Chapter 137: Chapter 137 : He Stood For Us
Broadcast Montage – Nationwide
News anchors struggle to maintain composure. One chokes back tears as she speaks:
"We're still awaiting confirmation, but it appears the hero known publicly as Mumen Rider—also identified as Kojima Satoru—shielded civilians from All For One's final attack. He is presumed dead."
On another channel, a different voice cuts in:
"He had no license. No quirk. And yet—he stood against the greatest evil of our time."
---
POV: Sayaka – Hospital Breakroom
She sits alone, coat draped over her shoulders, cold coffee untouched. Her eyes are red. Her hands won't stop shaking.
"He wouldn't even sit still when he had a fever…"
She grips her phone tightly, watching the screen go silent. There's a single image frozen in place—Satoru standing, arms spread, body battered.
"You idiot… you absolute idiot…"
---
POV: Keiko
"Keiko—don't forget to eat lunch. And smile today. That's an order. —Satoru."
She laughs once, bitter and soft, and tucks it back into the drawer.
"I'll eat. But I won't smile. Not today."
---
POV: Class 1-A
They watches the final broadcast in silence.
Uraraka is crying.
Kirishima stares forward, jaw tight. Iida lowers his head respectfully.
Todoroki whispers:
"He didn't even flinch…"
Bakugo, quiet for once, finally mutters:
"He knew he was gonna die. And he still stood there."
Deku whispers:
"He was everything a hero should be."
---
POV Montage – Civilians He Saved
A boy wearing a knockoff version of his goggles lights a candle and places it on a rooftop shrine.
A woman from the apartment fire sobs in front of the screen, clutching her son.
The old man from the alley lights incense. He bows.
"Thank you, young man. Thank you."
In dozens of cities across Japan, the same thing happens.
Notes taped to buildings: "You stood for us."
Sidewalk graffiti: MUMEN RIDER FOREVER.
Bike helmets lined up on fences, like offerings.
---
POV: Kana – Hospital Bed
She wakes suddenly.
Her mother is sleeping beside her, alive.
Kana's arm is in a cast, her body covered in bruises.
She doesn't move.
She just stares at the ceiling.
Flashbacks ripple across her mind:
Satoru giving her advices for Detonode training.
"You're not the monster you think you are."
His back as he stood before All For One.
Tears well in her eyes—but she doesn't sob.
She just whispers:
"I didn't even say thank you…"
---
Outside the Crater – Kamino, Twilight
Journalists are kept behind barricades. The blast zone is still smoldering.
Nothing remains.
No body.
No armor.
Just scattered fragments of Satoru's goggles. Burnt cloth. A half-melted boot.
Gran Torino, leaning heavily on a cane, surveys the scene quietly. His face unreadable.
Behind him, the sky glows orange as dusk falls over Kamino.
---
POV: All Might – Alone
He stands atop a broken ledge, cape torn, face shadowed.
His body trembles—not from injury, but from grief.
"You stood without a quirk. Against the absolute evil."
He recalls Gran Torino's words from years ago:
"Some people don't need power to be heroes. They just need to choose to stand."
All Might bows his head.
"I'll carry your name forward, Satoru. You reminded the world what it meant."
---
Rooftop Mural, Next Morning
Somewhere in Musutafu, a group of teenagers finish painting a mural.
It shows Satoru—goggles cracked, armor dented—riding a bicycle straight into a wave of darkness.
Above him, a quote is scrawled in black:
"Even a nobody can protect someone."
They light a candle. Leave their helmets at the base.
As they walk away, one says quietly:
"He wasn't quirkless. He had the biggest heart I've ever seen."