Vs. Queen Bee Arc

The Vs. Queen Bee Arc is the fourth story arc in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes.

Kuin Hachisuka continues to spread chaos throughout Naruhata with her bees filled with Trigger. While Koichi Haimawari and Kazuho Haneyama gain a new purpose in the form of their new ally Makoto Tsukauchi, Knuckleduster escalates his search for his daughter Tamao Oguro, leading to a direct confrontation with Kuin.

Summary#

Looking For Clues#

Soga Kugisaki goes to a middle school and shows a picture of a girl, asking the students if they know her. He mentions that her hair is shorter in the back and it covers one eye. Even though other girls find it creepy of him to ask it in a middle school, they do notice that the girl resembles Kuin as they wonder if she is in some kind of trouble.

Soga is forced to leave when the staff approach him and asks him to go away, to his frustration. However, one of the female students decides to follow him. After walking for a while, the student catches Soga's attention and draws him into an alley to talk about Kuin. She asks him if he had business with Kuin, with Soga replying that he is only a messenger.

The girl begins to behave a bit seductively, slightly raising her skirt, which makes Soga feel uncomfortable, so he asks her to cut it out. Then, a swarm of bees comes pouring out from under her skirt to attack him. Soga reacts quickly and breaks open a bee repellent with his spikes, which he throws into the swarm in order to escape.

Soga stumbles shortly after leaving the alley, and when he looks back, he sees that the swarm is approaching him. Fortunately, Moyuru Tochi uses his Ignition Quirk to set them to ashes. He is seen with Rapt Tokage on a motorcycle, as lizard tells Soga to hop on. The other guys wonder about Soga's actions as they are jealous of him hogging the fun.

Meanwhile, in a hospital, Iwao is talking to his wife, who is in a catatonic state. He talks about his life through the past few years, wishing he could have gotten a better life sooner. A nurse tells them the doctor would like to speak with him. The doctor tells him about her condition, to which he comments to his wife later on how unreliable doctors' advice usually is, since he was considered a lost cause multiple times and that he will take care of Tamao.

Iwao meets Soga in the hospital entrance, who is angry that no one is actually registered as "Kurogiwa" in the hospital. Iwao states he uses that name to get in touch with people, making Soga wonder who his real name is. Despite the errands Soga had run into, Knuckleduster views him as a guy who does not pry into other people's business.

Soga briefs Iwao with all the information he could gather about the bee user prior to the attack. Using her distinctive middle school uniform and the pseudonym "Hachisuka", he managed to trace her back to her private school. Iwao catalogs this intel as crucial, noting its potential significance. Soga notices he is getting into some nasty stuff and wonders about his two other friends. Iwao states there is no need to drag them into this, since he used him as a bait to draw attention. Soga is not amused.

Soga leaves the hospital, accompanied by Moyuru and Rapt, who advise him that despite his personality, he should to stay away from things, especially those related with Knuckleduster to avoid problems. Shortly after, they meet Koichi and Pop☆Step. Koichi catches up with and greets them, although Pop☆Step warns him to stay away. While Rapt tries to get a close view of Pop☆Step just to annoy her, Moyuru notices how brave Koichi is to talk with the people who beat him up before. Koichi states a lot of thing happened since then, but Soga walks away.

The following night, Kuin arrives back at her "home", inhabited by the lifeless bodies of a couple whose house she has taken over. She tells her "mother" about a stalker, Soga, who visited, then notices her "father's" empty credit card and slips it back into his pocket. As she turns on the television and eats dinner, she contemplates the dullness of her current existence there and considers the necessity of finding a new place to live soon.

Meanwhile, Knuckleduster is training at a warehouse, and when he finishes, he grabs the picture of the girl that Soga was looking for, making note that she will not get away from him.^[1]

The Marukane Event Announcement#

Kazuho receives an email inviting her to join a live event from her blog. While Koichi congratulates her on the opportunity, Kazuho worries about her image as a street performer and fears failure may cause her supporters to abandon her. Despite her concerns, she realizes such chances are rare.

