Chapter 378

The Story of How We All Became Heroes, Part 4 (がヒーローになるまでの④) is the three hundred and seventy-eighth chapter of Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia.

Summary
At the Counter-Force Headquarters, the team quickly attempt to react to the evacuation system malfunctioning, dispatching backup to Gunga, and trying to deal with the signal interference. While continuing to hack Skeptic's servers, La Brava reminisces how one time when she was still a shut-in, she hacked into Feel Good Inc.'s servers to replace their ads with "Optic☆Kitty", commenting on how his coding habits haven't changed since then.

Skeptic is flabbergasted and enraged upon the relevation, which she further decides to taunt him with by playing them again on his monitors. As she proceeds to take over everything, he prepares to flee, insisting he won't relinquish control over U.A. or the evacuation system. He yells that it doesn't matter if she found his location if he flees, and that his flames of revolution won't be doused.

The team reports to Naomasa that U.A. is continuing to fall and is about to crash. They tell La Brava to do something, but she says due to the system being wrecked by the last impact, she needs to write a new program to keep the joint in the air, even though there isn't enough time. One of the officers says it was a mistake to leave their last line of defense to a convicted villain, but Naomasa responds that even if they've committed a crime and they can't erase the past, it's not always a lost cause.

Back on the falling U.A., Deku and Tomura stare each other down, as Tomura's words continue to ring in Deku's head. Mandalay escorts the electricity team out of their operation system, where Chargebolt and Comicman see the observation deck being attacked by the Twice Doubles, crying out to their teacher and classmate. The American soldiers ask if they should fire their lasers on them, but worry about hitting their allies. Ethan Drive says they can't do anything with their X-66 squadron with them being invaded from the inside, only to be surprised to see someone else in the air space.

Outside the Villains' secret hideout, Skeptic is shocked to see himself cornered by several Heroes, including the Ketsubutsu Academy High School students and Hound Dog, as they were given a heads-up on his location and they were in the area. Hound Dog mumbles that fate works in funny ways, while back at U.A., Naomasa and La Brava give their support to Gentle, who declares it is the least he owes the boy.

About a month and a half ago, in the wake of the Assault on Tartarus, Mikuzu Prison is one of the prisons raided by the Tartarus escapees, with Musuclar telling them to be free and go wild. The villains all gleefully prepare to leave, but Gentle stands before them, nervously asking if that is what they truly desire. When they bluntly say it is, the words of Gori and Deku stick with him, and he faces them head-on. As a result, Mikuzu was the only one of the 7 attacked prisons without any escapees. Gori asks him what they can do for him, as he responds he wants to see La Brava, and help.

Empowered by Lover Mode, as La Brava tells him how his joy brings her loads more joy of her own, Gentle unleashes his Gently Super-Lover, releasing his Quirk to prevent U.A. from falling. He mentally asks if Deku is still fighting to protect the joy of others, just as Mandalay reports that they've been saved, as the air feels like some kind of trampoline. Deku hears this and realizes what happened, that Gentle is here, as the man himself thinks back to the moment when he tried to save someone from falling, and to be of service to others was his hope.

Daigoro Banjo then warns Deku that Tomura has started to move again, even though they averted the crash, if he touches the ground it will all be for nothing. However before he can, suddenly a speeding bullet appears, shooting Tomura's arm right off. Elsewhere, Naomasa states that no matter how far they've fallen, each Villain is still a human being, and it is on them to recognize that about them. Borrowing a phrase from his friend, deep within their hearts, they'll find their origin. On the city floor below, a recovering Lady Nagant joins the fight.

Chapter Notes

 * It is revealed at some point in the past, La Brava hacked into Feel Good Inc.'s servers for fun.
 * As his system begins being taken over, Skeptic attempts to flee the hideout, but is cornered by several Heroes, including the Ketsubutsu students and Hound Dog, having already had the location revealed.
 * La Brava attempts to regain control of U.A., but needs time due to the damage caused within.
 * Gentle arrives in the air, and using his empowered Quirk is able to save U.A. from falling.
 * It is revealed that after the Assault on Tartarus, he was responsible for single-handedly preventing anyone from escaping his prison, asking to be reunited with La Brava and wanting to repay Deku.
 * Tomura is about to attack, but his arm to shot off by a still recovering Lady Nagant, sniping from below in the city.

Author's Comment
"I want to become a soccer player like Mitoma."

- Kohei Horikoshi

Trivia

 * La Brava has the Optic☆Kitty perform "the Da Pump Dance", referencing the dance in song.