Ma is Awesome!

Seeing the man's display, Erika couldn't help but feel the pity that bubbled in her chest. For a moment she saw a reflection of herself on the man, a distant memory that she had long forgotten in the millennia she spent in the void. Nostalgia, was it?

From the looks of it, her mother also felt pity. Her ruby eyes showed an uncanny similarity to the melancholy that Erika felt in her times as an Empress.

'How odd today had developed. This is the most I've thought of my past in such a saddened manner since I have been reincarnated in this world...'

Erika looked back to the two years she's spent in total bliss and happiness. She has never felt so happy for so long and so consistently that it was kind of pathetic of her old world to not grant her such a thing. Without her mother, what would have become of her? Be the same old person she once was and get killed in the same manner?

No. Of course not. She doesn't need to, she has no one reason to continue moving forward with that kind of mindset. This was her new reality now, and she will do everything in her power to enjoy and protect it.

'Yes. I'll protect it. The past is just the past, this new present is much more important to develop my future. Therefore I shall protect this with my blood.'

Her inner thoughts went unnoticed as her mother heaved a sigh at the display. With an arm, she helped the man to his feet. "Rank A heroes are on their way to help, but from the reports I've received they will perhaps arrive way too late."

Horror daunted on the man's face. The lifeless image of his little girl popping in his mind as fear gripped his heart in all sides.

"However, you should not fear." She placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder, immediately the tenseness loosened. "I will do everything in my power to bring her back alive and breathing. You have my word."

He blushed a bit at the boldness of her claim before his eyes sparkled with hope. He firmly grabbed the hand of Erika's mother and shook it with fever. "Th-thank you!"

The mother and daughter walked away from the family and back to the direction that they came from. "Elidor!"

The same policeman from earlier made his way toward them before saluting again, "Comodore Reyes. May I ask why aren't you following the general evacuation plans?"

"A father had asked me to search for his daughter. From the reports of his two sons, we found out that their sister had used her quirk to fight off the same bear I had handicapped. I am planning on personally rescuing her."

A dumbfounded look appeared on Elidor's face, "With all due respect, Ma'am. From the sounds of it, that little girl is already..." He trailed off, his eyes landing on Erika's curious ones. He cleared his throat, "From the sounds of it, the girl had... sacrificed... herself for the survival of her brothers."

"It would be cruel for the man's heart to at least not try."

"But Comodore, we can't save everyone."

Erika's mother put her down on the floor, caressing the sweat off of her daughter's face. Some time in the attack the air conditioning unit in that part of the building got cut off. "Stay with this nice man until I come back, okay? I wouldn't be long." She stood back up, "So we save whoever we can. I would rather bring the father concrete evidence for his daughter's death than the uncertainty of the unknown. I will leave the care of my daughter to you."

Elidor's surprise continued to grow, "Comodore!"

"That is an order. I'll be swift. You won't even know I left." She placed one last kiss on Erika's face before she sprinted into store.

Elidor groaned in annoyance when he watched Reyes had already disappeared from his sights. He radioed something to his talkie that Erika couldn't quite catch before turning to look at the little girl.

Erika frowned at his frown.

"Your mother is something else, kid. Come on, let's get you to other people like me. With a store that big, I wouldn't be surprised if it took your mother a while to-"

"MY DAUGHTER!!!"

Suddenly a blur ran past them and the same man that had kneeled in front of her mother was the culprit. He jumped over the caution tape and started running to the store.

"What the- HEY! STOP HIM!" Elidor radioed for backup by the store entrance as the man continued to run toward a figure walking out of the store. Elidor's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, "What the.. It hasn't even been ten minutes-"

"MY DAUGHTER!"

Erika watched as her mother expertly avoided the crushing hug of the little girl's father. She glared at him and started reprimanding him about something they couldn't catch. The man was immediately sheepish at his actions and started to furiously apologising until they reached the line where a dozen of policemen were waiting to apprehend him. The father's face continued to redden even deeper as he realized the scene he had caused.

The little girl in the arms of Erika's mother suddenly started giggling and pointing a trembling finger to her dad's face.

"You look so silly, Papa..."

The father began crying even harder than before, the large amount of relief that went through him almost made him melt.

Erika's mother laughed silently as she handed the broken little girl to one of the nurses, "Please be gentle with her. She's suffered a lot of injuries, but I had managed to perform first aid in her most major ones," She said before looking at the little girl, "You did great okay? Listen to what they tell you and recover quickly to not make your father worry any longer. You were so strong out there."

With that the scene played like it was the ending from a movie, a lot of policemen approached her mother and praised her for her bravery and efficiency. By that time as well, the heroes that were dispatched had finally arrived and began clearing out the place causing even more celebration for the small crowd that was watching. It didn't take long until all of the villains were apprehended and everything was finally calming down.

Erika's mother picked her up when they reunited. "Ma!" She exclaimed.

The woman began pecking her face with thousands of kisses, "I'm so sorry for leaving you alone, my baby." A genuinely guilty look plastered on the woman's face.

Erika laughed though, finding her apology a bit silly and unneeded.

"As my apology gift.." The woman put her hand in her purse then pulled out three toys. Two of them she recognized and the last one that confused Erika a bit, "I got you something! This third one is something called "lato-lato1". It's pretty loud and takes a lot of skill to master."

Erika was happy about the presents and as a thank you, she kissed her mother on the cheek. "Tenks you!"

Her mother might have taken advantage of the situation and stole three toys from this store but Erika didn't mind in the end. Ma was awesome!