They found Luke in Nomu's costume, he and Nyx both eating ice cream.
To not spread panic, and as the first day of the School Festival was about to end anyway, UA decided to casually end all the events early, evacuating the premises.
Then, all the teachers, the Detective, the Police Chief, and Nezu gathered in a hall to review the disaster.
Including All Might, everyone carried a paleness on their faces as they tried not to remember how wrong everything could have gone today.
All Might then recounted what he saw when he found Shigaraki.
A black, mud-like substance had come out of the Villain's mouth, taking him away.
This was a method of teleportation unfamiliar to them. That's why the drones, programmed to notice Kurogiri's Quirk, hadn't reacted to it.
"He must have come the same way, too," the Detective mentioned, making everyone nod at him. "What I can't make sense of… What was Shigaraki doing at the School Festival?"
At first, they all thought Shigaraki had come to take revenge on Luke, who had mocked the Villain publicly during the Sports Festival.
However, Shigaraki's last location before running away was at the very opposite of Luke's location.
If Shigaraki was at UA for revenge, then that was the last chance he had, taking advantage of the break and Luke's secluded position.
The fact that they couldn't even put a finger on Shigaraki's intention unnerved everyone even more.
"This is a disaster…" All Might said, holding his head. "People will lose trust in UA if they learned Villains like Shigaraki can come and go as they please right under our noses…"
"Or…" Erasure Head joined in. "… perhaps, that's what Shigaraki was aiming for. After two failed attempts, he decided to change strategies and attack people's trust in Pros and UA?"
Everyone's eyes widened.
Detective Tsukauchi held his chin. "I don't think so," he said, making them look at him. "Tomura Shigaraki's MO is not so methodical. From what little we have learned, Shigaraki often acts emotionally and violently. His actions are sporadic. That's what makes him so dangerous in the first place."
All Might nodded. "I have always found his kind the most troublesome. You cannot predict what they end up doing and who ends up getting hurt because of them… and on what scale."
A silence lingered as they contemplated All Might and the Detective's words.
"Still…" Midnight said, holding a rare graveness on her face, "… if he wasn't after Luke… and if he wasn't here with a deeper psychological agenda, then what was he even here for?! Sightseeing?!!"
They could all feel the anger in Midnight's voice, but none minded it.
There was nothing about this day that didn't make even the calmest one a touch angrier.
Nezu, sitting at the head of the table, leaned forward. "I think we all are forgetting something," he said, holding a tablet in his hands. "We are feeling so threatened and aggrieved by the name — Shigaraki — that we are openly ignoring a crucial fact."
As everyone looked questioningly at the Principal, Nezu tapped the tablet, and the Projector began playing a video for them, dimming the room.
"We are forgetting," Nezu said, "that Shigaraki wasn't the only player on the field today."
The video showed many scenes from different mobiles. It was a magical stage, and the massive crowd cheered as a Magician performed for them.
The moment they saw him, Erasure Head, Midnight, and Snipe felt a mysterious chill.
"The same questions that we asked regarding Shigaraki," Nezu said, "are also applicable in this case. However, at least we know it was Shigaraki. At least, we knew what his presence represented. At least, we can guess, if not confirm, the reasons for him being here.
"What about this one? Detective?"
Detective Tsukauchi looked at the Police Chief, and the latter shook his head.
"We couldn't find a match of the face," the Detective said, seeing people clapping for them. "It's obvious he's trying to hide his identity… but…"
Neither the Detective nor the other teachers could really put it into words.
"But there's something familiar…" All Might suddenly added, his blue eyes narrowing at the man's smile. "Something… fake…"
Out of nowhere, Detective Tsukauchi's eyes widened.
On the other side, Erasure Head shot to his feet, and Nezu let out a sigh.
"What…?" Midnight and others asked, stunned. "What happened?"
"Mr. Principal…" the Detective asked, holding a stutter in his voice. "… Can you… play it back?" ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel★fire.net
Nezu was already doing so. Tapping the video, he brought it back to a certain moment — a moment just before the Magician had made a girl appear on the table magically.
As the video played, everyone saw a fog appearing on the stage, followed by the Magician covering the table with a black curtain, pulling it out of nowhere.
Slowly, not only Erasure Head, but all teachers began standing up, realizing at what and whom they were looking… a chill running down their spines.
"It can't be…" All Might worded in shock. "… Dr. Blessed…"
Nezu paused the video, bringing it to the last moment.
They all saw the Magician bowing to the crowd and Erasure Head, Midnight, and Snipe before disappearing into a mass of flames… despite Erasure Head canceling his Quirk, if he had any.
Only the words spoken by him at the end kept ringing in everyone's minds.
"Praise be to Mr. Fool…" All Might repeated the words. He looked away from the paused video and at everyone. "Who is Mr. Fool?"
They all carried the same question.
No one knew what this name meant, but one thing was clear.
Dr. Blessed was a member of an organization that followed an entity called Mr. Fool, and he could do extraordinary feats despite his Quirk being actively canceled.
And, despite encountering him so many times, they still didn't know what Dr. Blessed was truly after.
All Might had to correct his beliefs as he recalled his first meeting with the mysterious man.
More than Shigaraki, on par with All For One, it was people like Dr. Blessed who unnerved him the most.
"Perhaps Shigaraki learned that Dr. Blessed would be here," Nezu said, wording everyone's thoughts. "If they are indeed enemies, it will explain many inexplicable events. Perhaps he couldn't relate the Magician to Dr. Blessed, just like us. Still…"
Nezu left the rest unsaid, but everyone got the Principal's meaning.
For the first time in history, UA would need to cancel the School Festival.
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