

"No, Eri. We're not letting you go back to him. We promised to save you so we will," Mirio placed her on the floor beside him and removed his cape, wrapping it around her shoulders. "We will be your heroes, Eri."

"We'll get you out, you just need to believe in us, okay? Some more heroes will be arriving in a few minutes so you just sit tight and stay hidden okay?" Aeri added. She wiped away the tear that slipped down the little girl's face and stood with a reassuring smile. Mirio followed and nodded to Aeri before they both sprinted for Overhaul.

They failed to notice the Yakuza member that crawled through the hallway, but Overhaul didn't.

"Shin! Shoot them!" He growled out a command. Shin obliged and Aeri readied herself to deflect the bullet.