Chapter 317

The blast leaves every hero unharmed. Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist and the Lurkers gather privately in a warehouse, where Edgeshot asks whether Lady Nagant has anything more to give. Hawks doubts it. Central Hospital has her under care, and none of them can believe she survived injuries that severe. Kamui Woods observes that disappointment and despair do not stop a person from clinging to life.

Edgeshot floats the idea of banding the other heroes together and sharing the secret of One For All to build a real investigative network. Mt. Lady notes that the hunt for the League has landed almost entirely on Deku, with the police buried in problems of their own and no witnesses to work from, so allies should be gathered while any remain. Endeavor reminds her that Death Arms quit two days earlier. He had kept fighting and got back only suspicion and complaint, and though people believed in him, a single negative comment outweighs ten kind ones. He had thought he was different, and settled instead on the conclusion that he is no hero, only a man.

Best Jeanist adds that Death Arms led the effort to expose the Paranormal Liberation Front's spies and seemed capable of fighting to the end, yet heroes are resigning one after another and the last threads are tearing. Worse, retirees are leaking details about One For All, so ordinary people are closing in on Deku's secret. If its nature gets out, Endeavor says, the boy gets trapped in a spiral of hostility. Hawks answers that they can theorize about doomsday all they like, but it has already arrived.

Mt. Lady asks why All For One has not simply announced One For All himself. Because disclosure would push the heroes to hide Deku completely, Endeavor answers, and without movement from their own side there are no leads at all. Between them they accept the reality that neither the police nor the heroes have the numbers for this.

After a silence, Endeavor's phone lights up with a message from Shoto, who wants him to answer. He recalls his son proposing they stop Dabi together, apologizes silently, and asks for a little more time. Hawks then hears from All Might that a second assassin went after Deku and was put down immediately.

At the scene, Deku reports the man knew nothing and warns All Might to watch for another body rigged to explode. All Might calls after him with more food, but Deku says the escort is no longer necessary and that he is fine alone, claiming he can operate near full power without injury the way All Might once did. All Might understands he is being kept clear for his own safety, and though he wants to order the boy to rest, he knows better than anyone the weight being carried. He reaches out, stumbles, and Deku walks on, unaware that Stain is listening from the shadows. Out among the crowds, some see the many Quirks and whisper about a Nomu, some see a boy helping people, and some say nothing about him resembles a hero.

The Lurkers turn out to be in on the secret of One For All. They weigh telling the wider hero community, then decide against adding to Izuku's burden.

Death Arms is named among the recently retired, worn down by stress and criticism.

Retirees are leaking details of One For All beyond the hero community.

Endeavor ignores an attempt by Shoto to contact him.

Izuku dispatches the second assassin with ease, then leaves All Might behind as rumors spread about his new persona.

Stain observes the two in secret.

Fifteen pages, published in issue 29 of 2021 on June 21 and collected in Volume 32 under the Dark Hero arc. Izuku Midoriya fronts the cover, and Episode 135 adapts the material.

The panel of Death Arms walking away may nod to a similar image in The Amazing Spider-Man #51, widely known as Spider-Man No More.

Kohei Horikoshi's author comment apologizes for failing to correct a line of Yaoyorozu's in Volume 29, noting the character's name is Tentacole.