The homeroom door creaked open, and silence settled over Class 1-A like a heavy fog. Eraser Head stepped in, his usual tired expression even more unreadable than usual, eyes scanning the room slowly.
Everyone was already seated. Tension buzzed beneath the surface—no one dared speak.
Aizawa stood at the podium for a moment before finally sighing.
"You've all seen the news by now," he began, voice low. "But figured it's better you hear it from me directly."
He reached into his coat and tapped a small remote. The holoscreen above the board flickered to life.
Footage from a national news broadcast played, grainy security feeds spliced with dramatic commentary:
"—identity of the vigilante Equinox confirmed as 15-year-old Kael Ishiro, a current U.A. first-year student. Sources say he is now considered a fugitive by national authorities, though his exact location remains unknown—"
The screen cut to images of Kael: fighting criminals in blurred footage, walking through the halls of U.A., and lastly, a still frame of him vanishing during the most recent villain broadcast—the moment Voidflare was shown tortured.
The screen shut off. No one moved.
"…That's not possible," Kaminari finally muttered. "Kael? There's no way."
"He was a vigilante this whole time?" Sero asked, leaning forward in disbelief. "Dude fought villains growing up while we were still learning basic math?"
"I knew there was something off about him," Bakugo growled, arms crossed tightly. "But I didn't think the bastard would just up and disappear."
"He didn't just disappear," Jirou said softly. "He left to save someone. That broadcast… that was Yumi's dad, bakugo."
Mina's expression fell. "Oh my god… do you guys really think that's why he went rogue? Because of what happened with VoidFlare? Surely he couldn't have gone there to save him himself."
"Does it matter why?" Iida said sharply. "He disobeyed the law. Left the school. Lied to all of us."
"Don't talk like that," Uraraka replied, frowning. "You don't know what he's going through right now. He didn't seem like he had a choice. They gave him three days, told him that if any Pro Heroes or any type of support came with him, they would kill Voidflare right then and there. Anyone in his situation would've done the same, right?
"Even if what you say does make a little sense," Iida said, adjusting his glasses. "We're training to be heroes. Trust matters. Communication matters. If all the Pro Heroes at U.A came with him, I'm sure the situation could have turned out differently."
Across the room, Todoroki was silent, eyes fixed forward but unfocused. Midoriya glanced over.
"…You okay?" he asked.
Todoroki blinked. "I'm just trying to understand what he's thinking. Why he didn't ask for help."
"Because he didn't trust anyone to understand," Yumi said quietly. Her voice cracked slightly. "Because he didn't think anyone could."
Everyone turned to look at her.
"He's always been reserved," she said. "Putting everything on his shoulders when he has all of us to help him out. We're all family here and yet.. and yet.."
A heavy silence followed her words.
Then Aizawa cleared his throat, drawing their attention again. "I know this is a lot to take in," he said. "And I won't pretend this isn't a serious situation. But we don't have the luxury of standing still."
"You're still U.A. students. Heroes in training. And the world is watching."
He clicked the remote again. This time, the screen displayed the U.A. Sports Festival banner.
"I don't expect all of you to feel ready," he said, tone firm now. "But we're going ahead with the festival. The public needs to see that U.A. hasn't crumbled. That despite the chaos, we're still standing."
"Should we really be doing this?" Yaoyorozu asked, brows furrowed. "After everything that's happened over the past two weeks…?"
Aizawa looked at her directly.
"Yes," he said. "Because if we don't, people will think the villains have already won."
Bakugo scoffed. "So what, we put on a show to make people feel safe?"
"No," Aizawa said. "You show them what future heroes look like. That you can still rise after losing someone. That even if one of our own walks a different path… we keep walking forward."
The class went quiet again—more contemplative this time.
Midoriya clenched his fist beneath the desk.
'Kael… What are you doing out there?'
…
The air was thick and humid as Kael stepped into the massive geodesic dome. The ceiling arched so high it vanished into swirling mists, the remnants of artificial clouds barely kept alive by malfunctioning climate regulators. Vines clung to rusted scaffolding, tree roots broke through fractured concrete, and patches of wild vegetation stretched across the overgrown battlefield like scars of time reclaiming the synthetic.
Kael's boots crunched over crumbled earth and wire. Every step was heavier now—pain lancing through his ribs and shoulders, a constant reminder of the toll this raid had already taken. The healing Quirk he'd just claimed had numbed some of it, but it didn't erase the ache of battle or the pressure of what was to come.