Uncertain about what to do, Kazuho seeks Koichi's advice. Knowing Kazuho's tendency to react strongly regardless of his answer, Koichi defers to Knuckleduster for a more suitable response, much to Kazuho's frustration. Knuckleduster advises Kazuho to give her best effort, with Koichi offering his support before attending to his own affairs. Kazuho, feeling uncertain about Koichi's reliability, reluctantly agrees to Knuckleduster's advice.

Sometime later, Koichi introduces Makoto Tsukauchi to help, inadvertently revealing Kazuho's secret identity as Pop☆Step. Despite Kazuho's initial anger, Makoto assures her discretion and offers practical assistance, considering the event an opportunity rather than a personal matter. Kazuho reluctantly agrees, feeling uneasy about Koichi's judgment.

Makoto checks her email and sees that the live event will take place at the Marukane Department Store. One of the buildings had been damaged during the battle between Captain Celebrity and Ryuichi Gojiyama, and the event is being held to celebrate the store's grand re-opening. She notes that the event is designed to attract passersby, especially those visiting the newly opened food court, as the rooftop venue can only hold around 300 people and no tickets are being sold. Makoto explains that the store is seeking local talent who can easily fit into their schedule and won't require much funding, likening it to a neighborhood karaoke tournament, much to Kazuho's offense. Sensing Kazuho's frustration, Makoto encourages her to really wow the sponsors and leave a lasting impression.

In Naruhata, Captain Celebrity battles Eiji Okameda while his all-male cheering squad enthusiastically supports him from the sidelines. After defeating the villain, he receives a call from Makoto. He explains that he was handling an incident in the area, assures her that insurance will cover the damages, and mentions he’s also assisting with reconstruction and focusing on local incidents. Makoto shares her idea to boost his popularity among Naruhata’s residents, and he gives her the go-ahead to proceed with the arrangements.

After receiving his approval, Makoto contacts the department store, introducing herself as the chief manager of the Captain Celebrity Agency. She informs the event planner that the agency fully supports their goals, with the only request being that Captain Celebrity is credited for his cooperation. Additionally, she recommends enhancing the venue to avoid making it looking cheap or unprofessional, offering to supply equipment and staff to elevate the event's presentation.

After the call, Makoto mentions that she plans to leverage Captain Celebrity's name to attract a larger audience, with ad revenue covering the additional costs of equipment and planning. Her goal is to make the event truly memorable.

Later, in a park, Koichi and Pop☆Step run into Jube Namimaru and Ichimoku Samazu. The two students enthusiastically congratulate Pop☆Step on the upcoming concert. Although flattered, Pop☆Step is overwhelmed with nerves. Koichi tries to lift her spirits, but in her anxious state, she responds by nervously punching him in the stomach.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Kuin learns about the upcoming musical event, and for reasons unclear, the news infuriates her. Determined to sabotage it, she begins plotting. One of her classmates asks if she knows anything about a missing friend— the same girl Kuin had previously used to lure Soga into a trap— but Kuin coldly denies any knowledge of her whereabouts. Unbeknownst to Kuin, she is being watched from the shadows by Knuckleduster, who appears pleased to have finally located her.^[2]

Days later, Makoto tells Kazuho and Koichi about one of the higher-ups from the Marukane Department Store wanting to gather an ensemble for the show. The higher-up wants the ensemble to be made up of local young talent to perform the store's theme song, and thanks to Makoto, he also wants Pop☆Step to participate. Pop appreciates her help, but is still very nervous.

Later, at Marukane Department Store, Makoto introduce Pop☆Step and Koichi to other performers who will be part of the ensemble. The first of them is the Feathers duo, formed by the twin sisters Miu and Yu. After the introduction, Pop overhears Miu whispering to her sister that she doesn't have a good opinion of her.

The East Naruhata High Dance Squad are next, and their leader remarks that with their movement, they express themselves and don't need costumes to do so. The Mad Hatters also join, and their leader doesn't like the idea of playing a lame song. The leader of the ENH Dance Squad and the leader of the Mad Hatters immediately catch feelings for each other, and suddenly, the musician has no problem playing the song, and the dancer wants to look pretty for the event.

With the issues of the band and the dancers solved, only the singers remain. Makoto suggests that having Pop☆Step in the center would create the best visual balance, but Miu and Yu protest, as they would stand out less than Pop, whose voice is not too good either. Makoto can't deny that they are quite right, so she decides to put the issue of the singer's positions on stage on hold.

