Mailin’s POV

It starts like any other day at U.A. High, with Shota calmly announcing the day's lesson. His voice, as always, is steady, authoritative, but there’s something in the air today that feels… off. I can’t shake the feeling twisting in my gut as I walk beside him toward the USJ facility. Today’s exercise is supposed to be simple—“The Trial of Rescue,” designed to teach Class 1-A how to use their quirks for the good of others.

I glance at Shota as we approach the entrance. He’s as composed as ever, his tired eyes scanning the students, already mentally preparing for the task ahead. Thirteen stands before them, delivering a speech about the importance of saving lives. I should be focusing, too, but the unease gnawing at me only grows stronger.

I don’t know why.

And then it happens.

A black portal opens in the middle of the arena, swirling with dark energy. My heart lurches in my chest as dozens of villains step through. Shota reacts instantly, his body tensing, hand already reaching for his goggles.

"Stay with the students," he commands, his voice sharp.

"Shota, wait—" I start, but it’s too late. He’s already moving toward the villains, already preparing to fight. I can feel the fear rising in my throat. He's strong, but there are too many of them.

For a moment, I want to run after him, to pull him back, but I know I can’t. I have to protect the students. That’s my role today.

The chaos erupts almost immediately. Villains swarm the arena, and Shota takes them on with a precision that leaves me breathless, but my heart twists with each blow he takes, each villain he faces alone.

And then, Kurogiri appears.

Before I can react, the black mist engulfs me, swallowing me whole. The world spins violently, and I’m weightless for a second before I slam into something cold and unforgiving.

Water.

I land in the flood zone, sinking beneath the surface as the cold shock of it robs me of air. My body instinctively thrashes, fighting for breath, but the weight of the water presses down on me from every angle. For a moment, panic grips me. I can’t see. I can’t breathe.

But then my training kicks in.

I calm myself, pulling the water around me, using it to propel me upward. I break the surface, gasping for air, my heart pounding in my ears. The flood zone is vast, the water deep and dark, but I don’t have time to think about that.

A shadow moves in the water below me—a villain. I feel the surge of danger just before it lunges.

I twist my body, summoning water to my side, forming a barrier just as the villain's grotesque form breaches the surface, teeth bared. I thrust my arms forward, sending a jet of water crashing into it, knocking it back into the depths.

But it keeps coming. Again and again.

I spin, drawing more water into a spiraling vortex around me. The liquid moves with me, following every motion of my arms, every twist of my body. I feel the water’s power coursing through me as I send it crashing into the villain once more, driving it deeper into the flood zone.

With a flick of my wrist, I lift myself from the water, forming a swirling waterspout beneath me. I rise higher, suspended above the flood zone like a force of nature, the water bending to my will. The villain tries one last desperate attack, but I send it flying back with a wave, slamming it into the far wall with a resounding crash.

But I don’t have time to relish the victory. My heart is pounding, not from the fight, but from something far worse.

Shota.

I need to find him.

---

Shota’s POV

The villains keep coming, but I don’t stop. I can’t. I take them down one after another, my capture weapon slicing through the air with precision. But something’s wrong.

Where is Mailin?

The thought keeps creeping into my mind, even as I fight. I told her to stay with the students, but Kurogiri’s mist scattered them. I don’t know where she is, and it’s tearing at me from the inside.

I can’t think about that now. I have to focus. I have to keep fighting.

Tomura Shigaraki steps into my line of sight, and I know immediately that he’s the leader. His hand twitches with that unnerving motion, fingers ready to decay whatever they touch. I don’t hesitate. I go for him.

But he’s faster than I expect.

His hand closes around my elbow, and agony erupts in my arm. My skin begins to disintegrate under his touch. I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain, and slam my fist into his face, knocking him back. But it’s too late. The damage is done.

Before I can recover, the Nomu appears.

It moves faster than anything I’ve ever seen, and its punch sends me flying before I even register the impact. I crash to the ground, pain exploding through my body. I try to stand, but the Nomu is already on me, pinning me down with its massive strength.

