Chapter 393

A Girl's Ego (のエゴ) is the three hundred and ninety-third chapter of Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia.

Summary
Sometime in the past when the League of Villains were in hiding, Twice asked Himiko if she wants a Villain name of her own, with Mr. Compress and Spinner adding that she and Tomura are the only ones without one. Himiko refuses one, as Spinner suggests "Vampiress Carmilla", Twice suggests "Suck-Suck" (and "Lickitung"), while Dabi calls it all stupid and just a holdover from before the Quirk registration system.

Tomura explains how in the past there used to be no difference between Heroes and Villains, with one theory being that aliases were originated when you had an anonymous enemy and needed to call them something. From there, some adopted those nicknames to hide their identities, and eventually, they went all in with the code-names ripped straight from comic books, leading to the world becoming like a comic book itself. Tomura says he's good without one, even though he thinks they can be cool, with Himiko jumping in joy over, saying that is why she joined the League, to live as "Himiko Toga".

In the present, Himiko continues her venting to Uravity about how pitying her, which Uravity claims it isn't, using her Zero Gravity to cause Himiko to float away. Himiko responds that despite everything she's trying to say, she knows in the end they'll just toss her in a cage on death row, or murder her outright now like they did to Twice, saying that it is a battle for survival with no going back.

Uravity replies that it seems like the truth for them both, causing Himiko to say that if it's not pity, then it's her ego talking, and if their egos are clashing, then she's dead meat. Himiko unleashes Sad Man's Legion, releasing her swarm of Doubles to the absolute extreme, completely consuming all the Heroes, including even the Villains and Nomu, and decimating the nearby city. The reporter in the newscaster overlooks in belief, talking about the whispers they have all heard regarding the Quirk Singularity Doomsday Theory, with Quirks growing stronger with no way to be controlled, realizing it is coming to a head today, with one girl and her emotions transforming the very world.

Himiko sends a wave of Doubles toward Uravity, who uses her Gunhead Martial Arts to repel them, causing them to float back up into the air. Himiko mocks that all she's done is make them all float, with Uravity declaring that her Zero Gravity isn't a power for hurting people, causing Himiko to be irritated remembering their last conversation. Uravity continues that she may be right about her ego talking, since she's intentionally killed people and she can't wipe her slate clean. However despite all that, when she sees her face, she believes there must have been a reason, remembering on the day of their fight in the Paranormal Liberation War, what she said made her look so sad.

Himiko angrily yells back that she was the sad one, with Uravity saying they both were. She continues that she seriously scared her when they first met because she didn't understand her, not knowing why she would be able to grin with such a genuine smile like that. Himiko tries to tell her to shut up and die, all while thinking about Twice's advice to live as Himiko Toga to drop all the bodies she wants and become whoever she wants, and the taunts of her "creepy smile" in her past.

Uravity says she pushed her away once, and knows it isn't a place she can be herself, but even still, she has seen so many happy faces, and with her being able to declare what she loves with her whole face, she yells out that she is jealous of her perfect smile, and doesn't want to pretend she never saw it.

Himiko is pushed to tears upon gearing this as Uravity stretches out her hand touching the Double swarm, when suddenly, the swarm bursts open as the Doubles and Heroes begin to float through the air, with Earphone Jack realizing her Quirk spread between all the bodies that came into contact. Uravity rushes toward Himiko telling her that she can't erase her crimes or approve of anything she's done, but if she still feels like talking, she can have a lifetime's worth of blood, begging her to have a chat about romance.

Chapter Notes

 * A flashback reveals that the other League members asked if Himiko wants a Villain name, with her rejecting it, wanting to live as "herself".
 * It is revealed the origin of Hero and Villain names comes from a theory of aliases created for anonymous enemies being adopted into codenames that imitated those in comic books.
 * Uravity and Himiko continue their fight with the former still attempting to plead to the latter.
 * Himiko unleashes Sad Man's Legion, releasing her transformed Doubles at maximum output, decimating the battlefield and extended towards a nearby city.
 * Uravity declares that despite everything she still wants to understand Himiko, calling herself jealous of her perfect smile.
 * Uravity's Zero Gravity undergoes an Awakening, allowing it to spread all across the bodies in the Double swarm, halting it all in the air, and preparing to confront Himiko one last time.

Author's Comment
"I’ve started wearing Japanese-style clothing. It feels like I sit up straighter."

- Kohei Horikoshi

Trivia

 * Spinner's Villain name suggestion of "Vampiress Carmilla" references the character from the novella of the same name, a vampire who preys upon a young woman. It is also well known for being the prime example of a "lesbian vampire".
 * Twice also suggests "Lickitung" as a name, referencing one of the many in the franchise of the same name.