Makoto instructs Pop☆Step to practice the song on her own, while the Feathers will work on basic steps and stage maneuvers with the ENH Dance Squad. She explains that after one week, they will meet up to continue working on positioning. Makoto reveals to the ensemble that the 11 of them will be headlining the event before she leaves to discuss the lineup with some executives from the department store.

During the following days, while the Feathers train intensely with the ENH Dance Squads, Kazuho practices singing the song at Koichi's home. In the meantime, Captain Celebrity's cheer squad spreads flyers about the show around town after defeating a giant gorilla villain.

One week before the event, Miu sprains her ankle during her workout, so Makoto and the others try to figure out where to position her so she doesn't have to move too much. Makoto proposes putting Pop☆Step in the middle with the Feathers on either side of her, or cutting out Miu completely and having Pop☆Step and Yu perform as a duo. Miu gets sad that after all of her hard work, she won't be able to perform.

Pop☆Step suggests putting Miu in the middle, having Yu move back and forth to either side of her, and jumping around herself behind them both. Makoto considers that possibility, though they warn that both Yu and Kazuho would have to work twice as hard on stage for it to work. Both accept, and speak with the leader of the ENH Dance Squad to talk about positioning.

In a dark building in the city, Kuin reads a flyer about the show indicating that there will be surprise appearances from guest heroes. She remarks that if there are going to be surprise heroes, then she should also unleash a surprise villain on the show. In the warehouse is a totally unrecognizable Teruo Unagisawa, now transformed into a gigantic eel creature. He mutters "Pop", and Kuin sarcastically tells him that they'll be there to cheer on Pop.^[3]

The Show Begins#

The day of the event finally arrives, and the show begins with enka master Harusaburo Nanboku performing at the stage atop the newly reopened Marukane Department Store. Present Mic announces that the afternoon portion of the show has ended. He also tells the audience that in a half hour, the evening portion would begin with the ensemble's (now called the FeatherHATS) performance.

In the greenroom, Pop☆Step begins to feel nervous about going out on stage. Koichi tries to help her relax, but Yuu shuts him up, knowing he will only make her even more nervous. Midnight enter the greenroom, where there are other heroes. Makoto apologizes for not being able to provide separated greenrooms to everyone, but Midnight doesn't mind. Present Mic also walks into the room and greets Midnight too loudly.

She comments that the higher-ups at Marukane initially hoped to invite popular heroes likeAll Might, Endeavor, or Ingenium, but none of them were available. Midnight then asks Present Mic about Shota Aizawa's whereabouts. Present Mic replies that Aizawa mentioned he'd attend the show if he could, leading Midnight to assume he likely won't show up.

Not far from the venue, Eraser Head walks the streets on his way to the Marukane Department Store. Though he had agreed to attend the event, he isn't particularly eager to go, secretly hoping a villain attack will give him a valid excuse to skip it. Fortunately for him, his wish comes true when he hears terrified screams nearby. Without hesitation, he heads toward the source of the commotion. On another street, panicked civilians flee as a massive, lumbering eel-like villain, Teruo, emerges and begins wreaking havoc.

Eraser Head realizes that there is something strange about him: Teruo has trouble moving due his size as he awkwardly stumbles towards the Department Store. At first, Eraser Head thinks he has a Transformation Quirk, or probably consumed Trigger. Eraser Head attempts to erase Teruo's Quirk after binding him with his Capturing Weapon, but realizes that his ability doesn't work on the giant eel since the monstrous body is Teruo's only form.

Teruo slips out of Eraser Head's bindings with his slimy skin and continues towards the store. As Eraser Head attempts to hold him back, Teruo cries out for Pop☆Step, then begins to unleash a large blast of electricity with his Quirk: Electric Eel. The surge of electricity momentarily blinds Eraser Head, electrocutes several innocent people, and causes a blackout in the surrounding area, including the show on top of the department store.

Kuin Hachisuka sits perched on a nearby rooftop, watching as Teruo collapses unconscious onto the street below. As chaos erupts, she considers releasing Trigger into the panicked crowd at the upcoming concert to cause further disruption. However, All For One contacts her through her earpiece, advising against the idea. He warns that such reckless actions aren't worth the cost and that they can't afford to lose their test subject. Despite his caution, Kuin dismisses his concerns, clearly intent on doing things her own way.