My vision blurs, and the world tilts. I can’t move. My arm is useless, my body screaming in pain, but I can’t stop.

I can’t stop thinking about her.

And then I see her.

Mailin. She’s running toward me, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. No. She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t see this. She shouldn’t—

The Nomu’s fist slams into me again, and the world goes dark.

---

Mailin’s POV

I see him—broken, battered, and pinned beneath the monstrous form of the Nomu. My heart stops, terror freezing me in place for a second before pure instinct takes over.

“Shota!” I scream, running toward him.

He doesn’t move. He’s so still, so quiet, and the blood pooling around him turns my stomach. I can’t think. I can’t breathe.

I have to save him. I have to help him.

I reach him just as Tomura steps forward, his hand outstretched, aiming for Shota. My heart hammers in my chest, and I know I can’t fight him. Not like this. But I have to protect Shota. I can’t let Tomura hurt him anymore.

I gather all the water I can, pulling it from the surrounding air, from the damp ground, forming it into a shield around us. But it’s not enough. Tomura’s hand inches closer, and I can feel the panic rising in my chest. I’m not strong enough. I’m not—

Suddenly, Shota moves.

His eyes flicker open, blood trailing down his face, and with the last of his strength, he raises his hand. His gaze locks onto Tomura, and his quirk activates, nullifying Tomura’s decay just before it can touch me.

But it costs him.

Shota collapses back to the ground, his breath shallow, his body limp.

“No,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “No, no, no…”

I drop to my knees beside him, pressing my hands to his chest, pouring every ounce of healing energy I have into him. The water glows faintly beneath my fingers, mending what it can, but it’s not enough. I can’t heal him fast enough.

“Stay with me, Shota,” I whisper, tears blurring my vision. “Please, stay with me.”

---

Shota’s POV

I’m fading.

I can barely hear her voice, but it’s the only thing keeping me conscious. The pain is overwhelming, but somewhere, deep down, I can feel her. Her hands on me, her quirk working to heal me. It’s not enough. It’s never enough.

But I can’t let her die. I won’t.

I muster the last of my strength and reach out, nullifying Tomura’s quirk again, just before darkness claims me.

---

Mailin’s POV

I see Tomura’s hand twitch, his fingers inches from my face, and panic grips my heart. But then, just as he’s about to reach me, Shota’s eyes flicker open again. His quirk activates, nullifying Tomura’s touch for the second time.

But that’s it. Shota’s body goes limp, collapsing back into my arms.

I scream, my quirk surging uncontrollably. Water rushes in from all around, forming a barrier between us and the villains. I pour everything I have into healing Shota, but it’s not enough. I’m not strong enough.

And then, just when all hope seems lost, the doors burst open.

“All Might!” someone shouts.

I look up, and there he is—All Might, in all his glory, charging into the fray. He moves so fast, it’s like a blur, taking down the Nomu with ease, rescuing us in the process. He’s a force of nature, a beacon of hope.

But none of it matters.

Because Shota is dying in my arms.

All Might takes down the villains, one after another, until the threat is gone. But I can’t move. I can’t think. My entire world is focused on the man in my arms, his blood staining my hands as I desperately try to heal him. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my body trembling with the sheer effort of keeping him alive.

“All Might!” I shout, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Please, help him!”

All Might glances back at me, his eyes wide with shock as he sees Shota crumpled in my arms. Without a word, he moves to our side, his face grim.

“Hold on, Eraser,” All Might mutters under his breath, lifting Shota gently from my lap. I stand, shakily, my legs barely supporting me as I watch All Might carry him toward the exit. My mind is spinning, my heart pounding in my chest.

He can’t die. Not like this. Not when I couldn’t protect him.

---

Shota’s POV

I’m not dead.

I can hear faint sounds—voices, footsteps, the muffled chaos of the USJ in the background. But everything feels distant, like I’m sinking into the depths of a dark ocean, the world above slipping further and further away. The pain still lingers, but it’s dull now, muted by the haze of unconsciousness.

