Chapter 319

Friend (だち) is the three hundred and nineteenth chapter of Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia.

Summary
A few days after Izuku left U.A., Class 1-A deduce that Izuku is now working with Endeavor and his team. Tenya asks Katsuki, Shoto, and Fumikage if they can confirm their suspicions by contacting their respective mentors, but all three of them report that they refuse to respond, believing they are hiding something from them. Kyoka says that All Might hasn’t returned either and Mashirao adds that classes have been suspended and they haven't become second years yet, with the Hero course students on standby and helping as security, so acquiring any information in this environment will be tough.

Katsuki says that Best Jeanist and Hawks were contacting Izuku at the hospital and that All Might was believed to be there as well, and since Izuku could not have been the one who left the letters for all of them because of how scared he is to return to U.A., therefore, the one who did so was All Might, meaning the two of them are working together. Yuga says that if that is true, then their worries should be alleviated and Denki adds that the media reported only the top three heroes are working together, so All Might can’t be involved. Katsuki, however, says that when it comes to Izuku and All Might, he knows them better than anyone, and this is the worst possible scenario one could think of.

Eijiro proposes they find a way to contact them, and Ochaco suggests that since Endeavor is a U.A. alumni, they force the issue. Sure enough, a few days later, Principal Nezu contacts Endeavor, who meets him in his office, but is surprised to see all of Class 1-A present too. Nezu informs Endeavor that he heard what they had to say and decided there was room for discussion since he is constantly getting updates himself. Shoto asks Endeavor why he has been ignoring him and if he forgot the promise they made to stop Toya together. Endeavor responds that it was Shoto's willingness that saved him, but Shoto retorts he doesn’t feel the same way without actually doing anything and asks what makes Izuku an exception.

Shoto asks Endeavor if he is letting Izuku and All Might work together. When he says nothing, Katsuki’s suspicions are confirmed, but while he says it may have been the right call, he knows nothing about Izuku. Katsuki states that Izuku has always been crazy for never taking himself into account and insisting he is fine, citing it as the same way All Might became the Symbol of Peace. He tells Endeavor that he can't let the two of them be together, with Endeavor thinking back to when they learned that Izuku had brushed off All Might and how they don't know how else to support him from the sidelines.

Endeavor decides to hand the students his phone with Izuku’s location pinned. Many of them, like Koji and Hanta, say that they want to help him even though their relationship has been so far school-based. Shoto says that after not confiding in them about One For All was one thing, expecting the letter to put them at ease was a shock. Tenya declares that as Class 1-A, they will follow Izuku wherever he goes, and no matter how much responsibility that comes with One For All, they consider him their friend, and they won’t let him walk such a troublesome path all by himself.

Endeavor says that the outside world is messed up right now but Nezu reassures them that they are ready. He says that he agreed to let him team up with the top three since he didn’t want to return to U.A. and that the villains were targeting him. But he reveals that he can return to school, since the minute they sent out the acceptance notifications, they all became students they will protect. Endeavor asks about the civilians and Nezu tells Endeavor that the designated evacuation areas weren’t only chosen based on area, and that the school has reinforced their security "U.A. Barrier" since the Culture Festival. He assures the students that Izuku will be fine if he comes back, so they can go help him.

In the present, the rest of Class 1-A arrive on the scene to apprehend Dictator and free the civilians. As they run off, Deku asks why they are all here and Uravity says that they were worried about him. Deku insists that he is okay and that they shouldn’t worry about him and leave. Dynamight mockingly says that is good to hear before seriously asking if he's still smiling now. Deku responds saying that if he is to smile and if everyone can live in peace, he needs to keep moving forward. Therefore, he demands everyone to get out of his way. Dynamight retorts that he should make them, calling him an “All Might wannabe”. Ingenium adds that they know they won’t be able to change his mind normally, which means they might have to fight Deku. So Ingenium tells Uravity and everyone else to stand strong, and Uravity agrees.

Chapter Notes

 * It is revealed that all classes and graduation at U.A. have been suspended, with all the hero students on standby or assisting with security.
 * Class 1-A, with assistance from Nezu, confirm through Endeavor that Izuku and All Might are assisting them.
 * They manage to convince them to let them go out so they can rescue and assist their friend.
 * Nezu prepares to initiate the "U.A. Barrier", initially installed for the Cultural Festival.
 * Class 1-A apprehend Dictator.
 * Class 1-A prepare to face off against Izuku when he refuses to listen to them.