After cutting off communication, Kuin remarks that she doesn’t like being lectured. She then hears a voice behind her stating that no one enjoys being scolded, especially young girls. Turning around, she realizes the speaker is Knuckleduster. The vigilante approaches while turning on his Taser Knuckle, calls her Tamao Oguro, and tells her to come home to her mother. ^[4]

Knuckleduster vs. Kuin#

Kuin appears confused by Knuckleduster's words, but Knuckleduster clarifies that he isn't addressing the "bee user"- he wants to talk to his daughter. Kuin finds this amusing and bursts into laughter.

Knuckleduster charges at her using his Taser Knuckle, which he specifically chose to avoid damaging her body as his brass knuckles would. Kuin evades the first swing, but he immediately follows up with another, which she narrowly avoids. He reveals that he's not aiming to land a blow, since one hit to a limb would knock her out, and a direct hit to the chest would be fatal.

Kuin counters by unleashing a swarm of Bomb Bees. As Knuckleduster rushes toward her, one explodes nearby, and she explains that only the first bee is real; the others are decoys. Knuckleduster deduces this and continues advancing, undeterred.

Cornered, Kuin escapes by leaping from the rooftop into the streets. Knuckleduster uses a grappling hook to follow.^[5] While pursuing her, he receives a phone call from the hospital, but due to a poor signal, he cannot clearly hear the message. He attempts to ambush Kuin from the air, but misses and crashes onto the street. Knuckleduster gets back up and tells the person on the phone that he can hear them now. The person tells him something about his wife's condition, and Knuckleduster tells them that the whole family will be there soon as he runs towards Kuin.

Elsewhere, Eraser Head checks on the unconscious Teruo, noticing that the event hasn't been canceled. As he talks to the villain, he sees a bee extracting something from Teruo. He tries to hit it, but it escapes.

Knuckleduster corners Kuin in an alley. He comments that he knows perfectly the layout of the streets, so he subtly directed her to that dead end where she has no escape. She refuses to surrender and is injected with Trigger by her bees. The drug increases her physical abilities, sharpening her nails into claws.

However, it also destabilizes the Bee User's control, allowing Tamao's original personality to resurface. Memories of Tamao's past arguments with her parents begin to flood back. Tamao, briefly regaining control, angrily tells Knuckleduster to stop provoking her. He seems encouraged by this sign of her identity emerging and prepares for another round.

Kuin charges, and a bee injects her again. She strikes Knuckleduster in the chest with electrified claws, sending a shock to his heart. As he collapses, he realizes the bee gave her an electric Quirk, possibly from Electric Eel DNA, and admires her cunning even as he falls unconscious.^[6] Believing him dead, Kuin prepares to disrupt the ongoing event, noting the show's power has returned. However, Knuckleduster reappears, having used his Taser Knuckle to self-defibrillate.

Frustrated, Kuin declares that she'll destroy the body she's using if it means killing him. She charges with live Bomb Bees and lethal voltage. Knuckleduster recalls the day she left home, then engages her again. He misses his first swing; she misses her counter, and he finally lands a blow to her chest with the Taser Knuckle.^[7]

Kuin collapses to the ground, cursing Knuckleduster. He coldly explains how quickly her brain would starve of oxygen, declaring her body already lifeless. With a chilling ultimatum, he revealed that the only chance to shock her heart back was with her own claws, mercilessly restraining her by pinning down her arm. As Kuin's gaze loses focus, a swarm of bees streams out from her left eye. Knuckleduster takes out a small device, deftly extracting the Queen Bee from Tamao's hollow eye socket. Discarding the bloody remnants, he cast aside the grotesque trophy.

Knuckleduster had made prior preparations for the confrontation. He enlisted the help of a broker, Giran, to obtain painkillers, a modified Taser Knuckle capable of acting as a defibrillator, and chemicals necessary to produce a pheromone cocktail that would attract bees. He deploys an explosive canister containing the pheromones, successfully luring and destroying the Queen Bee along with the swarm.

