The dust had yet to settle, but the battlefield was already shifting.
Ash rained down over the city like snow as silence wrapped the frontlines in a suffocating shroud. Crust's death was a fresh wound that hadn't yet scabbed over. Where moments before had been chaos and yelling, now only sharp breaths and distant cries remained. The air itself felt thinner—like the weight of what had just begun had pushed the atmosphere down upon them all. Every hero, every student, every civilian could feel it: the awakening of something dreadful.
Reiji's jaw clenched as he stepped over rubble, shadow tendrils snaking around him. His Mortal Kombat System pulsed bright red—danger escalating exponentially. The real-time threat assessment spiked off the charts. Shigaraki's awakening had destabilized everything. His body radiated a kind of raw, suppressive energy that made even Reiji's shadows twitch unnaturally. For the first time in hours, Reiji felt true unease tighten in his chest. Despite his overwhelming skill and mental fortitude, he couldn't help but feel as though they were all ants standing before a tidal wave.
Aizawa stood rooted next to him, lips tight, eyes hollow. He had just watched a colleague—no, a friend—disappear in front of him. Yet he showed no visible tears, only quiet rage. His usually sharp gaze seemed clouded by the emotional toll, but the edge of a fighter who refused to break remained. Crust had given his life with a smile; Aizawa couldn't let it be in vain.
"We regroup now," Aizawa said hoarsely, voice barely above a growl. "Any unit still mobile, reform a perimeter. Prioritize the remaining civilians. No more losses."
Hawks landed hard nearby, his flight wobbly, wings noticeably thinner. He winced as he hit the ground, one leg dragging slightly from strain. His face was pale, his breaths short. "HQ's losing signal. He's affecting communications. It's like a field—radio interference or worse. Shigaraki's not just awake… he's different. Quirks interacting strangely. His presence alone is warping the battlefield."
Reiji's eyes narrowed. "He's evolved. We're not fighting the same person anymore. He's got multiple quirks now—more than we can identify in real time."
Across the cityscape, the sound of rapid collapse echoed—concrete being shredded by sheer force. Screams pierced the air. Fires lit the skyline. And then a blur. Shigaraki moved faster than anyone had anticipated, no longer dragging his feet like before. He was composed, fast, and precise—his movements smooth, calculated.
In one swift motion, he crashed through a group of heroes led by X-Less. They barely had time to react. X-Less raised a barrier of light, but Shigaraki was already past him, fingers grazing the pavement. Another shockwave of decay surged out, consuming metal, stone, and flesh alike. One of the side buildings collapsed entirely, crumbling into a storm of grey ash. Rubble disintegrated under his touch, as if reality itself was rejecting his presence.
Gran Torino shot forward in a blur, grabbing X-Less and yanking him clear. Three other pro heroes weren't so lucky. Their screams were short, their bodies disintegrating mid-motion. The horror was immediate and scarring—enough to make even seasoned heroes hesitate.
Midoriya froze mid-charge. He had felt something—a whisper—not from outside, but within. The voice of the First wielder of One For All echoed sharply in his mind:
"He's coming for you. Run."
Midoriya staggered, one hand clutching his chest. His vision blurred at the edges. The sense of dread gripping him went beyond fear. It was as if his very soul recognized the threat. The vestige's warning wasn't just fear—it was a command for survival.
"Deku!" Bakugo shouted, spinning back toward him. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Todoroki darted in beside them, creating a wide arc of ice that separated them from approaching Nomu. He slid into a crouch, hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Midoriya, snap out of it! We can't afford to hesitate!"
Reiji appeared from the opposite side, landing with a thud beside them. His shadows wrapped protectively around the trio. "Vestige feedback?" he asked sharply.
Midoriya gasped. "He knows… about One For All."
Reiji's jaw tightened. "Confirmed." He stood up straight. "We need to relocate. Shigaraki is tracking it. He's not just hunting heroes—he's hunting you."
Bakugo scowled. "Great. Freak's a damn bloodhound now." But even he was shaken. His explosions sputtered briefly, the weight of the situation finally settling in.
Then came the voice.
Low. Measured. Dispassionate.
"One For All…"
The sound echoed unnaturally, amplified by sheer power. The battlefield, already frozen by fear, went still again. Even the Nomu ceased their assault momentarily.
Shigaraki stood atop the husk of a destroyed building, hair whipping in the wind, his coat fluttering. His eyes glowed faintly blue. His lips curled in a half-smile. No hatred. No glee. Just singular focus. The predator had found his prey.
At UA's offsite HQ, All Might stared at the monitor in horror. "No…" he whispered. "He can sense it."
Behind him, the remaining support staff looked to him for direction, but All Might could only clench his fists. He had feared this day since giving the power to Midoriya. Shigaraki wasn't just dangerous—he was becoming a force of destiny. One built to consume everything.
Then, Shigaraki moved.
With no wind-up, he launched himself forward. The building beneath him exploded from the force of his jump. The sheer pressure shattered nearby glass. He sailed through the air like a missile, a blur of death and decay.
Straight toward Midoriya.
The trio barely had time to react.
"Move!" Reiji commanded. His shadows thrust Midoriya to the side just as Shigaraki's descent shattered the street where they stood.
The earth cracked, asphalt exploding into the air. Debris rained down. A crater formed instantly where Shigaraki landed. The ground trembled from the impact, dust clouding the area in thick smoke.
Midoriya tumbled but recovered, heart pounding. His arms screamed in pain from the strain of repeated use, but adrenaline pushed him onward. Todoroki grabbed his arm, pulling him behind cover, and reinforced the wall with ice. Bakugo unleashed a massive explosion, forcing Shigaraki back for just a moment.
Reiji emerged from the dust, shadows raised like claws. He launched a barrage of tendrils, attempting to bind Shigaraki long enough to reposition the others.
But Shigaraki didn't chase. He looked straight through the smoke. "I see it," he murmured. "That power… It's mine."
His gaze locked on Midoriya, and for a split second, the air itself seemed to shudder.
The hunt had begun.
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