"Eri?"
She wiped her eyes quickly and wheeled toward the sound, heart suddenly racing for an entirely different reason.
Eri's bedroom door was slightly ajar, a sliver of light spilling into the hallway.
"Eri, sweetheart?" Aiko called softly, pushing the door open.
What she saw made her blood run cold.
Eri sat on her bed, knees pulled to her chest, both hands pressed against her forehead. Her small body was trembling, face scrunched in pain.
And her horn—the small, pearl-white protrusion on her forehead—was glowing.
Faintly at first, like a nightlight. Then brighter, pulsing with each heartbeat.
"Eri!" Aiko wheeled forward immediately, maternal instinct overriding everything else. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? What's happening?"
"It hurts," Eri whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mama Aiko, it hurts. My head hurts so much."
"Okay, okay, I'm here. I've got you." Aiko reached for the girl, lifting her carefully into her lap. "Just breathe, sweetie. Just breathe."
Eri buried her face in Aiko's shoulder, small hands clutching at her shirt. "Make it stop. Please make it stop."
The horn's glow intensified, casting strange shadows across the room.
Aiko activated Attunement and reached out with her ability, trying to project calm, to soothe whatever pain or fear was overwhelming the child.
The moment her quirk touched Eri's mind, Aiko gasped.
Power.
Uncontrolled, building power that felt like a dam about to burst.
"Eri, what—"
The horn's light exploded.
Pale, golden-white radiance flooded the room, emanating from Eri in waves. And Aiko felt it. A sensation she could never describe with any word she could think of.
"Eri!" she cried out, trying to pull away. "Eri, you need to stop! You need to—"
But Eri couldn't stop. Her eyes were wide, tears streaming down her face as the power poured out of her uncontrollably. "I can't!" Eri sobbed. "I can't make it stop! It's too much! They're all gone and it's all coming back and I can't ..." The light grew brighter, engulfing them both. Aiko felt her body responding violently to the strange energy. Her body started shrinking hands, age spots fading, wrinkles smoothing.
Meanwhile, Rin stood at the door with Midnight and Aizawa, who were preparing to leave.
"Please tell Mrs. Akutami," Midnight said gently, "that U.A. will cover all funeral expenses, should it come to that. And we have counseling services available for both her and Eri. She doesn't have to go through this alone."
"I'll tell her," Rin said, voice thick with tears. "Thank you for coming in person. I know it must have been difficult."
"It was necessary," Aizawa said. "She deserved to hear it from ..." A scream cut through the house.
All three of them froze.
"Aiko?!" Rin shouted, already running back inside.
Aizawa and Midnight exchanged a split-second glance and followed.
They ran down the hallway toward the source of the sound. Eri's room, and stopped dead.
Light poured from beneath the closed door. Not normal light. Strange, pale, golden-white radiance that seemed to pulse and breathe.
Another cry from inside. This time clearly Aiko's voice: "Eri, please! You have to stop!"
That was all Aizawa needed.
He shoved the door open.
"What the hell ..." Rin uttered.
The scene inside defied explanation.
Eri sat in the center of Aiko's lap, horn blazing like a beacon, her small body wracked with sobs. Pale light radiated from her in waves, engulfing both her and Aiko in a sphere of energy that seemed to warp the very air around them.
Aiko had one arm wrapped around Eri, trying to hold her, to comfort her, even as her own body was clearly being affected.
Midnight started forward, but Aizawa threw out an arm, stopping her.
"Something's wrong with her quirk." The words were followed with his eyes lighting red.
The effect was instantaneous. The light cut off like someone had flipped a switch. Eri's horn stopped glowing. The strange, warping energy collapsed inward and vanished. Eri went limp in Aiko's arms, and Aiko followed right after.
"Dammit. Aiko!"
Rin moved forward, stabilizing them before they could fall as she struggled to support Aiko's limp weight, the wheelchair tipping dangerously to one side.
Midnight rushed forward immediately, helping to stabilize both Aiko and the unconscious Eri still cradled in her arms.
"Check their pulses," Aizawa ordered, already moving to Eri's side. His eyes were still glowing red even though the girl's quirk had clearly stopped.
Midnight pressed two fingers to Aiko's neck. "Pulse is strong. Breathing steady. She's just unconscious."
"Same with the girl," Aizawa confirmed, gently checking Eri's vitals. "Heart rate elevated but stable."
"What the hell just happened?" Rin demanded, her voice shaking. "What was that light?"
"I don't know, but we need to get them both to a hospital. Now."
Aizawa carefully lifted Eri from Aiko's lap, cradling the small girl against his chest. "Miss. Can you help Midnight get Mrs. Akutami into the car?"
"I ... yes, of course."
Together, Midnight and Rin maneuvered Aiko out of the wheelchair and supported her weight between them. Her head lolled forward, completely unconscious.
"My car's out front," Midnight said. "We'll take them to Hinohara General. It's closest."
_
[SOCIAL MEDIA – VARIOUS PLATFORMS – DAY 2, 7:30 AM]
The news had exploded overnight.
