My Hero Academia: The Dragon's Quirk

A few weeks after the battle at the Shie Hassaikai headquarters, life in the Alliance Heights dorm began to find its new rhythm. It was a strange normality, a tranquility that felt forced, like a lake with a calm surface but a sleeping monster at its bottom. On the surface, we were students again. We had breakfast together, complained about homework, and trained in Gym Gamma. But beneath that surface, we had all changed. I saw it in the way Iida now walked with a heavier purpose, in the sadness hidden behind Mirio's smile, and in the burning determination in Midoriya's eyes every time he trained his legs. We all carried scars, both visible and not.

Aizawa-sensei's announcement about the School Festival was initially met with an awkward silence. A festival? At a time like this? It felt like a joke in poor taste. But then, we all understood. This wasn't just about having fun. It was an act of defiance. A statement to the world that after all the attacks and tragedies, we were not afraid. That we, the next generation of heroes, could still bring joy and hope. This was our first mission in the post-All Might era.

Our dorm's common room turned into a battlefield of ideas. The class meeting to decide our event was an organized and highly entertaining chaos.

"An educational exhibition!" Iida exclaimed with his signature robotic hand gestures. "We can showcase the history of heroism, Quirk analysis, and the importance of civilian safety! It would be an educational and dignified contribution!"

"BORING!" Bakugo roared from the couch where he was sitting lazily. "If we're going to do something, we do it right! A fighting tournament! Me against anyone who dares to step up! The winner gets the right to be called the strongest!"

"That would just destroy the school, kero," Tsuyu said with her calm logic.

"How about a maid cafe?!" Mineta shouted with tears of hope in his eyes, which was immediately met with a sharp Earphone Jack from Kyoka Jiro.

The discussion continued, ideas flying through the air. A haunted house, a play, a takoyaki stand. Then, Mina Ashido, with her infectious energy, leaped onto a table. "Wait, wait! I have an idea!" she exclaimed, immediately grabbing everyone's attention. "What if we do something that everyone can enjoy, something full of energy that makes everyone want to move? How about... a live music concert and a crazy dance party?!"

The idea spread like wildfire. Everyone started talking excitedly. It was the perfect idea. Music. Dance. Lights. Something that could release all the stress and tension that had built up.

"Great idea!" Kaminari said. "I can play guitar!"

"I can handle the drums!" Bakugo exclaimed, clearly interested in the idea of hitting something hard.

It was then that all eyes turned to one person. Kyoka Jiro. She immediately flinched, her face turning red. "W-what? Why are you all looking at me?"

"Come on, Jiro-chan!" Hagakure said. "You're the most musically gifted among us! You can play so many instruments! You have to be our band leader!"

"No, no, no!" she said in a panic. "That's... that's just a hobby. It's not... heroic."

I saw her self-doubt, her fear of showing a part of herself that she considered not "fitting" for a hero. I remembered Momo at the Sports Festival. I decided to speak up, my calm voice cutting through the commotion. "That's precisely what makes it heroic, Jiro-san."

Everyone turned to me. "Being a hero isn't just about punching villains," I continued. "It's about connecting with people, giving them hope, making them smile. And music is one of the most powerful forces in the world for doing that." I looked straight at her. "Your power to create music that can touch people's hearts... that's just as heroic as Midoriya's Smash."

My unexpected support, coming from the quiet festival champion, seemed to have an impact. Jiro looked at me, then at her friends who were nodding in agreement, and finally, with a small, shy smile, she agreed to lead.

Our class quickly divided into teams. The Music Team, led by Jiro. The Dance Team, led by Mina. And the Stage Effects & Security Team, which I voluntarily led. My job was to make sure their stage looked spectacular and, more importantly, was safe. It was the perfect role for me, allowing me to work behind the scenes while still keeping an eye on everything.

The following days were a blur of preparation. In between classes, our dorm was filled with the sound of Bakugo's out-of-sync drumming, Kaminari's clumsy guitar melodies, and Mina's frustrated shouts as she tried to teach Aoyama how to dance. It was a happy chaos.

I myself used this time for two things: planning the stage and continuing my secret training. I spent a lot of time with Momo, designing the stage structure, the lighting system, and even some small, safe firework effects. Our discussions were filled with physics and chemistry calculations, a language we both understood. In moments like these, I felt the most normal, just a student working on a project with his genius friend.

But at night, when everyone else was asleep, I would go to Gym Gamma. My training now had a new focus. I was no longer just trying to survive. I was trying to master. I asked for Todoroki's help.

"I need to 'learn' your elements," I explained to him in the empty gym.

He didn't ask many questions. He understood the need to get stronger. He would launch small bursts of fire at me, and I would manifest my Incursio gauntlets, not to parry, but to feel the heat. I would focus, trying to command my armor to adapt, to create a microscopic layer of insulation. Then, he would switch to ice, and I would do the same, trying to command my armor to generate a faint heat to prevent freezing. It was a mentally exhausting process, each session leaving my head throbbing with a dull ache. But I could feel the difference. My armor was becoming more responsive.

In his dimly lit world filled with tea and sweet pastries, Gentle Criminal and La Brava were planning their masterpiece.

"Look at this, my dear La Brava," he said in his theatrical voice, stroking his mustache. "They will be holding a festival. A celebration! They think they are safe within their fortress, lulled into a sense of complacency."

"They don't know what's about to hit them, Gentle!" La Brava exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with love. She had already finished editing Gentle's latest video, adding sparkling effects and dramatic music.

"Precisely!" Gentle laughed, a classy yet reckless laugh. "When they are at the peak of their joy, when the music is at its loudest, that is when I shall make my appearance! I will not harm anyone. I will simply brew a cup of tea in the middle of their main stage. An act of defiance so elegant, so daring, that my name, Gentle Criminal, will be etched into the annals of internet history forever!"

They were completely unaware that the 'head of security' for the event they were targeting was someone who had come face-to-face with All For One and survived.

A few days before the festival, Midoriya, Mirio, and I decided to visit Eri, who was now living temporarily under the supervision of the teachers. We wanted to officially invite her to the festival. We found her in a small, quiet room, sitting alone, staring blankly out the window. She was still like a small, frightened bird.

"Eri-chan," Midoriya greeted gently. "We... we wanted to invite you to something special. Our school is having a festival. There will be lots of good food, and... and our class is having a concert."

Eri looked at him with her large red eyes, showing no reaction.

"There will be music, and dancing, and really cool lights!" Mirio added with his wide smile.

As they were talking, a soft, slightly melancholic melody began to drift from a distance. It was Jiro, practicing by herself with her acoustic guitar in the common room. She was singing a song she had written herself, her melodious and soulful voice faintly audible through the corridor.

The song seemed to touch something within Eri. For the first time, the blank expression on her face changed slightly. Her head tilted a little to the side, as if trying to catch the melody. She didn't smile. She didn't speak. But she was listening.

I watched the scene—Midoriya and Mirio trying awkwardly, and Eri for the first time showing a glimmer of curiosity about the world around her. I remembered my own vow. This was the goal. This was why we were doing all of this. Not for show, not for competition. But for this one small moment. For the chance to create a smile on the face of a child who had forgotten how to.

In the silence of her fearful world, for the first time, she seemed to be listening. And that was more than enough for a start.