-'๑'- CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN -'๑'-
HERO KILLER

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"If I had known that Shigaraki's new pet was this cute, don't you think I would have kept you for myself?"

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Echo was exhausted after her intense training session. Overcoming the emotions that Shigiraki stirred within her had not been easy. He made her feel both safe and uneasy at the same time. The way he looked at her sent chills down her spine, and she despised the conflicting desire to make him submit to her while also wanting to kill him.

The young and beautiful Dragon Queen sighed, flicking her talons. Although she lacked any animus magic, she possessed a slight ability for mind reading. The thoughts she had glimpsed through her nightmares were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. She envisioned Toothless with his throat torn out, her smirking over him with blood staining her dark blue talons.

She also saw her best friend Luna, the Light Fury, and how they fought. They both knew that only one of them could emerge victorious in this battle, and that one would be chosen by Toothless. It pained her that her subconscious tormented her for leaving the hidden world when she had a traitor to the crown beneath her.

"No, don't dwell on that," she hissed at herself. "You cannot fall into that trap again. You have friends here in this world, in Japan, and Toothless is the most loyal dragon you have ever encountered. You wouldn't want him to see you like this."

Shaking her head once more, she set a small blackberry bush on fire. It burst into vibrant orange colors immediately, threatening to spread to the trees overhead. She quickly extinguished the flames.

Then, she headed towards Midoyra's house, but a tingling sensation ran through her mind. Iida. 

She spun around and followed her instincts.

And what she witnessed made her want to tear everything apart.

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A deafening roar escapes Echo's lips as she transforms into a dragon and slashes at the hero killer, who hisses in pain and clutches his side as blood pools out of him. "Never will you touch my friends!" Echo growls as she pins the hero killer to the ground, her pretty face twisted in anger. Izuku and Iida gasp while Todoroki stares in awe.

Stain laughs and attempts to wriggle out of Echo's hold, but she digs her claws into his arm, causing more blood to spill. "If you try to escape, I will gladly burn you," Echo threatens, baring her venomous fangs at him.

Stain swallows, realizing that he has never encountered a dragon with venom as a weapon. He understands why Shigiraki is so fiercely loyal to Echo. I must trick her, or she won't let me go, he thinks to himself as his hands grow limp.

Echo, with an air of nonchalance, smirks and casually leans back as Stain, foolishly underestimating the situation, draws his sword. In a moment that should have spelled her defeat, she deftly evades his blade, leaving him bewildered as she vanishes. A collective gasp emanates from her friends, and amidst the concern, Izuku urgently calls out her name. However, the tension dissipates into a soft laugh resonating through the air.

In a mesmerizing display, Echo reappears, her dark blue scales shifting seamlessly back to their normal colors. Her laughter rings out as she teasingly admonishes Stain for his lack of knowledge about dragons. With a flick of her tail, she stands protectively over her three recovering friends, effortlessly reclaiming control of the situation. The encounter serves as a stark reminder to those who underestimated her - a lesson delivered with both elegance and power.

Stain, his bravado shattered, resorts to a defeated blink before hissing a defiant proclamation, "You will belong to the League of Villains soon enough!" Echo, undaunted by his threats, merely sneers in response. The imminent confrontation is abruptly halted as the police arrive, swiftly apprehending the once-feared Hero Killer.

Turning her attention to Izuku, Todoroki, and Iida, Echo's demeanor remains eerily calm. "Now, you guys," she states, her voice carrying an unspoken authority. The three boys, a palpable tension in the air, gulp nervously. Izuku, taking the initiative, stammers out an apology, but Echo interrupts with a dismissive grunt.

"Don't say sorry yet," she declares, using her formidable talons to scoop them up. Their small forms securely held in her grasp, she lifts them onto her back. With a pointed nod to the police, Echo takes flight, carrying her newfound companions to a nearby hospital for the necessary care, her actions a testament to both her strength and a surprising sense of responsibility.