After neutralizing the threat, he connects the Taser Knuckle's wires to Tamao's chest and uses it to defibrillate her, then follows up with CPR in an attempt to revive her.^[8]

The Narufest#

During the confrontation between Knuckleduster and Kuin, the Narufest continues simultaneously at the Marukane Department Store. A blackout causes confusion among the rooftop audience. Eraser Head contacts Midnight to report that he encountered a villain and is currently waiting with the unconscious Teruo Unagisawa until law enforcement arrives. Rescue workers are assisting injured civilians on the street.

Shortly afterward, Midnight and Present Mic inform Makoto that the blackout was triggered by villain activity. As the crowd begins to grow restless, Captain Celebrity appears. In response, Makoto instructs him to retrieve spare generators to help restore power to the venue.

Makoto informs Midnight and Present Mic that someone is needed to serve as MC to maintain control over the restless audience. She asks Mic to take the role, but he declines, explaining that both he and Midnight are officially on standby until the situation involving the villain is resolved. Makoto considers stepping in herself but expresses concern that doing so would leave no one to manage backstage logistics. Meanwhile, the president of the East Naruhata High Dance Squad and the Feathers express worry that the event may be canceled. Pop☆Step notices that Koichi Haimawari has disappeared from the area. He soon reappears, now dressed as The Crawler, having gone home to retrieve Pop☆Step's microphone.

Koichi gives Pop her microphone, suggesting that she is the best person to address the crowd due to her background as a street performer and her experience guiding civilians during villain attacks. Makoto supports the idea and asks Pop☆Step to keep the audience engaged for approximately 30 minutes while they work on restoring power using backup generators. Encouraged by the other performers, Pop agrees to take the stage and help manage the situation.^[9]

Pop☆Step explains to the crowd why the power went out, and that the staff are working hard to restore it. She then introduces herself to the audience. Pop instructs those with glow-sticks and assorted light-up goods to line up at the edge of the crowd, and for the rest of the audience to move a bit towards the stage to make a path.

She tells the gathering of people that they have time to go to the bathroom before the main event, and that in the mean time she will perform a few songs. Miu and Yu note that she did some slick work on the stage. They also mention that she was as lame as ever, but kind of cute.^[6]

Several minutes later, the power is restored. Pop☆Step thanks the crowd for their patience and apologizes for keeping them waiting for so long, and tells them that the show will begin. The FeatherHATS perform their remix of the Marukane Department Store jingle, and they are greeted with great applause and cheering from the crowd.^[7]

On the street below the department store, the police handcuff Teruo, who looks at the show with distress. Eraser Head tells the cops that he'll watch Teruo for a few more minutes until he calms down. "They're just getting to the good part", he says, referring to the re-opening event. On the roof of the store, the crowd goes wild after the FeatherHATS finish their performance.^[8]

The Threat is Not Over...#

After arresting Teruo, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi introduces himself to Eraser Head as the person in charge of investigating the Instant Villain cases, and that he would like to ask him some questions about Teruo. Eraser Head tells Naomasa that he doesn't think Teruo is an Instant Villain, since he didn't see any injector on him, though he did see a bee on the villain. Naomasa mentions that many civilians mentioned getting stung by insects during the mass outbreak of Instant Villains.

A mysterious man dresses as a police worker walks down the street with his left hand in his pocket as he sings to himself about data and bees. As he does so, he tosses a small plastic capsule in the air, and catches it. He notices the last of Kuin's bees shakily flying through the air past him. In a flash, he catches the bee in his capsule. ^[8]

Knuckleduster's Farewell#

At Koichi's penthouse, Kazuho rewatches a recording of the show that Koichi made. She shows him the three fan letters that she received, then proceeds to excitedly rewatch the recording. Kazuho asks where Knuckleduster is, wanting to brag to him about the letters. She tells Koichi that she needs people to brag to since she can't mention her Pop☆Step identity to her friends and family.

Later, on the streets of Naruhata, the Three Sturm und Drang Brothers move swiftly through a crowd, using their Hyper Tornado Strip to steal both women and men's undergarments as they go. The angry group of people chase the thieves as the brothers approach another woman. Just as they are about to steal her panties, the woman jumps up. She takes off her disguise to reveal that she is Pop☆Step.

