Chapter 218

Early December, a snowy Sunday at Heights Alliance, and Class 1-A is split between delight and complaint. Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo are away at the final session of the provisional license course, due back around six, where Gang Orca and his sidekicks lay out the last lesson: pass, and the licenses are theirs. Denki Kaminari finds it funny that he got licensed ahead of the class's top students.

Elsewhere, the President of Detnerat grumbles about his forehead in a just-aired commercial, then weighs the firm's odds in the hero support market with his subordinate Miyashita. The boss claims they at least lead in meta ability goods, a phrase that throws Miyashita, and he covers by saying he meant Quirks. He produces his copy of Meta Liberation War, written by Destro. Miyashita has read it, and says so plainly: Destro was a terrorist whose actions killed innocent people, and the prose is pretentious besides.

The mood collapses. His boss embraces him, asks after his family, and squeezes his neck while a black marking crawls across his face, saying between squeezes that he had expected agreement and had even weighed an introduction to the Meta Liberation Army. The pleading ends with a snapped neck, and he weeps over his own act.

The history follows: as Quirks emerged, a peaceful coexistence was drawn up, and others countered that free use of an ability was a basic right, any restriction amounting to suppression. That conviction hardened into the Meta Liberation Army under Destro, whose capture and suicide are recounted along with the part the public never learned. He fathered a child who now runs Detnerat, has gathered followers, and wants the League of Villains gone.

Across town, thieves are looting the public. All Might tells Shoto and Katsuki to read the scene first; they tell him they have it, and take the villains on regardless.

Destro's true name, how he died, and the survival of a child of his all come to light.

Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki secure their Provisional Hero Licenses at last, then put them straight to work against a crew of thieves.

Destro's son heads an organization sworn to wipe the League out.

Fifteen pages, published March 4, 2019 in issue 14 and collected in volume 23. It opens the Meta Liberation Army arc, and its pages reached the anime in pieces: 1 to 3 and 12 to 15 in Episode 100, 9 to 11 in Episode 109.

Debuts arrive in bulk: Rikiya Yotsubashi, Miyashita, Koku Hanabata, Chitose Kizuki, Tomoyasu Chikazoku, Geten and the Cider House. Kohei Horikoshi's comment thanks a sender for Todoroki soba and character shichimi spices.