He moved slowly, eyes darting between the massive stone-like trees and broken metal walkways above. His instincts screamed that something was off. This wasn't just a battleground. It was a stage.
Then the air shifted.
From the opposite end of the dome, shadows gathered around a platform made of twisted scaffolding and vines. A single spotlight flickered on from somewhere above, illuminating a figure standing tall, arms folded behind his back.
The man's presence hit like a weight. He was lean but muscular, dressed in a ragged black uniform reinforced at the shoulders with synthetic armor. A long coat hung from his frame, the edges torn and dust-stained. His face was sharp—gaunt but regal, with a jagged scar cutting through one side of his lips and cheek. His dark hair fell in thick strands over one side of his face. A faded sigil marked with a bold black 9 stretched along his forearm like a brand.
Voidflare hung behind him—stripped of most of his costume, his arms bound tightly with reinforced wire. He was bloodied, barely upright, supported by a hooked restraint around his chest and neck. His head lolled slightly, but his chest still rose and fell with stubborn breath.
Kael's eyes locked on him instantly.
The villain stepped forward, raising his voice, calm and confident.
"So," he said, his tone a velvet blade, "the infamous Equinox has returned. Or should I say… Kael Ishiro."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "You're the one behind all this?"
"Guilty," the man said with a small bow. "It was a long time coming. A weapon with your ability doesn't deserve to hide in shadows. You should be feared in the light. The world should know that there walking amongst a man who could strip them of their God given gift."
Kael's fists clenched. DarkBind tendrils slithered behind him, slow and coiled, not yet lashing out.
The villain continued. "I've seen your work. The old footage. The dossiers. The unregistered Quirks. And now… I see you here, bloodied, but still moving. I almost admire you."
"Why?" Kael asked. "Why bring me here? What's the point of all this? Was it really just to kill me? Use my teacher as bait to lure me out." He gestured toward Voidflare. "That man has done nothing wrong. You.. you..."
The man chuckled, low and steady. "Oh, you poor, naive boy. You think I needed him to lure you out? I could've killed him like I killed his other friends. The reason that man's alive up there is because I wanted to show the world what us Villains could really do if we actually tried overthrowing the Hero world. Him happening to be your buddy was just the chocolate syrup on ice cream."
"Then-.."
"This is about balance. You've upset the natural order. A flaw in the system. A breach in evolution."
Kael took a step forward, the air warping slightly around him from multiple overlapping Quirks—some subtle, some still unfamiliar to him. His expression was unreadable.
"I don't care what you think I am," he said. "I'm here to save him."
The villain's smirk returned. He clapped once, slowly. "And yet you're walking into a game you already lost. Look at yourself. Bruised. Worn. Barely standing. You're bleeding, Kael. Even with all those abilities dancing in your blood, you're still just a boy trying to fight a battle far too big for himself."
Kael didn't flinch.
"This isn't my blood."
The man eyes twitched for a split second.
"And I don't need to win," he said quietly, voice sharp and resolute. "I just have to make sure that you lose."
The man raised a brow, intrigued. "A noble lie, from someone who's already killed to get this far. I'm sure you're going to try to finish me off right here, right now. After all, you're no Hero."
He spread his arms theatrically.
"I'm not… Which is why I can go all out without holding back. I'm not All Might. That's why I'm going to take your Quirk, kill you, kill your underlings after taking their Quirks, and eradicate everything you people stand for. You went after my family, and I can promise you with everything in my heart, until I breathe my last breath, that I'll come for yours."
A subtle hum spread through the dome as small lights began flickering to life around the perimeter. Mechanical growls rumbled beneath the floor. Pressure doors began to seal behind Kael.
The man took a step off the platform, boots crunching softly over a broken metal stair.
"My name is Sable Vex," he said at last. "And you're… you're about to die. So please show me whether you're the storm the world fears—"
He looked down at Voidflare, then back to Kael with that jagged, joyless smile.
"—or just another child trying to outrun fate. Because now you've pissed me off. I'll give you that one. Please, for my sake, don't die too fast. I want to enjoy this, okay?"
Kael didn't reply. His breath came out slowly. His fingers flexed. The tendrils curled tighter.
And with that, the dome grew still.
The next move would be his.
…