What started as confused reports and speculation had transformed into a full-blown national crisis by morning. Across Japan, people woke to headlines that made their blood run cold.
_
Twitter/X – Trending Topics
#YamanoteTragedy – 2.4M posts
#LeagueOfVillains – 1.8M posts
#WhereAreThey – 956K posts
#AllMightWhereAreYou – 743K posts
#JapanUnderAttack – 621K posts
In one night, the Hosu incident had been pushed aside as new headlines dominated social media.
The reactions varied through all of Japan. The most prevalent being one word.
Fear.
_
@TokyoMomLife
Posted at 7:12 AM
I take that train every single day. Yesterday I was running 10 minutes late because my daughter couldn't find her shoe. That 10 minute delay saved both our lives. I can't stop shaking. I keep thinking about all those people who weren't late. Who made their train on time. Who are just... gone.
[47.2K likes, 8.1K retweets, 3.4K replies]
Top Reply from @CommuteDad:
My brother was on that train. He texted me at 1:04 saying he'd made it just in time. That was the last message. His phone's been off ever since. We don't know if he's dead or alive or what happened. The not knowing is killing us.
_
@HeroWatchDaily [Verified]
Posted at 7:23 AM
BREAKING: Multiple sources confirm the League of Villains as prime suspects in Yamanote Line disappearance. This comes less than 24 hours after their failed Hosu attack. Pattern emerging: LoV is RAPIDLY escalating their operations. Thread 🧵
[Tweet 2/8] Police Intelligence suggests the villain "Kurogiri" - same warp-gate user from USJ incident - is responsible for the tragedy. But this scale is unprecedented.
[89.4K likes, 23.1K retweets]
_
@SupportOurHeroes
Posted at 7:45 AM
To everyone BLAMING All Might right now: STOP. He can't be everywhere at once. He's ONE PERSON. There are 200+ pro heroes searching RIGHT NOW in dangerous conditions. They're risking their lives. Show some damn respect.
[12.3K likes, 3.4K retweets]
Reply from @WhereWasHe:
Then what good is a "Symbol of Peace" if he can't PREVENT this? 716 people. GONE. Families destroyed. And where was All Might? Where was he during Hosu? Where is he NOW? Silent. Missing. Just like those passengers.
[34.7K likes, 9.8K retweets]
Reply from @RealityCheck2026:
All Might isn't God. He's a man with a quirk. This "Symbol" rhetoric has made people think he can solve everything. He can't. NO ONE can prevent every attack. Quit sounding like you could do better, basement dweller.
[28.1K likes, 6.2K retweets]
_
@MutsutafuResident
Posted at 8:17 AM
My neighbor's husband was on that train. She's been calling his phone nonstop for 20 hours. It just rings and rings. No voicemail. No answer. She won't eat. Won't sleep. Just keeps calling. Over and over. This is torture. Why won't someone just TELL US what happened?
[67.8K likes, 11.2K retweets]
@AnonymousHeroWorker [Burner Account]
Posted at 8:34 AM
I work for a hero agency. Can't say which. Here's what they're NOT telling you: The search teams have found NOTHING. No wreckage. No survivors. No bodies either. It's like the train never existed. Off the record, leadership is calling this a recovery op, not rescue. They don't expect survivors.
[91.3K likes, 34.7K retweets]
Platform Response: This post violates our misinformation policy. [Learn More]
@StudentConfessions [Anonymous Submission Board]
Posted at 8:52 AM
Submission #4721: "I'm a student at Yogiri Hero High and I'm fucking terrified. We just had Hosu yesterday. Now this. What if they come for a school next? What if they just start targeting public transports from now on and just make us disappear? I don't want to die. I don't want to be a hero anymore."
[45.6K likes, 8.9K retweets]
_
[NHK NEWS – MORNING BROADCAST – 9:00 AM]
The studio was somber in atmosphere.
"Good morning. We continue our coverage of what's being called the worst terrorist attack in recent years of Japanese history. The Yamanote Line train carrying an estimated 716 passengers remains missing now for over twenty hours."
The screen cut to aerial footage. Coast Guard vessels cutting through choppy waters, heroes flying in search grids, JSDF helicopters hovering over empty ocean.
"Search and rescue operations resumed at dawn after yesterday's storm system cleared. However, authorities have yet to locate any wreckage, survivors, or human remains."
Cut to interview footage from earlier that morning.
Search and Rescue Coordinator (exhausted, standing on a Coast Guard deck): "We're covering a search radius of over three million square kilometers. The Ocean is vast, and without a more precise location or any debris to narrow our search pattern, this is... extremely challenging."
Cut back to the studio.
"The Hero Public Safety Commission has not yet released the official passenger manifest, citing the ongoing process of notifying next of kin.
Reporter (off-screen): "Are you still searching for survivors at this point, or has this become a recovery operation?"
The coordinator let out a breath. "We operate under the assumption that every minute counts until we have evidence otherwise."
Cut back to the studio.
"The Hero Public Safety Commission has not yet released the official passenger manifest, citing the ongoing process of notifying next of kin. Please stay tuned as we bring more information in real time.
_
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