Koichi zooms in as The Crawler, and attempts to slide into the thieves' legs and trip them. However, just as he nears them, the brothers jump over him. The Crawler turns around and tries again, but he fails a second time. Knuckleduster appears and quickly defeats the Sturm ung Drang Brothers. As The Crawler and Knuckleduster distance themselves from the fallen criminals, the brothers get surrounded by the angry mob and are beaten up.

As Pop☆Step stands on a nearby roof, an unnamed man approaches her in a trench coat. He comments that he has one desire: he wishes to soar into the bright sky. He takes off his trench coat, revealing his naked body, and flies into the air using large swan wings on his back. Pop☆Step gets so startled that she falls off the roof and lands on The Crawler.

The Crawler remarks that the pervert has a Quirk that requires him to be nude to work. Once the pervert gets too high in the air, he drops into the crowd, who are psychologically affected by seeing his naked body. He gets back up before hit the ground and tries to fly up again. However, Knuckleduster appears behind him and catches the offender, then ties him to a lamppost.

Close by, a man uses his Quirk to grope women without directly touching them. However, Knuckleduster quickly knocks him out. Koichi checks that the villain does not have Trigger in his possession and tells his master that so far, the only ones causing problems are just weirdos. Koichi thinks that maybe the drug is no longer in circulation, but Knuckleduster recommends that he keeps his guard up, since the types they're after don't give up so easily.

Pop☆Step hints to Koichi about showing Knuckleduster the images and videos about the Narufest, and Koichi ask him if he wants to go with them back to his penthouse. Knuckleduster replies that he's too busy and asks them to clean up there, which Koichi accepts. Knuckleduster gestures a farewell and walks off into an alleyway.^[10]

The next day, at the penthouse, Koichi and Kazuho find Knuckleduster's mask and brass knuckles. Kazuho wonders why Knuckleduster would leave them there, since they just parted in town. Koichi thinks that Knuckleduster went by afterwards and dropped them off there. He believes maybe his master might have left them there to be cleaned.

As Koichi washes the brass knuckles, Makoto arrives, wanting to interview Knuckleduster. Koichi tells her that he isn't there, and she goes inside to give Kazuho some more letters.

At a hospital, Soga sits next to a hospital bed. Soga sees Tamao's arm slide off the bed, and he tucks it back in the covers. Tamao wakes up to see Soga, then proceeds to comment that he is scary looking. She says that her head hurts, and asks where her father is. Iwao appears with a grocery bag. As Soga leaves, Iwao thanks him for the help, then offers Tamao some yogurt.

Tamao tells Knuckleduster that she has a headache, prompting him to set down a bag of food and suggest that she get some rest. When she asks about her mother's whereabouts, he recalls the moment after bringing Tamao to the hospital when his wife was wheeled down a corridor and passed away shortly afterward. He tells Tamao only that she cannot see her mother at the moment, but reassures her that she doesn't need to worry because he is there.

At the penthouse, Kazuho arrives carrying a large bulletin board, explaining to Koichi that it's intended for fan mail. Koichi decides to also use it to display some of Knuckleduster's personal items along with practical things like the trash and recycling schedule. Makoto arrives soon after to deliver more letters and photographs from Narufest to Pop☆Step. Over time, the group begins posting various mementos— photos, letters, and images from their missions and daily life. Koichi reflects that Knuckleduster's presence remains deeply felt in their home, even though he is no longer physically there.^[11]

Story Impact#

Makoto helps Kazuho with her idol career and becomes the manager of the FeatherHATS.
The first Next-Level Villain, Teruo, appears.
Tamao is freed from Kuin's control.
A mysterious man takes the remaining bee after Kuin's defeat.

Characters Introduced#

Quirks Introduced#

Gigantic Spinning Flying Turtle: Eiji Okameda's Quirk.
Big Monkey: Rikiya Eno's Quirk.
Electric Eel: Teruo Unagisawa's mutated Eel Quirk.
Overclock: Number 6's Quirk.
Swan: A Quirk belonging to an unnamed pervert.

Battles & Events#

Soga Kugisaki vs. Controlled Girl Eraser Head vs. Teruo Unagisawa Knuckleduster vs. Kuin Hachisuka

Chapters	Chapter 19 - Chapter 28
Episodes	Episode 10 - Episode 13