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CHAPTER 26: The Turning Point

The alley was filled with the sound of ragged breaths, bloodied bodies, and the oppressive weight of Stain's menacing presence. You struggled to regain control of your body, but Stain’s Quirk still had its hold on you. The paralysis kept you trapped, your vision blurry as you saw Todoroki and Iida fighting desperately, trying to keep the Hero Killer at bay. Midoriya lay nearby, still struggling to move.

But he was trying.

His fingers twitched, his breath coming in short, determined bursts. His body refused to listen, locked in place by the effects of Stain’s Quirk, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to fight back.

"Move… move… MOVE!"

Midoriya clenched his fists, his mind racing. He had faced worse. He had fought through broken bones, through exhaustion, through pain that would have made anyone else give up. If he could withstand all of that, he could withstand this.

Electricity crackled around his limbs. His fingers twitched, then curled. His body ached, the lingering effects of the paralysis still clinging to his muscles, but he moved.

With a sharp gasp, Midoriya broke free, his body jerking forward as he forced himself onto his hands and knees. His limbs trembled, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

And you saw it happen.

Midoriya’s determination burned in his eyes, and for the first time since the paralysis took hold, something clicked inside you.

Your breath hitched, your muscles still locked in place, but if he could do it—so could you.

"Water never stays still."

Aqua Surge’s voice echoed in your mind.

"It moves, it adapts—it fights back."

You clenched your teeth, drawing in a sharp breath. Water wasn’t just something you controlled; it was something that flowed through you. It didn’t yield. It didn’t stay trapped. It always found a way forward.

And so would you.

You closed your eyes for a split second, feeling the moisture in the air, in the sweat on your skin, in the dampness clinging to the ground beneath you.

Then you called to it.

Water surged beneath your fingertips, swirling in response. The moment it connected to your body, it carried a wave of energy with it—snapping the hold of paralysis like a dam breaking under pressure.

Your body jolted, breath rushing back into your lungs.

You were free.

And you weren’t wasting a second.

Stain moved, his blade flashing toward Todoroki. But before it could reach him, you reacted.

A tendril of water shot forward, lashing at Stain’s wrist with precision. The strike knocked the blade off course, just enough to throw him off balance.

Midoriya was already moving.

Iida's voice rang out, strained but filled with newfound determination.

"I can't let my brother's legacy end here. I can't let you all get hurt because of me!"

Stain’s gaze flicked toward Iida.

A shadow passed over Iida’s face, memories flashing behind his eyes. Tense moments from the past, words spoken in grief, in anger—his brother, lying in that hospital bed, broken.