♊︎ 𝘔𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 - 𝘎𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪'𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 [𝘈𝘜] ♊︎

[Season 3] Ep. 9 - Flames of Determination

After the chaotic HeroTek incident, where the villainous escapade of The Hunter clashed with our apprentice heroics alongside The Ray and State, the failure reverberated through the media, stirring up a storm of scrutiny. Crystal's assault, a monstrous entity previously aligned with Nemesis during the Ultra Agency siege, fueled heated debates and ignited scathing criticisms about the effectiveness of the Pro Heroes in safeguarding the populace.

Following the divulgence of The Hunter's escapade, accounts from both civilian bystanders and traumatized employees flooded the media. The consensus was damning: the Heroes and U.A. were lambasted for their failure to safeguard HeroTek's classified intel and the young trainees, imperiling them against genuine villains and jeopardizing societal security in the process. The subsequent escape of The Hunter, aided by Nemesis, only exacerbated public fears, amplifying concerns about the organization's unchecked operations.

Amidst the media frenzy, some outlets took a more optimistic stance, extolling the valor of young Kazuo Sogui. Not content with thwarting a potentially fatal assault on his father, Kazuo aided Brain'On'Wheels in neutralizing The Hunter's security measures, hastening the arrival of reinforcements. His bravery in pursuing the villain and confronting him alongside me, even shielding me from a potentially lethal blow, garnered well-deserved acclaim.

As tensions simmered, I found myself confined to the hospital's intensive care unit, alongside other casualties from the encounter. Ema, visibly distressed, was glued to her phone, eagerly awaiting any semblance of positive news.

- "Ema? I'm going to remove my makeup and change in the dressing room. Get ready because we're heading back out on patrol soon," Diva informed her.

- "Yes, Diva-sensei. I'll be ready," Ema replied, momentarily tearing her gaze away from her phone.

- "And Ema, don't fret about your friends. I'm confident they'll pull through," Diva reassured her, her soothing voice imbued with compassion, before retreating into her dressing room.

Ema found solace in Diva's comforting words. Throughout her internship, she had grown to admire Diva's beauty and prowess, marveling at her professionalism and strength in the face of villainous adversity. She felt privileged to have learned so much from such a remarkable woman, eagerly embracing her role as an assistant during Diva's occasional photo shoots.

Meanwhile, in her dressing room, Diva pored over news updates on her phone while her penguin-like makeup artist diligently attended to her.

- "Are you keeping up with The Hunter case?" the makeup artist inquired.

- "Yes. It's troubling. This man has wrought havoc on high school students and heroes alike, managing to abscond with critical data despite lacking any discernible quirk," Diva remarked, her expression grave.

- "It's mind-blowing, isn't it? Proof that quirks and superhero studies don't guarantee everything," remarked the makeup artist.

- "Pff. His logic is utterly nonsensical. He thinks he's championing the cause of the quirkless and untrained by relying on gear crafted by those who've undergone superhero studies, often possessing quirks themselves to create such inventions. It's absurd," retorted Diva with a dismissive scoff.