Yet something pulls at me, something strong enough to break through the fog.

Her voice.

It’s soft, trembling, but unmistakable. Mailin. Her presence is like a lifeline in the darkness, tethering me to the world I’m drifting away from. I want to reach out, to tell her I’m here, but my body refuses to respond. Everything hurts, and the weight pressing down on me is unbearable.

But I can’t let her worry. I can’t let her suffer because of me.

With every ounce of strength I have left, I fight to stay conscious. The darkness pulls at me, but I push back, refusing to let it claim me. I can’t leave her like this. I can’t leave my students like this.

Not yet.

---

Mailin’s POV

The chaos outside the USJ is a blur of voices and flashing lights. Pro heroes swarm the area, tending to the students and surveying the damage. But my focus is solely on Shota as All Might sets him down in the medics’ care.

I fall to my knees beside him, my hands hovering over his wounds, still glowing faintly with the remnants of my quirk. I’ve never felt so powerless, so utterly terrified in my life. I did everything I could, but it wasn’t enough. He’s still broken, still bleeding, and the guilt gnaws at me, threatening to consume me.

“Shota…” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

His eyes are closed, his face pale, but he’s breathing—barely. The medics work quickly, administering what they can, but I can feel the weight of it all pressing down on me. I should’ve been stronger. I should’ve protected him.

All Might places a gentle hand on my shoulder. “He’s a tough one, Mizuhime,” he says, his voice surprisingly soft. “You’ve done more than enough.”

But it doesn’t feel like enough. Not when I nearly lost him.

The medics move Shota to a stretcher, and I follow them numbly, my legs moving on autopilot as they wheel him away. I feel like I’m in a trance, my thoughts swirling in a storm of fear and self-doubt.

“Mailin.”

The voice is weak, hoarse, but it snaps me out of my daze. My heart stops as I look down at Shota. His eyes are barely open, but there’s a faint flicker of recognition in them.

“Shota,” I gasp, dropping to my knees beside the stretcher. I grab his hand, holding it tightly in mine as tears blur my vision. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.”

He doesn’t respond, but his fingers curl weakly around mine, a small, fragile gesture that sends a flood of relief through me. He’s alive. He’s here.

But I can’t stop the tears. I can’t stop the overwhelming rush of emotions—fear, relief, guilt—all crashing over me like a tidal wave.

I nearly lost him.

---

Shota’s POV

The darkness ebbs and flows, pulling me under and then releasing me in waves. I’m vaguely aware of movement, of being carried, of voices around me, but everything feels distant. Everything except her.

Mailin’s hand is warm in mine, grounding me, pulling me back to reality. The pain is still there, but it’s dulled by her presence, by the quiet strength I can feel radiating from her.

She saved me. I know it. I could feel her quirk working on me, even through the haze of unconsciousness. She’s always been there, always supporting me, even when I tried to keep my distance.

I don’t deserve her.

But in this moment, I don’t care. I squeeze her hand weakly, letting her know that I’m still here, that I’m not leaving her—not yet.

The world starts to fade again, but this time, I don’t fight it. Not as hard. I know I’ll be okay. I know she’s here.

---

Mailin’s POV

As the medics rush Shota toward the infirmary, I’m left standing in the aftermath of the battle, my body trembling with exhaustion. The USJ is a wreck, but the villains are gone, defeated, thanks to All Might and the students who fought so bravely.

But my mind is still with Shota.

I can’t shake the image of him lying there, broken and bleeding, crushed under the weight of the Nomu. The fear I felt in that moment was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s still clawing at me, refusing to let go, even though I know he’s alive.

I should’ve been stronger. I should’ve done more.

But he’s alive. And that’s all that matters.

As I stand there, staring at the wreckage of the USJ, I make a silent promise to myself—to him. I won’t let this happen again. I won’t let him face something like this alone. I’ll be stronger, better, and I’ll protect him the way he’s always protected me.

Because I can’t lose him. Not ever.